DC Statehood yesterday

I don't have the personal capital to do much of anything. But I believe wholeheartedly in our effort to hire more local journalists for DC in the wake of the Post layoffs. And after seeing Russ's extra contribution for Minneapolis (⬇️), I had to give that same amount here. 51st.news/the-51st-is-...

I'm gonna toss in a sweetener here because Valentine's Day sucked and I need a pick-me-up. TONIGHT ONLY: if you make a donation to/buy a membership for @51st.news tonight - of any amount - not only will I match it, but I will send $50 to a good cause in Minneapolis (TBD, but it'll be legit).

Someone has sure already made this observation but the fact they can convert all those empty warehouses into prison camps means they could have converted them into housing, community centers, job training centers or, hell, libraries or schools all along. It’s always a matter of will not resources.

"What we all need to agree and commit it to is that journalism is a public good. Journalism is a thing that we need. Particularly when it comes to local news." For @inequality.org, @millsrodrigo.bsky.social interviewed two 51st co-founders, @abigailhiggins.bsky.social and @maddiepoore.bsky.social:

The 51st has produced so much valuable reporting in just a single year, with only one full-time reporter. Can you imagine what a second year could look like if this newsroom had triple the reporting capacity? The good news is that we don't have to imagine — we can make it happen. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

I don't say this often but: I'm so proud to be a climate and environment reporter. We cover an issue that is vitally important to humanity and the natural world. 14 of my climate colleagues at the Post were laid off today and I'm devastated. www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/washington...

unraveled is *two* people, doing work that much bigger newsrooms aren't

i really need more people to understand that the musk - bezos killing media thing extends to substack. if you're on substack, you're in the line of fire.

Anyone reporting on WaPo's gutting and failing to mention this is doing free propaganda for one of the richest men on earth. This wasn't a simple business decision, let's be CLEAR about the conditions.

🧵 1/ We’re devastated about the layoffs at The Washington Post, which are gutting D.C. reporting. These journalists are an incalculable loss for our city. The 51st’s mission has always felt urgent, but now we know it needs to kick into high gear.

Bezos isn't destroying the Washington Post because it isn't profitable. He's destroying the Washington Post because he's calculated that a robust free press threatens the ability of his class to warp society around their interests

for over 3 weeks, I've spoken to ICE watchers and organizers across the country: first right after Renee Good's killing — then 2 weeks into my reporting, Alex Pretti was killed. ICE watchers are being detained and harassed — but they're also stopping ICE abductions and inspiring others to join them

A caregiving social movement IS political.

Thrilled to share this news! Learning about @dc-bci.bsky.social's SELF loan was so possibility expanding, not just for The 51st, but also for what could be possible in this world!

People who are leaving TikTok for Substack. I feel like maybe you're unaware these are the same flavor of bad guys. It's not an "all platforms are bad" situation. It's a "Substack is already owned by private equity and bad venture capitalists and its business is NOT IN GOOD SHAPE"

@coyotemedia.org is so COOL. i love this so much!!

HAPPENING NOW: A massive crowd is gathered in freezing temperatures outside ICE headquarters in DC to demand ICE OUT OF ALL COMMUNITIES NOW.

Another data point indicating that Polymarket is not a “prediction market” but a public persuasion operation—here it spreads disinformation about Minnesota and DHS signals boosts the disinformation:

ICE AGENT: “I love my job. I can’t believe they pay me to do this. I’d do it for free. I only went to high school and I make $200,000.”

ICE's use of force policy released under FOIA was almost completely redacted until it was accidentally released in court filing un-redacted. Read the full document here: www.kenklippenstein.com/p/exclusive-...

Nabiha isn't just a source of home-cooked food, it's a safe gathering space for local Palestinians and activists, owner Nesrin Abaza says. This story about the "protest restaurant" was one of the team's favorites we published this year:

The whole Kennedy Center thing simply underscores again that fascists do not make good or even popular art that anyone wants.

Add supporting local journalism to your new year resolutions, please and thank you!

USPS quietly changed its postmark rules — mail is no longer dated when you drop it off. The “official” date is when it hits automated sorting — sometimes days later Which could have major implications for mail in voting — it’s a clever way to disenfranchise voters that’s going largely overlooked

Thanks to some incredibly generous donations our winter fund drive is now over halfway to our goal. If we reach it our trans local journalism co-op can survive into 2026. Please share and support to help us get there. www.gofundme.com/f/help-the-a...

📰 As today’s email indicated, we’re at 66% of our $50,000 year-end goal. We have two days to go. Let's see where we end up.

always honored when @lexroman.com includes @51st.news in a roundup of theirs!

In Mount Pleasant, a tight-knit D.C. neighborhood where immigrants are deeply embedded into the social fabric, the Trump administration’s targeting of migrants has shaken the community. This poignant story about the impact from @samdelgado.bsky.social was one of our team's favorites this year.

All gifts and memberships to The 51st are: ✅ Tax deductible ✌️ Doubled through the end of the year, thanks to Newsmatch 🗞️ Directly funding local, worker-led news in D.C. Become a member today: 51st.news/signup

If you live in or near Spokane — I can’t overstate how wonderful @rangemedia.co is. Worked owned local news doing vital work! Look at this holiday gift: rangemedia.co/public-flock...

Our executive editor @christurdisani.bsky.social wrote for @ampress.bsky.social about our expanding Community Connectors project: Working with people who genuinely connect with D.C. natives and Ward 7 residents, "the program bridges our news outlet and the communities we’re trying to reach."

"Wherever the agents appear, even when they lean idly, chatting, we see the cold threat of violence and the fragility of freedom. And in the brave crowds who gather to confront them, scrambling their illusion of total control, we see the power of solidarity..." hammerandhope.org/article/ice-...

If you haven't subscribed to @51st.news, what are you waiting for? 51st.news/membership/?...

tragically your social media team (it's just me) forgot to attach the photos of Jeff W. and the heroic email he sent to his friends.... plz like and share! Take Jeff’s advice: www.51st.news/signup

In some ways shit like this is convenient. When someone tells you who they are, LISTEN.

SCOOP: Grazi Chiosque works for the Social Security Administration. Her wife is in immigration detention. They’re three months into an insane battle in which one DHS agency is bouncing them back and forth to the other, but nobody appears to be trying to help. www.advocate.com/news/married...

I continue to believe that in the current context zines are an important modality for exchanging and distributing information.

i want this! and want to grow the ‘important journalism ➡️ distributed via beautiful zine’ pipline

tapping the "please support billionaire free, worker run, reader supported news" holiday edition

Sometimes journalism can feel like an impossibility in 2025. Especially journalism that holds power accountable, that fights against elite interests. Fascist governments seek to silence us, whether by bullying, censorship and intimidation or more directly bombs and bullets.

📬 This week's newsletter: 🍻 Three beers for journalism 🗳️ Bowser’s big announcement 🛍️ A "procott," 🚼 An incoming childcare cliff Get the next edition in your inbox: www.51st.news/signup

Life expectancy in DC can vary by as much as a decade depending on the ward you live in. I’m honored to be a fellow at @mhhjcenter.bsky.social this year, which is supporting us in launching a health equity beat, where we’ll dig in to the city’s health issues. www.mhhj.org/networks-fel...

Proud to experiment with this approach to year end fundraising—everyone no matter their $ realities can help us reach this goal ❤️‍🔥

The value of reading history is you know that in 1860 there were abolitionists who were so demoralized that they thought chattel slavery would be permanent. 5 years later those still alive had lived to see its end.

Today, DC took a huge step toward combating poverty across the District.   We just passed an amendment that will deliver real cash relief to working families through the EITC and Child Tax Credit — two of our most powerful tools to lift families out of poverty.

⚠️PAYWALL DROP ALERT⚠️ As we all watch New Yorkers vote, why not read @katelynburns.com's case for shortening the election cycle? Free to read today only!

feeling emotional and delighted watching the @hellgatenyc.com election results live stream — also enjoying the commercials so so much leave it to worker owned news ~ opening up realities never before imagined