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Rebecca McCray

@rebeccakmccray.bsky.social
1.1K followers 775 following 175 posts

Reporting/Writing/Engaging. Find my work @ The Marshall Project, The Guardian, New York Focus, Hell Gate, NY Mag, Offrange, etc. Writing a newsletter about incarceration in New York: mailchi.mp/nysfocus/prisons-newslet…

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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Andrea Grimes @andreagrimes.com · 01/10/2026
Incredible reporting by @tinavasquez.bsky.social here. A story about how the people who put food on American tables are denied water or even the ability to carry it with them or meaningfully ask for it to be provided, lest they lose their jobs working in oppressive heat.
prismreports.org
Despite farmworker death and another disabled by heat stroke, employer keeps sending people to fields
Florida Orange Gold has exposed workers on H-2A visas to extreme heat, but continues to bring hundreds of migrants to North Carolina
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New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 29/09/2026
Brooklyn native Terrell Eleby was 26 years old when he was convicted of a crime that he says he did not commit. Today, he’s in his 60s and has stage four cancer, but is still fighting his conviction. Here are his words.
nysfocus.com
An Incarcerated New Yorker Wrote To Us About Fighting His Conviction.…
Terrell Eleby has been asking for his conviction to be reviewed since 2013. Now, he’s also fighting stage four cancer.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Project Salt Box @projectsaltbox.com · 28/09/2026
On Friday, ICE awarded a $1.3 million sole-source contract to RADeCO, an authorized reseller of Boston Dynamics' Spot robot dog. The upgraded version ICE purchased contains specialty tools for detecting chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazards.
projectsaltbox.com
ICE Buys $1.3 Million in Robot Dogs From Connecticut Company
The agency bought the robots without seeking competing bids, and chose a version built to detect chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 23/09/2026
In Chicago alone, federal grand juries declined to indict at least three defendants arrested over alleged conduct during anti-ICE protests in the fall of 2025. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/09/19/c...
themarshallproject.org
Why Some Jurors and Judges No Longer Trust Trump’s Justice Department
Federal prosecutors have struggled to convict anti-ICE protesters, while grand juries and judges are showing unusual skepticism of the government.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Sign up now to get today's edition of The Block, a newsletter I'm writing for @nysfocus.com about incarceration in NY! Here's last week's edition, with a signup link: nysfocus.com/the-block-do...
nysfocus.com
The Block: DOCCS Settles Lawsuit Over Shock Program Rejections
New York's only statewide nonprofit newsroom dedicated to holding Albany accountable.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Clarence Jefferson Hall Jr. @cjeffersonhall.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
New York Will Pay $24 Million to Family of Inmate Beaten to Death www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/n...
nytimes.com
New York Will Pay $24 Million to Family of Inmate Beaten to Death
The state reached a settlement with the family of Robert L. Brooks, who died after being beaten by prison guards in 2024.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Today at @nysfocus.com we're launching The Block, a weekly newsletter I'm writing for people who care about life inside New York’s prisons and jails. Sign up here to get the first edition: mailchi.mp/nysfocus/pri...
mailchi.mp
New York Focus | Prisons Newsletter
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
"Documents show that the Trump admin placed more pregnant immigrants in detention last fall and winter than at any time over the previous year," while losing count of how many suffered a miscarriage, as pregnant women report that they are struggling to access routine and emergency medical care.
theguardian.com
Revealed: ICE lost count of miscarriages, while detaining a record number of pregnant women
ICE says it has no updated information on the number of miscarriages after 3 October 2025. Lawmakers, advocates and immigration attorneys have raised alarms that pregnant detainees are not receiving b...
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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
“There’s no AI exemption for laws already on the books.” - Lina Khan, GOAT
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The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 12/09/2026
After federal agents killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the Trump admin reset its strategy. Flashy, made-for-media operations in big cities? Out. Quiet, widespread, hard-to-track enforcement? In. New data shows immigration arrests are surging as a result. www.themarshallproject.org/2026/09/10/i...
themarshallproject.org
Inside the ‘Shadow Surge’ Driving ICE Arrests to New Heights
Flush with money and leery of bad publicity, ICE has banked on local police agencies to help ramp up immigration arrests.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Caitlin McGlade @caitmcglade.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"McClatchy will invest in journalism that “is differentiated, consequential and difficult to replicate; reporting rooted in our communities and strengthened by sources, investigation, verification, context and judgment." That is what all of us who got fired do. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/b...
nytimes.com
McClatchy Makes Deep Job Cuts to Newspapers Around the Country
The owner of The Miami Herald said subscriber interest did not support its current level of investment. One employee called the layoffs a “blood bath.”
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 02/09/2026
More harrowing reporting on this from Springfield via @rns.org's @kathrynpost.bsky.social: Two pastors detained, a student dead: Haitians in Ohio turn to faith amid fear of ICE Note the header image: That's the people praying over Pierre Damas Bel's grieving family. religionnews.com/2026/09/01/t...
religionnews.com
Two pastors detained, a student dead: Haitians in Ohio turn to faith amid fear of ICE
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (RNS) — ‘All I want is to see my husband back,’ said Denise Gedeon, whose pastor-husband, Joubert Adrien, was detained by ICE — one of two pastors arrested during a weekend that also...
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New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 29/08/2026
NEW: “Operation Stonegarden” pays New York sheriff’s deputies to work with Border Patrol. Sheriffs say it has nothing to do with immigration. But records show they've helped arrest dozens of immigrants through the program since 2023.
nysfocus.com
This Program Pays Cops to Help Border Patrol. Hochul Backs It.
Operation Stonegarden pays New York sheriff’s deputies to work with Border Patrol. Records show they've helped arrest at least 24 immigrants.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
"In spite of a high level of training, the units failed to meet all but one of the constitutional compliance benchmarks set by the monitor. 91% of those stopped were Black or Hispanic, and 88% were Black or Hispanic men." @nyamnews.bsky.social
amsterdamnews.com
Report: NYPD specialized units keep making unconstitutional stops, mainly on Black, Brown New Yorkers
The report, filed in federal court last week, found that these units continued making unconstitutional stops, frisks, and searches.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
John Carl Baker @johncarlbaker.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
“New Jersey and New Mexico have seen arrests double, despite both states passing laws this year that restrict government cooperation with ICE.” www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
ICE Arrests Soar as People With No Criminal Record Are Increasingly Targeted
As immigration arrests hit record highs, ICE appears closer than ever to meeting its goal of 2,000 daily arrests.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Jessica Schulberg @jessicaschulberg.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
In 2023, Rhonda Jewell accidentally left 10-month-old Ariya in a hot car, resulting in the baby's death. Rhonda was acquitted of manslaughter — which would have required a finding of culpable negligence — but convicted of third-degree felony murder www.huffpost.com/entry/florid...
huffpost.com
A Baby Died In A Tragic Accident. Why Was It Treated As Murder?
The case against Rhonda Jewell threatens to upend a foundational principle of the U.S. legal system.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I am *extremely insistently* tapping the sign to remind you all to support independent, worker run, billionaire free news how and where you are able to
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
High Country News @highcountrynews.org · 21/08/2026
Western cattleman are poised to lose almost all opportunity to comment on oil and gas development underneath their property.
hcn.org
The BLM may stop notifying landowners about drilling under private land. Ranchers are alarmed - High Country News
Western cattleman are poised to lose almost all opportunity to comment on oil and gas development underneath their property.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Excited to share that I'll be writing a weekly newsletter for @nysfocus.com starting next month about incarceration in New York. If you're interested in the state’s prisons and jails, in any capacity, please sign up! mailchi.mp/nysfocus/pri...
mailchi.mp
New York Focus | Prisons Newsletter
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 17/08/2026
In New York’s state prison system, officers can confine someone in a “special watch” room if they believe the person swallowed contraband or inserted it into their rectal cavity. Incarcerated people call them “shit rooms” — and say they’re ripe for abuse.
nysfocus.com
‘Losing My Mind’: Inside New York’s Prison ‘Shit Rooms’
New York prisons hold people suspected of ingesting contraband items in “special watch” cells with no running water for days or weeks.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
"Their deaths are part of a broader story of revenue-seeking policing in a region that once withstood intense federal scrutiny and has now become part of the Trump administration’s deportation machine." Brutal, important story from @hurwitz.bsky.social
motherjones.com
She followed ICE’s advice to self-deport. Five weeks later, she was dead.
A St. Louis mother took her three daughters to reunite with her deported husband in Guatemala. Neighbors found the couple bound and shot in a sugarcane field.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Documented @documentedny.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
According to a new city report, enforcement of New York City’s tip transparency law has led to an average of about $2,287 in additional tips for each of the city’s 70,000 app-based delivery workers.
documentedny.com
NYC Delivery Workers Earned $104M Extra in Tips Under New City Law
According to a new city report, enforcement of New York City’s tip transparency law has led to an average of about $2,287 in additional tips for each of the city’s 70,000 app-based delivery workers.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 04/08/2026
Mental health courts have expanded in recent years as an off-ramp to incarceration for defendants in need of treatment. But about half of New York’s 62 counties still don’t have one.
nysfocus.com
In New York, Mental Health Diversion Depends on Your County
Half of New York counties lack mental health courts, limiting treatment-based alternatives to jail.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Gwynne Hogan @gwynnefitz.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
A 39-year-old El Salvadoran man, who was being held at Delaney Hall, has died, the man's family says. He's the father of a 12-year-old US citizen daughter and has lived in the country for nearly 20 years. www.thecityreporter.nyc/2026/08/03/s...
thecityreporter.nyc
El Salvadoran Man Held by ICE at Delaney Hall Dies, Family Says
The detainee had an extensive medical history, including epilepsy, according to a lawsuit. He had complained about his face and hand going numb just before his death, his mother said.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Tina Vasquez @tinavasquez.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
We've launched a summer fundraiser. It's our hope to raise $25K to help us keep chugging along and producing our award-winning movement journalism. Please consider a one-time or monthly donation. We need your support!
zeffy.com
Support independent, nonprofit news led by journalists of color
Join Prism's community of justice seekers and truth-tellers, building collective power through journalism. Understanding the full story has never mattered…
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Excited to share this guide to navigating menopause and perimenopause in prisons, co-authored by the amazing @kwanetaharris.bsky.social for @themarshallproject.org It will be available on prison tablets in the next issue of News Inside www.themarshallproject.org/2026/07/22/w...
themarshallproject.org
Guide: How to Navigate Perimenopause and Menopause in Prison
Practical advice from medical experts and from incarcerated women on how to deal with perimenopause and menopause.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Ken Morales @kbmorales.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
1/ I looked at 20 years of Supreme Court decisions and found that for the first time, all nine justices decided more cases by secret ballot — aka the “shadow docket” — than it did for cases argued in open court last term. 🧵:
A line chart shows the number of Supreme Court decisions on the merits docket versus the shadow docket from the 2003-04 term to the 2024-25 term. The merits docket decisions trend downward over time, ending at 56 decisions, while the shadow docket decisions rise sharply in the 2018-19 term and surpass the merits docket in the last term at 63 decisions.
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the beggars out of here getter @milesklee.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
With Elon Musk becoming our first trillionaire, I talked to American users of the rapidly growing “Almost Homeless” subreddit, who are struggling to stay housed amid a brutal job market and with social services slashed to the bone. They say this online community is crucial to their mental stability.
wired.com
The ‘Almost Homeless’ Subreddit Is a Stark Glimpse at Soaring Wealth Inequality
As the billionaire class gets richer, the growing online community is offering tips on how to survive with very little.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
"Streever said the scariest moment in this ordeal was when he had to tell his 7-year-old daughter what was going on. 'She was very upset. She thought they were going to come and kill me.'" h/t @mbreidenbach.bsky.social
syracuse.com
Another ICE threat visit: How did agents track down this critic on his vacation?
The ICE agents who threatened a Syracuse poll worker for an Instagram post warned a Rochester man in an unsettling way.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Yonette Joseph @sugarcane99.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
UN calls for ‘prompt investigations’ of deaths in US immigration custody and for ‘those responsible for violations of the law’ to be held to account www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
UN calls for ‘prompt investigations’ of deaths in US immigration custody
High commissioner for human rights calls for ‘those responsible for violations of the law’ to be held to account
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 23/06/2026
As recently as last year, it was rare for judges to order young people with special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) status deported. Under Trump, that's changed. It's set to hit New York — home to over a fifth of all SIJ petitioners — particularly hard.
nysfocus.com
These Young New Yorkers, Once Safe, Now Face Deportation
Young immigrants in New York with Special Immigrant Juvenile status expected permanent residency. Under Trump, many now face deportation.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
🧵NEW: For more than a decade, police in South West England have been quietly experimenting with algorithms to score thousands of people. Most of them didn't know anything about it. Over two years, me and Mark Wilding investigated the messy setup, multiple parts have now been scrapped
wired.com
British Police Built a Sprawling Crime-Prediction Machine. Some Results Couldn’t Be Trusted
As UK police embrace the AI revolution, a WIRED investigation reveals the messy inside story of one region’s experiment with predictive analytics.
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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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Aviva Stahl @stahlidarity.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
if you're voting in today's NYS Comptroller race and are like, what are israel bonds anyway... read this primer I put together for @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/poli...
thenation.com
The Unlikely History of Israel Bonds
How a little-known investment vehicle became a major source of financing for Israel—and a flash point in New York City politics.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
NPR @npr.org · 17/06/2026
People who go to prison keep one important right — to file a grievance over their treatment: from abuse to denied medical care. But in the vast majority of cases, those efforts go nowhere, according to an analysis of federal data by The Marshall Project and NPR. n.pr/4vgpFab
n.pr
'Rejected': How federal prisons stonewall grievances and deny care for years
People who go to prison keep one important right — to file a grievance over their treatment: from abuse to denied medical care. But in the vast majority of cases, those efforts go nowhere, according to an analysis of federal data by The Marshall Project and NPR.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
"About two-thirds of upcoming datacenters, which typically require a large amount of water to operate, are set to be built in places that have been among the driest in the country over the past year," writes @olliemilman.bsky.social
theguardian.com
Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land
Guardian analysis finds facilities to be built in some of the driest areas as outcry grows over water needed to power AI
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Julia Carrie Wong @joolia.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Really lovely piece by my colleague @bryanagraham.bsky.social, who watched Game 1 of the NBA finals with some of the men incarcerated on Riker’s island
theguardian.com
‘The whole of New York is stressed right now’: how Knicks finals fever reached Rikers Island
Inside New York’s notorious jail complex, nearly 2,000 incarcerated people watched Game 1 together, arguing calls, roasting celebrity fans and sharing in a rare citywide moment
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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 02/06/2026
Public health officials and jail experts said the unprecedented number of suicide deaths is an indication that authorities are failing to properly oversee the detention of tens of thousands of immigrants swept up in the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation strategy.
buff.ly
ICE Detainees Are Dying by Suicide at an ‘Alarming; Rate, an AP Investigation Finds
An Associated Press investigation found that at least 10 detainees have died by suicide since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
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Bolts @boltsmag.org · 30/05/2026
NYPD unions have insisted they have final say in disciplinary cases brought by the city’s civilian review board. In April, the city’s largest police union sued the civilian board twice over disputes involving public access to disciplinary records.
boltsmag.org
The NYPD Has Final Say on Civilian Oversight. Will That Change Under Mamdani? - Bolts
New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board, ostensibly a police watchdog, cedes much power to police leadership. Experts say the mayor has the power to boost its independence.
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Jordan Smith @jordansmith.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
@lilianasegura.bsky.social and I had an exclusive sit-down with Richard Glossip just days after he was released. Check out our latest @theintercept.com
theintercept.com
Richard Glossip on Life After Decades on Death Row
In an exclusive interview at home in Oklahoma City, Richard Glossip describes his first days of freedom in a world he hasn’t experienced for nearly 30 years.
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Reposted by Rebecca McCray
Jeff Asher @jeffasher.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
New this week: I wrote about how we have enough data for 2026 to say with pretty good confidence that 2026 will have the lowest murder rate ever recorded in the US, eclipsing the previous record low set way back in 2025. jasher.substack.com/p/2026-will-...
jasher.substack.com
2026 Will Likely Have The Lowest US Murder Rate Ever Recorded
Yes, it’s late May and there are still more than seven full months remaining in 2026, but there has been enough data collected on this year to say that this year will likely set a new record for lowes...
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Alex Burness @burness.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
New York's legislature has passed a bill banning 287(g) agreements with ICE, @nysfocus.com reports: nysfocus.com/2026/05/22/h... If the bill is adopted, New York would be the 11th state with a 287(g) ban, and the 5th (NJ, MD, NM, ME) to enact a ban this year alone. @boltsmag.org map for reference:
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NPR @npr.org · 21/05/2026
Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad and Mansour Kaziha distracted and delayed two gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Their actions saved the many children and staff inside the mosque and cost them their lives. n.pr/4uRJkwk
n.pr
The San Diego mosque shooting victims remembered as 'heroes' for protecting children
Amin Abdullah, Nadir Awad and Mansour Kaziha distracted and delayed two gunmen at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Their actions saved the many children and staff inside the mosque and cost them their lives.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Dozens of court-appointed PA lawyers, assigned to help potentially wrongfully convicted people argue for their freedom, barely spoke to their clients and actively argued against their claims
propublica.org
With a Chance at Freedom, They Faced an Unexpected Obstacle: Their Own Lawyers
Pennsylvania courts allow attorneys to argue against their convicted clients’ bid for justice. It has resulted in people spending years or decades in prison before being freed based on issues lawyers ...
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Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 14/05/2026
In a piece for our Reconstructing Free Expression series, @dorfonlaw.bsky.social writes about the importance of thoughtful public funding for local journalism and expanding liability for fraud to improve the health of our information ecosystem.
knightcolumbia.org
Support Local Journalism, Expand the Definition of Fraud, and Guard Against Boomerang Effects
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
“During his time on death row, courts in Oklahoma set nine different execution dates for Glossip, and he came so close to being put to death that he ate three separate last meals.”
theguardian.com
Oklahoma’s Richard Glossip freed on bond after 30 years on death row
A judge set a $500,000 bond in the 1997 murder case headed for retrial after a supreme court decision Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email
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The Hill @thehill.com · 14/05/2026
Close to half of Americans are strongly against artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in their area, according to a new poll.
thehill.com
Almost half strongly oppose AI data centers in their area: Gallup
Close to half of Americans are strongly against artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in their area, according to a new poll. In the Gallup poll, 48 percent said they would generally “strongly …
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Iowa Capital Dispatch @iowacapitaldispatch.com · 13/05/2026
As appeals courts split on the constitutionality of mandatory detention for millions of immigrants, the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to decide the matter, Stateline reports. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2026/05/13/r...
iowacapitaldispatch.com
Some immigrants face indefinite detention, likely leading to Supreme Court case • Iowa Capital Dispatch
As appeals courts split on the constitutionality of mandatory detention for millions of immigrants, the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to decide the matter. A Trump administration policy threatening…
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Vauhini Vara @vauhinivara.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
This essay is extraordinary; drop everything and read it. What a writer, what a person.
esquire.com
What Mother’s Day Means to the Men in Prison
Back when I was sentenced—I was young and stupid, ripping and running the streets, flouting the law—I never knew this would be part of the punishment. A complicated mother-son story.
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Rebecca McCray @rebeccakmccray.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
After months of organizing by advocates and incarcerated people, a high-level security staffer at NY’s maximum security women’s prison has been transferred to Sing Sing. I looked into it for @nysfocus.com
nysfocus.com
Controversial Security Leader Transferred From Women’s Prison After…
Michel Blot was reassigned from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility to Sing Sing after prisoners and advocates raised concerns.
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