SnailMountainLion

Small town dispatch: Puerto Rican guy learning English from Venezuelan facing TPS struggles; white rural college kid talking to group about damming of the Buffalo while a woman-- first in her family to graduate high school--helps with childcare for the kid of a single father learning to read.

Character Witness: Budget Estimates for the Franklin County Prison - For AR People Action The state has lied to us at every turn about the Franklin County prison. Why should we believe them when it comes to the budget?

Incredibly pleased today to bring you a guest post from our friends at Gravel and Grit, a nonprofit formed to oppose the Franklin County prison project.

Got questions about the budget estimates for the prison?

G&G has you covered.

Read on! 👇

forarpeople.org/character-wi...

Beyond prepping; beyond predictable community.
www.patreon.com/posts/commun...

What are some good accounts focused on community based education and #adultliteracy?

Panama sends 97 U.S. deportees to migrant camp after they refused to be repatriated The migrants refused to be repatriated to their countries. They will be held in a migration facility near the Darien Gap along the Colombian border until third countries can be found to take them.

The migrants refused to be repatriated to their countries. They will be held in a migration facility near the Darien Gap along the Colombian border until third countries can be found to take them.

Black farmers among those left in limbo amid federal funding freeze The federal government has historically discriminated against Black farmers. The recent funding halt from the Trump administration presents yet another hurdle to those who have spent decades fighting ...

The federal government has historically discriminated against Black farmers. The recent funding halt from the Trump administration presents yet another hurdle to those who have spent decades fighting for equity in farming.

"Put another way, my entire spiritual life has been one of seeming contradictions. After all, combat sports require two fighters who willingly engage in the combat...Combat sports help us see the power in our opponent, and, in turn, help us hone our own."

www.patreon.com/posts/vesper...

DOGE released data about federal contract savings. It doesn't add up A new government tracker claims DOGE has saved billions from ending federal contracts. But an NPR analysis of the data finds the claimed savings don't add up.

A new government tracker claims DOGE has saved billions from ending federal contracts. But an NPR analysis of the data finds the claimed savings don't add up.

Trump officials will not restart most foreign aid despite court order A judge last week ruled that the freeze on foreign aid must be reversed. But Trump's USAID team responded that many contracts give them the right to halt funding.

A judge last week ruled that the freeze on foreign aid must be reversed. But Trump's USAID team responded that many contracts give them the right to halt funding.

Trump administration cuts off legal aid for unaccompanied immigrant children Snatching funds from vulnerable minors will endanger those already at risk of being abused, advocates say

"Advocates called the decision shocking and warned that taking away legal aid programs would endanger minors already at risk of child trafficking, an issue that Trump...repeatedly highlighted as a concern during the 2024 election."

America’s Young Farmers Are Burning Out. I Quit, Too "Getting young people into farming may not be the problem. Keeping them on the farm may be the hardest part."

This is a good essay, but it almost seems… afraid… to say the thing that needs to be said out loud: small farming doesn’t work because it’s a form of estate farming, and estate farming is utterly unsustainable.

A thread…

time.com/6966324/amer...

As a political scientist who studies countries that managed to stop the slide into authoritarianism, I can assure you that ***refraining from provoking the authoritarian*** is not how it works.

Without further ado, I will now go tear out another chunk of hair.

How good are you at building things from rubble, scraps, and with odd alliances? Just curious.

The Path to American Authoritarianism What comes after democratic breakdown.

www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The End of the Mealworms; the beginning of the.... | Snail as Mountain Lion Get more from Snail as Mountain Lion on Patreon

It was about two years ago that we shut down the mealworm farm. We're still learning from the experience. #communitypreparadness
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www.patreon.com/posts/end-of...

If I had the time, I'd create a whole curriculum around Frog and Toad in both Spanish and English and it would be a study of language, community, and relationship building. Alas, I can barely keep up with laundry. So I shall dream.

There's No Need to Guess. JD Vance Is Ready to Ignore the Courts. I interviewed the vice president last year, and he didn’t mince words about wanting to provoke a constitutional crisis against the Supreme Court.

There’s no need to guess. JD Vance is ready to ignore the courts.

Since 2022, Vance has explicitly said a second-term Trump should defy the courts — even the Supreme Court — if they stand in the way of him exercising executive authority how he deems fit.

A deep dive on U.S. reading and math scores, and what to do about them New research drills down on poor student achievement and notes some school districts that are beating the odds.

New research drills down on poor student achievement, and notes some school districts that are beating the odds

Trump Doesn’t Have the Authority. What Happens When He Does It Anyway? The American experiment depends on institutional checks on power’s exercise. If there are no checks, then these indeed will be devastating times.

"Protecting the rule of law is a radical accomplishment in human history. It is the result of persistent, hard-fought struggles over time."

That struggle is ongoing. And we're grateful to all the advocates across the country who aren't backing down.

Today I saw a community come together for Know Your Rights training, resource sharing, and emergency plan making. You don't have to be bilingual to help in your community. Use the resources and privileges you have to have the tough conversations, *especially* small town folks. #communitypreparedness

"There is no go backing to whatever we think used to exist."

Some previous thoughts on grief as a survival tool and a resource for building the future. #communitypreparedness

www.patreon.com/posts/grief-...

A random series of #communitypreparedness questions (2):

Who in your community is really good with fixing broken cars and/or equipment? Who in your community has access to large swaths of parts that can be repurposed?

Voters are the voice! When attempts to quiet that voice arise, one has to wonder why.

❤️💙 It doesn't matter! This impacts your ability to be heard!

Thanks for the coverage!

SB181 and SB184 = 👎👎👎 Ask an actual librarian, and you'll hear the same thing!

We support lifelong learning, civic engagement, and accountability. I'm afraid these bills create more problems rather than solutions. #arpx #arleg #arnews

A random series of #communitypreparedness questions:

Who in your community already knows how to---and has lots of experience in--- diffusing unnecessary inter-personal and community conflict? Make sure they feel supported, loved, respected. Their skills are essential. <3

Community preparedness should include being multi-lingual and intentional networks of language accessibility. Language is a survival skill based in community. <3

Locals gather to protest Trump's immigration tactics Protestors spent much of Monday morning waving flags and signs on the Pope County Courthouse steps in response to shifting immigration enforcement policies under the second Trump administration.

Russellville, Arkansas

www.couriernews.com/news/locals-...

The Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War: Surprising ideas from everyday people who shifted the cycles of violence - John Paul Lederach A collection of stories, reflections, and wisdom offering insight into the challenge of facing down toxic polarization layered with violence and the surprising ways everyday people found to shift harm...

Read: www.johnpaullederach.com/2024/07/pock...

Follow these folks: www.facebook.com/profile.php?...

Quaker groups file suit over the end of policy restricting ICE arrests in houses of worship The suit appears to be the first from a faith-based organization challenging the change in court.

As the Quaker tradition recognizes the divine light of each person, #Quaker meetings around the country are banding together in a suit to protect immigrants from ICE arrests in houses of worship. www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...