Rachel Lazerus
rachellazerus.bsky.social
Rachel Lazerus
@rachellazerus.bsky.social
Mom of three and a recovering policy wonk. Openly sincere on main. Definitely sleep-deprived. She/her
Pinned
Do you actually want me to explain why I think this way, or are you being reflexively defiant at anyone who doesn't agree with your interpretation of the narrative? Because I've got stuff to do today.
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
Just remembering how one of the most important and widely read and dropped-with-maximally-damaging-timing "Biden is old and senile" pieces was reported by Nuzzi. It makes you think!
well, I read it, and the salient, non-gross part is Lizza alleging, midsentence and without elaboration, that Nuzzi ran numerous “catch-and-kill operations” on RFK’s behalf, which would give her a role in both his appointment and the untold preventable deaths he has abetted in office. Cool.
November 22, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
“Vibes” is when your existing theory of power is insufficient to explain reality so you blame reality
Someone is going to have the write the thing about how “vibe” has become a substitute for meaningful theory in a world where the theory is so clear — grift and power — but we collectively refuse if because it isn’t sophisticated enough to generate make work for empiricists.
November 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
As someone who attended a religious Zionist day school that had a day of celebration when Netanyahu was elected in 1996 -- Hurwitz's comments are an obscenity.

And shame too on American Jews who thought "supporting Israel" meant "support whatever the government does at 100%," even during Trump 1.0.
November 22, 2025 at 1:17 PM
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MTG is running for President and she'll do way better than people think
The media fell in love with Trump — the most mendacious person in the world — because he gave them “interesting stories” and now they’re doing the same with her for the exact same reason
November 22, 2025 at 12:06 PM
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In an era filled with tech dipshits who never developed emotionally past the age of 13 & use their wealth to become odious monsters ...

... listen to Steve Wozniak.
November 21, 2025 at 7:41 PM
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The thing is, they lie. Over and over and over again. I don't think there's been a single incident in Chicago where their initial account proved out. Reporters should simply *not* be reporting what they say as fact, ever.
This is a thread detailing a series of incidents where federal Judge Ellis rules that Gregory Bovino and his agents lied or misrepresented what was happening on the streets of Chicago. In this one, she says body cam footage suggests they brake checked to cause accidents
November 20, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
This past month, four different Protestant groups/denominations, most evangelical, have been at the center of in-depth news reports detailing how those denominations’ systems of oversight have failed victims of alleged abuse. In chronological order…
November 20, 2025 at 11:34 PM
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Morning.
November 20, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
If you use GMail, AI (Gemini) was turned on yesterday by default and now scans all of your content for machine learning. To turn off, go to Settings>General and scroll down. Uncheck the box for "Smart features."

There's other "Smart" add-ons as well, but that's the one that reads your content.
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
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I'd like to add that REBUILD is currently connecting people of color who have been detained by ICE/DHS to FREE counseling/therapy. Please pass along the word: www.darknessrisingproject.org/help-me-find...
REBUILD - Darkness Rising Project
Need help finding a Black therapist? We can help.
www.darknessrisingproject.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
What we learn evaluating the history of Firsts is that rarely are they ever pushing the boundaries of what is politically feasible, because their very presence at the table is what itself is testing those boundaries.

It’s easy to armchair critique a First.

It’s much harder to be one.
November 20, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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public service posting
Turn off the Smart Features which is the tricksy phrase Google use to mean AI horseshit.
November 20, 2025 at 4:21 PM
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in a moment when too much of the remaining opinion column space in the states seems to have been set aside for farcical, garbled thinking, so grateful for @elienyc.bsky.social, for his moral clarity, and for the way he wields the form.
November 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
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The Epstein bill is headed to Trump’s desk as we speak.

So, what now? Well, a lot of panic, it seems. I have seen every single possible worst case scenario all over social media in the last hour, so let’s go through this step by step. My only request, read the whole thing before commenting.
1/
November 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
This. *This* is the thing that will get me to overcome the inertia of having used Turbotax for years and never *quite* thinking it's worth the trouble to start with a different service even though I know they're a ripoff.
TurboTax is about to be integrated into ChatGPT, where customers will be guided through tasks tied to their tax filings or financial profile by the AI chatbot.

TurboTax owner Intuit is also paying OpenAI more than $100 million a year to power AI agents.
November 18, 2025 at 5:26 PM
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Antisemitism is a lot like Qanon child abuse conspiracies in that there’s this real and bad phenomenon and, parallel to that, what can only be described as a large scale mass psychosis about a mostly fictional version of the same phenomenon
November 16, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
they don’t want you to know this but hope is free. you can have as much hope as you like. i have so much hope
November 16, 2025 at 9:17 PM
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New from me on Substack: “Source Wars and Bespoke Realities: Wikipedia, Grokipedia, and The Battle for Truth”

I wrote about the high stakes power game over “reliable sources” — and the story of how Grokipedia did change its entry ab me after my Atlantic article on its hallucinations last week.
November 16, 2025 at 7:33 PM
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The problem here isn’t just Aspen Center policy (though I think the secrecy thing and not even knowing who is on the admissions committee is weird and needs to change) (note this is NOT the Aspen Institute which is a block away). The problem is that the academy is centered on these kinds of norms.
November 16, 2025 at 7:24 PM
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important reminder that, while we appreciate her sticking a knife in Trump at this present moment, Marjorie Taylor Greene is a committed antisemite and is not and will never be your friend
Marjorie Taylor Greene to Dana Bash: "You should have Nick Fuentes on your show"
November 16, 2025 at 4:30 PM
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we really don't have to hand it to the antisemitic transphobe
November 16, 2025 at 3:16 PM
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November 16, 2025 at 11:37 AM
"When I was the person fueling and egging on threats on gun violence survivors, Congress, and grieving Sandy Hook parents, that was totally fine! But now that the tactics I popularized are being weaponized against me, that's bad!"
MTG: “.. “I am now being contacted by private security firms with warnings for my safety as a hot bed of threats against me are being fueled and egged on by the most powerful man in the world. .. The man I supported and helped get elected.”

@mediaite.com #GA14
www.mediaite.com/media/news/m...
November 15, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
Alan Dershowitz is one of those claiming Epstein was not a pedophile because he pleaded guilty to one count of having sex for money with a 17-year-and-10-month-old person. "That’s not a pedophile." See this important response from Julia Brown, the brave reporter who broke the news on this
November 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Reposted by Rachel Lazerus
The incredible, indomitable, inspirational Alice Wong has left us.

I'm so grateful to have known her on social media, and so grateful for all the words she shared with us and all the actions she encouraged us into making.

May we live up to her example.

(so you don't have to go to Instagram)
November 15, 2025 at 6:13 AM