Michael Kusek
@michaelkusek.bsky.social
Publisher of Different Leaf. Former Take magazine. I never have enough good sense to stay home. Always looking for art, design, ideas & trends.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
You still think "training" is what's needed here @booker.senate.gov? You can kiss my entire ass with that mess.
Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old US citizen, was arrested and detained by ICE. She was held for TWO DAYS.
ICE agents handcuffed her, called her a racial slur, and she was knocked to the ground so hard she got a concussion.
This cannot continue happening. ICE needs to leave.
ICE agents handcuffed her, called her a racial slur, and she was knocked to the ground so hard she got a concussion.
This cannot continue happening. ICE needs to leave.
January 22, 2026 at 3:50 AM
You still think "training" is what's needed here @booker.senate.gov? You can kiss my entire ass with that mess.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
"'Our operations are lawful, targeted and focused on individuals who pose a serious threat to this community,' Bovino said..."
Again, Liam is **five**. Five years old.
Again, Liam is **five**. Five years old.
Please help us bring Liam Adrian Cornejo Ramos (he’s only 5 years of age and is currently in pre-K. Yesterday, he and his father were kidnapped by ICE. This will help the family with legal services to help reunite Liam and his dad with their family.
gofund.me/be8a1b2ab
gofund.me/be8a1b2ab
Donate to Help Bring 5-Year-Old Liam Home, organized by sarai Orquiz
Liam Adrian Cornejo Ramos is just 5 years old and currently in pre-K. Yesterday, he and h… sarai Orquiz needs your support for Help Bring 5-Year-Old Liam Home
gofund.me
January 22, 2026 at 2:46 AM
"'Our operations are lawful, targeted and focused on individuals who pose a serious threat to this community,' Bovino said..."
Again, Liam is **five**. Five years old.
Again, Liam is **five**. Five years old.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Hung a guy at Nuremburg for doing this, FYI. Not "a thing like this" but literally this, exactly.
January 21, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Hung a guy at Nuremburg for doing this, FYI. Not "a thing like this" but literally this, exactly.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
This should be next to "sane-washing" in the dictionary.
January 20, 2026 at 8:56 PM
This should be next to "sane-washing" in the dictionary.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Tell your senators to say NO to ICE.
January 19, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Tell your senators to say NO to ICE.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
This essay by @alexanderchee.bsky.social about Heated Rivalry is so great and I have a lot of thoughts about it I should not publish on Al Gore's internet: querent.substack.com/p/i-would-st...
I Would Start A War In Your Arms
A Heated Rivalry Notebook
querent.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 7:39 PM
This essay by @alexanderchee.bsky.social about Heated Rivalry is so great and I have a lot of thoughts about it I should not publish on Al Gore's internet: querent.substack.com/p/i-would-st...
One of my Heated Rivalry treasures has been swapping memes and other gems from the fandom with @alexanderchee.bsky.social. He mentioned that he was working on an essay and, unsurprisingly, it is my favorite thing written about the show.
I Would Start A War In Your Arms
A Heated Rivalry Notebook
querent.substack.com
January 17, 2026 at 8:35 PM
One of my Heated Rivalry treasures has been swapping memes and other gems from the fandom with @alexanderchee.bsky.social. He mentioned that he was working on an essay and, unsurprisingly, it is my favorite thing written about the show.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Lunas Campos, a Cuban national, died on January 3, 2026, after a confrontation with five guards. He was asking for medication. A inmate stated he saw guards choking him while Lunas Campos repeatedly cried out in Spanish, "No puedo respirar" ("I can't breathe"), before falling silent.
Murderers!
Murderers!
January 17, 2026 at 1:03 AM
Lunas Campos, a Cuban national, died on January 3, 2026, after a confrontation with five guards. He was asking for medication. A inmate stated he saw guards choking him while Lunas Campos repeatedly cried out in Spanish, "No puedo respirar" ("I can't breathe"), before falling silent.
Murderers!
Murderers!
Reposted by Michael Kusek
While the pasty incels who work the federal agencies continue to churn out feeble, bloodless AI pastiches of Axis propaganda, here’s how a living breathing artist powerfully invokes design history. This is by illustrator Emily K in South Philly, a free poster-sized download on her website: →
January 15, 2026 at 7:57 PM
While the pasty incels who work the federal agencies continue to churn out feeble, bloodless AI pastiches of Axis propaganda, here’s how a living breathing artist powerfully invokes design history. This is by illustrator Emily K in South Philly, a free poster-sized download on her website: →
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Ms. Cohen is getting to the heart of the matter.
pulling this reflection on white silence/fear over here, too:
January 16, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Ms. Cohen is getting to the heart of the matter.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Democrats in the US (and many others in other places) seem stuck on figuring out where the wind will blow from
tomorrow instead of realizing their own power to make the weather.
The political right has been so much better at using an attention-fueled information ecosystem to their advantage…
tomorrow instead of realizing their own power to make the weather.
The political right has been so much better at using an attention-fueled information ecosystem to their advantage…
Hey, @amyklobuchar.com and @smith.senate.gov: I'm not a senator, but if ICE thugs were rampaging through the major city in my state, I might try to impede Senate business as usual and try to bring everything to a halt until I could get answers or force some votes.
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...
Democrats Appear Ready to Duck a Key Fight on ICE
Top Senate Democrats are focused on other priorities in the government funding fight.
open.substack.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Democrats in the US (and many others in other places) seem stuck on figuring out where the wind will blow from
tomorrow instead of realizing their own power to make the weather.
The political right has been so much better at using an attention-fueled information ecosystem to their advantage…
tomorrow instead of realizing their own power to make the weather.
The political right has been so much better at using an attention-fueled information ecosystem to their advantage…
Defund ICE is the only position.
This is 10th-grader Arnoldo Bazan.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
A citizen.
Immigration agents grabbed him and put him in a chokehold.
"We're from the United States bro!' he screamed.
Agents took and sold his phone
And when he finally got home hours later, his shirt was ripped, he neck had angry, red welts, and he sobbed.
January 14, 2026 at 3:27 AM
Defund ICE is the only position.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
The pivot from childless cat ladies to terrorist wine moms was pretty seamless, I'd say.
January 13, 2026 at 8:47 PM
The pivot from childless cat ladies to terrorist wine moms was pretty seamless, I'd say.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Day after day
a woman wearing glasses and a red sweater is saying `` it 's always something '' .
Alt: Gilda Radner as Roseanne Roseannadanna is wearing glasses and a red sweater and saying `` it 's always something '' .
media.tenor.com
January 13, 2026 at 1:44 AM
Day after day
Ok, fine. Make me like him more.
January 12, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Ok, fine. Make me like him more.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
BREAKING: Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife has made a “transformational” donation to the LGBTQ+ advocacy group. This large gift comes just months after the Trump administration shut down counseling services for queer youth.
My latest for @wired.com:
My latest for @wired.com:
MacKenzie Scott Donates $45 Million to the Trevor Project
Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife has made a donation to the LGBTQ+ advocacy group that the organization calls “transformational.”
www.wired.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:33 PM
BREAKING: Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife has made a “transformational” donation to the LGBTQ+ advocacy group. This large gift comes just months after the Trump administration shut down counseling services for queer youth.
My latest for @wired.com:
My latest for @wired.com:
That cross around her neck ain't getting her into heaven.
for the second time today, Leavitt calls Renee Good "a lunatic" and then she storms away from reporters
January 12, 2026 at 6:35 PM
That cross around her neck ain't getting her into heaven.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
we have been way too tolerant of cowards: we should be demanding that far more people in power who claim to be against the murderous evil of MAGA meet the standard currently being demonstrated by Jerome Fucking Powell
Jerome Powell: "This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation."
January 12, 2026 at 1:17 AM
we have been way too tolerant of cowards: we should be demanding that far more people in power who claim to be against the murderous evil of MAGA meet the standard currently being demonstrated by Jerome Fucking Powell
Reposted by Michael Kusek
There is only one terrorist organization running coordinated operations in U.S. cities, and it is the United States Federal Government.
Everybody should watch this and see this woman, who has a baby in her arms and is thrust into basically a standoff, develop courage in real time.
From the minnesota community on Reddit: ST. PAUL, MN: A sobbing resident calls 911 as federal agents force their way into her home to chase down a DoorDash driver who was just trying to deliver food.
Explore this post and more from the minnesota community
www.reddit.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:38 PM
There is only one terrorist organization running coordinated operations in U.S. cities, and it is the United States Federal Government.
Ken knows what’s up. Be like Ken.
This kind of thing does point out a real ethical dilemma: block or mute?
January 10, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Ken knows what’s up. Be like Ken.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Renee Macklin Good's wife, Becca Good, released a statement and it moved me to sobbing tears:
archive.is/ur35j
archive.is/ur35j
January 9, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Renee Macklin Good's wife, Becca Good, released a statement and it moved me to sobbing tears:
archive.is/ur35j
archive.is/ur35j
Reposted by Michael Kusek
After federal troops forced a fugitive slave named Anthony Burns back into slavery in the 1850s, one Bostonian wrote, “we went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad Abolitionists.” The abuse of power radicalizes people. We are seeing that now.
April 18, 2025 at 1:33 AM
After federal troops forced a fugitive slave named Anthony Burns back into slavery in the 1850s, one Bostonian wrote, “we went to bed one night old-fashioned, conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up stark mad Abolitionists.” The abuse of power radicalizes people. We are seeing that now.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
Amanda Gorman wrote this poem for Renee Good and that’s it for me tonight.
January 9, 2026 at 2:54 AM
Amanda Gorman wrote this poem for Renee Good and that’s it for me tonight.
Reposted by Michael Kusek
