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Mary S Butler

@marysbutler.bsky.social
479 followers 432 following 186 posts

UX content strategist focused on improving the citizen experience. 🔥: CivicTech, GOTV, Voter Registration ❤️: Democracy, live music, gardening, dancing Chi > NYC > Chi

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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Excellent example of service journalism by @niunorthernstar.bsky.social , NIU's student daily paper. This clip covers a voter registration event being held today, how to register onsite, and what to bring. Great job by Keegan Nowman, Sr News Reporter + Cayden Wells, Video Editor. #niu #northernstar
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The League of Women Voters (@lwv.org) is closely monitoring the ongoing legal challenges involving new fed reqs for #voting by mail. If you plan to vote by mail in the Nov. 3 election, Becky Simon, President of @lwvil.bsky.social, has shared w/members what we—and you—can do. This includes ⬇️ 1/6
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The great work @blockclubchi.bsky.social did last fall—investigating/reporting on the immigration crackdown in #Chicago + its defense of 1st Amendment rights while covering Operation Midway Blitz—is getting the recognition it deserves. If your budget allows, please support their work by subscribing.
blockclubchicago.org
Block Club Wins National First Amendment Award For Midway Blitz Coverage, Lawsuits
The Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award from the Society of Professional Journalists recognized our "extraordinary courage and persistence" in covering the federal immigration crackdown in Chicago...
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
So sad to read about the loss of Glen Hansard earlier this morning. Have been a fan since seeing him in The Commitments. Also enjoyed his The Frames and Swell Season shows. May he RIP.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
As a kid I went to my local library weekly and usually checked out the max number of books allowed. When I got older, I came across a list of banned books. I immediately added those titles to my must-read list. I hope “J is for Justice” is now getting in the hands of young readers. #banned-books
blockclubchicago.org
How A Chicago Author's Children's Book Became One Of The Most Banned Books In America
Veronica Arreola’s picture book, “J Is For Justice!: An Activism Alphabet,” is among the most banned in school districts nationwide, according to a new report.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Helen McEntee, Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, hopes a law #banning goods from illegal Israeli settlements will be in place by the Dail’s summer break. The recent escalation of settler violence in the West Bank shows the Israeli government has “no desire” for a peaceful solution, she added.
independent.ie
Ireland to ban goods from Israeli settlements in West Bank by July
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has said she hopes a law banning the importation of goods to Ireland from illegal Israeli settlements will be in place by the Dail’s summer break.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
As a regular reader of The Guardian’s Blind Dates series, I’ve always wondered about how many matches were successful overall. Apparently, Rory Flint, a “software person based in London” was curious enough to create an ongoing analysis of every column since 2009. I’m in data geek heaven! Thx Rory :)
blinddates.rory.codes
Guardian Blind Dates: 17 Years of Data
An ongoing analysis of every Guardian Blind Date column since 2009. Scores, outcomes, first impressions, and more.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Today's Bandcamp Daily | Album of the Day: FENIAN by #Kneecap. Excellent review by contributor Sarah O'Neal, who observes: "The politics undergirding Kneecap’s music grows from the same root, after all: a deep concern with the human condition, and a willingness to confront those who threaten it."
daily.bandcamp.com
Kneecap, “FENIAN”
The Irish rap trio level up lyrically, sonically, and emotionally on their defiant sophomore album.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Why are we going backward and removing protections for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers from a dangerous commuting corridor? #nimbyism The Archer Avenue project made streets safer with pedestrian islands, improved infrastructure for people crossing the street + adding protected bike lanes.
blockclubchicago.org
City Removes Some New Concrete Bike Lanes, Pedestrian Island In Brighton Park Amid Protests
The city is re-adding parking spaces and changing traffic patterns along some sections of the dangerous Brighton Park corridor as some groups call for all concrete bike lanes to be removed.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Tom Waits' new song, recorded w/Massive Attack, draws you in immediately with the deep breathing intro and outro. Listening to "Boots on the Ground," while watching the accompanying video Massive Attack created, is chilling and dystopian. While unsettling, this is the #protest song we need now. 1/2
rollingstone.com
Tom Waits' First New Music in 15 Years Is a Chilling, Macabre Protest Song
Hear Tom Waits and Massive Attack's collaborative song, "Boots on the Ground."
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Excellent doc about Aadam Jacobs, aka Chicago Tape Guy, that includes a who’s who of Chi’s live music scene. Enjoyed seeing all the venues where I spent weekends in my 20s-30s @ live music shows, until moving 2 NYC. Kudos to the Internet Archive folks, incl Brian Emerick, 4 transferring the tapes.
youtube.com
"Melomaniac" - Aadam Jacobs Documentary
YouTube video by Out Of Order 2
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
A number of news publications are blocking the nonprofit online library from crawling their sites + making copies of their stories or sharing their content, per @sfexaminer.bsky.social “We are collateral damage,” said Mark Graham, director of the archive’s Wayback Machine, its web-page repository.
sfexaminer.com
Publishers’ AI battle hits Internet Archive
SF organization losing access to some news content
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Sigh “Conservative parents’ advocacy groups are experimenting w/using commercially available AI tools to help them flag more books they’ve deemed pornographic to be removed from public schools and libraries. Even though LLMs are notoriously error-prone, and the books in question aren’t pornographic”
404media.co
‘BLOCKADE’: The Right Is Using AI Content Scanners to Try to Supercharge Book Banning
Groups that challenge books have begun using Gemini, ChatGPT, xAI, and other AI tools to try to get books banned.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
1/2: In 2024-2025 I was fortunate to have the chance to volunteer with @usdigitalresponse.org, which helps state and local governments modernize how they deliver digital services. One recent example: USDR just created a SNAP playbook to help gov leaders and #civictech, based on discovery research.
usdr.gitbook.io
U.S. Digital Response SNAP Payment Accuracy Playbook | USDR Benefits Resource Hub
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Moving back to Chicago after college graduation, I regularly took the L for reporting assignments, doctor’s appts, etc. Always hated traveling alone and getting harassed by creepers, who passed empty rows to sit next to me. Later, when commuting w/my husband, I was no longer a target. #ProtectWomen
blockclubchicago.org
‘Protect Women. Period’ Campaign On CTA Aims To Prevent Violence Against Women And Teen Riders
Pilsen gallery owner Delilah Martinez hopes to raise awareness about women and girls feeling unsafe or harassed while riding public transit — and to call on Chicagoans to stop normalizing it.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
As a Chicago Sky fan, big ups to economist Claudia Goldin for getting WNBA players the $ they deserve. “In early 2024, when Jackson approached Goldin, the average NBA player made about $12 mil. The average WNBA player made $118,000—less than 1 cent on the dollar, as Goldin is quick to point out.”
wsj.com
WNBA Players Had an Ace Up Their Sleeve in Pay Negotiations: A Nobel Laureate
Harvard economist Claudia Goldin helped WNBA players win a nearly 400% raise. Starting this season, players’ average salary will top $580,000.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Yes, crowdsourcing works! A #Chicago snowplow named “Abolish ICE” is ready to hit the streets. Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled the newly renamed plow on Wednesday at a Uki Village Streets and Sanitation facility, one month after “Abolish ICE” came in 1st in the city’s annual snowplow naming contest.
blockclubchicago.org
Chicago's ‘Abolish ICE’ Snowplow Is Ready To Hit The Streets
The plow was unveiled Wednesday as the winner of a naming contest, but it may be a while before it’s deployed: The city is unlikely to see any more measurable snow this year.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
Well done lads! At a press conference in Havana, Kneecap's Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, known as Mo Chara, said Cubans were a “very resilient people” “We as Irish people were Britain’s first colony, we've grown up our whole lives w/an understanding of colonialism and oppression and also forced starvation"
irishtimes.com
Kneecap arrive in Cuba to ‘shine a light’ on ‘collective punishment’ by US
US president Donald Trump imposed an oil blockade, pushing Cuba deeper into economic crisis
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Grateful for Katie,Tim + the Hinchsliffs for the years of community building, running a beloved music venue/bar, and acts of kindness they performed behind the scenes. When my NIU friends and I were fundraising for the Kathy Orr McDonald scholarship, they let us hold a fundraiser there/keep door $ 🙏
blockclubchicago.org
The Hideout Sold To New Owner Who Pledges To 'Continue The Legacy'
Former Hideout employee Teri O'Brien has purchased the Bucktown bar and venue from owners Tim and Katie Tuten and Mike and Jim Hinchsliff. "I'm not changing anything," she said.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
#Stereolab heads: The group just released a 7-inch vinyl w/1 new song, Flashes in the Afternoon, and a new version of Cloud Land; also available as a digital album on Bandcamp. This is ahead of a summer tour that will take them to Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. More info: stereolab.co.uk/live
stereolab.bandcamp.com
Cloud Land / Flashes In The Afternoon, by Stereolab
2 track album
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
"I will not be silent. Kneecap will not be silent." Today in Belfast after the ruling, Ó hAnnaidh said: "This is bigger than us, whatever kind of stress we felt, it's minimal compared to the stress put on the families in Gaza." "We'll continue to use whatever platform we have to talk about Gaza."
independent.ie
‘I will not be silent,’ says Kneecap’s Mo Chara after UK prosecutors lose appeal over terror charge
Kneecap rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has vowed "not to be silent" after judges at the UK High Court decided he would not face a terror trial as they rejected a Crown Prosecution Service appeal against th...
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Great news for musician hubs+frens! #Bandcamp update on publishing rights + royalties: "For eligible digital sales, a portion of royalties is allocated to collection societies so songwriters can be properly compensated. In sales reports, this appears as the collection society share line item." 1/2
get.bandcamp.help
Reading your raw data sales report
Your raw data sales report is a complete account of everything you’ve sold and your payments received through Bandcamp. You can download it from your Tools page. It will arrive as a CSV file, which...
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
#Kneecap Mo Chara won't face new terror trial, UK court rules today. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hizbullah at a gig. The case had been thrown out in September last year, with chief magistrate Paul Goldspring ruling the proceedings were “instituted unlawfully”.
irishtimes.com
‘I’m a free mawn’: Kneecap rapper will not face new terror trial, UK court rules
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who performs as Mo Chara, was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hizbullah at a gig
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
yikes! will be putting turf in the solid-fuel stove this evening @independent.ie: Ireland has experienced the largest increase in the price of home-heating oil in the EU. The price hike has been 8x the EU average @irishtimes.com: Iran warns of $200/barrel oil; “price ‌depends on regional ​security"
independent.ie
Rise in home-heating oil prices in Ireland dwarfs other parts of Europe
Ireland has experienced the largest increase in the price of home-heating oil in the EU, new figures show.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
#Chicago #Voters: Protect Polling Places from Federal Immigration Agents A new ordinance, which would create Democracy Zones near Chicago polling places to safeguard voters from Fed immig agent threats, is coming before the City Council tomorrow, March 11. Contact your alder 2 ask 4 their support!
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
I moved from chi 2 nyc in '04 to be e-in-c of an automotive startup for a large pub. while that job was the worst i ever had, it set me up 4 a better opp in ’07. still miss my nyc days, especially when i read articles like this. baohaus was one of my fav places in r les hood. g’luck to eddie + team!
grubstreet.com
Eddie Huang’s New Baohaus Is Kind of a Blast
The author, podcaster, and filmmaker is back to being a restaurateur.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Fans of Fugazi and admirers of Steve Albini’s sound engineer work should check out a new Dischord release. After years of files making the rounds, Dischord officially releases Fugazi’s fabled Albini Sessions, the first notable release from Fugazi—who went on hiatus in 2003—since 2014’s First Demo.
daily.bandcamp.com
Fugazi, “Albini Sessions”
This fabled "lost" session if fascinating listen as the final step towards completing on the most galvanizing punk records of the 1990s.
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Reposted by Mary S Butler
Juliana Stratton @julianastratton.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Join @elizabeth-warren.bsky.social and me for a rally this Friday, March 13 to get out the vote and give the people what they want! Sign up at act.julianastratton.com/signup/march...
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Why I 💜 wikipedia This: “What many people do not recognize is that there is something distinctly familiar behind all that AI-generated content: knowledge documented, debated, and curated by humans.” And my Which Wikipedia of the Future are you? quiz result; I got The Consensus-Driven Collaborator
wikipedia25.org
25 years of Wikipedia
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Just watched S1E1 episode of BBC’s Riot Women and am hooked after hearing one of my fav Hole songs, Violet, on the soundtrack. The cherry on top is a cast that perfectly embodies a blend of menopausal women raging at becoming invisible before realizing it’s their superpower. #RiotWomen
bbc.co.uk
BBC One - Riot Women, Series 1, Episode 1
Five women’s worlds collide gloriously when they accidentally form a punk rock band.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Nearby Glasses creator @yjeanrenaud.bsky.social decided to make the app after reading 404 Media’s coverage of how people are using Meta's smartglasses, including how multiple Customs and Border Protection officials wore the AI glasses during immigration raids. App is available on Google Play/Github.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
I've been extolling the virtues of salted Kerrygold butter to my non-Irish friends for years. Now that I'm in Ireland, I'm learning there are better options. Currently using Avonmore, but trying Glenstal next; it's made with summer milk, which is "naturally softer than butter made w/winter milk" 1/2
independent.ie
The supermarket Irish butter taste test: ‘It had a lovely creamy texture and our tasters preferred it to Kerrygold’
If you’ve ever tried making butter at home, or made it by accident by over-whipping cream, you’ll know it contains just two ingredients: cream and salt. It stands to reason, therefore, that the qualit...
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Congrats to Irish Rugby on their whopping win over England! 🇮🇪 🏉 "With half an hour gone here, Ireland were 22-0 to the good, and as The Fields of Athenry rang around the stadium, the large travelling support were in dreamland. So too were the Ireland players. England, meanwhile, were shell-shocked."
independent.ie
Ireland shock England with record-breaking Six Nations victory at Twickenham
Twickenham has so often been a graveyard for Ireland teams, but in time, we might well look back on this remarkable bonus point victory as the rebirth of Andy Farrell’s side.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Growing up in Chicago was fortunate to have access to a number of excellent #collegeradio stations. Driving from the southwest side to my first magazine job on the far north side, would pick up KKC in Englewood, HPK in Hyde Park (UofC), LUW (Loyola downtown/north), NUR (Northwestern), ZRD (nw side).
blockclubchicago.org
How Kennedy-King College’s WKKC Became A Black Radio Powerhouse
The only student radio station in the City Colleges of Chicago brought house music to the masses and launched the careers of DJs and artists in Chicago and beyond.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
RIP to the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was well known in Chicago for his social justice campaigns + Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. His 1984 prez campaign platform included reversing Reaganomics-inspired tax cuts, creating a single-payer system of universal health care, and ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment.
youtube.com
From the archives: Jesse Jackson's speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention
YouTube video by CBS News
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Bernie Sanders truly is the Fugazi of politicians. Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hütz in WaPo today on the first hardcore show he saw in the US: "It was Fugazi in Burlington, Vermont, in the Teen Center. That was the coolest place to play in Burlington. It was originated by Jane + Bernie Sanders."
sandersinstitute.org
Mayor Bernie Sanders And Jane O’Meara (Driscoll) Sanders, Founding Director Of The Mayor’s Youth Office, Launch Teen Center At 242 Main Street
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
First saw @iamseanastin.bsky.social onscreen in Rudy in 1993. He's now in his best role as new @sagaftra.org prez. “I'll say to everybody, I’m gonna fight as hard for you as anybody has ever fought for you, for your issue ... People say, ‘You can’t fight for everybody equally.’ I say, ‘Yes, I can.’”
apnews.com
As head of the actors guild, Sean Astin brings a little Rudy, a little Samwise, and a lot of fight
Sean Astin says he is happy to be at the head of the actors union at a vital moment. The 54-year-old actor from “The Lord of the Rings” films is the new president of the The actors union SAG-AFTRA.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Today @kimletgordon.bsky.social's single "Dirty Tech” was released. “I was kind of musing about, is my next boss going 2 be an AI chatbot?” she says. “We’re the first ones whose lights are going 2 go out—not the tech billionaires. It’s so abstract that people can’t comprehend.” #kimgordon #dirtytech
matadorrecords.com
New from Kim Gordon - "DIRTY TECH"
Directed by Moni Haworthstream / DL "DIRTY TECH" presave / preorder 'PLAY ME'photo by Moni HaworthKim Gordon has released "DIRTY TECH," the second single from her upcoming third solo album, PLAY ME, w...
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
As a @lwvchicago.bsky.social member I've registered 1000s of citizens 2 #vote. It's already illegal for noncitizens 2 vote in fed or state elections. Requiring documentary proof of American citizenship 2 register 2 vote in fed elections creates another barrier 2 voting. Call your Senators b4 Friday.
lwv.org
Tell Congress to oppose the SAVE Act Suite of bills | League of Women Voters
Tell your Senators to oppose the SAVE Act.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
"TJ, we got your back," @uaw.org VP Laura Dickerson said during a Washington, D.C., speech Monday morning. She was referencing TJ Sabula, a 40-year-old UAW Local 600 line worker at the factory who called Trump a "pedophile protector." "Well, this ain't 'The Apprentice,'" Dickerson said. #UnionYes
eu.detroitnews.com
UAW: Ford worker who heckled Trump kept job, 'no discipline' on record
The United Auto Workers union said TJ Sabula remains employed and called out the president for making an obscene gesture toward the worker.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Didn't watch the Super Bowl in real time yesterday, but did catch the halftime show afterward, which was excellent. Also love this story about how reporter-owned @404media.co bought 30 seconds of airtime on KYOU in Ottumwa, Iowa (population: 25,000) for only $2,550. Great way to promote their work!
404media.co
Watch 404 Media’s Super Bowl Ad
WE BOUGHT A SUPER BOWL AD.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Happy #bandcampfriday! One of the songs hubs wrote while w/The Leeches is on The Blow Against The Storm, a new compilation from Aldora Britain Records. You can buy either the 4-song EP or the live version single of "Guns From The Caribbean," which was recorded at the @metrochicago.com release party.
thealdorabritainrecords.bandcamp.com
Guns From The Caribbean (Live), by The Leeches
from the album The Blow Against The Storm
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
As a kid growing up in West Englewood on Chicago’s South Side, I remember passing by many of these venues when my sibs and I would go w/our parents to run errands on weekends. So many gems behind the classic cocktail bar exteriors! As someone who has outgrown clubbing, a 35+ door policy is appealing
blockclubchicago.org
How The Great Migration — And Segregation — Built The South Side's Black-Owned Lounge Culture
For more than a century, cocktail lounges — distinct from dive bars and nightclubs — have served as essential gathering places for Black Chicagoans.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Breaking: White House border czar Tom Homan says the administration is withdrawing 700 immigration officers from Minnesota, effective immediately, after state + local officials agreed to turn over arrested immigrants, reports @apnews.com. Homan warned the mission of mass deportations continues.
apnews.com
Live updates: 700 immigration officers will immediately leave Minnesota
President Donald Trump's border czar announced the number of ICE and border agents in Minnesota would drop after local officials agreed to turn over arrested immigrants.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Happy photobooths weren’t a thing yet when I got married and some relatives didn’t leave when the reception ended "A photobooth company...exposed a cache of peoples’ photos, w/revellers likely unaware their sometimes drunken antics were collected + insecurely stored by the co for anyone 2 download."
404media.co
Wedding Photo Booth Company Exposes Customers’ Drunken Photos
‘Curator Live’, a popular photo booth company for weddings and other events, is exposing all sorts of unsuspecting people’s photos.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
This weekend: Chicago Memorial + Protest Ride for Alex Pretti
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Of the 13,300 submissions to Chicagoshovels.org so far, “Abolish ICE” made up more than 9,200—or about 70%—of the entries, according to a list of submissions obtained through a public records request. The name also got an early nod of approval from @mayorofchicago.bsky.social last month. #AbolishIce
blockclubchicago.org
'Abolish ICE' Submitted 9,200 Times For Chicago Snowplow Naming Contest, Records Show
Anti-ICE sentiments made up nearly 80 percent of submissions. Voting for the top five names opens Sunday and runs through Feb. 14.
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
2022: a twitter (now X) mgr in DUB was fired for not ticking a box in an email 2024: X ordered to pay him a fine of €550,000+ Today: Irish court hears X’s appeal. Rooney’s counsel argued that asking workers to sign up to a hardcore version of the co was “factually absurd + legally unsustainable”
irishtimes.com
Twitter manager subject to ‘direct dismissal in which he played no part,’ court told
High Court hearing an appeal by Twitter, now X, of an award of €550,131 made at the Workplace Relations Commissions to Gary Rooney for unfair dismissal
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Disinvestment in local newspapers negatively impacts #communities and #democracy. Fewer reporters means less investigative coverage and accountability. "Acquisitions have come with widespread layoffs. ... The company pledged to invest in communities, only to slash the staff meant to cover them."
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Mary S Butler @marysbutler.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Court records suggest the techcos didn’t see it as practical to gain direct permission from publishers + authors to use their work. Instead, Anthropic, Meta + others found ways 2 acquire books in bulk w/o the authors’ knowledge, court filings allege, including by downloading pirated copies, per wapo
washingtonpost.com
Inside a tech company’s secretive plan to destroy millions of books
Court filings reveal how AI companies raced to obtain more books to feed chatbots, including by buying, scanning and disposing of millions of titles.
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