Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins
@ajcousins.bsky.social
Queer romance author. Obsessive book buyer. Slow runner. Fascinated birder. She/her, bi. Rep'd by Handspun Literary Agency. Volunteer Child Advocate for detained immigrant kiddos. Views my own.
LAUREN IS A ROCK STAR AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE SHE DRAWS AMAZING BIRDS. 😍👇
Lauren@tinylongwing.bsky.social · 18m agoI'll be drawing birds for donations again this year in addition to my weekly running miles! Details on how to donate for bird illustrations will come later this month. Looking forward to doing this again with you all, the kids need the help more than ever!
The govt has fired *all* the immigration attorneys representing detained children and given a $150 million contract to a 26-employee law firm in Texas with ONE immigration attorney. @theyoungcenter.bsky.social's Child Advocates are now the last line of defense for kids in deportation hearings.
Amy Jo (AJ) Cousins@ajcousins.bsky.social · 2h agoWanna help? Become a Waymaker! We're running, walking, cycling 20,000 miles in September to raise money to get immigrant kids out of detention and back with family. Someone who kayaks to work is dedicating his miles to Waymakers! A salsa dance class is counting steps! It all counts! #BeAWaymaker
Why have I never made cashew chicken at home before??? This is so good, I want to eat the whole pan (a large portion of which is going to my mom's, so there will likely be no leftovers after my son decimates the remainder.) 😭 RecipeTin Eats is such a go-to cookbook for me. Love Nagi's recipes!
NEW: Judge Allison Burroughs in Massachusetts is *pissed* at DOJ. She does not hold back, calling out DOJ's bad-faith litigating in the TPS cases, in addition to the overarching "shameful cruelty" of what the Trump administration is doing. From her latest order in the Somalia TPS case:
![Leaving aside the shameful cruelty inherent in eschewing a “wind down period” for
people under threat of deportation, many of whom are productive members of our communities
who have lived here for years, built a life here, worked here and raised their families here, the
Court is mindful of both the Supreme Court ruling and the recent First Circuit judgment in this
case. That said, the Court will also not abdicate its responsibility to make thoughtful, wellreasoned decisions after affording all parties a full and fair opportunity to be heard. It is
therefore ORDERED that Plaintiffs respond to Defendants’ motion to lift the stay, [ECF No.
97], by 5:00 p.m. on August 5, 2026. The Court further amends the scheduling order on
supplemental briefing, [ECF No. 82]. Pursuant to the amended schedule, Defendants’ brief is
also due by 5:00 p.m. on August 5, 2026, and any reply brief by Plaintiffs will be due by
5:00 p.m. on August 6, 2026. The Court anticipates a decision on Defendants’ motion, which
will be accompanied by a decision on Plaintiffs’ emergency motion if the Court decides to lift
the administrative stay, early next week. Should Defendants return to the First Circuit prior to
that as they threaten in their motion, the Court will assume that it has lost jurisdiction, which will
delay its rulings.
SO ORDERED.
August 4, 2026 /s/ Allison D. Burroughs
ALLISON D. BURROUGHS
U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:36eqtmzysqf7wsslczw4uxcd/bafkreidyjkwygfgvpjd52dgdyfqvi4w5f66on3whxjfukc2ug2ufdv5nem)
this post is so good and necessary and everyone should read it
My Favorite Thing: The Cat That Hates Me + That One SFF Author Who Hates Everyone (Thoughts on Exile) | Micaiah Johnson
The first time I fed Sasha she sliced open my hand and bit my leg so hard it bruised. The second time I fed Sasha she hissed and swiped, but
patreon.com
Micaiah Johnson@micaiahjohnson.bsky.social · 3d agoVery nervous about tomorrow’s blog on Patreon so have some out of context quotes from it as a treat 💜
David Hoffman lost to Giannoulias in the 2010 Democratic Senate primary. Giannoulias lost to Mark Kirk but stayed in state politics, and I often wish Hoffman could've had the successful political career instead. I wish we had the anti-corruption guy running for mayor instead of this hot garbage. 😒
Mike Fragassi@refrag.bsky.social · 3d agoAlexi Giannoulias says: one thousand more Chicago cops, and bring back ShotSpotter www.reddit.com/r/chicago/co...
I am reading Alix Harrow's Starling House and it is very, very, very good, but the main character has been so tightly cornered by the bad guys, all her choices eliminated one by one, that I am experiencing vicarious claustrophobia and have to put the book down. 😭 Highly recommended though! 😂
It was so windy and grey where I saw this House Finch, while hunting for a Clapper Rail (which remained out of sight, just taunting me with calls), except for this one specific moment. So pretty! #birds
I'm aware this is probably sacrilegious but John Leguizamo's scenes are my favorite part of John Wick. 😬😁
Danielle Kurtzleben@titonka.bsky.social · 4d agoI have seen the Odyssey and my main takeaway is that it’s time to give John Leguizamo an award for not only being great but singlehandedly improving EVERY FILM HE IS IN.
My lifesaver recently has been buying these family packs of noodles. Whenever I can't think of what I'm going to eat, I just throw whatever vegetables and protein are in the fridge into a quick stir fry, cook the noodles and put them in any broth, doctor w/sauces and oils and yay soup. :)
This starts today! You can watch on ESPN at 5:00. I personally have chosen the Firebells as my team for now, because I have no sports grudges about San Francisco and because they have the best name by a mile. www.womensprobaseballleague.com
Women's Pro Baseball League
womensprobaseballleague.com
I only read 1 or 2 horror novels a year (too scary, mostly), but this was one of my faves. 👇 I still had to put it down when I was getting too tense, but I only skipped ahead once to find out if someone was about to die. 😁
Seanan McGuire@seananmcguire.bsky.social · 4d agoINTO THE DROWNING DEEP by Mira Grant is only $2 in US eBook format today! That's less than half the cost of a cup of decent coffee for hours and hours of meticulous marine biology research leading you to the horrors of the deep!
good morning chicago /midwest artists! 10 days left to submit proposals for ART IN THESE TIMES, in conjunction w FALL OF FREEDOM artists unite against authoritarianism! artists reconsider political art! (politics here start with: selected artists will be PAID!) interccect.com/art-in-these...
Art In These Times – Fall of Freedom
Art in These Times October 2–4, 2026 Authoritarian assaults on free thinking, fellow feeling, and creative making call for artists to unite in defiance. The 2nd annual Fall of Freedom festival conv…
interccect.com
Another amazing west coast bird, the Black Oystercatcher. SO COOL. 😍 This one was all by itself on a rock near a cormorant colony, where I finally saw, and got terrible pics of, some Pelagic Cormorants too. #birds
Spotted Towhee! I always look for them in Chicago, but it's never a Spotted, not yet. 😒 I am envious of the west coast for having so many of them. #birds
Okay, I'm bored to tears with my current running playlist. I need new songs. What are your fave songs for a workout? I listen to almost everything.
The Trump administration has gone months without paying attorneys who represent unaccompanied immigrant children as part of a years-old, congressionally-funded effort. The latest in a series of temporary bridge contracts ends tomorrow, with no replacement in sight: www.huffpost.com/entry/unacco...
These Lawyers Make Sure Children Don’t Face Deportation Hearings Alone. Trump Hasn't Paid Them In Months.
“We know what happens when children go to court without an attorney,” a lawyer said. “One word: deportation.”
huffpost.com
literally impeach him just for this
Murshed Zaheed@murshedz.bsky.social · 7d ago“Trump has rejected disaster aid for Democratic-run states at the highest rate in the 47-year history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” Right now people in blue states are basically paying federal taxes as if they’re colonized territories of red states. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...
I fixed my vacuum cleaner! Please clap. Every 2 years something goes wrong with my vac. Usually it's because I've neglected a maintenance step, but I still feel like a champion when I figure it out and can vacuum again. All cleaning is impossible if I can't vacuum. Have now vacuumed 4 rooms.
I got THREE grebe lifers in San Francisco. After spotting the Western and Clark's Grebes at Lake Merced, I got to see (finally!) an Eared Grebe at Moss Landing (plus more Westerns and Clark's). I love their fancy spray of feathers. :) #birds
I'm trying out a new offering: custom building illustrations. There are limited spots open now, but more may open up depending on demand. Have you ever wanted an illustration of a particular building? Your home, a favorite building, a place you used to love when you were younger...now's your chance.
Zohranmarts: good, yes. But consider: Mo'degas
Sarah@sosomanysarahs.bsky.social · last wk.I agree with this, but I would note that we're maybe a couple more massive food contamination scandals away from steak out of the back of a car not seeming significantly more risky than steak from the store. (The solution would be to re-regulate, of course, not close down the Zohranmarts.)
Lynne Freeman got a write up in the fucking New Yorker to turn people against Tracy Wolff and it absolutely fucking sucks that all the people who read that salacious piece will never know that Lynne Freeman lied to the court, conducted this litigation in bad faith, and had absolutely zero case.
You may recall the case where Lynne Freeman sued Tracy Wolff for writing a YA set in Alaska where the male lead was hot and broody, just like in Freeman's book. This litigation went on for three years before a judge finally read both books and said there was zero infringement.
Courtney Milan@courtneymilan.com · 2mo agoSo do you all remember Lynne Freeman who sued Tracy Wolff because Freeman wrote a YA paranormal set in Alaska where the hero was hot and the heroine only learned about her paranormal heritage as a teenager, and so did Tracy?
All Phoebes are lovely, but the Say's Phoebe is somehow extra lovely? A watercolor painting of a bird. #birds
If you have type-O positive blood and you can manage it, please consider donating blood *as soon as possible* - this is a very bad situation.
public health guy@publichealthguy1.bsky.social · last wk.yikes
