Shana Tova to everyone celebrating in Illinois and across the world. As we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I want to wish you all a new year full of joy, good health, and prosperity.

Nobel laureates Prof. Joseph E. Stiglitz and Prof. Daron Acemoğlu issued an urgent plea to recognize and uphold the economic value of public interest media in the age of artificial intelligence. Learn more: informationdemocracy.org/2025/09/22/p...

This. I talked about this yesterday morning with Heather. People with power grabbing a LOT more power to make their “reign” permanent, and overplaying their hand. The Federalists in the late 1790s. Silencing the opposition press. They never regained national power.

This is big news. www.ft.com/content/96b5...

The Late Show holding up the importance of local news and public media, starring Katherine Maher of @npr.org www.facebook.com/reel/1729433...

Peaceful morning at Montrose Bird Sanctuary in Chicago

the book is officially launched :-) had a great time discussing our joint work with @palfrey.org at @bookends.bsky.social last night, wonderful turnout, great questions, fun celebration! bit.ly/wiredwisdom tx @uchicagopress.bsky.social

TONIGHT AT 6 PM, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025! Join us at Bookends and Beginnings in Evanston for the book launch event for Wired Wisdom: How to Age Better Online! cc: @eszter.com @bookends.bsky.social @uchicagopress.bsky.social

Invest in Community to Keep Chicagoans Safe www.linkedin.com/pulse/invest...

Immigration Raids Being Planned Around Mexican Independence Celebrations, Pritzker Says blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/02/i...

RSVP for free here! www.eventbrite.com/e/eszter-har...

Building bridges between funders and newsroom leaders www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/buil...

Event sign-up link for Wired Wisdom book launch event with @eszter.com on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6 pm in Evanston, IL, at @bookends.bsky.social www.eventbrite.com/e/eszter-har...

Please join us! @eszter.com and I are launching Wired Wisdom at an in-person book event at @bookends.bsky.social in Evanston, IL, on Sept. 4 at 6 pm! See you there.

Yo-Yo Ma says music can help unite; he’s putting it to the test in Chicago www.wbez.org/culture-the-...

Called it. bsky.app/profile/sonj...

"Chicago Reader finds new life with new buyer: 'I'm grateful that it's going to have a future'" Wonderful news for the Chicago Reader. We are proud at @macfound.org to be in support of this next chapter for this storied Chicago institution. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/26/c...

Gov. Pritzker, Mayor Johnson tell President Trump to keep National Guard off the streets of Chicago chicago.suntimes.com/illinois-gov...

I know you, Chicago — and I know you’re up to the difficult time we have ahead, thanks to this President.

I’ve been a supporter of Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell for standing up to Trump. But this is the real test. Will he stand up for Lisa Cook?

Joining with our friends @knightfoundation.org and others in a new philanthropic effort to help stabilize, support, and revitalize public media. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/b...

"Whatever your first issue is, local news and journalism should be your second." 👏 Important insights on the power and purpose of investing in #LocalNews and storytelling from John Palfrey (@palfrey.org) & Karen Rundlet (@inn.org) as they highlight their work with our shared partner, Press Forward.

In the spirit of accountability, I shared an update on what @macfound.org has done to meet our commitments to help grantees navigate the artificial crisis in the civil sector. www.macfound.org/press/perspe...

What kind of AI governance do we need? Our new piece in @science.org answers this: we need policy grounded in evidence and built to generate more of it. Evidence-based policymaking is not a slogan—it’s a design challenge for democratic governance in the age of AI www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... 🧵

INN CEO Karen Rundlet and @macfound.org's @palfrey.org make a powerful case for journalism as essential civic infrastructure in their @stanfordpacs.bsky.social piece. From democracy to education to disaster response, local news connects us all. pacscenter.stanford.edu/philanthropy...

Congress eliminated public media funding. At a time of deep division, public media brings us together. Help keep it strong. Join our monthly donors today: n.pr/458sOhq

🔍 Looking for an interesting and informative book to add to your summer reading list? 📕 Check out "Wired Wisdom: How to Age Better Online" from @eszter.com and @palfrey.org!

Grateful to have this chance to write with Karen Rundlet of @inn.org about the state of Local News and the #PressForward coalition of funders and those we are able to support.

We are proud @macfound.org to support creative people and institutions with big dreams. @cmtysolutions.bsky.social says we can end homelessness in America. We awarded $100 million to them to make big progress toward this audacious, important goal. #WeTheCivic www.macfound.org/press/grante...

First there were 73. Three months later there are more than 700... foundations, that is, all of them saying they have a 1st Amendment right to give as they wish, 47's orders be damned. For @insidephilanthropy.com @palfrey.org @deepakbhargava.bsky.social #philanthropy

Journalists are essential members of our communities. Orgs like Type Investigations help journalists tell local stories that often have civic impact. #WeTheCivic celebrates stories of voices standing up for democracy. Share your own and read more! www.macfound.org/press/grante...

I have spotted my first few copies of Wired Wisdom out in the wild today!!! Happy Pub day, @eszter.com!!!

TOMORROW @ the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Conference @morelatinosinnews.bsky.social, join Field President Daniel O. Ash alongside @macfound.org President @palfrey.org‬ & FCC Commissioner ‪@agomezfcc.bsky.social‬ for the panel "The Price of Truth: Media, Money & Democracy." 1/

Former Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden vows to improve public information in new Mellon Foundation role

This Independence Day, I’m focused on the core freedoms that are a fundamental part of the American tradition: the freedoms to give, to invest, to express ourselves. I share how we can respond to this moment in @ssir.org, in partnership with @macfound.org ssir.org/articles/ent...

Public ownership of a media property — in the legal sense of "publicly traded, first duty is to shareholders" — is an increasingly hostile environment for public service journalism. And no, I am not saying this is a new pressure. Only that it is accelerating, and linking up with other threats.

Several people on BlueSky asked me how to begin reading Hannah Arendt’s works.

Happy Pride! Chicago was alive with the Pride Parade and Pride celebrations this weekend, and @macfound.org LGBTQ+ Affinity Group marched with our community

This summer, our family is raising money for Boston Children's Hospital in honor of our parents, Drs. Judy and Sean Palfrey, who turn 80 apiece this year. The fund in their honor supports child health advocacy. Please join us if you are able. secure.childrenshospital.org/goto/palfrey...

The American Academy of Pediatricians bluntly telling us the current CDC can't be trusted, and of course they are absolutely correct publications.aap.org/aapnews/news...

The Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy is co-chaired by @palfrey.org‬ of The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Ryan Easterly of WITH Foundation. Learn more about the Presidents’ Council: buff.ly/FF9kmNE

‪How should philanthropy respond to the crisis facing the charitable sector? I’m honored to introduce this series created in partnership with @macfound.org and @ssir.org and be in conversation with philanthropic leaders with different viewpoints. ssir.org/philanthropy...

How should philanthropy respond to the radical disruptions of government funding cuts and attacks on civil society? A new SSIR in-depth series published today features eight of the sector's most thoughtful leaders, starting with @macfound.org president @palfrey.org THREAD👇

At the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion meeting, we were grounded in a collective commitment to disability justice. Thanks to @disphilanthropy.bsky.social for hosting and letting us hear directly from #MacFellow @sfdirewolf.bsky.social, and @movementphotog.bsky.social for pics!

"I have never seen a record where racial discrimination by the government is so palpable... Have we fallen so low? Have we no shame?" Judge Young (Reagan appointee) ruling in our favor against Trump research cuts. Read more of the Judge's fiery language: www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/breaking-n...

What’s happening in California should concern all of us. Nonprofits doing important community work are being targeted for speaking up. This is not normal, and we cannot look the other way. We at MacArthur Foundation stand with our partners. #CourageIsContagious #FreedomToGive #UniteInAdvance

Meet The Finalists For The $10 Million Chicago Prize To Revitalize South, West Sides blockclubchicago.org/2025/06/12/m...