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Opinion

Open Thread: So… How Are We All Holding Up?

As we do every Friday, we're turning Racket over to you, the readers.

9:57 AM CST on January 9, 2026

A sign set in the hedges of the home at Portland Avenue and 34th Street, near the site where Renee Nicole Good was killed.

|Em Cassel

Long exhale.

This is the first Open Thread of 2026, and traditionally I ask folks about their hopes and plans for the year ahead. But this year, I don't have to tell you, got off to a painful start.

That needs to be acknowledged. The killing of Renee Nicole Good needs to be acknowledged. The terror that DHS troops are inflicting on our state needs to be acknowledged. And the cumulative effect of the ICE invasion needs to be acknowledged.

So feel free to vent here. Let it all out (in legally permissible language).

But also, what's getting you through these times? Have you been out on patrol? What do you plan to do next? And if you have any hope and strength to share, please do. I know we all need it.

As always, feel free to ignore this post and talk about whatever you want. This is your Open Thread after all.

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