First, politics, then poetry. Maryland's 2026 legislative session ended at midnight last night. It was exhausting. Some great things were accomplished but when it came to affordability, Maryland legislators missed the mark. There was so much more that could have been done.

As a Marylander, Van Hollen is actually great and very well respected.

This is a pretty amazing article and I was also struck by the fact that he did hands-on mutual aid.

Awesome! Excited to connect!

I live (and write) in Baltimore, so I am excited to be able to attend my first AWP. Excited to meet more Baltimore writers and others whom I've only seen in Zoom workshops. I'll be at the CityLit table, at CityLit's dance party on Friday, and on a panel on lit organizations.

I hope Dems begin to see that moderate or progressive, AIPAC is not our friend.

They endorse January 6th insurrectionists. Yet if you so much as suggest the US uphold its own Leahy laws, no matter your record, they will work against you.

THIS. They’re in the South Metro now, hitting Carver County & Minneapolis suburbs HARD.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

They’re detaining observers because ICE & CBP believe the real problem is people filming them, not that ICE & CBP is committing domestic terror.

Less footage = less national news coverage.

By the way, for those of you not in MN: Homan’s strategy was to withdraw some agents, so it felt like we were in the denouement of the crisis, and then escalate hard against observers. They’re being incredibly aggressive with observers now. National media may not want to check out just yet

NEW: @potus letter to @jonasgahrstore links @NobelPrize to Greenland, reiterates threats, and is forwarded by the NSC staff to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. I obtained the text from multiple officials: Dear Ambassador: President Trump has asked that the following message, shared with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, be forwarded to your [named head of government/state] “Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT”

mad king moment

from the PBS Newshour correspondent

People will do literally anything to avoid saying the American left was right

An image of a volleyball against a blue background. The text says: In my home state of Massachusetts, ICE is hunting a man who has an expired visa. They find the man’s car, but the driver is just the man’s son, a teen heading to volleyball practice. ICE arrests the teen.

A conversation between two people in speech bubbles: “Do you know why you’re under arrest?” “No.” “Because you’re illegal. You’re an immigrant.” “Ma’am, I was seven years old.” Then, text at the bottom says: The teen is put into a concrete cell with 35 men.

The community rallies behind him. There's an image of yard signs with the smiling face of the teen that say Free Marcelo. Some quotes from locals: “He’s one of our brothers. Without him, it just kind of feels like a dark, empty room.” -volleyball team captain. “This administration isn’t keeping us safe by putting 18-year-old honors students in prison.” -MA Rep. Moulton

In the cell, the teen helps translate for those who don’t speak English. Many are ill. After 6 days, he’s released. There's an image of a hand and arm, with a crinkly foil bracelet tied around the wrist. Wearing a bracelet that another detainee made him from one of the thin mylar blankets they were given, he says: “ I don’t want to cry. But I want to say...nobody should be in here.”

Something a little different. Some cartoonists put out a call for comics about local ICE experiences. This one happened a few months ago so it's a little older than current events, but it's a story that I never stopped thinking about. #ICEoutcomics

Arlit Maria Martinez is a mother of 4. Her son, Kevin, died of cancer while she was in ICE custody.

ICE refused her request to be at Kevin's side in his final moments. They must let her attend Kevin’s memorial.

Arlit, I hope you hear how many patriots stand with you.

A petit bourgeoisie you say, that sees its lifestyle and social position under threat you say? Finding exterior enemies and explanations from a rapidly growing facist movement, you say?

Nope. Doesn't ring a bell.

Thank you so much!!!!

Thank you for sharing this piece!

On this Black Friday in this difficult year, I’m
grateful to @swwim.bsky.social for publishing my cento ghazal and to the poets whose lines are part of it!

this AI initiative is a high risk system according to Maryland's own ​​AI Risk Classification System.

why wasn't this mentioned? what safeguards are involved? where's the mandatory AI Risk Assessment report that's supposed to be made?

July 2024 Issue #86 Dave Malone Crawfish boil I don’t know the names of my nerves, but the chefs at hip and right ankle are having a long-distance phone call as in old days, with plenty of crackle and dead a…

www.neologismpoetry.com/July-2024/#mw

I am so thrilled and honored that @neologismpoetry.bsky.social nominated my poem “ Hunger Ghazal, 1981” for a Best of the Net nomination. Congratulations to the other BOTN & Pushcart nominees.

If you are in Baltimore City or anywhere in Maryland come to our house party with special guest Comptroller Lierman.

To join us in celebrating economic justice leaders and urging our legislators to pass bills that help working families in MD, sign up today -actionnetwork.org/forms/join-our-mailing-l...

To read the scorecard, go economicactionmaryland.org/wp-content/u...

#Maryland Did you know I run two organizations? Last year we launched a sister C4 organization (Economic Action Maryland) to build power and ensure that voters know which legislators and elected officials are voting for and leading on economic justice issues. Here is our 1st legislative scorecard!

not beyond that article and similar ones. It’s a firehose of bad news & issues to keep up with these days

Anatomy of a Fall
Oppenheimer
After sun

‘F--- them kids’: ICE agents drag children out of bed, ransack Chicago building YouTube video by MSNBC

youtu.be/vOXOWAhFz0A

How the Supreme Court Turned Trump Into a Danger to Everyone The administration’s decision to launch an attack against alleged drug runners in the Caribbean is a lawless act—or at least it used to be.

Let this sink in: A president can apparently now order lethal force outside of congressionally declared wars, in international waters, without oversight, and face no personal criminal or civil liability—even if the action was blatantly illegal.

trib.al/FwmJyLa

so happy with @vanhollen.senate.gov leadership on this and in so many other areas since January. and of course @sanders.senate.gov always

Oregon’s Board of Pharmacy is holding an emergency meeting today to discuss a change in protocol for vaccine administration around fall respiratory viruses. That change could allow pharmacists to administer vaccines without a prescription, regardless of what ACIP decides.