Waldo Jaquith
@waldo.net
Thought follower. Public servant. Male software developer. Alumnus of 18F, the Obama White House, Georgetown's Beeck Center, U.S. Digital Response, the Biden-Harris Transition Team, and the Biden administration. He/him. Charlottesville, VA, USA.
My little team got an IMLS grant in 2011 to scan and publish presidential papers of three presidents, with the goal of doing them all. Pre-typewriter, there was no metadata to be extracted, but I was confident OCR would come for handwriting. It finally has, and will be a real boon for researchers.
New issue of my newsletter: "The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition" — One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved, and it's a good use of AI newsletter.dancohen.org/archive/the-...
The Writing Is on the Wall for Handwriting Recognition
One of the hardest problems in digital humanities has finally been solved
newsletter.dancohen.org
November 27, 2025 at 1:28 AM
My little team got an IMLS grant in 2011 to scan and publish presidential papers of three presidents, with the goal of doing them all. Pre-typewriter, there was no metadata to be extracted, but I was confident OCR would come for handwriting. It finally has, and will be a real boon for researchers.
Opposing AIDS is woke now
The State Department has warned employees not to use government funds to mark Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day and to “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels.” nyti.ms/3KhPDrA
Trump Administration Will No Longer Commemorate World AIDS Day
The State Department warned employees not to use government funds for the occasion and to “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels.”
nyti.ms
November 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Opposing AIDS is woke now
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
I need everybody to read this and understand what’s going on. These are spouses of US citizens in the country legally. They have entry clearance and green cards, they’ve passed background checks and have no criminal records. ICE is taking them anyway.
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Green Card Interviews End in Handcuffs for Spouses of U.S. Citizens
www.nytimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:40 PM
I need everybody to read this and understand what’s going on. These are spouses of US citizens in the country legally. They have entry clearance and green cards, they’ve passed background checks and have no criminal records. ICE is taking them anyway.
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
We're moving to full-on colonialism for Washington DC, huh?
November 27, 2025 at 12:32 AM
We're moving to full-on colonialism for Washington DC, huh?
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
Well well. What a surprise.
The defense industry and the foundations of the technology they use all came from the US government, when the DOD had talent in-house. Over decades, it was outsourced.
Shouldn’t we all want our institutions to be capable — not completely dependent.
The defense industry and the foundations of the technology they use all came from the US government, when the DOD had talent in-house. Over decades, it was outsourced.
Shouldn’t we all want our institutions to be capable — not completely dependent.
A push by military contractors could alter pending legislation that would have empowered servicemembers to repair equipment. Lobbyists are pitching a subscription service instead. www.wired.com/story/subscr...
The US Military Wants to Fix Its Own Equipment. Defense Contractors Are Trying to Shoot That Down
A push by military contractors could alter pending legislation that would have empowered servicemembers to repair equipment. Lobbyists are pitching a subscription service instead.
www.wired.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Well well. What a surprise.
The defense industry and the foundations of the technology they use all came from the US government, when the DOD had talent in-house. Over decades, it was outsourced.
Shouldn’t we all want our institutions to be capable — not completely dependent.
The defense industry and the foundations of the technology they use all came from the US government, when the DOD had talent in-house. Over decades, it was outsourced.
Shouldn’t we all want our institutions to be capable — not completely dependent.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
Whether this was random street crime or targeted political violence, I think it was bad for the president to unnecessarily put the National Guard in harm’s way like this. They simply don’t need to be there.
November 26, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Whether this was random street crime or targeted political violence, I think it was bad for the president to unnecessarily put the National Guard in harm’s way like this. They simply don’t need to be there.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two National Guard members have been shot in Washington, D.C., and their condition isn't known, AP source says.
November 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two National Guard members have been shot in Washington, D.C., and their condition isn't known, AP source says.
Sen. John Thune’s 2004 campaign against Daschle set up a funhouse mirror media environment of astroturf blogs, successfully tilting media coverage in favor of Thune. The House Minority Leader was unseated due to misinformation. Nobody ever talks about this.
much of the work on AI-generated misinformation focuses on regular users/communities, while ignoring how political and economic elites can seal themselves into a hermetic slop box -- a repeat of the same mistake we made with radicalization and conspiracism in the previous decade
oh this is absolutely what i think. i think they feed him fake polls and outright AI slop
November 26, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Sen. John Thune’s 2004 campaign against Daschle set up a funhouse mirror media environment of astroturf blogs, successfully tilting media coverage in favor of Thune. The House Minority Leader was unseated due to misinformation. Nobody ever talks about this.
One thing nearly everybody in power in the United States agrees on is that it is somebody else’s job to hold Trump accountable.
November 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
One thing nearly everybody in power in the United States agrees on is that it is somebody else’s job to hold Trump accountable.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
BREAKING:
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 AM
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
This should be a major scandal. The Blaze falsely reported that a former U.S. Capitol Police officer was the Jan. 6th pipe bomber. But it wasn’t just another miss by conservative media promoting conspiracies.
Someone in US intel - at ODNI - was promoting it:
www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-6-p...
Someone in US intel - at ODNI - was promoting it:
www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-6-p...
November 25, 2025 at 10:25 PM
This should be a major scandal. The Blaze falsely reported that a former U.S. Capitol Police officer was the Jan. 6th pipe bomber. But it wasn’t just another miss by conservative media promoting conspiracies.
Someone in US intel - at ODNI - was promoting it:
www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-6-p...
Someone in US intel - at ODNI - was promoting it:
www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-6-p...
Me discovering I have let somebody’s email sit in my inbox for three months: “Well, obviously I can never email him again. I guess I need to wait for news of his eventual death until I can stop feeling bad about this.”
November 25, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Me discovering I have let somebody’s email sit in my inbox for three months: “Well, obviously I can never email him again. I guess I need to wait for news of his eventual death until I can stop feeling bad about this.”
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
I've seen over a dozen accounts I follow post the "Hegseth didn't realize the photo was taken in a mirror" myth. First of all, selfies don't actually mirror-reverse unless you screenshot the preview. More importantly, if you look at the medals, they're not mirror-reversed. You can read the writing:
November 25, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I've seen over a dozen accounts I follow post the "Hegseth didn't realize the photo was taken in a mirror" myth. First of all, selfies don't actually mirror-reverse unless you screenshot the preview. More importantly, if you look at the medals, they're not mirror-reversed. You can read the writing:
A month ago, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) launched a new version of their weather forecast website for the country. It has *not* been well received, and with a price tag somewhere between USD $2.6–62.5M (it's unclear), this has become a small scandal. www.bom.gov.au
www.bom.gov.au
November 25, 2025 at 6:38 PM
A month ago, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) launched a new version of their weather forecast website for the country. It has *not* been well received, and with a price tag somewhere between USD $2.6–62.5M (it's unclear), this has become a small scandal. www.bom.gov.au
...what
Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases on.ft.com/3LY1Ceq
Jury trials in England and Wales to be scrapped except for most serious cases
Proposed changes unlikely to apply for trials of serious offences such as rape and murder
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
...what
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
when its definitely not a hostage situation
November 25, 2025 at 4:19 PM
when its definitely not a hostage situation
There was a kind of a delight in being in tech after the 2000–1 crash, because it was back to us true believers. LLM-based AI has been coupled with the AI bubble. Once that bubble pops, I think we'll see the advancement of on-device, ethically-sourced LLMs, and I think they'll be fun.
November 25, 2025 at 4:42 PM
There was a kind of a delight in being in tech after the 2000–1 crash, because it was back to us true believers. LLM-based AI has been coupled with the AI bubble. Once that bubble pops, I think we'll see the advancement of on-device, ethically-sourced LLMs, and I think they'll be fun.
Just thinking about how well this strategy paid off, after Democrats won 64 seats in the election a few weeks ago—damned near a supermajority.
Virginia Democrats are fielding candidates in every single one of the 100 House of Delegates races for the November election.
Democrats reach historic goal: A full slate in Virginia House races • Virginia Mercury
For the first time in recent memory, Virginia Democrats have candidates running in all 100 House of Delegates districts — a milestone party leaders and grassroots organizers say reflects rising moment...
virginiamercury.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Just thinking about how well this strategy paid off, after Democrats won 64 seats in the election a few weeks ago—damned near a supermajority.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
Again, every elected Democrat needs to put out a video stating exactly what Kelly and the others said. If ever there were a line to draw in the sand, it’s here. The military is not the president’s Praetorian Guard.
“Within the White House, Trump and his lieutenants aren’t planning on letting up…Trump has told some advisers that he wants RICO prosecutions and conspiracy charges leveled against the six Democrats, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Zeteo…
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
zeteo.com/p/how-we-gre...
November 24, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Again, every elected Democrat needs to put out a video stating exactly what Kelly and the others said. If ever there were a line to draw in the sand, it’s here. The military is not the president’s Praetorian Guard.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
NEW: DOGE no longer exists as a "centralized entity," according to the head of the government’s personnel agency --- But the longstanding White House tech team Trump used to house DOGE continues to work on tech projects throughout federal agencies.
www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
DOGE no longer has ‘centralized leadership’ under White House tech team, personnel head says
The team that was altered to house DOGE — formerly the U.S. Digital Service — is also still doing its own technology work across agencies.
www.nextgov.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:53 PM
NEW: DOGE no longer exists as a "centralized entity," according to the head of the government’s personnel agency --- But the longstanding White House tech team Trump used to house DOGE continues to work on tech projects throughout federal agencies.
www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
www.nextgov.com/digital-gove...
My observation in my area is that parcels that are owned by corporations are really owned by people who can afford to pay cash for the property, and prefer the legal protections of an LLC. I think this is really showing a rise in cash-only transactions, not corporatization of home ownership.
A new analysis that shows nearly 9% of residential parcels in 500 U.S. counties are owned by corporations. Researchers warn this rising trend has complicated the housing market.
https://stateline.org/2025/11/21/corporate-investment-in-residential-housing-may-be-another-hurdle-for-first-time-buyers/
https://stateline.org/2025/11/21/corporate-investment-in-residential-housing-may-be-another-hurdle-for-first-time-buyers/
Corporate investment in residential housing may be another hurdle for first-time buyers • Stateline
As corporate ownership of residential property across the country rises nationwide, researchers from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Center for Geospatial Solutions, which is housed at the institute, warn this rising trend has complicated the housing market for first-time buyers.
stateline.org
November 24, 2025 at 6:53 PM
My observation in my area is that parcels that are owned by corporations are really owned by people who can afford to pay cash for the property, and prefer the legal protections of an LLC. I think this is really showing a rise in cash-only transactions, not corporatization of home ownership.
So…the Virginia Bar Association going to be disbarring her immediately, right?
BREAKING: Comey case dismissed without prejudice. Halligan invalidly appointed, judge rules. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 24, 2025 at 6:05 PM
So…the Virginia Bar Association going to be disbarring her immediately, right?
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
And now, the case against Letitia James is dismissed too, same rationale but minus the statute of limitations complication.
November 24, 2025 at 5:42 PM
And now, the case against Letitia James is dismissed too, same rationale but minus the statute of limitations complication.
Reposted by Waldo Jaquith
The number of ways this is disgraceful behavior from the Secretary of Defense is...a lot.
Service members do have a duty to refuse illegal orders
All Americans have a 1st Amendment right to say that out loud.
Service members do have a duty to refuse illegal orders
All Americans have a 1st Amendment right to say that out loud.
Hegseth is now threatening to recall Sen. Mark Kelly to active duty in order to court martial him.
November 24, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The number of ways this is disgraceful behavior from the Secretary of Defense is...a lot.
Service members do have a duty to refuse illegal orders
All Americans have a 1st Amendment right to say that out loud.
Service members do have a duty to refuse illegal orders
All Americans have a 1st Amendment right to say that out loud.