Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
@maiamcdonald.me
award-winning chicago journo 📝 | prev: reporting/audience engagement for the @raceandequityproject.org 🔎 | board member for the Chicago Journalists Association | Mizzou J-School Alum 🎓🐯 | funky fashion enthusiast 🛍 | maiamcdonald.me | @maia.pink 🎪 |she/her
Pinned
Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
@maiamcdonald.me
· May 10
Well, I've got some news! Last night,
@raceandequityproject.org won two Lisagor awards for our story looking into the struggles many Black seniors face in receiving home improvement loans. It’s the first story I've worked on to be nominated and win at the Lisagors, and I couldn't be more grateful.
@raceandequityproject.org won two Lisagor awards for our story looking into the struggles many Black seniors face in receiving home improvement loans. It’s the first story I've worked on to be nominated and win at the Lisagors, and I couldn't be more grateful.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
New post up on Substack! It's never too late for an "ins and outs" list! substack.com/@maiamcdonal...
it's never too late for an ins and outs list. so here's mine! what's hot and what's not for 2026. (bric-a-brac, maiazine! issue no. 002) 😊😖
✴️ i've been seeing everyone's in and out lists, and they're just so fun to read through, i though i'd try my hand at crafting my own! for a quick little post full of all the right opinions!⋆˚꩜｡
substack.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:29 PM
New post up on Substack! It's never too late for an "ins and outs" list! substack.com/@maiamcdonal...
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Goblin mode
January 11, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Goblin mode
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Gonna need Chicago: Always Down, Never Out on a t-shirt ASAP
I think this Bears team might be the ultimate Chicago team: always down, never out.
January 11, 2026 at 4:23 AM
Gonna need Chicago: Always Down, Never Out on a t-shirt ASAP
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Field Museum post-game
January 11, 2026 at 4:56 AM
Field Museum post-game
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
The Chicago Blackhawks, our hockey team, won.
The Chicago Bears, our football team, won.
And the Chicago Bulls, our basketball team, won.
Three for three, tonight! And I live within a reasonable walking distance from multiple sports bars, so when stuff like this happens, I know about it.
The Chicago Bears, our football team, won.
And the Chicago Bulls, our basketball team, won.
Three for three, tonight! And I live within a reasonable walking distance from multiple sports bars, so when stuff like this happens, I know about it.
what
January 11, 2026 at 5:09 AM
The Chicago Blackhawks, our hockey team, won.
The Chicago Bears, our football team, won.
And the Chicago Bulls, our basketball team, won.
Three for three, tonight! And I live within a reasonable walking distance from multiple sports bars, so when stuff like this happens, I know about it.
The Chicago Bears, our football team, won.
And the Chicago Bulls, our basketball team, won.
Three for three, tonight! And I live within a reasonable walking distance from multiple sports bars, so when stuff like this happens, I know about it.
I know nothing about football, but my aunt, who is a big fan of the Bears, has been cycling between screaming joyfully and cussing at the TV in the other room, and y'all seem happy on here, so I'm going to assume they won.
January 11, 2026 at 5:13 AM
I know nothing about football, but my aunt, who is a big fan of the Bears, has been cycling between screaming joyfully and cussing at the TV in the other room, and y'all seem happy on here, so I'm going to assume they won.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
She smiles at the man who shoots her and says she isn't mad at him. Clearly initiates the effort to leave when the aggressive agents arrive.
The question now (not that this was in question) isn't who's telling the truth. It's when DHS had this video and knew that what they were saying was a lie.
The question now (not that this was in question) isn't who's telling the truth. It's when DHS had this video and knew that what they were saying was a lie.
🚨 NEW VIDEO 👇🏽This puts an end to all the lies. Horrific.
They were having a calm exchange seconds before he murdered Renee Good, and she was barely moving and clearly avoiding him.
Stop the lies.
They were having a calm exchange seconds before he murdered Renee Good, and she was barely moving and clearly avoiding him.
Stop the lies.
January 9, 2026 at 6:46 PM
She smiles at the man who shoots her and says she isn't mad at him. Clearly initiates the effort to leave when the aggressive agents arrive.
The question now (not that this was in question) isn't who's telling the truth. It's when DHS had this video and knew that what they were saying was a lie.
The question now (not that this was in question) isn't who's telling the truth. It's when DHS had this video and knew that what they were saying was a lie.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
When I saw the visibly queer woman confidently standing up to Ross in the video, a piece of the puzzle fell into place for me.
🚨 NEW VIDEO 👇🏽This puts an end to all the lies. Horrific.
They were having a calm exchange seconds before he murdered Renee Good, and she was barely moving and clearly avoiding him.
Stop the lies.
They were having a calm exchange seconds before he murdered Renee Good, and she was barely moving and clearly avoiding him.
Stop the lies.
January 9, 2026 at 7:28 PM
When I saw the visibly queer woman confidently standing up to Ross in the video, a piece of the puzzle fell into place for me.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Independent journalism is absolutely a form of resistance, thanks to the important work of @marisakabas.bsky.social @autonomynews.co @404media.co @assignedmedia.org @boltsmag.org.
My latest in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
My latest in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
How independent journalism is a form of resistance: ‘I’m not answering to anyone’
Trump’s attacks on mainstream media have opened a window for journalists who want to operate independently
www.theguardian.com
January 9, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Independent journalism is absolutely a form of resistance, thanks to the important work of @marisakabas.bsky.social @autonomynews.co @404media.co @assignedmedia.org @boltsmag.org.
My latest in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
My latest in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
a taste of the vibes here in pilsen tonight.
this speaker with caarpr says there were involved in negotiations over the ecps ordinance, which created the ccpsa, furious with the commission as the audience drowns out president terry.
this speaker with caarpr says there were involved in negotiations over the ecps ordinance, which created the ccpsa, furious with the commission as the audience drowns out president terry.
January 9, 2026 at 1:42 AM
a taste of the vibes here in pilsen tonight.
this speaker with caarpr says there were involved in negotiations over the ecps ordinance, which created the ccpsa, furious with the commission as the audience drowns out president terry.
this speaker with caarpr says there were involved in negotiations over the ecps ordinance, which created the ccpsa, furious with the commission as the audience drowns out president terry.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
A week before Renee Good was killed, an off-duty ICE agent fatally shot Keith Porter in L.A.
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
'Active shooter' or ICE agent's victim? What happened in L.A. New Year's Eve killing
Federal officials say an off-duty ICE agent was responding to an "active shooter" at his apartment complex when he gunned down Keith "Pooter" Porter in Northridge. Friends and advocates contend Porter...
www.latimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:26 PM
A week before Renee Good was killed, an off-duty ICE agent fatally shot Keith Porter in L.A.
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
DHS called Porter an "active shooter," yet no one else was hurt. Porter's family says he was no threat.
What really happened? Latest w/ @liborjany & @cbuch03
www.latimes.com/california/s...
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
a packed house inside thalia hall for tonight’s meeting of the community commission on public safety and accountability.
January 9, 2026 at 12:50 AM
a packed house inside thalia hall for tonight’s meeting of the community commission on public safety and accountability.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
I can't stop thinking about how any group of racist, power-hungry men can just put on vests they bought online and wander around, taking people off of the streets into unmarked SUVs to who knows where. Masks, no warrants, no IDs/badges, unmarked vehicles, etc. No accountability.
I just watched two women get kidnapped right in front of me in Northeast Minneapolis.
ICE is still terrorizing our city.
ICE is still terrorizing our city.
January 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I can't stop thinking about how any group of racist, power-hungry men can just put on vests they bought online and wander around, taking people off of the streets into unmarked SUVs to who knows where. Masks, no warrants, no IDs/badges, unmarked vehicles, etc. No accountability.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Ongoing and obvious reminder that firing chemical weapons directly at people's heads like this *is* deadly force.
January 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Ongoing and obvious reminder that firing chemical weapons directly at people's heads like this *is* deadly force.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
a major american city is being forced to close schools because armed government agents are raiding and pepper spraying and terrorizing children and teachers for social media content
Minneapolis public schools canceled classes officials after Roosevelt High School said armed Border Patrol officers came on school property during dismissal Wednesday and began tackling people, handcuffed two staff members and released chemical weapons on bystanders
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Minneapolis schools cancel classes after Border Patrol clash disrupts dismissal at Roosevelt
Minneapolis schools closed for the week citing safety concerns after an encounter involving armed Border Patrol agents near Roosevelt High School.
www.mprnews.org
January 8, 2026 at 1:53 PM
a major american city is being forced to close schools because armed government agents are raiding and pepper spraying and terrorizing children and teachers for social media content
Absolutely ridiculous, but unsurprising, comments from Jesse Waters. How do either of those two things justify her being shot and killed by an ICE agent? In and of themselves?
Jesse Watters highlights that Renee Nicole Good, the woman killed by ICE, had "pronouns in her bio" and "leaves behind a lesbian partner and a child from a previous marriage"
January 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Absolutely ridiculous, but unsurprising, comments from Jesse Waters. How do either of those two things justify her being shot and killed by an ICE agent? In and of themselves?
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
According to my sources, the FBI was initially open to a concurrent investigation with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (the state agency that would do this investigation).
Trumpy U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen heard about this and intervened, barring the FBI from cooperating with local police.
Trumpy U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen heard about this and intervened, barring the FBI from cooperating with local police.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Minnesota investigators say they can't access evidence after fatal ICE shooting and FBI won't work jointly on probe.
@reuters.com
@reuters.com
January 8, 2026 at 4:35 PM
According to my sources, the FBI was initially open to a concurrent investigation with the MN Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (the state agency that would do this investigation).
Trumpy U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen heard about this and intervened, barring the FBI from cooperating with local police.
Trumpy U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen heard about this and intervened, barring the FBI from cooperating with local police.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Never mind that this isn’t the definition of doxing in the first place, but you can’t dox a federal employee. If you’re a public servant, your identity isn’t “hidden.” It’s on public records. People can access those public records.
January 8, 2026 at 5:48 AM
Never mind that this isn’t the definition of doxing in the first place, but you can’t dox a federal employee. If you’re a public servant, your identity isn’t “hidden.” It’s on public records. People can access those public records.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Minneapolis Public Schools leaders are canceling classes Thursday and Friday “due to safety concerns” following the killing of a woman Wednesday by an ICE agent. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Eyewitnesses say Renee Good posed ‘no threat’ to ICE agents
Good, 37, was identified as the woman shot and killed Wednesday morning by an ICE agent in south Minneapolis. ICE said Good was shot while trying to run over agents with her car. Mayor Jacob Frey and ...
www.mprnews.org
January 8, 2026 at 4:05 AM
Minneapolis Public Schools leaders are canceling classes Thursday and Friday “due to safety concerns” following the killing of a woman Wednesday by an ICE agent. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
This is a vetted fundraiser for the family of Renee Good, the woman who was killed by ICE in Minneapolis.
www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...
www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...
Donate to Support for Renee Good’s wife and son, organized by Mattie Weiss
Please support the wife and son of Renee Good as they grapple with the devastating … Mattie Weiss needs your support for Support for Renee Good’s wife and son
www.gofundme.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:29 AM
This is a vetted fundraiser for the family of Renee Good, the woman who was killed by ICE in Minneapolis.
www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...
www.gofundme.com/f/support-fo...
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
Happening now: a vigil is getting underway in Chicago's Winnemac Park in honor of Renee Nicole Good, killed in Minneapolis today, and others who have been killed by federal immigration agents.
A couple dozen people in attendance so far, though more are trickling in.
A couple dozen people in attendance so far, though more are trickling in.
January 8, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Happening now: a vigil is getting underway in Chicago's Winnemac Park in honor of Renee Nicole Good, killed in Minneapolis today, and others who have been killed by federal immigration agents.
A couple dozen people in attendance so far, though more are trickling in.
A couple dozen people in attendance so far, though more are trickling in.
Reposted by Maia McDonald 💫✌🏽
As you listen to DHS and ICE offer their excuses and justifications for murdering an American mother in cold blood, a quickly-forgotten reminder from Chicago:
www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
January 8, 2026 at 1:25 AM
As you listen to DHS and ICE offer their excuses and justifications for murdering an American mother in cold blood, a quickly-forgotten reminder from Chicago:
www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...