Foreigners are wondering if the U.S. is still a free country.
Plus 9 other things to discuss, including a new project from my daughter Mimi.
Hello there and Happy Friday. Any weekend plans in the works? We want to show off Normandy to Ben Blair’s brother, Jim, and are heading out for a visit to Mont St. Michel in the morning, and hopefully a visit to the Bayeux Tapestry in the afternoon.
I’m not sure if we’ll have time, but if we do, I’m crossing my fingers Ben Blair will make some buttermilk fried chicken this weekend. And I’m also trying to check out a table that I saw on FB marketplace — it’s in a town about 35 minutes away. I want to use the tabletop for the kitchen island that Gijsbert is building.
All good things. I hope you have good things on your calendar too.
A Few Things
Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share with you:
-In Vanity Fair (and being covered everywhere today) — On Birthright Citizenship, the Supreme Court Gives Trump a Blunt Tool to Hammer Judges.
Everyone should read this quote from Justice Sotomayor on today's SCOTUS ruling: “No right is safe in the new legal regime the Court creates. Today the threat is to birthright citizenship. Tomorrow a different administration may try to seize firearms from law-abiding citizens or prevent people of certain faiths from gathering to worship.”
-From Bess Kalb — More than our fear: A letter from a New York City Jew after election day.
-My daughter Maude (who also goes by Mimi) posted on Threads. She asked, “If I start a podcast where I interview complete strangers and get to know them, would you want to be interviewed?” Over 150 people responded yes, so she started interviewing them. She is calling the series Nice To Meet You (NTMY). You can listen to the first interviews on Spotify. And if you’d like to be interviewed for the series, you can fill out this form.
-In Salon — A Norwegian tourist's ordeal at an American airport has foreigners wondering if the U.S. is still a free country.
-Saw this tweet about speculative wealth scams in art. I want to learn more about this. Does anyone have any reading on this topic they can recommend?
-In the New Yorker — How Police Let One of America’s Most Prolific Predators Get Away.
-From Time — Becoming a Bodybuilder at 50 Showed Me That Women Were Never Meant to be Thin. Prehistoric human remains shows that women were buff—with a bone structure that resembled elite rowers. Bursts of the “return to skinny” have always surfaced at pivotal moments—right when women are on the brink of claiming more power. It’s no coincidence.
-In Raw Story — 'They quit after a few hours': Farmers admit they can't find American workers.
-I like this idea:
-From NPR — Three years after Roe fell, more women are managing their abortions without doctors. A growing body of research demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of self-managed abortion with pills, coupled with the global pandemic in 2020 and the fall of Roe in 2022, has many U.S. doctors changing their views.
That’s all for now. I hope you have a beautiful end to your week. Feel free to comment on anything above, or whatever is on your mind.
kisses,
Gabrielle
Imma spend the weekend at SF Pride with Free Mom Hugs. Marching, hugging, and celebrating true FREEDOM like the patriot I am.
In response to Foreigners' question, I also attended a training to be a Legal Observer of ICE raids and arrests. My role is to gather information and evidence that the family can use. I would not have to do that in a free, sane and safe country.
I say the answer is no. An Oligarchy isn’t free. A country where masked people make others disappear without a trace is not free. A country with a dictator who has clear mental and psychological issues is not free.