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JoshVarela

@jvarela.bsky.social
257 followers 734 following 105 posts

Impulsive reader, boardgamer, ttrpg enthusiast, and forever GM. Will spend too long typing about how little time I have to waste.

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Reposted by JoshVarela
Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 02/10/2026
This is a better epilogue to my January story about the private equity firm profiting off of ICE's cruelest flights than I could have ever possibly hoped for. CHICAGO: You went to the mat and protected (at a minimum!) thousands of immigrants from torture. Take a bow. prospect.org/2026/10/02/i...
prospect.org
The City That Brought Down an ICE Airline - The American Prospect
In Chicago, progressive alderpeople held up a contract until a private equity firm was forced to dispatch Omni Air International, protecting thousands of immigrants from deportation.
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Gwen Marshall @drgwenmarshall.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The Onion ran this amazing article and thought, I wanna play this! So I made it! 38 pps, PbtA, plus every mechanic mentioned in the article, and a bunch of Rodrigo song references. And it's free! Enjoy! #OliviaRodrigo @theonion.com #theonion #ttrpg #itch.io drgwenmarshall.itch.io/high-winter-...
drgwenmarshall.itch.io
High Winter Elves of Girlville by Gwen Marshall
A satirical game based on an Onion article about Olivia Rodrigo making a TTRPG!
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18/08/2026
New in PN: DHS's abuse of power in Minnesota was even worse than we knew "When the Department of Justice indicted 15 Minnesotans earlier this summer, it was painfully clear that this was a cobbled-together mess, a transparent attempt to criminalize dissent. But boy, we didn’t know the half of it."
publicnotice.co
DHS's abuse of power in Minnesota was even worse than we knew
It's the stuff of East Germany.
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Jeff Abbott @palabrasdeabajo.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
One year ago today Camp East Montana officially opened as a detention camp for immigrants. The site is the largest detention center in the U.S. and it's first year has been marked by death, abuses, and a served as a symbol of corruption and mismanagement. Here is my story looking back:
elpasotimes.com
Camp East Montana: A year of deaths, controversy and management woes
Camp East Montana is marking one year of operation on Fort Bliss in El Paso. The year has been marked by criticism and calls for its closure.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
New from me: More than a trillion dollars flow through the federal government in grants. We have more and more evidence that the Trump administration has been directing those grants on purely partisan grounds, denying them to blue states. 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/governing-...
donmoynihan.substack.com
Governing without Accountability
Trump only wants to be President of some of America, not all of America
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Chris Hutton - TTRPG Insider @ PAX Unplugged @newsnerd.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
This is a really interesting piece from Renee Devereaux, who I chatted w/ at GenCon about their efforts to organize D&D locally in Minneapolis at local bars and are expanding to other cities. nextcity.org/urbanist-new...
nextcity.org
I Started One of America’s Biggest D&D Communities. Here’s How To Design a Third Place.
Op-ed: Cities keep building rooms and waiting for community to show up in them. Three years of running Dungeons & Dragons nights in bars taught me what those rooms are actually missing.
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Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) @iwriteok.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I have, with my own eyes, watched my tax dollars in the form of missiles as they hit buildings inhabited by civilians. I'd much prefer subsidizing a grocery story I don't use.
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Maggie Wiggin @maggie162.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
My god, Octavia Butler, just miss ONCE
 Page from a book saying:

From EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING
Choose your Leaders with wisdom and forethought.
To be led by a coward is to be controlled
by all that the coward fears.
To be led by a fool is to be led
by the opportunists who control the fool.
To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen.
To be led by a liar
is to ask to be told lies.
To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.
t
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JoshVarela @jvarela.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Period drama musings. Enjoying Lark Rise to Candleford. Though I think S2 was a step down to what made S1 special. But I can't believe it took until 2x09 to learn that Lark Rise had their own hated Shelbyville.
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Fernando Salvaterra @salvaterra.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
They say a couple of titans went to sleep here at the dawn of time and never woke up. 🗺️ this island minimap is uploaded as stock art here and can be purchased without pledging: 🧭 www.patreon.com/tomeofsalvat... #ttrpg #stockart #bsnm #cartography
black and white drawing of two islands, each one in the shape of a person sleeping in a different position next to each other, covered in trees.
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ElieNYC @elienyc.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
My print piece on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is up. I point out that the rest of the country is still desperately trying to get the same rights the white man gave himself 250 years ago. In @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/soci...
thenation.com
Will America Ever Give White-Man Rights To Everyone Else?
If we want to make it another 250 years, the Constitution is going to have to do a lot more than protect individual political and civil rights.
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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 15/06/2026
Free newsletter: AI's business model is inherently broken. Both OpenAI and Anthropic are discussing potential price cuts to to the cost of their models for enterprises as they allow their subscription users to burn $8k to $14k in tokens for $200 a month. www.wheresyoured.at/brokenomics/
wheresyoured.at
AI's Brokenomics
If you liked this piece, you should subscribe to my premium newsletter. It’s $70 a year, or $7 a month, and in return you get a weekly newsletter that’s usually anywhere from 5,000 to 18,000 words, in...
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jenn martin is not trying so hard @tenpenjenn.com · 17/06/2026
Get more and better quality sleep. Find relationships where you feel loved/cared for. Define success for yourself. Spend time playing.
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Aleks, no X @aleksnotx.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
DOGE canceled a school science grant that was a couple hundred thousand dollars for being wasteful.
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Immigrants do not have to contribute exceptionally to deserve safety Immigrants do not have to permanently grovel to their new country to justify their existence Immigrants are allowed to be just as mediocre, grumpy or homesick as anyone else
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paris martineau @paris.nyc · 09/06/2026
my latest @consumerreports.org investigation is based on months of reporting and 120+ lab tests of popular snacks over a third of the products had more additives / contaminants in 1 serving than what health agencies have identified as safe to consume daily 🧵 www.consumerreports.org/health/food-...
consumerreports.org
These Popular Snacks Contain High Levels of Additives and Contaminants - Consumer Reports
Tests by Consumer Reports and Yuka found high levels of additives and contaminants in popular products from Cheetos, Hostess, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, Takis, and more.
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Jacqueline Sweet @jsweetli.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
It's been a terrible two days to be a woman on the internet. It's been an even worse two days to be a woman on the internet who generally aligns with progressive values and politics. /
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Micah @rincewind.run · 06/06/2026
whenever people get into arguments about bluesky versus twitter I just come back to the fact that I don’t want to spend time on a platform where the biggest voices are the worst people on the planet
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Kat Abughazaleh @katmabu.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I believe I ran the first Bluesky-first congressional campaign in the country. Some folks thought I was nuts. But it was absolutely the best move. Bluesky has better fundraising metrics and engagement for candidates, and the site isn’t overrun with Nazis. Take note. youtu.be/XOfkMBMpw3s?...
youtu.be
Running a Bluesky-First Campaign with Kat Abughazaleh | Hello Merge Tag Ep. 32
YouTube video by Josh Klemons
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Ron Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Privatizing prisons and detention facilities is one of the worst public policy decisions this country has ever made. bsky.app/profile/atru...
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public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
unrelenting
Episode IV 
IT WAS ALL SO STUPID
Seriously, you would not believe how stupid it was.
Every day, unrelentingly, just the dumbest stuff, by the absolute worst people., And what made it worse was knowing that we'd brought this on ourselves.
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Meagan Kenreck 🦇 @meagankenreck.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Feeling a little vulnerable putting this out there as I don't typically feel comfortable asking for financial help but here goes nothin' Now that the initial scary diagnosis part is over, I'm now entering the scary US Healthcare part. Any help at all is appreciated, even just a share. Thank you 💜
gofundme.com
Donate to Help Meagan Fight Breast Cancer, organized by Meagan Kenreck
I am reaching out for help as I navigate a recent cancer diagnosis that has brought ove… Meagan Kenreck needs your support for Help Meagan Fight Breast Cancer
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Paul Szoldra @paulszoldra.com · 21/04/2026
Thirteen U.S. troops died trying to get these people to safety — Afghan interpreters, soldiers, and the families of our service members. Veterans spent sleepless nights during the chaotic withdrawal fighting to keep them alive. Now our own government is going to abandon them.
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Nicholas Slayton @nslayton.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Check out this @taskandpurpose.com interview with the photographer! taskandpurpose.com/news/august-...
taskandpurpose.com
How a Navy photographer snapped an iconic Artemis II astronaut photo
The photographer who snapped the photos of the Artemis II crew’s return to Earth spent years honing his craft on a Navy aircraft carrier.
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Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin @ecmclaughlin.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Analillia just beat her Republican challenger in a district that was Republican until 2018 BY THIRTY-NINE POINTS. For God’s sake, if you are a progressive who has any desire to run, DO IT NOW.
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Fear in MAGAWorld, anger in the Kremlin, joy in Europe.
chadbourn.substack.com
Orbán Out —Trump and Putin Hurt
The first Far Right domino falls
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Elaine Ayers @eayers0.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
I stand in strong solidarity with my friends + colleagues striking at NYU, as a former contract professor there. My experience, while better than many, reflects many of their complaints: low pay, few protections, high loads, and utter disrespect from the university. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/n...
nytimes.com
Hundreds of N.Y.U. Professors Begin Strike Over Pay and Job Protections
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
New — I collected stories from travelers at airports around the country on Monday after ICE agents were deployed to help TSA. No one understood beforehand why they would be there, and after a day with them around, it’s no more clear. Read the multi-city dispatches:
thehandbasket.co
Airports on ICE
Federal immigration agents popped up around the country on Monday to do seemingly nothing.
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jon christian @jonchristian.net · 05/03/2026
why does this go so much harder than the original
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Brandon Friedman @brandonfriedman.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
A war that isn't a war, documented with videos that may or may not be real, funded by elected leaders who are neither for nor against it, is the most dystopian thing that's happened in my lifetime
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Elle Cordova @ellecordova.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Thoughts & prayers to the EPA :(
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 04/03/2026
Polymarket has created a betting market on the use of nuclear weapons. Everyone involved in this should be put in prison for life.
A screenshot of the Polymarket website showing a prediction market titled "Nuclear weapon detonation by...?" under the Geopolitics and Ukraine categories. The market displays three betting options with their current probabilities and "Buy Yes" or "Buy No" prices: "March 31" at 5%, "June 30" at 12%, and "Before 2027" at 22%. The total trading volume shown is over $843,000.
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MPR News @mprnews.org · 26/02/2026
What started as a meetup to learn and play the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons has grown into a community of 2,500 people offering friendship, refuge and mutual aid as immigration enforcement ramps up in Minnesota.
mprnews.org
How a Dungeons & Dragons meetup turned into mutual aid during ICE operations
A Twin Cities Dungeons & Dragons meetup that began as a way to play the game has grown into a 2,500-person community offering friendship, refuge and mutual aid as immigration enforcement ramps up in M...
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 25/02/2026
If the Trump administration needs help bringing them all back, I’ve got receipts. gillianbrockell.ghost.io/tracking-all...
gillianbrockell.ghost.io
Tracking All of Trump’s Third-Country Removals (That We Know Of)
Bookmark this post, it will be updated.
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P. Andrew Torrez @andrewtorrez.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
28/ What now? I'm off to figure that out. Keep reading and keep listening to the show! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/l...
podcasts.apple.com
Law and Chaos
Government Podcast · Updated Weekly · Ignorance of the law is no excuse! That's true for a traffic stop, and it's true if you want to participate in whatever's left of American democracy. If the event...
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Puff the Magic Hater @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
I talked with @andreapitzer.bsky.social about why we should understand the Trump administration as a concentration camp regime, and what it means to fight back.
truthout.org
Living Under a Concentration Camp Regime — and Fighting Back
“Getting involved locally is critical,” says journalist Andrea Pitzer.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Camp East Montana, the tent camp in El Paso, is reportedly a terrible place. And I struck by news that the admin wants to build warehouse detention facilities that are nearly 200% larger — holding up to 8,500 people in a single location.
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Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Marimar Martinez, shot 5 times by Border Patrol in Chicago, speaks out after Renee Good, Alex Pretti deaths 'I am their voice' NEW w/ @adrianacardmag.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
chicago.suntimes.com
Marimar Martinez, shot by Border Patrol in Chicago, speaks out after Good, Pretti deaths: 'I am their voice'
In a wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, Martinez discusses her shooting, the federal government’s failed attempt to prosecute her and the role she now sees for herself in a fi...
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Mara Wilson @marawilson.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
I guess I am a bit of a chaos bisexual but it’s in less of an Ilya Rozanov way and more of a “Beaker from the Muppets” way
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Chabeli Carrazana @chabeli.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
In Minneapolis, for every story detailing the fallout of the federal crackdown, there are as many stories of people like Bri, a mom donating breastmilk for babies whose mothers are detained by ICE. Bri's story: 19thnews.org/2026/02/minn...
19thnews.org
When one mother was taken by ICE, another stepped in to donate breastmilk
Moms in Minneapolis are donating diapers, food and time to help families who have been ripped apart by ICE.
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weeder @weeder.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
*young me, developing a strong sense of justice* This is gonna be great, what an asset, this will never drive me insane
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will @willduh.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
todays vibe
Photograph of the legs of a woman holding a burning cigarette with the subtitles 'My idols are dead and my enemies are in power'
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Jeff Abbott @palabrasdeabajo.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
El Paso's Annunciation House migrant shelter has been receiving migrants released by ICE on bond for the last month. They have received at least 125 migrants who were released from area detention facilities since Jan. 1, founder and director Ruben Garcia told me. My story:
elpasotimes.com
Immigrants freed from ICE detention arrive at El Paso shelter
El Paso's Annunciation House has received approximately 125 immigrants who were released on bond from Borderland ICE detention facilities.
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Ramona @alderdoodle.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
No hate watching. No fucking hate watching.
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
HUGE news! This is about a Trump admin effort to arrest thousands of screened and vetted refugees in Minnesota and fly them to Texas to be jailed and then interrogated. After the interrogation is over, people are being dumped on the street and told to find their own way back.
NY Times headline and photo + caption 

They Had Done Everything Right?
ICE Detained Them Anyway.
Dozens of refugees with valid status have been sent from Minnesota to Texas to be revetted, prompting a lawsuit. Those released have had to pay their way back.

Underneath is a photo of DHS officer with a kiss and a gun getting out of a car. The caption reads as follows: “More than 100 refugees with no criminal record from about a dozen countries have been detained in Minnesota by agents in recent weeks.”
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Zoë “Baddie Proctor” Quinn @unburntwitch.com · 27/01/2026
finally a good dating app
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Thorpe Langton @mspdawg.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Yesterday, I drove refugees that had been shipped off to Texas all the way back home to St. Paul Seeing them reunite with their families reminded me this is their home. So keep sending them to Texas. I’ll keep driving ‘em back and introducing them to Bucc-ee’s and KC barbecue along the way.
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George Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
After being held in two of them as a boy, I fought for decades urging America to never again build concentration camps and put human beings in them. It breaks my heart to watch this happen twice now in my own lifetime.
Screenshot of an X.com post by The Associated Press (@AP) stating that dozens of immigrant families protested for better treatment behind fences at a Texas detention facility, where a 5-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father were sent after being detained in Minnesota. Below is a video thumbnail showing a crowd gathered outdoors along a fenced walkway; many people wear bright blue or red outerwear, and some hold signs.
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Federal judge issues temporary order prohibiting removal of 5-year-old boy and father who were detained in Minnesota.
Photo of young boy wearing a hat
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Norm Charlatan @normcharlatan.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
If a non-citizen neighbor gets kidnapped by ICE, you supposedly have about 4-5 hours to file a habeas petition in Minnesota to prevent ICE from shipping people to Texas. They are moving people that quickly regardless of whether or not they have legal status.
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