Amie Rivers

The Iowa job market is abysmal right now, which is particularly hard on new graduates and those just trying to get started in their field. 🧵⬇️

Photo of Claire Celsi in 2018 (taken by Greg Hauenstein for her Iowa Senate campaign)

Very sad news: State Senator Claire Celsi has passed away.
I knew her before she ran for office and considered her a friend. After redistricting in 2021 she became my senator.
Let me know if you'd like to share any memories for a Bleeding Heartland post about her.
(photo by @greghauenstein.com)

Ah yes let us not judge her based on the words that come out of her own mouth but rather whether or not she created shareholder value

Escucha Mi Voz Slams Homeland Security's Plan to Fence Off Cedar Rapids ICE Office to Hide Deportations Hundreds expected at Protective Accompaniment tomorrow at 8:30am Cedar Rapids, IA - Escucha Mi Voz lowa condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for planning to build a seven-foot fence outside its Cedar Rapids office — a move advocates say is designed to retaliate against the community's recent victory reclaiming the public lawn and to hide detentions and deportations from public view. "ICE wants to fence off democracy to hide its detentions and deportations from public view," said State Rep. Angel Ramirez of Cedar Rapids. "This fence isn't about safety — it's about secrecy, silencing witnesses, and shielding abuse." For months, immigrant families, clergy, and legal observers have gathered peacefully on the public lawn outside the facility - accompanying people to ICE check-ins, documenting detentions, and protecting due process.

Why This Matters • Militarizing public space: Even with most of the right-of-way left open, ICE's fence would militarize public space - turning an open community area into a controlled zone meant to intimidate the public, reduce visibility, and deter witnesses. • Transparency & due process: Community accompaniment has helped identify detentions, connect families with legal aid, and prevent people from vanishing without record. A fence would make those abuses easier to hide. Our Demands 1. Keep public space open and visible. No fences or barriers that block observers, clergy, or family members. 2. Respect constitutional rights. ICE must allow the public to document and bear witness without interference. What's Next Tuesday, October 7 • 8:30 AM - Protective Accompaniment outside the Cedar Rapids ICE office

Last week, after weeks of pressure and public witness, the community won back half the lawn that had been illegally blocked off in September. Now ICE is conceding even more of the lawn but striking back by putting up a fence of its own. According to a map released by the City, the proposed fence line sits essentially on the public right-of-way, minus a setback, and cutting off immigrants standing in line from public witnesses. "Fencing off witnesses from immigrants at check-ins is another attempt by ICE to tear our communities apart and hide deportations from public view," said Rev. Jonathan Heifner of St. Paul's United Methodist Church. "ICE wants to make people disappear in silence. We will keep showing up in the light."

Escucha Mi Voz on what's happening tomorrow:

Mayor Brandon Johnson signs executive order establishing ‘ICE-free zones’ • The TRiiBE Johnson is calling for a full investigation into “all of the brutality” that federal agents have conducted this past week.

HAPPENING NOW — This morning, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order establishing “ICE-free zones.”

“That means that city property and unwilling private businesses will no longer serve as grounds for these raids,” Johnson said to applause.

thetriibe.com/2025/10/mayo...

As the federal judge in Oregon recognized, “this is a nation of Constitutional law not martial law”. Within 24 hours we will be filing a legal challenge to the President’s unlawful deployment of the National Guard.

Federal judge blocks Trump administration from sending federalized National Guard to Portland Earlier Sunday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said that he would sue the Trump administration after it federalized 300 California National Guard troops.

BREAKING: Federal judge temporarily blocks the Trump administration from sending federalized National Guard troops to Portland.

A WILD ONE: A man broke his leg during an arrest by ICE at a car wash south of L.A.

ICE has held him under 24/7 guard at a hospital, registering him under a pseudonym, for *37 days* without telling him why.

A judge has ordered his immediate release.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

“There’s a baby!”

Guns drawn. Windows smashed. With a 1 month old in the car. (They did this as he was coming home from an immigration court appointment— which is illegal in Colorado: coloradosun.com/2025/10/01/i...)

Paramount Officially Acquiring The Free Press and Making Bari Weiss CBS News Editor in Chief: Report Paramount Skydance will be officially acquiring The Free Press and hiring its founder Bari Weiss as editor in chief of its CBS News division, with the deal to be announced this coming Monday, accordin...

In case it wasn’t clear, the anti-DEI crusade has never been about merit. Zero news experience. Never been a reporter. Elevated to Editor in Chief of CBS News, one of the most storied news institutions in the nation. www.mediaite.com/media/news/p...

BREAKING: Our client Mario Guevara, an Emmy-winning journalist detained by ICE in retaliation for livestreaming law enforcement activity, will be deported tomorrow to El Salvador.

Mario and his family are being punished for his reporting. This cruelty is meant to stifle our free press.

Lawsuit filed against immigration authorities after U.S. citizen's arrests in raids A U.S. citizen who is a construction worker in Alabama has filed a federal lawsuit after he says he was detained twice by immigration agents within just a few weeks

DHS has effectively reinterpreted (also illegally) “reasonable suspicion” as racial profiling, so now here it is making a statement that it uses racial profiling to arrest and cuff people, even Americans abcnews.go.com/amp/US/wireS...

Love hearing an NPR reporter repeat Vought's line about "unconstitutional DEI principles" with nary a query about what the fuck that actually means. At some point we need journalists to make this administration explain some of these batshit utterances.

This is some nasty work.

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

this was such a good show.

10-1-2025 PRESS RELEASE The Black Hawk County Branch NAACP expresses our deep disappointment and concern regarding the recent defacement of a political sign. This act is not only disrespectful to one’s campaign, but it also undermines the democratic processes and principles of free expression. Political activism is a vital part of civic engagement which provides an avenue for candidates to share their voices and viewpoints. When a political candidate’s sign and/or literature are deliberately destroyed or defaced, it silences constructive conversations and dialogue and replaces it with hostility. We stand firmly against any form of vandalism or intimidation in the political arena. Our community deserves respectful, open, and honest discussions where differing opinions and viewpoints can be expressed without fear of destruction of property or retaliation. Therefore, we urge community members to uphold the values of integrity, respect, and fairness always. Acts of vandalism do not strengthen our democracy; they weaken it. The Black Hawk County NAACP Unit 4012 Officers/Executive Committee

A photo of a large campaign sign saying "HART MAYOR" drawn over in black spray paint in no discernible design.

The Black Hawk County NAACP weighs in on vandalism to a campaign sign for Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart today:

State climatologist to cover some NWS functions during gov't shutdown - Radio Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan says during a federal government shut down he and other state climatologists around the country will pitch in and cover some National Weather Service functions. “We’v...

Hoping for nice weather.

www.radioiowa.com/2025/09/30/s...

DMPS' 2021 Affirmative Action Plan includes race- and color-based teacher recruitment goals to "increase the number of teachers of color" in kindergarten and first grade by 8% and second through fifth grades by 5%. The DMPS "Strategic Plan" also details DMPS' staff retention strategy under Priority #3, Strategic Objective# 1, which includes the following action items: • Review and revise how we place our teachers and leaders of color. • Maintain and grow affinity spaces. • Create a feedback plan to lift up voices of our People of Color to identify key areas of strength and improvement. • Create a focus group to analyze the data from feedback to make recommendations on systemic changes needed to create a safer environment for People of Color. To further these goals, Des Moines created the 3D Coalition project with area universities "to identify aspiring minority teachers and guide them through the postsecondary education needed to teach in Des Moines." DMPS guarantees that 3D Coalition participants who complete 3D Coalition programming will receive an interview to become a teacher at DMPS. After DMPS recruits a minority teacher through the 3D Coalition program, the minority teacher is "required to work in the Des Moines school system for the same length of time they received support from the 3D Coalition." Accordingly, I have authorized a full investigation to determine whether DMPS is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination as set forth above. We have not reached any conclusions...

The *checks notes* Civil Rights Division of the US Dept. of Justice under Trump says Des Moines Schools training and hiring teachers of color is ... against the Civil Rights Act.

What the actual f www.justice.gov/crt/media/14...

If you're getting on a plane, FYI:

Government shutdown 2025: A guide to what’s still open, what’s closed and what’s fuzzy While Social Security checks, mail and student loan bills will still be delivered, millions of workers are still set to suffer financial hardship.

While Social Security checks, mail and student loan bills will still be delivered, millions of workers are set to suffer financial hardship.

What’s still open, what’s closed and what’s fuzzy 👇

JUST IN: A U.S. citizen from Alabama who has been detained twice by ICE while working at a construction site, has filed a class action suit claiming ICE's broad warrantless arrest powers violate the constitution. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

I can’t believe I’m watching interviews of city mayors talking about how they are coordinating with other mayors to discuss how to protect their residents FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

I know we are “used to it” but it is absolutely insane

I hope it's clear to everyone now that Trump really is going for it - he's trying to become a dictator. I don't know if he'll succeed, but he's working to install himself as an autocrat unaccountable to voters. And he's weaponizing the military against Americans who oppose him as part of that effort

AOC: I think there's two things that are happening at once: One, there absolutely is an unprecedented abuse of power, destruction of norms, erosion of our government and our democracy in order to prop up an authoritarian style of governance

However, they are weaker than they look…

So self-destructive. If they don’t like tariffs, retailers absolutely should list tariffs as a receipt line. Redirect customer anger from them to the one person responsible for the higher costs. bsky.app/profile/cram...

bsky.app/profile/govp...