iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

It is an honor to have so much to say to Bruce Leon's paid canvassers that one of them rode the escalator with me to the train platform.

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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

NEW: Trump wants to transform the 2030 census in ways that'd dramatically skew representation. So we asked you to send us your questions. And we invited an expert on the census, who just published a new book interviewing 100s of census workers, to answer you. I learned a ton reading her replies:

boltsmag.org

Trump's Attempts to Control the Census: Your Questions Answered - Bolts

The Trump administration plans to upend the census. They’re proposing to exclude noncitizens from the count that determines the distribution of congressional seats, a move that would subtract politica...

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

There is something special about being at your kids schools Title I meeting as a parent while also texting about the absurd campaign finance stuff going on in the school board elections.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

"The release said to treat the poll like “a focus group,” which is confusing, since these are two very different kinds of instruments for measuring public opinion." 😬

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shawn @mulchy.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

new: ahead of thursday’s budget address, a coalition of more than 50 community, faith, policy, and social services organizations are calling on the cook county board of commissioners to freeze spending on law enforcement. it comes as cook county faces a $550 million budget gap for 2027.

chicagoreader.com

Cook County groups want a budget freeze for the sheriff and state's attorney - Chicago Reader

A coalition of more than 55 organizations wants Cook County to freeze spending on the sheriff and state's attorney amid a $550 million deficit and redirect the money to public defenders and violence p...

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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Another campaign finance report from the Yes on 3 (top-two primary) campaign, and again, it's almost all from private equity and the investor class. $1.3M in new money, and 80+% of it coming from just 8 donors--7 private equity executives and investment firm managers plus 1 investment firm itself

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

In a piece we wrote about high quality Integrated Data Systems we described them as: "the foundation that allows [systems] to plan, invest, and adapt with confidence, ensuring that limited public funds are used effectively to achieve public goals." Most of what's here is housing relevant too.

celfe.org

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Also this weekend I got to see someone talking about what it took to build a descriptive account of Chicago Property ownership and it is incredibly complex. PRO is a great opportunity for regulation and for acknowledging what it takes to do this kind of thing.

whoownschi.miurban-dashboards.org

Who Owns Chicago?

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I can tell you from about ten years on and off working on data integration in Chicago's early childhood system that a well built registry would be incredibly powerful for financing, policy, strategy, enforcement, and advocacy and a poorly built one would just pretend we know what we need to know.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I regularly get texts from people I know of an ad they saw or a text they received about a candidate asking me who it's from and what it's about.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Money is a massive driver in who you hear about and what you hear and a lot of the people and organizations spending that big money have greater influence and a narrower stake in what candidates and electeds choose to do. And I think people know that it feels bad even if they can't say exactly why.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I think it would be great if the majority of your information about elections and candidates was from news and neighbors. I think it would great to have a political eco system where candidates were talking more to voters in civic spaces and less in promotional spaces.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

To me it feels connected to conversations about independent expenditure (Super PAC) spending, which, like influencer content is focused on points of contact between candidates/electeds and constituents.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I am an old and so it doesn't really matter what I think about influencer media but I do think it's important for voters to understand who is making and funding the information they receive. To me it's less about influencers and more about a larger pattern about mediated contact in elections.

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Injustice Watch @injusticewatch.org · 05/10/2026

We're so excited to celebrate with you tonight! Here's what to expect: 🎟️ Free entry and food (while supplies last) 🎶 Tunes by DJ Jesse Sandwich 🎤 A convo with reporters about the judges on your ballot RSVP: buff.ly/JHyjGkq

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

This is the time of year where I always realize that we didn't go to the beach enough and start trying to push a little extra Lake before it gets too cold.

Two children digging in the sand by the lake

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

One of the candidates running against them mentioned how messed up it is that no one lets ICE use their bathrooms. I shared this with several voters during the day and the general response was GOOD. People at the pumpkin patch hate ICE and want them to have to pee in bottles in their cars.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I was collecting petition signatures for www.theteamfor17.com today. One of the reasons I like my crew is that they have been relentless in trying to get answers about CPD collaboration with ICE and great about championing community care and restorative justice.

theteamfor17.com

Home | The Team for 17 - We are Beth Rochford, Lisa Levy, and Paddy Lindley, a slate of political candidates for the 17th Police District Council in the February 2027 Chicago Municipal Election

Rochford, Levy & Lindley for 17th Police District Council

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Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 03/10/2026

Nine of the people who died from heat this summer in Cook County did so inside their homes or apartments and many had no working air conditioning, according to a review of records from the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

chicago.suntimes.com

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Good news! We found it and it's even weirder than I remember....

Two pages of a mini comic.

The left panel has a drawing of a stack of bills held together with a rubber band. It says

"my mom is worried because we like this ABBA song. The girl sings "in my dreams I have a plan I'll get myself a wealthy man"

Next to the picture of the money it says ~Money money must be funny in a rich mans world~ABBA

The right panel has a picture of a lady looking upset labeled "my mom" it says she doesn't want someone to see me with my Bobbi Brown bad and try to marry me and take my moneys. The bottom of the panel has two stick figures: a girl in green wearing sunglasses labelled "me" and a man on his knees holding a ring labelled "my moms worry" the man has a thought bubble with more Abba lyrics in it "I wouldn't have to work at all I'd fool around and have a ball"

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

☝🏽 Definitely an aspirational statement but more responding to the emerging debate about what is politically valid politics and what is not.

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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

You have to accurately assess the problem to create proper solutions

Screenshot of article which reads: Partisan polarization is not the greatest threat to American democracy.
It is a vivid and identifiable symptom of the real threat. And it is a popu-
lar frame because it blames no one. But because political polarization is
a symptom, and not the root of the problem that ails us, “fixing” polar-
ization will not restore American democratic health.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Chicago (and plenty of other places) were under attack from our own federal government. Telling people that their experiences and feelings are not "common sense" is putting a thumb right on our bruises and it's completely ok to be mad, sad, or anything else when people talk down to you like this.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

So this is exactly the kind of thing that your One Future Illinois and Common Ground Collective backers will tell you is extreme and out of pocket and yet nothing is truer to the spirit of transparent, responsive government than being attentive to the values and vision of the public.

Description of One Future Illinois from their website.

One future illinois

With every election cycle our system seems to become more polarized with extreme views getting most of the attention and problem solvers finding it harder to break through. It's time to cut the name calling the labels and the misplaced priorities to focus on common sense solutions.

We share one future- and there's no time to waste. If you feel the same, join us.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"By connecting the dots between the airlines and their investors, and by looking for more ways to leverage local government’s monetary powers, maybe the public can ground ICE flights one plane at a time, up until the day they can be abolished altogether. " *Audible whoop from me at the bus stop*

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"First, let me repeat: The council’s four-month standoff likely stopped dozens of long-range ICE flights, and that matters, regardless of what happens next. But I also don’t think it’s a given that Omni goes back to business as usual."

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Joan Alker @joanalker1.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The # of kids covered by Medicaid/CHIP since Jan 2025 continues to decline As of August 2026, the ⬇️ was 2.575 million 2026 is a more rapid ⬇️ than the already large ⬇️ in 2025 This is very worrying bcuz drops in child Medicaid enrollment usually means kid uninsured rate is ⬆️

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Kate Gallagher Robbins @kfgrobbins.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Today’s data mean that close to two years into the second Trump Administration, a smaller share of women are working than in January 2025.

Bar chart titled "Smaller shares of women are working under Trump" Bar chart showing the percentage point change in the employment-to-population ratio for women ages 20 and older between January 2025 and September 2026 for women overall (-0.9 ppt), white women (-1.1 ppt) and Black women (-1.4 ppt). Data source: National Partnership analysis of Current Population Survey data.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Precarity is hitting people who never expected it and if they can't get through that slog of loss and grief they won't fully be able to embrace the kinds of big fiscal and structural changes it would take to make everyone whole.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

One of the things that has really hurt everyone is the shift from focusing on "let's get a good education" to "let's have access to opportunity." A fairer system will get your kid a better education but it will do that by changing the structures that feel familiar and desirable.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This might have a lot to do with millennial stuff. Large generation, inherited privilege, needless competition etc. but I also think it ties into the struggle of accepting that you can't hack your way out of large structural problems.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This is a great question, especially since I spend a lot of time sitting with shared challenges in the municipal and school finance spaces. Most left leaning parents I know love lefty ideas like "high floor" and "shared weight" but can't close the door on their kids "earning" something "better."

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My daughter took my library card and reorganized my holds queue and anyway there's this oversize book about Dolly Parton & fashion waiting for me at the library

A shelf with an oversized book lying sideways on it. The book is a large pink hardcover with an oversized sticker on it. There is a glamorous picture of Dolly Parton on the cover and it says DOLLY PARTON in gold letters on the front it is subtitled Behind the Scenes My Life in Rhinestones

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Hurray! I live in the North River EMHSP. Our school has been able to tap into some incredible resources and partnerships for parent workshops on a variety of mental health and family well-being topics. Community mental health support is so rare I feel like people don't know what they're missing 💕

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"Austerity doesn’t work. Instead, it creates a death spiral, where reduction in services leads to reductions in revenue, which lead to reductions in services, which leads to reduction in revenue, which leads … you get the idea."

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Ofc. It's SUCH a good question bc it's directly applicable to how you assess need and eligibility for programs for children.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Awesome question, student! "Additionally, poverty status cannot be determined for unrelated individuals under age 15 (such as foster children)... if someone is under age 15 and not living with a family member, we do not know their income. "

census.gov

How the Census Bureau Measures Poverty

Learn how poverty thresholds are assigned and what sources of income are used to determine poverty status.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"The most ordinary man imaginable"

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Alice Cooper and *only* Alice Cooper will let us know when school is out and for which schools school will be out "forever."

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

“I just want to take pictures of real people and what we’re all doing,” he told her.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We're bringing in some consultants from the Shirley Jackson Institute for Community Consensus Building

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Maya Dukmasova @mdoukmas.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Early voting starts in Chicago TODAY and @injusticewatch.org is here to help you make she's of that long judicial portion of the ballot! Wondering what a "retention" election is anyway? Read @kellygarcia.bsky.social's explainer! www.injusticewatch.org/judges/judic...

injusticewatch.org

What are Cook County judicial retention elections?

Why we vote to retain judges and your other questions answered.

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I'm reading through some school board candidate comments on school closures and one candidate says closures should not be "top down" and I do not understand what this could possibly mean.

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Bob Schaefer @bobszilla.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Taps on @starshapedpress.bsky.social sign. Welcome to my favorite month of the year in my favorite city in the world.

Letterpress printing in brass and bronze lettering on dark brown card stock: CHICAGO
IS AN OCTOBER SORT OF CITY
-NELSON ALGREN

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Look, it's a fine jingle but humans do it better. It's been over 15 years and I've only been to Florida once but I still periodically think about the Mike Weinstein song.

youtu.be

★ Mike Weinstein Pt. I • "Representing District 19"

YouTube video by electmikeweinstein

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Denali @denali.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Fun fact: John Mulaney's dad is a big contributor to one of the Super PACs that's very active in Chicago School Board elections.

illinoissunshine.org

Search for 'Charles mulaney'

Search for candidates, committees and donors in Illinois

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