Michael Taeckens

March 8, 2026 - Tehran at sunrise today. But the sun is hidden behind a sky filled with smoke. After a night of intensive strikes on oil facilities, thick black clouds now hang over the city, turning morning into something that feels like night.

The March 15, 2025, killing of Ruben Ray Martinez drew almost no public attention.

But Martinez is now the first known American citizen shot to death by federal immigration agents during President Trump’s second term. https://wapo.st/4lbpGYC

The number of civilians killed in Iran following US and Israeli strikes in the country since last Saturday climbed to 1,172 as of 5 p.m. ET Friday, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). https://cnn.it/4cuUVM4

100,000 Homes: Housing the homeless saves money? Giving apartments to the chronically homeless can save taxpayer dollars, advocates say

Anderson Cooper: “So it's more expensive to have a chronically homeless person living on the streets than it is to actually subsidize an apartment for them?”

Answer: “Yes, we’re paying more as taxpayers to walk past that person on the street and do nothing.” #HousingFirst #UrbanTruth

“A country that can instantly fund endless wars but debates every dime for healthcare and education doesn't have a budget issue--it has a values issue."

A billion dollars a day going towards the war in Iran so far.

Now Congress Is Coming for the Books A new bill would punish schools that let students read about gender identity or "lascivious dancing"

A new bill in Congress would punish schools for letting students read about gender identity — and “lascivious dancing.”
Book bans aren’t fading. They’re evolving.
Today’s newsletter: roncharles.substack.com/p/now-congre...

Along Came an Influencer: How America’s Bestselling Writer Became MrBeast’s Co-Author After decades atop the thriller game, James Patterson is fending off waning sales by doubling down on collaborations—and dabbling in romantasy too.

Love this piece by @vauhinivara.bsky.social. Every time I think some derogatory thought about Patterson, I have to remind myself that he is one of the few super rich authors actually giving back to the literary community in meaningful ways. www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Kristi Noem has done a stunning amount of damage and it’s good she’s gone.

But this doesn’t change the fact that we need a complete overhaul of DHS, impartial investigations into the killings of two American citizens, and information on children that were taken from Minnesota.

Min Jin Lee speaking from a podium at Emory University on March 1, 2026

yesterday I got to hear from my favorite living author @minjinlee.bsky.social, who was brilliant, funny, and spellbinding. I've never read a novelist who gives life so beautifully and fully to ordinary people history has forgotten.

“Almost all the 165 people killed in the attack were girls aged between seven and 12, according to local officials. There were around 170 girls at the school in southern Iran’s Minab at the time.“

A double-tap strike on little girls at school.

A man asked me last night what publishing needs to do for literary fiction to begin appealing to men again. I said, as nicely as I could, that, with over 2,000 books published every Tuesday, of which many would appeal to men, it’s not a publishing problem, it’s a men problem.

It’s incredible!

This statement is appallingly bad--like, the administration *illegally bombed a school.* It's mind-boggling to me for this to be the reaction from a human, much less a purported leader of the Democratic Party. I need a new senator stat

I can SMELL this book cover. @minjinlee.bsky.social (American Hagwon) coming out in September 2026.

call (202) 224-3121 & you'll get connected to your representatives

my heart is so heavy

This reminds me that I need to watch The Lair of the White Worm again

Master Class: Fairytales as Inspiration with Edward Carey — The Shipman Agency 1 Session: Sunday, March 8 11:00am-2:00pm ET Edward Carey How to reignite your imagination, sharpen your fiction, and give yourself permission to be braver and stranger in your writing through the ...

The wonderful Edward Carey is teaching a class on fairy tales as inspiration. Inspired by the one he used to teach at UT Austin's MFA. Perfect if you're not going to AWP or if you'll be home in time that Sunday March 8th. www.theshipmanagency.com/classes/mast...

The best thing you can do in light of the Ellison takeover of Warner Brothers invest your time, energy, and money in supporting independent creators and independent distribution networks and independent venues. It is absolutely crucial to make independence a viable option.

blue graphic with an outline of the United States. Red and white text reads: Call. National Book Banning Bill Proposed in US House of Reps. Tell your rep: Vote no on H.R. 7661.

We've had a day to pull a few things together, so here's a thread some more targeted info opposing the potential national book ban just proposed in the House of Representatives.

7 Collections of Prose Poems Recommended by D.S. Waldman - Debutiful My students often have difficulty with the idea of a prose poem.  How do we define it?  How is it a poem and not just prose?  And in truth, I rarely have satisfying answers for them.  Part of what I l...

For @debutiful.bsky.social I wrote about my 7 favorite collections of prose poems

debutiful.net/2026/02/26/7...

I think the coolest thing we do at The Verge is publish comics. This one is brilliant (and behind the scenes, an absolute beast of engineering)

Ask your reps to oppose H.R.7661.

Opinion | 40 Iranian Doctors and Nurses Describe a Massacre We surveyed medical workers across 14 cities and 11 provinces in Iran about their experiences treating wounded protesters.

This is so well done

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

A Nationwide Book Ban Bill Has Been Introduced in the House of Representatives Hours after the State of the Union address, House republicans introduced legislation banning LGBTQ+ books from public schools nationwide.

A nationwide book ban bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. Here's what you need to know about HR7661, including who is behind it, the history behind such bills, and what you need to do to stop it.

bookriot.com/hr7661-book-...

A U.S. veteran adopted an orphan from Iran. Decades later, ICE is trying to deport her The woman has no criminal record and is unsure what prompted the threat of removal. She fears being deported to Iran given her father's military service and her Christian faith.

“Adopted from Iran at age two, she takes great pride in her quintessential American upbringing… But in the eyes of the U.S. government…she's an immigrant who overstayed her visa… Earlier this month, she received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security saying removal proceedings have begun”

Master Class: Fairytales as Inspiration with Edward Carey — The Shipman Agency 1 Session: Sunday, March 8 11:00am-2:00pm ET Edward Carey How to reignite your imagination, sharpen your fiction, and give yourself permission to be braver and stranger in your writing through the ...

Ahoy, Bluesky! Edward Carey is teaching an online course on Fairytales as Inspiration. He's taught fairytales to writers for two decades, at both the Iowa Writers Workshop & UT Austin, & knows everything about their joys & shadows.

www.theshipmanagency.com/classes/mast...

They beat a blind refugee who speaks no English for failing to obey police commands he could not understand. Then instead of apologizing, they charged him with possession of a “weapon”—HIS WALKING STICK. Then they dumped him miles from home without notifying anyone, after which he was found dead.

Chapter 1 of Moby Dick, page 1 The phrase ‘Call me Ishmael’, the first sentence of the book, is highlighted in blue, with careful highlighting on the very big C at the start. Above this, written in ballpoint pen ‘His name’

Love the glimpse into the beautiful mind that notated this used copy of Moby Dick I got