Oscar Perry Abello
@oscarthinks.bsky.social
Senior Economic Justice Correspondent, @nextcity.org. Author of The Banks We Deserve https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-banks-we-deserve-reclaiming-community-banking-for-a-just-economy-oscar-perry-abello/21374823 Based in NYC. He/him 🇵🇭 [email protected]
Pinned
Here we are the 11th annual edition of my sources quoted demographics as a journalist.
For the first time, a regression in BIPOC+she/her/they/them sources quoted for the year in my coverage. That said, maintained historic 90% of stories quoting at least one BIPOC or she/her/they/them source.
For the first time, a regression in BIPOC+she/her/they/them sources quoted for the year in my coverage. That said, maintained historic 90% of stories quoting at least one BIPOC or she/her/they/them source.
This story is a great example of why, when I'm sometimes asked what's a good book to read as an introduction to racial or economic justice work or urban planning or community development, #1 on that list for me is always The Warmth of Other Suns.
How the Great Migration — and segregation — built the South Side’s Black-owned lounge culture. blockclubchi.co/3NWZNPP
February 5, 2026 at 4:03 PM
This story is a great example of why, when I'm sometimes asked what's a good book to read as an introduction to racial or economic justice work or urban planning or community development, #1 on that list for me is always The Warmth of Other Suns.
There are ~3,900 community banks out there.
While they represent just 11% of assets among federally-insured banks, community banks represent 31% of commercial real estate mortgages, 32% of small business loans, and 33% of construction loans.
Source: banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-sui...
While they represent just 11% of assets among federally-insured banks, community banks represent 31% of commercial real estate mortgages, 32% of small business loans, and 33% of construction loans.
Source: banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-sui...
BankFind Suite
banks.data.fdic.gov
February 5, 2026 at 3:58 PM
There are ~3,900 community banks out there.
While they represent just 11% of assets among federally-insured banks, community banks represent 31% of commercial real estate mortgages, 32% of small business loans, and 33% of construction loans.
Source: banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-sui...
While they represent just 11% of assets among federally-insured banks, community banks represent 31% of commercial real estate mortgages, 32% of small business loans, and 33% of construction loans.
Source: banks.data.fdic.gov/bankfind-sui...
Today marks one year since the publication of my first book, “The Banks We Deserve: Reclaiming Community Banking for a Just Economy.”
(If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or leave a review on Goodreads or Storygraph if you have the time). www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
(If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or leave a review on Goodreads or Storygraph if you have the time). www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
February 4, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Today marks one year since the publication of my first book, “The Banks We Deserve: Reclaiming Community Banking for a Just Economy.”
(If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or leave a review on Goodreads or Storygraph if you have the time). www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
(If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or leave a review on Goodreads or Storygraph if you have the time). www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Pepper is displeased by the news of the administration temporarily closing and possibly going so far as to demolish and rebuild the Kennedy Center. I mean he REALLY needs to crank out his hot take on all this.
February 2, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Pepper is displeased by the news of the administration temporarily closing and possibly going so far as to demolish and rebuild the Kennedy Center. I mean he REALLY needs to crank out his hot take on all this.
"“S,” a longtime Baltimore community organizer who withheld their full name because of safety concerns, said residents are responding in the ways they know best: by building community and relying on networks that already exist." baltimorebeat.com/how-baltimor...
How Baltimore organizers are preparing to fight back against ICE
As social media and news coverage is flooded with a relentless stream of images showing immigrants being rounded up, masked federal agents shooting rapid responders, and government officials…
baltimorebeat.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:45 PM
"“S,” a longtime Baltimore community organizer who withheld their full name because of safety concerns, said residents are responding in the ways they know best: by building community and relying on networks that already exist." baltimorebeat.com/how-baltimor...
"Since Georgia implemented work requirements in 2020, they have spent twice as much on Deloitte consultants and administrative costs as on healthcare for people." lpeproject.org/blog/the-mea...
The Means-Testing Industrial Complex
As Republicans tightened work requirements and eligibility rules for Medicaid and SNAP last year, Equifax’s CEO openly celebrated the profits to be made from administering this deprivation.
lpeproject.org
January 28, 2026 at 9:01 PM
"Since Georgia implemented work requirements in 2020, they have spent twice as much on Deloitte consultants and administrative costs as on healthcare for people." lpeproject.org/blog/the-mea...
“…it would be a great thing if we reserved the more positive term “investor” for the smaller group of folks and organizations that actually invest, and called a speculator a speculator.” shelterforce.org/2025/02/05/w...
What’s in a Name? Investors vs. Speculators
We don’t make a distinction between investors and speculators, which makes it harder to identify harmful behavior and find solutions for it.
shelterforce.org
January 28, 2026 at 5:22 PM
“…it would be a great thing if we reserved the more positive term “investor” for the smaller group of folks and organizations that actually invest, and called a speculator a speculator.” shelterforce.org/2025/02/05/w...
Mayor Mamdani just invited everyone waiting out the snowstorm in NYC to enjoy free access to Heated Rivalry through the NY Public Library system
www.nypl.org/blog/2026/01...
www.nypl.org/blog/2026/01...
January 25, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Mayor Mamdani just invited everyone waiting out the snowstorm in NYC to enjoy free access to Heated Rivalry through the NY Public Library system
www.nypl.org/blog/2026/01...
www.nypl.org/blog/2026/01...
Banks in the United States have obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act to meet the needs of low-income communities, including credit needs, in a safe and sound fashion.
January 24, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Banks in the United States have obligations under the Community Reinvestment Act to meet the needs of low-income communities, including credit needs, in a safe and sound fashion.
“If you spend some time working inside the bureaucracy and you keep your eyes open, you can learn a lot about the points of leverage that leftist politicians and outside advocacy groups can press to their advantage.” dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
The Left Needs Bureaucrats - Dissent Magazine
After MAGA, the left will need to be ready with a theory of how to rebuild the federal administrative state—not as it was before Trump, but as something better.
dissentmagazine.org
January 23, 2026 at 2:15 PM
“If you spend some time working inside the bureaucracy and you keep your eyes open, you can learn a lot about the points of leverage that leftist politicians and outside advocacy groups can press to their advantage.” dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
"CM Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who was raised in SW Detroit, has said that [immigration enforcement] presence is not new. What has changed, she and others argue, is the scale, speed, and opacity of enforcement — and the city’s limited ability to intervene." thelatinonewsletter.org/p/detroit-we...
Detroit Weighs Its Options as ICE Enforcement Continues Out of Sight
DETROIT — As cities across the country grapple with highly visible confrontations between federal immigration agents and residents, officials are examining how the city can respond to enforcement…
thelatinonewsletter.org
January 21, 2026 at 4:42 PM
"CM Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who was raised in SW Detroit, has said that [immigration enforcement] presence is not new. What has changed, she and others argue, is the scale, speed, and opacity of enforcement — and the city’s limited ability to intervene." thelatinonewsletter.org/p/detroit-we...
"...with every new video of a dude in sweats leaning over the back of a sofa and smiling when two men on Heated Rivalry kiss, a tiny counternarrative gets its wings." www.vulture.com/article/heat...
Watching Straight Men Watch Heated Rivalry
The romance phenomenon has captivated the dudes and bros.
www.vulture.com
January 20, 2026 at 7:37 PM
"...with every new video of a dude in sweats leaning over the back of a sofa and smiling when two men on Heated Rivalry kiss, a tiny counternarrative gets its wings." www.vulture.com/article/heat...
Last Friday I stopped by the Brooklyn Supported Agriculture storefront, on Marcus Garvey Blvd in the heart of Brooklyns Bed-Stuy. It's run by Brooklyn Packers, Black-led, worker-owned cooperative that's part of a growing regional food ecosystem rooted in food sovereignty & cooperative economics.
January 20, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Last Friday I stopped by the Brooklyn Supported Agriculture storefront, on Marcus Garvey Blvd in the heart of Brooklyns Bed-Stuy. It's run by Brooklyn Packers, Black-led, worker-owned cooperative that's part of a growing regional food ecosystem rooted in food sovereignty & cooperative economics.
Reposted by Oscar Perry Abello
everyone you see arrested in this video is a U.S. citizen
"In Defense of Logic" by Lucas Grindley
YouTube video by Lucas Grindley
www.youtube.com
January 17, 2026 at 2:22 PM
everyone you see arrested in this video is a U.S. citizen
☕️☕️☕️ apnews.com/article/eric...
Inside the botched launch of ex-NYC Mayor Eric Adams' new crypto token
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams is facing questions about the launch of a new cryptocurrency token, which he claims will help support efforts to end antisemitism and anti- Americanism.
apnews.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:36 PM
☕️☕️☕️ apnews.com/article/eric...
Hey you know I appear on podcasts sometimes. Here's one that came out today: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Takeaways From A Tumultuous Year in Economic Justice
Podcast Episode · Next City · 01/15/2026 · 35m
podcasts.apple.com
January 15, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Hey you know I appear on podcasts sometimes. Here's one that came out today: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
Great local reporting. I was just thinking today that if NYT wasn’t such a facist shitshow it would run multiple stories like this every week. “What random so and so town from middle of America thinks about White House policies.” Would still be problematic but 🤷🏻♂️ linknky.com/news/2026/01...
Residents call for an end to ICE cooperation in Kenton County
Several NKY residents came out to Kenton County Fiscal Court meeting to call for an end of Kenton County's agreement to house ICE detainees.
linknky.com
January 14, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Great local reporting. I was just thinking today that if NYT wasn’t such a facist shitshow it would run multiple stories like this every week. “What random so and so town from middle of America thinks about White House policies.” Would still be problematic but 🤷🏻♂️ linknky.com/news/2026/01...
BIRD ID BOOK 💀 cc @rachelholliday.bsky.social
January 8, 2026 at 9:02 PM
BIRD ID BOOK 💀 cc @rachelholliday.bsky.social
Here we are the 11th annual edition of my sources quoted demographics as a journalist.
For the first time, a regression in BIPOC+she/her/they/them sources quoted for the year in my coverage. That said, maintained historic 90% of stories quoting at least one BIPOC or she/her/they/them source.
For the first time, a regression in BIPOC+she/her/they/them sources quoted for the year in my coverage. That said, maintained historic 90% of stories quoting at least one BIPOC or she/her/they/them source.
January 8, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Here we are the 11th annual edition of my sources quoted demographics as a journalist.
For the first time, a regression in BIPOC+she/her/they/them sources quoted for the year in my coverage. That said, maintained historic 90% of stories quoting at least one BIPOC or she/her/they/them source.
For the first time, a regression in BIPOC+she/her/they/them sources quoted for the year in my coverage. That said, maintained historic 90% of stories quoting at least one BIPOC or she/her/they/them source.
Oh man. Today of all days, I needed to find this for the first time.
I was actually there IRL. She stole the show opening for John Legend. She also did a cover of Human Nature. MJ had just passed away earlier that summer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tsN...
I was actually there IRL. She stole the show opening for John Legend. She also did a cover of Human Nature. MJ had just passed away earlier that summer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tsN...
India Arie at the Mann Center Phila PA August 15, 2009
India Arie at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Phila PA August 15, 2009
www.youtube.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Oh man. Today of all days, I needed to find this for the first time.
I was actually there IRL. She stole the show opening for John Legend. She also did a cover of Human Nature. MJ had just passed away earlier that summer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tsN...
I was actually there IRL. She stole the show opening for John Legend. She also did a cover of Human Nature. MJ had just passed away earlier that summer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tsN...
💯
there's an obvious legal and possibly journalistic need to piece together frame-by-frame review of when the driver and ICE agent collided. grateful for all who do so in good faith
but there's a sense where granularity elides the truth and meaning of what happened. ICE should never have been there.
but there's a sense where granularity elides the truth and meaning of what happened. ICE should never have been there.
January 8, 2026 at 6:30 AM
💯
👇
Even the norms of journalism itself, though, uphold power. Routine news-gathering and reporting practices--including which sources are quoted and "both sides objectivity"--usually mean power doesn't get challenged but reinforced.
That's the inherent tension we're living with right.
Journalists are supposed to oppose authority and hold truth to power.
But journalistic institutions are authoritarian and don't reward the above.
Journalists are supposed to oppose authority and hold truth to power.
But journalistic institutions are authoritarian and don't reward the above.
January 8, 2026 at 4:25 AM
👇
Car traffic down
Car crashes down
Air pollution down
Foot traffic up
Retail spending up
Broadway sales up
Transit upgrades up
I know anecdotally some small businesses are still adjusting, but is there *any* statistical bad news for NYC congestion pricing?
Car crashes down
Air pollution down
Foot traffic up
Retail spending up
Broadway sales up
Transit upgrades up
I know anecdotally some small businesses are still adjusting, but is there *any* statistical bad news for NYC congestion pricing?
January 6, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Car traffic down
Car crashes down
Air pollution down
Foot traffic up
Retail spending up
Broadway sales up
Transit upgrades up
I know anecdotally some small businesses are still adjusting, but is there *any* statistical bad news for NYC congestion pricing?
Car crashes down
Air pollution down
Foot traffic up
Retail spending up
Broadway sales up
Transit upgrades up
I know anecdotally some small businesses are still adjusting, but is there *any* statistical bad news for NYC congestion pricing?
As you likely know, I love spending time thinking about the financial system and how it influences the ways we build and rebuild cities. I’m excited to open up 2026 with a deep dive down one of my favorite financial system rabbit holes — wholesale banking.
January 6, 2026 at 3:26 PM
As you likely know, I love spending time thinking about the financial system and how it influences the ways we build and rebuild cities. I’m excited to open up 2026 with a deep dive down one of my favorite financial system rabbit holes — wholesale banking.