Astra Taylor
@astra.bsky.social
Author of a growing pile of books (Solidarity; The Age of Insecurity; Remake the World; Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss it When It's Gone; The People's Platform), maker of documentaries, schemer with the Debt Collective, editing at Hammer & Hope.
Pinned
Astra Taylor
@astra.bsky.social
· Nov 14
When I titled my book "Democracy May Not Exist, but We'll Miss It When It's Gone" I really did not anticipate how hard that phrase would eventually hit.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
The AI bubble may be about to bust.
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 AM
The AI bubble may be about to bust.
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.
We all need to say this very clearly:
NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!
Expropriate their asses instead.
They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.
They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3
Reposted by Astra Taylor
“New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible.” --Zohran Mamdani
For @hammerandhope.bsky.social I wrote about what comes next.
hammerandhope.org/article/mamd...
For @hammerandhope.bsky.social I wrote about what comes next.
hammerandhope.org/article/mamd...
Zohran Got New Yorkers to Hope. What’s the Plan to Deliver?
Organizers who brought him to the verge of victory are looking ahead to the challenges of democratic governance.
hammerandhope.org
November 16, 2025 at 1:28 PM
“New Yorkers allowed themselves to hope that the impossible could be made possible.” --Zohran Mamdani
For @hammerandhope.bsky.social I wrote about what comes next.
hammerandhope.org/article/mamd...
For @hammerandhope.bsky.social I wrote about what comes next.
hammerandhope.org/article/mamd...
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Absolute must read on the AI bailout-in-progress: apparently it's not enough that lifetimes of human ingenuity and creativity have been stolen and enclosed to create generative AI and balloon billionaire wealth - much more public looting is in store...
This week Open AI walked back a call for the govt to backstop financing for its trillion dollar investments in data centers. This was only the tip of the iceberg; a slow bailout for AI firms is already underway. Read more from @ambakak.bsky.social and I in @wsj.com: www.wsj.com/opinion/you-...
Opinion | You May Already Be Bailing Out the AI Business
Washington is treating the industry as if it’s too big to fail, even as the market sends lukewarm signals.
www.wsj.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Absolute must read on the AI bailout-in-progress: apparently it's not enough that lifetimes of human ingenuity and creativity have been stolen and enclosed to create generative AI and balloon billionaire wealth - much more public looting is in store...
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Youth turnout, 2021 to 2025 (and 2025 as pct of 2021):
NJ Gov 20% to 29% (+145%)
VA Gov 27% to 34% (+126%)
NYC Mayor 11.1% to 41.3% (+372%)
Sources: CIRCLE circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea... and DDHQ
NJ Gov 20% to 29% (+145%)
VA Gov 27% to 34% (+126%)
NYC Mayor 11.1% to 41.3% (+372%)
Sources: CIRCLE circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea... and DDHQ
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Youth turnout, 2021 to 2025 (and 2025 as pct of 2021):
NJ Gov 20% to 29% (+145%)
VA Gov 27% to 34% (+126%)
NYC Mayor 11.1% to 41.3% (+372%)
Sources: CIRCLE circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea... and DDHQ
NJ Gov 20% to 29% (+145%)
VA Gov 27% to 34% (+126%)
NYC Mayor 11.1% to 41.3% (+372%)
Sources: CIRCLE circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea... and DDHQ
Torturing myself by watching Vance's Ole Miss q&a. Everyone got riled up about the hug, but look at this kid flashing a white power symbol and Vance guffawing.
November 10, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Torturing myself by watching Vance's Ole Miss q&a. Everyone got riled up about the hug, but look at this kid flashing a white power symbol and Vance guffawing.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
The long-running ideological war on libraries, education, and government workers is not separate from AI boosterism. It is the same ideological war on human knowledge and expertise. In some cases AI is being used to directly supercharge this effort:
www.404media.co/ai-is-superc...
www.404media.co/ai-is-superc...
AI Is Supercharging the War on Libraries, Education, and Human Knowledge
"Fascism and AI, whether or not they have the same goals, they sure are working to accelerate one another."
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 4:21 PM
The long-running ideological war on libraries, education, and government workers is not separate from AI boosterism. It is the same ideological war on human knowledge and expertise. In some cases AI is being used to directly supercharge this effort:
www.404media.co/ai-is-superc...
www.404media.co/ai-is-superc...
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Trump, Musk, Rubio, and the DOGE boys should always be inseparable from these hundreds of thousands of kids they killed
By this time next week, the estimated deaths due to the illegal destruction of USAID and the shuttering of its aid efforts will breach 400,000.
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
More than 260,000 will be children.
Source: www.bu.edu/sph/news/art...
Tracking Anticipated Deaths from USAID Funding Cuts
Brooke Nichols has launched online tracking tools that capture estimated increases in mortality and disease spread for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other diseases as a result of the near-total...
www.bu.edu
November 6, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Trump, Musk, Rubio, and the DOGE boys should always be inseparable from these hundreds of thousands of kids they killed
Reposted by Astra Taylor
this great article by @debtcollective.bsky.social lays out really clearly what's been on my mind all day: everybody better get real familiar with municipal finance real quick
www.inthered.org/p/zohran-won...
www.inthered.org/p/zohran-won...
Zohran Won Main Street—Now He Must Face Wall Street
Mamdani will face a looming threat to his progressive agenda: debt
www.inthered.org
November 5, 2025 at 11:24 PM
this great article by @debtcollective.bsky.social lays out really clearly what's been on my mind all day: everybody better get real familiar with municipal finance real quick
www.inthered.org/p/zohran-won...
www.inthered.org/p/zohran-won...
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Larry Krasner has won his third term tonight against D->R former judge Pat Dugan by a larger percentage (50% > 44%), and by far a larger vote margin (168K > 95K), than he won four years ago against the criminal defense lawyer who had a section on his campaign website titled "The Girl In My Bathtub."
November 5, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Larry Krasner has won his third term tonight against D->R former judge Pat Dugan by a larger percentage (50% > 44%), and by far a larger vote margin (168K > 95K), than he won four years ago against the criminal defense lawyer who had a section on his campaign website titled "The Girl In My Bathtub."
Lots of great things about it, but Mamdani’s victory is also an encouraging win over the evil AI hate slop that Cuomo was tossing at the virtual wall at the end there. Deepfakes are dangerous but they are also a sign of despotic desperation.
November 5, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Lots of great things about it, but Mamdani’s victory is also an encouraging win over the evil AI hate slop that Cuomo was tossing at the virtual wall at the end there. Deepfakes are dangerous but they are also a sign of despotic desperation.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Bucks County’s ICE-Loving, MAGA Sheriff Fred Harran Got What He Deserved: A Pink Slip From Voters | Sheriff-elect Danny Ceisler, a 33-year-old Democrat from Bristol Borough, was in many ways the crest of the Blue Wave that washed away local GOP office holders, writes Editor @cmychalejko.bsky.social.
Bucks County’s ICE-Loving, MAGA Sheriff Fred Harran Got What He Deserved: A Pink Slip From Voters on Election Night - Bucks County Beacon
Sheriff-elect Danny Ceisler, a 33-year-old Democrat from Bristol Borough, was in many ways the crest of the “Blue Wave” that washed away local Republican office holders.
buckscountybeacon.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Bucks County’s ICE-Loving, MAGA Sheriff Fred Harran Got What He Deserved: A Pink Slip From Voters | Sheriff-elect Danny Ceisler, a 33-year-old Democrat from Bristol Borough, was in many ways the crest of the Blue Wave that washed away local GOP office holders, writes Editor @cmychalejko.bsky.social.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
BREAKING: Democrats just broke the GOP supermajority in the Mississippi Senate!
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
November 5, 2025 at 4:39 AM
BREAKING: Democrats just broke the GOP supermajority in the Mississippi Senate!
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
In a stunning victory, Democrats gained seats in court-ordered special elections and will now head to Jackson to represent and fight on behalf of their constituents.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
“If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die protecting my people,” said Jorge, a former day laborer. “I’ve got blood family, but these are my people, too. These are my neighbors.” h/t @hammerandhope.bsky.social
Immigration Raids at This Home Depot Got More Aggressive but Less Effective. The LA Tenants Union Knows Why.
The union’s daily presence tries to give the city’s most vulnerable immigrant workers a measure of safety and gum up Trump’s deportation machine.
hammerandhope.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
“If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die protecting my people,” said Jorge, a former day laborer. “I’ve got blood family, but these are my people, too. These are my neighbors.” h/t @hammerandhope.bsky.social
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Some charts for those who don't know the extent of the US public (and private) investment in research (particularly in biomedical research) compared to other countries and institutions. The destruction of the US' scientific institutions has global implications.
November 2, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Some charts for those who don't know the extent of the US public (and private) investment in research (particularly in biomedical research) compared to other countries and institutions. The destruction of the US' scientific institutions has global implications.
Look look look!
The eighth issue of Hammer & Hope is now live.
OUR NATIONAL NIGHTMARE. The reins of government power, technology, and the press tighten and tangle in a few white billionaires’ hands. Where is this American cabal going next, and how deep will it drag us with it?
hammerandhope.org/article/nati...
OUR NATIONAL NIGHTMARE. The reins of government power, technology, and the press tighten and tangle in a few white billionaires’ hands. Where is this American cabal going next, and how deep will it drag us with it?
hammerandhope.org/article/nati...
Our National Nightmare
What’s the way out of the terrors of Trumpism?
hammerandhope.org
October 31, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Look look look!
this is today!
Join us in DC Thursday @ USDA building from 3-5 PM, rally @ 3:30. As the Trump Administration blocks emergency SNAP funds & dismantles public services, federal workers are living their oath to serve — by feeding the families & neighbors that have been abandoned. #savefederalservices #WeTookAnOath
October 30, 2025 at 2:23 PM
this is today!
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Resistance isn't futile
Here's a thread (and article) on five reasons for hope — and two concrete steps we can all take to stop Trump
www.laborpolitics.com/p/after-no-k...
Here's a thread (and article) on five reasons for hope — and two concrete steps we can all take to stop Trump
www.laborpolitics.com/p/after-no-k...
After No Kings, It’s Time to Escalate
We need bigger—and more disruptive—nonviolent campaigns that can go viral and peel away Trump’s pillars of support
www.laborpolitics.com
October 28, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Resistance isn't futile
Here's a thread (and article) on five reasons for hope — and two concrete steps we can all take to stop Trump
www.laborpolitics.com/p/after-no-k...
Here's a thread (and article) on five reasons for hope — and two concrete steps we can all take to stop Trump
www.laborpolitics.com/p/after-no-k...
Reposted by Astra Taylor
"We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
@jacobsilverman.com on the shocking scale of Trump’s crypto corruption
It’s a system where foreign actors know “it is in your direct political interest to buy Mr. Trump’s tokens or invest” in his crypto scams.
gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/o...
@jacobsilverman.com on the shocking scale of Trump’s crypto corruption
It’s a system where foreign actors know “it is in your direct political interest to buy Mr. Trump’s tokens or invest” in his crypto scams.
gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/o...
Opinion | Teapot Dome. Watergate. They’re Nothing Compared With This.
www.nytimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:02 PM
"We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
@jacobsilverman.com on the shocking scale of Trump’s crypto corruption
It’s a system where foreign actors know “it is in your direct political interest to buy Mr. Trump’s tokens or invest” in his crypto scams.
gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/o...
@jacobsilverman.com on the shocking scale of Trump’s crypto corruption
It’s a system where foreign actors know “it is in your direct political interest to buy Mr. Trump’s tokens or invest” in his crypto scams.
gift link
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/o...
Fauxtomation strikes again
So the $20,000 humanoid robot housekeeper actually just webcams your house to a random person in a call center with an Xbox controller www.wsj.com/tech/persona... @joannastern.bsky.social
I Tried the Robot That’s Coming to Live With You. It’s Still Part Human.
1X’s Neo wants to be your housekeeper. First, it needs to be controlled by a human in your home. Cool with you?
www.wsj.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Fauxtomation strikes again
Reposted by Astra Taylor
In an over 2-mile walk, hundreds of students made their way from Little Village Lawndale High School to the Little Village Arch, denouncing recent ICE action and supporting immigrant communities.
Students walk out of Little Village schools, hold march in protest of recent ICE activity
Little Village high school students walked the streets calling for an end to ICE and deportations in Chicago.
trib.al
October 28, 2025 at 10:47 PM
In an over 2-mile walk, hundreds of students made their way from Little Village Lawndale High School to the Little Village Arch, denouncing recent ICE action and supporting immigrant communities.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
I like how Zohran Mamdani scandals are like "He called his old cousin his aunt one time" and Andrew Cuomo scandals are like "He sexually assaulted 13 women."
October 28, 2025 at 6:28 PM
I like how Zohran Mamdani scandals are like "He called his old cousin his aunt one time" and Andrew Cuomo scandals are like "He sexually assaulted 13 women."
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Today was a hard day. Regulations that we passed unanimously last year, after 7 years of advocacy, were largely gutted. The FCC capitulated to the correctional telecom industry in roughly doubling rate caps for prison and jail calls. I'm truly sorry.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
F.C.C. Changes Course on the Price of Prisoners’ Phone Calls
www.nytimes.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Today was a hard day. Regulations that we passed unanimously last year, after 7 years of advocacy, were largely gutted. The FCC capitulated to the correctional telecom industry in roughly doubling rate caps for prison and jail calls. I'm truly sorry.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
Reposted by Astra Taylor
Amazon is laying off 30,000 workers, after CEO Andrew Jassy laid the groundwork by talking up the productivity gains from AI over the summer, saying they'd need fewer employees.
Amazon's own workers, meanwhile, say that's BS. AI hasn't been "transformational"—AMZ just needs the $$ for data centers.
Amazon's own workers, meanwhile, say that's BS. AI hasn't been "transformational"—AMZ just needs the $$ for data centers.
Amazon to cut as many as 30,000 corporate jobs, reports say | CNN Business
Amazon is laying off as many as 30,000 corporate employees beginning tomorrow, reports say.
www.cnn.com
October 28, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Amazon is laying off 30,000 workers, after CEO Andrew Jassy laid the groundwork by talking up the productivity gains from AI over the summer, saying they'd need fewer employees.
Amazon's own workers, meanwhile, say that's BS. AI hasn't been "transformational"—AMZ just needs the $$ for data centers.
Amazon's own workers, meanwhile, say that's BS. AI hasn't been "transformational"—AMZ just needs the $$ for data centers.
Reposted by Astra Taylor
The government of Jamaica has set up a portal for contributing to official relief efforts. I will update this thread if anything analogous opens up for Haiti, Cuba, or the DR
supportjamaica.gov.jm
supportjamaica.gov.jm
Support Jamaica
supportjamaica.gov.jm
October 28, 2025 at 5:08 PM
The government of Jamaica has set up a portal for contributing to official relief efforts. I will update this thread if anything analogous opens up for Haiti, Cuba, or the DR
supportjamaica.gov.jm
supportjamaica.gov.jm