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Melissa

@capnleela.bsky.social
159 followers 92 following 154 posts

Trying to make things a little more aesthetic and a little more functional. Into art, gardening, web design, community, Solar Punk, UX, and accessibility.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Melissa
Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is tomorrow in the Seattle area and it’s free:
AUTHOR VOICES
Nnedi Okorafor
Tuesday, September 29, 6:30pm
Renton Library and Online

Details
Date:
September 29
Time:
6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Cost:
Free
Event Categories:
Literary, Renton
Venue
Renton Library
WA
629261
Reposted by Melissa
Tim @bio-tim.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Fewer new US citizens voting may impact close elections in obvious ways, particularly when one of the parties is stridently anti-immigrant.
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Tim @bio-tim.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Myself and other immigration attorneys have noticed that the government has paused most citizenship applications that have already been approved and are only waiting for a swearing-in-ceremony. Our guess is that they're intentionally delaying these until after the mid-term election.
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Raider @iwillnotbesilenced.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Quilters, immigrant rights advocates and an interfaith coalition unveiled the Stolen Neighbors Quilt at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday to honor Minnesotans detained by federal immigration enforcement - and advocate on their behalf.
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Lucy Bellwood @lubellwoo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
A team of library folks here in Ventura County are working to launch a local affiliate branch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library right now! I'd be thrilled to see them hit their goal of beginning to deliver books to kids in the area by September of this year. imaginationlibraryventura.com
imaginationlibraryventura.com
Imagination Library of Ventura County
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Dom Ervolina @dominicervolina.com · 21/08/2026
Flock camera coverage of the U.S. in the last two years, from Flock's own data
Flock camera coverage of the U.S. in the last two years, from Flock's own data
 
It displays just a few dots in 2024 and now coverage for nearly every major metropolitan area in the U.S. in 2026
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Andrew Thrasher @tituslegaldesign.com · 19/08/2026
"Between May and July, the emails show probation officers were regularly notifying ICE agents about the dates and times that certain probationers would be at their office. ... One probation officer also gave ICE agents the home address and make, model and license plate of a probationer’s car."
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Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 19/08/2026
This is genuinely great - thank you, @aft.org! Would love to see a similar statement urging teachers and students to cancel their ChatGPT accounts due to OpenAI's support of ICE! www.technologyreview.com/2026/02/10/1...
technologyreview.com
A “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions
Backlash against ICE is fueling a broader movement against AI companies’ ties to President Trump.
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Reo Eveleth @reveleth.com · 19/08/2026
wow WHO could have POSSIBLY seen this coming?
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L.A. TACO @lataco.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Around 80 detainees were forcibly deported to the Central African Republic, which the U.S. strongly advises against visiting. L.A. TACO spoke with Aristides Fernandez Garcia, who has no idea what the future looks like. The full story: lataco.com/asylum-seeke... By @eltragon.bsky.social
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 12/08/2026
I don't think that gloves like this should exist. I mean, I don't think that ICE should exist. But definitely abolish ICE and double abolish shock gloves.
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United Farm Workers @ufw.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
With 100° temps a new norm, Republicans are trying to stop all federal heat safety protection regs, now or in the future. HR 6213 prohibits OSHA from creating or enforcing ANY national heat safety standard. We MUST stop it! act.seiu.org/a/fedheatreg... #WeFeedYou
Graphic shows a farm worker in a mass and hat outside in a grape vineyard with bold bold orange pot looking text text saying: Republicans are trying to ban  national heat regulations from ever happening. Contact your US Representative today
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Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com · 03/08/2026
The Trump regime forced Haitian Americans into undocumented status, and is now using that undocumented status as an excuse to force them to wear ankle monitors. It was never about following the law, but about banning Black and brown immigrants while advancing fascism & Christian nationalism.
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jessamyn @librarian.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful
An aircraft passenger oxygen mask: a drop down passenger mask with air bag and yellow plastic mouth and nose cover, oxygen tube has been cut; Demonstration model used by flight attendant crew for passenger instruction. Has text on the side indicating that it's non-functional.
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Eric Umansky @ericumansky.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Prisciliano Trejo Ricano came to the U.S. at 3yrs old. ICE took him this June. He was 29. He told his family he didn't feel right but ICE wouldn't give him medical attention. After a month, ICE finally moved him to a hospital Prisciliano died five days later enlacelatinonc.org/en/Young-Mex...
enlacelatinonc.org
A young Mexican man living in Durham died in ICE custody.
News in Spanish about politics, immigration and community issues for Latinos in North Carolina.
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Tade Thompson @tadethompson.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Looks like someone pirated Daily Science Fiction's entire output and posted them here, claiming to have author permission. At least a dozen authors to my knowledge have said they didn't grant permission. If you were published by DFS, you might wanna consider a Cease and Desist.
sciencefictionweekly.com
Free short science fiction, published weekly · Science Fiction Weekly
Science Fiction Weekly publishes a free short story every weekday and a curated digest every Sunday. Subscribe by email.
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
When Elon Musk says "zero" children died in Africa from his DOGE cuts, he really means zero children died who are *worthy of any concern.* It's vile coded signaling to his global fascist audience. From me and @polphilpod.bsky.social, a deep dive into Musk's fascism: newrepublic.com/article/2135...
newrepublic.com
The Real Reason Elon Musk Keeps Insisting DOGE Cuts Killed “Zero” Kids
In his explosive interview with The Economist, the SpaceX billionaire inadvertently revealed something darker about his true vision for the future—and about his affinities with global fascism.
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L.A. TACO @lataco.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
As a retired deputy medical investigator and co-founder of 1-800-AUTOPSY, Vidal Herrera is bringing attention to the overwhelming need for funding and help in the “deathcare” industry. Read more: lataco.com/vidal-herrer... 🎥: Izzy Ramirez and Erwin Recinos
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Hyperallergic @hyperallergic.com · 28/07/2026
Betye Saar died at 99 in Los Angeles yesterday. The beloved artist passed away in her sleep just four days before her 100th birthday. Over a seven-decade career, Saar’s visionary assemblages recast the debris of American history into monuments of Black resilience and liberation.
hyperallergic.com
Betye Saar, Who Opened Portals Between Worlds, Dies at 99
Her visionary assemblages recast the debris of American history into monuments of Black resilience and liberation.
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L.A. TACO @lataco.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Amada Armenta, one of the lead researchers of the project, tells L.A. TACO that businesses within a quarter mile of an immigration enforcement raid experienced twice as much foot traffic loss when compared to a half a mile away. The full story: lataco.com/ice-cost-la-... By Aisha Wallace-Palomares
An exterior shot of a furniture store called “X-elence Furniture”

Headline reads “Immigration Enforcement Cost L.A. Businesses $3.6 Million in June Alone, New UCLA Report Reveals”
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Christopher Wiggins @cwnewser.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
SCOOP: “It was carried out in a way that lets the VA avoid explicitly saying they don’t provide LGBTQ veteran care — but that’s the reality of it," a healthcare provider at a Veterans Affairs hospital told me. www.advocate.com/politics/nat...
advocate.com
Trump ends care network for LGBTQ+ veterans, internal email shows. Providers condemn 'cruel erasure'
The nationwide rollback ends specialized calls, training, and shared resources while leaving other population-specific programs intact.
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Erin Reed @erininthemorning.com · 22/07/2026
In the latest NDAA amendment votes, five Dems crossed party lines to ban Tricare coverage for ttrans care for dependents of military members: H. Cuellar (TX) V. Gonzalez (TX) D. Davis (NC) S. Figures (AL) And Terri Sewell (AL) becomes the newest Dem to do so. Subscribe to support our journalism.
erininthemorning.com
Five Dems Crossed Party Lines To Strip Health Care From Trans Servicemembers And Their Families
“It's not just an attack on transgender kids.”
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🎃 Killy Witches 👻 @tillybridges.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
friends, please: don’t use transreads dot org they claim to support trans authors, but take our entire texts, post them for free, fundraise off it, and have the gall to claim it’s about preservation they are literally taking money from trans creators and make it harder for us to keep creating
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Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com · 17/07/2026
Peter Larsen (48) approached a Muslim American named Sohail and asked him if he was Muslim. Sohail confirmed that he was. Larsen, a Trump supporter, pulled out a knife and stabbed Sohail 15 times, telling police he intended to kill him and all Muslims. www.qasimrashid.com/p/a-white-su...
qasimrashid.com
A White Supremacist Stabbed A Muslim Man 15 Times Because of His Faith
National Media Is Ignoring It And American Muslims Are Seeing The Hate Escalate
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Nick Andert @nickandert.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
youtu.be
The REAL Story Behind the LAX People Mover Fiasco
YouTube video by nandert
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Grant Henninger @granthenninger.com · 10/07/2026
The most frustrating thing about the LAX Skylink delays is that as soon as it opens, LA becomes the best transit-served city in California. SF’s only advantage over LA is BART access to SFO. Skylink will finally solve that deficiency for LA. (Although, closing the Norwalk Gap would be nice too.)
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Peter Wong @pwongview.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
If @charliejane.bsky.social or @annaleen.bsky.social knows anybody in Idaho (or traveling to that state) who might need this map. @transgenderreport.com www.thepinknews.com/2026/07/10/i...
thepinknews.com
Map with trans-friendly bathrooms launched after new Idaho law
Idaho LGBTQ+ advocates have launched a new online map identifying trans-inclusive bathrooms after a new law restricted restroom access.
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T. Greg Doucette @gregdoucette.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
True story: there used to be a website that tracked these (PuppycideDB), and they gave up because cops were killing too many dogs for them to the website to keep pace
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 10/07/2026
"why don't you win hearts and minds first?" Yeah, that's exactly the reason the right goes after any representation in film. They don't want trans people in media because they don't want people to empathize with trans people at all or know their struggles.
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Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Not only very reminiscent of Renee Good but also Marimar Martinez who was shot six times in her car and remarkably survived.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 10/07/2026
really think that if democrats hold any chamber of congress next year that a condition of passing a budget is the removal of russ vought, who has a genuinely tyrannical vision of presidential power and is a focal point of the lawlessness of the trump administration
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media archaeology lab @mediaarchaeology.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
this is your two week reminder! applications for the 2026/27 Practitioner in Residence cohort are due July 22! Come misuse some things creatively with us! Read the full prompt: drive.google.com/file/d/16zB-... Fill out the application: forms.gle/KNfcAGBVCbyU...
a MISTY robotics robot appears via security camera on the screen of an Apple IIc computer. An explainer for the Apple IIc is under the screen.
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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Individuals were “held at gunpoint, physically kicked or struck by rifles, and marched outside in little to no clothing or pajamas.” "Amidst the chaos, a DHS-hired camera crew and drones … filmed the operation … footage was later released on DHS’ social media accounts as promotional content.”
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Wagatwe Wanjuki @wagatwe.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
once again reminding folks that police commit violence against women at a higher rate than the general population.
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Dimitri Drekonja, MD, MS @dimitridrekonja.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The advances in cancer have been so fast that if you’re a doctor who doesn’t specialize in cancer, you simply can’t keep up. There are cancers that I learned are incurable in med school (‘98-2002) that are now cured or managed as long-term issues. Insane levels of ignorance from Peter Thiel 😳
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Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 24/06/2026
My book refers to Musk’s USAID cuts as a Silicon Valley genocide. The richest man in the world took a chainsaw to the poorest people in the world. Laughing. So much money, so much death. Remember their names when billionaires preach “abundance.” 👇 In their AI dreams, we are all the future poor.
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 24/06/2026
The FTC case against WPATH has been reassigned to Judge Reed O' Connor with no reason given. DOJ is starting to centralize all of their investigations under O'Connor in NDTX. The federal courts are a joke.
A formal court order from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, filed on June 24, 2026. The document is for case number 4:26-cv-0748-P, listing the Federal Trade Commission, et al., as Plaintiffs, versus the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Inc., et al, as Defendants. The body of the order states: "The Court ORDERS that the above-captioned case, is hereby reassigned to United States District Judge Reed O'Connor for all further proceedings and the entry of judgment." The document concludes with "SO ORDERED on this 24th day of June 2026" and bears the signature of United States District Judge Mark T. Pittman.
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Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Doctors 25% more likely to miss a diagnosis on a patient within 3 months after Ai is implemented. The results indicate Ai has an immediate negative effect on professionals skillsets vs prolonged reliance. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
Is AI ruining our skills? Early results are in — and they’re not good
Reliance on artificial-intelligence tools degrades the abilities of physicians and software engineers, studies show.
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By Cory Doctorow (GPG 0xBF3D9110957E5F4C) @doctorow.pluralistic.net · 20/06/2026
Perhaps you've encountered the stories about Dialog, an extremely weird secret society associated with Peter "Antichrist" Thiel, whose membership data and details have leaked this week: www.wired.com/story/how-pe... 1/
An outlandlishly attired, spear-clutching secret society, ca. 1900. Their faces have all been replaced with the face of Peter Thiel, except for the middle one, who has Jeffrey Epstein's face.

Image:
Gage Skidmore (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Thiel_(51875326467).jpg
File:Peter_Thiel_(51875325807).jpg
File:Peter_Thiel_(51875327792).jpg
File:Peter_Thiel_(51876289196).jpg
File:Peter_Thiel_(51876933345).jpg
File:Peter_Thiel_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg

CC BY-SA 2.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

--

TechCrunch50-2008 (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Thiel_TechCrunch50.jpg

Dan Taylor (modified)
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Thiel_2014_by_Heisenberg_Media.jpg
File:Peter_Thiel_(2014).jpg

CC BY 2.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
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Melissa @capnleela.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Finding out what my first lupus flare feels like.
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Reposted by Melissa
Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com · 17/06/2026
Last year, Illinois passed a law to ban ICE from conducting arrests at courthouses. Now, ICE is not just ignoring the law - they’re ramping up. In the last 5 weeks, ICE has snatched at least 80 people from the streets of Chicagoland. letsaddressillinois.substack.com/p/trump-and-...
letsaddressillinois.substack.com
Trump and ICE Continue to Terrorize Immigrant Communities. New Illinois Laws Aren't Slowing Them Down.
ICE continued to ramp up their violence this week, while Trump's fascist regime delays DACA program.
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Rahawa Haile @rahawahaile.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Your weekly reminder that the COYOTE calendar is the best and weirdest little Bay Area calendar, and you should definitely subscribe to it if you live here. (Hell, subscribe to it even if you don't for the inspiration alone.) www.coyotemedia.org/newsletter-s...
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Rep. Rob Menendez @menendez.house.gov · 17/06/2026
The GEO Group asked ICE - currently run by a former GEO exec - to remove federal standards that require them to follow laws around the treatment of detainees— including shielding them from legal liability from labor violations. Yet another reason Delaney should be closed & ICE should be abolished.
washingtonpost.com
ICE removed detainee protections after private outreach from top contractor
In new federal standards released Monday, the agency appeared to make changes that could benefit Geo Group’s legal defense.
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Megan Piontkowski Illustration @meganpiont.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
If the ICE watch info for your area is different than before, let me know and I will update your zine.
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Megan Piontkowski Illustration @meganpiont.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
70+ free printable "How to Report ICE" zines with info on the SALUTE protocol and local hotline numbers for all over the country! Including some in Spanish! There is an info sheet on how to fold and cut the zines and a form to request a zine for your area. drive.google.com/drive/folder...
Aloe plant "reading" black and white illustrated zine titled "How to Report ICE and Help Keep Our Neighbors Safe."
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L.A. TACO @lataco.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Kyron Shakeel Swaso, 35, spoke with L.A. TACO following his deportation to Belize, in what he says was an act of retaliation for organizing a hunger strike at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. The full story: lataco.com/deported-ade... By Izzy Ramirez
A man in neon yellow reflective vest sits in a car.

Headline reads “EXCLUSIVE: Deported Adelanto Hunger Striker Speaks Out For the First Time”
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Americans for Tax Fairness @4taxfairness.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
SNAP helped 42 million people afford groceries each month in 2024. They each got about $6 a day. Take a look at this economy. Does it really make sense that we just took $6 a day away from 3.5 million people to give billionaires more tax breaks?
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Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
“It’s about whether this country believes that immigrant families deserve dignity and permanence,” she continued, “or whether we will continue forcing millions of people to live one paperwork error, one traffic stop, or one gov’t abuse away from losing everything.” CITIZENSHIP NOW #HomeIsHere
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Prism @prismreports.org · 16/06/2026
📭CALL FOR SUPPORT💌 Prism's beloved managing editor @carolyncopes.bsky.social's father needs open heart surgery in the coming weeks & won't be able to work during his recovery. We're sharing a fundraiser for those who can to contribute, share & keep Brian in your thoughts.
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Brian Copeland’s Heart Surgery Recovery, organized by Liz Nelsen
Brian Copeland has always been someone who shows up for others. If you know… Liz Nelsen needs your support for Support Brian Copeland’s Heart Surgery Recovery
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Samantha Michaels @samanthamichaels.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I’m not sure people realize how huge this problem is. During Trump 1.0, ~5,000 kids were separated from parents at the border. During Trump 2.0, the Brookings Institution estimates *145,000* US citizen kids have been separated, mostly in the country's interior www.brookings.edu/articles/how... 5/x
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