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Ali Faruk

@alifarukrva.bsky.social
1.2K followers 769 following 5.5K posts

Public School Dad, Sci-Fi/Fantasy nerd, 3rd District #RVA school board member. www.alifarukrva.com.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Ali Faruk
19thnews @19thnews.org · 20h
The prevailing feeling among Gen Z women is one of disillusionment with a political establishment rarely willing to get radical with their solutions to a growing affordability crisis. This story is part of Gen Z at the Ballot Box, a collaboration between @statesnewsroom.com and The 19th.
19thnews.org
Gen Z women want politicians who can make the 'American dream' feel attainable
Affordability is the top issue for Gen Z women. But few candidates are appealing to them with a message strong enough to cut through the noise.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 12h
Had enough of ICE brutality? Here’s your chance to do something about the times we live in where human rights and the constitution don’t matter to Trump’s agents. Sign our pledge to vote and do all you can to fight back this critical midterm election. 1/
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 12h
The #RVA School Board is getting an update on state funding for public education. The current state formula does not accurately capture a local governments ability to pay for public ed. We get less K–12 funding per student than the 50-state average, the regional average, and 3 of 5 bordering states.
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 12h
Love seeing public spaces for play and joy being expanded. If you don't like how much our young people are addicted to screens then MAKE MORE SPACES FOR PLAY!!!
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 15h
Good evening #RVA, your school board is meeting TONIGHT and first thing on our agenda is an update on our students academic achievements from the 2025 school year. go.boarddocs.com/vsba/richmon...
go.boarddocs.com
BoardDocs® Agenda Item: 2.01 Receive an update on Dreams4RPS: Academic Update.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
VF editorial director Mark Guiducci’s comment that holding powerful people accountable isn’t “the project of journalism” makes a lot more sense now!
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 23h
C'mon #rva!
static.klipy.com
More
ALT: More
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
There's a reason why Somerville hasn't had a traffic death in 4 years. The city isn't perfect, but they've made a concerted effort to design many streets around people and not cars. You can still drive, but you're going to have to do so slowly and while paying attention.
bostonglobe.com
Somerville is intentionally making roads harder to drive on. It’s getting results. - The Boston Globe
To make roads safer, the city says, sometimes you have to put some obstacles in drivers' way.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
So you make him and the gop kill it. Pass good stuff that people want and make it explicit that the only thing standing between us and paradise is the gop
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 23h
#rva "Richmond’s current zoning code is a relic of the 1970s, when the suburban planning craze led governments to push housing, shops and offices into separate areas. This...makes housing more expensive, neighborhoods less walkable, and cities less sustainable." www.styleweekly.com/code-refresh...
styleweekly.com
Code Refresh is a small step forward
Progress doesn't come easily to Richmond. It never has. But zoning reform would help.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
I Scare You Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 04/10/2026
Thing is the whole thing is premised on the idea a child should need a six figure loan to keep going to school rather than educating people being a public benefit.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
ebisback.bsky.social @ebisback.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I feel ya 😪
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 04/10/2026
Despite having zero experience, ProPublica founded two private schools this year. You probably could, too! Take our quiz to find out just how easy it can be, then share your results with us by tagging @propublica.org.
projects.propublica.org
Quiz: Where Could You Open a Private School? — ProPublica
Private school requirements vary wildly across states. Take our quiz to find out just how easy starting one can be.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Auschwitz Memorial @auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
5 October 1891 | A Czech Jewish woman, Olga Žáková, was born in Lažany. She was deported to #Auschwitz from #Theresienstadt ghetto on 6 September 1943. She did not survive. --- Women at Auschwitz Lesson: lekcja.auschwitz.org/2022_kobiety_en Podcast: youtu.be/ijTxtbNlJO8
Vintage photograph of a woman, featuring an autograph. The woman is wearing a striped blouse with a dark scarf.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
We’ve been hearing for 20 years plus how we should just sit down and have a meal with people who think black, Latino and LGBTQ people are subhumans who must be killed. No.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 04/10/2026
remarkable piece of journalism. really worth reading.
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David BASTARDspan @davidbix.com · 04/10/2026
If any other Hollywood star spent almost 3 years doing this "I'm just a simple caveman; sexual abuse and trafficking are confusing but acceptable transgressions to me" shit in mainstream interviews, it would actually be a controversy that would negatively affect their career, right?
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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
All you have to do is talk about these things and the public becomes politically inspired and active. It’s called leadership. That’s what you do instead of rushing to follow the polls and endorsing horrible shit while salivating over votes
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
"People who suddenly pour big money into something like that aren’t just trying to “raise awareness” — whatever that really means. They are trying to influence public policy. And the public has a right to know who they are, and what they really want." www.bostonglobe.com/2026/10/03/m...
bostonglobe.com
‘Dark Money’ comes for the Boston Public Schools - The Boston Globe
The education advocacy group claims its mission is to bring awareness to what it says is the sorry plight of the city’s public schools.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
the clinton/obama consultant holdovers are the biggest detriment to the democratic party. almost all of the party's failures can be traced to them and the politicians who follow their terrible counsel.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
every democrat in the senate voted to confirm marco rubio. every single one.
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
There’s something special about choosing a book for yourself, and this week, 5,400 books were distributed to #rva public school kindergarten, first- and second-grade students, through a partnership with Bookelicious and the Richmond Ed Fund.
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The New Arab @thenewarab.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A bipartisan US civil rights report found anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitic, challenging Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism:
newarab.com
Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism, US rights commission finds
A bipartisan US civil rights report found anti-Zionism is not inherently antisemitic, challenging Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism.
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 01/10/2026
INBOX: The strike at RVA's botanical garden keeps getting uglier. The union is out with a press release claiming that Lewis Ginter's boss "cancelled healthcare coverage" for striking workers. It's a particularly nasty union-busting tactic that seems strategically risky for the once-beloved org.

outreach header image
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden CEO Cancels Healthcare Coverage for All Employees, Sparking Outcry 
 
Brian Trader shocks employees by ripping away healthcare insurance with four days' notice to workers
 
 

Richmond, VA - The CEO for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Brian Trader, abruptly cancelled healthcare coverage for all Lewis Ginter employees effectively today, October 1, 2026, sparking sharp rebuke from community members and workers.
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Jen Jennings @jenjennings.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
stop treating the culture wars as an exogenous shock. political actors made strategic choices to create and weaponize them. they are not a curious weather condition public schools failed to dress appropriately for.
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Josh Cowen @joshcowenmi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
One of the core elements of my writing on state voucher schemes was the prevalence of sub-prime pop-up schools that jump in to get taxpayer cash. Now @propublica.org has gone and shown just how easy it to do. www.propublica.org/article/prop...
propublica.org
Almost Anyone Can Start a Private School. We Put This to the Test.
Our reporting has shown how easily people — some with questionable backgrounds — have founded their own private schools in barns, strip malls and other places. That led us to an experiment: If the hur...
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
ProPublica @propublica.org · 01/10/2026
About 30 states have adopted programs that allow families to spend public money on private school tuition. But our investigation found that many states have little interest in overseeing private schools. Join us Oct. 6 for a virtual discussion. RSVP: events.propublica.org/wild-west-sc...
Virtual Event: The Wild West of School Vouchers. Tuesday, Oct. 6. 4 p.m. Eastern time. Illustration: A giant orange pencil points up and to the right. In the background is a pattern made up of gray school chairs.
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Punk on Bus Lives!🚍📻 @punkonbuslives.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Happy 78th birthday to the inimitable Avery Brooks!🖖🏿
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Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
One of the really interesting findings here is that microtransit is associated with better healthcare access and health outcomes because riders are able to have reliable transportation to medical appointments.
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Dave Infante @dinfontay.com · 01/10/2026
ATTN: Richmonders of Bluesky! I'm organizing with a group of neighbors to shut down E. Broad St. on Halloween to keep East End trick-or-treaters safe from reckless drivers. The city requires off-duty cops, insurance, barricades, etc., so we're raising money to cover the costs. Chip in if you can!
gofundme.com
Donate to Support BooFest on Broad!, organized by Katie Amrhein
BooFest on Broad is a new Halloween tradition here in Church Hill. A group of your Church … Katie Amrhein needs your support for Support BooFest on Broad!
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Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026
"That is the value of Opoku-Agyeman’s work. She doesn’t ask readers to look at inequality as an abstract concept. She asks us to examine the cumulative cost of systems that extract more from some people while returning less." I bawled. I need to personally thank the person who wrote this. 😭
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Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
My @propublica.org colleagues have no business running a private school for kids. And yet they were easily able to start schools in two states -- with a third ProPublica Academy pending that would be located inside a North Carolina bar.
propublica.org
Almost Anyone Can Start a Private School. We Put This to the Test.
Our reporting has shown how easily people — some with questionable backgrounds — have founded their own private schools in barns, strip malls and other places. That led us to an experiment: If the hur...
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Reposted by Ali Faruk
I Scare You Like Sound Dog @chadstanton.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026
White people are literally saying the image of dependency should be premised upon racism and people are acting as if we can’t all see what they’re saying.
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Fightful Wrestling @fightful.com · 01/10/2026
"How you know? You knew. You were one of the best wrestlers in the world. Thank you for everything. I'm going to miss you. PAC, Ben. You are in my heart, my friend." - Andrade's tribute to PAC
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Chris⚖️Justice @chrisjustice01.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel: "We don’t want our tax dollars to go to hurting people. We want to help people"
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Meet author Surbhi Bansal at the #rva public Library tomorrow evening Friday Oct 2, 6:00pm - 7:30 pm.
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Will Weaver vs. ACME 📸 @willweaverrva.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Uh, that's some cold shit there, Lewis Ginter
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Hey #rva, join us tonight at 530pm for an interactive planning session on how to improve our school buildings! www.richmonder.org/richmond-off...
Richmond Va public schools facilities modernization meeting on Thursday Oct 1pm at 539pm at Holton elementary.
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#StupidSuez @diplomatofnight.com · 01/10/2026
Less than two days later it is reported that the USG will be waiving human rights conditions requirements on $320,000,000 in military assistance for Egypt "in light of Cairo's "helpful role" since the launch of the US ‌war with Iran".
reuters.com
EXCLUSIVE: US waives rights conditions for $320 million in military aid to Egypt, letter shows
The US State Department has waived human rights conditions for ​more than $300 million of military aid to Egypt in light of Cairo's "helpful role" since the launch of the US ‌war with Iran, according ...
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Public school pta’s have to hold fundraisers to help pay for school supplies, materials etc. Tax the billionaires and give the people free universal early childhood education, Medicare for all, paid leave etc.
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Richmond DSA Eco-Socialism Working Group @rva-ecosocialism.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
#RVA City Council today voted 5-4 to reject a plan to install solar panels on city government buildings. Once again, city government fails to show any kind of leadership, putting the status quo that favors Dominion's pockets over the wellbeing of its citizens www.richmonder.org/richmond-sol...
richmonder.org
Richmond solar energy proposal fails to pass as Council meeting turns chaotic
“Actions have consequences, and City Council’s action tonight will make it harder to achieve the City’s sustainability goals.”
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
the cornell case has me thinking about christine blasey ford and how she so bravely testified in 2018 about how future supreme court justice brett kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her. i'm thinking about what i wrote at the time and how nothing has changed:
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Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi @ltgovhashmi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Now, with the help of the Chesapeake Climate Network, we’re turning those voices into a full report for our legislators and leaders for review and action.
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nick @unionnick.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
On the *same day* the Cornell Seven drugged and raped Jane Doe, Cornell banned four students (including the President of Cornell JVP) from campus for three years for nonviolent, pro-Palestine protests. The same Cornell officials let the rapists off with apology essays.
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
static.klipy.com
The Pinnacle Of American Capitalism
Alt: The Pinnacle Of American Capitalism
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Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
breaking weekend social media fast to note nyt's @shanegoldmacher.bsky.social gives ample space to rahm emanuel attacking bernie sanders and aoc but cant be bothered to mention anything about rahm's connection to police brutality vs black people. www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jaso...
Chicago Protesters Demand Mayor’s Resignation Over Police Brutality
Hundreds of protesters took the streets in Chicago after Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday apologized for the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.
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Ali Faruk @alifarukrva.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
20 years ago I met Jim Ukrop when he was Board Chair of Virginia21. I really appreciated all the time and money he spent trying to empower younger choices at the capitol.
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Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi @ltgovhashmi.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I am saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Ukrop. An iconic figure, a true business and civic leader, Jim has long been one of the most compelling visionaries in Richmond and Virginia. I extend my deepest condolences to his family, innumerable friends, and all his colleagues.
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