The most important news story in the country is happening in Chicago right now with the ongoing Trump deportation raids.

unreal

Some of the urbanism happening in New York City…is stunning.

As of the end of 2024 CPD had 200 more officers than it did at the end of 2022

I've written pretty critical stuff about Brandon Johnson in Chicago but cops said this exact same thing before his election and afaik it has not transpired at all

“Black households were the only racial group last year in which median income fell and the poverty rate rose, according to the Census Bureau.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/12/b...

ICE / Border Patrol threatening to arrest a cyclist for following and recording in Chicago

Outside of Portland's ICE facility last night, Kenny from South Park got married to a unicorn.

The betrothed Portland couple said they decided to get hitched on site to bring some joy and fun to a dark time.

"People can be fun loving people and still protest."

www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...

A new disruptive transport technology is rapidly changing cities across the rich world. It is not the self-driving electric car, but the humble bicycle, writes @dlknowles.bsky.social www.economist.com/internationa...

It'll be fine!

Hey an influx of brilliant American refugees could help! (Tbh I think the UK will turn around at some point. The potential is so strong. Bad policy can be reversed. Whereas US growth has come from stuff that government doesn't really control but can smash up)

Don't worry, they're going to fall back again soon

Chicago journalist Debbie Brockman, who was thrown to the ground & handcuffed by ICE, has been released without charges

DHS said she assaulted an officer, but eye witnesses claim she didn’t

The lack of charges makes it clear that ICE is lying to try and cover up the fact that they attack the press

The upside of this imo is that it will finally kill off dating apps (something which seems to be happening anyway)

“I spent three nights and three days in federal custody. During that time, I was never told what I was charged with, was not allowed to shower despite being covered in tear gas and pepper spray, had no phone call to my family, and no access to an attorney.” - George Retes, U.S. citizen and veteran.

About a month ago, the Trump administration got rid of the de minimis exemption, whereby packages valued under $800 could slide in without import duties. Now there's a backlog as the government can't process all of this paperwork, leading to UPS just destroying packages

Revolutions begin with a push of a pedal

A Redditor made a graph of the percent of population of US and Canada metro areas over 1 million that live in a given density. When they ordered them by average density the lowest ranked Canadian metro area, Edmonton, was ranked 14th between Miami and Washington. 6 of the top 15 were Canadian metros

> It is 2025 BC. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis

> It is 2025 AD. I am a soldier from one of the outlying provinces called to defend the pyramid in Memphis

In Chicago, four vehicles descended and eight ICE agents moved in to kidnap a child.

She screams, “I’m 15,” as ICE yanks her from the car and kneels on her neck.

This is not about immigration enforcement.

It's about terrorizing Americans.

Writing something about ICE and sweet Jesus it is so incredibly dark what they are doing to these cities. We have all seen the videos, but when you wade into the details of their actions, it is extraordinarily bleak.

It’s pronounced cyclist.

"They put me on suicide watch and they put me in the cell, I'm naked, in like a hospital dress and just a concrete bed with like a mattress, like a thin mattress and, they leave the light on 24/7."

@timmiller.bsky.social talked to a veteran who ICE wrongly detained and brutalized

Thank you!