As climate change accelerates, local experts say the date Wisconsin's Lake Mendota freezes over is getting later, making safe conditions for activities that rely on snow and ice harder to predict. n.pr/3ODwqCz
BREAKING: A push to name one of Chicago’s snowplows “Abolish ICE,” clearly linking the humorous pun to efforts to oppose President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort, won the city’s annual snowplow naming contest, officials announced. @wttw.bsky.social
Good news: The Wisconsin Assembly advanced its anti-SLAPP bill to the the Senate.
Legislatures in red, blue, and purple states understand there's nothing partisan about protecting journalists, activists, and everyone else from anti-speech lawfare.
Madison, Wisconsin — 2026
Built in 1917, the Wisconsin State Capitol is a Beaux-Arts masterpiece constructed materials such as Algerian onyx, Italian marble, and Wisconsin granite. Designed by George B. Post, its massive dome is one of the largest masonry domes in the world. FORWARD!
Or anyone else
She spent the whole morning performatively screaming at Congressmen, but this image of Bondi saying nothing and refusing to turn around will be the only real takeaway from her testimony today.
Everyone has had a coworker like this, who is in over their head and shouts to mask their incompetence.
Now we learn the billionaire owner of a bridge that will compete w/the new Canada-MI bridge met with Lutnick right before Trump issued his threat to shut down the new bridge. The Trump admin is a lawless mafia gangster extortion racket existing to enrich oligarchs at our expense.
The stalwart alt-weekly @chicagoreader.com, which has served the city for a half century, returns to print today in a new monthly format.
I talked to new EIC Sarah Conway about what Chicagoans can expect from this new era for @blockclubchi.bsky.social: blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/04/i...
Protest sign from MN that says, “DEARLY BELOVED. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TODISMANTLE THIS THING CALLED ICE.” with a picture of Prince in the left hand lower corner.
10/10 ICE protest sign
"Abolish ICE" was submitted 9,200 times for Chicago's snowplow naming contest, records show. blockclubchi.co/3ZAnDTZ
If Democrats haven't announced their proposal for the Donald Trump No Guns in Public bill by the end of the day, they're missing an easy shot
CHARLES RAFFERTY The Problem with Early Warnings People don't like to leave a party unless the house is actually on fire. Even then, if the flames are far enough away to be pretty, they'll finish their drink, take one more pass at the hors d'oeuvres. How things happen has always been unclear. Hurricanes begin in a place where no one lives. Agents of the government start to wear masks. Fascism is a word my neighbors won't use yet. They are following the law, they say, and the sirens are coming for someone else.
This hit so fucking hard today.
Alex Pretti’s coworkers take a moment of silence this morning
DHS has shot 12 people during immigration enforcement operations since September:
SHINE A LIGHT FOR MINNESOTA TONIGHAT AT 7:00PM STEP OUTSIDE AND LIGHT A CANDLE ON OUR STREET CORNERS. WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND ALEX. ICE OUT NOW SAT. JAN 24, 7:00PM
was forwarded this by some Minnesota people; sharing here
Both of Nevada's senators--Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen--have officially come out against the DHS funding bill following the execution of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis this morning. This effectively ends the DHS funding bill in the Senate.
Post from Pete Buttigieg that reads: If there was ever a moment for libertarians and conservatives to step up and join the rest of us, we’re in it. Americans have to unite and stop this descent from a freedom-loving nation into the kind of place where masked, militarized government agents are sent to politically noncompliant areas to roam the streets, terrorize civilians, and deploy violence with impunity.
Unless the *federal government* very quickly commits to a clear and credible investigation and to hold wrongdoers accountable, all hell is about to break loose.
But we have every indication that is what they want so they can further escalate and declare an insurrection.
Last term I tried an experiment: I walked into my Tech and Design Ethics class, admitted that I had *no idea* what to do about ChatGPT - so I would let them figure it out.
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
Whatever is in the Epstein Files is so explosive that the leaders of the Department of Justice are openly breaking the law every day to keep us from seeing it. (Just a reminder amongst all the other stuff flying around.)
New— An American citizen boarding flight from Boston to Lisbon just now told me after showing boarding pass, every passenger stopped on jetway by two ICE agents demanding to take their photo. When passenger asked why, ICE threatened to detain them. If they said no photo, couldn't board/TBD detained.
This is not accurate. The interim supervisor will not be on the ballot unless they happen to be one of the top two vote-getters in the primary.
From the story, "For District 15, the two candidates with the most votes will appear on the ballot along with whoever the district’s new interim representative will be."
There's an election on April 7 in Madison, with a primary on Feb. 17.
Here's who's running for what, by @liamberan.bsky.social:
isthmus.com/news/news/wh...
At Status_ @oliverdarcy.bsky.social has learned that Bari Weiss, CBS News' Trump-approved minder, has held up another “60 Minutes” report:
An Anderson Cooper investigation of Trump’s acceptance of white S. African refugees, which is “guaranteed to provoke Trump and inflame his MAGA base.”
Completely crazy-making to watch the Trump admin and their MAGA sycophants rewrite history in realtime - and reach millions with it - despite crystal clear video evidence that directly contradicts their narrative:
Minneapolis Public Schools Dear MPS families, Out of an abundance of caution, there will be no school on Thursday, January 8, 2026 and Friday, January 9, 2026 due to safety concerns related to today's incidents around the city. All MPS-sponsored programs, activities, athletics, Community Education, including Adult Education, will be canceled. The District will not move to e-learning because that is only allowable for severe weather. MPS will continue collaborating with the City of Minneapolis and other partners on emergency preparedness and response.
This the right call.
Please check in with neighbors who may need support with childcare.
Wrote a piece for @slate.com explaining that states have a long history of prosecuting federal officers when they allegedly use excessive force. Federal officers are only immune from such prosecutions when they act reasonably in carrying out lawful duties.
