Marissa Nelson
@itsmarissanelson.com
Event + journalism things @19thnews.org Formerly: Producer @WTTW #ChicagoTonight, EIC @14EastMag, Intern @ NBC + @TheView. @DePaulJOUR Alum. Posts are my own.
Catholic health systems account for 1 in 6 acute care hospitals in the country — and in many rural areas, they are the only available hospital.
Catholic hospitals barred from offering gender-affirming care
Catholic health systems account for 1 in 6 acute care hospitals in the country — and in many rural areas, they are the only available hospital.
19thnews.org
November 13, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Catholic health systems account for 1 in 6 acute care hospitals in the country — and in many rural areas, they are the only available hospital.
Reposted by Marissa Nelson
“Describing rapid response networks and neighborhood moms as professional agitators shows just how out of touch these agents are, and how extreme their views are.”
— U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis
— U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis
FULL STORY: Finding that federal agents repeatedly used force that “shocks the conscience” and lied about their actions, a federal judge issued a sweeping injunction designed to permanently rein in agents’ use of tear gas and pepper balls. @wttw.bsky.social
news.wttw.com/2025/11/06/f...
news.wttw.com/2025/11/06/f...
November 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
“Describing rapid response networks and neighborhood moms as professional agitators shows just how out of touch these agents are, and how extreme their views are.”
— U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis
— U.S. District Court Judge Sara Ellis
Reposted by Marissa Nelson
here is my story about how Zohran's focus on community amid the loneliness epidemic helped young people connect their politics to an organizing infrastructure, that interviewed ZM, and does not use the NYT's framing of "they don't know how to make friends" :-) and also ran 4 days before NYT's lol
Zohran Mamdani's Establishment-Fighting Campaign Built Community for Young People
“What Mamdani has done is not only inspire and mobilize young people, but he has exposed the establishment and some of their calcified views of participation and inclusion.”
www.teenvogue.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:14 PM
here is my story about how Zohran's focus on community amid the loneliness epidemic helped young people connect their politics to an organizing infrastructure, that interviewed ZM, and does not use the NYT's framing of "they don't know how to make friends" :-) and also ran 4 days before NYT's lol
As of this year, child care centers are also no longer off limits for ICE raids. The centers were previously protected under a “sensitive locations” directive that advised ICE to not conduct enforcement in places like schools and day cares.
‘I have papers’: Child care worker detained by ICE officers inside a Chicago day care
Raids inside day cares had been off limits until this year, when, on his first day in office, President Donald Trump removed that protection.
19thnews.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:29 PM
As of this year, child care centers are also no longer off limits for ICE raids. The centers were previously protected under a “sensitive locations” directive that advised ICE to not conduct enforcement in places like schools and day cares.
“We’re gearing up to step up, expanding our services and doing our absolute very best to make sure that the food-insecure folks... are served to the very best of our ability and we know that that’s going to extend us."
'We'll be here': Across three cities, communities step up as SNAP runs out
A mother of four in Detroit, a pastor serving LGBTQ+ congregants in Dallas and a food bank manager in Chicago share their fears — and resilience — as federal funds are set to expire.
19thnews.org
October 31, 2025 at 3:11 PM
“We’re gearing up to step up, expanding our services and doing our absolute very best to make sure that the food-insecure folks... are served to the very best of our ability and we know that that’s going to extend us."
Queer women were detained in camps, often branded with a black triangle. Others were marked with different symbols or letters depending on the crime for which they were imprisoned. 19thnews.org/2025/10/lgbt...
Holocaust history shows LGBTQ+ people have always been their own heroes
Queer historians are using LGBTQ+ History Month to reflect on the often forgotten but powerful resistance against the Nazis.
19thnews.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Queer women were detained in camps, often branded with a black triangle. Others were marked with different symbols or letters depending on the crime for which they were imprisoned. 19thnews.org/2025/10/lgbt...
Each party is hoping that voters blame the other for the ongoing shutdown, along with its impacts on SNAP and other programs.
How SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans could be saved during the shutdown
The USDA has refused to release contingency funds, and Congress remains gridlocked — but there are still paths to keeping the nutrition assistance program alive.
19thnews.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Each party is hoping that voters blame the other for the ongoing shutdown, along with its impacts on SNAP and other programs.
Without federal funds, the work being done to prevent intimate partner violence, feed families in shelters fleeing abuse or help survivors file for legal protection would not exist on the scale it does today.
Without the federal government, almost no money exists to fight domestic violence
Work to prevent intimate partner violence, feed families in shelters fleeing abuse or help survivors file for legal protection would not exist on the scale it does today if the federal government step...
19thnews.org
October 31, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Without federal funds, the work being done to prevent intimate partner violence, feed families in shelters fleeing abuse or help survivors file for legal protection would not exist on the scale it does today.
Nationwide, only six Black Republican women have run for governor since 2000, and Earle-Sears is the first one to win the party’s nomination.
Winsome Earle-Sears has already made history. Can she do it again?
Amid Trump’s attacks on immigrants and racial equity, the Virginia gubernatorial candidate is quietly hitting new milestones for Black Republican women in politics.
19thnews.org
October 30, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Nationwide, only six Black Republican women have run for governor since 2000, and Earle-Sears is the first one to win the party’s nomination.
“It’s a pretty delicate supply chain, so trying to figure out what it would look like to get additional infant formula to food banks to support families in the event of a widespread disruption to WIC is incredibly challenging."
A hunger cliff is days away. Women, children and food banks will feel it first.
Food banks will face logistical and financial challenges in providing the resources currently offered by the SNAP and WIC programs that are set to lose funding.
19thnews.org
October 30, 2025 at 5:54 PM
“It’s a pretty delicate supply chain, so trying to figure out what it would look like to get additional infant formula to food banks to support families in the event of a widespread disruption to WIC is incredibly challenging."
“This too shall pass. I have no fear as yet. Because I do have to be my own self-advocate in all of this,” he said. “Certainly, if I allow myself to fall apart because of my cancer or because of Parkinson’s, then I’ll be no good for myself and unable to navigate around the housing process.”
Cancer killed his parents. He’s facing the same disease alone — and unhoused.
Marcus Ford, like other Black men around the country, lives with a higher risk of dying from cancer due to factors out of his control. But Medicaid cuts may take away his treatment.
19thnews.org
October 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
“This too shall pass. I have no fear as yet. Because I do have to be my own self-advocate in all of this,” he said. “Certainly, if I allow myself to fall apart because of my cancer or because of Parkinson’s, then I’ll be no good for myself and unable to navigate around the housing process.”
“It is rare that you see a young, childless dude talking about this issue. I think that he’s a really good messenger for this because it is not built into his bio — the way that most of his campaign is not built into his bio — but about what he’s hearing from voters,” Litman said.
The issue uniting Mamdani and Hochul? Universal child care.
Experts on child care policy — and the politics around it — say it’s a sign of how critical the issue is to many voters.
19thnews.org
October 29, 2025 at 3:34 PM
“It is rare that you see a young, childless dude talking about this issue. I think that he’s a really good messenger for this because it is not built into his bio — the way that most of his campaign is not built into his bio — but about what he’s hearing from voters,” Litman said.
Such a critical part of the ongoing story of political violence in the U.S.
“Violence that is rooted in gendered issues is a huge predictor of — and possibly the biggest predictor, in some studies — of trajectories that lead to mass violence... Over half of mass shooters are targeting a partner.”
“Violence that is rooted in gendered issues is a huge predictor of — and possibly the biggest predictor, in some studies — of trajectories that lead to mass violence... Over half of mass shooters are targeting a partner.”
Want to stop political violence? Start by addressing hostile sexism
In her new book, an expert on violent extremism lays out evidence that gender-based bigotry fuels hate — so national security officials need to do something about it.
19thnews.org
September 17, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Such a critical part of the ongoing story of political violence in the U.S.
“Violence that is rooted in gendered issues is a huge predictor of — and possibly the biggest predictor, in some studies — of trajectories that lead to mass violence... Over half of mass shooters are targeting a partner.”
“Violence that is rooted in gendered issues is a huge predictor of — and possibly the biggest predictor, in some studies — of trajectories that lead to mass violence... Over half of mass shooters are targeting a partner.”
"Abughazaleh’s campaign slogan is a question: 'What if we didn’t suck?' The 'we' are Democrats."
Kat Abughazaleh’s punk-rock House bid
The 26-year-old Chicagoan is betting that empathy and righteous anger can remake Democratic politics.
19thnews.org
September 16, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"Abughazaleh’s campaign slogan is a question: 'What if we didn’t suck?' The 'we' are Democrats."
“We should be thinking about what this means for the social safety net we provide for poor families and the ways in which these destabilizing effects can have ripple effects into their communities."
Abortion bans push families deeper into poverty and drive up crime, economists say
Researchers found a “strikingly large” relationship between restrictions on abortion and property crime, underscoring the connection between abortion bans and poverty.
19thnews.org
September 16, 2025 at 2:31 PM
“We should be thinking about what this means for the social safety net we provide for poor families and the ways in which these destabilizing effects can have ripple effects into their communities."
Virginia is one of 32 states that would automatically ban same-sex marriage if Obergefell is overturned.
A push to ditch Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban hinges on this year’s elections
Democrats are fighting to keep their legislative majority in the Virginia legislature. A marriage equality referendum depends on their success.
19thnews.org
September 9, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Virginia is one of 32 states that would automatically ban same-sex marriage if Obergefell is overturned.
“It seems to me that we are abandoning science now,” she said. “If we do that, I’m not quite sure how we are going to really keep our kids safe from our changing climate and environmental hazards in general.”
In a single email, the EPA ended her research into how climate change endangers children
Jane Clougherty spent years studying how extreme weather affects kids’ health, but as climate threats continue to rise, the Trump administration cancelled her work.
19thnews.org
September 9, 2025 at 3:13 PM
“It seems to me that we are abandoning science now,” she said. “If we do that, I’m not quite sure how we are going to really keep our kids safe from our changing climate and environmental hazards in general.”
The president’s comments were part of a speech he delivered at the Religious Liberty Commission’s meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
Trump downplays domestic violence in speech about religious freedom
In a speech about religious freedom, Trump talks about domestic violence and crime stats in Washington, D.C.,
19thnews.org
September 8, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The president’s comments were part of a speech he delivered at the Religious Liberty Commission’s meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
The bill will also authorize lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers if they make medications used by Texans for abortion — a provision that could chill drug development and make the pills harder to attain for people beyond the Lone Star State.
Texas passes bill banning abortion pills from being mailed to the state
The legislation lets private citizens sue people who mail abortion medications to Texans. It offers a blueprint for state lawmakers trying to stop their residents from circumventing abortion bans.
19thnews.org
September 4, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The bill will also authorize lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers if they make medications used by Texans for abortion — a provision that could chill drug development and make the pills harder to attain for people beyond the Lone Star State.
“They can try as hard as they want, nobody will ever shatter the trans community or take away our deep and innate understanding of who we genuinely are. We know exactly who we are, and we will continue to fight for a better Texas, a better home for us all.”
Texas legislature bans transgender people from public bathrooms
The state's bathroom bill would block trans people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender at schools or government buildings.
19thnews.org
September 4, 2025 at 2:08 PM
“They can try as hard as they want, nobody will ever shatter the trans community or take away our deep and innate understanding of who we genuinely are. We know exactly who we are, and we will continue to fight for a better Texas, a better home for us all.”
The laws have added another risk for creators, as well: Litigation can be used to leak the full names and addresses of sex workers, who are vulnerable to stalkers and anti-porn harassment.
Age verification on porn sites is putting queer adult industry workers at risk
The laws requiring digital age checks — sold as child protection — are tanking the income of adult industry workers, risking their safety and even forcing them out of business.
19thnews.org
September 3, 2025 at 3:26 PM
The laws have added another risk for creators, as well: Litigation can be used to leak the full names and addresses of sex workers, who are vulnerable to stalkers and anti-porn harassment.
Reposted by Marissa Nelson
Chicago is doing the work.
"The Chicago Police Department’s criminal homicide tally for June, July and August is the lowest in 60 years. And overall violent crime remains near its lowest point in more than four decades."
www.wbez.org/news/2025/09...
www.wbez.org/news/2025/09...
Chicago sees its fewest summer murders since 1965
The Chicago Police Department’s criminal homicide tally for June, July and August is the lowest in 60 years. And overall violent crime remains near its lowest point in more than four decades.
www.wbez.org
September 3, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Chicago is doing the work.
Harris is going out on the road to promote her book “107 Days,” detailing her whirlwind 2024 presidential campaign against Trump. Her book tour, with 18 planned stops so far in the U.S. and internationally, will be her most high-profile public appearances since her election loss in November.
Trump revokes Kamala Harris' extended Secret Service protection
The move comes ahead of the former vice president’s book tour and cancels extra security that had been authorized by former President Joe Biden.
19thnews.org
August 29, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Harris is going out on the road to promote her book “107 Days,” detailing her whirlwind 2024 presidential campaign against Trump. Her book tour, with 18 planned stops so far in the U.S. and internationally, will be her most high-profile public appearances since her election loss in November.
“Being able to be in spaces where you are understood, feel seen, feel like you can absolutely be yourself and not have to hide any parts of you is so important."
This summer, parents stitched together child care to give their kids a ‘space for Black joy’
Amid rising camp costs and limited options, parents built their own patchwork of child care plans with relatives, community programs and Black-led camps.
19thnews.org
August 29, 2025 at 1:53 PM
“Being able to be in spaces where you are understood, feel seen, feel like you can absolutely be yourself and not have to hide any parts of you is so important."
“The current administration talks about wanting to build a workforce. My question is how do parents become a part of this workforce if there is no safe and educational place to put their children?” she said. Now, “I’m taking people out of the workforce.”
19thnews.org/2025/08/head...
19thnews.org/2025/08/head...
When did caring for America’s most vulnerable kids become political?
Though it survived elimination, Head Start is under threat. Now that they have been directed to ban undocumented children, providers wonder if politics has changed the program forever.
19thnews.org
August 28, 2025 at 6:11 PM
“The current administration talks about wanting to build a workforce. My question is how do parents become a part of this workforce if there is no safe and educational place to put their children?” she said. Now, “I’m taking people out of the workforce.”
19thnews.org/2025/08/head...
19thnews.org/2025/08/head...