Rattling the Bars

One striking aspect of ICE resistance in Chicago, is how many people in the videos appear to be average, everyday residents out for walks or stepping out of their houses.

Like, this guy is barefoot, in Blackhawk hockey PJs! Or...

(*I've not personally talked to the people in these videos)

A number of local Chicago reporters/journalists have truly distinguished themselves over the past few weeks and I am so very grateful. It also shows that reporting is a public service when done well. Thank you all.

Their Loved Ones Died Behind Bars. These Keepsakes Are All They Have Left. Five families reflect on the possessions they got back, and the ones they didn’t.

Death behind bars, a story in 5 objects:
A receipt is a mom's last connection to her son
A man watches Knicks games w/ his brother's ashes
An estranged child, wonders about a father's lost bible
Travel books, for places un-visited
A muddy hat, too precious to pack away.
tinyurl.com/482hyknt

A man in a police uniform stands at a podium. An American flag is behind him.

Baltimore Officer charged with attempted murder after viral video shows him trying to run man down baltimorebeat.com/baltimore-of...

Inside the modern-day plantation: How theater confronts incarceration The Peculiar Patriot, performed in more than 35 US prisons, reveals the human cost of mass incarceration and the enduring ties between slavery and the prison system.

The Peculiar Patriot, performed in more than 35 US prisons, reveals the human cost of mass incarceration and the enduring ties between slavery and the prison system.

An older Black man addresses the audience at an event.

A Black woman with short natural hair smiles while speaking into a microphone. She wears a red, blue, and green top.

Literature offerings that read "black Chronicle" along with a book titled "Marshall Law" at The Peale in downtown Baltimore.

Eddie Conway and the Black Panther Party remembered with art, music, and education baltimorebeat.com/eddie-conway...

A man loads a stack of papers into a car.

If you’ve ever held a copy of Baltimore Beat in your hands, you can thank Olu Butterfly, Leo Gray, his dad, Andrew Gray, Latoya Moore, and Michael Morstein. baltimorebeat.com/our-drivers/

Check out my in-depth conversation w/ Liza Jessie Peterson about her acclaimed play, The Peculiar Patriot, and powerful documentary, Angola Do You Hear Us?

We explore how Black cultural production serves as a transformative force for self-determination.

youtu.be/rcDuOs80ya0?...

‘The Peculiar Patriot’ takes Baltimore audiences behind the wall The play has been performed in over 30 prisons across the country.

Poet, actor, and playwright Liza Jessie Peterson is bringing her one-woman play “The Peculiar Patriot,” which has been performed in over 30 prisons across the country, to Baltimore Center Stage. The Philly native believes it’s the right place and the right time for this story.

Mainstream media tried to scare Mamdami voters with socialism—it didn't work! TRNN was on the ground in New York City on election day speaking to voters.

The mainstream media said voters wouldn’t go for Mamdani and they said “socialism won’t sell.” But on the streets of New York, people were done listening to conventional wisdom.

Why more mega-prisons won’t fix Alabama’s crisis “In 2024 alone, 277 people died in Alabama prisons” Dakarai Larriett, US Senate candidate in Alabama, says. “Building mega-prisons, naming one after governor Kay Ivy, is not the solution.”

“In 2024 alone, 277 people died in Alabama prisons” Dakarai Larriett, US Senate candidate in Alabama, says. “Building mega-prisons, naming one after governor Kay Ivy, is not the solution.”

‘The Peculiar Patriot’ Takes Baltimore Audiences Behind the Wall baltimorebeat.com/the-peculiar...

In the latest Rattling the Bars, Natalie Cadena of @gravelandgrit.bsky.social discusses the coalition—farmers, teachers, Indigenous groups, and local sheriff—working to stop an Arkansas mega-prison. Plus, Bolts’ @laurengill.bsky.social challenges the myth that rural prisons boost local economies.

SNAP benefits to halt in some states amid government shutdown SNAP serves roughly 42 million low-income Americans.

20% of formerly incarcerated people experience food insecurity – 2x higher than the general population, with even higher rates among formerly incarcerated women & Black individuals

Pausing SNAP has life-threatening consequences for vulnerable populations

Nebraska inmate punished for speaking on wife’s podcast "Don't be afraid to fight back when you think that you've been wronged by the prison system because it's so important that more of us are doing this so that they're held accountable just like they exp...

“Don’t be afraid to fight back when you think that you’ve been wronged by the prison system because it’s so important that more of us are doing this so that they’re held accountable just like they expect our loved ones to be held accountable.”

Their kids were all killed by police. Now, they’re leading a movement “We felt that there was a need for this organization because we didn't see anywhere to go where someone could understand and could feel our pain with the loss of our children”

“We felt that there was a need for this organization because we didn’t see anywhere to go where someone could understand and could feel our pain with the loss of our children”

YouTube video by The Real News Network Their kids were all killed by police. Now, they’re leading a movement

Watch the report on the brave organizers behind the movement to end police abuse: youtu.be/xUIohnkNVr0?...

On George Floyd’s birthday, Tuesday, October 14th, the Coalition of Concerned Mothers and families of police violence victims rallied in D.C. to demand justice and accountability.

Case before Supreme Court could destroy Voting Rights Act and cement GOP control of House ‘for at least a generation’ If the court dismantles Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and allows overtly racist gerrymanders, one report estimates that Republicans will be virtually guaranteed an additional 19 seats in the 2026...

If the court dismantles Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and allows overtly racist gerrymanders, one report estimates that Republicans will be virtually guaranteed an additional 19 seats in the 2026 midterms.

Siding with Trump, Facebook suspends Chicago community group issuing ICE alerts “This is the same company that had policies allowing for chatbots to have ‘sensual’ conversations with kids, but discussing local law enforcement among neighbors is a bridge too far, huh?”

“This is the same company that had policies allowing for chatbots to have ‘sensual’ conversations with kids, but discussing local law enforcement among neighbors is a bridge too far, huh?”

Violence at Portland’s ICE facility is coming from one side: the officers “People of all ages showed up on Sunday, some of which had a small picket line going, others blowing bubbles and using their voices to condemn [law enforcement’s] behavior. But it doesn’t matter what ...

New from me at @therealnews.com: I am reporting from the ICE demonstration in Portland as federal officers escalate violence against demonstrators, and the threat of national guard troops could ignite the mass demonstrations.
therealnews.com/violence-at-...

We won! The results are in! The Marc Steiner Show and Stories of Resistance have each won Gold in the 2025 Signal Awards.

The results are in! The Marc Steiner Show and Stories of Resistance with host @undertheshadow.bsky.social, have each won Gold in the 2025 Signal Awards.

Watch the trailer for “The Beat Goes On: The Story of Baltimore Beat”
baltimorebeat.com/trailer-the-...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkl4...

Court Rules That Thousands of People Imprisoned by Louisiana Past Their Release Dates May Sue as a Class Action — The Promise of Justice Initiative Baton Rouge, LA, September 25, 2025  – This week, a Baton Rouge federal judge took a major step in the long-running litigation about “overdetention” – a term referring to the constitutional viola...

Ultimately, as a result of the judge's ruling, the thousands of people in Louisiana who may have been imprisoned past their release dates can proceed as a group – rather than having to file thousands of individual lawsuits.

Read more on this important win here: promiseofjustice.org/news/louisia...

In late September, a Baton Rouge federal judge took a major step in the long-running litigation about “overdetention" or when an incarcerated person is held in prison past the end of their legal release date.

'Spectacle of disorder': How ICE creates the chaos ICE, cops, and the military are called in to 'fix' "Trump has been able to make this spectacle where you have disorder on one side and him on the other, and he can constantly encroach upon the civil rights of Americans by convincing us that this disor...

“Trump has been able to make this spectacle where you have disorder on one side and him on the other, and he can constantly encroach upon the civil rights of Americans by convincing us that this disorder is so systemic that only he can fix it.”

"One of the most insidious things about prison is that it tries to mute us. It can’t take our voices away, but it can make it harder for them to be heard...Amplifying our voices is empowering and powerful. And you can help by joining any number of advocacy efforts."

We’re finalists for the prestigious Signal Awards. Help us win! Move over, Jon Stewart. The Real News is here…

My podcast #StoriesOfResistance is a finalist for a Signal Award. You can check it out, vote & support here! @therealnews.com
therealnews.com/were-finalis...

Hundreds Could Be Freed From ICE Custody After Warrantless Arrest Ruling Immigration attorneys said they have already identified more than 200 arrests that potentially violate the consent decree. However, they said those 200 arrests are likely "just the tip of the iceberg....

Hundreds of people arrested by ICE agents around Chicago over the past few months could be released, according to a new fed. ruling.

|https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/10/08/100s-could-be-freed-from-ice-custody-after-ruling-that-warrantless-arrests-violated-consent-decree/

Indiscriminate ICE arrests have left Baltimore’s immigrant communities in a constant state of fear and anxiety The “arrest first and ask questions later” reality forces families to spend immense energy on safety planning, rights rehearsals, and preparing for potential detentions, fraying the very foundation of...

The “arrest first and ask questions later” reality forces families to spend immense energy on safety planning, rights rehearsals, and preparing for potential detentions, fraying the very foundation of community well-being.