Here's my news cull. For me, lol. Is it helpful for anyone else? This isn't a bad way to read up... looking for only things that actually happened today and aren't just in an intermediate stage or inconsequential to most of us meant I read the rest but didn't dwell overlong.  

• Today everyone was at the National Cathedral ​for the inaugural prayer service and the Right Rev. Mariann Budde spoke truth to power beautifully, calling for mercy toward our LGBTQ children and the undocumented.

• Record snowfall of up to 6" blanketed the Gulf coast, with sub-freezing temperatures across the southeast tonight. Snow will continue to fall along the eastern seaboard tomorrow.

• All federal DEI program staff have been placed on paid leave, pending layoffs. Treasury workers filed suit to prevent reclassification as at-will employees ("Schedule F").

• Ross Ulbright, Silk Road founder who had been serving a life sentence, was pardoned.

• Secret Service protection of John Bolton, former National Security advisor, was withdrawn despite ongoing threats to his life after a suspected 2022 assassination plot by Iran.

• Multiple lawsuits have been filed to block actions and protect birthright citizenship, including one filed by officials from at least twenty states.

A way to help right now:

Migrants whose asylum appointments were abruptly canceled yesterday are now stranded at checkpoints (and there's still about a quarter million people who wanted those appointments). If you can spare a bit, a migrant shelter org I know offhand is https://www.elbuensamaritanomigrante.com/ and there are dozens more, try this: https://hipfunds.org/supporting-migrant-orgs 💜

Needs a proper name. Low-anxiety news? That's a bold promise. Low-impact? gentle? simple? I dunno. I'll work on it.

• Officially, ICE yesterday arrested ~300, but they were planned targets. Reports of indiscriminate raids beginning seem to be rumor.
• A 71 year old woman who participated in the Jan 6 riots, Pamela Hemphill, refused a presidential pardon (possibly only the third person to do so in US history). She has publicly stated her belief that the group's actions were wrong.
• Trump threatened Russia (on truth.social) with tariffs and sanctions if the war in Ukraine continues.
• Bloomberg Philathropies has again pledged to replace the dues the US normally pays to the UNFCCC. The US currently funds 22% of the UN climate framework.
• At least 1000 active-duty military personnel have been ordered to the southern border.
• Resettlement of Afghan refugees will be suspended Jan 27. The Welcome Corps program has also been canceled, as have scheduled flights for 1600 Afghan refugees.

If you wish to help refugees at particularly high risk due to cancellation of these programs, organizations aiding those from Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela are good places to start.