Mary Cygan
@marycygan.bsky.social
Chicagoan, emerita UConn History
Help Shadia get her cancer treatment chuffed.org/project/1394...
Help shadia get her cancer treatment
My name is Shadia, a 72-year-old elderly woman I am a widow living in a tent with no shelter or protection — no walls to shield me, no roof to block the sun or cold.
chuffed.org
December 17, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Help Shadia get her cancer treatment chuffed.org/project/1394...
Reposted by Mary Cygan
" If you know someone who has been detained and released by ICE, our REBUILD Program provides FREE therapy to help them regain stability and support." www.darknessrisingproject.org/help-me-find...
REBUILD - Darkness Rising Project
Need help finding a Black therapist? We can help.
www.darknessrisingproject.org
November 22, 2025 at 10:32 PM
" If you know someone who has been detained and released by ICE, our REBUILD Program provides FREE therapy to help them regain stability and support." www.darknessrisingproject.org/help-me-find...
Reposted by Mary Cygan
“Biden officials worried that attaching their names to a recommendation to limit American support for Tel Aviv would hinder their future career prospects, the former senior official said, ‘which is in itself appalling.’”
NEW: Inside the Biden administration debates in late 2024 that could have changed the course of the Gaza war
-top intel official sought to cut support for Israel but Brett McGurk pushed back
-talk of "very likely" US liability
-Blinken spoke of "ethnic cleansing"
www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-...
-top intel official sought to cut support for Israel but Brett McGurk pushed back
-talk of "very likely" US liability
-Blinken spoke of "ethnic cleansing"
www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-...
Biden Discussed Potential Israeli War Crimes In Gaza. He Kicked The Can To Trump.
New intelligence shocked officials in late 2024, spurring heightened fear of U.S. liability, HuffPost has learned. The period saw Secretary of State Antony Blinken ask if Israel’s actions constituted ...
www.huffpost.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:27 AM
“Biden officials worried that attaching their names to a recommendation to limit American support for Tel Aviv would hinder their future career prospects, the former senior official said, ‘which is in itself appalling.’”
Patronizing your critics is such a Cuomo move! This cherry-picked hagiography meant to soothe centrist Dem voters alarmed that Trump backed Cuomo this weekend leaves out A LOT that happened even before the sexual assault charge forced his resignation.
NPR does not exist to silo people in a cozy set of ideas. Andrew Cuomo won 43% of votes in the Dem primary. He has a long history. Our reporting includes charges of sexual misconduct & mishandling of COVID care - and describes his long list of progressive wins as governor www.npr.org/2025/11/03/n...
Andrew Cuomo fights for his political life and his version of the Democratic Party
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a long list of accomplishments, many of them progressive. In the race for New York City mayor, that experience hasn't given him the boost he wanted.
www.npr.org
November 3, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Patronizing your critics is such a Cuomo move! This cherry-picked hagiography meant to soothe centrist Dem voters alarmed that Trump backed Cuomo this weekend leaves out A LOT that happened even before the sexual assault charge forced his resignation.
Why is the report on this important debate only appearing a full week after the event? ‘Black Votes Matter’: Could voter turnout swing Stamford mayoral election? ctexaminer.com/2025/11/02/b...
‘Black Votes Matter’: Could voter turnout swing Stamford mayoral election?
STAMFORD — Five mayoral hopefuls, including three write-in candidates whose campaigns have struggled for visibility, are hoping to catch momentum from their Monday pitch to a largely Black audience on...
ctexaminer.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Why is the report on this important debate only appearing a full week after the event? ‘Black Votes Matter’: Could voter turnout swing Stamford mayoral election? ctexaminer.com/2025/11/02/b...
October 23, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Flashbacks to people being impressed by Fetterman campaigning in a patched Carhartt hoodie.
I feel like @emmavigeland.bsky.social (whose political insights I admire, and who did a really thorough interview w me when The Viral Underclass came out) and others are reinforcing the idea of "working class" as "rough white man," and reinforcing that not being racist, homophobic etc is elite...
October 22, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Flashbacks to people being impressed by Fetterman campaigning in a patched Carhartt hoodie.
Of course the question is "win what?" but the condescension! My sign had DSA's Boycott Avelo campaign logo with a QR code and people stopped to ask me about it. It felt like two hours well spent.
I realize that all the "we are going to win" inspiration posting codes as aesthetically liberal (being left is being unimpressed) and invites the responses you'd guess from a certain genre of more radical than thou poster but still surprised at the particular condescension strategies people go for
October 19, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Of course the question is "win what?" but the condescension! My sign had DSA's Boycott Avelo campaign logo with a QR code and people stopped to ask me about it. It felt like two hours well spent.
October 19, 2025 at 12:09 AM
The Stamford Advocate missed about 10K protestors today. @indivisiblestam.bsky.social
@indivisiblenorwalk.bsky.social
www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...
@indivisiblenorwalk.bsky.social
www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...
October 19, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The Stamford Advocate missed about 10K protestors today. @indivisiblestam.bsky.social
@indivisiblenorwalk.bsky.social
www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...
@indivisiblenorwalk.bsky.social
www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...
October 18, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The Stamford Advocate missed about 10K protestors today. @indivisiblestam.bsky.social
@indivisiblenorwalk.bsky.social
www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...
@indivisiblenorwalk.bsky.social
www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article...
Reposted by Mary Cygan
An ICE agent, who is being arrested for drunk driving and nearly killing his little kids & others, tries to stop the arrest by racially profiling the officers arresting him. Amazing to watch the courtesy given to him as he is belligerent and uncooperative
October 17, 2025 at 3:11 PM
An ICE agent, who is being arrested for drunk driving and nearly killing his little kids & others, tries to stop the arrest by racially profiling the officers arresting him. Amazing to watch the courtesy given to him as he is belligerent and uncooperative
As of Sept. 21, 2025:
71.5% of current detainees have no criminal convictions
tracreports.org/immigration/...
71.5% of current detainees have no criminal convictions
tracreports.org/immigration/...
October 8, 2025 at 3:17 PM
As of Sept. 21, 2025:
71.5% of current detainees have no criminal convictions
tracreports.org/immigration/...
71.5% of current detainees have no criminal convictions
tracreports.org/immigration/...
Reposted by Mary Cygan
If your client or loved one has been disappeared by the US gov, whether to Guantánamo, a Salvadoran gulag, or some other incomunicado/unregistered ICE or CBP facility, I urge you to report it to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (thread): www.ohchr.org/en/special-p...
Reporting a disappearance to the Working Group
www.ohchr.org
March 23, 2025 at 7:37 PM
If your client or loved one has been disappeared by the US gov, whether to Guantánamo, a Salvadoran gulag, or some other incomunicado/unregistered ICE or CBP facility, I urge you to report it to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (thread): www.ohchr.org/en/special-p...
TIL:
The Militia Act of 1903,
also known as . . . the Dick Act,
was legislation . . . to create what would become the modern National Guard from a subset of the militia, and codify the circumstances under which the Guard could be federalized.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia...
The Militia Act of 1903,
also known as . . . the Dick Act,
was legislation . . . to create what would become the modern National Guard from a subset of the militia, and codify the circumstances under which the Guard could be federalized.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia...
Militia Act of 1903 - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
October 6, 2025 at 7:07 PM
TIL:
The Militia Act of 1903,
also known as . . . the Dick Act,
was legislation . . . to create what would become the modern National Guard from a subset of the militia, and codify the circumstances under which the Guard could be federalized.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia...
The Militia Act of 1903,
also known as . . . the Dick Act,
was legislation . . . to create what would become the modern National Guard from a subset of the militia, and codify the circumstances under which the Guard could be federalized.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militia...
Also "became known for" is doing a lot of work here:
"in recent years, the city became known for boarded-up storefronts, open-air drug use, homeless encampments and explosive protests."
"in recent years, the city became known for boarded-up storefronts, open-air drug use, homeless encampments and explosive protests."
This was lazy reporting, and the Times would have done better for its audience exploring why so many Portlanders voted in DSA council. Article includes nothing from these voters. Describing Republicans in Portland as an “endangered species” is a choice.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/u...
What Happens When Socialists Are in Charge? Portland Offers a Glimpse.
www.nytimes.com
October 6, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Also "became known for" is doing a lot of work here:
"in recent years, the city became known for boarded-up storefronts, open-air drug use, homeless encampments and explosive protests."
"in recent years, the city became known for boarded-up storefronts, open-air drug use, homeless encampments and explosive protests."
Actual quote NOT the pitchbot. "At a downtown art gala last month, affinity for Portland’s socialists among champagne-sipping attendees was in short supply."
This was lazy reporting, and the Times would have done better for its audience exploring why so many Portlanders voted in DSA council. Article includes nothing from these voters. Describing Republicans in Portland as an “endangered species” is a choice.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/u...
What Happens When Socialists Are in Charge? Portland Offers a Glimpse.
www.nytimes.com
October 6, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Actual quote NOT the pitchbot. "At a downtown art gala last month, affinity for Portland’s socialists among champagne-sipping attendees was in short supply."
After district courts blocked arbitrarily withholding funds from prestige universities, the feds rolled out a "compact" of "incentives" & is targeting schools w interim presidents who are "inherently weak, sometimes because a prior president was successfully forced out by the right.”
I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.
It's especially for journalists covering this story!
Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.
It's especially for journalists covering this story!
Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.
Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
October 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
After district courts blocked arbitrarily withholding funds from prestige universities, the feds rolled out a "compact" of "incentives" & is targeting schools w interim presidents who are "inherently weak, sometimes because a prior president was successfully forced out by the right.”
Reposted by Mary Cygan
I don't think pointing out the fascists' 'hypocrisy' is a good use of time. It's not hypocrisy, it's hierarchy. They actually do believe that they have the right and obligation to dominate you because they are superior to you. They are using their power not being hypocritical.
September 18, 2025 at 12:30 PM
I don't think pointing out the fascists' 'hypocrisy' is a good use of time. It's not hypocrisy, it's hierarchy. They actually do believe that they have the right and obligation to dominate you because they are superior to you. They are using their power not being hypocritical.
Reposted by Mary Cygan
Some differences in tactics we've noticed since Border Patrol has arrived: raids going later into the day (Chicago ICE was previously mostly sticking to very early mornings), more traffic stops, agents grabbing more people at once vs more individuals
October 4, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Some differences in tactics we've noticed since Border Patrol has arrived: raids going later into the day (Chicago ICE was previously mostly sticking to very early mornings), more traffic stops, agents grabbing more people at once vs more individuals
Alongside DHS disinformation about Broadview protestors, AI is tossing surreal takes into the mix with sloppy lunar graphics. Everything Everywhere All At Once. @markjacob.bsky.social @wbez.org usnewsper.com/2025/10/mayo...
Mayor Lightfoot's Words Spark Violent ICE Protests in Chicago | US Newsper
The ongoing tensions between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local authorities have escalated in a Chicago suburb. Protests have erupted
usnewsper.com
October 4, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Alongside DHS disinformation about Broadview protestors, AI is tossing surreal takes into the mix with sloppy lunar graphics. Everything Everywhere All At Once. @markjacob.bsky.social @wbez.org usnewsper.com/2025/10/mayo...
Kat Abughazaleh, running for congress from Chicago/Evanston, shows what leadership looks like. She has been at the Broadview facility, in person, most of this week, returning even after being thrown onto the pavement so hard she bounced.
October 4, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Kat Abughazaleh, running for congress from Chicago/Evanston, shows what leadership looks like. She has been at the Broadview facility, in person, most of this week, returning even after being thrown onto the pavement so hard she bounced.