#u.s. news

I saw something in the news today that truly took my breath away. If you have been paying attention to U.S. politics over the past few days, you’ve most likely seen this woman:

This is Bishop Mariann Budde, and on Monday (Trump’s inauguration) she led an interfaith prayer for Trump and the incoming administration. During the service she asked him to have mercy for LGBTQ+ Americans and undocumented immigrants. This was badly received by the Trump administration (as expected).

After seeing headlines about this woman, I read something that I wanted to share. In 1998 a man named Matthew Shepard was murdered for being gay. I’m not going to get into the details of his death on this post, but please be warned it is extremely triggering if you do choose to read more on your own. Matthew Shepard’s death caused a lot of change in the U.S. regarding how LGBTQ hate crimes are handled, and laws that were passed to protect LGBTQ+ people.

Now you’re probably wondering what Matthew Shepard has to do with an Episcopal bishop. For years after Matthew Shepard’s murder, his family had held onto his remains, too scared to lay him to rest in fear of his final resting place being vandalized. In 2018, Budde had his remains interred at the National Cathedral, which is also the place where the interfaith prayer for Trump and his administration took place. The impact of this really had an effect on me. Budde could have led a non confrontational prayer service, and chosen not to mention the harm that will come to the people Trump and his administration are going after. Instead she chose to call out hate and fear in front of some of the most powerful people on the planet, and at a place that has such a large historic meaning to the LGBTQ community.

In the next few years there will be many challenges in protecting free speech, standing up against hate, and protecting those in our communities. But I would like to believe that for every Donald Trump and Elon Musk, there are people like Marianne Budde. There are those of us who can’t speak up for themselves, so it’s important for those of us who can to amplify our voices, even if it’s not the ‘popular’ thing to do.

“And he said you should apologize. Will you apologize?

I am not going to apologize for asking for mercy for others.” - Mariann Budde’s response in a Time interview

Link to articles: x x x

Link to the Matthew Shepard Foundation if you would like to donate

I’m glad Caroline Kennedy spoke out about RFK Jr because that man should be nowhere near our healthcare

It’s so weird! It’s as if something, or someone spooked industry. Sometime around mid summer 2024. As if uncertainty was introduced as a possibility for companies contemplating whether they can expand and hire. Strangely, in January of 2025 the numbers just crater! What element of chaos and uncertainty could have been the factor to this MASSIVE slump!? 🤔 It’s perplexing…

This myth that Republicans are better for the economy needs acknowledgment for the absolute fantasy that it is! Numbers don’t lie.

1992: 12 years of Republican control. Recession.

2000: 8 years of Democratic control. Balanced budget; surplus.

2008: 8 years of Republican control. Largest recession since the Great Depression, bank and housing crisis.

2016: 8 years of Democratic control: housing market stabilized, largest middle class economic gains in generations, no inflation, record low unemployment.

2020: 4 years of Republican control. Over 25% national debt increase overall (meaning, a quarter of the all time debt until this newest tax cut for the wealthy in the OBBB. Quarter of the ALL TIME), Stock Market at lowest levels in decades, record high unemployment, rising inflation.

2024: 4 years of Democratic control. 2 years of record highs in stock market, record low unemployment, CHIPS & IRA oversaw decades long record manufacturing jobs increase, inflation from debt increase down from the high 8.9% to 2.4%, dubbed “the envy of the world” for its economic recovery from covid.

Now. Rising inflation, near 1/3 increase in OVERALL national debt from tax cuts for the rich, rising unemployment, one more quarter of economic shrinking it’s officially a recession, over 12,000 manufacturing jobs lost, minimum sweeping 10% tax increases from imported goods upwards of 50% .

Republican fiscal responsibility is more of fairy tale than Mother Goose. The GOP comes in, deregulates everything, cuts wealth and corporate taxes, promotes fraud and corruption, crashes the economy, the working poor, previously the middle class suffers, Dems are forced clean up after them.

Why not just skip the step of wrecking our economic wellbeing and reject Republican control and policies? Look back at the track record over the last 40 years. Save some headache?…

this is making me craaaaazy. listening to this guy who runs the jail going all, yeah it's so nice that ICE is paying us to hold people :) it allows us to keep our beds full :) otherwise we might have to start laying off staff :( or even close :( and this lets us save local taxpayers money :) since we're getting money from the federal government (don't worry about where the federal government's money comes from) and the ICE detainees are so nice and easy :) they don't fight amongst themselves or anything :)

meanwhile we're cutting food assistance benefits lmao.

-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1968

Anyone from Florida wanna confirm this for me

A few days ago I made a post about how the Supreme Court will be hearing a case that could result in conversion therapy becoming legalized/protected. I wanted to expand on it and offer some more info.

The case originates from Colorado. In summary, there is a therapist who is claiming the conversion therapy ban puts limits on free speech and religious freedom. Currently, conversion therapy is outlawed in over 20 states for minors, Colorado included. Since the case involves constitutional free speech, it is going to the Supreme Court.

The therapist, Kaley Chiles, is attempting to claim that because she can’t counsel her patients to not be gay/trans/queer, she is having her free speech limited. The case was already upheld and dismissed in the lower courts, but MAGA supports have been pushing for a while to have it reviewed by the Supreme Court.

The results of the lower courts stated rulings can be summed up here:

“Those courts found that the state was properly regulating conduct, not speech, to protect residents. They determined that any restriction on speech was incidental and that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, being neutral and applicable to everyone, does not unconstitutionally abridge Chiles’ right to freely exercise religion.”

Chiles is also being supported/represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) which is an anti-LGBTQ+ group.

The Supreme Court will hear the case in October 2025, and result is expected to announced in summer 2026.

Sources/further reading: X X X

In case I'm not the last to know, they figured out the source of the cyclospora outbreak:

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned consumers not to eat shredded iceberg lettuce from Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. A record number of cyclospora cases have been reported in more than 30 states, and experts have said not every recent U.S. illness might be caused by a single source.

A Food and Drug Administration investigation identified a single supplier of the lettuce. The federal warnings to consumers did not identify the company, but a federal official who was briefed on the investigation and not authorized to discuss it told The Associated Press it was Taylor Farms of Salinas, California.

Taylor Farms, which has been tied to foodborne outbreaks in the past, did not immediately respond to a request for comment."

Taco Bell has removed the lettuce voluntarily. Read more: