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MB Barber

@mbbarber916.bsky.social

1.4K followers 2.9K following 2.9K posts

Californian. Civil servant. Library & arts lover. MBA. Former journalist and political junkie who’s damn worried about our democracy. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇺🇦

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · Feb 8

I really wanted to be the crazy family member at holiday dinners and not fucking Cassandra.

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 3h

OMG the nerve.

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 3h

I got to the end of the article, and …the kid is incarcerated with a broken foot that not been attended to by a hospital? When did that happen? It didn’t sound like it was with local PD.

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 3h

PS I’m inclined to think a. Not only does it signal solidarity across the US, but it highlights that the actual confrontations are out of line in the extreme. Impossible to run with the “violent leftist” bullshit.

Reposted by MB Barber

John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 15h

To be clear:

LA County has declared a state of emergency BECAUSE OF the federal government.

The Feds, LA County is (correctly) saying, have CAUSED the emergency.

This is a striking political moment of internal collapse. Local govts feeling compelled to protect their ppl from … their own govt.

Los Angeles County declares state of emergency over immigration raids

Los Angeles County officials voted on Tuesday to declare a state of emergency over ongoing federal immigration raids.

abcnews.go.com

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 13h

I can’t respond to this post because the writer doesn’t follow me, but it brings up a question: do the mimicking of the Portland frog etc costumes a. Amplify the anti-ICE message, or b. Defuse and dilute the message? The writer thinks b, especially because there’s no protest confrontation by mimics.

talia jane ❤️‍🔥 @taliajane.bsky.social · 18h

as charming and whimsical as some will view this, it bears noting that absurdity—not militancy or might—are what people have chosen to repeat from the portland standoffs against ICE.

why is that?

what purpose does this serve?

a mini 🧵:

50501: The People’s Movement ❌👑 @50501movement.bsky.social · 1d

The Portland Frog army has now infiltrated Tulsa, OK and they’ve made an unlikely alliance with the T-Rex infantry and Sharks on Hoverboards mercenary forces.

This is truly terrifying.

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 13h

Thank you. This made me laugh out loud, which is a lovely break.

*sigh

Now back to learning more about how messed up things are.

Reposted by MB Barber

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal @jayapal.house.gov · 1d

Thanks to Mike Johnson, in the past 100 days, the House of Representatives has only been in session 20 days. And now, 13 days into the Republican Shutdown, they show no interest in negotiating a deal and are ending their vacation.

It’s time for the GOP to come back to work.

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

What’s that saying about reaping and sowing and all that? bsky.app/profile/yash...

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 1d

I think this might be a first.

A sitting president promoting the book of a foreign head of government and writing a blurb for the book that’s quoted on the cover.

(Not sure about the son of a sitting President writing a forward — but not many are well-known enough to do that)

A screenshot of a social media post by Donald J. Trump (with a checkmark badge). The post reads:

“Giorgia Meloni, the GREAT Prime Minister of Italy, has written a new Book, ‘I Am Giorgia: My Roots, My Principles.’ Giorgia is doing an incredible job for the wonderful people of Italy, and this Book explores her journey of Faith, Family, and Love of Country, which gave her the Wisdom and Courage required to serve her Nation, and make her people proud. She is an inspiration to all. Get your copy today! a.co/d/2OsJj97”

Below that text is an image of the book cover. The top of the cover says “FOREWORD BY DONALD TRUMP JR”. The main visual is a black-and-white portrait of Giorgia Meloni looking directly at the camera, resting her face on one hand. At the bottom of the cover is the title “I AM GIORGIA” in red letters. On the right side, on the cover, there is a red circle with white text:

“Meloni is a FANTASTIC leader.”
— DONALD J. TRUMP

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

THIS

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 1d

Thinking about how much of their violence has been normalized already, how scenes that caused shockwaves 6 weeks ago are now part of the rhythm of daily life. Watched a TikTok from a daughter who has to do her parents' laundry & get their groceries because they're in hiding. This is just it now

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

This summary misses the lede. Some of these books have no reason to be banned. But they depict children of color on the covers, doing things like loving science or going to the library.

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

People are wanting to ban books because of complex subjects (but age appropriate explanations) … but also for no obvious reason.

Except the covers show people of color, especially kids.

Hmm….

For example, “It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health” featured illustrations and scientific language to teach children about their changing bodies. Another book, “Peaceful Fights for Equal Rights,” used lyrical writing and cut-paper collages to teach children about civil disobedience.

Other books seemed to be targeted for no discernible reason, beyond having narrators or protagonists who were children of color. Typically, these fictional stories explored uncontroversial topics. Examples include “Lola at the Library” and “Cece Loves Science.”

All of these books’ covers depicted racial, gender or sexual diversity. This made us wonder whether book banishers were simply judging books based on their cover art, rather than the content of their stories.

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

Anybody asked Shepard Fairey about this? @obeygiant.bsky.social

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

“ … each shot a punctuation of pain, each breath thick with the taste of vinegar and fear.”

The final lines to a poem texted to reporters after a press conference by Chicago cemetery workers kidnapped by ICE. They were shot with pepper spray & zip tied because they heard someone in the river.

Chicago Tribune @chicagotribune.com · 1d

Four cemetery workers, all U.S. citizens, arrested during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation that crossed over onto the private Concordia Cemetery in the west suburban village of Forest Park.

Forest Park cemetery workers recount traumatic clash with ICE; mayor calls for crackdown to end

‘If this is happening to me, a U.S. citizen, what are they doing to the other individuals?’

trib.al

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

(For those interested in the full piece, it’s in The Independent) www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...

Ivanka Trump is in Israel for reasons that make no sense whatsoever

The First Daughter has been doing a victory lap for something she had nothing to do with, but perhaps the unapologetic nepotism is the point, writes Holly Baxter

www.the-independent.com

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

I think it’s awesome actually. No peloton in my world, but in the early days of a I-will-get-up-early-and-exercise streak. This post was right up my alley. #BlueSkyHealthClub

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

Real life scenario parallels a major plot point to Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

It been decades, but I was once one of those 53k brave souls.

Isabel Santos @isabelsantos.bsky.social · 1d

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 1d

The quip by Weiss about how tough it was to leave the NYT because she gave up getting good tables at restaurants…ick and hoh boy.

Reposted by MB Barber

amanda moore 🐢 @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social · 3d

The inflatables have made it to Broadview.

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 2d

Wait, they are in foster care in Idaho? The mom lives there but has not been allowed to see her kids? Those boys should have been placed in foster care in Chicago with temporary custody going to his family while the family courts determined long term placement or transfer to the mother.

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MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 2d

That could actually just be his ignorance talking. It wasn’t like he was super keen on non-US or non-European geography to begin with.

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 2d

This is just begging for a “wrong answers only” thread….

Social Media Lab @socialmedialab.ca · 2d

One weekend in mid-August, hundreds of inmates at a minimum-security prison in Bryan, Texas, were locked down, except one: 63-year-old Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s convicted accomplice in the sexual abuse of underage girls. She was expecting a secret visitor. www.wsj.com/us-news/ghis...

Lockdowns and a Mysterious Meeting: A Quiet Texas Prison Adapts to Life With Ghislaine Maxwell

The unexpected arrival of the Epstein associate upset the camp’s routines. Some inmates say she got favorable treatment.

www.wsj.com

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 2d

I do like the pause before the this-is-why-it-is-satire explanation of the comments in the cooking section.

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 2d

She grew up in Great Neck. There are likely some hometown neighbors on Long Island watching, laughing, and then going, “Hey waitaminute ….”

MB Barber @mbbarber916.bsky.social · 2d

Update: Three people on board. Two were able to get out, but the third was trapped under the wreckage. Over a dozen freeway drivers got out of their cars to free her. She was the onboard nurse who had just dropped off her patient.

She died yesterday. I’m so sad, really wanted a different outcome.