The news today from Washington signals the biggest victory in the field of #CollegeInPrison in decades. It’s a long time coming. This undoes the #94crimebill’s ban on #Pell Grants for incarcerated students. #PellRestoration #PELLYES
A thread.

Prior to the #94CrimeBill, college was common, even normal, in state and federal prisons across the country. The #Pell ban eviscerated college nearly

Since then, a small but growing number of privately funded programs helped keep the field alive. @BPIBard has been proud to be one of them, but we want to shout out our friends & fellow travelers at @MtTamCollege @HudsonLink & women in Bedford Hills who got so much of this going.

After years of advocacy, the critical moment was in 2015 when advocates convinced the Obama administration created Second Chance Pell, formally restoring college-in-prison to the CJR agenda. No one did more to make that happen than our allies @Vivian_Nixon_WW & @glennEmartin.

Just to say, there was one person in the federal government who carried this torch the whole way. That was our friend John Linton in the Dept of Ed, who we lost last year to pancreatic cancer. We love and miss him.

I am in Washington DC. My glasses are fogged up and the police are blocking me from getting into Black Lives Matter Plaza. Proud Boys are in the area but I can't find them.

Police are out and not letting anyone through

I haven't gotten any word why I can't pass but I know I can't. Meanwhile it seems like someone is playing NWA while someone is giving what sounds like a prayer service.

the only people getting thru are staying at a local hotel within, soit looks like my free passage is obstructed

Just hanging on a downtown DC street

After a day of delivering shopping for and hampers with @merylyyc, I was dropping my daughter off at her dads for the week when I first got a call from a single mom that needed help.

Picture below is a truck full of hampers!

I answered the phone and explained the steps this person on the phone needed to do to apply for assistance. She told me she would head to the site right away.....and she did.

So this 🚨Emergency🚨 came in tonight. (See photo of email).

I immediately contacted her and asked her what she immediately needed. She explained that she needed to get out of the room she is sharing with her children & into a basement suite

She then said she wanted a meal or two so she could eat like a family with her kids for Christmas.

She asked if it was not too much trouble if we would give her kids (not her) something for Christmas. She was adamant that she get nothing because she didn’t think she was a good mom considering their circumstances. But if her kids could get something she would be very grateful.

I asked her if she could hold on for a moment while I grab some paper and a pen.

I went & grabbed the items when I heard a child in the background ask for a snack.

The mom started crying because she was trying to stretch the snacks & make them last.

I told her it would be ok.

1. Thanks @glenmpani for your support when my mother passed on. You raised an interesting point on democracy that we should discuss further

2. Forms of democracy have existed in many societies at different times . Even prominent writers, such as Held (1996), suggest that democracy has evolved among societies and different cultures.

3. Both the form and practice of democracy are often contested and as aptly submitted by Street (2011: 305) “There are, of course, as many definitions of democracy as there are democratic theorists.” @glenmpani

4. While democracy is generally taken as the ideal form of rule, it is hotly disputed in other cultures.

5. Held,(1996: 7) believed that the most discernible and attractive form of democracy is one in which citizens in principle can extend their participation in decision-making to a wide array of spheres such as political, social and economic.

Pastors who grew up in dysfunctional families also share a crushing sense of responsibility.

We learned early on that if we performed like we should, we could control our environment, prevent catastrophes, & temporarily "fix" our circumstances. Now, we do this in ministry. 1/

We take responsibility for everything out of, ironically, an over-inflated sense of importance to the situation-"if I don't do it, it will all fall apart." This is part of why we gain a sense of significance from ministry-we are doing what always gave us purpose-fixing things. 2/

However, in ministry this means:

1) we struggle to share responsibility b/c we have never experienced a collaborative environment. So we take on more than is truly possible and set ourselves up to fail, which, not surprisingly, deals us an even deeper emotional blow. 3/

When we fail, we cannot see that the problem was not our inability, but the amount of pressure we put on ourselves and our unwillingness to share the load. 4/

2) We have difficulty trusting responsibility to those around us. It's easier, even safer, to do it ourselves. This is both b/c of our sense of "control" over the situation, & our fear of being let down by another's promises. This undermines the productivity of the whole team. 5/

It's Friday afternoon, it's dark outside and school is over for the week. Let me tell you some truths about markets in 2021

The consensus view this year is all pervasive. Everything I see and read is based upon it. Parts of it may eventually come true, but it's not going to be sunshine and rainbows

To summarise, the mechanical recovery taking place will become self-sustaining as vaccines and "pent-up demand" combine to lead to an orgy of consumerism

Of course this is a very American fantasy because elsewhere, no one expects anything of the sort to happen, not least Europe or Japan, where we'll continue to be frugal

To add to this we have the Fed "backstopping" the market and a new Democratic administration stuffing cash into the hands of people who already have money

Christmas has been & gone, we are in a new year but it is all sounding & feeling very similar to where we were. This time we are ready. We are hurt, we are saddened but we are standing up for what matters and we are united with one aim to see our loved ones #rightsforresidents

Over the last week there has been a lot of anger & frustration building up. Will our loved ones get a vaccine, many still haven’t, goal posts get moved, &the gap widens between 1st/2nd vaccine, will it change the visiting guidance, will we ever see them again,no one will answer!

We hear that Covid+patients are to be discharged into care homes,again.There is a plan,does anyone know it? Where are these designated homes,how will they be managed, will staff be completely separate&where are they coming from?will our loved ones be safe? Can this happen again?

Rights for residents is just that, a campaign to stand up for the #Rightsforresidents in care homes, our loved ones - young adults, children and older people - ignored and forgotten, but not by us

These rights include vaccines, hospital visits/discharges but our primary campaign was & is visits rights. For too long we have been separated from our loved ones, families torn apart & plastic screen put between us - at best

1. Another batch of submissions to the @Commonswomequ GRA inquiry have been published, including our own. We will link to some of the most interesting in this thread.

https://t.co/w0TAYjMCOn
"We recommend the removal of the term ‘gender’ when they actually mean ‘sex’...

2. from all official documents, and a public information campaign to do the same across the whole of the UK."

"We recommend anyone issued with a GRC is told very clearly that their sex has not changed, and they are not entitled to the rights of the opposite sex."

3. From a @MerchedCymru woman:
"I know of one school in Cardiff where the School, despite complaints to the School and Governors, have deliberately replaced single-sex provision with mixed-sex provision........done in the name of

4. Very interesting from Judge Paula Gray, the President of the GenderRecognition Panel:
"Panel induction training included talks by trans people, and we were addressed on the background to the...Act through an academic approach by Prof. Steven Whittle.

5. From @AnnMSinnott at the AEA:

"The law is clear but the same cannot be said for guidance on EA2010 from the EHRC nor from the GEO."
(Ms Sinnott is seeking judicial review of this guidance, see her profile for

1/10 In the last couple of days I've lost quite a few followers simply because they didn't like what I had to say, with some of them even saying I wasn't a true conservative.

That said, I would like to take this opportunity to clearly state my beliefs. They are as follows;

2/10 My conservatism: I want a small, decentralized federal government with LIMITED powers. I believe in individual freedom, low taxes, free trade, private enterprise & the rule of law. Our rights come from God, not the government.

My libertarian streak: I'm pro-life...

3/10 no one should deny the innocent their God given right to live. I support gay marriage, provided that religious institutions are not forced to perform such ceremonies. I support marijuana legalization, & overall drug decriminalization because (a) money & resources used to...

4/10 punish addicts can be better spent on treatment. Afterall, addiction is a disease, not a crime and (b) I've a problem with the government dictating what an ADULT can/cannot put in their own body. It all comes down to personal choice & responsibility...

5/10 Nationalism: I'm somewhat cautious with the term 'nationalism' because as a student of history, I know that it can lead to a dark & dangerous path. As a Canadian, born & raised, I'm a Canadian patriot who believes our people, irrespective of race, colour etc...

Hello everyone arguing about the #minimumwage! Someday I'll post a thread about the evidence our @UW team compiled in Seattle.

Today let's talk about hours.

Raise the wage on most low-paying jobs & workers still don't have enough to live on. Because they can't get enough hours.

The graph above is based on data from WA: one of only 4 states that collects systematic data on hours worked. It shows information for anyone earning under $11/hr in 2014-15, when the minimum wage was no more than $9.47.

The data have some important limitations:

-No information on gig/contractor employment
-No "informal" employment
-No jobs outside WA

However if a worker is holding 2+ job we can "see" all of them and include them all in calculating how many hours they work.

The median low wage worker works ~800 hours per year.

With a $15 minimum wage, working 800 hours/year, your annual income works out to $12,000.

That's below the poverty line for a single person, and less than half the poverty line for a family of 4.

Whereas if you could get full time hours (2,000/year) your income would be $30k.

The problem with low wage work (aside from low wages): these jobs tend to be unstable, seasonal, or offered by employers that need a large workforce for a limited number of hours per week.

Since the minimum wage is specified in dollars/hour, it can't guarantee a living income.

I’m not what you’d class as ‘well’. But a few things I learned. First up...things that ease your breathing. I find it hard to imagine having done this without Olbas oil and Vicks VapoRub or cheap as chips menthol crystals. You cannot over apply. I used it like body butter.

Patience. I’m a card carrying workaholic but this took control away. One day you’re quite ill, the next you might have some respite, but then another wave of symptoms can hit. This is the Marathon Des Sables of viruses. But much less fun and no medal at the end.

Water. Buckets of it in whatever form...cold, hot with lemon, tea, pop. Sipping frequently short circuits coughing, soothes the throat, and means your mucous is thinner and easier to shift. My tests found fizzy water the best.

Sleep. If you’re like me you’ll barely get any especially as you’re pissing like a donkey with all the water. Lying down causes pressure on your lungs. Accept that your sleep pattern will change, don’t fight it. Don’t get anxious about it. Stay up and watch Netflix until 5am.

Buy a pillow wedge. You do need to sleep but lying down is the enemy. Pillows don’t stay stacked up and I ended up waking up gasping for air. A wedge is stiffer creating a sturdy slope to put your pillows on. They also say sleep on your chest. Not with these chebs I wasn’t!

Earlier today, a group of anti-mask protestors did maskless shopping at the Beverly Connection Target in West L.A. After they entered, they got into a few verbal altercations with customers.

A shopper aimed a bottle of cleaning spray at the anti-maskers. He seemed to spray them with the cleaning liquid.

“It’s not a pandmic, it’s a plan-demic, it’s a scam-demic,” one of the anti-maskers said to a man who engaged with them for a few minutes.

Soon after, two LAPD officers entered the store, approached for crowd and spoke with them for a few minutes. The man who engaged with group earlier asked for them to be removed from the store.

The officers left a few minutes later without making arrests or giving citations that I know of.

Having a book out when the bookshops are shut and publicity tours aren't an option (except via zoom) is tough. Lockdowns favour big names over smaller or newer authors. But here are some amazing things you can do to help authors ride this out...

1) Review their books on amazon: it's most people's book search engine, and even more when there are no bookshops to browse or booksellers to ask... for example ahem...

2) TELL THEM you enjoyed their book. They may be feeling glum. You will 100% make their day.

3) If their book isn't out yet, preorder it! For eg this from @ldlapinski is coming in April. Most booksellers will be ordering smaller quantities than usual, this gives them a reason to order more! Also you might get a lovely package from @rshipbshop

Oops forgot a bridgerton gif for the last one. Enjoy this one.

Used to take saxophone classes at my church when I hadn't gotten admission to uni yet. I had this special spot at the back of my church when I'd rehearse peacefully. There was a house behind the church. On certain days, I'd hear noises more like a person crying.....

Or wailing or a heated argument. Used to dismiss it as movies or TV noises and just did my thing. This certain day, I was eating before rehearsals, Spaghetti and Dodo to be precise, then I heard those noises again. This time around, there was the cry of a child....

.....loud and clear. I never knew a child lived there. It got louder. I was forced to peep. There she was, petite and dark-skinned.
"My daddy is beating my mommy!!! My daddy want to kill my mommy with knife!!!"
Fear. Gripped me hard.
They lived there alone.

The house was just refurbished at the time, so my guess was they bought it, refurbished it and moved in alone. No neighbors.
The girl saw me.
"Please help my mommy, please call police"
I was transfixed.
Then I jolted back to reality.

Ran back to the church, alerted men in there.
Called about 4 of them.
We got to the gate of the house.
Locked.
Then we started banging.
The noise alerted those around.
(The area is almost like an estate, quiet and stuff, so little noise alerted the others).

🧵TERRIBLE NEWS IN KENTUCKY EVERYONE:

SB 9—the “Born Alive” bill enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature—is now law because @AndyBeshearKY failed to veto it.

That’s good news for forced birthers in Kentucky—not so much for pregnant people. #TeamLegal

The bill sat on Beshear’s desk for ten whole ass days. He could've vetoed it.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he just let it go into effect. And the cherry on top of the shit sundae? Today is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

So that's fun.

So what exactly *is* the Born Alive law?

It is a fear-mongering and myth-making law based on THE LIE that abortion providers are somehow aborting newborns on the regular.

I don't know about you, but aborting a newborn is called murder or infanticide where I’m from.

Kentucky's "Born Alive" law is utter propaganda.

It is also a blatant attempt by Republican legislators to control how and when physicians provide abortion care as @heyitscalla pointed out in this piece for @RewireNewsGroup:

Kentucky’s “Born Alive” law (SB 9) requires a physician performing an abortion "to take all medically appropriate and reasonable steps to preserve the life and health of a born alive infant."

You can read the bill here:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights!
Read this Thread please carefully!
ALL governments that are in lockdown violates their own UN rights! Look at this and read carefully.

The full article can be found here

Art 1:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood

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Art.2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property,

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birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing

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..or under any other limitation of sovereignty.