Meredith Shiner
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meredithshiner.com
Meredith Shiner
@meredithshiner.com
21K followers 1.4K following 8.6K posts
current twitter ex-pat. past congressional reporter. contributing editor @newrepublic.com. running a communications consulting business and raising a tiny baseball fan irl.

let’s work together! ⬇️

meredithshiner.com
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meredithshiner.com
Just got this memory from 11 (!) years ago: fun fact about me is that I noticed this banner I loved had disappeared from the rafters at a GW “buff and blue scrimmage” and leveraged old twitter to become friends with the AD at the future Mr.’s alma mater to secure it a new home not the dumpster
Josh posing with the old Red Auerbach banner from the smith center featuring a cartoon version of Red holding a stogey with the message “GW SALUTES Red Auerbach.”
November 11, 2025 at 1:22 AM
meredithshiner.com
Byron Dorgan’s farmer’s tan is iconic tbqh
Members of Congress in the House gym after a scrimmage with Magic Johnson in 1988
November 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM
meredithshiner.com
do you have a normal desk or did you spend a decade of your life in a newsroom
“Reporter” desk with chaotic weird kitsch
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
meredithshiner.com
Chicago—do we know of any direct organizing for holiday gifts this year? I have an extremely gently used Teamson modular play kitchen (it retails #inthesetarifftimes for $370) and I would love to find a great way to directly donate it to a toddler who would love it.
From the website: "With its contemporary style appliances and trendy farmhouse sink and faucet, this gray with gold accents play kitchen will keep kids entertained. Includes an interactive ice maker and knobs that turn and click for a realistic experience."
November 9, 2025 at 8:51 PM
meredithshiner.com
Taps the sign: Chuck Schumer does not understand the concept of leverage or what to do with it (from me about a month ago). newrepublic.com/article/2014...
Worse than how these legislative impasses have become commonplace in the rhythms and cadence of D.C., though, is how Democrats do not seem to know how to use them to build political capital, leverage, and public consensus. Yes, Republicans control the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives. They undoubtedly own this shutdown, despite their cartoonish protestations on every government website, which skirt federal law. These missives are giving "clunky dictatorship" vibes-only underscoring how unworthy our would-be oppressors truly are. But Democrats control their own behaviors, words, and actions. They have been living with these mendacious Republicans and this dysfunctional media since the Tea Party takeover of 2010. Every time Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York-the Democrat with the most power in a shutdown because his withholding of seven senators toward a procedural vote keeps Republicans from proceeding-says that Democrats are looking to open the government through a negotiation around and deal on Affordable Care Act subsidies, he is acquiescing to the idea that a government in which Border Patrol agents paid with our tax dollars can shoot real bullets at protesters in Chicago after screaming "Do something, bitch!" can and should be deemed legitimate. The truth is that Democrats can pay a million consultants to come up with a million different talking points on health care subsidies. They can keep holding press conferences in the Senate studio like every other press conference before it, talking to the same reporters, pretending like we live in a redeemable timeline where if they just keep on acting like it's 2007, we might fall through a time portal that makes it so. But we live here in a country with a co-opted executive branch led by racist, xenophobic idiots who do not believe in law, empowered by a slavishly devoted Supreme Court that has decided shoveling unlimited power to said executive is more important than the law it disregards, and where the president thinks he can send national guardsmen from red states to blue states just because people of color live here and Fox News hosts hate that. Who is served by pretending we live in an America different from this one? It's certainly not the people being attacked in the streets in Chicago's Logan Square, Humboldt Park, South Shore, Brighton Park, and Little Village, among many other diverse neighborhoods.
November 9, 2025 at 7:12 PM
meredithshiner.com
Update!!
Completed Nike basketball Lego set with spinning basketball
November 8, 2025 at 11:31 PM
meredithshiner.com
I got the kid Nike Legos for his birthday (his two favorite brands) and we are making progress this weekend!!
A special edition Nike basketball Lego set with a blue Nike Lego Jordan basketball shoe on a stand with alternating light and dark blue letters that spell DUNK
November 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM
meredithshiner.com
reminder David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel both went on the record to Politico to say they were fine with this, either knowing the result would be mass death of children or being too dumb to know. Decide for yourself what’s worse!
When I asked veteran strategist David Axelrod whether Democrats were "walking into a trap" on defending foreign aid, he literally finished my sentence. "My heart is with the people out on the street outside USAID, but my head tells me: 'Man, Trump will be well satisfied to have this fight," he said. "When you talk about cuts, the first thing people say is: Cut foreign aid." Rahm Emanuel - the former House leader, Chicago mayor and diplomat - told me much the same: "You don't fight every fight. You don't swing at every pitch. And my view is — while I care about the USAID as a former ambassador - that's not the hill I'm going to die on," he said.
November 7, 2025 at 1:47 PM
meredithshiner.com
stopped by a bookstore and got to put an actual print edition of a magazine in my hand, which honestly was pretty dope!
Photo of the page containing the masthead of the new republic: The New Republic Chairman and Editor in Chief Win McCormack Editor Michaol Tomasky Magazine Editorial Director Literary Editor Managing Editor Senior Editor Design Director Photo Director Production Manager Poetry Editor Contributing Copy Editor newrepublic.com Digital Director Executive Editor Deputy Editors Art Unrector Staff Writers Associate Wniters Copy Editor Lead Developer Product Manager Reporter-Researchers Contributing Editors Emily Cooke Laura Marsh Lorraine Cademartori Alex Shephard Andy Omel Stephanie Heimann Joan Yang Rowan Ricardo Phillips Howery Pack Mindy Kay Bricker Ryan Kearney Heather Souvaine Horn Jason Linkins Tori Otten Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani Robert A. Di leso Jr. Kate Aronoff Perry Bacon Matt Ford Melissa Gira Grant Timothy Noah Nothie? Greg Sargent Grace Segers Malcolm Ferguson Ellie Quinian Houghtaling Edith Olmsted Kirsten Denker Tom Fletcher Carla Nudel Kate Mabus Indigo Olivier Sam Russok Rachel Kahn Molly Wright Rumaan Alam Nina Burleigh Alexander Chee Ana Mario Cox Siddhartha Deb Felipe De La Hoz Jan Dutkiewicz Liza Featherstone Ted Genoways Virginia Hotternan Patrick Iber Kathryn Joyce Simon Lazarus Harry Litman Phillip Maciak Pablo Manriquez Susan Milligan Osita Nwanovu Aaron Regunberg Susan Rinkunas Melody Schreiber Meredith Shiner Jacob Silverman Jordan Michael Smith Interim Publisher Chief Financial Officer Sales Director Marketing Director Director of Engagement Engagement Associate Sales and Marketing Manager Bryan Groves David Myer Anthony Bolinsky Kym Blanchard Dan Pritchett Matthew Liner Michelle Tennant-Timmons SCREENGRAS FROM FACE BOO% Lake Avenue Publishing 1 Union Square West New York, NY 10003 For subscription inquiries or problems, call (800) 827-1289 It’s me!!
November 7, 2025 at 3:59 AM
meredithshiner.com
who needs a mental acuity test when this is such a hilarious fail
Lori Lightfoot and her long luxurious hair that she spent so much money on
November 6, 2025 at 3:48 PM
meredithshiner.com
Consider listening to more than an hour of this “for the full effect.”
Did Women Ruin the Workplace? And can conservative feminism fix it? Interesting Times with Ross Douthat 61:47 Below is an edited transcript of an episode of "Interesting Times." We recommend listening to it in its original form for the full effect. You can do so using the player above or on the NYTimes app, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts.
November 6, 2025 at 1:41 PM
meredithshiner.com
I have an everlasting take for this. newrepublic.com/article/1865...
Which brings me to my final, and perhaps most important, point: One of the reasons CNN was so set on baselessly attacking Tlaib in this fashion was because she criticized Nessel the same week former president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump preemptively blamed “the Jews” for his potential loss in November. Trump said “a lot of bad things will happen” if the Jews, held by Democrats in a “curse” to oppose him, succeed in getting Vice President Kamala Harris elected. That special segment from Bash? By design, it treated Whitmer and Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who refused to denounce Trump’s comments, as equal. In our current media landscape, threats to civility must be presented as a dysfunction equally held by both major American political parties if they’re to be discussed on broadcast news at all. This is dangerous and dissonant, especially given what happened in the 2020 election. We know the result of Trump’s preelection threats and theories in 2020: an actual attack on the United States Capitol by those convinced by Trump that they could just “hang Mike Pence” so Trump could take back the White House. What might happen in January 2025 with these overt threats to Jews in 2024? Why are we downplaying this, and who is served by it? Why are we pretending that Tlaib’s generalized complaint about the right to dissent is the same thing as Trump’s constant incitements to political violence? The effort expended on bothsidesing us into meaninglessness inoculates those in power from criticism and simultaneously emboldens a reckless wannabe dictator.
November 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
meredithshiner.com
Northwest side friends there seems to be a lot of activity today. From @icirr.bsky.social’s action alerts.
ICIRR Eyes on ICE Update 11/4: Rapid Response Teams verified presence of federal agents near Milwaukee & Richmond, Western & Cornelia, Western & Addison in Chicago. Agents remain in the area. 3 people have been abducted. Agents were seen driving a black Ford Taurus, a black Chevy sedan, a blue Nissan Altima, a gray Ford Explorer, and a Silver Dodge Charger. You have the right to film police activity, the right to remain silent, the right to speak to an attorney, & the right to refuse to sign anything. Hoy, la Red de Respuesta Rapida verifico la presencia de agentes federales a las Milwaukee & Richmond, Western & Cornelia, Western & Addison en Chicago. Los agentes permanecen en el area. Tres personas han sido secuestradas. Los agentes fueron vistos en una Ford Taurus negra, Chevy coche negra, Nissan Altima azul, Ford Explorer gris, Dodge Charger plata. Usted tiene el derecho de grabar la actividad policial, el derecho a permanecer
November 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
meredithshiner.com
This is devastating, and it is also the society we have allowed a broken government to create for our kids. So many kids are getting exposed to this terror. They deserve a childhood of joy and it’s been taken from them.
newrepublic.com/article/2023...
But I would argue that in America-where an estimated three million children are exposed to school shootings every year, where 16 million children who rely on government assistance to be fed are at risk of losing those benefits in an indefinite government shutdown, where early childhood education is not universal—there is nothing more serious or damning than government dysfunction making safety the ceiling for our children, as opposed to the floor. Broken government has made a safe, secure, and happy childhood a privilege, not a right. If you have ever been incensed about governmental inaction in the face of school shootings and the trauma they cause, then you should also be enraged that a new form of randomized terror and collective trauma is happening in America's cities right now. Kids and parents are being abducted, and the government is not just sitting on the sidelines: It's the one doing the abducting.
November 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM
meredithshiner.com
Relatedly, why is Virginia always a bellweather everyone must grapple with when New York City isn’t 🤔
New York / Population 8.478 million (2024) 10M 5M 1990 Los Angeles 3.879 million (2024) - 2000 2010 Chicago 2.721 million (2024) 2020 Virginia / Population 8.811 million (2024) 15M -10M 5M 1940 North Carolina 11.05 million (2024) 1960 1980 2000 West Virginia 1.77 million (2024) 2020
November 2, 2025 at 1:54 AM
meredithshiner.com
Bluesky has the juice
# Following Discover Popular With Friends evy kwong -@evystadium.bsky.so... • now BO BICHETTE'S GRANDFATHER IS CHINESE OUR ANCESTORS ARE IN THE DOME TONIGHT 山… Lauren Theisen @laurentheisen.bs... • now Touch 'em all, Bo ••• Meredith Shiner @meredithshiner.... • now BO KNOWS BOMBS T••• Josh Zembik @jzembik.bsky.social • now But can Bichette score on that?? ... 1 KD Casey - Read Brea. @kdcase... • now that's one way not to stress your knee 21 0 2 •• • KD Casey - Read Brea. @kdcase... • now hit the ball far, run slow ••• Razzball @razzball.bsky.social • no Dave Roberts Masterclass!
November 2, 2025 at 1:02 AM
meredithshiner.com
I mean, come on.
Noah Reid being so excited and cute about tonight’s blue jays game on the field with his kid. His Instagram caption with nothing but Schitt’s Creek coworker engagement: Liked by annefrances and others olreid Beyond honoured to get to sing O Canada tonight at the World Series game 7. Anyone who knows me knows my unconditional love for the Blue Jays. I'm so proud of this team, this city, this country, and it's the honour of a lifetime to get to be a part of this historic moment. LET'S GO BLUE JAYS!!!! #wantitall instadanjlevy Could cry sarahplevy HUGE
November 1, 2025 at 10:24 PM
meredithshiner.com
Ok guys I need you to know the actor who played Patrick on Schitt’s Creek, Noah Reid, is Canadian and also a singer and is performing the national anthem tonight for Game 7 in the World Series and WE NEED THIS W.
Patrick and David’s engagement photo from Schitt’s Creek after David made Patrick do a spray tan
November 1, 2025 at 10:19 PM
meredithshiner.com
I kinda hate that Kristi Noem is the art here because in the end this isn’t a story about her or idiot cosplaying ghouls like Greg Bovino but is instead about us and the power we all have to show up for each other because we have no choice. So here’s a pic of our Lego Batman trying on his costume.
Lego Batman trying on his costume for the first time
October 31, 2025 at 12:05 PM
meredithshiner.com
ICE terror is sort of like school shootings. It can and will happen anywhere and at any time and our kids, wherever they live or whatever they look like, will see it. The former is enabled by government inaction. The latter is a direct result of government action.
But I would argue that in America-where an estimated three million children are exposed to school shootings every year, where 16 million children who rely on government assistance to be fed are at risk of losing those benefits in an indefinite government shutdown, where early childhood education is not universal—there is nothing more serious or damning than government dysfunction making safety the ceiling for our children, as opposed to the floor. Broken government has made a safe, secure, and happy childhood a privilege, not a right. If you have ever been incensed about governmental inaction in the face of school shootings and the trauma they cause, then you should also be enraged that a new form of randomized terror and collective trauma is happening in America's cities right now. Kids and parents are being abducted, and the government is not just sitting on the sidelines: It's the one doing the abducting.
October 31, 2025 at 12:01 PM
meredithshiner.com
just saw this @ashleerezin.bsky.social photo and am wondering if anyone saw this moment with Greg Bovino live and can tell me it was not actually what it appears to be
The head of the goon squad leaving a federal courthouse appearing to sig heil
October 29, 2025 at 2:26 AM
meredithshiner.com
There’s a @briancassella.bsky.social shot for this from just today!!
Greg Bovino and his CBP team in their car leaving the federal courthouse with the reflection of a Chicagoan giving them the middle finger in the car window glass
October 28, 2025 at 7:57 PM
meredithshiner.com
Thanks to @gregsargent.bsky.social for hosting me on The Daily Blast.

tl;dr we as citizens have to keep our eyes open and focused on what’s happening right now in places like Chicago. Why can’t the political press?

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
In today's installment, New Republic contributing editor Meredith Shiner, who regularly critiques press coverage of this administration, paints a powerful picture of the horrors this administration is visiting on everyday people, including in Chicago, where she lives. She argues that the press should connect Trump's mental decline directly to these real-world impacts by highlighting who's really running things behind the scenes, and discusses how Democrats might drive home the horrific human toll of it all.
October 28, 2025 at 2:21 PM
meredithshiner.com
"You used to be able to call Dodge, set something up for the next day, spend two-three hours talking," Thompson said. "Now I have to fight and find out where they are, try to schedule a time to speak with them. And the family is sitting on pins and needles. They have no idea where their loved one is. They have no idea what's going on. I'm spending all my time not trying to analyze their case, but simply to find out where they are and try to arrange a time to chat with them. It's horrible.""
October 22, 2025 at 4:18 PM
meredithshiner.com
Today’s white board

cc @emilythorson.bsky.social
A white board with your author’s notes on The Invented State THE INVENTED STATE misperceptions v. misinformation - policy-potential - policy-outcome - policy-current Strategy frames / novelty / *curse of knowledge*
October 22, 2025 at 1:24 PM