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Will Jones

@willpjones.bsky.social
8.5K followers 4.8K following 1.5K posts

Historian of race and class; Author: The March on Washington & The Tribe of Black Ulysses; Professor, University of Minnesota; President, @umn-tc-aaup.bsky.social; Editor, "Up For Debate" @laborlawchajournal.bsky.social ORCHID: 0000-0001-9295-866X

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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 12h
If I believed in God I might take this as a sign.
nytimes.com
Live Updates: Tennessee Governor Pauses Future Execution After Inmate Survives Lethal Injection
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
READ THIS, and then call or write to your representatives, the governor, the UMN President and Regents. And vote in November for people who will fund higher ed. If you don't live in MN, this is happening or is going to happen to your public university soon.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Current situation
ithacavoice.org
Cornell to pro-Palestine students targeted by ICE: Come back to the U.S. or lose funding - The Ithaca Voice
This article was originally published on Aug. 14, 2026. It was republished with permission from The Intercept, an award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, […]
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
More context
cornellsun.com
GUEST ROOM | Cornell's Dereliction of Duty
Dylan Jackaway '24, M.Eng. '25 calls on President Michael Kotlikoff to answer to the Cornell community and the Board of Trustees for his mismanagement of the Title IX investigation of the alleged Chi ...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Important context for the Cornell rape story.
thenation.com
A Cornell Graduate Student Faces Deportation After a Pro-Palestine Action
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Important context for the Cornell rape story.
thenation.com
A Cornell Graduate Student Faces Deportation After a Pro-Palestine Action
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
@aaup.org is pushing for this.
aaup.org
A Blueprint for Strengthening and Transforming Higher Education
The AAUP and AFT jointly launched a new comprehensive policy platform ahead of the 2026 midterms aimed to counter the Trump administration’s far right extremist attacks on American higher education an...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
“A generation after we fought and won the cold war against the menace of communism, there is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land. . .”
nytimes.com
Update from Zolan Kanno-Youngs
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Missed earlier: “She said she wanted the second line of her obituary to acknowledge her role as a shop steward @sagaftra.com the union that represents NPR's editorial workers. She wanted the line to say that her "proudest achievement" was helping convince NPR to increase its paid parental leave.”
npr.org
Editor Rose Friedman, who helped shape NPR's cultural coverage, dies at 38
Friedman was in her early 20s when she landed her first position as an editorial assistant at NPR. She became an editor and reporter, and a co-creator of the annual Books We Love reading guide.
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Jake Schwitzer @jakeschwitzer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
When asked what advice she’d give to researchers who are documenting the story of what the federal government did to Minnesota: “Believe us.” -Fridley Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Lewis
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"The Minnesota movement still holds important lessons for those working to defend democracy in the Trump era." @portside.org @dissentmag.bsky.social
portside.org
Operation Metro Surge Wasn’t the End
A motion filed in a U.S. district court on August 13 revealed that the Department of Homeland Security investigated the labor unions, immigrant rights groups, community organizations, and individuals ...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
All you need to know: " . . . 'I don’t have to let them into my — into the people’s house,' the president added."
nytimes.com
Live Updates: CNN and MS NOW Reporters Denied White House Access After Trump Announces Ban (Gift Article)
President Trump announced a ban on Friday on the outlets, whose coverage he deems unfair. The move will likely be challenged in court.
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Dissent Magazine @dissentmag.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The federal occupation of Minnesota must be understood as an assault not only on the people of the state but also on fundamental democratic principles of due process, equal protection, and rule of law. dissentmagazine.org/online_articles…
dissentmagazine.org
Operation Metro Surge Wasn't the End - Dissent Magazine
The Minnesota movement still holds important lessons for those working to defend democracy in the Trump era.
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Salty @dfedmpls.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
We keep us safe.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Greg Nammacher @seiu.org Local 26 and I wrote about how unions aligned with immigrant and faith organizations to strengthen resistance to the federal occupation of Minnesota, and the lessons this holds for the ongoing defense of democracy.
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Dissent Magazine @dissentmag.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Trump seems hesitant to resume the aggressively violent and unlawful approach seen during Operation Metro Surge. But other threats to democratic rule are certain to emerge in the remaining years of his second term, including in the lead-up to the midterms.
dissentmagazine.org
Operation Metro Surge Wasn't the End - Dissent Magazine
The Minnesota movement still holds important lessons for those working to defend democracy in the Trump era.
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Visit Lake Street @visitlakestreet.com · 17/09/2026
The Taco Tour on Lake Street will be featuring a map full of taco spots to visit, a party with lots of food, music and fun for the whole family (more info on our website): www.lakestreettacotour.com
lakestreettacotour.com
Taco Tour on Lake Street | Discover Tacos Today!
Join the Taco Tour on Lake Street on Saturday, September 19, 2026 from 12 - 8 PM for music, food, and fun. Explore local tacos, enjoy entertainment.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“Stanford University and Harvard researchers earlier this year checked the accuracy of AI large-language models used in health care and found they provided “severely harmful medical advice” in up to 22% of cases. The most common issue was omitting important information in summaries.”
startribune.com
Striking Allina doctors worried about AI and loss of control over medical care
Doctors want better sick leave and other benefits from Allina Health, but they are particularly concerned about the health system’s ability to dictate how they practice medicine.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I spoke @mprnews.org about how Alina doctors are striking for control over patient care.
mprnews.org
AI diagnoses a major factor in Allina Health's doctors strike
Labor historian and University of Minnesota professor William Jones analyses the concerns leading to the Allina Health doctor’s strike.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Anyone who lived in the Twin Cities last winter knows this, but its useful to have it spelled out so clearly. I have an article coming out this week @dissentmag.bsky.social that shows how local organizations aligned to challenge this threat.
nytimes.com
Trump’s Minnesota Surge Threatened Democracy, Judge Warns (Gift Article)
In a rare interview, Patrick Schiltz, who served as the federal court’s chief judge last winter, called the administration’s actions “a grave threat to the rule of law.”
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Another important legal victory for @afthighered.bsky.social
nytimes.com
Judge Blocks Trump Rule Aimed at International Students and Journalists (Gift Article)
Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV wrote that the administration’s reasons for a rule limiting the length of stay for academics and journalists were “exceptionally weak.”
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Governor Tim Walz @governorwalz.mn.gov · 13/09/2026
Minnesota showed the world what it’s like to be a good neighbor. www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
mprnews.org
‘People of Minnesota’ receive Hispanic Heritage Award for resilience during ICE surge
Organizers said they wanted to hold the event in Minneapolis this year because of the federal immigration surge last winter.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This should tighten the market for vital resources like @charleshughes2.bsky.social's Country Soul @uncpress.bsky.social uncpress.org/978146963342...
uncpress.org
Country Soul
In the sound of the 1960s and 1970s, nothing symbolized the rift between black and white America better than the seemingly divided genres of country and soul...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
“Despite a long history of harm from past transportation investments, our communities have come to the table with project partners in a spirit of collaboration to find solutions. It’s time for policymakers to do the same to ensure the Blue Line extension moves forward.”
startribune.com
Opinion | We’ve come too far to let the Blue Line extension fall apart now
Hennepin County and the Met Council need to stop pointing fingers and find a way to close this $224 million funding gap, the authors write.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
“…today we remember them all. Tomorrow, fueled by that remembrance, we finally abolish the War on Terror.” @attackerman.bsky.social
forever-wars.com
Today We Must Finally Remember What The 9/11 Commemorations Ignore
Righteous victimhood fueled the War on Terror. 25 years later, we also have to remember all of those slain under its banner
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Dissent Magazine @dissentmag.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
“‘Dissent’ is home to some of the best and most sophisticated analysis of our political moment,” says Jamelle Bouie. “It is, in my view, a must-read for anyone who sees themselves on the left.” Subscribe to receive a copy of our latest issue: www.ezsubscription.com/dis/subscribe
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Mara 👻 aBOOlish I.C.E. @mauratwit.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Anyone from the MN delegation going to Cuba to get him back? @smith.senate.gov ? @mccollum.house.gov
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Our gulag:
mprnews.org
St. Paul man arrested in ICE surge sent to Guantanamo Bay
Adam Abdullah has no criminal record, but the government is holding him at a military prison set up for terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Some context on Bunch’s resignation: “Forget them cr---kers,” Bunch told The Tribune. When offered not to print his words, Bunch refused to walk them back. “Print them,” he said. “Go ahead, please.”
phillytrib.com
Museum leaders gather in Philadelphia, send clear message to those who want to erase Black history
Against a backdrop of political pressure, futile attempts to erase Black history and a presidential administration targeting, diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the federal government, hu...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
This is a massive loss for all of us.
nytimes.com
Smithsonian’s Secretary to Resign as Trump Tries to Rule the Institution (Gift Article)
In the face of escalating White House attacks about how museums present American history, Lonnie G. Bunch III has announced his decision to depart.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Say you don't read Spanish without saying you don't read Spanish.
startribune.com
No prob‑llama: These 4‑Hers dress to impress
Time once again for Minnesota State Fair llama drama: The llama and alpaca costume contest.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Seems like Giuliani is the one who should skip the 9/11 memorial. "A review of news articles and interview transcripts in the days and weeks following Sept. 11 show that Mr. Giuliani continued to vouch for the safety of the air quality."
nytimes.com
After 9/11, Documents Suggest New Yorkers Were Misled About Air Quality (Gift Article)
New York City officials are making public more than 170,000 pages of documents related to the air quality around the World Trade Center site in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
What do you call a town where stuff like this happens?
startribune.com
Dispute over dog in Savage escalates into shooting, charges say
A neighborhood disagreement that began after a dog knocked a woman down ended with a man seriously wounded. Both men involved are now facing charges.
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Alona Ferber @aloner.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
In 1987, Ms Magazine gave Dolly Parton its "Woman of the Year Award" and Gloria Steinem wrote this about why..../1 msmagazine.com/2026/08/27/d...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Gift Link - great reporting @sahanjournal.bsky.social
startribune.com
‘Kids literally disappeared’: Minnesota schools lost at least 1,700 students following Operation Metro Surge
A Sahan Journal data analysis shows student enrollment declined in Minnesota school districts with the highest percentage of English learners after the federal immigration operation. For some, the los...
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The Gender Policy Report @genderpolicyrpt.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
You’ve heard of “equal pay for equal work,” but what about the feminist demand for “comparable worth”? Learn how secretaries have fought for equal pay: ow.ly/uizV50ZEVjF #ComparableWorth #EqualPay [LINK]
Quote asking why 'equal pay for equal work' succeeded but 'comparable worth' did not, attributed to Jennifer Pierce on a dark teal background.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
If you are employed as a teacher, researcher, graduate student, or in a related professional appointment at a college or university, you can support this work (and protect your own job) by joining the AAUP: www.aaup.org/join-aaup
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
youtu.be/ELtYK1f5nCk?...
youtu.be
Cassandra Wilson - Last Train To Clarksville
YouTube video by Dimitris 004 & daughter - Plus channel
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I agree, and I hope my council rep Saura Jost, and county commissioner candidate @rebeccaforstpaul.bsky.social do too.
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We Make MN @wemakemn.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
“I’m very worried about the future of Higher Ed in Minnesota. We have a mission to train our job force for our state, and if we don’t have the funds to teach people where they’re at, then we can’t do that mission.”
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Just wondering if anyone has asked Mike Rogers to distance himself from Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters, who said "El-Sayed is the guy that would have been friends of the guys flying the plane" on 9/11.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
“If you want to murder someone in America, don’t use a gun, use a car. You can run people down, maim them, door them, or even drive your car into their home or business. You can just say, ‘It was an accident’ or ‘I lost control’ or ‘I didn’t see them.’" @saintpaulbike.bsky.social
startribune.com
Risk of getting ‘doored’ keeps Minnesota riders on the edge of their bike seats
A devoted St. Paul bicyclist died this summer when he hit a just-opened car door. The driver was not cited, and few ever are.
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AAUP @aaup.org · 31/08/2026
Southern faculty! If you been fixin to fill out the AAUP Faculty in the South Survey but haven't gotten around to it yet, get your tail in gear! The survey closes Friday! #academicsky
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
It’s mind-blowing that we have literal white nationalists in the White House carrying out unfathomably cruel, abusive, white nationalist policies, and the punditariat has spent the last two weeks debating if some people were too intemperate after a Black man was murdered by cops six years ago.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Gift link: @lollardfish.bsky.social on why blue state universities need to market themselves as engines of the public good rather than job-training. This will require them to do a better job defending academic freedom, as well as the liberal arts.
startribune.com
Perry: Republicans fought ‘indoctrination.’ Now they’re telling students what to study.
The conservative attack on higher education in states like Iowa is hard to watch. But it also provides an opportunity for blue states like Minnesota.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
“During our photo shoot for this story, a bicyclist passing Cunningham suggested she f— off. She wished him a nice day and noted he was expressing his free speech rights on campus, which she strongly supports.”
tcbmag.com
U of M President Rebecca Cunningham's Defining Year
As she enters her junior year leading the University of Minnesota, Cunningham has focus and ambition, and she makes no apologies.
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I’m not a fan of the state fair but I like how it increases pedestrian traffic — more people on the sidewalks and buses and trains, and drivers are forced to pay attention to them. Let’s do this more often!
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David Brauer @dbrauer.net · 28/08/2026
Sucks that the Univ of Minnesota libraries are closed to the public. If the past several years have taught us anything, it’s that knowledge is necessary to fighting stupid bad fascists. So here’s a helpful doc on how to assist good U people who want knowledge freed: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
docs.google.com
UMN Libraries Public Access
THE CONTEXT After slowly closing parts of campus off to the public over a handful of years, in January of 2026 amidst Operation Metro Surge, the University of Minnesota’s upper administration decided...
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Will Jones @willpjones.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
If Trump loves America, why is he naming the smallest of the Great Lakes for it?
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