Ilona V Bell
@ivbell.bsky.social
Accountant, reader, oh shit Knitter, Jesus follower, feeder of birds, generally devoted parent, grandparent and spouse and love living in the PNW. She/her
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
BREAKING NEWS: The House has voted to release the Epstein files, but President Trump states they did not specify which Epstein files. He is therefore releasing all files related to Kevin Epstein, a man who was charged with shoplifting a VHS copy of Ghostbusters from a Cincinnati Blockbuster in 1994.
November 19, 2025 at 3:19 AM
BREAKING NEWS: The House has voted to release the Epstein files, but President Trump states they did not specify which Epstein files. He is therefore releasing all files related to Kevin Epstein, a man who was charged with shoplifting a VHS copy of Ghostbusters from a Cincinnati Blockbuster in 1994.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
nychealthy @nychealthy.bsky.social
Wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings this fall can protect you and others from COVID-19, flu, and RSV, even if you don’t have symptoms. Well-fitting masks, like N95s, KN95s, or KF94s provide the best protection: www.nyc.gov/site/doh/cov...
Wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings this fall can protect you and others from COVID-19, flu, and RSV, even if you don’t have symptoms. Well-fitting masks, like N95s, KN95s, or KF94s provide the best protection: www.nyc.gov/site/doh/cov...
November 19, 2025 at 1:32 AM
nychealthy @nychealthy.bsky.social
Wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings this fall can protect you and others from COVID-19, flu, and RSV, even if you don’t have symptoms. Well-fitting masks, like N95s, KN95s, or KF94s provide the best protection: www.nyc.gov/site/doh/cov...
Wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings this fall can protect you and others from COVID-19, flu, and RSV, even if you don’t have symptoms. Well-fitting masks, like N95s, KN95s, or KF94s provide the best protection: www.nyc.gov/site/doh/cov...
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
God this is so utterly despicable. Trump is “he was no angel”- ing a journalist who was murdered and dismembered with a bone saw by agents of an authoritarian regime.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 19, 2025 at 1:24 AM
God this is so utterly despicable. Trump is “he was no angel”- ing a journalist who was murdered and dismembered with a bone saw by agents of an authoritarian regime.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
Remember when we were all about taking down terrorists and the networks that financed them?
Now they get red carpet treatment at the White House, presidential pardons and investment opportunities with America.
Times sure have changed.
Now they get red carpet treatment at the White House, presidential pardons and investment opportunities with America.
Times sure have changed.
November 18, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Remember when we were all about taking down terrorists and the networks that financed them?
Now they get red carpet treatment at the White House, presidential pardons and investment opportunities with America.
Times sure have changed.
Now they get red carpet treatment at the White House, presidential pardons and investment opportunities with America.
Times sure have changed.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
ICE has been raiding my neighborhood and surrounding ones for the last couple of weeks now. They commandeered my local church (against the pastor's will) for a staging site and raided supermarkets, parks, Goodwills, bus stops, you name it.
The national media's been silent. So has @mayor.lacity.gov.
The national media's been silent. So has @mayor.lacity.gov.
Engagement on our updates re: ICE kidnappings/fed siege of Los Angeles is significantly lower on Bluesky compared to Twitter. Do ppl on here not care about LA anymore? Are feeds being taken over by liberal commentators? What's going on?
Community members on the ground can't do it all. We need help.
Community members on the ground can't do it all. We need help.
The feds are escalating in Los Angeles. We've seen record high kidnappings and our communities are under attack. The media focus on LA has died down so electeds don't feel the need to even feign opposition.
People are out here fighting. We need all of us. Join the struggle. Defend your neighbors.
People are out here fighting. We need all of us. Join the struggle. Defend your neighbors.
November 18, 2025 at 11:54 PM
ICE has been raiding my neighborhood and surrounding ones for the last couple of weeks now. They commandeered my local church (against the pastor's will) for a staging site and raided supermarkets, parks, Goodwills, bus stops, you name it.
The national media's been silent. So has @mayor.lacity.gov.
The national media's been silent. So has @mayor.lacity.gov.
November 18, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
The US-Saudi relationship (via Substack) 👉 substack.com/home/post/p-...
The US-Saudi relationship
In NZZ am Sonntag
substack.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:45 PM
The US-Saudi relationship (via Substack) 👉 substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
This article has a lot of really interesting information about the history of mortgages; I didn't realize the way we handle them in the US is this distinctive and the look at how they affect the housing market was very enlightening.
Is a 50-year mortgage really that much crazier than a 30-year one?
Last week, the internet piled on President Trump's proposal for a 50-year mortgage. But maybe it's not as crazy as it sounds.
www.npr.org
November 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
This article has a lot of really interesting information about the history of mortgages; I didn't realize the way we handle them in the US is this distinctive and the look at how they affect the housing market was very enlightening.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
A lovely tribute to Alice Wong by @thrasherxy.bsky.social. "She did not gatekeep knowledge; she shared it with the generosity and glee of a neighbor passing out full-sized candy bars on Halloween." I laughed at the part where she told him to “EAT THE FUCKING COOKIES!!!!” So very Alice.
Remembering Alice Wong: Writer, Advocate, Friend
Though we were in frequent conversation for a decade, I only got to meet my friend Alice Wong in person just once. And when I did, I was a bundle of nerves—and that was before she cussed me out wi…
lithub.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:27 PM
A lovely tribute to Alice Wong by @thrasherxy.bsky.social. "She did not gatekeep knowledge; she shared it with the generosity and glee of a neighbor passing out full-sized candy bars on Halloween." I laughed at the part where she told him to “EAT THE FUCKING COOKIES!!!!” So very Alice.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
1/6 Democrats need to be more inclusive, especially with voters.
But inclusivity does not mean whitewashing far-right pro-Russian conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
She is not backstabbing Trump to help Democrats but to help Vance, Musk and Thiel, who are worse
But inclusivity does not mean whitewashing far-right pro-Russian conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
She is not backstabbing Trump to help Democrats but to help Vance, Musk and Thiel, who are worse
November 17, 2025 at 5:52 PM
1/6 Democrats need to be more inclusive, especially with voters.
But inclusivity does not mean whitewashing far-right pro-Russian conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
She is not backstabbing Trump to help Democrats but to help Vance, Musk and Thiel, who are worse
But inclusivity does not mean whitewashing far-right pro-Russian conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
She is not backstabbing Trump to help Democrats but to help Vance, Musk and Thiel, who are worse
The cast of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Oregon State Hospital, Salem — Mary Ellen Mark, 1974
November 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
People who won't do the easy things, don't do the hard things.
November 17, 2025 at 6:23 PM
People who won't do the easy things, don't do the hard things.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
“'I thought, Wait, why am I running? I’m a citizen,’ said Miguel Vazquez, one of the individuals who fled into the nearby woods."
"Other reports of arrests and detentions, including of U.S. citizens, have emerged amid the federal enforcement activities in Charlotte."
Kavanaugh stops in action.
"Other reports of arrests and detentions, including of U.S. citizens, have emerged amid the federal enforcement activities in Charlotte."
Kavanaugh stops in action.
“According to witnesses who recounted the event to the Observer, around 15 to 20 congregants were doing yard work at the church off Albemarle Road, east Charlotte, when masked immigration enforcement agents stormed the area.” www.newsweek.com/charlotte-ch...
Church goers flee border patrol raid—"We thought church was safe"
Reports have emerged of federal agents arresting U.S. citizens amid the ongoing immigration crackdown taking place in the city.
www.newsweek.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
“'I thought, Wait, why am I running? I’m a citizen,’ said Miguel Vazquez, one of the individuals who fled into the nearby woods."
"Other reports of arrests and detentions, including of U.S. citizens, have emerged amid the federal enforcement activities in Charlotte."
Kavanaugh stops in action.
"Other reports of arrests and detentions, including of U.S. citizens, have emerged amid the federal enforcement activities in Charlotte."
Kavanaugh stops in action.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
Unless you’re a billionaire taking a private jet to a private hospital, Republicans are making your health care more expensive.
November 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Unless you’re a billionaire taking a private jet to a private hospital, Republicans are making your health care more expensive.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
If you have federal student loans, these are five ways President Trump is driving up your costs.
November 17, 2025 at 5:09 PM
If you have federal student loans, these are five ways President Trump is driving up your costs.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
This is just theater for MAGA. If Trump REALLY wanted the Epstein Files released, he doesn't need Congress. He could just call Pam Bondi and order her to release them. He hasn't. And won't. He and Pam have cooked up a new "ongoing investigation" that she can use as an excuse not to release evidence.
November 17, 2025 at 4:31 PM
This is just theater for MAGA. If Trump REALLY wanted the Epstein Files released, he doesn't need Congress. He could just call Pam Bondi and order her to release them. He hasn't. And won't. He and Pam have cooked up a new "ongoing investigation" that she can use as an excuse not to release evidence.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
"... asked to drop cases for political reasons, to find evidence for flimsy investigations, to take positions in court they thought had no legitimate basis.
"Work they were told to abandon — investigations of terrorist plots, corruption and white-collar fraud..."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
"Work they were told to abandon — investigations of terrorist plots, corruption and white-collar fraud..."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
60 Attorneys on the Year of Chaos Inside Trump’s Justice Department
Sixty former staffers describe an environment of suspicion and intimidation within the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency.
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM
"... asked to drop cases for political reasons, to find evidence for flimsy investigations, to take positions in court they thought had no legitimate basis.
"Work they were told to abandon — investigations of terrorist plots, corruption and white-collar fraud..."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
"Work they were told to abandon — investigations of terrorist plots, corruption and white-collar fraud..."
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
“We will continue to support Will’s return to his studies at Texas A&M and work and reiterate that this should never have happened,” said the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC). “At every step, CBP and ICE ignored Will’s constitutional right to due process.”
Some much needed good news this morning: “Tae Heung ‘Will’ Kim, a U.S. permanent resident from South Korea, has been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after being detained for months.” asamnews.com/2025/11/17/w...
U.S. permanent resident released from ICE custody – AsAmNews
South Korean U.S. permanent resident Tae Heung “Will” Kim has been released from ICE custody after being detained for months.
asamnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
“We will continue to support Will’s return to his studies at Texas A&M and work and reiterate that this should never have happened,” said the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC). “At every step, CBP and ICE ignored Will’s constitutional right to due process.”
This. It’s not just racism. It’s also profit.
“The continual holding of Will was no mistake,” said NAKASEC’s Becky Belcore. "More arrests and longer detentions mean more money for private prison groups like the El Valle-owned MTC, and others like CoreCivic and Geo Group. These groups make approximately $165 a day for each person they imprison.”
“We will continue to support Will’s return to his studies at Texas A&M and work and reiterate that this should never have happened,” said the National Korean American Service and Education Consortium (NAKASEC). “At every step, CBP and ICE ignored Will’s constitutional right to due process.”
November 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
This. It’s not just racism. It’s also profit.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
I want to tell you what we know about Trump’s truly sh*tty economy. Then I’ll suggest 10 things that Democrats should pledge to do about it. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-truly-shtty-economy
November 17, 2025 at 3:46 PM
I want to tell you what we know about Trump’s truly sh*tty economy. Then I’ll suggest 10 things that Democrats should pledge to do about it. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-truly-shtty-economy
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
At the very least, Trump knew what Epstein was up to with the girls Epstein “stole” from Maralago. That may not be a crime but it’s at least as serious as a woman using home email at work, something Trump repeatedly insisted was worth prison time.
Kate Bolduan: "The president has not been accused of any crimes or wrongdoing as it relates to Jeffrey Epstein or these files even with these emails being released. That's one thing we need to make clear. There's no accusations of any wrongdoing so far."
November 17, 2025 at 3:47 PM
At the very least, Trump knew what Epstein was up to with the girls Epstein “stole” from Maralago. That may not be a crime but it’s at least as serious as a woman using home email at work, something Trump repeatedly insisted was worth prison time.
Reposted by Ilona V Bell
How do journalists get records from government agencies through public records requests? Is that something anyone can access?
404 Media is gonna teach you how to FOIA🫵
Join our LIVE session happening on Nov. 19, 1pm ET:
www.404media.co/our-new-foia...
404 Media is gonna teach you how to FOIA🫵
Join our LIVE session happening on Nov. 19, 1pm ET:
www.404media.co/our-new-foia...
Our New FOIA Forum! 11/19, 1PM ET
Come learn how researchers and others learned what cops were using Flock's nationwide network of cameras for, including searches for ICE.
www.404media.co
November 17, 2025 at 3:48 PM
How do journalists get records from government agencies through public records requests? Is that something anyone can access?
404 Media is gonna teach you how to FOIA🫵
Join our LIVE session happening on Nov. 19, 1pm ET:
www.404media.co/our-new-foia...
404 Media is gonna teach you how to FOIA🫵
Join our LIVE session happening on Nov. 19, 1pm ET:
www.404media.co/our-new-foia...
This is true
I think what we’ve learned is money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy making a lot of other people unhappy too.
November 17, 2025 at 12:23 AM
This is true