Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
@smothurston.bsky.social
professor of ethics, religion, & politics. focus on democratic practices, citizenship, public schools, abolition, & borders | standard disclaimers
stephaniemotathurston.com
stephaniemotathurston.com
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Solidarity to our striking baristas in Atlanta, GA! We're 15 days into our national ULP strike 💪
Baristas are on strike in over 65 cities, demanding: higher pay, better hours, & an end to union busting. Until Starbucks brings us NEW proposals, you’ll see us on the picket line. #NoContractNoCoffee
Baristas are on strike in over 65 cities, demanding: higher pay, better hours, & an end to union busting. Until Starbucks brings us NEW proposals, you’ll see us on the picket line. #NoContractNoCoffee
November 27, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Solidarity to our striking baristas in Atlanta, GA! We're 15 days into our national ULP strike 💪
Baristas are on strike in over 65 cities, demanding: higher pay, better hours, & an end to union busting. Until Starbucks brings us NEW proposals, you’ll see us on the picket line. #NoContractNoCoffee
Baristas are on strike in over 65 cities, demanding: higher pay, better hours, & an end to union busting. Until Starbucks brings us NEW proposals, you’ll see us on the picket line. #NoContractNoCoffee
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Additionally, OpenAI argues its not liable because Raine, by using ChatGPT for self-harm, broke its terms of service
November 26, 2025 at 12:29 AM
"It is against the TOS to be talked into suicide by our LLM" is possibly the most evil tech bro thing I've ever read
Devastating
Third unvaccinated Kentucky baby dies of whooping cough.
Pertussis, best prevented with a vaccine, has killed three Kentucky babies in the last 12 months.
kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/25/t...
Pertussis, best prevented with a vaccine, has killed three Kentucky babies in the last 12 months.
kentuckylantern.com/2025/11/25/t...
Third unvaccinated Kentucky baby dies of whooping cough • Kentucky Lantern
A third unvaccinated infant in Kentucky has died of pertussis as public health officials urge Kentuckians to get vaccinated against the disease.
kentuckylantern.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Devastating
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
okay, friends, let's do something community-oriented and helpful. #sblaar25 veterans, drop your best conference advice for first-time attendees. be sure to signal boost so folks across bluesky can add on/peruse.
November 19, 2025 at 3:08 PM
okay, friends, let's do something community-oriented and helpful. #sblaar25 veterans, drop your best conference advice for first-time attendees. be sure to signal boost so folks across bluesky can add on/peruse.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
“It’s so much harder than I thought it was going to be, but it speaks to me in a way that nothing else ever did.” I visited a growing Orthodox Christian parish in North Carolina to understand why so many young men are converting. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/u...
Orthodox Church Pews Are Overflowing With Converts
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:27 PM
“It’s so much harder than I thought it was going to be, but it speaks to me in a way that nothing else ever did.” I visited a growing Orthodox Christian parish in North Carolina to understand why so many young men are converting. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/u...
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
“Chicago is in a state of holy rage, and we will not bow to fear. Of course, we feel other things in this struggle too: joy, love, solidarity, sadness. But the holy rage we feel is a call to action.”
"Our rage means that, for as hard as President Donald Trump and his administration are trying, they have failed in intimidating us or convincing us that what’s happening is normal. And there is Holy Spirit power in that." —@lajoyce.bsky.social on clergy protests at Broadview.
Chicago Is in a State of Holy Rage
On Nov. 14, clergy from a variety of faiths gathered outside the ICE processing facility in Broadview, Ill., to articulate God’s rage.
sojo.net
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 AM
“Chicago is in a state of holy rage, and we will not bow to fear. Of course, we feel other things in this struggle too: joy, love, solidarity, sadness. But the holy rage we feel is a call to action.”
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
I'm seeing people wonder why ICE is going after Charlotte.
ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018.
We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:
ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018.
We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:
“When the 8 African American sheriffs took over the largest counties in North Carolina, it became a threat to the good ol’ boy system,” says the sheriff of Charlotte. These new sheriffs broke ties with ICE.
But GOP lawmakers cracked down this week, overbidding the governor’s veto to adopt this law:
But GOP lawmakers cracked down this week, overbidding the governor’s veto to adopt this law:
North Carolina GOP Is Cracking Down on the Black Sheriffs Who Stood Up to ICE
Boosted by new supermajorities, Republicans are closing in on legislation to mandate more collaboration with ICE and preempt local policies hard-won by immigrants’ rights advocates.
boltsmag.org
November 15, 2025 at 10:43 PM
I'm seeing people wonder why ICE is going after Charlotte.
ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018.
We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:
ICE has been at war with Charlotte's sheriff ever since he won in 2018.
We'd covered this at Bolts back in the day; this quote is from that sheriff:
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
The recently ousted leader of the University of Virginia released a tell-all memo Friday on the DEI feud with Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin that cost him his job. trib.al/jMXxASx
Ex-UVA President Accuses MAGA Governor of Forcing Him Out for Trump
James Ryan spilled the tea on his ouster and the Trump administration’s attacks on the University of Virginia.
trib.al
November 15, 2025 at 4:20 PM
The recently ousted leader of the University of Virginia released a tell-all memo Friday on the DEI feud with Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin that cost him his job. trib.al/jMXxASx
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Taylor Swift’s silence on the Trump administration using her music speaks volumes | Alim Kheraj
Taylor Swift’s silence on the Trump administration using her music speaks volumes | Alim Kheraj
Official Trump social media accounts have been using The Life of a Showgirl snippets to promote his agenda. Why has Swift, who once wanted ‘to be on the right side of history’, said nothing?
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Taylor Swift’s silence on the Trump administration using her music speaks volumes | Alim Kheraj
pretty stark how being religiously affiliated (at least as Protestant or Catholic) predicts a higher level of racial resentment…
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 15, 2025 at 3:43 PM
pretty stark how being religiously affiliated (at least as Protestant or Catholic) predicts a higher level of racial resentment…
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Starbucks has not given us a single new proposal in almost a year. We’re serious about finishing our contracts… why aren’t they?
It would cost less than one day’s sales to finish this. And yet, Starbucks claims they can’t do it.
That's why it's STILL #NoContractNoCoffee ✊
DON'T BUY STARBUCKS!
It would cost less than one day’s sales to finish this. And yet, Starbucks claims they can’t do it.
That's why it's STILL #NoContractNoCoffee ✊
DON'T BUY STARBUCKS!
November 14, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Starbucks has not given us a single new proposal in almost a year. We’re serious about finishing our contracts… why aren’t they?
It would cost less than one day’s sales to finish this. And yet, Starbucks claims they can’t do it.
That's why it's STILL #NoContractNoCoffee ✊
DON'T BUY STARBUCKS!
It would cost less than one day’s sales to finish this. And yet, Starbucks claims they can’t do it.
That's why it's STILL #NoContractNoCoffee ✊
DON'T BUY STARBUCKS!
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Message to all faculty: your expertise is no longer trusted or valued at this so-called “university.”
November 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Message to all faculty: your expertise is no longer trusted or valued at this so-called “university.”
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Starbucks Workers are on strike! And their Downtown Disney locations are looking for allies to rally with them today on Red Cup Day! Join them at 4pm Disney Way and Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802. Sign here, pledge to not cross any SB picket lines! tinyurl.com/nocoffeepledge
November 13, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Starbucks Workers are on strike! And their Downtown Disney locations are looking for allies to rally with them today on Red Cup Day! Join them at 4pm Disney Way and Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92802. Sign here, pledge to not cross any SB picket lines! tinyurl.com/nocoffeepledge
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
An absolute powerhouse of a @propublica.org team has done what U.S. officials refuse to do: identify the men and women swept up in that midnight raid in Chicago. Life in the building was not perfect, but reporters found little evidence to back up government claims: www.propublica.org/article/chic...
“I Lost Everything”: Venezuelans Were Rounded Up in a Dramatic Midnight Raid but Never Charged With a Crime
Authorities said Tren de Aragua “terrorists” had taken over the building. A ProPublica investigation found little evidence to back up the government’s claims. For the first time, the Venezuelans arres...
www.propublica.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:23 PM
An absolute powerhouse of a @propublica.org team has done what U.S. officials refuse to do: identify the men and women swept up in that midnight raid in Chicago. Life in the building was not perfect, but reporters found little evidence to back up government claims: www.propublica.org/article/chic...
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
If we were allowed to talk about "white supremacy" in the US, then it would be pretty obvious why what happened in Chicago is acceptable to large numbers of people while Ruby Ridge & Waco (and my imagined scenario) are evidence of gubmint tyranny. The state can't do that to people who look like me!
November 13, 2025 at 2:24 PM
If we were allowed to talk about "white supremacy" in the US, then it would be pretty obvious why what happened in Chicago is acceptable to large numbers of people while Ruby Ridge & Waco (and my imagined scenario) are evidence of gubmint tyranny. The state can't do that to people who look like me!
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Accords well with the persistent perception that “good” schools are essentially as white as possible, with a little diversity for good measure, outcomes be damned
3️⃣ We find white children exposed to academies fared worse as adults.
📉 Human capital index ↓ 0.04 SD
📉 Economic self-sufficiency ↓ 0.06 SD
This evidence suggests White families may have sacrificed educational quality to maintain racial segregation.
11/12
📉 Human capital index ↓ 0.04 SD
📉 Economic self-sufficiency ↓ 0.06 SD
This evidence suggests White families may have sacrificed educational quality to maintain racial segregation.
11/12
November 12, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Accords well with the persistent perception that “good” schools are essentially as white as possible, with a little diversity for good measure, outcomes be damned
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
Speculation is that ICE could be trying to move people out to clean the holding cells and to set up cots to comply with the latest judicial order to address inhumane conditions inside the facility. The judge is currently scheduled to inspect the facility Thursday morning.
November 11, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Speculation is that ICE could be trying to move people out to clean the holding cells and to set up cots to comply with the latest judicial order to address inhumane conditions inside the facility. The judge is currently scheduled to inspect the facility Thursday morning.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
I'm struck by how many Chicagoans have seemingly felt compelled to write and share reflections on "this is what it feels like in Chicago right now". We know we're going through something awful together and we want the world to understand it.
Threading several of these pieces below.
Threading several of these pieces below.
November 9, 2025 at 1:15 AM
I'm struck by how many Chicagoans have seemingly felt compelled to write and share reflections on "this is what it feels like in Chicago right now". We know we're going through something awful together and we want the world to understand it.
Threading several of these pieces below.
Threading several of these pieces below.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
BREAKING: A federal jury in Brooklyn awarded our clients — 674 immigrants unlawfully jailed by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office — $112 million. Could not be more proud to work at @latinojustice.bsky.social and to partner with the talent of Winston & Strawn.
Jury Awards $112 Million to 674 Immigrants Unlawfully Held by Suffolk County for ICE Handover | LatinoJusticePRLDEF
FOR IMMEDIATE
www.latinojustice.org
November 7, 2025 at 11:04 PM
BREAKING: A federal jury in Brooklyn awarded our clients — 674 immigrants unlawfully jailed by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office — $112 million. Could not be more proud to work at @latinojustice.bsky.social and to partner with the talent of Winston & Strawn.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
PHOTOS: 'Yo tengo papeles': Teacher detained by immigration agents in North Center day care
READ MORE HERE: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
READ MORE HERE: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
November 6, 2025 at 3:14 AM
PHOTOS: 'Yo tengo papeles': Teacher detained by immigration agents in North Center day care
READ MORE HERE: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
READ MORE HERE: chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
BREAKING: After months of stonewalling by Starbucks, unionized baristas just voted 92% to authorize a ULP strike unless Starbucks finalizes fair contracts & stops union busting.
If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.
If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.
Starbucks unionized workers say they'll strike on Nov. 13 if coffee giant doesn't finalize contract
Union members say they are ready to strike on the chain's Red Cup Day if Starbucks doesn't finalize a contract with their union by then.
www.cbsnews.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:51 PM
BREAKING: After months of stonewalling by Starbucks, unionized baristas just voted 92% to authorize a ULP strike unless Starbucks finalizes fair contracts & stops union busting.
If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.
If forced, our baristas will strike in dozens of cities on November 13 – the company's busiest sales day of the year.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
This morning, #ICE abducted a preschool teacher without a warrant — in front of children.
I’m hosting a press conference RIGHT NOW with @durbin.senate.gov and @ramirez.house.gov. Tune in here.
I’m hosting a press conference RIGHT NOW with @durbin.senate.gov and @ramirez.house.gov. Tune in here.
ICE Abduction Inside Daycare: Press Conference
YouTube video by U.S. Representative Mike Quigley
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:46 PM
This morning, #ICE abducted a preschool teacher without a warrant — in front of children.
I’m hosting a press conference RIGHT NOW with @durbin.senate.gov and @ramirez.house.gov. Tune in here.
I’m hosting a press conference RIGHT NOW with @durbin.senate.gov and @ramirez.house.gov. Tune in here.
Reposted by Stephanie Mota Thurston, Ph.D.
The strike would begin on Nov. 13, which is the day Starbucks plans to distribute free, reusable red cups. Red Cup Day, a Starbucks tradition since 2018, is typically one of the company’s busiest days of the year.
Starbucks’ union workers plan strike beginning on Red Cup Day unless company agrees to a contract
Starbucks’ union members have voted to strike at the company’s U.S. stores next week unless it finalizes a contract agreement, the union said Wednesday.
trib.al
November 5, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The strike would begin on Nov. 13, which is the day Starbucks plans to distribute free, reusable red cups. Red Cup Day, a Starbucks tradition since 2018, is typically one of the company’s busiest days of the year.