Frances D’Emilio
@fdemilio2.bsky.social
Journalist. Author. Lives life in New York, Rome and on her favorite islands. Keen eye on Italy, organized crime, women’s progress and, alas, setbacks. My Substack is Half Roman.
Nov. 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here's my piece on my Half Roman Substack:
francesdemilio.substack.com/p/fighting-f...
francesdemilio.substack.com/p/fighting-f...
Fighting Femicide in Italy
Two years after a college student's slaying horrified the nation, the toll of women murdered by men keeps mounting. To uproot patriarchal mindsets, new strategies involve workplaces and schools.
francesdemilio.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Nov. 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Here's my piece on my Half Roman Substack:
francesdemilio.substack.com/p/fighting-f...
francesdemilio.substack.com/p/fighting-f...
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
A Wyoming librarian who fought to keep embattled books on a local public library's shelves agreed to settle her federal lawsuit against Campbell County, the county’s library board and several officials for $700,000.
Library director fired over LGBTQ+ books gets $700,000 from county
Terri Lesley, a former library director, said she was wrongfully terminated for refusing to bow to county officials’ demands for censorship.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A Wyoming librarian who fought to keep embattled books on a local public library's shelves agreed to settle her federal lawsuit against Campbell County, the county’s library board and several officials for $700,000.
Might climate change spell the end of Rome's beloved "ottobrata" summer "comeback? Next weeks will tell. francesdemilio.substack.com/p/italys-lon...
Italy's Long, Long Summers
Eventually they end. But summer can make a comeback in "ottobrata," although with climate change, past patterns might not hold.
francesdemilio.substack.com
September 30, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Might climate change spell the end of Rome's beloved "ottobrata" summer "comeback? Next weeks will tell. francesdemilio.substack.com/p/italys-lon...
apnews.com/article/npr-..., NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts
PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts
A month after Congress voted to strip public media of public money, PBS and NPR stations are working to cope — and survive.
apnews.com
September 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM
apnews.com/article/npr-..., NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts
Ever search for the right word -- in another language? or be betrayed by "false friends" when speaking a new tongue? francesdemilio.substack.com/p/wordless-i...
Wordless in Italy
The Italian language, in all its richness, sometimes lacks the right word.
francesdemilio.substack.com
August 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Ever search for the right word -- in another language? or be betrayed by "false friends" when speaking a new tongue? francesdemilio.substack.com/p/wordless-i...
Do You Really Want to Live in Italy?
open.substack.com/pub/itchworl...
open.substack.com/pub/itchworl...
Frances D'Emilio on Itch.world
Limp celery? Mon Dieu! Crisp, crunch celery stars in my last Half Roman Substack post. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, cook what's in season and savor the flavor of it all. Take a bite! https://fra...
open.substack.com
May 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Do You Really Want to Live in Italy?
open.substack.com/pub/itchworl...
open.substack.com/pub/itchworl...
They might look like lost tourists — unkempt and overloaded with gear — or hikers with military haircuts, survival gear and no clue how to behave in the woods.
But Latvia’s intelligence agency says that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.
But Latvia’s intelligence agency says that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.
That 'tourist' in the forest might be a Russian spy, Latvia warns
They might look like lost tourists who are unkempt and overloaded with gear. But Latvia’s intelligence agency said Wednesday that they might be Russian saboteurs and spies.
bit.ly
May 15, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
They might look like lost tourists — unkempt and overloaded with gear — or hikers with military haircuts, survival gear and no clue how to behave in the woods.
But Latvia’s intelligence agency says that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.
But Latvia’s intelligence agency says that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.
That 'tourist' in the forest might be a Russian spy, Latvia warns
They might look like lost tourists who are unkempt and overloaded with gear. But Latvia’s intelligence agency said Wednesday that they might be Russian saboteurs and spies.
bit.ly
May 15, 2025 at 9:00 PM
They might look like lost tourists — unkempt and overloaded with gear — or hikers with military haircuts, survival gear and no clue how to behave in the woods.
But Latvia’s intelligence agency says that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.
But Latvia’s intelligence agency says that they might actually be Russian saboteurs and spies.
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
The Librarians is a must-see documentary about the recent history of book banning in the US
April 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The Librarians is a must-see documentary about the recent history of book banning in the US
Big turnout for pro-Europe rally in Rome's Piazza del Popolo it.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
Decine di migliaia in Piazza del Popolo a Roma a favore dell'Europa
Rispondendo all'appello del giornalista Michele Serra migliaia di persone hanno partecipato alla manifestazione a sostegno dell'Europa e dei suoi valori fondativi. "Diamoci una mossa", ha detto il gio...
it.euronews.com
March 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Big turnout for pro-Europe rally in Rome's Piazza del Popolo it.euronews.com/my-europe/20...
Reading this makes me think of Francesco De Gregori singing “Viva l’Italia” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/w...
Musk Email Reaches Italian Workers. It Did Not Go Well.
Employees at the Aviano Air Base who serve American forces got a familiar demand to list their achievements. Unions say Italy “is not the Wild West like the U.S.”
www.nytimes.com
March 13, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Reading this makes me think of Francesco De Gregori singing “Viva l’Italia” www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/w...
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
Today, in a meeting at the White House, the only person actually defending American interests was Zelenskyy.
Let that sink in.
Let that sink in.
February 28, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Today, in a meeting at the White House, the only person actually defending American interests was Zelenskyy.
Let that sink in.
Let that sink in.
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
So increasing the minimum wage to a livable wage is “socialism”?
But Amazon union busting, keeping wages low, and forcing workers onto public assistance while its founder increases his net worth by $7.9M an hour is the "free market"?
Perhaps this could be a WaPo opinion piece.
But Amazon union busting, keeping wages low, and forcing workers onto public assistance while its founder increases his net worth by $7.9M an hour is the "free market"?
Perhaps this could be a WaPo opinion piece.
February 26, 2025 at 10:01 PM
So increasing the minimum wage to a livable wage is “socialism”?
But Amazon union busting, keeping wages low, and forcing workers onto public assistance while its founder increases his net worth by $7.9M an hour is the "free market"?
Perhaps this could be a WaPo opinion piece.
But Amazon union busting, keeping wages low, and forcing workers onto public assistance while its founder increases his net worth by $7.9M an hour is the "free market"?
Perhaps this could be a WaPo opinion piece.
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
white nationalist men are too emotional to be in charge
February 18, 2025 at 8:22 PM
white nationalist men are too emotional to be in charge
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
So after promising to focus on safety, they’ve gotten right down to work… on gender terminology?
February 11, 2025 at 12:14 AM
So after promising to focus on safety, they’ve gotten right down to work… on gender terminology?
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
This is a fantastic and essential piece from @janus.bsky.social www.404media.co/you-cant-pos...
You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism
Authoritarians and tech CEOs now share the same goal: to keep us locked in an eternal doomscroll instead of organizing against them, Janus Rose writes.
www.404media.co
February 7, 2025 at 1:48 AM
This is a fantastic and essential piece from @janus.bsky.social www.404media.co/you-cant-pos...
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
LA Times owner says journalism and his paper’s editorial pages have been too partisan.
Last week, Dr. Soon-Shiong tweeted 18 times in a row to boost RFK Jr., even as a writer says the paper altered his op-ed to drop all criticism of the HHS nominee.
My NPR story:
www.npr.org/2025/02/03/n...
Last week, Dr. Soon-Shiong tweeted 18 times in a row to boost RFK Jr., even as a writer says the paper altered his op-ed to drop all criticism of the HHS nominee.
My NPR story:
www.npr.org/2025/02/03/n...
LA Times owner boosts RFK Jr. online, as writer says paper cut his critique
Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong has become a fierce champion online for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
www.npr.org
February 3, 2025 at 12:50 PM
LA Times owner says journalism and his paper’s editorial pages have been too partisan.
Last week, Dr. Soon-Shiong tweeted 18 times in a row to boost RFK Jr., even as a writer says the paper altered his op-ed to drop all criticism of the HHS nominee.
My NPR story:
www.npr.org/2025/02/03/n...
Last week, Dr. Soon-Shiong tweeted 18 times in a row to boost RFK Jr., even as a writer says the paper altered his op-ed to drop all criticism of the HHS nominee.
My NPR story:
www.npr.org/2025/02/03/n...
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
Are your eyes open yet?
January 26, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Are your eyes open yet?
Reposted by Frances D’Emilio
India’s Fact-Checkers React to Meta’s Policy Change:
'When Mark Zuckerberg suddenly abandoned his company’s third-party fact-checking program, I checked in with my old colleagues—who are reeling from the news,' by Meghnad Bose. www.cjr.org/world/indias...
'When Mark Zuckerberg suddenly abandoned his company’s third-party fact-checking program, I checked in with my old colleagues—who are reeling from the news,' by Meghnad Bose. www.cjr.org/world/indias...
India’s Fact-Checkers React to Meta’s Policy Change
When Mark Zuckerberg suddenly abandoned his company’s third-party fact-checking program, I checked in with my old colleagues—who are reeling from the news.
www.cjr.org
January 13, 2025 at 4:31 PM
India’s Fact-Checkers React to Meta’s Policy Change:
'When Mark Zuckerberg suddenly abandoned his company’s third-party fact-checking program, I checked in with my old colleagues—who are reeling from the news,' by Meghnad Bose. www.cjr.org/world/indias...
'When Mark Zuckerberg suddenly abandoned his company’s third-party fact-checking program, I checked in with my old colleagues—who are reeling from the news,' by Meghnad Bose. www.cjr.org/world/indias...
The urge to escape
From November but ever pertinent for many as inauguration date looms nearer. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
From November but ever pertinent for many as inauguration date looms nearer. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
The urge to escape
I understand wanting to defect from the US in the wake of the election. But may I offer a few words of caution?
open.substack.com
December 29, 2024 at 1:53 PM
The urge to escape
From November but ever pertinent for many as inauguration date looms nearer. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...
From November but ever pertinent for many as inauguration date looms nearer. open.substack.com/pub/jennifer...