JC Strzalka-Steil
@jcstrzalkasteil.bsky.social
Attorney, progressive Democrat, nature enthusiast on Chicago's Northwest Side. Always down for a tale from the trail, whether it be the campaign or hiking variety.
Reposted by JC Strzalka-Steil
One argument I used to make to my students about why it was important to learn history (and historical thinking) is that someone was always going to be trying to tell you things were natural or had always been this way and that you needed to be able to see that as an exercise of power.
December 7, 2025 at 10:09 PM
One argument I used to make to my students about why it was important to learn history (and historical thinking) is that someone was always going to be trying to tell you things were natural or had always been this way and that you needed to be able to see that as an exercise of power.
Remember in 2012 when the Supreme Court struck down the provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring that states either pass the Medicaid expansion or lose all Medicaid funds because it was too coercive?
Surely, this Supreme Court would follow their own precedent with this, right? (I doubt it.)
Surely, this Supreme Court would follow their own precedent with this, right? (I doubt it.)
One of the most blatantly authoritarian threats in a Trump term full of them
December 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Remember in 2012 when the Supreme Court struck down the provision in the Affordable Care Act requiring that states either pass the Medicaid expansion or lose all Medicaid funds because it was too coercive?
Surely, this Supreme Court would follow their own precedent with this, right? (I doubt it.)
Surely, this Supreme Court would follow their own precedent with this, right? (I doubt it.)
It's an idyllic winter evening for a favorite event of the season: Illumination at the @mortonarboretum.bsky.social ! Lights, snow, music, trees - the perfect recipe for holiday cheer!
December 7, 2025 at 2:07 AM
It's an idyllic winter evening for a favorite event of the season: Illumination at the @mortonarboretum.bsky.social ! Lights, snow, music, trees - the perfect recipe for holiday cheer!
Ok, Spotify, you got my "listening age" about right, but did you have to use "Old Man" as the soundtrack to this slide?
(Great song, feels like a clever insult in this context.)
(Great song, feels like a clever insult in this context.)
December 4, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Ok, Spotify, you got my "listening age" about right, but did you have to use "Old Man" as the soundtrack to this slide?
(Great song, feels like a clever insult in this context.)
(Great song, feels like a clever insult in this context.)
Reposted by JC Strzalka-Steil
On behalf of Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District, it is my privilege to commend Pogo for his dedication to public service and community.
November 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM
On behalf of Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District, it is my privilege to commend Pogo for his dedication to public service and community.
Reposted by JC Strzalka-Steil
20 years ago, neighbors fought to keep 21 acres of green space from being turned into a Home Depot. Today, the Dunning Read Natural Area is an oasis of natural plants and important wetlands. blockclubchi.co/48A3liI
November 26, 2025 at 3:00 AM
20 years ago, neighbors fought to keep 21 acres of green space from being turned into a Home Depot. Today, the Dunning Read Natural Area is an oasis of natural plants and important wetlands. blockclubchi.co/48A3liI
Pete Hegseth hates that Scouting teaches boys and girls how to be respectful, upstanding, civically-minded men and women because Hegseth himself acts like a petulant, bratty, selfish child.
Any newly-minted Eagle Scout has better qualifications and temperment to be Defense Sec. than that drunkard.
Any newly-minted Eagle Scout has better qualifications and temperment to be Defense Sec. than that drunkard.
November 25, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Pete Hegseth hates that Scouting teaches boys and girls how to be respectful, upstanding, civically-minded men and women because Hegseth himself acts like a petulant, bratty, selfish child.
Any newly-minted Eagle Scout has better qualifications and temperment to be Defense Sec. than that drunkard.
Any newly-minted Eagle Scout has better qualifications and temperment to be Defense Sec. than that drunkard.
Happy 100th birthday to Lava Beds National Monument! The park protects a remarkable human and geological legacy. If you find yourself in Northern California, don't skip it. A hike through the lava beds helps you learn about the land's volcanic origins and the lives and history of the Modoc people.
November 21, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Happy 100th birthday to Lava Beds National Monument! The park protects a remarkable human and geological legacy. If you find yourself in Northern California, don't skip it. A hike through the lava beds helps you learn about the land's volcanic origins and the lives and history of the Modoc people.
What better way to spend a lovely November afternoon than by taking a hike? I visited White Pines Forest State Park today and thoroughly enjoyed the crunch of leaves under my feet.
November 15, 2025 at 8:25 PM
What better way to spend a lovely November afternoon than by taking a hike? I visited White Pines Forest State Park today and thoroughly enjoyed the crunch of leaves under my feet.
The legend lives on. Fifty years after the SS Edmund Fitzgerald made its final voyage, we remember it not just for the haunting song which immortalized it, but for the 29 brave men for whom the Fitz is their final resting place. The Pride of the American Side, indeed.
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/1...
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/1...
50 years later, the legacy of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald looms as large as ever
The exact cause of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking is still a mystery, but the lasting legacy is this: There were more than 6,000 shipwrecks on the Great Lakes in the century prior to the wreck of th...
www.mprnews.org
November 10, 2025 at 11:03 PM
The legend lives on. Fifty years after the SS Edmund Fitzgerald made its final voyage, we remember it not just for the haunting song which immortalized it, but for the 29 brave men for whom the Fitz is their final resting place. The Pride of the American Side, indeed.
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/1...
www.mprnews.org/story/2025/1...
The next president MUST undo all of Trump's stupid renovations and redesigns not *just* because they are symbols of fascism and violence, but also because they are also incredibly tacky and ugly.
something under discussed is the fact that white house renovations are currently being spearheaded by someone with famously bad interior design taste
November 6, 2025 at 10:36 PM
The next president MUST undo all of Trump's stupid renovations and redesigns not *just* because they are symbols of fascism and violence, but also because they are also incredibly tacky and ugly.
Trump is hellbent on prosecuting anyone who dares stand up to him - and his favorite tactic is to drive up legal bills. Michael Rabbitt is being targeted by Trump's fascist regime. Please consider donating to help Michael in his fight against these politically-motivated charges.
gofund.me/3ffcb9cc3
gofund.me/3ffcb9cc3
Donate to Support Michael Rabbitt's Legal Defense Fund, organized by Michael Rabbitt
Hello,
I am a husband, father, and community leader who has worked ti… Michael Rabbitt needs your support for Support Michael Rabbitt's Legal Defense Fund
gofund.me
November 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Trump is hellbent on prosecuting anyone who dares stand up to him - and his favorite tactic is to drive up legal bills. Michael Rabbitt is being targeted by Trump's fascist regime. Please consider donating to help Michael in his fight against these politically-motivated charges.
gofund.me/3ffcb9cc3
gofund.me/3ffcb9cc3
Last night's Democratic wave was a triumph for leaders across the country united by a focus on bringing down the cost of living and protecting our rights.
Democrats have a vision for a nation that is freer, fairer, and more affordable for everyone in our communties
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Democrats have a vision for a nation that is freer, fairer, and more affordable for everyone in our communties
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
'We sent a message.' 5 takeaways from Democrats' 2025 elections sweep
Democrats won easily in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City and California, setting up an optimistic entry into 2026 and beyond.
www.usatoday.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Last night's Democratic wave was a triumph for leaders across the country united by a focus on bringing down the cost of living and protecting our rights.
Democrats have a vision for a nation that is freer, fairer, and more affordable for everyone in our communties
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
Democrats have a vision for a nation that is freer, fairer, and more affordable for everyone in our communties
www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...
HAPPY NATIONAL BISON DAY!
Today we celebrate our National Mammal (and my favorite animal), the American Bison. Take time today to learn more about the history and environmental legacy of these magnificent creatures, like this one enjoying water from the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park
Today we celebrate our National Mammal (and my favorite animal), the American Bison. Take time today to learn more about the history and environmental legacy of these magnificent creatures, like this one enjoying water from the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park
November 1, 2025 at 2:47 PM
HAPPY NATIONAL BISON DAY!
Today we celebrate our National Mammal (and my favorite animal), the American Bison. Take time today to learn more about the history and environmental legacy of these magnificent creatures, like this one enjoying water from the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park
Today we celebrate our National Mammal (and my favorite animal), the American Bison. Take time today to learn more about the history and environmental legacy of these magnificent creatures, like this one enjoying water from the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park
This @peoplesfabric.com post puts it perfectly. Trump's goons terrorizing our city are a gang of angry, racist, violent conservatives who finally have the chance to carry out their angry, racist, violent fantasies against people they hate. They are evil people who take pleasure in doing evil things.
This is literally men from red states wilding here to terrorize & beat libs and immigrants.
October 31, 2025 at 9:28 PM
This @peoplesfabric.com post puts it perfectly. Trump's goons terrorizing our city are a gang of angry, racist, violent conservatives who finally have the chance to carry out their angry, racist, violent fantasies against people they hate. They are evil people who take pleasure in doing evil things.
At this point, Rep. Grijalva should just start exercising the powers of her office, including voting on the House floor and signing the discharge petition to release the Epstein files. Make Johnson and the House GOP try and stop her.
Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva has now been waiting 36 days to be sworn in to office — setting a new record that any member of Congress has had to wait following a special election.
October 29, 2025 at 9:02 PM
At this point, Rep. Grijalva should just start exercising the powers of her office, including voting on the House floor and signing the discharge petition to release the Epstein files. Make Johnson and the House GOP try and stop her.
I know Cat Sharp and Michael Rabbitt personally. They are tremendous leaders and upstanding citizens - the exact thing that Trump's treasonous regime hates.
NEWS: Federal prosecutors indict Kat Abughazaleh, congressional candidate, county board candidate Cat Sharp and Dem committeeman Michael Rabbitt over September Broadview protest
October 29, 2025 at 5:13 PM
I know Cat Sharp and Michael Rabbitt personally. They are tremendous leaders and upstanding citizens - the exact thing that Trump's treasonous regime hates.
National Parks have always been in the crosshairs of greedy corporations - and always will be. If you love our wild spaces, demand that elected officials put conservation front and center. Lip service isn't good enough for me. I want my leaders to stand up and shout "NOT ONE ACRE!"
“4 corporations provide the majority of concessions in national parks, which can also include managing lodging & tours.
Some ppl believe that further privatization will happen mostly on a function-by-function basis—ranger services, fee collection, search & rescue, could all eventually be outsourced
Some ppl believe that further privatization will happen mostly on a function-by-function basis—ranger services, fee collection, search & rescue, could all eventually be outsourced
What’s the Trump Administration’s End Game for the National Parks?
We saw it in Yosemite. But you have to look beyond the bathrooms.
www.republic.land
October 27, 2025 at 10:16 PM
National Parks have always been in the crosshairs of greedy corporations - and always will be. If you love our wild spaces, demand that elected officials put conservation front and center. Lip service isn't good enough for me. I want my leaders to stand up and shout "NOT ONE ACRE!"
Reposted by JC Strzalka-Steil
October 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Reposted by JC Strzalka-Steil
You gotta give ‘em hop.
October 13, 2025 at 1:32 PM
You gotta give ‘em hop.
The Vivid Creatures at the @mortonarboretum.bsky.social are delightfully funky! All five sculptures are colorful and endearing.
This cheery pal is Scamp the Squirrel!
This cheery pal is Scamp the Squirrel!
October 12, 2025 at 8:02 PM
The Vivid Creatures at the @mortonarboretum.bsky.social are delightfully funky! All five sculptures are colorful and endearing.
This cheery pal is Scamp the Squirrel!
This cheery pal is Scamp the Squirrel!
I think a lot of people would have believed it. Part of why 2024 was so frustrating and devastating was that a critical mass of voters were tuned out and treated it as a "how is the economy" election when it was painfully obvious to anyone who paid attention what Trump & Republicans wanted to do.
If someone told you a year ago this would be a headline in 2025, you wouldn't have believed them.
Authoritarianism has taken over our country.
Authoritarianism has taken over our country.
October 8, 2025 at 4:13 PM
I think a lot of people would have believed it. Part of why 2024 was so frustrating and devastating was that a critical mass of voters were tuned out and treated it as a "how is the economy" election when it was painfully obvious to anyone who paid attention what Trump & Republicans wanted to do.
ARE YOU READY FOR FAT BEARS!?!?!
September 23, 2025 at 12:13 AM
ARE YOU READY FOR FAT BEARS!?!?!
Perfect Friday night for meat and booze at Lake Effect Brewing Company's Sausage Fest! I went with the beer brat and a kolsch, while Bridget had the Polish sausage and a beer-mosa.
September 20, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Perfect Friday night for meat and booze at Lake Effect Brewing Company's Sausage Fest! I went with the beer brat and a kolsch, while Bridget had the Polish sausage and a beer-mosa.