Melissa Gray
@msgray.bsky.social
NPR senior producer. I love this fool country and this fool cat. And my grandfather had impressive melons.
I’ve been home sick the last several days, watching cable news. An observation:
The car commercial with the baleful dude singing TLC’s “Waterfalls?” Awful.
If you can afford a Lincoln Navigator, you obviously CAN afford to not stick to the lakes and the rivers you’re used to.
The car commercial with the baleful dude singing TLC’s “Waterfalls?” Awful.
If you can afford a Lincoln Navigator, you obviously CAN afford to not stick to the lakes and the rivers you’re used to.
September 16, 2026 at 8:40 PM
I’ve been home sick the last several days, watching cable news. An observation:
The car commercial with the baleful dude singing TLC’s “Waterfalls?” Awful.
If you can afford a Lincoln Navigator, you obviously CAN afford to not stick to the lakes and the rivers you’re used to.
The car commercial with the baleful dude singing TLC’s “Waterfalls?” Awful.
If you can afford a Lincoln Navigator, you obviously CAN afford to not stick to the lakes and the rivers you’re used to.
Reposted by Melissa Gray
BREAKING: The Fed raises interest rates to battle inflation, defying Trump’s call for a cut.
Fed raises interest rates for first time since 2023, defying Trump as inflation mounts
The move comes after years of demands from President Donald Trump for lower interest rates.
nbcnews.to
September 16, 2026 at 6:03 PM
BREAKING: The Fed raises interest rates to battle inflation, defying Trump’s call for a cut.
And August was the hottest August since we’ve been keeping records.
Breaking News: The E.P.A. is said to be planning to announce that the U.S. will no longer limit climate pollution from power plants.
E.P.A. Will Erase Limits on Climate Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
nyti.ms
September 14, 2026 at 11:57 AM
And August was the hottest August since we’ve been keeping records.
Reposted by Melissa Gray
On Wednesday the Trump admin did something bizarre: they told 170,000 Salvadorans who have been living and working legally here for 25 years that their status was… TBD?
I wrote about what this means for so many people stuck in limbo.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/tps-for...
I wrote about what this means for so many people stuck in limbo.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/tps-for...
Trump Administration Throws TPS for El Salvador Into Limbo: Here’s What You Need to Know - American Immigration Council
Despite being some of the most-vetted immigrants in the nation, most Salvadorans with TPS have no path to permanent status in the U.S.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org
September 11, 2026 at 11:00 PM
On Wednesday the Trump admin did something bizarre: they told 170,000 Salvadorans who have been living and working legally here for 25 years that their status was… TBD?
I wrote about what this means for so many people stuck in limbo.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/tps-for...
I wrote about what this means for so many people stuck in limbo.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/tps-for...
Reposted by Melissa Gray
KS inmate members of Reaching Out from Within and KS DoC employees pooled $4,267 to help children whose families face food insecurity.
Superintendent Corey Roy said the project also gave the men a chance to reflect on making positive choices and impact.
local12.com/news/around-... #BlackskyNews
Superintendent Corey Roy said the project also gave the men a chance to reflect on making positive choices and impact.
local12.com/news/around-... #BlackskyNews
Prison inmates donate more than $4,000 to pay children's school lunch debt
Residents at the prison contributed $3,810 of their own money, while Kansas Department of Corrections employees added another $457.
local12.com
September 7, 2026 at 11:08 AM
KS inmate members of Reaching Out from Within and KS DoC employees pooled $4,267 to help children whose families face food insecurity.
Superintendent Corey Roy said the project also gave the men a chance to reflect on making positive choices and impact.
local12.com/news/around-... #BlackskyNews
Superintendent Corey Roy said the project also gave the men a chance to reflect on making positive choices and impact.
local12.com/news/around-... #BlackskyNews
Me: Gloria Steinem has died.
Teen son: I don’t know who that is.
Me: She helped make all things possible.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/u...
Teen son: I don’t know who that is.
Me: She helped make all things possible.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/u...
Gloria Steinem, Personification of the Women’s Movement, Dies at 92
She challenged sexist assumptions, helping women develop a sense of self-worth and gain a measure of equality at work, at home and in society at large.
www.nytimes.com
September 3, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Me: Gloria Steinem has died.
Teen son: I don’t know who that is.
Me: She helped make all things possible.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/u...
Teen son: I don’t know who that is.
Me: She helped make all things possible.
www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/u...
Reposted by Melissa Gray
American elections are transparent and secure — here’s how Democrats are preparing for Trump to say they’re fraudulent
August 28, 2026 at 9:31 AM
American elections are transparent and secure — here’s how Democrats are preparing for Trump to say they’re fraudulent
When my son was born at 28 weeks, there were three songs I would sing to him, over and over, as I watched him struggle to live.
One of them was “Coat of Many Colors.”
Rest in peace, Dolly. We didn’t deserve you, but I’m so glad you were among us.
One of them was “Coat of Many Colors.”
Rest in peace, Dolly. We didn’t deserve you, but I’m so glad you were among us.
August 25, 2026 at 6:33 PM
When my son was born at 28 weeks, there were three songs I would sing to him, over and over, as I watched him struggle to live.
One of them was “Coat of Many Colors.”
Rest in peace, Dolly. We didn’t deserve you, but I’m so glad you were among us.
One of them was “Coat of Many Colors.”
Rest in peace, Dolly. We didn’t deserve you, but I’m so glad you were among us.
I have a high school senior.
When I was a high school senior, adjusted to today’s value, the national debt was $6.58 trillion.
When I was a high school senior, adjusted to today’s value, the national debt was $6.58 trillion.
August 19, 2026 at 9:39 PM
I have a high school senior.
When I was a high school senior, adjusted to today’s value, the national debt was $6.58 trillion.
When I was a high school senior, adjusted to today’s value, the national debt was $6.58 trillion.
Reposted by Melissa Gray
JUST IN 🚨: U.S. National Debt hits $40 Trillion for the first time in history 🤯 Congrats everyone, we did it 🥳
August 19, 2026 at 9:11 PM
JUST IN 🚨: U.S. National Debt hits $40 Trillion for the first time in history 🤯 Congrats everyone, we did it 🥳
There are days, dear readers, I can hardly believe I’m paid for the work I do!
August 19, 2026 at 6:43 PM
There are days, dear readers, I can hardly believe I’m paid for the work I do!
Reposted by Melissa Gray
President Donald Trump, who has spread falsehoods about voting by mail as he seeks to reduce it, cast such a ballot himself in the most recent Florida primary. (via @politifact.bsky.social)
https://to.pbs.org/4ihkfId
https://to.pbs.org/4ihkfId
Trump cast a mail ballot in Florida's primary despite spreading falsehoods about mail voting fraud
Each election, tens of millions of Americans vote by mail, and evidence from court records and studies shows only a tiny fraction of those ballots are fraudulent.
www.pbs.org
August 18, 2026 at 9:43 PM
President Donald Trump, who has spread falsehoods about voting by mail as he seeks to reduce it, cast such a ballot himself in the most recent Florida primary. (via @politifact.bsky.social)
https://to.pbs.org/4ihkfId
https://to.pbs.org/4ihkfId
Meanwhile - this is not sustainable.
(Note: the theatre deployment of National Guard to DC is expected to cost $2 billion by the end of Trump’s term
Note: $269 billion for the immigration crackdown
Note: $1.3 billion plus for the war in Iran
Note: Kristi Noem still gets a paycheck)
(Note: the theatre deployment of National Guard to DC is expected to cost $2 billion by the end of Trump’s term
Note: $269 billion for the immigration crackdown
Note: $1.3 billion plus for the war in Iran
Note: Kristi Noem still gets a paycheck)
WaPo: “Trump pledged during his first campaign in 2016 to eliminate the debt within eight years; instead, it has doubled since he first took office.”
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
U.S. debt set to hit $40 trillion months earlier than expected
Faster borrowing — driven in part by lost revenue from invalidated tariffs — means the next debt-limit fight is also likely to arrive ahead of schedule.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 18, 2026 at 12:14 PM
Meanwhile - this is not sustainable.
(Note: the theatre deployment of National Guard to DC is expected to cost $2 billion by the end of Trump’s term
Note: $269 billion for the immigration crackdown
Note: $1.3 billion plus for the war in Iran
Note: Kristi Noem still gets a paycheck)
(Note: the theatre deployment of National Guard to DC is expected to cost $2 billion by the end of Trump’s term
Note: $269 billion for the immigration crackdown
Note: $1.3 billion plus for the war in Iran
Note: Kristi Noem still gets a paycheck)
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Via @kathrynpost.bsky.social: As ICE closes in, Ohio churches line up families to care for Haitian kids left behind religionnews.com/2026/08/17/a...
As ICE closes in, Ohio churches line up families to care for Haitian kids left behind
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (RNS) — In Springfield, Ohio, ICE shifts tactics to stealth raids and ankle monitors. Churches are responding by helping Haitian parents line up temporary caregivers, preparing for t...
religionnews.com
August 18, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
Reposted by Melissa Gray
Reposted by Melissa Gray
It’s been a year since President Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital and deployed thousands of members of the National Guard to its streets.
Questions continue to mount over the mission’s cost, its legality and its effectiveness in fighting crime. https://to.pbs.org/4wWQ1Pt
Questions continue to mount over the mission’s cost, its legality and its effectiveness in fighting crime. https://to.pbs.org/4wWQ1Pt
The effectiveness and cost of the National Guard deployment in D.C.
It has now been one year since President Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital and deployed thousands of members of the National Guard to its streets. Questions continue to mount ...
to.pbs.org
August 16, 2026 at 4:01 AM
It’s been a year since President Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital and deployed thousands of members of the National Guard to its streets.
Questions continue to mount over the mission’s cost, its legality and its effectiveness in fighting crime. https://to.pbs.org/4wWQ1Pt
Questions continue to mount over the mission’s cost, its legality and its effectiveness in fighting crime. https://to.pbs.org/4wWQ1Pt
I made a bag, with pockets.
No one else has this bag.
It is a bespoke bag.
Good job, me.
No one else has this bag.
It is a bespoke bag.
Good job, me.
August 11, 2026 at 9:08 PM
I made a bag, with pockets.
No one else has this bag.
It is a bespoke bag.
Good job, me.
No one else has this bag.
It is a bespoke bag.
Good job, me.
Reposted by Melissa Gray
And I'll say it again: that's 72 jabs with needles instead of 11 for little kids, all on different visits.
As it is, it's hard enough to get kids to go without tears and screams. This will create people who will refuse to go to medics ever again in their lives!
As it is, it's hard enough to get kids to go without tears and screams. This will create people who will refuse to go to medics ever again in their lives!
August 11, 2026 at 3:58 AM
And I'll say it again: that's 72 jabs with needles instead of 11 for little kids, all on different visits.
As it is, it's hard enough to get kids to go without tears and screams. This will create people who will refuse to go to medics ever again in their lives!
As it is, it's hard enough to get kids to go without tears and screams. This will create people who will refuse to go to medics ever again in their lives!
I know this:
Roger Stone loves him some Roger Stone.
Roger Stone loves him some Roger Stone.
Lots of funny elements here, including the turned-off responses. But do reserve appreciation for the Rommel-in-retirement aesthetic.
August 10, 2026 at 11:25 AM
I know this:
Roger Stone loves him some Roger Stone.
Roger Stone loves him some Roger Stone.
Reposted by Melissa Gray
When Alaska Airlines wanted to optimize its operations, it turned to a small startup called Air Space Intelligence. Now the FAA has hired the company for a major reboot of the entire U.S. airspace. n.pr/4qd4G6A
The FAA wants to reboot the nation's airspace. This airline shows how it might work
When Alaska Airlines wanted to optimize its operations, it turned to a small startup called Air Space Intelligence. Now the FAA has hired the company for a major reboot of the entire U.S. airspace.
n.pr
August 10, 2026 at 9:32 AM
When Alaska Airlines wanted to optimize its operations, it turned to a small startup called Air Space Intelligence. Now the FAA has hired the company for a major reboot of the entire U.S. airspace. n.pr/4qd4G6A
Reposted by Melissa Gray
Americans’ Social Security benefits will have to be cut by roughly a quarter in six years due to depleted funds, according to a June report from the Social Security Board of Trustees.
That’s months sooner than the group had estimated in 2025. https://to.pbs.org/4f39DL0
That’s months sooner than the group had estimated in 2025. https://to.pbs.org/4f39DL0
Your Social Security benefits could be cut by a quarter in 2032. Here’s what to know
Americans’ Social Security benefits will have to be cut by roughly a quarter in six years due to depleted funds, according to a June 9 report from the Social Security Board of Trustees. That’s months ...
to.pbs.org
August 2, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Americans’ Social Security benefits will have to be cut by roughly a quarter in six years due to depleted funds, according to a June report from the Social Security Board of Trustees.
That’s months sooner than the group had estimated in 2025. https://to.pbs.org/4f39DL0
That’s months sooner than the group had estimated in 2025. https://to.pbs.org/4f39DL0
Reposted by Melissa Gray
Trump officials say they found 250,000 noncitizens on voter rolls in just four states. Those states don't know where the numbers came from, and some worry what the claims may portend for the midterms. n.pr/4xa5sTT
Trump's noncitizen voter data remains a mystery. But the claims raise midterm fears
Trump officials say they found 250,000 noncitizens on voter rolls in just four states. Those states don't know where the numbers came from, and some worry what the claims may portend for the midterms.
n.pr
July 31, 2026 at 9:42 AM
Trump officials say they found 250,000 noncitizens on voter rolls in just four states. Those states don't know where the numbers came from, and some worry what the claims may portend for the midterms. n.pr/4xa5sTT
I love these articles:
YOU’RE NOT DOING ENOUGH
Oh, believe me, I’m doing MORE than enough, and I’m not including curtain washing every 3 months.
YOU’RE NOT DOING ENOUGH
Oh, believe me, I’m doing MORE than enough, and I’m not including curtain washing every 3 months.
Analysis: Doing laundry often feels like an unceasing task. Which makes it even more frustrating to learn that you probably aren’t doing nearly enough laundry.
Here are some fabric items that experts say you probably need to wash more often:
Here are some fabric items that experts say you probably need to wash more often:
Analysis | You’re probably not washing these household fabrics often enough
Curtains, dog beds and bath mats are among the items that need to be cleaned more frequently than you might think.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 23, 2026 at 10:20 AM
I love these articles:
YOU’RE NOT DOING ENOUGH
Oh, believe me, I’m doing MORE than enough, and I’m not including curtain washing every 3 months.
YOU’RE NOT DOING ENOUGH
Oh, believe me, I’m doing MORE than enough, and I’m not including curtain washing every 3 months.