Before sharing this post, I want to acknowledge the passing of John Thornton.

John was a transformative figure in local journalism. As the founder of The Texas Tribune and the American Journalism Project (AJP), among many other contributions, his impact will be felt for years to come.

I saw John as something of an inventor. I still remember it like it was yesterday—the moment John stood up in a room full of news leaders at Columbia University and passionately described launching The Texas Tribune, and pitched his idea that the model could scale nationwide. That idea would become AJP.

He was also generous. I can’t claim to have known him well, but I’m grateful that he took the time to meet with me and Mary Walter-Brown a few times as we were building our own nonprofit organization.

John brought ambition, urgency, and humor—as others have noted—to the effort to strengthen civic infrastructure through journalism. He touched many, many lives.

Let’s recommit ourselves to the work ahead. And always remember: you’re not alone.

While I usually focus on the future of local journalism, this month’s Loper Language Model will start with a detour into history.

Recently, I was walking through downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and passed a construction site—the future home of the Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, being built on the site of Stevens’ former law office.

Lancaster is, and should be, proud to have been home to Thaddeus Stevens, who represented the city in the U.S. Congress. One of the fiercest abolitionists of the 19th century, Stevens was deeply involved in the Underground Railroad. He defended escaped enslaved people in court, hid them in his home, and even hired spies to monitor slave-catchers in Lancaster. After the Civil War, Stevens became a leading architect of Reconstruction. He believed that formerly enslaved people were owed not just freedom but full political and economic rights—work that helped lay the foundation for the 14th Amendment. He also opposed President Andrew Johnson, widely regarded as one of the worst possible leaders for such a critical moment of national division.

For his activism, his physical disability, and his relationship with Lydia Hamilton Smith—a Black woman who was his longtime housekeeper and likely his partner—Stevens was mocked, vilified, and targeted by his opponents in Congress and the press. During the Civil War, Confederates burned his property in retaliation.

Still, he refused to back down. Stevens understood that his privilege gave him a measure of protection others did not have—and he used it. He had the courage not just to speak, but to act, in a time of violent upheaval and official cruelty.

Today, when legal residents, green card holders, and academics are being arrested and expelled—not for crimes, but for offending the President—and when efforts are underway at the highest levels of government to undermine the 14th Amendment’s principle of birthright citizenship, it is clear that we need to summon the spirit of Thaddeus Stevens.

Citizens are America’s last line of defense. While others face great risk, will we choose courage? What are our red lines?

Stevens once said, “Let us now be aroused, and faithful to our cause. If we falter now, we disgrace the name of freedom.”

Obligatory local news tie-in: While the press was often unkind to Stevens, local journalism—at its best—can offer clarity in dangerous times. The press is constitutionally empowered to play this role, making it an independent ally in the fight for our fundamental rights. Supporting its sustainability isn’t just a media issue—it’s a civic one.

*Lenfest Institute for Journalism, that is**

An incalculable loss. An IT exec tries to save local news. A new nonprofit. A guitarist. A grocery store gives up aisles to survive. Movies exist—barely. Billionaires drift through policy and psychedelics. AI as god … and intern.

Each month, I put together a Spotify playlist of the songs that caught my ear. Some are familiar to me, some aren’t. Some are old, some are new. The playlist tends to span eras, genres, and sounds. It’s probably not for everyone but here it is!