Mary Stachyra Lopez
@marystachyra.bsky.social
Freelance writer, editor, and audience strategist. Most recently: The Atlantic. stachyrasocial@gmail.com.
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
What sort of midterms do the Democrats' New Jersey and Virginia midterms point to? I had a look using historic results and wound up with a central estimate of D+6 and a confidence interval from R+5 to D+16. Not exactly conclusive! owenwinter.co.uk/2025/11/10/d...
November 10, 2025 at 6:56 PM
What sort of midterms do the Democrats' New Jersey and Virginia midterms point to? I had a look using historic results and wound up with a central estimate of D+6 and a confidence interval from R+5 to D+16. Not exactly conclusive! owenwinter.co.uk/2025/11/10/d...
In October, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter's pet resource center assisted 525 pets and distributing 8,782 pounds of food—an all-time high. Residents are rallying to make sure the need is met at the shelter, and elsewhere in the county.
My latest for @ffxnow.bsky.social:
My latest for @ffxnow.bsky.social:
Fairfax residents rally to keep pets fed during federal shutdown | FFXnow
Previous Image 1/4 Next Image It all started with a picture of a kitten sitting on an empty shelf. On Nov. 3, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter posted a plea for donations to its pet pantry, citing an...
www.ffxnow.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:29 PM
In October, the Fairfax County Animal Shelter's pet resource center assisted 525 pets and distributing 8,782 pounds of food—an all-time high. Residents are rallying to make sure the need is met at the shelter, and elsewhere in the county.
My latest for @ffxnow.bsky.social:
My latest for @ffxnow.bsky.social:
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
WAIT I WAS WRONG
The *Old* Farmer's Almanac, the yellow one (that hung on a nail in my grandparents' bathroom) is NOT shutting down.
The Farmer's Almanac, which um...I have no feelings about really...is the one shutting down
phew
www.almanac.com/old-farmers-...
The *Old* Farmer's Almanac, the yellow one (that hung on a nail in my grandparents' bathroom) is NOT shutting down.
The Farmer's Almanac, which um...I have no feelings about really...is the one shutting down
phew
www.almanac.com/old-farmers-...
The Old Farmer’s Almanac—234 Years and Still Going Strong
Wondering if The Old Farmer’s Almanac is discontinued? It’s still publishing and growing, with trusted forecasts, tools, and seasonal guidance since 1792. Learn more and see what's new.
www.almanac.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:26 PM
WAIT I WAS WRONG
The *Old* Farmer's Almanac, the yellow one (that hung on a nail in my grandparents' bathroom) is NOT shutting down.
The Farmer's Almanac, which um...I have no feelings about really...is the one shutting down
phew
www.almanac.com/old-farmers-...
The *Old* Farmer's Almanac, the yellow one (that hung on a nail in my grandparents' bathroom) is NOT shutting down.
The Farmer's Almanac, which um...I have no feelings about really...is the one shutting down
phew
www.almanac.com/old-farmers-...
Every suggested Reel I see on Facebook nowadays is like "RUN don't walk to TJ Maxx," or "You won't BELIEVE what I found at Marshalls," then cuts to an image of a Disney oven mitt or something equally underwhelming. It's actually kind of comforting that the algorithm is this bad. 😂
November 5, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Every suggested Reel I see on Facebook nowadays is like "RUN don't walk to TJ Maxx," or "You won't BELIEVE what I found at Marshalls," then cuts to an image of a Disney oven mitt or something equally underwhelming. It's actually kind of comforting that the algorithm is this bad. 😂
For an article, I'd like to talk to a parent who is enrolled in the new Beyond the Bell pilot program for after school care in Fairfax County. Is that you or someone you know? Please reach out: stachyrasocial@gmail.com
October 29, 2025 at 6:20 PM
For an article, I'd like to talk to a parent who is enrolled in the new Beyond the Bell pilot program for after school care in Fairfax County. Is that you or someone you know? Please reach out: stachyrasocial@gmail.com
When you live in Northern Virginia, what happens on a tiny section of a busy arterial road can make all the difference to quite a lot of people. 14,000 a day, to be precise. A recent story from me in @ffxnow.bsky.social:
Fairfax City considers $18 million proposal to improve portion of Jermantown Road | FFXnow
Previous Image 1/2 Next Image An $18.4 million project to reduce congestion and improve safety on a nearly mile-long portion of Jermantown Road has been more than half a decade in the making. Now, an ...
www.ffxnow.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:16 PM
When you live in Northern Virginia, what happens on a tiny section of a busy arterial road can make all the difference to quite a lot of people. 14,000 a day, to be precise. A recent story from me in @ffxnow.bsky.social:
I don't know who needs to hear this, but apparently there's a whole website that will deliver Google search results without the AI clutter: udm14.com
October 16, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I don't know who needs to hear this, but apparently there's a whole website that will deliver Google search results without the AI clutter: udm14.com
A lovely list! But despite the popularity of "Strega Nona," I think Tomie de Paola's true masterpieces are "Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs" and "The Clown of God."
(I have a lot of strong feelings about children's literature...😂)
(I have a lot of strong feelings about children's literature...😂)
I love this list so much.
But personally would have ditched Goodnight Moon (overrated, sorry) in favor of The Velveteen Rabbit (perfection).
www.theatlantic.com/books/2025/1...
But personally would have ditched Goodnight Moon (overrated, sorry) in favor of The Velveteen Rabbit (perfection).
www.theatlantic.com/books/2025/1...
65 Essential Children’s Books
Illustrated titles that teach kids to love literature
www.theatlantic.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:14 PM
A lovely list! But despite the popularity of "Strega Nona," I think Tomie de Paola's true masterpieces are "Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs" and "The Clown of God."
(I have a lot of strong feelings about children's literature...😂)
(I have a lot of strong feelings about children's literature...😂)
Can bus service still get better if you're cutting the total number of stops? Thousands of riders around Fairfax may find out the answer to that question soon, as the city considers overhauling its bus line. I wrote recently for @ffxnow.bsky.social:
www.ffxnow.com/2025/10/09/f...
www.ffxnow.com/2025/10/09/f...
Fairfax City considers CUE bus overhaul that would simplify routes, cut some stops | FFXnow
Fairfax City is considering transforming its CUE bus system by offering more frequent and direct connections between the most popular stops, as well as speeding up routes -- but also cut service for s...
www.ffxnow.com
October 13, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Can bus service still get better if you're cutting the total number of stops? Thousands of riders around Fairfax may find out the answer to that question soon, as the city considers overhauling its bus line. I wrote recently for @ffxnow.bsky.social:
www.ffxnow.com/2025/10/09/f...
www.ffxnow.com/2025/10/09/f...
My local library made a display of censored books. Apparently "Hop on Pop" made the list...
October 10, 2025 at 6:34 PM
My local library made a display of censored books. Apparently "Hop on Pop" made the list...
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
We have quietly launched Off the Charts, our @economist.com data newsletter, on Substack.
You can subscribe to the newsletter for FREE (paid subscribers also receive access to our newsletter archive & two of our data-driven pieces each week)
theeconomistoffthecharts.substack.com
You can subscribe to the newsletter for FREE (paid subscribers also receive access to our newsletter archive & two of our data-driven pieces each week)
theeconomistoffthecharts.substack.com
The Economist: Off the Charts | Substack
The Economist’s data and visual journalists share the tools, techniques and ideas behind their award-winning stories. Click to read The Economist: Off the Charts, a Substack publication.
theeconomistoffthecharts.substack.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:51 PM
We have quietly launched Off the Charts, our @economist.com data newsletter, on Substack.
You can subscribe to the newsletter for FREE (paid subscribers also receive access to our newsletter archive & two of our data-driven pieces each week)
theeconomistoffthecharts.substack.com
You can subscribe to the newsletter for FREE (paid subscribers also receive access to our newsletter archive & two of our data-driven pieces each week)
theeconomistoffthecharts.substack.com
The son "took his father's visa paperwork and Social Security card to the ICE Richmond Field Office off Arboretum Parkway. However, he was told it 'didn't matter.'"
ICE detains lawfully present Richmond father as son waits for school bus
Silviano Mora Vera's U visa should have insulated him from detention.
www.vpm.org
October 6, 2025 at 11:56 PM
The son "took his father's visa paperwork and Social Security card to the ICE Richmond Field Office off Arboretum Parkway. However, he was told it 'didn't matter.'"
The back story of the three sisters who left the retirement community they were forced to move into, and took back their home:
The Plot to Free the Nuns
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 11:59 PM
The back story of the three sisters who left the retirement community they were forced to move into, and took back their home:
"The accelerating furor reflects how online outrage does not always emerge organically, but is often the result of a small number of prominent voices redirecting their audience’s attention."
How Outrage at Kimmel Grew to a Shout From a Whisper
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
"The accelerating furor reflects how online outrage does not always emerge organically, but is often the result of a small number of prominent voices redirecting their audience’s attention."
OK, who plays Sister Bernadette, Sister Regina, and Sister Rita in the movie?
Defiant nuns flee Austrian care home for their abandoned convent in the Alps
Sisters Bernadette, Regina and Rita needed a locksmith to get back into their convent, defying Church leaders.
www.bbc.com
September 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
OK, who plays Sister Bernadette, Sister Regina, and Sister Rita in the movie?
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
New from 404 Media: airlines are selling *5 billion* ticketing records to the government for warrantless searching, per new docs we obtained. ARC is a data broker owned by United, American, Delta, etc. Then sells peoples' travel info to ICE, Secret Service, FBI etc www.404media.co/airlines-sel...
Airlines Sell 5 Billion Plane Ticket Records to the Government For Warrantless Searching
New documents obtained by 404 Media show how a data broker owned by American Airlines, United, Delta, and many other airlines is selling masses of passenger data to the U.S. government.
www.404media.co
September 15, 2025 at 1:16 PM
New from 404 Media: airlines are selling *5 billion* ticketing records to the government for warrantless searching, per new docs we obtained. ARC is a data broker owned by United, American, Delta, etc. Then sells peoples' travel info to ICE, Secret Service, FBI etc www.404media.co/airlines-sel...
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
"These kids were literally praying," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. "It was the first week of school. They were in a church. They should be able to go to school or church without the risk of fear or violence." https://bit.ly/4fZGEqo
Minneapolis gunman, firing through church windows, kills 2 children
In the first week of school, gunfire erupted at Annunciation Catholic School in south Minneapolis. Massive police and federal response descends on neighborhood. The gunman was reported to be dead.
bit.ly
August 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
"These kids were literally praying," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. "It was the first week of school. They were in a church. They should be able to go to school or church without the risk of fear or violence." https://bit.ly/4fZGEqo
"A survey by Common Sense Media published last month found that 72 percent of American teens have used A.I. chatbots as companions. Nearly one in eight said they had sought 'emotional or mental health support' from them." 😮
Opinion | Teens Are Using Chatbots as Therapists. That’s Alarming.
www.nytimes.com
August 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM
"A survey by Common Sense Media published last month found that 72 percent of American teens have used A.I. chatbots as companions. Nearly one in eight said they had sought 'emotional or mental health support' from them." 😮
Read the whole thread.
On the left: Nate Cavanagh, a 28-year-old DOGE staffer and college dropout.
On the right: Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar.
This is the story of how DOGE targeted Halimi on social media.
Then the Taliban took his family. 🧵
On the right: Mohammad Halimi, a 53-year-old exiled Afghan scholar.
This is the story of how DOGE targeted Halimi on social media.
Then the Taliban took his family. 🧵
August 22, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Read the whole thread.
A Minnesota county with fewer than 10,000 residents has three local, family-owned newspapers.
Tiny Swift County bucks trend with three family owned papers
In this western Minnesota county of 9,900 people, three independent, print-focused publications keep the news flowing.
www.minnpost.com
August 22, 2025 at 3:03 AM
A Minnesota county with fewer than 10,000 residents has three local, family-owned newspapers.
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
USAID funded roughly half the world’s supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food. The dismantling of the agency has disrupted the global supply chain that provides the packets, leaving thousands of malnourished children at risk of dying.
A $45 Treatment Can Save a Starving Child. US Aid Cuts Have Frozen the Supply
www.nytimes.com
August 17, 2025 at 9:53 PM
USAID funded roughly half the world’s supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food. The dismantling of the agency has disrupted the global supply chain that provides the packets, leaving thousands of malnourished children at risk of dying.
"So much of Pompeii is known that it is easy to forget how much is not known: one-third of Pompeii is still unexcavated."
The largest dig in a lifetime is under way in Pompeii
What lies beneath the pumice in the ancient city is magnificent
www.economist.com
August 15, 2025 at 9:14 PM
"So much of Pompeii is known that it is easy to forget how much is not known: one-third of Pompeii is still unexcavated."
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
On the State Department reports that portray Germany as more oppressive than El Salvador.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Trump Has a New Definition of Human Rights
State Department reports portray Germany as more oppressive than El Salvador.
www.theatlantic.com
August 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
On the State Department reports that portray Germany as more oppressive than El Salvador.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Reposted by Mary Stachyra Lopez
We’re not books but we went from not having a newspaper to being one of the most subscribed to newspapers in America in less than a year, and our social media conversion numbers are attributable to Bluesky by a good plurality.
Is there *any* evidence that presence on bsky contributes in any way to book sales? I’ll take anecdotes! Who here has bought a book bc they heard about it on bsky *alone*? Because I’m ready to bounce.
July 31, 2025 at 1:52 PM
We’re not books but we went from not having a newspaper to being one of the most subscribed to newspapers in America in less than a year, and our social media conversion numbers are attributable to Bluesky by a good plurality.
🪄✨️feed cleansing✨️
July 29, 2025 at 10:08 PM
🪄✨️feed cleansing✨️