To Be Taught, If Fortunate, a gorgeous novella by Becky Chambers, is on sale right now on Kindle for just $1.99. Snap it up! It's so cool. a.co/d/05HFN0YW

Bow Market is a treasure, full of cool and interesting little businesses, with lots of tasty food and booze and great ambiance. We need A LOT more of this, and a lot less of the corporate-size retail and hospitality space developers keep adding (e.g. Assembly and new Union Sq spaces in Somerville).

Perfection. youtu.be/T4Upf_B9RLQ?...

Indigenous Peoples play an outsize role in nature conservation around the world, which the Global Biodiversity Framework explicitly recognized. This AIPP paper, which I was privileged to edit, shows how IPs in Asia have worked to shape national strategies under the GBF aippnet.org/engagement-i...

I just ran into a man from Inspectional Services walking up Cross Street with his tablet, issuing tickets, and I thanked him profusely for his efforts. In general, conditions seem much better than in January, which suggests #SomervilleMA did hold people to account. @mayorjakewilson.bsky.social

Oh so many good books here! Incredible package and a great cause. Just minutes to go!

The Themis Files series by @neuvel.net starts out as an adventure, turns way darker in #2, and goes full-on dystopian in #3, yet it's also surprisingly moving? Very timely, too, as xenophobia and racism run wild. Highly recommended! #Booksky thethemisfiles.com

Whatever's on your schedule today, make sure at some point you get as much pleasure and joy as Phoebe in the afternoon sun.

Electrical utilities in Mass. don't generate their own power, but rather buy it from separate suppliers who aren't regulated by the DPU. And it turns out they're *grossly* overcharging. Learn how and what we can do about it: www.synapse-energy.com/overcharged-... #mapoli #utilities #electricity

Just purchased via Kobo! Looks fascinating.

Boston is a home for everyone. Know your rights and help keep your community safe. Find more information at miracoalition.org/KYR.

Guest Column from @walkmass.bsky.social: Enough With the Snow, We Deserve Accessible Sidewalks - mass.streetsblog.org/2026/02/10/g...

ICE is operating in East Somerville this morning and I'm hearing that at least one person has already been taken. If you see them, call LUCE: 617-370-5023

"It’s scary and dangerous for healthy adults, nerve-wracking for parents with small children, and simply impossible for the most vulnerable members of our communities. Worst of all, it’s this way by design."

A must-read from Cory Doctorow. Many things that feel as settled as gravity are actually not at all. But also, if zoomers and alphas feel oddly right-wing, maybe it's because this hellish time is all they've ever known? Just as GenXers are imprinted with reaganism.

And not to put too fine a point on it, but a president who ran on eliminating “illegal” immigrants created a ton more “illegal” immigrants by canceling a bunch of actual real legal statuses. He took people off the path that everyone says they want people on.

Kids today have no respect for their elders, or for personal space.

NEW: The @wired.com Security desk put together a comprehensive guide to filming ICE—with tips for reducing risk at the forefront. No paywall, but please consider subscribing to help find these kinds of resources. And stay safe out there. www.wired.com/story/how-to... www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...

Well done! I confess that prompted by @mayorjakewilson.bsky.social's directive, I've systematically reported numerous sites on my walks in Somerville yesterday and today. It's a bad idea to rely on private property owners to clear sidewalk. How are we going to fix that? Any city doing well? #mapoli

The Corridor of Death is a little accessibility-challenged right now. This is on the Assembly side; the crosswalk button in the middle is a bit better but also surrounded by a snow pile. How many more days do people who walk need to wait? @311somerville.bsky.social #SomervilleMA @massdot.bsky.social

If this is paused "until market conditions improve," and the life sciences market is saturated, and federal funding cuts have eviscerated academic research that might fuel new growth... are we looking at potentially 5-10 more years? #SomervilleMA www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/29/m...

With cleanup still underway from the storm that ended earlier this week and another potential nor’easter forecasted for New England this weekend, sidewalks, curb ramps, and crossings remain difficult to navigate in many communities across Massachusetts #ClearCurbCuts www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MV8...

“There’s some more efficient ways” to shovel a driveway, “but there’s also a lot of less efficient ways, such as the pogo stick. I wouldn’t recommend it.” Silly Globe reporter underestimating the talent in our city.

What they said, but about #SomervilleMA. Part of this is about holding thousands of absentee landlords and businesses accountable, but also... it's nasty and dangerous out there, including in a lot of areas the City is responsible for. @mayorjakewilson.bsky.social @somervilleohs.bsky.social

So here's a terrible idea: Buy or borrow "Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng" by Kylie Lee Baker and read it in bed at night. Smart, incisive, very well done, and disturbing and scary as hell. Would make a fantastic horror movie. #booksky www.kylieleebaker.com/bat-eater

It took me a while – it's a long and intricate book – but I just finished the audiobook version of Janelle Monae's The Memory Librarian. It's wonderful, daring and imaginative and dystopian and full of hope. www.harpercollins.com/pages/the-me... #Booksky

Mark your calendar for NEXT TUESDAY! Traffic camera legislation that protects people without sacrificing privacy. Let's pass this ASAP! #mapoli t4ma.org/building-kno... #mapoli @walkmass.bsky.social @mikeconnollyma.bsky.social

Whenever you can, read M. Gessen. No paywall. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/o...

Sisterhood is purring loudly when this happens.

Your daily dose of kittens.

Someone made an utter mess with the kitty ink and now we have this.

A mild-mannered Canadian banker appears to be the most courageous leader in the world right now. Carney is saying a lot of things that had been deliberately kept quiet to avoid upsetting the powerful.

Specifically, grassy areas in arid climates. Still useful in highlighting the nuances of effective urban greening. It matters a lot *what* you plant.

For folks out of town-Jason Chavez is the city council person for this area. Trustworthy and great!

This may be reasonable under the circumstances, but if @massgovernor.bsky.social truly cares about climate change and affordability, she'll simultaneously step up efforts to maximize energy efficiency and ensure that Mass. consumers aren't overcharged for electricity. Will you, Governor?

Maybe ICE is as American as apple pie. This reminds me of hard truths spoken at Saturday's LUCE rally, which I know at least some participants definitely hadn't signed up to hear. www.instagram.com/reel/DTb2VBJ...

Why is CBP even in Minneapolis? The city lies outside the 100-mile "border zone," so even the absurd rules that apply in places like LA, Chicago, NYC and Boston don't apply there.

With climate change, summer heat is going to make our cities increasingly hard to live and go out in. Adaptation is crucial: from street trees and shade structures, to comprehensive public health strategies. Two great webinars coming up! us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... @walkmass.bsky.social

Think about the mindset, and the expectation of immunity, of someone who texts this to friends.

Boston, there is another protest tonight in memory of Renee Nicole Good (Thurs Jan 8):

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.

We’re hosting a national rapid response call tomorrow night to go over concrete next steps. Please circulate - we need a national response. More details to come. www.mobilize.us/indivisible/...

This is the institutional equivalent of carpet-bombing. They're pulling the U.S. out of the UNFCCC, the IPCC, IRENA and the IUCN. How long till they learn the OECD and IEA are also unsuitably "woke," believing in physics and such? www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...

Super interesting analysis, but make sure to also read the underlying study: somervillema.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=.... The blog finds we need studios/1BRs more than anything, but the study assumed couples want studios/1BRs. In reality, many want a 2BR. Studios are best to replace roommate setups.

Impressive results. Boston is overdue for a similar policy. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

I waited a long time for this book on Libby, and it was fantastic. Emotionally raw, gripping and hard to put down. #Booksky victorsuthammanont.com/hollow-spaces/

This was great.

Hey #SomervilleMA folks! Do you know a teenager who loves nature and/or is interested in government? The Urban Forestry Committee is recruiting a second youth member. It's a chance to learn about urban ecology, native species and public service. Deadline: Jan. 5. www.somervillema.gov/news/somervi...

Wow, this photo. This is what they *want* to look like? www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...