BREAKING NEWS: A Tale Of Two Courts

One that uphold the Constitution and one that worms its way around the Constitutional question!

First the upholding of the Constitution...

Supreme Court rejects Trump’s attempt to limit birthright citizenship

The Trump administration sought to upend the historical understanding of the 14th Amendment  which has long been interpreted to extend birthright citizenship broadly.

NBC News

By Lawrence Hurley

June 30, 2026

The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked President Donald Trump’s contentious attempt to limit citizenship at birth for those born on U.S. soil, delivering a major blow to his agenda.

The court, divided 6-3, ruled that the executive order Trump issued Jan. 20, 2025, the first day of his second term, was unlawful. Five justices said the order fell foul of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which has long been interpreted to bestow birthright citizenship on almost anyone born in the United States.

One justice, conservative Brett Kavanaugh, said the order violated federal law but not the Constitution.

Here is the Amendment...

AMENDMENT XIV

Section 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Do you see any qualifiers is the amendment?

Questions are undocumented immigrants being arrested and going to trial? The answer is "Yes" so therefore they are subject to the laws of the United States... Period. No "buts" nor "ifs"  But somehow three Supreme Court justice see words that are not written in the amendment. They say,

Three conservatives would have ruled in Trump’s favor, saying that the 14^th Amendment  would allow his executive order: Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch.

In dissent, Thomas wrote that the 14th Amendment was primarily aimed at formerly enslaved Black people.

“Blacks were entitled to citizenship because they were Americans. They had no other homeland, owed no allegiance to any foreign power, and were subject to no other authority,” he wrote. “The same could not be said for the children of foreign temporary visitors.”

Bull S**t! In 1886 the Supreme Court ruled that in the case of Yick Wo v. Hopkins that the 14^th Amendment did apply to other people besides Blacks. The case of Truax v. Raich in 1915 rules the Supreme Court struck it down, holding that lawful resident aliens are "persons" protected by the Equal Protection Clause.

So the conservatives justices cherry picked their case for rebuttal!

The Fourteenth Amendment also covers equal treatment. In another NBC article they write,

The court, largely divided 6-3, ruled against two transgender students, Becky Pepper-Jackson and Lindsay Hecox, who had challenged restrictive laws in West Virginia and Idaho, respectively.

The court in an opinion authored by Justice Brett Kavanaugh concluded that the laws do not violate either the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which requires that the law apply evenly to everyone, or Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which bars sex discrimination in education.

“The Constitution and Title IX do not require an overhaul of women’s and girls’ sports throughout America,” Kavanaugh wrote.

He expressed sympathy for transgender girls and women who desire to play sports, saying “their desire to compete warrants respect” and that they should not be “ostracized or vilified.”

But they did!

It is the latest in a string of defeats for transgender people at the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority.

In the cases the Supreme Court justices in the cases of cases, West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox ruled that 14th Amendment to the Constitution, nor Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 apply to trans people. In their ruling they only looked the central legal question under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was whether laws that separate athletic participation based on biological sex unlawfully deny transgender girls equal protection.

Okay you get that? The question before the court wasn't if trans people were being discriminated against but rather if the law that the separation of athletic participation based on biological sex is Constitutional.  And to that I have to agree... however, the court did not answer the question if we can play sports in our true gender. That question still hasn't been answered.

There is also some hope in that it only applies to states with the bans. Not to states like Connecticut that allows trans sports. It does not effect all the states just the states that ban us.

So the the question if we can play in our true genders have not been answered.

Yes! To The DAR!

 The Daughters of the American Revolution just stood up for us! The far right Washington Times owned by the Moonies (Unification Church) wrote;

Daughters of American Revolution assembly defeats proposal to block transgender members

By Valerie Richardson 

June 27, 2026

The Daughters of the American Revolution beat back a membership uprising over transgender membership, rejecting a resolution that would have barred male-born candidates from being admitted to the venerable women’s patriotic organization.

DAR members defeated the resolution, which would have clarified that applicants must be “born female” to be eligible for membership, at a Friday vote of the 135th Continental Congress at Memorial Continental Hall in the District.

Introduced by a cohort of members known as Daughters Advocating for Restoration, the proposal lost by a 1,481-984 vote of the assembly, according to Laura McDonald, a leader of the resistance group and treasurer of the DAR’s Martha Laird Chapter in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

“Today the Daughters of the American Revolution, whose motto is ‘God, Home and Country,’ voted to reject a resolution that seeks to define the word ‘woman’ in our National Bylaws,” Ms. McDonald said in a statement to The Washington Times.

“While admitting men with amended birth certificates is still a violation of the bylaws, I do believe the will of the assembly was heard today,” she said. “We don’t know what the future holds or what God’s plan is, but we do know He has a plan and we trust Him.”

We have allies who are willing to step up for us.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

There is a difference. In Illinois the governor just signed three bill that protect our rights to get IDs in our true gender, and then other two guarantees our medication.

Gov. signs 3 trans rights bills into law & then marches in Pride parade that afternoon

“We are a few steps closer to a state where all can live their lives without fear of hate,” said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D)

LGBTQ Nation

Molly Sprayregen (She/Her)

June 29, 2026

On Sunday, just hours before he marched in the Chicago Pride Parade, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed three trans rights bills into law.

HB 5095 solidifies the process for trans people to correct the gender marker on their IDs to male, female, or X. HB 5492 mandates that insurance companies cover up to a 6-month supply of prescribed hormone therapy, as well as “the necessary supplies for self-administration.” Both laws take effect on January 1, 2027.

HB 4834 updates the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program (ILPMP) to remove testosterone and prohibit the addition of estrogen, mifepristone, and misoprostol. The law, effective immediately, will prevent the database, which is used to prevent certain drugs from being overprescribed, from being abused to prevent folks from obtaining gender-affirming and reproductive health care.

But that is now all, later the governor...

Pritzker then posted a video of himself touting the bills as he prepared to march in Chicago’s Pride Parade. “It’s very important to me that we have a state that stands up and protects the people who live here,” he said. “So I’m very happy, very proud, frankly, to live in the state of Illinois. I hope you are, too.”

Pritzker has been fighting for LGBTQ+ rights long before it was popular, as evidenced by a photo of him that often makes the rounds on social media, in which he is marching in the 1993 Pride parade.

Yes, Virginia, There are governors that support us.

Wow! Nineteen Years And Counting!

I was just thinking, “What a long, strange trip it’s been!”

I first went out as Diana… it was like, “Oh wow! I don’t believe that I’m doing this!” The year was 1999. The month was September. I contacted a support group…

At the end of the email, she told me when and where they met. I summoned all my courage and drove there.

And the place was empty… no lights except the motion detector. Oops — it was last weekend, the second weekend of the month! So I went to the October meeting… and for the first time in my life, I was with other trans people!

I became their activity director… then eventually the director.

I heard that there was another support group called the Twenty Club (their newsletters are archived here), and I started going — something to do on a Saturday afternoon. At one meeting, this girl came in and one side of her face was all swollen and bruised. She had been beaten up on a job site in Bridgeport. When the police didn’t arrest the people who beat her, she raised her voice — and she was arrested. That was when I became an activist.

I was at a Pride event in Hartford, next to Jerimarie at the CT TransAdvocacy Coalition. In between lulls in the Pride traffic, we talked. She told me about CTAC, and I became the director of it a few years later.

---

I’ve seen it all when it comes to transitioning.

I’ve seen those who rushed through it in months. I’ve seen those who hadn’t even socially transitioned demand surgery — and the surgeon said no. So she took a plane trip to Thailand. I never saw her again.

I’ve seen those who had a chip on their shoulder and were mad at the world.

I’ve seen those who were like me — transitioning part-time at first. I was male at work, and all the rest of the time I was Diana. Dipping a toe in the water to test it.

I’ve seen families disown their loved ones — and families reunite.

I’ve seen couples stay together. Couples break up over a transition. I’ve seen couples break up and then come back together again.

I’ve seen trans people change their orientation.

I’ve seen those who detransitioned — and some who retransitioned.

I have known some who were murdered. I have known succumb to the hate, 

---

I’ve worked to pass legislation. I’ve given trainings in colleges. I’ve given trainings in maximum-security prisons. I am now working to help end social isolation for seniors.

Methinks thou dost protest too much

Have you notice that it seems like those who yell the loudest against us, have a lot hidden in the closet.

Ohio pastor who called LGBTQ+ books a ‘health risk’ sentenced for child sex crimes

Silas Shelton had objected to Heartstopper at a school book fair, saying LGBTQ+ books posed a “mental health” risk to children.

The Advocate

Desiree Guerrero

Jun 29, 2026

Silas Shelton, a church pastor from Clinton County, Ohio, was sentenced to prison Monday for sex crimes against a child that occurred in 2019. He was arrested in October of last year and charged with multiple felonies.

Supporters of both the victim and Shelton filled the courtroom, anxiously anticipating the judge’s ruling, as reported by local tri-state CBS affiliate WKRC. However, statements by Shelton’s supporters and his attorney claiming he was a good family man and a pillar of the community didn’t carry much weight with Judge Andrew McCoy, who ultimately imposed the maximum sentence.

Prosecuting attorney Brian Shidaker explained to the court that Shelton, 48, took advantage of the victim due to her impressionable age, his close relationship with her family, and his leading role in the church. He’d even arranged a job for the victim, apparently in an attempt to be alone with her.

You know he is not the first nor the last to try to hide behind fake moral outrage against us.

The Ninetieth Year

June 29, 2007 @ 11:00AM I transitioned. (How do I know the time? That was when I got layoff)

I can say it with certainly has been a long strange trip.

Any regrets? Nope not a one.

Back when I was starting to realize that I could transition and still survive I wrote this...

Trans-

I look in the mirror and I see a man.

I blink, and I see a woman.

But, I am I.

I don’t feel any different.

How can I be both?

Can both survive?

Will one have to be destroyed, in order for the other to live?

Will I still be me?

And in these 19 year I have found the answer... yes.

---

I wrote this back in August, so I hope that I am around to read this.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock

Time is running out for the Supreme Court to end this session on the last day in June, here are some of the cases waiting a verdict and we are on the list!

1. Transgender Rights & Sports (West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Heacox)  The Court is set to rule on state-level bans that prohibit transgender women and girls from competing in female sports categories. These cases are monumental because they test the boundaries of Title IX (the federal law banning sex discrimination in education) and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The ruling will establish a major nationwide precedent for LGBTQ+ rights and gender identity protections.  

2. Voting Rights & Mail-In Ballots (Watson v. Republican National Committee)This election law case challenges state "grace periods" for mail-in voting. Specifically, the RNC is arguing that federal law strictly defines "Election Day" as the first Tuesday in November, meaning any ballots received after that date—even if postmarked on or before Election Day—should not count. A ruling here could fundamentally change how states administer mail-in voting and impact future election outcomes.  

3. Executive Power Over Independent Agencies Following a trend of targeting federal agency powers, the Court is weighing a significant challenge regarding the president’s authority to directly fire heads of independent regulatory agencies. A ruling in favor of expanding executive control would drastically alter the independence of bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or the Federal Reserve.  

4. Gun Rights & Concealed Carry LawsFollowing up on previous Second Amendment expansions, the Court is reviewing local and state-level restrictions—specifically regarding where concealed-carry permit holders are allowed to bring firearms (such as challenges to "sensitive places" restrictions like private properties open to the public).  

5. Electoral Redistricting (Louisiana v. Callais / Allen v. Milligan follow-ups)The justices are still sorting through intense battles over racial gerrymandering and voting maps. The upcoming rulings will decide whether states must redraw congressional districts to create more majority-Black or minority-opportunity districts, heavily influencing the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.

This is the biggie West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Heacox our human rights is on the line! Will they rule that being trans or lesbian or gay is something we are born with could affect us for a generation or more. Oyez writes:

Facts of the case
B.P.J. is a transgender girl who has identified as female since the third grade. At the onset of puberty, B.P.J. began taking puberty blockers and estrogen for medical treatment of gender dysphoria, effectively halting male pubertal development and aligning her physical characteristics with those of cisgender girls. Since her social transition, B.P.J. has consistently lived as a girl at school and participated on girls’ athletic teams. In 2021, West Virginia enacted the “Save Women’s Sports Act,” which requires public school and collegiate sports teams to be designated based on “biological sex” and excludes individuals identified as male at birth from participating on female teams. This law, by its design and effect, prevented B.P.J. from continuing to compete on her school’s girls’ cross-country and track teams.

Shortly after the Act took effect, B.P.J., through her mother, sued the West Virginia State Board of Education and other state and county education officials, as well as the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. She alleged that excluding her from girls’ sports violated the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX. The State of West Virginia intervened to defend the law. Initially, the district court granted B.P.J. a preliminary injunction, allowing her to participate on girls’ teams pending litigation. However, at summary judgment, the district court reversed course and upheld the law, concluding that the classification on the basis of “biological sex” was substantially related to the important government interest in ensuring fairness and opportunity in girls’ athletics. The court granted summary judgment to the defendants and denied B.P.J.’s cross-motion, holding that the exclusion of B.P.J. from girls’ sports did not violate the Constitution or Title IX. On appeal, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed in part, vacated in part, and remanded. It held that application of the law to B.P.J. violated Title IX and that factual disputes precluded summary judgment against her equal protection claim.

Question
Does Title IX or the Equal Protection Clause prohibit a state from assigning students to girls’ and boys’ sports teams based on their biological sex as determined at birth?

Yes, Today Is The Anniversary Of Stonewall

[Editorial]

But Stonewall wasn't the first time we stood up for our rights. There were many other times dating back years earlier:

• Cooper Do-nuts Riot — 1959
• Dewey's Restaurant sit-ins — 1965
• Compton's Cafeteria riot — 1966
• Black Cat Tavern protest — 1967

There is a great debate about whether or not these events should be called “riots” or “uprisings.” I will explain my distinction between the two. A “riot” is a violent outbreak, like after the Knicks win. An “uprising” can be a peaceful or violent act meant to shake off the yoke of oppression.

Why did the police raid these bars? (Besides the fact that they didn’t get their payoff that month—or due to political pressure from city leadership.)

Because of trans people. Gay men and lesbians were harder to prove in court when they were simply present. But for trans people, there were laws. In many places, we were required to wear a certain number of items of “male clothing”—in some cases, absurd rules like socks counting as one item.

We were the bedrock of the Stonewall movement.

But something happened on the way to the first NYC Pride parade: we were told not to come. However, we were not alone in being excluded. They also didn’t want “wimpy” gay men or “butch” lesbians. They wanted only white, “respectable” gays and lesbians—those who could assimilate into society. And thus, “Gay Inc.” was born, where the “Holy Grail” became marriage.

Back before the turn of the century, the professional organization began to shift away from the more rigid Harry Benjamin Standards toward what would become the WPATH standards of care. Under the old standards, I would likely not have been allowed to transition for two reasons.

As I like to say: “If you can’t tell I’m trans, you need glasses and a hearing aid!”

The second reason is that I am attracted to women. Under earlier standards, I would have been told I couldn’t be a “true transsexual” because of that attraction.

Now we are visible—and that visibility has also made us targets of conservatives.

So on this anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, let us remember our roots.

[/Editorial]

I Agree.

We all have seen it: too many people use their religion to justify their bigotry. As a good friend wrote this...

Giants players used the Bible against Pride. As a Black trans Christian, I’ve had enough.

As a Black trans Christian, I have serious issues with the selective outrage of these San Francisco Giants pitchers and their Pride caps.

Out Sports

Karleigh Webb

June 16, 2026

Three things you can be sure of in sports each June.

First, somebody will have a Pride Night.

Second, someone will have a public snit about it.

And third, that someone will use the Bible to justify their nonsense.

The latest to follow that predictable route was the group of San Francisco Giants pitchers who decided to wear their now-infamous defaced rainbow logo Pride caps with a scrawled Bible verse, some form of Genesis 9:11-16. The aftermath of the flood, the promise to Noah to never again flood the earth and the symbol of the promise, the rainbow.

They say they are Christians, but they cherry-pick the parts they want and ignore the rest.

One of the players, Landen Roupp, when asked about that symbolism of the rainbow to lesbian, gay, bi and trans people — and the players’ booming statement against it — said, “First of all, as a believer, I would push them to read the Bible,”

Let’s talk believer to believer. Yes, in addition to being a Black trans woman and a sportswriter , I’m a church-going, praying-without-ceasing, footwashing Christian.

[...]

This past Sunday my pastor, faithful like me and trans like me, put forth a point to ponder in his sermon.

“We’ve been an independent nation for 250 years,” he said. “But many people would not call our nation free.”

Given the actions of certain sectors of our body politic and decisions made at home and abroad, the nation’s birthday would be ripe for dissension.

As I have said before, I am not religious, but I believe in God... just not organized religion.

I was raised Catholic and went to Catechism, and the one thing I remember from that time is this:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

— Gospel of Matthew 22:37–40

So I think those who hide behind the Bible to justify their animosity toward us have flunked the test.

 

Connecting the Dots

[Editorial]

School vouchers.

Dismantling the Department of Education.

Warehousing the homeless.

Institutionalization of the disabled.

Pogroms against trans people.

Cuts to SNAP.

Cuts to WIC.

New work regulations for Medicaid.

Tax cuts for billionaires.

Weakening environmental laws.

Trump campaigned on smaller government. But if you connect the dots, an interesting pattern can be seen. It is a model of the “K-shaped” economy.

Take education: they have cut back on funding for public schools, but the reality is that schools have fixed costs. They must heat the building, keep the lights on, and handle maintenance. Vouchers are causing public schools to delay these needed repairs.

Meanwhile, private schools can take the “cream of the crop!” The best scholars! The best athletes! At the same time, they can keep out "undesirables" like the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and people of other faiths, like Jewish people and Muslims.

Then we have the tax cuts for Trump’s billionaire friends. He dismissed at least 17 inspectors general from federal departments and agencies. He appointed former CEOs to run the very regulatory agencies that oversaw the industries they came from. Now, regulatory agencies are looking the other way as xAI centers run gas turbines without environmental permits, leaving neighbors to complain of a constant hum 24/7.

Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage hasn't changed since July 24, 2009, when it increased to $7.25 per hour. They made the ACA (Obamacare) unfavorable to the middle class. He has cut federal assistance programs and added burdens to those receiving benefits, leaving them struggling to get by.

When have these indicators happened in the past? In modern times, it has happened twice.

The first time, we called the elite “Robber Barons” in the 1890s. The second time was during the ostentatious display of wealth in the Roaring Twenties, which crashed into the 1930s.

In the mid-1800s, Charles Dickens wrote A Tale of Two Cities (1859):

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief…”

Does that sound familiar now?

Back in the 1890s, there were a number of revolutions around the world: the Brazilian Revolution of 1893, the Philippine Revolution (1896–1898), and the Cuban War of Independence, which led into the Spanish–American War.

And don’t forget WWI, sparked by the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914. Then, in the 1940s, we had WWII. How did Hitler and Mussolini get into power? On the shoulders of wealthy industrialists.

How did we break the cycle in the past? We need to look back at the administration of Theodore Roosevelt… the “Trustbuster!”

When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, my father was a teacher. The neighbors were all hardworking factory workers, office workers, store owners, and store clerks. Yet, we could afford cottages, boats, and vacations. The mothers were stay-at-home moms; we only needed one income for a family of four to live comfortably. My summer job even paid my college tuition.

But now, people in those exact same positions are struggling to make ends meet. What we also share with those past eras is discrimination. First, it was the Irish and the Italians. But what really set conservatives off were the Chinese, which is when they started passing exclusionary laws. In Germany, Japan, and other Axis powers, xenophobia ran rampant, using minorities as scapegoats.

Have I connected the dots?

[/Editorial]

Maybe It Is A Good Thing...

That I can't get a passport.

Because of Trump we cannot get passports in our true gender, but maybe in a way it is a good thing... would you want to carry around a picture of Trump?

Trump shares new image of America 250 passport featuring photo of himself

By Heather Miller

FOX 5

June 27, 2026

The Brief

• President Trump will be the first living president to be featured on the U.S. passport. 
• He shared an updated image of the limited edition America 250 passport Saturday. 
• His stern face is featured prominently.

President Donald Trump has released an updated image of the limited edition America 250 passports featuring his face and name. 

The State Department first announced a passport featuring Trump in April, but the images shared Saturday are different. Trump will be the first living president to be featured on the U.S. passport. Here’s the latest: 

Department of Interior

And don't forget that he wants his picture on currency.

---

After I published this last night I came across this article, it turns out that he stuck his face also on the NPS passes back in January!

National Park Service will void passes with stickers over Trump's face

NPR

By Windsor Johnston

January 9, 2026

The National Park Service has updated its policy to discourage visitors from defacing a picture of President Trump on this year's pass.

The use of an image of Trump on the 2026 pass — rather than the usual picture of nature — has sparked a backlash, sticker protests, and a lawsuit from a conservation group.

The $80 annual America the Beautiful pass gives visitors access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Since 2004, the pass has typically showcased sweeping landscapes or iconic wildlife, selected through a public photo contest. Past winners have featured places like Arches National Park in Utah and images of bison roaming the plains.

Instead, of a picture of nature, this year's design shows side-by-side portraits of Presidents George Washington and Trump. The new design has drawn criticism from parkgoers and ignited a wave of "do-it-yourself" resistance.

Is this song fitting or what?

You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht

Your hat strategically dipped below one eye

Your scarf it was apricot

You had one eye in the mirror, as you watched yourself gavotte

And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner

They'd be your partner and

You're so vain

You probably think this song is about you

You're so vain (you're so vain)

I bet you think this song is about you

Don't you, don't you?

You’re So Vain by Carly Simon

[I am glad I have a lifetime NPS pass.]

---

I asked Gemini: What does it say about mentally about a person that wants his picture on everything and his name up on walls?

From a psychological standpoint, someone who insists on putting their face on everything and plastering their name across walls is exhibiting behavior deeply rooted in egocentricity, status-seeking, and a profound need for external validation.

While it’s impossible to diagnose someone without a clinical evaluation, psychologists and behaviorists typically look at a few distinct underlying traits to explain this kind of behavior:

1. Narcissism and Grandiosity

At the most obvious level, this aligns with narcissistic personality traits.

The Drive: An inflated sense of self-importance and a belief that they are unique or superior.

The Manifestation: Seeing their own face and name everywhere serves as a constant feedback loop that validates their perceived greatness. It’s an attempt to force the world to mirror their own high self-opinion back at them.

2. Deep-Seated Insecurity and Fragile Ego

Paradoxically, the loudest bark often comes from the most frightened dog.

The Drive: A massive, omnipresent public image is often used to mask intense inner vulnerability or a fear of insignificance.

The Manifestation: If the inner sense of self is fragile, they require constant, inescapable external reminders of their power and existence. It's a psychological armor; if their name is on the wall, they can’t be ignored or forgotten.

3. Hyper-Focus on Legacy and Symbolic Immortality

In psychology, Terror Management Theory suggests that humans have a deep dread of their own mortality and insignificance.

The Drive: To defeat death by becoming unforgettable.

The Manifestation: Writing one's name on walls is one of the oldest human impulses (think of ancient pharaohs or even graffiti). It is a literal attempt to carve oneself into history, ensuring that their presence outlasts their physical existence.

4. Territorialism and Dominance

This behavior is also highly behavioral and primitive.

The Drive: Marking territory.

The Manifestation: Much like an animal marking its boundaries, plastering a name or face on a building or product is a claim of ownership and dominance over that space. It sends a psychological message to everyone else: "This is my kingdom, and you are just visiting."

The Bottom Line:

While it presents outwardly as supreme confidence and power, mentally, it usually signals a mind that is entirely dependent on external reflection to feel whole. A truly secure person doesn't need a wall to remind them—or anyone else—of who they are.

Then I asked: Could that person be easily maniputated? 

Yes, surprisingly easily. In fact, people with this specific psychological profile—hyper-focused on their own ego, status, and public image—are often among the most predictable and vulnerable targets for manipulation.

Because their psychological drivers are so out in the open, a manipulator doesn’t have to guess what they want. The blueprint is right there on the wall.

Here is exactly how that vulnerability is exploited:

1. The Flattery Trap (Ego-Stroking)

Because this person is entirely dependent on external validation to maintain their grand image, they have a massive hunger for praise.

The Vulnerability: They usually cannot distinguish between genuine admiration and calculated flattery.

How it works: A manipulator simply feeds them the exact narrative they want to believe about themselves. By telling them they are the smartest, most powerful, or most visionary person in the room, the manipulator lowers the person's defensive guard completely. Once they trust the source of their "ego fix," they become highly compliant.

2. Strategic Isolation (Weaponizing the Ego)

People who need their face on everything are incredibly sensitive to criticism or anything that threatens their self-image.

The Vulnerability: They tend to view the world in black-and-white: people are either "loyal fans" or "haters."

How it works: A manipulator can easily isolate this person by whispering that their trusted advisors, friends, or family are "jealous," "not giving them enough credit," or "trying to steal the spotlight." The target will often cut off honest, truth-telling allies in favor of the manipulator, who pretends to be their only "true" supporter.

3. Public Shaming and "The Dare"

Because their public reputation is their most prized possession, the threat of looking weak or foolish can drive them to make incredibly reckless decisions.

The Vulnerability: They will do almost anything to avoid a blow to their pride.

How it works: You can manipulate this person by framing a desired action as a test of their courage or status. Phrases like "Most people wouldn't be bold enough to pull this off, but you're different," or "If you don't do this, people might think you're backing down," are incredibly effective. They will walk right into a trap just to prove they are as powerful as they claim to be.

4. Giving Away the Credit

A secure person cares about the actual outcome of a project. An insecure, ego-driven person cares about who gets the applause.

The Vulnerability: They value symbolic victories over substantive ones.

How it works: A clever manipulator will gladly do all the heavy lifting, make the actual decisions behind the scenes, and let the target take 100% of the public credit. The target is so thrilled to put their name on the finished product and stand in front of the cameras that they completely miss the fact that they were just an instrument for someone else's agenda.

The Paradox of Power

This person usually believes they are the master puppeteer controlling everyone around them. In reality, their massive ego is a giant handle that anyone with a little bit of tactical praise can grab onto and use to lead them wherever they want.

---

I use AIs as a sounding board for my thoughts and logic. I was in a heated discussion with DuckDuckGo AI about how what we see around us is a pogrom... the AI said that wasn't true. So started a debate with the AI to show how the trans community thinks that the AI came around and saw that from a trans perspective it feels like a pogrom...

That makes sense. When things feel uncertain and threatening, that lyric can hit hard. “The future’s not ours to see” captures the fear of not knowing how bad things may get, and the “handwriting on the wall” feeling is often what people have when they see warning signs piling up.

I pointed out;

• Has trump hung banners of himself on the Department of the Interior: with the slogan "America's First"?
• Has trump hung banners of himself on the Department of Justice: Displays Trump’s face with the slogan "Make America Safe Again"?
• Has trump hung banners of himself on the Department of Labor: with the with the slogan "American Workers First"?
• Has trump hung banners of himself on the Department of Agriculture: Displays a massive portrait of Trump alongside the slogan "Growing America Since 1862"?
• Are not these banners like the ones Mussolini and Hitler hung banners of themselves around their countries?
• Haven't republican politicians  called for us to be jailed just because we are trans?

I Remember: How a Computer and the Internet Changed My Life

[Editorial]

A long, long, long time ago, around the turn of the century, we got PCs and the internet at work. I’ve told this story many times, but the point I want to make today is how it was the internet that opened the door for me. I found others who thought and felt like me. There was a community out there. As a trans person, the internet showed me it was possible to transition and have a life.

But now they want to throttle the internet. There have been bills introduced to prevent children from accessing parts of it. The question is: who decides? The government or the parent?

You know how the Republicans are always screaming, “parental rights!”? Well, now the Republicans want to judge who can see what and when. They want you to prove you are over 18 or 21. How the heck can you do that? When I go onto a pot store website, they ask, “Are you 21 or over?” Oh yeah, like that will stop kids from lying.

But it's deeper than that. If the government decides what is "adult," they often lump LGBTQ+ resources, transition support, and sex education into that bucket. They claim they are blocking "harmful content," but they are actually cutting off lifelines for kids who are just trying to understand who they are.

If you want to stop children from accessing actual adult websites, here is a very simple way to do it. You have to be 18 to get a phone or an internet plan, so all you have to do is have a checkbox when you open the account: “Do you want to block access to adult websites on this device?” It is as simple as that. Put the choice back with the parents, and leave the government out of it.

[/Editorial] 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Cadillac Ranch (1981)

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, Bruce Springsteen sings about taking his father and his aunt to see The Cadillac Ranch. Have you recently taken a road trip? If yes, where did you go?

I went down to New Jersey for my grand-niece graduation party, down and back in a day… it was a very long day. The clan gathered at a nice little place in Stirling NJ.

2) The Cadillac Ranch is real. It's an outdoor art installation in Amarillo, TX. Tell us about a statue, mural, or other piece of outdoor art in your community.

We have the very first Civil War momentum in the nation. It is on the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest permanent Civil War monument in the United States. We used to hang out in front and we never realized that the chunk of sandstone was so important. (It is just a mile up the road form the geographical center of the state.

3) Not only is Bruce singing about a real place, he mentions three real people. The first is "James Dean in his Mercury 49." That refers to the 1949 Mercury driven by James Dean in his first starring role, Rebel Without a Cause. Though he remains a legendary star, Dean made only three movies before his death at age 24. Have you seen any of his films?

I probably did back in the 60s and 70s.

4) The second is "Junior Johnson runnin' through the woods of Caroline." Junior Johnson was a folk hero, famous as a NASCAR driver and notorious for running moonshine through North Carolina. He was the inspiration for "Midnite Moon," an animated old Ford in the 2017 Disney movie Cars 3. What Disney movie did you enjoy when you were growing up?

Well you know you are digging way back in time… I mean way back! Way back to Fantasia

5) The third man Bruce sings about is "Burt Reynolds and his black Trans Am." This is a reference to Burt's biggest hit, 1977's Smokey and the Bandit. Burt also had success as a restaurateur. He co-owned Burt and Jack's, a popular steakhouse at Port Everglades, right on the water. Tell us about a restaurant that offered both good food and a memorable view.

When we had a cottage in New Hampshire we used to go to have brunch at a restaurant in Sunapee right on the harbor of the lake. My favorite Lobster Benedict smothered in Hollandaise sauce.

6) For decades, Cadillac was the gold standard of luxury. For example, an eatery referred to as "the Cadillac of restaurants" would be best or most prestigious. Think about your neighborhood. Tell us about a restaurant, hotel or business that is "the Cadillac" of your community.

We have a lot of good restaurants here in Connecticut, but a small restaurant that I like in P'town is the Tin Pan Ally (But I here it is up for sale). It is a small but it has outdoor seating overlook Provincetown harbor. 

7) Since he's been singing about America and cars for decades, it should come as no surprise that Bruce Springsteen has a collection of classic American cars. For the cover of his autobiography he chose a photo of himself leaning on his favorite, a 1960 Corvette convertible. Think about your favorite photo of yourself. What are you doing?

Smiling at a pizza place in P’town.

8) In 1981, when Bruce released this recording, Dolly Parton had a hit with "9 to 5." What's your favorite Dolly Parton song?

It is actual “9 to 5” but she has so many great songs it is hard to pick just one.

9) Random question: When did you last DIY and fix something around your home or yard?

My DIY days are numbered. At the cottage I have a Property Management company to take care of the fixes. At home friends have been helping out. But just cleaning is hard to keep up, I have started to start looking for a cleaning company.

---

As I wrote I went down to New Jersey to my grand-nieces graduation party from Dickerson, it was a very, very long day but it was so worth it. I don’t know how much longer with I be able to see my brother and sister-in-law. So every time I can visit them is a blessing.

We ate at a nice restaurant but I sat of a hard wooden bench that killed my back. It was over twelve hours from the time I left my home until I pulled into the driveway.

I want to get up to the Cape this week or next week but it is a holiday weekend coming up! And the bridges to Cape Cod will be once again “a nightmare” to get on the Cape.

Yeah… Yeah… That’s it.

Trump has used "National Security" as a trump card!

Now they are saying these massive energy hogs and polluters are actually super important to "National Security." Cue the rimshot!

It seems like every time they get challenged, they drag out the "National Security" angle. Offshore windmills? "National Security!" National security has become a flexible justification for stopping or pushing through infrastructure projects when the real underlying motives are political, economic, or ideological. And the latest example is... the AI data centers that Trump’s billionaire friends are building!

In boost to Musk, Justice Department seeks to dismiss air pollution lawsuit against xAI data center

AP News

By  MATTHEW DALY and BERNARD CONDON

June 16, 2026

The Trump administration is helping one of Elon Musk’s companies fight a civil rights lawsuit that alleges it is illegally running dozens of natural gas turbines to power a $20 billion AI data center in Mississippi.

The NAACP and other groups say Musk’s xAI subsidiary failed to get a permit for its power plant — which is located near homes, schools and churches — creating health risks for families in North Mississippi and nearby Memphis and violating the federal Clean Air Act.

The Justice Department, in a motion late Monday, sought to intervene in the case and dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the plant is needed to power an artificial intelligence data center that is “critical to the economy” and the U.S. military.

The state of Mississippi — not the federal government — is responsible for any permits for the power plant and “decided no permit was required,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

Wow! "Critical to the economy" and the U.S. military! So that means that they can pollute the environment?

 “Ultimate responsibility for enforcing federal law belongs to the Executive Branch, not private interest groups,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who is No. 3 at the Justice Department. The motion to intervene in the case is intended to protect national security and promote American energy and innovation, he added.

Yeah! That’s it! We will just say they are exempt from environmental laws because they are "too important" to us.

NAACP sues Elon Musk’s xAI over Memphis data center air pollution

CNBC

Lora Kolodny

Apr 14 2026

Key Points

• NAACP sued Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging Clean Air Act violations from the company’s use of natural gas-burning turbines to power its data centers.
• XAI is building out its data infrastructure primarily around Memphis as it races to compete in the booming AI market against OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.
• The company’s Colossus 1 and 2 data centers in Memphis, and power plant in Southaven, Mississippi have faced protests for more than a year.

The NAACP filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI on Tuesday, accusing the artificial intelligence company of violating the Clean Air Act with its use of natural gas-burning turbines to power data centers in and around Memphis, Tennessee.

The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, alleges that between August and December 2025, xAI and its subsidiary MZX Tech, LLC, installed and operated 27 gas turbines in Southaven, Mississippi, “without an air permit or regard for the health and safety of people living nearby.”

The turbines emit smog-forming pollutants and particulate matter that can lead to increased health risks and an unpleasant odor, among other things.

The NAACP is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief for the companies to “cease operating the Colossus Gas Plant unless and until they obtain the required permits; to apply the necessary pollution controls; and to pay appropriate civil penalties for each day of violation.”

[…]

Separately, the NAACP wants Mississippi state regulators to revoke a permit granted to xAI in March that allowed Musk’s company to build out its massive power plant in Southaven with 41 permanent turbines.

But now the DOJ is claiming the lawsuit is illegal. When big money talks, this administration listens.

The AP article went on to state:

The Trump administration has made AI a top national and economic security priority. It has also upended policies meant to address climate change and has worked to undo environmental regulations on business.

So, Trump has ignored the laws to give his friends a helping hand. But what gets me is: what do they think will happen when Trump is no longer in office?

Sorry Charlie!

Sadly, it took a court order to block the latest attempt by the Trump administration to block voters.

Federal judge halts Trump’s election executive order seeking to create a federal voter list

AP News

By  MICHAEL CASEY, BILL BARROW and JOHN HANNA

June 25, 2026

A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, sided with a coalition of nearly two dozen states that challenged the Republican president’s order in granting a summary judgment. Her ruling applies to this year’s midterm election cycle.

Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits, both filed in federal court in Boston, that Trump’s order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The judge agreed, saying in her ruling that the provisions of Trump’s order seeking to create a federal list of eligible voters and using the U.S. Postal Service to determine who can receive a mail ballot are “legally void” because they “unconstitutionally violate the separation of powers.”

Anyone thinks this will stop Trump in his bid to take over the elections?

It was the second ruling in as many days against executive orders Trump has signed seeking oversight of the nation’s elections. A separate ruling Wednesday prohibited an executive order he had signed last year that would have required people to show documents proving their citizenship when registering to vote.

It seems that Trump keeps getting rejected by the courts, and it seems that the advice he is getting from his staff is bogus. Is it because no one wants to tell the emperor that he has no clothes on?

Tong: CT Gets Second Win In Two Days Over Trump Administration On Voting Rights

CT News Junkie

by Donald Eng

June 26, 2026

Connecticut won its second court victory over the administration of President Donald Trump in two days, according to a statement from Attorney General William Tong’s office.

Tong on Thursday said the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts blocked what he called an unlawful executive order issued March 31 that amounted to an attempt to commandeer state elections. 

Just one day earlier, Tong had announced another court victory regarding what he called unconstitutional documentary proof of citizenship requirements to voting.

“Another major defeat for President Trump and his desperate illegal attempts to control our elections,” Tong said. “These are critical wins heading into the November elections. We’re going to keep fighting and winning to protect our democracy and ensure every lawful vote is counted.” 

But that is not the only case that has overruled Trump...

Judge deems Trump's National Institutes of Health grant cuts illegal

Reuters

By Daniel Wiessner and Nate Raymond

June 16, 2025

Summary

• Grants for research on diversity-related topics canceled
• Judge says government 'bearing down on people of color'
• Grants are ordered reinstated to organizations and states

A federal judge in Boston on Monday said the termination of National Institutes of Health grants for research on diversity-related topics by President Donald Trump's administration was "void and illegal," and accused the government of discriminating against racial minorities and LGBT people.

U.S. District Judge William Young during a non-jury trial said the NIH violated federal law by arbitrarily canceling more than $1 billion in research grants because of their perceived connection to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

[...]

"This represents racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community," said Young, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan. "Any discrimination by our government is so wrong that it requires the court to enjoin it and at an appropriate time, I'm going to do it."

Note: Judge Indira Talwani (who blocked the voter list order) was appointed by Barack Obama and 

Judge William Young (who reinstated the NIH grants) was appointed by Ronald Reagan.

Trump will continue to ignore the Constitution and the laws. He will continue to push the envelope to see what he can get away with.

To paraphrase a tuna... "Sorry Donald." 

They Cut It From End To End

[Editorial]

"When you have a 350-foot slit, from one end to the other, you think that's proof? ... They cut it, they cut it very violently."

"You'd have to go see the Parks Department... but I saw it. They cut it very violently.

That is what was reported by CBS News about what Trump said.

Somehow, that doesn't look like what Trump described.

And ask yourself this: If they have this video, why don't they show a video of the person Trump described? Trump claimed he saw the person do it, so where is the video? Maybe because it didn't happen. Maybe it's just another one of Trump's lies.

But these accusations of vandalism could cost taxpayers another $18 million. If the damage resulted from workmanship, materials, or installation, it would generally be more likely to be covered under the warranty. If it's classified as vandalism, that may not be the case.

This is just another example of Trump digging the hole deeper and deeper. This is what we used to call a "clusterfuck."

[/Editorial]

I'm Worried... About Maine

Why? Because tons of PAC money is pouring in!

PACs intensify spending in Maine's gubernatorial primary

Maine Public

By Steve Mistler

June 3, 2026

Political action committees with the ability to spend unlimited money trying to influence Maine's gubernatorial race have spent more than $8 million trying to shape next Tuesday's primary election.

With less than a week left before the election, the total spending by PACs is approaching the $12 million spent by the 12 candidates vying to replace Gov. Janet Mills next year. While PAC spending has eclipsed candidate spending in recent years, groups operating separately from the candidate campaigns haven't historically been as active during party primaries.

[...]

Nevertheless, the $8.6 million PAC spending in the gubernatorial primary is already approaching the $13.7 million that outside groups spent during the entire 2022 race for governor. In 2010, PACs spent $3.6 million compared to $15.5 million by candidates.

This year, the most spending has come from the Restoration of America PAC, a committee funded by Republican megadonor Thomas Klingenstein. At $4.7 million, Restoration of America accounts for more than half of the PAC primary spending, according to data compiled by the Maine Ethics Commission.

Just another billionaire pumping in tons of money!

The group is backing former state Sen. Garrett Mason, one of seven Republicans vying for the GOP nomination. The Maine Dream, a PAC backing Republican candidate Jonathan Bush, is the second leading spender at $1.1 million, as of Tuesday. Working Mainers First, a committee backing Democratic candidate Troy Jackson, is No. 3 on the list at $751,000, followed by the Maine Conservation Voters PAC (roughly $700,000) backing Democratic candidate Hannah Pingree and 314 Action ($640,000) backing Democratic candidate Nirav Shah.

Ka-ching!

Money is pouring in from both sides!

Graham Platner welcomes attacks from 'fascists and bigots' over his support for trans rights

The Maine Democratic Senate nominee secured a national transgender rights PAC endorsement while pledging not to abandon LGBTQ+ Americans.

The Advocate

Christopher Wiggins

Jun 24, 2026

Days after marching in the Portland Pride Parade, Graham Platner, Maine’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is promising to fight federal attacks on transgender Americans as he heads into a nationally watched general election against Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

In an exclusive interview with The Advocate on Wednesday, Platner welcomed the endorsement from the Christopher Street Project, a political action committee dedicated to electing transgender rights advocates. The group’s executive director, Tyler Hack, said Platner represents the kind of Democrat needed not only to build a congressional majority but also to prevent transgender people’s rights from being negotiated away.

[...]

The Christopher Street Project’s support came two days after the Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Platner at a Monday event in Portland. Its president, Alexis McGill Johnson, backed him as a defender of reproductive freedom and contrasted his position with Collins’s vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who later voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

For the Senate race, the Maine Morning Star reported that:

Nearly 100 billionaires and their spouses have donated to reelect Susan Collins

The level of billionaire funding shows how the race, which could decide control of the U.S. Senate, has drawn interest and funding from some of the wealthiest people in the world.

By: Josh Keefe

June 12, 2026

Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins announced her reelection campaign in February by posting a video that showed her opening a box of New Balance running shoes.

The video didn’t mention that New Balance’s owner and chairman, billionaire Jim Davis, gave $1 million to the super PAC supporting Collins’ campaign seven months prior. The company is based in Boston and has manufacturing facilities in Maine. It was one of four donations Davis made last year to the network of committees raising money for Collins.

Davis, who is worth an estimated $6.1 billion, is one of at least 79 billionaires who donated to Collins’ network between January 2025 and May 20, 2026, according to a Maine Monitor analysis of Federal Election Commission campaign finance data. If billionaires’ spouses are included in the tally, the number rises to 97.

Collectively, the group of nearly 100 billionaires and spouses has donated $9.8 million to the Collins network since the start of 2025, representing a third of what groups supporting Collins raised from all donors.

Our elections are being bought. We have the best government money can buy.

It is PACs that need to be reined in. Campaigns should be limited to donations from individuals only, not corporations or PACs. The modern era of heavy corporate and "big money" influence in elections is mainly traced to Citizens United (2010), combined with follow-up rulings that enabled super PACs.

What I think needs to be done is pass a law allowing only citizens to donate to campaigns. PACs would be banned because they're not citizens. We also need limits on campaign donations; otherwise, a billionaire could pour hundreds of millions of dollars into a political campaign.

We need to make elections fair again.

The Devil Is In The Details

[Political Analysis]

"21st Century ROAD to Housing Act" passed the Senate 85–5 and the House 358–32 and is now awaiting  presidential action.

Now, Trump is refusing to sign the bill until his SAVE Act is passed. However, that bill does not appear to have much chance of passing.

There are four ways this can proceed:

1. If Trump signs it, it becomes law.
2. If Trump vetoes it, Congress can attempt to override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers.
3. If Trump neither signs nor vetoes it, the bill automatically becomes law after 10 days (excluding Sundays) while Congress remains in session.
4. However, if Speaker Johnson does not send the bill to Trump, nothing happens. The 10-day clock does not begin.

Right now, no one knows what the Speaker will do.

[/Political Analysis]

We Saw The Handwriting On The Wall

Back last spring, when Trump's administration was rounding up the homeless in Washington, D.C., we all thought that this was just the first step in "Trump's Master Plan." Just like in Nazi Germany, where they rounded up the homeless, Trump's administration is now talking about doing the same thing!

Trump is pushing to institutionalize the homeless. That may include veterans

NPR News

June 25, 2026

Quil Lawrence

Pedro Jauregui, with the organization U.S. Vets in Long Beach, Calif., once spent a whole year getting one homeless veteran to come in from the cold.

[...]

More than 30,000 U.S. military veterans are homeless, according to the latest government data from an annual one night "point in time count." That number is down significantly in the past decade, which most experts credit to a straightforward combination of robust funding and a philosophy focused on offering housing without prerequisites, called housing first.

While the Trump administration has promised new housing for vets, President Trump also signed an executive order last year titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets," which leans heavily toward institutionalizing homeless people against their will. This winter, NPR obtained slides describing a proposed VA plan called "Safe Harbor," which would include veterans in that shift to involuntary treatment. Then in March, the VA put out a memorandum of understanding with the Justice Department about state court guardianship for veterans.

Back in January I wrote:

That’s the goal of Trump & Company: homeless detention centers alongside immigrant detention centers.

Who will be next?

Us?

The trans community? It sure looks like they are setting us up as the next victims of Trump wrath! 

Among the allegations against the companies are medical neglect, unsafe or inhumane living conditions, physical abuse and excessive force, understaffing and poor oversight, and lack of transparency. Given the allegations that have been made against some detention-center operators, critics are asking whether similar problems could arise in large-scale facilities for homeless populations if oversight and accountability are insufficient.

"What the administration has said publicly on this proposal is at odds with the documentation on the project and its pilot program. That original documentation was directly linked to the president's executive order, calling for involuntary commitment of people experiencing homelessness. I think it's disingenuous for anybody from the VA to say that this was meant for a completely different population," she said.

Through my lens, what I am seeing is a repeat of the 1930s in Germany. The Nazis used the label "asocial" to classify people they believed did not fit their vision of a productive, orderly society. Does that sound familiar? We were also included in that group. If you want to know where the "Pink Triangle" came from, you only have to look at the Nazi concentration camps, where we were required to wear a pink triangle badge to identify us. So wear it proudly—many trans people, lesbians, and gays were killed wearing it.

In addition, the Nazis had their own "immigrant" problem with the Roma, whom they put into forced labor camps.

In states around the U.S., there are already "forced labor" camps reminiscent of the Jim Crow era. In federal prisons, inmates are forced to work for the shocking rate of around $0.12 to $1.15 per hour! When I had to be certified for military-spec soldering back in the '90s, there were a number of prison guards who were also getting certified. They joked all the time about how they had a "captive" workforce.

In Germany at the time, the concentration camps were run by millionaires—only now, it is billionaires.

The parallels are unbelievable.

---

What is instore for us? We will know a more this November... will Red win or Blue... it could be a matter of life or death for us.

Get Out Of Jail Free

Monopoly's "Get out of jail" card 

Did you know that Trump's DOJ settlement gave President Trump and his family special protection from IRS that blocked Trump's family from being investigate for tax fraud?

The addendum stated that the government was "forever barred and precluded" from pursuing audits, examinations, reviews, or related tax claims concerning Trump, members of his family, and affiliated businesses for tax matters that were pending or could have been raised before the settlement's effective date. (i.e. A Get Out Of Jail)

Watch this to see how far Trump's corruption has gone!

They Don't Even Try To Hide It Anymore!

Trump is getting embolden now the Congress is deadlocked! It is something in plain sight something everyone just winked and nodded.

The DOJ Just Admitted to Weaponizing a Prosecution Against Trump’s Foes

Slate

By Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern

May 22, 2026

A federal court threw out all charges against the Broadview Six—a group of protesters accused of obstructing a Chicago ICE facility—during a heated hearing on Thursday at which Justice Department officials apologized for egregious misconduct in securing the indictments. U.S. District Judge April Perry excoriated prosecutors for using illegal tactics to get the criminal charges past a skeptical grand jury, dressing down U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and his colleagues for their “incredibly shock[ing]” malfeasance. The Broadview Six will now walk free, and may even apply for President Donald Trump’s fund for victims of government “weaponization.”

We saw this when Trump went after the Governor of Minnesota...

Federal judge halts Trump administration effort to subpoena Walz in immigration enforcement probe

AP News

By  ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, ERIC TUCKER and SCOTT BAUER

June 22, 2026

A federal judge has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to subpoena Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials, accusing the Justice Department of using its investigatory powers to retaliate against state officials for not cooperating with federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.

In a ruling unsealed Monday, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz found the “dominant purpose” of the subpoenas was to “coerce Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil immigration law and to harass and retaliate against them for failing to do so.”

And we saw it in the case the DOJ brought against the Federal Reserve:

Judge blocks DOJ's criminal probe of Federal Reserve, blasting it as political

KPBS
By Scott Horsley

March 13, 2026

A federal judge put the brakes on the Justice Department's criminal probe of the Federal Reserve, saying it was part of an improper campaign by the Trump administration to pressure the central bank into cutting interest rates more aggressively.

Judge James Boasberg quashed subpoenas that had been issued to the Fed in January, ostensibly seeking information about cost overruns on the renovation of the Fed's headquarters. At the time, Fed chairman Jerome Powell had called that a pretext. And Judge Boasberg agreed.

"The Government has offered no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the President," Boasberg writes in a newly-unsealed opinion. "There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas' dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will."

Like I wrote this morning, Trump knows that Congress is deadlocked and will not do anything! They are so emboldened that it is an open secret!

Here are just some of the people Trump's Justice Department has gone after:

• Letitia James
• Adam Schiff
• Tim Walz and other Minnesota Democratic officials 
• Jack Smith
• Liz Cheney 
• Anthony Fauci
• John Bolton
• Robert Garcia

There are also reports of the DOJ trying to investigate members of Congress for telling the military to obey the law. ABC News reported;

Several Democrats accused by President Donald Trump of "seditious behavior" defended their message to military members that they can refuse illegal order. The president and administration officials suggested the action could be punishable by law.

The video featuring six Democrats who served in the military or in the intelligence community set off more than a dozen social media posts by Trump, who called them "traitors" and said their action could be "punishable by death."

"I think it's important to say that there is nothing more American than standing up for the Constitution, that's what we were doing. President didn't like it, so now he calls for us to be hanged," Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly said on CNN's "The Source with Kaitlan Collins" on Thursday night.

Furthermore, Trump has appointed judges who put their beliefs before the Constitution. The Republicans refused Mitch McConnell/the Senate refused Obama's appointment to fill Justice Antonin Scalia's opening, saying mid-February was too close to the elections. Yet, that didn't stop them from putting Amy Coney Barrett on the bench just days before the 2020 election.

Trump, more than any other president, has weaponized the judiciary. He makes Nixon look like a saint.