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Marissa Nelson

@itsmarissanelson.com

420 followers 41 following 160 posts

Event + journalism things @19thnews.org Formerly: Producer @WTTW #ChicagoTonight, EIC @14EastMag, Intern @ NBC + @TheView. @DePaulJOUR Alum. Posts are my own.

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Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · 23d

Such a critical part of the ongoing story of political violence in the U.S.

“Violence that is rooted in gendered issues is a huge predictor of — and possibly the biggest predictor, in some studies — of trajectories that lead to mass violence... Over half of mass shooters are targeting a partner.”

Want to stop political violence? Start by addressing hostile sexism

In her new book, an expert on violent extremism lays out evidence that gender-based bigotry fuels hate — so national security officials need to do something about it.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · 24d

"Abughazaleh’s campaign slogan is a question: 'What if we didn’t suck?' The 'we' are Democrats."

Kat Abughazaleh’s punk-rock House bid

The 26-year-old Chicagoan is betting that empathy and righteous anger can remake Democratic politics.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · 24d

“We should be thinking about what this means for the social safety net we provide for poor families and the ways in which these destabilizing effects can have ripple effects into their communities."

Abortion bans push families deeper into poverty and drive up crime, economists say

Researchers found a “strikingly large” relationship between restrictions on abortion and property crime, underscoring the connection between abortion bans and poverty.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Sep 9

Virginia is one of 32 states that would automatically ban same-sex marriage if Obergefell is overturned.

A push to ditch Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban hinges on this year’s elections

Democrats are fighting to keep their legislative majority in the Virginia legislature. A marriage equality referendum depends on their success.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Sep 9

“It seems to me that we are abandoning science now,” she said. “If we do that, I’m not quite sure how we are going to really keep our kids safe from our changing climate and environmental hazards in general.”

In a single email, the EPA ended her research into how climate change endangers children

Jane Clougherty spent years studying how extreme weather affects kids’ health, but as climate threats continue to rise, the Trump administration cancelled her work.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Sep 8

The president’s comments were part of a speech he delivered at the Religious Liberty Commission’s meeting at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.

Trump downplays domestic violence in speech about religious freedom

In a speech about religious freedom, Trump talks about domestic violence and crime stats in Washington, D.C.,

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Sep 4

The bill will also authorize lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers if they make medications used by Texans for abortion — a provision that could chill drug development and make the pills harder to attain for people beyond the Lone Star State.

Texas passes bill banning abortion pills from being mailed to the state

The legislation lets private citizens sue people who mail abortion medications to Texans. It offers a blueprint for state lawmakers trying to stop their residents from circumventing abortion bans.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Sep 4

“They can try as hard as they want, nobody will ever shatter the trans community or take away our deep and innate understanding of who we genuinely are. We know exactly who we are, and we will continue to fight for a better Texas, a better home for us all.”

Texas legislature bans transgender people from public bathrooms

The state's bathroom bill would block trans people from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender at schools or government buildings.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Sep 3

The laws have added another risk for creators, as well: Litigation can be used to leak the full names and addresses of sex workers, who are vulnerable to stalkers and anti-porn harassment.

Age verification on porn sites is putting queer adult industry workers at risk

The laws requiring digital age checks — sold as child protection — are tanking the income of adult industry workers, risking their safety and even forcing them out of business.

Reposted by Marissa Nelson

dan sinker @dansinker.com · Sep 3

Chicago is doing the work.

agitator in chief @soit-goes.bsky.social · Sep 3

"The Chicago Police Department’s criminal homicide tally for June, July and August is the lowest in 60 years. And overall violent crime remains near its lowest point in more than four decades."
www.wbez.org/news/2025/09...

Chicago sees its fewest summer murders since 1965

The Chicago Police Department’s criminal homicide tally for June, July and August is the lowest in 60 years. And overall violent crime remains near its lowest point in more than four decades.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 29

Harris is going out on the road to promote her book “107 Days,” detailing her whirlwind 2024 presidential campaign against Trump. Her book tour, with 18 planned stops so far in the U.S. and internationally, will be her most high-profile public appearances since her election loss in November.

Trump revokes Kamala Harris' extended Secret Service protection

The move comes ahead of the former vice president’s book tour and cancels extra security that had been authorized by former President Joe Biden.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 29

“Being able to be in spaces where you are understood, feel seen, feel like you can absolutely be yourself and not have to hide any parts of you is so important."

This summer, parents stitched together child care to give their kids a ‘space for Black joy’

Amid rising camp costs and limited options, parents built their own patchwork of child care plans with relatives, community programs and Black-led camps.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 28

“The current administration talks about wanting to build a workforce. My question is how do parents become a part of this workforce if there is no safe and educational place to put their children?” she said. Now, “I’m taking people out of the workforce.”

19thnews.org/2025/08/head...

When did caring for America’s most vulnerable kids become political?

Though it survived elimination, Head Start is under threat. Now that they have been directed to ban undocumented children, providers wonder if politics has changed the program forever.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 28

“If you’re a single mom, stuck in a low wage job. How do you pay for recovery?” Forshee asked.“The work that we do is important because we provide a place for their kids to go while they participate in the training that puts them on a pathway to earning higher wages.”

@jkutzie.bsky.social reports.

Single moms found a foothold in trade jobs after Hurricane Katrina. That progress is in jeopardy.

Cuts under Trump are impacting a program that for nearly 20 years has helped women find financial security before the next big storm.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 15

Losing timely economic data, particularly at a time when the economy is showing signs of softening, is bad for every group, economists told @19thnews.org. But it could disproportionately impact women and women of color.

@chabeli.bsky.social's latest.

Suspending monthly economic reports would be really bad for women of color

Trump’s pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggested a pause of the monthly employment reports, the only timely economic measure of how women of color are faring in the economy.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 14

“When all of us are feeling squeezed at the grocery store, at the bank, at day care — it’s no wonder that frustrations are boiling over."

From tissues to tariffs: The school supply debate just got political

“The issue here is not teachers versus parents. The real problem is the slashing of education budgets and the rising costs.”

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 13

"I’m sure if you were to say to Trump, ‘You’re doing the same thing that Michelle Obama originally started doing when Barack Obama was president,’ he would probably not only deny it, but he probably would be pretty offended.”

@bcrodriguez.bsky.social's latest.

Before Trump’s efforts to make kids healthier, there was Michelle Obama

The first lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to improve school nutrition and exercise drew some criticism from the right — which has been much more muted as the Trump administration promotes MAHA messagi...

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 13

“As an educator, it is my job, it is my role, it is my duty to try to figure out how to use AI, but have it be safe and ethical."

@nadrakn.bsky.social reports.

How AI is giving teachers back six weeks of time each school year

Educators are using AI to streamline lesson plans, personalize learning and reduce burnout, freeing up hours for themselves and their students.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 12

“What does it mean for somebody who’s running an organization which has had its struggles over the years integrating women and trying to understand existential questions about women’s role in combat? Are Hegseth’s views reinforced by his religion now?" 19thnews.org/2025/08/pete...

Who’s questioning women’s right to vote?

A post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth showed his support of a fringe evangelical Christianity that is gaining more traction in the Republican Party.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 7

Some scientists have touted mRNA technology as a possible avenue to develop other vaccines, including ones to treat various cancers, including breast cancer, which is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.

@shefali.bsky.social reports.

A promising path to breast cancer treatment just hit a political roadblock

The government’s cancellation of almost $500 million in contracts involving mRNA vaccines could halt progress on cancer research.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 7

A preliminary review of the graphic images that two board members saw on the TV during the meeting suggests the scenes were from a movie that began playing automatically due to a technical glitch with Samsung’s free streaming service.

@nadrakn.bsky.social reports.

Nudity on Oklahoma superintendent's office TV was just a mishap, state House speaker suggests

A preliminary investigation into Ryan Walters suggests a technical glitch led to an inappropriate movie auto-playing during a closed-door board meeting, but tensions remain high.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 6

“We can’t go gently, we have to fight,” Zwiener told The 19th earlier this week from New York, where she decamped after holding a Saturday town hall on the proposed redistricting with her constituents. @amandabecker.bsky.social reports.

‘She needs to have a democracy to grow up in’: The moms who left Texas to defend its future

Democratic lawmakers fled the state to protest a Trump-backed redistricting plan. For the mothers among them, leaving meant juggling summer milestones, first days of school — and showing their kids wh...

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 6

“Democracy is not self-executing; people have to defend it and be willing to act. This is about visibility, accountability + disruption to injustice that’s being attempted."

@19thnews.org talks w women, queer+trans folks at the forefront of the fight for voting rights on the VRA's 60th anniversary.

The Voting Rights Act turns 60 — but its promise is still under threat

As voting rights lose ground, the 19th spoke with four of the advocates working to preserve the path to the ballot for the most marginalized voters.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Aug 6

“It’s not just about raising money. It makes it possible for women to be here in a place that they have been so excluded from throughout the history of this country.” @gracepanetta.bsky.social reports.

Democratic women in the House are trying to grow their ranks to 100

Elect Democratic Women has quietly emerged as a force for recruiting, training and supporting the women candidates they believe can win back control of the the lower chamber in 2026.

Marissa Nelson @itsmarissanelson.com · Jul 16

Critics warn mass layoffs will weaken civil rights enforcement, leaving marginalized youth — including students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and those with disabilities — without federal protections. 19thnews.org/2025/07/supr...

Supreme Court ruling allows Trump to gut Education Dept., sparking fears for vulnerable students

Critics warn staffing cuts will hurt civil rights enforcement and strip federal protections from already marginalized populations.