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Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Stephen King

@stephenking.bsky.social

Chuck Schumer was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Eventually the wheel of karma will turn again in the favor of sensible people, but God, am I tired of waiting.

March 15, 2025 at 10:11 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Brian Tyler Cohen

@briantylercohen.bsky.social

Twitter is down. Tesla stock is plummeting. SpaceX’s rocket imploded.

All owned by the same guy who’s now in charge of our federal government.

March 10, 2025 at 5:15 PM

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

North bay sunset

March 2, 2025 at 9:09 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

One of my students is in need of financial assistance to continue going to school. She’s a First Gen Latina, daughter of a migrant single mom. She is majoring in engineering and is brilliant! Please donate even $10 dollars to help her complete her tuition payment.

gofund.me/44cb730c

Donate to Support a First-Generation Latina Engineer, organized by Stephanie Castrejon

Hello, my name is Stephanie Castrejon. I'm a first-generation college s… Stephanie Castrejon needs your support for Support a First-Generation Latina Engineer

gofund.me

March 1, 2025 at 9:30 AM

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

One of my students is in need of financial assistance to continue going to school. She’s a First Gen Latina, daughter of a migrant single mom. She is majoring in engineering and is brilliant! Please donate even $10 dollars to help her complete her tuition payment.

gofund.me/44cb730c

Donate to Support a First-Generation Latina Engineer, organized by Stephanie Castrejon

Hello, my name is Stephanie Castrejon. I'm a first-generation college s… Stephanie Castrejon needs your support for Support a First-Generation Latina Engineer

gofund.me

March 1, 2025 at 9:30 AM

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

not getting on an airplane for a long long time. I’m scared now. ☹️

February 1, 2025 at 12:44 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Rebecca Solnit

@rebeccasolnit.bsky.social

Hi that was a coup last night in case no one mentioned that to you. The executive branch seized the power of the purse the Constitution gave to Congress, which is a pretty authoritarian / illegal consolidation of powers move. Time to go yell at your reps, the media, etc.

Hey friends! We're seeing a lot of terrible things. We're not able to cover all of them, but we felt this latest one is a really big deal and needs much more awareness.

Our summary is this: It's an administrative coup. Trump has ordered tens of billions (maybe up to $3 trillion) of budget halted indefinitely in a blatantly illegal move. He's claiming power to halt and potentially redirect funding that's already been authorized by Congress — a classic authoritarian move.

Here's what we know. And we're doing our best to catch up with this story, because it's moving fast.

There's a memo from Matthew Vaeth, the acting head of the Office of Management and Budget. (That's the same government entity who set-up the DEI "snitch" line, that's now been spammed by tens of thousands of our fellow residents.)

In typical Trump-style, the memo gets its facts wrong. It claims in FY2024 the US government spent $10 trillion (actually it was $6.8 trillion). It says money should be used for the administration's priorities — "The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve." (Again, it's very fact deficient.)

The memo says a pause will begin at 5pm on January 28th where, "Federal agencies must temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal."

Anyone promised federal grants might have their money at risk, even states. This is Congressional directed spending and Trump is ordering people to not do it. This funding includes universities for education and research programs, nonprofits, local and tribal governments, disaster relief aid, e…

So what can we do?

It's been a lot. And the shock approach of this administration is to overwhelm us with nonsense and a state of paralysis. We continue to believe the best thing is to stay grounded and keep yourself sane amidst insanity.

At this juncture, three actions we suggest that make sense to us:

1) Urge media to cover this story properly

This is not "possibly illegal" — it's "patently illegal." You can read notes on that here.

It's not "temporary" — it's "indefinite." There's no timetable for ending it.

It's not just a memo — it's an administrative coup.

2) Urge your Representatives to act like this is a big deal

If you know us, this isn't a knee-jerk action we suggest. We think this is a strategic because it's Congress that's being violated — their power is being directly undermined.

3) Continue to support ACLU and Democracy Forward

These groups have been preparing litigation for some time. Unless Trump revokes this, this will certainly make its way through the courts. Our read is even the biased courts will have trouble swallowing this — so it may end up being shut down.

Keep breathing. “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again," Nelson Mandela.

Warmly,

- Choose Democracy

January 28, 2025 at 3:51 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi

@clahchischiligi.bsky.social

“We want you to know that we’re not just the uniform that we have, which is the inmate firefighting uniform. It’s a big impact on fighting these fires, because we do what most people don’t want to physically do.”

www.hcn.org/articles/wha...

What it’s like to be an incarcerated firefighter - High Country News

Eddie Herrera, a formerly incarcerated firefighter, talks about the job and how he sees what’s happening in Los Angeles.

www.hcn.org

January 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi

@clahchischiligi.bsky.social

“Whether we’re in the United States, whether we’re in Guatemala, (or) we’re crossing borders, we have the right to exist as an Indigenous person, and all the rights that stem from that.”

The latest from our Indigenous Affairs Desk Associate Editor Anna V. Smith.

www.hcn.org/articles/thi...

‘This is about power’: Indigenous immigrants face a second Trump administration - High Country News

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who was banned from nine tribal reservations, will oversee policies uniquely important to Indigenous people.

www.hcn.org

January 22, 2025 at 5:32 AM

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

my mom works at a predominately Latino and Black elementary school as a rec aide in Long Beach. Today she said to me “today was a stressful day seeing so many people filled with fear and pain”. My mom is a tough woman and she’ll go to bat for anyone. the pain and fear in her voice doesn’t escape me

January 22, 2025 at 5:49 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

BingBingBong

@bingbingbong.bsky.social

Just a reminder.

January 20, 2025 at 10:15 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Litbowl

@litbowl.bsky.social

Poem for today. From @maggiesmithpoet.bsky.social's book, Good Bones: bookshop.org/a/862/978194...

#poetry #books #maggiesmith #writing

January 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Hoodlum 🇺🇸

@nothoodlum.bsky.social

I never want to hear that the GOP is the party of law & order again… ever.

January 21, 2025 at 2:45 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Krassensteins

@krassenstein.bsky.social

January 21, 2025 at 1:47 AM

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

My therapist is in for one tomorrow … anyone else having a session or two this week?

January 21, 2025 at 10:05 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

/\__/\__/\__/

@cardiograms.bsky.social

Reading is super important, but understanding what you read and synthesizing it with the rest of the world around you is kind of a critical piece that people who make consuming books their whole personality seem to leave out intentionally, and that is why everyone gives you shit all the time btw.

January 21, 2025 at 12:23 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Screamer Jim

@screamerjim.bsky.social

💗✊

January 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

shawndra (she/her)

@shawndra.bsky.social

Reading Parable of the Talents now by Octavia E Butler. Found this passage relevant to our times. Actually this entire book is relevant to our dystopian reality. #booksky #booktok

January 20, 2025 at 4:05 AM

Melisa Garcia

@melisadrpoeta.bsky.social

today has crushed me but my soul and beliefs are still intact

January 21, 2025 at 3:42 AM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Rebecca Solnit

@rebeccasolnit.bsky.social

This morning we had our The Way We Get Through This Is Together conversation, an architect and five writers, talked about kindness, generosity, hope, community, storytelling, and it was everything I hoped for. If you want to watch, here it is.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf_y...

www.youtube.com

January 20, 2025 at 10:53 PM

Reposted by Melisa Garcia

Rebecca Solnit

@rebeccasolnit.bsky.social

Guardian vs. NYT. You know who's going to call things by their true names and who's not even gonna give you syrup with that waffle.

Guardian: "Elon Musk waded into controversy on Monday when he gave back-to-back fascist-style salutes....