Es Brennt

❤️ Today, we pause to remember Al Hack and his incredible passion for his family, friends, and the Fire.

He is missed by so many.

#cf97
#S8CWallOfHonor
#ARedHeartCanNeverBeBroken

A handrail on a bridge over the Chicago River has a sticker that says “Tom Homan is unclean”.

Filthy. 😏

They literally dragged a minor employee out of a Target as he was wailing that he was a US citizen, roughed him up in their car, and then dropped him off bloodied and bruised in the freezing cold a couple of miles away, so miss us with this.

Bad Bunny Personally Requested This Chicago Conductor For Super Bowl Halftime Show Grant Park Music Festival's artistic director and Grammy-winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero had about a week to prepare for the performance. "This is something I will never forget," he said.

Bad Bunny Personally Requested Grant Park Music Festival’s artistic director and Grammy-winning conductor Giancarlo Guerrero For Super Bowl Halftime Show blockclubchicago.org/2026/02/09/b...

Irish man with valid US work permit held in ICE detention for five months Seamus Culleton, who has lived in US for two decades, faces deportation after being arrested on way home from work

An Irish man has spent five months in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention and faces deportation despite having a valid work permit and no criminal record. 🚫🧊https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/09/irish-man-seamus-culleton-ice-detention

Woman sentenced to prison for vandalizing Palestinian mural in Pilsen and 2 assaults Danielle Wasserman, 37, pleaded guilty last week to two hate crime counts stemming from two incidents last year in which she vandalized a mural near 16th Street and Ashland Avenue depicting a Mexican ...

Woman sentenced to prison for vandalizing Palestinian mural in Pilsen and 2 assaults chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/0...

An American Kestrel perched on a balcony. Lake Shore Drive is seen below and a snow covered park and Lake Michigan are in the distance.

Spotted this at work today in Chicago. Foster and the Lake, 18th floor balcony.

a man wearing a blue and yellow sweater looks at his phone Alt: a man wearing a blue and yellow sweater looks at his phone and scrolls though several repeats of the Groundhog's Day edition of Chicago Public Square on the page.

I see what you did there. 🔁 Editor humor, love it. 😏

Portland Mayor Statement on Federal Use of Chemical Munitions at Peaceful Protest Portland Mayor Keith Wilson: "Our nation will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve."

"To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame."
- Portland, Oregon Mayor Keith Wilson 🚫🧊
www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-...

Add what happened to Alex Pretti as latest shock to a haystack of last straws Some are fancying that the administration dialing back rhetoric after the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis means we've turned a corner. We haven't.

Could killing Renee Good and Alex Pretti be the last straw?

Spoiler alert: No, it’s not.

chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...

7 Times Conservatives Praised Gun-Toting Protesters They're attacking Alex Pretti for having a gun. But here are some famous moments when Trump and the right treated armed protesters like heroes.

7 Times Conservatives Praised Gun-Toting Protesters
open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...

Review: ‘Birds of North America’ stealthily lands a relationship message that’s complex and resonant The Chicago premiere of the play at A Red Orchid Theatre has a gripping generational dialogue between a father and daughter who bond over birdwatching.

Review: ‘Birds of North America’ stealthily lands a relationship message that’s complex and resonant www.wbez.org/theater-stag...

Why Some are Calling for a World Cup Boycott Prominent soccer figures have called for fans to watch the tournament on TV instead of in the U.S., while some European lawmakers have even called for teams to pull out of playing.

Calls for World Cup boycott grow over Trump policies
#WC2026 #FIFA
time.com/7358117/fifa...

Street art tribute mural by Topsy (topsy_paints) in Seattle, USA, showing a healthcare worker in blue scrubs with a stethoscope gently lifting a kneeling Lady Justice—white-robed, blindfolded in gold, holding a sword with the scales of justice resting beside her—painted on a textured gray wall as a memorial message reading “Rest in Peace, Alex.”

Don't worry, I've got you
Rest in Peace, Alex.

Beautiful street art tribute by Topsy (topsy_paints on Instagram) in Seattle, U.S.

YouTube video by Billy Bragg BILLY BRAGG - CITY OF HEROES

Billy Bragg wrote a tribute to the bravery of the people of Minneapolis. 🛑🧊

"Their resistance is an inspiration to us all."

#ICEOUTforGood #AbolishICE #ICEOutOfMinnesota

youtu.be/IKOW2ZikGW8?...

The absolute accuracy of this.

Sepp Blatter suggests fans should not travel to US for World Cup The ex-Fifa boss showed his support of a Swiss lawyer who called for a boycott of the tournament due to security concerns in the US

Ex-FIFA boss Sepp Blatter supports fans boycotting World Cup matches in the United States this year due to security concerns. #FIFA #WC2026 www.theguardian.com/football/202...

I’m glad Jeff now has a place he can write things like this, and I think you should read it.

Shut It Down? Shut It Down. The president of the United States has declared war on a major American city.

Minnesotans - united in defense of their city, state and country, and of their neighbors — was inspiring.

Shouldn’t we take this national?
open.substack.com/pub/genewein...

German soccer federation official wants World Cup boycott considered because of Trump A German soccer federation executive committee member says it’s time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.

German Soccer Federation Official Calls for World Cup Boycott #FIFA #WC2026 apnews.com/article/germ...

Protesters in Los Angeles projected an anti-ICE video onto the Twin Towers, an ICE-linked detention facility where the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department actively collaborates with ICE for deportation screenings.

Crews remove sex toy that was found affixed to clock tower at Cornish Park in downtown Algonquin People reported seeing a sex toy affixed to the clock tower at Cornish Park in downtown Algonquin over the weekend before it was quickly removed by the village.

👀 www.lakemchenryscanner.com/2026/01/23/c... Crews remove sex toy that was found affixed to clock tower at Cornish Park in downtown Algonquin

Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.

"Please get the truth out about our son."

2007 🧹🚍

There is no such thing as other people’s children It is intolerable

"We are out there in every place they are, showing them that every person in this city is one of our own, that there is no such thing as other people’s children, that collectively we are not afraid of staring them in the eye," @erikhane.bsky.social writes from Minneapolis.

Alex Pretti’s last words were “are you ok?” said the woman next to him who ICE also pepper sprayed in the face.

Murdered for trying to help a woman who was being assaulted.
#AbolishICE

ICE wants to kill Americans. They must be stopped. 🛑🧊
#AbolishICE
#ICEout

Note how there's no violence or chaos when the cops aren't rioting.