Karen Pickell
@karenpickell.bsky.social
Author of AN ADOPTEE LEXICON. Founder @AdopteeReading.bsky.social Budding genealogist/family historian. #adoptee #AdopteeVoices #cnf #genealogy #FamilyHistory -- karenpickell.com
Pinned
Catholic Culpability in Adoption
Let me begin by admitting that it’s taken me two months to write this. In early September, I read The Price of Children: Stolen Lives in a Land Without Choice by Maria Laurino, an Italian American …
karenpickell.com
"Christianity is front and center at this moment in American history. It’s easier to recognize indoctrination in other sects than in the one you’re raised in, and that, of course, is by design." #adoptees #adoption #Catholic
karenpickell.com/2025/11/12/c...
karenpickell.com/2025/11/12/c...
Reposted by Karen Pickell
A Utah judge Friday refused to halt her landmark ruling that struck down the GOP-led legislature’s gerrymander. The decision means the court-ordered, fairer map — which gives Democratic and independent voters a meaningful chance at representation — remains on track for the 2026 elections.
Utah Judge Rejects GOP Bid to Block Fairer Map for 2026 Elections
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:46 PM
A Utah judge Friday refused to halt her landmark ruling that struck down the GOP-led legislature’s gerrymander. The decision means the court-ordered, fairer map — which gives Democratic and independent voters a meaningful chance at representation — remains on track for the 2026 elections.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
NEW: The Trump administration sent Head Start employees a six-page list of "prohibited words" for grant applications, including terms like: disabilities, tribal, Black, and women.
The administration wants to erase communities and block access to early childhood services. We'll see them in court.
The administration wants to erase communities and block access to early childhood services. We'll see them in court.
December 5, 2025 at 8:23 PM
NEW: The Trump administration sent Head Start employees a six-page list of "prohibited words" for grant applications, including terms like: disabilities, tribal, Black, and women.
The administration wants to erase communities and block access to early childhood services. We'll see them in court.
The administration wants to erase communities and block access to early childhood services. We'll see them in court.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
In remarks already sparking MAGA backlash, Pope Leo XIV called anti-Muslim panic a political weapon against immigration — and a betrayal of the Gospel.
His message directly challenges Elon Musk and MAGA leaders who frame Christian empathy as weakness.
His message directly challenges Elon Musk and MAGA leaders who frame Christian empathy as weakness.
Pope Leo to MAGA: Christians Must Stop Fearing Islam
On his first trip abroad, Pope Leo XIV extols Muslim-Christian friendship — delivering a pointed rejoinder to MAGA pundits who deride compassion as “suicidal empathy.”
www.thelettersfromleo.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
In remarks already sparking MAGA backlash, Pope Leo XIV called anti-Muslim panic a political weapon against immigration — and a betrayal of the Gospel.
His message directly challenges Elon Musk and MAGA leaders who frame Christian empathy as weakness.
His message directly challenges Elon Musk and MAGA leaders who frame Christian empathy as weakness.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Now that the final numbers are out from FY 2025, it appears that NARA never received what Congress intended as its appropriation - it received nearly $25 million less.
www.usaspending.gov/agency/national-archives-and-records-administration?fy=2025
www.usaspending.gov/agency/national-archives-and-records-administration?fy=2025
USAspending.gov
www.usaspending.gov
December 5, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Now that the final numbers are out from FY 2025, it appears that NARA never received what Congress intended as its appropriation - it received nearly $25 million less.
www.usaspending.gov/agency/national-archives-and-records-administration?fy=2025
www.usaspending.gov/agency/national-archives-and-records-administration?fy=2025
Reposted by Karen Pickell
It might be easy to find things like this merely petty or superficial, but that would be a mistake. Demeaning, erasing or eliminating celebrations or acknowledgments of Black America is straight from Redemption playbook, and is intended to reinforce the racial hierarchy and signal its reinstatement.
National parks change prioritizes Trump birthday over days honoring Black people
Free entrance days at national parks no longer include MLK Day and Juneteenth.
www.sfgate.com
December 5, 2025 at 6:30 PM
It might be easy to find things like this merely petty or superficial, but that would be a mistake. Demeaning, erasing or eliminating celebrations or acknowledgments of Black America is straight from Redemption playbook, and is intended to reinforce the racial hierarchy and signal its reinstatement.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
So: could someone find this info without Grok? Sure. But the chatbot significantly expedites the process.
Also worth noting that other leading chatbots we tested — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude — declined to immediately provide addresses when fed similarly simple prompts, citing privacy concerns.
Also worth noting that other leading chatbots we tested — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude — declined to immediately provide addresses when fed similarly simple prompts, citing privacy concerns.
December 4, 2025 at 3:35 PM
So: could someone find this info without Grok? Sure. But the chatbot significantly expedites the process.
Also worth noting that other leading chatbots we tested — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude — declined to immediately provide addresses when fed similarly simple prompts, citing privacy concerns.
Also worth noting that other leading chatbots we tested — ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude — declined to immediately provide addresses when fed similarly simple prompts, citing privacy concerns.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Something else that was striking was Grok's habit of giving us a bunch of possibly identifying information we didn't ask for, like extensive details about someone's work and family -- sometimes even providing lists of likely family members and *their* addresses.
December 4, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Something else that was striking was Grok's habit of giving us a bunch of possibly identifying information we didn't ask for, like extensive details about someone's work and family -- sometimes even providing lists of likely family members and *their* addresses.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
NEW: Elon Musk's Grok chatbot will, with minimal prompting, provide residential addresses of everyday Americans.
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
December 4, 2025 at 2:31 PM
NEW: Elon Musk's Grok chatbot will, with minimal prompting, provide residential addresses of everyday Americans.
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
Prompts as simple as "[name] address" immediately returned accurate home addresses of private citizens — alongside other personal info we didn't ask for.
futurism.com/future-socie...
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Anyone who has participated in or attended a naturalization ceremony knows how meaningful and joyous these ceremonies tend to be. The cruelty of this is heartbreaking and enraging.
“She showed up as scheduled, and when she arrived, officers were asking everyone what country they were from, and if they said a certain country, they were told to step out of line and that their oath ceremonies were canceled.”
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2... @gbhnews.bsky.social
www.wgbh.org/news/local/2... @gbhnews.bsky.social
Immigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown nationwide
Trump administration is pausing naturalizations for immigrants from 19 countries.
www.wgbh.org
December 6, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Anyone who has participated in or attended a naturalization ceremony knows how meaningful and joyous these ceremonies tend to be. The cruelty of this is heartbreaking and enraging.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Indiana isn't as big as Texas or Florida, so it rarely gets the same attention nationally. But it's worth keeping an eye on what Indiana is doing, because the GOP has long exploited the state's under-the-radar status as a proving ground for new efforts and policies.
Indiana state house Republicans just approved a new 9-0 gerrymandered map ousting two US House Democrats, giving Republicans 100% of seats in state where Trump got 58% of vote
December 6, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Indiana isn't as big as Texas or Florida, so it rarely gets the same attention nationally. But it's worth keeping an eye on what Indiana is doing, because the GOP has long exploited the state's under-the-radar status as a proving ground for new efforts and policies.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
UPDATE: (gift) Exclusive @miamiherald.com www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
Exclusive: Woman detained by feds in Keys says she was following agents’ orders
“This is not the America that I grew up in, and this is not the America that we represent.”
www.miamiherald.com
December 6, 2025 at 11:37 AM
UPDATE: (gift) Exclusive @miamiherald.com www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
Reposted by Karen Pickell
My constituent, Wilmer, was mauled by an ICE attack dog despite the fact that, as he has consistently explained, he was not resisting arrest or trying to flee—his wife and young children, all U.S. citizens, were forced to watch helplessly as Wilmer was violently attacked and dragged away.
December 6, 2025 at 2:41 AM
My constituent, Wilmer, was mauled by an ICE attack dog despite the fact that, as he has consistently explained, he was not resisting arrest or trying to flee—his wife and young children, all U.S. citizens, were forced to watch helplessly as Wilmer was violently attacked and dragged away.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
This is exactly what churches should be doing, calling out injustice.
📌 Lake Street Church Nativity: a bold social justice statement with ICE-like Roman soldiers, the Virgin Mary in a gas mask, baby Jesus zip-tied, Joseph on the ground, pushing viewers to think about immigration.
📌 Lake Street Church Nativity: a bold social justice statement with ICE-like Roman soldiers, the Virgin Mary in a gas mask, baby Jesus zip-tied, Joseph on the ground, pushing viewers to think about immigration.
December 5, 2025 at 4:38 PM
This is exactly what churches should be doing, calling out injustice.
📌 Lake Street Church Nativity: a bold social justice statement with ICE-like Roman soldiers, the Virgin Mary in a gas mask, baby Jesus zip-tied, Joseph on the ground, pushing viewers to think about immigration.
📌 Lake Street Church Nativity: a bold social justice statement with ICE-like Roman soldiers, the Virgin Mary in a gas mask, baby Jesus zip-tied, Joseph on the ground, pushing viewers to think about immigration.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
The White House surrenders at 138 million views. Sabrina wins.
December 5, 2025 at 7:55 PM
The White House surrenders at 138 million views. Sabrina wins.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Rep. Grijalva says she was pepper-sprayed by ICE
December 5, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Rep. Grijalva says she was pepper-sprayed by ICE
Reposted by Karen Pickell
JUST IN: Judge Sooknanan has rejected DOJ's effort to dismiss a lawsuit brought by immigration detainees at Guanatanamo Bay, saying the plaintiffs made a plausible claim that the policy is illegal and punitive. ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
December 5, 2025 at 8:40 PM
JUST IN: Judge Sooknanan has rejected DOJ's effort to dismiss a lawsuit brought by immigration detainees at Guanatanamo Bay, saying the plaintiffs made a plausible claim that the policy is illegal and punitive. ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Remember when the internet wasn't awful? We can go back to that.
Some friends and I have released the Resonant Computing Manifesto: a call to bring back such a time, to see if we can bring back a world where technology works for us, rather than against us.
resonantcomputing.org
Some friends and I have released the Resonant Computing Manifesto: a call to bring back such a time, to see if we can bring back a world where technology works for us, rather than against us.
resonantcomputing.org
The Resonant Computing Manifesto
Technology should bring out the best in humanity, not the worst—a manifesto for resonant computing built on five principles that reject hyper-scale extraction for human flourishing.
resonantcomputing.org
December 5, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Remember when the internet wasn't awful? We can go back to that.
Some friends and I have released the Resonant Computing Manifesto: a call to bring back such a time, to see if we can bring back a world where technology works for us, rather than against us.
resonantcomputing.org
Some friends and I have released the Resonant Computing Manifesto: a call to bring back such a time, to see if we can bring back a world where technology works for us, rather than against us.
resonantcomputing.org
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Kressly: So let’s talk about the contagiousness of hepatitis B. It can live on surfaces, and it can be spread through touch—from someone who is shedding the virus to someone else.
So when we’re in situations where we can’t know 100% who is at risk, the right answer is to protect everyone.
So when we’re in situations where we can’t know 100% who is at risk, the right answer is to protect everyone.
December 5, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Kressly: So let’s talk about the contagiousness of hepatitis B. It can live on surfaces, and it can be spread through touch—from someone who is shedding the virus to someone else.
So when we’re in situations where we can’t know 100% who is at risk, the right answer is to protect everyone.
So when we’re in situations where we can’t know 100% who is at risk, the right answer is to protect everyone.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
“This irresponsible and purposely misleading guidance will lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children.” Read our full statement by AAP President Dr. Susan J. Kressly:
www.aap.org/en/news-room...
www.aap.org/en/news-room...
December 5, 2025 at 7:15 PM
“This irresponsible and purposely misleading guidance will lead to more hepatitis B infections in infants and children.” Read our full statement by AAP President Dr. Susan J. Kressly:
www.aap.org/en/news-room...
www.aap.org/en/news-room...
Reposted by Karen Pickell
In Chicago, a Nativity scene features a zip-tied baby Jesus and Roman centurions in "ICE" vests.
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
ICE Nativity scenes: Churches reimagine Christmas story amid deportations
(RNS) — 'We know that Jesus was born into a Roman imperial occupation, and pretty much immediately becomes a refugee in Egypt, has to flee and faces political violence,' the Rev. Michael Woolf said.
religionnews.com
December 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
In Chicago, a Nativity scene features a zip-tied baby Jesus and Roman centurions in "ICE" vests.
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
Near Boston, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus are absent from a Nativity scene, replaced with a sign reading "ICE was here."
It's all part of growing religious blowback to ICE. religionnews.com/2025/12/05/i...
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Warning Issued For Amazon Prime Customers—New Attack Has Started
Warning Issued For Amazon Prime Customers—New Attack Has Started
If you see this message, it's always an attack.
www.forbes.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Warning Issued For Amazon Prime Customers—New Attack Has Started
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Google Issues Critical Update For All Pixel Users—Attacks Confirmed
Google Issues Critical Update For All Pixel Users—Attacks Confirmed
Google warns attacks have started and releases new update for all Pixels.
www.forbes.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Google Issues Critical Update For All Pixel Users—Attacks Confirmed
Reposted by Karen Pickell
wtf is a FIFA peace prize? that's like being an NFL laureate in physics
December 5, 2025 at 7:21 PM
wtf is a FIFA peace prize? that's like being an NFL laureate in physics
Reposted by Karen Pickell
Just to be clear: Minnesota will continue to be guided by science and medical expertise.
While Trump and RFK wage war on vaccines and decades of science, I took executive action to safeguard vaccine access in Minnesota and prioritize the health and safety of our children.
While Trump and RFK wage war on vaccines and decades of science, I took executive action to safeguard vaccine access in Minnesota and prioritize the health and safety of our children.
December 5, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Just to be clear: Minnesota will continue to be guided by science and medical expertise.
While Trump and RFK wage war on vaccines and decades of science, I took executive action to safeguard vaccine access in Minnesota and prioritize the health and safety of our children.
While Trump and RFK wage war on vaccines and decades of science, I took executive action to safeguard vaccine access in Minnesota and prioritize the health and safety of our children.
Reposted by Karen Pickell
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Federal judge orders unsealing of grand jury transcripts from abandoned Jeffrey Epstein investigation in Florida.
December 5, 2025 at 6:18 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Federal judge orders unsealing of grand jury transcripts from abandoned Jeffrey Epstein investigation in Florida.