Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Register for free here: learning.umn.edu/search/publi...learning.umn.eduLBR X1029 Grocery Workers Speak: What Inequality Looks Like From Behind the Register 031 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 14/10/2026Low wages, high prices, and corporate monopolies: Come hear @sarahlazare.bsky.social, @annlarson.bsky.social, and grocery workers talk about how supermarkets put some of society's biggest problems on full display. Hosted by @inthesetimes.com and @workdaymagazine.bsky.social. 12115 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsDon Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 13/10/2026If you recognize Kliger's name, it is probably in this context: he manually shut down life-saving aid from USAID. In between his DOGE work and starting his defense start-up he was appointed to the DOD as - brace yourselves - chief data officer. bsky.app/profile/donm... 141132327 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsNPR @npr.org · 08/10/2026Throughout the summer, rumors have been bubbling in North New Jersey that ICE has quietly been using a warehouse as a detention center. NPR investigated. n.pr/4hzvA5Mn.prICE has quietly used this warehouse as a detention facility all summer, neighbors sayThroughout the summer, rumors have been bubbling in North New Jersey that ICE has quietly been using a warehouse as a detention center. NPR investigated. 18493243 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsColumbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 08/10/2026Israel is killing journalists in Gaza at an unrelenting pace. Their deaths provide evidence of a disturbing pattern—and make clear the need to see the fullness of their stories. Read Azmat Khan and Aseel Mousa in CJR. www.cjr.org/feature/gaza...cjr.orgRemembranceIsrael is killing journalists in Gaza at an unrelenting pace. Their deaths provide evidence of a disturbing pattern—and make clear the need to see the fullness of their stories. 21415 0
Reposted by Rebecca Burnscam rodriguez 🔎 @camrodriguez.bsky.social · 03/10/2026@elviamalagon.bsky.social and I have been tracking and covering heat-related deaths all summer, and for good reason— at least 16 people have died from heat exposure in Cook County, 13 in Chicago, mostly on the South Side. That's the most in at least a decade. chicago.suntimes.com/health/2026/...chicago.suntimes.com'All heat-related deaths are preventable' but in the Chicago area 16 died from heat this summerNine of the people who died from heat this summer in Cook County did so inside their homes or apartments and many had no working air conditioning, according to a review of records from the Cook County... 24727 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsNicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Earlier this week, I agreed to interviews with two USA Today journalists. They wrote fantastic articles about the Cornell case that I'm proud to have been a part of. What I did not know is that their employer considers interviews to proprietary and opens up recordings to be used by any journalist. 6148391433 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026It's especially beyond the pale that Common Ground got access to table at a back-to-school event, paid for a DJ, then proceeded to pass out materials directing families to its endorsed candidates. The Peirce Elementary LSC is now calling for an ethics review. 1163 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Enter candidates like Lenhof. I couldn't tell you what her actual politics are, but note how fast she departed from denouncing "fear tactics." Common Ground can't run people on their actual agenda, but they can throw money at anyone who isn't talking about fighting austerity and school closures. 1131 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Now, Common Ground Collective and pro-school privatization interest groups are preparing to spend millions in the race for Chicago's first fully elected school board. If you live in a district where one of their 18 endorsed candidates are running, you're almost certainly being barraged by ads rn. 1153 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Sacks is also a major AIPAC donor, and Common Ground went on the warpath against progressives who helped pass a Jan. 2024 resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Then, last year, Sacks helped tank a tax on Chicago's largest corporations that could have brought in ~$82 million. 1214 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Why is this so concerning? Common Ground is a dark-money group backed by billionaire hedge fund manager Michael Sacks. Known as the "Rahm whisperer," Sacks was a behind-the-scenes advisor during the former mayor's school closings and privatization spree. chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/20...chicago.suntimes.comEmanuel critics push him to release 1,500 Michael Sacks emails 2408 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Now, Lenhof is benefiting from Common Ground spending some $37K—and counting—on ads backing her and spreading the same kind of misinformation about her opponent, former Chicago Public Schools bilingual teacher Debby Pope. Lenhof has also accepted money directly from Common Ground's PAC. 1265 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026🧵The billionaire-backed Common Ground Collective was just caught electioneering at a back-to-school event for its endorsed candidates—including fundraising consultant Kyna Lenhof. NB: 6 months ago, Lenhof had this to say about another race where CGC was spending big to spread misinformation. 🤔 14627 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsGillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 15/09/2026Holy cow. This may not be a permanent victory, but my god it’s a victory! Omni hasn’t flown for ICE for months. And I heard there was a big layoff last week. Now we can say for certain it was due to the negotiations between Stonepeak and the Chicago alders. Wowowow. news.wttw.com/2026/09/15/d...news.wttw.comDeal Reached to Sell Chicago Parking Meters to Investment Firm, Alderpeople SayThe deal requires Stonepeak to sell Omni Air International, which has a contract with the Trump administration to carry out deportations, according to the City Council members. 9761147 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsBright D Limm 임대중 @bdlimm.myatproto.social · 02/09/2026There are 3 places where nearly all of us can build power through shared struggle: 1️⃣ Government 2️⃣ Employment 3️⃣ Home This event—by @acrecampaigns.bsky.social's Bargaining for the Common Good + @inthesetimes.com—is about efforts to unify power-building in 2 of the 3. ✨ RSVP: bit.ly/unions-for-all ✨ 075 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Calling all labor and tenant union members! Come join this @inthesetimes.com conversation about the growing intersections between housing justice and organized labor. We'll hear from some seriously inspiring organizers with @ctulocal1.bsky.social, @houseourneighbors.bsky.social, and more. 072 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsIn These Times @inthesetimes.com · 29/08/2026Will Lawrence says opposition to data centers comes down to a basic question: Who decides the future of a community—its residents or Silicon Valley and Wall Street? @rebeccaburns.bsky.social speaks with the insurgent candidate taking on the GOP in Michigan.inthesetimes.comTenant Organizer Will Lawrence Is Taking on the GOP in a Deep Purple DistrictTo flip a key Michigan seat, the insurgent candidate is campaigning on housing, healthcare and opposition to data centers. 22411 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsSarah Lazare @sarahlazare.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Please consider coming to this event. Here is part of the description of what will be discussed: "A union at home and a union at work. Social housing that's union-backed and union-built." Register here: bit.ly/unions-for-allbit.lyWelcome! You are invited to join a meeting: How Organized Tenants and Organized Workers Can Team Up to Win Big. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.A union at home and a union at work. Social housing that's union-backed and union-built. That's the exciting vision that labor and housing organizers in many parts of the country are working together ... 0107 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsBright D Limm 임대중 @bdlimm.myatproto.social · 26/08/2026"I’ve often been asked, 'What is this [opposition to data centers] really about?' Because it’s such a politically heterodox coalition... "Certainly, it’s the noise pollution, the water usage, the energy bills, the property values, + you could go on. But above all, I think it’s about who decides." 0114 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsIn These Times @inthesetimes.com · 26/08/2026Will Lawrence says opposition to data centers comes down to a basic question: Who decides a community's future—its residents or Silicon Valley and Wall Street? @rebeccaburns.bsky.social speaks with the insurgent candidate taking on the GOP in Michigan inthesetimes.com/article/meet... 1179 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsIn These Times @inthesetimes.com · 26/06/2026New York City tenants won a rent freeze. @rebeccaburns.bsky.social reports that after months of organizing by tenant groups, unions, & rent-stabilized tenants, the Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze rents for 1 million regulated apartments.inthesetimes.comWhy Some Unions Are Joining the Call to “Freeze the Rent”“Affordable rent should be an essential demand of the labor movement as a whole,” says New York Taxi Workers Alliance President Bhairavi Desai. 0227 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsBolts @boltsmag.org · 26/06/2026Indiana is building a new prison, and it’s already equipped for firing squad executions, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reports.indianacapitalchronicle.comIndiana's new prison already equipped for firing squads as death penalty debate continues • Indiana Capital ChronicleIndiana prison officials confirmed the state's next correctional complex is already equipped for a firing squad option. 55539 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsMelissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 26/06/2026data center heat island heat wavetheguardian.com‘Slough is like an experiment’: Europe’s largest datacentre hub leaves town swelteringEmerging research suggests datacentres create a heat island effect, pushing up temperatures in the immediate vicinity by as much as 9C 013253 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 25/06/2026A city panel looks set to enact a first-of-its-kind, two-year rent freeze on 1 million+ NYC apartments tonight. @psc-cuny.org was among the labor groups backing the rent-freeze campaign—and wants to see more unions learn to "exercise our power in broader ways." inthesetimes.com/article/labo...inthesetimes.comWhy Some Unions Are Joining the Call to “Freeze the Rent”“Affordable rent should be an essential demand of the labor movement as a whole,” says New York Taxi Workers Alliance President Bhairavi Desai. 042 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsBright D Limm 임대중 @bdlimm.myatproto.social · 25/06/2026“We’re trying to encourage others to be involved in this kind of work. That involves all unions learning to exercise our power in a broader way.” —Jen Gaboury, talking about @psc-cuny.org's admirable efforts to bring Bargaining for the Common Good to NYC! 0102 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsIn These Times @inthesetimes.com · 25/06/2026Tonight, NYC’s Rent Guidelines Board votes on whether to freeze rents for roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. “Affordable rent should be a central, essential demand of the labor movement as a whole,” says New York Taxi Workers Alliance President Bhairavi Desai.inthesetimes.comWhy Some Unions Are Joining the Call to “Freeze the Rent”“Affordable rent should be an essential demand of the labor movement as a whole,” says New York Taxi Workers Alliance President Bhairavi Desai. 0297 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsBrandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Wow. Prairieland defendants being handed sentences between 40 and 100 years. For background on this case: www.ms.now/news/antifa-...ms.nowTrump wants to prosecute anti-fascists as terrorists. This Texas trial will test his power.A July 4 shooting at an ICE detention center could change the way the federal government prosecutes activists. 761581839 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsHamed Aleaziz @haleaziz.bsky.social · 18/06/2026SCOOP: ICE is planning to offload seven warehouses purchased for more than $700 million by either giving them to other federal agencies or selling them outright, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/u...nytimes.comICE Spent $700 Million on 7 Warehouses. Now It Wants to Get Rid of Them. 42447187 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsGillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 18/06/2026We were the only UNIONIZED employees he’d ever had, too. I am broke as hell now, but I’ll never regret saying this: EAT SHIT, YOU PATHETIC TWERP. No matter how much cash you accrue, you’ll never know the joy of solidarity. Your life is empty, and you’ll be remembered as a warning to children. 1764051228 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026(I don't fight on here as a rule, but the whole point of the analysis cited is that we should be looking at real estate industry-defined submarkets—not the national market—to examine housing market concentration and possible antitrust concerns, following the precedent set by the DOJ RealPage case.) 010 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Update: I have been informed that the country is big and that this is a small fraction of the total multifamily apartment stock. That seems right. Much more impressive is the proportion of men living in the Bay Area whose jobs would appear to consist of repeating this single talking point. 130 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsDavid Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Rental property mergers have been made exempt from antitrust scrutiny, yet 2 companies—AvalonBay Communities and Equity Residential—are planning to merge and create effective monopolies in at least seven communities. Co-pubbed with @inthesetimes.com, from Rebecca Burns. prospect.org/2026/06/17/r...prospect.orgReal Estate Merger Poised to Create Several Local Apartment Monopolies - The American ProspectA combination between AvalonBay and Equity Residential would put close to 200,000 apartments in the hands of one company. 219545 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026you could wonder that, or you could just actually read the piece! the analysis being cited argues for using RE industry-defined submarkets as the relevant unit, following the precedent set the DOJ RealPage case. 010 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsGillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 17/06/2026This is weird. An ICE flight on a private jet (operated by Talon Air, owned by Jordache jeans founder Joe Nakash) fell off of both ground and satellite receivers for about 7 1/2 hours this morning. This is NOT NORMAL. 1/ 2355150 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Yes, the piece makes this exact point and includes a discussion of the relevant markets and an analysis of those markets 120 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsThe American Prospect @prospect.org · 17/06/2026A $69 billion merger between two real estate behemoths is set to create the largest publicly traded apartment landlord in U.S. history. Both have been sued repeatedly over alleged tenant abuses and illegal price-fixing. prospect.org?p=139889 13324 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026This is an especially interesting case to watch because both Equity Residential and AvalonBay were sued for alleged price-fixing as part of the RealPage price-fixing scandal—and there's a growing movement to apply antitrust scrutiny to the housing market. (7/7) 0163 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026The merger must still be approved by both companies' stockholders. Even if the Trump admin does nothing, Democratic state enforcers could still challenge the deal--in local markets within California, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., the deal could create several effective monopolies. (6/7) 1133 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026That's led some tenants to go on a novel "rent debt" strike—more on that here: inthesetimes.com/article/tena... (5/7)inthesetimes.comThese Tenants Are Going on Strike Against ‘Rent Debt’A new kind of tenants union is ramping up the pressure on corporate landlords. 1112 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026The news of the merger comes as the Debt Collective and @latenantsunion.bsky.social are organizing current and former residents of Equity Residential. Tenants say the company piles on hidden fees—and that, even after eviction, it's sending debt collectors after them over inflated balances. (4/7) 1153 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026Federal antitrust regulators have traditionally ignored the rental market. But a new analysis suggests that the mega-mergers would create effective monopolies in at least seven submarkets—by the FTC and DOJ's own guidelines. (3/7) 1153 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026For @inthesetimes.com in partnership with @prospect.org, I dug into the proposed deal between AvalonBay and Equity Residential, two apartment giants sued repeatedly over alleged tenant abuses and illegal price-fixing. (2/7) 1162 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026NEW: Can landlords act as a monopoly? We're about to find out: A merger between two real-estate behemoths is set to put nearly 200,000 apartments in the hands of one company. (🧵) inthesetimes.com/article/real...inthesetimes.comReal Estate Merger Poised to Create Several Local Apartment MonopoliesA combination between AvalonBay and Equity Residential would put close to 200,000 apartments in the hands of one company. 66323 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsNick Turse @nickturse.bsky.social · 10/06/2026EXCLUSIVE: Top Pentagon Official Admits Boat Strike May Have Killed Victims of Human Trafficking If this boat was running drugs, why was it loaded with so many people? theintercept.com/2026/06/10/t...theintercept.comTop Pentagon Official Admits Boat Strike May Have Killed Victims of Human TraffickingIf this boat was running drugs, why was it loaded with so many people? 19639672017 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsGeoff Hing @geoffhing.bsky.social · 03/06/2026Earlier this week, Aala Abdullahi and I published a story about the impact of rapid transfers on people that ICE has locked away in detention facilities. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/06/01/i...themarshallproject.orgICE Detained Them, and Then They VanishedUnder Trump, the U.S. increasingly sends immigrants all over the nation with little warning, leaving families and attorneys unsure where they are. 199 0
Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Next weekend in Chicago! After the Labor Notes conference, come through @inthesetimesmag for an afterparty with music, comedy, and a veritable murderer's row of labor journalists. secure.actblue.com/donate/inthe...secure.actblue.comTix here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/inthesetimesafterpartyTix here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/inthesetimesafterparty 084 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsIn These Times @inthesetimes.com · 04/05/2026In Bozeman, MT, trailer park tenants unionized in 12 days. Now, facing an 11% rent hike and an anonymous investor, @rebeccaburns.bsky.social reports, they launched a rent strike — reviving a forgotten history of tenant collective bargaining in the state.inthesetimes.comThis May Day, Montana Trailer Park Tenants Are Going on Rent StrikeAs surging housing costs push workers out of Bozeman, tenants are confronting rising rents with collective action. 04220 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsIn These Times @inthesetimes.com · 31/03/2026Today, @rebeccaburns.bsky.social reports Washington State passed a millionaire’s tax—and at least eight others will consider new taxes on the ultra-wealthy this year, as organizers set their sights on state legislatures. inthesetimes.com/article/slog... 02212 0
Reposted by Rebecca BurnsTaniel @taniel.bsky.social · 18/03/2026RESULT: Community organizer Miguel Alvelo-Rivera has ousted state Representative Jaime Andrade in the Democratic primary. This is the Chicago-based HD40, & Andrade has been a longtime target of the Chicago left. 3717128 0