🧵I get a lot of questions about what will happen to Social Security payments. The way I see it, there are 3 factors that will impact payments, all of which will feed off each other to exponentially increase the likelihood that SSA will miss payments: backlogs, error, and system failure.

I didn’t watch the Super Bowl. I DID watch Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show. It gave me chills. I cried. I was inspired. We need more of this.

They WANT us terrified. They WANT us living in fear. They WANT us silent. Why? To control us. IT’S OUR RIGHT TO PROTEST. We need to ask ourselves why we are terrified to speak up and remind ourselves that it’s for our freedom, our rights, & our future.

Sometimes self-government just means elections. And sometimes it means recognizing the deeper dignity and meaning of what it means to be a people. That means speaking up, standing out, and protesting. We can only be free together.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-logic-...

One thing before tomorrow:

Use your local libraries.

Get your card.

Borrow books, manga, films, audios, ebooks.

Recommend titles for purchase (usually online).

Attend promoted activities.

Fill out those "How are we doing?" questionnaires.

Tell your kids that libraries are good.

They are.

📚

Over $56,000 raised for the Humane Society during our Puppy and Kitten Inauguration so far to help animals affected by the LA fires! Come join us:

I’m admittedly terrified. I’m also in fight or flight mode. I know this is what they want and will have to remind myself of this no matter the exhaustion.

Gavin Newsom launched a website to combat the wildfire disinformation spreading about Los Angeles, because people can’t be bothered to do a simple Google search before sharing nonsense. And because people suck!

Get the facts: californiafirefacts.com

If you don’t have a local library card, it should be your New Year’s resolution to get one. It’s an easy resolution to keep and you’ll actually use it, trust me.

Libraries have helped me throughout my life. They are more than a place to borrow books - they help communities of those less fortunate.

@timothysnyder.bsky.social and his substack account have kept me sane with all his wisdom and incite. I suggest you read his work.

Dear 2025…thank you for Biden, Harris, Newsom, Bass, LAFD, LAPD, firemen from Or, NV, NM, AZ, (possibly Canada) - thank you for starting the year with dignity, community, and caring for our city - we have to be strong for 1/20 and thereafter.

Thank you!

I don't really use TikTok that much, but I find it fascinating that our government is on the verge of banning an app for national security reasons that are still unclear in the same week that Meta, the largest social media company, says it's now fine to hate LGBTQ people and call us mentally ill.

A must read by @stevenbeschloss.bsky.social.

"Rather than fear that the opposition is weakened by these Americans who are bending down to Trump, they are saving us time by telling us that they are not up to the fight and we cannot count on them." www.americaamerica.news/p/the-rich-t...