Notices by Kat O’Brien (obrien_kat@mastodon.world)

I gave a speech at today’s Barcelona protest of Trump and authoritarianism.
I talked about the dire need for due process for everyone, and to stop snatching immigrants off the streets and trafficking them to a hard labor prison in El Salvador.
They may be coming for immigrants and trans people first, but they will come for you and you and you and me. We must defend all peoples’ rights.
#trump #dictators #protest

There’s a power outage across much of Spain, Portugal and Andorra!
I was at home and thought it was just my building/apt, so got my stuff to head to the office for the rest of the day, only to realize it was also my neighborhood and also beyond my neighborhood, then a friend in a different city in Spain messaged his is out too https://www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20250428/10624908/caida-general-deja-suministro-electrico-toda-espana.html
#electricity #luz #espana

Rolling Stone has been doing some great reporting. Here on scientists and brain drain from the U.S. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/scientists-fleeing-america-trump-cuts-funding-jobs-1235324006/
#science #braindrain #usa #europe

@joeo10 evil

Easter eve light on “La Catedral Del Mar” in Barcelona.
This week brought news that I need a new job. I would very much like to work for democracy & civil rights & against misinfo, if anyone knows of any roles. Open to other roles, based in Barcelona.
Ex-journalist, partnerships/marketing/biz dev experience, studied govt/democracy + MBA.
Have worked in sports, media, fintech & climate sectors. Superpowers writing, research, growth, connecting people. www.linkedin.com/in/obrienkat
#jobs #work

Outstanding and alarming reporting by @npr here on what appears to be major violations of security and data privacy protocol by the DOGE folks on National Labor Relations Board Data. Big props to the brave whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, who has come forward despite receiving threatening notes with personal information and pictures taken from overhead (drones?) of him walking his dog.
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/15/nx-s1-5355896/doge-nlrb-elon-musk-spacex-security
#cybersecurity #doge #privacy

@joeo10 it is indeed the W Hotel. Good eye.
Fun fact, it’s nicknamed here the Hotel Vela (Sail) because it looks kind of like a sailboat.

@joeo10 picture in which you can see what i am talking about :)

Sunset views from the top floor at work.
#barcelona #norrsken #sunset #atardecer

This is a great listen with Joel Anderson and Bryan Curtis on publications lost in the 21st century that they miss. As an ESPN alum, ESPN The Magazine and FiveThirtyEight loom particularly large for me among those mentioned. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-press-box/id1058911614?i=1000701527315
#media #sports #journalism

@mattblaze I can not get over how very few of the people with Fuck You money and power are willing to take risks.
… I had that much written as I was in line at my fave restaurant in Barcelona, ended up eating w/a young female lawyer from SF (& her mom) who was also upset at so many law firms (not hers, as yet!!) caving. She plans to quit if hers caves.

Tiny timeline cleanse: I wore the brightly colored abacus earrings that my 4yo niece picked out for me to work today.
#gifts #jewelry #kids #earrings

Senator Cory Booker is still going at 21+ hours! I really hope he beats racist Storm Thurmond’s record. He only needs a few more hours.
I called his office to say thank him and also share the story of my dad meeting him and the video he shared. I also called my senators, Gillibrand and Schumer, to encourage them to seek inspiration in this. And separately called Rep Dan Goldman’s office bc he has been speaking and acting on many important issues and I wanted to say thanks.

Got a 14-mile run in this morning on my last day in NYC. 173 miles run this month, my highest-mileage month since having bilateral bunion surgery in November 2021, when I still lived in NYC. I had 8 months over 200 miles that year!
#running #runnersofmastodon #nyc #hudsonriverpark

The U.S. is truly becoming, not just a frenemy of our longtime allies, but an enemy of those allies and of long-stated U.S. values.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/28/ukraine-us-mineral-deal-russia-war/
#slavaukraini #uspol #Zelensky

I visited the National Archives, home of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution & Bill of Rights.
The four pillars of freedom - speech, religion, the press and assembly - the foundation of democracy. All under attack. We can’t be quiet.

https://katsstackofreadsandwriting.beehiiv.com/p/attacks-on-freedom-and-democracy
#uspol #democracy

@epistatacadam @EricLawton @mmasnick @bmacDonald94 😥
The right to not have national health care and instead be charged a fortune 🙃

This is incredibly dangerous, arresting an immigrant - with a green card (permanent residency) - over his organizing on behalf of a cause you disagree with. Arresting him and taking him to undisclosed location with no due process.
This is fascism, quite simply.
And you don’t have to agree with his actions or support his cause of protesting for Palestine. This is an opening salve and if they get away with it, they’ll go after people with any views they disagree with.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-authorities-arrest-palestinian-student-protester-columbia-university-students-2025-03-09/

@EricLawton @mmasnick @bmacDonald94 🙄 wow

Another half-marathon distance run in the bag, on the beautiful Carretera de les Aigües, and back down to Plaça Catalunya.
#running #runnersofmastodon #barcelona