Sheila Quirke
@MaryTylerMom
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Freelance writer. MSW. Mom. Wife. Grieving parent. Chicago enthusiast. Politics. CPS. Fancies myself an iPhone camera savant.
Chicago
Joined April 2012
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Honored and humbled to be included on this list and amongst this company of the best kind of movers and shakers. ❤️
From a mom fighting for pediatric cancer funding to a yoga instructor changing lives in Lawndale to a boy on a quest for baseball pocket schedules, 18 (or so) people who inspired me to seek empathy, hope and justice in 2018
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I’ve never been on the Glennon Doyle train, but I am after tonight on
#AnswerTheCall2024
. She spoke directly to white women’s history of not showing up and relying on the labor of Black women. Whew. So true. We need to change that. For our kids and our cats.
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Finally, important to note that there would be no
#AnswerTheCall2024
without
#WinWithBlackWomen
. $2 million+ raised tonight. Another zoom call Sunday night at 7PM for ALL women because we can win, but only if we work together.
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Watching Tim Walz’ teen son, Gus, get emotional, cry, and jump up exclaiming, “That’s my Dad!” as his father tells America that his wife and kids are the most important thing for him is the opposite of toxic masculinity.
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“Your whiteness will not save you for what the patriarchy has in store for you.”
#AnswerTheCall2024
has earned over 1.2 million $$$ in under an hour. Thank you,
@shannonrwatts
.
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This, this, this. My girl died six days after I turned 40. I turned 50 a couple of months ago and the most significant thing I have done this decade is survive and raise my two boys. My 40s are, quite honestly, a blur, an endurance event, a marathon run.
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Chicago’s children have no school buses, no city pools in any neighborhood, no school library access. Where are my taxes going? To police and pension funds. I am sick and tired of this austerity that impacts children, robbing them of basic needs. Enough,
@chicagosmayor
.
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CPS parent here. I do not want remote learning. Of my 2 kids, 1 did well with it, 1 did not, both disliked/hated it. But these are hard times within hard times. CPS has failed with testing and vaccines. They could do more, but they only do more when pushed by CTU. 1/
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Why are so many suburban parents up in arms over masks kids in Chicago are wearing?
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Utterly breathtaking to me how the GOP talking heads are talking about the importance of compromise and the majesty of democracy and divided government when, not two weeks ago, they rammed through a SCOTUS nominee with smug smiles explaining that they did it because they could.
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@kenolin1
It is okay to listen sometimes. It is okay to not tweet out every thought that you think. And it is absolutely okay to never ever refer to a justifiably angry woman as nasty.
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@Nelba_MG
Peace be with you. I am a grieving mother, too, but for a different reason. I know the ache, but not because someone took my baby from me with a gun. Not the callousness of politicians who refuse to change laws to prevent it from taking someone else’s baby.
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Just got word that 1 of our CPS schools is closing fully through Wednesday, 1/12 because of staffing shortages related to COVID. Mayor Lori Lightfoot can continue to accuse and berate teachers in the press for their demand to only work remote, but schools are closing regardless.
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Hit pause. Ramp up vaccine distribution in schools. Provide proper masks. Move to opt-out testing. This is achievable. Right now. Stop fighting temp safety measures that are common sense and protect all. That will be the quickest route to getting kids back in school. /end
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The City and CPS have failed, repeatedly. I do not trust them to initiate safety precautions that work during this surge of 24% positivity. MLL seems more invested in demonizing and antagonizing CTU than finding solutions. She does not bargain, let alone bargain in good faith. 2/
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Good morning, Chicago. Love this tete a tete between two giants, Mies and Goldberg.
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Susan is trying, but Susan is failing. Pence has blown through his time limits all night long. Glad Harris stood her ground this last time.
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Chicago needs to come together on this.
The proposed Tiger Woods Golf Course on the South Side will destroy the beloved South Shore Nature Sanctuary. And all to turn it into a private green lawn. Please join us in saving it.
#SouthSideParks
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KARENS FOR KAMALA! YES! I am here for this Connie Britton commentary. White women are getting educated tonight! It is sorely needed.
#AnswerTheCall2024
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Our kids deserve collaboration and adults who work together to create solutions. This constant battle is not lost on them. They are growing up in this context and it is harming them. CPS kids are also worthy of the same ed approach that MLL’s kid has — temporary remote. 3/
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@kerrikmorris
@AngryBlackLady
Put your girl’s name on everything, including real estate. Have convos about your values and wishes about end of life. Let her know you are making decisions, she is carrying them out, alerting docs. Complete POAs for health and finance. Downsize early. Tell her your worries. ♥️
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Brought my boys to march for common sense gun legislation today in Chicago. They need to know that democracy requires work. Organized by
@MomsDemand
and the energy was good and angry, fed up, demanding better. So many kids. Thank you,
@shannonrwatts
.
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Watching President Carter in his reclined chair, on hospice, stepping back into the world to be present for the goodbye to his dear Roslyn. Listening to their girl Amy read a love letter to her from WWII, as his last goodbye. Grateful for their love story. ♥️
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This little one is my girl, Donna, who died of a brain tumor at age 4. Today she would turn 17. For me, birthdays are harder than death anniversaries. If you see this, maybe do something kind in her honor. I think she would like that. She was amazing. We’ll meet you there, girl.
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Journalists and writers: Nobody “loses” their battle with cancer. People die, they do not lose and are not losers. Why is cancer still the disease that welcomes that language? Do folks lose their battle with Alzheimer’s? Heart disease? No. They die. Just say that.
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Ummmmm. My student loans have just been forgiven. In full. Like, wow. Just wow. Stunned. Amazed. Relieved. Also, WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!
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@markfollman
I was feeling some sadness for the kid’s involved, and then I read an article about how Loughlin’s daughter is making bank by Instagramming her college experience and vlogging about how boring learning is and I am firmly rooted in outrage again.
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My 2nd grader had three kids in person today. Three. All other kids are learning remotely because of a positive case in the room. You can only be in-person if you are fully vaxxed, so that gives you a sense of how vaccination is going in CPS.
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Is it me, or is there breathless anticipation of violent protests in Chicago from many different outlets — local outlets, national outlets, far right GOP and far lefties?
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This is for you,
@HC_Richardson
. ♥️
Historians in 2050 will be writing their entire PhD thesis on specific days of 2020.
“I specialize in American history of Oct 1, 2020, crossing over a bit into Oct 2, 2020”
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My contribution to “Chicago is having the most beautiful fall ever” Twitter. A burst of living flame next to my daughter’s grave. Used a Prisma edit, as I wanted to remember now how it precisely looked, but how it made me feel in the moment.
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@Nelba_MG
Today is a hard day for me — my daughter’s 17th birthday, though she hasn’t been with me since she was 4. Grateful for the light and strength you give to so many who grieve. Your Ana still shines so bright through you. Goodnight to you and your empathy that brings me comfort. ♥️
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Extremely grateful to the principal of one of our son’s CPS schools who has communicated tirelessly since winter break. Today they sent a breakdown of COVID cases, testing rates, and attendance of students/teachers for two days post break. As of today, 1/2 school in quarantine.
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It’s been 13 years today since our girl has been gone. She is so missed. We’ll meet you there, Donna.
#childhoodcancer
#pediatriccancer
#braintumors
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I just spent way too many dollars for a ticket to Michelle Obama’s book tour, but I am thinking of it as a penance for the 53% of my fellow white women who voted for Trump.
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15 years ago, right about now, actually, this beautiful girl made me a mom. She was gone just 4 years later. Grateful for the honor of caring for her, learning from her, knowing her joy. Find some joy today, share a kindness, say her name. Donna.
���️
#DonnaWasHere
♥️
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Also no baggers and very few cashiers, meaning customers are self-checking all their groceries before bagging them independently. We are all programmed to tolerate this while a very few keep getting wealthier.
Kroger—whose 2022 profit topped $2.2B, up 35.6% from 2021—underpaid its employees hundreds of times. And then it overpaid a few on bonuses.
And without correcting the underpayment—which is criminal wage theft—they’re demanding overpayments be returned.😑
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@kristinerudolph
@iSmashFizzle
Co-sign. 50 year old here who was so happy to FINALLY join in with my former classmates sharing graduation photos of their kids. Theirs from college, mine from kindergarten. 😂
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Just got an email at 1PM from one of our CPS schools that after care was cancelled for today and tomorrow. How is that gonna impact parents that thought they had a safe place for their kids until 5 or 6 today? This is the kind of nonsense that Lori Lightfoot needs to anticipate.
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12 years ago today, our daughter died. You don’t stop grieving, you just get used to making room for your grief. We decorate pumpkins as an annual offering to Donna’s presence. May the pumpkins and sky and trees always keep her company. We miss you girl. We’ll meet you there. ♥️
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Told ya. No buses, no pools, no librarians in schools. What did Chicago’s children do to deserve this? They pay the steepest price for police misconduct and underfunded pensions.
Chicago's 77 indoor and outdoor pools were supposed to open next week. The Park District is delaying until at least July 5 as they look for more lifeguards.
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Trump paid nothing in taxes in 2012. Not a dime.
@BarackObama
who wants to raise all our taxes, only pays 20.5% on $790k salary.
http://t.co/bqF26mQf
Do as I say not as I do.
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As a
#CPS
parent, I am tired of
@ChiPubSchools
and
@ChicagoMayor
working overtime to manipulate me and leverage the stress I feel during this
#CTUSEIUstrike
. There are consistent attempts to undermine the trust we place in our children’s teachers. Stop playing games with us.
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When you listen to Chicago’s top docs at Lurie’s, Northwestern, and Comer’s, they say it is not safe in CPS right now. MLL says to follow the science, but when you do follow and listen to those most aware of care and tx of Chicago’s children, they are agreeing with CTU.
Comment from a doctor at Lurie Children’s Hospital
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I want to trash talk Darren Bailey, but the truth is that he is a white supremacist Christian nationalist who is the GOP candidate for Gov. of Illinois. There are a hell of a lot of people throughout this state, including Chicago, that are happy to vote for him. He is a danger.
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@Wheel0fCheese
It is a sad day when common sense becomes politicized and considered nuanced. MLL is hell bent on sticking it to CTU more than doing what is needed. It is not easy to ask for or enact these measures, but it is what is called for in this moment. MLL needs to be a one term mayor.
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@matthewjdowd
Thank you for this. I was raised Catholic, now consider myself agnostic, and married an atheist, who is, hands down, the best human being I know. Kind, generous, compassionate, sensitive, loyal — so much goodness. One does not have to be religious or have faith to be good.
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I was wondering how Republicans would respond/ignore/justify the actions of Lauren Boebert in that Denver theater. Got my answer reading comments to this thread.
I don't know the last year this would have been true, but it wasn't long ago that a Member of Congress of either party caught being sexually explicit in a crowded theatre, in front of children, would have resigned within days.
So, how did political media over it?
(thread)
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@MollyJongFast
Textbook narcissist. He is the center of all things, so, of course, a growing global pandemic is about him. This is true of ALL things and will not change. From his POV, the world, people, all things are only experienced in relationship to him being centered.
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@ava
Ava, my little girl died of cancer nine years ago. I saw your movie with my son, who was just a baby when Donna died. It felt hopeful and magical to think about wrinkles in time and being reunited. Your work helped me feel connected to my girl. Thank you for that. ❤️
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@matthewjdowd
Hate, bigotry, otherness, white supremacy, the fallacy of American exceptionalism — these powers are all alive and well, sadly, and millions of our fellow Americans would gladly vote for them.
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It took a number of tries for my donation to go through, but it did. Keep trying, or come back in a few hours. If Kamala Harris is going to win, she needs the help and support of white women. I am here to
#AnswerTheCall2024
. Let’s make history.
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@tahmanbradley
“Cultural views” is a kind and polite reframe of blatant bigotry and hate. Please be accurate in your descriptions.
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And I have no idea who this young former Miss South Carolina is, but I feel for her. Like dead service members at Arlington, she is used as another prop to sow hate and discord.
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This light was born 16 years ago today. Hard day. We miss Donna fiercely. May you find a moment of wonder in her honor. We’ll meet you there, girl.
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@stephenablack
Hi, Olivia! My name is Sheila and I started wearing glasses when I was 7. I am sorry you don’t love wearing or needing glasses now, but I hope and believe you will learn to love them someday. Some of my favorite people wear glasses. Yours are pretty cool!
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PSA! To folks raising white boys who consume YouTube, Tic Toc — ask them about Andrew Tate. I had never heard of him, but my 13 yo son talked about his views with me this morning. “Remember when you told me to tell you if anyone tried to radicalize me?” Keep talking and teaching.
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Heard from my daughter’s oncologist today. That meant the world to me. Pediatric oncologists are heroes doing sacred work with not enough resources. ♥️
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This sweet little sprite who made me a mama would have turned 18 today. It’s never an easy day, but I remain grateful Donna was with us the time she was. What an amazing, smart, wise human. If you see this, pass it on, do a kindness for another. We’ll meet you there, girl. ♥️
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Grief is funny. My daughter died at age 4. I would often have to calculate what grade she would be in. This year she would be graduating from high school, no calculations needed. I can’t stop thinking of what she would be like, what she is missing, what we are missing. 1/2
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Anyone else really annoyed by the number of people outside Chicago who are suddenly experts on our public schools?
Folks from Arlington Heights and Tennessee and Florida and Schaumburg can take all the seats.
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Today is
#WorldCancerDay
. This is my daughter, Donna. She died of an aggressive brain tumor at age 4. Donna was amazing and I am so lucky to have been her mom. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily . . . life is but a dream. 🖤
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11 years ago this morning, my daughter died. I still don’t really believe it, but I remember her and now she is gone, so there it is. Pumpkins are our annual offering to her life and her memory. Donna was amazing. We’ll meet you there, girl.
🖤
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Gray hair, don’t care. This month marks three years since I’ve colored my hair. Here’s to getting older. ♥️
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@SeanMMorrison
@SeanCasten
@GOP
Nice. Bring up Casten’s own recent tragedy and loss. Do you feel better now? Like you scored a political point, Commissioner?
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@KevinMKruse
And do those bright folks at Fox who pop up a graphic with the $ increases for vets from 2007 - 2017 bother to acknowledge that we started a war in 2003? Of course the $ has increased! Way to skew the news, Fox.
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This is why some of us CPS parents do not trust the district, and why I trust the CTU more fully, as they see what CPS does up close and personal every day. Listen to the teachers. The incompetence, corruption, willful cover-ups within CPS seem to be the norm, not the exception.
🧵Today I’ll share the story of how
@ChiPubSchools
has been displaying different sets of COVID data to intentionally deceive parents & the public about COVID in schools. I’ll share evidence about how and (shockingly) WHEN they started fudging the numbers. Strap in. 1/
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I haven’t seen this much engagement with my Twitter content since I was a mom blogger back in the early 2010s. Basically closed up shop in 2016 because I hated all the white women yelling at me when I called Donald Trump a racist.
#AnswerTheCall2024
got my angry energy back!
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@KFILE
So much love to you, Andrew. Your grief is only magnified by the birthday and the anniversary of this brutal year. May your sweet baby girl always be the light of 2020 and the month of March — that fateful month of transition from chill to warmth, dark to light. ♥️
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@matthewjdowd
Took this shot of my boy “fishing” at a lake in June. He saw some men fishing earlier in the day and his Daddy made him a pole out of a stick and sea grass. We give thanks to Mother Nature every day.
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As mother of a child that died of a cancer that is so statistically rare it is not even researched, thinking of children in statistical terms is never the way to go. Kids are the whole world for the people who love them and reducing them to a statistic is cruel, dismissive, cold.
“700 dead children out of 70 million children is so small that there’s no statistically significant difference from zero dead children.”
LISTEN TO YOURSELF and take a stats class monster
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Children’s hospitals, libraries, and schools are targets of Moms for Liberty and Awake Illinois. These are the same groups that advocate for banning books and don’t support masks or vaccines. Homeschooling parents demanding how public schools teach and hospitals treat. Get mad.
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@ChrisMurphyCT
This is the FB corporate version of “there are very fine people” that are being condemned. Nope.
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Feeling that mid-October heaviness and fatigue set in that comes every year. The pumpkins and falling leaves are markers of another year since our daughter has died. Will be 13 years since she’s left us, so many more than we had her with us. I know it’s coming, but still, oof. 💔
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Once upon a time, as we sat vigil for our daughter, people — some known to us, some unknown — came to our home and lit pumpkins every night, so we could look out our front window and see the love for our girl. I think of those pumpkins and that love every October. Still grateful.
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As a parent, every time we are in the middle of a CPS/CTU work action, I really wish I had a sense of where negotiations are at at the end of each day — just a sense of knowing if any progress is being made, if negotiations are, in fact, happening. Do others feel this way?
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Just snapped this in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. No filter. Gorgeous bloom on a gorgeous day.
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Remembering our beautiful Donna today on the anniversary of her death. She was amazing. ♥️
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Her brother is graduating 8th grade this year. I am carrying her with me as we celebrate. It is such a joy, honor, and privilege to see a child grow up. So grateful to celebrate my boy, but holding a deep and profound awareness that we should have 2 graduating this year, not one.
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Joined with some neighbors I have never met to serve dinner tonight at Touhy Park to those without homes who live there. There is so much need all around us. A great way to honor my girl. ♥️
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This sweet girl would be 19 today. Maybe do a kindness in Donna’s name, even small, to remember this beautiful girl who did not get to grow up. Also, cancer sucks. We’ll meet you there, girl. ♥️
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This morning,
@chicagosmayor
said she had not heard any complaints from parents, then contradicted herself and said the only complaints are coming from parents aligned with
@CTULocal1
, as if wanting kids to be safe in a pandemic is somehow a union plot. Can you hear me, Mayor?
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I have been a faithful shopper at
@MarianosMarket
, but that changes today with news that their owner,
@kroger
has put Elaine Chao on their board. I live in Chicago and have plenty of options to spend my $700-$900 monthly for groceries. Hoping others will join me.
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So . . . never.
Uvalde's police chief says his department will release more information on the shooting and the police response when "the families quit grieving."
And yes, that's an actual quote.
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@ChiPubSchools
And I just got an email from our principal that because of so many staff impacted by COVID, the entire school is closing until at least 1/12. If testing had been done properly, the two day farce of having kids return only to be exposed would not happen. Please, listen to CTU.
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Apropos of nothing, knowing that
#ElizabethWarren
has a wash-and-wear hairstyle, uses Ponds cold cream, wears sneakers to campaign events, and pairs bright jackets with black slacks every day makes me like her more. No nonsense. Get it done. Mom mode. Sign me up.
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@yashar
@robojojo
@BetteMidler
@GeraldoRivera
Is that the same Geraldo Riviera who today suggested there should be a statute of limitations of five years for victims to come forward? Yeah, that one.
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Today is
#RareDiseaseDay
, which seems like a good time to share my daughter, Donna, who died at age 4 of a rare and aggressive brain tumor called papillary meningioma. Donna was clever and wise and gentle and astute and funny and so very rare herself. Support science.
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All apologies to my neighbors who had to see me in my pajamas this morning, but when the sky in
#Chicago
looks like it is literally on fire, I will forego etiquette and roam around the alley in my pjs. Taken about 7:15 am.
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@Nelba_MG
💯, Nelba. The attacks on public ed are systematic. Folks playing the long game here, but COVID accelerated this, capitalizing on parent frustration. And dismantling public schools is also a tool of white supremacy. Racist to its core.
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