Yeah, Eugene. Way to turn out.

Curious how the GOP proposed budget would impact you? Spoiler alert. The poorest lose income, the middle-class gets a small break, and the .1% who are the wealthiest increase their income by over $180,000 per year. Hmm. Not a great distribution in my opinion.
budgetlab.yale.edu/news/250319/...

Because some days I can't read anymore about all that's happening when I feel so powerless to do anything, not even write a witty comment or two in response to all the absurdity, I'm sharing a cat photo of my own. Enjoy.

The stop-work order for U.S. foreign aid hurts recipients of programs in LMICs and staff and contractors. There was no severance, no notice, just the end for the latter. Imagine how you would feel if you suddenly lost your healthcare and your income. www.reuters.com/world/us/usa...

Now they are coming for the Education Department. They will actively work to make it ineffective and irrelevant even if they cannot close it. Having received Ed. Dept. funding to improve reading instruction, wellness, and more, this is disheartening, particularly given declining NAEP scores.

I researched and spent a year working at USAID to better understand international development and the Agency. I came to the conclusion that while there are inefficiencies and issues, as with any large venture, the overall impact is positive, particularly at the community level. It should not die.

The horrors of Trump's 2nd term are numerous, but the dismantling of USAID hits home. As @moskov.goodventures.org noted previously, Americans overestimate the amount the U.S. spends on international development at 25% of our Federal budget when it's less than 1%, and its largely impactful.

I wondered how Trump's executive orders compared to recent presidents, none of which I support. But I also am concerned about the expediency shown by Trump's team and what that means for the coming weeks, months, and years. Will it be possible to organize against the onslaught this portends?

Donald Trump began issuing executive actions Monday after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

Trump signed 26 executive orders on Day 1 of his second term, the highest number a president has signed in recent history. wapo.st/3C8sYdk

bsky.app/profile/wash... Pernicious messaging but highly effective because it plays off people's beliefs and emotions. I don't condone these particular tactics, but meeting people where they are at and tapping their emotions is something the Dems need to figure out, preferably in a less slimy way.