2/16/25 - 2/24/25
Feb. 24th, 2025 03:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* Sort is also very rough this week. A lot of firing related stuff got separated as apparently one day I was doing them as a group and a different day I was doing them according to category. Apologies, but I am drowning from the news firehouse never letting up, and the time it would take to recolate is time I need for other things.
* "Trump snaps back at Zelenskyy, blaming Ukraine for the war:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/trump-blames-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-020517
* "Trump apparently oblivious to political damage of his embrace of Russia :" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-apparently-oblivious-to-political-damage-of-his-embrace-of-russia-232458309538
* "UK offers Ukraine peacekeeping troops as European resolve hardens:" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fast-moving-ukraine-diplomacy-means-europeans-must-do-more-official-says-2025-02-17/
* "Ukraine investigates video of possible POW executions by Russian troops:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-war-video-possible-pow-executions-russian-troops-donetsk/
******
* "Myanmar’s War Has Forced Doctors and Nurses Into Prostitution:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/world/asia/myanmar-war-women-prostitution.html?
* "Grave Mistakes: The History and Future of Chile’s ‘Disappeared’:" https://undark.org/2025/02/19/history-future-chile-disappeared/
* "Students lead 'Dark Indonesia' protests against budget cuts:" https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/students-lead-dark-indonesia-protests-against-budget-cuts-2025-02-20/
* "Hegseth team invites far-right activist Jack Posobiec on overseas trip:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/13/pete-hegseth-jack-posobiec/
* "Trump Official Destroying USAID Secretly Met With Christian Nationalists Abroad in Defiance of U.S. Policy:" https://www.propublica.org/article/usaid-peter-marocco-state-department-bosnia-serbia-diplomacy-trump-foreign-policy
* "Trump funding freeze halts decades of U.S. democracy work around the world:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/16/nx-s1-5297844/trump-musk-democracy-usaid-authoritarian-human-rights-funding-freeze
* "Trump Is Gutting Efforts to Combat Foreign Election Interference: The administration is undercutting the agency charged with preventing foreign actors from meddling in US elections.:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/trump-cisa-foreign-election-interference/
Which is exactly what one would do if one would prefer Russian Intelligence chose American leaders than letting American Citizens decide.
* "Exclusive: Trump’s foreign aid freeze stops anti-fentanyl work in Mexico:" https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trumps-foreign-aid-freeze-stops-anti-fentanyl-work-mexico-2025-02-13/
* "A collection of USAID funding rumors, fact-checked:" https://www.snopes.com/collections/trump-usaid-funding/
* "Justice Department fires multiple immigration judges amid case backlog:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-fires-multiple-immigration-judges-case-backlog-rcna192365
* "How Trump Is Trying to Expand the Already Colossal U.S. Prison System:" https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/02/15/trump-ice-jail-prison-arizona
* "White Nationalism and the H-1B Visa Debate Are Inseparable:"
* "‘No kings on Presidents Day’ rings out from protests against Trump and Musk:" https://apnews.com/article/president-donald-trump-protest-c8796556fbf20e796f42167f61c3d942
* "Report: Federal Workers with 'Exceptional' Performance Reviews Dismissed for Alleged 'Performance' Problems:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-federal-workers-with-exceptional-performance-reviews-dismissed-for-alleged-performance-problems/ss-AA1zdS6a?ocid=OneServiceWarmUp
* "‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Trump’s Mass Layoffs Leave Federal Workers Baffled and Angry:" https://time.com/7225555/trump-mass-layoffs-federal-workers/
* "Transportation Department workers with 'exceptional' reviews told they're fired for 'performance' issues:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/federal-workers-exceptional-reviews-fired-performance-issues-rcna192347
* "Trump administration begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal D.C. plane crash:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-faa-firings/
* "Forest Service fires 3,400 people after ‘deferred resignation’ deadline passes:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/13/forest-services-fires-3400-employees-00204213
* "How Trump’s mass layoffs raise the risk of wildfires in the US West, according to fired workers:" https://apnews.com/article/fired-federal-workers-wildfires-season-trump-west-d915e8ea272b7265912d7eafdbf7420a
* "Trump’s federal firings reach Independence Mall and other Pennsylvania national historic Sites:" https://www.inquirer.com/news/trump-layoffs-independence-park-philadelphia-20250216.html
* "Long lines and canceled rentals: Firings bring chaos to national parks:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/long-lines-and-canceled-rentals-firings-bring-chaos-to-national-parks/ar-AA1zmNhk?ocid=EMMX
* "JFK’s Grandson Freaks Out After Trump Order Closes Kennedy Library:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/jfks-grandson-freaks-out-after-trump-order-closes-kennedy-library/
* "Debunked explanations for Musk's reckless firings expose true goal of wrecking the government:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/debunked-explanations-for-musk-s-reckless-firings-expose-true-goal-of-wrecking-the-government-232229957900
* "The Insane "Fork In The Road" Email to Federal Employees:"
* "WTF is DOGE?:"
* "Why Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE is terrible for Americans:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/why-trump-and-elon-musk-s-doge-is-terrible-for-americans-232691269613
* "'Extremely chaotic': Former federal worker reacts to Trump's mass firings:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/extremely-chaotic-former-federal-worker-reacts-to-trump-s-mass-firings-232687173605
* "Federal cuts could affect all of Virginia — a new committee hopes to determine how:" https://cardinalnews.org/2025/02/17/federal-cuts-could-affect-all-of-virginia-a-new-committee-hopes-to-determine-how/
* "States Across the Country Brace for Devastating Impacts of Donald Trump’s Firing Spree, Putting Public Safety and Health on the Line:" https://democrats.org/news/states-across-the-country-brace-for-devastating-impacts-of-donald-trumps-firing-spree-putting-public-safety-and-health-on-the-line/
* "Virginia's Democratic Party chairwoman says commonwealth is falling short at supporting federal workers amid cutbacks:" https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginias-democratic-party-chairwoman-says-youngkin-administration-falling-short-at-supporting-federal-workers-amid-cutbacks/65-f04c3760-eb63-4211-9b75-870100f962a4
* "As Americans confront the effects of Trump's unpopular policies, political ground begins to shift:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/as-americans-confront-the-effects-of-trump-s-unpopular-policies-political-ground-begins-to-shift-232558149796
* "Federal workers launch a new site to share inside information about DOGE:" https://www.theverge.com/news/617014/federal-workers-we-the-builders-website-doge
* Toddler Trump wants them now, national security concerns be damned. "Trump 'not happy with Boeing' over Air Force One planes:" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trump-not-happy-with-boeing-over-air-force-one-planes-2025-02-20/
* "Trump Mocked After Blaming Bad Inflation Report On Biden:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-mocked-for-blaming-bad-inflation-report-on-biden_n_67ace219e4b0239406decef9
* "Opinion: Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to be celebrated on Presidents’ Day:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/donald-trump-presidents-day
* Speaking of cost cutting, wouldn't this be somewhere to start instead of say, firing the nuclear safety workers? "Breaking down what Trump's Super Bowl trip cost taxpayers:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/02/12/trump-super-bowl-cost-taxpayers/
* So basically a bribe. "Trump settles suit against Elon Musk’s X over his post-Jan. 6 ban:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-twitter-x-elon-musk-google-9dcb52b84061efdd2cdd102678dc8fea
* "Trump Orders Independent Agencies to Follow His Read of the Law, Not the Courts:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-orders-independent-agencies-law-1235272608/
* "Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/trump-order-power-independent-agencies-00204798
* "Trump Uses Supreme Court Immunity Ruling to Claim “Unrestricted Power”:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191619/trump-supreme-court-immunity-unrestricted-power
* "Don't let Donald Trump and Elon Musk talk us out of democracy:" https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy
* "Elon Musk Weaponizes the Government:" https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/elon-musk-weaponizes-the-government
* "Trump's Latest Order Nearly Completes Project 2025 Agenda:"
* Republicans continue to wage class warfare against all non-billionaires. "David Sirota exposes Trump’s fake populism and how he’s just another country club Republican:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/david-sirota-exposes-trump-s-fake-populism-and-how-he-s-just-another-country-club-republican-232716869958
* "Elon Musk’s Private Security Are Now Special Deputies:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musks-private-security-are-now-special-deputies/
* "The NTSB chooses Elon Musk’s X to update the press on plane crashes:" https://www.theverge.com/news/604740/ntsb-x-elon-musk-media-communication
* "X Hinted at Possible Deal Trouble in Talks With Ad Giant to Increase Spending:" https://archive.ph/UL4GA
* "US says it will drop immigration case against SpaceX:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-says-it-will-drop-immigration-case-against-spacex-2025-02-21/
* "Rivian sees jump in revenue amid questions over $6.6B federal loan:" https://www.ajc.com/news/business/rivian-sees-jump-in-revenue-amid-questions-over-66b-federal-loan/PLZOQ5XR25CFFOQSHPFT6SJMUA/
* No safety oversight on his self-driving cars means lots of dead people. "DOGE cuts nearly half of unit overseeing autonomous vehicles safety, Washington Post reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doge-cuts-nearly-half-unit-overseeing-autonomous-vehicles-safety-washington-post-2025-02-21/
* "Exclusive: FDA staff reviewing Musk’s Neuralink were included in DOGE employee firings, sources say:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fda-staff-reviewing-musks-neuralink-were-included-doge-employee-firings-sources-2025-02-17/
* "Sidelined Trump mostly 'decorative' as Musk remains busy wrecking the government, reaping rewards:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/sidelined-trump-mostly-decorative-as-musk-remains-busy-wrecking-the-government-reaping-rewards-232657989634
* "Big swings, big misses: DOGE struggles to back up its outsized claims:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/doge-days-musk-trump-tout-cuts-fraud-claims-are-debunked-rcna192217
* "Trump, Musk target tax enforcers, rocket scientists, bank regulators for job cuts:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tax-enforcers-rocket-scientists-bank-regulators-fired-trump-slashes-federal-2025-02-18/
* They are doing this specifically so that Billionaires can cheat all they want on taxes. "IRS layoffs could hurt revenue collection and foil efforts to go after rich tax dodgers, experts say:" https://apnews.com/article/irs-layoffs-doge-trump-tax-season-enforcement-32111e1be2d45a1814b3422ad5086726
* "IRS blocks Musk aide from accessing taxpayer data:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/irs-blocks-musk-aide-accessing-taxpayer-data-2025-02-21/
* "The shitler youth of doge:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2025555.html
* "DOGE as a National Cyberattack:" https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/02/doge-as-a-national.html
* "Judge won't block Musk and DOGE from accessing data, making cuts at 7 federal agencies:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-wont-block-musks-doge-from-accessing-data-making-cuts-at-7-federal-agencies/
* "Privacy advocates file lawsuit to stop DOGE from peeking at IRS taxpayer data:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5300826/doge-irs-lawsuit-taxpayers-data
* "Opinion: Why you should be angry that Musk and DOGE have access to your data:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/musk-doge-your-tax-history
* "GSA engineering lead resigns over DOGE ally’s request for access:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gsa-engineering-lead-resigns-over-doge-ally-s-request-for-access/ar-AA1zj6VW
* "Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over data:" https://archive.ph/kUOVZ
* "Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In:" https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-social-security-elon-musk-trump-closures-benefits
Like the IRS, Social Security is labour intensive and essential.
* "National Science Foundation fires roughly 10% of its workforce:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5301049/national-science-foundation-fires-roughly-10-of-its-workforce
* "Purged By Trump: A National Science Foundation Worker Speaks Out:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/trump-nsf-science-purge-agency-firings/
* "‘Cowardliness at the top’: Science agency staff revolt over cuts:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/inside-national-science-foundation-firings-00204763
* "Mass firings continue across nation’s health agencies :" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/16/mass-firings-health-agencies-00204570
* "Trump Firings Impact ‘Front Line of Surveillance’ for Bird Flu Outbreak:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-firings-bird-flu-surveillance-1235269620/
* "USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is now trying to rehire them:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/usda-accidentally-fired-officials-bird-flu-rehire-rcna192716
* "Oops: Trump-Musk Cuts Just Wrecked an NIH Org Championed by GOPers:" https://newrepublic.com/article/191702/trump-musk-national-institutes-health-wrecked
* "Hundreds rally against firing of federal workers, emphasizing threats to public health:" https://apnews.com/article/federal-workers-firings-protest-workforce-public-health-5119d6b7f39aad1bce2dc904075b34e4
* "CDC restores 9/11-related cancer research funding after DOGE's cancellation, officials say:" https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/doge-cuts-911-related-cancer-research-funding/
* "RFK's plan to make America healthy again? Send people with mental health conditions to farms:" https://www.salon.com/2025/02/19/rfk-s-plan-to-make-america-healthy-again-round-up-people-with-mental-health-conditions-in-camps/
The plan is to send people with mental illness to forced slave labour camps where they will be denied access to life saving medications.
* Do you trust him to fund unbiased studies? Because I don't. "Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease:" https://archive.ph/UVk5w
* "Trump administration reverses plan to shut down free COVID test program, Washington Post reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-reverses-plan-shut-down-free-covid-test-program-washington-2025-02-19/
* "Trump’s Health and Human Services Department launches ‘vile’ anti-trans government website featuring right-wing influencer:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-hhs-transphobic-website
* "Washington judge blocks Trump’s gender-affirming care ban, says it's unconstitutional in multiple ways:" https://www.advocate.com/news/second-judge-blocks-care-ban
* "Maine Gov. Janet Mills confronts Donald Trump to his face over anti-trans sports order at White House:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/maine-governor-trump-trans-sports
* "Federal government launches investigation into Maine hours after Democratic governor stood up to Trump’s ‘bullying’:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-education-department-investigates-maine
* "Trump's spat with Maine governor is 'definition of a dictator': Fmr. GOP state leader:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/trump-s-spat-with-maine-governor-is-definition-of-a-dictator-fmr-gop-state-leader-232686149617
* "Trump’s Department of Education targets Virginia schools for not treating transgender students as second-class citizens:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-doe-investigates-virginia-schools
* "San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other LGBTQ+ groups bring new lawsuit against Trump's anti-trans executive orders:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-executive-orders-lgbtq-lawsuit
* "Civil rights groups sue Trump over executive orders targeting DEI & transgender people:" https://www.advocate.com/news/civil-rights-groups-sue-trump
* "Chris Kluwe 'figured' he would get arrested for protesting MAGA — and he'd do it again (exclusive):" https://www.advocate.com/politics/chris-kluwe-arrest-nfl-maga
* "BREAKING: Federal judge blocks Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-blocks-trump-dei-ban
* "Trump administration moves to strip transgender people of employment discrimination protections:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-guts-transgender-eeoc-protections
* "Marsha P. Johnson's family fights for trans legacy at Stonewall:" https://www.advocate.com/news/marsha-johnson-family-protests-erasure
* "The Future of National Park Updates About Trans People: "Learn more about Blanchard’s typology by scanning the QR code at the Center for Brooklyn History!":" https://www.thechatner.com/p/the-future-of-national-park-updates?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=5&post_id=157148095&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=ykw2&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
* "Kennedy Center cancels Gay Men’s Chorus of D.C. WorldPride show about acceptance, group confirms:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gay-mens-chorus-kennedy-center
* "How Trump and his staffers are undermining the social norms that prevent racism:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-trump-and-his-staffers-are-undermining-the-social-norms-that-prevent-racism/ar-AA1yQyGf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0cab1c2554994f31a709d86e90d145d7&ei=12
* Trump appointed this disaster. Bet he will find someone even worse to replace him. "Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says it’s time to find his replacement:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/louis-dejoy-usps-replacement-020319
* "Trump expected to take control of USPS, fire postal board, Washington Post reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-take-control-usps-fire-postal-board-washington-post-reports-2025-02-21/
The USPS is an essential service. It's the only one willing to deliver to people in some rural areas. It is essential to a lot of small and micro-businesses, as UPS and Fed Ex are way more expensive and aren't required to deliver things to the place they have been sent to.
Republicans HATE the USPS because it proves government works well for ordinary people, it competes with more expensive big businesses that provide fewer services, and it's an entirely merit based system that allows people of color to get jobs with decent pay and benefits instead of being tilted heavily in favour of cis straight white men regardless of their actual work quality.
Republicans hate the USPS so much they passed a bill intended to bankrupt it under W. that requires them to fund retirement benefits 80 years in advance, something no business or any other Federal agency has to do. When they claim it is inefficient and too expensive, they are lying to you. You are getting cheaper and better service than the for profits give you that serves everyone while labouring under this extra weight the Republicans forced on them.
Don't fall for the Republican lies.
* "Transportation Chief Makes Ridiculous Claim as Trump Guts FAA Staff:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191631/sean-duffy-pete-buttigieg-donald-trump-faa-workers
* "Some of the 400 jobs that were cut at the FAA helped support air safety, a union says:" https://apnews.com/article/faa-firings-trump-doge-safety-airlines-27390c6a7aac58063652302df5a243d3
When Ronald Reagan fired the experienced air traffic controllers to break the union, hiring inexperienced scan labour, the number of plane crashes was much higher for a decade.
Air traffic controllers are highly skilled workers who must function under extreme stress. So are the air safety workers/support staff. Firing them to create under-staffing and/or replacing them later with cheaper less experienced workers will literally kill people.
* "‘Air traffic controllers cannot do their work without us’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/faa-firings-aviation-safety-experts-00205160
* "Trump’s Next Planned Cuts Guarantee Disaster—Literally: Donald Trump is expected to make cuts at a key HUD team that works on helping America recover from disasters.:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191767/trump-cuts-disaster-red-states-recovery-hud
* "Even Republicans Are Worried About Trump’s Next Cuts:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191828/republican-reaction-trump-fema-cuts
* "Trump administration looks to slash HUD workers tackling the housing crisis:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-administration-slash-hud-workers-tackling-housing-crisis-119046960
* "Trump firings cause chaos at agency responsible for America's nuclear weapons:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5298190/nuclear-agency-trump-firings-nnsa
* "Murray: Trump layoffs leave Hanford nuclear site with ‘skeleton crew’:" https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/murray-trump-layoffs-leave-hanford-nuclear-site-with-skeleton-crew/
This legitimately terrifies me. Move fast and break things is the worst thing to do at a dangerous elderly nuclear site. That is quite literally the opposite thing from what you should do.
* "Trump administration wants to un-fire nuclear safety workers but can’t figure out how to reach them:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna192345
* "'Have you considered resigning?': Maddow calls out Trump staffers who fired nuclear safety personnel:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-have-you-considered-resigning-maddow-calls-out-trump-staffers-who-fired-nuclear-safety-personnel-232232005805
* Speaking of terrible ideas Trump-Musk have. "Bonneville Power Administration reverses 30 job cuts, continues with plans to eliminate 430 positions:" https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/19/bonneville-power-administration-reverses-30-job-cuts-continues-with-plans-to-eliminate-430-positions/
* "Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:" https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/21/trump-fires-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff/
* "Pentagon to fire 5,400 workers, backlash builds to Trump downsizing effort:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-musk-slashing-government-draws-backlash-even-among-some-republicans-2025-02-21/
* "Hegseth Fires Service JAGs: The top uniformed lawyers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been relieved.:" https://outsidethebeltway.com/hegseth-fires-service-jags/
This is so no one will stop the military from following illegal orders, enforce the rules of engagement, or look into abuses within the military. This step is essential to the fascist overthrow of American democracy as one of the things Republicans broadly want is to use the military against US citizens peacefully protesting and to use the military broadly against civil government. JAGs are part of the system that stops that.
* The Quiet Part Out loud. "‘It’s time for fresh blood’: Trump purging military JAG lawyers so they won’t be ‘roadblocks to anything that happens’ over next 4 years, Hegseth says:" https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/its-time-for-fresh-blood-trump-purging-military-jag-lawyers-so-they-wont-be-roadblocks-to-anything-that-happens-over-next-4-years-hegseth-says/
* "JD Vance becomes latest victim in MAGA's anti-DEI crusade:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/jd-vance-becomes-latest-victim-in-maga-s-anti-dei-crusade-232691269732
* "Federal judge roasts Trump DOJ attorney over ‘frankly ridiculous’ claims in transgender military ban case:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-slams-trans-military-ban
* "EPA Funding Freeze Forces Cuts to Clean-Energy Job Programs:" https://www.newsweek.com/epa-funding-freeze-impacts-clean-energy-jobs-programs-2031624
* "Given Christianity's dominance in U.S., Trump raises eyebrows with anti-Christian bias initiative:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/given-christianity-s-dominance-in-u-s-trump-raises-eyebrows-with-anti-christian-bias-initiative/ar-AA1z0zw6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=7d4fa53f92b948c086d5786802d44d7c&ei=25
* This is also really scary. "Veteran federal prosecutor resigns over bank freeze order from Trump appointee:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/veteran-federal-prosecutor-resigns-bank-freeze-order-trump-appointee-rcna192619
* "Trump says he has instructed DOJ to terminate all remaining Biden-era US attorneys:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-has-instructed-doj-terminate-all-remaining-biden-era-us-attorneys-2025-02-18/
They are purging people without any reference to competence or performance based on who hired them. This is yet another really scary thing.
* "Robert Garcia ‘will not be silenced’ after DOJ attorney targets him for criticizing Elon Musk on TV:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/robert-garcia-defiant-doj-letter
* "Farewell, Justice Department Independence:" https://archive.ph/Xufke#selection-716.1-716.2
* "Worse Than Watergate: Thursday Night Massacre:"
* Of the Republicans, only Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins loved America enough to vote against him. "Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/senate-confirms-kash-patel-fbi-director-rcna192842
* "FBI Director Kash Patel to be named ATF chief:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-director-kash-patel-named-atf-chief-rcna193332
* "Kash Patel Failed to Disclose Companies Involved in a Million-Dollar Land Deal:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/kash-patel-donald-trump-fbi-confirmation-financial-disclosure-marbury-shahin/
* "Trump Admin. Spends Big Taxpayer Money on Ads Thanking Trump: Amid mass firings and a supposed hunt for waste, Trump officials are now burning your money on anti-immigrant ads that repeatedly praise the president:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-musk-admin-ads-immigration-homeland-security-noem-1235271900/
Wouldn't this money have been better spent on keeping nuclear safety employees and disease response teams?
* Of course it was. "Kristi Noem Says $200 Million DHS Ad Campaign Thanking Trump Was His Idea:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-kristi-noem-200-million-dhs-ad-campaign-thanks-president-1235276324/
* "Supreme Court maintains pause on Trump bid to immediately fire watchdog agency head:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-maintains-pause-trump-bid-immediately-fire-watchdog-agen-rcna192643
* "Pluralistic: America and "national capitalism" (18 Feb 2025):" https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/18/pikettys-productivity/#reaganomics-revenge
* "Her job is to remove homeless people from SF’s parks. Her methods are extraordinary:" https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/08/golden-gate-park-ranger-homelessness/
* "Trump Opens Door to Medicare Cuts After Backing GOP Plan to Gut Medicaid:" https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-on-medicaid
* "'I have the stomach' for shutdown to block Trump's agenda: Rep. Becca Balint:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-becca-balint-weighs-shutdown-to-stop-trump-s-agenda-231510085939
* "Rep. Crockett on leading the resistance: Dems need to 'find their communication lane':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-crockett-dems-need-to-find-their-communication-lane-232725573599
* "Trump’s Labor Secretary Pick Turns Out to Be Super Anti-Labor:" https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/lori-chavez-deremer-anti-labor-senate/
* "Trump's labor pick Lori Chavez-DeRemer faces questions on unions, Musk and immigration:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5301097/lori-chavez-deremer-labor-department-confirmation-hearing
* "The Christian Nationalist Plot to Disenfranchise Women Voters: The SAVE Act, which purports to fend off the phantasmal threat of voter fraud, would throw millions of women off the voting rolls.:" https://newrepublic.com/article/191420/christian-nationalism-save-act-voter-suppression
* Our job for the next two years is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.
We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.
Please add more below if you have them.
* Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide. https://indivisible.org/resource/guide
* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1
* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond
* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options:
Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/
ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
Script to complain about Elon Musk/DOGE. I also suggest contacting your AG about data privacy. "Introducing Red State Scripts, Vol. 1:" https://homewiththearmadillo.blog/2025/02/10/introducing-red-state-scripts-vol-1/
* This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/
* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share
* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/
* How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf
* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely
* Avoiding Activist Burnout: https://www.tumblr.com/veluigi/771755723969478656/on-twitter-im-seeing-dozens-of-threads-from-black?source=share
* "ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/
* Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
* "Pritzker invokes specter of Nazi Germany in rebuke of Trump administration:"
* "Lesbian congresswoman Angie Craig says she's considering Senate run:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/angie-craig-minnesota-senate-run
* "Mitch McConnell will leave Senate with egregiously anti-LGBTQ+ record:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/mitch-mcconnell-anti-lgbtq-record
* "Mississippi bill to offer bounty hunters $1k for ‘illegal aliens’:" https://www.wjtv.com/news/politics/mississippi-politics/mississippi-bill-to-offer-bounty-hunters-1k-for-illegal-aliens/
* "Kansas GOP overrides governor’s veto to enact sweeping ban on all gender-affirming care for trans kids:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/kansas-trans-minor-care-ban
* If you live in Utah, time to contact your state reps. "Nazi flags can fly in Utah schools, but not pride flags, GOP lawmaker says:" https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/02/13/nazi-flags-can-fly-utah-school-not/
* "Humphrey Addresses OK Mental Health Crisis:" https://www.okhouse.gov/posts/news-20250205_6
O.o An Oklahoman correspondent assures me this is in earnest.
Seriously, Oklahomans, I beg of you to contact your State Reps, because this is ... I'm beyond words really.
* "Republicans strip Louisiana's only LGBTQ+ elected official of leadership role:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/davante-lewis-loses-leadership-role
* "Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio arrested at US Capitol:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-proud-boys-leader-enrique-tarrio-arrested-us/story?id=119057808
* "Dying to serve: Dozens of recruits have died nationwide while training to become police officers:" https://apnews.com/article/police-academy-recruits-deaths-investigation-sickle-cell-14362b1a86d648967645986cfb4529c8
* "MAGA Fans Are Enraged By The Black National Anthem — But They're Missing This Glaring Point:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-national-anthem-super-bowl-backlash-2025_l_67ab6f2be4b0c52db9aacbec
* "Target dropped DEI, so Minnesota’s largest Pride festival dropped Target's sponsorship — and raised even more:" https://www.advocate.com/exclusives/target-dei-twin-cities-pride-sponsor
* "Louisiana LGBTQ+ activist exonerated after 3 years of unconstitutional prosecution:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/louisiana-lgbtq-activist-exonerated
* "Inside the Classrooms at the Center of the Church-State Battle:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ten-commandments-lawsuit-church-state-battle-1235200530/?encoded_id=5l65E
* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory
* "Nationwide Economic Blackout on February 28: List of Stores Being Targeted:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-february-28-list-stores-being-targeted-2030269
* CW: Rape. "What We Learned About the 70K-Person Telegram Channel on How to Rape Women
Journalists in Germany infiltrated several Telegram channels dedicated to sedating and sexually assaulting victims.:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/02/02/women-telegram-rape-channel/
* Creepy rich people shit. "Anti-Aging Fanatic Bryan Johnson Won’t Stop Comparing His Penis to His Teenage Son’s:" https://www.vice.com/en/article/anti-aging-fanatic-bryan-johnson-wont-stop-comparing-his-penis-to-his-teenage-sons/
* "World's first out gay imam shot to death in South Africa:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/south-african-gay-imam-killed
* "When doctors ignore pronouns, patients pay the price. Here's why:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/gender-affirming-care
* "'Intellectually and morally indefensible': Montana court blocks trans-exclusionary law defining sex:" https://www.advocate.com/news/montana-transgender-exclusionary-law-invalidated
* "Out California firefighter stabbed to death; wife is lead suspect:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/california-firefighter-killed-wife-suspected
* "Black trans woman Tahiry Broom killed in Michigan:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-tahiry-broom-killed
* "Two more arrested in death of transgender man Sam Nordquist:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/two-more-arrested-sam-nordquist
* "Vigils honor life of Sam Nordquist, trans man tortured and killed in upstate New York:" https://www.advocate.com/news/vigils-transgender-man-sam-nordquist
* "Trans folks built this community. Why are we still locked out?:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/transphobia-in-the-lgbtq
* "Widower sues Long Island cemetery for denying husband’s burial in family plot, citing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination:" https://www.advocate.com/news/jewish-cemetary-gay-couple-discrimination
* "Transgender people face more harassment in bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth: study:" https://www.advocate.com/news/bathroom-bans-cause-transgender-harassment
Water is wet studies are important both for correcting right wing disinformation and for building political and court cases.
I know the instinct is to say "No d'uh, they could have asked us," but you need to quantify this stuff to legally protect our rights.
* "Florida's new Attorney General sues Target for selling products for LGBTQ+ youth:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/florida-attorney-general-sues-target-dei
* "Court rules against antigay bakery in California:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lesbian-wedding-cake-tastries
* "Utah bans transgender students from living in dorms that align with their gender identity:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/utah-bans-transgender-students-dorms
* "There Were Good Things in 2024?:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Hlsr_P4cDPI
* "Texas measles cases are up, and New Mexico now has an outbreak. Here’s what you need to know:" https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549
* "Louisiana health department says it will stop promoting mass vaccination. Here's what that could mean:" https://abcnews.go.com/Health/louisiana-health-department-stop-promoting-mass-vaccination/story?id=118819674
* "Flu is so bad right now that schools across the country are closing:" https://www.today.com/health/cold-flu/flu-school-closures-2025-rcna190771
* "Nebraska DHHS alerts to tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas City:" https://www.1011now.com/video/2025/02/15/nebraska-dhhs-alerts-tuberculosis-outbreak-kansas-city/
* "Florida man eats diet of butter, cheese, beef; cholesterol oozes from his body:" https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/01/florida-man-eats-diet-of-butter-cheese-beef-cholesterol-oozes-from-his-body/
* "An Effective Treatment for Opioid Addiction Exists. Why Isn’t It Used More?:" https://archive.ph/YYvyq
* "A Scorched 2024 in Review: Record-setting heat extremes took a rising toll:" https://www.climateresilience.org/2024-hottest-year-ever-recorded
* "The increasing burden of heat-related mortality:" https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00444-9/fulltext
* "'Hanging...like bats': Toronto plane crash survivor speaks out after aircraft flips on runway:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/hanging-bats-toronto-plane-crash-survivor-speaks-after/story?id=118917023
* "Report: Elon’s Cybertrucks Are Deadlier Than Infamous Ford Pintos:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/report-cybertruck-safety-ford-pinto/
* "These Lamborghini-Driving TikTokers Are Calling Out Cybertrucks in Real Time:" https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/lamborghini-driving-tiktokers-calling-cybertrucks-195700584.html
* "How WhatsApp ate the world:" https://restofworld.org/2024/how-whatsapp-for-business-changed-the-world/
* "UnitedHealth hired a defamation law firm to go after social media posts criticizing the company:" https://finance.yahoo.com/news/unitedhealth-hired-defamation-law-firm-185345940.html
* "Pluralistic: Premature Internet Activists:" https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/13/digital-rights/#are-human-rights
* "Purely AI-generated art can’t get copyright protection, says Copyright Office:" https://www.theverge.com/news/602096/copyright-office-says-ai-prompting-doesnt-deserve-copyright-protection
* ""Dark oxygen" discovery upends centuries of scientific beliefs, textbooks to be rewritten:" https://www.earth.com/news/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-ocean-rocks-upends-centuries-of-scientific-beliefs/
* "England’s Largest Bird Sanctuary Grows by 30%: ‘It’s incredible, the place just swarms with birdlife’:" https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/englands-largest-bird-sanctuary-grows-by-30-its-incredible-the-place-just-swarms-with-birdlife/
* "Hummingbirds Found Nesting Together in Groups in Surprising First:" https://www.mentalfloss.com/hummingbirds-found-nesting-in-groups
* "Conjuring the Lost Land Beneath the North Sea:" https://hakaimagazine.com/features/conjuring-the-lost-land-beneath-the-north-sea/
* "Mysterious tablet with unknown language unearthed in Georgia:" https://archaeologymag.com/2024/12/tablet-with-unknown-language-unearthed-in-georgia/
* "Tomb of Thutmose II Discovered in Egypt:" https://archaeology.org/news/2025/02/20/tomb-of-thutmose-ii-discovered-in-egypt/
* "Medieval Nubian Fashion Brought to Life:" https://www.medievalists.net/2024/11/medieval-nubian-fashion-brought-to-life/
* "The Unsettling Truth About Nostradamus:"
* Resist every way you can. "Rose Valland:" https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/valland-capt-rose
* The laptop keeps getting delayed. I don't know it's weather, but given point of origin and weather reporting, I think my guess is likely correct. Certainly, it spent the weekend in a post office somewhere.
Edward Laptop's visual connection thingie remains a problem, but he's been doing well enough for me to keep posting.
I'm still at the trying to get used to the new work flow situation stage and things keep falling through the cracks as a result. When the new used laptop comes, I will have to start over with set up. I didn't finish my extension migration before Edward laptop showed his flaws, and I didn't see the point of continuing until the new one is mostly set up.
Klaus Laptop is still limping along, for which I am grateful as I need to go through his list of extensions as mentioned above, and I'm still working on closing him out.
I was sick enough over the weekend to drink medicinal tea twice, but not so sick I didn't manage to get an aggregate out despite everything.
* Monday I learned that I have recovered just enough strength and dexterity in my hand to eat things like perogies with chop sticks, but not enough for noodles. Sigh.
I also learned from a test run that the washing machine will not run properly without cold water. So half washed and still smelling a bit of Tavy piss, but not as agressively.
* Tuesday was A LOT. I got up early to go down and get the paperwork for applying for city home repairs. This is a whole process in it's self and best to get my paperwork in ASAP. Then I went to get my taxes filed, which is free, but endless, especially as a lot of people (like me) did not come earlier in the month because snow. (Half the people in line had assistive devices. Half of the remaining were the kind of elderly and fragile that doesn't mess with icy sidewalks).
I've been tearing through ILLs and a few other library books, and most of the ILLs needed to go back this week in any case. While I waited I did most of the home repair paperwork. (As of this writing I'm two bits of support paper short, but I ran out of spoons hours ago so sitting still and the occasional hobble to kitchen or bathroom is all I'm up for.) I think I know how I can get around the one that's very missing and not where I left it a month ago. If I can fill in the application I'll secure a place in line while I wait for replacement paper in the mail. Theoretically I can return it tomorrow. I just need to sort through some stuff for a different bit of paper.
After I finished my paperwork, I read the second half of a book I needed to send back with the other ILLs. Library is on the way back, so those all went in the slot.
I am tired and a mess.
I would like to thank the person who sent money. We are so going to be needing it.
* Errands did not work out as well as hoped. I did get the issue with my bank card sorted, but couldn't turn in my paperwork as the website and the big posted hours signs at city hall turned out to all be for the building, not the permit office. Sigh.
So I need to run down there after they open, but before physio. I am going to be so tired.
We did have a lovely care package of remnant yarn cakes and art supplies for the Millennials, which we had the pleasure of digging through and sorting.
Most of the Millennials are still ill or were otherwise busy, so distribution will need to wait a bit.
We watched Elsbeth and rewatched 12 Angry Men and mostly just rested up from our usual Wednesday running about.
Goth Millennial went to raid the fridge for eggs, which is normal as we normally get free eggs and can only use the whites for baking and nothing else, so Millennials are encouraged to take all the eggs they want as long as they leave us a carton. I figure the eggs are going to other people in poverty who could be getting free eggs too if transport were easier, so it seems ethical to me.
All they found was one expired and aging carton. They haven't sent us eggs since early January. This isn't me complaining. Like I said, I'm allergic to the yolks and I can only handle a small amount of whites diluted by other ingredients. Squirrel isn't allowed to eat them at all. When I saw the bird flu news at the turning of the year, I was expecting free eggs to stop coming, especially as the demand is so high for people who need them way more than we do. I'm just observing that we've been rationing eggs here in stores since December, and now all these people in poverty in my city relying on free eggs for a lot of their protein have one more source of protein cut off.
The federal government's response to the egg shortage was to fire the entire team working on monitoring and responding to bird flu outbreaks.
I took Goth Millennial to the grocery on the way home for juice and eggs and the price on the eggs was up to nearly seven a dozen. So they didn't get the eggs.
Bet there is no egg shortage in the White House.
I would like to thank our benefactors again. It is a very expensive February even by February standards and I'm going to need to deal with the housing tax bill soon when I've gathered enough to cover it.
Let us hope Social Security still exists in two weeks and that teenaged hackers haven't erased my records for being under 65 and/or living in a blue state, because I'm fucked if it doesn't come.
We are still working on the clothes washing situation. Sigh. Even if the city buys us a washing machine we shan't get it for a minimum of two months, but likely much longer. The place nearby where Skye and I used to haul our laundry when we first moved here closed about two decades ago. I am not entirely sure where a public laundry mat even is and carrying the laundry is going to be quite the challenge if I do find one.
The new used lap top is still trapped in a post office somewhere.
* UPS decided to return laptop to sender rather than even attempt to deliver it. I was home. No one buzzed, or knocked, or called. Sigh.
Livia decided she was Done with people coming into the apartment when the physio lady arrive Thursday. Tavy decided the honest contractor turning up Friday to install a grab bar by the toilet was Too Many Visitors even for him. (The disability service that pays for Goth Millennial and Physio lady also paid for the grab bar. They use the same contractor as the city because he's honest, reliable, and does good work).
I am experimenting with ways to clean Tavy's pads. I can't get them properly clean, but cleanish helps. I keep thinking of my mother hand washing my sister's cloth diapers in the bathroom. I don't know how she endured it. I couldn't have in her place. I am grateful he's still using the boxes for solids, but I also really hate the current situation.
* I am still tinkering with trying to wash hot only and had a modest success today. Tavy's response to Too Many Things Friday, plus air pressure locking him out of Squirrel's room was to piss my bed right before bed time, luckily on the pee pad. (He did it Saturday, also, I think because he was over stimulated and there were Too Many Things this week.) So I ran the big bed pad and one of the smaller pads together Saturday evening with yet another setting. This time it stopped with everything soaking in what looked like rinse water. It had also used all the detergent. I restarted it on spin cycle only and it drained and did a normal spin.
No sign of new leakage. I am thinking the cold whatever it was wore out first, because I pretty much wash everything cold. This might be why the hot side hasn't broken yet. I don't trust it and plan to keep doing as few loads as possible.
This was about the lightest wash cycle it was possible to run. Both Goth Millennial and I could smell any sign of despoiling on the bed cover pad. The smaller, much heavily soiled one was not fully washed. I think the light wash can't handle that level of mess. Double washing might, but that is a question for another day. I'm doing the smaller pads every other day unless Tavy hits one of the big covers. I have only four of the big whole sofa covers and that's two each for bed and sofa as neither can be left uncovered without me in it, and I need a spare for when the other is in the wash.
(The sofa being changed requires me to move the sofa around and is exhausting and labour intensive. I layer the clean big covers, then put at twp small covers over the arms for the rare spraying event, one small cover in the middle, and then two overlapping on top of the center, as he sometimes will pee in the center and leak through to the big pain in the ass to change cover if there isn't an extra pad there. The third central pad also helps when I'm asleep and he digs in the pads yanking them out of place and then coming back later to hit them again.)
This is exhausting and I wish he'd just go back to using the liter box, but he's in late middle age and incredibly stubborn.
Sigh.
I tried everything that worked with previous cats that did not have dementia, but if I thwart of punish him he just pees on my bed. I'd rather the sofa than my bed for obvious reasons, so all I can really do is mitigation unless I actually catch him in the act on my bed.
Sigh.
I'm going to run a test batch of human only laundry Monday, see if it comes out clean. I hate washing my clothes in anything but cold, but there is nothing for it.
In other news, I stopped for lettuce, tomatoes, and bagels for sandwich making when taking Goth Millennial home. The tomatoes were normal for that store after 10PM on a Saturday in Winter. (Reasonable amount and selection, half on offer a bit too soft.) The lettuce though? Almost none left and what was left was some degree of visibly wilted. I took the best of the lot, which wasn't that bad. The others wouldn't have been worth bringing home except as fertilizer. That is NOT normal for that store, even that close to close on a Saturday in winter. It shocked me. I'd never seen it that picked over. I'd never seen them selling wilted heads.
I wonder where the lettuce is coming from vs the tomatoes?
I had noticed various people I correspond with on the Internet saying organic/free range/brown eggs, etc. were cheaper than regular these days. Goth Millennial reports that organic free range is the same price as usual down at the co-op and definitely cheaper regular eggs at the regular supermarket.
This raises the question of why? Why are people willing to pay a dollar or two per dozen extra for factory farmed? They are also selling factory farmed for 50 cents an egg if you buy a dozen, but 75 cents an egg for a carton of 18. This makes no cents to me mathematically, but then I only buy eggs once every few years if I baking for a party or the like. I'm clearly missing something about the psychology of egg purchasing.
* Sunday, the Millenials decended for dinner and a hang out. The cats were still Done with Visitors, so they stayed in theur room. We had a realy nuce visit for the first time in weeks, as snow and illness qwere in the way for a while.
I ran another test batch with all hot water laundry as the Emporer outdid himself on mess Saturday. The results appear to be repeatable. We still need a long term solution as hot water is bad for clothes and the environment, but so for the hot water tubing etc. is holding.
Tomorrow I attempt an all human laundry load. *digits cruciform*
* "Trump 2.0: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"
* "Trump: I’ll Break Any Law I Want | MapQuest Resists “Gulf Of America” | Kennedy Center Dishonored:"
* ""Up His Butt" - Trump's Border Czar Confirms Crooked Deal With NYC Mayor Eric Adams:"
* "Rehiring Fired Gov't Workers | Musk Isn't Running DOGE | Pro-Russia Trump Doesn't Care About Ukraine:"
* ""King" Don Floats A Troll Balloon | All The Gold In Fort Knox | California Honors Bigfoot:"
* "Meanwhile...Cake Bandit Opossum | Finance Bros Get Penis Filler | Mark Hamill's Wardrobe Malfunction:"
* "Meanwhile... Seal Rescue In Connecticut | NYC Can't Stop Turnstile Jumpers | Baby Born On NYC Subway:"
* CW: CSA, Sexual Assault. "Nosferatu & The Gothic Appetite:"
I don't agree with 100% of what's in here, but this is really good and I do agree with most of it. I particularly appreciate her addressing the elephant in the room with a kind of nuance seldom seen in discussions of this movie.
* "Family Meeting With John Oliver:"
* "Serious Spartans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ymMOOOqojso
* "Philosophy Fun:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4529MZUUkUk
* "Roman Citizenship:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bGC26tFazfs
* "The Life of Emperor Nero in 1 Minute:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yxjlz_CY8O4
* "“I Was Just Saving The Country”:"
* "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires:"
* "Elon Musk Is "Gold Finder":"
* "SMoMA - The Snail Museum of Miniature Art: This dollhouse-sized art museum features creations from local artists.:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/smoma-the-snail-museum-of-miniature-art
* "Sunday Sweets That Defy Gravity:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-that-defy-gravity-2025
* "Sunday Sweets: 10 Kids' Cakes The Adults Will Want, Too:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-10-kids-cakes-the-adults-will-want-too-2025
*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.
The help links are at the bottom under the cut.
* What to do if you are an adult who is losing your gender affirming care from your physician: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymousalchemist/774948824033673217
* Help Lambda Legal Continue their fight: https://support.lambdalegal.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app30130a?df_id=6680&mfc_pref=T&6680.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=D3311163DF16F06EEA5520010BAF90B5&_gl=1*n53ras*_gcl_au*MTMxNDYxNjc0LjE3MzgxODExMzg.*_ga*MTY0NDY4OTM4NC4xNzM4MTgxMTM4*_ga_290ZG8GMP3*MTczODE4MTEzOC4xLjEuMTczODE4MTIwMi41OC4wLjA.
* "Donate to the ACLU:" https://action.aclu.org/give/now
* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
* "Resources for California fire victims were scattered. So I created this site to help.:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/california-disaster-recovery-resources
* "Where your donations to L.A. fire victims will do the most good:" https://www.advocate.com/news/donate-los-angeles-fire-victims
* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1
* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond
* "Here are 26 organizations fighting Donald Trump that you can donate to:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/anti-donald-trump-charities
* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/
* "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund:" https://victoryfund.org/
* Where to protest the censoring and erasure of transfolk on the Stonewal Uprising monument if you can't go in person. Select no and leave a comment.: https://www.nps.gov/ston/index.htm
* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery
* ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
* Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory
* What to do if you encounter an immigration official. "Know Your Rights:" https://unitedwedream.org/resources/know-your-rights/
* "ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/
* "ICE Watch Programs Can Protect Immigrants in Your Neighborhood — Here’s What to Know:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/ice-watch-programs-immigrants-how-to-start
* "Legal Services for Your Reproductive Life:" https://reprolegalhelpline.org/
* "National Abortion Hotline:" https://prochoice.org/
* "Plan C: Abortion pills by mail in every state:" https://www.plancpills.org/
* "Resources for Accessing Abortion Care:" https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/resources-for-accessing-abortion-care/
* "Contraception and Birth Control Resources:" https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/contraception/more_information/resources
* "Gynecologists who will perform a tubal sterilization:" https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Djia_WkrVO3S4jKn6odNwQk7pOcpcL4x00FMNekrb7Q/edit?gid=1318374028#gid=1318374028
* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share
* "We have a right to safety, privacy, and protest. Say no to mask bans.:" https://www.stopmaskbans.com/
* "Trans Kids Deserve Better:" https://transkidsdeservebetter.org/support
* "World Central Kitchen:" https://wck.org/
* Trans support organization: https://www.pointofpride.org/
* "Transanta: An opportunity to directly support trans youth:" https://thisfinecrew.dreamwidth.org/291573.html
* Links for various Palestinian Aid Organizations: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/750151174318112768?source=share
* "Black Alliance for Peace’s Atlanta Citywide Alliance:" https://linktr.ee/bapatlanta
* Map of Cop Cities planned or being built: https://isyourlifebetter.net/cop-cities-usa/
* Want to help Journalists without Borders? https://donate.rsf.org/us/donate/~my-donation
* How to donate to Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/secure/donate
* "The Rainbow Railroad:" https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/take-action
* "These Organizations Accept Donations To Help People in Ukraine:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/03/01/where-to-donate-help-ukraine/
* "Russia-Ukraine War: Info and ways to help:" https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
* "Support OVD-Info:" https://beste-glatisant.tumblr.com/post/677388506851606528/hi-ive-donated-to-the-ukranian-refugees-and-now
* "War in Ukraine! Support LGBTQ people.:" https://secure.wayforpay.com/payment/s047412e502b6
* What to help fight for queer people in Africa? Try the Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest www.ISDAO.org
* Organizations to help trans folk: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620857152453640195/about-us
* Indivisible Guide for Trump 2.0 "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/resource/guide
* This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/
* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:
Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Senate: https://contactsenators.com/senator-phone-numbers/
Congress in General: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
* "DONATE TO EMILY'S LIST:" https://win.emilyslist.org/a/donate-to-emily
* What to help support all of us all here at the Cat Asylum? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion
* I admit to having a wicked good time tormenting myself and other history geeks with my polls: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydpolls
* "Trump snaps back at Zelenskyy, blaming Ukraine for the war:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/trump-blames-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-020517
* "Trump apparently oblivious to political damage of his embrace of Russia :" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-apparently-oblivious-to-political-damage-of-his-embrace-of-russia-232458309538
* "UK offers Ukraine peacekeeping troops as European resolve hardens:" https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fast-moving-ukraine-diplomacy-means-europeans-must-do-more-official-says-2025-02-17/
* "Ukraine investigates video of possible POW executions by Russian troops:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-russia-war-video-possible-pow-executions-russian-troops-donetsk/
******
* "Myanmar’s War Has Forced Doctors and Nurses Into Prostitution:" https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/16/world/asia/myanmar-war-women-prostitution.html?
* "Grave Mistakes: The History and Future of Chile’s ‘Disappeared’:" https://undark.org/2025/02/19/history-future-chile-disappeared/
* "Students lead 'Dark Indonesia' protests against budget cuts:" https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/students-lead-dark-indonesia-protests-against-budget-cuts-2025-02-20/
* "Hegseth team invites far-right activist Jack Posobiec on overseas trip:" https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/13/pete-hegseth-jack-posobiec/
* "Trump Official Destroying USAID Secretly Met With Christian Nationalists Abroad in Defiance of U.S. Policy:" https://www.propublica.org/article/usaid-peter-marocco-state-department-bosnia-serbia-diplomacy-trump-foreign-policy
* "Trump funding freeze halts decades of U.S. democracy work around the world:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/16/nx-s1-5297844/trump-musk-democracy-usaid-authoritarian-human-rights-funding-freeze
* "Trump Is Gutting Efforts to Combat Foreign Election Interference: The administration is undercutting the agency charged with preventing foreign actors from meddling in US elections.:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/trump-cisa-foreign-election-interference/
Which is exactly what one would do if one would prefer Russian Intelligence chose American leaders than letting American Citizens decide.
* "Exclusive: Trump’s foreign aid freeze stops anti-fentanyl work in Mexico:" https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trumps-foreign-aid-freeze-stops-anti-fentanyl-work-mexico-2025-02-13/
* "A collection of USAID funding rumors, fact-checked:" https://www.snopes.com/collections/trump-usaid-funding/
* "Justice Department fires multiple immigration judges amid case backlog:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-fires-multiple-immigration-judges-case-backlog-rcna192365
* "How Trump Is Trying to Expand the Already Colossal U.S. Prison System:" https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/02/15/trump-ice-jail-prison-arizona
* "White Nationalism and the H-1B Visa Debate Are Inseparable:"
* "‘No kings on Presidents Day’ rings out from protests against Trump and Musk:" https://apnews.com/article/president-donald-trump-protest-c8796556fbf20e796f42167f61c3d942
* "Report: Federal Workers with 'Exceptional' Performance Reviews Dismissed for Alleged 'Performance' Problems:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-federal-workers-with-exceptional-performance-reviews-dismissed-for-alleged-performance-problems/ss-AA1zdS6a?ocid=OneServiceWarmUp
* "‘The Worst I’ve Ever Seen’: Trump’s Mass Layoffs Leave Federal Workers Baffled and Angry:" https://time.com/7225555/trump-mass-layoffs-federal-workers/
* "Transportation Department workers with 'exceptional' reviews told they're fired for 'performance' issues:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/federal-workers-exceptional-reviews-fired-performance-issues-rcna192347
* "Trump administration begins firings of FAA staff just weeks after fatal D.C. plane crash:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-faa-firings/
* "Forest Service fires 3,400 people after ‘deferred resignation’ deadline passes:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/13/forest-services-fires-3400-employees-00204213
* "How Trump’s mass layoffs raise the risk of wildfires in the US West, according to fired workers:" https://apnews.com/article/fired-federal-workers-wildfires-season-trump-west-d915e8ea272b7265912d7eafdbf7420a
* "Trump’s federal firings reach Independence Mall and other Pennsylvania national historic Sites:" https://www.inquirer.com/news/trump-layoffs-independence-park-philadelphia-20250216.html
* "Long lines and canceled rentals: Firings bring chaos to national parks:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/long-lines-and-canceled-rentals-firings-bring-chaos-to-national-parks/ar-AA1zmNhk?ocid=EMMX
* "JFK’s Grandson Freaks Out After Trump Order Closes Kennedy Library:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/jfks-grandson-freaks-out-after-trump-order-closes-kennedy-library/
* "Debunked explanations for Musk's reckless firings expose true goal of wrecking the government:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/debunked-explanations-for-musk-s-reckless-firings-expose-true-goal-of-wrecking-the-government-232229957900
* "The Insane "Fork In The Road" Email to Federal Employees:"
* "WTF is DOGE?:"
* "Why Trump and Elon Musk’s DOGE is terrible for Americans:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/why-trump-and-elon-musk-s-doge-is-terrible-for-americans-232691269613
* "'Extremely chaotic': Former federal worker reacts to Trump's mass firings:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/extremely-chaotic-former-federal-worker-reacts-to-trump-s-mass-firings-232687173605
* "Federal cuts could affect all of Virginia — a new committee hopes to determine how:" https://cardinalnews.org/2025/02/17/federal-cuts-could-affect-all-of-virginia-a-new-committee-hopes-to-determine-how/
* "States Across the Country Brace for Devastating Impacts of Donald Trump’s Firing Spree, Putting Public Safety and Health on the Line:" https://democrats.org/news/states-across-the-country-brace-for-devastating-impacts-of-donald-trumps-firing-spree-putting-public-safety-and-health-on-the-line/
* "Virginia's Democratic Party chairwoman says commonwealth is falling short at supporting federal workers amid cutbacks:" https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginias-democratic-party-chairwoman-says-youngkin-administration-falling-short-at-supporting-federal-workers-amid-cutbacks/65-f04c3760-eb63-4211-9b75-870100f962a4
* "As Americans confront the effects of Trump's unpopular policies, political ground begins to shift:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/as-americans-confront-the-effects-of-trump-s-unpopular-policies-political-ground-begins-to-shift-232558149796
* "Federal workers launch a new site to share inside information about DOGE:" https://www.theverge.com/news/617014/federal-workers-we-the-builders-website-doge
* Toddler Trump wants them now, national security concerns be damned. "Trump 'not happy with Boeing' over Air Force One planes:" https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trump-not-happy-with-boeing-over-air-force-one-planes-2025-02-20/
* "Trump Mocked After Blaming Bad Inflation Report On Biden:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-mocked-for-blaming-bad-inflation-report-on-biden_n_67ace219e4b0239406decef9
* "Opinion: Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to be celebrated on Presidents’ Day:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/donald-trump-presidents-day
* Speaking of cost cutting, wouldn't this be somewhere to start instead of say, firing the nuclear safety workers? "Breaking down what Trump's Super Bowl trip cost taxpayers:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/02/12/trump-super-bowl-cost-taxpayers/
* So basically a bribe. "Trump settles suit against Elon Musk’s X over his post-Jan. 6 ban:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-twitter-x-elon-musk-google-9dcb52b84061efdd2cdd102678dc8fea
* "Trump Orders Independent Agencies to Follow His Read of the Law, Not the Courts:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-orders-independent-agencies-law-1235272608/
* "Trump signs order to claim power over independent agencies:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/trump-order-power-independent-agencies-00204798
* "Trump Uses Supreme Court Immunity Ruling to Claim “Unrestricted Power”:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191619/trump-supreme-court-immunity-unrestricted-power
* "Don't let Donald Trump and Elon Musk talk us out of democracy:" https://www.lawdork.com/p/donald-trump-elon-musk-democracy
* "Elon Musk Weaponizes the Government:" https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/elon-musk-weaponizes-the-government
* "Trump's Latest Order Nearly Completes Project 2025 Agenda:"
* Republicans continue to wage class warfare against all non-billionaires. "David Sirota exposes Trump’s fake populism and how he’s just another country club Republican:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/david-sirota-exposes-trump-s-fake-populism-and-how-he-s-just-another-country-club-republican-232716869958
* "Elon Musk’s Private Security Are Now Special Deputies:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/elon-musks-private-security-are-now-special-deputies/
* "The NTSB chooses Elon Musk’s X to update the press on plane crashes:" https://www.theverge.com/news/604740/ntsb-x-elon-musk-media-communication
* "X Hinted at Possible Deal Trouble in Talks With Ad Giant to Increase Spending:" https://archive.ph/UL4GA
* "US says it will drop immigration case against SpaceX:" https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-says-it-will-drop-immigration-case-against-spacex-2025-02-21/
* "Rivian sees jump in revenue amid questions over $6.6B federal loan:" https://www.ajc.com/news/business/rivian-sees-jump-in-revenue-amid-questions-over-66b-federal-loan/PLZOQ5XR25CFFOQSHPFT6SJMUA/
* No safety oversight on his self-driving cars means lots of dead people. "DOGE cuts nearly half of unit overseeing autonomous vehicles safety, Washington Post reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/doge-cuts-nearly-half-unit-overseeing-autonomous-vehicles-safety-washington-post-2025-02-21/
* "Exclusive: FDA staff reviewing Musk’s Neuralink were included in DOGE employee firings, sources say:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fda-staff-reviewing-musks-neuralink-were-included-doge-employee-firings-sources-2025-02-17/
* "Sidelined Trump mostly 'decorative' as Musk remains busy wrecking the government, reaping rewards:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/sidelined-trump-mostly-decorative-as-musk-remains-busy-wrecking-the-government-reaping-rewards-232657989634
* "Big swings, big misses: DOGE struggles to back up its outsized claims:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/doge-days-musk-trump-tout-cuts-fraud-claims-are-debunked-rcna192217
* "Trump, Musk target tax enforcers, rocket scientists, bank regulators for job cuts:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tax-enforcers-rocket-scientists-bank-regulators-fired-trump-slashes-federal-2025-02-18/
* They are doing this specifically so that Billionaires can cheat all they want on taxes. "IRS layoffs could hurt revenue collection and foil efforts to go after rich tax dodgers, experts say:" https://apnews.com/article/irs-layoffs-doge-trump-tax-season-enforcement-32111e1be2d45a1814b3422ad5086726
* "IRS blocks Musk aide from accessing taxpayer data:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/irs-blocks-musk-aide-accessing-taxpayer-data-2025-02-21/
* "The shitler youth of doge:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2025555.html
* "DOGE as a National Cyberattack:" https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/02/doge-as-a-national.html
* "Judge won't block Musk and DOGE from accessing data, making cuts at 7 federal agencies:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-wont-block-musks-doge-from-accessing-data-making-cuts-at-7-federal-agencies/
* "Privacy advocates file lawsuit to stop DOGE from peeking at IRS taxpayer data:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5300826/doge-irs-lawsuit-taxpayers-data
* "Opinion: Why you should be angry that Musk and DOGE have access to your data:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/musk-doge-your-tax-history
* "GSA engineering lead resigns over DOGE ally’s request for access:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/gsa-engineering-lead-resigns-over-doge-ally-s-request-for-access/ar-AA1zj6VW
* "Top Social Security official exits after clash with Musk’s DOGE over data:" https://archive.ph/kUOVZ
* "Anxiety Mounts Among Social Security Recipients as DOGE Troops Settle In:" https://www.propublica.org/article/doge-social-security-elon-musk-trump-closures-benefits
Like the IRS, Social Security is labour intensive and essential.
* "National Science Foundation fires roughly 10% of its workforce:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/18/nx-s1-5301049/national-science-foundation-fires-roughly-10-of-its-workforce
* "Purged By Trump: A National Science Foundation Worker Speaks Out:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/trump-nsf-science-purge-agency-firings/
* "‘Cowardliness at the top’: Science agency staff revolt over cuts:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/inside-national-science-foundation-firings-00204763
* "Mass firings continue across nation’s health agencies :" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/16/mass-firings-health-agencies-00204570
* "Trump Firings Impact ‘Front Line of Surveillance’ for Bird Flu Outbreak:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-firings-bird-flu-surveillance-1235269620/
* "USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is now trying to rehire them:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/doge/usda-accidentally-fired-officials-bird-flu-rehire-rcna192716
* "Oops: Trump-Musk Cuts Just Wrecked an NIH Org Championed by GOPers:" https://newrepublic.com/article/191702/trump-musk-national-institutes-health-wrecked
* "Hundreds rally against firing of federal workers, emphasizing threats to public health:" https://apnews.com/article/federal-workers-firings-protest-workforce-public-health-5119d6b7f39aad1bce2dc904075b34e4
* "CDC restores 9/11-related cancer research funding after DOGE's cancellation, officials say:" https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/doge-cuts-911-related-cancer-research-funding/
* "RFK's plan to make America healthy again? Send people with mental health conditions to farms:" https://www.salon.com/2025/02/19/rfk-s-plan-to-make-america-healthy-again-round-up-people-with-mental-health-conditions-in-camps/
The plan is to send people with mental illness to forced slave labour camps where they will be denied access to life saving medications.
* Do you trust him to fund unbiased studies? Because I don't. "Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease:" https://archive.ph/UVk5w
* "Trump administration reverses plan to shut down free COVID test program, Washington Post reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-administration-reverses-plan-shut-down-free-covid-test-program-washington-2025-02-19/
* "Trump’s Health and Human Services Department launches ‘vile’ anti-trans government website featuring right-wing influencer:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-hhs-transphobic-website
* "Washington judge blocks Trump’s gender-affirming care ban, says it's unconstitutional in multiple ways:" https://www.advocate.com/news/second-judge-blocks-care-ban
* "Maine Gov. Janet Mills confronts Donald Trump to his face over anti-trans sports order at White House:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/maine-governor-trump-trans-sports
* "Federal government launches investigation into Maine hours after Democratic governor stood up to Trump’s ‘bullying’:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-education-department-investigates-maine
* "Trump's spat with Maine governor is 'definition of a dictator': Fmr. GOP state leader:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/trump-s-spat-with-maine-governor-is-definition-of-a-dictator-fmr-gop-state-leader-232686149617
* "Trump’s Department of Education targets Virginia schools for not treating transgender students as second-class citizens:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-doe-investigates-virginia-schools
* "San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other LGBTQ+ groups bring new lawsuit against Trump's anti-trans executive orders:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-executive-orders-lgbtq-lawsuit
* "Civil rights groups sue Trump over executive orders targeting DEI & transgender people:" https://www.advocate.com/news/civil-rights-groups-sue-trump
* "Chris Kluwe 'figured' he would get arrested for protesting MAGA — and he'd do it again (exclusive):" https://www.advocate.com/politics/chris-kluwe-arrest-nfl-maga
* "BREAKING: Federal judge blocks Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-blocks-trump-dei-ban
* "Trump administration moves to strip transgender people of employment discrimination protections:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-guts-transgender-eeoc-protections
* "Marsha P. Johnson's family fights for trans legacy at Stonewall:" https://www.advocate.com/news/marsha-johnson-family-protests-erasure
* "The Future of National Park Updates About Trans People: "Learn more about Blanchard’s typology by scanning the QR code at the Center for Brooklyn History!":" https://www.thechatner.com/p/the-future-of-national-park-updates?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=5&post_id=157148095&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=ykw2&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
* "Kennedy Center cancels Gay Men’s Chorus of D.C. WorldPride show about acceptance, group confirms:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gay-mens-chorus-kennedy-center
* "How Trump and his staffers are undermining the social norms that prevent racism:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-trump-and-his-staffers-are-undermining-the-social-norms-that-prevent-racism/ar-AA1yQyGf?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=0cab1c2554994f31a709d86e90d145d7&ei=12
* Trump appointed this disaster. Bet he will find someone even worse to replace him. "Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says it’s time to find his replacement:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/18/louis-dejoy-usps-replacement-020319
* "Trump expected to take control of USPS, fire postal board, Washington Post reports:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-expected-take-control-usps-fire-postal-board-washington-post-reports-2025-02-21/
The USPS is an essential service. It's the only one willing to deliver to people in some rural areas. It is essential to a lot of small and micro-businesses, as UPS and Fed Ex are way more expensive and aren't required to deliver things to the place they have been sent to.
Republicans HATE the USPS because it proves government works well for ordinary people, it competes with more expensive big businesses that provide fewer services, and it's an entirely merit based system that allows people of color to get jobs with decent pay and benefits instead of being tilted heavily in favour of cis straight white men regardless of their actual work quality.
Republicans hate the USPS so much they passed a bill intended to bankrupt it under W. that requires them to fund retirement benefits 80 years in advance, something no business or any other Federal agency has to do. When they claim it is inefficient and too expensive, they are lying to you. You are getting cheaper and better service than the for profits give you that serves everyone while labouring under this extra weight the Republicans forced on them.
Don't fall for the Republican lies.
* "Transportation Chief Makes Ridiculous Claim as Trump Guts FAA Staff:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191631/sean-duffy-pete-buttigieg-donald-trump-faa-workers
* "Some of the 400 jobs that were cut at the FAA helped support air safety, a union says:" https://apnews.com/article/faa-firings-trump-doge-safety-airlines-27390c6a7aac58063652302df5a243d3
When Ronald Reagan fired the experienced air traffic controllers to break the union, hiring inexperienced scan labour, the number of plane crashes was much higher for a decade.
Air traffic controllers are highly skilled workers who must function under extreme stress. So are the air safety workers/support staff. Firing them to create under-staffing and/or replacing them later with cheaper less experienced workers will literally kill people.
* "‘Air traffic controllers cannot do their work without us’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/20/faa-firings-aviation-safety-experts-00205160
* "Trump’s Next Planned Cuts Guarantee Disaster—Literally: Donald Trump is expected to make cuts at a key HUD team that works on helping America recover from disasters.:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191767/trump-cuts-disaster-red-states-recovery-hud
* "Even Republicans Are Worried About Trump’s Next Cuts:" https://newrepublic.com/post/191828/republican-reaction-trump-fema-cuts
* "Trump administration looks to slash HUD workers tackling the housing crisis:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-administration-slash-hud-workers-tackling-housing-crisis-119046960
* "Trump firings cause chaos at agency responsible for America's nuclear weapons:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5298190/nuclear-agency-trump-firings-nnsa
* "Murray: Trump layoffs leave Hanford nuclear site with ‘skeleton crew’:" https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/murray-trump-layoffs-leave-hanford-nuclear-site-with-skeleton-crew/
This legitimately terrifies me. Move fast and break things is the worst thing to do at a dangerous elderly nuclear site. That is quite literally the opposite thing from what you should do.
* "Trump administration wants to un-fire nuclear safety workers but can’t figure out how to reach them:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna192345
* "'Have you considered resigning?': Maddow calls out Trump staffers who fired nuclear safety personnel:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-have-you-considered-resigning-maddow-calls-out-trump-staffers-who-fired-nuclear-safety-personnel-232232005805
* Speaking of terrible ideas Trump-Musk have. "Bonneville Power Administration reverses 30 job cuts, continues with plans to eliminate 430 positions:" https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/19/bonneville-power-administration-reverses-30-job-cuts-continues-with-plans-to-eliminate-430-positions/
* "Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:" https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/21/trump-fires-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff/
* "Pentagon to fire 5,400 workers, backlash builds to Trump downsizing effort:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-musk-slashing-government-draws-backlash-even-among-some-republicans-2025-02-21/
* "Hegseth Fires Service JAGs: The top uniformed lawyers for the Army, Navy, and Air Force have been relieved.:" https://outsidethebeltway.com/hegseth-fires-service-jags/
This is so no one will stop the military from following illegal orders, enforce the rules of engagement, or look into abuses within the military. This step is essential to the fascist overthrow of American democracy as one of the things Republicans broadly want is to use the military against US citizens peacefully protesting and to use the military broadly against civil government. JAGs are part of the system that stops that.
* The Quiet Part Out loud. "‘It’s time for fresh blood’: Trump purging military JAG lawyers so they won’t be ‘roadblocks to anything that happens’ over next 4 years, Hegseth says:" https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/its-time-for-fresh-blood-trump-purging-military-jag-lawyers-so-they-wont-be-roadblocks-to-anything-that-happens-over-next-4-years-hegseth-says/
* "JD Vance becomes latest victim in MAGA's anti-DEI crusade:" https://www.msnbc.com/ayman-mohyeldin/watch/jd-vance-becomes-latest-victim-in-maga-s-anti-dei-crusade-232691269732
* "Federal judge roasts Trump DOJ attorney over ‘frankly ridiculous’ claims in transgender military ban case:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-slams-trans-military-ban
* "EPA Funding Freeze Forces Cuts to Clean-Energy Job Programs:" https://www.newsweek.com/epa-funding-freeze-impacts-clean-energy-jobs-programs-2031624
* "Given Christianity's dominance in U.S., Trump raises eyebrows with anti-Christian bias initiative:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/given-christianity-s-dominance-in-u-s-trump-raises-eyebrows-with-anti-christian-bias-initiative/ar-AA1z0zw6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=7d4fa53f92b948c086d5786802d44d7c&ei=25
* This is also really scary. "Veteran federal prosecutor resigns over bank freeze order from Trump appointee:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/veteran-federal-prosecutor-resigns-bank-freeze-order-trump-appointee-rcna192619
* "Trump says he has instructed DOJ to terminate all remaining Biden-era US attorneys:" https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-has-instructed-doj-terminate-all-remaining-biden-era-us-attorneys-2025-02-18/
They are purging people without any reference to competence or performance based on who hired them. This is yet another really scary thing.
* "Robert Garcia ‘will not be silenced’ after DOJ attorney targets him for criticizing Elon Musk on TV:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/robert-garcia-defiant-doj-letter
* "Farewell, Justice Department Independence:" https://archive.ph/Xufke#selection-716.1-716.2
* "Worse Than Watergate: Thursday Night Massacre:"
* Of the Republicans, only Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins loved America enough to vote against him. "Senate confirms Kash Patel as FBI director:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/senate-confirms-kash-patel-fbi-director-rcna192842
* "FBI Director Kash Patel to be named ATF chief:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-director-kash-patel-named-atf-chief-rcna193332
* "Kash Patel Failed to Disclose Companies Involved in a Million-Dollar Land Deal:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/kash-patel-donald-trump-fbi-confirmation-financial-disclosure-marbury-shahin/
* "Trump Admin. Spends Big Taxpayer Money on Ads Thanking Trump: Amid mass firings and a supposed hunt for waste, Trump officials are now burning your money on anti-immigrant ads that repeatedly praise the president:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-musk-admin-ads-immigration-homeland-security-noem-1235271900/
Wouldn't this money have been better spent on keeping nuclear safety employees and disease response teams?
* Of course it was. "Kristi Noem Says $200 Million DHS Ad Campaign Thanking Trump Was His Idea:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-kristi-noem-200-million-dhs-ad-campaign-thanks-president-1235276324/
* "Supreme Court maintains pause on Trump bid to immediately fire watchdog agency head:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-maintains-pause-trump-bid-immediately-fire-watchdog-agen-rcna192643
* "Pluralistic: America and "national capitalism" (18 Feb 2025):" https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/18/pikettys-productivity/#reaganomics-revenge
* "Her job is to remove homeless people from SF’s parks. Her methods are extraordinary:" https://sfstandard.com/2025/02/08/golden-gate-park-ranger-homelessness/
* "Trump Opens Door to Medicare Cuts After Backing GOP Plan to Gut Medicaid:" https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-on-medicaid
* "'I have the stomach' for shutdown to block Trump's agenda: Rep. Becca Balint:" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-becca-balint-weighs-shutdown-to-stop-trump-s-agenda-231510085939
* "Rep. Crockett on leading the resistance: Dems need to 'find their communication lane':" https://www.msnbc.com/jonathan-capehart/watch/rep-crockett-dems-need-to-find-their-communication-lane-232725573599
* "Trump’s Labor Secretary Pick Turns Out to Be Super Anti-Labor:" https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/lori-chavez-deremer-anti-labor-senate/
* "Trump's labor pick Lori Chavez-DeRemer faces questions on unions, Musk and immigration:" https://www.npr.org/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5301097/lori-chavez-deremer-labor-department-confirmation-hearing
* "The Christian Nationalist Plot to Disenfranchise Women Voters: The SAVE Act, which purports to fend off the phantasmal threat of voter fraud, would throw millions of women off the voting rolls.:" https://newrepublic.com/article/191420/christian-nationalism-save-act-voter-suppression
* Our job for the next two years is to survive, to build grassroots resistance, to do all in our power to slow the republican Christo-fascist agenda, and to prepare for 2026 in case there is still Democracy.
We are trying to build a good list of resistance resources.
Please add more below if you have them.
* Trump 2.0 Indivisible Guide. https://indivisible.org/resource/guide
* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1
* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond
* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options:
Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/
ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
Script to complain about Elon Musk/DOGE. I also suggest contacting your AG about data privacy. "Introducing Red State Scripts, Vol. 1:" https://homewiththearmadillo.blog/2025/02/10/introducing-red-state-scripts-vol-1/
* This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/
* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share
* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/
* How to render emergency aid in a riot: https://riotmedicine.net/static/downloads/riot-medicine_a5.pdf
* "How to Safely and Ethically Film Police Misconduct:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-film-police-safely
* Avoiding Activist Burnout: https://www.tumblr.com/veluigi/771755723969478656/on-twitter-im-seeing-dozens-of-threads-from-black?source=share
* "ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/
* Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
* "Pritzker invokes specter of Nazi Germany in rebuke of Trump administration:"
* "Lesbian congresswoman Angie Craig says she's considering Senate run:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/angie-craig-minnesota-senate-run
* "Mitch McConnell will leave Senate with egregiously anti-LGBTQ+ record:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/mitch-mcconnell-anti-lgbtq-record
* "Mississippi bill to offer bounty hunters $1k for ‘illegal aliens’:" https://www.wjtv.com/news/politics/mississippi-politics/mississippi-bill-to-offer-bounty-hunters-1k-for-illegal-aliens/
* "Kansas GOP overrides governor’s veto to enact sweeping ban on all gender-affirming care for trans kids:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/kansas-trans-minor-care-ban
* If you live in Utah, time to contact your state reps. "Nazi flags can fly in Utah schools, but not pride flags, GOP lawmaker says:" https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/02/13/nazi-flags-can-fly-utah-school-not/
* "Humphrey Addresses OK Mental Health Crisis:" https://www.okhouse.gov/posts/news-20250205_6
O.o An Oklahoman correspondent assures me this is in earnest.
Seriously, Oklahomans, I beg of you to contact your State Reps, because this is ... I'm beyond words really.
* "Republicans strip Louisiana's only LGBTQ+ elected official of leadership role:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/davante-lewis-loses-leadership-role
* "Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio arrested at US Capitol:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-proud-boys-leader-enrique-tarrio-arrested-us/story?id=119057808
* "Dying to serve: Dozens of recruits have died nationwide while training to become police officers:" https://apnews.com/article/police-academy-recruits-deaths-investigation-sickle-cell-14362b1a86d648967645986cfb4529c8
* "MAGA Fans Are Enraged By The Black National Anthem — But They're Missing This Glaring Point:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-national-anthem-super-bowl-backlash-2025_l_67ab6f2be4b0c52db9aacbec
* "Target dropped DEI, so Minnesota’s largest Pride festival dropped Target's sponsorship — and raised even more:" https://www.advocate.com/exclusives/target-dei-twin-cities-pride-sponsor
* "Louisiana LGBTQ+ activist exonerated after 3 years of unconstitutional prosecution:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/louisiana-lgbtq-activist-exonerated
* "Inside the Classrooms at the Center of the Church-State Battle:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ten-commandments-lawsuit-church-state-battle-1235200530/?encoded_id=5l65E
* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory
* "Nationwide Economic Blackout on February 28: List of Stores Being Targeted:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-february-28-list-stores-being-targeted-2030269
* CW: Rape. "What We Learned About the 70K-Person Telegram Channel on How to Rape Women
Journalists in Germany infiltrated several Telegram channels dedicated to sedating and sexually assaulting victims.:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/02/02/women-telegram-rape-channel/
* Creepy rich people shit. "Anti-Aging Fanatic Bryan Johnson Won’t Stop Comparing His Penis to His Teenage Son’s:" https://www.vice.com/en/article/anti-aging-fanatic-bryan-johnson-wont-stop-comparing-his-penis-to-his-teenage-sons/
* "World's first out gay imam shot to death in South Africa:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/south-african-gay-imam-killed
* "When doctors ignore pronouns, patients pay the price. Here's why:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/gender-affirming-care
* "'Intellectually and morally indefensible': Montana court blocks trans-exclusionary law defining sex:" https://www.advocate.com/news/montana-transgender-exclusionary-law-invalidated
* "Out California firefighter stabbed to death; wife is lead suspect:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/california-firefighter-killed-wife-suspected
* "Black trans woman Tahiry Broom killed in Michigan:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/transgender-woman-tahiry-broom-killed
* "Two more arrested in death of transgender man Sam Nordquist:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/two-more-arrested-sam-nordquist
* "Vigils honor life of Sam Nordquist, trans man tortured and killed in upstate New York:" https://www.advocate.com/news/vigils-transgender-man-sam-nordquist
* "Trans folks built this community. Why are we still locked out?:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/transphobia-in-the-lgbtq
* "Widower sues Long Island cemetery for denying husband’s burial in family plot, citing anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination:" https://www.advocate.com/news/jewish-cemetary-gay-couple-discrimination
* "Transgender people face more harassment in bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth: study:" https://www.advocate.com/news/bathroom-bans-cause-transgender-harassment
Water is wet studies are important both for correcting right wing disinformation and for building political and court cases.
I know the instinct is to say "No d'uh, they could have asked us," but you need to quantify this stuff to legally protect our rights.
* "Florida's new Attorney General sues Target for selling products for LGBTQ+ youth:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/florida-attorney-general-sues-target-dei
* "Court rules against antigay bakery in California:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lesbian-wedding-cake-tastries
* "Utah bans transgender students from living in dorms that align with their gender identity:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/utah-bans-transgender-students-dorms
* "There Were Good Things in 2024?:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Hlsr_P4cDPI
* "Texas measles cases are up, and New Mexico now has an outbreak. Here’s what you need to know:" https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549
* "Louisiana health department says it will stop promoting mass vaccination. Here's what that could mean:" https://abcnews.go.com/Health/louisiana-health-department-stop-promoting-mass-vaccination/story?id=118819674
* "Flu is so bad right now that schools across the country are closing:" https://www.today.com/health/cold-flu/flu-school-closures-2025-rcna190771
* "Nebraska DHHS alerts to tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas City:" https://www.1011now.com/video/2025/02/15/nebraska-dhhs-alerts-tuberculosis-outbreak-kansas-city/
* "Florida man eats diet of butter, cheese, beef; cholesterol oozes from his body:" https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/01/florida-man-eats-diet-of-butter-cheese-beef-cholesterol-oozes-from-his-body/
* "An Effective Treatment for Opioid Addiction Exists. Why Isn’t It Used More?:" https://archive.ph/YYvyq
* "A Scorched 2024 in Review: Record-setting heat extremes took a rising toll:" https://www.climateresilience.org/2024-hottest-year-ever-recorded
* "The increasing burden of heat-related mortality:" https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00444-9/fulltext
* "'Hanging...like bats': Toronto plane crash survivor speaks out after aircraft flips on runway:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/hanging-bats-toronto-plane-crash-survivor-speaks-after/story?id=118917023
* "Report: Elon’s Cybertrucks Are Deadlier Than Infamous Ford Pintos:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/report-cybertruck-safety-ford-pinto/
* "These Lamborghini-Driving TikTokers Are Calling Out Cybertrucks in Real Time:" https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/lamborghini-driving-tiktokers-calling-cybertrucks-195700584.html
* "How WhatsApp ate the world:" https://restofworld.org/2024/how-whatsapp-for-business-changed-the-world/
* "UnitedHealth hired a defamation law firm to go after social media posts criticizing the company:" https://finance.yahoo.com/news/unitedhealth-hired-defamation-law-firm-185345940.html
* "Pluralistic: Premature Internet Activists:" https://pluralistic.net/2025/02/13/digital-rights/#are-human-rights
* "Purely AI-generated art can’t get copyright protection, says Copyright Office:" https://www.theverge.com/news/602096/copyright-office-says-ai-prompting-doesnt-deserve-copyright-protection
* ""Dark oxygen" discovery upends centuries of scientific beliefs, textbooks to be rewritten:" https://www.earth.com/news/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-ocean-rocks-upends-centuries-of-scientific-beliefs/
* "England’s Largest Bird Sanctuary Grows by 30%: ‘It’s incredible, the place just swarms with birdlife’:" https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/englands-largest-bird-sanctuary-grows-by-30-its-incredible-the-place-just-swarms-with-birdlife/
* "Hummingbirds Found Nesting Together in Groups in Surprising First:" https://www.mentalfloss.com/hummingbirds-found-nesting-in-groups
* "Conjuring the Lost Land Beneath the North Sea:" https://hakaimagazine.com/features/conjuring-the-lost-land-beneath-the-north-sea/
* "Mysterious tablet with unknown language unearthed in Georgia:" https://archaeologymag.com/2024/12/tablet-with-unknown-language-unearthed-in-georgia/
* "Tomb of Thutmose II Discovered in Egypt:" https://archaeology.org/news/2025/02/20/tomb-of-thutmose-ii-discovered-in-egypt/
* "Medieval Nubian Fashion Brought to Life:" https://www.medievalists.net/2024/11/medieval-nubian-fashion-brought-to-life/
* "The Unsettling Truth About Nostradamus:"
* Resist every way you can. "Rose Valland:" https://www.monumentsmenandwomenfnd.org/valland-capt-rose
* The laptop keeps getting delayed. I don't know it's weather, but given point of origin and weather reporting, I think my guess is likely correct. Certainly, it spent the weekend in a post office somewhere.
Edward Laptop's visual connection thingie remains a problem, but he's been doing well enough for me to keep posting.
I'm still at the trying to get used to the new work flow situation stage and things keep falling through the cracks as a result. When the new used laptop comes, I will have to start over with set up. I didn't finish my extension migration before Edward laptop showed his flaws, and I didn't see the point of continuing until the new one is mostly set up.
Klaus Laptop is still limping along, for which I am grateful as I need to go through his list of extensions as mentioned above, and I'm still working on closing him out.
I was sick enough over the weekend to drink medicinal tea twice, but not so sick I didn't manage to get an aggregate out despite everything.
* Monday I learned that I have recovered just enough strength and dexterity in my hand to eat things like perogies with chop sticks, but not enough for noodles. Sigh.
I also learned from a test run that the washing machine will not run properly without cold water. So half washed and still smelling a bit of Tavy piss, but not as agressively.
* Tuesday was A LOT. I got up early to go down and get the paperwork for applying for city home repairs. This is a whole process in it's self and best to get my paperwork in ASAP. Then I went to get my taxes filed, which is free, but endless, especially as a lot of people (like me) did not come earlier in the month because snow. (Half the people in line had assistive devices. Half of the remaining were the kind of elderly and fragile that doesn't mess with icy sidewalks).
I've been tearing through ILLs and a few other library books, and most of the ILLs needed to go back this week in any case. While I waited I did most of the home repair paperwork. (As of this writing I'm two bits of support paper short, but I ran out of spoons hours ago so sitting still and the occasional hobble to kitchen or bathroom is all I'm up for.) I think I know how I can get around the one that's very missing and not where I left it a month ago. If I can fill in the application I'll secure a place in line while I wait for replacement paper in the mail. Theoretically I can return it tomorrow. I just need to sort through some stuff for a different bit of paper.
After I finished my paperwork, I read the second half of a book I needed to send back with the other ILLs. Library is on the way back, so those all went in the slot.
I am tired and a mess.
I would like to thank the person who sent money. We are so going to be needing it.
* Errands did not work out as well as hoped. I did get the issue with my bank card sorted, but couldn't turn in my paperwork as the website and the big posted hours signs at city hall turned out to all be for the building, not the permit office. Sigh.
So I need to run down there after they open, but before physio. I am going to be so tired.
We did have a lovely care package of remnant yarn cakes and art supplies for the Millennials, which we had the pleasure of digging through and sorting.
Most of the Millennials are still ill or were otherwise busy, so distribution will need to wait a bit.
We watched Elsbeth and rewatched 12 Angry Men and mostly just rested up from our usual Wednesday running about.
Goth Millennial went to raid the fridge for eggs, which is normal as we normally get free eggs and can only use the whites for baking and nothing else, so Millennials are encouraged to take all the eggs they want as long as they leave us a carton. I figure the eggs are going to other people in poverty who could be getting free eggs too if transport were easier, so it seems ethical to me.
All they found was one expired and aging carton. They haven't sent us eggs since early January. This isn't me complaining. Like I said, I'm allergic to the yolks and I can only handle a small amount of whites diluted by other ingredients. Squirrel isn't allowed to eat them at all. When I saw the bird flu news at the turning of the year, I was expecting free eggs to stop coming, especially as the demand is so high for people who need them way more than we do. I'm just observing that we've been rationing eggs here in stores since December, and now all these people in poverty in my city relying on free eggs for a lot of their protein have one more source of protein cut off.
The federal government's response to the egg shortage was to fire the entire team working on monitoring and responding to bird flu outbreaks.
I took Goth Millennial to the grocery on the way home for juice and eggs and the price on the eggs was up to nearly seven a dozen. So they didn't get the eggs.
Bet there is no egg shortage in the White House.
I would like to thank our benefactors again. It is a very expensive February even by February standards and I'm going to need to deal with the housing tax bill soon when I've gathered enough to cover it.
Let us hope Social Security still exists in two weeks and that teenaged hackers haven't erased my records for being under 65 and/or living in a blue state, because I'm fucked if it doesn't come.
We are still working on the clothes washing situation. Sigh. Even if the city buys us a washing machine we shan't get it for a minimum of two months, but likely much longer. The place nearby where Skye and I used to haul our laundry when we first moved here closed about two decades ago. I am not entirely sure where a public laundry mat even is and carrying the laundry is going to be quite the challenge if I do find one.
The new used lap top is still trapped in a post office somewhere.
* UPS decided to return laptop to sender rather than even attempt to deliver it. I was home. No one buzzed, or knocked, or called. Sigh.
Livia decided she was Done with people coming into the apartment when the physio lady arrive Thursday. Tavy decided the honest contractor turning up Friday to install a grab bar by the toilet was Too Many Visitors even for him. (The disability service that pays for Goth Millennial and Physio lady also paid for the grab bar. They use the same contractor as the city because he's honest, reliable, and does good work).
I am experimenting with ways to clean Tavy's pads. I can't get them properly clean, but cleanish helps. I keep thinking of my mother hand washing my sister's cloth diapers in the bathroom. I don't know how she endured it. I couldn't have in her place. I am grateful he's still using the boxes for solids, but I also really hate the current situation.
* I am still tinkering with trying to wash hot only and had a modest success today. Tavy's response to Too Many Things Friday, plus air pressure locking him out of Squirrel's room was to piss my bed right before bed time, luckily on the pee pad. (He did it Saturday, also, I think because he was over stimulated and there were Too Many Things this week.) So I ran the big bed pad and one of the smaller pads together Saturday evening with yet another setting. This time it stopped with everything soaking in what looked like rinse water. It had also used all the detergent. I restarted it on spin cycle only and it drained and did a normal spin.
No sign of new leakage. I am thinking the cold whatever it was wore out first, because I pretty much wash everything cold. This might be why the hot side hasn't broken yet. I don't trust it and plan to keep doing as few loads as possible.
This was about the lightest wash cycle it was possible to run. Both Goth Millennial and I could smell any sign of despoiling on the bed cover pad. The smaller, much heavily soiled one was not fully washed. I think the light wash can't handle that level of mess. Double washing might, but that is a question for another day. I'm doing the smaller pads every other day unless Tavy hits one of the big covers. I have only four of the big whole sofa covers and that's two each for bed and sofa as neither can be left uncovered without me in it, and I need a spare for when the other is in the wash.
(The sofa being changed requires me to move the sofa around and is exhausting and labour intensive. I layer the clean big covers, then put at twp small covers over the arms for the rare spraying event, one small cover in the middle, and then two overlapping on top of the center, as he sometimes will pee in the center and leak through to the big pain in the ass to change cover if there isn't an extra pad there. The third central pad also helps when I'm asleep and he digs in the pads yanking them out of place and then coming back later to hit them again.)
This is exhausting and I wish he'd just go back to using the liter box, but he's in late middle age and incredibly stubborn.
Sigh.
I tried everything that worked with previous cats that did not have dementia, but if I thwart of punish him he just pees on my bed. I'd rather the sofa than my bed for obvious reasons, so all I can really do is mitigation unless I actually catch him in the act on my bed.
Sigh.
I'm going to run a test batch of human only laundry Monday, see if it comes out clean. I hate washing my clothes in anything but cold, but there is nothing for it.
In other news, I stopped for lettuce, tomatoes, and bagels for sandwich making when taking Goth Millennial home. The tomatoes were normal for that store after 10PM on a Saturday in Winter. (Reasonable amount and selection, half on offer a bit too soft.) The lettuce though? Almost none left and what was left was some degree of visibly wilted. I took the best of the lot, which wasn't that bad. The others wouldn't have been worth bringing home except as fertilizer. That is NOT normal for that store, even that close to close on a Saturday in winter. It shocked me. I'd never seen it that picked over. I'd never seen them selling wilted heads.
I wonder where the lettuce is coming from vs the tomatoes?
I had noticed various people I correspond with on the Internet saying organic/free range/brown eggs, etc. were cheaper than regular these days. Goth Millennial reports that organic free range is the same price as usual down at the co-op and definitely cheaper regular eggs at the regular supermarket.
This raises the question of why? Why are people willing to pay a dollar or two per dozen extra for factory farmed? They are also selling factory farmed for 50 cents an egg if you buy a dozen, but 75 cents an egg for a carton of 18. This makes no cents to me mathematically, but then I only buy eggs once every few years if I baking for a party or the like. I'm clearly missing something about the psychology of egg purchasing.
* Sunday, the Millenials decended for dinner and a hang out. The cats were still Done with Visitors, so they stayed in theur room. We had a realy nuce visit for the first time in weeks, as snow and illness qwere in the way for a while.
I ran another test batch with all hot water laundry as the Emporer outdid himself on mess Saturday. The results appear to be repeatable. We still need a long term solution as hot water is bad for clothes and the environment, but so for the hot water tubing etc. is holding.
Tomorrow I attempt an all human laundry load. *digits cruciform*
* "Trump 2.0: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO):"
* "Trump: I’ll Break Any Law I Want | MapQuest Resists “Gulf Of America” | Kennedy Center Dishonored:"
* ""Up His Butt" - Trump's Border Czar Confirms Crooked Deal With NYC Mayor Eric Adams:"
* "Rehiring Fired Gov't Workers | Musk Isn't Running DOGE | Pro-Russia Trump Doesn't Care About Ukraine:"
* ""King" Don Floats A Troll Balloon | All The Gold In Fort Knox | California Honors Bigfoot:"
* "Meanwhile...Cake Bandit Opossum | Finance Bros Get Penis Filler | Mark Hamill's Wardrobe Malfunction:"
* "Meanwhile... Seal Rescue In Connecticut | NYC Can't Stop Turnstile Jumpers | Baby Born On NYC Subway:"
* CW: CSA, Sexual Assault. "Nosferatu & The Gothic Appetite:"
I don't agree with 100% of what's in here, but this is really good and I do agree with most of it. I particularly appreciate her addressing the elephant in the room with a kind of nuance seldom seen in discussions of this movie.
* "Family Meeting With John Oliver:"
* "Serious Spartans:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ymMOOOqojso
* "Philosophy Fun:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4529MZUUkUk
* "Roman Citizenship:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/bGC26tFazfs
* "The Life of Emperor Nero in 1 Minute:" https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yxjlz_CY8O4
* "“I Was Just Saving The Country”:"
* "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires:"
* "Elon Musk Is "Gold Finder":"
* "SMoMA - The Snail Museum of Miniature Art: This dollhouse-sized art museum features creations from local artists.:" https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/smoma-the-snail-museum-of-miniature-art
* "Sunday Sweets That Defy Gravity:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-that-defy-gravity-2025
* "Sunday Sweets: 10 Kids' Cakes The Adults Will Want, Too:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-10-kids-cakes-the-adults-will-want-too-2025
*****
* Full list of Resistance and charity links has been migrated to my profile as it was getting out of hand.
The help links are at the bottom under the cut.
* What to do if you are an adult who is losing your gender affirming care from your physician: https://www.tumblr.com/anonymousalchemist/774948824033673217
* Help Lambda Legal Continue their fight: https://support.lambdalegal.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app30130a?df_id=6680&mfc_pref=T&6680.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=D3311163DF16F06EEA5520010BAF90B5&_gl=1*n53ras*_gcl_au*MTMxNDYxNjc0LjE3MzgxODExMzg.*_ga*MTY0NDY4OTM4NC4xNzM4MTgxMTM4*_ga_290ZG8GMP3*MTczODE4MTEzOC4xLjEuMTczODE4MTIwMi41OC4wLjA.
* "Donate to the ACLU:" https://action.aclu.org/give/now
* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
* "Resources for California fire victims were scattered. So I created this site to help.:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/california-disaster-recovery-resources
* "Where your donations to L.A. fire victims will do the most good:" https://www.advocate.com/news/donate-los-angeles-fire-victims
* "Democracy 2025:" https://www.democracy2025.org/?utm_source=df-ad&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=21912407002&utm_content=721373734297&source=df-ad-gs&gad_source=1
* "Resisting Fascism in 2025 and Beyond:" https://www.prideandpagesbookclub.com/resisting-fascism-in-2025-and-beyond
* "Here are 26 organizations fighting Donald Trump that you can donate to:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/anti-donald-trump-charities
* Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/
* "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund:" https://victoryfund.org/
* Where to protest the censoring and erasure of transfolk on the Stonewal Uprising monument if you can't go in person. Select no and leave a comment.: https://www.nps.gov/ston/index.htm
* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery
* ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
* Contains a raid tip hotline amoung other things. "Know Your Rights
LEARN HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY:" https://wearecasa.org/know-your-rights/
* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory
* What to do if you encounter an immigration official. "Know Your Rights:" https://unitedwedream.org/resources/know-your-rights/
* "ICE Raids Toolkit: Defend Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests:" https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/raids-toolkit/
* "ICE Watch Programs Can Protect Immigrants in Your Neighborhood — Here’s What to Know:" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/ice-watch-programs-immigrants-how-to-start
* "Legal Services for Your Reproductive Life:" https://reprolegalhelpline.org/
* "National Abortion Hotline:" https://prochoice.org/
* "Plan C: Abortion pills by mail in every state:" https://www.plancpills.org/
* "Resources for Accessing Abortion Care:" https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/resources/resources-for-accessing-abortion-care/
* "Contraception and Birth Control Resources:" https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/contraception/more_information/resources
* "Gynecologists who will perform a tubal sterilization:" https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Djia_WkrVO3S4jKn6odNwQk7pOcpcL4x00FMNekrb7Q/edit?gid=1318374028#gid=1318374028
* Useful organizing links and resources: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/771859083592613888/hater-of-terfs-ive-already-reblogged-a-link-to?source=share
* "We have a right to safety, privacy, and protest. Say no to mask bans.:" https://www.stopmaskbans.com/
* "Trans Kids Deserve Better:" https://transkidsdeservebetter.org/support
* "World Central Kitchen:" https://wck.org/
* Trans support organization: https://www.pointofpride.org/
* "Transanta: An opportunity to directly support trans youth:" https://thisfinecrew.dreamwidth.org/291573.html
* Links for various Palestinian Aid Organizations: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/750151174318112768?source=share
* "Black Alliance for Peace’s Atlanta Citywide Alliance:" https://linktr.ee/bapatlanta
* Map of Cop Cities planned or being built: https://isyourlifebetter.net/cop-cities-usa/
* Want to help Journalists without Borders? https://donate.rsf.org/us/donate/~my-donation
* How to donate to Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/secure/donate
* "The Rainbow Railroad:" https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/take-action
* "These Organizations Accept Donations To Help People in Ukraine:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2022/03/01/where-to-donate-help-ukraine/
* "Russia-Ukraine War: Info and ways to help:" https://ukrainewar.carrd.co/
* "Support OVD-Info:" https://beste-glatisant.tumblr.com/post/677388506851606528/hi-ive-donated-to-the-ukranian-refugees-and-now
* "War in Ukraine! Support LGBTQ people.:" https://secure.wayforpay.com/payment/s047412e502b6
* What to help fight for queer people in Africa? Try the Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest www.ISDAO.org
* Organizations to help trans folk: https://gwydionmisha.tumblr.com/post/620857152453640195/about-us
* Indivisible Guide for Trump 2.0 "A Practical Guide to defeating MAGA:" https://indivisible.org/resource/guide
* This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/
* Have something you want to tell your Congress Critters? If you can't safely protest in person, here are some other options:
Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative of your choice.
Senate: https://contactsenators.com/senator-phone-numbers/
Congress in General: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
* "DONATE TO EMILY'S LIST:" https://win.emilyslist.org/a/donate-to-emily
* What to help support all of us all here at the Cat Asylum? https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/Gwydion
* I admit to having a wicked good time tormenting myself and other history geeks with my polls: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydpolls