Mark Wedel
@mrreeezinable.bsky.social
Kalamazoo, Michigan, journalist. Bike pedaler. I ride bikes far, I pet our kitties hard, I drink coffee like in those '80s Coffee Achiever commercials.
I cover housing, culture, bikes, road infrastructure, environment, a hodgepodge, secondwavemedia.com
I cover housing, culture, bikes, road infrastructure, environment, a hodgepodge, secondwavemedia.com
Pinned
A former boarding house in Kalamazoo will come back to life as housing for those currently without a home – Second Wave
Kalamazoo Housing Advocates plans to open ten transitional housing rooms at 531 Bryant in November 17. Tenants must be unhoused and willing to participate in KHA's programs.
secondwavemedia.com
My latest. Old abandoned Kalamazoo boarding house turning into homes for unhoused.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Billionaire Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, pardoned by Donald Trump, has been accused of facilitating millions of dollars’ worth of payments to Hamas in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023. Zhao also financed the Trump family's entrance into the cryptocurrency market.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao accused of facilitating payments to Hamas
Crypto tycoon pardoned by Donald Trump faces US court complaint from families of victims of October 7 attack
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Billionaire Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, pardoned by Donald Trump, has been accused of facilitating millions of dollars’ worth of payments to Hamas in the wake of its attack on Israel on October 7 2023. Zhao also financed the Trump family's entrance into the cryptocurrency market.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
November 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
the key feature of "bad photoshop" was not that it was "bad" but that you could see the hand of the person who made it. "bad photoshop" is a triumph of human will over technical stumbling blocks. it's why the shaggs are magical and AI Music Slop is forgotten before you can even finish listening
November 23, 2025 at 7:40 PM
the key feature of "bad photoshop" was not that it was "bad" but that you could see the hand of the person who made it. "bad photoshop" is a triumph of human will over technical stumbling blocks. it's why the shaggs are magical and AI Music Slop is forgotten before you can even finish listening
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Now that’s a lede.
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
November 20, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Now that’s a lede.
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and @michelleboorstein.bsky.social.
Read here: www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Mark Wedel
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship.
November 18, 2025 at 1:31 PM
We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship.
The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.
Don’t give up the ship.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
I have been thinking about this line today, on the value of editors, from the late great John Bennet, for no reason in particular.
November 18, 2025 at 2:14 PM
I have been thinking about this line today, on the value of editors, from the late great John Bennet, for no reason in particular.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
The worst thing AI has done to culture in just a couple years is not that people think AI generated things are real, but that they now think real things are AI generated
November 17, 2025 at 11:46 PM
The worst thing AI has done to culture in just a couple years is not that people think AI generated things are real, but that they now think real things are AI generated
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Was thrilled to help consult for this fantastic John Oliver segment on the tragic plight of U.S. public media and why, if we hope to be a democracy, we still need public media for so many things that commercial media will never provide. Deserves a wide viewership. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yknM...
Public Media: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
YouTube video by LastWeekTonight
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Was thrilled to help consult for this fantastic John Oliver segment on the tragic plight of U.S. public media and why, if we hope to be a democracy, we still need public media for so many things that commercial media will never provide. Deserves a wide viewership. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yknM...
Reposted by Mark Wedel
![Advertising poster promoting cycling for transport featuring four people in a row on bikes. At the top the text says, "You'd be better on a bicycle", and then in a bubble it says "Still [emphasized with big, red, italicized letters] the cheapest, handiest, healthiest way of getting about."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:7vpdxcialxa6j5s7yh5g5jhf/bafkreihcp247ahol26isqxpjmh54kczqp6ieyycvhakzjug6ysgeqndpb4@jpeg)
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Whatever Trump is desperately covering up about Epstein, it’s clearly so bad that he thinks it could destroy him
November 15, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Whatever Trump is desperately covering up about Epstein, it’s clearly so bad that he thinks it could destroy him
Mid November beach at Lake Michigan. Not warm enough for swimming, but not cold.
November 14, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Mid November beach at Lake Michigan. Not warm enough for swimming, but not cold.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Not very often you see a new product that feels like major religions should issue edicts specifically forbidding it
November 14, 2025 at 5:18 AM
Not very often you see a new product that feels like major religions should issue edicts specifically forbidding it
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Michigan Republicans asking Trump to take over the 2026 election Michigan. (I know that this, in theory, references in 'monitoring'. But we're not obligated to accept bullshit cover stories.)
November 14, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Michigan Republicans asking Trump to take over the 2026 election Michigan. (I know that this, in theory, references in 'monitoring'. But we're not obligated to accept bullshit cover stories.)
My latest. Old abandoned Kalamazoo boarding house turning into homes for unhoused.
A former boarding house in Kalamazoo will come back to life as housing for those currently without a home – Second Wave
Kalamazoo Housing Advocates plans to open ten transitional housing rooms at 531 Bryant in November 17. Tenants must be unhoused and willing to participate in KHA's programs.
secondwavemedia.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:46 PM
My latest. Old abandoned Kalamazoo boarding house turning into homes for unhoused.
I’ll have to save this for later.
I'm a longtime fan of Not Just Bikes, but his 95(!) minute video on John Forester and Vehicular Cycling is truly his magnum opus.
If you are even remotely interested in the history of bicycling in America, it is worth a watch.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRPd...
If you are even remotely interested in the history of bicycling in America, it is worth a watch.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRPd...
This is Why Cycling is Dangerous in America
YouTube video by Not Just Bikes
www.youtube.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I’ll have to save this for later.
My latest. “I would put the question to people that come to see this show, why do you feel like it’s still relevant to do a piece like this? What are we seeing right now, and why do we think that we still need to do this? Do we think there is a time where we won’t need to?”
Madness, joy, and freedom: "The Colored Museum" Is a 'love letter to Black people' – Second Wave
A bold collaboration between Face Off Theatre Company and the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, "The Colored Museum" revives George C. Wolfe’s sharp, satirical look at Black identity — offering both celebratio...
secondwavemedia.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
My latest. “I would put the question to people that come to see this show, why do you feel like it’s still relevant to do a piece like this? What are we seeing right now, and why do we think that we still need to do this? Do we think there is a time where we won’t need to?”
Reposted by Mark Wedel
In my old town the GOP had run basically without serious challenge for decades. A bunch of us "millennials" joined the local Dem party and basically asked to help.
We were running it in a year. Within 4 years we had a majority of town seats flipped Dem. A FAR more progressive Dem than old party
We were running it in a year. Within 4 years we had a majority of town seats flipped Dem. A FAR more progressive Dem than old party
“Rather than taking over the Democratic Party the same way the right took over the Republican Party, we should take the easier route and just start up a new party ourselves!”
I’m about to fill my pockets with stones and walk into the sea.
I’m about to fill my pockets with stones and walk into the sea.
November 10, 2025 at 8:44 PM
In my old town the GOP had run basically without serious challenge for decades. A bunch of us "millennials" joined the local Dem party and basically asked to help.
We were running it in a year. Within 4 years we had a majority of town seats flipped Dem. A FAR more progressive Dem than old party
We were running it in a year. Within 4 years we had a majority of town seats flipped Dem. A FAR more progressive Dem than old party
Reposted by Mark Wedel
Six people died from tampered Tylenol and the company pulled 30 million bottles off the market. ChatGPT is accused of urging seven people towards suicide, and OpenAI just assures us they’re still working out the kinks. Billions in investment, zero accountability.
OpenAI faces 7 lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide, delusions
OpenAI is facing seven lawsuits claiming ChatGPT drove people to suicide and harmful delusions even when they had no prior mental health issues.
apnews.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Six people died from tampered Tylenol and the company pulled 30 million bottles off the market. ChatGPT is accused of urging seven people towards suicide, and OpenAI just assures us they’re still working out the kinks. Billions in investment, zero accountability.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
If I was writing a popular history this would be my pivot moment I think.
November 7, 2025 at 5:22 PM
If I was writing a popular history this would be my pivot moment I think.
I tell ya wut, Kalamazoo. When we get those new two-lane (+center turning lane, bike lanes) streets, I'm going to get in our automobile, and I'm going to drive up and down them going the EXACT speed limit, nice and relaxed. Maybe even a bit under. You want to go 45? Sorry, buckaroo, we're doing 34.
November 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I tell ya wut, Kalamazoo. When we get those new two-lane (+center turning lane, bike lanes) streets, I'm going to get in our automobile, and I'm going to drive up and down them going the EXACT speed limit, nice and relaxed. Maybe even a bit under. You want to go 45? Sorry, buckaroo, we're doing 34.
Reposted by Mark Wedel
"A distracted pedestrian might cause a minor inconvenience. A distracted driver, enabled by street design that encourages high speeds, can end a life. To treat these as equivalent is to ignore the fundamental physics of power and force." -Lanrick Bennett
An Open Letter to NPR: Our Streets Are No Accident
In a world where we are constantly seeking self-improvement, National Public Radio’s Life Kit positions itself as a friendly guide…
buff.ly
November 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM
"A distracted pedestrian might cause a minor inconvenience. A distracted driver, enabled by street design that encourages high speeds, can end a life. To treat these as equivalent is to ignore the fundamental physics of power and force." -Lanrick Bennett
My latest. The State Theatre, a 1927 classic movie palace, has been a Kalamazoo cultural icon up until last year when it abruptly closed. New owners hope to revive it.
Curtain rises again: New owners aim to revive Kalamazoo’s State Theatre for second act – Second Wave
A Texas Corners couple has purchased Kalamazoo’s historic State Theatre and plans a multimillion-dollar restoration to bring the 1927 landmark back to life for its 100th anniversary.
secondwavemedia.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:28 PM
My latest. The State Theatre, a 1927 classic movie palace, has been a Kalamazoo cultural icon up until last year when it abruptly closed. New owners hope to revive it.