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Posts by April Joyner

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Ravenous Is a New Worker-Owned Food Culture Media Company For too long, food media has felt toothless. Help us take a bite out of it.

We are Ravenous — food media with teeth. Ravenous is worker-owned food and culture media company founded by @francesdoingthings.bsky.social, @aemccarthy.bsky.social, @jayasaxena.com, @shokdiesel.bsky.social, and
@thecourtneyesmith.bsky.social.

2 weeks ago 459 201 13 86
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"CEO Said A Thing!" Journalism "CEO said a thing!" journalism involves parroting the claims of a business leader or executive with absolutely no context, correction, or challenge whatsoever, no matter how elaborate the delusion.

Over at the newsletter I wrote about the unholy scourge that is "CEO said a thing!" journalism:

3 weeks ago 3144 774 68 102
Preview
The Olympics Has a New Sex Testing Policy. The Evidence Doesn’t Add Up I’ve spent over 10 years obsessed with so-called “gender verification” tests. Proponents claim they have history and science on their side. They don’t.

New today: @reveleth.com has spent over 10 years obsessed with so-called “gender verification” tests. Proponents claim they have history and science on their side. They don’t. www.coyotemedia.org/the-olympics...

3 weeks ago 213 117 1 3

oh nooooooo

1 month ago 2 0 0 0

Nice story. I agree with the folks in the story that these unemployment stats need context and that we could use more stories about how we are still resilient ❤️

1 month ago 0 1 0 0
My name is Marisa Kabas, and I'm an independent journalist who publishes The Handbasket. I'm reaching out about a matter that involves your team and that continues to trouble me.

In June of last year, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and I filed a FOIA lawsuit against the DC Metropolitan Police Department to compel them to release body camera footage from the March 17, 2025 DOGE raid on the US Institute of Peace. What followed was months of back and forth with their lawyers, arguing why it was in the public interest to release the un-redacted footage in its entirety. Though tiny segments were handed over, that wasn't enough: We wanted all of it. 

On February 18, 2026, a DC judge ruled in our favor, and your reporter Mark Segraves sent a kind note of congratulations that day. Then on Monday, March 2nd, the footage was handed over to me and excitedly announced I'd received it and would be reviewing it in the coming days and sharing what I learned. When Segraves emailed me this past Thursday asking for my phone number, I didn't think much of it. But when he called me just before 2pm on Friday to let me know NBC4 Washington would be airing a segment at 5pm, I grew concerned. 

Segraves said he'd obtained some of the footage via a FOIA request that week after he heard the footage had been released to me. He said he'd credit the work of RCFP and me, but it was little comfort. I asked if he'd known the day before when he emailed me for my number, why didn't he tell me then? He didn't have a good answer for that. He acknowledged all the hard work I'd done getting this footage released. I asked him if he could hold the story until Monday, to which he replied that he's "not just a blogger" (implying that that's all I am, presumably) and that he'd have to check with his editor. I said fine. Nearly an hour later he called back to say his editor refused to hold the story, but that they were happy to interview me via Zoom to add to the package, and I said I would.

My name is Marisa Kabas, and I'm an independent journalist who publishes The Handbasket. I'm reaching out about a matter that involves your team and that continues to trouble me. In June of last year, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and I filed a FOIA lawsuit against the DC Metropolitan Police Department to compel them to release body camera footage from the March 17, 2025 DOGE raid on the US Institute of Peace. What followed was months of back and forth with their lawyers, arguing why it was in the public interest to release the un-redacted footage in its entirety. Though tiny segments were handed over, that wasn't enough: We wanted all of it.  On February 18, 2026, a DC judge ruled in our favor, and your reporter Mark Segraves sent a kind note of congratulations that day. Then on Monday, March 2nd, the footage was handed over to me and excitedly announced I'd received it and would be reviewing it in the coming days and sharing what I learned. When Segraves emailed me this past Thursday asking for my phone number, I didn't think much of it. But when he called me just before 2pm on Friday to let me know NBC4 Washington would be airing a segment at 5pm, I grew concerned.  Segraves said he'd obtained some of the footage via a FOIA request that week after he heard the footage had been released to me. He said he'd credit the work of RCFP and me, but it was little comfort. I asked if he'd known the day before when he emailed me for my number, why didn't he tell me then? He didn't have a good answer for that. He acknowledged all the hard work I'd done getting this footage released. I asked him if he could hold the story until Monday, to which he replied that he's "not just a blogger" (implying that that's all I am, presumably) and that he'd have to check with his editor. I said fine. Nearly an hour later he called back to say his editor refused to hold the story, but that they were happy to interview me via Zoom to add to the package, and I said I would.

What followed was two hours of furiously writing and posting clips of the footage to Youtube so I could get something published before the 5pm broadcast, and in the midst of that, recording a quick Zoom interview with a person who was about to take credit for my work. At 4:59pm ET, The Handbasket published a piece titled "Police body cam footage shows DOGE knew Institute of Peace was private property during raid." Then I tuned into NBC4 Washington via your website to catch the broadcast, and my instinct to rush to get something out first was proven right. 

"It's a story you're seeing first on News4," your newscast began. "For the first time we're getting an inside look at what happened the day the Trump administration took over the US Institute of Peace. News4 obtained more than four hours of police body camera video from that day." What followed was more than six minutes of clips and commentary from Segraves, but it's not until six minutes and 21 seconds into the piece that he mentions my name (mispronounced though he asked for the correct pronunciation on Zoom), "The Handbasket blog," and the RCFP's foundational role in bringing this footage to light. I was angry, but didn't feel there was much I could do.

Then I saw the version NBC4 posted to Instagram and TikTok—the video itself made ZERO mention of the RCFP or my work, only briefly acknowledging it in the written caption on Instagram, and not even bothering to do that on TikTok. An average viewer with no background on the case is lead to believe that this footage was released because of your efforts. When I saw that, I decided I couldn't let this go.

It's difficult to explain what it's like to spend nearly a year working on a story only to have another reporter and outlet surreptitiously take credit for it; months of work and personal risk only to have another reporter lying in wait to swoop in. What NBC4 did was immoral, unethical, and to be frank, just truly sucked.

What followed was two hours of furiously writing and posting clips of the footage to Youtube so I could get something published before the 5pm broadcast, and in the midst of that, recording a quick Zoom interview with a person who was about to take credit for my work. At 4:59pm ET, The Handbasket published a piece titled "Police body cam footage shows DOGE knew Institute of Peace was private property during raid." Then I tuned into NBC4 Washington via your website to catch the broadcast, and my instinct to rush to get something out first was proven right.  "It's a story you're seeing first on News4," your newscast began. "For the first time we're getting an inside look at what happened the day the Trump administration took over the US Institute of Peace. News4 obtained more than four hours of police body camera video from that day." What followed was more than six minutes of clips and commentary from Segraves, but it's not until six minutes and 21 seconds into the piece that he mentions my name (mispronounced though he asked for the correct pronunciation on Zoom), "The Handbasket blog," and the RCFP's foundational role in bringing this footage to light. I was angry, but didn't feel there was much I could do. Then I saw the version NBC4 posted to Instagram and TikTok—the video itself made ZERO mention of the RCFP or my work, only briefly acknowledging it in the written caption on Instagram, and not even bothering to do that on TikTok. An average viewer with no background on the case is lead to believe that this footage was released because of your efforts. When I saw that, I decided I couldn't let this go. It's difficult to explain what it's like to spend nearly a year working on a story only to have another reporter and outlet surreptitiously take credit for it; months of work and personal risk only to have another reporter lying in wait to swoop in. What NBC4 did was immoral, unethical, and to be frank, just truly sucked.

I just sent this email to the news director at NBC4 Washington about the unprofessional and disrespectful way they handled publishing the body camera footage of the DOGE raid on the US Institute of Peace that was obtained via my FOIA lawsuit:

1 month ago 4904 1011 110 93

Good. Dallas BBQ served me the worst ribs I have ever had. The only reason to go there is for the giant drinks (which I didn’t even have, smh. I was there with my aunt, who didn’t drink and was paying)

1 month ago 2 0 2 0

This right here! I need at least a full eight hours of sleep every day. Being constantly sleep deprived would be absolute torture for me

1 month ago 2 0 0 0
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Georgia Is Letting a Railroad Seize Land a Black Family Has Owned For 100 Years Descendants of enslaved people are fighting an attempt to use eminent domain to carve a spur through one of Georgia’s largest Black‑owned farms.

In the 1800s, a slave owner purchased over a dozen people in Georgia and set the foundation for his family’s generational wealth

Generations later, a railroad company owned by one of his descendants is using eminent domain to seize land of Black farmers

2 months ago 4734 2579 142 144
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Yikes! But sadly I’m not surprised

2 months ago 1 0 1 0

wow I hate this

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

Oh, no. Good luck!

2 months ago 1 0 0 0
The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Reformer, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Sahan Journal, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:

“We strongly condemn the arrest of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, as well as any attempt to intimidate members of the press. The First Amendment recognizes the press as holding a distinct and protected role in our democracy. In America, we do not arrest journalists for doing their jobs. The Minnesota journalism community stands united in defense of press freedom and the essential role reporting plays in holding power to account.”

The Minnesota Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, the Minnesota Reformer, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Sahan Journal, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement: “We strongly condemn the arrest of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, as well as any attempt to intimidate members of the press. The First Amendment recognizes the press as holding a distinct and protected role in our democracy. In America, we do not arrest journalists for doing their jobs. The Minnesota journalism community stands united in defense of press freedom and the essential role reporting plays in holding power to account.”

The Minnesota Star Tribune, @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com , @spokesmanrecorder.bsky.social, @sahanjournal.bsky.social, Center for Broadcast Journalism and Minnesota Newspaper Association today released the following statement:

2 months ago 2761 1098 23 37

I don’t like aisle seats because the aisles on small planes are very narrow (my most frequent flight is on a regional jet), and you’re likely to be bumped into. One time I was on a flight where someone had her piercing ripped by someone who bumped into her. I still wince thinking about that!

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

Dear MSM: I'm going to call your BS if you don't cover Don Lemon & Georgia Forest's arrests without proper context that these 2 journalists were doing their jobs. Protest is not illegal & exercising our First Amendment rights as journalists not a crime. It's an attack to Press Freedoms.

2 months ago 3 1 0 0
scam account on venmo with a photo of Soraya 
Impersonator handle is @sorayamcdonald

scam account on venmo with a photo of Soraya Impersonator handle is @sorayamcdonald

🚨SCAM ALERT: THIS IS NOT ME

SOMEONE IS IMPERSONATING ME ON VENMO. DO NOT SEND MONEY TO THIS ACCOUNT🚨

2 months ago 180 104 3 0

I cover loans so it legit took me a sec to get the joke 💀

2 months ago 0 0 0 0
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Big yikes. Truly wild to put this out now

2 months ago 0 0 1 0
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Statement on ICE’s killing of AFGE member Alex Jeffrey Pretti Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham made the following statement on ICE’s killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti this morning in Minneapolis:“For the second time in less than three weeks, a Minnesotan…

“Just yesterday, tens of thousands of Minnesotans peacefully exercised our right to free speech without incident. When ICE is involved, nonviolent protesters and legal observers are gassed, assaulted, and shot." aflcio.mn/4abNrfk
#iceoutmn #iceout

2 months ago 210 86 4 2
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The People vs. ICE Renee Good’s death galvanized a city eager to push back against Trump’s invasion.

I wrote about Minneapolis.

nymag.com/intelligence...

2 months ago 2500 837 39 67

This photo will be everywhere for the next week. Pls credit prominently.

Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Minnesota Star Tribune

Every journalist covering ICE risks their lives.

Tsong-Taatarii has been an NPPA Photographer of the Year, rec'd a World Press Photo award, and was on a team that won a Pulitzer.

3 months ago 1039 558 9 7
Indeed we live in a day of grave crisis. The crisis of this
age presents a real challenge to all men of good will.
We are chai-
lenged to develop a world perspective. No nation or individual can live alone in the modern world. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. All life is inter-related and all men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.
John Donne placed this in graphic terms. - "No man is an island,
entire of itself; everyman is a plece of the contny man'a death di-
a part of the
And he goes on toward the end to say,
minishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Another urgent challenge facing mankind today is a responsibility of keeping our moral progress commensurate with our scientific and technological advances. One of the great problems confronting us today is that we have allowed our civilization to outdistance our culture.

Indeed we live in a day of grave crisis. The crisis of this age presents a real challenge to all men of good will. We are chai- lenged to develop a world perspective. No nation or individual can live alone in the modern world. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will all perish together as fools. All life is inter-related and all men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. John Donne placed this in graphic terms. - "No man is an island, entire of itself; everyman is a plece of the contny man'a death di- a part of the And he goes on toward the end to say, minishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." Another urgent challenge facing mankind today is a responsibility of keeping our moral progress commensurate with our scientific and technological advances. One of the great problems confronting us today is that we have allowed our civilization to outdistance our culture.

MLK was the commencement speaker at my dad’s graduation from CCNY in June 1963. This was 24 hours after Medgar Evers was assassinated. I’m going to share a few paragraphs from that speech

3 months ago 32 16 3 2

I'm in Minneapolis right now staying with friends. I'm working on an audio documentary project about the end of civil rights in the US. It felt important to come and witness it on the ground here. If anyone wants to connect and bear witness to grief and resistance, I'd love to meet up and talk.

3 months ago 49 16 2 0
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ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...

One of the first things anyone learns about facial recognition is that it is often wrong and that it is biased. And yet ICE is using it all day every day to determine legal status & who to detain. And now we have a high-profile example of it being flat out wrong:

www.404media.co/ices-facial-...

3 months ago 1110 445 19 26

Ooh, I love your layout for your Hobonichi Weeks!

3 months ago 1 0 1 0
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A reckoning comes for journalism philanthropy "These funders — including the American Journalism Project, which drove the creation of Houston Landing — have increasingly been picking the winners and losers in American journalism, with no conseque...

Read @damaso.bsky.social piece.

I 100 percent agree.

www.niemanlab.org/2025/12/a-re...

4 months ago 4 2 1 0
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Where Did Anti-Trans Laws Start? How a Forgotten Houston Ordinance Turned Into a Massive, Nationwide Culture War In fighting for bathroom bills in Houston, Texas conservatives provided a blueprint for the rest of the country.

IRW — a Pulitzer-winning nonprofit newsroom at American — and @thebarbedwire.com traced the history of anti-trans legislation. Houston conservatives realized homophobia didn’t fly anymore, weaponized girls’ safety, and parroted segregationist language. It worked.

thebarbedwire.com/2025/12/04/a...

4 months ago 744 421 11 28
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Two Dozen New Yorker Staffers Crash Netflix Doc Screening to Protest “Union-Busting” at Condé The event at New York’s Paris Theater featured the magazine’s top editor, David Remnick, and filmmakers.

“union-busting like it’s 1925.”

4 months ago 45 9 0 0

19. No waterbed. These items aren’t that old 😭

4 months ago 1 0 0 0

Thank you for speaking up about this and for introducing me to a rich history!

5 months ago 0 0 0 0