Hi John,

I strolled into my home on Sunday after a bubbly brunch, set my coat down, stepped one foot into my bathroom, and promptly froze before screaming at the sight of movement in my apartment where I am the only occupant. Thirty minutes later, armed with traps, pots, pans, and my partner (whom I called in a panic), I opened the bathroom door and saw… nothing. We looked everywhere, but there was nothing to be found. Still, we set the traps down, I closed the door, and, an hour later, I heard noises that confirmed that I had not, in fact, lost my mind (yet.) We spent our evening cleaning up mouse poop and laughing over takeout, though I could not shake the fact that something 1) had entered my space uninvited and 2) attempted to gaslight me (or “hide,” some might say,) but I was vindicated.
falling on to bed [[link removed]]
This is my first newsletter under a new administration and combined with Mouse Gate, clearly, I'm dealing with literal and emotional poop. The past few months have been unceasingly devastating, tiring, and stressful from watching fires destroy southern California, extremists attack anyone who isn’t them, and Trump take advantage of a tragic plane crash in the Potomac River to wrongfully blame diversity initiatives.

It makes me even more grateful to have this space to check in and dig deep on some wonky—and maybe even nasty—things, but hopefully leave feeling a bit better and more connected than before…even if it's just commiserating about having a mouse in the House. We’re going to comb through some of the muddy and depressing (but important) news right now, and I’ll attempt to lift your spirits by the end of this.
A Synopsis of Seriously Spiteful Actions 🧯

Let’s get the worst out of the way: After not even two full weeks into his second term, President Trump has unleashed an almost word-for-word Project 2025 agenda. He signed a restrictive and disgusting “gender ideology” executive order on Inauguration Day, began mass deportations, called for ending diversity initiatives in the federal government, pardoned people arrested for attacking abortion clinics, tried to freeze all federal grants and loans, and attempted to collect information from advocacy group servers (if you’re reading this despite us blocking you, Trump administration, I hope that mouse story has you checking for rodents 💗)

In the meantime, despite grassroots pushback, the Senate has been confirming Trump’s unqualified and harmful cabinet picks, the Department of Education dismissed all book ban complaints calling them a “hoax,” and Congress is moving forward to ban trans women from women’s sports. It goes without saying that we have an uphill battle ahead. We are doing everything we can to fight this and break down what’s going on, and you can always check in with us via email, SMS [[link removed]] , Instagram [[link removed]] , or Bluesky [[link removed]] for the latest updates and actions.
Must-Do’s & Must Reads (after catching your breath) ✅📖

To do: inhale, exhale [[link removed]]
* TRANS SPORTS BANS HURT EVERYONE 🏃 In light of the trans athlete bans being pushed through Congress, my colleague Shiwali Patel wrote a blog [[link removed]] about how the bans fail to protect women and girls and instead put everyone in danger.
* BLOCK TRUMP'S EXTREMIST NOMINEES ❌ You can take action alongside us and tell Congress to block the nominations [[link removed]] of Trump’s unqualified cabinet nominees including Russell Vought [[link removed]] , the architect behind Project 2025 who wants to slash funding for essential federal programs, including Head Start and housing for struggling families, and Pam Bondi [[link removed]] , the nominee for attorney general who will serve as Trump's personal attorney instead of serving the rest of us.
* HELP YOUR NEIGHBORS 🫂🤝 It’s more important than ever to support local organizations in your community that are actively doing the work to keep neighbors safe. Check out your local mutual aid networks and abortion funds, and stay up to date on how to protect immigrants, trans people, and others impacted by Trump’s attacks.
Person that lived rent free in my head this month: Mikki Kendall, author of Hood Feminism ✊🏾
Mikki Kendall [[link removed]]

My nightstand piles of books to-be-read (or TBR if you’re in the online book community) usually consist of primarily Black women authors, and the same thing is true as I kick off 2025. Last summer, I picked up the essay collection Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall, a Black woman writer from Chicago, and have been slowly but surely combing through the essays. Side note: I encourage you to diversify aspects of your reading whether it's authors of different identities, genres out of your comfort zone, or choosing to find a new book at the library or an indie bookstore instead of ordering it on Amazon.

Kendall’s prose and analysis have struck a chord with me as a Black woman who is exhausted from having lived in the United States as a Black woman, but especially as a Black woman who has continued to fight to be seen, to succeed, and to challenge the white supremacist status quo. Writing about Black girls and eating disorders, survivorship, and reproductive rights, Kendall’s observations hold true nearly five years later. This message about healing and processing in her essay “How to Write About Black Women” has empowered me as I engage in the long, tiring fight for equality and equity:

“The traumas of the past are woven into the fabric of our coping mechanisms. We have to create new ones that don’t rely on perfectly packaged responses or ways to change ourselves to be accepted. I know we can come to a place where we embrace differences instead of pretending that freedom comes from erasing them.

Feminist Moment of Joy: We are nothing without community ♥️
Just eight years ago, I was 16 living in a small town and being taught that there were multiple causes of the Civil War, slavery being just one of them. Now I’m 24 and know a lot more, and have tools at my disposal to keep growing.

Finally joining book clubs, journaling about my day and processes, attending regular therapy sessions, and doing non-doomscrolling hobbies like drawing, crocheting, and video gaming have made going through life just that much easier. Actually making time for the people and doing the activities I used to just talk about, because life is too fragile and short not to go after what you want and fight for what’s right.

We are all doing our best. If you feel like you aren’t for some reason, ask yourself why that is and what you could possibly, actually be doing better? If the answer is something that you can’t do alone or something that would stretch you even thinner, then put that aside. But if it’s something actionable and meaningful, like checking in with friends once a week *or* incorporating shopping at local businesses instead of large corporations into your routine and budget, then think about it, plan it, and do it . I believe in you.

You and Me [[link removed]]
In solidarity, with care, and with pest repellent,
Jessica Baskerville
she/her/hers
Media Relations Manager
National Women’s Law Center
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