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Rebecca Burns

@rebeccaburns.bsky.social
946 followers 268 following 86 posts

Investigative reporter and editor. 🏡,🏦,☀️, also🐈. she/ her.

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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Register for free here: learning.umn.edu/search/publi...
learning.umn.edu
LBR X1029 Grocery Workers Speak: What Inequality Looks Like From Behind the Register
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Low 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.
A flyer for the online event "Grocery Workers Speak: What Inequality Looks Like from Behind the Register." Tuesday, October 27 from 3 - 4:30PM CT.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
If 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...
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NPR @npr.org · 08/10/2026
Throughout 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/4hzvA5M
n.pr
ICE has quietly used this warehouse as a detention facility all summer, neighbors say
Throughout the summer, rumors have been bubbling in North New Jersey that ICE has quietly been using a warehouse as a detention center. NPR investigated.
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Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Israel 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.org
Remembrance
Israel 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.
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cam 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 summer
Nine 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...
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Earlier 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.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
It'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.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Enter 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.
A post by Chicago Board of Education candidate Kyna Lenhof reads, "One week until the Illinois Primary! I really hope that some day people running for local office realize that the way to engage voters isn't by fear tactics."A post by Chicago Board of Education candidate Kyna Lenhof reads, "If this Primary has taught me anything PACs are bad if they help your opponent. If they help you or someone you like, they're OK."
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Now, 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.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Sacks 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.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Why 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.com
Emanuel critics push him to release 1,500 Michael Sacks emails
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Now, 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.
Campaign filings show that on 9/8/26, the Common Ground Collective spent $14,062.50 on digital ads supporting Kyna Lenhof and $4,687.50 on ads opposing Debby Pope. Campaign filings show that on 9/14/26, the Common Ground Collective spent $14,062.50 on digital ads supporting Kyna Lenhof and $4,687.50 on ads opposing Debby Pope.
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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. 🤔
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 15/09/2026
Holy 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.com
Deal Reached to Sell Chicago Parking Meters to Investment Firm, Alderpeople Say
The 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.
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Bright D Limm 임대중 @bdlimm.myatproto.social · 02/09/2026
There 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 ✨
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Calling 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.
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 29/08/2026
Will 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.com
Tenant Organizer Will Lawrence Is Taking on the GOP in a Deep Purple District
To flip a key Michigan seat, the insurgent candidate is campaigning on housing, healthcare and opposition to data centers.
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Sarah Lazare @sarahlazare.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Please 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-all
bit.ly
Welcome! 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 ...
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Bright 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."
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 26/08/2026
Will 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...
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 26/06/2026
New 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.com
Why 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.
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Bolts @boltsmag.org · 26/06/2026
Indiana is building a new prison, and it’s already equipped for firing squad executions, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reports.
indianacapitalchronicle.com
Indiana's new prison already equipped for firing squads as death penalty debate continues • Indiana Capital Chronicle
Indiana prison officials confirmed the state's next correctional complex is already equipped for a firing squad option.
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Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 26/06/2026
data center heat island heat wave
theguardian.com
‘Slough is like an experiment’: Europe’s largest datacentre hub leaves town sweltering
Emerging research suggests datacentres create a heat island effect, pushing up temperatures in the immediate vicinity by as much as 9C
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
A 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.com
Why 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.
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Bright 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!
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 25/06/2026
Tonight, 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.com
Why 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.
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Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Wow. Prairieland defendants being handed sentences between 40 and 100 years. For background on this case: www.ms.now/news/antifa-...
ms.now
Trump 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.
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Hamed Aleaziz @haleaziz.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
SCOOP: 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.com
ICE Spent $700 Million on 7 Warehouses. Now It Wants to Get Rid of Them.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 18/06/2026
We 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.
Jeff Bezos told Trump the Washington Post was his worst investment before slashing staff: 'People there are terrible'
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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.)
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Update: 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.
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David Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Rental 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.org
Real Estate Merger Poised to Create Several Local Apartment Monopolies - The American Prospect
A combination between AvalonBay and Equity Residential would put close to 200,000 apartments in the hands of one company.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
you 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.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 17/06/2026
This 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/
A planespotters.net photo of N50JE by Maarten Dols
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Yes, the piece makes this exact point and includes a discussion of the relevant markets and an analysis of those markets
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The American Prospect @prospect.org · 17/06/2026
A $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
Real estate merger and acquisition image with puzzle pieces
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
This 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)
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
The 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)
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
That's led some tenants to go on a novel "rent debt" strike—more on that here: inthesetimes.com/article/tena... (5/7)
inthesetimes.com
These Tenants Are Going on Strike Against ‘Rent Debt’
A new kind of tenants union is ramping up the pressure on corporate landlords.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
The 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)
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Federal 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)
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
For @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)
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
NEW: 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.com
Real Estate Merger Poised to Create Several Local Apartment Monopolies
A combination between AvalonBay and Equity Residential would put close to 200,000 apartments in the hands of one company.
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Nick Turse @nickturse.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
EXCLUSIVE: 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.com
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?
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Geoff Hing @geoffhing.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Earlier 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.org
ICE Detained Them, and Then They Vanished
Under Trump, the U.S. increasingly sends immigrants all over the nation with little warning, leaving families and attorneys unsure where they are.
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Rebecca Burns @rebeccaburns.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Next 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.com
Tix here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/inthesetimesafterparty
Tix here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/inthesetimesafterparty
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 04/05/2026
In 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.com
This May Day, Montana Trailer Park Tenants Are Going on Rent Strike
As surging housing costs push workers out of Bozeman, tenants are confronting rising rents with collective action.
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In These Times @inthesetimes.com · 31/03/2026
Today, @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...
Graphic for an In These Times article titled “More Than A Slogan: Labor’s New Gambit to Tax the Rich,” by Rebecca Burns. The background photo shows a crowd of labor activists gathered outdoors in front of oversized cartoon inflatables, holding signs that read “Overpaid CEO Tax NOW!” and “Taxing Greed to Pay for What We Need.” Large white headline text is overlaid across the image on black transparent bars.
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Taniel @taniel.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
RESULT: 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.
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