Sunday, August 31, 2025

Mini-Post: Backlash!

The people don't like the heavy handiness by the feds. Trump & company have been screaming states right as they close down the Department of Education, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Transportation.

However... only if it fits Trump's agenda, they want state to remove rainbow crosswalks but at the same time they are transferring many of its functions and funding responsibilities to the states and the private sector. But that is hypocritical because at the same time ordering states to remove rainbow crosswalks!
 And there is growing backlash over the order.
CBS 2 Iowa
by Feven Zewdu
August 28th 2025

A new initiative from the U.S. Department of Transport is aiming to improve safety and mobility on roads. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wants crosswalk art like the checkered flag crosswalk in Indianapolis and the pride crosswalk in Orlando removed from crosswalks across the nation.

A letter sent to governors by Secretary Duffy said “roads are for safety not political messages or artwork.”

Nothing has changed in Iowa yet, but Keenan Crow, the director of policy and advocacy for One Iowa, says this initiative might have the opposite effect. The group works to empower the LGBTQIA+ community.

“A study from Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2022 showed that these kinds of installations decrease crashes involving pedestrians by 50%, and they increase by 37% the number of motorists who yield to pedestrians. So, in fact, actually all the evidence points in the opposite direction, not in the direction of the administration," Crow said.
If conservative Iowa is apposed to it, what does it say about how people think about this edict?


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Lies, Lise, And More Lies

We all probably have heard of the trans people involved in the Minneapolis Catholic school...
Well first off, there is no national debate! There are only right-wings lies!
The suspect in the mass shooting at a Catholic Church and school in Minneapolis has become the latest U.S. mass shooter to spark a debate because they are apparently transgender, but experts say such perpetrators are "extremely" rare.

It's not clear how Robin Westman, 23, identified recently. But court records reviewed by Newsweek show Westman was granted a name change from Robert to Robin in 2020. A judge approved the petition signed by Westman's mother that said the "minor child identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."

That prompted some conservatives to allege a "pattern" when it comes to transgender individuals and violence, with some arguing that they should not have access to guns.

[...]

"Mass shootings by transgender people continue to be extremely rare," Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government told Newsweek on Thursday. "To my knowledge, this is the first perpetrator since Nashville who identified as transgender."
What pattern? What I see as a pattern is the lies coming out of the Republicans!
By Will Carless
USA TODAY
August 29. 2025


In the immediate aftermath of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting on Aug. 27, a familiar narrative appeared on social media: The suspect, some high-profile accounts began positing, was transgender. 

This happens almost every time there is a school shooting in America. Commentators and politicians with huge social media followings peddle conspiracy theories that the attacker is trans, and that claim is quickly debunked.

This time, however, the claim was correct. The shooter who killed two children and injured 18 more, was, indeed, transgender. Cue the outrage. Right-wing commentators, congresspeople and influencers seized on a now-2-year old narrative that America is witnessing an "epidemic" of violence from the trans community.

That is not true.
The epidemic are the right-wings lies! Charlotte's Web Thoughts wrote that...
Since 2015, GVA has recorded 5,203 mass shootings, including 286 this year.

According to data provided by GVA to Reuters in 2023—whose analysis was as broad as possible despite questions over the true gender identity of perpetrators—there were no more than—at most—four shooters identified as trans at that time in their records.

Today’s horrific tragedy would make that five.

That would mean trans perpetrators, at most, are responsible for 0.096 percent of mass shootings in the United States since 2015. According to data released by the Williams Institute at UCLA this month, about one percent of the total population of those residing in the U.S. who are aged 13 and older are transgender.

That would mean any given mass shooting is literally 1000x more likely to have been perpetrated by a non-trans person than by a trans person since 2015. You were a thousand times more likely to have been killed in a mass shooting by a person who is not transgender over the past ten years.
But that doesn't fit the Republican rhetoric of lies to demonize us! That doesn't fit with their campaign of fear against our community!




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Mini-Post: The Quack Is At It Again!

Ah... there were two of us out of 4,283 mass shooting incidents that were trans... now RFK Jr. wants to investigate the SSRI drugs! You know the drugs that give for related to mood and anxiety disorders. About 11.4% of U.S. adults (ages 18 and older) reported taking prescription medication for depression, Kennedy wants to study them because two that is 2 our of over 4,000 mass shooters!


Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said the National Institutes of Health is beginning studies to determine if a link exists between psychiatric medications, such as SSRIs, and violent attacks.

Kennedy's announcement on Fox & Friends comes following a Minnesota Catholic school shooting on Wednesday at the hands of 23-year-old Robin Westman, who transitioned into living life as a woman. In their manifesto, Westman described having struggled with depression for years and also believing they had terminal cancer caused by vaping.

[...]

Analysis of the body of research centered on the link between violence and SSRIs by Dr. Ronald Pies and Dr. James Knoll IV, both psychiatry professors at SUNY Upstate Medical University, reveals that the evidence does not support a link causal relationship.

"In weighing the existing evidence, we do not feel that a direct connection between antidepressants and violence has been reliably established," the professors wrote. "Beyond just the findings we've presented, consider the fact that about 13% of the total US population has been exposed to antidepressants.
The Republicans ignore any research that does not support their rhetoric! ABC News reported that,
Psychiatrists and obesity experts tell ABC News that Kennedy and the Trump administration may be missing some context in how antidepressants -- and other drugs used to treat mental health conditions – and obesity medications are prescribed.

These experts -- along with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association -- have said these medications are safe and effective and are usually coupled with other forms of treatment. They also state that each patient should consult with their physician before taking any prescribed medications.
Hey, but the quack sees it differently! You can't trust the data... the data is all wrong... they don't know what they are talking about... only RFK Jr. knows the truth!
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Making America Great Again... NOT!

Okay you all know Trump's slogan "MAGA" well it is not happening in the tourist industry... tourist are not come because of Trump!


Leaders in the D.C. tourism space said travel numbers are on the decline as federal law enforcement ramps up presence across the city under the direction of President Donald Trump.

Destination DC is revising initial travel predictions during a marketing outlook event on Tuesday, saying that based on the last several weeks and months, they’re expecting a dip in international travel to the District, meaning fewer dollars flowing into D.C.

[...]

“I can tell you August is going to be a very tough month for hotels in D.C.,” said Meade Atkeson, a regional director of operations for Sonesta Hotels in D.C. “Some [neighborhoods] within D.C. are down 20%.”
People are voting with their feet! Travel and Tour The World wrote...
Washington DC, along with New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and Miami, has faced a massive tourism slump due to the aftermath of Trump’s government intervention and have mandated certain things that are not touristy. This shift is primarily attributed to the actions taken by President Trump’s administration, which have led many would-be tourists to question whether the city is a safe and welcoming destination. The heightened presence of the National Guard and federal officers in Washington DC is significantly affecting how the city is perceived, both domestically and internationally.
Did you get that? Tourism is collapsing all around the U.S,, people are afraid of coming here!
August 29, 2025


Images of National Guard troops and federal officers stationed across D.C. during President Trump's crackdown are appearing to deter some would-be tourists from visiting the city.

Why it matters: Visitors help boost D.C.'s economy, generating $2.3 billion in tax revenue in 2024, per Destination D.C. And the local industry was already feeling a hit earlier this year due to Trump's policies and federal layoffs.

State of play: D.C. restaurant reservations have dropped, foot traffic is down and local tour guide companies have seen a slump during what's typically a popular time for tourism.
  • Destination D.C. — the District's marketing arm — is upping its promotion efforts in an attempt to "humanize the city" and "counter negative rhetoric" about the city.
By the numbers: Destination D.C. recently announced a drop in tourism numbers.
  • Global tourism is anticipated to be down 5.1% this year, per the group's partner Tourism Economics. International visitors typically stay in the city longer and spend more money than domestic ones.
  • And June's World Pride — originally thought to be a huge numbers draw for the city — didn't deliver as expected: Hotel occupancy was down 5%, and it saw less than half the number of projected visitors and generated revenue.
Meanwhile, foot traffic was down 7% on average in D.C. the week Trump announced the takeover, compared to 2024, per pass-by data shared with the Washington Post.

What they're saying: Local tour guides are seeing a decrease in customers, especially among international visitors, reports WUSA 9.
The Republicans don't care... they just believe in their own rhetoric and the lies. And it is hurting people's pocketbooks!

The Thred writes that, 
‘The worst part is that this is a self-inflicted wound,’ wrote one reddit user. ‘Turns out threatening annexation of a neighbouring country does have consequences.’

These comments refer to Trump’s vitriolic stance against Canada, once home to a high number of US visitors who are now turning elsewhere. Amongst other things, Trump has labelled Canada and its people ‘mean and nasty’, whilst threatening to cut off trade talks with the country.

Tourism is an economic engine that is vital to the US. According to WTTC, every dollar spent by a foreign tourist generates $1.56 in the broader economy, which impacts everything from retail jobs to property values. As the country loses visitors, the long-term consequences could be dire. The tourism industry is not just a source of revenue; it’s a cultural bridge that fosters global understanding and collaboration.
While Forbes puts a price tag on it...


Topline
  • While tourism is booming across the rest of the world, the U.S. is a notable loser this year as tens of millions of international visitors are choosing to travel elsewhere—costing the economy up to $29 billion—and risking millions of jobs.
Key Facts
  • Last month, a study from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that analyzed the economic impact of tourism in 184 countries revealed the U.S. was the only country forecast to see international visitor spending decline in 2025.
  • The WTTC projects the U.S. to be on track to lose $12.5 billion in international visitor spending this year compared to last year, according to the research.
  • It could be argued, however, that the actual losses will be significantly larger, given that Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics, had originally forecasted the U.S. would see a 9% jump in international inbound travel in 2025.
  • A 9% increase would have equated to a boost of about $16.3 billion in revenue for the U.S. economy.
  • Instead, Tourism Economics has revised its baseline forecast to a year-over-year decline of 8.2%—a significant 17.2% variance from its original 9% increase.
  • From the anticipated $16.3 billion increase in revenue to a loss of between $8.3 billion (Tourism Economics estimate) and $12.5 billion (WTTC estimate), the U.S. is facing a shortfall of $25 billion to $29 billion this year.
Making America the laughing stock of the world!


Update: 9/1 @ 4:00AM
CNN
By Natasha Chen


Joe Koenen has not seen a single Toronto Blue Jays baseball hat all summer.

Typically, Canadians will flood the streets of Seattle during the summer, but Koenen, who runs Seattle Free Walking Tours (where people pay what they can), said Canadian tourists are almost gone. Streets look emptier to him.

Canadians calling to cancel their tours “explicitly told me that it was because of the policies and the behavior of our current president,” he said.

As a result of seeing 30% fewer customers this year overall, Koenen has been paying his employees but not himself. This is also the first year since he took over the tour company in 2021 that he has had to put his own savings into the business to keep it afloat.

[...]

Many Canadians have boycotted taking US trips and buying American products since the spring. That’s when President Trump made false claims and belittling comments about Canada in the midst of a tariff war.

The absence of Canadians has been felt acutely in the United States, especially in cities like Seattle close to the northern border. And Canadians aren’t the only international travelers skipping the US. Some other international travelers have also named recent policies around tariffs and immigration as reasons they’re staying away.
Trump is an equal opportunity pisser-off, if anything might bring down Trump is Trump, the more groups of people he gets mad at him the better we win in the 2026 elections.
The World Travel and Tourism Council, a global tourism advocacy organization, projected in May that the United States will lose $12.5 billion in international visitor spending in 2025, the only country out of 184 economies the council analyzed that will see a decline this year.
Yup, right... "Make America Great Again!" Inflation up! Employment down! Tariffs to pay off the billionaire tax cuts. Military in the streets... he sure has a strange way of showing it!
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Mini-Post: Thanks To The Idiot In HHS!

The guy who hate vaccines, the guy who brings his family to a polluted river to swim... now if you want a COVID shot this fall you have to go begging to your doctor to get the shot!
Newsday
By Lisa L. Colangelo
August 29, 2025


New Yorkers who want to get the updated COVID-19 vaccine will need a prescription to get one at CVS pharmacies, officials said Friday.

The vaccines are expected to be delivered to pharmacies on Long Island and across the state in the coming days, but federal health officials are no longer recommending them to everyone over 6 months old.

CVS, the nation’s largest pharmacy chain, said in a statement that in 14 states, including New York, it would administer the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines to patients "if they present an authorized prescriber’s prescription," until a federal vaccine advisory panel makes a recommendation next month. That applies to those over 65, a CVS spokeswoman wrote in an email.

On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration authorized three updated COVID-19 vaccines for people 65 and over as well as those with underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma and obesity.

Other people can get the vaccine after consulting with their doctors, according to a social media post from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Remember that he pushed ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID, they are normally used for, ivermectin is used to treat parasitic infections and hydroxychloroquine instead of vaccine. So now those under 65 will have to pay for the vaccine. We get the flue vaccines for free but now those who want protection from COVID will have to go begging the doctors office.

Make America sick again!

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Saturday, August 30, 2025

To All The Veterans And Police Officers Out There

Trump is giving full military honors to a veteran who shot and killed a police officers during the Jan6 coup attempt and was later pardoned by Trump!


The U.S. Air Force said on Friday it was offering military funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt, opens new tab, a supporter of President Donald Trump who was shot and killed by a police officer during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Babbitt, 35, a U.S. Air Force veteran who lived in California, was fatally shot in the shoulder while she tried to enter a room near the House of Representatives during the riot.

"After reviewing the circumstances of (senior airman) Babbitt’s death, the Air Force has offered Military Funeral Honors to (senior airman) Babbitt’s family," the Air Force said in a statement.
The funeral honors would mark the latest gesture of support from Trump’s administration toward those who stormed the Capitol in a failed bid to block Congress from certifying the Republican president's 2020 election loss.
This want to make me to vomit! This is repulsive!

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Saturday 9: Manic Monday

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun…


Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Bangles lead singer Susannah Hoffs sings that "it's 6:00 already." What time did you wake up this morning?
Well I’m writing this at 3AM this morning I got my fingers crossed that I can get back to sleep.

2) She's running late for work and she wishes her bed was already made so she wouldn't have to spend time doing it. Do you ever leave the house without making your bed?
Well, long, long time ago I decided “why make the bed when that night you just mess it up that night. So I just straighten up the sheets.

3) She sings that it would take an airplane to get her to work on time. Are you usually early, on time, or late? 
I try to time it on time. But sometimes traffics slows you down. School busses… ugh. If you get caught behind one. (Here is my “When I was young…”) We used to walk to the main road corner to wait for the bus, now they stop at every house! There this one house, the mother sits in a car at the end of the driveway in the rain!

4) Since Monday is the start of her hectic workweek, she wishes it was Sunday because that's her "fun day." What's your favorite day of the week?
Well… it is like this… I’m retired every day is the same. A good day is when I get out of the house (See below)

5) "Manic Monday" was written by Prince. What's your favorite Prince song?
I wasn’t a fan of Prince… I’ll go with “Purple Rain”

6) In 1985, when this song was a hit, Sears promoted sleepwear with characters on them in their children's department. GI Joe pajamas were popular. When you were a kid, did you have a favorite pair of pjs?
Back then they were just Pjs.

7) A fashion tradition dating back to the early 1900s states that you should put your white slacks, shoes, jackets and belts away after Labor Day. Do you follow that rule?
Nope.

8) Traditionally Labor Day marks the moment when fans turn their attention to the NFL and NCAA football. Will you be rooting for a particular football team this season?
Nope.

9) According to the auto insurance industry, the average American spends 52 minutes (26 each way) behind the wheel every day traveling to and from work. How do you while away the time when you're stuck in traffic? One word… FOOD. When I am heading home from the Cape, there will be a traffic jam. So I have a Boston Cream donut and a large black coffee. And hopeful on Sirius there will be a vintage detective or PI show on the radio, I like Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.



I broke out of my funk for a little while this week. I took my camera on a walk with me, a friend asked if I wanted to go for a walk at the Wellfleet Bay Audubon wildlife refuge… I said sure.

I check the radar before I left and there just a couple green blobs nothing scary.

I took this before the sky opened up! You can see the rain off in the distance... and I left the cottage windows open.


We were drenched! It was coming down so fast the water didn’t have a chance to run off, just south they had hail.

Last weekend I had company and so other friends are coming this morning. Last weekend I snapped this...

Nauset Lighthouse, CCNS

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Friday, August 29, 2025

Mini-Post: Buried In Paperwork

Hey! Guess what Trump & Company is doing... adding tons of paperwork to Medicare! Just like insurance companies do!
You can expect extra paperwork, delays, and even denial. How can you prepare?
Money Talks News
Kendall Blythe 
August 29, 2025


For decades, Original Medicare (sometimes called Traditional Medicare) has been known for its simplicity.

Beneficiaries rarely needed prior authorization before receiving care, unlike those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. That is about to change.

Starting January 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will introduce a new pilot prior authorization program in select states. Here’s what you should know about how it could affect you.
All of you out there who voted for Trump, are you happy now?
1. The changes start in six states
The new prior authorization requirements will be piloted in New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington.
2. Seventeen services will be affected
CMS has identified 17 services it says are especially vulnerable to fraud, waste, or abuse. Beginning in 2026, these will require prior authorization under the new model...
3. The program will run through 2031
CMS plans to run the program through December 31, 2031, under what it calls the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Model. This gives the agency six years to evaluate whether stricter controls on certain services reduce costs and prevent fraud.
4. Technology will support reviews but not replace clinicians
CMS plans to use advanced tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to streamline the review process. These technologies are designed to speed up requests and cut down on unnecessary paperwork.
So are you happy now?

You do know why he is doing this? It is so when they privatize it and turn it over to the billionaire friend you will be grateful!


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Um... There Are Other Ways Around That

You know you freeze them?
A trans man is challenging the Gender Recognition Panel after they denied his gender based on his desire to have kids.
Pink News
Aug 27, 2025
By Amelia Hansford


The unnamed UK resident’s request to have his gender legally recognised was denied by the panel, who reportedly rejected his application over his intention to conceive.

Under the Gender Recognition Act, trans UK citizens can obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) to have their identity recognised on legal documents and identification.

Applicants must have a gender dysphoria diagnosis, be over 18, prove they have been living as their affirmed gender for at least two years, and that they “intend to live in this gender for the rest of [their] life.”

In its ruling opinion on the trans man’s request to obtain a GRC, the panel reportedly argued that his intention to conceive a child meant he had not been living as a man.
These politicians haven't got a clue... you know you can freeze eggs! And if this is the case...
The legal organisation argued that the decision contradicted the European Court of Human Rights, which it said has upheld the position that trans people should not have to stop trying to conceive or be “sterilised” to have their gender recognised.
If he just doesn't want surgery or medical intervention, so what?
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Mini-Post: Running Scared

This is how intimidation and bullying works...
Cracker Barrel's Pride page now redirects to its "Culture and Belonging" page, removing its LGBTQ+ Alliance and DEIB Team.
The Advocate
By Ryan Adamczeski
August 28, 2025


Cracker Barrel has quietly removed its website page dedicated to LGBTQ+ Pride and diversity, equity, and inclusion after facing backlash from conservatives over its proposed logo change.

Cracker Barrel's Pride page now redirects to its "Culture and Belonging" page, removing information about the restaurant chain's LGBTQ+ Alliance and DEIB Team. The page was taken down around the time the company announced it would stick with its original logo instead of a planned rebrand.
The changes were met with ire from conservative influencers such as Matt Walsh, Charlie Kirk, and Robby Starbuck, who called on their followers to boycott Cracker Barrel. The outrage resulted in the company's stock dipping 12 percent — it rose 7 percent after the company announced it would return to the original logo, according to CNBC.
Fear is governing business... fear of not making political denotation and fear of the new Brownshirts. 


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If We Are Not Counted... We Don't Exist!

When we were trying to pass the Connecticut non-discrimination law we heard from law makers... Well how many trans people are in the state. All we could do is shrug our shoulders because nobody counted us.
August 28, 2025


Researchers have traditionally had a difficult time tracking the number of Americans who identify as transgender.

But over the past decade, our work has become easier, largely thanks to federal data. In 2014, for the first time, the federal government included a question on transgender identity in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System. It subsequently added gender identity questions to other surveys, like the National Crime Victimization Survey. Since 2016, we’ve been able to use federal datasets to estimate the number of people who identify as transgender at the national and state levels.

Our recently published analysis suggests that 2.1 million U.S. adults identify as transgender. In our prior study, published in 2022, we found that 1.3 million U.S. adults identified this way. In our new report, we also found that 724,000 youth age 13 to 17 identified as transgender.
But as you guest, that all has changed under Trump,
This information is important. It allows policymakers, educators, judges, the media and others to understand the size and characteristics of this population, as well as who will be affected by public policies, such as nondiscrimination laws that aim to protect transgender people or bans on transgender people’s use of public bathrooms. The U.S. Supreme Court has even cited our estimates in decisions that impact transgender people.

But our work is about to become a lot harder, if not impossible.

At the directive of the Trump administration, federal surveys will no longer collect data about gender identity. Questions that aim to identify transgender respondents will be removed, while binary sex questions with only “male” or “female” response options will remain.

Though data sources are being erased, the transgender population will not be. And yet it will likely be at least a decade before we can publish updated figures on the estimated number of people living in the U.S. who identify as transgender.
If you are not counted we don't exist.

It is not just legislators who need out information... but researchers who are trying to understand our community needs the information. The Williams Institute wrote back in February,
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) were removed. In addition, the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey (HPS) data and documentation were deleted, Census data became inaccessible, and datasets related to tracking HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and globally were no longer available. At the same time, questions about sexual orientation and gender identity have been removed from some federal surveys going forward.
 Health Policy Watch writes about the cuts to healthcare...
Influential conservatives have long sought to curtail the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) – and the actions of four nurses in Mozambique may have inadvertently given them the ammunition to do just that.

Deeply uncomfortable with the sexual dimension of HIV transmission, the powerful Heritage Foundation, which authored the conservative Project 2025 blueprint for a Donald Trump takeover, argues that PEPFAR should be “restructured as a development rather than an emergency assistance program”. 

Right-wing organisations and politicians have also claimed the plan is being used to “promote abortion, LGBT ideology, and comprehensive sexuality education”, a school sex education programme.
The Trump administration has politicized healthcare for us and unfortunately diseases are an equal opportunity infector and doesn't care about politics! The population that are seeing the greatest increase in HIV/AIDS is the Black and Latino communities and surprisingly elders in Long Term Care facilities! So their attack on us, is not only hurting us... but also everyone in the US. 
Yet far-right conservatives in the US and Africa are deeply ambivalent about PEPFAR, largely because they believe that HIV is a sexually transmitted “lifestyle disease” – the inference being that most of those with HIV have themselves to blame.

The Heritage Foundation spelt this out in a 2023 paper, arguing that, “except in cases of rape or maternal transmission, HIV/AIDS in the US and in developing countries is primarily a lifestyle disease (like those caused by tobacco) and as such should be suppressed through education, moral suasion, and legal sanctions”. 
In their hatred of us they're cutting programs that count us, treat us, and protect us, it not only hurts us the trans and greater LGBTQ+ community but it hurts everyone!
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Mini-Post: Trust

Trump ran in part on a bold promise: to make Americans trust their government again. He spoke of draining the swamp, restoring truth, and cleaning up bloated, dishonest institutions. But here we are in 2025, and it’s time to ask: How’s he doing in the trust department?

You remember the TV show the Apprentice? Your... FIRED!
  • Well when he didn't like the numbers on inflation; Your... FIRED!
  • When he didn't like the numbers on employment; Your... FIRED!
  • When he didn't like the numbers coming out of the CDC: Your... FIRED!
He then replaced them with "Yes-men" cronies. Newsweek wrote;
A few hours after the BLS jobs report was published on Friday, Trump announced he was firing McEntarfer in a Truth Social post.

The firing of a high-level labor statistician after the release of adverse economic data raised alarms about the politicization of nonpartisan agencies and reliability of official U.S. economic statistics. Experts and lawmakers stressed that the integrity of the BLS is central to public trust and informed economic decision-making. The episode also unfolded against a backdrop of a cooling U.S. labor market and mounting pressure on policymakers, including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, by Trump and his administration.
How can you trust an man who only wants to publish good news?

Foundational to this approach is bringing back the Trump administration’s 2020 Schedule F policy, this time renamed Schedule Policy/Career. This policy would empower this president to dismantle the federal civil service by stripping wide swaths of nonpartisan career experts of their job protections as a precursor to firing and replacing them with partisan ideologues who would pledge their loyalty to the president’s political agenda and follow any order regardless of the consequences.
We have now seen it in action!

So I ask this question: Do you now trust the government unemployment numbers? Do you now trust the inflation numbers? Do you now trust the numbers coming out of the CDC?
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Thursday, August 28, 2025

This Is A Short Post

This is the Connecticut law...
(21) "Gender identity or expression" means a person's gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's physiology or assigned sex at birth, which gender-related identity can be shown by providing evidence including, but not limited to, medical history, care or treatment of the gender-related identity, consistent and uniform assertion of the gender-related identity or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held, part of a person's core identity or not being asserted for an improper purpose.
I want to point out to you all, I have heard a number of people say that the Connecticut law does not cover crossdessers and drag queens/king. 

Read it where does it say that? It covers everyone! Even straights people if they were discriminated because they straight. It covers people who are thought to be trans.

It was designed that way on purpose. In some states the law is being challenged as discriminatory because it only protects trans people but law doesn't. Because it covers anyone who has been discriminated because of their gender identity or expression.
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Mini-Post: Power To The People!

Gorilla action!

As fast as they remove them, the people are painting them back.

There has been some reports circulating about the crosswalks being repainted overnight in protest. Newsweek reported...
The restoration was led by local community members and LGBTQ+ advocates who gathered at the intersection following the overnight state-directed repainting. In a video shared to social media by the account @jeremy_rodrigue, people can be seen DIY-ing the rainbow crosswalk and drawing the colors back onto the ground.

"While this attack was meant to demoralize us and push us back in the closet, Orlando refused to be erased," Democratic state Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, who became the first openly gay Latino elected to the Florida legislature in 2016, told Newsweek. "It was inspiring to see so many local residents spring into action in response to the Governor's cowardly abuse of power."
Stand Up Fight Back!

What they have really done is to unify the community. Not just the LGBTQ community but also the public who are seeing as harassment of us.



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Dissed In Death

How many times have we seen trans people disrespected by families after they die, well a play in Middletown disses a trans woman.


The life and times of Middletown’s late transgender pioneer Katherine “Sissy” Wells, is being chronicled in a new play, “Katherine, Darling.”

Up until recently, Wells was buried in an unmarked “pauper’s” grave at Old St. Mary’s Cemetery in New Britain, where she died, according to Doolittle Funeral Home Director Heidi Abbott, who helped piece together what is known about Wells’ life. Abbott is the cousin of Wells’ grand niece.

Wells would have turned 108 this week. The play is part of the celebration. A staged reading will be performed Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at CNTR, 725 Main St. Transgender model Jolene Moste will play Wells.  

Folks knew Wells was born a man and presented as a woman, according to Brooklyn, N.Y., playwright and retired journalist Beth Harpaz, “but people didn’t necessarily hold it against her or judge her.”

The play’s name is a nod to her response when people addressed her as Wells, Sissy or Walter. She would always reply “Please, call me Katherine, darling,” according to Barbara Woike, a city native and Wesleyan University graduate who took photos of Wells in 1979 as part of her senior thesis.
So what did Middletown Press do... they used the word she told them not to use!

Nor did the author of the article use the nickname that Ms. Wells never used and objected to, it was the newspaper that inserted the nickname. On a Facebook post...
As backstory, since June I have been explaining to individuals involved in "celebrating" Katherine that she had a name, the  nickname was given to her by a community that shut down her business, saw her beaten in pubic multiple times, and left her to die in poverty to be buried in an unmarked grave.
So why did the paper continue using the name that she hated?
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Nothing, Nothing At All Justifies Violence.

It looks like a trans woman was behind the killings at the Catholic school in Minneapolis the killed two children and injuring 17 others.
The suspect died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
ABC News
By Megan Forrester
August 27, 2025


Police have identified the suspect who they say opened fire outside of a church at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 17 others, as 23-year-old Robin Westman.

An 8-year-old and 10-year-old were shot and killed when the gunman fired through the windows of a church at the Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday morning, police said.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also confirmed the identity of the suspect, calling Westman a "deranged monster."

[,,,]

A name change application for a minor born on the same date was approved by a district court in Minnesota in 2020, changing the name of a Robert Westman to Robin Westman, explaining the minor child "identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."
As I said, nothing justifies violence.

Nothing justifies the language the Homeland Security Secretary used, it is prejudicial, inflammatory, and demonizing. It could be seen as biasing public perception and potentially influence a jury pool, undermining a fair trial.
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Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Mini-Post: Just Another Case Of Trump S*****ing Us

The queerphobe in the oval office did it again!
Safety comes from housing, healthcare, education, community
Washington Blade
August 26, 2025
By Erin Whelan


As D.C.’s LGBTQ+ youth center, SMYAL has witnessed firsthand the resilience, brilliance, and struggles of Washington, D.C.’s young people. At SMYAL, we believe in the power of young people and actively work to build a world— and a city— where they thrive.

Yet, the Trump administration’s alarming authoritarian takeover of Washington, D.C., frames young people as criminals rather than as community members deserving of resources and opportunity.

The real emergency facing D.C. isn’t what headlines suggest; the real crisis is the lack of investment in resources that support and uplift the people who live here. One in five D.C. youth face housing insecurity, and more than 21,000 children live below the poverty line, as funding for critical supports, like housing and healthcare, is threatened at a local and national level.

[...]

Imagine a D.C. where every young person is celebrated, resourced, and seen—where investments flow into the community rather than jails and police budgets. SMYAL has long stood with D.C.’s youth, and today, in the face of federal overreach and authoritarian threats, we renew that commitment. We will not be silent while our young people are scapegoated, punished for surviving, or denied their humanity. D.C.’s young people deserve more than survival—they deserve to thrive.

We must choose compassion over criminalization, investment over punishment, and community over fear. This is our home. Our youth are joyful, our voices are powerful, and together we can build the D.C. they deserve.
The Trump administration cur funding to Pride Center, suicide hotlines, and Free Clinics, but a judge ordered the funding reinstates but in the 2026 Trump slashed funding for HIV/AIDS programs including for PrEP. Viruses are non-political, they're an equal opportunity infector.
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We Won One!

We have to take all the victories we can get right now... a sorority allows trans women to join well that didn't sit well with one member!
Judge dismissed former Kappa Kappa Gamma members' definition of women as 'adult...human females'
By Lindsay Kornick
Fox News
August 26, 2025


U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson once again dismissed former University of Wyoming students’ lawsuit against their sorority for allowing a biological male to join their group, ruling last week that the sorority can define "women" as it chooses.

The former Kappa Kappa Gamma members’ case was dismissed for the second time, this time with prejudice, after Johnson ruled the University of Wyoming chapter did not violate any rules by allowing transgender student Artemis Langford to join in 2022.

In his ruling, Johnson wrote that the organization clearly showed in documents that it "defines women by their gender and not their ‘biological sex.’"
Now this is Fox News and they had to get a dig in on us, so...
The former students alleged in their original complaint that Langford not only made no effort to look like a woman after joining the sorority, but Langford would also "voyeuristically" watch women in intimate situations. The complaint described one scenario in which Langford "had a visible erection" while watching sorority members.
Meanwhile the University of Wyoming newspaper writes,
“Having considered the issues presented (again), we find that the majority of the claims must be dismissed on the grounds that this Court still may not interfere with Kappa’s contractually valid interpretation of its own Bylaws,” Johnson ruled. 

Nothing in Kappa’s governing documents requires the exclusion of transgender women, Johnson determined, and therefore the organization has not broken its own rules. 

Furthermore, neither the sorority nor its governing body have concealed its inclusive definition — “in fact, it has published and distributed multiple texts clarifying the issue,” Johnson wrote.
So hopefully the matter is settled... or is it?
“If as many Kappa members are upset about the admission of transgender women members as Plaintiffs claim, this internal remedy should be more than sufficient to achieve their aims.” 
In other words settle it internally! Some of the comments are interesting...
Thank you again Judge Johnson for applying the law to the facts of this case and NOT PANDERING TO TRUMP AND HIS FEARMONGERING SYCOPHANTS who seem dead set on burning the constitution at every chance. Secondly, thanks for the advice to the sorority to change its bylaws to read so that they clearly state who they choose to admit and exclude. Then they can sleep without fear at nite and others will know they might really not want to be involved.
Another comment...
Sorority means sisterhood, not brosterhood. The gals should say adios to Kappa Kappa Gamma since they’ve become the Bud Light of Greek life on campus.
The reply... is spot on!
Why are elderly men concerned with who a private sorority admits into their group?
The last comment was...
 For heavens’ sake let the women make the decision about the members of their group they want to admit on their own .. government has not place in this decision and especially not xenophobic ones. These intrusions by anti US Constitutional minds are consistently sad and must stop.. FREEDOM means for all!

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Mini-Post: SS Data

Millions upon millions of Social Security information is out there in the wild unprotected from hackers thanks to Trump & Musk!

A whistleblower says that a former senior DOGE official now at the Social Security Administration copied the Social Security numbers, names and birthdays of over 300 million Americans to a private section of the agency's cloud. That private cloud environment is accessible by other former DOGE employees at the SSA and is lacking adequate security, the whistleblower claims, potentially putting an enormous amount of private information at risk to being revealed and possibly used by identity thieves.

In a written complaint filed through the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, Charles Borges, the chief data officer at the Social Security Administration, claims that senior Trump appointees at the SSA who were recently part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team made the copy in a way that "constitute[s] violations of laws, rules, and regulations, abuse of authority, gross mismanagement, and creation of a substantial and specific threat to public health and safety."

Borges says that career cybersecurity officials within the SSA described the decision to copy the data as "very high risk" and even discussed the possibility of having to reissue Social Security numbers to millions of Americans in the event the cloud server was breached.
What a f**king nightmare!
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Editorial: Yeah So?

[Editorial]

Stop and think for a moment... Trump and the right-wingers say that being trans is a mental illness. If they truly, truly believe that then why do they want to criminalize us?

Think about that. They want to criminalize mental illness.

What does that really say? That it is not about why we are trans, they don't care if we are born this way or it is a mental illness, or we chose to be trans... what this is really about is power and control.

Just let us live our lives in peace, that is all we ask.

[/Editorial]
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Mini-Post: How To Treat A Friend

Yup... Trump is at it again. You remember Trump wanting to annex Greenland, well guess what he has been secretly doing? He is trying to destabilize Greenland!


Denmark's foreign minister had the top U.S. diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national public broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

Greenland, a huge semi-autonomous Danish territory in the Arctic, is coveted by Mr. Trump, who has called repeatedly for the vast land mass to be annexed by the United States. Denmark and Greenland insist that the mineral-rich island is not for sale, while Mr. Trump has not ruled out taking it by military force even though Denmark is a NATO ally.
That is not how you treat a friend!
On Wednesday, Danish public broadcaster DR reported that government and security sources, which it didn't name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., believe that at least three Americans with connections to Mr. Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory.

It said its story was based on information from a total of eight sources, who believe the goal is to weaken relations with Denmark from within Greenlandic society.
Trump gets a bee in his bonnet and he stick to it no matter who toes he steps upon.
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Tuesday, August 26, 2025

Trump's Own Sturmabteilung

Trump is creating his own personal Sturmabteilung! Hun? What is a Sturmabteilung? Is that like a  Stromboli?

Trump's plan to create Guard units to quell civil unrest alarms experts


President Donald Trump on Monday ordered the Pentagon to create National Guard units in Washington, D.C., and across the country that would be designated to tamp down civil protests and ensure public safety -- a job that historically and legally has belonged to civilian law enforcement.

Critics called Trump's desire to build a kind of rapid "reaction force" for civil unrest alarming, insisting his order pushes legal boundaries for the National Guard, an auxiliary force whose mission is to help fight foreign enemies abroad or aid Americans in times of extraordinary crisis like hurricanes and floods.

[...]

Retired Maj. Gen. Randy Manner, a former acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau and vocal opponent of Trump's reliance on Guard troops to aid law enforcement, said Trump's orders were unnecessary and "100 percent political."

"The administration is trying to desensitize the American people to get used to American armed soldiers in combat vehicles patrolling the streets of America," Manner said.

Trump wants Guard units "whose purpose is to, quite frankly, dominate and police the American people. And that is extremely disturbing," he added.
While Trump plays tin pot dictator, the guard are standing out in the hot and humid sun. they are away from their families, and many of them will only get guard pay because where they work doesn't cover the difference in pay, and finally their employers are running short handed or they hired temps.
Columbus Underground 
By Megan Henry
August 25, 2025


Ohio advocates are calling on Gov. Mike DeWine to bring home the Ohio National Guard troops recently deployed to Washington D.C.

President Donald Trump said on Aug. 11 he would send National Guard troops to Washington D.C. to crack down on crime and Ohio is one of six states that has so far sent troops to Washington D.C.

Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll asked DeWine on Friday to send 150 members from the Ohio National Guard to Washington D.C., and members of the Ohio National Guard left for a 30-day deployment.

“The deployment of the National Guard should be reserved for situations in which the safety of citizens and the integrity of our nation are actually at risk,” said Common Cause Ohio Executive Director Catherine Turcer. “We are here today calling for Gov. DeWine to recall the National Guard immediately.
These are citizen soldiers!

Think about this...
  • Many of them never signed up for this, it was for when disaster strikes, they’re among the first to respond, not as outsiders, but as neighbors. To defend the country from outside invaders... not as Trump private Sturmabteilung! How many do you think will re-enlist? And how many will enlist to bash heads?
  • It is in violations of the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act
  • Trump is only bring out the guard in Democratic states
  • Only Republican states are supplying guard members.

What could possibly go wrong?





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A History Lesson

We are setting our Wayback Machine to after the Civil War when Union Troops occupied the South (Hint: They didn't like it.) The Kahn Academy writes...

Overview
  • The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election between Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden and Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes.
  • Democrats agreed that Rutherford B. Hayes would become president in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and the granting of home rule in the South.
  • President Hayes’ withdrawal of federal troops from Louisiana and South Carolina marked a major turning point in American political history, effectively ending the Reconstruction Era and issuing in the system of Jim Crow.
The Compromise of 1877 resolved the tumult that had arisen following the 1876 presidential election. In that election, Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden of New York won 247,448 more popular votes than Republican Rutherford B. Hayes of Ohio. But the electoral votes in the three southern states of Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina were disputed. For almost four months, from November into late February, tensions remained high as the question of who was to become the nation’s next president remained unresolved.

[...]

The Compromise of 1877 gave white Southerners their chance to stop the military occupation of the South. In the compromise, Southern Democrats agreed not to block the vote by which Congress awarded the contested electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, and Hayes therefore became president. In return, Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from actively intervening in the politics of Louisiana and South Carolina (the last two states occupied by federal troops). Accordingly, within two months of becoming president, Hayes ordered federal troops in Louisiana and South Carolina to return to their bases.
So the south didn't like troops in their cities... hmm, sound familiar?

Then there was the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878:


After serving as a major general for the Union Army, a member of Congress, and governor of Ohio – Rutherford B. Hayes accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president in 1876, promising to serve only one term if elected. 

At the time, the U.S. was in the midst of an economic depression that had been triggered by a number of factors including a speculative boom in railroad construction. During a five-year period after the Civil War, more than 30,000 miles of new track had been laid across the country.   

[...]

Even though federal troops had never before been deployed in states during a labor dispute, President Hayes ordered troops sent to Maryland, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh, and by early August — with the help of federal troops — all the strikes were over and the trains were running again. The president made clear that he sent troops to preserve order not to side with the railroad’s management.
That was one of the things that lead up to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.

But before that there was the Insurrection Act (1807). the act was all about:
With his political career in ruins after killing Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr set off to claim lands in the Southwest—and President Jefferson intended to stop him.
The History Channel
By Dave Roos
June 03, 2020 : Updated: May 28, 2025


The Insurrection Act gives U.S. presidents the authority to deploy active duty military to maintain or restore peace in times of crisis. The Insurrection Act was invoked numerous times in the 20th century, most famously when Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to enforce the desegregation of public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.

But the origins of the Insurrection Act date back more than 200 years to a bizarre chapter in American history—when Aaron Burr plotted to raise an army and establish his own dynasty in either the Louisiana Territory or Mexico.

Burr, a decorated Revolutionary War officer and senator from New York, served as vice president during Thomas Jefferson’s first term. Burr had grand political aspirations, but they were dashed after he killed his rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804.
 

So now we have... the Los Angeles occupation which has been going on for around 81 days. What is keeping the troops in LA? Trumps penchant for tying things up in court. As different legal points are argued out with the lawyers.

[...]

So while the Insurrection Act was written expressly to foil Burr’s plot, it wasn’t used to capture him. The very first time the Insurrection Act was actually invoked was a year later in 1808 when American merchant ships in the Great Lakes flouted Jefferson’s trade embargo with the British. In response, Jefferson accused the rogue traders of “forming insurrections against the authority of the laws of the United States” and authorized the military to take action.
With Trump threatening to move troops into Chicago has the requirements for the Insurrection Act and the Posse Comitatus Act been met?
  • ❌ No insurrection has been declared; no legal invocation
  • ❌ Illinois Gov. Pritzker has explicitly rejected federal help
  • ❌ No such law passed by Congress
So the answer is no, none of the law requirements have been met.

Do you think that will stop Trump... he will just tie everything up in legal “stalling” buying time, in which the troops will still be on the streets!

The bottom-line: Does Congress have enough backbone to stand up to Trump, so far they haven't.
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Mini-Post: It Is All Bull!

The governor of Illinois didn't waste no words...
The Illinois governor pointed out that eight of the 10 states with the highest homicide rates are led by Republicans.
The New York Times
By Julie Bosman
Aug. 25, 2025


Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois has a message for President Trump: Keep the military out of Chicago.

Mr. Pritzker, a Democrat, stood alongside the Chicago River on Monday afternoon, flanked by Mayor Brandon Johnson of Chicago, pastors, business leaders and community organizers, to push back on Mr. Trump’s offhand declaration that he would send the military into the city, as he had done in Los Angeles and Washington.

“Calling the military into a U.S. city to invade our streets and neighborhoods and disrupt the lives of everyday people is an extraordinary action, and it should require extraordinary justification,” Mr. Pritzker said.

[...]

Mr. Pritzker added that eight of the 10 states with the highest homicide rates were led by Republicans.

Responding to his remarks, Abigail Jackson, a spokeswoman for the White House, wrote in an email: “If these Democrats spent half as much time addressing crime in their cities as they did going on cable news to complain about President Trump, their residents would be a lot safer.”
This all bull, this is the way all fascists begin... The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace writes,
Trump’s coddling of Putin was no surprise. The president’s envy of autocrats and own authoritarian instincts are well established. Unlike his predecessors, who championed an American-led “free world,” Trump is content with a world in chains. Accordingly, he has discarded America’s historic support for democracy abroad and dismantled the infrastructure and funding created to promote it.
Down the yellow Brick Road to authoritarianism is paved in greed.






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Monday, August 25, 2025

Mini-Post: Yes Master!

Indentured servants are back again... the DoL just said domestic workers are not subject to minimum wage! STAT reported,
Whether it’s a cook, a home health aide, or a direct support professional, domestic workers are critical for so many people with disabilities. But these caregivers could soon lack federal wage protections. A potential rule from the Department of Labor would end minimum wage and overtime pay for all domestic workers.

In 2013, the Obama administration made it more difficult for providers to claim that domestic workers should be exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements. The Trump administration wants to roll back this update to the Fair Labor Standards Act and return to the 1975 interpretation of the rule. If it goes through, it would be the latest blow to wage standards for the disability community: In July, the Trump administration rolled back a proposed regulation that would have ended the subminimum wage for disabled folks.

I missed this rule when it was first announced in early July, so a big thank you to the source that pointed this out to me on Thursday. Anyway, the comment period for this potential rule ends on September 2. If you have thoughts about it, you can comment here.
Yes master, anything you say!

Hmm... now who will this benefit? Oh gee, I would never guested... billionaires! Trump supports!

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They Were Sued And Now A Squeeze Play

I take pity on school systems that are doing the right but are caught in the the webs that Trump spins!
The Education Department is proceeding with efforts to suspend or terminate federal funding because five districts did not sign a proposed resolution by Aug. 15.
Polictico
By Bianca Quilantan and Juan Perez Jr.
08/19/2025


Five northern Virginia school districts are at risk of losing their federal funding after they rejected the terms of an agreement with the Education Department to resolve probes into their transgender students policies.

Districts representing Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Prince William County have been placed on high-risk status, the agency said Tuesday. The Education Department will now only reimburse these school districts, forcing the schools to pay their education expenses up front.
Once again, courts mean nothing to Trump!
But the school districts’ policies align with a landmark case in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals that bolsters transgender students’ rights in the state. In 2021, the Supreme Court punted on the long-winding legal battle over transgender students’ rights to use bathrooms that match their gender identity in Gavin Grimm’s case against the Gloucester County School Board in Virginia.

The 4th Circuit sided with Grimm twice, ruling the transgender bathroom ban was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. The Supreme Court’s decision to not hear the case meant the appeals court’s decision remained in place.
And splat right into the jaws of Trump's juggernaut! AP News writes,
By  ANGELA WOOLSEY
August 20, 2025


The Trump administration appears to be following through on its threat to withhold federal funds from public schools in Northern Virginia after they refused to roll back policies that support transgender and gender non-conforming students.

The U.S. Education Department announced Tuesday that it has placed Fairfax County Public Schools and the school systems in Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun on “high-risk status,” a move that it claims lets it attach specific conditions for releasing funding.

Arguing that the schools are violating federal civil rights laws by accommodating students based on their gender identity, rather than their sex assigned at birth, the department says it will require the districts to pay their expenses upfront and then request reimbursement in order to receive over $50 million in grants and other funding.
But... but... but...

As the Politico article goes on to report; 
But the school districts’ policies align with a landmark case in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals that bolsters transgender students’ rights in the state. In 2021, the Supreme Court punted on the long-winding legal battle over transgender students’ rights to use bathrooms that match their gender identity in Gavin Grimm’s case against the Gloucester County School Board in Virginia.

The 4th Circuit sided with Grimm twice, ruling the transgender bathroom ban was unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. The Supreme Court’s decision to not hear the case meant the appeals court’s decision remained in place.
Trump's squeeze play is being challenged in courts around the country, including here in Connecticut which is on of something like 15 or 16 states suing Trump's EOs on trans students!

I see the next stop is on the doorsteps of the federal courts.

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Sunday, August 24, 2025

Mini-Posts: They Call Themselves Christians!

I am not religious but I remember the part of  the Bible where it says... "Love thy neighbor as thyself" 
AP News
By  TIFFANY STANLEY
August 21, 2025


Empathy is usually regarded as a virtue, a key to human decency and kindness. And yet, with increasing momentum, voices on the Christian right are preaching that it has become a vice.

For them, empathy is a cudgel for the left: It can manipulate caring people into accepting all manner of sins according to a conservative Christian perspective, including abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, illegal immigration and certain views on social and racial justice.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2
“Empathy becomes toxic when it encourages you to affirm sin, validate lies or support destructive policies,” said Allie Beth Stuckey, author of “Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion.”
Umm.... maybe just possible it might be you. You let your hate blind you to the teachings of Jesus. Didn’t He say, ‘This is the new covenant in my blood’ (Luke 22:20)? That covenant was built on mercy, not cruelty—on sacrifice, not self-righteousness. If you can’t show empathy, then what gospel are you even following?
These anti-empathy arguments gained traction in the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term, with his flurry of executive orders that critics denounced as lacking empathy.

As foreign aid stopped and more deportations began, Trump’s then-adviser Elon Musk told podcaster Joe Rogan: “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”
This is what I see... a push toward a Christian Nation that lacks empathy persecuting minorities based on "Fire and Brimstone" not love and understanding.

Let's look at Trump's track record:
  • Cut USAID
  • Thrown out the homeless. (Hmm... Didn't Jesus say: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me… Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”)
  • The persecution of immigrates, LGBTQ+ community.
  • Cuttings funding for SNAP and WIC
Somehow I don't see that as very Christian... but his Christian right gobbles it up.
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