My long-awaited trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains

I have been wanting to go to the mountains in western North Carolina for months, not to sightsee but to try to support some small businesses. My sister and I were in the mountains for three days last week. We were on a mission.

I tend to plan trips in detail. Sometimes things go as planned, but I have a poor track record when it comes to selecting restaurants in advance.

Our first stop on Tuesday was Montreat. The Presbyterian Church USA has its conference facilities there, and the place is near and dear to our hearts. The town suffered much landscape and street damage from the flood that accompanied Hurricane Helene last September. We knew from Facebook that Lake Susan had been completely cleaned out and restored. It was good to see people enjoying the lake again. Recovery work in Montreat continues.

Photo of a calm Lake Susan at Montreat, NC — Lake Susan, Montreat, NC June 10, 2025

We planned to eat lunch at a small diner in Swannanoa. I had read online that it had been owned and operated by the same family for 30 years. Unfortunately, when we got there, the sign on the door said they were closed for the week. Maybe The Breakfast Shop will be open the next time we’re in the area.

We drove back to Black Mountain and ate lunch at the Black Mountain Bistro, so we were still able to patronize a local business. Lunch there is always good.

We continued back through Swannanoa on US-70. The little town of Swannanoa had a lot of damage from the flood. Recovery will take a long time. One thing we noticed along US-70 for many miles is that there is still much dirt by the curb – a sign that street and highway crews have had much more pressing work to do than to get the dirt from the curb. The state of things indicates that every rain washes more dirt and debris into the highway. It wasn’t a major issue. It was just something we don’t normally notice.

US-70 become Tunnel Road in Asheville, and from Tunnel Road we were able to access a couple of miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway. At the entrance to the wonderful Folk Art Center on the parkway we were faced with this signage.

Sign blocking travel by car, bike, or on foot on National Park Service property on Blue Ridge Parkway at Asheville, NC, June 10, 2025 — Barricade on Blue Ridge Parkway beside entrance to Folk Art Center at Asheville, June 10, 2025

It was sad to see the parkway closed. In the distance, we could see work being done and we met a dump truck hauling away storm debris.

We bought a couple of items at the Folk Art Center. Artisans from the Southern Appalachian Mountains sell their handcrafted merchandise there. There are quilts, blown-glass, leatherwork, woodwork, pottery, Christmas ornaments, and pottery.

Photo of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Asheville, NC — Folk Art Center on Blue Ridge Parkway at Asheville, NC, June 10, 2025

From Asheville, we took Interstate 26 west through Weaverville to Mars Hill, where we had reservations for the night. We had never been to Hot Springs in Madison County, so we set out to have dinner at a small restaurant there, Smoky Mountain Diner. My mouth was watering for local trout, but the restaurant was closed for a private party.

We returned to Mars Hill. By then, it was getting late and we’d had a long day. “Plan B” was Stackhouse Restaurant in downtown Mars Hill, but when the hostess told us it would be a 45-minute wait we reluctantly settled for sandwiches at Subway. Not a good substitute for local mountain trout or a burger at Stackhouse.

So, Day One was more than a little disappointing. We were beginning to wonder if our trip was going to help the local economy at all.

On Wednesday we took US-19E through Burnsville to NC-226A to Little Switzerland. We went into downtown Burnsville. Recovery work was still being done on at least one street, and tree damage was obvious. Some roads that turned off US-19E were still closed, and we could only imagine the extent of tree and infrastructure damage.

There was lots of storm damage visible along NC-226-A and many asphalt patches in the highway. As was true on our entire trip, damage wasn’t constant, but was especially noticeable where there had been landslides or near creeks where there was obvious flood damage.

Here are a series of random photos I took on June 11, 2025, where we could safely pull off the highway as we drove from Mars Hill, NC to Little Switzerland, NC.

Photo of where a stream flooded area beside the road — Area beside a creek with obvious major repairs having been done.

Photo of trees down on the mountainside between Mars Hill and Little Switzerland, NC on June 11, 2025 — Example of tree damage on the side of a mountain, although by far not the worst we saw.

Photo of a pink wildflower in the midst of flood damage on June 11, 2025 — A sign of hope: a wildflower blooming in the midst of Hurricane Helene flood damage on June 11, 2025

Photo of tree damage from Hurricane Helene wind in forest — Tree and underbrush damage by the roadside.

Photo of a little stream and the damage it did in Hurricane Helene with a small landslide across the road from the stream. — Small stream, but evidence of major creek bank repairs and reseeding.

Throughout the three days we were amazed at the massive water damage still visible along what were once again tiny creeks and branches. It is amazing what 30 inches of rain in a couple of days can do to little mountain streams!

Photo of debris from Hurricane Helene piled beside the highway between Mars Hill and Little Switzerland, NC, June 11, 2025 — Storm debris waiting to be hauled away.

Photo of little stream and tree debris left 9 months after Hurricane Helene June 11, 2025 — Tiny stream now, but look at the damage it did last September.

Photo of the ruins of a home destroyed by the Hurricane Helene flooding — The remains of a home surrounded by evidence of the flood and a small landslide in the background.

We ate lunch, as planned (success at last!) at Little Switzerland Café. We had eaten there before. It is a good place to get soup, a sandwich, or homemade quiche. It is a short distance off the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Orchard at Altapass. The address of the orchard is Spruce Pine, but it is out in the country, right on the parkway.

Photo of wo-story Little Switzerland Cafe in Little Switzerland, NC, June 11, 2025 — Little Switzerland Cafe, Little Switzerland, NC, June 11, 2025

After lunch we had planned to visit the orchard. There is a general store there and walking trails, but the Blue Ridge Parkway was unexpectedly closed there. When I checked online a few days before our trip, the National Park Service website hade indicated that a couple of miles of the parkway were open there and the orchard was accessible. Apparently, more damage occurred or was discovered and the website couldn’t keep up. That’s understandable.

As is stated on https://altapassorchard.org/, “The mission of the Altapass Foundation, Inc. is to preserve the history, heritage, and culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains; protect the underlying orchard land with its apples, wetlands, butterflies, and other natural features; and educate the public about the Appalachian experience.”

Please take eight minutes to watch this 2023 PBS NC video clip, “How an apple orchard is preserving Appalachian views | State of Change: Seeds of Hope” about The Orchard at Altapass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bTKjLipjGI, so you can see why we wanted to visit it again and why you should include it on your itinerary the next time you’re in the area.

The orchard was planted by the Clinchfield Railroad at the lowest pass through the Blue Ridge Mountains for 100 miles. The railroad constructed 18 tunnels in 13 miles of track beside and below the present-day orchard and opened in 1908. Some of the trees in the orchard are still producing apples at nearly 100 years old. Hurricane Helene killed hundreds of the apple trees, but thousands survived.

From there, we made our way to Newland, Linville, Grandfather Mountain, and Boone, where we had reservations for the night. Along the way, especially where we crossed or drove beside mountain streams, the ravages of Hurricane Helene were visible.

We ate supper at Mike’s Inland Seafood in Boone. We discovered it on our last visit, which was exactly two weeks before the hurricane hit and Boone was flooded. We drove around the college town and were amazed at how the town and Appalachian State University campus have been almost completely cleaned up and restored since last September. From what we saw, someone who did not know there had been a flood would not be able to tell there was one less than a year ago unless they veer off the main streets.

Photo of a side street in Boone being repaired June 11, 2025 — A side street in Boone being repaired on June 11, 2025. That’s part of Rich Mountain in the background.

We enjoyed walking up and down King Street in Boone. We bought “Go Mountaineers! And Boone tee-shirts and postcards. My sister just happened to be reading a book about Watauga County musician, Doc Watson, so it was nice to stop and see his statue again at the corner of King and Depot Streets.

Alex Hallmark, a sculptor from nearby Blowing Rock, designed the statue of the blind musician seated and playing his guitar. A black steel bench was designed to fit the seated statue, so visitors can stop and sit awhile next to Doc. When we arrived, a mother and her little girl were sitting with Doc and enjoying ice cream cones. I wanted to take a picture, but I did not want to intrude.

We walked and shopped for a few minutes and I took this picture later.

Statue of Doc Watson at corner of King and Depot streets in Boone, NC, June 11, 2025

Thursday was the day that really made our trip worthwhile. From Boone, we drove to West Jefferson. We can’t go to West Jefferson without stopping by the Ashe County Cheese store. We purchased some of the cheese made at the factory across the street from the store along with some jams and jellies made especially for Ashe County Cheese Company. We looked at the fudge counter but resisted temptation.

There were jars at the cash registers at the Ashe County Cheese Company store for monetary donations to the Ashe Food Pantry, Inc. The organization accepts online donations at https://ashefoodpantry.org/ or a check can be mailed to Ashe Food Pantry, Inc., P. O. Box 705, Jefferson, NC 28640.

From West Jefferson, we headed north on NC-194 toward Lansing. We passed through Warrensville where I had planned for us to stop at The Baker’s Addict Bakery on our way back from Lansing, but we made a spontaneous decision to come home another way. My apologies to The Baker’s Addict Bakery. We’ll be sure to stop by on our next trip to northwestern North Carolina.

The little community of Lansing was hit extremely hard by Hurricane Helene. The community was left isolated for weeks and weeks after the storm. The little creek that flows beside NC-194/Big Horse Creek Road appears to be just a nice little bubbling brook last Thursday morning. There is a lovely park there and we delighted in seeing a group of young girls skating on the sidewalk in the park. We assumed they were local girls and we were so glad to see them having fun again after the natural disaster they lived through. The way it flooded all of the little business district last September was hard to imagine.

Park in Lansing, NC on June 11, 2025. Beautiful bright green grass and a mountain in the distance. — The park in Lansing, NC

There are just several businesses there, and we tried to support each of them. We had never been to Lansing before, so our knowledge of the businesses there came from the internet.

Photo of part of business district that is only on one side of the main street in Lansing, NC on June 11, 2025 — Part of the business district in Lansing, NC, June 11, 2025

Our first stop was at The Squirrel and The Nut. It is a delightful shop that specializes in locally-made handcrafted items and vintage items. I had looked at the rope bowls and was trying to decide what to buy – those or a quilted item or a vintage pitcher or a hand-painted necklace. My sister had done the same thing. For some reason, those rope bowls kept calling my name.

I returned to the display and was contemplating which ones to buy. About that time, my sister stopped beside me and picked up one of the bowls. The shop owner noticed us and explained why there were several color variations on the insides and outsides of the bowls. I had noticed that on the price tags was handwritten: “Suggested donation” along with a dollar amount. What I did not notice on the tag was where it was printed: “Helene Bowl.”

As I studied two of the bowls, the shop owner said, “Those rope bowls survived the hurricane. They were in the mud. The woman who made them lost a lot of her supplies and finished products in the flood. It was five months before she could bring herself to try to wash the mud out of those bowls. The discolorations were caused by other rope bowls fading on the ropes bowls during the flood.” By then I was tearing up. I went to the cash register with two of the rope bowls and my sister followed with another rope bowl and the vintage pitcher we had both picked up and considered.

Photo of our white, red, and orange rope bowls that survived Hurricane Helene in Lansing, NC — Our Hurricane Helene rope bowls made by The Infinite Daisy, Lansing, NC.

The larger of the two I purchased had been designed and made to be a dough proofing bowl, but the shop owner cautioned me that it probably shouldn’t be used for a food product considering its history. I was so emotional, I could scarcely say anything as the shop owner wrapped my bowls in tissue.

There was a hint of a strain in the shop owner’s voice as she told us about the items she lost in the flood and the bookcase that she knew she was going to need to discard. She said it just takes a while to come to grips with such losses.

She smiled and told us of the vintage cabinet radio she purchased the week before and laughed about how her partner struggled to carry it into the shop and place it exactly where she wanted it beside the front window.

Before we left, she recommended the dress shop two doors down and lunch at The Liar’s Bench at the end of the row of old businesses. We told her we had already planned to eat lunch there, so that worked out great.

We stopped in the little clothing store and I bought a pretty, soft, pastel yellow tee-shirt with various wildflowers on the front. I was tempted to buy a wristlet/crossbody purse, but I did not need it. It would have been perfect for our great-niece’s wedding last February.

We visited Old Orchard General Store, where Marie purchased a book to give to a friend and I bought a loaf of locally-made Country Multigrain Sourdough sliced bread made by Stick Boy Bread in nearby Boone. That bread is delicious! I should have bought more than one loaf!

We ate turkey BLT croissant sandwiches and drank the best sweet tea I’ve had in I don’t know when at The Liar’s Bench at 144 S. Big Horse Creek Road. It was a one-man operation and there were just four other customers the entire time we were there. The sign said they have live music every Friday night.

Photo of the exterior of the two-story red brick building that houses The Liar's Bench Restaurant in Lansing, NC — The Liar’s Bench Restaurant in Lansing, NC

The sandwiches were delicious, but I felt compelled to tell the cook/cashier how good the tea was. He laughed and said, “I was afraid I’d ruined it. I put in four cups of sugar.” We were afraid to ask him how much tea he had sweetened with four cups of sugar! I told him it was perfect and my sister and I left with take-out cups of more iced tea for our trip home.

My sister asked him if the flood waters got in all the businesses along the road. He pointed out the window to a stop sign and said, “It got up to there. It was really bad.” His voice nearly broke. There was a sorrow in his voice and a sadness in his eyes. One couldn’t help but notice.

Photo of some of the character in the dining room at The Liar's Bench Restaurant in Lansing, NC. A sign "The Liar's Bench" on the concrete block wall. The plaster is painted green, but much of the plaster has crumbled off the concrete blocks. There is a frog figurine and a sign, "Live Music Fridays." — Lots of character inside The Liar’s Bench Restaurant in Lansing, NC.

It was obvious that the people in the little community of Lansing, North Carolina, have had a traumatic experience and already a difficult nine-and-a-half-month recovery.

My sister overheard one of the other restaurant customers saying, “I have 1,100 tomato plants, and if he doesn’t open and take them to sell, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t want to take them all the way to West Jefferson.” Apparently, she is hoping another local business will reopen in time for her to sell her tomato plants.

After lunch, we decided to take NC-194 north to US-58 in Virginia instead of heading back to the bakery in Warrensville. I hate we missed giving the little bakery some business, and we wished we had stopped on our way to Lansing; however our spontaneous change in routing turned out to be a very interesting decision.

First of all, we unknowingly missed that NC-194 makes a 90-degree turn, so we happily continued straight on S. Big Horse Creek Road. Since we had never been in that part of Ashe County before, we did not realize we had missed a turn.

Sometimes a missed turn can lead to trouble, but sometimes it takes you on a bit of an adventure. Looking back on the route we took from Lansing, we know that God was looking out for us. We could have easily come to a road closing or worse, but we did not.

After returning home, I pulled up the map online and figured out exactly where we went after leaving Lansing. We continued north on S. Big Horse Creek Road for many miles. It became Big Horse Creek Road. We then took Mud Creek Road which took us into Virginia and to US-58/Highlands Parkway a few miles east of Damascus, Virginia.

We stopped at Tuckerdale Baptist Church in the community of Tuckerdale, NC because it was such a beautiful, peaceful place. A calm little creek ran between the church and the road. There is a one-lane steel bridge over the creek to the church. A huge poplar tree between the creek and the sanctuary provides shade for much of the parking lot. That tree is well over 100 years old. What a story it would have if it could talk!

Photo of Tuckerdale Baptist Church in Ashe County, NC. A white frame church with stained glass windows and a white steeple. — Tuckerdale Baptist Church, Tuckerdale, NC.

Photo of a new concrete one-lane bridge over Big Horse Creek to parking of a church on NC-194 north of Lansing, NC — A new one-lane bridge across Big Horse Creek to the parking lot of Tuckerdale Baptist Church at Tuckerdale NC.

We saw storm damage all along the way on the above referenced roads. Damage to the landscape and to houses was sobering. There were some houses that had been completely gutted by the flood waters. Their remains stood guard beside and above the little stream of water that had destroyed them as if daring the creek to rise again.

Bridges had been replaced, and there were numerous cases where we saw new bridges across the streams and creeks giving the people who live on the other side of the water access to the highway. We saw that time after time after time. We saw where the flood waters had gouged out the sides of the mountains.

We saw some tree debris that has not yet been picked up. It brought back memories of Hurricane Hugo here in 1989 and six months of tree debris lining the streets of Charlotte until it could all eventually be picked up.

We saw dump trucks hauling tree debris all three days in the mountains. It is overwhelming to realize those trucks have been hauling away debris for more than 200 days… and the work remaining to be done is massive. We saw staging areas where tree debris is piled high. Some of it has been converted into mulch… mountains of mulch.

We saw more places than I can estimate where trees are down all up and down the mountainsides. We saw where there were landslides. I have seen photos of the tree damage along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I now have a better idea of how hundreds of miles along the parkway must still look. And it would be impossible for all those trees to ever be sawed up and removed, even if the National Park Service budget and workforce had not been slashed. It is literally thousands and thousands of trees and huge rhododendrons that were destroyed or badly damaged by the storm.

We reached a point where the pavement ended and we wondered if we were still on the state highway. Little did we know… we weren’t! I guess we were on Mud Creek Road by then. In a couple of miles, we got to paved road again.

One of the sights we happened upon after crossing into Virginia was this historical marker about the Virginia Creeper Railroad at Whitetop. The Virginia Creek Recreational Trail is the path that’s visible in the photographs below. The trail’s southern terminus is at Whitetop.

Photo of what appears to be an old train station at Whitetop, Virginia. The walking trail runs beside the building. — Virginia Creeper Trail alongside the old Whitetop, Virginia, train station.

It was a quiet, peaceful place. There were a couple of houses in sight, but we didn’t see anyone. There was a rabbit enjoying the trail, but I couldn’t get a picture of it. I didn’t want to disturb it.

“Virginia Creeper” Railroad historical marker at Whitetop, Virginia, with a little of the Virginia Creeper Recreational Trail visible beside the sign.

Even after we got on US-58 between Damasus and Independence in Virginia, the damage continued. I knew the southwestern part of Virginia was heavily damaged by Hurricane Helene, but I didn’t know to what extent.

All along US-58, we saw trees down here and there and we could tell where what looked like a quiet little stream last Thursday had been a raging river last September. The first part of US-58 that we were on was a very winding mountain road – the kind I love to drive on! –with many switchbacks and 90-degree curves posted with “Speed Limit 15” signs.

Photo of orange daylilies blooming along the roadside. — Orange daylilies blooming along a roadside

A highlight on all three days of our trip was the profusion of old-timey orange daylilies here and there along roadsides and by highways. The largest patches of them were where I could not safely get a picture. We had never seen so many of them as we did on this trip!

At Independence, Virginia, we took US-21 by Sparta, North Carolina, and got on Interstate 77 to come home.

It was a trip we had anticipated for many months, and we really did not know what to expect. We put 500 miles on the car and visited some places in our own state that we’d never been to before. We are already hoping to return to that area and other parts of the mountains of North Carolina before the year is over. Those restaurants and shops will still need our support. Next time, we’ll look for a sign telling us that NC-194 hangs a right in Lansing!

In conclusion

After we returned home and had time to reflect on what we saw on our trip, we realized that in addition to the natural and physical damage we saw, we don’t know about the losses we did not see. We don’t know what we did not see because it was there no more. We don’t know about the houses and businesses we did not see because they were washed away in the flood.

We don’t know about the people we did not see at the restaurants and shops because they did not survive the hurricane.

We’ll never know who and what we did not see.

If our time in The Squirrel and The Nut in Lansing had been the only stop we made on our trip, it would have been worth it. My sister and I did not “need” those rope bowls or the vintage pitcher. We’re in that stage of life when we are getting rid of stuff instead of buying more stuff!

Those three rope bowls now have a place of honor in our family room. Knowing they literally survived the mud produced by Hurricane Helene makes them priceless works of art. Don’t you agree?

Hurricane Helene Update

As of Friday, 49 roads in North Carolina were still closed due to Hurricane Helene. That count included five US highways, three state highways, and 41 state roads.

Until my next blog post

Keep reading good books.

Hold your family and friends close.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

Tomorrow is Flag Day in the US

There will be a parade in Washington, DC tomorrow to supposedly mark the 250^th anniversary of the creation of the United States Army. June 14^th is, coincidentally, Flag Day in the US.

The United States flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing, according to the official Flag Code.

Photo of the US flag unfurled against a blue sky with white puffy clouds — Photo by chris robert on Unsplash

The US flag is never to touch the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.

The US flag cannot be thrown in the trash when it becomes damaged or is updated with an additional star when a new state is added to the union. It must be disposed of in a flag retirement ceremony.

Those flag retirement ceremonies are conducted by organizations such as the American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). In those solemn ceremonies, the flag is burned.

Setting fire to a US flag other than in on officially-sanctioned retirement ceremony is considered desecration.

Flying the US flag upside-down is a distress signal.

President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 as Flag Day in 1916. Although not an official holiday on which banks and government offices close, since 1916 it has been a day set apart for us to stop and think about our flag and the sacrifice and freedoms it represents.

But then came Donald Trump

Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, and therein lies a problem.

Trump wanted a big military parade in Washington, DC during his first term in office, but he had rational military advisors then who told him (1) that’s not what we do in America and (2) the city streets in Washington, DC were not constructed to withstand the weight of army tanks. The military advisors in place then were able to shut down the idea.

But fast forward to 2025. All the military brass in a position to or with the courage to say “No” to President Trump are gone. Therefore, there will be a military parade with tanks on the city streets in Washington, DC tomorrow.

This parade is estimated to cost the American taxpayers $45 million. According to The Huff Post online, it is estimated that $16 million of that is what the taxpayers in the District of Columbia will be on the hook for in street repairs. (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/road-repairs-cost-trump-army-parade_n_683d7252e4b095a13840e070)

Is Trump concerned about that? Of course not! In fact, The Huff Post on June 2, 2025, quoted him as saying that $16 million is “peanuts compared to the value of doing it.”

US Army tanks from Fort Cavazos in Texas were transported to the nation’s capital just for this event. That is 1,500 miles. Soldiers need practice in transporting tanks, but 1,500 miles just for a parade seems excessive.

One-inch-thick steel plates have been placed at strategic places on the streets in Washington, DC and the tanks have been outfitted with new track pads to minimize street damage.

Members of the US Army Golden Knights parachute team are scheduled to drop in to hand a US flag to Trump.

What a spectacle it will be all while the US Congress, at the instruction of President Trump, cannot find the money to fund the National Park Service or USAID or medical research or the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or Medicaid or the National Weather Service or….

It is beside the point that democracies don’t have military parades in their capital cities to show their military might. That’s what the Adolph Hitlers, the Vladimir Putins, the Kim Jong Uns, and the Xi Jinpings of the world do.

But Donald Trump was jealous of them and their grand parades.

So Donald Trump will have a military parade on his birthday, and the US taxpayers be damned.

Until my next blog post

I hope all the American taxpayers who are working two jobs just to make ends meet have a nice Flag Day.

Tomorrow is also “No Kings Day” in the United States. We thought we made it clear in 1776 that we didn’t want a king. Someone will be reminded of that in 1,800 scheduled protests tomorrow.

Janet

Blackmail & Scare Tactics are the rule of the day

I had hoped to not blog today, but here I am.

I decided yesterday to write a blog post for today about how Trump blackmails people, universities, states, etc., and I will get to that in a minute.

Calling up the Marines

But first, after a seven-hour power outage when I was blissfully unaware of what was going on in the world, Trump decided to ramp things up in Los Angeles. When my electricity was restored around 8:30 last night, I turned on the TV and lo and behold on the bottom of the screen it said, “700 active-duty US Marines being sent to Los Angeles.”

Sending active-duty US military personnel to scare the American citizens into submission? Is this what it has come to in the country I love? Will the two active-duty US Marines I know answer the call?

I pray for all who serve today in all the branches of the US military. I pray that when the current Commander-in-Chief orders them to turn on their fellow citizens they will do the right thing.

We are in a very bad place in the United States, and I don’t think I can forgive the people who voted for this. God, help me.

Blackmail

Day-by-day, our democracy in the United States takes another hit. The people in charge are taking chisels, sledgehammers, and chainsaws to the foundations of our long-held values and way of life.

When the US President can boldly say without any outcry from his political party that if Elon Musk gives any money to support Democrats, there will be “serious consequences,” we are in a dangerous place.

The public spat Musk and Trump had last week should have embarrassed both of them, but I doubt either of them can be embarrassed.

Trump has already threatened to halt all the contracts Musk has with the US Government. Granted, that wouldn’t be an altogether bad thing, but I don’t like to see a US President blackmailing anyone… not even Elon Musk.

Trump tired to blackmail other countries by threatening tariffs up to 145%. All he did was make all our allies mad… and rightfully so. You have to be pretty low on diplomatic smarts to attack Canada.

Trump’s blackmailing of universities has been going on for weeks now. His latest threats are against not only the university system in California, but he threatens to withhold all federal funds from the state because a transperson was allowed to participate in a sporting event.

By the way, California sends more money to Washington, DC than it gets in return.

The President thinks he can bully corporations, states, cities, and countries to cave to his lame desires and threats. So far, it has worked with the US Congress, and some days it appears to have worked with the US Supreme Court.

It is his modus operandi. He does not know any other way to operate, and it is a disgusting and hideous way to run the greatest experiment in democracy the world has ever seen.

Where does this end?

Until my next blog post on Friday…

I hope you have a pleasant and peaceful week in preparation for June 14. I fully intend not to blog again until Friday. I will explain later.

Remember what the core values of our country are and be ready to defend them.

Take courage from the people of Ukraine.

Janet

Demise of the Digital Equity Act

One aspect of the things the Trump Administration has cut that I have not blogged about is the Digital Equity Act.

In their slash and burn attack on the federal government to supposedly eliminate waste, Elon Musk and Donald Trump simply took a chainsaw to everything that included the word “equity” and cut it off at the ground. Then, they pulled up the roots and tossed them away.

So, the Digital Equity Act had to be defunded. After all, this is what the Act did, according to the Congress.gov website (https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1841/all-info):

“This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to establish grant programs for promoting digital equity, supporting digital inclusion activities, and building capacity for state-led efforts to increase adoption of broadband by their residents.

“Specifically, the bill establishes the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program to make distributions to states based on their populations, demographics, and availability and adoption of broadband. The bill also establishes the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program for supporting efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate adoption of broadband.”

The objective of the Digital Equity Act was to help expand broadband internet service to rural and underserved parts of the country. It was meant to help level the playing field.

Photo of the word internet spelled out in capital letters in white against a black background — Photo by Stephen Tauro on Unsplash

Trump has pulled the funding for the Act. If the rural and underserved parts of the US do not get broadband internet service, he doesn’t care.

Public libraries in underserved areas were the recipients of some of the grants until the program disappeared. Donald Trump cannot imagine being in a situation where his only access to the internet would be the local public library – which might be 25 miles or more from his home.

As he said in his campaign for office, “I love the uneducated.” Wannabe dictators love the uneducated because they are easily tricked and easily led.

No one knows what goes on in Donald Trump’s mind. Does he want to keep the populous uninformed, or is he so narcissistic and uncaring that he does not ever for one second consider the human ramifications for the services he slashes with a scratch of his pen?

Trump has loudly and proudly bragged about doing away with everything having to do with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). With the full support of the Republicans in Congress, Trump has said that anything DEI is discriminatory against white males.

White males have always been in charge in the United States, ever since they arrived and immediately started killing and pushing the indigenous peoples off the land.

White men got used to being in charge, so when black people and women of all colors started taking their rightful place as citizens in the 1960s, white men had to make some adjustments. In most cases, they did not adjust gracefully.

I came of age in the early 1970s, so I met some white male backlash head-on when I entered the workforce. Now, after 50 years of advancement toward equality, it seems that Trump and his ilk have had enough. The Trump Administration has come down on diversity, equity, and inclusion with a sledgehammer.

The sledgehammer is hitting diversity, equity, and inclusion across the board with no concern for the inflicted damage. Trump and his ilk don’t see it as damage. Damage to people of color and women is not damage to them; it is just the way things should be.

One example I read about was medical research being done about a correlation between menopause and Alzheimer’s Disease. The research had to end because it only studied women. Have any studies of prostate cancer been halted? I doubt it.

It will take years for us to see the full ramifications of what the Trump Administration and his supporters have done to our society – to education, to scientific and medical research, to our military, and to our workforce. People of color and women will be passed over for college scholarships and job opportunities. It might not be as blatant as it was in the 1960s and 1970s, but it will be there. It already was there, but now the Trump Administration has put its seal of approval on the practice and once again made it “the way it is supposed to be.”

Hurricane Helene Update and the Acting FEMA Director

As of Friday, 50 roads in North Carolina were still closed due to Hurricane Helene. That count included five US highways, three state highways, and 42 state roads.

I-40 near the Tennessee line remains at just one lane in both directions with a 35 mph speed limit. And, most of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina is still closed due to landslides and the downing of thousands of trees during the storm.

The long-term ramifications on the entire state of North Carolina are massive, although the hurricane only hit the western part of the state. For instance, rebuilding and repairing state highways and roads from Hurricane Helene takes that money away from regular road and bridge repairs. It is estimated that the Hurricane Helene transportation expenses for the state will amount to $1 billion, which is what the state would normally spend on highways and bridges in a three-year period.

Last Tuesday, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and various TV media reported that the Acting Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) David Richardson said he was not aware that the United States had a hurricane season.

We do. It begins on June 1 and ends on November 30. Every year. Those are the months, Mr. Richardson, when tropical storms and hurricanes are likely to form in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico due to seasonal weather patterns and the temperature of the sea waters. It’s called science and common sense. Study history, Mr. Richardson, and you might notice a trend.

Are you wondering what Mr. Richardson’s qualifications are for the job? He is a former US Marine who has been a Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for countering weapons of mass destruction. I couldn’t find that he has any experience in responding to natural disasters.

I’ll take this opportunity, since I have some new blog readers, to repeat that I know there are other places where the people are suffering from natural disasters; however, I am a North Carolinian, so I will continue to concentrate on the unprecedented damage Hurricane Helene did in western North Carolina last September.

Disasters are covered for a short time by the media, but then other matters and events grab the headlines. I want my readers to be reminded that recovery from any natural disaster is not an easy undertaking and cannot be accomplished in a short period of time.

Thank you to my loyal readers who have hung in there with me as I’ve reported on Hurricane Helene weekly for the last eight months. That will continue.

The parts of the mountains in NC that are open desperately need our support, as much of the economy there is based on tourism, So, plan your trip carefully and concentrate your travel dollars on supporting small businesses. Remember to pack patience for when you run into road construction or detours.

It was announced on Friday that Chimney Rock State Park will reopen on June 27, exactly nine months after the hurricane. It is normally open year-round.

Until my next blog post

I’m going to take two or three days off from blogging this week. I need a break, and you probably do, too! If all goes as planned, my next post will be on Friday, June 13. Let’s all try to have a pleasant week.

By the way, when you finish reading a good book, take the time to leave a brief review of it or at least a four- or five-star rating for it online. That really helps the author, especially if it is their first book.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

Eat at Joe’s! (Not at Donald’s)

“Eat at Joe’s” is a running joke on Looney Tunes and various cartoon studios, so I just couldn’t resist making the connection when I started seeing Forbes and many other news magazines and organizations reporting on the horrible sanitation rating one of President Trump’s golf clubs was given.

Photo of a restaurant with "Eat at Joe's" painted on the side of the building — Photo by Joel Durkee on Unsplash

They say there’s no such thing as “bad publicity,” but…

It took a month for it to hit the news, but Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey Golf Club scored 32 out of 100 on a Somerset County Health inspection on May 6.

The golf club received, by nearly 30 points, the lowest score of 115 retail eating establishments inspected in Somerset County in May.

Between having expired milk and raw meat stored at 50 degrees F. instead of the required 41 degrees, it’s a wonder people haven’t died of food poisoning.

Half of the 18 health violations in the report were deemed “critical.”

Ironically, three hours after the Forbes article (https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacheverson/2025/06/04/trump-health-inspection-violations-golf-club-bedminster/) was published at 8:49 a.m. on June 4, inspectors made a reinspection at the golf club and managed to upgrade the restaurant to 86 out of 100, which is the threshold for obtaining a “B” sanitation rating.

How many of Trump’s rich friends did not feel well after eating there? “It must have been something I ate.”

I would not knowingly eat at a restaurant with less than an “A” sanitation rating. I’m glad I’m not rich enough to eat at a Trump golf club.

Something to cringe about

If this isn’t cringe-worthy, I don’t know what is.

President Trump says he is going to have a new ballroom built at the White House. He claims US Presidents have wanted it for 150 years, but he is the first one who knew how to build it.

If it is half as gaudy as what he has done to the Oval Office, I don’t want to see it. On Truth Social he wrote on June 6 that it “will be compliments of a man known as Donald J. Trump….”

I wouldn’t want to be the contractor, because Trump is known for stiffing the people he owes money.

I sort of wonder about people who speak of themselves using their full names, but I digress.

Something to smile about

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was shipped off to a prison in El Salvador by the Trump Administration by mistake has been returned to the United States to stand trial.

That’s what should have happened before he was sent to prison.

The US Department of Justice is now charging him with human trafficking, according to US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

According to US President Donald Trump on Air Force One yesterday, Kilmar Abrego Garcia “is a terrible person.”

Now, we’ll see if someone labeled “a terrible person” by the US President can get a fair trial. As Americans, that is all we wanted for him. That’s all I would want for myself if I were accused of a crime.

It is a relief to know that, to some degree, we are still a country of laws.

Something to laugh about

After having nothing to laugh about since January 20, President Trump and Elon Musk gave us plenty to laugh about on Thursday. Nothing like fighting in public! It was bound to happen sooner or later. Stay tuned, everybody!

Until my next blog post

Enjoy your weekend. Be careful where you eat!

Read!

Don’t forget the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

Remembering a Veteran of D-Day

Mr. Ira Lee Taylor of Harrisburg, North Carolina, was an unassuming man. I grew up knowing him as my mailman and the father of a friend at school. It wasn’t until 2006, when I started writing a local history column for Harrisburg Horizons newspaper that I learned from another local World War II U.S. Army veteran that Mr. Taylor took part in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day.

That invasion took place 81 years ago today. Very few veterans are still here to tell their stories. Interviewing Mr. Taylor a number of times in the six years I wrote for the newspaper was one of the privileges of my life.

Instead of June 6, 1944, only being a date in a history book, it became a day of incredible heroism and sacrifice as I heard Mr. Taylor’s vivid memories of that day, the training in preparation for it, and the other battles he was in throughout the war in Europe.

Mr. Taylor served in the U.S. Army’s 4^th Division. The entire 4^th Division left New York City on four ships on January 19, 1944. About passing the Statue of Liberty, he said, “That was a beautiful thing. We said, ‘We don’t know whether we’ll ever see you again or not.’” Many of them never did.

More than one hundred other ships joined the 4^th Division over the next three days. The Liberty Ships were carrying ammunition, food, and other supplies. He said the ships would scatter during the day, but at night they would close in almost touching each other. It took eleven days for them to cross the Atlantic and arrive in Liverpool, England.

They were transported by train from there to Devonshire, England, where they trained for the invasion of Normandy which was occupied and heavily fortified by the Germans.

He talked about how they meticulously prepared their trucks and other equipment so they would be sea worthy. They practiced loading everything up and going to the port of Plymouth. From there, they would sail down the English Channel to a place that was set up to look like “Utah Beach” in Normandy where they would train for the invasion.

Each time they set out, they didn’t know whether it was the real thing or another practice run. Of course, they did not know exactly what they were training for.

After months of planning and incredible secrecy, the invasion was scheduled for June 5, 1944. General Dwight D. Eisenhower knew he had a small window of opportunity before the moon would begin to wane.

No, June 5 is not a typo. That was set as the day for the invasion. The night before, Mr. Taylor said the troops were briefed. They were told, “The 4^th Division will make the landing on D-Day. We’re sacrificing the 4^th Division to make that landing. We anticipate eighty percent casualties. You’ll pass two islands in the Channel on the way – one’s Guernsey and the other one’s Jersey. You might hear some shooting and all, but don’t worry about it. That doesn’t concern you at all. Two other outfits are taking care of that.”

“The morning of June 5, the gate was locked with an MP guarding it. They wouldn’t let us out, and the boys started singing, ‘Don’t Fence Me In,’” Mr. Taylor said with a chuckle. But then the mood turned somber and they knew this was it.

Mr. Taylor’s outfit set out late on the evening of June 4. They got halfway across the English Channel and a huge storm came up. General Eisenhower was forced to call off the mission, but the invasion had to take place no later than June 6.

So Mr. Taylor’s outfit loaded up again on the night of June 5 before dark. He was on one of 499 ships that took part in the invasion.

Patton’s 3^rd Division, the 90^th Division, and the 4^th Division were all lined up, but the 4^th went out first because it was to hit the beach in the first wave.

If you’ve seen the movie, “Saving Private Ryan” or some war documentaries, you might have an inkling of an idea what the invasion was like, but I don’t think any of us can really grasp the horror of it. One thing a film doesn’t give you is the smell, but Mr. Taylor talked about the smell.

He talked about how special troops sneaked onto the Normandy coast before daybreak on June 6 and disarmed many of the mines on the beaches, right under the noses of the German soldiers. At the same time, glider troops were silently landing inland carrying tanks and infantrymen. The 82^nd and 101^st Airborne dropped ten miles inland, behind enemy lines.

Mr. Taylor talked about the four hundred light and heavy bombers that flew over them until six o’clock in the morning.

The 4^th Division missed its target by about a mile, but started landing on Utah Beach at 6:30 a.m. on June 6, 1944.

Mr. Taylor talked about the mines and the iron crosses all over the beach as the Germans anticipated an invasion, the 50-caliber machine guns, the wounded soldiers being taken back to the Landing Ship, Tank (LST) he was on. It carried twenty tanks and 200 troops and doubled as a hospital.

Mr. Taylor was in many battles, including the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Huertgen Forest. He had majored in Forestry at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, so he had a particular appreciation for the Huertgen Forest of fir and pine trees, but it was there that the 4^th Division lost half of its men and the forest was shattered in the fighting.

Photo of Mr. Ira Lee Taylor with his World War II medals in a frame on February 24, 2007. — Mr. Ira Lee Taylor with his World War II medals, February 24, 2007.

Needless to say, Mr. Taylor felt fortunate to survive the war. He came home, married his sweetheart, and got a job at the post office. Somehow, he put the horrors he had witnessed behind him, but in his later years he wanted to share his story. And I’m a better person for having interviewed him.

If you are interested in reading all of Mr. Taylor’s stories, my five-part newspaper series can be found in Harrisburg, Did You Know? Cabarrus History, Book 1, which is available in paperback at Second Look Books in Harrisburg and in paperback and e-book from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Harrisburg-Did-You-Know-Cabarrus-ebook/dp/B0BNK84LK1/). That book contains the first 91 articles I wrote for the newspaper.

Until my next blog post

Take some time today to think about the men who took part in the D-Day invasion. We owe them a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.

Janet

My US Representative’s Newsletter

I was having a pretty good Saturday afternoon. It wasn’t raining and it was warm. My fibromyalgia pain was lessening with the dry day and temperatures in the high 70s. The incessant wind had brought some of the smoke from the wildfires in Manitoba to the southern piedmont of North Carolina, blocking the sun, but I was inside doing Saturday chores and catching up on some filing and correspondence.

Then, I made the mistake of clicking on the newsletter from my Representative in the US House. I use “Representative” loosely because he does not represent me at all.

Photo Credit: Andra C. Taylor Jr on unsplash.com

I have had Republicans represent my district in the US House, and I have had Democrats represent me in the US House. I have read their newsletters and emails through the years, but I must say the newsletter I received today from Representative Mark Harris (that’s the Rev. Mark Harris) is by far the most partisan, biased, and lie-filled communication I have ever received from any of them.

I will let Rev. Harris’ May 31, 2025, newsletter speak for itself, so no one can accuse me of slander. I hate to give Harris any publicity, but his newsletter is so off-the charts for someone who is supposed to serve all his constituents, I just have to share it.

Here it is, in all its glory and entirety, minus all the photographs because they would have copy and download into WordPress:

“Dear Janet,

Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have diligently worked to identify waste, fraud, and abuse, ensuring responsible use of taxpayer funds. Now, it’s time to make DOGE’s reforms permanent.

“Rescission authority” allows the President and Congress to cancel previously allocated spending which would solidify DOGE’s efforts.

Next week, the White House is scheduled to submit a rescissions package to Congress, incorporating many of DOGE’s proposed cuts, including frivolous expenditures such as:

$45 million for diversity scholarships in Burma
$6 million for tourism promotion in Egypt
$9 million for gender norm initiatives
$47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia

These extravagant pet projects are unjustifiable. American taxpayers should not be footing the bill for the Left’s wish list. I promise to fight to cement DOGE’s legacy and rein in the Swamp’s out-of-control spending habits.

Defunding NPR

Let me be very clear: there’s nothing in the First Amendment that requires taxpayer dollars to prop up Left-wing propaganda.

In addition to making good on DOGE’s diligence, the upcoming rescissions package from the White House is set to include measures to cut government funding for NPR – a mouthpiece for radical progressive ideas.

For decades, these institutions have dispersed left-wing narratives on the taxpayers’ dime. NPR’s reporters and editors purposely created and promoted news articles designed to damage President Trump during the 2016 and 2020 elections, including promoting the Russian collusion hoax.?NPR even went as far as to refuse to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story due to fears it could help President Trump’s 2020 reelection bid. As recently as 2023, NPR put out an article denying the clear athletic advantage biological males have over girls in sports, attacking young women who have spoken out about this issue.

It’s time to separate partisan propaganda from the taxpayers’ wallets.

President Trump is Restoring Justice

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice unfairly targeted Christian organizations, pro-life grandmothers, and even the current President, all while overlooking violent acts by radical groups like Antifa as well as alleged misconduct by figures such as Hunter Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci.

That era of politicized justice has ended. President Trump is restoring integrity to the Department of Justice.

Following recent unprovoked attacks on peaceful Christian gatherings in Seattle, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has pledged to prosecute groups engaging in targeted violence against religious communities.

Similarly, the FBI is reopening investigations into high-profile cases previously ignored under the Biden administration, including the 2023 discovery of cocaine in the White House and the leak of the Dobbs Supreme Court opinion, which incited threats against conservative justices.

President Trump and Republicans are committed to upholding law and order across the nation.

Joining Bo and Beth Weekly

Are you interested in hearing regular updates about what I am working on for you? Tune in every Friday at 7:20 am on WBT Charlotte News Talk as I join Bo Thompson and Beth Troutman to discuss the latest from Washington and what I am doing to serve the people of North Carolina’s Eighth District! You can listen live on their website at this link here or tune in on 99.3 FM.

Here are some other news stories about what I’ve been up to lately:

Constituent Corner

I was absolutely blown away by my tour of Conn-Selmer’s Ludwig plant. Crafting a wide range of musical instruments for the students of North Carolina’s Eighth District, they’re truly “making some noise” and inspiring creativity in our community.

During my visit to the DaVita Kidney Care Facility in Monroe, I was impressed by their commitment to providing top-notch care for their patients. Thank you for your outstanding work in serving the healthcare needs of North Carolinians—keep it up!

Serving YOU!

My team is currently working to resolve cases for nearly 150 people across our district. If you or someone you know is unable to get answers from the federal government, please do not hesitate to call my district office. Whether you need help with the IRS, VA, Social Security, or even getting a passport for an upcoming trip, we have a team of constituent service representatives ready to serve you. You can call us at 704-218-5300 or visit my website at https://markharris.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency.

If you want to keep up with what I am doing every day on your behalf, you can follow all of my social media links down below!

If your friends, relatives, or neighbors would also like to sign up for these weekly updates, they can do so by sending my office a quick email or simply by signing up here. For more up-to-the-minute updates, you can follow my press team on Facebook and Twitter.

Sincerely,

Mark Harris
Proudly Serving North Carolina’s Eighth Congressional District

What I want to say

What I want to say, I cannot put in my blog.

Suffice it to say that I live in one of the most-gerrymandered districts in a completely gerrymandered state, and I am not represented in Congress by Mark Harris, Ted Budd, or Thom Tillis because they only represent the man who lives in the White House. Rev. Harris has obviously never watched PBS.

Mid-term election for Harris and end-of-six-year-term election for Tillis on November 3, 2026. That day can’t come soon enough!

It could be worse

At least I don’t live in Marjorie Taylor Green’s district in Georgia. Regarding that “big, beautiful bill” she voted for last week, Green posted on X: “Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years. I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in….”

On the other hand, Mark Harris probably still doesn’t know it.

Until my next blog post

I hope you have a good book to read, and I apologize for ruining your day by inflicting Mark Harris’ newsletter on you.

Make sure your voter registration is in proper order and intact well before November 3, 2026.

Remember those of us who have taxation without representation, just like we did 250 years ago. That time it resulted in a revolution.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

I did not plan to blog today

I was determined not to blog today. I had already planned a post for tomorrow, and I will leave it for then.

Last night I read an article by Lisa Desjardins, a correspondent for PBS NewsHour. I felt it was important to share with you what she reported. I received it in an email as a subscriber, so I cannot in good conscience copy it and post it here.

Here is the link she provided for the “Technical Supplement to the 2026 Budget Appendix” from the Office of Management and Budget: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2026-APP/pdf/BUDGET-2026-APP.pdf?utm_source=PBS+NewsHour&utm_campaign=968c809e4c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_05_14_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47f99db221-968c809e4c-504663930. It is 1,215 pages, but it includes an index. The table of contents gives the page numbers for each federal department.

A computer-generated photo of a stack of blue dollar signs — Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Lisa Desjardins’ email listed 46 agencies and programs President Trump wants eliminated. Some of them are:

Economic Development Administration.

Job Corps;

AmeriCorps;

Minority Business Development Agency;

NASA’s Office of Science, Tech, Engineering and Math Engagement;

Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (a watchdog to make sure there is no discrimination in federal contracts);

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board;

Administration for Community Living (which assists older adults and disabled individuals live independently);

Department of Health and Human Services’ Prevention and Public Health Fund;

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program;

Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve; Legal Services Corporation (a funder of civil legal aid);

US Agency for Global Media (includes Voice of America, Radio Free Asia, and Radio Free Europe);

Corporation for Public Broadcasting (National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting System);

Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs;

National Endowment for the Arts;

National Endowment for the Humanities;

Institute of Museum and Library Services;

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development;

State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program;

Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund; and

Marine Mammal Commission.

Lisa Desjardins’ email states, “Congress must pass the next funding bill by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.”

It’s unfortunate that the US Congress can only figure out a budget three months at a time. I should be so lucky.

Until my next blog post

Keep reading and watching reputable news reports.

Always have a good novel within arm’s reach.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

We’ll have none of that!

It has been a few days (well, four) since I blogged about politics in the United States, so today I’ll try to briefly hit on some things you might have missed.

Office of Special Counsel

Paul Ingrassia was appointed the lead the Office of Special Counsel by President Trump and be his liaison with the Department of Homeland Security. That is the office that handles such things as illegal campaign actions by high officials. Thirteen of Trump’s senior aides were found to be in violation of the Hatch Act during his first term in office.

The problem with Paul Ingrassia being appointed to this position is: He is a former far-right podcaster who in while Trump tried to overthrow the 2020 election posted, “Time for @realDonaldTrump to declare martial law and secure his re-election.”

Don’t expect any whistle blowing within the Trump Administration.

The National Association of the Deaf

During the Covid 19 pandemic, all 50 states provided American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters during their governors’ press briefings, but the Trump White House refused to do so even after repeated requests from the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) and members of Congress. This led NAD to file a lawsuit against Trump on August 3, 2020 which asked for the immediate use of ASL interpreters during television broadcasts of coronavirus press conferences and briefings.

The suit maintained that the White House was in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Act mandates that people with disabilities have access to all White House communications. That is, of course, crucial during a public health crisis. After a judge ordered the White House to provide ASL interpreters for all Covid 19 press briefings, that was done.

President Joe Biden took office on January 20, 2021, and four days later announced that there would be ASL interpreters for all White House press briefings.

Fast forward to January 20, 2025, the day Trump’s second term began. On that day, he signed an Executive Order to halt all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs and activities in the federal government.

No more ASL interpreters at the White House or in any department in the Executive Branch of the US Government.

“It’s Déjà vu all over again.” The National Association for the Deaf filed a lawsuit against President Trump, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for being in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Closed-captioning is helpful, but it usually skips or misinterprets some words. For people who are completely deaf, being able to watch an ASL interpreter is of paramount importance.

What’s the point of complaining about cuts to Medicaid if we’re all going to die anyway?

At a town hall meeting on Friday, Republican US Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa was questioned about the cuts to Medicaid that are in the “big, beautiful bill” passed by the US House and now under consideration by the Senate. Her response to her constituents: “People are not – well, we all are going to die, so, for heaven’s sakes.” Her words were met with jeers.

NBC News also reported, “Ernst also got into testy exchanges about DOGE cuts and her support for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Butler County town hall, but was asked repeatedly about the proposed Medicaid changes.”

When this happens when citizens go to public meetings held by a US Senator or US Representative, their questions should not be brushed off in such a way.

When writing your US Senators and Representative appears to be a waste of time

Three weeks ago, I wrote emails to both US Senators from North Carolina and my US Representative expressing my concern that the US had been placed on the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist due to human rights.

Senator Thom Tillis responded the next week and thanked me for writing him about the border crisis.

Senator Ted Budd responded last Thursday and told me repeatedly that he is working hard to uphold the US Constitution.

Representative Mark Harris responded a week or so ago and only praised the job President Trump is doing and said that every Executive Order signed by Trump should be codified into law by the Congress.

Now that I know how they feel about the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist….

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

On Friday, Trump fired Kim Sajet, the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. She had held the position for 12 years. Her crime, according to Trump was for being “a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI.”

So, if you hire or promote persons of color or women, you are not welcome in the Trump orbit.

If a person can lose their job for being “a highly partisan person,” it seems to me that would include everyone Trump has hire or appointed… or pardoned.

A false economy and a public health gamble.

Reuters reported that the Trump Administration cancelled a federal government contract with Moderna for the late-stage development of its bird flu vaccine for humans.

Are we heading for Remigration?

Remigration is a policy that calls for the removal of migrants. The goal appears to be to create white ethnostates.

It came to light last Thursday that the US State Department had sent a 136-page notification document to six Congressional Committees for approval by July 1. In addition to creating an Office of Remigration in the State Department, the document says that the new office “will also actively facilitate the voluntary return of migrants to their country of origin or legal status.”

Much of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Bureau will be eliminated, as if the US isn’t already on a human rights watchlist!

The document tells of dramatic changes coming to the US diplomatic service, and the establishment of a new Deputy Assistant Secretary of State position to oversee “Democracy and Western Values.”

That last part is cringe-worthy. Trump’s disdain for democracy is one thing that worries me, and what do they mean by “Western Values?”

American Bar Association, thanks but no thanks

In a letter to William R. Bay, President of the American Bar Association, on May 29 US Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Mr. Bay that the US Department of Justice will no longer take ABA ratings into consideration in judicial nominations because “its ratings invariably and demonstrably favor nominees put forth by Democratic administrations.”

The letter went on to say the American Bar Association will be treated like any other “activist organization.”

Kudos to CNBC reporter Megan Cassella

Photo of three tacos — Photo by Jarett Lopez on Unsplash

Kudos to CNBC reporter Megan Cassella for daring to ask Trump what he thought about TACO: Trump Always Chickens Out.

In fairness to the Republicans…

On Tuesday, May 27, the US Supreme Court declined to review a lower court’s decision that allows the transfer of sacred Apache land in central Arizona to a foreign copper mining company.

The Apache Stronghold coalition of indigenous and non-indigenous people last year lost their case in front of the 9^th US Circuit Court of Appeals. So, this started under the Biden Administration.

The Apache Stronghold maintains that copper mining in the Tonto National Forest sacred lands will create a crater.

Once more, the federal government slaps the faces of indigenous people.

Until my next blog post

Keep reading everything you can. I hope you’re reading a really good book now.

Hold family and friends close.

Remember the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

Books I Read in April and May 2025

I usually blog about the books I read the previous month in my blog post on the first Monday in the next month, but on May 5 I blogged about the Cabarrus Black Boys blowing up King George III’s munitions shipment on May 2, 1771.

I felt compelled to blog about the US being added to the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist on May 12. The rest of the story of the Cabarrus Black Boys needed another Monday post, and I blogged about Memorial Day on May26.

Therefore, here I am on the first Monday in June needing to report to you about the books I read in April and May. Fortunately for you, I didn’t get but two books read in those 61 days. I have a lot to say about both, so settle in.

My reading in April

I was too distracted by the dismantling of the US Government and its worthwhile programs and projects to read any fiction in April. I was unable in April to read or write any fiction. I missed both.

If you’ve been reading all or most of my blog posts over the last three months, you know the majority of my reading has been current events. You also know that I am distressed, angry, and depressed over the state of things in the United States.

It is that distress and depression from the daily flood of bad news from and about the US Government that prevented my reading any fiction. As of the end of April, I had read nothing for pure enjoyment since reading The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon and The Lion Women of Tehran, by Marjan Kamali in January and I Was Anastasia, by Ariel Lawhon in February.

That is the longest I’ve gone in my memory without reading a novel since I finally realized in 2001 that fiction can be as educational and thought-provoking as nonfiction.

Since I deal with Seasonal Affective Disorder in the fall and winter, this is my favorite time of year (except for the snakes reappearing in my yard after their winter hibernation!) Therefore, I should have been loving each day in April and May, feeling free and confident, and simultaneously reading two or three novels at any given time. Instead, Instead, I felt like I was living in a dark cave. I checked books out from the library, but many of them were returned unread. I was in a reading slump.

My reading in May

Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage and Compassion When Cruelty is Trending, by John Pavlovitz

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was reading this book in April. I finished it in May. John Pavlovitz wrote this book in 2024. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, he was a pastor but his congregation left him. They decided they didn’t agree with him about welcoming the stranger and caring for the poor, so he and the congregation parted ways.

This book was right down my alley, so it may or may not be to your liking.

Photo of the cover of John Pavlovitz's book, Worth Fighting For — *Worth Fighting For*, by John Pavlovitz

Mr. Pavlovitz points out that, “Fighting for the stuff that matters isn’t for the faint of heart. If courage and compassion were easy, we’d experience a lot more of them in the world…. Keep breathing, stay hydrated, and fight well!”

He writes, “As we go about the work of being compassionate human beings in days when cruelty is trending, there are two wounds we need to be constantly mindful of and sensitive to: the wounds of the world and the wounds we sustain attending to them.”

Also, “The only way humanity loses is if decent human beings allow the inhumanity to win, if they stop fighting, if they resign themselves to their circumstances.”

At the end of many chapters, Mr. Pavlovitz states a truth, asks a question, and then gives a strategy.” It took me several weeks to read the entire book because I stopped to give some thoughtful time to each of those. I did a lot of journaling. Some of it was soul searching. It was a helpful spiritual and ethical exercise.

He writes about righteous anger, and says, “…everyone believes their anger is righteous, their cause is just, and their motives are pure.” He goes on to say that Christians need to “aspire to … redemptive anger, focusing on what results from our responses, the fruit of our efforts and our activism: Do they bring justice, equity, wholeness? Are more people heard and seen and respected in their wake? Is diversity nurtured or assailed because of them?”

He says, “The beautiful collective outrage of good people is actually the antidote to hateful religion.”

As we continue through 2025, Mr. Pavlovitz has not been shy about voicing his concerns about the Trump Administration online and on social media. I think he has lost some of the optimism he held when he wrote Worth Fighting For a year ago. I’m right there with him on that!

He writes, “It’s easy to blame Donald Trump for the collective heart sickness we’ve seen here in recent years, but he didn’t create this cruelty – he simply revealed it and leveraged it to his advantage. He didn’t invent the malevolence that social media trolls revel in, but he did make it go mainstream. He didn’t pollute an entire party, but he set a precedent for open ugliness that scores of politicians have fully embraced in order to court his base – and that’s simply the ugliest truth about where we are in this moment: while those who serve as our representatives in the world continue to lower the depths of human decency, we, too, will continue to descend unless we resist it fully”

And all that just comes from the first 15% of the book.

He writes about the MAGA movement and how he wrestled with trying to figure out what made so many people fall for Donald Trump’s lies. I can identify with that. I’ve been trying to figure that out since 2016.

I gather from his more recent writings that he is not wasting anymore time on that.

The present situation and indications that the former United States as a democracy with a caring and compassionate population is rapidly becoming a hate-filled money-hungry nation turning its back on its long-time allies are the things we must focus on today.

I’m afraid it is. There is much about my country that I do not recognize in 2025.

I could write a lot more about and from Worth Fighting For, but I’ll leave it for you to read the book for yourself and do some soul searching.

We Will Not Be Silent, by Russell Freedman

When I searched my county’s public library system for books about the White Rose resistance in World War II Germany, this was the only book I found. It is a book of fewer than 100 pages, but it packs a real punch. It is nonfiction.

Photo of the cover of the book, We Will Not Be Silent — *We Will Not Be Silent*, by Russell Freedman

The book follows the Scholl family and several friends of the older Scholl children. Each of the boys joined the Hitler Youth and each of the girls joined the League of German Girls; however, each one became disillusioned with the militarism and lack of socialization. The drills became drudgery and the propaganda got more and more irritating.

The older son and daughter were instrumental in the secret resistance movement called the White Rose. White Rose leaflets started appearing in a few mailboxes at the end of 1942. They started with just 100 copies and asked people who received them to pass them around and copy them. The leaflets told people to resist “wherever you may be… before it is too late….”

Those words are now especially chilling to me in the United States in 2025.

The name “White Rose” was arbitrarily chosen when it was started by four medical school students. It was decided from the start that their resistance would be nonviolent.

Eventually, 12 students were involved in the movement and three more leaflets were written. A Munich architect let them use his basement and duplicating machine at night. This enabled them to print thousands of copies. They fanned out individually to purchase small amounts of supplies so as not to create suspicion.

The third leaflet encouraged acts of sabotage anywhere possible.

The fourth leaflet called Hitler a liar. It ended with, “We will not be silent. We are your bad conscience. The White Rose will not leave you in peace.”

Hans Scholl and his fellow medical students were sent to the Russian front as medics, and Sophie Scholl had to work in a German munitions factory during her summer breaks from studying at the university.

Hans’ girlfriend got a larger mimeograph machine and started a White Rose branch in Hamburg. The network then spread to Berlin and Saarbrucken.

The fifth leaflet was titled, “Leaflet of the Resistance in Germany.” Philosophy Professor Kurt Huber got involved.

Hitler was losing the war. Germany lost 330,000 of 420,000 troops in the siege on Stalingrad. It was that battle that inspired Professor Huber to write the 6^th leaflet.

Thousands of copies of Leaflet Six were made. Hans, Sophie, three of their named friends and others took turns as couriers. They carried backpacks and suitcases filled with leaflets to distant towns by train and mailed some so they’d have various postmarks.

Hundreds of copies were left in phone booths at night, on parked cars, etc. Always traveling alone, they hoisted their luggage up into overhead bins on the trains, then went to sit in another car so if their luggage was searched the police could not trace who put it there. (It was another day and time, for sure!)

While Professor Huber wrote the 6^th leaflet, Hans and his friends Alex and Willi took turns painting anti-Nazi slogans on university walls and public buildings. They used black tar-based paint, so the slogans would be especially difficult to remove.

Trouble hit, though, when Hans and Sophie went into a classroom building to distribute the 6^th leaflet. From a third-floor stairway balcony, Sophie dropped leaflets that floated down to the lobby where a janitor saw them. He looked up and saw her.

Sophie and Hans were arrested. Others were eventually arrested, including Christophe Probst. Hans and Sophie took full blame, hoping to save the others. They were tried on February 22, 1943. It was not a real trial, of course. It was just a show to root out opposition.

Sophie, Hans, and Christophe were sentenced to be beheaded by guillotine.

More White Rose participants were arrested and beheaded, but the Resistance grew, spurred on by the executions. Leaflets were smuggled into Sweden and Switzerland. By the end of 1943, British warplanes were dropping the leaflets by the tens of thousands.

The Voice of America broadcasted praise for the White Rose students.

The White Rose students who had not yet been executed were liberated from their prisons by Allied forces after Germany surrendered.

There is a memorial to the White Rose students in the square outside the main entrance to Munich University. It is a unique memorial of white ceramic tiles made to look like the White Rose leaflets. They give the appearance of leaflets dropped on the pavement.

In the entrance hall in that classroom building where Sophie and Hans were caught, there is a bronze bust of Sophie Scholl.

The White Rose Museum was founded in 1984 by the surviving White Rose members and relatives of those who lost their lives. It is housed in that same building and is staffed by volunteers from the White Rose Foundation.

One thing that was pictured in the book that was news to me was that prior to the development of the gas chambers at the concentration camps, the Nazis used mobile gas vans in which to exterminate disabled people. “The victims were locked in an airtight compartment into which exhaust fumes were piped while the van’s engine was running, resulting in death by carbon monoxide poisoning.” In the big scheme of the atrocities of the Nazis, I suppose that isn’t surprising. I just have an image in my mind now of these vans going all over the countryside to murder people who were physically unable to be herded into boxcars to be carried off to concentration camps.

Hurricane Helene Update

As of Friday, 51 roads in North Carolina were still closed due to Hurricane Helene. That five US highways, three state highways, and 43 state roads. That report is identical to the one from Friday, May 23.

I-40 near the Tennessee line is still just two lanes with a 35 mph speed limit, and most of the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC is still closed. It will be news when I can report otherwise on either one of them.

Last Wednesday, US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that a little more than $400 million will be going to North Carolina to reimburse the State for highway repairs and reconstruction due to Hurricane Helene. This is wonderful news!

I reported in my May 28, 2025, blog post, Hurricane Helene Recovery Update about the denial of additional matching funds from FEMA, so it was especially good news from the Department of Transportation the next day.

Governor Josh Stein says that the requested funding from FEMA that was turned down will mean the State will have less money to spend to help small businesses and municipalities.

Until my next blog post

Read! Read! Read! Please don’t be one of those people who says, “I haven’t read a book since I graduated from high school.”

Keep friends and family close.

Don’t forget the people of Ukraine and western North Carolina.

Janet

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