Erika Wittekind
@erikalyn.bsky.social
Freelance writer. News junkie. Former nonfiction editor. She/her.
Believer in democracy, science, gun control, local journalism, and empathy. Mom to two cats and two teen boys.
Dane County, WI
Believer in democracy, science, gun control, local journalism, and empathy. Mom to two cats and two teen boys.
Dane County, WI
Northern lights tonight in Wisconsin! It's cloudy here but still the best I've seen.
November 12, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Northern lights tonight in Wisconsin! It's cloudy here but still the best I've seen.
Not looking so great today. Ah well, it was a good run.
November 9, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Not looking so great today. Ah well, it was a good run.
The petunias are officially tougher than I am. I just put a winter coat on to go water them.
November 8, 2025 at 5:16 PM
The petunias are officially tougher than I am. I just put a winter coat on to go water them.
Henry F. Potter has endorsed Andrew Cuomo.
November 4, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Henry F. Potter has endorsed Andrew Cuomo.
This guy? Who could have predicted he'd ever lose his cool during official proceedings?
November 3, 2025 at 6:17 PM
This guy? Who could have predicted he'd ever lose his cool during official proceedings?
This was Rollins a few days ago. Guess she's trying to keep her job.
November 2, 2025 at 3:08 PM
This was Rollins a few days ago. Guess she's trying to keep her job.
It's November in Wisconsin, and my petunias are still blooming.
November 1, 2025 at 10:40 PM
It's November in Wisconsin, and my petunias are still blooming.
This is the best they've got? The Clintons took some personal gifts with them after clearing it with the curator's office, so who cares if Trump demolishes an entire wing and more than doubles the size of the people's house without any oversight?
October 22, 2025 at 4:45 PM
This is the best they've got? The Clintons took some personal gifts with them after clearing it with the curator's office, so who cares if Trump demolishes an entire wing and more than doubles the size of the people's house without any oversight?
Reminds me of that NYT editor's tweet from a few days ago. Yeah, where did anyone get the idea that Trump sees himself as a king?
October 21, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Reminds me of that NYT editor's tweet from a few days ago. Yeah, where did anyone get the idea that Trump sees himself as a king?
Who robbed the Louvre? Right answers only.
October 20, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Who robbed the Louvre? Right answers only.
The lilacs are deeply confused again.
October 17, 2025 at 11:35 PM
The lilacs are deeply confused again.
He actually said it was vengeance for getting him in trouble with the school and police, and then also ranted about Kirk. Still would have been worth including in the NYT story. www.nj.com/union/2025/1...
October 4, 2025 at 1:59 PM
He actually said it was vengeance for getting him in trouble with the school and police, and then also ranted about Kirk. Still would have been worth including in the NYT story. www.nj.com/union/2025/1...
And he did not enter the country in 1999. He grew up in Brooklyn!
September 26, 2025 at 11:04 PM
And he did not enter the country in 1999. He grew up in Brooklyn!
ICE's version of why it has arrested Des Moines Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts defies belief.
He fled police officers? He managed to become superintendent of the state's largest district with a prior weapons violation, without work authorization, and while he had an active order for removal?
He fled police officers? He managed to become superintendent of the state's largest district with a prior weapons violation, without work authorization, and while he had an active order for removal?
September 26, 2025 at 10:51 PM
ICE's version of why it has arrested Des Moines Superintendent Dr. Ian Roberts defies belief.
He fled police officers? He managed to become superintendent of the state's largest district with a prior weapons violation, without work authorization, and while he had an active order for removal?
He fled police officers? He managed to become superintendent of the state's largest district with a prior weapons violation, without work authorization, and while he had an active order for removal?
So this is how major US policy decisions are made now. Trump just tweets some garbage out, and we all have to take it seriously.
So much for all that stuff I learned in my high school gov class about the legislative process, checks and balances, etc. Congress has made itself irrelevant.
So much for all that stuff I learned in my high school gov class about the legislative process, checks and balances, etc. Congress has made itself irrelevant.
September 26, 2025 at 1:01 PM
So this is how major US policy decisions are made now. Trump just tweets some garbage out, and we all have to take it seriously.
So much for all that stuff I learned in my high school gov class about the legislative process, checks and balances, etc. Congress has made itself irrelevant.
So much for all that stuff I learned in my high school gov class about the legislative process, checks and balances, etc. Congress has made itself irrelevant.
This does not appear to have been violence against ICE. Early reports are that the victims were detainees.
September 24, 2025 at 1:07 PM
This does not appear to have been violence against ICE. Early reports are that the victims were detainees.
Opa, hortosoupa!
September 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Opa, hortosoupa!
Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful soup.
September 20, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful soup.
That full quote, she was talking about empathizing with the majority of conservative voters. It seems like the lesson we've seen repeatedly is that whatever outreach a candidate tries, it WILL be mixed because the other side will find something to take out of context.
September 20, 2025 at 1:50 PM
That full quote, she was talking about empathizing with the majority of conservative voters. It seems like the lesson we've seen repeatedly is that whatever outreach a candidate tries, it WILL be mixed because the other side will find something to take out of context.
Everything is terrible but! I'm making a huge batch of tomato soup concentrate from fresh heirloom tomatoes, for freezing, and it is beautiful
August 30, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Everything is terrible but! I'm making a huge batch of tomato soup concentrate from fresh heirloom tomatoes, for freezing, and it is beautiful
It got worse in the subhead. Yeah, local gun laws didn't stop the shooting because the shooter drove from Nevada. People can move between places. That doesn't mean gun laws don't work but that we need stronger gun laws nationally.
July 30, 2025 at 4:43 PM
It got worse in the subhead. Yeah, local gun laws didn't stop the shooting because the shooter drove from Nevada. People can move between places. That doesn't mean gun laws don't work but that we need stronger gun laws nationally.
The "limits" of strong local gun laws, are you kidding me? The gunman drove from Nevada. People can move freely between places! It does not mean that gun laws don't work. It means that we need strong national gun laws. That's the way to prevent this. It is NOT impossible.
July 30, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The "limits" of strong local gun laws, are you kidding me? The gunman drove from Nevada. People can move freely between places! It does not mean that gun laws don't work. It means that we need strong national gun laws. That's the way to prevent this. It is NOT impossible.
One year ago today my son and I attended Kamala Harris's first presidential campaign event in Milwaukee. We thought we were witnessing history.
Sob.
Sob.
July 23, 2025 at 5:57 PM
One year ago today my son and I attended Kamala Harris's first presidential campaign event in Milwaukee. We thought we were witnessing history.
Sob.
Sob.
And people say Bluesky is lacking in ideological diversity.
July 13, 2025 at 2:25 PM
And people say Bluesky is lacking in ideological diversity.