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Mary Vavrus

@maryvav.bsky.social
408 followers 754 following 121 posts

Media Studies prof, studying & teaching about media and: gender, race, politics, war, political economy Dog and cat lover Hiker and cyclist Anti-trump through and through

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Reposted by Mary Vavrus
Radio Free America @radiofreeflorida.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
“You need at this time especially to know that you are fit for something better than slavery and cannon fodder.” - Eugene Debs #RadioFreeAmerica #politics
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More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
In her statement on the ICE shooting in New York, AOC specifically calls out Target. The congresswoman demands that the mega-corporation stop allowing ICE to stage paramilitary raids from its parking lots. migrantinsider.com/p/aoc-to-tar...
migrantinsider.com
AOC to Target: Stop Lending Your Bronx Parking Lots to ICE
After federal agents fired into a car with a 5-year-old in the back seat, Ocasio-Cortez names the retailer that lawmakers say gave ICE a place to wait.
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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Not the odds, but the stakes. That's my shorthand for the organizing principle we most need in election coverage. Not who has what chances of winning, but the consequences for American democracy. Not the odds, but the stakes. Sep. 11, 2023
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Peggy Flanagan @peggyflanagan.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Trump’s $40 billion war means Minnesota’s farmers have to work harder and pay more just to put food on our tables.
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 08/10/2026
It's telling that men would rather try to invent tech to replace humans' role in caregiving than step up as equal partners in parenting. Telling, that is, in that it shows how financial capitalism and patriarchy work together to dissuade men from doing "unprofitable" labor, like the work of care.
X post from AI industry insider Alvin Sng :

My wife: Can you read our baby a book?
Me: I can just play an audiobook from my phone.
My wife: But then it won't be in your voice.
Me: I can train a voice model.
Parenting hits different when you work in Al.
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Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy @cwgpp.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
New research from Center Director Christina Ewig documents Indigenous women’s accounts of the gendered harms of Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict. From environmental degradation to assassinations to sexual violence, armed conflict produces persistent harms. [LINK] ow.ly/rCW350ZUwKI
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Mary Vavrus @maryvav.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Austerity death spiral is the perfect phrase for what I dread is coming as the U chops its budget. Grim times ahead.
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 26/09/2026
Champion. MVP. President. Our union sister @nnekaogwumike.bsky.social’s impact on WNBA players on AND off the court will be felt for generations to come. As WNBPA President, she fought for everything players deserve - and won. Thank you for your solidarity. Congrats on your retirement! ✊
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Le Monde in English @english.lemonde.fr · 25/09/2026
Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
lemonde.fr
Amnesty International calls for ICE to be abolished
In a report titled 'We Had Whistles, They Had Guns,' the NGO documents widespread human rights violations committed by ICE in the United States.
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Bradford Vivian @bradvivian.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
👇👇👇
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Khashoggi's Ghost @urocklive1.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
This is the way. See how long Trump can handle being ignored.
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TPM @talkingpointsmemo.com · 19/09/2026
How GOP Infighting Put the Spotlight on a Far-Right Secret Society of Influential Christian Men
talkingpointsmemo.com
How GOP Infighting Put the Spotlight on a Far-Right Secret Society of Influential Christian Men
It usually doesn’t take a lot, but Erick Erickson managed to do it this week: cause the far-right to melt down online. He published an article on his Substack…
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Once again, this was how the Economist characterized the American economy on Election Day in 2024. We had a country on the brink of stunning success, but the Republicans knee-capped it with trade wars and real wars of their own choosing.
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Laurence H. Tribe @tribelaw.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
“If the USPS were to implement its new Rule now, the effects on the 2026 election would be catastrophic. Many voters would be disenfranchised altogether, and many others would be denied their state-law right to vote by mail.” www.justsecurity.org/156963/usps-...
justsecurity.org
What’s Conspicuously Missing from the Government’s Supreme Court Reply Brief in the Mail Ballots Case
Marty Lederman on the Solicitor General's reply brief in the USPS mail-in ballot case before the Supreme Court.
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The NewsGuild-CWA @newsguild.org · 11/09/2026
Yesterday, McClatchy laid off more than 90 unionized media workers across 17 publications. The departure of these talented reporters, visual journalists & writers will immediately leave gaping holes in local coverage for dozens of communities across the US.
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
In the US, being "against abortion" appears to be a cover for broad attacks on women's healthcare in general, with the result that many of these states now have poorer care for women than much of the third world.
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
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Norm Ornstein @normornstein.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Please share wisely to publicize the attempts by musk to suppress votes and spread disinformation popular.info/p/the-hidden...
popular.info
The hidden dangers of Musk’s votesafe.org
The slick voter registration website, currently being promoted to millions of people, is a digital surveillance machine.
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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
"You have nothing to worry about if you're in the country legally," yeah sure. ICE can put you through all sorts of awful stuff even if you're a citizen who keeps offering to show your valid ID:
reason.com
This U.S. citizen is suing ICE for arresting him 3 times. His lawsuit is moving forward.
Despite carrying a REAL ID, Leo Garcia Venegas has been repeatedly detained by immigration agents. Now he’s suing.
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Mara 👻 aBOOlish I.C.E. @mauratwit.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
These are serious times but we are not serious people. I love us.
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Charles Keener @charleskeener.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
www.commondreams.org/news/ice-hir...
commondreams.org
ICE Hired Unqualified Goons After 'Unprecedented Lowering of Standards': Whistleblower | Common Dreams
Whistleblower alleges dangerous lowering of hiring standards at ICE, raising national security risks. Concerns over lack of vetting for new recruits.
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Just Security @justsecurity.org · 02/09/2026
The universal view of experts, @becingber.bsky.social explains, is that the Trump administration's killings at sea are murder under domestic law, extrajudicial killings under international law, and given their systematic nature, may well be crimes against humanity.
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Lisa Siraganian @lsiraganian.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Boosting this article because it needs a reread now!
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Rebecca M-O @reduplicater.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Before we go further, here are some symbols of Minnesota: State bird: Common loon. State flag new as of 2024. State trauma: people being killed by people allegedly representing law enforcement, triggering massive protests with national and international attention. More info in the alt text.
The common loon is mostly black and white, has red eyes, and calls that can sound a little like a laugh or sometimes a scream or sometimes a cry or howl.  I don't know much else about them.

Photo by someone else.Photo by someone else.  On a white flagpole, the new Minnesota state flag waves in the breeze.  On the left, the dark blue represents the night sky, with the eight pointed star symbolizing the North Star, a tribute to our motto, L'Etoile du Nord (Star of the North).  The shape of the dark blue portion sort of matches the shape of the state of Minnesota.  The remainder of the flag is light blue, which represents our water.  The choice of this flag was controversial right up until we started getting attacked in our streets in late December 2025, at which point it became much more appreciated.  It's way easier to make our own versions and incorporate into other designs than our old, racist state flag.Photo by someone else depicts two large posters on a wall. The first depicts a white woman with blond hair and says "Renee Nicole Good  American Mom Murdered by ICE". The second depicts a bearded white man with glasses and says "Alex Pretti ICU Nurse Murdered by ICE".

In May 2020 George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officers after he was suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, sparking a local uprising and global protests over the summer.  In June 2025, Democratic lawmaker Michelle Hortmann and her husband were assassinated.  The same person shot another Democratic lawmaker John Hoffman and his wife later that morning - they were seriously injured but they survived. A few months later (the first anniversary was this last week), a mass shooting at a school/church resulted in the death of two children. In January 2026, Renee Good was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer during Operation Metro Surge, in which over 3000 federal officers were sent to MN and proceeded to wreak havoc on our state. 17 days later, a Customs and Border Enforcement officer killed Alex Pretti. (We generally took a shortcut and referred to all the federal officers as ICE, but there were many agencies involved.) Neither Renee nor Alex were being violent or assassins or terrorists - they were legally observing immigration enforcement activity and caring for others when they were killed. With the huge influx of federal officers, MN was already national news, and the killings helped the state make international news once again. It has been a tough year.

The rest of this alt-text is links to Wikipedia articles about the killings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Annunciation_Catholic_Church_shooting
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_shootings_of_Minnesota_legislators  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Ren%C3%A9e_Good
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Alex_PrettiThe reason Renee Good and Alex Pretti were at the scene of immigration enforcement actions is because when the immigration enforcement crackdown came, Minnesotans stood up for their neighbors, who may or may not have been immigrants - it didn't seem to matter to the federal officers.  They detained undocumented immigrants, documented immigrants, naturalized citizens, natural-born citizens, mostly people who weren't white but also some who were.  

Minnesotans started defending and helping their neighbors - bringing groceries and other supplies when people were afraid to go out in public, filming (constitutionally observing) and/or causing a ruckus (mostly with whistles) to raise awareness/alarms when federal officers came around, and donating to mutual aid funds to raise money for rent and other expenses.  This was done by old and young, liberal and conservative, individuals and businesses, maybe disproportionately by white people because we generally felt safer... although certainly the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti let us know no one was actually safe.  Minnesotans did lots of other things, but I'm limited to 2000 characters.  Sometime during the three months that we were occcupied, I remember seeing it in early January, the "Rebel Loon" became a symbol of the resistance to the immigration crackdown and our collective avatar.  

There is no official Rebel Loon (regardless of what assorted websites say), it has not been adopted by the State Legislature, and I don't know who created the original one, but the variations generally incorporate the same motifs.  It starts with the design of the symbol of the Rebel Alliance in the Star Wars movies, but the shape is revised to look like a loon rising up in flight.  Often the 8-pointed North Star is included either within the body of the bird or above its head; the background is usually the light blue of the Minnesota state flag; and sometimes the loons shoot lasers from their red eyes.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The richest man owns X. The second and fourth richest men control Google. The third richest man owns The Washington Post. The sixth richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. And now the seventh richest could soon take over both Paramount and Warner Bros. See the problem here?
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Matthew Gertz @mattgertz.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Explicit call for ethnonationalist purges -- and while Bovino is publicly mad at the administration, they're doing more to carry out this strategy now than they were when he was working there.
nytimes chart
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W.E.D.em Boyz @leftistwonk.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
ICE has fallen out of the headlines but July marked the largest number of migrant detentions ever on record. Five migrants have died in ICE custody in the last two months. It's also currently impossible to legally migrate to this country, as 100% of visa applications have been paused.
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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
One way you know Dolly Parton lived life the right way: I don’t think anyone’s going to get fired for accurately quoting Dolly Parton today.
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tomwellborn3rd @wellborn.net · 24/08/2026
Congress funded the CDC's Alzheimer's work, the sickle cell and epilepsy data programs and a rape prevention unit, and Vought simply will not release the money. Grassley told him to his face he lacks the authority. The pocket rescission alone took 4.9 billion.
alternet.org
Republicans furious as Trump’s budget director goes 'rogue'
The director of the Office of Management and Budget is infuriating Republican lawmakers by "going rogue" on what appropriations were approved by the House and Senate.
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James Downie @jamescdownie.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
"Put simply, it is a mathematical truth that had the Bush and Trump tax cuts never been enacted, the U.S. debt ratio would be declining indefinitely." – @bbkogan.bsky.social
ms.now
Opinion | Our debt trajectory is unsustainable. Tax cuts are to blame.
Bobby Kogan: While federal spending is higher now than in years past, it is rising more slowly than was forecast back when the country still had a stable long-term outlook. The root cause of the imbal...
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Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
So it appears this whole stunt was in collaboration with the America First Policy Institute, a MAGA-aligned organization that was founded by ex-Trump official turned Fox Business host Larry Kudlow. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-a...
talkingpointsmemo.com
Trump-Aligned America First Policy Institute Backing Ex-NBA Player Tossed from WNBA Game
An organization closely tied to the Trump administration seems to be collaborating...
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
An investigation shows that the media pile on that led to the death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday was part of a project run and funded by Peter Thiel and senior figures within Reform UK that aimed to reinflate racial eugenics thinking from the 1930s about the supremacy of the Aryan race.
bylinetimes.com
The Peter Thiel-Linked Race Science Network that Penetrated Cambridge University and Targeted Jason Arday
The media's coverage of the academic's life was fuelled by the campaign of an established far-right network
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BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
A very positive sign that, nearly a year after Kirk's death, many if not most of the people punished for speaking truthfully about him have won legal cases against their former employees and compensation. Again, panicked compliance with Trumpism has only *cost* institutions.
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Mary Vavrus @maryvav.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Started it just to see what it looked like. Almost every question and response framed to favor maga and right wing. Even referred to DFL as the Democrat party. And that was the best of it! Clearly a MAGA tool.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Casual reminder that the myth of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a cruel hoax designed to convince poor people from all walks of life that the injustices they face are a result of their own actions, rather than an oppressive system rigged against them.
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Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
In an extraordinary move, a federal judge has ordered the government to turn over to her all materials presented to grand jurors in the conspiracy case against 38 people, including journalists. It's tied to the anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in StP over the winter. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
mprnews.org
Judge orders full review of grand jury materials in St. Paul church protest case
A federal judge has ordered prosecutors to turn over a broader set of grand jury materials for review in the case against 38 people charged in connection with a January anti-ICE protest at Cities Chur...
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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Trump's Secret Police Spy on Americans in Operation Puppet Master and Operation Keyhole. If those nefarious phrases evoke to you the US government’s domestic spying on leftist groups in the 1960s and 1970s, it’s for good reason. The terms
newrepublic.com
Trump’s Secret Police Spying on Americans? It’s Darker than We Knew.
Court papers reveal that the Department of Homeland Security’s covert surveillance of anti-ICE groups is much darker than it first appeared. Welcome to Donald Trump’s America.
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taylr @taylordahlin.com · 18/08/2026
new street art in minneapolis depicts a whistle, the symbol of resistance to ICE after operation metro surge
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Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Icymi! It's tied to the revelations last week that Homeland Security Investigations agents infiltrated and surveilled anti-ICE residents at churches, union halls and libraries in the Twin Cities. It appears they may have violated a federal injunction.
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Jen Taub @jentaub.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
“A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it would replace, according to a new preprint study led by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health.” ysph.yale.edu/news-article...
ysph.yale.edu
Universal Health Coverage Could Save $1 Trillion and 114,000 Lives Every Year, Yale Study Projects
A single-payer universal health care system could cover every American, save more than 100,000 lives a year, and still cost $1 trillion less than the system it
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Matt McNeil Show @mattmcneilshow.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
This race wasn't close! It was 20 points. Craig and dark money groups outspent Flanagan 3-1! We are starting to see the dam break regarding money getting voters to ignore reality. minnesotareformer.com/2026/08/11/p...
minnesotareformer.com
Peggy Flanagan wins Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota in victory for progressive flank • Minnesota Reformer
Progressive Democrats notched another major victory over the moderate wing of the party in Minnesota Tuesday night, when Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeated U.S. Rep. Angie Craig in what’s believed to be...
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Dean Obeidallah @deanobeidallah.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Notice corporate media will try to pit Democrats against each other all day but won't have discussions about Democratic championed policies like Medicare for all, big $ out of politics, raising tax on wealthy etc. The corporate media executives don't want people to hear more on those issues.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Who could have known that taxing the extremely rich would be an easy way to fund a massive expansion of the welfare states? Who, I ask, who?
static.klipy.com
Franklin D. Roosevelt Thug Life Meme
ALT: Franklin D. Roosevelt Thug Life Meme
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 09/08/2026
Kayla McBuckets with 43 points on 10 3s. Unreal performance.
Pic of Kayla hugging Cheryl Reeve
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Jay Kuo @nycjayjay.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
This is why the stupid reflecting pool actually matters.
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Jenny Staff Johnson @htownjenny.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
📣📣📣📣📣
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Mary Vavrus @maryvav.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Coach Reeve is magnificent!
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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Time to add another formerly respected institution to the garbage pile, this time @aau.edu, which just worked with the Trump admin to endorse resegregation in high education, embedding MAGA fraudsters as faculty, and banning student expression. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Education Secretary Linda McMahon is sending a letter Monday to the leaders of US universities asking them to commit to a slate of campus reforms by the end of 2026 in the Trump administration’s latest effort to overhaul higher education.

The letter, which was reviewed by Bloomberg News, asks schools to publicly pledge to make sweeping changes that include reexamining admissions practices, hiring more conservative faculty, cracking down on student protests, combating grade inflation, reducing foreign donations and lowering tuition.In contrast, the administration’s latest move was developed in partnership with university leaders, primarily the Association of American Universities, which represents dozens of top research institutions including all eight Ivy League colleges.


AAU’s president, Barbara Snyder, described the letter as a kind of olive branch. She told Bloomberg that the administration’s outreach opened communication channels between university leaders and the White House that have been largely shut since Trump launched his pressure campaign last year. She plans to call on member colleges to support the initiative.

“It’s critical to have a really good working partnership with the federal government,” Snyder said. “Whether your particular institution is under investigation or not, everyone understands how important that is.”
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Jay Kuo @nycjayjay.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
You can’t reform this. Abolish ICE. And shutter DHS. Link: buff.ly/D8Cdgml
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Jonah Maves @hunchojman.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Kayla McBride is averaging 26.8 points per game on 73.6% true shooting in the month of July, however, her impact goes far beyond the numbers. Below, I broke down the film on high-IQ abilities of McBride + highlighted how immensely valuable she is off-ball.
zonecoverage.com
The Hidden Genius Behind Kayla McBride's Nuclear July - Zone Coverage
Few players in the WNBA make the same impact as veteran Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride. She’s one of the league's most lethal shooters, and Cheryl
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Alaina Wood @thegarbagequeen.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Friendly reminder that these things aren't impacted by closing the Strait of Hormuz so maybe, just maybe, we should implement them to avoid being impacted by future conflicts: -Solar panels -Wind turbines -Battery storage -Electric vehicles -Bicycles -Natural fertilizers -Electric heat pumps
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