Tersa

Twenty Lessons, read by John Lithgow Key selections from On Tyranny, for viewing and sharing

Here is my best guidance for action, rendered beautifully by the great John Lithgow. I first published these lessons more than eight years ago, in late 2016. They open the twenty chapters of "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century."
snyder.substack.com/p/twenty-les...

It’s really fascinating what happens when you remove diversity—white male incompetency is placed on full display and with no one to blame for their actions —so they just lie.

Memo Reveals Plans to Sabotage Social Security The internal document detailed a proposal that the agency acknowledged would “strain” resources and hurt “vulnerable populations.”

www.thedailybeast.com/memo-reveals...

This Week In The Big Picture Donald Trump is weak and thin-skinned.

In a shocking move, Trump detained a green card holder—legally in the U.S.—for protesting. Tomorrow, The Big Picture dives into this attack on free speech. Plus, a look at the measles outbreak that’s spreading fast as RFK Jr. takes charge of the DHHS. You won't want to miss these pieces.

Tell your senators to vote no on the budget bill. I said no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Missouri on the verge of taking over St. Louis police, a return to Civil War-era policy • Missouri Independent Legislation that could reach Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's desk this week would replace local control of the St. Louis police with a state board.

A right-wing power grab is taking place in Missouri, as white Republican lawmakers plan to reinstitute a Civil War-era policy to take control of the St. Louis Police department, even as crime is dropping and homicides are at the lowest level in years in this Democratic city with a Black mayor.

I'm a proud mother. Whether I'm walking my son to school or reading him a bedtime story, I do everything to make sure he grows up loved and cared for.

And for the sponsor of the drag ban to say that my existence is a fetish is false & cruel.

I'm glad we were able to defeat this hateful bill today.

These ten Dems should be fucking ashamed of themselves.

I hope it passes!!

Single panel political cartoon. Vice President Vance, Donald Trump and Elon Musk stand in a line left to right with signs around their necks. Musk is the most prominent among the three, given his shadow-president role. Vance is labelled as 'Waste', Trump is labelled as a 'Fraud' and Musk's sign says 'Abuse'.

These f-ing clowns.

Cartoon with alt text included:

Can't stress enough how important it is to BUY NOTHING tomorrow, Friday February 28th.

To be heard, $$$ is the only thing these Corps. understand. The billionaire class complicity in this authoritarian grab is not going to go down well for them.

#boycottbillionares #NoBUY #buynothing

I guess she has been released. Still not made public as to who, but probably a militia hired by the sheriff to keep the peace. I guess the sheriff of said county is receiving disability from CA while working in ID (according to a reddit Andy saw).

YouTube video by Devin Prewett KCRCC Town Hall in Coeur d'Alene Idaho woman illegally detained

Did no one stop them? Illegally grabbed out of town hall meeting. No identification.
youtube.com/shorts/hhJdH...

YouTube video by KOMO News MAGA is 'a Nazi movement': Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested at city council meeting

More of this!

Controversial Christian nationalist legislation introduced in North Dakota House At the start of the new legislative session, a group of North Dakota legislators put forward a potentially unconstitutional resolution that would have the state “acknowledge the Kingship of Jesus Chri...

YIKES!

North Dakota Republicans have introduced legislation to declare themselves a Christian nationalist state, recognizing the kingship of Jesus Christ.

This sounds more like a cult than government.

heartlandsignal.com/2025/02/07/c...

Germany protesting

Nearly 250,000 people in Berlin showed up to protest fascism and the Musk backed AfD party.

THE ASK This week, between Monday and the vote on Vought, we're asking people from all over the country to plan a visit to Senate State Offices to demand Democrats fight and to hold Republicans accountable for their complicity. DEMOCRATS MUST USE EVERY PROCEDURAL TOOL TO SHUT DOWN TRUMP'S AGENDA Yes, we need Democrats to vote no on Vought's nomination, but no is not enough. Democrats have the power to grind Senate business to a halt and force Republicans to feel the political cost of backing Trump's extremist agenda. Here's how: 1. Deny a Quorum: If Republicans don't have 51 votes in the chamber, Democrats can walk out and shut down Senate business entirely. 2. Block Unanimous Consent: Object to every procedural shortcut, forcing Republicans to take the longest possible route for every step of the confirmation process. 3. Max Out Debate Time: Use all 30 hours of debate on Vought to expose Project 2025, Musk's Treasury takeover, and the funding freeze. 4. Delay and Disrupt: Force roll-call votes, quorum calls, and procedural delays to slow everything down. 5. Blanket Opposition: Democrats cannot continue to vote for Trump's other nominees, helping to install more MAGA loyalists into powerful positions in the federal government while this power grab continues. No Business as Usual: This is a constitutional crisis. Democrats must abandon the old rules and fight with everything they have. Bottom line: Senate Democrats must block, delay, and obstruct every step of this process-no cooperation, no easy votes, no fast-tracking Trump's takeover. To learn more about how Senate Democrats can shut down Trump's agenda with procedural hardball, check out our explainer here.

Indivisible is urging people to visit their senators' local offices between now and Thursday to demand that they use every tool—including denying a quorum and blocking unanimous consent—to fight the confirmation of Project 2025 architect Russell Vought for head of OMB docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Do self care, experience joy, and continue fighting. Don't get bogged down by the chaos and quantity, that's what they want you to do.
I copied and posted this as one possibility.

If you are a federal worker being offered a buyout, I would advise against taking it.

Of course, this is a personal decision for everyone and it’s your choice.

But these offers are a rush job. The legality is questionable and this admin does not keep to its word.

They aren’t firing for a reason.

Just released memorandum from OPM:

Federal facilities will now have a bathroom ban for transgender people.

It will go into effect on the 31st.

It also has a slew of effects and puts into place the 1st anti-trans EO policies for every agency.

This will have a ton of impacts very quickly.

(b) The Federal contracting process shall be streamlined to enhance speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with our civil-rights laws. Accordingly: (1) Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965 (Equal Employment Opportunity), is hereby revoked. For 90 days from the date of this order, Federal contractors may continue to comply with the regulatory scheme in effect on January 20, 2025. (ii) The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs within the Department of Labor shall immediately cease: (A) Promoting "diversity"; (B) Holding Federal contractors and subcontractors responsible for taking "affirmative action"; and (C) Allowing or encouraging Federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in workforce balancing based on race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin.

(iii) In accordance with Executive Order 13279 of December 12, 2002 (Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations), the employment, procurement, and contracting practices of Federal contractors and subcontractors shall not consider race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion, or national origin in ways that violate the Nation's civil rights laws. (iv) The head of each agency shall include in every contract or grant award: (A) A term requiring the contractual counterparty or grant recipient to agree that its compliance in all respects with all applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws is material to the government's payment decisions for purposes of section 3729(b) (4) of title 31, United States Code; and (B) A term requiring such counterparty or recipient to certify that it does not operate any programs promoting DEI that violate any applicable Federal anti-discrimination laws.

BREAKING: In a new executive order sent out by the White House, Donald Trump has revoked the federal contractor nondiscrimination executive order, EO 11246, that was signed by Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and has protected employees of businesses seeking federal contracts from discrimination ever since.

JUST IN: Tesla Cybertruck explodes at the entrance to Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas

Trans folks held a dance party in the Capitol bathroom to protest the bathroom ban on there.

"Why weren't there any trans kids when I was young?"
Because no one accepted them and they stayed in the closet, to immense harm. Or because they took their own lives in despair. We are returning that, and we need to acknowledge the blood on our hands if we don't fight for them.

9 documents

9 documents

Important defensive strategy.

Estate planning, estate planning, estate planning. These basic documents have always been the first impenetrable line of defense for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples. The nine LGBTQ+ specific documen... TikTok video by Gaylawyer

LGBTQ+ estate planning.

Major rally for trans rights slated to occur outside the Supreme Court on December 4th as the ACLU argues to protect trans rights before the Court.

More: act.aclu.org/a/trans-rall...