In which a top US Border Patrol official, incredibly, tells my tall and Anglo colleague @chipmitchell1.bsky.social that he's not the type they're looking for as they go about downtown Chicago arresting people based on "how they look" chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

The battle of our day is no longer about Democrats versus Republicans or left versus right. The choice right now is democracy or dictatorship. And we're sliding faster than I ever thought possible into the latter. Everyone must choose which side they’re on.

Downtown Chicago, today. The little girl …

Probably 40+ border patrol some holding automatic weapons on South Michigan Avenue just now 12:20 pm. Fully masked. #NoIceInChicago. @icirr.bsky.social @indivisiblechicago.bsky.social

marching in front of the Newberry Library, shamelessly hospitable to people who really love genealogical research and Renaissance partbooks & like there's a park across the street that people just hang out in and the El is super scary b/c like everyone takes it www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/28/i...

"Data manipulation by the US Gov...makes crucial datasets untrustworthy and unusable. If the US Government secretly changes datasets for political reasons, researchers relying on the data might erroneously recommend ineffective or counterproductive interventions." www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

My general belief is that Dems need to spend more time thinking about what they believe and less about what they think some imaginary swing voters want them to believe. Political strategy will stem from an authentic set of beliefs.

Did they have a parade permit?

On the other hand, I am in favor of traffic cameras. 😆 But maybe that's because I don't trust drivers.

JFC, these tech techbros need to learn from psychologists and sociologists about the importance of trust in fostering community and decreasing crime.

Coates: "I’m all for unifying, I’m all for bridging gaps, but not at the expense of my neighbor’s humanity. I just can’t." ❤️

Today would be a really great day to subscribe to @thetriibe.com, @unraveledpress.com, and @chicagoreader.com. They’ve been sharing quality info about daily DHS abductions and attempted stifling of dissent at Broadview for weeks.

New links between brain activity & behaviour showing that both liking and imagining the scenes *surrounding* a person influence empathy 👇🧠 Place-related representations in setting the stage for empathy www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #neuroskyence

Fascinating study. Note that this is 1 in 10 adults. Factor in children and the percentage of non-driving Americans is much higher. Cities and towns need to account for their mobility needs too.

C'mon #MarkCarney, #JustSayNo to bigger #Wildfires and a WHOLE LOT more #Smoke #cdnpoli #ClimateChange www.theenergymix.com/back-nation-...

Bad news from the oceans but even worse news that we have now crossed 7 of 9 planetary boundaries that define the "safe operating space" for our holocene-dependent human civilization. Call me a dreamer but wouldn't it be nice if our governments felt the need to actually address this? #ClimateSky

Folks, the way to read the NYT article about OpenAI and higher education is to recognize that the person OpenAI hired to lead their effort came from Coursera. Remember when Coursera and MOOCs were going to cause the reinvention of higher education?

Close to Shore Mike Gough 2022

As this @grist.org article explains, wildfire smoke is deadly. This is why local-level policy mitigating the impacts of wildfire smoke is essential! Cities like San Francisco are working to update building ventilation and air quality alerts to protect residents. 💪 #cities grist.org/health/wildf...

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/.... Well, this will effectively snuff what’s left of international travel to the US. But American citizens should be advised accordingly.

U.S. Border Officer Tells Canadian Tourist Camping In The Left Lane To ‘Never Come Back Again.’ #cdnpoli

Many of the people quoted in this story about more denied housing in Chicago really despise people who rent.

The sixth YIMBYtown conference, held earlier this month in Connecticut, represented a major change from its first iteration in 2016. The factors that have led to YIMBYtown going mainstream are leading to housing reforms across the country. Story: www.theurbanist.org/2025/09/27/y...

Former Observer big-hitters inc @carolecadwalla.bsky.social launch new title The Nerve with redundancy payouts After Observer sale: "We decided to launch a title that the journalists themselves would own, that would be truly independent" pressgazette.co.uk/news/former-...

Me on my way to start some bullshit

The plaza an island in a sea of asphalt

This appeals to the magpie in me.

"Toilets are an essential component of architecture that can represent a civilization." - Kengo Kuma. So The Tokyo Toilet project commissioned 16 architects including Kuma, Fumihiko Maki, Shigeru Ban, Tadao Ando, Sou Fujimoto and Toyo Ito to create better alternatives. tokyotoilet.jp/en/

NSF GRFP is out 2.5 months late w/key changes 1. 2nd year graduate students not eligible. 2. "alignment with Administration priorities" 3. Unlike prior years, they DO NOT specify the expected number of awards... that is a BIG problem. a brief 🧵 w/receipts www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

I wrote about the incredible collection of modernist architecture in Chatham commissioned by Black professionals looking to make their mark on Chicago in the midcentury

Ponderosa Elk Roy Henry Vickers ~ Haida, Heiltsuk, Tsimshian 2022

Swings and roundabouts: more ADUs, but also more restrictions on their construction.

"It’s not a question of being “tough.” That’s a male construct. There are fewer paths for women into politics, as journalism shrinks and city council and school trustee posts vanish as a launchpad." 🔗 www.thestar.com/opinion/star... Article by @hmallick.bsky.social at the @thestar.com

LOOK WHO WANTS TO INDOCTRINATE THE YOUTH IN CANADA. Parents, get on this shit. Pay attention and stop this.

ISCON now seeking nominations for the 2024 Best Social Cognition Paper Award! This award recognizes an outstanding article (theoretical or empirical) in the field of social cognition. Papers eligible if published in 2024. More info here: www.socialcognition.net/best-paper-a...

ISCON now seeking nominations for the 2025 Early Career Award! Recognizing a junior scientist who has made outstanding contributions to the understanding of social cognition. Nominees must have received their PhDs no earlier than 2019. More info here: www.socialcognition.net/early-career...

I couldn't be more thrilled to share that I'll be in Chicago on Oct 14 at the National Public Housing Museum, in conversation with the great Eve L. Ewing, to talk about There Is No Place for Us. Hosted by Build Coffee & Books + NPHM. Free and open to all. Book signing to follow. Register here:

If you’re visiting Chicago, I strongly recommend checking out the National Public Housing Museum (& sign up for a tour). It’s a great museum. Plus it’s across the street from a brand new combined affordable housing + library complex, and on the very nice Taylor St retail corridor.

New: After a long wait, the GRFP solicitation is live! Deadlines have been extended to early November, so applicants have a bit over a month to submit. www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

How public transit is “Nation Building Infrastructure” that the Canadian federal government should be investing in. (With clips from CUTA & Halifax’s executive director of strategic infrastructure and transportation planning, David Reage)

This country is so fucking broken.

This is terrible. www.thestar.com/business/pos...

It's only legal to build ADUs (coach houses) in certain areas, approved by certain Alderman, using a labor category that literally doesn't exist.

Hi @npr.org! We worked late tonight putting together this handy pocket guide! It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers. It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!

Health insurance as indentured servitude.

I am begging Canadians to understand that Canada Post, like public transit, should not be a business - it's a service. Canada Post is a lifeline for rural, remote and Northern communities and overall, we need to re-evaluate why people think they "need" random shit delivered ASAP.

🇨🇦

The places we live play a crucial role in our health and well-being. Experts break down four key elements in healthy urban design. (hint: walkability is one of them). www.thestar.com/news/gta/is-...

Cognitive scientists and AI researchers make a forceful call to reject “uncritical adoption" of AI in academia www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/cognitive-...