Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 19h

Forget oligarchy, we are ruled by the inceligencia!

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 23h

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.

1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 20h

What if we did the tyranny and the corruption, but without the bread and the circuses?
- Last Roman Emperor (probably)

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21h

Trump: "If somebody is doing a bad job and if I feel there is unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, and I would say, 'let's move it to another location.' And he would do that ... I could say the same things for the Olympics."

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 23h

I feel bad for Benin, but having seen Italy v Nigeria in '94 in person, I know, we can't have a World Cup here without the Nigerians!

They are a top 5 fanbase.

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 23h

Victor Osimhen for president

1 1 16

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 1d

Marilyn fought like hell to keep control of her image. Turned down movies. Started her own production company.

This would be a biblical-level abomination.

Get this book instead. www.simonandschuster.com/books/Dear-M...

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 1d

Recently developed a framework for assessing your role, mapping your challenges and determining your strategic actions to build narrative power. w/my amazing colleague @linasrivastava.bsky.social

Email [email protected] to get the full framework

www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6zqyu...

Narrative Infrastructure for Narrative Power: A Brief Introduction to the Framework Email info@transformationalchange.co to get the full framework to asses your role, map your challenges and determine your strategic actions to build narrative power.

1 2

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 1d

Recently developed this framework to asses your role and map your challenges in building narrative infrastructure. With my amazing colleague
@linasrivastava.bsky.social
www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6zqyu...

Narrative Infrastructure for Narrative Power:
A Brief Introduction to the Framework

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 1d

Excellent piece by @judithmll.bsky.social

"narratives dont emerge in a vacuum...Dominant stories do not triumph because they are more persuasive or imaginative, but because they have the infrastructures that allow them to be diffused, repeated, & naturalized" judith-mll.medium.com/against-the-...

Against the obsession with narratives: A materialist critique

In recent years, political and cultural debate has increasingly turned into a battle of stories. Everything seems to revolve around…

judith-mll.medium.com

1 1 3

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 2d

🇮🇪!

(I know it didn't end well, but this is satisfying)

Emily ✨🎃 @emilyoram.bsky.social · 2d

Good morning, somehow this has only just come up on my instagram but it’s well worth 30 seconds of your time.

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 4d

$275 to go! Hoping by morning Kenya time we can reach that goal. She takes care of three of her siblings on her own. School fees. all of it. And with all the international aid cuts by the US, there are almost no options for support 🙏

From Naomi (sent at 4:20): I don’t even know what miracle will happen tonight, but I just want to get out in the morning for real. I hate hospitals I’m so drained.

1 3 3

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 4d

She’s up to $100 collected. Needs $300 more 🙏

1 1 1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 4d

I work with refugee youth in the US and East Africa. Please help if you can. Info below.

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 4d

Naomi, a young refugee I work with in Nairobi, is at the hospital with her 7 yr old brother Junior who has blood poisoning. He's recovering but they won't discharge him until she pays $400 (40k KES) for 4 days care. Cost go up until he's released. Any amount helps

account.venmo.com/u/Keefe-Murren

Hi Keefe, Junior is feeling much better we’ll be discharged tonight. They’ve given me some food for malnourishment and strong medicine to help him recover fully. The hospital bill came to 40,000 (kenyan shillings), which feels crazy since we haven’t even been here that long 😞 but honestly, I just thank God he’s alive and getting healthier again. 🙏

Junior this year on his first day of school.

Text from Junoir's sister Naomi: I just wish they could take me and allow the baby to go home

1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 4d

Naomi, a young refugee I work with in Nairobi, is at the hospital with her 7 yr old brother Junior who has blood poisoning. He's recovering but they won't discharge him until she pays $400 (40k KES) for 4 days care. Cost go up until he's released. Any amount helps

account.venmo.com/u/Keefe-Murren

2 5 1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 5d

my vote: Sumud Flotilla AND Sudan's incredible Emergency Response Rooms for using their own model of organizing and mutual aid to respond to the world's biggest displacement crisis.

www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/mut...

Mutual aid in Sudan

An ongoing series of articles exploring grassroots responses to the world's biggest humanitarian crisis.

www.thenewhumanitarian.org

2

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 5d

"Trump administration is expected to announce the smallest ever refugee resettlement program for the coming fiscal year, aiming to welcome just 7,500 people."

Something overlooked, resettled refugees are stabilizing influences on their country of origin: www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature...

1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 6d

I love this. Reminds me of the incredible Emergency Response Rooms in Sudan.

They are demonstrating that community, solidarity and mutual aid not only provide an organizing structure pushing for change but a model for future governance.

www.thenewhumanitarian.org/in-depth/mut...

1 3

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 6d

Not enough people in the US are aware of the extended family networks hardworking immigrants support alongside themselves and their families here.

Remittance payments to Somalia > entire gov budget >all int’l aid

The New Humanitarian @newhumanitarian.bsky.social · 6d

Somalis abroad send hundreds of millions of dollars home each year, more than official aid flows.

Read: ⬇️

The diaspora lifeline that helps keep Somali families afloat

Somalis abroad send hundreds of millions of dollars home each year, more than official aid flows.

buff.ly

1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 6d

youtu.be/Dx3Au4fPQv0?...

Morocco public figures urge king to act after youth protests • FRANCE 24 English

YouTube video by FRANCE 24 English

youtu.be

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 6d

journalist @aidaalami.bsky.social interviewed on the GenZ protests in Morocco and their "very basic and reasonable demands" and regime efforts to "co-opt the movement."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx3A...

Morocco public figures urge king to act after youth protests • FRANCE 24 English

YouTube video by FRANCE 24 English

www.youtube.com

Reposted by keefe murren

AFP News Agency @en.afp.com · 11d

🇲🇦 VIDEO: 'Clear demands': young Moroccans sustain week of protests

Youth-led protests demanding reforms to public healthcare and education take place in Morocco's capital Rabat for a seventh day in a row.

57 150

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 12d

www.newsweek.com/map-shows-wh...

Map Shows Where Gen Z Protests Are Erupting Worldwide

Gen Z protesters are challenging governments worldwide, reshaping political activism on issues such as corruption and inequality.

www.newsweek.com

1 1

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 12d

There are "GenZ" protests in Kenya, Bangladesh, Nepal and now Morocco.

These deliberately leaderless youth movements share the same message: Stop stealing our future! Start respecting our human rights!

Authoritarianism is on the rise, but it seems, so are the youth!

apnews.com/article/moro...

1 32 54

Reposted by keefe murren

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 12d

Believers in the free press have begun a 24/7 vigil as Madonna-like tears start flowing miraculously down the cheeks of a statue at the Walter Cronkite Memorial in St. Joseph Missouri.

Image of a bust Walter Cronkite at the Walker Cronkite Memorial in St. Joseph, Missouri

3 3

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 12d

Believers in the free press have begun a 24/7 vigil as Madonna-like tears start flowing miraculously down the cheeks of a statue at the Walter Cronkite Memorial in St. Joseph Missouri.

3 3

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 12d

Does anyone know of grants for travel & accommodations for people from the Global South to be able to attend policy forums?

Working with some folks on a great opportunity to host a panel, but it's unfunded and my colleagues are current and former displaced people. Any help is appreciated.

keefe murren @keefemurren.bsky.social · 13d

There's the People's World Cup and then there's FIFA's World Cup.

I wonder how the sponsors feels about the emerging backlash, presumably coming from the very customers they want to reach with their sponsor dollars... Coca-Cola, Adidas, Hyundai, Visa, how you feeling?

Henry Bushnell @henrybushnell.bsky.social · 13d

Ticket prices for the USMNT's World Cup opener in LA:

– Category 1: $2,735
– Category 2: $1,940
– Category 3: $1,120

Prices for the 2026 World Cup final:

– Category 1: $6,730
– Category 2: $4,210
– Category 3: $2,790

More prices and info here @theathletic.com:

World Cup ticket prices revealed as lucky few win right to buy first

Breaking down the earliest information as the first batch of fans gained the chance to buy tickets for next summer

www.nytimes.com