iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I thought the anti-hero, “dark & gritty” era had passed, but looks like it’s time for me to get at HBO with my Encanto series pitch.

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

"The DuSable Black History Museum...announced the launch of “A Call for Artifacts: The Black Community Archive,” a documentation and digital archiving initiative designed to identify, document, and preserve histories held within Black families and communities" chicagodefender.com/the-dusable-...

chicagodefender.com

The DuSable Museum Announces “A Call for Artifacts: The Black Community Archive”

Individuals are invited to share meaningful family objects and the stories behind them to help preserve Black history for future generations The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center annou...

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Maureen Kelleher @maureenkelleher.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The Chicago school board continues to shirk its legal responsibility to stand up a Black Student Achievement Committee. If you're mad about this (or anything else regarding the board or Chicago Public Schools), they also just added a special meeting on Tuesday. board-rule.ghost.io/new-push-to-...

board-rule.ghost.io

New Push to Extend Chicago's Pause on Closing Schools

The push is on to extend the Chicago school board's moratorium on closing schools. Plus, will advocates turn to the Illinois AG to get the Black Student Achievement Committee moving?

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

some of it is about the nature of predatory inclusion. AI is the fulfillment of predatory extraction's end-game: to make more precarity while also making better, faster tools for financializing that precarity. Alphaschools expose that contradiction.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This piece was clarifying as I try to write about Alpha School opening up shop in Chicago on a plot of land originally reserved for a public school. So many of our tech & political elites are working hard at anti-politics.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Now philanthropy is dumping a billion into market cultivation?

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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

…This now means that all of Ed Sheeran's remaining opening acts — and his touring band — have just withdrawn from the tour:

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

When the AI dudes ring the alarm over “unchained behavior would lead to runaway industrialization that makes the planet inhospitable to humans,” I wonder if they know what is already happening? Like, how many more data centers are the bots asking for? Statement from OpenAl exec:

docs.google.com

Personal Statement on AI Risk

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Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

New: Macklemore says Robert Kraft — who owns Gillette Stadium, where Macklemore & Ed Sheeran were to perform later this month — called Sheeran. Kraft rallied other owners together behind an ultimatum for Sheeran: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you won't be allowed in our venues.

I'm not sure how to start this. So I'm going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.

The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don't lose sight of that.

Ed is my friend. I've known him for 13 years. We've shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I've grown to love. I consider him a brother. And because of that, we've had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement. Nothing I'm writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can't change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.

Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other
stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.

Ed was in …

What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now? Because now I'm sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America. At a certain level of exposure, "Free Palestine" becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that's why this time it became so important to silence me.

And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state. When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying "Free Palestine" gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn't protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.

I hope this isn't the end of my relationship with Ed.
Thirteen years of friendship doesn't disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.

When my brother Omar was doing the subtitles for the video I posted from MetLife, I thanked him. He told me there's a phrase in Arabic:
لا شكر على واجب
"La shukra ala wajeb." There is no thanks for a duty.
That stayed with me. Because that's what this has become for me and millions of others around the world. A duty. Not something deserving of praise or gratitude. Not brave. Human.

Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn't, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. An entire people be…

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

No one thought to ask if he meant unified as Ireland or Britain?

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Old enough to remember when the internet was supposed to free information & connect humanity to build a better world. Won’t get fooled again.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

“We were tired of being called racist for saying racist things.”

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

“Compuer scientists weren’t supposed to bring a computer into every classroom. They were supposed to bring computer science to children in classrooms.” -Seymour Papert, 2002

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Makes sense because the ideal form communication is the investor pitch.

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Benjamin Riley @benjaminjriley.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

SPECIAL REPORT Last month, Alpha School invited people to follow student social media accounts "if curious about life in our high schools." I accepted their offer. What I've found shocks me. Forget the AI and ask instead: Is Alpha Schools a cult? Follow along for a summary of my findings.

buildcognitiveresonance.substack.com

SPECIAL REPORT: My So-Called Alpha School

What is it like to be a student in Alpha School’s high school boot camp?

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Until noon today. (Thank you, Beth.)

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Kat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

The right-wing organizing around the Lindsay Clancy trial is growing and it’s frightening. A lot of people overlook these culture wars revolving around women’s issues, because, well, they’re women’s issues. But the right doesn’t. It’s how they regained such a massive cultural foothold.

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Our Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education was inspired by this @brookings.edu report earlier this year, which warned that, “At this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’s education overshadow its benefits.” www.brookings.edu/articles/a-n...

brookings.edu

A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect | Brookings

This report explores the potential risks generative AI poses to students and outlines what we can do now to minimize them.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

A company born of a website rating the hotness of female classmates was already always about this.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Another Midwest Social Studies Hub "After School Special" to kick off the new year! The American Revolution as World History: A Public Dialogue for History Teachers Thursday, Sept 10, 5:00–6:30 p.m. Lech Walesa Hall, NEIU 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave Registration - docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

The American Revolution as World History: A Public Dialogue for History Teachers
Date: Thursday, Sept 10, 2026
Time: 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Location: Lech Walesa Hall, Lecture Hall 1002 (ground floor) Northeastern Illinois University, 3701 W. Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL (Free parking in Lot D)

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Chicago Public Schools plans to give all HS students access to Google Gemini at the start of this school year. Students don’t need Big Tech’s bots doing their schoolwork for them. Help us protect human-centered education by asking Chicago Public Schools’ leaders to stop the rollout of Google Gemini👇

actionnetwork.org

CPS: Stop Google Gemini Rollout for Students!

According to the Chicago Public Schools' AI Guidebook, the district plans to provide access for all high school students to Google Gemini for the new 2026-2027 school year. Use this letter-writing too...

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Jen Jones @jenjones.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

🛑 CPS’ own GenAI guidance says the guardrails in Google Gemini make it unsafe for student use! Take 30 seconds and write to CPS leadership…

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Two dear friends & I are pitching a panel for SxSW EDU about an organization that we all hold near & dear - InterFuture, an intercultural, international research program for undergrads. We'd appreciate people's votes!

participate.sxsw.com

PanelPicker | SXSW Conference & Festivals

PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

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Illinois Families for Public Schools @ilfps.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Prioritize kids over computers! We’re calling on Chicago School Board candidates to commit to a "Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education”—22 have signed on so far. Full Pledge, candidates who have committed, and why we must protect human-centered education in CPS: www.ilfps.org/pledge_prote...

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

22 Chicago Board of Ed candidates have signed on the @ilfps.bsky.social pledge to protect human-centered education. We're advocating for a 3 year moratorium on generative AI, a Chief Data Privacy Officer, screen time limits, biometric data collection limits in CPS. See more here:

ilfps.org

MEDIA RELEASE: Advocates Call on Chicago School Board Candidates to Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education

Today pro-public school advocacy organization Illinois Families for Public Schools (IL-FPS) announced a Pledge to Protect Human-Centered Education. The organization is asking all Chicago Board of Educ...

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

In honor of Ida B Wells's birthday, I am sharing a piece about how we built a memorial to her legacy and work in Chicago. Please visit the monument if you are in the city: open.substack.com/pub/prisoncu...

open.substack.com

A Monumental Effort: The Struggle to Honor Ida B. Wells-Barnett in Chicago

My Pilgrimage to the "Light of Truth" in July

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

We got Claude and Polymarket ads telling us the new role for humans is to ask questions. I am immediately changing my stance on questions as good things.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Very true. Another irony is that Columbus wasn’t even Italian. Rufo knows this, but just can’t let a made up petty grievance go to waste.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

It is undeniably funny that Chris Rufo - whose whole career is based on the idea that identity politics is so bad that its fine to ruin people's lives over it - is unhappy that Mamdani is not adequately appreciative of his identity

Rufo accusing Mamdani of anti-italian bias

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

@literaturegeek.bsky.social made a zine that includes the original panels that were removed in case people want to see and circulate that.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

The lesson here is that a couple years of organizing & some fabricated scholarship can get 4 Republican Justices to vote against 128 years of settled law. The anti-citizenship crew is just getting started. They've learned the anti-abortion playbook & will be back stronger soon.

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Comix Action @comixaction.com · 26/06/2026

And here's @gregpak.net's testimony to the @council.nyc.gov AGAINST "A.i." in the public schools! Huge h/t to @aimoratoriumnyc.bsky.social for leading this fight! youtu.be/7-h3rPb-4G4?...

Screenshot of a New York City Council hearing video where Greg Pak is sitting behind the table for people giving testimony. Relevant part of the subtitle says "A I is also a tool of liars, scammers, and fraud." Lower third says "NYCTV gof / Committees on Education & Technology

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

2 of these 3 stars wouldn’t be Americans under Trump’s preferred policies.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

A favorite research project for students is to have them not identify, but map where all those ingredients came from. Who produces them? How are they shipped? What’s journey to your favorite food takes on its way to your stomach?

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

“…the enemy is at once too strong and too weak. Fascist regimes are doomed to lose their wars, because they are constitutionally incapable of making an objective assessment of the enemy’s strengths.” - Umberto Eco

nytimes.com

Deadlocked Wars: How Major Powers Misread the Regions They Attacked

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Ok, West Loop Branch. Nicely done.

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Oh, today is the day we get to buy shares in a company that its CEO uses to stoke racial violence?

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

You know what produced durable white working class Democratic voters? Unions. Republicans know that, which is why they’ve spent decades strangling unions. But instead of rebuilding their foundational institutions, the national Dems are all in on charismatic scum bags because it works for the GOP.

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Lady Topham Catt @ladytophamcatt.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

look at this cop takeover

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making art @marigoldmagic.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

a whole bunch of these are available at Inga on 18th street and at @skunkcabbagebooks.bsky.social on Milwaukee Ave. there might be extra gossip written in the margins also 🖤

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making art @marigoldmagic.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

today's first public comment is from CTU discussing the budget cuts there are deep cuts to teaching positions it's so frustrating that this city increases the police budget year after year and shorts the schools year after year

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C. Tocci @tocci.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

A movie set across the Mediterranean stars a dude from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Chad Topaz Queer DEI Race Traitor @chadtopaz.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

So, @tressiemcphd.bsky.social writes a brilliant (as usual) op-ed about genAI and some tech bro attempts to ridicule it. The guy, Mike Solana, is probably not worth my time but it seems he's gay and as a Gay, I am unduly annoyed by evil gays. Also, I'm bored. So here's my debunking of this guy.

chadtopaz.com

Receipts are receipts — Chad M. Topaz

A response to Pirate Wires on Tressie McMillan Cottom. Solana mocked her NYT column on celebrity AI promotion without disclosing that his employer Founders Fund is invested in the companies she critiq...

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