Scot MacTaggart
@mactaggart.bsky.social
Pittsburgh, innovation, startups, sustainability. Nerdy stuff, sometimes aimed at saving the world.
http://www.scotm.ac
http://www.clutchmeetings.app
http://www.scotm.ac
http://www.clutchmeetings.app
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Good moment to remember that US foreign policy is also being reoriented to enable foreign censors and authoritarian propaganda around the world
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
America Surrenders in the Global Information Wars
The U.S. is reorienting its foreign policy to protect governments that manipulate and suppress information.
www.theatlantic.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Good moment to remember that US foreign policy is also being reoriented to enable foreign censors and authoritarian propaganda around the world
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Two things, 1984 Barbie:
1. How can something be top-secret if it is fiction? Fiction only has power when it is released.
2. If you "totally obliterate" a site where the targets of your bombs had already been moved, the only things you accomplished was wasting those pilots' time and our money.
1. How can something be top-secret if it is fiction? Fiction only has power when it is released.
2. If you "totally obliterate" a site where the targets of your bombs had already been moved, the only things you accomplished was wasting those pilots' time and our money.
June 25, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Two things, 1984 Barbie:
1. How can something be top-secret if it is fiction? Fiction only has power when it is released.
2. If you "totally obliterate" a site where the targets of your bombs had already been moved, the only things you accomplished was wasting those pilots' time and our money.
1. How can something be top-secret if it is fiction? Fiction only has power when it is released.
2. If you "totally obliterate" a site where the targets of your bombs had already been moved, the only things you accomplished was wasting those pilots' time and our money.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
(Far) less secure than a Signal group with Jeffrey Goldberg. Basically this in telcom form. How many secrets has he already given to the Chinese and the Russians?
June 3, 2025 at 12:53 AM
(Far) less secure than a Signal group with Jeffrey Goldberg. Basically this in telcom form. How many secrets has he already given to the Chinese and the Russians?
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
The assault on the Constitution is happening *right now*. We cannot wait to defend it.
Just since I left town on Friday:
-Stephen Miller floats suspending habeas corpus
-ICE arrests a mayor under dubious pretext
-DHS threatens to arrest members of Congress
-Qatar gives Trump a $400 million plane he *gets to keep*
-Trump's emissary is negotiating with Russia using Putin's interpreters
-Stephen Miller floats suspending habeas corpus
-ICE arrests a mayor under dubious pretext
-DHS threatens to arrest members of Congress
-Qatar gives Trump a $400 million plane he *gets to keep*
-Trump's emissary is negotiating with Russia using Putin's interpreters
May 11, 2025 at 5:03 PM
The assault on the Constitution is happening *right now*. We cannot wait to defend it.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
When the president publicly comes out against having trials, we can no longer pretend we live in anything but a fascist regime.
Trump: "The courts have all of the sudden, out of nowhere, they said, 'maybe you have to have trials.' Trials. We're gonna have 5 million trials? It doesn't work."
May 5, 2025 at 10:54 PM
When the president publicly comes out against having trials, we can no longer pretend we live in anything but a fascist regime.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
And you thought the left was censorious. How about actual censoring?
I was just told that I have to remove “climate” from the title of an ongoing grant if I want to keep it. And publications from that grant cannot include “climate” and other forbidden words. I can’t believe I’m writing this from the United States of America. #AcademicSky
Just received an email saying that it's not advisable to include the following words in future applications for research funding to the US DOT. Here we are.
May 3, 2025 at 4:04 AM
And you thought the left was censorious. How about actual censoring?
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Still awaiting comment from the “don’t tread on me” crowd.
The Trump administration now says they are allowed to enter your home to look for migrants without a warrant.
They claim their actions are unconstrained by the Fourth Amendment.
They claim their actions are unconstrained by the Fourth Amendment.
Justice Department memo claims Alien Enemies Act allows warrantless home searches and no judicial review
The memo says "Alien Enemies" aren't subject "to a judicial review of the removal in any court of the United States."
reason.com
April 26, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Still awaiting comment from the “don’t tread on me” crowd.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale RTd this thread, which says Trump shld act fast & “Fire people who can't be fired. Force them to litigate. Mass deport people who can't be deported. Force them to litigate. Cancel 100s of billions in funding that are not lawful to cancel & force them to litigate.” 1/
April 21, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale RTd this thread, which says Trump shld act fast & “Fire people who can't be fired. Force them to litigate. Mass deport people who can't be deported. Force them to litigate. Cancel 100s of billions in funding that are not lawful to cancel & force them to litigate.” 1/
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Referring to Trump 2.0, Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel recently said that he’s the “most hopeful about things” that he’s been “in a long time” bc “the opposition is completely exhausted” & whereas Trump 1.0 “got blocked on every level,” this time is different & will be Trump’s “real 1st term.” 1/
April 21, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Referring to Trump 2.0, Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel recently said that he’s the “most hopeful about things” that he’s been “in a long time” bc “the opposition is completely exhausted” & whereas Trump 1.0 “got blocked on every level,” this time is different & will be Trump’s “real 1st term.” 1/
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Microplastics are plastic fragments, foam, and fibers, less than 5mm, ranging from industrial plastic pellets, microbeads, broken fragments of larger plastic debris, and fibers from synthetic clothing, tires, and cigarette filters. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #MicroplasticMonday #Microplastics
April 21, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Microplastics are plastic fragments, foam, and fibers, less than 5mm, ranging from industrial plastic pellets, microbeads, broken fragments of larger plastic debris, and fibers from synthetic clothing, tires, and cigarette filters. #WetTribe #TidetotheOcean #MicroplasticMonday #Microplastics
Damn. Dude didn’t even make it 9 Scaramuccis.
BREAKING NEWS: The White House has begun the process of looking for a new secretary of defense, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.
The White House has begun process of looking for new secretary of defense
The White House has begun the process of looking for a new secretary of defense, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.
www.npr.org
April 21, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Damn. Dude didn’t even make it 9 Scaramuccis.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
The entire ballgame, folks. Unconstrained fascism on display in the Oval Office. Either we’re a Republic of laws & constitution, or not. It’s increasingly obvious which one it is. Total, complete failure of Article I.
April 14, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The entire ballgame, folks. Unconstrained fascism on display in the Oval Office. Either we’re a Republic of laws & constitution, or not. It’s increasingly obvious which one it is. Total, complete failure of Article I.
Startup pitch:
Uber for getting someone to put lotion on your dry, itchy back because you left the house without any self awareness
Uber for getting someone to put lotion on your dry, itchy back because you left the house without any self awareness
April 14, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Startup pitch:
Uber for getting someone to put lotion on your dry, itchy back because you left the house without any self awareness
Uber for getting someone to put lotion on your dry, itchy back because you left the house without any self awareness
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
A few times every day I remember that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was kidnapped in front of his non-verbal 5 y/o son and Mahmoud Khalil in front of his pregnant wife and that Rumeysa Ozturk has been deprived of her medication and hijab -- and I experience something I have come to call puking rage.
April 12, 2025 at 5:57 PM
A few times every day I remember that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was kidnapped in front of his non-verbal 5 y/o son and Mahmoud Khalil in front of his pregnant wife and that Rumeysa Ozturk has been deprived of her medication and hijab -- and I experience something I have come to call puking rage.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
stop calling things deportation just because they call it deportation.
-You cannot legally deport people without due process.
-You cannot legally deport citizens.
-They are defining down deportation to break the law.
-You cannot legally deport people without due process.
-You cannot legally deport citizens.
-They are defining down deportation to break the law.
Leavitt confirmed that the WH is working on deporting US citizens to El Salvador
April 8, 2025 at 8:49 PM
stop calling things deportation just because they call it deportation.
-You cannot legally deport people without due process.
-You cannot legally deport citizens.
-They are defining down deportation to break the law.
-You cannot legally deport people without due process.
-You cannot legally deport citizens.
-They are defining down deportation to break the law.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
This week, Congress could simply remove Trump's power over tariffs. It's all delegated from Congress. But instead
The Senate is about to go on a multi-week recess with the markets plunging by the most since COVID.
April 7, 2025 at 11:37 AM
This week, Congress could simply remove Trump's power over tariffs. It's all delegated from Congress. But instead
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Trump erased trillions from the markets, and left Americans with less in their accounts than they had on Tuesday. And still many of the most powerful executives in the country refuse to speak out. Join us tomorrow, you can show more courage than them!
www.mobilize.us/handsoff/eve...
www.mobilize.us/handsoff/eve...
Hands Off! Pittsburgh Presents · Hands Off
**Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them.** Pittsburgh is fighting back!
They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services...
www.mobilize.us
April 5, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Trump erased trillions from the markets, and left Americans with less in their accounts than they had on Tuesday. And still many of the most powerful executives in the country refuse to speak out. Join us tomorrow, you can show more courage than them!
www.mobilize.us/handsoff/eve...
www.mobilize.us/handsoff/eve...
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
Ever since the elite law firms Paul Weiss and Skadden reached deals with President Trump to scuttle executive orders that could have crippled their businesses, associates there have written emails to leadership in protest, and a few have quit.
Elite Law Firms’ Deals With Trump Decried by Their Associates
The discontent does not appear to be resonating with leaders at Paul Weiss and Skadden, but it could hamstring their recruitment efforts.
www.nytimes.com
April 2, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Ever since the elite law firms Paul Weiss and Skadden reached deals with President Trump to scuttle executive orders that could have crippled their businesses, associates there have written emails to leadership in protest, and a few have quit.
This morning I realized that we are currently living in the Robocop Cinematic Universe, but in a "by observing it you change it" kind of way.
In this version, Omni Consumer Products leadership saw the movie too, and saw that OCP could win if it ran multiple companies under different brand names.
In this version, Omni Consumer Products leadership saw the movie too, and saw that OCP could win if it ran multiple companies under different brand names.
April 2, 2025 at 3:08 PM
This morning I realized that we are currently living in the Robocop Cinematic Universe, but in a "by observing it you change it" kind of way.
In this version, Omni Consumer Products leadership saw the movie too, and saw that OCP could win if it ran multiple companies under different brand names.
In this version, Omni Consumer Products leadership saw the movie too, and saw that OCP could win if it ran multiple companies under different brand names.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
FACT: You don't destroy the CDC unless you want people to die in large numbers.
April 1, 2025 at 11:48 PM
FACT: You don't destroy the CDC unless you want people to die in large numbers.
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
US faculty and anyone who cares about academic freedom:
I urge you to check out @wearehighered.bsky.social
* read through compelling letters signed by thousands of faculty
* learn about upcoming actions in which you can participate
* spread the word to encourage others to get involved, too !
I urge you to check out @wearehighered.bsky.social
* read through compelling letters signed by thousands of faculty
* learn about upcoming actions in which you can participate
* spread the word to encourage others to get involved, too !
Hello, Bluesky!! We are a collective of academics who are standing up for higher education. Join us: www.wearehighered.org
We Are Higher Ed
www.wearehighered.org
March 31, 2025 at 11:34 AM
US faculty and anyone who cares about academic freedom:
I urge you to check out @wearehighered.bsky.social
* read through compelling letters signed by thousands of faculty
* learn about upcoming actions in which you can participate
* spread the word to encourage others to get involved, too !
I urge you to check out @wearehighered.bsky.social
* read through compelling letters signed by thousands of faculty
* learn about upcoming actions in which you can participate
* spread the word to encourage others to get involved, too !
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
NEW: ACLU's filing on Friday also shows the impact of these bad gang tattoo claims. Specifically, remember Andry, the gay make-up artist we sent to rot in a prison in El Salvador?
Here are the tattoos that an ICE officer declared were "Consistent with those of a Tren de Aragua member."
Here are the tattoos that an ICE officer declared were "Consistent with those of a Tren de Aragua member."
March 30, 2025 at 11:16 PM
NEW: ACLU's filing on Friday also shows the impact of these bad gang tattoo claims. Specifically, remember Andry, the gay make-up artist we sent to rot in a prison in El Salvador?
Here are the tattoos that an ICE officer declared were "Consistent with those of a Tren de Aragua member."
Here are the tattoos that an ICE officer declared were "Consistent with those of a Tren de Aragua member."
Reposted by Scot MacTaggart
THIS is why many local police departments choose not to share some information with ICE. This woman's decision to report her assault to the cops led to her being arrested by ICE and likely deported.
The message this sends to people is they shouldn't report crimes. That's bad for our communities.
The message this sends to people is they shouldn't report crimes. That's bad for our communities.
March 30, 2025 at 10:28 PM
THIS is why many local police departments choose not to share some information with ICE. This woman's decision to report her assault to the cops led to her being arrested by ICE and likely deported.
The message this sends to people is they shouldn't report crimes. That's bad for our communities.
The message this sends to people is they shouldn't report crimes. That's bad for our communities.