He Has Our Back!

On thing nobody said anything about that I know of because the Republicans focused on "Socialism" but he was also...

Zohran Mamdani will continue 'standing up' for transgender people as New York City mayor

Zohran Mamdani dominated the LGBTQ+ vote in NYC, with 82 percent of the community casting their ballots for him.

The Advocate

By Ryan Adamczeski

November 05 2025

In a rousing victory speech Tuesday night, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani promised to continue defending the rights of transgender people and other marginalized communities targeted by the Trump administration.

"In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light," Mamdani said. "Here, we believe in standing up for those we love, whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall. Your struggle is ours, too."

The 34-year-old Democratic nominee, a self-described Democratic socialist and LGBTQ+ ally, beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in a historic victory after running a grassroots campaign mobilized by young voters. Mamdani won 50.4 percent of the vote, significantly ahead of Cuomo's 41.6 percent.

Trumps hackles raised up... OMG a Black, Muslim, and an immigrant! Trump's worst nightmare! PBS News reported that...

A record number of voters cast ballots Tuesday in the New York City mayor’s race, a generational and ideological contest between a democratic socialist and former governor that will resonate across the nation.

[...]

According to the city’s Board of Elections, nearly 1.75 million voters had cast ballots as of 6 p.m., marking the biggest turnout in a New York mayoral race in at least 30 years. Polls were scheduled to close at 9 p.m.

The turn-out is a very important point, that is what we need to win... the turn-out!

Mini-Post: They Lied!

Okay, raise your hand if you are surprised that the prosecutor lied to the judge, or as the court put it “a factual discrepancy”?

Truth Matters: Court to Rehear Challenge to President’s Use of National Guard Against Protesters After ‘Factual Discrepancy’ Emerges

The Rutherford Institute

October 30, 2025

Following reports that “a factual discrepancy” existed in court filings used to justify President Trump’s use of military troops against civilian protesters, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated a ruling granting the president sweeping discretion to federalize and deploy the National Guard in response to demonstrations at an ICE facility in Portland.

[...]

“When government officials distort the facts to justify using military force against civilians, they betray both the public’s trust and the Constitution they swore to uphold,” said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People. “This is exactly why the Framers stressed the need for a separation of powers that placed limits on executive authority—to guard against overreach and abuse. As Thomas Jefferson warned, ‘In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.’”

Following protests at the Lindquist ICE facility in Portland, the Department of Homeland Security requested military assistance on Sept. 26, 2025, claiming the facility had “come under a coordinated assault by violent groups ... actively aligned with designated domestic terrorist organizations.” Having already labeled such protests “a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government,” President Trump ordered the Defense Secretary to deploy the National Guard under 10 U.S.C. § 12406.

Now we all saw the videos of the people peacefully protesting as the Constitution allows... but the way the prosecutor it sounded like an armed insurrection! And the judge didn't like that!

With hat in hand the federal prosecutor said...

A majority of judges on the Ninth Circuit subsequently voted to vacate that ruling and rehear the case en banc after it was revealed that the Trump administration had submitted an inaccurate figure regarding the number of Federal Protective Services (FPS) officers sent to provide backup in dealing with the protests at the ICE facility. The Ninth Circuit panel used those figures in the reasoning for its earlier decision. The government’s credibility was further undermined when, in a letter to the Ninth Circuit acknowledging factual inaccuracies, federal officials conceded that “a statement was incorrect” in one of its briefs concerning the percentage of FPS inspectors deployed.

Translated from government lawyer speak: "We lied." And worst yet - they did it on purpose!

It Figures, It Is Either Texas Or Florida

This time it is Texas with crosswalks... yup. You guessed it of all the problems in this country rainbow crosswalks are #1

Texas cities grapple with order to remove rainbow crosswalks as state deadline approaches

At the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, state transportation officials told local leaders to remove crosswalk art often used to mark historically LGBTQ+ neighborhoods or risk losing millions in funding.

Texas Tribune

by Ayden Runnels

Nov. 3, 2025

At the intersection of North Main Avenue and West Evergreen Street just north of downtown San Antonio, semi-faded rainbows connect each street corner in place of standard, white crosswalks.

The intersection is located at the center of the city’s “gay strip,” a cluster of blocks long known as a home to San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ residents. City officials designated the area as the “Pride Cultural Heritage District” in June, seven years after the rainbow crosswalk was laid down.

But the colors that pave the four-way intersection may soon be erased, as San Antonio and other Texas cities face a Friday deadline to decide whether to remove their queer-themed crosswalks or lose millions in state funding. The crackdown came at the behest of Gov. Greg Abbott, who directed the Texas Department of Transportation in early October to make sure cities and counties remove roadway art displays that “advance political agendas” and “ideologies,” in the name of enhancing safety by limiting distractions.

The Republicans have developed the art of the "power of the purse strings!" As community have become more dependent upon government subsidies the Republicans are now using it to twist towns, cities, and states to their wrapped thinking.

Advocates and local officials have said the order is not about safety, but is rather a political move designed to strip away emblems commemorating areas with significant LGBTQ+ community or history.

“There’s nothing illegal about this crosswalk,” Pride San Antonio executive James Poindexter said. “There’s nothing political about it. The politics is in [Abbott’s] brain only.”

Everyone knows that it is not a safety issue, no matter what the Republicans say and there is data to back it up!

Studies: Painted, colorful crosswalks can improve safety by slowing down traffic

FDOT claims that pavement murals distract drivers, but studies show they may actually improve safety on the roads.

WTSP

By: Alexa Herrera

August 29, 2025

As Florida cities face deadlines to remove colorful crosswalks and street murals from their neighborhoods, some studies show that the artwork can improve safety.

Under an order from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), cities are facing a Sept. 4 deadline to paint over or remove brightly colored street crossings.

[....]

FDOT claims the pavement murals are a safety concern, saying they distract drivers. But studies show that intersections with the artwork have actually reduced the number of crashes in the area. 

Researchers from Bloomberg Philanthropies analyzed before-and-after data of crash rates at 17 locations, including seven in Florida. They found that intersections with art saw a drop in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists. 

The study said that, on average, those areas experienced a 17.3% reduction in crashes. 

"The results provide evidence to decision-makers that these projects will likely reduce crashes and improve safety for the most vulnerable users on the road," the study read. 

The Downtown St. Petersburg Mobility Study also found that the rainbow intersection at Central Avenue and 5th Street has seen a 73% decrease in crashes since 2016.

It is only the Republicans hatred of us and their desire to wipe out anything LGBTQ+!

Mini-Post: The Potty Police Are Coming To Get You!

They´re coming to take me away!

You know that this was going to happen again back in 2006 I wrote a woman who they accused of being a man in a women's bathroom... Then the guard went to both exits: "It's alright," she said, to others outside the doors, "there's no man."

An the potty police keep on busting women for using the women's bathroom, and the latest!

Cops burst into women’s restroom to remove butch lesbian, accusing her of being a man

“The only men in the women’s restroom were the cops.”

QNation

John Russell (He/Him)

March 7, 2025,

A cisgender woman in Arizona is speaking out after she says she was harassed by cops in the women’s restroom of a Tucson Walmart late last month.

Kalaya Morton, 19, of Phoenix, says she and her ex-girlfriend were using adjacent stalls in the store’s women’s restroom when two male sheriff’s deputies entered.

“They were flashing lights on our feet and saying, ‘You have to get out of here. You have to come out. We need to talk to you,’” Morton told Advocate.

Morton, who identifies as a stud — queer slang for a Black masculine-presenting lesbian — says she believes a store employee who had been eyeing her earlier reported her to the cops believing she was a man. As the Advocate notes, Arizona law does not dictate that people use public restrooms that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth.

In social media videos and in her interview with the outlet, Morton said that when she exited the bathroom stall, she lifted her shirt to prove to the deputies that she was a woman. But, she said, one of the deputies continued to insist she “looked like a man.”

How horrible that she has to go through this s**t because the Trump and the Republicans are stirring hatred against us!

It happened here in Connecticut back in 2016... "Woman mistaken for transgender harassed in Walmart bathroom" And here in Connecticut we can use the bathroom as you identify!

Were Are We Heading.

The Supreme Court is bending over backwards on "Religious Freedom" but where are they heading? Down in Texas might be a glimpse of the future.

Largest gay church pushes back on Texas Supreme Court

Baptist News

By Mark Wingfield

October 29, 2025

The pastor of the world’s largest progressive church with a primary outreach to the LGBTQ community issued a statement blasting a Texas Supreme Court assessment that allows state judges to refuse to conduct same-sex marriages based on religious freedom claims.

“This ruling is nothing less than state-sanctioned discrimination and a betrayal of the fundamental promise of equality under the law,” said Neil Thomas, senior pastor at Cathedral of Hope in Dallas. “This decision gives prejudice a platform and power it does not deserve.

“To deny couples the right to marry because of who they love is an affront to both our Constitution and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us be clear: This is not about religious freedom; it is about institutionalizing bias.”

What happens when two religions butt heads... an affirming church vs. a fire and brimstone church on LGBTQ+? How will the courts rule.

Since then [2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Obergefell v. Hodges], judges and justices of the peace nationwide have been required to be all in on weddings — for heterosexual as well as homosexual couples — or not officiate weddings at all. In Texas, judicial officials are not required to officiate weddings but may choose to do so.

That case eventually made it to the Texas Supreme Court, which now has issued a comment — not a formal ruling — saying Texas judges who decline to perform weddings based on a “sincerely held religious belief” do not violate the state’s rules on judicial impartiality.

It seems like the court has bended over backwards to give preferential treatment to conservative religions. The Texas Tribune wrote,

 The rule change appears to answer a question of state law that the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals posed to the Texas Supreme Court in April, which was prompted by a lawsuit challenging the State Commission on Judicial Conduct’s now-withdrawn sanction of a Waco judge who refused to marry gay couples while continuing to marry straight couples. The plaintiff in that suit, a North Texas county judge, sued saying he was afraid he could face the same punishment.

[...]

The court’s clarification amended Canon 4 of the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits judges from doing things outside their judicial role that would cast doubt on their ability to act impartially or interfere with the proper performance of judicial duties.

Now there is an exception... they can refuse to do their job if is their “sincerely held religious belief” even when it flies in the face of the other people legal rights!

Texas Supreme Court rules that judges can refuse to marry same-sex couples

“It is not a violation of these canons for a judge to publicly refrain from performing a wedding ceremony based upon a sincerely held religious belief,” the Texas Supreme Court ruled.

The Advocate

By Christopher Wiggins

October 29 2025

The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that state judges may decline to perform weddings, including same-sex marriages, based on religious belief. Critics say the move could erode public confidence in the impartiality of the courts and chip away at the practical reach of marriage equality in Texas.

[...]

Josh Rovenger, legal director at GLAD Law, a Boston-based LGBTQ+ legal advocacy group, told The Advocate that while the Texas court’s move is significant, it reflects a broader legal trend rather than a singular break. He noted that in Obergefell and later cases such as Masterpiece Cakeshop and 303 Creative, the U.S. Supreme Court has sought to balance “the dignity of both same-sex couples and individuals with strong religious beliefs.” Those decisions, he said, suggest that the Court has tried to create frameworks in which marriage equality and religious liberty can coexist. From GLAD Law’s perspective, Rovenger noted, the two principles are not inherently incompatible.

Republicans in Texas have gone to great lengths to undo LGBTQ+ rights in the state. Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law in September barring transgender people from using bathrooms in state facilities that are in line with their gender identity. Also in September, a professor was fired, and the president of Texas A&M University resigned amid controversy over curriculum materials on LGBTQ+ topics.

This is a lot more than marriage. This is about "religious freedom" being used to erode other people's rights! 

Editorial: There Is A Difference

[Editorial]

People keep telling me that there’s no difference between Republicans and Democrats — well, I want to point out a glaring difference. Take a look at Texas and California’s efforts at gerrymandering.

Texas:

Trump says, “Give me an edge and gerrymander your districts.”

→ Governor Abbott replies, “Your wish is my command.”

→ The Republican legislature says, “As you wish.”

And just like that, the districts are gerrymandered.

California:

Governor Newsom says, “We need to counter Trump!”

→ The Democratic legislature responds, “That sounds like a good idea — but we’ll let the voters decide on such an important issue.”

→ The voters decide: “Yes, that is a good idea!”

Do you see the difference?

Texas: Top-down political directive!

California: Bottom-up political directive!

Trump response to the election results that don't go his way... According to The Hill;

President Trump on Tuesday threatened legal action over mail-in ballots cast in California, while also slamming the state’s redistricting measure.

“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!”

Typical Trump bravado.

[/Editorial]

The Election

Well, the people have spoken—and they didn’t mumble. They spoke loud and clear!

You can all see the voting results, so I want to talk about the future and what I think these results will lead to.

#1. Trump will get nervous, and we’ll see more efforts to undermine the election process. He’ll claim fraud with mail-in ballots, accuse undocumented immigrants of voting, and call for stricter voter ID laws. He’ll blame everything except the simple fact that voters just don’t like him anymore.

#2. The divide over the government shutdown will deepen. Republicans will dig in their heels and refuse to budge, while Democrats—emboldened by the votes—will also stand firm. I predict the shutdown will last past Thanksgiving.

#3. In Congress, the Republican bloc will start to falter as members realize their “cult leader” has lost his glitter, and the gold leaf is peeling off.

I also foresee more election tampering, gerrymandering, and new voting requirements aimed at minority voters. There will likely be more legal attacks on Democratic Party members, using grand juries to go after them. In short, I see the Republicans panicking.

The Hardened Criminals Are Off The Streets... Or Are They?

Trump is sending the military into cities and he makes wild claims about crime going down -- but has it?

Trump's D.C. takeover has led to more arrests. NPR looks at cases of those swept up

September 5, 2025

NPR News

Ryan Lucas

A little more than three weeks ago, President Trump placed the Washington, D.C., police under federal control and put the National Guard on the city's streets to crush crime and "clean up" the nation's capital.

Although crime in the District of Columbia was already in decline after spiking during the pandemic, the administration has cast the operation, which also includes a surge of federal law enforcement officers, as a major success.

"We've had some incredible results," Trump said last month while visiting law enforcement officers in southeast D.C. "It's like a different place. It's like a different city."

Yeah... it is like they are an occupied city!

Trump, who travels in an armored limousine with a huge security detail, also said: "I feel very safe now."

The White House said on Tuesday that 1,669 people have been arrested since the president's surge of federal officers into the nation's capital began on Aug. 7. A sizable chunk of those arrests are for immigration-related offenses.

The administration has not provided the names or case numbers for any of the individuals who have been arrested or what they've been charged with on an individual basis, despite repeated NPR requests for such information.

No case numbers means only one thing... no arrests! CBS News write,

40% of arrests in D.C. federal crackdown have been immigration-related, data shows

By Camilo Montoya-Galvez, & Nicole Sganga

 October 3, 2025

While President Trump billed the federal law enforcement surge in the nation's capital as an effort to crack down on violent crime, internal government data obtained by CBS News shows nearly 40% of over 3,500 arrests made since the operation began in early August were immigration-related.

The federal government statistics indicate that, as of Sept. 29, federal and local law enforcement officials assigned to the Trump administration's high-profile operation in Washington, D.C., had reported making just over 3,550 arrests.

Nearly 1,400 of those arrests were counted as administrative arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, the federal agency spearheading Mr. Trump's mass deportation campaign. Those arrests involve immigrants ICE seeks to deport because of alleged civil violations of federal immigration law, like entering the U.S. illegally or overstaying a visa. It's unclear how many of those arrested by ICE had criminal histories in addition to their alleged civil immigration violations.

Do they sound like harden criminals? Or do they sound like a bunch of minor infractions?

Agents and officers deployed throughout the capital have also seized over 300 illegal guns and issued roughly 650 misdemeanor citations, plus more than 300 traffic citations, according to the data.

Wow! And how many would the DC police ordinary seized... probably about the same number.

4 takeaways from Trump’s federal law enforcement surge in D.C. as his emergency order expires

PBS News

U.S. President Donald Trump deploys National Guard in Washington

By — Gary Fields, Associated Press

Sep 10, 2025

One month after President Donald Trump’s law enforcement surge in the nation’s capital, there may be less crime. There are fewer guns on the streets and fewer homeless encampments, according to official figures. But for some who work or live in Washington, D.C., the operation has sparked fear and prompted a change in how they see their place in the United States — and how they think the United States sees them.

[...]

Crime appears to have gone down. But it was already falling

The president has lauded his surge as a resounding success. But reality is less clear cut.

According to data released by the White House, there have been more than 2,100 arrests from August 7, when federal law enforcement began their deployment, through September 8.

The White House says those include 20 suspected gang members, including several from the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua groups. In addition, 222 firearms have been seized and 50 homeless encampments dismantled, according to the White House.

And they are proud that they 50 homeless encampments dismantled?

D.C.’s mayor caught between Trump and her voters

Mayor Muriel Bowser has mostly avoided the kind of biting rhetoric and personal attacks against the president that has been typical of other high-profile Democratic leaders.

Instead, she cooperated with the administration’s efforts, including having MPD officers work more closely with federal immigration agents, as Trump has demanded.

[...]

The nation’s capital is taking stock of its future

If, as anticipated, the emergency is not extended by Congress, the MPD will no longer be under the president’s authority and participating in federal operations, like immigration roundups.

[...]

The surge may have damaged community relationships

The takeover, with uniformed and armed Guardsmen patrolling Metro stations, tourist sites and neighborhoods, unnerved many residents. In one storied D.C. neighborhood with a traditionally high crime rate, residents felt they wanted more law enforcement, but not the kind Trump had deployed, especially as it came with the use of masked ICE officers taking people into custody.

This whole thing is nothing more than a publicity stunt by Trump to stir up unrest so he can use even more troops! 

Good Luck!

On this Election Day, we have been winning seats in legislatures that show we are not the “evil” or “monsters” that Trump and the Republicans paint us to be!

Transgender candidate announces for Shelby County Commission

Tech consultant Lena Chipman is first trans candidate to run in Shelby County

Tennessee Lookout

By: J. Holly McCall

November 3, 2025

Technology consultant Lena Chipman will attempt to become the second transgender person elected to local office in Tennessee and first in Memphis.

Chipman announced her candidacy for the Shelby County Commission Thursday. 

If Chipman wins, she will join Nashville Metro Council Member Olivia Hill as the only other transgender elected official in the state. 

“Representation is really important,” Chipman said. “One of the things I’ve tried to do is to show up and show that trans people are just like everybody else: I’m a wife, a mom, I’m a tech entrepreneur.”

More and more trans people have been running for public office... and winning!

The number of transgender women in public office in the U.S. did not increase between May 2024 and June 2025, while the number of trans men in office increased by one, according to a report from the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. 

We all know the big names like Danica Roem and Sarah McBride but there are a growing number of trans candidates winning office!

But there are also, here are some who I could find:

• Olivia Hill — Nashville Metro Council, Tennessee
• Jennifer Williams — Trenton City Council, New Jersey
• Clare Killman — Carbondale City Council, Illinois
• Stephe Koontz — Doraville City Council, Georgia
• Gerri Cannon — New Hampshire House of Representatives
• Taylor Small — Vermont House of Representatives (2021-2025)
• Zooey Zephyr — Montana House of Representatives (2023-)
• Wick Thomas — Missouri House of Representatives (elected Nov 2024, term starts Jan 2025)
• Aime Wichtendahl — Iowa House of Representatives (2025-)

If you are seriously thinking about running for office you should consider consider contacting Emily's List, they;

At EMILYs List, we work to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities.

My second recommendation is to attend the Campaign School for Social Workers. (It’s not just for social workers — it’s open to everyone!) I attended, and I learned a lot about running a political campaign. That’s also where I first heard about EMILY’s List. The presenters were incredibly supportive — they even sat down with me during a break to encourage me to run for office. They are very pro-trans!

Other places to get help in running a campaign that are LGBTQ specific:

• LGBTQ+ Victory Institute “Candidate & Campaign Trainings”
• A4 TransEquality “Political Candidate One-on-One Coaching Program”
• LGBT Network “Candidate Training Academy”

If you are seriously thinking about running for office in the 2026 elections, now is the time to start planning! I strongly encourage you to take some training. Running for office isn’t just about “throwing your hat in the ring” — it’s about fundraising, managing a campaign, organizing an office, and public speaking.

You’ll learn all of this (and more) in these training programs — and you’ll meet people who believe in you.

Mini-Post: The Best Government Money Can Buy!

For Sale

At a reasonable price

Inquire within

Is that the sign on the White House?

Trump pardons convicted Binance founder 'CZ' Zhao 

Reuters

By Gram Slattery and Chris Prentice

October 23, 2025

Summary

• Offers full and unconditional pardon to Zhao
• Binance founder served time in prison last year
• Latest in series of pardons for convicted crypto executives

U.S. President Donald Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the convicted founder of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, the White House said Thursday, in the latest move by Trump to boost the crypto industry and expunge its past misdeeds.

Zhao, a billionaire known as "CZ" who is one of the most influential figures in crypto, quit in 2023 as Binance chief after the company pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program and paid a penalty of $4.3 billion.

[...]

Since he returned to office, Trump's family has reaped millions of dollars from a variety of crypto ventures - moves criticized by political rivals and ethics experts citing the potential for conflicts of interest. The White House has denied those claims and on Thursday Leavitt said it carefully examined all pardons.

You hear the sound of cash registers makes: “cha-ching!"

Thank You Donald For The Inflation...

Four AIs Four Different Answers On The Cause If Gender Dysphoria

I asked four AIs for their answers, so what answer do you like? Are they that different? Do you see any bias?

What has research shown so far is the cause of gender dysphoria?

Gemini:

Research strongly suggests that the cause of gender dysphoria is multifactorial, arising from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. No single cause has been definitively identified.

🧬 Biological Factors

Research has provided growing evidence for a biological basis, suggesting that gender identity, and its incongruence in gender dysphoria, is tied to physical differences in the brain and prenatal development.

    • Brain Structure and Function: Some studies using neuroimaging have found that certain brain structures in transgender individuals may be more similar to those of their identified gender than their sex assigned at birth. Specifically, regions of the hypothalamus and other areas related to sex differentiation, body perception, and anxiety have been observed to differ from cisgender controls.

    • Genetics: Studies on identical twins show a higher concordance rate for gender dysphoria compared to non-identical twins, suggesting a heritable component. While no single gene has been found, it is considered a complex, polygenic trait—meaning multiple genes, each with a small effect, contribute.

    • Prenatal Hormones: One hypothesis is that atypical exposure to sex hormones (like androgens) during critical stages of fetal development can lead to a mismatch between the sexual differentiation of the genitals and the brain. The brain's differentiation occurs at a different time than the genitals, potentially explaining the incongruence.

    • Intersex Conditions: Individuals born with certain intersex conditions (Differences in Sex Development, or DSDs) such as Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome, where genetic sex and physical appearance are mismatched, have a higher prevalence of gender dysphoria, providing a clear link between biology and gender identity.

🧠 Psychosocial Factors

Psychological and social environments are not considered the primary cause of gender dysphoria but can significantly influence its presentation, severity, and associated mental health outcomes.

    • Childhood Experiences: While older theories focused on parenting or trauma as the direct cause, which is now largely unsubstantiated as the primary driver, studies show that childhood trauma, abuse, or neglect may be associated with worse mental health in individuals with gender dysphoria.

    • Gender Minority Stress: The distress associated with gender dysphoria is exacerbated by societal prejudice, discrimination, rejection, and a lack of acceptance. This concept, known as gender minority stress, is strongly linked to the higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation observed in transgender and gender-diverse populations.

In summary, current research points to gender dysphoria stemming from innate, biological factors—likely involving brain development influenced by genetics and hormones—while the distress (the "dysphoria") is significantly impacted by the individual's psychological experiences and the social environment.

Would you like to know more about the specific brain regions that researchers have identified as potentially differing in transgender individuals

Perplexity:

Research indicates that the cause of gender dysphoria is complex and not fully understood, involving a combination of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Biological Factors

    • Genetic influences are suggested by family and twin studies, showing higher prevalence in monozygotic twins and associations with certain gene variants related to sex hormone processing (e.g., CYP17 alleles and others). A recent large genetic study identified specific gene variations involved in estrogen and androgen signaling pathways overrepresented in transgender individuals, supporting a biological basis.​

    • Prenatal hormone exposure, particularly atypical levels of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen, may affect brain development and influence gender identity, contributing to discordance between assigned sex and experienced gender.​

    • Neuroanatomical differences, such as variations in hypothalamic development, brain hemispheric ratios, and amygdala connectivity, have been observed in some studies between transgender and cisgender individuals, indicating brain structure/function may underpin gender dysphoria.​

    • Associations with certain medical conditions involving hormone sensitivity or production (e.g., androgen insensitivity syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia) also provide biological insight.​

Psychological and Social Factors

    • Early childhood experiences, family dynamics, societal gender expectations, and psychological development play crucial roles in shaping gender identity and the distress associated with gender dysphoria. Childhood abuse or neglect has been linked to higher rates of gender dysphoria, although not as a sole cause.​

    • Psychological theories emphasize the misalignment between self-concept and societal gender roles, as well as trauma and emotional development, as contributing to the experience of gender dysphoria.​

    • Social acceptance and support systems are critical in influencing mental health outcomes for individuals with gender dysphoria.​

Summary

Gender dysphoria likely stems from an interplay of genetic, hormonal (prenatal and postnatal), neuroanatomical, psychological, and social factors. This multifactorial understanding reflects that no single cause explains gender dysphoria fully but rather a complex biopsychosocial model prevails. Ongoing research continues to explore these dimensions to better understand and support affected individuals.

ChatGPT:

Research to date suggests that the causes of Gender Dysphoria (GD)—the distress some people experience when their gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth—are complex, multifactorial, and not yet fully understood. Here’s a summary of what the evidence shows so far, along with caveats:

Key findings from research

    1. Biological / neuro‑developmental factors

        ◦ There is evidence of structural and functional brain differences in people with GD, including studies pointing to altered connectivity in networks involved in body‐ownership, social behaviour and distress. ScienceDaily+2NCBI+2

        ◦ Twin and genetic research suggest a heritable component. For example, one review found that in twin pairs diagnosed with gender identity disorder, monozygotic twins showed higher concordance than dizygotic twins. Vaia+2NCBI+2

        ◦ Prenatal hormone exposure and intersex conditions provide some clues: e.g., in conditions like Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome or Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, hormone action on the brain may diverge from the typical pattern of sex/gender development. NCBI+1

        ◦ Environment‐exposure studies suggest potential role for endocrine disruptors (e.g., phthalates) affecting fetal hormone levels. NCBI+1

    2. Psychosocial and environmental factors

        ◦ Some research links higher rates of childhood trauma, abuse, neglect, or parental/relational factors with GD. NCBI+1

        ◦ Cultural and social factors, including how gender identity is expressed, supported, or opposed in the environment, may influence the development (or expression) of GD. Many authors emphasise the “biopsychosocial” framework. EBSCO+1

    3. Developmental timing and heterogeneity

        ◦ Onset of GD can vary: in some individuals it appears in early childhood, in others around puberty or adulthood. Psychology Today+1

        ◦ Because of this variation, it’s likely that GD is not caused by a single mechanism but rather multiple pathways (biological + environmental) interacting. EBSCO+1

    4. What research does not show

        ◦ No definitive “cause” has been established: major health‑authorities (e.g., National Health Service (NHS) in the UK) state that the exact cause remains unclear. nhs.uk+2nidirect+2

        ◦ Being transgender (i.e., having a gender identity different from assigned sex) is not the same as gender dysphoria (which includes distress). The presence of distress is key.

        ◦ The presence of mental‑health conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, depression) often co‑occur with GD but are not necessarily causal. Some studies find correlation but not clear direction of effect. WebMD+1

Summary interpretation

Putting it all together:

    • The evidence suggests a strong biological component (genes, hormones, brain development) to gender identity and to the distress of GD.

    • But biology alone doesn’t fully explain it. Social, cultural, psychological and developmental contexts matter too.

    • Because of the many interacting factors, individuals will differ in how and why GD develops—for example, for some the dominant influence may be neurodevelopmental, for others psychosocial.

    • Importantly: the state of the evidence means we cannot claim with certainty “this is the cause” of GD in all or even most cases.

Implications & caveats

    • Clinically: Understanding GD as multi‑causal helps emphasise that care should be comprehensive (biological, psychological, social).

    • Research wise: More high‑quality longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed (especially disentangling cause vs consequence).

    • Ethically: Since cause is not fully known, it’s important to avoid oversimplified or deterministic narratives that might stigmatise or reduce the lived experience of people with GD.

Co-Pilot:

Research suggests that gender dysphoria arises from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors—but no single cause has been identified.

🧬 Biological and Genetic Influences

    • Hormonal exposure in the womb may affect brain development in ways that influence gender identity. Some studies suggest that variations in prenatal androgen levels could play a role.

    • Genetic factors may contribute, as twin studies show higher concordance rates of gender dysphoria among identical twins compared to fraternal twins.

    • Brain structure and function: Neuroimaging studies have found differences in certain brain regions of transgender individuals that align more closely with their experienced gender than their assigned sex at birth.

🧠 Psychological and Developmental Factors

    • Gender dysphoria is defined by the distress that arises from a mismatch between one’s gender identity and assigned sex—not the identity itself.

    • It can emerge in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood, and may fluctuate over time.

    • Some individuals experience dysphoria only during puberty, while others may have lifelong discomfort with their assigned gender.

🌍 Social and Environmental Influences

    • Family dynamics, cultural norms, and societal expectations can shape how gender identity is expressed and experienced.

    • Minority stress—the chronic stress faced by transgender and gender-diverse individuals due to discrimination and stigma—can intensify feelings of dysphoria.

⚠️ Important Clarifications

    • Gender dysphoria is not caused by parenting style or social contagion.

    • Not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and not all people with gender dysphoria identify as transgender.

    • The diagnosis exists to help individuals access affirming care and support, not to pathologize gender diversity

Grok:

Research on the cause of gender dysphoria is complex and not fully conclusive, but it points to a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, studies suggest differences in brain structure and function in individuals with gender dysphoria, particularly in areas related to sex differentiation and body perception. For instance, some research indicates that transgender individuals may have brain patterns more aligned with their identified gender than their assigned sex at birth, potentially due to prenatal hormone exposure. Genetic factors, like variations in hormone receptor genes, are also being explored but lack definitive evidence.

Psychologically, gender dysphoria often involves a persistent distress from a mismatch between one’s gender identity and physical body, which can be influenced by individual temperament or mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, though these are not considered direct causes. Socially, cultural expectations and stigma around gender nonconformity can exacerbate feelings of dysphoria, but they’re not seen as primary drivers.

No single cause has been pinpointed, and much of the research emphasizes an interplay of these factors. Studies are ongoing, with some debate over methodology and interpretation, particularly around the role of social influences versus innate biological mechanisms. If you want, I can dig into specific studies or newer findings on X or the web for more detail.

So what answer do you like? Are they that different? Do you see any bias?

Just Listen To The Words He Uses!

Last night on 60 Minutes they had interview with Trump. The part that caught my attention was in the interview Norah O'Donnell where she asked,

NORAH O'DONNELL: --and you succeeded on that. Illegal crossings at the Southern border are at a 55-year low. Want to ask you about this. More recently, Americans have been watching videos of ICE tackling a young mother, tear gas being used in a Chicago residential neighborhood, and the smashing of car windows. Have some of these raids gone too far?

But Trump reply was what I caught my attention...

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No. I think they haven't gone far enough because we've been held back by the-- by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama. We've been held--

NORAH O'DONNELL: You're okay with those tactics?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, because you have to get the people out. You know, you have to look at the people. Many of them are murderers. Many of them are people that were thrown outta their countries because they were, you know, criminals. Many of them are people from jails and prisons. Many of them are people from frankly mental institutions. I feel badly about that, but they're released from insane asylums. You know why? Because they're killers.

So Donald... you think a 64 year old US citizen grandmother is a terrorist? You think it is okay to throw flash-bang's into an apartment, drag people outside in their bedclothes, and tie-wrapped? Because that is what your goons are doing. In short: Trump has publicly okayed the aggressive tactics by ICE—tactics such as forceful entry, taking down individuals physically, using tear gas in residential areas, using flash-bangs, smashing vehicles, and deploying broader enforcement resources—and he believes such operations need to go further. Detaining U.S. citizens without cause. He thinks that ICE is being restrained! If this is being restrained I hate to see them when they are not!

Let Them Eat Cake II

Yesterday I wrote about Trump Halloween bash well now one of Trump cronies used a government jet to woo his girl friend.

Kash Patel lashes out at reports he used a government jet to watch his girlfriend sing: ‘She is a rock-solid conservative’

Patel has reportedly become so incensed by media stories about the incident that he has ousted a senior FBI official

The Independent 

Rhian Lubin

02 November 2025

FBI Director Kash Patel has hit back at the “beyond pathetic” reports that he used a government jet to see his girlfriend perform at a wrestling event, claiming they were an attempt to smear his “rock-solid conservative” partner.

Last week, it emerged that Patel, 45, went to see his girlfriend, 26-year-old country music singer Alexis Wilkins, perform at the Real American Freestyle event at Pennsylvania State University.

Patel has reportedly become so incensed by media stories about the incident that he ousted a senior FBI official who had been at the agency for 27 years, according to Bloomberg Law.

I like to remind everyone... the government is in shut down. People food stamps have been cut and he jests around the country with his girl friend!!!!

Talk about the arrogance of the Republican party! They are living high off the hog, many of Trump top advisors. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller are among those who have relocated to the limited military residences, such as Fort McNair and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Many of the military had to move out in order to make room for the politicians.

Translation: RHIP and sh*t flows down hill.

Mini-Post: So Let Me Get This Straight!

Trump wants to "come to the rescue" of the Christians in Nigeria! What about to the rescue of Muslims? What about the violence against mosques here in the U,S.?

Trump threatens to halt all US aid, conduct 'vicious' military attack in Nigeria over Christian persecution

President Trump orders Department of War to prepare for possible action if Nigerian government doesn't stop religious persecution

Alexandra Koch By Alexandra Koch Fox News

November 1, 2025

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced the U.S. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria if its government continues to allow the killing of Christians, and may even go into the country "guns-a-blazing" to "completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists" responsible.

"I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!"

The post comes after the president on Friday designated Nigeria as a "country of particular concern," citing the widespread killings of Christians.

But the real facts as opposed to Trump's facts

But Trump totally ignores the Christian on Muslim violence! PBS News reports that,

Nigeria’s population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.

Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.

While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.

Hey wait! What! What was that? "... the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims ..." Trump never said anything about that! That sure does seem like a touch of Islamophobia to me! And that he is playing to his evangelical Christian base.

Whoa... This Is Spot On!

I came across this in a news feed and it is spot on, it is an article on the The Rutherford Institute website...

Trump’s Everywhere War: An Insurrection Against the Constitution

By John & Nisha Whitehead

October 07, 2025

“When they came in the middle of the night, they terrorized the families that were living there. There were children who were without clothing, they were zip tied, taken outside at 3 o'clock in the morning. A senior resident, an American citizen with no warrants, was taken outside and handcuffed for three hours. Doors were blown off their hinges, walls were broken through, immigration agents coming from Black Hawk helicopters ... This is America.”—Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

When the government can label anyone or anything an enemy in order to wage war, we are all in danger.

That danger is no longer theoretical.

That's so true! He wants to label us trans people terrorists for demanding our rights! They put a poison pill in the amendment that they want to break the shutdown with, and we are it.

In the same breath that the administration touts lethal military strikes against Venezuelan boats in Caribbean waters, federal agents are conducting coordinated militarized raids on homes in Chicago, rappelling down on apartment buildings from Black Hawk helicopters, dragging families out of their homes, separating children from their parents, and using zip ties to immobilize them—even citizens.

The message—spoken and unspoken—is that the government is on a war footing everywhere: abroad, at sea, and now at our front doors.

This “everywhere war” depends on a simple redefinition: call it a war, and the target becomes a combatant. Call the city a battlespace, and its residents become suspects.

What the White House is doing overseas to vessels it deems part of a terrorist network (without any credible proof or due process), it is now mimicking at home with door-kicking raids, mass surveillance, and ideological watchlists.

Where have we seen this before? Gee I don't know? Maybe in Boston in 1770?

You know when the King used troops against protesters in Boston.

When merely looking a certain way or talking a certain way or voting a certain way is enough to get you singled out and subjected to dehumanizing, cruel treatment by government agents, we are all in danger.

When the president of the United States and his agents threaten to “intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country”—i.e., those who don’t comply with the government’s demands, we are all in danger.

When the police state has a growing list of innocuous terms and behaviors that are suspicious enough to classify someone a terrorist, we are all in danger.

Trump is using ICE as his stormtroopers. As his Brownshirts.

With NSPM-7, the Trump White House is not merely amplifying surveillance power—it is institutionalizing a regime in which thought, dissent, and ideological posture become the raw material for domestic investigations and suppression.

Make no mistake: this is an unprecedented escalation in the government’s war on privacy, dissent, and constitutional limits.

This is what his good friend Putin does and does Putin whispers sweat nothings in Trump's ear?

Joseph McCarthy branded critics as Communist infiltrators. Donald Trump brands enemies as “combatants.”

The mechanism is the same: redefine dissent as treachery, then prosecute it under extraordinary powers.

For those old enough to have lived through the McCarthy era, there is a whiff of something in the air that reeks of the heightened paranoia, finger-pointing, fear-mongering, totalitarian tactics that were hallmarks of the 1950s.

Back then, it was the government—spearheaded by Senator McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee—working in tandem with private corporations and individuals to blacklist Americans suspected of being communist sympathizers.

Now it is us... the trans community that Trump is targeting! McCarthy also lead the Lavender Scare that attacked us. LGBTQ+ people were fired, were barred from government jobs, banned form teaching! We need another Joseph Welch's  “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?” moment!

We keep it by demanding congressional oversight with teeth, courts that enforce first principles, and communities that resist fear when fear is used to rule.

In closing, Judge Young quoted Ronald Reagan’s warning, issued in 1967: “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation  away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.”

Reagan’s words would be flagged under NSPM-7, but it doesn’t change the challenge.

Mini-Post: I Couldn't Have Said It Better

Harrison Ford said...

Harrison Ford blasts Trump as 'world goes to hell': 'I don't know of a greater criminal in history'

The actor offered a scathing assessment of the president, calling out his "hubris," "lies," and "perfidy" and saying his climate policies "scare the s--- out of me."

Entertainment

By Wesley Stenzel

October 31, 2025

Former president Thunderbolt Ross is hulking out at the Trump administration.

Harrison Ford has criticized Donald Trump, slamming the politician's climate policies and announcing that the world is going "to hell" due to the current administration's "hubris" and "lies."

"[He] doesn't have any policies, he has whims," Ford said in a new interview with The Guardian. "It scares the s--- out of me. The ignorance, the hubris, the lies, the perfidy."

He added that Trump "knows better" but "he's an instrument of the status quo and he's making money, hand over fist, while the world goes to hell in a handbasket."

He concluded his scathing assessment with his strongest indictment. "It's unbelievable," he said. "I don't know of a greater criminal in history."

Bingo!

I Think This Is So True!

Growing up I was constantly in the woods, on three sides of where I grew were woods and pastures and cow patties.

How a radical experiment to bring a forest into a preschool transformed children’s health

In Finland, kindergartens are exposing children to more mud, wild plants and moss - and finding changes to their health that show how crucial biodiversity is to wellbeing

The Guardian

29 Oct 2025

Aurora Nikula, 5, is having a normal day at her nursery. She is making a cake out of sand and mud, adding in make-believe carrots, potatoes and meat. “It’s overcooked,” she says as she splashes water in, then adds another dollop of sand. “More sugar, it tastes better,” she says. A handful of mud goes in, and the dish evolves into a chocolate cake.

Aki Sinkkonen, a principal scientist with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, is watching. He’s also very interested in Aurora’s cake, but for different reasons. “Perfect,” he says, admiring the way she is mixing soil, sand and leaves and then putting it on her face. “She’s really getting her hands in it.”

[...]

We already know that access to the outdoors is important for children and their development. But this study goes one step further. It is part of a growing body of research linking two layers of biodiversity. There is the outer layer – the more familiar vision of biodiversity, made up of soil, water, plants, animals and microbial life, that lives in the forest, playground (or any other environment). And then there is the inner layer: the biodiversity that lives within and upon the human body, including the gut, skin and airways.

Increasingly, scientists are learning that our health is intimately linked to our surroundings, and to the ecological health of the world around us. The first 1,000 days of human life – when the brain and body are most rapidly developing – are considered particularly crucial.

You all have seen ads for cleaning produces... kills 99% of the germs! The ads have created a fear of germs or mysophobia. We probably all know someone who carries around bleach wipes! Kill those germs!

While at the same time there is a rise in allergies! What did the researchers find?

A year later, it found children playing in the green kindergartens had less disease-causing bacteria – such as Streptococcus – on their skin, and stronger immune defences. Their gut microbiota showed reduced levels of Clostridium bacteria – associated with inflammatory bowel disease, colitis and infections such as sepsis and botulism. Within 28 days it found an increase in cells in the blood – called T regulatory cells – that protect the body from autoimmune diseases. Other research showed that in just two weeks children’s immune system regulation could be improved by playing in a sandpit enriched with garden soil.

Now look at this...

Peanut Allergy Rates Plummet 10 Years After AAP Early Introduction Guidelines

New data show peanut allergy rates have dropped sharply since early introduction guidelines, reducing 27% and 43% after the 2015 and 2017 guidelines, respectively.

Author(s)Stanislaw J. Gabryszewski, MD, PhD, Ruchi Gupta, MD, MPH, Vivian P Hernandez-Trujillo, MD

HCPLive®

October 30, 2025

New data show a sharp decline in peanut and food allergy prevalence, but experts say the real work is just beginning.

A decade after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed early peanut introduction, new real-world data suggest those recommendations are paying off.

A study led by David Hill, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed data from more than 85,000 children across nearly 50 pediatric practices and found a 27% drop in peanut allergies following the 2015 early introduction guidelines (P <.0001), along with a 43% decrease after the 2017 addendum (P <.0001). Rates of any IgE-mediated food allergy also fell by more than a third, offering promise for food allergy prevention.

The findings, published in Pediatrics, provide the first large-scale evidence that national policy changes inspired by the landmark LEAP trial have translated into measurable real-world benefits. The LEAP study, published in 2015, demonstrated that infants who were introduced to peanuts early and kept them in their diet were significantly less likely to develop a peanut allergy later in life.

How many time have you heard parents say that they are not allowing their children to eat peanuts because they don't want there to get a peanut allergy... the exact opposite of what they should be doing!

Throw the kids outside! Let them play out in the dirt, let them drink from the garden hose, and let them use their imagination! 

Let Them Eat Cake!

At Trump's Halloween Party!

What this reminds me of is King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette saying to the peasants and rabble "Let then eat cake!" while they partied away.

How arrogant is this? While people are starving Trump flies down to Mar-A-Lago (At our expense) for a Halloween Party!

Trump hosted 'Great Gatsby' Halloween party hours before SNAP funding lapsed

Democrats slammed the event held as millions lose food benefits.

ABC News

ByFritz Farrow and Ivan Pereira

November 1, 2025

President Donald Trump has come under fire after he hosted a "Great Gatsby"-themed Halloween party just hours before millions of Americans lost their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The Friday night fête at Mar-a-Lago was themed "A little party never killed nobody,” according to the White House, referencing the song from the 2013 film adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

Of all the insensitivity, having the Halloween "Great Gatsby"-themed party is slap in the face to all the struggling people out there! Completely out of touch with the voters... how many millions is spending to go to a Halloween party and golfing the next day!

Guests were seen wearing 1920s attire and there were hosts in flapper attire greeting the invitees, which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, and their husbands, Jared Kushner and Michael Boulos.

The new French Court. Is he totally ignorant of the optics... or is that the optics he wants to prevail? The Democrats said...

"Last night, Trump made it even clearer that he doesn’t give a damn about anyone but himself and his wealthy friends," he said in a statement.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy reshared a photo from the party on his social media and commented, "The way he rubs his inhumanity in Americans' face never ceases to stun me."

And the White House replied, the equivalent of "Let Them Eat Cake"...

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly dismissed the critics, arguing in a statement Saturday, "These Democrats are full of it."

While Americans are literally going hungry, Trump’s tearing down the East Wing to build a new White House ballroom — then jetting off to Mar-a-Lago to a Halloween party. The rich dine under chandeliers while families lose food stamps. Versailles had its gold halls; we’ve got marble floors and empty pantries. “Let them eat cake”? No — let them starve, it seems.

The Daily Beast reported;

Images from the Great Gatsby-themed soirée show the president beaming and speaking with top members of his administration, political allies, celebrities, and loyal MAGA supporters, all decked out in elaborate Jazz Age costumes and surrounded by Prohibition-era decor.

One clip, posted to X by right-wing “monitoring” account PatriotTakes, features burlesque dancers suggestively fluttering feather fans among a sea of guests under the glare of bright neon banners.

[...]

A further clip, uploaded to X by MeidasTouch, shows the president grinning and chatting happily with fellow diners at his table as waiters dart about under 1920s chandeliers holding trays of exotic cocktails.

[...]

In photos screenshotted from Instagram stories and reposted to the PatriotTakes X account, one woman dressed in showgirl attire can be seen sitting inside a giant champagne glass.

Now we know where Trump got his idea for a Grand Ballroom!

AP News writes...

SNAP benefits cut off during shutdown, driving long lines at food pantries

By  SUSAN HAIGH and DYLAN LOVAN

November 1, 2025

People across the country formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways Saturday, after monthly benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were suddenly cut off because of the ongoing government shutdown.

In the New York borough of the Bronx, about 200 more people than usual showed up at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International pantry, many bundled in winter hats and coats and pushing collapsible shopping carts as they waited in a line that spanned multiple city blocks. Some arrived as early as 4 a.m. to choose from pallets of fruits, vegetables, bread, milk, juice, dry goods and prepared sandwiches.

Mary Martin, who volunteers at the pantry, also relies on it regularly for food to supplement her SNAP payments. She said she usually splits her roughly $200 a month in SNAP benefits between herself and her two adult sons, one of whom has six children and is especially dependent on the assistance.

People wait in line for free food at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International
food pantry in the Bronx borough of New York on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. AP News

---

"Welcome to the world of champagne wishes and caviar dreams."

Now we know where Trump got his idea for the ballroom... Peter's the Great... house!

---

Update: 11/04 @ 1AM

I just came across this article in Salon,

President Donald Trump hosted a “Great Gatsby” themed party for Halloween, complete with tuxedos, flapper dresses, jazz covers and cocktails that evoked the opulence of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Roaring Twenties. Glittering lights, champagne towers and carefully curated period decor created an atmosphere of celebration and indulgence. According to the Associated Press, the official theme of “A little party never killed nobody,” which is a reference to a song from the 2013 film adaptation.

The timing added an unintended layer of irony. The party took place the night before many SNAP recipients experienced lapses in benefits, the federal program relied upon by millions of Americans to buy groceries. Images of gleaming tables and dancing guests circulated widely, a striking contrast to the very real struggles some Americans faced the following day.

Observers noted echoes of Fitzgerald’s novel in the scene: a world obsessed with appearances, where glitter and spectacle mask the emptiness beneath. The Gatsby motif — a glittering party meant to dazzle, distract and impress — played out in real life as guests toasted while federal benefits quietly lapsed.

It was like... 

“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, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Saturday 9: Angie Baby

Saturday 9: Angie Baby (1974)

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

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it here.

 

1) This week's song is a spooky one about a young man who breaks into the bedroom of a troubled girl named Angie. Their encounter doesn't go well and he's never seen again. Though there's been gossip, no one knows for sure what happened to him. Does your town have any scary legends that have been passed down through the decades?

The Leather Man. He went though our town on his circuit, the town historical society gave a lecture on him at the senior center. When I was a teenager we used to hike the mountain and I visited his cave.

2) Songwriter Alan O'Day said he drew upon aspects of his own childhood to come up with "Angie Baby." He was an only child who often stayed home sick from school, with only Top 40 radio for company. What do you recall when you think about sick days as a kid?  

 I hated them because you really had to be sick and that was no fun.

3) Helen Reddy said she enjoyed hearing what her fans thought happened in "Angie Baby." Can you think of another song that is open to interpretation?

 "Ode to Billie Joe"  What really was thrown off the Tallahatchie Bridge?

 

4) When Helen and her husband/manager Jeff Wald heard "Angie Baby" the first time, they immediately agreed she should record it. She went into the studio that afternoon and in less than 10 days, disc jockeys were playing it and "Angie Baby" became an international hit. When were you glad you acted on impulse?

I am very thoughtful, being retired I have nothing but thought.

Questions inspired by Halloween .... 

5) Though best known as a recording artist, Helen Reddy also acted on occasion and appeared as a singing nun in Airport 1975. A nun's habit is a popular Halloween costume. Will you/did you dress up this year?

No. But the pot store’s employees were.

6) In 2024, more Americans than ever dressed their dogs up for Halloween. Have you ever taken your pup with you trick-or-treating?

Probably in my youth.

7) According to the Guinness Book of Records, the award for highest number of jack-o-lanterns in one place went to Keene, NH, where in 2013 there were 30,581. Did you carve a pumpkin for Halloween this year?

No, but I seen the Keene NH display. Not that one but rather back around the turn of the century, we had a cottage that you had passed through so I drove by it.

8) In years gone by, the Irish celebrated Halloween not with pumpkins but by carving turnips, potatoes and beets. Are any of those foods in your kitchen right now?

Potatoes.

 

9) Some Elvis fans insist his ghost hovers in the trees over Graceland. Have you ever seen a ghost?

No but when I had pneumonia I was hallucinating people walking up and down the hallway in the house, they were like ghosts. That was when I thought… Get ye to a doctor.

 

---

 

I played around with the photos from last week... 

 

 

Life On A Sand Bar

Well, all good things must come to an end. I’m heading home on Sunday, coming back on Wednesday or Thursday to close up the cottage for the winter. I’ve got construction jobs scheduled over the winter.

The leaves have finally changed from green to brown — that’s it, no color. The pines are still green, and all the oaks are brown. Here on the Cape, we’re just about the last place for the leaves to change. Being sixty miles out in the Atlantic, with the water temperature around 56°, the ocean moderates everything — cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

I’m one of the last ones to close up. On my list of things to do when I come up next week is to find a place that will clean the cottage.

It’s pretty dead out here now. In P’town, it was Round Up Week, and I think that’s the last of the “Weeks.” October starts off with Women’s Week; then most of the bars close down, and the baton is passed over to us — the trans folk. The month ends with Round Up Week.

And now… you can’t even find a decent place to get a milkshake (well, technically it’s a frappe) anymore. For pizza, it’s a trip down to Eastham to the Red Barn — I think they’re one of the few spots still open through the winter.

I saw the sun for about half an hour yesterday, and that was the first time in five days — five days of overcast, drizzly weather, with the wind blowing constantly, morning, noon, and night!

Well, it’s about time to make that call to the Red Barn for a pizza.