Michelle Mertz
@michm8.bsky.social
Pinned
Michelle Mertz
@michm8.bsky.social
· Feb 26
What would you do if you were ultra rich?
I would create universal Pre-K programs in every state that doesn’t have one. Once that initiative is done, I would use the remainder of my fortune to buy lunch for every child that goes to a public school.
I would create universal Pre-K programs in every state that doesn’t have one. Once that initiative is done, I would use the remainder of my fortune to buy lunch for every child that goes to a public school.
I would properly fund public schools so that every school is great. Every neighborhood has the best schools. And all kids eat free every day.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Merry Christmas, bicycle friends!
December 25, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Merry Christmas, bicycle friends!
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Read this. Merry Christmas indeed
December 25, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Read this. Merry Christmas indeed
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
"The defining characteristic of any concentration camp is one that detains civilians en masse without due process on the basis of race, ethnicity, or supposed affiliation, rather than for any crime an individual has committed. Governments use them for political ends, to gather and keep power."
I wrote for New York magazine about deportations to CECOT in El Salvador, which are bound up with a tradition of US extrajudicial actions in the Americas and further the long arc of concentration camps.
Trump and Bukele’s Concentration Camp
CECOT is no regular prison. It is also a warning.
nymag.com
April 30, 2025 at 3:22 PM
"The defining characteristic of any concentration camp is one that detains civilians en masse without due process on the basis of race, ethnicity, or supposed affiliation, rather than for any crime an individual has committed. Governments use them for political ends, to gather and keep power."
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad.
Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positions
www.inquirer.com
December 22, 2025 at 11:06 PM
The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Despite some incremental changes to voting access, voting advocates say much work remains to be done. Early voting, online registration and voting-rights restoration for people with criminal convictions are top priorities.
Advocates Push for Voting-Rights Restoration, Fair Access in Mississippi
Voting-rights advocates say Mississippi has a long way to go to reduce barriers to voting in the state.
buff.ly
December 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Despite some incremental changes to voting access, voting advocates say much work remains to be done. Early voting, online registration and voting-rights restoration for people with criminal convictions are top priorities.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
bari weiss saw this and decided that she had to hide it from the american public
Guards began beating him. Beat him until he bled. Knocked his face into the wall, broke all his teeth. No access to outdoors, no contact with relatives.
Now describing US knowledge of CECOT's torture practices, followed by footage of Trump praising those practices.
Now describing US knowledge of CECOT's torture practices, followed by footage of Trump praising those practices.
December 22, 2025 at 10:53 PM
bari weiss saw this and decided that she had to hide it from the american public
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
60 MINUTES CORRESPONDENT: “Our story was screened 5x and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.” #CBSNewsMAX #BariWeiss
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
December 22, 2025 at 3:00 AM
60 MINUTES CORRESPONDENT: “Our story was screened 5x and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.” #CBSNewsMAX #BariWeiss
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/b...
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Remember: Almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants who fled persecution, or were brought to America under duress, or sought better lives for themselves and their descendants.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
December 21, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Remember: Almost all of us are the descendants of immigrants who fled persecution, or were brought to America under duress, or sought better lives for themselves and their descendants.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
Politicians who stoke fear and hatred over immigration want you to forget this.
Do not.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
On the first night of winter, St. Nautilus flies through the air, pelting good children with candy and dousing the naughty ones in ink.
December 21, 2025 at 9:30 PM
On the first night of winter, St. Nautilus flies through the air, pelting good children with candy and dousing the naughty ones in ink.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
The play was such a success that a few years later, the Marx Brothers turned it into their first movie, which made them international stars.
I show a clip of it at the end of my lecture on the Roaring 20s.
Here's why ...
I show a clip of it at the end of my lecture on the Roaring 20s.
Here's why ...
100 years ago today:
The Cocoanuts, starring the Marx Brothers, opens on Broadway.
The Cocoanuts, starring the Marx Brothers, opens on Broadway.
December 8, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The play was such a success that a few years later, the Marx Brothers turned it into their first movie, which made them international stars.
I show a clip of it at the end of my lecture on the Roaring 20s.
Here's why ...
I show a clip of it at the end of my lecture on the Roaring 20s.
Here's why ...
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
- Scottish minister John Watson, writing under the pen name Ian Maclaren.
(not Aristotle. See quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/29/b...)
#SundayYellow
#dailyflowers 🌱
#flowerreport
#bloomscrolling
- Scottish minister John Watson, writing under the pen name Ian Maclaren.
(not Aristotle. See quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/29/b...)
#SundayYellow
#dailyflowers 🌱
#flowerreport
#bloomscrolling
December 21, 2025 at 2:31 PM
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
- Scottish minister John Watson, writing under the pen name Ian Maclaren.
(not Aristotle. See quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/29/b...)
#SundayYellow
#dailyflowers 🌱
#flowerreport
#bloomscrolling
- Scottish minister John Watson, writing under the pen name Ian Maclaren.
(not Aristotle. See quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/29/b...)
#SundayYellow
#dailyflowers 🌱
#flowerreport
#bloomscrolling
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
🧵 1 of 9
🧵 1 of 9
December 21, 2025 at 2:51 AM
It’s the “season of love and giving”…but this year, doesn’t it seem more like a “season of fear and taking”? Like many of you, I’ve been saddened by the human impact of draconian government budget cuts and how angry many housed Americans are at unhoused Americans.
🧵 1 of 9
🧵 1 of 9
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Maria has been accused over the years of fabricating her story that she had gone to the FBI. After finding the document in the trove, I called her. She broke down in tears.
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
December 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Maria has been accused over the years of fabricating her story that she had gone to the FBI. After finding the document in the trove, I called her. She broke down in tears.
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
“I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/19/u...
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
The name "Popular Science" doesn't mean we shift our coverage depending on public opinion. It means we cover relevant subjects that are rigorously researched, reliable, and grounded in reality.
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
First-of-a-kind study shows encouraging data for trans kids who socially transition
Ninety-four percent of participants in a new study stood firm in their trans identity after five years, and "detransitioning" is rare.
www.popsci.com
December 18, 2025 at 5:16 PM
The name "Popular Science" doesn't mean we shift our coverage depending on public opinion. It means we cover relevant subjects that are rigorously researched, reliable, and grounded in reality.
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
And trans lives are grounded in reality.
We see y'all. No matter what.
www.popsci.com/science/tran...
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
This is what the law says. THIRTY days and ALL the files. Time is up. Release the Files.
December 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM
This is what the law says. THIRTY days and ALL the files. Time is up. Release the Files.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Trump is violating federal law by blocking the release of the Epstein files—denying survivors the accountability they deserve.
By defying our subpoena & now Congress itself, this White House continues to shield powerful abusers and their enablers.
By defying our subpoena & now Congress itself, this White House continues to shield powerful abusers and their enablers.
December 19, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Trump is violating federal law by blocking the release of the Epstein files—denying survivors the accountability they deserve.
By defying our subpoena & now Congress itself, this White House continues to shield powerful abusers and their enablers.
By defying our subpoena & now Congress itself, this White House continues to shield powerful abusers and their enablers.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Metro's 57.6 mile-long A Line offers riders the chance to access foods from so many countries, regions, and cultures. We picked one favorite restaurant from every stop to guide you on an epic eating tour of Los Angeles.
All 48 Spots: lataco.com/48-restauran...
By Sean Vukan and L.A. TACO STAFF
All 48 Spots: lataco.com/48-restauran...
By Sean Vukan and L.A. TACO STAFF
December 19, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Metro's 57.6 mile-long A Line offers riders the chance to access foods from so many countries, regions, and cultures. We picked one favorite restaurant from every stop to guide you on an epic eating tour of Los Angeles.
All 48 Spots: lataco.com/48-restauran...
By Sean Vukan and L.A. TACO STAFF
All 48 Spots: lataco.com/48-restauran...
By Sean Vukan and L.A. TACO STAFF
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
We stand with our people. Period. We stand with our allies. Period. We stand with the most vulnerable and most targeted among us. Period.
We stand for our principles and the world we want to build, and we build that world by fighting for it.
And by fucking inhabiting it.
We stand for our principles and the world we want to build, and we build that world by fighting for it.
And by fucking inhabiting it.
December 19, 2025 at 2:14 AM
We stand with our people. Period. We stand with our allies. Period. We stand with the most vulnerable and most targeted among us. Period.
We stand for our principles and the world we want to build, and we build that world by fighting for it.
And by fucking inhabiting it.
We stand for our principles and the world we want to build, and we build that world by fighting for it.
And by fucking inhabiting it.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
“They were about to take me out with no clothes on,” he said. “Everybody was yelling, like, ‘You can’t do that to him!’ I was humiliated.”
‘They Treated Me Like I Was Nothing:’ Rikers Detainee Alleges Sexual Assault
The federal suit charges that two correction officers pepper-sprayed and sexually assaulted Kyle Knight during a retaliatory strip search, with footage of the encounter later vanishing.
www.thecity.nyc
December 18, 2025 at 9:38 PM
“They were about to take me out with no clothes on,” he said. “Everybody was yelling, like, ‘You can’t do that to him!’ I was humiliated.”
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.
Breaking news: The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has voted to rename the storied arts institution the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Kennedy Center board votes to rename ‘Trump-Kennedy Center’
Kennedy Center trustees, installed earlier this year by President Trump, have voted to rename the center after him, said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM
The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says.
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Lmao it keeps getting better
NYT: “In a newly obtained recording of a phone call from late 2020, President Trump can be heard pressing the speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives to hold a special legislative session to overturn Mr. Trump’s election loss.”
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/u...
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/u...
December 18, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Lmao it keeps getting better
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
December 18, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
The Minnesota Speaker’s closest friends and family open up for the first time.
Read @stephenrodrick.bsky.social's exclusive: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Michelle Mertz
While hiking in the Italian Alps, a nature photographer came upon a surface speckled with more than 2,000 dinosaur footprints that scientists are calling “remarkable.” nyti.ms/44zfQc8
December 18, 2025 at 4:21 AM
While hiking in the Italian Alps, a nature photographer came upon a surface speckled with more than 2,000 dinosaur footprints that scientists are calling “remarkable.” nyti.ms/44zfQc8