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This is a thing that comes up in planning A LOT. If you want to see actual structural changes in municipal finance and governance you aren't going to get there with the vision, values, and theories that brought you *gestures broadly*.

Jaime Andrade's campaign just push-polled me by phone with this outright lie and nothing else. When confronted, the caller admitted she was with "Friends of Jaime Andrade" and hopes he can earn my vote. So... that's how desperate the IL-HD40 incumbent is with only 26 days remaining on the clock

Holy shit. Jaime Andrade accused Miguel of working with ICE. Miguel is a literal rapid responder who organized safety patrols at day laborer sites. This is beyond the pale even for Chicago.

We have to stop letting people get away with really destructive and harmful policy positions because they claim it’s somehow appropriate or balanced or thoughtful or whatever. Calling for the complete dismantling of state sponsored terrorism is the balanced approached.

I would NOT recommend people use this guide. “He’s also staked out the appropriate approach on ICE - calling for dismantling of the agency in its current form (“abolish Trump’s ICE”), rather than calling for an all-out abolition of the agency.” Bull shit! It’s a Gestapo, dismantle the whole thing.

IL Assistant House Majority Leader Jaime Andrade’s campaign is sending out some absolutely craven mailers as he tries to hold onto his seat in the race for the 40th State House District. www.instagram.com/p/DU4tIf0DVG...

Watching Wiseman's work for the first time, writing this piece, and having it appear inside this cover was one of the highlights of last year for me.

I believe this is the only Wiseman film you can watch through PBS right now (membership required). It's wonderful. www.pbs.org/show/menus-p...

Near Death is a masterpiece. It should be required viewing to practice medicine and it's essential viewing for grieving and processing the pain of losing a loved one or making sense of and peace with a loved one's extended hospital stay.

RIP Frederick Wiseman. I was excited that the Siskel was showing a retrospective of his films last Jan., & then writer Joe Engleman pitched Reader culture editor Taryn McFadden with a related story. This allowed us to run this great photo of Wiseman for the cover. chicagoreader.com/tag/vol-54-n...

"In lieu of flowers, the family and Zipporah Films kindly request that you support your local PBS affiliate or independent bookstore in Frederick Wiseman’s memory."

In light of the news that unparalleled documentarian Frederick Wiseman has died, I’m revisiting @joeengleman.bsky.social’s 2025 @chicagoreader.com cover story on Wiseman hooked to the Siskel Center’s retrospective.

THE SECRET AGENT wins Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards. “Cinema is a manifestation of memory itself. and remembering is also a political act.”🇧🇷🏆

BTW if you're a progressive not reading the Access Living questionnaire, what are ya doing? Disability is treated as disposable so often that I think this questionnaire is very revealing of who takes the work seriously and who actually knows policy. www.accessliving.org/defending-ou...

It's time to CHECK YOUR JUDGES BAYYYYBEEEEE!!!! Unbelievably excited to share our team's labor of love for the 2026 primary election. There are some doozies in here. Don't vote without it! #checkyourjudges 2026primary.injusticewatch.org

“Four of my children just evaporated,” Badran said, holding back tears. “I looked for them a million times. Not a piece was left. Where did they go?” There are no words to adequately describe the evil here.

One of my favorite movies of last year, HAPPYEND, is now on @criterionchannl.bsky.social. First got to see it at the Chicago Critics Film Fest + @daniellamazzio.bsky.social talked to director Neo Sora for @chicagoreader.com when it was at the Siskel last fall. chicagoreader.com/film-tv/movi...

On February 23, Balentine brings back "Life Within the Lens" at @musicboxtheatre.bsky.social for a night of shorts from seven different Black filmmakers. It's a stacked lineup with a range of topics and genres.

Balentine's "Sunday's Best" at @facetschicago.bsky.social will feature a different filmmaker or collective's body of work every Sunday through March 1. Yesterday's Amir George showcase was incredible, and it's really cool to see works from the same filmmaker in conversation with each other.

New from me for @chicagoreader.com: This month, Chicago programmer Tyler Balentine is showcasing local Black filmmakers across two series at two different cinemas. Read and learn about each series and Chicago's local Black filmmaking community. chicagoreader.com/film-tv/movi...

Multiple friends have caught COVID recently, including some of my more cautious pals. There are a lot of winter germs in crowded places right now, fam. Personally, I never feel that shopping or riding transit unmasked is worth potentially getting sick. You can always renew this practice.

Amid primary season, has anyone tried to compile a list of the IL state reps + state senators who spent the last few years bragging about all money they spent on Flock cameras / license plate readers or the total number procured for their districts? Because... www.nprillinois.org/illinois/202...

The Aadam Jacobs collection ftw

For what it's worth, the first time I realized Raja had anything to do with forcing the sale of TikTok was this @lastweektonight.com segment from November 2024, 21:35 minute mark www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZN...

Boggles my mind that Krishnamoorthi hasn't had to face much scrutiny for trumpeting TikTok as a national security threat during the Biden years, writing the bill to force TikTok's sale, setting in motion the steps for TikTok to be sold to right wing oligarchs, www.nprillinois.org/2024-03-14/r... 1/

This story is the first in my @chicagoreader.com series examining Chicago's homeless encampment sweeps, focusing on the human impact of a fragmented, interdepartmental process. If you have tips, reach out: [email protected]. Signal: katie.507. chicagoreader.com/news/housing...

Last year, I emailed Chicago’s chief homelessness officer, Sendy Soto, as well as spokespeople for both Soto & Mayor Johnson, six times. I wanted to understand their approach to evicting unhoused Chicagoans from the shelters they build to survive. No response. chicagoreader.com/news/housing...

new: the first piece in a @chicagoreader.com’s series on quantum shore chicago looks at community resistance to the megadevelopment. contributor grey lucas traces the neighborhood’s history of fighting disinvestment and environmental racism from the former south works steel plant to present-day.

R.E.M. Live at UIC Pavilion 1986-10-19 https://archive.org/details/ajc02668_rem1986-10-19.aud.flac24

As has been proven time and again across the globe, the targeting of journalists never ends with the most vulnerable. Instead, the targeting of marginalized journalists normalizes and facilitates attacks on the free press at large. Read our full statement at nwu.org/lemon-and-fort

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti. "Please get the truth out about our son."

“Hundreds of immigrant mothers” in Texas concentration camp uprising

Yesterday, Minneapolis gave us hope. That’s what they’re trying to kill: the will of a people who are willing to fight them.

For folks asking: yes, the person shot has died. Just announced. The video circulating shows what can only be described as an execution.

More chemicals filling the air on the other side of the intersection. My the

With no warning, feds just gassed people.

Conservation officers just did a push, tackled some folks.

Some impromptu barricades being assembled. More people arriving.

At 26th and Nicolett in Minneapolis this morning— Feds have just shot another person in the streets. Furious community members are gathering. State police and conservation cops here in front of ~50 federal agents.

I will read every single future IL-9 post in exchange for one IL-7 post

Looking for any/all clear, HQ photos of *federal agents* at today's gas attack (Minneapolis, not Chicago!). You can send anonymously via Signal at unraveled.66

Wanna talk about your favorite Michael Shannon movie? @daniellamazzio.bsky.social's gearing up for a new year of Hand Me the Mike with a call for guests. **Particularly looking for gender diversity & guests based in Chicago + w/Midwest ties** but this is not exclusive. room-tone.ghost.io/podcast/

Anything short of stripping funding from the agency and closing its doors is not enough

Buying them back will be worth every penny abc7chicago.com/post/chicago...

Near Lyndale and 24th Ave in Minneapolis tonight, feds have reportedly shot another person. Preliminary info is shaky for now, hearing two people injured. BORTAC just rolled up in an armored vehicle. A crowd is gathering outside the police tape—MPD presence as well.

Here is a poem Renee Good, under her earlier name Renee Macklin, wrote, "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs." It won a prize. It's really good. "it’s the ruler by which i reduce all things now; hard-edged & splintering from knowledge." poets.org/2020-on-lear...

“We are here to say no — no to the kidnapping of our neighbors, no to the normalization of fascist violence. We are here because our love and decency are stronger than our fears, and because we know we will find courage in each other.”

Tonight, I was one of more than 200 people who gathered on Chicago’s North Side to mourn Renee Nicole Good. Several people asked me to publish my remarks from the vigil, so I’m sharing them here.