Grace Panetta

The Beginning Comes After the End Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit Rebecca Solnit offers a thrilling account of the sheer breadth and scale of social, political, scientific, and cultural change over the past three quarters of a century. In this sequel to her enduring bestseller Hope in the Dark, Solnit surveys a world that has changed dramatically since the year 1960. Despite the forces seeking to turn back the clock on history, change is not a possibility; it is an inevitability. The changes amount to nothing less than dismantling an old civilization and building a new one, whose newness is often the return of the old ways and wisdoms. In this rising worldview, interconnection is a core idea and value. But because the transformation is obscured within a longer arc of history, its scale is seldom recognized. While the white nationalist and authoritarian backlash drives individualism and isolation, this new world embraces antiracism, feminism, a more expansive understanding of gender, environmental thinking, scientific breakthroughs, and Indigenous and non-Western ideas, pointing toward a more interconnected, relational world.

I wrote a book! It's trickling out, already in some bookstores. And I'm doing a bunch of events for it (see below). More info on book in alt text.

8) Remember, the word privilege can be used randomly. People who are breathing are unfairly privileged over people who died in the year 1816, who you also speak for. How dare they love geese, who are privileged above poor wingless platypuses! 9) Which is why the person who said, or rather typed, offhandedly “people should bike more” really means all people need to bike everywhere under all circumstances and is callously indifferent to people who: live in Siberia and can’t bike through -40 blizzards; are physically unable to cycle; can’t afford bikes; and let us not forget those who have bicycle-related trauma. Which is why anyone who could say “people should bike more” is a fascist who needs crushing.

Exactly, and obviously the struggle a 20-year-old refers to specifically in reference to her own ice-skating efforts is not all struggle of all people forever unless you're Grumpy Cat Champion of the Oppressed incarnate (and self-appointed).

As I was saying: lithub.com/rebecca-soln...

This reply just made my entire life, thank you! 😄

Oh I’m not implying that all. I’m referring to the tech executives pushing all these AI tools on us, not what us normal individual people are doing

Both can be true at once!

Alysa’s giving us a clear off ramp from the reign of the “clean girl aesthetic,” the valorization of productivity, and the growing laundry list of beauty products and procedures women are now expected to spend our money on in order to meet a beauty standard focused on thinness and conformity

I’ve followed her and US figure skating for years, people who know me IRL know I’m not a crier, but I cannot watch her Olympic free skate if I have any makeup on because it makes me sob every time

Another thing I love about Alysa is that her embracing joy, whimsy, artistry, authenticity and prioritizing having a healthy body and mind over aesthetic conformity and optimization blows a massive hole in much of the cultural messaging being pushed on women, esp young women, right now

Alysa Liu telling 60 Minutes “I love struggling, it makes me feel alive” is a legit revolutionary statement from a Bay Area native in a time when copious amounts of time and resources are being put toward convincing us to opt out of experiencing struggle, friction and self-actualization

"Men close ranks" (and three other reads) An Epstein files special

The Backlash is out and it's an Epstein special, with reads on complicity, Me Too, men still ruling the world. With links to must-reads by @sianushka.bsky.social @carolecadwalla.bsky.social @gracepanetta.bsky.social @melindacooper.bsky.social and many others

thebacklash.substack.com/p/men-close-...

A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS Secretary faces fire for confrontational immigration crackdown and self-promotional style; White House to wind down Minnesota operations.

"In an incident last year that rankled some senior staff at the agency, Lewandowski made it known to top ICE officials that he wanted to be issued a law-enforcement badge and a federally issued gun, according to people familiar with his push"
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

A Pilot Fired Over Kristi Noem’s Missing Blanket and the Constant Chaos Inside DHS Secretary faces fire for confrontational immigration crackdown and self-promotional style; White House to wind down Minnesota operations.

"Noem routinely berated staff if she saw Homan on TV and kept track of both their appearances to make sure she was on TV more than him, according to people familiar with the matter." www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Would also add that this scenario makes even less sense when you consider Article I of the Constitution stipulates that House members, unlike senators, must be elected & not appointed to their seats. If those elections don't happen, you don't have House members in those seats at all

This is a great example of how this sort of speculation and hypotheticals can do more harm than good. The "nightmare scenario" cited in this article and in The Atlantic article linked to in the first paragraph both rely on an incorrect/misleading understanding of U.S. House procedure

The House is not a continuing body #ELB I’m surprised that a former Member of Congress–Steve Israel, in a piece in The New Republic–has made the same mistake that a journalist did, as I explained in a previous ELB post. The mistake is to th...

More on this from election law scholar Ned Foley: electionlawblog.org?p=153426

One problem with the 2nd paragraph here (that I've seen in other articles along these lines). The House is not a continuing body, and Speaker Johnson doesn't carry over as the House speaker when the new Congress is seated in Jan 2027. They have to elect a new speaker before they can do anything

The World Won’t Crumble If We Hold Abusers Accountable - WORT-FM 89.9 Ali Muldrow discusses how to hold perpetrators accountable and how to prevent child sex abuse with Prenicia Clifton and Grace Panetta,.

🎙️As Pam Bondi testifies about the Epstein files and survivors call for accountability on Capitol Hill, host @alimuldrow.bsky.social speaks with local child advocate Prenicia Clifton and and @gracepanetta.bsky.social of @19thnews.org about abuse prevention.

Listen here www.wortfm.org/the-world-wo...

After another back-and-forth over the Epstein files with @repdangoldman.bsky.social, Bondi holds up photos of men convicted of crimes in NY, says, "you probably don't know who this is"

"That's because I'm no longer a prosecutor," Goldman responded

Bondi also called Massie a “hypocrite” for voting against the TAKE IT DOWN Act last year

"This guy has Trump derangement syndrome," Bondi says of Massie. "You're a failed politician."

Thomas Massie is up and pressing Bondi on files that included lists of victims/victims' names

"If any man's name was redacted that should not have been, we will of course unredact it," Bondi says. "If a victim's name was unredacted, please bring it to us and we will redact it."

"To any victims, we ask them to come forward to our office, and we want to work with them," Bondi says. "I've never not worked with a victim and I believe I've spoken to several of the attorneys sitting behind me"

Rep. Lou Correa asks Epstein survivors to stand and raise their hands if they think the DOJ/Bondi has their back. None raise their hands.

@tedlieu.bsky.social asked Bondi if there’s evidence of Trump being around underage Epstein victims:

“This is so ridiculous, and they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done,” she said. “There is no evidence Donald Trump has committed a crime & everyone knows that.”

Jayapal asks if Bondi will apologize to the Epstein survivors in the room. Bondi tried to deflect by bringing up Merrick Garland, a back-and-forth ensues

"I'm not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics," Bondi said

.@jayapal.house.gov asks Epstein survivors in the room to stand and raise their hands if they haven't been able to meet with DOJ. All raised their hands.

"If you have information to share, please contact the FBI"

AG Pam Bondi is addressing the Epstein files + survivors in her opening statement to House Judiciary

"I am deeply sorry for what any victim has been through as a result of that monster," she says, promises allegations of criminal activity will be investigated

“It is very clear that his crimes included not just sex trafficking but international money laundering potential influence peddling of state secrets to foreign governments we still don't understand the nature of his intelligence work,” says @repstansbury.bsky.social of Epstein