Melissa Whitler
@mwhitler.bsky.social
public school parent, hobby potter, part-time education reporter, #UglyDogs, Minneapolis
Pinned
Melissa Whitler
@mwhitler.bsky.social
· Feb 4
Signal, the secure messaging app: A guide for beginners
Also available in Spanish.
freedom.press
Have a scoop about k-12 schools? Want to get in touch with me about it? You can find me on Signal. Not sure how to use Signal?
freedom.press/digisec/blog...
freedom.press/digisec/blog...
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Please read this dispatch from Minneapolis by @erikhane.bsky.social
www.welcometohellworld.com/there-is-no-...
www.welcometohellworld.com/there-is-no-...
January 25, 2026 at 12:04 AM
Please read this dispatch from Minneapolis by @erikhane.bsky.social
www.welcometohellworld.com/there-is-no-...
www.welcometohellworld.com/there-is-no-...
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Text alert from the City of Minneapolis about 50 minutes ago informing residents that National Guard is assisting MPD with checkpoints around the Whittier neighborhood.
January 25, 2026 at 12:07 AM
Text alert from the City of Minneapolis about 50 minutes ago informing residents that National Guard is assisting MPD with checkpoints around the Whittier neighborhood.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
It appears Schumer has seen where his caucus members are going and is running to get ahead of them.
January 25, 2026 at 12:00 AM
It appears Schumer has seen where his caucus members are going and is running to get ahead of them.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Vigil at Whittier park for Alex Pretti, three streets west of where federal agents killed him.
January 24, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Vigil at Whittier park for Alex Pretti, three streets west of where federal agents killed him.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city will be asking a federal judge to order an end to Trump's immigration crackdown immediately.
January 24, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city will be asking a federal judge to order an end to Trump's immigration crackdown immediately.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
From a purely armchair editing perspective, the Strib has been doing an AMAZING job through this. So has MPR, Sahan Journal and Reformer. Minneapolis has some of the best local media around!
January 24, 2026 at 9:16 PM
From a purely armchair editing perspective, the Strib has been doing an AMAZING job through this. So has MPR, Sahan Journal and Reformer. Minneapolis has some of the best local media around!
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
January 24, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
I’m going to stand at 50th and Penn if anyone wants to join
🕯️ SHINE A LIGHT FOR MINNESOTA
Tonight • 7:00 PM CT
Step outside and light a candle — on our street corners, with our neighbors, for our communities & Alex.
Together we call for #ICEOutNow.
🔁 SHARE WIDELY!
Tonight • 7:00 PM CT
Step outside and light a candle — on our street corners, with our neighbors, for our communities & Alex.
Together we call for #ICEOutNow.
🔁 SHARE WIDELY!
January 24, 2026 at 9:33 PM
I’m going to stand at 50th and Penn if anyone wants to join
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
🕯️ SHINE A LIGHT FOR MINNESOTA
Tonight • 7:00 PM CT
Step outside and light a candle — on our street corners, with our neighbors, for our communities & Alex.
Together we call for #ICEOutNow.
🔁 SHARE WIDELY!
Tonight • 7:00 PM CT
Step outside and light a candle — on our street corners, with our neighbors, for our communities & Alex.
Together we call for #ICEOutNow.
🔁 SHARE WIDELY!
January 24, 2026 at 8:44 PM
🕯️ SHINE A LIGHT FOR MINNESOTA
Tonight • 7:00 PM CT
Step outside and light a candle — on our street corners, with our neighbors, for our communities & Alex.
Together we call for #ICEOutNow.
🔁 SHARE WIDELY!
Tonight • 7:00 PM CT
Step outside and light a candle — on our street corners, with our neighbors, for our communities & Alex.
Together we call for #ICEOutNow.
🔁 SHARE WIDELY!
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
With Rosen, Cortez Masto, and Warner all now No’s on cloture on DHS Approps, the filibuster will get above 40 (I assume they’ll get pretty much every Dem senator). The question then will be what the Dems demand to let it go forward. Get ICE and CBP out of MN is the easiest message. It’s also right.
January 24, 2026 at 9:55 PM
With Rosen, Cortez Masto, and Warner all now No’s on cloture on DHS Approps, the filibuster will get above 40 (I assume they’ll get pretty much every Dem senator). The question then will be what the Dems demand to let it go forward. Get ICE and CBP out of MN is the easiest message. It’s also right.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
An overhead view of protesters gathering at the scene of the shooting.
Live coverage: www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
📽️ Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune
Live coverage: www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
📽️ Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 24, 2026 at 9:46 PM
An overhead view of protesters gathering at the scene of the shooting.
Live coverage: www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
📽️ Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune
Live coverage: www.startribune.com/ice-raids-mi...
📽️ Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Nonviolence is, in fact, working. This administration is weaker than it was a year ago. More and more of the public is becoming galvanized against it; its agents are being impeded.
Do you honestly think people in the civil rights movement and other nonviolent movements faced no violence themselves? They practiced nonviolence because it works, because the oppressor wants a shooting war, which is the war it will win
How's your non-violent working Mr Gandhi stancil? They will kill each and everyone of you right if they had the chance and you will still be writing Kumbaya.
January 24, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Nonviolence is, in fact, working. This administration is weaker than it was a year ago. More and more of the public is becoming galvanized against it; its agents are being impeded.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
It feels, I don't know, frivolous to be doing this today, but I need something to keep my sanity at least slightly intact, so here goes: At the Kusko 300, Mike Williams, Jr. was first into the Aniak checkpoint. He arrived 17 minutes ahead of Emily Robinson. #mushersky 1/
The teams are resting in Upper Kalskag now, and the start differential will be taken here. I think I said yesterday it was 12 hours of mandatory rest, but it's only 10 with 4 of those coming at the last checkpoint of Tuluksak. So, most will probably take 3 hours here, I think. #mushersky 3/3
January 24, 2026 at 8:35 PM
It feels, I don't know, frivolous to be doing this today, but I need something to keep my sanity at least slightly intact, so here goes: At the Kusko 300, Mike Williams, Jr. was first into the Aniak checkpoint. He arrived 17 minutes ahead of Emily Robinson. #mushersky 1/
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
The world is awful, so I rage-hiked our trail and Sheridan managed to snowmobile some of it so the dogs could run.
Small glimpses of heaven in a hellish world.
Small glimpses of heaven in a hellish world.
January 24, 2026 at 8:32 PM
The world is awful, so I rage-hiked our trail and Sheridan managed to snowmobile some of it so the dogs could run.
Small glimpses of heaven in a hellish world.
Small glimpses of heaven in a hellish world.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
I'm so proud of Shawn! They got third!! 😮 look out for their undoubtedly hilarious update soon.
Amidst a lot, @goggdog42.bsky.social has been training hard to make it to their second big race, the 2026 Two Rivers 100. We'll be updating from Patreon this year. If you follow us there (you can do so for free!), you'll get email updates as we post. I'm so proud of Shawn and the dogs. Onward team!!
Race Day! Two Rivers 100 | ATAO Kennel
Get more from ATAO Kennel on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 24, 2026 at 9:54 PM
I'm so proud of Shawn! They got third!! 😮 look out for their undoubtedly hilarious update soon.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now
January 24, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Alex from our time working together, while he was in nursing school. Later, he moved to ICU, working as a nurse to support critically ill Veterans. He had such a great attitude. We’d chat between patients about trying to get in a mountain bike ride together. Will never happen now
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.
White. Hot. Rage.
White. Hot. Rage.
January 24, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.
White. Hot. Rage.
White. Hot. Rage.
Locals will understand when I say teenagers in Edina are holding impromptu ICE OUT protests on the street corner the sentiments are widespread and normie.
January 24, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Locals will understand when I say teenagers in Edina are holding impromptu ICE OUT protests on the street corner the sentiments are widespread and normie.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
Crowd has gathered 26th and Nicollet
January 24, 2026 at 7:23 PM
Crowd has gathered 26th and Nicollet
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
“The government has also argued that I must accept this as true because they said it, and they are the government…I respectfully suggest that the petition is frivolous.”
The judge who wrote this is a Bush appointee and two-time Scalia clerk.
The judge who wrote this is a Bush appointee and two-time Scalia clerk.
A magistrate judge found no probable cause to support arrest warrants for 5 people involved in the St. Paul church protest.
DOJ appealed to the 8th Cir.
That appeal led to this remarkable letter from the Chief Judge of the Minnesota district court…
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
DOJ appealed to the 8th Cir.
That appeal led to this remarkable letter from the Chief Judge of the Minnesota district court…
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
January 24, 2026 at 6:06 PM
“The government has also argued that I must accept this as true because they said it, and they are the government…I respectfully suggest that the petition is frivolous.”
The judge who wrote this is a Bush appointee and two-time Scalia clerk.
The judge who wrote this is a Bush appointee and two-time Scalia clerk.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
If you want a distraction, this week’s newsletter is out. Lots to skim through there, from tree ring records to hall of fame votes to tracking plane flights. Oh, and this.
This week’s newsletter is out! Here’s the path my family tree took from Edward Boumpass, born in 1603, to my kids.
www.howtoreadthisch.art/the-robots-h...
www.howtoreadthisch.art/the-robots-h...
January 24, 2026 at 5:23 PM
If you want a distraction, this week’s newsletter is out. Lots to skim through there, from tree ring records to hall of fame votes to tracking plane flights. Oh, and this.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
My heart is hurting so bad this morning, if yours is too, here is a Zuri to help
January 24, 2026 at 5:20 PM
My heart is hurting so bad this morning, if yours is too, here is a Zuri to help
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
A write-up of yesterday's protest + general strike that'll make you feel something
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/hate-has-t...
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/hate-has-t...
Hate Has to Scatter When Minneapolis Arises
At the general strike.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:28 PM
A write-up of yesterday's protest + general strike that'll make you feel something
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/hate-has-t...
www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/hate-has-t...
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
People are rolling trash bins down the street toward the federal agents and leaving them in the middle of the street, apparently creating a barricade.
January 24, 2026 at 5:37 PM
People are rolling trash bins down the street toward the federal agents and leaving them in the middle of the street, apparently creating a barricade.
Reposted by Melissa Whitler
More and more angry residents keep pouring in and are shouting at the federal agents, who have been retaliating with lots of tear gas.
People have been running up to people getting tear-gassed and giving them water to pour in their faces.
It's negative six degrees out here
People have been running up to people getting tear-gassed and giving them water to pour in their faces.
It's negative six degrees out here
January 24, 2026 at 5:18 PM
More and more angry residents keep pouring in and are shouting at the federal agents, who have been retaliating with lots of tear gas.
People have been running up to people getting tear-gassed and giving them water to pour in their faces.
It's negative six degrees out here
People have been running up to people getting tear-gassed and giving them water to pour in their faces.
It's negative six degrees out here