Yesterday at age 79 I marched in my first ever protest. 27 people signed up to protest Musk outside the Tesla dealership in Tucson and 51 showed up. We are hoping to double that number in the next march. Yes we need bodies (live ones) in huge numbers protesting in the streets going forward before Republicans back off.
If I still lived in Tucson, I'd join you! But you've passed along a great idea for our Santa Barbara Indivisible group (we are meeting today) and Indivisible national! Kudos to you for taking action!
PS. I'm a Univ of Arizona graduate, class of '82 - Go Wildcats!
I am sorry that happened. And after all of Ronnie's ridiculous shit, they changed the name of Washington National Airport for that joker! We live in Northern Virginia and we never refer to DCA using that bumbling idiot's name. My husband wrote an opinion letter to WaPo objecting to the renaming and pointed out the irony that he fired the ATC. To the Post's credit, they published his letter. But, it didn't change anything for the better.
Great idea! There’s a Tesla showroom at the Stanford Shopping Center. The other day, I almost keyed a cyber truck on display in the parking lot but restrained myself. An anonymous neighbor, though, did throw a full bag of dog poop on the roof of one parked around the block.
Wow, I live in Tucson part time I would love to join a protest. Can you tell me the name of the group that organized this? I have other friends I am sure would come as well
You can just show up corner Oracle and River Sat morning February 15 th and get all info then. Otherwise email me at astrijdonk@msn.com and I will forward organizer contact info.
I have always understood that court orders and judgments work only if they can be enforced. How will this enforcement be possible when this administration has control of, or has disbanded, the enforcement agencies?.
I agree, but we must do it anyway because it is the best chance we have. The teams of attorneys on our side are undeniably the best, and they are winning. With Republicans owning both the House and Senate, Democrats have no power. As for elections, it would take a miracle to flip any of the 3 upcoming special House races. It could all be over by the time midterms come around, and who thinks those will be fair in red states. That being said, we must do everything we can every day.
In addition to my mostly unsuccessful efforts to reach my senators and congressman (all 3 Republicans), I have been writing postcards for the must-win Supreme Court race in WI.
Postcards to Voters (www.postcardstovoters.org) is going full force with its campaign for Judge Crawford. Postcards are mail-as-you-go with their normal caution to only take as many addresses as you can complete within 3 days. NOTE: in the past they have updated their messages as the campaign proceeds so it important to write and mail postcards promptly. To become an approved PTV writer, email: Join@TonyTheDemocrat.org and follow the instructions.
Activate America (www.activateamerica.vote) has also added a campaign for this WI race. Go here (https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards) and fill out the Google form to get names and addresses. This campaign is mail-as-you-go with a deadline to mail your postcards no later than Mar 20. Addresses are emailed qucikly. I consider AA the easiest on-demand postcard system for casual writers as you do not have to set up and acccount or learn a system.
Reclaim Our Vote/Center for Common Ground (https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote) has a postcard campaign in conjunction with Souls to the Polls Wisconsin. ROV requires new volunteers to take a brief on line training, get in touch with a local coordinator, and use one of their approved postcard designs. They are very strict about following the script exactly and they use printed labels to convey the necessary voting info. (NOTE: The postcards are not campaign-specific so I am using leftover postcards from last year's NC campaigns. Later this year, they will have campaigns in VA for their state Legislative races). This is a write and hold campaign and postcards should be mailed March 1 - March 11.
Field Team 6 (www.fieldteam6.org) has distributed all the available names and addresses for unregistered but likely Democratic- or progressive-leaning citizens in WI. (NOTE: they have added campaigns in advance of the VA and NJ governors' races as well as a PA Supreme Court race).
In addition to postcards. there is an opportunity to write letters to registered voters in states with strict voter ID laws that might disenfranchis voters. I attended a letter writing party on Thursday for WI voters and they will have another party in 2 weeks for FL voters. But you can still get in on the action for WI as a DIY writer:
I bet you can also message your R. senators on Xitter and/or FB and/or via email, with their email forms on their home pages which require your zip code to make it impossible for voters out of their districts to do so.
That's true. If you are not, then it's not the time to join. I stayed on Xitter to be able to Xeet Rs but it is beyond toxic. One has to resolve not to read replies! FB is different for me - pretty much inert except for maintaining contact with a few far flung who just Will Not use email.
Trump controls the US Marshalls. It will take the People to uncover the malfeasance and deceit and present the evidence to the Courts. Ultimately, we have to rely on the Courts to do their job - which as we've experienced - sadly questionable.
Jay Kuo wrote that so far, our side is winning in the courts, and there are many judges following the law. We know that if anything gets to the Supreme Court, Trump wins, but not everything will get that far.
Thanks for the comment, but is that who that was who locked the doors? I read somewhere it was private brownshirts hired by M***k. The job of US Marshals is to protect federal judges and courts. I don’t know why they would be policing entry to agency buildings.
I think that was a different building. I know the US Marshalls were sent to stop the Democrats, but I don't remember the details. Too much too keep track.
It also scares me as Trump and Musk disregard the law, there is no one to physically stop them. By winning in the courts we are gaining credibility. and I'm hoping it will help to move public opinion in our favor.
I'm reading mixed things about the special elections. I read it would take a miracle for any of them or in some articles that at least one has a slim (very) chance, but Some chance. It's a matter of the loss/gain balance. If we were to make any gain it might send the kind of message Rs listen to: Your power isn't invulnerable. You might be primaried by Musk but you can also definitely be voted out by the people, and it can happen even in areas you consider safe. Basically, if there were even a significant shift in the vote with a red win being alarmingly (to them) slim, it reifies the threat made by voter protests.
No. Reifies is a critical term from the Latin; it means (very roughly), refines or clarifies itself. Like self-sharpening. It's better to read the term in context.
A dictionary definition (popular, non-academic): to consider or represent (something abstract) as a material or concrete thing : to give definite content and form to (a concept or idea)
My apologies. Actually, reinforces works very well there too! My intent is to say there is an implied threat within protests. Setting aside the threat from any potential for violence or emotional violence given the levels of anger, there is the threat that this many voters are passionate enough to vote against Rs in the next election. Changing an election from a R to a D win in a red area, or even just changing the expected margin from a red win by a huge margin to a red win by a slim one sends a message about voter anger in a way that has been made concrete. It says the people really mean it and will follow through.
I've wondered about enforcement too. In Ohio we have a three decades old court oder requiring equal funding to school districts. The Rep. legislature has yet to comply.
I think we must try to the right thing even if it seems futile.
I completely agree. We live during a time of expected instant gratification. Look at the women who fought for the right to vote, and didn't live long enough to see it happen. Same for civil rights and same sex marriage. It takes time, and movements can start with us.
The forums and jurisdictions, the types of cases brought and against whom, plus the sheer number of cases and pushback of some judges all play a role (example: some judges who presided over J6 cases, to have their work overturned by insane pardons, may be very stringent now). There is good reason to believe enforcement will sometimes work, and sometimes not. Trump has less control over the many cases that are brought by states, for example. However, watch as well how quickly Trump folds on issues. That will begin to happen too; it is early in the litigation process. The mere fact that he is decreeing all of this by EO and cobbling nonsense together is precisely because they could not legislate through Congress. And massive public outcry is having an effect -- the "fourth wall." I also think Musk's circus won't last forever.
I fully expect Trump to throw Musk under the bus - either to escape responsibility for any "unintended" consequences (e.g. Musk's meddling results in delayed payment of Social Security checks/Medicare reimbursements or there is a major crisis in public health like Ebola or Marburg that directly impacts the US) OR because they get into a pissing match due to a clash of egos from two of the biggest malignant narcissists known to man.
I am encouraged by the effects of the judgments thus far, and expect many more to check the illegal actions of the coup leader. It remains to be seen if he will be able to subvert them, and we can rest assured that he will try. Perhaps in his zeal, he'll make a big mistake, and blame it on Musk, thus ending their bromance.
Exactly! Trump never takes responibility for his own actions - like blaming the fatal crash at Reagan airport on DEI and Biden instead of the chaos he caused by trying to dismantle key regulatory agencies he labels as the "deep state".
I personally am rethinking whether to book a vacation this year that involves flying anywhere this year.
I have been wondering when the bromance will end, given how many are referring to "President musk," and him as co-president. I'm surprised tffg hasn't kicked the fElon out on his slimy a** by now.
Me too, but I think it represents an opportunity for the opposistance: give Musk and his increasing wealth more attention. The narcisshole won't tolerate that for long.
I appreciate what Robert H said in the live chat today: well, let them try. If they prove to be that lawless, it will provide moral clarity and motivate more resistance. It’s definitely not a reason to give up. We absolutely need these lawsuits.
That's the whole idea of being president. You get to decide whether to apply the rules selectively when you are in an operational mode and then deal with the consequences later.
A President could do that, but I think a president with integrity would not knowingly and flagrantly go beyond the authority granted him by the constitution.
Seriously? On top of everything else Trump is going after the Kennedy Center, firing the Board and making himself Chairman. I'm guessing that with Musk running things, he needed something to do. He said he wants to return it to the golden age of art and culture. His programming is going to be interesting. Of all the havoc he is wreaking, this is probably more repairable. I just wonder who is the target of his revenge on this one. Jackie Kennedy, or maybe the Obamas for their true love of the arts.
Can you imagine who Trump will honor in future Kennedy Center productions!? I predict that Musk, Speaker of the House, and Melania will be chosen. It would be great if the networks refused to broadcast the proceedings. I doubt that they will have the cajones to refuse der Furor's orders though. The Kennedy Center Honors were the highlight of programming. Now they will be the low light. It will probably be renamed “the trump center honors.” I won't be watching.
I make sure I know when the Kennedy Center Honors are on and always watch. This year one of my all time favorites, Bonnie Raitt, was one of the honorees. I think this is yet another example of Trump’s pathological hatred of anything the “libs” like. By taking over the Kennedy Center he thinks he is pissing on our parade. He is disgusting.
Hmmm. As long into the future has human societies last the philosophers will be studying Trump's extreme form of "one disconnected step at a time" leadership.
Perhaps. . . but it also conforms to rewriting American history to eradicate liberalism and progressive advancements and restore the glory of pre-Civil war America and conservative values.
This. “Trump is going after the Kennedy Center, firing the Board and making himself Chairman. I'm guessing that with Musk running things, he needed something to do.”
This was like a kick in the stomach to me. Of course, Trump gauges and does whatever will have that effect. I am sure he is giddy with delight. My husband has images of WWF matches onstage at the Kennedy Center in the future.
As Paul Krugman pointed out in his Friday morning newsletter, what is going on is what is called an "autogolpe". It is defined as: A self-coup, also called an autocoup (from Spanish autogolpe) or coup from the top, is a form of coup d'état in which a political leader, having come to power through legal means, stays in power illegally through the actions of themselves or their supporters. The leader may dissolve or render powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assume extraordinary powers. Other measures may include annulling the constitution, suspending civil courts, and having the head of government assume dictatorial powers.
Professor Krugman suggests that the way we can distinguish the bullshit from the important stuff is to look at whatever lie Dilbert spouts at any time and look to see if it is promoting the autogolpe, or is just "squid ink" to distract us. It does make it easier to distinguish what to worry about and what to dismiss, which is a good thing with the firehose of shit going 24/7.
(People have asked why I am calling Dilbert "Dilbert" and mistaking it as a referral to the former Scott Adams cartoon character. Nope. I am using it in the old Navy sense: a term for a fucking moron, i.e., "that's a real Dilbert thing you did there." Not what you would want to hear. For those who have said I am harming the beloved Sesame Street Elmo character when I call Elmo Elmo, I do it because everybody's favorite Unreconstructed Afrikaner Pig hates that nickname, so Elmo! Elmo! Elmo! and Dilbert! Dilbert! Dilbert!)
Keep it going! Anything that irritates and aggravates those two hateful and horrible miscreants is good news. I'm surprised Elmo didn't complain about being called Elonia!
Trump, Musk and the GOP have definitely executed a coup. It has been organized and singular. We have to fight it in an organized way. We have to have a spokesperson to oppose what they’re doing and saying . Please ask Sen Schumer and Rep Jeffries to appoint a special representative of the Democratic Senators and Representatives to appear daily to oppose the policies of Trump and Musk, and propose Democratic solutions, like Andrew Cuomo did during Covid. I suggest Howard Dean.
In focusing on Trump and Musk we are obscuring the reality that the coup is being conducted by the Republican Party. Every Republican should be in our metaphorical crosshairs.
It's being facilitated, yes. They are party to it. And agree the focus should not be solely upon T and M, lest they continue the sabotage once those figureheads are gone.
Silly question: Don't all these "Federal Agencies" like USAID, The UNITED STATES TREASURY!!!!, etc. have security guards? Doesn't that mean they are required to block the entry of people who don't have security clearance? Like block entry with a gun? These cyber punks hired by the Musk could have been halted at the door. Why weren't they?
And if it is that easy to just walk in and grab data, someone should head right over to Trump Tower and Mar a Lago and find some interesting stuff. No? Why is a golf club more secure than the very center of a government's payment system responsible for OUR $6 trillion?
What is happening is a declaration of war against the Constitution and every American citizen. It is an act of violence. Are there no "law enforcement" officers still loyal to our country?
Our cops in DC should just throw away their badges and go for a beer? We are rolling over like Golden Retrievers.
And now...on to the Pentagon? They have guns, I think. Some ketamine cranked guy from South Africa who talks to Putin on a regular basis can just walk in - nobody will say: "Don't touch that?" or "Go away until you have legal authorization" ???????????? Some unidentified kids with hard drives and code training can simply walk into the center of our $900 billion Defense Department? Really?
Musk called US marshals when he went to the treasury last weekend, and also had the backing of someone to be able to put the head on leave. Just yesterday I saw a picture of a security guard at the EPA who was private, from Erik prince's former Blackwater mercenary group. So I think the answer is that they don't have legal authority, but are simply bulling their way through.
If that is true and it is illegal, I imagine there are lawsuits flying? Why can’t there be an immediate action to halt his access to these buildings until judges can rule on these?
You ask, „Why is a golf club more secure than the very center of a government's payment system responsible for OUR $6 trillion?“. –
The answer, evidently, is that people associated with the golf club are more loyal to its owners than people are to the American government. That‘s America‘s ‚reward‘ for tolerating decades of denigration of „our“ US government.
Our South Buncombe, NC Democrats meet this morning and we’re juiced to put our outrage where it will do some good. Beginning with our homegrown inland jellyfish —Rep. Chuck Edwards, and Senators Ted Budd and Tom Tillis, whom we plan to unelect at the earliest opportunity.
Thank you, Robert, for being the container for our angst, anger, heartbreak, and discouragement. I am reminded of what I learned from you in the past; “Keep your eye on the ball.” Make those calls, attend town halls, write postcards to WI, go to protests. Support legal organizations making the good fights in the courts. Give em Hell whenever you can.
I imagine that the 93 mil eligible voters who did not vote also don't pay much attention to what is going on. I cannot understand such a lack of personal agency because I am the opposite of that, but I know several millennial men who could not be bothered to vote, claiming their vote does not count. I said its absence does.
As for Musk, one thing his illegal disembowelment in the Treasury of USAID, medicare, medicaid, social security, dept of Ed, Dept of Defense, intelligence community around may be for is to give leverage to pressure Democrats to approve the raising of the Dept ceiling, because Musk is not going to find enough money to give the kind of tax cuts they want to give Billionaires. I think we should not only write to our elected officials, but write open letters saying if Billionaires want big tax cuts, or to pay no taxes they can move to countries where this already exists. A pressure to deport them instead of low paid immigrants might be the way to go. If too many people are crying out Musk, Thiel, Zuckerberg, Page, Brin, Bezos, Buffett, Balmer, Doerr, Mellon, McMahon, Hendricks, Adelson, Warren, Dunn, Uihlein, Sprecher and Loeffler, Ruffin, Liautaud, Palmer, Marcus, Woody Johnson, Trout, Bischop, Ricketts, Beal, Winklevoss, Ahern, Penske, Wynn, Kurtz, Gracias, Leone, and I am sure there are more.
Agreed! I know some of these numbnuts as Jeff Tiedrich would call them. All of them are entitled Millennial males, who do not keep up with politics and do not vote because they are convinced that who ever wins they will be fine. Let us see if that remains the way they feel.
The Republican Senators are in a trap of their own making. Supine and powerless except to obey Dear Leader. They could have rid themselves of Trump during impeachment and they didn't do it then. Now he and Musk are running rampant over the Constitution and they do not have the courage to even offer one iota of opposition!
We the people and the courts will have to do this heavy lift.
This opposition is starting and will gain steam as Musk continues his destruction.
RH: "Democrats in Congress are beginning to get the message, largely because they are being flooded with outraged calls from their constituents." And if our citizens living in Red States can share their concerns with their representatives, all the better. John Thune, John Barrasso, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Thom Tillis,....etc. Let them know.
This is off topic but we must find new ways to get Public Health news. I recommend Dr. Michael Osterholm's podcast, The Osterholm Update. Dr. Osterholm has been working in Public Health since Reagan was President. He runs the Center for Infectious Diseases at University of Minnesota. You do not have to listen to the one hour audio. You can read the transcript. I read the transcript from February 6 yesterday. Not only is there rampant Bird Flu across the country, the H5N1 virus has been found in dairy cows in Nevada. In addition, Kansas has the highest amount of TB ever recorded in the state. We are now in charge of finding the best sources for news. My state has excellent news on health through emails from Illinois Department of Public Health. We can look up symptoms on Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health Letter, etc. There is also a Substack here called "Are You OK" by Dr. Lucy McBride. Here is information about Dr. McBride: https://www.ackerlymcbride.com/drmcbride
YES. He was my source during Covid, and I have gone back to him. My question now is, where will he get his info if the CDC is gone or completely useless? Thank you for these other sources of information!
One thing jumps out to me from today's report. Did anybody notice the massive conflict of interest in the notion they'll "check out the Pentagon . . . sadly, you'll find some things that are pretty bad?" When is the last time GOP reps were unanimously happy for massive spending cuts to the military? Never? Like, red line never? And what is the total percentage of Defense spending in the budget? Compared to all the rest of their heinous slashing, it's Bigly. I am already appalled at the ridiculous cuts to NSF, which kneecaps U.S. research universities and their preeminence, not to mention supports natural sciences, health, tech and yes, military research. Research universities have played a major role in my life and still do.
I know too well it is a fiction now, or false consciousness, to believe the GOP are useful for anything until -- maybe -- their constituents start coming for them. But Defense cuts may generate more conflict, that plays right into Democratic hands to get things under control -- upcoming budget negotiations, resistance, leverage, etc. Is there reason to believe Trump will go through with it? I believe so, because it's likely this may be another Musk-led initiative, who wants to basically gut everything and enhance his own contracts. Plus Trump has always harbored callous contempt for the military (hopefully we have not forgotten already how he disgraced Arlington National Cemetery mere months ago).
Thank you also for calling out DOJ officers for lying in court. To hear that from an experienced attorney is as important as it is to keep calling this a coup, incisively correct as it is. It is very painful to watch the short-term damage, but it may prove useful if we can harness it as a springboard to better outcomes. I'll leave off with this: watch the three special elections very closely. New York especially (may or may not be pushed back, but GOP are already forcing Stefanik to not relinquish her seat -- a major sign of GOP alarm), but also possibly one or even both in Florida. It's starting to get real.
"I am already appalled at the ridiculous cuts to NSF,"
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is reviewing research publications and websites for a list of terms that, if found, will trigger further review to determine their appropriateness, in order to comply with President Trump's directive to eliminate 'DEI' (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) from all aspects of American society[1]. This is the decision tree that they are following:
[decision_tree_NSF-1200x952.webp]
According to Dr. Darby Saxbe, a professor at the University of Southern California, the following words are considered forbidden and will prompt a review at NSF[1][5]:
* activism
* activists
* advocacy
* advocate
* advocates
* barrier
* barriers
* biased
* biased toward
* biases
* biases towards
* BIPOC
* Black and Latinx
* community diversity
* community equity
* cultural differences
* cultural heritage
* culturally responsive
* disabilities
* disability
* discriminated
* discrimination
* discriminatory
* diverse backgrounds
* diverse communities
* diverse community
* diverse group
* diverse groups
* diversified
* diversify
* diversifying
* diversity and inclusion
* diversity equity
* enhance the diversity
* enhancing diversity
* equal opportunity
* equality
* equitable
* equity
* ethnicity
* excluded
* female
* females
* fostering inclusivity
* gender
* gender diversity
* genders
* hate speech
* Hispanic minority
* historically
* implicit bias
* implicit biases
* inclusion
* inclusive
* inclusiveness
* inclusivity
* increase diversity
* increase the diversity
* indigenous community
* inequalities
* inequality
* inequitable
* inequities
* institutional
* LGBT
* marginalize
* marginalized
* minorities
* minority
* multicultural
* polarization
* political
* prejudice
* privileges
* promoting diversity
* race and ethnicity
* racial
* racial diversity
* racial inequality
* racial justice
* racially
* racism
* sense of belonging
* sexual preferences
* social justice
* sociocultural
* socioeconomic
* status
* stereotypes
* systemic
* trauma
* under appreciated
* under represented
* under served
* underrepresentation
* underrepresented
* underserved
* undervalued
* victim
* women
* women and underrepresented[5]
The NSF has blocked grantees and trainees from accessing funds while the review is underway, causing disruption across the academic research community[4]. Program officers are examining projects for any potentially problematic language[4].
As a microbiologist, I anticipate a lot of stern investigations against “woke” researchers in my field who study the *barrier* functions of mucosal tissue against infection, the *community diversity* of healthy microbiomes, the *inclusion* of different culture media ingredients to stimulate microbial responses, the *polarization*that occurs in undeveloped T-cells as they mature, and the *systemic* infections associated with sepsis. Knock yourselves out, guys.
When I read about t***p’s minions chasing their tails issuing ridiculous policies like this NSF directive, I think to myself, “surely we can beat these morons!”
Weaponized, crass stupidity itself resembles a menacing virus now. I agree though -- I hail from a family of natural scientists, and branched into humanities -- we should be able to ultimately overcome them. It will take a long-term, unified initiative, though, given the immediate fallout. I don't see this acceleration as having begun in the last weeks, but rather a decades-long orchestration. But our research institutions and initiatives are worth defending.
I was heartened yesterday by all the fired up comments in Jessica Craven's newsletter. So many people are creating 'good trouble'. I used this script to email my credit union (because I too am concerned): Call your bank, and express your concern about the giant data breach at Treasury, and ask what they are doing to protect their customers.
Here's their sample script: " I am calling (emailing in my case) you to express my concern that my bank accounts may be compromised due to the irresponsible access to the U.S. Treasury systems that control expenditures to people like me who get direct deposits from the government.
I want to understand what steps this bank is taking to make sure my personal banking information is not compromised in any way by the DOGE group led by Elon Musk."
Yesterday at age 79 I marched in my first ever protest. 27 people signed up to protest Musk outside the Tesla dealership in Tucson and 51 showed up. We are hoping to double that number in the next march. Yes we need bodies (live ones) in huge numbers protesting in the streets going forward before Republicans back off.
Awesome. What an awesome idea. Good for you!
Brilliant. I have a Tesla dealer less than a mile away. I've just asked friends to join me.
If I still lived in Tucson, I'd join you! But you've passed along a great idea for our Santa Barbara Indivisible group (we are meeting today) and Indivisible national! Kudos to you for taking action!
PS. I'm a Univ of Arizona graduate, class of '82 - Go Wildcats!
I miss Santa Barbara. I lived there in the late 70's/early 80's. That's where I got fired by Ronnie when I was ATC. Fight on.
I am sorry that happened. And after all of Ronnie's ridiculous shit, they changed the name of Washington National Airport for that joker! We live in Northern Virginia and we never refer to DCA using that bumbling idiot's name. My husband wrote an opinion letter to WaPo objecting to the renaming and pointed out the irony that he fired the ATC. To the Post's credit, they published his letter. But, it didn't change anything for the better.
Thanks. It'll always be Washington National to me.
✨💙💫
Great idea! There’s a Tesla showroom at the Stanford Shopping Center. The other day, I almost keyed a cyber truck on display in the parking lot but restrained myself. An anonymous neighbor, though, did throw a full bag of dog poop on the roof of one parked around the block.
Good for you!
Fantastic?
We bought a Subaru in August. It has a Starlink device. We did not renew our subscription.
Melvina, please let me know when you do it next! I, and my 74 yr old body, will try to join you!
heidipura@hotmail.com
I've been driving down as far as Phoenix, but Tucson is out of my range. Good luck with your work.
Fantastic!
you go, girl!
That's wonderful! Congrats!!!
Wow, I live in Tucson part time I would love to join a protest. Can you tell me the name of the group that organized this? I have other friends I am sure would come as well
You can just show up corner Oracle and River Sat morning February 15 th and get all info then. Otherwise email me at astrijdonk@msn.com and I will forward organizer contact info.
Protest 10-11 AM Feb. 15th Corner Oracle and River Rd.
I have always understood that court orders and judgments work only if they can be enforced. How will this enforcement be possible when this administration has control of, or has disbanded, the enforcement agencies?.
I agree, but we must do it anyway because it is the best chance we have. The teams of attorneys on our side are undeniably the best, and they are winning. With Republicans owning both the House and Senate, Democrats have no power. As for elections, it would take a miracle to flip any of the 3 upcoming special House races. It could all be over by the time midterms come around, and who thinks those will be fair in red states. That being said, we must do everything we can every day.
In addition to my mostly unsuccessful efforts to reach my senators and congressman (all 3 Republicans), I have been writing postcards for the must-win Supreme Court race in WI.
Postcards to Voters (www.postcardstovoters.org) is going full force with its campaign for Judge Crawford. Postcards are mail-as-you-go with their normal caution to only take as many addresses as you can complete within 3 days. NOTE: in the past they have updated their messages as the campaign proceeds so it important to write and mail postcards promptly. To become an approved PTV writer, email: Join@TonyTheDemocrat.org and follow the instructions.
Activate America (www.activateamerica.vote) has also added a campaign for this WI race. Go here (https://www.activateamerica.vote/postcards) and fill out the Google form to get names and addresses. This campaign is mail-as-you-go with a deadline to mail your postcards no later than Mar 20. Addresses are emailed qucikly. I consider AA the easiest on-demand postcard system for casual writers as you do not have to set up and acccount or learn a system.
Commit to Democracy (www.commit2democracy.com) has a postcard campaign using a soft social pressure message about reminding friends and family to vote. This is a write and hold campaign with a mail date of March 14. Order names and addresses here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQp7I18gTHDcGa4b8qHmfjTMcdpygMCOVE-bGsaAWfebjnGA/viewform. Addresses are emailed within 48 hours.
Reclaim Our Vote/Center for Common Ground (https://www.centerforcommonground.org/reclaim-our-vote) has a postcard campaign in conjunction with Souls to the Polls Wisconsin. ROV requires new volunteers to take a brief on line training, get in touch with a local coordinator, and use one of their approved postcard designs. They are very strict about following the script exactly and they use printed labels to convey the necessary voting info. (NOTE: The postcards are not campaign-specific so I am using leftover postcards from last year's NC campaigns. Later this year, they will have campaigns in VA for their state Legislative races). This is a write and hold campaign and postcards should be mailed March 1 - March 11.
Field Team 6 (www.fieldteam6.org) has distributed all the available names and addresses for unregistered but likely Democratic- or progressive-leaning citizens in WI. (NOTE: they have added campaigns in advance of the VA and NJ governors' races as well as a PA Supreme Court race).
In addition to postcards. there is an opportunity to write letters to registered voters in states with strict voter ID laws that might disenfranchis voters. I attended a letter writing party on Thursday for WI voters and they will have another party in 2 weeks for FL voters. But you can still get in on the action for WI as a DIY writer:
https://scribehow.com/shared/DIY_Letter-writing_w_VoteRiders__iSVoJaxmTU2W1W5MFmjxnw .
I bet you can also message your R. senators on Xitter and/or FB and/or via email, with their email forms on their home pages which require your zip code to make it impossible for voters out of their districts to do so.
I am not on Xitter or Facebook - and now is not the time to sign up for either IMO.
That's true. If you are not, then it's not the time to join. I stayed on Xitter to be able to Xeet Rs but it is beyond toxic. One has to resolve not to read replies! FB is different for me - pretty much inert except for maintaining contact with a few far flung who just Will Not use email.
Yes, of course. I didn’t mean to imply we shouldn’t try. I’m asking an honest question, hoping there is an answer.
Absolutely Nancy. I ask myself this question daily.
U.S. Marshals
Given that fElon & his musk rats are guilty of breaking & entering, that could be a start.
Unfortunately they've undoubtedly been invited in.
That's not what I read.
Trump controls the US Marshalls. It will take the People to uncover the malfeasance and deceit and present the evidence to the Courts. Ultimately, we have to rely on the Courts to do their job - which as we've experienced - sadly questionable.
Jay Kuo wrote that so far, our side is winning in the courts, and there are many judges following the law. We know that if anything gets to the Supreme Court, Trump wins, but not everything will get that far.
But they are under Trump’s authority now!
US Marshals locked the doors to keep members of congress out of the building. They are not on our side.
Thanks for the comment, but is that who that was who locked the doors? I read somewhere it was private brownshirts hired by M***k. The job of US Marshals is to protect federal judges and courts. I don’t know why they would be policing entry to agency buildings.
I think that was a different building. I know the US Marshalls were sent to stop the Democrats, but I don't remember the details. Too much too keep track.
It also scares me as Trump and Musk disregard the law, there is no one to physically stop them. By winning in the courts we are gaining credibility. and I'm hoping it will help to move public opinion in our favor.
I'm reading mixed things about the special elections. I read it would take a miracle for any of them or in some articles that at least one has a slim (very) chance, but Some chance. It's a matter of the loss/gain balance. If we were to make any gain it might send the kind of message Rs listen to: Your power isn't invulnerable. You might be primaried by Musk but you can also definitely be voted out by the people, and it can happen even in areas you consider safe. Basically, if there were even a significant shift in the vote with a red win being alarmingly (to them) slim, it reifies the threat made by voter protests.
... it reifies the threat made by voter protests.
?? reifies?? Was this supposed to be "reinforces"?
No. Reifies is a critical term from the Latin; it means (very roughly), refines or clarifies itself. Like self-sharpening. It's better to read the term in context.
A dictionary definition (popular, non-academic): to consider or represent (something abstract) as a material or concrete thing : to give definite content and form to (a concept or idea)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reify
My apologies. Actually, reinforces works very well there too! My intent is to say there is an implied threat within protests. Setting aside the threat from any potential for violence or emotional violence given the levels of anger, there is the threat that this many voters are passionate enough to vote against Rs in the next election. Changing an election from a R to a D win in a red area, or even just changing the expected margin from a red win by a huge margin to a red win by a slim one sends a message about voter anger in a way that has been made concrete. It says the people really mean it and will follow through.
I've wondered about enforcement too. In Ohio we have a three decades old court oder requiring equal funding to school districts. The Rep. legislature has yet to comply.
I think we must try to the right thing even if it seems futile.
I completely agree. We live during a time of expected instant gratification. Look at the women who fought for the right to vote, and didn't live long enough to see it happen. Same for civil rights and same sex marriage. It takes time, and movements can start with us.
The forums and jurisdictions, the types of cases brought and against whom, plus the sheer number of cases and pushback of some judges all play a role (example: some judges who presided over J6 cases, to have their work overturned by insane pardons, may be very stringent now). There is good reason to believe enforcement will sometimes work, and sometimes not. Trump has less control over the many cases that are brought by states, for example. However, watch as well how quickly Trump folds on issues. That will begin to happen too; it is early in the litigation process. The mere fact that he is decreeing all of this by EO and cobbling nonsense together is precisely because they could not legislate through Congress. And massive public outcry is having an effect -- the "fourth wall." I also think Musk's circus won't last forever.
"I also think Musk's circus won't last forever".
I fully expect Trump to throw Musk under the bus - either to escape responsibility for any "unintended" consequences (e.g. Musk's meddling results in delayed payment of Social Security checks/Medicare reimbursements or there is a major crisis in public health like Ebola or Marburg that directly impacts the US) OR because they get into a pissing match due to a clash of egos from two of the biggest malignant narcissists known to man.
I go with #3. Knowing those two, they would stage an actual, live pissing match. Pay per view, of course.
Of course, Pay Per View! Neither one is interested if no money is involved.
I am encouraged by the effects of the judgments thus far, and expect many more to check the illegal actions of the coup leader. It remains to be seen if he will be able to subvert them, and we can rest assured that he will try. Perhaps in his zeal, he'll make a big mistake, and blame it on Musk, thus ending their bromance.
My fear is what they'll do with the info they've already gotten their slimy hands on.
Exactly! Trump never takes responibility for his own actions - like blaming the fatal crash at Reagan airport on DEI and Biden instead of the chaos he caused by trying to dismantle key regulatory agencies he labels as the "deep state".
I personally am rethinking whether to book a vacation this year that involves flying anywhere this year.
I'm not changing my foreign flight plans. Call it scouting!
I have been wondering when the bromance will end, given how many are referring to "President musk," and him as co-president. I'm surprised tffg hasn't kicked the fElon out on his slimy a** by now.
Me too, but I think it represents an opportunity for the opposistance: give Musk and his increasing wealth more attention. The narcisshole won't tolerate that for long.
Good strategy !
A falling out between trump and musk would be ideal and interesting to observe.
I'd pay good money for tickets to that $#!+show!
I agree. My first thought is that they will just continue to ignore the law and won't be stopped. It's what they are doing now.
I appreciate what Robert H said in the live chat today: well, let them try. If they prove to be that lawless, it will provide moral clarity and motivate more resistance. It’s definitely not a reason to give up. We absolutely need these lawsuits.
That's the whole idea of being president. You get to decide whether to apply the rules selectively when you are in an operational mode and then deal with the consequences later.
No. That’s a dictator.
A President could do that, but I think a president with integrity would not knowingly and flagrantly go beyond the authority granted him by the constitution.
Ha!
Seriously? On top of everything else Trump is going after the Kennedy Center, firing the Board and making himself Chairman. I'm guessing that with Musk running things, he needed something to do. He said he wants to return it to the golden age of art and culture. His programming is going to be interesting. Of all the havoc he is wreaking, this is probably more repairable. I just wonder who is the target of his revenge on this one. Jackie Kennedy, or maybe the Obamas for their true love of the arts.
Can you imagine who Trump will honor in future Kennedy Center productions!? I predict that Musk, Speaker of the House, and Melania will be chosen. It would be great if the networks refused to broadcast the proceedings. I doubt that they will have the cajones to refuse der Furor's orders though. The Kennedy Center Honors were the highlight of programming. Now they will be the low light. It will probably be renamed “the trump center honors.” I won't be watching.
😡 is probably still triggered by this ⬇️. I remember seeing the Obamas rockin’ in their seats.Awesome performance !
Heart performs Stairway to Heaven at the Kennedy Center Honors for Led Zeppelin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFxOaDeJmXk
Incredibly moving production of Stairway to Heaven. Everyone should watch. A slowish start, but well worth a full listen.
I loved the looks on Robert, Jimmy and John Paul’s faces. And John was drumming from above as his son honored him in stage.
THIS IS INCREDIBLE!!!!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I make sure I know when the Kennedy Center Honors are on and always watch. This year one of my all time favorites, Bonnie Raitt, was one of the honorees. I think this is yet another example of Trump’s pathological hatred of anything the “libs” like. By taking over the Kennedy Center he thinks he is pissing on our parade. He is disgusting.
Neither will I. Everything he touches dies!
Gerry..We won't let it die...we will survive the hitler years...This tiny, petty. LITTLE orange ass can't take our music....
Kanye West and Kid Rock will probably get honored.
And don’t forget The Village People.
I think those two go against any broadcast policy, and morals, PBS has. But Fox will show it for sure.
An endless parade of second and third rate Lee Greenwoods bellowing hate
Somebody please tell us what the Kennedy Center has to do with the Federal government.
I think it gets funding from the Federal govermnent - probably the same pool that funds stuff like NPR and PBS.
The article I read said it is part of the Federal Government.
Hmmm. As long into the future has human societies last the philosophers will be studying Trump's extreme form of "one disconnected step at a time" leadership.
It's just another distraction, in my opinion. While we're looking at this, nobody is looking at the $billions he's lining up to make at our expense.
Perhaps. . . but it also conforms to rewriting American history to eradicate liberalism and progressive advancements and restore the glory of pre-Civil war America and conservative values.
This. “Trump is going after the Kennedy Center, firing the Board and making himself Chairman. I'm guessing that with Musk running things, he needed something to do.”
Trump will rename it the KKK Center.
The next step will be the Smithsonian. The goal is to eradicate all "liberal" and "progressive" history.
"Those who control the present control the past." George Orwell.
I read this at midnight and almost choked. He's such a sophisticated lover of the arts. Disgusting.
As if any member of the Trump family has ever shown any interest in the arts.
Trump probably has plans for a gigantic bust of himself to supplant the bust of JFK.
Wow. I hadn't heard about this. Yet another assault on the things we love.
This was like a kick in the stomach to me. Of course, Trump gauges and does whatever will have that effect. I am sure he is giddy with delight. My husband has images of WWF matches onstage at the Kennedy Center in the future.
As Paul Krugman pointed out in his Friday morning newsletter, what is going on is what is called an "autogolpe". It is defined as: A self-coup, also called an autocoup (from Spanish autogolpe) or coup from the top, is a form of coup d'état in which a political leader, having come to power through legal means, stays in power illegally through the actions of themselves or their supporters. The leader may dissolve or render powerless the national legislature and unlawfully assume extraordinary powers. Other measures may include annulling the constitution, suspending civil courts, and having the head of government assume dictatorial powers.
Professor Krugman suggests that the way we can distinguish the bullshit from the important stuff is to look at whatever lie Dilbert spouts at any time and look to see if it is promoting the autogolpe, or is just "squid ink" to distract us. It does make it easier to distinguish what to worry about and what to dismiss, which is a good thing with the firehose of shit going 24/7.
(People have asked why I am calling Dilbert "Dilbert" and mistaking it as a referral to the former Scott Adams cartoon character. Nope. I am using it in the old Navy sense: a term for a fucking moron, i.e., "that's a real Dilbert thing you did there." Not what you would want to hear. For those who have said I am harming the beloved Sesame Street Elmo character when I call Elmo Elmo, I do it because everybody's favorite Unreconstructed Afrikaner Pig hates that nickname, so Elmo! Elmo! Elmo! and Dilbert! Dilbert! Dilbert!)
Yeah, I read his post and learned a new word 🤗 Makes sense.
The problem with that theory is if he’s moving his lips he’s lying.
Keep it going! Anything that irritates and aggravates those two hateful and horrible miscreants is good news. I'm surprised Elmo didn't complain about being called Elonia!
Trump, Musk and the GOP have definitely executed a coup. It has been organized and singular. We have to fight it in an organized way. We have to have a spokesperson to oppose what they’re doing and saying . Please ask Sen Schumer and Rep Jeffries to appoint a special representative of the Democratic Senators and Representatives to appear daily to oppose the policies of Trump and Musk, and propose Democratic solutions, like Andrew Cuomo did during Covid. I suggest Howard Dean.
I like that idea!!
George: That makes so much sense and I like your choice of
Howard Dean
In focusing on Trump and Musk we are obscuring the reality that the coup is being conducted by the Republican Party. Every Republican should be in our metaphorical crosshairs.
It's being facilitated, yes. They are party to it. And agree the focus should not be solely upon T and M, lest they continue the sabotage once those figureheads are gone.
Silly question: Don't all these "Federal Agencies" like USAID, The UNITED STATES TREASURY!!!!, etc. have security guards? Doesn't that mean they are required to block the entry of people who don't have security clearance? Like block entry with a gun? These cyber punks hired by the Musk could have been halted at the door. Why weren't they?
And if it is that easy to just walk in and grab data, someone should head right over to Trump Tower and Mar a Lago and find some interesting stuff. No? Why is a golf club more secure than the very center of a government's payment system responsible for OUR $6 trillion?
What is happening is a declaration of war against the Constitution and every American citizen. It is an act of violence. Are there no "law enforcement" officers still loyal to our country?
Our cops in DC should just throw away their badges and go for a beer? We are rolling over like Golden Retrievers.
And now...on to the Pentagon? They have guns, I think. Some ketamine cranked guy from South Africa who talks to Putin on a regular basis can just walk in - nobody will say: "Don't touch that?" or "Go away until you have legal authorization" ???????????? Some unidentified kids with hard drives and code training can simply walk into the center of our $900 billion Defense Department? Really?
This is more than a coup. It is an invasion.
Musk called US marshals when he went to the treasury last weekend, and also had the backing of someone to be able to put the head on leave. Just yesterday I saw a picture of a security guard at the EPA who was private, from Erik prince's former Blackwater mercenary group. So I think the answer is that they don't have legal authority, but are simply bulling their way through.
Hi, Barry. Do you have a reference for this? I am interested. Please email me at rbhubbell@gmail.com
Just yesterday I saw a picture of a security guard at the EPA who was private, from Erik prince's former Blackwater mercenary group.
This results from Americans having tolerated the decades of Republican- advocated contracting-out government responsibilities and services.
If that is true and it is illegal, I imagine there are lawsuits flying? Why can’t there be an immediate action to halt his access to these buildings until judges can rule on these?
My question exactly. (No offense to Golden Retrievers. Our Border collie would have taken them on.)
You ask, „Why is a golf club more secure than the very center of a government's payment system responsible for OUR $6 trillion?“. –
The answer, evidently, is that people associated with the golf club are more loyal to its owners than people are to the American government. That‘s America‘s ‚reward‘ for tolerating decades of denigration of „our“ US government.
Think about it.
Our South Buncombe, NC Democrats meet this morning and we’re juiced to put our outrage where it will do some good. Beginning with our homegrown inland jellyfish —Rep. Chuck Edwards, and Senators Ted Budd and Tom Tillis, whom we plan to unelect at the earliest opportunity.
Thank you, Robert, for being the container for our angst, anger, heartbreak, and discouragement. I am reminded of what I learned from you in the past; “Keep your eye on the ball.” Make those calls, attend town halls, write postcards to WI, go to protests. Support legal organizations making the good fights in the courts. Give em Hell whenever you can.
I imagine that the 93 mil eligible voters who did not vote also don't pay much attention to what is going on. I cannot understand such a lack of personal agency because I am the opposite of that, but I know several millennial men who could not be bothered to vote, claiming their vote does not count. I said its absence does.
As for Musk, one thing his illegal disembowelment in the Treasury of USAID, medicare, medicaid, social security, dept of Ed, Dept of Defense, intelligence community around may be for is to give leverage to pressure Democrats to approve the raising of the Dept ceiling, because Musk is not going to find enough money to give the kind of tax cuts they want to give Billionaires. I think we should not only write to our elected officials, but write open letters saying if Billionaires want big tax cuts, or to pay no taxes they can move to countries where this already exists. A pressure to deport them instead of low paid immigrants might be the way to go. If too many people are crying out Musk, Thiel, Zuckerberg, Page, Brin, Bezos, Buffett, Balmer, Doerr, Mellon, McMahon, Hendricks, Adelson, Warren, Dunn, Uihlein, Sprecher and Loeffler, Ruffin, Liautaud, Palmer, Marcus, Woody Johnson, Trout, Bischop, Ricketts, Beal, Winklevoss, Ahern, Penske, Wynn, Kurtz, Gracias, Leone, and I am sure there are more.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/leokamin/2024/08/14/here-are-trumps-top-billionaire-donors/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/11/04/billionaires-backing-trump-harris-2024/75936100007/
Billionaires should move to these countries. https://globalresidenceindex.com/no-tax-countries/
Every time I see 90-93million didn't vote, 🤬
Agreed! I know some of these numbnuts as Jeff Tiedrich would call them. All of them are entitled Millennial males, who do not keep up with politics and do not vote because they are convinced that who ever wins they will be fine. Let us see if that remains the way they feel.
Ballmer? Buffett?
See this link.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/11/04/billionaires-backing-trump-harris-2024/75936100007/
Tom Krause to lead BILLIONAIRE'S WAR ON YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY: How to contact Krause
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/02/07/tom-krause-elon-musk-doge-war-on-social-security/
Did Elon Musk's DOGE Boys add a BACKDOOR HACK so they can now plunder your Social Security from anywhere?
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/02/07/musk-doge-boys-add-a-backdoor-hack-to-plunder-your-social-security-from-anywhere/
BILLIONAIRE'S WAR ON WORKING AMERICANS attacks clean drinking water supplies: Check their battle map!
https://thedemlabs.org/2025/02/07/billionaires-war-on-working-americans-attacks-clean-drinking-water-supplies-check-the-battle-map/
The Republican Senators are in a trap of their own making. Supine and powerless except to obey Dear Leader. They could have rid themselves of Trump during impeachment and they didn't do it then. Now he and Musk are running rampant over the Constitution and they do not have the courage to even offer one iota of opposition!
We the people and the courts will have to do this heavy lift.
This opposition is starting and will gain steam as Musk continues his destruction.
RH: "Democrats in Congress are beginning to get the message, largely because they are being flooded with outraged calls from their constituents." And if our citizens living in Red States can share their concerns with their representatives, all the better. John Thune, John Barrasso, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Thom Tillis,....etc. Let them know.
I’m calling Cornyn every day and leaving voice mails, because they don’t pick up.
Good for you
This is off topic but we must find new ways to get Public Health news. I recommend Dr. Michael Osterholm's podcast, The Osterholm Update. Dr. Osterholm has been working in Public Health since Reagan was President. He runs the Center for Infectious Diseases at University of Minnesota. You do not have to listen to the one hour audio. You can read the transcript. I read the transcript from February 6 yesterday. Not only is there rampant Bird Flu across the country, the H5N1 virus has been found in dairy cows in Nevada. In addition, Kansas has the highest amount of TB ever recorded in the state. We are now in charge of finding the best sources for news. My state has excellent news on health through emails from Illinois Department of Public Health. We can look up symptoms on Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health Letter, etc. There is also a Substack here called "Are You OK" by Dr. Lucy McBride. Here is information about Dr. McBride: https://www.ackerlymcbride.com/drmcbride
YES. He was my source during Covid, and I have gone back to him. My question now is, where will he get his info if the CDC is gone or completely useless? Thank you for these other sources of information!
Dr Osterholm has his own research team at University of Minnesota. Their funding could get cut. Very sad.
There is also “Your Local Epidemiologist” sub stack by Katelyn Jetelina. Great writing!
https://substack.com/@yourlocalepidemiologist
I just subscribed. Thank you.
This is great information. Thanks.
One thing jumps out to me from today's report. Did anybody notice the massive conflict of interest in the notion they'll "check out the Pentagon . . . sadly, you'll find some things that are pretty bad?" When is the last time GOP reps were unanimously happy for massive spending cuts to the military? Never? Like, red line never? And what is the total percentage of Defense spending in the budget? Compared to all the rest of their heinous slashing, it's Bigly. I am already appalled at the ridiculous cuts to NSF, which kneecaps U.S. research universities and their preeminence, not to mention supports natural sciences, health, tech and yes, military research. Research universities have played a major role in my life and still do.
I know too well it is a fiction now, or false consciousness, to believe the GOP are useful for anything until -- maybe -- their constituents start coming for them. But Defense cuts may generate more conflict, that plays right into Democratic hands to get things under control -- upcoming budget negotiations, resistance, leverage, etc. Is there reason to believe Trump will go through with it? I believe so, because it's likely this may be another Musk-led initiative, who wants to basically gut everything and enhance his own contracts. Plus Trump has always harbored callous contempt for the military (hopefully we have not forgotten already how he disgraced Arlington National Cemetery mere months ago).
Thank you also for calling out DOJ officers for lying in court. To hear that from an experienced attorney is as important as it is to keep calling this a coup, incisively correct as it is. It is very painful to watch the short-term damage, but it may prove useful if we can harness it as a springboard to better outcomes. I'll leave off with this: watch the three special elections very closely. New York especially (may or may not be pushed back, but GOP are already forcing Stefanik to not relinquish her seat -- a major sign of GOP alarm), but also possibly one or even both in Florida. It's starting to get real.
"I am already appalled at the ridiculous cuts to NSF,"
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is reviewing research publications and websites for a list of terms that, if found, will trigger further review to determine their appropriateness, in order to comply with President Trump's directive to eliminate 'DEI' (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) from all aspects of American society[1]. This is the decision tree that they are following:
[decision_tree_NSF-1200x952.webp]
According to Dr. Darby Saxbe, a professor at the University of Southern California, the following words are considered forbidden and will prompt a review at NSF[1][5]:
* activism
* activists
* advocacy
* advocate
* advocates
* barrier
* barriers
* biased
* biased toward
* biases
* biases towards
* BIPOC
* Black and Latinx
* community diversity
* community equity
* cultural differences
* cultural heritage
* culturally responsive
* disabilities
* disability
* discriminated
* discrimination
* discriminatory
* diverse backgrounds
* diverse communities
* diverse community
* diverse group
* diverse groups
* diversified
* diversify
* diversifying
* diversity and inclusion
* diversity equity
* enhance the diversity
* enhancing diversity
* equal opportunity
* equality
* equitable
* equity
* ethnicity
* excluded
* female
* females
* fostering inclusivity
* gender
* gender diversity
* genders
* hate speech
* Hispanic minority
* historically
* implicit bias
* implicit biases
* inclusion
* inclusive
* inclusiveness
* inclusivity
* increase diversity
* increase the diversity
* indigenous community
* inequalities
* inequality
* inequitable
* inequities
* institutional
* LGBT
* marginalize
* marginalized
* minorities
* minority
* multicultural
* polarization
* political
* prejudice
* privileges
* promoting diversity
* race and ethnicity
* racial
* racial diversity
* racial inequality
* racial justice
* racially
* racism
* sense of belonging
* sexual preferences
* social justice
* sociocultural
* socioeconomic
* status
* stereotypes
* systemic
* trauma
* under appreciated
* under represented
* under served
* underrepresentation
* underrepresented
* underserved
* undervalued
* victim
* women
* women and underrepresented[5]
The NSF has blocked grantees and trainees from accessing funds while the review is underway, causing disruption across the academic research community[4]. Program officers are examining projects for any potentially problematic language[4].
Citations:
[1] https://gizmodo.com/the-list-of-trumps-forbidden-words-that-will-get-your-paper-flagged-at-nsf-2000559661
[4] https://www.science.org/content/article/exclusive-nsf-starts-vetting-all-grants-comply-trump-s-orders
[5] https://defendingthetruth.com/t/the-list-of-trump%E2%80%99s-forbidden-words-that-will-get-your-paper-flagged-at-nsf.148788/
As a microbiologist, I anticipate a lot of stern investigations against “woke” researchers in my field who study the *barrier* functions of mucosal tissue against infection, the *community diversity* of healthy microbiomes, the *inclusion* of different culture media ingredients to stimulate microbial responses, the *polarization*that occurs in undeveloped T-cells as they mature, and the *systemic* infections associated with sepsis. Knock yourselves out, guys.
When I read about t***p’s minions chasing their tails issuing ridiculous policies like this NSF directive, I think to myself, “surely we can beat these morons!”
Weaponized, crass stupidity itself resembles a menacing virus now. I agree though -- I hail from a family of natural scientists, and branched into humanities -- we should be able to ultimately overcome them. It will take a long-term, unified initiative, though, given the immediate fallout. I don't see this acceleration as having begun in the last weeks, but rather a decades-long orchestration. But our research institutions and initiatives are worth defending.
:-/
I was heartened yesterday by all the fired up comments in Jessica Craven's newsletter. So many people are creating 'good trouble'. I used this script to email my credit union (because I too am concerned): Call your bank, and express your concern about the giant data breach at Treasury, and ask what they are doing to protect their customers.
Here's their sample script: " I am calling (emailing in my case) you to express my concern that my bank accounts may be compromised due to the irresponsible access to the U.S. Treasury systems that control expenditures to people like me who get direct deposits from the government.
I want to understand what steps this bank is taking to make sure my personal banking information is not compromised in any way by the DOGE group led by Elon Musk."