iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Christina Lieffring @stinadale.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Missed the Sopranos when that was a thing, so I'm watching it now with my husband. Tony's mother is the best-written villain of all time. I reflexively cringe whenever she comes on screen.

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tinybaby @tiny.baby · 18/02/2026

Cops in places with policies against coordinating with ICE are pretending to call ICE for "translation services" which of course prompts the feds to drive over & kidnap the non-english-speaking person without being explicitly tipped off that they might be undocumented www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news...

cbsnews.com

Detroit police chief plans to "terminate" two officers who contacted Border Patrol amid traffic stops

Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison says the two incidents happened in the last few months, on Dec. 16, 2025, and Feb. 9, 2026.

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

"The first person to be executed for treason in the US was not a spy or someone who sold secrets to a foreign government. It was not a Confederate general who took up arms against his government. It was an abolitionist named John Brown." from @nhannahjones.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/m...

nytimes.com

The Transformative Power of the White ‘Race Traitor’

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Kaitlin Is Just Getting Started @gothamgirlblue.com · 15/01/2024

Despite more men, more manufacturing, and virtually no threat of invasion, the Union kept flailing and failing for the first two years of the Civil War because white northerners and their political leaders expected that white southerners would be overtaken by unionist sentiment and return freely.

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Laurasaurus @laurasaurus.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

I’m howling.

Recently, Clifford "Buzz" Grambo decided to upgrade his electric scooter. The old one he had purchased online only reached 16 mph and wasn't cutting it anymore. He needed to go faster to keep up with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement cars he chases around Baltimore. So, Grambo bought a Segway MAX G3, which features a 2,000-watt motor and can get up to 28 mph.
"The first time I caught up to them, I could tell that they already knew who I was," he told me when we first spoke on the phone in late October. "They had seen me before, so they thought they were just going to speed away. I was like, ha-ha bitches, I got a new scooter!"

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Here’s the full piece on why I’m optimistic, even in dark times: open.substack.com/pub/data4dem...

open.substack.com

The Wall Looks Permanent Until It Falls

On the optimism of preparation in a time of democratic decay.

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Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

If there's one empirical insight I'd want everyone to understand about American politics, it's this: America's problems are solved problems. Just not here. What would change if the US simply matched the average of 31 peer democracies? Not Denmark or Norway. Just the middle of the pack. 🧵

Screenshot of a data visualization titled “The Cost of American Exceptionalism,” subtitled “What would change if the U.S. matched the OECD average?” The page explains that each card shows how outcomes would change if the U.S. matched the average of 31 peer democracies. Below, a section labeled “Economy & Inequality” displays eight cards comparing U.S. figures to OECD averages. Highlights include: +$19K per household per year in redistributed income and +$96K in redistributed wealth if the top 1% matched OECD shares; a 71% lower CEO-to-worker pay ratio (from 354× to 101×); 50 million more workers with union coverage; 26 million more people with health insurance; $2.1 trillion saved annually in healthcare spending; $691 less per person per year in prescription drug costs; and intergenerational economic mobility being twice as high. Each card shows the U.S. value alongside the OECD average.

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himbobottomus.bsky.social @himbobottomus.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

this is the sickest shit ive ever seen

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

If a conservative anywhere has to hear, encounter, or be subject to judgement based on an opinion they disagree with that’s maoism but if conservatives use state power to prosecute, defund, or censor you that’s fine because they’re just entitled to do that for reasons

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Grant @nothingunfinished.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

for @tonemadison.bsky.social this week, I wrote about a handful of my fav 2025 tunes from Avoidancepolicy + Carl Johnson, Jonathon Millionaire, Mr. Chair, @rockstarelise.com, and @sirsigra.bsky.social. thx to our music editor @stevenmps.bsky.social for all his essential editorial planning.

tonemadison.com

Tone Madison's favorite songs of 2025

A sampling of the local music that helped us get through the year.

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15/01/2026

Senate Democrats absolutely have to shut the govt down to stop this ICE insanity in the Twin Cities. This is not sustainable & cannot be normalized. Any Democratic vote to provide money to the thugs who are brutalizing this community is a grave betrayal to the people here. Accountability can't wait.

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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 14/01/2026

We need to pick up this Overton Window and throw it as far as we can. Stop waiting for shit to “be popular” and start advocating for what is transparently right.

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Sam Bellamy @sambdesk.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Jesse Welles on Renee Good's death at the hands of ICE. Now they'll circle the wagons, drape the man in a flag, and say, "Don't trust what your eyes can see." They'll say, "It's her fault instead for getting shot in the head when we all watch the same damn thing.

youtube.com

Good vs. Ice

YouTube video by Jesse Welles

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A Public Affair @apublicaffair.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

🎙️Today is the deadline for candidate filings in the state of Wisconsin. @stinadale.bsky.social, Enjoyiana Nururdin, and @fayeparks.bsky.social break down the races in this busy election year with host Dana Pellebon. Listen here: www.wortfm.org/local-journa...

wortfm.org

Local Journalists Weigh-In on Upcoming 2026 Elections - WORT-FM 89.9

Christina Lieffring, Enjoyiana Nururdin, and Faye Parks break down the races in this busy election year with host Dana Pellebon.

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Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Democrats need to understand that they can just say “It’s insane to threaten Greenland” and “I don’t think ICE should murder Americans in the street” and you don’t need to pretend to link it to the affordability crisis. Say bad things are bad.

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Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

The US has already killed innocent civilians in Venezuela. Stop acting as though this attack was legitimate and the only problems are in a hypothetical future.

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SeasonalPun @pixelfish.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

This should be our theme song. youtu.be/aKpgb2WrGo0?... (End screen notes that no human is illegal.)

youtu.be

Gogol Bordello - Immigraniada (We Comin' Rougher)

YouTube video by Gogol Bordello

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Christina Lieffring @stinadale.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

If today and tomorrow a total of 19 people donate to @tonemadison.bsky.social who have never donated before, we get $1,000 thanks to NewsMatch. If you’ve never donated to Tone, this is the perfect time to start. tonemadison.com/donate/

tonemadison.com

Support us – Tone Madison

A message from Christina Lieffring, Managing Editor We can’t do what we do at Tone Madison without support from our readers—nor do we want to. We publish hard-hitting investigations, deep […]

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

We're in the final stretch of our make-or-break fundraiser. If 22 people donate for the first time, we'll also receive a $1,000 bonus. Help us reach our goal during NewsMatch so our small-but-mighty publication can keep publishing the perspectives you really care about. tonemadison.com/donate/

"Tone Madison is an invaluable resource to our community. From politics to music to film, Tone Madison understands what Madisonians care about and provides a space for all in our city to have their voices heard. As a journalist, I appreciate Tone's proclivity for covering stories that other outlets in the area can't or won't touch. Above all else, the people behind Tone Madison have always welcomed collaboration over competition, and at the end of the day, just want to see Madison become the best version of itself," says Hayley Sperling, Executive Producer of City Cast Madison. Donate Today.

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Grant @nothingunfinished.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

support Tone Madison so we can persist with unparalleled local coverage of the arts (and incredible interviews just like this). only a few days remain to maximize the impact of your donation through NewsMatch. ty! tonemadison.com/donate/

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

We only have four days left to unlock $8,400 in matching funds. Tone Madison could unlock a total of $21,000 for journalism that's "full of heart and unafraid to punch up." But we need your help to do it. tonemadison.com/donate/ 🙏

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Understand, Ron Johnson is incredibly stupid as well as morally bankrupt

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

"The question of honest work in colonial systems and fine arts institutions raises the specter of censorship, particularly of art that is deemed 'political.' But what makes a work of art political or apolitical?" asks Managing Editor @stinadale.bsky.social after a visit to the Trout Museum of Art.

tonemadison.com

Could an exhibition like Guiding Ethos find a home in Madison?

A group show at Appleton's Trout Museum stands up for "political" art in an era of cowardice and compliance.

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Isaac Rowlett @isaacrowlett.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

just one more lane…

Photo of a very, very wide freeway with varying levels of congestion. A quote at the bottom from Lewis Mumford reads “Adding highway lanes to deal with traffic congestion is like loosening your belt to cure obesity”

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Jessica Valenti @jessicavalenti.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Why decline all these chances to defend feminism? Because to participate would be accepting the premise that our rights and humanity are up for debate in the first place. Once you’ve conceded that it’s reasonable to ask whether women’s equality was a mistake, you’ve already lost.

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

This year we've... • Questioned how local governments allocate resources by pointing out the impacts on the most vulnerable. • Interrogated the narratives that lead to harmful economic policies. • Championed the perspectives of workers and organized labor. tonemadison.com/donate/ 🙏

"Tone provides the best analysis of housing and poverty issues in local government through a lens of the impact on economic inequality," says Andy Heidt, reader and board member at Madison Area Community Land Trust. Help us continue this crucial reporting. 12x your new monthly donation.

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

How do you write an entire piece about the bystander without ever naming him? His name is Ahmed el Ahmed. Is that the problem for you all?

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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 14/12/2025

This is fucking grim. Somebody invented a white guy, an "IT professional" named Edward Crabtree, who stopped the Bondi shooting and spread it all over the internet, which was picked up by AI agents and slop aggregation sites. The real hero is a fruit stand owner named Ahmed el Ahmed.

A wrong Grok post making up a white guy who stopped the Australian mass shooting.

BBC
'Hero' who wrestled gun from Bondi shooter named as Ahmed al Ahmed
Emily Atkinson
Sun, December 14, 2025 at 1:06 p.m. CST
2 min read

A "hero" bystander who was filmed wrestling a gun from one of the Bondi Beach attackers has been named as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed.

Video verified by the BBC showed Mr Ahmed run at the gunman and seize his weapon, before turning the gun round on him, forcing his retreat.

Mr Ahmed, a fruit shop owner and father of two, remains in hospital, where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand, his family told 7News Australia.

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

"As comic artists themselves, the MAC Fest organizers are using their intimate knowledge of opportunity gaps within the movement to carve out a new space for growth." @cmy-kay.bsky.social previews the inaugural event at Aubergine (1226 Willy St) this Sat, Dec 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

tonemadison.com

Madison Alternative Comics Fest showcases a rising art form through diverse voices

Madison's answer to the alternative comic festival circuit debuts at Aubergine on December 13.

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

We can't imagine a better legacy for a media outlet than to inspire aspiring writers to pursue ambitious, critical stories. But they can only do that if you continue to support us. We are HALFWAY to our fundraising goal. THANK YOU! But we still have a ways to go. tonemadison.com/donate/

"In 2023, Tone's Christina Lieffring may have been the only journalist in the entire country providing thorough and critical coverage of Oshkosh Corporation, a Wisconsin-based military manufacturer tied to the genocide in Gaza. When I was writing my own investigation of Oshkosh Corporation this year for Tone and I found out that Christina would be my editor, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. There was simply no one more qualified to edit and advise me on my piece – Not at the Cap Times, not at the New York Times, not anywhere. Tone is putting out high quality investigative journalism that couldn't be published anywhere else. They're working on a minuscule budget, but I see Tone's community and public interest-oriented journalism as an absolutely critical service to the state of Wisconsin."

Julian Cooper, contributor

Help us publish stories you won't see anywhere else. Donate @ link in bio.

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Christina Lieffring @stinadale.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

If someone, anyone, wants to develop an viable alternative to Quickbooks, I will be first in line.

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Luke O'Neil @lukeoneil47.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

"The playbook here is familiar," @parkermolloy.com writes for HW. "Find a trans person in a position of minor institutional authority. Manufacture or amplify a confrontation. Blast it through the conservative media ecosystem until it becomes national news. Watch as institutions capitulate."

welcometohellworld.com

A coordinated campaign to drive trans people out of public life

Parker Molloy on the latest Oklahoma anti-trans work

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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

as a grantwriter, the lack of unrestricted funding is a MASSIVE burden on nonprofits. everyone wants to fund a new shiny pilot program that makes them look like innovators. they don’t want to help make your tried and tested programs that have served the community for 50 years more sustainable

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

This Friday, we'll be releasing "Resolution"—a new Bandcamp compilation—as part of our year-end fundraiser. Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social goes over the concept, reveals some contributing artists, and outlines the advance listening party in our latest. tonemadison.com/articles/loo...

tonemadison.com

Look out for our next compilation album, "Resolution"

Our fourth Bandcamp collection features unreleased material from Madison artists.

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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

Every single congressional Democrat needs to be out there, right now, insisting that Pete Hegseth resign right now and announcing that he will be held accountable for committing war crimes. If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.

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Amanda Katz @katzish.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

I can only think of one person for whom this is true and it’s Stephen Miller, who for some reason will not rest till the US reproduces the violent xenophobia that made his and my ancestors flee eastern Europe. The rest of his family seems normal, though

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Aleesa @akuzee.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Photos from St. Paul today captured by MPR photojournalist Kerem Yücel. He filed them even after being hospitalized after being injured by a less lethal munition.

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

On Sat, Nov 29, we've teamed up with MAMA to spotlight four emerging acts as part of the "New Artist Listening Room" at Harmony Bar & Grill. Show starts at 8 p.m., and cover is just $10! Hear on-the-rise local talents Marigold Motel, Jonathon Millionaire, The Stoplights, and @rockstarelise.com. 🎶

Tone Madison and Madison Area Music Association Present: New Artist Listening Room. Saturday, November 29, 7 p.m. door (8 p.m. show). Harmony Bar & Grill, 2201 Atwood Avenue. Featuring Marigold Motel, Jonathon Millionaire, The Stoplights, and Rockstar & Elise.

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Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Megyn Kelly claimed Epstein was into “the barely legal type,” referring to 15 year-olds. So I wrote about how her comments highlight the ways both purity culture and rape culture sexualize young girls and make male desire their responsibility. www.liberalcurrents.com/the-barely-l...

liberalcurrents.com

The Barely Legal Type: Purity Culture, Rape Culture, and America’s Lose-Lose Proposition for Girls

The very parts of American culture that claim to promote teen abstinence and sexual purity operate on a parallel logic to the rape culture that enables the darkest misogynistic violence against women.

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Christina Lieffring @stinadale.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Come check out up-and-coming Madison musicians on Saturday, November 29 at Harmony Bar and Grill!

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

On Sat, Nov 29, we're co-hosting a showcase of new and emerging local artists with Madison Area Music Association at Harmony Bar & Grill (2201 Atwood Ave). In this week's Microtones, Music Editor @stevenmps.bsky.social shares a few words on the announcement and our valuing of the music community.

tonemadison.com

Tone Madison Presents: MAMA New Artist Listening Room

Join us on Saturday, November 29, at Harmony Bar & Grill for a night of live music from emerging Madison artists.

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

"What does it mean to be a co-op if the Group Health Cooperative Board is now going to disregard the unanimous votes at a well-attended and well-noticed meeting of its own membership?" ask Adam Chern and Rebecca Kemble in a joint guest column.

tonemadison.com

Is Group Health still a Cooperative?

Instead of union-busting, the Board should see union organizing as a gift of collective problem-solving.

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Andy Carvin @acarv.in · 20/11/2025

"What happens when an industry spends 15 years telling talented young journalists that personal brand is currency, that access is the game, that being a character in the story makes better content—and then acts shocked when someone takes that logic a few degrees too far?"

mediaite.com

The Olivia Nuzzi Comeback Is Everything Wrong With Modern Media

Olivia Nuzzi’s comeback isn’t a personal scandal story—it’s proof that today’s media rewards access, personality, and controversy more than ethics.

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Tone Madison @tonemadison.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

"Even as MDEV expands, making the industry accessible to newer indie developers remains a key focus of the conference." @manateemailbox.bsky.social reports from the @wigamesalliance.bsky.social MDEV conference (Nov 7-8), and talks with game developers and industry representatives alike. 🎮

tonemadison.com

Amid industry tumult, the 2025 MDEV conference captured Madison as an impending game-development hotspot

On the ground with indie developers and industry representatives at the annual, bustling, two-day showcase of video games.

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Scott Gordon @scottgordonwi.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

One thing I love about Madison is that you have pretty good odds of bumping into Rob Dz on any given night. A delightful person who has also fought some long uphill battles in our local cultural scenes. Rob had a heart attack last week. Please help him out if you can.

gofundme.com

Donate to Help Rob Dz Heal and Create Again, organized by Urban Community Arts Network

If you know Rob Dz, you know how much he has poured into Madison and be… Urban Community Arts Network needs your support for Help Rob Dz Heal and Create Again

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Sarah Posner @sarahposner.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

The Christian right for decades has fear-mongered that federal agents (under Dem presidents) would "criminalize" Christianity and literally prevent them from worshipping. Now that Trump's stormtroopers are doing it ... crickets

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Dana Stevens @thehighsign.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Remember the recent middle-of-the-night apartment building raid where children were dragged outside naked & zip-tied in the street while black & Latino residents were _sorted by race_ and piled into separate vans while their apartments were ransacked & robbed? That raid? So it resulted in 0 arrests.

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Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

Same playbook. Taking people at grocery stores. “Border Patrol arrested two people at Dany’s Supermarket off The Plaza in Charlotte Sunday morning,“

charlotteobserver.com

Border Patrol at Dany’s Supermarket in Charlotte

Border Patrol arrested two people at Dany’s Supermarket off The Plaza in Charlotte Sunday morning, November 16, 2025

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