One month apart.

I’m really excited to share a project that means so much to me!

Arkansas Maternal Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing accessible, virtual support and community for women navigating pregnancy, miscarriage, infant loss, infertility, and the postpartum period.

All this business I am reading about social security is nonsense. My mom died on 2/18. My dad got a letter yesterday informing him her benefits were ending and he had to repay the February payment because they don’t give a payment in the month someone dies. They know where every dollar is.

Instead, we see wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself, such as attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID and the attempts to criminalize those who support lawful programs to eliminate bias and enhance diversity. We have seen attempts at wholesale dismantling of departments and entities created by Congress without seeking the required congressional approval to change the law. There are efforts to dismiss employees with little regard for the law and protections they merit, and social media announcements that disparage and appear to be motivated by a desire to inflame without any stated factual basis. This is chaotic. It may appeal to a few. But it is wrong. And most Americans recognize it is wrong. It is also contrary to the rule of law.

In a blistering statement, the American Bar Association describes "attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID and the attempts to criminalize" diversity initiatives as "wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself."

https://buff.ly/4bb7dqp

I am really frustrated that the press is discussing the destruction of USAID as something that has happened rather than an illegal action that will likely be undone in two weeks when courts tell the world that it was illegal.

I sincerely don’t know why people aren’t physically stopping those dorks. Move shit. Lock doors. Lose the keys. Everyone switch seats. Turn off all the lights. Switch the signs on the elevator lobby. Make the settings all silly. Use a different language. Wear costumes. Fill rooms with balloons

I need Americans to hate this administration the way Kendrick hates Drake so they can actually stand a chance of surviving

We are members of Congress at the Treasury Department. We want to be let in to provide oversight on behalf of our constituents. @jasmineforus.bsky.social @sethmagaziner.bsky.social

There is still beauty in this world

X post: Elon Musk @elonmusk We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper. Could gone to some great parties. Did that instead.

U.S. policy was to help bring an end to apartheid and establish a nonracial, democratic government. In response to this policy and the Act, USAID/South Africa was responsible for financing projects that apartheid victims viewed as critical in promoting social, political, and economic change through peaceful means. The mission enabled community consultation and ensured that the United States did not impose foreign-defined solutions to local problems. USAID created projects and activities to respond to the priorities of the black community and its leaders, maximized black participation and leadership, and ensured activities had a linkage to the general objectives of U.S. policy. First-year funding for the program was $25 million, which was raised to $50 million the second year. The main project areas were community outreach and leadership development to redress the repression of black-led institutions; educational support and training to address the educational crisis in South Africa; black private enterprise development to combat the inhibiting effects of apartheid–induced discrimination in private enterprise; university grants to help create a new generation of economic and political leaders; human rights; legal assistance; labor union training; and health and nutrition

What’s his beef against USAID in particu….oh. Wow.

Musk’s Lackeys Seize Control of Social Security Check System The world’s richest man now has access to the sensitive personal information of millions of Americans.

Elon Musk has forced his way into the system that pays your Social Security checks and tax refunds.

He likely now has access to your Social Security number.

It is astonishing that mainstream media is covering this like it is a shruggie vibe 🤷‍♂️

Mitch McConnell: Tariffs "will drive the cost of everything up. In other words, it will be paid for by American consumers. I mean, why would you want to get in a fight with your allies over this?"

Over on the other site Elon Musk said that DOGE stopped $50M of condoms from being delivered to Gaza which Trump the repeated several times but it turns out that was the number for all contraceptive support from USAID everywhere on Earth, of which none went to Palestinians.

I watched a lot of this live and it was a clown show. Extremely unprofessional, dripping with condescension. She dodged questions, frequently threw out misinformation… A real treat.

🚨Breaking News | Higher Ed Alarmed by Trump’s Freeze on Federal Grants

Pell Grants and student loans will continue, but other grant programs that support student success or childcare on campus are temporarily on hold. #HigherEd #EDUSky #AcademicSky bit.ly/3Cj7pH4

Who is that blonde babyyyyy?!

PBS News Weekend full episode, Jan. 25, 2025 YouTube video by PBS NewsHour

A while back I asked folks why they’re joining Bluesky and the most common response I saw was, “I just want a good place to get my news” and, yall, no. Bad.

GET YOUR NEWS FROM THE NEWS

PBS Newshour is FREE FOR EVERYONE.

youtu.be/PMOYN8JWdUk?...

You shouldn’t believe it because it’s literally a figment of his imagination.

The Impact of Age Verification Measures Goes Beyond Porn Sites As age verification bills pass across the world under the guise of “keeping children safe online,” governments are increasingly giving themselves the authority to decide what topics are deemed “safe” ...

We must recognize the danger that age verification laws have beyond pornography. They could clear the way for politicians to deem harmful any content they disagree with, such as LGBTQ+ content or content about abortion.

I dedicated years of my life to reporting on January 6 and exposing what happened. I was there that day, co-wrote a book, and published a series of major stories on my own, for Rolling Stone, and for TPM.

I hope it mattered. I hope history will remember and understand what happened.

My dog likes to spend the day staring out of the window for stuff to bark at. That’s his version of doomscrolling, isn’t it?

Screenshot of a TikTok search for “Donald Trump Rigged Election” with an error and “No Results Found” because it may go against TT’s Community Guidelines.

Absolutely chilling. Saw a TikTok video describing this result. I wanted to test it myself after taking @hankgreen.bsky.social’s video to heart about conspiracy theorists. This was my search less than half an hour ago.

Don't let Donald Trump extending the TikTok ban distract you from the fact that his Administration is about to conduct mass deportations across America in a matter of days.

The TikTok Shutdown Feels Like A Stunt What do you think?

The TikTok ban feels nothing more than like a stunt. Playing with the livelihoods of 170 million Americans was never the answer. My thoughts in this special, mid-day newsletter. open.substack.com/pub/aaronpar...

TikTok was special because you didn't even need to post videos for it to change your life. We makin lifelong friends on that jawn. S-Tier community building 😔💜

So helpful! Thank you!

This is the GOP’s long con on full display.

TikTok goes dark in the US ahead of ban App no longer available on US Apple and Google stores after supreme court upholds lawmakers’ ban TikTok stopped working in the US late on Saturday, shortly before a federal ban on the Chinese-owned short-video app was due to take effect. The app was no…

TikTok goes dark in the US ahead of ban