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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.

@smothurston.bsky.social
330 followers 292 following 123 posts

professor of ethics, religion, & politics. focus on democratic practices, citizenship, public schools, prisons, & families | standard disclaimers stephaniemotathurston.com

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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Matthew Dowd @matthewjdowd.bsky.social · 8h
Latest WSJ poll: "63% want to pause AI development 61% want a billionaire wealth tax 59% want Medicare for All 57% want a $20 minimum wage 58% want to end U.S. military aid to Israel" This is the center of the country politically. it is time all adjust to this political spectrum, esp. media.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Charles Keener @charleskeener.bsky.social · 16h
truthout.org/articles/fet...
truthout.org
Fetterman Joins GOP to Block Effort to Expose Israeli Abuses in West Bank
The measure would’ve required the State Department to issue a report on Israeli human rights practices in the West Bank.
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 16h
have any professors put their writing through these detectors? when i put my writing through, i think twice, it came back 100% human written. have others found false flags?
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Greenberg Center at Trinity College @trincollgreenberg.bsky.social · 22h
Join us on Thurs. 10/8 at 12:15 in the 1823 Room for A Conversation on Landor, Religion, and Race in Prisons Panelists include Lucius Couloute (Sociology), Nadja Eisenberg-Guyot (Anthropology), Glenn Falk (Public Policy and Law), @mccraryc.bsky.social, and @smothurston.bsky.social.
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Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Incredible chutzpah from a Congress whose one major legislative act was a budget bill that among other things imposed significant new administrative burdens on Medicaid recipients
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
perusing new books in philosophy and spotted this: Killing and Other Dastardly Deeds....I'm sorry but this is an incredible title!
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
BREAKING: The union of Starbucks workers is officially calling for a boycott of the chain. @sbworkersunited.org has over 12,000 unionized baristas, and they're calling on customers to stop visiting Starbucks until they get a fair union contract.
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Charles Keener @charleskeener.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
countercurrents.org/2026/08/isra...
countercurrents.org
Israel Kills 152 Gazans in July, Highest in 2026 | Countercurrents
The month of July has seen the highest number of martyrs in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2026 and is seen as the most deadly. The Health Information Center of the Health Ministry in Gaza…
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Headquarters @headquartersnews.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Joan Sebastian Guerrero's wife: That Monday afternoon was supposed to be a day with Papa. But he never arrived. My daughter asks for Papa, and I don't have the strength to tell her that Papa won't come and she won't be able to hug him or tell him, 'daddy, I love you.' Every night she asks for him.
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Can we ethically continue giving credit for this type of course?
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Andrew Heiss @andrew.heiss.phd · 11/07/2026
woof ≈80% of assignments this summer term have essentially been just raw chatgpt/claude output, including assignments that required designing stuff in illustrator/affinity/canva. The battle is lost for asynchronous online courses.
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Jennie Coughlin @jenniecoughlin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Three men who witnessed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s killing by federal immigration officers in Houston disputed the Department of Homeland Security’s account of the shooting and said the victim never attempted to run over a federal agent.
nytimes.com
Witnesses of ICE Killing in Houston Dispute the Official Account (Gift Article)
The agency said a Mexican immigrant driving a van tried to ram agents before they shot him dead. A lawyer for three passengers said that was untrue.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Ed Markey @edmarkey.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
ICE shot and killed a man in Houston with no criminal record who was not even their target. They pushed him off the road. And now he is gone forever. ICE is a domestic terrorist organization. We need to abolish ICE now and stop Trump’s murderous thugs.
The New York Times: Man Killed by Federal Agent in Houston Was Not the Target of ICE Search
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Jake Tapper, long-suffering Philly sports fan @jaketapper.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Federal task force designed to make Memphis safer faces scrutiny after two deadly shootings by law enforcement in one week www.cnn.com/2026/07/10/u...
cnn.com
Federal task force designed to make Memphis safer faces scrutiny after two deadly shootings by law enforcement in one week | CNN
The fatal shooting of a man in Memphis by an armed Tennessee National Guardsman on Sunday brought shock and concern to some members of the community. Those feelings were still fresh Wednesday when wor...
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
barely breaking through, its devastating.
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 09/07/2026
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo called Houston home for 35 years. On Tuesday, an ICE agent shot and killed him. His family learned of his death from a video before anyone bothered to knock on their door.
New York City stands with the Salgado family in demanding a full, independent investigation and real accountability. To the Salgado family and any immigrant family in this city living in fear: we grieve with you and we will continue to stand beside you in the pursuit of justice.
Abolish ICE.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Between this and the national guard in Memphis it’s kind of disturbing me (yes I know I’m a member of the media) the degree to which these killings aren’t really breaking thru rn
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Wajahat Ali @wajali.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
ABOLISH ICE www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
houstonchronicle.com
ICE shooting updates: Hidalgo joins calls for investigation into Araujo's death
ICE and the FBI are investigating after a Mexican citizen was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston's Magnolia Park on Tuesday.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
ICE says agent shot and killed Houston driver, FBI investigating
houstonchronicle.com
ICE says agent shot and killed Houston driver, FBI investigating
The man refused multiple commands and tried running over an ICE officer, according to the agency.
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Adam Keiper @adamkeiper.com · 08/07/2026
NEW: He was picking up a work crew to take them to construction site at 6 a.m. on Tuesday morning. ICE showed up. And now this small business owner, the father of three American citizens, is dead. www.thebulwark.com/p/he-lived-h...
thebulwark.com
He Lived Here for 35 Years. Put Three Kids in College. ICE Killed Him.
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was picking up a crew for a construction project when ICE shot him. It now claims he was the aggressor.
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Eric Michael Garcia @ericmgarcia.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
And it's out for Sanders. www.pbs.org/newshour/amp...
pbs.org
Sen. Bernie Sanders says Graham Platner should drop out of the race after sexual assault allegation
Sanders, Platner's longtime backer, joined the chorus Tuesday saying that he spoke with Platner and that "in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside.”
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
I want to make my thoughts clear. Platner should exit the race, and exit now. robertreich.substack.com/p/platner-mu...
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
this is exactly why there needs to be significant cultural stigma and social sanction for the use of AI in research, writing, reporting from the earliest ages...I really really don't want to live in a world where this is permissible
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Jessica Valenti @jessicavalenti.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Let's be clear about what is happening here
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Jessica Valenti @jessicavalenti.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
In one state, CPS took a teenager from her home to prevent her from having an abortion—threatening her mother with murder charges if she helped her daughter get out-of-state care. Another mother was investigated by CPS and police for helping her teen get an abortion *in a pro-choice state*
jessica.substack.com
Exclusive: She Helped Plan Her Teen's Abortion, So CPS Took Her Daughter Away
Child protective services is being used as an anti-abortion weapon in banned and pro-choice states
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
80% of incarcerated women are parents. Let’s reunite these Black mamas and caregivers with their families so they can return home in time for #MothersDay. Join me to help @nationalbailout.bsky.social raise $500K to #FreeBlackMamas! bit.ly/freeblackmamas2026
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
National Bail Out @nationalbailout.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
We’re organizing with 13 Black-led organizations all across the U.S. this Mother's Day to help Black mamas and caregivers return home to their families. #FreeBlackMamas today by giving to break open a cage: bit.ly/freeblackmamas2026 2026 Partners: nationalbailout.org/partners26
nationalbailout.org
2026 Partners — National Bail Out
This Mother’s Day, National Bail Out will be freeing as many Black mamas and caregivers as possible so that they can return home to their families and communities.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Has the Supreme Court ever previously struck down all or part of a duly-passed, constitutional law on the grounds that Justices feel like the law achieved its goals and feel like the goal would stay achieved without the law so therefore it shouldn’t be in force anymore? Because that’s legislative.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
I am not being hyperbolic. Our insistence on segregating our histories, in encapsulating the struggle for voting/civil rights as a Black struggle and not an American one, has helped bring us to this moment. We did not have representative democracy until 1965. W/o the VRA, it is unlikely to survive.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Pascal Sabino @pascalsabino.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
“Their attorney told them it was illegal discrimination against Black voters. And they did it anyway. So if the opportunity presents itself again—why wouldn’t they go back to it?” boltsmag.org/voting-right...
boltsmag.org
Black Residents in West Tennessee Just Won Fairer Districts. Now Comes SCOTUS. - Bolts
The Supreme Court may further erode the Voting Rights Act in an upcoming decision. Beyond affecting Congress, that would reverberate across local governments nationwide.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Dr. Casey Fiesler @cfiesler.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Meanwhile the ACM Digital Library is creating AI “podcasts” of papers with no author approval that of course contain inaccuracies (including e.g. misgendering authors) I don’t care about copyright. Legal /= ethical & academic institutions are embarrassing themselves www.404media.co/asu-atomic-a...
404media.co
University Professors Disturbed to Find Their Lectures Chopped Up and Turned Into AI Slop
ASU Atomic, a new tool in beta at Arizona State University, takes faculty lectures and chops them into extremely short clips, that AI then attempts to turn into learning materials.
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
this case is so much more worrying than the nihilism of the typical mass shooter. It’s just indicative of how deeply unhealthy and unjust our society is.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Robert P. Jones @robertpjones.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Just dropped from @convocation.bsky.social ! We covered a lot of ground this week.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Today, I urge everyone to find and financially support an independent news outlet — one that will not be attending a spectacle dinner tonight to schmooze with the Trump administration while they berate the press.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
21st Century Schizoid Tran @grayathena.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Pour one out for the Hilton staff who are working perhaps the worst shift in food service history rn.
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Adam Conover @adamconover.net · 18/04/2026
I don't recall any previous transformative technologies that had to be sold to the public so hard. No one in 1999 was going, "Guys. Cell phone? It's coming, whether we like it or not. I think it's important, FOR WOMEN ESPECIALLY, to learn about cell phone. So that we're not left behind!!"
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Benjamin Tausig @burrata.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
And as we build new institutions in the coming years, as we must, we can prioritize blurring the distinction that academia built up like a plaque between learning and the world. And then you won’t be outside at all.
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
can’t wait to start this in a month or so once the semester winds down!
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Bolts @boltsmag.org · 19/04/2026
People who agree to a Fourth Amendment waiver give up protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, allowing police to search a person or their home at any time over years-long periods.
boltsmag.org
Virginia Governor Vetoes a Ban on Plea Deals That Waive People’s Constitutional Rights
Abigail Spanberger blocked a bill to bar prosecutors from pressuring Virginians to waive protections against unreasonable police searches as a condition of pleas.
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Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
David Slack @slack2thefuture.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Record profits are unpaid wages and unpaid taxes.
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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Next up… Virginia on Tuesday.
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Dave Byrnes @djbyrnes1.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Earlier this evening: dozens of people gathered in Chicago's far north side Rogers (Phillip) Park in support of an 18-year-old Mather High School student and his mother, who, according to the student's older brother, were abducted from the Chicago immigration court at Ida B. Wells Drive in March.
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 16/04/2026
I'm sure @thefireorg.bsky.social will be all over this. Any day now...
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Prison Policy Initiative @prisonpolicy.org · 15/04/2026
Happy Tax Day. Just a reminder, as you potentially owe Uncle Sam: Mass incarceration costs the U.S. $445 billion every single year.
Flow chart showing the U.S. spends $445 billion on mass incarceration each year.
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
like there is an entire fucking tradition of theorizing what constitutes just/licit wars within catholic moral theology
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Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D. @smothurston.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
what a strange thing to think that war is not a central question of morality
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Leah Sottile @leahsottile.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Last week, a worker one of Amazon's Portland area facilities died on the warehouse floor. Employees were told to look away and keep working. A new story by @ryanjhaas.bsky.social for @thewesternedge.bsky.social - reporting this news first. www.thewesternedge.media/p/everyone-i...
thewesternedge.media
‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility
A worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.
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Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Not a fan of this aggressively menacing depiction of Jesus that today’s Christian Nationalists are promoting. This was posted by a Covid-denialist, prosperity gospel, nondenominational MAGA church in my town that sponsored the Reawaken America tour in 2022.
The River Church is in Salem, OR. •
LIVE
Follow
1d.
SPRING CAMP MEETING IS HERE!!!... more
I'LL BE BACK
APRIL 26 - MAY 3
1 COR 15:55-57
UNSTOPPABLE
SPRING CAMP MEETING
2 0 2 6
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Chanea Bond @heymrsbond.com · 11/04/2026
Every single one of the astronauts who went to the moon and back on Artemis II was educated at a public school. Thinking of the teachers who poured into Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen tonight. You helped send a kid to the moon! 🌕 💛
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