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irene
@ireneyk.bsky.social
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My husband and my friend Jules both represented. Commonweal is crushing it this month
The February issue is here! Feat:
- A dispatch by @kevjg.bsky.social from a DHS protest
- Rita Ferrone on Leo and the liturgy
- @catholicclod.bsky.social on universalism and forgiveness
- James Chappel on Charles Murray and Christianity
And more!
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2026-...
January 28, 2026 at 5:07 PM
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While glad to see Bovino humbled, I really don’t have any higher opinion of Homan—a cruel, cold, corrupt, calculating bureaucrat who’s devoted more of his career to mass deportation than almost anyone. He’s the architect of child separation.
January 27, 2026 at 2:07 AM
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Bovino’s retirement needs to be a cage. His command environment yielded Renee Good’s death, Alex Pretti’s death & Julio Sosa-Celis’ shooting. Failure to prosecute Bovino & everyone else materially responsible for these atrocities will be understood by ICE, CBP, etc as a green light for the next ones
January 27, 2026 at 1:53 AM
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A lovely piece ❤️
January 26, 2026 at 2:24 PM
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signs left at alex pretti’s memorial in minneapolis: “i love you so much / i’ll miss you forever” photo with a friend, “i would have done the same. RIP alex,” a stethoscope and “we’ll take it from here, alex” and a tshirt for the minnesota nurses association
January 25, 2026 at 11:49 PM
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Alex Pretti "used to tell people off when they made sexist comments to female physicians. He bought me coffee when I had a really bad day as an intern...I laughed alongside him daily. He made a point to teach medical residents without judgement, but with a smile on his face and a joke."
January 24, 2026 at 9:41 PM
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Alex Pretti took care of veterans as an ICU nurse. “He was a super nice, super helpful guy – looked after his patients," said @dimitridrekonja.bsky.social, who worked with Pretti both at the hospital and on scientific research. "I’m just stunned.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Man shot in Minneapolis by federal agents identified as VA nurse: ‘He wanted to help people’
Alex Pretti, 37, worked in the ICU at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and had assisted on scientific research
www.theguardian.com
January 24, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Reposted by irene
they're executing moms and nurses in the street. they're using preschoolers as bait. they're stealing people's dads and grandmas and children. they're tear gassing babies. they're staking out schools. there is no remedy but abolition. any proposal that doesn't start there is an act of violence.
January 24, 2026 at 7:48 PM
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you should be horrified and your blood should be boiling, but a guy shouting "you'll have to kill me" at these goons to protect his neighbors should bring you the opposite of despair
I have no words to express my horror and despair on seeing this. My blood is boiling. And, remember, there are fucking Democrats who seem to want this to continue. I have a very simple question: who can stop this and, if there is anyone, why haven’t they stopped it already? 😡😡😡
Minneapolis protester as he's being brutalized by feds: "You're gonna have to kill me! You're gonna have to kill me! I've done nothing wrong! My name is Matthew James! I'm a US citizen! You're gonna kill me! Is that what you want?" (You can hear his wife screaming)
January 24, 2026 at 6:39 PM
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a hero and a martyr
Alex Pretti’s last words were “are you ok?” said the woman next to him who ICE also pepper sprayed in the face.
January 24, 2026 at 8:18 PM
Reposted by irene
The detention of witnesses and seizure of their phones is an extraordinary violation of every fucking Amendment you can name:

bsky.app/profile/timd...
Why are witnesses in federal detention?
The StarTribune live blog is paywall free:
- The man shot by federal agents this morning has died
- Several witnesses have already been transported to the Whipple building.
- ICE attempted to order local police from the scene, but O’Hara refused, sources said.

www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
January 24, 2026 at 5:29 PM
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One upside of living through the Bush-Cheney years was learning never to believe Republicans when they say they believe in anything. All you need to know is their ideology will pretzel to reinforce hierarchy and power no matter what. It’s actually fine for the government to kill you if you’re armed
January 24, 2026 at 5:18 PM
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ICE agents killed a man and are disappearing the witnesses.
The StarTribune live blog is paywall free:
- The man shot by federal agents this morning has died
- Several witnesses have already been transported to the Whipple building.
- ICE attempted to order local police from the scene, but O’Hara refused, sources said.

www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
January 24, 2026 at 4:50 PM
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Every single one of them is risking their lives against death squads to prove that the fascist vision of America, a country where we hate everyone different than ourselves, is a fucking lie
I am trying not to post on these events in this state of mind but: I hope people understand what the observers are doing is brave and dangerous.
January 24, 2026 at 4:54 PM
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They put five more bullets in this guy when he's already lying prone on the ground, five feet away from them, in addition to the previous several bullets they shot him with.
January 24, 2026 at 4:56 PM
just realized that march for life is this weekend, i’m cackling 😈
❄️ 🥁Our first snowfall map is out!!!

Here we go...subject to change:
• Beltway: 5–10"
• SE areas.: 4–8"
• Far NW areas: 8–14"

Change to sleet will cut down snow totals Beltway + SE but result in hard-to-shovel mess.

Full briefing: www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026...
January 22, 2026 at 7:09 PM
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This guy went to work today, put a mask on, kidnapped a 5 year old child, and then used him as bait so both he and his father could be sent behind bars
January 22, 2026 at 2:13 AM
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I guess I do think if you participated in the arrest of a five-year-old you are probably just fundamentally incompatible with society. That you are not a safe person for humanity to be around, generally
January 22, 2026 at 3:31 AM
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The argument against ICE isn't an especially difficult one to make politically in this moment. The issue is that people who substantively disagree with abolishing ICE prefer having a proxy fight about strategy to discussing that stance. Many such cases.
January 22, 2026 at 3:06 AM
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Unclear to me if this fucking five year old kid getting kidnapped is breaking through outside of the Twin Cities and I don’t want to speak for anyone else but this has really steeled my resolve. This shit cannot be allowed to stand.
January 22, 2026 at 4:03 AM
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the funny thing about these lectures, which i would love to give this person a bullhorn to yell in minneapolis right now, is that a harris administration would have kept increasing funding for ICE despite the certainty a right wing president was eventually going to inherit it. we tied our own noose
January 17, 2026 at 2:50 AM
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UNITE HERE Local 17 represents more than 6,000 workers. The majority of our membership is women, immigrants and people of color.

Minnesota is under attack by Federal ICE Agents indiscriminately targeting people of color.

WE NEED YOUR HELP — Please support this hardship fund.
UNITE HERE Local #17 Hardship Fund | Working Partnerships
Help Working Partnerships meet their fundraising goal by sharing this campaign.
workingpartnerships.betterworld.org
January 16, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Reposted by irene
every single successful general strike in US history has had union backing through the local AFL-CIO

this is the first time it’s been called for since the 1940s
January 16, 2026 at 9:24 PM
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happy january! it’s the year we’re electing @aparnafordc.bsky.social to DC Council… and we’re starting with 30+ folks knocking doors (even in the pouring rain)!
January 10, 2026 at 7:38 PM