“It really does make me feel like less of a citizen, even though my mother and brother and everyone else tells me that I’m perfectly okay, that I’m good,” he said. “I’m a citizen, but what I know is that I don’t look like a citizen to ICE. To them, I look like a number, a logistic.”

“These people were not doing anything bad. ... And as a Mexican American citizen here, what if they end up profiling me? ... And that’s something that hit me hard. I have not returned to a normal student teenage life ever since ICE hit.” matternews.org/community/th...

always a challenge narrowing this down to 20 and this year was no exception. here are the records I found myself returning to most often the last 12 months. matternews.org/culture/musi...

"He drives his staff to and from work to reduce risk. ... He orders extra food so people can take meals home. He makes sure everyone has a red card to remind them of their rights. To remind them to stay silent. To remind them that their accent might be used against them." New from Sangeeta Lakhani.

not a bad mix of features imo matternews.org/community/th...

This week for @matternews.bsky.social : Do we carry the flame? I wrote about Columbus educators' thoughts on Ohio's proposed Charlie Kirk bill. matternews.org/voices/local...

“Telling schools to highlight the ‘positive influence’ of Christianity is the government endorsing a belief system, which goes directly against the First Amendment. ... They know this, and this is just another case of GOP legislators being performative for their base.” New from Jules Roscoe.

“Verna confirmed she does not talk to staff in general, except in the all-staff meetings, and that given prior complaints filed about her, she stays away from staff members,” reads the report. “Verna shared she believes it is … not her responsibility as a leader to have an open-door policy.”

The review, conducted by Ohio State Employee and Labor Relations a month before Gaëtane Verna’s resignation from the museum, paints a picture of the growing disconnect that led staff members to send a letter to university officials expressing a vote of no confidence in the former executive director.

The sense of possibility Obadina’s gallery has introduced to generations is a rare thing. “I was 38 when a man called Nicholas Hill, the artist, said, ‘What do you want to do?’ And I was like, ‘I have a choice?’” said Brown. “And that’s what this gallery really asks us all: What do you dream of?”

A reminder that this Community Conversation is coming up on Thursday at @twodollarradiohq.bsky.social. www.facebook.com/events/15732...

“There are so many aspects of our work that our staff care about and want to improve, and we haven’t been able to without that collective voice. … We have to hold strong and remember this union is for us, and we are doing this to equalize the power.” matternews.org/community/be...

We're less than $1k from hitting our goal, which I had serious doubts we would reach coming in given the current environment. Not sure I can ably express the gratitude I have for the support we've been given. Now let's get this thing over the finish line. matternews.org/donate/

“I’m not really a musician, and if you were to hire me to play your wedding for two hours, it probably wouldn’t be that awesome. … So, it’s feeling that way about this but also knowing I can’t quit and that I’ll obviously be doing it forever. I’ve accepted my fate in those terms.”

“What we’re seeing on the national level is that the Trump administration is waging an all-out war on people’s democratic rights. ... And we need a space to organize against that. We need to build our unions. We need to build our social movements. And that is what this space is going to be.”

Ok I had one last op-ed in me about Columbus City Schools and the state it's in, but NOW I'm out of drafts. Gotta gin up some new acceptances and some new stuff. Thanks to @matternews.bsky.social for letting Martin and I talk about this.

It’s time for the City Council and the mayor’s office to provide a long-term fix to the school system and take responsibility for CCS write Zeb Larson and Martin Davis. matternews.org/voices/opini...

Prohibition is the tip of a brutal spear. ... It fuels hawkish leaders who call for the murders of alleged drug-runners in boats. It means tax dollars spent on agencies fighting a war they will never win. It means a drug supply that is always shifting and therefore dangerous to people who use drugs.

Prohibition is the tip of a brutal spear. ... It fuels hawkish leaders who call for the murders of alleged drug-runners in boats. It means tax dollars spent on agencies fighting a war they will never win. It means a drug supply that is always shifting and therefore dangerous to people who use drugs.

What Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx did was a legit shot across the bow and a reminder that there are ways to save lives other than arresting people or blowing up boats. New from @jackshuler.bsky.social. matternews.org/community/wh...

Soheila Noori’s life is defined by the immigration process. With the Trump administration’s halt on asylum, she and her community are currently overwhelmed by unknowns. New from Ellin Youse. matternews.org/community/co...

Poets for @matternews.bsky.social event, a year end @transitcolumbus.org celebration tonight, and some online actions in this week’s newsletter buttondown.com/goodworkscol...

Soheila Noori’s life is defined by the immigration process. With the Trump administration’s halt on asylum, she and her community are currently overwhelmed by unknowns. New from Ellin Youse. matternews.org/community/co...

Join us at Two Dollar Radio HQ at 8 p.m. next Thursday (Dec. 18) for the latest in our monthly Community Conversation series. www.facebook.com/events/15732...

@matternews.bsky.social is just a hair away from hitting their fund raising goal for the year. Check out some of the coming opportunities to for you to chip in to help keep local independent journalism alive and well in Columbus! matternews.org/voices/an-up...

An update on our year-end fundraising campaign. matternews.org/voices/an-up...

A reminder that this one is coming up on Wednesday. www.facebook.com/events/11513...

Wow, what a great article from @matternews.bsky.social on the book. Thanks @andydowning33.bsky.social for taking the time to talk to me about it (and for coming up with that headline!)

UPDATE: On Monday, a federal judge denied ICE's motion to vacate the order requiring Karki to attend his hearing in federal court, and Karki is now scheduled to present his habeas case in person tomorrow (Wednesday, Dec. 3). Karki's wife and baby plan to be present in Michigan for the hearing.

Days before Mohan Karki was set to appear in court, attorneys learned that authorities plan to deport the Ohio resident to Bhutan on Dec. 2. Emergency appeals have since been filed, while attorneys work to see if Karki will be able to meet with his wife and the infant daughter he has yet to hold.

Days before Mohan Karki was set to appear in court, attorneys learned that authorities plan to deport the Ohio resident to Bhutan on Dec. 2. Emergency appeals have since been filed, while attorneys work to see if Karki will be able to meet with his wife and the infant daughter he has yet to hold.

Union members at the East Main Street shop are almost two months into a strike that started on Sept. 26, surpassing the successful 45-day picket staged by workers at Green Thumb Industries in York and making it the new longest cannabis workers strike in U.S. history. matternews.org/community/th...

“When I’m home and I’m around my family, I’m a loving guy, and I’m the youth football coach, and I’m this, and I’m that. But the second I’m writing or performing, I’m a deranged psychopath.” matternews.org/culture/musi...

Join me in supporting Matter News, an essential source for news and analysis about government, art and business in Columbus.

“When I first really started playing out in 2019 … I remember saying to somebody, ‘I feel like it’s a political act even to go out there in public and sing in Spanish.’ And now of course it’s 2025, and that feeling is even more so.” matternews.org/culture/musi...

This institutionalism is, in part, historical. ... In 1912, voters passed the city’s first charter, which switched the model from ward-based to fully at-large. In order to run city-wide, candidates would need substantially more resources than previously required. New from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social.

Columbus City Council’s failure to discuss the allegations against Emmanuel Remy until after November’s election reads as a deliberate decision to protect those in power while keeping residents in the dark. A bonus Local Politics column this week from Rachel Wenning. matternews.org/voices/local...

“When I first really started playing out in 2019 … I remember saying to somebody, ‘I feel like it’s a political act even to go out there in public and sing in Spanish.’ And now of course it’s 2025, and that feeling is even more so.” matternews.org/culture/musi...

good read

Columbus City Council’s failure to discuss the allegations against Emmanuel Remy until after November’s election reads as a deliberate decision to protect those in power while keeping residents in the dark. A bonus Local Politics column this week from Rachel Wenning. matternews.org/voices/local...

This institutionalism is, in part, historical. ... In 1912, voters passed the city’s first charter, which switched the model from ward-based to fully at-large. In order to run city-wide, candidates would need substantially more resources than previously required. New from @julesaroscoe.bsky.social.

30 minutes left to bid!

“At the time that I was writing, or as I would say, finding these songs, I just felt a lot of gratitude, and I enjoyed it just for the sake of singing a song. ... And for me, that’s a pretty profound experience.” Saintseneca hits Rumba this weekend for a pair of shows matternews.org/culture/musi...

“If we give in and we hide, then we are giving them what they want, and that’s not something I’m personally okay with. I’m proud of who I am. I’m proud of who my friends are. And I don’t want to let them win.” matternews.org/community/tr...

Did you miss out on the auction last night? Here's your second chance to snag some killer art. Bidding closes at 4 pm, with pickup at Streetlight Guild (1367 E. Main St.) between 4:30 and 6 pm today (preferred) or at 934 Gallery either Friday (6-9 pm) or Saturday (noon to 3 pm).

The Matter News 2025 Silent Art Auction is live, closing at 8 p.m. Winning bids must be picked up either at close of auction tonight or tomorrow between 4:30 and 6 p.m. at Streetlight Guild (1367 E. Main St.). No shipping options are available. See folks tonight! app.galabid.com/matter-news-...

So tonight's the night! The @matternews.bsky.social News Silent Art Auction fundraiser is at Streetlight Guild from 6 to 8pm! I hope you'll turn to support a vital source of local journalism! FWIW: You can also participate in the auction on-line! app.galabid.com/matter-news-...

Here's a direct link to the silent art auction. Bids open at noon. You must be able to pick up winning bids at Streetlight Guild at the 8 p.m. close of the auction tonight, or between 4:30 and 6 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 20). No shipping options are available. app.galabid.com/matter-news-...