Donna Smythe

I don't know why Canadians don't want to come to the U.S. After all ICE now offers a special sweepstakes for lucky visitors who get a stay in El Salvador thrown in.

I joined a small but lively HO protest in Amsterdam! Came for the tulips, but enjoyed the camaraderie.

Pro-democracy momentum is real! Democratic opposition is stronger this time around

My sister turned me on to The Contrarian. Today's edition offers little glimmers of hope... Pro Democracy Momentum is Real
open.substack.com/pub/contrari...

Big win for China gift-wrapped by Trump. After years of trade quarrels, Japan & South Korea have pledged to reorganise the Asian and global trading systems under Chinese leadership. [Source: telegraph.uk.co. Photo: Jung Yeon-je/AFP]

126K views · 81K reactions | All the credit to @mariamilagrosspeaker | Soliana Sapp All the credit to @mariamilagrosspeaker.

This is brilliantly succinct. www.facebook.com/reel/1154292...

YouTube video by Joint Venture Silicon Valley Keynote: David Brooks

I found Brook's presentation very thoughtful and thought-provoking. Worth watching. www.youtube.com/watch?v=putO...

The limited authority of executive orders rather depends on there being a functional Congress, no? And an independent judiciary, no?

U.S. voters seem woefully ill-informed on the basics of national security, the Constitution, the functions of government, the civil service, the U.S. budget and deficit work, etc. Even my 10-year-old grandson is dumfounded by Signal-gate.

A concise recap on the demise of the U.S. as a global world leader...https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=879118420928976&rdid=CbeR2XNM1c8acAM9

A concise take on the demise of the U.S. as a global world leader...https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=wwXIfr&v=879118420928976&rdid=CbeR2XNM1c8acAM9

Too funny not to share...https://www.facebook.com/reel/639113582239029

I myself have found that environments devoted to free academic inquiry and learning, led by some of the most erudite and knowledgeable people in our society, standing on the forefront of research across a myriad of fields, (etc) to feel quite liberal. Probably why I love them.

Faced with a dilemma of historic proportions, unimaginable in all of U.S. history, I cried hot tears at Columbia's decision. But Trump wants to destroy Columbia and you will join his team? NO. We must shout from the rooftops why you LOVE Columbia. Why it matters to ALL Americans.

Uncomfy: Sticking with Moments That Challenge Us - BYUradio Real stories from guests who dared to get uncomfortable in a moment that challenged their worldv...

‪I am a huge admirer of Vanessa Otero, creator & CEO of Ad Fontes Media (if you don't know what that is, Google it NOW). Delighted to stumble across this interview on a new-to-me podcast Uncomfy. Skills we need to succeed in today's world. www.byuradio.org/uncomfy?play...

Opinion | How Can Democrats Win Back Power? Listen to Jason Crow. The Democrats’ best chance to constrain President Trump is retaking control of the House in 2026. Here’s how they might do it.

This was a good read to start my day--I am consumed by the question of how the Democrats should reimagine and rebrand themselves. I will be following Jason Crow now. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/o...

Opinion | The Authoritarian Endgame on Higher Education This is a moment to trumpet the strengths of higher education and address its weaknesses.

If you are not wildly concerned about what Trump is doing to America's universities, you should be. This NYT editorial spells it out in simple terms. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/o...

And no one really believes that today. Lining up behind Trump has become a mindless genuflection, purely performative. They are deriving gratification from the shitshow. It's not about belief.

Taxpayer? Talk about federal services that matter to you. Business owner...SBA loans, patent protections, the FTC. Rely on Soc Sec...say so. Farmer...crop insurance, price supports. Omnivore... food inspections. Doctor...NIH research, Medicare. Let's change the narrative about the U.S. government.

Trump cut 800 workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors ocean currents, weather events, climate change. Employees of both U.S. tsunami warning centers have been fired. More cuts expected to total 1,000. NOAA provides information that is critical to all of us.

Trump claims they are enacting policies their voters demand, but the blowback on Republicans holding town halls during the House recess was so intense that House leaders are urging them simply to stop holding constituent events...
Today’s news is unlikely to quiet the blowback...Keep reading...

We are in the midst of a great learning about what our government does and what is required to accomplish the huge task of keeping 340 m people safe, employed, connected, educated, healthy, drinking clean water, etc. across more than 3.81 m square miles of territory... more to follow...

Of Poetry and Prose (February 28, 2025) Welcome to Home & Away.

What I am reading today... the author, Richard Haass, has strong bona fides as a Republican in the GW Bush administration, advisor to Colin Powell, ambassador/special envoy to Northern Ireland & Afghanistan. A genuine public servant. I learn from him.
richardhaass.substack.com/p/of-poetry-...

AMEN. The Republicans are bailing him out. Putin is more desperate, I think, than Zelensky. I'm afraid we are going to hand it to Putin.

I am just back from Antarctica and these guys are REALLY cute. But just so you know...their colonies are nasty. Poop sprayed everywhere. I think it's why we only see photos of penguins on the move--the snow is pristine white. ;-)

I want to laugh out loud...but it's SO not funny.

Closure of Illinois-led soybean lab due to USAID funding cut URBANA, Ill. (WAND) -- Several people will soon be out of a job after a soybean research team based in the Midwest is forced to close.

U.S. soybean farmers lose one of their best tools to expand their markets and U.S. standards globally.
www.wandtv.com/news/closure...

And soon it will all be part of the USA. Funny, not funny, I know.

Thanks for sharing. I use Airbnb and Lyft often, so this is reassuring.

I think I get your point, but doesn't the one lead to the other? Or maybe you mean the misinformed individuals are not so bothersome until they coalesce into publics with malformed collective understandings (and then they feed each other).

Wikipedia is an amazing, critical resource in these times. I have contributed content (very minor) and I send my contribution each year. It's very exciting to add content and I need to make time for more.