iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Tom Gauld @tomgauld.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Author Simulator. My latest books cartoon for @theguardian.com

Title: Author Simulator

Level 1: Get to desk and begin! (Platform video game-style image of an author jumping from a block onto a cloud with desk and computer) Result: success!

Level 2: Press on despite distractions! (Author typing as the desk/clod moves past a ghost and a spider) ) Result: success!

Level 3: Deliver manuscript to editor! (Author jumping over fire pit onto platform where editor waits) Result: success!

Level 4: Accept minor criticism! (Author lying ded in fronto of editors desk) Result: better luck next time!

Along the bottom are controls for:
Left right jump crouch read write nap coffee

111198337 1.2K

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

graham steele @grahamsteele.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Regulators had notified Old Glory it was having issues and requested a plan to address its capital problems. The bank... just didn't respond. (That is a huge no-no.) You can find the full enforcement action here: orders.fdic.gov/s/press-rele...

OLD GLORY BANK, ELMORE CITY, OKLAHOMA (“Bank”), being a
SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERCAPITALIZED insured depository institution as that term is defined in section 38(b)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“Act”), 12 U.S.C. § 1831o(b)(1), and Section 324.403 of the FDIC’s Rules and Regulations, 12 C.F.R. § 324.403, based upon the Consolidated Report of Condition and Income of the Bank as of June 30, 2026, also known as the Call Report, which shows its Leverage Ratio to be 2.69%, and having received a NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE A SUPERVISORY PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION DIRECTIVE (“NOTICE”) detailing the actions which will be required to be taken by the Bank and/or the proscriptions which will be imposed on the Bank pursuant to section 38 of the Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1831o, and section 308.201(a) of the FDIC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 12 C.F.R. § 308.201(a), AND THE BANK HAVING FAILED TO FILE A RESPONSE TO THE NOTICE PURSUANT TO SECTION 308.201(c) OF THE FDIC’S RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE, 12 C.F.R. § 308.201(c), the FDIC hereby issues this SUPERVISORY PROMPT CORRECTIVE ACTION DIRECTIVE pursuant to the provisions of section 38 of the Act, 12 U.S.C. § 1831o, and section 308.201(d) of the FDIC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 12 C.F.R. § 308.201(d).

101 1

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

My favorite question from the Old Glory Bank FAQ:

010 1

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

The Economist @economist.com · 12/07/2026

When the Congolese government declared an outbreak in May, the disease had been spreading for at least six weeks. Health authorities are still failing to contain the epidemic

bit.ly

The Ebola epidemic is getting out of control

It has spread to five provinces in Congo and may soon reach South Sudan

32314 23

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 24/06/2026

Oklahoma leads the U.S. in electricity disconnections, with 572,480 shutoffs in 2024, according to new federal data. Electricity isn’t particularly expensive in Oklahoma. But residents’ incomes are lower than all but five states. wapo.st/4eYan40

65427 54

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Great piece from @ryanlcooper.com about why we haven't seen real consequences of the Strait of Hormuz closure in the form of shortages, and why those stopgap measures cannot hold back the reckoning much longer. prospect.org/2026/06/03/a...

prospect.org

Aftermath: Something Is Going to Snap - The American Prospect

So far, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has not led to a major economic disaster. That won’t last forever.

28039 80

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 02/06/2026

“In a preliminary MIT Media Lab study, 83% of participants who wrote essays using ChatGPT couldn’t quote a single sentence from what they’d submitted moments earlier. ‘It passed from the computer screen onto the homework assignment without ever entering their brain,’ So said.” 🫠

6497148 497

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

More on the bad marriage of higher ed and AI ⬇️

020 2

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Nicki Kenyon @nickikenyon.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Here's how the bad guys win. Gut transparency laws and allow them access to the financial system. irenekenyon.substack.com/p/shell-comp...

irenekenyon.substack.com

The Shell Game

Why the Corporate Transparency Act is critical to fighting corruption

0106 10

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Kai Kupferschmidt @kakape.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

There is a lot to follow when it comes to the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda. Here is something I am especially fascinated by: the first controlled trial to evaluate antivirals as a preventive measure during an Ebola outbreak. 🧪 My story in @science.org here (and thread to come)

science.org

‘That could be a game changer’: an antiviral pill gets first test for Ebola prevention

Researchers are preparing to launch an unprecedented trial to protect people exposed to Ebola in the DRC and Uganda

213358 133

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH @mtosterholm.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

My @postopinions.bsky.social commentary: Pathogens exploit delays, complacency & political fatigue. They move through cracks we allow to form in public health systems & international partnerships. Outbreaks can be contained if the US and its partners rapidly coordinate efforts. ow.ly/ogne50Z2VTq

ow.ly

Opinion | This Ebola outbreak is a test the world doesn’t have to fail

The U.S. and international partners can act decisively to end this outbreak.

02715 27

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

now thats an anecdote with a punch, from Gillian Tett www.ft.com/content/c0ae...

7142971457 4.3K

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Tune in next weekend for more spring garden escapes 🌷 Now back to our regularly scheduled programming of corruption and kleptocracy.

000 0

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Healthy population of tadpoles in the pond

100 1

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Blackberries should be ripe in about 4 weeks. There will be jam.

100 1

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

I have 4 raised beds for vegetables, only three of which are in use so far. 4th is still a weedy mess.

100 1

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

The world is a mess so please take a moment and enjoy this little zen thread of spring gardening. Past time to trim the roses.

110 1

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 13/04/2026

"Since the appearance of ChatGPT, the instructor’s job isn’t just to teach the subject. Increasingly, it’s to moonlight as a detective and prosecutor because students without the motivation to do the work don’t have to skip it anymore."

arstechnica.com

To teach in the time of ChatGPT is to know pain

LLM use is the most demoralizing problem I’ve faced as a college instructor.

49018 90

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Bram Ebus @bramebus.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

“Caracas is not the de facto authority in these mining regions,” I told @nytimes.com. “So they can write up a nice mining legislation, but when you go to these mining districts, there’s other armed authorities you need to deal with.” www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/w...

nytimes.com

Venezuela Approves New Law to Open Mining to Foreign Investors

001 1

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

BREAKING: In response to huge cuts in Trump's budget request, NSF is shuttering its SBE directorate. Staff will be transferred to other parts of the agency and "grants that align with Administration priorities" will be maintained. That & more w/ @maxkozlov.bsky.social & @edwrdchen.bsky.social

nature.com

Massive budget cuts for US science proposed again by Trump administration

Budget proposal would also curb federal payments for scientific publishing.

26407315 407

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Dr. Solomon David @solomonrdavid.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Who you got winning GARch Madness??? 🐟🏀😎 Credits (photos, illustrations, design): @garlab.bsky.social team & @zankurus.bsky.social

An elite eight basketball bracket image but with 8 gars instead of basketball teams. Really.
Alligator Gar, Longnose Gar, Hybrid Gar, Cuban Gar, Tropical Gar, Florida Gar, Shortnose Gar, Spotted Gar.

1520866 208

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

"the decline in [academic freedom in] the United States has been more rapid and pronounced, particularly in the last year. It has deteriorated by 50% from 2015 to 2025 and is now evaluated as moderate autonomy by country experts" academic-freedom-index.net/research/Aca...

16812389 812

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Adam Isacson @adamisacson.com · 05/03/2026

Venezuela’s Orinoco Mining Arc—like much of the Amazon—is being destroyed by a violent nexus of criminals and corrupt officials. The Maduro raid didn't change a thing. Environmental crime now blends so deeply into the economy that it’s nearly untouchable, says Mark Ungar in the latest WOLA Podcast:

wola.org

“It's So Seamlessly Blended into the Regular Economy That It's Hard to Pull Out”: Environmental Organized Crime in Venezuela, and Throughout the Americas - WOLA

Criminal networks carrying out environmental organized crime are deeply intertwined with state actors and the legal economy.

0411 11

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Matthew Gault @mjgault.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

sometimes the founder of a company says something that simply stops you in your tracks and haunts you. There's one those in here from the creator of Einstein, an edtech AI that will go to school for you

404media.co

What’s the Point of School When AI Can Do Your Homework?

The creator of the AI agent “Einstein” wants to free humans from the burden of academic labor. Critics say that misses the point of education entirely.

1322356 223

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

After more than 1.2 Americans lost their lives to Covid, NIH director Jay Bhattacharya orders the agency to deprioritize pandemic preparedness & biodefense. Make it make sense. Scoop from @maxkozlov.bsky.social @nature.com www.nature.com/articles/d41...

nature.com

Exclusive: Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation

Staff members have been instructed to scrub this topic and ‘biodefense’ from the agency’s website.

4255123 255

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 06/02/2026

The military, the money, the criminal networks — what is the future of Venezuela post-Maduro? In OCCRP’s latest briefing, journalists Nathan Jaccard, Valentina Lares ,and Steven Dudley unpack the likely scenarios. Become an OCCRP member occrp.org/donate to get access to this and future briefings.

099 9

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 03/02/2026

"The apparent ease with which air power and special operations forces can remove a foreign leader risks reinforcing a dangerous lesson—that decapitation is quick, decisive, and rewarding." Mission accomplished? Nobody knows. lnk.thebulwark.com/4qVe2TP

129429 94

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

John Warner @biblioracle.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

When students have developed their writing practices, when they're out in the world, and they want to use AI to make documents for some end purpose that's fine, but schools should teach writing. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

insidehighered.com

Writing Classes Are About Writing, Not AI-Aided Production

If we want students to learn to write, AI tools shouldn’t have much of a role. If we don’t think students need to learn to write anymore, I’m not sure what we’re doing here.

1183 18

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

David Mair @davidmair4.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Arresting argument from @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social in “Goliath’s Curse” by @lukekemp.bsky.social that state formation and collapse is best understood as a criminal enterprise. Monopolies on violence and on strategic commodities common to both?

111 1

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

I wrote that book back in 2015. Did not expect to get from theory to reality quite so quickly.

000 0

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 16/01/2026

How Crypto Is Used for Political Corruption The Autocracy in America podcast, episode 2 Listen here: www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...

theatlantic.com

How Crypto Is Used for Political Corruption

This new source of money is giving the administration unprecedented new powers.

32967416 967

Katherine Hirschfeld @tkhirschfeld.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Oklahoma’s crime stuff featured in the New York Times today. There is a lot happening here. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/u...

nytimes.com

Behind Oklahoma Cannabis Farms, New Yorkers With Ties to Beijing

010 1

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 27/12/2025

There is no historical model for what happens when a great power that is also an Influence Market becomes a kleptocracy.

foreignpolicy.com

Is America a Kleptocracy?

Here’s how life could change for the rich, poor, and everyone in between.

0167 16

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Paul Fairie @paulisci.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

The 2025 Headline of the Year Nominees 🧵

2819171104 1.9K

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

The Pacific spiny lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis) answers the question: "What if tiny fish, but also suction cup?" You can see that their little fins aren't really big enough for their tiny round bodies. They've adapted to strong currents by turning pelvic fins into a biological suction cup.

media.tenor.com

a green frog with a yellow eye is swimming in a tank

Alt: A pacific spiny lumpfish male, suction cupped onto the bottom, then he suddenly raises up and swims awkwardly upwards.

917643 176

Reposted by Katherine Hirschfeld

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy @profciara.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

🎼Corruption junction what’s your function? 🎶🎵

211153 111