Feb. 16: What Really Happened Last Week

Stop the doomscroll! #4 in a weekly series of news roundups, bright spots, action steps & advice

Hello friends!
Welcome to my beginning-of-the-week paywalled post! Copy this and send it to a friend who says they are “tuning out the news.”

This is a weekly list of relevant news, bright spots, and action steps, focusing on the topics of this newsletter: caregiving, youth, climate change, human rights, mental health. I’m also going to be answering your questions.

Via Bluesky

Don’t worry and please don‘t hit unsubscribe: my Friday essays will remain free for all. And if you want a paid subscription but can’t afford it, just hit reply and ask !

Here’s my criteria for this news roundup:

• Real events that have real consequences for real people now.

• I’m trying to avoid pseudo-events, purely symbolic gestures and speculation. That means I’m leaving out some stuff you’ve probably seen elsewhere.

• I am presenting impacts alongside responses and solutions.

I want to model healthy, balanced news consumption. I don’t know that I can become the only news you read, but I can at least point the way to a better news habit. I believe this is going to be crucial to our mental health and our ability to show up for others, including our kids, in this accelerating polycrisis.

Speaking of showing up, join me this Monday for Not My President’s Day. Find a protest near you!

In this issue:

1. DOGE Coup

2. Justice Department Revolt

3. Climate/Energy Bad news/good news

4. Good news/wild card

1. DOGE Coup part a: Purge

In its fourth week, the DOGE assault on, and purge of, the federal government broadened. They sent notices of termination to people in their “probationary period”, hired within the last 2 years. I’m not going to say these people were fired, because the legality of that is in doubt.

My social media feeds started to fill up with posts from people I know who are suddenly out of work. This is getting personal.

Cuts have been attempted at the following agencies, a partial list:

Agriculture, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Education, Energy Department, EPA, Forest Service, General Services Administration (which supports things like real estate and tech needs for the rest of the government), Health and Human Services, Interior, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Personnel Management, Small Business Administration, Transportation, USAID, and Veterans Affairs.

Read this post from a Park Ranger who lost his dream job. It will make you cry.

Brian Gibbs and his son, via Facebook