February 7, 2025

Alright y’all, once again, it has been a HELL of a week. So let’s recap.

The Bad News

Elon Musk and his gang have continued tearing through government systems with little to no oversight (in spite of the bleating of the White House). So far, they’ve hit the Treasury Department, the Office of Personnel Management, the US Agency for International Development, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They’re taking aim at the Department of Education, the Labor Department, and more. This is an incomplete list, in part because no one really knows what they’re doing.

Republicans in Congress blocked a subpoena to make Elon Musk explain what exactly he’s doing in all these government departments. Just let that sink in. Republicans blocked a measure to find out what an unelected official is doing inside government systems. Those same Republicans are trying to gaslight the country into believing this is a totally normal part of an administration change and that there’s nothing to worry about.

Trump is claiming he’s struck a deal with El Salvador to send imprisoned US citizens to jails there. Just as a reminder, the president cannot legally deport citizens. He also wants to send detained migrants there, which is, at the least, a massive violation of human rights.

The justice system is starting to get involved in the fight against Musk. About a dozen states are suing over the Treasury Department breach. A federal judge has blocked everyone on Musk’s team except one remaining member from accessing the Treasury Department systems, and even then that’s only on a read-only, as-needed basis. Another judge has blocked the buyout order. A judge has blocked Musk’s team from accessing Labor Department systems. Labor organizations are filing lawsuits against the illegal firings and data theft. There’s a blizzard of lawsuits descending to freeze Musk and his gang in their tracks.

Democrats in Congress are finally starting to get their feet under them. They’ve filed legislation to block Musk’s access to these systems, they’re filing subpoenas, and they’re using the leverage they have to push back against the cult mindset of the Republicans. House Republicans have the slimmest majority in a century, and the Senate has an incredibly slim minority, too. This gives Democrats the ability to use procedural tools like the filibuster to halt appointment confirmations until the Musk coup is stopped.

One of Musk’s team members, Marko Elez, has resigned after racist social media posts came to light. In these posts, Marko called for a “eugenic immigration policy” and said he was “racist before it was cool”. These posts were as recent as July, so this isn’t high school idiocy. This was about six months ago. Elez was one of the two employees given access to the Treasury Department systems, so his resignation reduces the DOGE gang’s reach.

Voters all over the country are making our voices heard! Congress usually gets about 40 calls a minute. This week, they’ve been getting 1,600. YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

First and foremost, keep at them! Keep calling your representatives, even if you live in a red state. Push them for action against Musk, and express your support for the Department of Education and USAID. Call your local reps, too. States and cities have a lot of power to push back against these illegal and unethical mandates. Call your city council, mayor, state representatives, and governor and tell them you support initiatives to prevent ICE raids, maintain DEI programs, support public education, and protect trans people.

If you have student loans, especially if you’re on an IDR plan, log onto StudentAid.gov and save all your information now. Government websites have been going down and being changed left, right, and center, and this one could be next. Screenshot your dashboard, download your loan information, and change your account password.

Keep giving money and attention to the organizations fighting the good fight. The ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Human Rights Campaign, RAICES, and The Trevor Project are all great organizations to donate to. Follow Alt National Park Service, NPR, AP, and PBS on whatever social media platforms you use.

VOTE. There are several special elections coming up that could swing the balance of power away from Trump cultists. If you live in one of the districts holding these elections, make it a point to go vote! Talk to your family and friends about their voting plan. Donate to Democratic candidates’ campaigns. Share their posts. Be vocal.

Set boundaries and take care of yourself. This has been a grueling week. I’ve personally been dealing with muscle tension, migraines, insomnia, mood swings, and anxiety, to name a few. This is the kind of thing that can beat us bloody. Give yourself space away from it. Engage in hobbies you love. It’s okay to find joy right now. It doesn’t mean you don’t know or care about what’s happening or that you’re ignoring it. Happiness is resistance, too, and we can be more effective in this fight when we’re coming to it from a place of personal wellbeing. Find and be the joy.

Make a safety plan. Consider if you need to pack a go bag or make an escape plan with your family. Protect your information. Learn about your rights. Ask for help if you need it. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis help line, and you can contact The Trevor Project at 678-678. We need you here with us, so do what you need to to stay safe.

Things are bad, but the resistance is rising. The fight is not lost yet. Love and resistance, babes