(no subject)

* "‘Feels like home’: Israeli school for migrant kids wins by bridging worlds:" https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2019/0206/Feels-like-home-Israeli-school-for-migrant-kids-wins-by-bridging-worlds

* "Saudi Arabia Sought Vice’s Help to Build a Media Empire:" https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arabia-sought-vices-help-to-build-a-media-empire-11549621800

* "Saudi media blitz could explain devotion of National Enquirer/AMI:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/saudi-media-blitz-could-explain-devotion-of-national-enquirer-ami-1439947331793

* "New Evidence Emerges of Possible Wrongdoing by Trump Inaugural Committee:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-new-evidence-emerges-of-possible-wrongdoing-by-trump-inaugural-committee

* "Whitaker says he never interfered in Mueller probe:" https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/08/matthew-whitaker-testimony-1159140

* "Whitaker Tries to Stop Top Democrat From Asking About Mueller: ‘Your Five Minutes Is Up’:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/matthew-whitaker-house-judiciary-hearing-opens-with-fireworks-over-subpoena-threat

* "Mueller: Manafort downplayed Russian associate’s conduct even after plea deal:" https://www.politico.com/story/2019/02/07/mueller-investigation-paul-manafort-1157977

* "Rosenstein did not want to write memo justifying Comey firing – new book:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/08/rosenstein-did-not-want-to-write-memo-justifying-comey-firing-new-book

* "Bezos blackmail claims add new twist to tale of Trump, Russia and the media:" https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/07/jeff-bezos-national-enquirer-blackmail-claims-trump

* "Bezos Leak Probe Questions Mistress’ Brother in National Enquirer Leak Probe:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/bezos-investigators-question-the-brother-of-his-mistress-lauren-sanchez-in-national-enquirer-leak-probe

* "National Enquirer’s parent says it will ‘thoroughly investigate’ extortion allegations made by Jeff Bezos:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2019/02/08/amazon-ceo-jeff-bezos-accuses-national-enquirer-extortion-over-intimate-photos/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.0e585363cfc6

* "'Blackmail' claim against national enquirer widens:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-blackmail-claim-against-national-enquirer-widens-1439886403723

* "Maya Wiley: Bezos was very clear on AMI allegations stating if I don't draw the line, who can?:" http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/ami-under-scrutiny-after-bezos-extortion-claim-1440121411534

* "Trump picks golf club, Mar-a-Lago members as ambassadors:" https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2019/02/08/donald-trump-picks-ambassadors-golf-club-mar-lago-members/2748260002/

* "Sen. Elizabeth Warren now a Massachusetts liberal, was an Oklahoma Republican:" http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/sen-elizabeth-warren-now-a-massachusetts-liberal-was-an-oklahoman-republican-1440129091763

* "Trump Gives Ground on His Wall as Border Deal Comes Into View:" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/08/us/politics/government-shutdown-deal.html

* "Rep. Jayapal wants "reparations" for separated families:" http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/rep-jayapal-wants-reparations-for-separated-families-1439880259798

* "Lawyer for rapper 21 Savage: ‘We need everybody behind us to convince ICE it’s not a good idea to detain him’:" http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/rapper-21-savage-facing-possible-deportation-held-in-ice-detention-1440122947950

* TW: Sexual Assault. "Justin Fairfax Faces Mounting Calls for Resignation Amid Second Sexual-Assault Allegation:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/justin-fairfax-faces-mounting-calls-for-resignation-amid-second-sexual-assault-allegation?source=articles&via=rss

* TW: Sexual Assault. "New sex assault claim prompts wave of calls for Fairfax to resign:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/new-sex-assault-claim-prompts-wave-of-calls-for-fairfax-to-resign-1439951939659

* TW: Sexual Assault. "Calls for resignations grow as scandals burden Virginia politics:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/calls-for-resignations-grow-as-scandals-burden-virginia-politics-1439949379860

* "Justices Let Alabama Execute Death Row Inmate Who Wanted Imam By His Side:" https://www.npr.org/2019/02/08/692605056/supreme-court-lets-alabama-execute-muslim-murderer-without-imam-by-his-side

* "SCOTUS disregards Establishment Clause to expedite prisoner death:" http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/scotus-disregards-establishment-clause-to-expedite-prisoner-death-1439948355738

* Don’t get too excited. It’s just a stay until SCOTUS can hear it and rule. "Supreme Court on 5-to-4 vote blocks restrictive Louisiana abortion law:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-on-5-to-4-vote-blocks-restrictive-louisiana-abortion-law/2019/02/07/a90742dc-2656-11e9-81fd-b7b05d5bed90_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.3eadd59674bb

* "Women Writers of the Harlem Renaissance:" https://www.writersspot.net/articles/women-writers-of-the-harlem-renaissance

* "Another Confession From A Virginia Politician:"

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* "We're Finally Going To Get Trump's Tax Returns:"

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* Friday I helped a friend give a Trans lecture, which is why there was total silence Friday night. I did the lecture and did forage and errands, including paying the half year housing tax. It was cold and flurrying out and everything was more annoying than it had to be. It took half an hour to pump ten dollars' worth of gas into my car. That sort of thing. Plus I was antibiotic sick and had been off my arthritis meds for most of a week. Once everything was away, I ate and did lungs. The cats have been distressed by the cold and aweek's worth of schedule disruptions, but they really liked the thing where I went to bed and mostly stayed their all evening and night. It was low quality sleep because of the pain, so I ended up reading chunks of winter's Tide and petting the Imperial couple whenever they liked. I don't think Livia had ever come for so many cuddle pets in a fifteen hour period, except for that one weekend when she had a bad cold and fever. Tavy was way better behaved than he's been the past couple weeks and voluntarily shared the bed his human the whole time instead of randomly being a jerk to show he could. Tavy mostly slept in the leg mest when it wasn't his pettin turn,, and she slept on the body pillow she particularly likes, pressed up against me. I love when they do peaceable kingdom like that.

* This trans lecture was fine, but not as fun as the lest one. They were way more interested in medical stuff and more generally quiescent. I think the cold had them all a bit subdued. The thing that really stayed with me was towards the end of question time. One of them asked about the 2016 election, to which my immediate response was a burst of incredibly grim laughter. Like a lot of young people, what she really wanted to know was what do we new next.

My response was along the lines of this: We mourn. We organize. We take care of each other. We fight back. The pendulum swings. My whole life, whenever we make real progress, there's a backlash. When that happens, we come together and fight back. Activism is the way we survive this and how we keep moving forward.

*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.

* Trans Helplines: https://www.translifeline.org/

* Want to complaint about Betsy DeVos's plan to coddle college rapists? https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/29/2018-25314/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-sex-in-education-programs-or-activities-receiving-federal#open-comment

* Donate to HIAS to help refugees: https://act.hias.org/page/6048/donate/1

* Want to contribute directly to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services fund? "Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services:" https://www.raicestexas.org/

* Support Kids at the Border: http://brigdh.tumblr.com/post/175022384240/support-the-kids-at-the-border

* The Rainbow Road and other ways to help Gay Refugees: http://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/160470723507/the-rainbow-railroad-is-helping-gay-men-escape

* A list of organizations to help you run for office: http://lovingmyselfishard.tumblr.com/post/167330144634/psst-hey

* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can not protest in person, here are some other options:
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.

* This App phones your rep for you: http://takeastance.us/

* Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resistbot.io/

* This is a cool person and the swimsuits are being made from an ethical source. LGBTQIA+ swimsuits: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NerdyKeppie?ref=l2-shopheader-name§ion_id=24021616

* Help pay for cat food, litter, meds, medical copays: Paypal Lethran@gmail.com or paypal.me/Gwydion

* Birthday/Solstice master list: https://gwydion.dreamwidth.org/1925021.html