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Mary Newsom

@marynewsom.bsky.social
377 followers 376 following 157 posts

Urbanist, journalist, occasional op-ed writer, fledgling novelist. Annoyingly eager to quote Jane Jacobs: Cities are for everyone.

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Reposted by Mary Newsom
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
The richest man owns X. The second richest man owns The Washington Post. The third and fifth richest men control Google. The sixth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And the eighth richest man now owns both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?
bbc.com
Paramount takes over Warner Bros in $110bn Hollywood merger
The merger of two of Hollywood's biggest movie studios comes after months of legal disputes and concern over competition
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 10/09/2026
Wednesday's Most Read # 3 - Charlotte: Always courting growth link.theoverheadwire.com/v8jyt The Charlotte Ledger @marynewsom.bsky.social
link.theoverheadwire.com
Always courting growth
Plus:
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Charlotte, the city that has always wanted to grow, is now big. But where's the urbanism? I analyze how one braggadocio New South City is trying to go from "growing" to "Big City." #urbanism #transit www.thecharlotteledger.com/p/always-cou...
thecharlotteledger.com
Always courting growth
Plus:
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
People everywhere need to be paying attention to what's happening with NC election policy. It's a tale of naked political power plays by the state's GOP legislature. www.newsobserver.com/news/politic...
newsobserver.com
In split vote, NC approves new mail-in ballot guidelines hours before voting begins
The vote comes after similar proposed rules were blocked from taking effect in this year’s elections.
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Joe Roberts 🔥💙🔥🐸 @robbyjoe.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
He didn’t change. They did.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Yes, they should have saved the facade. The bigger issue is no data center should be OKd for any downtown. Large footprint, single building. Amend the ordinance that allows these elephants downtown ? www.charlotteobserver.com/news/busines...
charlotteobserver.com
Final decision made on data center request to demolish historic Charlotte facade
Exclusive: Mecklenburg County officials made their demolition decision amid opposition from an architecture group seeking to save the facade
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
You gotta ask, if NCDOT has $300M to offer for an unwanted toll lane, why not give $300M to improve light rail service south, extending into SC? And kickstart the rail to Davidson. Lots of people loathe driving I-77 but have no option. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/a...
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 27/03/2026
Happy birthday to the Washington Metro, which opened 50 years ago today with service on 4.6 mi of Red Line between Rhode Is. Ave & Farragut N. System now serves 130 mi. The DC Metro shows that, with good planning & enough investment, the public sector can succeed & build something extraordinary.
The DC Metro
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NC Budget & Tax Center @ncbudget.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Since 2013, NC lawmakers have enacted one tax cut after another, which now cost our state nearly $18 BILLION each year. That’s equal to more than HALF of the entire General Fund budget — $$$ that could have gone to schools, hospitals or childcare.
wakeweekly.com
NC's Republican lawmakers didn’t show up — again
North Carolina Republican leaders skipped a special session called to address health care costs, continuing a pattern of absenteeism as tax cuts for the wealthy drain billions from essential state services.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
Amid scary news, this stands out for uber-Orwellian overtones. “Some diplomats and former staff say they are unsure what the building is used for now.” (Gift article) wapo.st/4iHmUt8
wapo.st
White House renames building the ‘Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace’
The change comes as Trump’s administration has touted his peace deals and ahead of a signing of a deal between the leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo this week.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 21/11/2025
Houlahan: "I'm just continually stunned by the fact the commander in chief, the president, has called for my death. And that's something that should be chilling for everybody, and everybody should be worried about their safety in this nation when the president can yield that sort of statement."
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Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
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Anil Kalhan @akalhan.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
"[A]s for stops of those individuals who are legally in the country, the questioning in those circumstances is typically brief, and those individuals may promptly go free after making clear ... that they are US citizens or otherwise legally in the United States" 🙄 #KavanaughStop
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Print journalists , especially page designers and desk editors, of a certain age may recognize this. Note, also, the matchbooks and manual typewriter.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
For my #fiction #novelwriting friends – and interested others. For the record, my first novel does not start like this. Painted on a wall near UNC Charlotte’s uptown campus.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
The photo is strikingly metaphoric about what he's doing to the whole government. Campaign ad material for Dems?
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
This is a joke, right? The GOP-heavy #NCLeg mastered this years ago. In some elections, more votes are cast for Democratic NC reps, yet the GOP is firmly in the majority. #ncpol www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/arti...
charlotteobserver.com
NC Republicans accuse Gavin Newsom of undermining the will of voters. How hypocritical. | Opinion
North Carolina Republicans are mischaracterizing what’s going on with redistricting in California. | Opinion
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Sadly – because there are still some Republicans who aren’t ready to don Klan hoods – this is completely on-brand for today’s GOP. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
‘This is so vile’: Young Republicans face backlash after racist chats leaked
Politico documented the use of slurs, including the N-word and a homophobic term, and antisemitic comments in chats
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David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Hillary Clinton referred to SOME Trump supporters as”deplorable,” and the political media had a meltdown. Trump refers to all Democrats as anti-American radical communists and “the enemy within,” and it’s no big deal. His reckless and dangerous demonization has been fully normalized.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Has anyone of the "lock em all up" persuasion talked of the cost to local and state taxpayers to build more jails, prison cells and courtrooms, hire jailers, prosecutors, judges, public defenders, etc.? Because "lock em all up" = raise taxes. #ncpol
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David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
National Review is all in on the invalidity of the Comey indictment AND the Halligan appointment. This case could be thrown out soon. www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/...
nationalreview.com
Was Lindsey Halligan Validly Appointed as United States Attorney? | National Review
As I understand the facts, it seems highly doubtful that Lindsey Halligan has been validly appointed as United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. If her appointment is invalid, so…
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David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Never gets old.
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Jeff Yang @originalsp.in · 29/09/2025
Brylin Hollyhand—the Christian nationalist trying to take over as youth MAGA leader from the late Charlie Kirk—calls the murderous assault on the LDS Church in Grand Blanc, MI an attack on Christianity. Except the shooter was a fundamentalist Iraq vet MAGA diehard who saw the LDS as the Antichrist.
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Andria @andria.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Probably the most heinous is characterizing Iryna’s killer as an animal. I don’t hear the same about the hurting veterans who attacked peaceful places over the weekend. Or the Garner guy who killed his sons.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
In the larger world of threatened press freedom, it's good a judge dismissed Trump's $1B lawsuit against the NYT. But I confess I was really looking forward to what would be revealed about DJT during discovery
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Kurt Busiek @kurtbusiek.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
"I don't care that he's dead." "He's not a hero." "He's a scumbag." "He shouldn't be celebrated." No, no. I'm not saying that about Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk said that about George Floyd. Just in case anyone's interested in what he thought was fair to say about someone who was killed on camera.
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Qasim Rashid, Esq. @qasimrashid.com · 12/09/2025
I cited actual Kirk quotes where he calls Black women less intelligent, demonizes me for being Muslim, & dehumanizes LGBTQ people—& his supporters are upset at me for “speaking evil of the dead.” If quoting him is “speaking evil” maybe ask yourself why you followed someone who believed evil things.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Report from NC state auditor (elected Republican) finds no wrongdoing in CLT city govt payment to ex-police chief, but recommends more transparency, better public disclosure procedures. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...
charlotteobserver.com
NC auditor’s office releases results of investigation into CMPD chief settlement
Outgoing police Chief Johnny Jennings ultimately released the details of his settlement himself in late May.
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George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
“Scientists Are Flocking to Bluesky. Academics once loved Twitter—but in the age of X they’ve abandoned it in droves.” Via @wired.com Urbanists too. Check out #UrbanistShoutOut.
arstechnica.com
Bluesky now platform of choice for science community
It’s not just you. Survey says: “Twitter sucks now and all the cool kids are moving to Bluesky”…
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 29/08/2025
In Plaza Midwood in Charlotte, sitting outside sipping a cortado at Undercurrent listening to someone strumming a guitar at the public bench-swing across the street. Doesn’t get much nicer than this.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Sounds like a plot line from the show VEEP. We need a new law, for not just bribery attempts but really clumsy and stupid bribery attempts. www.thecity.nyc/2025/08/20/w...
thecity.nyc
Eric Adams Advisor Winnie Greco Handed a CITY Reporter Cash Stuffed in a Bag of Potato Chips
THE CITY reported the incident to law enforcement and was promptly contacted by the Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office.
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ClavdiaMinor @clavdiaminor.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
@mluckovich.bsky.social
Editorial Cartoon depicted a stylized version of several of the museums on the Washington Mall by Mike Luckovich.

White "sky" with approximately 2/3 of the image existing as a green "grassy" campus with stylized buildings arranged along it (together approximating the Mall).

Upper left hand corner = signature Mike Lukcovich AJC ©ajc.com 8-21-25

clockwise from upper left of picture:

3 Statues: one a mounted equestrian statue on a high podium wtih someone wearing a hat and holding a sword in the air; one a profile statue on a plinth with a bearded fellow holding a revolver as though pacing off for a duel; a third with a mustachioed person in what looks like a Fidel Castro or Hitler or Mussolini style bulky epauletted jacket with the right arm in the air with hand upward in a stylized Nazi or Fascist salute. In front of the three a sign reading "Confederate Statuary Garden."

In the Center: a Black stylized version of the National Museum of African American History and Culture with yellow letters on the central level reading "Make Slavery Great Again Museum."

In the Upper Right: A stylized version of the Smithsonian castle with a white banner utilizing black lettering across it reading "Gallery of Under-appreciated white Guys."

In the lower right, two stylized figures viewing the scene with a text bubble reading: "The Smithsonian's changed since Trump became President . . . "

In the bottom foreground overlapping (and partially obscuring the ground level of) the African American Museum, a stylized version of the wing of the National Portrait Gallery with one side rendered pink and the black lettering "White Artists Portrait Gallery."

In the lower left paralell to the stylized Smithsonian castle diagonally opposite, a gray building, non-descript, with a white banner with black lettering on the side reading "Caucasian History Museum"

A lone, evergreen looking tree between the Caucasian, Portrait, and Slavery Museums.
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Democratic Activists @democratswin.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Shows how not with-the-times East CLT and Matthews are. BRT can be a welcome way to have effective mass transit. indyweek.com/news/durham/...
indyweek.com
A Plan for Bus Rapid Transit in Durham is In the Works
The City of Durham is designing and seeking funding for a central Durham bus rapid transit system that would run from Duke to Wellons Village.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Love this concept, Josh. One metric I'd be interested in, though probably tough to compare for many reasons, is profitability, and whether online numbers translate into revenue needed for robust journalism in a specifiic area?
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Much of what Trumpies/Fox talking heads/GOP cult followers accuse Democrats/liberals/progressives of doing is what they are about to do or are already doing. Like "They'll ruin the country!"
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
When Tillis says things like this, I hear a guy who's not done with politics: "I’m trying to make him [Trump] the most successful Republican president in history." From @jimmorrill.bsky.social and @theassemblync.bsky.social #ncpol www.theassemblync.com/politics/til...
theassemblync.com
When Thom Tillis Went Rogue
All hell broke loose after Tillis tried to persuade Trump and the state GOP that the “One Big Beautiful Bill” would wreck health care in N.C.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
Important thread. This is a concentration camp. On American soil. And one whole political party is OK with this.
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 14/07/2025
The president is systematically eliminating the constitution’s separation of powers and, in the process, demolishing much of the federal government’s capacity. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court’s conservative members’ response is to sit on their hands.
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Andrea Pitzer @andreapitzer.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
I miss a decade ago, when a lot of people thought it was odd and maybe irrelevant to write a book about concentration camps portraying them as an ongoing threat.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
This has always been the GOP's strategy: 1) Cut taxes for the wealthy & corporations by claiming they'll pay for themselves. 2) Explode deficits 3) Use the debt as an excuse to demand cuts to vital programs that help millions. 4) Repeat.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 28/06/2025
Does that include the New York Pizza Rat?
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Jamal Greene @jamalgreene.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
If the Supreme Court thinks universal injunctions are unconstitutional, to wait until *now* to say that, in this of all cases, with this of all presidents, is a devastating indictment of both its impartiality and its prudence.
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 27/06/2025
Sotomayor issues a blistering dissent that states plainly that this decision renders constitutional protections meaningless.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 27/06/2025
there is no jurisprudence at work here. the republican court believes that anything a republican president is presumptively constitutional, even if it directly violates the unambiguous constitutional text and causes total chaos in law and policy.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Let’s hope insurance companies and other medical providers choose not to make us all sicker. Or dead.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Can we all just agree that in a large (and widening) portion of the US, summer is a bad time for outdoor concerts, picnics, exercise, etc.? Most of the country is not New England.
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
As usual Bill Fulton nails it. The suburban sprawl of the South is becoming unaffordable for most residents and local governments. And any solutions only mitigate – not fix – the problem. open.substack.com/pub/futureof...
open.substack.com
Is Southern Sprawl Solvable?
The “National Suburb” has an endless supply of large houses on large lots – and seemingly endless sprawl. But is it possible to provide the American Dream in the South without so much sprawl?
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Mary Newsom @marynewsom.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
From a former FBI agent, re ICE: "Masking has always been associated with police states. I think the masking symbolizes the drift of law enforcement away from democratic controls." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
theguardian.com
The alarming rise of US officers hiding behind masks: ‘A police state’
Mike German, an ex-FBI agent, said immigration agents hiding their identities ‘highlights the illegitimacy of actions’
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