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mckelleykc.bsky.social
Michael Kelley
@mckelleykc.bsky.social
2.3K followers 1.1K following 880 posts
Husband | Father | Royals/Braves | Passionate about socks and multimodal transportation | He/Him
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mckelleykc.bsky.social
Michael Kelley @mckelleykc.bsky.social · Nov 10
Okay, this is my *official* BlueSky introduction 🧵: Hi, I'm Michael and I work on multimodal transportation (👨🏾‍🦽🚶🏾‍♂️🚴🏾‍♂️🚌) in the bi-state Kansas City region. In this thread, I'll answer 3 questions:

1) What do I tend to post about?
2) Why BlueSky?
3) Where do things on this account go from here?
Michael takes a selfie while riding in a protected bike lane.
Reposted by Michael Kelley
taniel.bsky.social
NEWS: No one filed to challenge two conservative/Republican justices on the Nevada supreme court who are up for reelection this year. The deadline was a few days ago.

They will run for new terms unopposed.
January 20, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
propublica.org
A note from our editors:
Note from the editors: ProPublica is publishing the names of the two federal immigration agents involved in the fatal shooting of Minnesota protester Alex Pretti. We believe there are few investigations that deserve more sunlight and public scrutiny than this one, in which two masked agents fired 10 shots at Pretti as he lay on the ground after being pepper-sprayed. The Department of Justice said it is investigating the incident, but the names of the two agents have been withheld from Congress and from state and local law enforcement. The policy of shielding officers’ identities, particularly after a public shooting, is a stark departure from standard law enforcement protocols, according to lawmakers, state attorneys general and former federal officials. Such secrecy, in our view, deprives the public of the most fundamental tool for accountability.
February 1, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
propublica.org
BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.
Two CBP Agents Identified in Alex Pretti Shooting
The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raym...
www.propublica.org
February 1, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
joaquincastrotx.bsky.social
Just visited with Liam and his father at Dilley detention center. I demanded his release and told him how much his family, his school, and our country loves him and is praying for him.
January 28, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
gregsargent.bsky.social
I'm calling bullshit on the media narrative that Trump is "pivoting" and "deescalating" on his ICE raids. The threshold is this: As long as the military occupations and the treatment of US cities as enemy territory continue, there's no pivot. ICE out. 1/

(New piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
Donald Trump Is Frightened
Trump wants to appear eager to minimize out-of-control clashes between government militias and protesters. But he doesn’t want to stop the things causing those clashes in the first place.
newrepublic.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:40 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
blindeke.bsky.social
"about 30 vehicles left between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. — a number they said was fairly normal for that time of day." www.startribune.com/ice-minnesot...
Is ICE rolling back operations in Minnesota? It’s hard to tell.
Federal agents are still on the streets of the Twin Cities a day after the Trump administration announced a change in immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
www.startribune.com
January 28, 2026 at 4:22 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
wired.com
ICYMI: Users of Meta’s social platforms can no longer share links to ICE List, a website listing what it claims are the names of thousands of DHS employees. www.wired.com/story/meta-i...
Meta Is Blocking Links to ICE List on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads
Users of Meta’s social platforms can no longer share links to ICE List, a website listing what it claims are the names of thousands of DHS employees.
www.wired.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
caitlingilbert.bsky.social
In response to announcement that he will be a new CBS contributor, Andrew Huberman tweeted “I’ve always gone issue-by-issue on health & science, spoken to experts w/a range of takes & presented where I see the center of (data) mass pointed. I’ll do the same with @CBSNews”. In Sept he posted this:
Screenshot of tweet from Huberman that reads: “The other is that dog breeds w/different shaped heads are predictive of their demeanor and intelligence. And while I don’t! believe in Phrenology I now do pay some attention to how the shapes of peoples heads relates to their intellect and steadiness, or lack thereof.”
January 28, 2026 at 1:44 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
adamserwer.bsky.social
Last week in Minnesota, I watched ordinary people risk their lives to protect their neighbors. In the process, they not only won a significant—though not final—victory against authoritarianism, they proved virtually every MAGA social theory wrong. (gift link) www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Every social theory undergirding Trumpism has been broken on the steel of Minnesotan resolve. The multiracial community in Minneapolis was supposed to shatter. It did not. It held until Bovino was forced out of the Twin Cities with his long coat between his legs. The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once. Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave. Minnesotans have shown that their community is socially cohesive—because of its diversity and not in spite of it. Minnesotans have found and loved one another in a world atomized by social media, where empty men have tried to fill their lonely soul with lies about their own inherent superiority. Minnesotans have preserved everything worthwhile about “Western civilization,” while armed brutes try to tear it down by force.
January 27, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
solomonmissouri.bsky.social
www.cnn.com/videos/us/20...
‘They killed her little by little’: Parents speak out after daughter died in border patrol custody | CNN
CNN’s Rosa Flores speaks to the parents of the 8-year-old who died in the custody of US immigration authorities in Texas in May, 2023 after the family made repeated requests for medial care for the gi...
www.cnn.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:08 PM
mckelleykc.bsky.social
For my #Missouri friends who support public schools:

Parents for KC Kids is organizing a Lobby Day effort for Tuesday, February 10th and we'd love to have you join us!

Register today and please repost!

tinyurl.com/LobbyFeb10
Public Education Lobby Day Feb 10 RSVP
NOTE: Due to weather, Public Education Lobby Day has been rescheduled from Jan 27 to Feb 10th! If you have already registered, no need to re-complete this form. Just confirm your attendance at tin...
tinyurl.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:18 PM
mckelleykc.bsky.social
Local policy matters.

If you live in #KCMO, one of the most important policy decisions you can influence is the city budget.

Budget meetings are coming up in a few weeks. Make it a point to show up and speak out!
Poster for KCMO public budget hearings. They are scheduled for: - February 23 - March 2 - March 7 Learn more at kcmo.gov/budget.
January 27, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
ericcolumbus.bsky.social
Bill Melugin of Fox News may be the best-sourced journalist within ICE and CBP. If he's hearing this, the administration has a real problem.
Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ NEW: Since yesterday's deadly shooting in MN, I've talked to more than half a dozen federal sources involved immigration enforcement, including several in senior positions, who all tell me they have grown increasingly uneasy & frustrated w/ some of the claims & narratives DHS pushed in the aftermath of the shooting. Specifically, I'm told there is extreme frustration with DHS officials going on TV and putting out statements claiming that Alex Pretti was intending to conduct a "massacre" of federal agents or wanted to carry out "maximum damage", even after numerous videos appeared to show those claims were inaccurate. While they say it was a terrible decision to show up with a gun and inject himself into a federal law enforcement operation, there is no indication Pretti was there to murder law enforcement, as videos appear to show he never drew his holstered firearm. These sources say this messaging from DHS officials has been catastrophic from a PR and morale perspective, as it is eroding trust and credibility - comparing it to when Democrats falsely claimed the border was closed or that Haitians were being whipped at the border. Some of these sources have described DHS’ response to the shooting as “a case study on how not to do crisis PR”, one said they are so “fed up” that they wish they could retire, another said “DHS is making the situation worse”, and another added that “DHS is wrong” and “we are losing this war, we are losing the base and the narrative." These sources all believe this is going to end up being what they call a “bad shoot”, a “shitty” situation that happened in seconds where agents likely heard “gun!”, then the disarmed firearm may have had an accidental discharge that spooked the agents, and they shot. The agents do not have the luxury of multiple slow motion angles - and had to make split second decisions. All of the sources support the mass deportation agenda, but have serious hesitations about the way it is …
January 26, 2026 at 12:55 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
austinmccoy.bsky.social
In fact, here are some examples of how authorities characterized Black activists in life and death from old newspapers. State violence and character assassination is part of US political culture.

White supremacy lays at the root of this strategy. Renee Good and Alex Pretti are its latest victims
January 25, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
prisonculture.bsky.social
From a FB post about Alex Pretti:
TEXT: I was Alex Pretti’s final nursing student. He was my friend and my nursing mentor. For the past four months, I stood shoulder to shoulder with him during my capstone preceptorship at the Minneapolis VA Hospital. There he trained me to care for the sickest of the sick as an ICU nurse. He taught me how to care for arterial and central lines, the intricacies of managing multiple IVs filled with lifesaving solutions, and how to watch over every heartbeat, every breath, and every flicker of life, ready to act the moment they wavered. Techniques intended to heal. Alex carried patience, compassion and calm as a steady light within him. Even at the very end, that light was there. I recognized his familiar stillness and signature calm composure shining through during those unbearable final moments captured on camera. It does not surprise me that his final words were, “Are you okay?” Caring for people was at the core of who he was. He was incapable of causing harm. He lived a life of healing, and he lived it well. Alex believed strongly in the Second Amendment and in the rights rooted in our Constitution and its amendments. He spoke out for justice and peace whenever he could, not only out of obligation, but out of a belief that we are more connected than divided, and that communication would bring us together. TEXT: I want his family to know his legacy lives on. I am a better nurse because of the wisdom and skills he instilled in me. I carry his light with me into every room, letting it guide and steady my hands as I heal and care for those in need. Please honor my friend by standing up for peace, preferably with a cup of black coffee in hand and a couple of pieces of candy in your pocket, just as he would. He would remind you that caring for others is hard work, and we must do whatever it takes to get through the long shifts. Step outside with your dog, breathe in the world, hike or bike as he loved to do, and let yourself find peace in the quiet moments within nature. Stand up for justice and speak with those whose views differ from your own. Hold your beliefs with strength, but always extend love outward, even in the face of adversity. Take one step, no matter how small, to help heal our world. Through these acts, carry his light forward in his name. Let his legacy continue to heal.
January 26, 2026 at 12:32 AM
mckelleykc.bsky.social
For my #KCMO friends, a friendly reminder:

- Municipal Election Day is Tuesday, April 7.

- Missouri's Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 4.

- Federal Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.

Put those dates in your calendar now.
January 25, 2026 at 3:42 PM
mckelleykc.bsky.social
I am not going to share the video of Alex Pretti's murder.

What I will say, for now, is this:

A truly desperate regime will do truly desperate things if it feels it is *losing power*. 🧵 (1/3)
January 25, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
You have to read this. Firsthand affidavit from one of the women who was there and recording the video. She talks about how Alex Pretti was directing traffic when she arrived. She watched him be killed in front of her. She's afraid to go home, worried she'll be arrested.
1. I am a resident of the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I am over 18 years of age. I am a children's entertainer who specializes in face painting. 2. On Saturday, January 24, 2026, at about 8:50 am, I was getting ready to go to work when I heard whistles outside. I knew the whistles meant that ICE agents were in the area, so I decided to check it out on my way to work. I've been involved in observing in my community because it is so important to document what ICE is doing to my neighbors. Connecting to your local community and knowing who your neighbors are is something I profoundly value. 3. I drove to Nicollet Ave. and 26th where I could hear the whistles coming from. I turned south onto Nicollet. There were already several ICE agents there and they'd set up a sort of vehicle convoy on Nicollet and 28th. There were also about 15 observers there, recording and observing ICE. 4. I saw ICE agents surrounding cars and punching car windows. I also saw them stopping vehicles further down Nicollet, so I backed up because I didn't feel safe continuing on. 5. I noticed a man sort of acting to help traffic move more smoothly. He helped me find a place to park. I got out with my whistle and my camera. I went over to him and said something like, "I'm going to film and use my whistle." 6. It seemed like most ICE activity was happening a little farther down the street from us, near 27th. Someone was being thrown to the ground. 7. I started recording. There was an agent by a car across the street. Two observers were a few feet away from the agent, blowing their whistles. One was wearing a backpack. 8. I and the man who was observing and helping direct traffic were standing in the street. There was a phone in the man's hand recording a video. 9. An agent approached and asked us to back up, so I moved slowly back onto the sidewalk. 10. The man stayed in the street, filming as the other observers I mentioned earlier were being forced backward by another ICE agent threatening them with pepper spray. The man went closer to support them as they got threatened, just with his camera out. I didn't see him reach for or hold a gun. 11. Then the ICE agent shoved one of the other observers to the ground. Then he started pepper spraying all three of them directly in the face and all over. The man with the phone put his hands above his head and the agent sprayed him again and pushed him. 12. Then the man tried to help up the woman the ICE agent had shoved to the ground. The ICE agents just kept spraying. More agents came over and grabbed the man who was still trying to help the woman get up. All three of the observers looked to have been badly affected by the pepper spray. I could feel the pepper spray in my eyes. 13. The agents pulled the man on the ground. I didn't see him touch any of them-he wasn't even turned toward them. It didn't look like he was trying to resist, just trying to help the woman up. I didn't see him with a gun. They threw him to the ground. Four or five agents had him on the ground and they just started shooting him. They shot him so many times. 14.1 don't know why they shot him. He was only helping. I was five feet from him and they just shot him. 15. The video I recorded of what happened accurately depicts the events leading up to the agents shooting him and several minutes afterwards. The video is attached as Exhibit 1. 16. I have read the statement from DHS about what happened and it is wrong. The man did not approach the agents with a gun. He approached them with a camera. He was just trying to help a woman get up and they took him to the ground. 17. I feel afraid. Only hours have passed since they shot a man right in front me and I don't feel like I can go home because I heard agents were looking for me. I don't know what the agents will do when they find me. I do know that they're not telling the truth about what happened. I've heard that other witnesses might have been arrested and taken to the Whipple Building. 18. I am disgusted and gutted at how they are treating my neighbors and my state. I keep alternating between crying and feeling determined it is important to remember the value of documenting injustice. We show up for the people who need us to bear witness, because it can't just be one group of people bearing the brunt of their tyranny. This is a struggle to protect our freedom and democracy, those things are on the line. He lost his life for those values. I declare under penalty of perjury that everything I have stated in this document is true and correct. Dated and signed on Jan 24, 2026 in Hennepin County, State of Minnesota.
January 25, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
badideas.bsky.social
A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.
January 25, 2026 at 1:18 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
joycewhitevance.bsky.social
Brandishing is a legal term that means to display all or part of a firearm, or otherwise make its presence known to another person to intimidate them, regardless of whether it's directly visible to that person. Given the video, that's not what Alex Pretti was doing when he was shot & killed.
surtlab.bsky.social Dave Baltrus 🦦 @surtlab.bsky.social · 8d
Important context, this is the victim’s behavior BEFORE being tackled

He’s not threatening, he’s not brandishing, he’s filming
dwsoc.bsky.social Democratic Women of South Orange County @dwsoc.bsky.social · 8d
Video before it happens is showing this guy they shot in the head in Minneapolis was just standing there videoing them before and they got out to push him back and then murder him.
January 24, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
ufw.bsky.social
"Leo" prunes grapevines in Fresno CA. "We get 32 cents/vine piece rate. I'm very fast and on a good day can make a 600 vine row or more. Slower workers take 2-3 days to do a row. By mid row, my arms cramp up and I am tired. This pic is when I'm halfway through a row." #WeFeedYou
Halfway down a row where workers are pruning grapevines
January 24, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
urbanismspeakeasy.com
The Highway Trust Fund is in a state of bankruptcy, but we keep chugging along as if there’s no real financial urgency.

www.fastcompany.com/91469982/ame... @fastcompany.com
America has a looming highway budget crisis
The Congressional Budget Office projects that balances in both the highway and transit accounts of the Highway Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2028.
www.fastcompany.com
January 23, 2026 at 11:41 AM
Reposted by Michael Kelley
mack2114.bsky.social
The 22% who approve of the way Trump is handling the Epstein files, you want to know who those people are among you, and keep your kids away from them.
January 23, 2026 at 5:32 PM
mckelleykc.bsky.social
I hope #Sinners wins in every category, but this alone is a major milestone.

Huge props to Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, and everyone involved.

#BlackExcellence

www.bbc.com/news/article...
Oscar nominations 2026: Vampire film Sinners breaks record
The horror is up for 16 awards - setting a new record for the most Oscar nominations for a single film.
www.bbc.com
January 22, 2026 at 6:37 PM