Irene Stewart

Trump’s goal last night was distraction—because he knows he has failed to deliver for Americans. While I’ve been working to lower costs for families, he + his flunkies are trying to rip that help away. They’d rather punish those of us doing the work than actually serve the people. We won’t let them

Five Failures in the Oval Office (video) America hurt itself badly today.

Here I react to the shameful behavior of American leaders and media toward the Ukrainian president. No doubt there were more, but I saw five failures on our side: of hospitality, decency, democracy, strategy, and independence. Please watch and share.
snyder.substack.com/p/five-failu...

Garden cleanup (remove fall leaves and winter weeds), makes spring gardening so much easier

Analysis: Trump’s 13 biggest lies of his first month back in office | CNN Politics In speeches, interviews, exchanges with reporters and posts on social media, the president filled his public statements not only with exaggerations but outright fabrications. As he did during his firs...

If only his pants would catch on fire …

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Quentin Morris present at Seattle 4 Rotary today. His organization, Key to Change, is doing remarkable work of drawing young students of color into music education and turning out musicians who are also community leaders.
www.keytochangestudio.org

This is outrageous! Time to move away from Google search engine and Gmail …

Only 200 pieces but amazing considering it’s almost 30 years old and was partially dumped at the back of my games cupboard. I was amazed all the pieces were still there!

WA AG: Trump is misleading the country on diversity, equity, inclusion President Donald Trump blamed federal DEI efforts for Wednesday's deadly plane crash near Washington, D.C.

100%

Strange that a white guy was flying the plane, a white guy was flying the helicopter, and a white guy gutted the FAA last week but somehow MAGA is blaming “too much diversity.“

Yep.

@reverendwarnock.bsky.social: "That [Trump] would use this moment - when bodies are still literally on the bottom of the Potomac and families are being notified - to advance his agenda of attacking DEI and Democrats speaks volumes. Not only is it shameful, quite frankly it's dangerous."

Elon Musk pushed out the FAA chief — who resigned 1 year into a 5 year term, last week.

Why? Because last year the FAA fined SpaceX $600,000 — for safety violations.

Now the FAA has no chief — and we just had the first commercial airline crash in 16 years.

The White House has suddenly removed this page.

whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...

Colorful puzzle shows dozens of people, each holding an open book

One more puzzle down, at least four waiting in the wings. Happy to give some I’ve finished away, if local.

Live updates: American Airlines plane, Black Hawk helicopter collide near Washington, DC; no survivors expected | CNN A massive search operation is underway after a passenger aircraft carrying 64 people collided midair with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, DC, accord...

Trump blames the crash on Democrats? OMFG

Trump’s ‘Flood the Zone’ Strategy Leaves Opponents Gasping in Outrage A deliberate effort by the president and his team to roll out an unceasing flow of initiatives has knocked his rivals off balance in the first days of the new administration.

They want us scattered. #focus #resistance

Trump White House rescinds order freezing federal grants after widespread confusion President Donald Trump’s budget office on Wednesday rescinded an order freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country, according to two people familiar with the matter.

And “confusion” puts it mildly. Dare I hope they’ll see the errors of their ways?

Why Bishop Mariann Budde Wanted to Speak to Donald Trump “If you know what people are thinking about when they’re coming into church on Sunday morning, it’s very important to acknowledge that,” Budde says.

I continue to be impressed by Rev. Budde and I’m proud of the religious organizations & leaders who stepped up to support her. Mercy for those living in fear. She named many who live in fear due to the new Administration’s policies. Mercy. Her words give me hope.
www.newyorker.com/news/the-new...

Auschwitz is liberated | January 27, 1945 | HISTORY The Soviet Red Army enters Auschwitz, Poland, and liberates the survivors of the network of concentration camps—and finally reveals to the world the depth of the horrors perpetrated there.

A grim but essential memory: 80 years ago today Auschwitz was liberated. That there was an Auschwitz to liberate is unspeakably tragic. . .
www.history.com/this-day-in-...

Ginny Ruffner: a not so still life Watch this clip about world-renowned artist Ginny Ruffner, who refuses to let a debilitating brain injury slow down her drive to create art.

www.brainline.org/video/ginny-...

Pioneering Seattle glass artist dies at 72 Ginny Ruffner, the Georgia-born glass artist who found a second home and international renown in Seattle with her glass art, died Monday at 72 years old.

So sorry to learn that Ginny Ruffner has passed away. I met her once at a showing of a documentary about her “A Not So Still Life.” Amazing artist and person.
www.seattletimes.com/entertainmen...

Bruce and Irene at The Lodge at St Edward’s on a sunny blue sky winter day

Bruce and I enjoyed lunch and exploration at The Lodge at St. Edward State Park yesterday.

Episcopal bishop says she'll continue to pray for Trump, who lashed out at her over viral sermon The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Diocese of Washington, says she will continue to pray for President Donald Trump, hours after he lashed out at her over a sermon.

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of the Diocese of Washington, is my new hero.

I really enjoyed listening to Dr. Monica Brown, President of South Seattle College, at today’s Rotary Club of West Seattle meeting.

After years of working on large, complex puzzles, 48 pieces on the floor was fun. In the cupboard for 25+ years, I had to make sure all the pieces were there. My knees hurt.

Today is a good day to not watch TV.