JoHanna Sestito

Whether $5 or 5 minutes, supporting @aftynbehn.bsky.social is a tangible way to make positive change.

www.aftynforcongress.com

Occasionally I leave a message reminding her of who she works for and the legacy she’s leaving.

However, I think folks (myself included) are more inclined to spend energy organizing around progressive and innovative candidates for 2026 but here we wait.

Cash for Clout database: Who's funding Tennessee's politics? • Tennessee Lookout "Cash for Clout" is a series in the Tennessee Lookout focusing on the flow money into politic and its influence on the Tennessee Legislature.

We need this for EVERY state!

Who is bank rolling our candidates and politicians?

tennesseelookout.com/2025/02/24/c...

Is there a local watch and response group organized?

At the last minute I decided to go to this town hall and I was completely amazed at how well Nashville was represented and how unites folks from so many different backgrounds can be. I forgot that.

I started printing things.

This Thursday, July 10 at 6pm ET, join us for "Not One Step Back: An Education Town Hall for Families and Communities". Learn more about the impacts of the reconciliation bill and the next fight for public education funding. RSVP: bit.ly/NotOneStepBack

Is the move to unfollow/disregard/ignore Murkowski, Sullivan, & Begich for the next year? Can we shift the political algorithm toward a relevant candidate?

I call because I’m paying for that phone line and even if just makes her staff late to happy hour, I will wield whatever petty power I can.

A mostly faded image of blue scraggly spruce trees, with a circular section, outlined in pink in the upper center of the image popping with bolder colors. A single blue tree silhouette is overlayed outside the circle. The title reads "Ghosts of Distant Trees, Erica Watson", centered under the circle

I have a📚✨ BOOK COVER ANNOUNCEMENT! ✨📚

I'm more in love with it every day, and excited to share: The cover of #ghostsofdistanttrees features Fairbanks artist Sara Tabbert's "In Cold Shadow."

#writingcommunity #booksky #alaskasky

Does anyone have the list of the USAID programs kept (~1000) and cut (~5300)?

I've been curious, any idea what percentage of her voters in the last election were registered Dems?

Some of us grew up scared to fight, while others grew up scared of what would happen if we didn’t.

U.S. Department of Education’s 14-Day Ultimatum on Equal Opportunity: Will Universities Surrender or Resist? Craig TrainorActing Assistant Secretary for Civil RightsUnited States Department of Education400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20202 Dear Acting Assistant Secretary Trainor, I write to you …

“Programs designed to mitigate the effects of societal barriers—such as targeted outreach, mentorship, and holistic review processes—remain lawful and essential to fostering diverse educational environments.”

cloakinginequity.com/2025/02/16/u...

Hi Blueskiers - is that what we say?
Long time listener, first time caller.

After teaching special education for 7 years in AK, I'm looking to tap into the social impact spaces in Alaska and Outside through evaluation, advocacy, & policy.

Guilty pleasures: 90-day Fiancé & a messy car

How ya feel about Substack? I’ve been on a few days and still figuring it out.

I think you need well designed/written questions and ways to ensure that responses are representative of the population. A lot of the recruitment strategies are focusing on credit card data which is inherently biased.
I’m a fan of recruiting through local orgs who with community touch points.

The sticker-chart way Alaskan orgs collect data is embarrassing.

So much this! It became apparent to me this election that I am not living in the same world as so many people who literally live next to me. I have mixed thoughts about the influencer-as-journalist “news” sources.