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Top Comments: How Have You Been Affected Edition [1]

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Date: 2025-04-07

Well, it’s another week in the hellscape. But we’re HERE, and that’s what matters!! I hope many of you had the opportunity to participate in one of the thousands of Hands Off protests last Saturday!! I was unable to be there, instead spending the day with Mr. Brillig and his Mom. We took Mom to lunch at a lovely little cafe on a working farm, then spent time helping her navigate the Social Security website and some other administrivia related to my father-in-law’s recent passing. I admit to a serious case of FOMO but really appreciated all of the diaries sharing your experiences!

Like many here, Casa Brillig watched our retirement savings plummet last week as the Dotard-in-Chief levied tariffs on Penguins and Pakistanis alike. We got an unexpected call from our financial advisor on Friday- she sounded so down and tired as she began what clearly was a planned intro that was working overtime to name the elephant in the room. After a couple of minutes of listening to her desperately try not to speak politics (because in general she doesn’t know the political leanings of her clients) we spoke up. She knows how we lean, and so we told her it had to be hard trying to have a whole conversation without saying “the dolt in the White House levied tariffs on penguins and triggered a global financial crisis and so that’s why your portfolio is sinking like an oligarchs submarine”, at which she laughed and THEN we had a good conversation about what we felt we needed to do at the moment.

So far, we *personally* have been lucky (except for the retirement savings, of course). Mr. Brillig’s job is, for the moment, secure… unlike the majority of his prior work life, he no longer does contract work for the US Government. Our eldest and her partner are employed by a private Catholic school and while they are not doing GREAT financially (see: work in education), they’re above water, have health insurance and a place to live. Our youngest finishes his first year of college next month (??!!!!!) and so far has been spared having friends or classmates deported. His school so far has not altered its DEI policies but whether that will change is anyone’s guess.

However, the effects of DOGE and its horrific chainsawing of entire departments and agencies hit hard today for a friend. My friend has worked at NIOSH for the past ten years, and today posted “Well, they've come for me. Logged on to work this morning to find out my job of the past 10 years is gone.” Like so many thousands of other hardworking federal employees, he was fired in an email- not even the decency of someone actually speaking the words… but I guess that’s what happens when you have arrogant techbros barely out of college wielding the firing knives.

My friend is 65 and had hoped/assumed this would be his last job. You see, he was diagnosed several years ago with Primary Lateral Sclerosis, a condition related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and has lost a lot of his motor abilities. My friend said to someone who commented they’d circulate his resume “no one is gonna hire a 65 year old cripple who can't talk” and he’s sadly not wrong. I’m scared for my friend, given the immense medical needs he has.

It’s for people like my friend that I speak up about the lunacy that is the “They’re cutting waste and fraud” MAGA mantra. No, they’re not. What my friend did at work was necessary and vital. Now their work protecting the health of others will be shuttered. And my friend will be facing health issues as an unemployed disabled person. I know Republicans and the MAGA faithful don’t believe my friend is worthy of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (despite all the challenges thrown at him, he is an absolute JOY), but I do. And I know you do too.

How has the clusterf-ck that is this regime affected you and yours? What are the stories that stick in your mind, that keep you protesting, resisting, and getting up each morning? How are you coping with what the Orange Clown and his MAGA cronies have wrought? If you’re inclined, share in the comments… or offer up your self-care tips if talking about what’s going on is too much for a Monday evening.

But first, tonight’s Tops:

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