* "Labor Day Letter:" https://minoanmiss.dreamwidth.org/1714630.html#cutid1

* I had to truncate the news again. Sorry. I'm exhausted and I need to be awake again in about 4 hours.

---

* "UK among 27 countries to demand press given immediate access to Gaza:" https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/aug/21/uk-among-26-countries-to-demand-press-given-immediate-access-to-gaza

* "Fired State Dept. Official: Trump outsourcing U.S. policy to Huckabee & Israel:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/fired-state-dept-official-trump-outsourcing-u-s-policy-to-huckabee-israel-245673029573

* "Israel hits Gaza hospital, killing at least 20 people, including 5 journalists:" https://archive.ph/mHTGl

* "Last Photos Taken by Gaza Journalists Before They Were Killed in Israeli Strikes:" https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-08-25/ty-article-magazine/last-photos-taken-by-gaza-journalists-before-they-were-killed-in-israeli-strikes/00000198-e123-de0b-a7d9-e9e76bdb0000

* "Israeli settlers have encroached on the West Bank for decades. This new settlement is different:" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-25/west-bank-jerusalem-e1-settlement-maale-adumim-palestinian-state/105681872

******

* "Exclusive: Putin's demand to Ukraine: give up Donbas, no NATO and no Western troops, sources say:" https://archive.ph/hmqVp

* "Top European diplomat says Putin is setting 'a trap' by demanding Ukraine concessions:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/top-european-diplomat-putin-setting-trap-demanding-ukraine-124873014

* "Rep. Joaquin Castro: Putin is 'stringing Donald Trump along':" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/rep-joaquin-castro-putin-is-stringing-donald-trump-along-245672005723

* "Trump Relies on Personal Diplomacy With Putin. The Result Is a Strategic Muddle.:" https://archive.ph/rwKuQ

* "The 'land swap' that wasn't: Inside Trump's frantic dash for Ukraine peace:" https://archive.ph/Ysrmx

* "Bolton calls Trump’s Ukraine strategy ‘incoherent’ in postraid op-ed:" https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5469888-bolton-calls-trump-ukraine-strategy-incoherent/

* "Polish president's veto threatens Ukraine's Starlink access amid refugee aid dispute:" https://archive.ph/QVjxm

* "Trump apparently unaware that he is complaining about himself:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/trump-apparently-unaware-that-he-is-complaining-about-himself-245769797580

* "Russian missiles pound Ukraine, damage EU and British offices:" https://archive.ph/em3NO

* "Russian oil refineries, terminals burn as Ukraine hits Putin's war economy:" https://archive.ph/OyH6G

* "Russian attack on western Ukraine hits an American factory during the US-led push for peace:" https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/russian-attack-western-ukraine-hits-american-factory-us-124837186

* "UK tells Russia to stop 'senseless killing' after strikes on Kyiv kill at least 18:" https://www.bbc.com/news/live/czd0z0grm9lt

* "A Ukrainian startup develops long-range drones and missiles to take the battle to Russia:" https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-drones-weapons-industry-russia-7201ab851544c394ee454407058b10ba?

* "Vladimir Putin says he wants peace, but on the front lines in Ukraine there's a different, 'terrifying' reality:" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-30/vladimir-putin-says-he-wants-peace-but-front-lines-say-othewise/105705462

******

* "A wartime mass grave in Sri Lanka yields a baby bottle, children’s clothes and 141 skeletons:" https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-grave-jaffna-chemmani-tamils-civil-war-d570beb78890405c73bd0ee75c059e69

---

* "The Disappeared Children of Syria:" https://archive.ph/ZqXLc

* "Stranded at sea:" https://archive.ph/SDoYx

* "U.K. migrant protests spark angry confrontations as government scrambles to respond:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/25/nx-s1-5515313/uk-britain-immigration-protests-asylum

* "Trump shock spurs Japan to think about the unthinkable: nuclear arms:" https://archive.ph/vqZC5

* "US-Venezuela tensions rise as US warships arrive in Southern Caribbean:" https://archive.ph/eGYcQ

* "Venezuelan opposition says government freed 13 jailed in post-election crackdown:" https://apnews.com/article/nicolas-maduro-political-prisoners-venezuela-election-president-b105d40ed698735f9c77f50f130b134e

---

* "Exclusive: The US Navy is building a drone fleet to take on China. It's not going well.:" https://archive.ph/q7KPo

* "Trump Says He Wants to Meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un This Year:" https://archive.ph/74m8A

* "At home and abroad US policy chaos has one constant: Trump’s self-interest:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/24/trump-policy-putin-summit

* "Biden adviser defends AUKUS submarine project, highlights problems:" https://archive.ph/x7FBB

* "Trump bypasses Congress to cancel $4.9bn in foreign aid:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/29/trump-pocket-rescission-foreign-aid-funding

* NOTE: The Court ruling is stayed until mid-October. Tariffs are thus still in effect.

* "Federal appeals court strikes down major chunk of Trump’s tariffs:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/federal-appeals-court-strikes-down-major-chunk-of-trumps-tariffs-00537643

* "Trump faceplants in court on tariff power grab; burned again for overreach:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-faceplants-in-court-on-tariff-power-grab-burned-again-for-overreach-246165573669

* "Trump threatens more tariffs for countries with digital taxes:" https://archive.ph/BH6jZ

* "Global mail carriers suspend U.S. deliveries amid confusion over new duties:" https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/global-mail-carriers-suspend-us-deliveries-confusion-new-duties-rcna226828

* "Over 30 countries suspended or restricted shipments to US. Here's a list.:" https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/08/28/countries-suspended-postal-shipments-to-us-list/85867109007/

* "A Terrible Week for Pumpkin Spice:" https://archive.ph/egCRv

* "Trump can't stop LOSING in court:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/trump-can-t-stop-losing-in-court-246298693550

* "Trump says he's firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/25/trump-says-hes-firing-federal-reserve-governor-lisa-cook-00523841

* "Trump foes like Fed Governor Lisa Cook find themselves targeted by top housing regulator:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-bill-pulte-lisa-cook-federal-reserve-00d9bf828f824eceda7b30f704d1de71

* "The “Mini-Trump” Attacking Lisa Cook Had Paperwork Problems of His Own:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/08/the-mini-trump-attacking-lisa-cook-had-paperwork-problems-of-his-own/

* "'Five alarm fire': Trump attempts to fire Fed board member, inviting economic calamity:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/-five-alarm-fire-trump-attempts-to-fire-fed-board-member-inviting-economic-calamity-245761605801

* "'King Trump' finds his limit as federal workers fight back:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/-king-trump-finds-his-limit-as-federal-workers-fight-back-246061125657

* "Housing official shows no agency too small or obscure to feed Trump vengeance machine:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/housing-official-shows-no-agency-too-small-or-obscure-to-feed-trump-vengeance-machine-245849669750

* "Trump-appointed judge rebukes DOJ for 'calamitous' lawsuit against Maryland judges:" https://archive.ph/xqivn

* "DeSantis: 'Alligator Alcatraz' ruling won’t ‘deter’ Florida immigration enforcement:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/22/desantis-alligator-alcatraz-ruling-wont-deter-florida-immigration-enforcement-00519721

* "Life inside notorious immigration centre 'Alligator Alcatraz' as it enters final days:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3zel0r3go#2

* "Supreme Court to Decide If ICE Can Arrest Based on 'Apparent Ethnicity':" https://www.newsweek.com/supreme-court-ice-arrest-based-apparent-ethnicity-2118753

* "Living in the shadows: Why stateless people fear Trump's immigration crackdown:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/nx-s1-5502366/trump-stateless-citizenship-immigration-birthright

* "Feds plan to boost immigration enforcement in Chicago next week:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/feds-plan-boost-immigration-enforcement-chicago-week-rcna227911

* "Couple previously separated by ICE concerned about Trump Administration's planned crackdown in Chicago:" https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/family-worry-trump-admin-plans-to-ramp-up-immigration-crackdown-chicago/

* "Trump admin plans immigration enforcement surge in Boston:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/trump-admin-plans-immigration-enforcement-surge-in-boston-00536276

* "House Democrat demands answers on deal to return MS-13 leaders to El Salvador:" https://archive.ph/GrFZr

* "Hundreds of unaccompanied Guatemalan children can stay in the U.S. for now, judge says:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/31/nx-s1-5524312/federal-judge-block-guatemalan-children-deportation

The plan was to illegally mass deport child refugees in the middle of the night over labor day weekend in order to prevent them getting any due process.

* "'Unconscionable': Lawyer rips Trump admin. for trying to deport 600+ Guatemalan children:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-unconscionable-lawyer-rips-trump-admin-for-trying-to-deport-600-guatemalan-children-246295621553

* "Kilmar Ábrego García detained at ICE office in Maryland:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/kilmar-abrego-garcia-check-ice-maryland-deportation-threat/story?id=124944566

* "'The executive branch is trying to claim unfettered power' in Abrego Garcia case:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-the-executive-branch-is-trying-to-claim-unfettered-power-in-abrego-garcia-case-245652037834

* "Kilmar Abrego Garcia detained by ICE during Baltimore check-in:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/25/nx-s1-5515422/kilmar-abrego-garcia-detained-ice

* "Kilmar Abrego Garcia taken into ICE custody, but judge blocks deportation for now:" https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/abrego-garcia-ice-deportation-uganda-064b072c25da535a4031869f7fe959cc

* "What to know about Abrego Garcia’s asylum claim. Experts say it’s a smart but risky legal move:" https://apnews.com/article/kilmar-abrego-garcia-immigration-asylum-legal-strategy-c561ce08f3dfae0620c8dc58e8cffa65

* "Kilmar Abrego Garcia asks for gag order against Bondi, Noem:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/28/kilmar-abrego-garcia-gag-order-bondi-noem-00535240

* "Protesters reject plan to hold migrants at Camp Atterbury:" https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/protesters-reject-plan-to-hold-migrants-at-camp-atterbury

* "Japanese American groups blast use of Fort Bliss, former internment camp site, as ICE detention center :" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/fort-bliss-japanese-americans-internment-camp-immigrant-detention-rcna226044

* "Hundreds from across Pa. protest in Philipsburg against the Moshannon Valley Processing Center:" https://radio.wpsu.org/2025-08-24/hundreds-from-across-pa-protest-in-philipsburg-against-the-moshannon-valley-processing-center

* "Veterans for Peace Lead Flotilla Against Alcatraz ICE Detention Proposal:" https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/veterans-for-peace-lead-flotilla-against-alcatraz-ice-detention-proposal

* "US Attorney Pirro's office admits grand jury refused ICE interference charges — twice:" https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/us-attorney-jeanine-pirros-office-admits-grand-jury-refused-charges-against-dc-woman-twice-sydney-reid-dc-jail/65-dc64747e-a8d4-4ad9-89e2-f6317f0fa2bd

* "ICE Detains Disabled Veteran With Green Card at Citizenship Interview:" https://www.newsweek.com/ice-detains-disabled-veteran-green-card-citizenship-interview-2118029

* ICE decided that the sensible thing to do was to attack a group of mostly indigenous firefighters from several local tribes in the hopes they wouldn't have ID so they could deport them in order to prevent them fighting a massive wildfire, an act somehow justified by "Public Safety."

They detained to of the brave people risking their lives to keep us all safe.

* "Trump’s Crackdown Spreads to Arresting Firefighters as They Tackle Wildfires :" https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-crackdown-spreads-to-arresting-firefighters-as-they-tackle-wildires/

* "'F---ing crazy': ICE swoops in on firefighters in the middle of battling wildfire:" https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2025/08/28/federal-agents-arrest-firefighters-working-on-washington-state-wildfire/

* "Firefighters arrested at Washington state wildfire entered U.S. illegally, Border Patrol says:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-f-ing-crazy-ice-swoops-in-on-firefighters-in-the-middle-of-battling-wildfire-246043205905

* Here are some ways to help Immigrants and the anti-ICE Protesters:

Immigrant Defenders: https://give.immdef.org/give/545119/#!/donation/checkout
The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Amnesty International: protect asylum-seekers: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/page/113080/donate/1
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
CHIRLA: https://www.chirla.org/
AL Otro Lado: https://alotrolado.networkforgood.com/projects/63833-al-otro-lado-fund
Mid-South Immigration Advocates: https://miamemphis.org/
"Know Your Rights:" https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

---

*** Illegal MILITARY OCCUPATION News ***

* "Trump's plan to create Guard units to quell civil unrest alarms experts:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-calls-guard-units-tasked-quell-civil-unrest/story?id=124962350

* "In Attempt to Expand Use of Troops Domestically, Trump Issues New Executive Orders:" https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/in-attempt-to-expand-use-of-troops-domestically-trump-issues-new-executive-orders/

* "Maddow: Trump's deliberate degradation of U.S. military, law enforcement points to new mission:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-trump-s-deliberate-degradation-of-u-s-military-law-enforcement-points-to-new-mission-245762117852

* "Trump says he may send National Guard to Chicago, New York:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/22/trump-national-guard-chicago-new-york-00519849

* "Trump sets sights on Chicago to make it 'safer,' seeks $2B to 'beautify' DC:" https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-sets-sights-chicago-make-safer-seeks-2b/story?id=124887436

* "'Purely symbolic': National Guard troops could soon be deployed to other cities:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-purely-symbolic-national-guard-troops-could-soon-be-deployed-to-other-cities-245675589572

* "Chicago mayor says National Guard must unmask if deployed, urges Trump to ‘stand down’:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/30/chicago-mayor-trump-national-guard-00538147

* "'Makes no sense': Illinois congressional candidate fired up over Trump's Chicago crackdown.:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-makes-no-sense-illinois-congressional-candidate-fired-up-over-trump-s-chicago-crackdown-246302789570

* "Pritzker Vows to Stop Trump From Sending National Guard to Chicago :" https://news.wttw.com/2025/08/25/pritzker-vows-stop-trump-sending-national-guard-chicago

* "Chicago gun violence survivors speak out against President Trump's National Guard plans:" https://abc7chicago.com/post/president-donald-trumps-threat-send-national-guard-chicago-raises-legal-questions/17651164/

* "'Do not come to Chicago': Activists, politicians send clear message to Trump military takeover:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/-do-not-come-to-chicago-activists-politicians-send-clear-message-to-trump-military-takeover-246171205860

* "News groups ask judge to increase protections for journalists covering LA protests:" https://www.courthousenews.com/news-groups-ask-judge-to-increase-protections-for-journalists-covering-la-protests/

* "Military feared mistakes in LA deployment could have 'far-reaching' implications, records show:" https://archive.ph/jpxPZ

* "Trump’s Military Moves Ratchet Up Threat of State-on-State Conflict:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-military-moves-risk-civil-conflict-1235418756/

* "Arrests surpass 1,000 in DC federal law enforcement surge:" https://wtop.com/dc/2025/08/arrests-top-1000-in-d-c-federal-law-enforcement-surge/

* "'A climate of terror': Rep. Ayanna Pressley on National Guard troops in D.C. now carrying firearms:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-a-climate-of-terror-rep-ayanna-pressley-on-national-guard-troops-in-d-c-now-carrying-firearms-245672005659

* "National Guard member ticketed for running a red light after crashing into car in D.C. during Trump's deployment:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-guard-dc-crash-red-light-ticket-trump-deployment/

* "What Trump’s D.C. Takeover Looks Like on the Ground, Two Weeks On:" https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/08/23/washington-trump-ice-police-fbi

* "National guard troops deployed in DC rake leaves and clear homeless camps:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/27/trump-national-guard-beautification-dc

Trump and Musk fired all but 20 of the parks employees do those jobs, so Trump is using the military for it at far more expense.

* "‘Warrior ethos?’: Trump’s army of garbage collectors exposes ‘absurd’ orders:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-warrior-ethos-trump-s-army-of-garbage-collectors-exposes-absurd-orders-245930565556

* "Federal grand jury rejects DOJ indictment effort in D.C. Subway sandwich-throwing case:" https://www.advocate.com/news/grand-jury-rejects-sandwich-indictment

* "Grand jury laughs off felony for ‘Sandwich Guy’ after 'unhinged' Trump admin response:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/grand-jury-laughs-off-felony-for-sandwich-guy-after-unhinged-trump-admin-response-245936197515

* "‘We’re highlighting the ridiculousness of it’: How ‘the sandwich guy’ became the face of DC resistance:" https://wtop.com/dc/2025/08/were-highlighting-the-ridiculousness-of-it-how-the-sandwich-guy-became-the-face-of-dcs-resistance/

* "'We can’t stop' | D.C. protesters continue demonstrations against federal surge:" https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/home-rule/dc-demonstrations-against-federal-surge/65-78d825fe-32d2-405d-8fbc-0d9602b85f71

* "DOT secretary says agency will ‘take over’ Washington’s Union Station, building it already owns:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/27/transportation-department-union-station-takeover-00528528

*** ***

* I would like to thank everyone protesting today! "What to know about "Workers Over Billionaires" protests on Labor Day:" https://www.axios.com/2025/08/30/workers-over-billionaires-protests-trump-labor-day

* "‘Maybe We Like a Dictator’: Trump Suggests Many Americans Would Prefer Autocracy:" https://time.com/7312196/trump-americans-maybe-we-like-a-dictator/

* "Psaki: Bizarre Trump Cabinet suck-up meeting feeds his misguided interest in dictatorship:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/psaki-bizarre-trump-cabinet-suck-up-meeting-feeds-his-misguided-interest-in-dictatorship-245847621964

* "'So emasculated': Jennifer Welch from the 'I've Had It' podcast ridicules Trump's 'triggered' cabinet:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-so-emasculated-jennifer-welch-from-the-i-ve-had-it-podcast-ridicules-trump-s-triggered-cabinet-246275653670

* "Has Trump succeeded in normalising American autocracy?:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/31/trump-american-autocracy-authoritarianism

* "Donald Trump says he is not a dictator. Isn’t he?:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/sep/01/trump-dictator-authoritarianism-politics

* "Yeah, America’s Gone Fascist:" https://www.ianwelsh.net/yeah-americas-gone-fascist/

* "Pluralistic: By all means, tread on those people:" https://pluralistic.net/2025/08/26/sole-and-despotic-dominion/

* "Trump Is Running the Standard Purge and Control Playbook To Install Decline:" https://www.ianwelsh.net/trump-is-running-the-standard-purge-and-control-playbook-to-install-decline/

* "Hayes blasts Trump: ‘Most pro-criminal president of my lifetime’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/hayes-blasts-trump-most-pro-criminal-president-of-my-lifetime-245838405514

* "Not to worry, JD Vance is ready to be your next president if there's a 'terrible tragedy':" https://www.advocate.com/voices/jd-vance-trump-tragedy

* "Trump moves to ban flag burning despite Supreme Court ruling :" https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-moves-ban-flag-burning-despite-supreme-court-124959649

* "Feds charge man who burned U.S. flag outside White House in protest of Trump's executive order:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/feds-charge-man-who-burned-u-s-flag-outside-white-house-in-protest-of-trumps-executive-order/

* "Veteran Who Burned US Flag 'Looking Forward' to Supreme Court Trump Battle:" https://www.newsweek.com/veteran-burned-us-flag-supreme-court-battle-2121475

* " Trump takes aim at cashless bail in series of executive orders:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/25/trump-cashless-bail-00523075

* "In Trump’s Second Term, Far-Right Agenda Enters the Mainstream:" https://archive.ph/iwelY

* "Trump says he will order voter ID requirement for every vote:" https://archive.ph/8eX2T

* "Trump’s attack on vote by mail is an attack on election credibility:" https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/trumps-attack-on-vote-by-mail-is-an-attack-on-election-credibility/

* "She Pushed to Overturn Trump’s Loss in the 2020 Election. Now She’ll Help Oversee U.S. Election Security.:" https://www.propublica.org/article/heather-honey-dhs-election-security

* "Trump hints he will change Pentagon’s name to Department of War:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/25/trump-pentagon-name-change-00523335

* "Hegseth fires general whose agency’s intel assessment of damage from Iran strikes angered Trump:" https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-dia-iran-intelligence-trump-kruse-5cb1fb89b8f12c3b517f139f6d840b48

If you fire everyone who will tell you the truth, all intelligence assessments with be useless fictions. This undermines National Security.

* "Air Force grants honors to insurrectionist Ashli Babbitt while denying trans troops’ retirement benefits:" https://www.advocate.com/news/air-force-honors-insurrectionist

We honor traitors while snatching earned veterans' benefits from heroes.

* Speaking of losers and traitors.... "Hegseth Puts Up Painting of Confederate General With a Chilling Detail at West Point:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/defense-secretary-pete-hegseth-puts-up-painting-of-confederate-general-with-a-chilling-detail-at-west-point/

* "Anti-transgender former Missouri AG appointed to FBI leadership:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/anti-transgender-andrew-bailey-fbi

* "Trump will appoint personnel chief Sergio Gor as ambassador to India:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/22/trump-sergio-gor-india-00520703

* "Why Trump’s choice to serve as U.S. ambassador to India is such a problem:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-choice-serve-us-ambassador-india-problem-rcna227247

* "Maddow finds Trump's new hiding place for screw-ups: ambassadorships:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-finds-trump-s-new-hiding-place-for-screw-ups-ambassadorships-245764677708

* "Trump to put Dan Scavino in charge of hiring at White House:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/26/trump-to-put-dan-scavino-in-charge-of-personnel-office-00524713

* "Trump’s “A-Gays” are an arrogant, delusional, and obtuse bunch of noxious narcissists:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/trumps-a-gays-opinion

* "White House fires member of railroad-regulating Surface Transportation Board:" https://archive.ph/MCFDN

* This is terrifying. "DOGE uploaded live copy of Social Security database to ‘vulnerable’ cloud server, says whistleblower:" https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/doge-uploaded-live-copy-of-social-security-database-to-vulnerable-cloud-server-says-whistleblower/

* Crypto involved in mortgages is a terrible idea. "Senate Dems Raise Concerns Over FHFA Directive On Crypto In Mortgage Underwriting:" https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/senate-dems-raise-concerns-over-fhfa-directive-crypto-mortgage-underwriting

* "FEMA staffers accuse Trump of weakening disaster programs:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/25/fema-staffers-rebuke-trump-administration-00522644

* "FEMA staff to America: Trump is doing 'catastrophic damage' to disaster response:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/fema-staff-to-america-trump-is-doing-catastrophic-damage-to-disaster-response-246165573533

* "Trump administration suspends FEMA employees who warned about disaster response:" https://www.theverge.com/news/766890/trump-fema-employees-suspended-letter

* "Trump administration halts work on an almost-finished wind farm:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/23/nx-s1-5513919/trump-stops-offshore-wind-renewable-energy

* "How We Tracked Workforce Reductions at Federal Health Agencies:" https://www.propublica.org/article/propublica-health-agencies-workers-methodology

* "US FDA narrows under-65 COVID vaccine eligibility; maintains full access for older Americans:" https://archive.ph/bVGCC

* "CVS Will Not Offer COVID-19 Vaccine in 16 States Until ACIP Meets:" https://www.idse.net/CDC-News/Article/08-25/CVS-stops-COVID-shots/78068

* "Trump and RFK Jr. Plan to Scrap Covid Vaccine, Because Why Not:" https://newrepublic.com/post/199515/trump-rfk-jr-pull-covid-19-vaccine

* "Vaccine panel fired by Kennedy had lowest rate of financial conflicts since 2000, study shows:" https://archive.ph/Q1Fat

* "HHS Moves to Oust CDC Director After Vaccine Confrontation:" https://archive.ph/bR4sX

* "Fmr. CDC director says you can no longer trust the CDC website: “Never thought I would see the day”:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/fmr-cdc-director-says-you-can-no-longer-trust-the-cdc-website-never-thought-i-would-see-the-day-246242373686

* "Kennedy names his deputy Jim O'Neill as interim US CDC chief after Monarez firing:" https://archive.ph/cwjmm

* "Top CDC Officials Resign After Director Is Pushed Out:" https://www.wired.com/story/centers-for-disease-control-prevention-cdc-resignations/

* "Doctor running for Senate: RFK Jr. is 'lighting all of HHS on fire':" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/doctor-running-for-senate-rfk-jr-is-lighting-all-of-hhs-on-fire-246295621955

* "CDC in crisis: Director fights firing, top officials resign over RFK Jr anti-vaxx push:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/cdc-in-crisis-director-fights-firing-top-officials-resign-over-rfk-jr-anti-vaxx-push-245933125924

* "Leadership exodus: CDC officials walk out over Trump's crackpot HHS secretary:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/leadership-exodus-cdc-officials-walk-out-over-trump-s-crackpot-hhs-secretary-245939781602

* "Out CDC vaccine chief resigns, saying ‘enough is enough’ with Trump and RFK Jr.:" https://www.advocate.com/news/demetre-daskalakis-blistering-resignation

* "RFK Jr.’s damage to the CDC is ‘past the point of no return,’ Dr. Demetre Daskalakis warns:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/demetre-daskalakis-cdc-resignation-interview

* "Health officials and experts praise CDC’s Demetre Daskalakis for standing up in blistering resignation:" https://www.advocate.com/news/demetre-daskalakis-resignation-praised

* "The CDC is being 'transformed into a weapon': Top doctor exits CDC with a warning:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/the-cdc-is-being-transformed-into-a-weapon-top-doctor-exits-cdc-with-a-warning-246055493594

* "Senator Sanders says U.S. Health Secretary Kennedy must resign:" https://archive.ph/uXvuF

* "How federal officials talk about health is shifting in troubling ways – and that change makes me worried for my autistic child:" https://theconversation.com/how-federal-officials-talk-about-health-is-shifting-in-troubling-ways-and-that-change-makes-me-worried-for-my-autistic-child-259874

* "CVS Health denies coverage for breakthrough HIV drug, committing 'clear violation' of ACA:" https://www.advocate.com/health/cvs-health-denies-yeztugo-coverage

* "RFK Jr. Roasted Over His Bizarre Airport Observation: 'Remarkable Amount Of Stupidity':" https://www.huffpost.com/entry/rfk-jr-kids-airports-children-mitochondrial-challenges_n_68af9f14e4b0bbcc3f8de60f

* "‘What on Earth are you on about?’: Hayes torches ‘dangerous crank’ RFK Jr:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-what-on-earth-are-you-on-about-hayes-torches-dangerous-crank-rfk-jr-246035525873

* "What is ‘Gender Exploratory Therapy,’ the HHS’s alternative to gender-affirming care?:" https://www.advocate.com/health/what-is-gender-exploratory-therapy#rebelltitem1

* "Trump administration moves to end trans-inclusive sex education across the U.S.:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-rewrites-sex-education

* "University of Michigan latest hospital system to abandon trans minor patients & families after DOJ subpoena:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gender-affirming-care-university-michigan

* "Michigan's out AG warns hospitals not to cave to Trump's trans ban, calls decision likely 'illegal':" https://www.advocate.com/health/michigan-dana-nessel-gender-affirming-care

* "Why experts say Trump’s revocation of California grant funds over trans inclusion endangers all at-risk kids:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-ends-california-youth-grant

* "Education Secretary Linda McMahon snubs Oklahoma’s extremist superintendent of schools:" https://www.advocate.com/news/linda-mcmahon-snubs-ryan-walters

* "Fox News Pundit Compares Slavery to Plane Crashes in Absurd Rant Against Smithsonian:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-pundit-compares-slavery-with-plane-crashes-in-absurd-rant-defending-trumps-attacks-on-smithsonian/

* "1619 Project founder on Trump, the Smithsonian, and whitewashing U.S. History:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/1619-project-founder-on-trump-the-smithsonian-and-whitewashing-u-s-history-245653573513

* Well, Fuck! "Harvard Reportedly Bows To Trump Pressure; Shuts Down DEI Offices, Removes Faculty:" https://www.news18.com/world/harvard-reportedly-bows-to-trump-pressure-shuts-down-dei-offices-removes-faculty-ws-l-9527875.html

* "Trump Demands ‘Nothing Less Than $500 Million’ From Harvard to Restore Federal Funding:" https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/8/27/trump-500-million-mcmahon/

* "Trump administration moves to fire most Voice of America journalists:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdd38v3zvjdo

* It infuriates me to have to be on the side of John Bolton, who I've viewed with hatred and alarm since I first heard who he was and what he was about decades ago, but this really is very clearly a case of political prosecution and when the rubber hits the round I'm always going to be on the side of equal justice against enemies lists and show trials.

* "FBI agents search Trump critic Bolton's home in latest move against rival:" https://archive.ph/wzslS

* If the CIA is involved, that's definitely illegal. "Bolton Investigation Linked to Overseas Intelligence:" https://archive.ph/6uxMR

* "George Conway explains what he saw at FBI's search of John Bolton's home:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/george-conway-explains-what-he-saw-at-fbi-s-search-of-john-bolton-s-home-245651525572

That neighborhood looks really familiar. I am now wondering how close John Bolton's home is to where the family of a guy I was seeing in the Spring of '89 was.

* "Lady Justice swaps blindfold for MAGA hat: Experts slam Bolton revenge raid:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/lady-justice-swaps-blindfold-for-maga-hat-experts-slam-bolton-revenge-raid-245626949816

**** Trump/Epstein/Maxwell, etc. CW: CSA ****

* "Prison tapes: Ghislaine Maxwell rushes to clear 'gentleman' Trump and Epstein:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/prison-tapes-ghislaine-maxwell-rushes-to-clear-gentleman-trump-and-epstein-245623877904

* "Maxwell insists Epstein liked young girls because they were ‘up to date on music’:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/maxwell-insists-epstein-liked-young-girls-because-they-were-up-to-date-on-music-245628485682

* "Epstein files land on Capitol Hill:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/22/epstein-files-land-on-capitol-hill-00519851

* "Trump's distractions fail as Congress is set to return to new Epstein material:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-s-distractions-fail-as-congress-is-set-to-return-to-new-epstein-material-246172229703

* ":" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-this-is-disgusting-top-dem-slams-lawmakers-for-not-fighting-for-epstein-victims-246302789580

---

* "South Carolina rushes emergency petition to U.S. Supreme Court over trans student’s bathroom use:" https://www.advocate.com/news/south-carolina-scotus-transgender-bathrooms

* "Almost 200 members of Congress call on the Supreme Court to uphold bans on conversion therapy:" https://www.advocate.com/news/conversion-therapy-ban-scotus-brief

* "What Evidence Shows About the Economic Impact of DEI:" https://www.inc.com/the-conversation/what-evidence-shows-about-the-economic-impact-of-dei/91195834

* "Zuckermuskian solipsism :" https://pluralistic.net/2025/08/18/seeing-like-a-billionaire/

* "Become unoptimizable:" https://pluralistic.net/2025/08/20/billionaireism/

* "Radical juries :" https://pluralistic.net/2025/08/22/jury-nullification/#voir-dire

* "Javier Muñoz, Peppermint to lobby Congress against cuts in HIV funding:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/javier-munoz-peppermint-lobby-hiv

* "Don’t STEAL Act:" https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5048?s=1&r=1

* "Alina Habba slams Sens. Chuck Grassley, Thom Tillis over Senate's blue slips:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/24/alina-habba-slams-senate-blue-slips-00522501

---

* Our job for the next year and a half 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/

And another: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

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/

---

* "Texas Senate passes new Republican-drawn congressional map:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/texas-senate-passes-new-republican-drawn-congressional-map-rcna226278

* "After Texas and California, These States Are Also Considering Redistricting:" https://time.com/7311974/redistricting-states-illinois-maryland-newyork-florida-indiana-missouri-ohio/

* "‘When they go low, we squabble up’: California punches back after Texas rigs maps:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-when-they-go-low-we-squabble-up-california-punches-back-after-texas-rigs-maps-245538885780

* "Missouri to take up redistricting in special session, likely netting GOP 1 seat:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/missouri-redistrict-00536850

* "Democrat Catelin Drey wins Iowa Senate special election, breaking Republican supermajority:" https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/26/democrat-catelin-drey-wins-iowa-senate-special-election-defeats-republican-christopher-prosch/85819325007/

* I don't see that being more Republican worked for Kamala Harris, maybe going where the voters are instead would be better. "Democrat consultants tell politicians to stop using terms like 'LGBTQIA' and 'cisgender':" https://www.advocate.com/politics/democrat-consultants-words-avoid-lgbtq

* "'Just give us a damn answer!' David Hogg's message to Dem leaders:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-just-give-us-a-damn-answer-david-hogg-s-message-to-dem-leaders-245672005656

* "'The Pod Save America bros were right!' Dems face calls to back progressives amid abysmal ratings:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-the-pod-save-america-bros-were-right-dems-face-calls-to-back-progressives-amid-abysmal-ratings-245650501976

* "Amanda Seales unpacks her intense viral debate against 20 Black conservatives:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/amanda-seales-unpacks-her-intense-viral-debate-against-20-black-conservatives-245653061671

* "Mississippi legal challenge: beginning 1 September, we will need to geoblock Mississippi IPs:" https://dw-news.dreamwidth.org/44429.html

* "Texas constable tells legislators ‘We’re not interested in being the potty police’ at bathroom bill hearing:" https://www.advocate.com/news/cops-oppose-texas-bathroom-bill

* "Illinois launches first-in-nation LGBTQ+ legal hotline:" https://www.advocate.com/news/illinois-lgbtq-legal-hotline

* "After erasing a memorial to the Pulse shooting victims, will the GOP try to burn the AIDS Quilt next?:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/pulse-orlando-republicans-aids-quilt

* "Florida deploys police to stop crosswalks from being painted rainbow colors:" https://www.advocate.com/news/florida-police-guard-pride-crosswalks

* "Ron DeSantis defends repainting crosswalks, including the Pulse memorial:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/ron-desantis-defends-pulse-crosswalk

* "Crowds of mourners pack vigils after shooting killed two children, wounded 17:" https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-shooting-annunciation-church/601462164

* "Psaki: Action on America's gun problem is not hopeless:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/psaki-action-on-america-s-gun-problem-is-not-hopeless-245936709769

* "'Words are not enough': Minneapolis mayor calls for action on gun violence after horrific day:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/-words-are-not-enough-minneapolis-mayor-calls-for-action-on-gun-violence-after-horrific-day-245937221938

* "'My friend got hit in the back': Witnesses describe terror of US school shooting:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev2w1elx7wo#0

* "BREAKING: Minneapolis mayor warns against 'villainizing trans community' after shooting leaves 2 children dead:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/minnesota-transgender-church-shooter

* "'They're not doing enough.': Psaki calls out Trump White House for lack of action on gun violence:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/-they-re-not-doing-enough-psaki-calls-out-trump-white-house-for-lack-of-action-on-gun-violence-246056517526

* "'This is political': Parkland shooting survivor says Trump administration is 'directly leading to mass murder':" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-this-is-political-parkland-shooting-survivor-says-trump-administration-is-directly-leading-to-mass-murder-246237765635

* "Mike Johnson, RFK Jr. attack trans people in wake of Minneapolis school shooting:" https://www.advocate.com/news/mike-johnson-rfk-demonize-transgender

* "Forget the 'stunts'—what happened to Lil Nas X is terrifying:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/lil-nas-x-2673908921#rebelltitem2

* "Candace Owens Defames The Macrons?:"

( Embed: )

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* "Wildfire south of Peachland, B.C., sparked by motorhome crash now held, RCMP say:" https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/peachland-wildfire-being-held-1.7618888

* "New wildfire discovered near Nanaimo as heat records fall on Vancouver Island:" https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/new-wildfire-discovered-near-nanaimo-as-heat-hits-vancouver-island-11124606

* "Man, 70, charged with arson in connection with Kunia wildfire:" https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/08/27/man-70-charged-with-arson-kunia-wildfire/

* "Paris Braces for a Future of Possibly Paralyzing Heat:" https://archive.ph/b2T4v

* "In covering Paris, climate change is becoming an ever-present story:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5477436/in-covering-paris-climate-change-is-becoming-an-ever-present-story

* "Paris 50 degrees: a full-scale exercise in the 13th and 19th arrondissements, this Friday:" https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/news/in-paris/articles/282393-paris-50-degrees-a-full-scale-exercise-in-the-13th-and-19th-arrondissements-this-friday

* "What does 50C feel like? Touring ‘heat chamber’ allows French people to find out:" https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20250712-what-does-50c-feel-like-touring-heat-chamber-allows-french-people-to-find-out

---

* "Arizona Suburb Turned into Mediterranean-style Walking Town Where Temperatures Stay Low:" https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/arizona-suburb-turned-into-mediterranean-style-walking-town-where-temperatures-stay-low/

I admit I would like to know more about accessibility. Are their enough benches? How good is it for people with assorted disabilities?

I do think the ideas for shade and air flow.

* "One Midwest state is making ‘rewilding’ an official conservation strategy:" https://www.northernpublicradio.org/2025-08-25/midwest-state-rewilding-official-conservation-strategy-illinois

* "Magpies swoop bald men more often, eight-year-old's viral survey finds:" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-09/magpies-swoop-bald-more-often-survey-finds/103297520

* I continue to really struggle with the heat wave and air quality issue, which are linked. The fire is between us and Alaska, so the night breezes are disrupted and what comes brings the smell of burning and lowers instead of raising air quality.

Mostly stuff to do with the Renovation, but cats at the bottom.

I simply can't handle the big things with the unpacking/cleaning project. I'm mostly doing small things, because I have so few spoons. I carry small things to other rooms or rearrange a thing or two each time I am up and my hands aren't otherwise full, but it looks like nothing.

Sunday I made another stab at the stereo wiring, which is super hard with arthritis hands and everything precariously balanced, and me having to balance the flashlight on a forearm. I tried everything I could think of with the right hand speaker. I rewired everything from scratch, double checking that I'm red to red and black to black three times every time I attached anything. I checked all the knob settings too.

Yes, I double checked the balance. I haven't done this in 15 years, but apparently I still remember the ex who taught me this showing it too me all those decades ago.

It's still wrong.

I should probably message that ex and ask for advice. He lives way to far away for easy visiting, but we still chat now and then.

If you are another old and have suggestions for getting Right speaker to speaker let me know.

I am pretty sure this is a problem that no one I know more than a few years younger than me could solve. Who the fuck knows how to wire components these days except another Old. Which is why I hate unhooking anything from the stereo ever.

I really need to test all the components still, but that's for another day.

New Millennial and I ran the Cylon dishwasher for the first time. It was claimed to be a three level washer, but I didn't see the third rack until they found it. It's slim and at the top, so I just took it for part of the surrounding bits. I have no idea what normies use the third rack for but NM used it for things like wooden spoons, which made sense to me.

It was after they loaded it, we realized I'd forgotten to pull the clean/dirty magnet before they took the dying one away. I have declared one of the big ass skull and crossbones magnets from the fridge now means dirty. It stands out stark on the cylon black. No magnet means clean.

I still plan to replace it at some point, but for now we are okay, I think.

Squirrel and I are still getting used to having a kitchen drawer again. There is this weird moment of panic wen one turns to grab a utensil in the middle of cooking and all the silverware is gone before one remembers, "Right! We are drawer people now!"

It is all very exciting. The thing slides open and closed fast and easy. We keep using too much force out of habit and I for one keep catching myself doing this weird little thing in the middle of closing it we learned to do to get it over the spot where the metal was extra twisted back before the whole thing came apart. everything is all so clean and neat and properly made. The drawer is about a third of the size of the old one as it goes deeper under the counter than the old ticky tacky one.

Today I properly explored the lowered bathroom shelving and discovered where most of my K95 masks had gone and that we were not going through medical gloves nearly as fast as I thought. They'd all just been hidden out of reach when Goth Millennial hung the cabinet so high.

I am still slowly shuffling things around the bathroom, a few items at a time. Really, I should take everything out and reorganize from scratch, but that is a job for after I'm fully unpacked and more urgent issues are solved.

The parking lot closes in the morning until Saturday. Squirrel had to hobble two long blocks from where they had to park.

The Floor Guy likely isn't really coming this week, but in case he does, New Millennial and I swept the essential office bits before they left.

I'm hoping we'll have a chance to work on the two big projects that are holding things up, both of which I really need Squirrel during Daylight for, but we'll see.

In cat news, Livia's mental health has improved dramatically. She does not like any contractors, but City Contactors are nice and familiar at least, and their work is not nearly as disturbing to her and invasive or loud as the others from a Livia perspective.

She is still nervous about my room in the middle o the day, but her window of fear is shrinking and everything else is normal for behaviorally. I suspect a week of quiet will really do her good.

I tricked Tavy into eating Greenies tonight, by mixing them with the other treats. I'd given up trying when he was an adolescent, as even if I hid them in his kibbles, he'd eat around them or fish them out and fling them, usually at me. (He likes fishing things out o things and sometimes he just flings kibbles at me, but he was super pointed about greenies being gross). Whatever is going on with his increased interest in types of food has lead to this change too.

Don't get me wrong, he still mostly just eats kibbles. He's a big same Food fan just generally, and having been raised on kibbles they left out for the ferals he traditionally has trouble seeing other things as food.

I have noticed his digestion in general is better. No clue why.

* I was exhausted and went to bed early Monday. Tuesday, with much danger to myself, and eventually squirrel, I got the art back up in my room, including a piece I'd had to move from the room it had been hanging in and the drawing I was given for my birthday last year. My room feels more like my room and now I can move the ladder out of the corner and use the space for other things if I wish.

I also fell a bunch of times after and a heavy thing fell on my left foot, fucking it up a bit, but I'd far rather fall in my bathroom than backwards off a ladder or furniture, neither of which I a meant to be climbing for safety reasons, but I hadn't really a choice. I shan't be able to have fairy lights around the walls anymore which no one who can safely hang them back up. Getting the section the contractors left down is going to be a challenge but it's a problem for after the rest of the boxes go which I very much a post shelf task.

The shelf looked alarming when I was up on the coffee table mounting stool and got a really good look. I think I shall have to bath the shelf in the tub.

The air quality has been scary outside, like being a fish on land. This is all basically northern rain forest, or it was before the climate crisis accelerated. It's all meant to be wet year round. Vancouver Island has been burning, burning, burning, and the winds that rescue us usually carry the smoke here.

Let us hope for rain.

The shelf is very long and awkward and properly staining and shellacking it is very much and outside job.

In other news, there is talk of City contractors stopping by for a couple hours Thursday or Friday. The vent situation was not as bad as they thought, but was budgeted for and that means they won't need a new appropriation for the water filter, just signatures for the change of plans. Everyone's on board with it. Honest Contractor's horror at how much rust and silt and whatever other horrible things were in the pipes after just five years really carried the day. We are getting the one with a reusable filter, which I will have to learn to clean, but it is so worth it. They are talking about checking to see how much is inside the water heater, which will be A Drama.

The drinking water in this building can't be safe, but I've been filtering this whole time, except for the period right after the fridge died for good. Squirrel has warned people best they could on Facebook.

* Apparently Tuesday was to much for me and I am having to spend -6 hours a day in bed with cats basically doing nothing except petting people or and reading or watching TV.

I've reread most of Gideon the Ninth and watched The Eric Bana Untamed (No anything to do with my beloved homoerotic C-drama, but very good. In related news Eric Bana has aged like a cask of single malt. O.o), Department Q, Thursday Murder Club, and I've made a fair start on Bodkin.

Friday I did drag out in time to run to the store or lettuce and bagels, as when Squirrel got home from work they stopped by my room to tell me they'd reopened our parking lot. There were people using our second space, the shared one. Disabled parking was free, so it was all good.

We've had a little rain of an evening starting Wednesday. Let's hope it's the start of the rainy season. the trees and the brush really need it, what with the fires.

We had a long outage in the middle of the night Wednesday which through all my plans off Wednesday and I had to go to bed with many things undone. Between that and the not being online until nearly midnight I am struggling to keep up with things like news prep.

Friday, my body through a full on tantrum which also ate a lot of time. Sigh.

We had to move treat time from after Livia' first run at dinner to when I settle at my desk because Tavy. I had been just sneaking her her treats later when she was ready, but they'd both worked out the other one was getting treats at a different time, so they come running if they even think treats might be on offer.

Livia's never experienced food competition before and is used to her treats being there later if she walks away in the middle. Thursday she turned away to do a bit of rooming in the middle of treats and he snatched one of hers. Little thief! I snatched the rest away and made it right when she was done grooming, but I think she's decided she can't trust him, as she came galloping from the far side of my room at the first soft sound of treat time prep and ate them all in one go glaring at him all the while.

* Saturday, I was still annoyingly exhausted, but I did have a clrever thought. The big ass makeshift shelf in my bedroom is significantly longer than I need. There's a bunch of it I flat out can't use because I can't reach. The Pigmen who lived here before me litarally taped an extra board to the long board that made up the body of most of the shelf, then nailed on a fancy trim without staining or painting or properly afixing it to the brackets.

I took it down and broke the small board free, which leaves all the extra trim, which makes it higher than the ceiling and a real asshole to work with. Skye had our saw when he was murdered which means I don't have a saw. If I had a saw I could also solve some other problems.

I know I shouldn't be spending any money on anything right now, but I'm also at the too late to stop point. There are often sales at the hardware for labor day weekend. Assuming they are open, I'm going to go see if I can find a cheap saw I can buy with the tail end on my credit card.

Anyway, I manhandled it outside to the patio to clean. The stupid tape wouldn't all come off, but I needed to sand the ends anyway, because of course the pigmen didn't sand it. I can't really sand the bottom end until I saw the trim and I'll have a better idea what I'm dealing with at that point. It occurs to me I could probably also cut bookends off the spare piece and nail them on to make booends even.

I literally haven't done any carpentry since the oughts and I've no idea if my arm can even saw at this point.

I really don't want to leave that wood outside all day though. I don't trust the neighbors at all.

Let us hope the hardware is open and they are having some kind of sale, shall we?

* I did find a ten dollar saw that cuts beautifully. The shelf is now more manageable and I was able to do a lot of sanding on the edges. I was not up to staining or fashioning end pieces, but I can now lean the thing long wise in front of living room book cases until one of us has spoons for the next step.

The space above my bed looks weirdly naked without it.

I managed to deep dark purple bruise my left hand, not while actually working the project, but somehow pinching the hand hard between the board and the door carrying it back and forth. Sigh.

Saturday I washed Tavy's bed, as it's something I can't in conscience do when the weather gets colder. He's a skinny little thing, and while a prolific shedder, his fur is fine and thin, so he gets cold easily. As usual, there was enough fur in their to make a second cat.

This caused much consternation. Tavy saw me dismantle it, but was disconsolate about it. Livia emerged from day hiding to find it missing and conducted extensive investigations of the theft.

I put it back together in the morning, but they are viewing it with great distrust. It smells wrong and is uncannily fluffy, not Tavy's usual bed at all.

Sunday evening I put nip in there in hopes, but they are sleeping in my room instead, lest this turn out to be some sort of Gazebo situation.

* A friend in need: https://www.gofundme.com/f/small-business-creating-artistic-solutions?attribution_id=sl%3Ac83a07d3-8543-4aa5-9a29-f7ca8620c897&lang=en_US&ts=1755130502

* Squirrel Needs Help with Bills!

They've been running behind since last autumn because they got scammed, plus all the stuff with the Housing issues, plus the strike this Autumn. Now they had to quarantine for most of a week because of a dangerous exposure at work. They are fine, but it means they have a small paycheck right when all the things are due, including insurance and car payment to get to work, the Internet bill, etc..

If you'd like to help them out and help keep us both online:
paypal.me/Squirrelmh

* "I’ll Laugh As You Bury Me: New Zealand, America and Cultural Hegemony:" http://strangehorizons.com/wordpress/non-fiction/ill-laugh-as-you-bury-me-new-zealand-america-and-cultural-hegemony/

* A thing about The Institute (MGM+ show based on a book by Stephen King). I'm second comentator: https://www.tumblr.com/gwydionmisha/793470208684769280/i-think-its-burn-outtrauma-if-you-think-of-it?source=share

* "Sunday Sweets... In... SPAAAACE!:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-in-spaaaace-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.

* Call RFK Jr. to complain about him not funding vaccines ph# 202-690-7000

* CW: Suicide "These hotlines are still available for LGBTQ+ youth after Trump kills 988 services:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-youth-hotlines-still-available

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

* Here are some ways to help Immigrants and the anti-ICE Protesters:

Immigrant Defenders: https://give.immdef.org/give/545119/#!/donation/checkout
The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Amnesty International: protect asylum-seekers: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/page/113080/donate/1
The Young Center for Immigtrant Children's Rights: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
CHIRLA: https://www.chirla.org/
AL Otro Lado: https://alotrolado.networkforgood.com/projects/63833-al-otro-lado-fund
Mid-South Immigration Advocates: https://miamemphis.org/

* Want to help Nathan Sage against Joni Ernst? https://www.sageforsenate.com/

* Want to help Dr. Annie Andrews beat Lindsey Graham?" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/loc_annie_fr_txt_q22025?refcode=LOC_RTL_FR_2025.05.29_Lindsey-Bad-Job_B1_C1_Pros_N_Peony_RG-T1&amount=5

* Want to help Mike Pruitt in Virginia? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mike-pruitt-1?refcode=directory

* Want to help Roy Cooper in North Carolina against Michael Whatley? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/roy_cooper_email?refcode=directory

* Want to help James Osyf in Virginia Beach? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/james-osyf-1?refcode=directory

* Want to help Omar Fateh in Minneapolis? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/campaign-fund-of-omar-fateh-1?refcode=directory
( More Links Underneath: )

* Sort's a bit rough. News keeps moving too fast.

---

* "Israel's Smotrich launches settlement plan to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state:" https://archive.ph/1E2uR

* "Trump: Netanyahu’s a war hero — and ‘I am too’:" https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-netanyahus-a-war-hero-and-i-am-too/

* "Israel's Largest Protest in Over a Year Was a Clear Warning to Netanyahu. Will It Matter?:" https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2025-08-17/ty-article/.highlight/israels-largest-protest-in-over-a-year-was-a-clear-warning-to-netanyahu-will-it-matter/00000198-b94d-d658-ad9c-fb5f3f460000

* "Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000:" https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-gaza-war-news-hostages-protest-08-18-2025-f875326f9845f09a3b01bf676254222f

* "BBC witnesses Israeli settlers' attack on Palestinian farm in West Bank:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewy88jle0eo

* "Who were the Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israel in Gaza?:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c6200wnez73o

* "Israeli unit tasked with smearing Gaza journalists as Hamas fighters – report :" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/israeli-military-unit-reportedly-tasked-with-linking-journalists-in-gaza-to-hamas

* "Western journalists are failing to stand up for their colleagues in Gaza:" https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/16/israel-gaza-war-journalists

* "Press org CEO on journalist killings in Gaza: "We can't say we didn't know.":" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/press-org-ceo-on-journalist-killings-in-gaza-we-can-t-say-we-didn-t-know-245153861703

******

* "Two 70+ year-old men with unmoored morals meet in Anchorage, Alaska for...nothing:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/trump-putin-meeting-a-joke

* "Trump told Zelenskiy after summit that Putin wants more of Ukraine, source says:" https://archive.ph/mQ5r4

* "Europe is sending heavy hitters to Washington alongside Ukraine’s president to bolster Kyiv:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/16/trump-putin-meeting-europe-fallout-00512724

* "“He didn’t do anything tough:” Fmr. ambassador to Russia on Trump’s FAILURE to make deal with Putin:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-he-didn-t-do-anything-tough-fmr-ambassador-to-russia-on-trump-s-failure-to-make-deal-with-putin-245153861521

* "Why Steve Witkoff Is Trump’s Master of Disaster:" https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/08/19/steve-witkoff-trump-putin-russia-ukraine-war-diplomacy/

* "Government papers found in an Alaskan hotel reveal new details of Trump-Putin summit:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5504196/trump-putin-summit-documents-left-behind

* "Trump pressures Zelenskyy ahead of high-stakes meeting:" https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-puts-pressure-on-zelenskyy-ahead-of-high-stakes-meeting/

* "Ukraine brings reinforcements to Trump meeting, hoping to avoid another White House fiasco:" https://www.nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/trump-zelenskyy-talks-ukraine-european-leaders-putin-russia-peace-rcna225534

* "If it means saving Ukraine and not caving to Putin, European leaders think the answer is kissing Trump’s a**:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/opinion-trump-zelenskyy-putin-europe

* "Four key takeaways from Ukraine talks in Washington:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yp4jggrj2o

* "Trump gives his ‘assurance’ for no US boots on the ground in Ukraine:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/19/trump-boots-security-ukraine-00513967

* "‘I want to try and get to heaven’: Trump gets reflective on ‘Fox & Friends’:" https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/i-want-to-try-and-get-to-heaven-trump-gets-reflective-on-fox-friends/

* "Russian missile hits Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region:" https://archive.ph/wcWBc

* "Unraveling claims Russia created online 'marketplace' for kidnapped Ukrainian children:" https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/08/19/ukrainian-children-marketplace-children/

---

* "Trump says Xi told him China will not invade Taiwan while he is US president:" https://archive.ph/ClTSL

* "A journey to belong: migrants describe ten years in Europe:" https://archive.ph/pBWLv

* "India's immigration raids send ripples through slums and skyscrapers alike:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crevjxgqwnjo#2

* "As Dubai cracks down on crowded, illegal apartments, migrant workers have nowhere else to go:" https://apnews.com/article/uae-dubai-partitioned-apartments-crackdown-poverty-housing-097f7ce61c851a040e77da3817620473

* "Firefighters in Indonesia respond to range of calls for help, highlighting service gaps :" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-02/firefighters-in-indonesia-respond-to-range-of-calls-for-help/105592574

* "Five Years After Black Lives Matter, Brussels’ Colonial Statues Remain:" https://archive.ph/UcZao

---

* "The Trump Administration Is Promoting Its Anti-Trans Agenda Globally at the United Nations:" https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-un-anti-trans-agenda

* "The Trump Administration has killed America’s lifeline to the world:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/usaid-trump

* "US to cap tariffs on European cars, medicines at 15 percent :" https://www.politico.eu/article/us-cap-tariffs-eu-pharma-car-semiconductor-15-percent/

So they are keeping the 15% tax levied on Americans by Trump, which is far higher than not arbitrarily taxing Americans 15% for buying things from Europe.

This is not the win Republicans are pretending it is.

* "Trump calls on Fed board member Cook to resign after fraud accusation:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/20/trump-fed-powell-pulte-cook-resignation-00515878

* "Cartels may be able to target witnesses after major court hack:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/08/federal-court-hack-cartels-00500391

* "Trump administration is reviewing all 55 million foreigners with US visas for any violations:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-visas-deportations-068ad6cd5724e7248577f17592327ca4

* "Citizenship reviews now ask immigrants to show "positive contributions" to U.S.:" https://www.axios.com/2025/08/19/trump-immigration-citizenship-good-moral-character

* "Trump Cuts Off Medical Visas from Gaza After Laura Loomer Meltdown:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-gaza-laura-loomer-medical-visas-hospital-1235410184/

* "'Monstrous': Trump caves to Laura Loomer, cuts off medical lifeline for Gazan kids:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-monstrous-trump-caves-to-laura-loomer-cuts-off-medical-lifeline-for-gazan-kids-245456965625

* "Immigration arrests dip in July, and activists hope they're partly responsible:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5504144/immigration-arrests-dip-in-july-and-activists-hope-theyre-partly-responsible

* "ICE To Buy Eye-Scanning Tech That Could Identify Migrants in Seconds:" https://www.newsweek.com/ice-eye-scanning-tech-immigration-2110063

* "His Former Company Got Caught Employing Undocumented Workers. Now He’s Profiting Off an Immigrant Detention Camp.:" https://www.propublica.org/article/nathan-albers-fort-bliss-immigration?

They have basically hired a human trafficker to help build an internment camp.

* CW: Sexual Abuse. "‘Horrific’: report reveals abuse of pregnant women and children at US Ice facilities:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/06/physical-sexual-abuse-pregnant-women-children-immigration-centers?

* "US military was deployed to LA protests despite low risk, general testifies:" https://archive.ph/YsQoZ

* "LA County judge denounces ICE arrest outside downtown courthouse:" https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/la-county-judge-denounces-ice-arrest-outside-downtown-courthouse/

* "Day laborer hit, killed fleeing Southern California immigration raid; protest follows:" https://ktla.com/news/local-news/immigration-raid-day-laborer-dies/

* "Andry Hernández Romero on surviving CECOT: 'They told us we would die there':" https://www.advocate.com/news/andry-hernandez-romero-exclusive-interview

* "Judge orders immediate release of gay Jamaican asylum seeker detained by ICE:" https://www.advocate.com/news/gay-asylum-seeker-released-ice

* "We won't 'stand down to this injustice': Former Trump voter fights back after ICE arrest:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-we-will-not-stand-down-to-this-injustice-former-trump-voter-fights-back-after-ice-arrest-245173829686

* "An American toddler in foster care, a mom in ICE detention:" https://archive.ph/Is3K0

* "Masked ICE agents detain former Afghan interpreter who helped U.S. military:" https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/masked-ice-agents-detain-former-afghan-interpreter-helped-us-military-rcna220443

* "ICE Is Deporting Thousands With Minor Offenses — From Traffic Violations to Weed Possession:" https://www.themarshallproject.org/2025/08/15/ice-georgia-traffic-stop-arrest-immigration

* "Meet the Native American tribe that beat the Trump administration in court -- for now:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/meet-native-american-tribe-beat-trump-administration-court/story?id=124390445

* "Dozens protest potential ICE detention facility near Walsenburg:" https://www.cpr.org/2025/08/15/walsenburg-possible-ice-detention-facility-protest/

* "ICE pepper sprays protesters and press at S.F. immigration court:" https://missionlocal.org/2025/08/ice-agents-pepper-spray-protesters-arrest-one-in-downtown-s-f/

* "Feds Make It a Crime to Give PPE to ICE Protesters:" https://theintercept.com/2025/07/23/feds-criminalize-protests-masked-ice/

* "At least 71 people faced criminal charges after LA protests over ICE raids:" https://lapublicpress.org/2025/08/ice-raids-la-arrests-charges/

* "Protesters rally at Los Angeles-area Home Depot locations against ongoing ICE raids:" https://abc7.com/post/protesters-rally-los-angeles-area-home-depot-locations-ongoing-ice-raids/17571581/

* "Opening of new migrant detention center in Texas met with protests:" https://abcnews.go.com/US/opening-new-migrant-detention-center-texas-met-protests/story?id=124760368

* "Wisconsin dairy workers strike to protest changes that could affect immigrants:" https://www.wpr.org/news/dairy-workers-immigrant-workers-strike-monroe-county-wisconsin

* "Pets end up in LA shelters after owners detained in immigration raids:" https://archive.ph/NH8Yv

* Here are some ways to help Immigrants and the anti-ICE Protesters:

Immigrant Defenders: https://give.immdef.org/give/545119/#!/donation/checkout
The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Amnesty International: protect asylum-seekers: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/page/113080/donate/1
The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
CHIRLA: https://www.chirla.org/
AL Otro Lado: https://alotrolado.networkforgood.com/projects/63833-al-otro-lado-fund
Mid-South Immigration Advocates: https://miamemphis.org/
"Know Your Rights:" https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights

---

*** Illegal MILITARY OCCUPATION OF D.C. ***

* "Trump’s Military Crackdowns Are Only Going to Get Worse:" https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-military-crackdown-get-worse-1235406382/

* "Bondi backs off initial order to take over D.C. police, issues new directive that keeps chief in place:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/dc-attorney-general-sues-trump-takeover-local-police-rcna225182

* "Trump backs off D.C. police takeover after court warning:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/trump-backs-off-d-c-police-takeover-after-court-warning-245112389935

* "West Virginia governor to deploy National Guard troops to US capital:" https://archive.ph/yOnyl

* "Some National Guard troops in Washington set to carry firearms:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/west-virginia-governor-deploys-national-guard-dc-trump-police-takeover-rcna225386

* "Teenagers in Washington, D.C., say the federal police takeover makes them feel unsafe:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/16/nx-s1-5501528/federal-police-takeover-washington-dc-teenagers

* It's killing small businesses in Los Angeles too. "D.C. bar owners say Trump’s federal law enforcement crackdown is killing their business:" https://www.advocate.com/news/dc-business-struggle-trump-crackdown

* "Justice Department employee charged & fired after throwing Subway sandwich at federal law enforcement officer:" https://www.advocate.com/news/doj-employee-sandwich-assault

* "White House propaganda video shows SWAT team swarming D.C. home of DOJ employee charged for throwing sandwich:" https://www.advocate.com/news/white-house-crackdown-propaganda-video

* "Trump's Hostile Takeover of DC Backfires - The Hero We Need:"

( Embed: )

* "D.C. Residents Protest Trump's Federal Police Takeover Plan:" https://www.newsweek.com/dc-residents-protest-trumps-federal-police-takeover-plan-2114563

* "Why Trump forcing the homeless off the streets in D.C. won't help anything:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/why-trump-forcing-the-homeless-off-the-streets-in-d-c-won-t-help-anything-245153349899

* "‘Everything Alex Jones warned us about’: Rightwing podcaster blasts Trump DC takeover:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-everything-alex-jones-warned-us-about-rightwing-podcaster-blasts-trump-dc-takeover-245543493977

* "Donald Trump announces he will personally patrol the ‘dangerous’ D.C. streets for ‘crime’ with the military:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trump-patrols-dc-streets

* "DC National Guard members actively training to carry pistols in capital mission:" https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/dc-national-guard-armed-m17-sig-sauer

* "Trump's D.C. 'crisis' enters 2nd week with more soldiers — and no exit strategy:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/18/nx-s1-5505419/trump-washington-dc-crisis-national-guard

* "How Pretexts Work:" https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/how-pretexts-work

* "“Dog and pony show”: Baltimore Mayor Scott SLAMS Trump’s D.C. takeover as power grab.:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-dog-and-pony-show-baltimore-mayor-scott-slams-trump-s-d-c-takeover-as-power-grab-245177413934

* "Trump’s Justice Department is investigating whether DC police officials falsified crime data:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-crime-data-rates-washington-police-7429711db32e2cd44c5b70504cacef40

* "Over 300 arrested during 10 days of federal law enforcement in DC:" https://krcrtv.com/news/nation-world/donald-trump-mpd-washington-dc-police-chief-pamela-smith-national-guard-why-is-trump-sending-troops-to-dc-protests-arress?photo=1

* "Federal officers detain, tackle moped driver amid Trump D.C. police crackdown:" https://archive.ph/hWxAD

* "Unidentified D.C. agents CAUGHT violently tackling food driver:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/unidentified-d-c-agents-caught-violently-tackling-food-driver-245173317827

* "Detentions of D.C. delivery drivers leave immigrant communities on edge:" https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/dc-delivery-driver-detentions-spark-concern-fear-community-rcna225671

* "Fox News Star Pulled Over in Trump’s D.C. Crackdown:" https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-star-pulled-over-in-trumps-dc-crackdown/

* "One civilian injured in crash with D.C. National Guard military vehicle:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/20/g-s1-83950/national-guard-dc-crash

* "Top White House officials turn to public appearances with troops as a tense Washington watches:" https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-washington-dc-police-a776f0764ef5528ec976604648f08c3f

* "How To Fight A Military Occupation:" https://www.bannedinyourstate.com/p/how-to-fight-a-military-occupation-d9e

* "Vance’s trip for burgers crashes into Trump’s DC takeover:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/20/jd-vance-protests-trump-washington-takeover-00516596

* "With more National Guard troops on the way to D.C., hundreds march in protest:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/17/nx-s1-5504050/with-more-national-guard-troops-on-the-way-to-d-c-hundreds-march-in-protest

* "Photos, Videos Show 'Fight the Trump Takeover' Protests Across the Country:" https://www.newsweek.com/photos-videos-show-fight-trump-takeover-protests-across-country-2114596

* "D.C. resists Trump's takeover — in court and on the streets:" https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/08/17/trump-dc-takeover-protests-lawsuits

* "Top Dem slams Vance as Trump's 'loyal invertebrate supplicant':" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/top-dem-slams-vance-as-trump-s-loyal-invertebrate-supplicant-245175365526

*** ***

* "Trump again calls for release of ex-clerk guilty of Colorado election data breach:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/21/trump-colorado-election-clerk-prison

* "Jena Griswold fires back after Trump calls — again — for Tina Peters’ release and threatens ‘harsh measures’:" https://www.denverpost.com/2025/08/21/donald-trump-tina-peters-colorado-prison/

* "Trump says Putin agrees with him US should not have mail-in voting:" https://archive.ph/ALlpn

* "Trump vows to end use of mail-in ballots ahead of 2026 midterm election:" https://archive.ph/UaXav

Several states are mostly Mail In. Mine for example. There are a few polling places for people who need help, but we literally haven't had the infrastructure for all in person for decades.

Just in general people with Disabilities, elderly people, and people in rural areas in particular rely on mail in. Military members over seas and college students also rely on it. So do people living abroad.

I physically can't stand in line for hours like I used to.

There is nothing nefarious about mail in voting. This is about de-legitimizing election results and the entire idea of Democracy

Banning vote by mail is of course unconstitutional, but the majority on SCOTUS are partizan hacks entirely committed to Fascist Autocracy, so I don't have much faith in the Constitution protecting us.

* "Trump wants to stop states from voting by mail and using voting machines:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/18/nx-s1-5506210/trump-mail-in-ballots-ban

* "Trump wants to stop people from voting by mail. Here's what it means for Washington:" https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/president-trump-wants-to-stop-people-from-voting-by-mail-washington-state/281-b9645b98-f21b-4d75-b0d6-665fde761804

* "Maddow: Three ways Trump is trying to rig the 2026 midterm elections:" https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/maddow-three-ways-trump-is-trying-to-rig-the-2026-midterm-elections-245249605685

* "Where’s JD Vance? VP takes eighth vacation in seven months :" https://thehill.com/opinion/lindseys-lens/5462066-jd-vance-vacation-days-criticism/

* "JD Vance can't escape the memes: 8 vacation in 7 months but protests haunt him:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/jd-vance-can-t-escape-the-memes-8-vacation-in-7-months-but-protests-haunt-him-245456453998

* "New York appeals court tosses Trump’s massive civil fraud judgment:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/21/new-york-civil-fraud-judgment-trump-ruling-00517727

* "Social Security Has Existed for 90 Years. It Now May Be More Threatened Than Ever:" https://news.wttw.com/2025/08/14/social-security-has-existed-90-years-it-now-may-be-more-threatened-ever

* "Gabbard slashing intelligence office workforce and cutting budget by over $700 million:" https://apnews.com/article/gabbard-intelligence-cuts-trump-e982e5364481d41a058e2bd78be4060f

* "Missouri attorney general set to share FBI’s No. 2 spot with Bongino:" https://www.semafor.com/article/08/18/2025/missouri-attorney-general-set-to-share-fbis-no-2-spot-with-bongino

* "Trump administration revokes security clearances of 37 current and former government officials:" https://apnews.com/article/trump-security-clearances-revoked-ad7f95a222ad9277452d2de995b70619

* "Air Force veteran stripped of retirement under Trump's transgender purge:" https://www.advocate.com/news/transgender-air-force-retirement-pulled

* "RFK Jr. Vowed to Find the Environmental Causes of Autism. Then He Shut Down Research Trying to Do Just That.:" https://www.propublica.org/article/rfk-jr-autism-environment-research-funding

* "Trump's war on harm reduction will cost LGBTQ+ lives:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/donald-trump-policies-harm-reduction

* "Messenger RNA could be the key to an HIV vaccine — but RFK Jr.'s cuts pose a threat:" https://www.advocate.com/health/mrna-hiv-vaccine-potential-rfk-jr

* "Trump quietly bans federal health insurance from covering gender-affirming care:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/federal-insurance-gender-affirming-care

* "Trump DOJ demands private medical information of transgender patients :" https://www.advocate.com/news/doj-subpoenas-doctor-notes

* "Trump administration denies federal funding to Virginia schools that treat trans students with dignity:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/trump-virginia-schools-transgender-dignity

* "Trump Administration Retracts Instructions on Helping English Learners:" https://archive.ph/EohzX

There isn't remotely enough funding and help for ELL students as it is. Getting rid of that harms not only the children's education and their families, but the communities in which the children live.

* "Eroding protections for public lands:" https://archive.ph/M5Y29

* "New Details Emerge on Fox Hosts’ Efforts to Bolster Trump in 2020:" https://archive.ph/GC1Le

* "All the President’s Tools:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-the-presidents-tools/id1583132133?i=1000718791222

* "Judge rules Alina Habba was unlawfully appointed as US Attorney in New Jersey:" https://archive.ph/Jn4KT

* "Judge plans Wednesday ruling on Alina Habba’s authority as New Jersey’s top prosecutor:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/15/alina-habba-nj-prosecutory-hearing-00512347

* "Crime is Legal In New Jersey (Because Alina Habba Is Terrible):"

( Embed: )

* "Judge issues injunction preventing FTC from investigating watchdog Media Matters:" https://archive.ph/QW1q5

* "More Than 14,000 Urge Harvard To Refuse Oversight and ‘Extortion’ From Trump:" https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/8/16/alumni-letter-trump-demands/

* "Jillian Michaels complains on CNN that Smithsonian teaches ‘just one race’ is responsible for U.S. slavery:" https://www.advocate.com/news/jillian-michaels-slavery-cnn

* "‘Capture the arts, capture culture’: Journalist compares Trump’s assault on history to Nazis:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-capture-the-arts-capture-culture-journalist-compares-trump-s-assault-on-history-to-nazis-245154373778

* "Trump vows to target ‘woke’ museums with same playbook used on Columbia, Harvard:" https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/19/trump-smithsonian-museum-college-woke.html

* "Transgender park ranger who hung Trans Pride flag from El Capitan has been fired:" https://www.advocate.com/news/trans-park-ranger-flag-fired

**** Trump/Epstein/Maxwell, etc. CW: CSA ****

* "DOJ to start turning over Epstein files to Capitol Hill:" https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/18/doj-turning-over-epstein-files-capitol-hill-00513606

* "Judge denies Justice Department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts:" https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-epstein-c148333f2618c92c0b9a87784c45a416

---

* "The Supreme Court Could Supercharge the GOP’s Redistricting Power Grab:" https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/rick-hasen-interview-trump-redistricting-power-grab-supreme-court.html

* "Justice Kavanaugh just revealed an unfortunate truth about the Supreme Court:" https://www.vox.com/scotus/458172/supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-netchoice-fitch-donald-trump

* "Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push:" https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-nih-dei-320a6b3749bf56703b50739362d1238c

* "Gay Marriage Is On The Chopping Block:"

( Embed: )

* "Ohio requires buses for private school kids. Public school students have to find their own ride:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/11/ohio-private-charter-school-buses

* "Low-wage workers reeling over Trump’s looming Snap cuts as food prices rise:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/01/snap-food-stamps-trump-cuts?

* "Why the ladder to success was never meant to hold our weight:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/dei-in-corporate-america

* "Nancy Mace goes after nonexistent ‘trans mice’ research with new bill:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/nancy-mace-transgender-mice-bill

---

* Our job for the next year and a half 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/

And another: https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php

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/

---

* "Texas House approves GOP congressional map after two-week delay from Democrats’ walkout:" https://www.texastribune.org/2025/08/20/texas-house-vote-congressional-map-redistricting-democrats-trump/

* "California Gov. Newsom signs legislation calling special election on redrawn congressional map:" https://apnews.com/article/california-texas-redistricting-congressional-map-4c22e21d5d4022d33a257045693b6fd4

* "‘When they go low, we squabble up’: California punches back after Texas rigs maps:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-when-they-go-low-we-squabble-up-california-punches-back-after-texas-rigs-maps-245538885780

* "Texas is gerrymandering the only LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the South out of her seat:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/texas-gerrymanding-lgbtq-julie-johnson

*** Things before the Forced Vote Below ***

* "The Texas Quorum Drama Isn’t New — Involving the FBI Is:" https://archive.ph/qE2IY

* "Thousands join US ‘Fight the Trump Takeover’ protests against Republican redistricting plans:" https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/16/fight-trump-takeover-protests-texas-redistricting

* "Thousands rally at Texas Capitol against Republican-backed congressional redistricting plan:" https://www.keranews.org/news/2025-08-16/texas-austin-redistricting-rally-protest-capitol-congressional-maps

* "Texas House Democrats join Chicago anti-Trump protest in Loop:" https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/16/redistricting-protest/

* "'Complicit with Donald Trump': Texas Congressman blasts GOP redistricting:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-complicit-with-donald-trump-texas-congressman-blasts-gop-redistricting-245153861553

* "'We have sounded the alarm': TX Dem on their redistricting fight:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/-we-have-sounded-the-alarm-tx-dem-on-their-redistricting-fight-245154373724

* "California Troll: Newsom Provokes Trump While Urging Dems to fight FIRE WITH FIRE:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-weekend-primetime/watch/california-troll-newsom-provokes-trump-while-urging-dems-to-fight-fire-with-fire-245175365840

* "Texas Democrats return to the state, ending two-week standoff over redistricting:" https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/texas-democrats-return-state-ending-two-week-standoff-redistricting-rcna225243

* "Democratic lawmaker defies GOP 'permission slip,' vows to remain in Texas House chamber:" https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/house-democrats-redistricting-20822719.php

* "Crockett slams Texas GOP over 'bootleg permission slips’ used to track Dems:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/crockett-slams-texas-gop-over-bootleg-permission-slips-used-to-track-dems-245319237923

**** ****

* "The Democratic Party Faces a Voter Registration Crisis:" https://archive.ph/GtrQo

* "Debating Reality with Mehdi Hasan:" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/debating-reality-with-mehdi-hasan/id1583132133?i=1000719963493

* "Obama’s surprise call to Zohran Mamdani revealed by NYT:" https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/obama-s-surprise-call-to-zohran-mamdani-revealed-by-nyt-245028421505

* " Far-right groups have taken over school boards. Here's how to take them back :" https://www.advocate.com/politics/school-board-how-get-involved

* "Broad trans bathroom ban passes Texas Senate in special session:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/texas-transgender-bathroom

* "New Texas law will make it easier to suspend homeless students:" https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/texas-suspend-homeless-students/

* "Texas bill would allow lawsuits over shipping abortion pills:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-bill-lawsuit-abortion-pills/

* "Massachusetts lesbian Gov. Maura Healey signs abortion and gender-affirming care shield law:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/massachusetts-trans-abortion-shield-law

* "Medford becomes first in Mass. to divest from fossil fuels, human rights violators:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/medford-becomes-first-in-mass-to-divest-from-fossil-fuels-human-rights-violators/ar-AA1K2G2k

* "Judge appoints receiver to sell off Alex Jones’s Infowars assets to help pay Sandy Hook families:" https://apnews.com/article/alex-jones-infowars-sandy-hook-shooting-e4373ce5c5ff0206f5665e95dcc869e3

* "Alex Jones loses again; Infowars closer to liquidation:" https://www.msnbc.com/the-briefing-with-jen-psaki/watch/alex-jones-loses-again-infowars-closer-to-liquidation-245043781560

Short version:

He lost both defamation lawsuits a while back and they were planning to liquidate and the Onion was going to buy Infowars with the Sandy Hook families' blessings.

The problem is the Lawsuits were in two different jurisdictions. The families that got the better settlement were trying to set it up so the ones in the weaker jurisdiction got a better deal at their own expanse. Alex Jones' lawyers were able to use that split to stop the sale to the Onion and fuck around to slow the liquidation, basically.

So they had to go back to court to untangle the situation with two states being involved and how to liquidate to the satisfaction of both state courts.

Now the bidding starts again to buy the assets. It'll take a while.

This would have been sorted something like a year ago if Alex Jones weren't an infected asshole of a man, but he wouldn't have spent all these years tormenting the families of dead children if he weren't an absolute waste of skin.

A Reader asked if the Onion will still get Infowars. The answer is we doin't know, but the Onion intends to try.

* "Newsmax pays $67 million to settle defamation case linked to 2020 election coverage:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/18/nx-s1-5506062/newsmax-pays-67-million-to-settle-defamation-case-linked-to-2020-election-coverage

* "Laura Loomer, in wild court testimony, says Trump staff told her Lindsey Graham is gay:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/laura-loomer-lindsey-graham-doug-emhoff

* "Eric Adams Advisor Winnie Greco Handed a CITY Reporter Cash Stuffed in a Bag of Potato Chips:" https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/08/20/winnie-greco-eric-adams-aide-attempted-cash-katie-honan-reporter/

* "American Nazis: The Aryan Freedom Network is riding high in Trump era:" https://www.reuters.com/investigations/american-nazis-aryan-freedom-network-is-riding-high-trump-era-2025-08-08/?

* "'It was a bloodbath': 3 dead in mass shooting at Brooklyn hookah bar:" https://gothamist.com/news/3-dead-in-mass-shooting-at-brooklyn-hookah-bar-nypd

* "Brutal arrest of Black student in Florida shows benefits of recording police from new vantage point:" https://apnews.com/article/william-mcneil-police-beating-video-jacksonville-driver-4243a4a87a89ae2ef99259144067c2e5

* "Chaos on New York’s Streets, Brought to You by the NYPD:" https://theintercept.com/2025/08/16/nypd-car-red-light-laws/

* "California cops are breaking surveillance laws. Who’s going to stop them?:" https://sfstandard.com/2025/07/23/california-police-sharing-flock-license-plate-data/

* "Texas Lawmakers Push ‘Massive Secrecy Grab’ to Shield Police Files:" https://www.texasobserver.org/secrecy-g-file-police-records-texas-legislature/

* "A Trip Through Hell:" https://www.thenation.com/article/society/solitary-confinement-christopher-blackwell/

* "Meet the 21-year-old Rhodes Scholar fighting for the wrongfully incarcerated:" https://www.advocate.com/print-issue/thriving-under-30-jenna-smith

* "For these incarcerated students, online school has been a disaster:" https://apnews.com/article/school-juvenile-detention-online-feb1368304e42855017af229890bff4c?

* "Trans people in Georgia prisons are being forced to detransition. Now they're suing.:" https://www.advocate.com/news/georgia-suit-over-forced-detransition

* "New study finds confined neurodivergent youth of color are particularly vulnerable to physical assault by staff:" https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/08/19/youth-victimization/

* "Target's CEO to step down after store's sluggish performance — and amid pro-LGBTQ+ pushback:" https://www.advocate.com/business/target-ceo-steps-down

* "West Texas A&M University's drag show ban blocked by appeals court:" https://www.advocate.com/law/texas-university-drag-ban-blocked

* The Republican War on truth continues. "Florida schools ‘hijacked by the left’ turn to anti-climate cartoons:" https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/09/in-desantis-florida-schools-get-ok-for-climate-denial-videos-ee-00109466

* "Florida teacher fired for using student's nickname won't get her job back:" https://www.advocate.com/news/florida-teacher-fired-nickname

* "Florida judge strikes down state law used to ban books: 'None of these books are obscene':" https://www.advocate.com/law/florida-book-ban-struck-down

* "The most banned author in America refuses to be silenced:" https://www.advocate.com/print-issue/banned-book-black-queer-author

* CW: CSA. "Child molester caught by sending victim message:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1mzmy0plrjo

* "Federal appeals court endorses Arkansas ban on gender-affirming care for minors:" https://www.advocate.com/news/arkansas-gender-affirming-care-ban

* "Women in states with abortion bans are the biggest users of abortion telemedicine:" https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/08/16/women-in-states-with-abortion-bans-are-the-biggest-users-of-abortion-telemedicine/

* "Texas woman charged with murder for abortion accuses police of 'maliciously abusing their power':" https://www.advocate.com/news/texas-abortion-police-qualified-immunity

* "‘YOU DECLINE, DO NOT ANSWER!’: Woman goes to Urgent Care. Then they ask her a question she’s never been asked before:" https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/you-decline-do-not-answer-woman-goes-to-urgent-care-then-they-ask-her-a-question-she-s-never-been-asked-before/ar-AA1JTZJr

* "Botswana’s queer lifelines are vanishing:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/lgbtq-botswana

* "Men caught kissing in Indonesia sentenced to public caning:" https://www.advocate.com/news/indonesia-sentenced-public-caning

* "Which country is about to implement a nationwide transgender bathroom ban?:" https://www.advocate.com/world/united-kingdom-transgender-bathroom-ban

* "Spain’s first out trans senator declares ‘F*** Rowling’ as she uses women’s bathroom:" https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/07/22/carla-antonelli-defies-proposed-uk-bathroom-ban/

* "Here's how many trans adults and kids live in the U.S., according to a new report:" https://www.advocate.com/news/how-many-trans-people-us

* "A majority of LGBTQ+ singles want to get married, especially those who grew up with marriage equality:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-singles-marriage-equality

* "The fight to eradicate dangerous ‘conversion therapy’ isn’t over, alarming new report warns:" https://www.advocate.com/news/conversion-therapy-persists-map

* "Austin police misgender trans woman killed in Target parking lot shooting:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/austin-police-misgender-trans-woman-killed-in-target-parking-lot-shooting

* "Florida man faces trial for allegedly shooting Grindr date over bill:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/florida-man-shoots-grindr-date

* CW: Sexual Harrasment. "Lesbian teen cornered by server in bathroom and forced to prove gender files charges:" https://www.advocate.com/news/minnesota-cisgender-girl-restaurant-bathroom

* "Someone keeps throwing dog poop at an LGBTQ+ youth center in Los Angeles. Police need info:" https://www.advocate.com/crime/lgbtq-youth-center-la-vandalized

* "Volleyball player sues California university that revoked her scholarship for being trans:" https://www.advocate.com/sports/transgender-volleyball-player-sues-california

* "Another Florida city will defy state direction to erase Pride-themed crosswalks:" https://www.advocate.com/news/delray-beach-florida-rainbow-crosswalk

* "Florida threatens to blast rainbow crosswalks away if city governments won't do it:" https://www.advocate.com/politics/florida-threatens-blast-rainbow-crosswalks

* "BREAKING: Outrage after Florida quietly paints over Orlando Pulse shooting memorial:" https://www.advocate.com/news/rainbow-crosswalk-pulse-florida

* "NYC's West Village was the birthplace of Pride. Now it's a battleground for survival.:" https://www.advocate.com/exclusives/gentrification-lgbtq-nyc-west-village

* "Queer as in Fuck You:" https://azejournal.com/article/2024/12/22/queer-as-in-fuck-you

* "How Elon Musk turned his pain into policy—and targeted the trans community:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/elon-musk-daughter-vivian

* "No link between aluminum in childhood vaccines and chronic illnesses, Danish study found:" https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/aluminum-chronic-illness-childhood-vaccines/

* "What do we know about the Covid-19 virus five years on?:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/07/what-do-we-know-about-the-covid-19-virus-five-years-on

* "COVID levels rising in much of U.S., with highest in West, CDC says:" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-wastewater-levels-rising-highest-west-cdc/?intcid=CNR-01-0623

* "The Pandemic Appears to Have Accelerated Brain Aging, Even in People Who Never Got Covid:" https://www.wired.com/story/the-pandemic-accelerated-brain-aging-even-in-people-who-never-got-covid/

* "Respiratory viral infections awaken metastatic breast cancer cells in lungs:" https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09332-0

* "The Monster at the Dinner Table Doctors are seeing rising cases of ARFID, a childhood disorder that shuts off the basic human instinct to eat.:" https://archive.is/iEr2z#selection-1525.0-1525.31

* "What the marshmallow test got wrong about child psychology:" https://psyche.co/ideas/what-the-marshmallow-test-got-wrong-about-child-psychology

* "Why Hasn’t Medical Science Cured Chronic Headaches?:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/18/the-headache-tom-zeller-jr-book-review?

* "He worked with artificial limbs for decades. Then a lorry ripped off his right arm. What happened when the expert became the patient?:" https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/02/artificial-limbs-expert-patient-prosthetics?

* "Homes Still Aren’t Designed for a Body Like Mine:" https://archive.ph/hsLoX

* "Finger Amputations Are Surprisingly Common, and Toes May Be the Best Replacements:" https://www.discovermagazine.com/toes-are-the-surprising-winner-when-it-comes-to-treating-finger-amputations-47902?

* "Wheelchair Users Are Finally Winning the Right to Repair:" https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/08/power-wheelchair-duopoly-right-repair-law/

* "How an Ultra-Rare Disease Accelerates Aging:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/08/18/how-an-ultra-rare-disease-accelerates-aging#

---

* "The World Court says climate change is an ‘existential threat.’ Here’s what to do about it.:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/climate-change-existential-threat

* "The New Wave of Climate Imagination:" https://alexsteffen.substack.com/p/the-new-wave-of-climate-imagination

* "Feel sticky this summer? That's because it's been record muggy East of the Rockies:" https://phys.org/news/2025-08-sticky-summer-muggy-east-rockies.html

* "Europe scorched by wildfires – pictures from space:" https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2025/aug/14/europe-scorched-by-wildfires-pictures-from-space

* "A Fish Falls From the Sky and Sparks a Brush Fire in British Columbia:" https://archive.ph/nuUEW

* "Why did Russian mega earthquake not cause more tsunami damage?:" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0l6pj7kjg7o?

* "In an Age of Climate Change, How Do We Cope with Floods?:" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/28/in-an-age-of-climate-change-how-do-we-cope-with-floods

---

* "Twenty Years After the Storm:" https://archive.ph/mE3yG#selection-656.0-656.1

* "Hungry goat herds help fight fires in Spain's Catalonia:" https://archive.ph/DHrxj

* "See how aerosols loft through Earth’s sky:" https://www.sciencenews.org/article/aerosols-earth-sky-visualization

* "I Never Understood Our Data-Saturated Life Until a Hurricane Shut It Down:" https://archive.ph/FYcVO

* "A shocking record: Lightning bolt stretched 515 miles, crossed three states:" https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/shocking-record-lightning-bolt-stretched-515-miles-crossed-three-state-rcna221993

* "Yellowstone aspen showing signs of recovery following 1995 reintroduction of wolves to park:" https://news.oregonstate.edu/news/yellowstone-aspen-showing-signs-recovery-following-1995-reintroduction-wolves-park

* "Weird Things You Learn About Food When You Garden:" https://www.lastwordonnothing.com/2025/08/11/weird-things-you-learn-about-food-when-you-garden/

* " Helsinki just went a full year without a single traffic death :" https://www.politico.eu/article/helsinki-no-traffic-death-roads-eu-accident-finland-driving-transport/

* "For millions in US mobile home parks, clean and safe tap water isn’t a given:" https://apnews.com/article/mobile-homes-water-drinking-safety-health-12adbeeb1d880644b0fc85957b083fcd

* "Engineer Fixes and Installs Free Pay Phones in Parts of Rural Vermont Without Cell Service:" https://mymodernmet.com/randtel-free-payphones-vermont/?

* "A jury orders Tesla to pay more than $240 million in Autopilot crash:" https://www.npr.org/2025/08/02/nx-s1-5490930/tesla-autopilot-crash-jury-240-million-florida

* "The End of Tesla?:"

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* "Can modern LLMs actually count the number of b's in "blueberry"?:" https://minimaxir.com/2025/08/llm-blueberry/?

* "The AI powered Library Search That Refused to Search:" https://aarontay.substack.com/p/the-ai-powered-library-search-that

* " Meta’s flirty AI chatbot invited a retiree to New York. :" https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/meta-ai-chatbot-death/

* "After using ChatGPT, man swaps his salt for sodium bromide—and suffers psychosis:" https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/08/after-using-chatgpt-man-swaps-his-salt-for-sodium-bromide-and-suffers-psychosis/

* "Australian lawyer sorry for AI errors in murder case, including fake quotes and made up cases:" https://www.nbcnews.com/world/australia/australian-lawyer-sorry-ai-errors-murder-case-fake-quotes-made-cases-rcna225220

* "More than 130,000 Claude, Grok, ChatGPT, and Other LLM Chats Readable on Archive.org:" https://www.404media.co/more-than-130-000-claude-grok-chatgpt-and-other-llm-chats-readable-on-archive-org/

* "Your Face Tomorrow:" https://harpers.org/archive/2025/08/your-face-tomorrow-michael-clune-ai-facial-recognition/

* "Would you like an IDOR with that? Leaking 64 million McDonald’s job applications:" https://ian.sh/mcdonalds

* "Poor Passwords Tattle on AI Hiring Bot Maker Paradox.ai:" https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/07/poor-passwords-tattle-on-ai-hiring-bot-maker-paradox-ai/

* "How we found TeaOnHer spilling users’ driver’s licenses in less than 10 minutes:" https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/13/how-we-found-teaonher-spilling-users-drivers-licenses-in-less-than-10-minutes/

* "Brits can get around Discord's age verification thanks to Death Stranding's photo mode, bypassing the measure introduced with the UK's Online Safety Act. We tried it and it works—thanks, Kojima:" https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/brits-can-get-around-discords-age-verification-thanks-to-death-strandings-photo-mode-bypassing-the-measure-introduced-with-the-uks-online-safety-act-we-tried-it-and-it-works-thanks-kojima/

* "Wikipedia loses Online Safety Act legal challenge:" https://www.thenational.scot/news/25380290.wikipedia-loses-online-safety-act-legal-challenge/

* "Meta appoints anti-DEI and anti-LGBTQ+ conspiracy theorist Robby Starbuck as AI bias advisor:" https://www.advocate.com/news/meta-robby-starbuck-ai-bias

* I beg you to quit Facebook. "Zuckerberg and Starbuck teaming up is great news for the future of bigoted, straight white men:" https://www.advocate.com/mark-zuckerberg-and-robby-starbuck-teaming-up-is-great-news-for-the-future-of-bigoted-white-straight-men

* "Substack’s Algorithm Accidentally Reveals What We Already Knew: It’s The Nazi Bar Now:" https://www.techdirt.com/2025/08/04/substacks-algorithm-accidentally-reveals-what-we-already-knew-its-the-nazi-bar-now/

* "Valve pushes back after Mastercard denies quashing adult content on game platforms:" https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/valve-pushes-back-after-mastercard-denies-quashing-adult-content-on-game-platforms

* "NSFW content row continues as Valve confirms PayPal no longer supports Steam purchases in some regions:" https://www.gamesindustry.biz/nsfw-content-row-continues-as-valve-confirms-paypal-no-longer-supports-steam-purchases-in-some-regions

* "SFW lesbian games wrongly axed in online stores' overeaching 'adult content' purge:" https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/itch-io-lesbian-games

* "Bluesky silenced trans voices over J.K. Rowling, here’s why:" https://www.advocate.com/transgender/bluesky-jk-rowling-2673905189

* "Forget copyright strikes, a retro gaming YouTuber faces possible jail time for reviewing gaming handhelds:" https://www.androidauthority.com/once-were-nerd-youtuber-copyright-lawsuit-3577995/

* "In search of riches, hackers plant 4G-enabled Raspberry Pi in bank network:" https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/07/in-search-of-riches-hackers-plant-4g-enabled-raspberry-pi-in-bank-network/

* "Clear skies on Mars as NASA rover captures one of the sharpest panoramas of the Red Planet ever taken:" https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news/nasa-perseverance-rover-falbreen

* "Watch out for 'hordes' of tarantulas coming soon to these states:" https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/07/28/tarantula-mating-season-is-coming-brace-for-hordes-of-them/85276029007/

* "Cockatoos that feel the beat perform 30 distinct dance moves, study shows:" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-07/cockatoos-have-unique-dance-moves-csu-study-finds/105600994?

* "‘Killed it on the spot’: Toddler bites cobra to death after it coiled around his hands:" https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/infant-bites-death-cobra-coiled-110505046.html

* "Tomatoes randomly mated with another plant 9 million years ago. The result? Potatoes.:" https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/evolution/tomatoes-randomly-mated-with-another-plant-9-million-years-ago-the-result-potatoes

* "How the cavefish lost its eyes — again and again:" https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2025/how-the-cavefish-lost-its-eyes?

* "This bizarre ancient worm had spiky teeth and a retractable throat:" https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/grand-canyon-500-million-year-old-penis-worm-fossil?rid=9B8A108C20E98ED9C1E55C1A2BD40635

* "The Sea Slug Defying Biological Orthodoxy:"

* "Actor Terence Stamp, star of Superman films, dies aged 87:" https://archive.ph/wG70M

* "Terence Stamp’s iconic role in Priscilla was a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ visibility in 1994:" https://www.advocate.com/voices/terence-stamps-priscilla-icon

* "James Dobson, the homophobic leader of Focus on the Family, dead at 89:" https://www.advocate.com/news/james-dobson-focus-family-dead

* A thing I wrote elsewhere in response to a prompt about what is the best time for one's birthday, etc.:

My birthday is in mid-October, and I believe that is perfect.

Every birthday of my childhood was a Halloween Party with costumes and Halloween based cake and themes. It was close enough to the holiday that it made sense to everyone, but far enough I wasn't competing. I could have both neighborhood friends and school friends. I was fine with celebrating on a Saturday, whatever day the birthday was, and who doesn't like Halloween cupcakes for school birthdays?

As an adult, we still do Halloween cake at the dinner party. We have secret pumpkins instead of a pile of gifts for me, which is fun for everyone.

I love October so much. I love crisp cool weather and turning leaves. I love all the lights and decorations. How wonderful to have my birthday in my favorite month of the year. It always feels like the whole month is basically my birthday.

* We are not where I'd like us to be ahead of the arrival of city contractors, but I think we've achieved all we can, honestly.

Poor New Millennial exhausted themselves working on the storage area behind my desk Sunday night. I achieved bare minimum every where else. There are things I'm worried about like the bathroom shelving, and did we clear enough from certain areas and is Squirrel's bathroom clean enough. They ran through so many mops, that I sacrificed mine (My mop, I can change the heads. They are also washable, but I do not want a head Squirrel has be subjecting to industrial cleaners. I think I have spare heads, I just need to dig them out.)

There are things I will need to do for Floor Guy and Electrician. There is still so much work to do for my room, even though it is reasonably comfy. I have a ton of stuff to do to get what passes for a living room orderly again.

The last load of laundry for who knows how long is running s I write this at not quite half past Midnight. I will try to conserve Tavy pads, but I am worried. Two days is hard; three is pushing it. Everything I could put in is in. I tricked Livia into letting me change the thin blerp pad on her window spot, as she'd shed on it extensively. I am stripped to my boxers.

I am desperate for a bath, but not with dishes and laundry using all the water. I will try to squeeze it in before morning though.

One of the advantages of me having cleared so many boxes is a lot of the good cat toys are now available to the Beasts. It's been an exciting couple of days as they rediscover favorites. We've been having Feather Time at least twice a day in my room.

I think I mentioned about a month ago that after a life time of zero interest in treats, Tavy's taken a sudden interest. He as a share most nights now.

He grew up on kibbles in a closed feral colony and one of my long term health worried for him is his not really liking wet food. My theory as to why he drinks more water than any cats I've ever lived with is that he's making up for his mostly dry food diet. Wet food is good for things like cat prostates. I tried depriving him of kibbles until he ate wet, but he would literally rather starve and he's so skinny anyway, so i gave up on the grounds it's cruel.

I long ago stopped giving him a share as it would just go to waste. He will occasionally nibble at Livia's leftovers, which is fine. She eats a third to a half a can a night which is enough for her health on top of the special high end kibbles she has to have. (All her food needs to be correct for health reasons, though the vet says she can have regular treats as long as the ingredients are safe for her). Her food is medicine for her, and it's generally healthy, so they eat the same things.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw him chowing down HARD on her leftovers. a couple nights later, I saw him doing it again. Like we aren't talking a small bite or two at most. He's been doing it most nights, hoovering up all the scraps she generally doesn't bother with around the edges, occasionally doing little raids usually after her second pass at her dinner.

Livia's never experienced food competition. She eats about half her portion when it first gets put out, then comes back for a second pass an hour or two later. Over the course of the rest of the evening, she takes little snacks. I think this and her fondness for cat grass is why she has such good digestion. Once she stopped growing, she started taking her time with food, letting it settle before going in for more.

I've been monitoring it. If it seems like she's not getting enough, I'll put more out, but right now, I'm just happy he's eating more wet food.

UPDATE: I kept doing bits of work between rests all night. I was just getting into the bath when I remembered I needed to unload the dishwasher before they come because they may be taking that today too. I still have more things to find temporary homes for as of 6AM. Sigh.

* Monday I learned the very unpleasant way that I'm not tolerating a new med very well. I was about 5 days in so that tracked. Sigh. Annoyingly, new meds were clearly working.

The nice City Contractors came and took my clothes washer away, hopefully for repair. I need to clean it's empty space. The new dishwasher looks like cylons made it and is alarmingly complex as to settings. They did a bunch of smaller things, including stuff in Squirrel's bathroom, but I haven't a full list as about halfway through I needed urgently to lie down in the dark.

They come back Tuesday after lunch.

* I am clearly recovering from the meds situation, though still getting after effects.

I went to bed early Monday night, which meant Livia had me all night, when she knows there will be no Contractors. She finally got to stretch out on her human for loves in her bed. She got three before dawn. When I was too queasy to sleep in the early morning, we had another long love and a much shorter one, 8ish. I think she just climbed on to see if she could, really. Then she was off to her day locations in case contractors.

I needed to pick up the books I forgot to pause and street park the car for the duration, so I left 10:30AMish. I went for perishables first as the library doesn't open 'til 11AM. Made it back around 11:15. I figured even odds the Contractors might cancel until they had an answer on the clothewasher, but I wanted to be home before noon just in case. I was too late for close my side of the street parking, but scored the best spot directly across the street right behind the no parking markings so I won't have to try to maneuver the beast out between other cars on a busy street.

They don't close the parking lot 'til next Monday, but with the normal street parkers, plus three extra buildings worth of cars, I wanted to get out there days early and while people were at work. A friend has promised to take me for peishables in their car Wednesday a week, so I won't be a week and a half in lock down.

I warned the Electrician's receptionist about parking. They are likely going to have to juggle to squeeze me in between bigger jobs as they wanted to start Monday. Floor Guy wants to come Tuesday, but I didn't know so haven't broken it to him yet.

General contractor guys decided to wait until the clothes washer is fixed to come back. It is a fairly easy fix, but needs a replacement part. Let us hope it's sorted by Friday, given the givens, as if it's not I'll have to manage a second week without washing Tavy's pads. I'm changing them as little as I can stand, but it's already starting to stink and Tavy is determinded. Contractor and City Guy are going to try to get some sort of filtration thingie approved as he thinks it's a sediment issue that caused the part to break. I premptively approved on my end in hopes of fast sign off by City Guy's boss. If it improvres quality and saves the washer future damage, I'm all for and there's hopes it's in budget if the replacement part isn't expensive.

I suspect they've a half a day's work left. The two small things left will be about 15 mins top, as one of them they are doing the assembly at their home base and one I know takes about 10 mins for skilled labour with power tools. The really annoying bit will be fixing the ventilation for squirrel's bathroom which the builder never bothered to connect to outside, which has created over the aprox. quarter century the building has been here a serious mold problem. I've no clue how long it will take, but I really am betting the four today are half a day. Floor guy likely won't take that long for his bit. I don't know if the smoke detectors are general contractor or election. I should probably ask next I talk to a contractor.

It's the electrician that will be a whole drama, and is the most essential. Outlets are burning out and I am worried about fire. It's the scary low bit not up to code wiring that led the city to do this renovation. It's the wiring that's haunted me the 2-3 years since we found out how bad it was, especially with the half ass detector and suppression system.

Likely I will know more tomorrow about the timeline.

It is really good to be back in my bed and the cat stress levels are slowly dropping, but I really just want things to be back where they go instead of endless boxes and misplaced items.

September. Things should be right by september's end.

* Thursday Evening: My second load of laundry is washing and the apartment smells so much better. I am using cold water again! I don’t see any signs of leaking.

I have a kitchen silverware drawer again and it is exciting. I still need to shuffle some things around in the bathroom, but things are more normal.

They poked around in the hall closet again, I assume to take filter system related measurements. That’s where they are putting it, you see. It needs to be next to the water heater to intercept incoming water lines.

I am still achey, but last night’s headache has fled which really, really helps.

* A friend in need: https://www.gofundme.com/f/small-business-creating-artistic-solutions?attribution_id=sl%3Ac83a07d3-8543-4aa5-9a29-f7ca8620c897&lang=en_US&ts=1755130502

* Squirrel Needs Help with Bills!

They've been running behind since last autumn because they got scammed, plus all the stuff with the Housing issues, plus the strike this Autumn. Now they had to quarantine for most of a week because of a dangerous exposure at work. They are fine, but it means they have a small paycheck right when all the things are due, including insurance and car payment to get to work, the Internet bill, etc..

If you'd like to help them out and help keep us both online:
paypal.me/Squirrelmh

* "Sunday Sweets: Grandma's Kitchen Counter:" https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/sunday-sweets-grandmas-kitchen-counter-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.

* Call RFK Jr. to complain about him not funding vaccines ph# 202-690-7000

* CW: Suicide "These hotlines are still available for LGBTQ+ youth after Trump kills 988 services:" https://www.advocate.com/news/lgbtq-youth-hotlines-still-available

* "United States Disappeared Tracker:" https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/danielleharlow/viz/UnitedStatesDisappearedTracker/Map

* "Introducing Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network:" https://aflcio.org/2025/4/16/introducing-rise-federal-workers-legal-defense-network

* Here are some ways to help Immigrants and the anti-ICE Protesters:

Immigrant Defenders: https://give.immdef.org/give/545119/#!/donation/checkout
The Bail Project: https://bailproject.org/
National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory
Amnesty International: protect asylum-seekers: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/page/113080/donate/1
The Young Center for Immigtrant Children's Rights: https://www.theyoungcenter.org/
CHIRLA: https://www.chirla.org/
AL Otro Lado: https://alotrolado.networkforgood.com/projects/63833-al-otro-lado-fund
Mid-South Immigration Advocates: https://miamemphis.org/

* Want to help Nathan Sage against Joni Ernst? https://www.sageforsenate.com/

* Want to help Dr. Annie Andrews beat Lindsey Graham?" https://secure.actblue.com/donate/loc_annie_fr_txt_q22025?refcode=LOC_RTL_FR_2025.05.29_Lindsey-Bad-Job_B1_C1_Pros_N_Peony_RG-T1&amount=5

* Want to help Mike Pruitt in Virginia? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/mike-pruitt-1?refcode=directory

* Want to help Roy Cooper in North Carolina against Michael Whatley? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/roy_cooper_email?refcode=directory

* Want to help James Osyf in Virginia Beach? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/james-osyf-1?refcode=directory

* Want to help Omar Fateh in Minneapolis? https://secure.actblue.com/donate/campaign-fund-of-omar-fateh-1?refcode=directory
( More Links Underneath: )