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Dr Maha

@maharafiatal.bsky.social

1.2K followers 200 following 480 posts

New Yorker abroad. Adam Smith Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Political Economy at University of Glasgow studying governance by/of corporations. Sometimes journalist. Always feminist.

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Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · Aug 1

New from Pamela Mondliwa and me in @bigdatasoc.bsky.social: the wild story of how South African banks launched mobile apps and chat-bots that compromised their customer data while patting themselves on the back for promoting "financial inclusion." doi.org/10.1177/2053...

Afrofuturist ambiguities: Inclusion and consolidation in South African digital finance - Maha Rafi Atal, Pamela Mondliwa, 2025

In recent years, two changes have begun to transform the South African banking sector. First, financial technology startups have emerged, offering payments and ...

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7h

Whole online media outlets that existed just to profit from this, funded by the easy cash that was floating around for anything "digital" in the wake of the financial crisis.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7h

When I left journalism, I was getting freelance commissions for hard news investigations and magazine cover stories but could not land a permanent reporting gig. Two mentors told me that I would have a better shot "as a woman" if I were willing to do this. I got a PhD instead, and have no regrets.

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 8h

I think a lot of people don’t realize how insanely pervasive and coercive the early 2010s “the only way to make it as a young writer is to publish insanely confessional, raw online essays about your darkest secrets and trauma” culture was.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 9h

There I was thinking I had diversified my political risk by holding both of these...🤦‍♀️

Reposted by Dr Maha

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 4d

This two-parter below is exactly why it's hard to make clothes in the United States.

Let's look at how much it costs to produce a button-up shirt in the US. 🧵

Someone on Twitter replies to me: "meh. buy american or stfu."

Two hours later, in a separate thread, the write: "$30 for a single button-up is ridiculous unless it is decent quality silk."

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 3d

Emasculator reporting for Monday morning duty here.

waltydunlop @waltydunlop.bsky.social · 4d

Job occupations, from an 1881 census. Every one of these sounds like something a sorely provoked Captain Haddock would should at someone in times of heavy stress.

Reposted by Dr Maha

Erin Lockwood @erinkaylockwood.bsky.social · 5d

[reverent priestly voice] For just as Paul writes to the Ephesians that we are God's handiwork, so too are we called to be God's hands, God's plague of frogs, in the world

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

Credit to Rice, McMahon, Judge, Schlittler, Bednar, who did what was asked of them and deserved better from their teammates and coaches. Shame on pretty much everyone else. See you all in the spring.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

Whelp. That result has had the faint air of inevitability about it all week. You cannot swing blind at first pitches, flub easy defensive plays, or run a "platoon" system where one half of the platoon is dead, and expect not to be bulldozed at this level.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

Bearing witness for sure. Husband went to bed too and it's almost 3am here so I can't even yell at my TV, so glad to have someone to vent to myself.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

Oh no, I know, I am familiar with the sensation of "oh no, it's Volpe again," but like even in the narrow context of this postseason, a deranged thing to have done.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

And like clockwork, the pinch-hitter makes a fielding error that results in another run. I am sleep-deprived and haven't played since I left high school and even I could have told Boone how that would go.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

How do you pinch hit for the guy that scored our only run today...and not for the guy who has been dead since game 1 of the WC?

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 7d

And while the pinch hitter got a hit, no runs came of it, *and* we have no McMahon in the field now when he's actually making the plays he's supposed to. 🤦‍♀️

cromulentdoh.bsky.social @cromulentdoh.bsky.social · 7d

Let’s him hit and pinch hits for the guy that hit a homer. Great moves

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 8d

One of the greatest ever New Yorkers has died. This obit is good, but the deep New York cuts in the comments are the real tribute to an immense legacy.

Desperate cravings for Zabar's smoked whitefish on rye crackers with a few pickles right now. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/d...

Saul Zabar, Smoked Fish Czar of Upper West Side, Dies at 97

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Dr Maha

Brian Floyd @brianmfloyd.bsky.social · 8d

the guy who caught cal raleigh’s homer was wearing a shirt that said dump 61 here and he immediately took it off and had a shirt that said dump 62 here

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 8d

buzz lightyear from toy story says " there seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere .. "

ALT: buzz lightyear from toy story says " there seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere .. "

media.tenor.com

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 8d

Me, in February: the Trump Admin is going to try to force the EU to withdraw or weaken CBAM and the CSDDD. www.gla.ac.uk/explore/glas...

The FT this morning: www.ft.com/content/678f...

The planet cannot afford for Brussels to give Washington what it wants here.

Moreover, the EU is moving forward with its own trade restriction, a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which imposes tariffs on imports that don’t meet European environmental standards. The UK will adopt a similar system in 2027, aligning itself with Europe to secure smooth UK access to critical commodities. While the Biden Administration was in discussions about a plan to bring the US into this “climate club,” the Trump Administration is rapidly reversing US climate commitments. Indeed, the Administration has singled out countries imposing regulatory tariffs as potential targets for its country-by-country tariffs. As a result, by 2027, the UK will face a binary choice between regulatory alignment with (and market access to) Europe and a trade confrontation with the United States. The current “wait-and-see” approach prolongs, but does not resolve, this dilemma.

FT headline: US demands EU dismantle green regulations in threat to trade deal

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 8d

Waking up to some good news for a change is nice. How good of you to join us in October at last, Aaron.

MLB (Bot) @mlbbot.bsky.social · 8d

AARON JUDGE OFF THE FOUL POLE!

TIE GAME!!! #ALDS

Reposted by Dr Maha

Ned Hartley @nedhartley.com · 10d

French PM Lecornu resigning after 13 hours now makes the Lecornu the shortest length to measure political time. For those of you using old measures this is 1/18 of a Scaramucci or about 1.2% of a Truss

James Ball @jamesrball.com · 10d

France’s latest government lasted 13 hours and 47 minutes

FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 10d

FRENCH PM LECORNU RESIGNS

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 11d

That this book isn't better known is astonishing to me. Prescient about so many things.

Dr Maha @maharafiatal.bsky.social · 11d

Well you got this wish, and it was absolutely earned. See you again tomorrow.

Reposted by Dr Maha

River Ave. Blues @riveraveblues.bsky.social · 12d

The Yankees had the bases loaded with no outs and the 2-3-4 hitters due up in the sixth, and scored one run. The Blue Jays had the bases loaded with one out and the 2-3-4 hitters due up in the seventh, and have scored three runs and counting. That's the game right there.

Reposted by Dr Maha

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 12d

What an admirably clear statement from the Jewish Leadership Council, especially when all of those involved must surely have been dealing with so many other urgent challenges in safety, security and grief + shock today before having this further divisive and distracting intervention to address too.

Reposted by Dr Maha

Marcus Blumberg @marcusblumberg.bsky.social · 12d

If anyone was asking why Gil was left off the Wild Card roster instead of Schlittler. That's why! 🙄 #yankees

Reposted by Dr Maha

River Ave. Blues @riveraveblues.bsky.social · 12d

It's time for Yankees baseball.