lmao

DOD is not letting trans service members attend their own separation hearings unless they conform with Whiskey Pete's notion of their gender. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...

One of Us Knows by @alyssacolelit.bsky.social is more than half off on sale right now! www.amazon.com/One-Us-Knows...

My parents are currently safe, but one of my sisters in law lost her home to the wildfires ravaging #Spokane Washington. I’m joining the effort to ensure she and my niece and nephew are taken care of, however temporarily. gofund.me/bd93f259d

Donate to Help Tanya’s Family Rebuild After Disaster, organized by Jamie Collier

Help Tanya and Her Family Rebuild After Losing Everything In a matt… Jamie Collier needs your support for Help Tanya’s Family Rebuild After Disaster

gofund.me

David Ellison thinks you're stupid! The New York Times thinks you're stupid!

Erik Adams@erikadams.bsky.social · 20h ago

"No amount of spin can sugarcoat the utter disaster of layoffs, creative consolidation, and sheer mediocrity that awaits if Richie Rich runs roughshod over the industry he claims to love so much." Get 'im, @mcastimovies.bsky.social!

Ways you can prove that an author used AI: prompts were left in the text, code was uncovered underneath it, the author admits it, evidence was found on their computer, they have a history of AI use, and possibly as corroboration: there is no drafting history whatsoever.

"The data suggests the eight oil companies – Aramco, BP, Shell, Equinor, TotalEnergies, Eni, Chevron and ExxonMobil – made more than $700,000 of profit every minute over the spring quarter."

Michael Rass@mikerass.bsky.social · 21h ago

Eight of the biggest oil companies amassed profits of more than $90 billion in just three months as Trump’s illegal Iran war sent energy prices soaring and the emissions-fuelled climate crisis caused deadly heatwaves.

Lon Burnam, a former state lawmaker representing Tarrant County from 1997 to 2015, was carried out of the room by four sheriff deputies, who held him by his hands and feet: fortworthreport.org/2026/08/04/t...

Tarrant County judge removes attendees during public meeting about voting site reductions

Former state lawmaker Lon Burnam was carried out of the courtroom by sheriff deputies after O’Hare called speakers disruptive.

fortworthreport.org

The Atlantic article read like a hit piece on a Black artist. This AI detector is entirely unproven. The study isn't peer reviewed. The raw data was given to the reporter, but WE don't see it or any other names on their list. The Atlantic writer accused the ONE specific author right around pub day.

Susanna Kearsley@susannakearsley.bsky.social · 24h ago

❤️ Gillian Green, publisher at Tor Bramble, told The Bookseller: “HM Wolfe has confirmed that Daggermouth was written entirely without AI. We stand behind our author, and we do not recognise third-party AI detection tools as a fair or reliable measure of authenticity when used on their own.”

WNBA (the org) courted this. They could have nipped this in the bud, but instead they placated anti-trans activists, so now bigots have glomed onto them. If you don't tell them their opinions are vile and are unwelcome, they will destroy you or leech on you forever. just ask amnesty international

taylr@taylordahlin.com · 3d ago

riley gaines is at the minnesota lynx vs indiana fever game posing with people courtside as they line up for photos

This declaration means FEMA now has additional authority to provide Direct Federal Assistance when our agency requests it. This declaration is focused on immediate emergency response. This does NOT provide direct checks to individuals or unrestricted funding for communities.

Gov. Bob Ferguson@governorferguson.bsky.social · yesterday

The federal government granted my request in full for an emergency declaration to help cities, counties, the state and tribes fight our record setting wildfires, with the exception of debris removal. We have support for emergency shelters, food and water, search and rescue. Read more here:

its very telling that the mainstream media narrative is that dsa has wacky and unreasonable positions when the republican party position is that abortion should be banned, latino families should be put in concentration camps, black people should be shot by cops and transgender people shouldnt exist

Dobbs: hey, states can still have legal abortion Donald Trump's personal attorney: nah, we're rewriting that shit

Blanche assures anti-abortion supporters that Dobbs will be ‘permanent in every single state’

The acting attorney general made the remarks during a private call with faith leaders.

politico.com

"Liberal bubble" has only ever meant anywhere where right wing perspectives aren't artificially elevated and forced into everyone's feeds.

Thread of ways to help Spokane fire victims. As someone who grew up and also still has family living there, this is so heartbreaking. For those who want to or need help, check out the city's official resource list, which includes a handful of places for donations: my.spokanecity.org/news/release...

Community Resources Available to Those Impacted by Fires

Local organizations and services are ready to assist those impacted by fires.

my.spokanecity.org

Molly Templeton@mollytempleton.com · 2d ago

this is really, really bad, and Spokane is ... not exactly on the national radar. I know there are infinite people and places that need help, and everyone's resources are finite, but some options if you are so inclined:

while there are problems with anything, the nuclear block is absolutely my second favorite thing that bluesky did. (my first favorite is detach quote, which is another thing that wrecks the way they like to use social media)

Micah@rincewind.run · 2d ago

there are definitely downsides to the nuclear block but the reason I keep coming back to it as necessary and good is that it completely ruined the whole MAGA engagement model to the point that they prefer to mock us from the nazi bar rather than come here to troll us directly

I think a lot about this scene from Stranger than Fiction where Maggie Gyllenhaal's character talks about being perfectly willing to pay the taxes that go to fixing pot holes and erecting swingsets and building shelters, but not corporate bailouts and national defense www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtZt...

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)- Taxman in Love Scene (1/9) | Movieclips

YouTube video by Movieclips

youtube.com

Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans)@iwriteok.bsky.social · 2d ago

I have, with my own eyes, watched my tax dollars in the form of missiles as they hit buildings inhabited by civilians. I'd much prefer subsidizing a grocery story I don't use.

Bluesky oldheads will remember that brief period of time when the conservative trolls tried to storm the place and were flummoxed by the idea they would have to organically grow an audience and that someone who didn't want to talk to them could nuke every interaction they ever had from orbit

They haven’t declared many crises, but we’ve been in a perpetual blood shortage basically since Covid-19. At this point in time, only 3% of eligible Americans donate blood regularly, and depending on the donation type they’re only usable for 5-42 days. Please donate if you can: www.redcrossblood.org

Elle Ess@viamarsala18.bsky.social · 2d ago

Who is going to find time in their week this week to donate blood? The American Red Cross declared only its second ever national blood crisis in 145 years. There’s only a day’s worth of O+!

You don't get to use the stolen work of real artists through AI because you think you're ENTITLED to being 'an artist' without working to learn how to create art. You wouldn't argue this for any other jobs. Nobody's handing you a scalpel and letting you operate on people without going to med school!

That's Not How It Works! That's Not How Any Of This Works!

Alt: That's Not How It Works! That's Not How Any Of This Works!

static.klipy.com

Just a few more days left for Hugo voting! Murder by Memory is on the novella ballot alongside a murderer’s row of talented wordcrafters — you can vote this week and then come hear all of us on the panel at the end of the month! www.lacon.org/hugos/

Thread of ways to help Spokane fire victims. As someone who grew up and also still has family living there, this is so heartbreaking. For those who want to or need help, check out the city's official resource list, which includes a handful of places for donations: my.spokanecity.org/news/release...

Community Resources Available to Those Impacted by Fires

Local organizations and services are ready to assist those impacted by fires.

my.spokanecity.org

Molly Templeton@mollytempleton.com · 2d ago

this is really, really bad, and Spokane is ... not exactly on the national radar. I know there are infinite people and places that need help, and everyone's resources are finite, but some options if you are so inclined:

Super useful. I figure a lot of us here in the Sky know this stuff already, but it might be handy to hand to parents, grandparents and pals who are less technically minded. www.librarian.net/NoToAI/

I saw a comment saying that Mitch McConnell is on ‘eternity leave’ and I’ve been laughing for ten minutes

the trump federal education cuts are so bad the university scientists have marmots on ONLYFANS??? www.latimes.com/california/s...

Marmots got money troubles: Cuts to UCLA research lead scientists to OnlyFans

A UCLA marmot lab has opened an OnlyFans account called OnlyMarms to raise funding for its research. So far, it's raised about $4,000.

latimes.com

aside from how horrifically abusive and transphobic this is: where are you getting all these designated medical professionals and money to pay for it?? is the goal to make everything so cost and time prohibitive that few girls can play sports in Washington at all? logistically that’s what’ll happen.

Gillian Branstetter@gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 2d ago

An initiative on the ballot in Washington state in November would require all athletes seeking to play girl's sports from kindergarten to high school to undergo "genetic screening, a testosterone-levels test, or an examination of their reproductive anatomy" before they can play

in your regular ‘people shouldn’t live here’ update from Arizona, my dad got back from a trip so nobody had been running water through his pipes. a scorpion CRAWLED OUT OF THE DRAIN IN HIS SINK WHEN HE WAS BRUSHING HIS TEETH!!

this is a nice comprehensive overview of why substack sucks and some good alternatives.

Sean Killeen@seankilleen.com · 6mo ago

That's 100% why I created leavesubstack.com -- got tired of re-hashing the points; wanted to make a simple 1-pager.

There is no version of yourself you could become that would satisfy the people who hate you. So you might as well be who you are.

I know these people do not care about facts, but it’s just demonstrably, factually untrue that Democrats are the reason forest management and firefighting have been defunded. It’s a blatant falsehood. And as someone who grew up in Spokane, I know all those white supremacists will spread these lies.

Kate Starbird@katestarbird.bsky.social · 3d ago

If you're curious about how the right is going to try to frame the horrific fires in Spokane Washington, it looks like they plan to blame them on homeless people, local (DEM) city leadership, and state (DEM) mismanagement of forests. So, many of the same frames as the LA fires.