5/17/25 - 5/19/25
May. 19th, 2025 07:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* News keeps moving fast, so some items may be already out of date.
* "Israel begins 'extensive' ground operation in Gaza after devastating air strikes:" https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250518-more-than-100-killed-overnight-in-israel-s-military-assault-on-gaza-all-hospitals-out-of-service
******
* "Zelenskyy meets Vance in Rome, hours after Russia's largest drone attack on Ukraine:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/18/nx-s1-5402815/zelenskyy-meets-vance-in-rome-hours-after-russias-largest-drone-attack-on-ukraine
* "Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance meet ahead of US-led diplomatic flurry to reach ceasefire in Ukraine:" https://apnews.com/article/pope-vance-leo-vatican-ukraine-russia-trump-c1572b31e231e4eee61baaaad5c1445f
* "US allows Australia to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine despite private objections, media reports:" https://kyivindependent.com/australia-sending-retired-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-despite-us-objections-media-reports/
* "Russia reportedly threatened to seize Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy regions during Istanbul talks:" https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/16/russia-reportedly-threatened-to-seize-ukraine-s-kharkiv-and-sumy-regions-during-istanbul-talks
* "How India-Pakistan conflict pushed planes off course:" https://archive.ph/Ow9XT
* "UN agency, Rohingya refugees allege Indian authorities cast dozens of them into the sea near Myanmar:" https://apnews.com/article/india-rohingya-refugees-deportation-e724b7a9949192a5383f84eb98377026
* I am so happy for Romania! "Pro-EU moderate Nicușor Dan wins Romanian presidential election stunner:" https://www.politico.eu/article/romanian-presidential-election-results-nicusor-dan-george-simion/
* "The shadowy warlord behind Romania’s wrecked election :" https://www.politico.eu/article/shadowy-warlord-behind-romania-election-calin-georgescu-far-right-horatiu-potra-george-simion/
* "Taliban 'Suspends' Chess Playing In Afghanistan Citing Religious, Gambling Concerns:" https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-chess-suspended-taliban-rights-sports/33410775.html
* "Food For Millions Rots in Storage After Trump’s USAID Cuts:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-for-millions-rots-in-storage-after-trumps-usaid-cuts/
* "Count the Dead by the Millions:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-rubio-musk-foreign-aid-millions-dead-1235321188/
* "The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-poverty-trade-war-economy_n_6814ee26e4b08575d39c9a8a
* "Trump Is Building a Global Gulag for Immigrants Captured by ICE:" https://theintercept.com/2025/05/15/trump-ice-immigrants-deport-prisons-cecot-libya/
* "Trump’s ICE Used a Woman’s Kids and Grandchild as ‘Bait’ to Arrest Her:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ice-kids-bait-arrest-woman-worcester-massachusetts-1235338539/
* "About 200 protesters demonstrate against immigration enforcement in South Nashville:" https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2025/05/17/protesters-ice-immigration-enforcement-nashville-andy-ogles/83697320007/
* "The Company Behind the Signal Clone Mike Waltz Used Has Direct Access to User Chats:" https://www.wired.com/story/tm-signal-telemessage-plaintext-message-archive/
Republican officials continue to refuse to use secure communications for classified data, because republicans give no fucks about National Security.
* "The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked:" https://www.404media.co/the-signal-clone-the-trump-admin-uses-was-hacked/
* "USDA, DOGE demand states hand over personal data about food stamp recipients:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/09/nx-s1-5389952/usda-snap-doge-data-immigration
* "NRA appeals to U.S. Supreme Court on Florida ban of purchases of long guns by under-21-year-olds:" https://www.wuwf.org/florida-news/2025-05-18/nra-appeals-to-u-s-supreme-court-on-florida-ban-of-purchases-of-long-guns-by-under-21-year-olds
* We need to fight the Budget Bill
If this budget passes, people die because they won't be able to afford the copays, especially as Trump economic policies kill jobs and keep causing prices to rise.
They are sacrificing people for the billionaires that bought them.
When you contact your Congress Critter, say what you need to say to keep Republicans split and keep Democratic spines stiff in the House.
* This is DANGEROUS: "Trump’s clash with the courts raises prospect of showdown over separation of powers:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-rule-law-justice-contempt-congress-d588119540b8338e7b32e41fc8039dd0?
* "House budget panel approves Trump megabill following hardliner resistance:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/18/republicans-race-to-avoid-another-megabill-setback-00356424
* RE: SAVE ACT "Do This Today: Call Senators:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2036106.html
If these are your Senators, please stop what you are doing and call now:
KELLY (AZ)
WARNOCK (GA)
PETERS (MI)
SHAHEEN (NH)
HASSAN (NH)
CORTEZ MASTO (NV)
ROSEN (NV)
* This one is a super dangerous attack on the judiciary's ability to protect citizen's rights. "H.R. 1526: NORRA of 2025:" https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr1526
* On the Porn Ban Bill, Queerphobia, and Neo-Puritanism: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/783972047574499328/five-calls-to-your-critters?source=share
* 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.
* "Take action with Indivisible:" https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/
* 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
* If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:
Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
Snail Mail Campaigns: https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3622760.html
"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/
White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/
ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/
"The Public Comment Process (+ how to write effective public comments):" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/781844516804149248?source=share
Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/
"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
Protests: "50501 Events:" https://www.fiftyfifty.one/events
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
"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/
* "Nebraska Republican mayor loses reelection after running anti-transgender ads:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/nebraska-republican-mayor-loses-trans-ads
"Democrats didn’t sit back in the face of Stothert’s mailer blitz—they hit back hard. In the campaign’s final days, Nebraska Democrats launched their own countermessaging, mocking the incumbent’s fixation on culture war talking points. One viral image featured a bathroom stall with the tagline: “Jean’s focused on potties. John’s focused on fixing potholes.” The contrast was blunt, effective, and local."
It would be helpful if more Democrats pushed back like this when Republicans do this instead of throwing us under the bus like Sherrod Brown and Gavin Newsom decided to do.
Keep holding state and local candidates to account.
Stay noisy. Have each others' backs. VOTE! Vote in every election including special elections and primaries. It really makes a difference.
* "The FBI is investigating the explosion at a California fertility clinic as an act of terrorism:" https://apnews.com/article/california-explosion-palm-springs-eb8887fbe5877a20a40916aba86554ea
* "Online manifesto threatened clinic attack; FBI probes Palm Springs bomber’s radical ideology :" https://archive.ph/tiP76
* "When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in 15 Years:" https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2024/10/23/cats-came-to-my-california-prison/
* CW: Rape, Child Abuse "Neil Gaiman & The Myth of the Perfect Victim:"
* CW: Domestic Abuse. "Sean Combs trial: Cassie concludes four days of testimony:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/16/nx-s1-5401461/sean-combs-trial-cassie-concludes-testimony
* "Why men get furious at women who say they prefer the “dad bod”:" https://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2025/05/02/why-men-get-furious-at-women-who-say-they-prefer-the-dad-bod/
* "Federal judge in Texas rules LGBTQ+ people can be discriminated against at work:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-texas-lgbtq-discriminated-work
* "Neither Chaos Nor Quest: Toward a Nonnarrative Medicine:" https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/neither-chaos-nor-quest-toward-a-nonnarrative-medicine/
* "Inside the Long, Strange Trip of the World’s Best LSD:" https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/lsd-acid-owsley-stanley-research-trials-1235319250/
* "5 Killed, Many Missing In Flash Floods In China, Disaster Alert Issued:" https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/5-killed-many-missing-in-flash-floods-in-china-disaster-alert-issued-8449072
* "Severe floods hit Argentina farm region, thousands evacuate:" https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/severe-floods-hit-argentina-farm-region-thousands-evacuate-2025-05-17/
* "Tornadoes kill more than 20 in south-central US:" https://phys.org/news/2025-05-tornadoes-south-central.html
* "'I thought it was a movie': Mexican ship's crash into with Brooklyn Bridge leaves locals in disbelief:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mexican-ship-collision-brooklyn-bridge-rcna207537
* "The nurse in the NYC subway:" https://archive.ph/R1ta6
* "Linux Is Already Broken Before You Even Start:" https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/i-want-to-love-linux-it-doesnt-love-me-back-post-1-built-for-control-but-not-for-people/
* "Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List:" https://github.com/yaelwrites/Big-Ass-Data-Broker-Opt-Out-List
* "Millions of Apple Airplay-Enabled Devices Can Be Hacked via Wi-Fi:" https://www.wired.com/story/airborne-airplay-flaws/
* "The Cybertruck is all tricks and no truck, a musky Tesla fail:" https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-5/the-cybertruck-is-all-tricks-and-no-truck-a-musky-tesla-fail/
* "NASA Space 'Archaeology' Reconstructs Dead Star:" https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-reconstructs-ancient-dead-star-2052152
* "Private Japanese lunar lander enters orbit around moon ahead of a June touchdown:" https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/private-japanese-lunar-lander-enters-orbit-moon-ahead-june-touchdown-rcna205308
* "Pigeon rescue crew find peace in tending London's flocks:" https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/pigeon-rescue-crew-find-peace-tending-londons-flocks-2025-05-12/
* "12 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bayeux Tapestry:" https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/things-know-bayeux-tapestry/
* "How Medieval Popes Were Different to Modern Popes:"
* "Introduction to Native American History: Ep 1 of Crash Course Native American History:"
* "Tribal Sovereignty Explained: Ep 2 of Crash Course Native American History:"
* He's not dead, just retiring. "Johnny Mathis, the queer trailblazer and global superstar, takes a final bow:" https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/johnny-mathis-final-concert
* "There’s White Stuff Growing on Your Cheese That Isn’t Mold:" https://www.thephcheese.com/theres-white-stuff-growing-on-your-cheese-that-isnt-mold
* "South Korea halted its adoption fraud investigation. Adoptees still demand the truth:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/nx-s1-5387251/south-korea-adoption-fraud-investigation
* "Man found dead in animal enclosure at zoo after possible kangaroo fight:" https://local12.com/news/nation-world/kangaroo-zoo-fight-dead-dies-killed-kill-animal-enclosure-keeper-zookeeper-employee-staff-man-fought-roughhouse-highway-small-local-euthanized-wild-nature-living-conditions-farm-assault-brawl-wallabies-kangaroos-investigation
* "Legal Myths That Will Land You in Prison || r/BadLegalAdvice:"
* "Kenya court fines four men for trafficking thousands of queen ants:" https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-court-convicts-four-ant-traffickers-fines-each-7700-2025-05-07/
* I am exhausted. In preparation for the preliminary to the preliminary to hopefully getting the city to fix a bunch of things in the apartment and replace the broken clothes washer, I spent 2-3 hours Saturday gathering documents. Most of it was dead easy as I had the packet of papers from the April bureaucracy about 2/3rds of which were the same ones for the new bureaucracy. Most of the rest were fairly easy as they were where I put them or where they were supposed to be in preparation for going up to seven year storage.
Three of them weren't. Sigh. One of them took an hour by itself, because it was in neither place I would reasonably have put it (I wasn't sure if I'd moved it out of the folder for things that are important to be able to grab in a hurry, to the less urgent, but still needs to be ready to hand after the superseding document went into the folder), It was in neither. I searched the ready to go to long term storage box three times. I checked the two places it could have fallen or reasonably misfiled. No dice.
I had turned up the document packet it superseded and tossed that into the pile because something is better than nothing, and I was completely at a loss.
Then I remembered the whole people repeatedly knocking things off my paperwork desk and casually putting them back in random locations they didn't belong over a several month stretch last year. The place I put superseded but still need to be easy to find documents is on that desk. I went over there and I imagined being a careless person who didn't notice or care where they knocked the papers from and searched counterintuitive to me places people would randomly jam a handful of important paperwork they didn't care about.
Found it!
The whole process would have taken about an hour what with circling gas expenditures on documents and sorting and the like if they'd just put the paperwork back where it went. (On top of the desk they knocked it from. Like not even a specific place on the desk. All they had to do was pick it up and put it back on the desk randomly).
So that's sorted. (I ordered an extra bit of documentation which may or may not come in time, but apparently I was so organized, I'd ordered it in March in anticipation of April Bureaucracy and submitted it without remembering, so that was a pleasant surprise when I went through April documentation packet. Go Past me! March me was ordering a whole pile of documentation for April Bureaucracy, and this was a lesser bit). We submit documentation and the second tier application near the end of them month during a meeting where they walk me through the paperwork.
I hope we get it. The current laundry situation is terrible and incommoding five people. The ventilation in Squirrel's bathroom has been a problem the whole time we lived here because they never connected the vent to outside. a bunch of smaller things the low bit contractor half assed keep causing issues, but really vents and clothes washer are a big deal.
* "Inside The New, Luxurious Air Force One:"
* *Snicker* "The Husband's Clock:"
* Re: Gurathian vs Murderbot on the show being more exaggeratedly antagonistic in the first two episodes:
I think some of it is to help non-book readers, but I also I actual really loved the foils aspect. They are enough alike that it is freaking Gurathian out here, plus the cyborg vs. augmented thing is likely pinging all Gurathion's unspoken concerns about how people might perceive him and all the ways his on differences make him standout..
I think Gurathian and Murderbot having corporate abuse in common is right now why Gurathian is being the way he is about Murderbot, but also the path forward for them.
* "Sunday Sweets: Bridal Showers:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sundaysweetsbridalshowers2025
*****
* 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.
* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map
* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986
* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network
* "Asserting yourself during discrimination:" https://www.reasonableaccess.org.uk/resources/asserting-yourself-during-discrimination/
* How to fight your insurace company when they insist you take meds that don't work instead of a more expensive one that does: https://steptherapy.com/step-therapy-legislation-by-state/
* "Find Non-US Alternatives: Discover alternatives to the mainstream products, services, and companies typically found in the United States and Russia, sourced from other regions.:" https://www.bankrupttrump.org/
* Indigenous led organizationtrying to save endangered species that just lost Federal funding. "The Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance:" https://www.bnga.org/
* 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.
* Glad Law is fighting for trans service members. Want to help? https://givebutter.com/donatetoglad?utm_src=webheader&_gl=1*1qhxi1q*_ga*NDM3MjM0Mzk1LjE3NDEwMDk5NDA.*_ga_PCJHHSV2G7*MTc0MTAwOTk0MC4xLjAuMTc0MTAwOTk0MC4wLjAuMA..
* "Donate to the ACLU:" https://action.aclu.org/give/now
* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
* "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/
* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery
* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory
* Want to help Virginia get a Democratic Governor? "Support Abigail's Campaign for Governor of Virginia!" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blu-asfg-2025-gs-dd?refcode=BLU_ASFG_DD_GS_NT_NTL_Q1_01&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt4C-BhBcEiwA8Kp0CcaXXWdWpVI1uyoauFCRFgrY9hsEMA4pbxF_TO6ZPHAdhNzOmcwHTxoC8lgQAvD_BwE
* Post Joann's fabric Resources: https://www.tumblr.com/omgthatdress/777133232259989504/quilted-twins-florida-based-quilting-shop-with-a?source=share
* 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
* "Israel begins 'extensive' ground operation in Gaza after devastating air strikes:" https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250518-more-than-100-killed-overnight-in-israel-s-military-assault-on-gaza-all-hospitals-out-of-service
******
* "Zelenskyy meets Vance in Rome, hours after Russia's largest drone attack on Ukraine:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/18/nx-s1-5402815/zelenskyy-meets-vance-in-rome-hours-after-russias-largest-drone-attack-on-ukraine
* "Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance meet ahead of US-led diplomatic flurry to reach ceasefire in Ukraine:" https://apnews.com/article/pope-vance-leo-vatican-ukraine-russia-trump-c1572b31e231e4eee61baaaad5c1445f
* "US allows Australia to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine despite private objections, media reports:" https://kyivindependent.com/australia-sending-retired-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-despite-us-objections-media-reports/
* "Russia reportedly threatened to seize Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy regions during Istanbul talks:" https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/16/russia-reportedly-threatened-to-seize-ukraine-s-kharkiv-and-sumy-regions-during-istanbul-talks
* "How India-Pakistan conflict pushed planes off course:" https://archive.ph/Ow9XT
* "UN agency, Rohingya refugees allege Indian authorities cast dozens of them into the sea near Myanmar:" https://apnews.com/article/india-rohingya-refugees-deportation-e724b7a9949192a5383f84eb98377026
* I am so happy for Romania! "Pro-EU moderate Nicușor Dan wins Romanian presidential election stunner:" https://www.politico.eu/article/romanian-presidential-election-results-nicusor-dan-george-simion/
* "The shadowy warlord behind Romania’s wrecked election :" https://www.politico.eu/article/shadowy-warlord-behind-romania-election-calin-georgescu-far-right-horatiu-potra-george-simion/
* "Taliban 'Suspends' Chess Playing In Afghanistan Citing Religious, Gambling Concerns:" https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-chess-suspended-taliban-rights-sports/33410775.html
* "Food For Millions Rots in Storage After Trump’s USAID Cuts:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/food-for-millions-rots-in-storage-after-trumps-usaid-cuts/
* "Count the Dead by the Millions:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-rubio-musk-foreign-aid-millions-dead-1235321188/
* "The Trump Administration Thinks You Should Be OK With Being Poor:" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-poverty-trade-war-economy_n_6814ee26e4b08575d39c9a8a
* "Trump Is Building a Global Gulag for Immigrants Captured by ICE:" https://theintercept.com/2025/05/15/trump-ice-immigrants-deport-prisons-cecot-libya/
* "Trump’s ICE Used a Woman’s Kids and Grandchild as ‘Bait’ to Arrest Her:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/ice-kids-bait-arrest-woman-worcester-massachusetts-1235338539/
* "About 200 protesters demonstrate against immigration enforcement in South Nashville:" https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2025/05/17/protesters-ice-immigration-enforcement-nashville-andy-ogles/83697320007/
* "The Company Behind the Signal Clone Mike Waltz Used Has Direct Access to User Chats:" https://www.wired.com/story/tm-signal-telemessage-plaintext-message-archive/
Republican officials continue to refuse to use secure communications for classified data, because republicans give no fucks about National Security.
* "The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked:" https://www.404media.co/the-signal-clone-the-trump-admin-uses-was-hacked/
* "USDA, DOGE demand states hand over personal data about food stamp recipients:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/09/nx-s1-5389952/usda-snap-doge-data-immigration
* "NRA appeals to U.S. Supreme Court on Florida ban of purchases of long guns by under-21-year-olds:" https://www.wuwf.org/florida-news/2025-05-18/nra-appeals-to-u-s-supreme-court-on-florida-ban-of-purchases-of-long-guns-by-under-21-year-olds
* We need to fight the Budget Bill
If this budget passes, people die because they won't be able to afford the copays, especially as Trump economic policies kill jobs and keep causing prices to rise.
They are sacrificing people for the billionaires that bought them.
When you contact your Congress Critter, say what you need to say to keep Republicans split and keep Democratic spines stiff in the House.
* This is DANGEROUS: "Trump’s clash with the courts raises prospect of showdown over separation of powers:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-rule-law-justice-contempt-congress-d588119540b8338e7b32e41fc8039dd0?
* "House budget panel approves Trump megabill following hardliner resistance:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/18/republicans-race-to-avoid-another-megabill-setback-00356424
* RE: SAVE ACT "Do This Today: Call Senators:" https://solarbird.dreamwidth.org/2036106.html
If these are your Senators, please stop what you are doing and call now:
KELLY (AZ)
WARNOCK (GA)
PETERS (MI)
SHAHEEN (NH)
HASSAN (NH)
CORTEZ MASTO (NV)
ROSEN (NV)
* This one is a super dangerous attack on the judiciary's ability to protect citizen's rights. "H.R. 1526: NORRA of 2025:" https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/119/hr1526
* On the Porn Ban Bill, Queerphobia, and Neo-Puritanism: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/783972047574499328/five-calls-to-your-critters?source=share
* 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.
* "Take action with Indivisible:" https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/
* 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
* If you can't safely contact them in person, here are some other options for contacting your Congress Critters:
Five Calls to your critters: https://5calls.org/
Here is one that will send your reps a fax: https://resist.bot/
Snail Mail Campaigns: https://conuly.dreamwidth.org/3622760.html
"Congress. gov:" https://www.congress.gov/
White house (Possibly Dangerous): https://www.whitehouse.gov/
ACLU advice for writing to your Critters: https://www.aclu.org/writing-your-elected-representatives
This tracks legislation: https://www.govtrack.us/
"The Public Comment Process (+ how to write effective public comments):" https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/781844516804149248?source=share
Run for Something: https://runforsomething.net/
"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
Protests: "50501 Events:" https://www.fiftyfifty.one/events
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
"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/
* "Nebraska Republican mayor loses reelection after running anti-transgender ads:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/nebraska-republican-mayor-loses-trans-ads
"Democrats didn’t sit back in the face of Stothert’s mailer blitz—they hit back hard. In the campaign’s final days, Nebraska Democrats launched their own countermessaging, mocking the incumbent’s fixation on culture war talking points. One viral image featured a bathroom stall with the tagline: “Jean’s focused on potties. John’s focused on fixing potholes.” The contrast was blunt, effective, and local."
It would be helpful if more Democrats pushed back like this when Republicans do this instead of throwing us under the bus like Sherrod Brown and Gavin Newsom decided to do.
Keep holding state and local candidates to account.
Stay noisy. Have each others' backs. VOTE! Vote in every election including special elections and primaries. It really makes a difference.
* "The FBI is investigating the explosion at a California fertility clinic as an act of terrorism:" https://apnews.com/article/california-explosion-palm-springs-eb8887fbe5877a20a40916aba86554ea
* "Online manifesto threatened clinic attack; FBI probes Palm Springs bomber’s radical ideology :" https://archive.ph/tiP76
* "When Kittens Came to My Prison, I Had Not Petted One in 15 Years:" https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2024/10/23/cats-came-to-my-california-prison/
* CW: Rape, Child Abuse "Neil Gaiman & The Myth of the Perfect Victim:"
* CW: Domestic Abuse. "Sean Combs trial: Cassie concludes four days of testimony:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/16/nx-s1-5401461/sean-combs-trial-cassie-concludes-testimony
* "Why men get furious at women who say they prefer the “dad bod”:" https://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2025/05/02/why-men-get-furious-at-women-who-say-they-prefer-the-dad-bod/
* "Federal judge in Texas rules LGBTQ+ people can be discriminated against at work:" https://www.advocate.com/news/judge-texas-lgbtq-discriminated-work
* "Neither Chaos Nor Quest: Toward a Nonnarrative Medicine:" https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/neither-chaos-nor-quest-toward-a-nonnarrative-medicine/
* "Inside the Long, Strange Trip of the World’s Best LSD:" https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/lsd-acid-owsley-stanley-research-trials-1235319250/
* "5 Killed, Many Missing In Flash Floods In China, Disaster Alert Issued:" https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/5-killed-many-missing-in-flash-floods-in-china-disaster-alert-issued-8449072
* "Severe floods hit Argentina farm region, thousands evacuate:" https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/severe-floods-hit-argentina-farm-region-thousands-evacuate-2025-05-17/
* "Tornadoes kill more than 20 in south-central US:" https://phys.org/news/2025-05-tornadoes-south-central.html
* "'I thought it was a movie': Mexican ship's crash into with Brooklyn Bridge leaves locals in disbelief:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mexican-ship-collision-brooklyn-bridge-rcna207537
* "The nurse in the NYC subway:" https://archive.ph/R1ta6
* "Linux Is Already Broken Before You Even Start:" https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/i-want-to-love-linux-it-doesnt-love-me-back-post-1-built-for-control-but-not-for-people/
* "Big Ass Data Broker Opt-Out List:" https://github.com/yaelwrites/Big-Ass-Data-Broker-Opt-Out-List
* "Millions of Apple Airplay-Enabled Devices Can Be Hacked via Wi-Fi:" https://www.wired.com/story/airborne-airplay-flaws/
* "The Cybertruck is all tricks and no truck, a musky Tesla fail:" https://www.hcn.org/issues/57-5/the-cybertruck-is-all-tricks-and-no-truck-a-musky-tesla-fail/
* "NASA Space 'Archaeology' Reconstructs Dead Star:" https://www.newsweek.com/nasa-reconstructs-ancient-dead-star-2052152
* "Private Japanese lunar lander enters orbit around moon ahead of a June touchdown:" https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/private-japanese-lunar-lander-enters-orbit-moon-ahead-june-touchdown-rcna205308
* "Pigeon rescue crew find peace in tending London's flocks:" https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/pigeon-rescue-crew-find-peace-tending-londons-flocks-2025-05-12/
* "12 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bayeux Tapestry:" https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/things-know-bayeux-tapestry/
* "How Medieval Popes Were Different to Modern Popes:"
* "Introduction to Native American History: Ep 1 of Crash Course Native American History:"
* "Tribal Sovereignty Explained: Ep 2 of Crash Course Native American History:"
* He's not dead, just retiring. "Johnny Mathis, the queer trailblazer and global superstar, takes a final bow:" https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/johnny-mathis-final-concert
* "There’s White Stuff Growing on Your Cheese That Isn’t Mold:" https://www.thephcheese.com/theres-white-stuff-growing-on-your-cheese-that-isnt-mold
* "South Korea halted its adoption fraud investigation. Adoptees still demand the truth:" https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/nx-s1-5387251/south-korea-adoption-fraud-investigation
* "Man found dead in animal enclosure at zoo after possible kangaroo fight:" https://local12.com/news/nation-world/kangaroo-zoo-fight-dead-dies-killed-kill-animal-enclosure-keeper-zookeeper-employee-staff-man-fought-roughhouse-highway-small-local-euthanized-wild-nature-living-conditions-farm-assault-brawl-wallabies-kangaroos-investigation
* "Legal Myths That Will Land You in Prison || r/BadLegalAdvice:"
* "Kenya court fines four men for trafficking thousands of queen ants:" https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-court-convicts-four-ant-traffickers-fines-each-7700-2025-05-07/
* I am exhausted. In preparation for the preliminary to the preliminary to hopefully getting the city to fix a bunch of things in the apartment and replace the broken clothes washer, I spent 2-3 hours Saturday gathering documents. Most of it was dead easy as I had the packet of papers from the April bureaucracy about 2/3rds of which were the same ones for the new bureaucracy. Most of the rest were fairly easy as they were where I put them or where they were supposed to be in preparation for going up to seven year storage.
Three of them weren't. Sigh. One of them took an hour by itself, because it was in neither place I would reasonably have put it (I wasn't sure if I'd moved it out of the folder for things that are important to be able to grab in a hurry, to the less urgent, but still needs to be ready to hand after the superseding document went into the folder), It was in neither. I searched the ready to go to long term storage box three times. I checked the two places it could have fallen or reasonably misfiled. No dice.
I had turned up the document packet it superseded and tossed that into the pile because something is better than nothing, and I was completely at a loss.
Then I remembered the whole people repeatedly knocking things off my paperwork desk and casually putting them back in random locations they didn't belong over a several month stretch last year. The place I put superseded but still need to be easy to find documents is on that desk. I went over there and I imagined being a careless person who didn't notice or care where they knocked the papers from and searched counterintuitive to me places people would randomly jam a handful of important paperwork they didn't care about.
Found it!
The whole process would have taken about an hour what with circling gas expenditures on documents and sorting and the like if they'd just put the paperwork back where it went. (On top of the desk they knocked it from. Like not even a specific place on the desk. All they had to do was pick it up and put it back on the desk randomly).
So that's sorted. (I ordered an extra bit of documentation which may or may not come in time, but apparently I was so organized, I'd ordered it in March in anticipation of April Bureaucracy and submitted it without remembering, so that was a pleasant surprise when I went through April documentation packet. Go Past me! March me was ordering a whole pile of documentation for April Bureaucracy, and this was a lesser bit). We submit documentation and the second tier application near the end of them month during a meeting where they walk me through the paperwork.
I hope we get it. The current laundry situation is terrible and incommoding five people. The ventilation in Squirrel's bathroom has been a problem the whole time we lived here because they never connected the vent to outside. a bunch of smaller things the low bit contractor half assed keep causing issues, but really vents and clothes washer are a big deal.
* "Inside The New, Luxurious Air Force One:"
* *Snicker* "The Husband's Clock:"
* Re: Gurathian vs Murderbot on the show being more exaggeratedly antagonistic in the first two episodes:
I think some of it is to help non-book readers, but I also I actual really loved the foils aspect. They are enough alike that it is freaking Gurathian out here, plus the cyborg vs. augmented thing is likely pinging all Gurathion's unspoken concerns about how people might perceive him and all the ways his on differences make him standout..
I think Gurathian and Murderbot having corporate abuse in common is right now why Gurathian is being the way he is about Murderbot, but also the path forward for them.
* "Sunday Sweets: Bridal Showers:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sundaysweetsbridalshowers2025
*****
* 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.
* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map
* "Nationwide Economic Blackout: Boycott Dates for Target, Amazon, Others:" https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackout-boycott-dates-target-amazon-others-2037986
* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network
* "Asserting yourself during discrimination:" https://www.reasonableaccess.org.uk/resources/asserting-yourself-during-discrimination/
* How to fight your insurace company when they insist you take meds that don't work instead of a more expensive one that does: https://steptherapy.com/step-therapy-legislation-by-state/
* "Find Non-US Alternatives: Discover alternatives to the mainstream products, services, and companies typically found in the United States and Russia, sourced from other regions.:" https://www.bankrupttrump.org/
* Indigenous led organizationtrying to save endangered species that just lost Federal funding. "The Buffalo Nations Grasslands Alliance:" https://www.bnga.org/
* 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.
* Glad Law is fighting for trans service members. Want to help? https://givebutter.com/donatetoglad?utm_src=webheader&_gl=1*1qhxi1q*_ga*NDM3MjM0Mzk1LjE3NDEwMDk5NDA.*_ga_PCJHHSV2G7*MTc0MTAwOTk0MC4xLjAuMTc0MTAwOTk0MC4wLjAuMA..
* "Donate to the ACLU:" https://action.aclu.org/give/now
* "Vote Smart:" https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
* "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/
* "Palestine Children’s Relief Fund:" https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/gaza-recovery
* "The Black Consumer Advisory:" https://naacp.org/campaigns/black-consumer-advisory
* Want to help Virginia get a Democratic Governor? "Support Abigail's Campaign for Governor of Virginia!" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/blu-asfg-2025-gs-dd?refcode=BLU_ASFG_DD_GS_NT_NTL_Q1_01&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt4C-BhBcEiwA8Kp0CcaXXWdWpVI1uyoauFCRFgrY9hsEMA4pbxF_TO6ZPHAdhNzOmcwHTxoC8lgQAvD_BwE
* Post Joann's fabric Resources: https://www.tumblr.com/omgthatdress/777133232259989504/quilted-twins-florida-based-quilting-shop-with-a?source=share
* 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