Hi there, Gnuville! I hope you’ve been enjoying the Winter Olympics, the Super Bowl and anything else that brings you joy and a bit of a mental break!
These are tense times and we are all worried about the future. But the fractures amongst the right wingers are spreading and that is a sign that the times are subtly changing.
The polling shows the people have turned against the felon, MAGA and ICE. (start at 4:20)
And culturally they are the losers they have always been. The great majority of Americans prefer joy, talent and DEI — who knew? (yes, we knew!) — over hateful, untalented exclusionary “artists”. The estimated viewership of Bad Bunny’s halftime show is 135- 142 million, while the Alt American thing drew between 5- 6.1 million.
‘Existential crisis’ hits MAGA as Super Bowl show leaves Trump scrambling: analysis, Ewan Gleadow, Raw Story, February 9, 2026.
“a stress test MAGA may not survive”
(Christopher Bucktin, writing in The Mirror) wrote, “For most viewers, Bad Bunny’s show was exactly what the Super Bowl has long claimed to celebrate — scale, swagger and culture. For MAGA, it was an existential crisis. Spanish lyrics. Brown bodies. Dancing that didn’t look like it came from an Arkansas country bar in 1987. Clearly, civilization was under threat.”✂️
“MAGA’s solution, as ever, was to retreat into a parallel reality. Rather than engage with the halftime show the rest of the world was watching, Trump-aligned groups promoted an “alternative” performance headlined by Kid Rock — marketed as a wholesome, values-driven counterweight to the NFL’s spectacle.”
Bucktin also noted Trump had abandoned the MAGA showcase Kid Rock had put on and instead voiced his distaste for the Super Bowl halftime show.
He wrote, “Even Trump, a man famous for inflating crowd sizes, didn’t bother watching. Instead, he tuned in to Bad Bunny like everyone else, before angrily informing the world that he hated every second of it…”
MAGA ideology is losing across the country and their political leaders are losing it, too. Read on!
😩 Republicans in Disarray 😡
Senate Republicans face civil war over filibuster: ‘We’d be schmucks to sit here!’, Matthew Chapman, Raw Story, February 9, 2026.
Senate Republicans are increasingly at each other’s throats over whether to change the filibuster rule to ram through bill that would mandate new voting restrictions nationwide and require proof of citizenship to register to vote.
A loud contingent of the party is increasingly convinced that Republicans should simply axe the practice, which allows any senator to object indefinitely to debate on a bill and effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority for any legislation that doesn’t fit into a few narrow carved-out exceptions. Analysts have long suggested that the filibuster makes policymaking in general much more difficult, and disproportionately constrains Democrats’ agenda more than Republicans’.✂️
Democrats debated scrapping the filibuster the last time they had complete control of Congress, but did not have the votes to do so, with the most vocal opposition coming from then-Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Both have since left Congress.
According to Bobic, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), another outgoing senator who has become more outspoken against certain Trumpadministration policies, is adamant that the situation has not changed with Republicans in charge — and despite Johnson’s frustration, Republicans do not have the votes to change the filibuster either.
👀
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Sen. Cynthia Lummis keeps a fairly low profile but on Jan 6 she was one of only 8 Senators to vote against certifying electoral votes. And her phone records were then subpoenaed in the Jan 6 investigation for very good reason. It’s big for her to break with Trump now.
docs.google.com/spreadsheets…
— capitolhunters (@capitolhunters.bsky.social) February 9, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Trump Team Lashes Out at MAGA-Curious CBS Boss, Laura Esposito, Daily Beast, February 9, 2026.
CBS News’ new, controversial editor-in-chief is at odds with the MAGA world she was reportedly hired to placate.
The Trump administration lashed out at the network and its MAGA-friendly boss, Bari Weiss, branding CBS reporting “fake news” after Weiss publicly questioned the administration’s hostile immigration crackdown.
Weiss, 41, promoted a CBS News report on X on Monday revealing that just 14 percent of those arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Donald Trump’s first year back in office had violent criminal records.
“My party is taking up for pedophiles”: Massie explains split with MAGA, Trump, Alex Galbraith, Salon, February 8, 2026.
Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie has been persona non grata in MAGA circles since he co-sponsored the bill that forced the release of the Department of Justice files on late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The regular target of Donald Trump and his allies explained the growing rift between himself and the president during a stop by CNN on Sunday.
Massie touted his Republican bona fides in an interview with “Inside Politics” host Manu Raju, saying he votes the party line the overwhelming majority of the time. He’s broken with the president on foreign policy and the Epstein controversy, and that’s been enough for Trump to put a target on his back. The president has encouraged his supporters to vote for Massie’s primary opponent ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
“I vote with the president 91% of the time. The 9% of the time my party is taking up for pedophiles, bankrupting this country or starting another war, I don’t vote with them,” Massie said. “They want 100% compliance. That’s why they’re trying to take me out.”
“Trump-hating degenerate”: Steve Bannon faces conservative wrath over Epstein ties, Garrett Owen, Salon, February 9, 2026.
Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon has found himself the target of intense criticism from fellow conservatives and MAGA influencers over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Bannon appears frequently in the Epstein files. Hundreds of emails and textsrevealed in the recent document drops detail their relationship. Numerous photos show Bannon and Epstein together. Several files show that Bannon was taking advice from Epstein on political matters, as Epstein was working with Bannon to “rebuild” his own public image as “a philanthropist.”
🪱 Worms are Turning 🪱
Ford Defies Trump After Worker Heckled President,
Ford has refused to fire the factory worker who heckled President Donald Trump last month.
Thomas “TJ” Sabula, 40, was suspended after calling Trump a “pedophile protector,” but United Auto Workers Vice President Laura Dickerson says the 40-year-old is back working and does not have a negative mark on his personnel file.
Cameras captured Trump, 79, responding to the heckle by flipping Sabula off at a plant in Dearborn, Michigan, and saying, “F–k you.” Dickerson said that the president also told the auto worker, “You’re fired.”✂️
Dickerson added of Trump’s visit to an F-150 plant, “There was a worker at that plant that day who famously told Mr Trump exactly what he thought of him. Unfortunately, in that moment, we saw what the current president really thinks about working people and the way he responded—he gave us the middle finger.”
💭 🤔 Something to think about 🤔💭
I ran out of time to complete a proper “to your good health” section this week, so I removed the incomplete section to beef up for next time. In its place this week, I’m putting in these three brief videos for you to mull over.
🐩 💙 CG’s Picks 💙 🐩
Hello Everybody! It’s me, Curlygirly! Did you watch the superball game last weekend? We did and it was quite a game! At one point me and Mama wondered if there had ever been a super football game that was won with no touchdowns! The winning team had 4 field goals and no TDs for awhile!
Anyway it was fun and the best part was the halftime show. Although I am a little bit confused about where was the bunny? 🐇 I was told there would be a bunny performing! Instead there was a cool man doing rap and hip hop and singing and there were loads of people dancing and doing fun things. I liked it, especially the end with all the flags and the big sign about the power of love!
So, to make a long story short, I was busy this past weekend but I did manage to find a few nice stories for you — mostly videos!
First, TWO stories about dogs and cats who are friends. I really like these.
🐕🐈⬛ Stray cat follows dog and inspires something good
Here is a video about a stray cat who is stuck like glue to a little white dog every time the dog and his owner try to go for a walk. The human starts to try to provide some comforts for the cat as winter comes, and eventually she brings the cat indoors, even though she doesn’t know anything about cats.
Luckily, the little white dog is very helpful, as dogs usually are, and they resume their friendship.
Meanwhile, the lady who now has them both as her pet companions decided to try to help other stray cats. She started a TNR program in her community. That’s a thing where people capture stray cats and neuter them before returning them to their neighborhoods.
🐕 🐈 Mom Cat Shows Her Kittens The German Shepherd Is Safe
And here is the second story about a cat and a dog who are friends. I have shown a video featuring this German Shepherd Dog before. He seems especially gentle with cats and kittens! This video is just a fluffball delight!
🦉🐧 Bird stories! 🐧🦉
Just look at this amazing video of a man walking in the woods with his brother and they spy an owl and they want to take a picture of it, but then they notice the owl is STUCK, tangled up in some fishing line or something! So they help the owl get untangled and the man is very gentle and the owl just stays really calm and just blinks like we dogs do to send calming signals. What a thing to capture on video (and yes the owl is OK in the end!)
Two Canadian brothers, Mike and Brian Hay, came across this owl. At first, they walked over to take a photo, but quickly realized the bird was in trouble and needed help. Without hesitation, they kicked off their boots and stepped into the cold water to rescue the poor thing. The beautiful owl stays calm, watching them closely, as if it understands they’re there to help ❤️
🐧 These photographers were taking pictures of penguins and then one of the guys realized that a penguin was coming right up by him! He is almost afraid to move a muscle! It’s fantastic!
Also, I was kind of surprised at how small the penguin was! I thought they were as big as humans or at least half as big! Mama thought so too! We had to laugh because we should have known — after all, people are always surprised at how tiny puffins are, too (but we DID already know that! 😅).
🐕 Dog Video! 🐕🦺
Last, but not least — the top dogs of the week video! And that’s all I have for today. Thanks for reading my section! Bye for now, Luv CG 💙🐾
⚡️ Lightning RoundUp ⚡️
⚡️ How Worried Should Democrats Be About Trump Stealing the Next Election? Bill Scher, Washington Monthly, February 6, 2026.
“Be vigilant, be imaginative, but also remember that everything Trump is doing to impose restrictive voting measures is backfiring on Republicans, just like his previous efforts. ”
⚡️ Republican Frostbite, Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect, February 9, 2026.
“Defense of ICE has become a political loser, and the deal to trade reforms for continued funding is off the table.”
⚡️ 5 glaring warning signs for Republicans in this year’s midterm elections, Domenico Montanaro, NPR, February 9, 2026.
“Democrats’ hopes for taking over the House are more likely by the day, while the Senate remains a longer shot.”
⚡️ The Trump Bubble Is Impregnable for Now—but Boy, Is It Going to Burst, Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, February 9, 2026.
”The Trump bubble will burst, and it’ll be like the Red Sea in The Ten Commandments, crashing down on Pharoah’s head. Until then—patience. And rage.”
⚡️ The Hilarious Decline of MAGA’s Brief Cultural Relevance, Alex Shepherd, The New Republic, February 7, 2026.
”A year ago, everyone was doing the “Trump dance.” Now the president is too scared to show his face at the Super Bowl, and the right’s “alternative” halftime show features the cringey, washed-up Kid Rock.”
⚡️ Does America Really Want to Pick a Fight With Greenland? Ken Harbaugh, the Atlantic, February 9, 2026.
“Remote, frigid, desolate, and armed to the teeth: Greenland isn’t planning on submitting to Donald Trump.”
⚡️🎧 American Conversations: Senator Ron Wyden, Heather Cox Richardson, YouTube, February 9, 2026.
“It’s about accountability. It’s about ensuring that the American people get the facts. I’m going to make sure we stay at it until everything comes out blue, red, whatever. And then we’re going to have a reform plan so that the banks in America, the Wall Street banks can never look the other way.”
⚡️🎧 James Carville: Trump is About to Get the Ass-Whippin’ of His Life, James Carville, February 8, 2026.
“The ass-whippin’ that is coming is going to be complete and it’s going to be total…because the country hates you.”
⚡️🎧 The Military’s Silent Rebellion (w/ Kori Schake) | Shield of the Republic, The Bulwark, February 8, 2026.
⚡️🎧 Epstein Isn’t an Aberration. He’s an Inevitable Outcome – Barry’s Economics, Barry’s Economics (YouTube), February 8, 2026.
⚡️🎧 What do we do with exMaga? My first question is what are they doing with themselves? Knitting Cult Lady, February 8, 2026.
🚧 🩷 How Can You Help Build a Better World?❣️
I am close to some people who are walking the walk here in Chicagoland — people helping their neighbors however they can — and here is what some of them told me the approach for ordinary people like us who care about justice and liberty boils down to:
Three steps for effective individual activism:
1. Find something you can do consistently in your community or neighborhood (join your block group, be a grocery deliverer, or a school watcher)
2. Pick a mutual aid cause you can contribute to outside your community (bail fund for protestors, supply fund, immigration rights funds etc) and
3. Badger the fucking feds daily (calling reps every day, postcards, supporting candidates in the upcoming elections with phone banking, etc)
YOU WILL FIND LINKS BELOW TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT CAN HELP YOU HELP OTHERS, ORGANIZE, OR WHO DO THE WORK YOU WANT TO SUPPORT ⬇️
➡️ Specifically for Minnesota, here is a website that looks like it has rounded up a lot of resources to which you can contribute, or to whom you can turn for assistance: Stand with Minnesota
🎩 GOODNEWSROUNDUP:
There are many ways to get involved. Everyone can find something that works for them.
Here are some ideas.
If you can, I strongly recommend going to an in person meeting in your area.
One way is through indivisible: INDIVISIBLE
Election Response Center is a project hosted by Working Families Party, MoveOn Civic Action, Indivisible, and Public Citizen. They are organizing lots of events to get people fighting. Join one at this link
The ACLU plays a key role in filing lawsuits that often stop voter suppression. Get involved with them at this link: ACLU
Get involved with the Democratic party. We aren’t perfect, but they are fucking evil. The Democratic Party
Get involved with the States Project. They are working on turning state legislatures blue. The States Project
Get involved with Swing Left. They are working on races right now!
People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. Get involved with them here: People For the American Way
Center for American Progress Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute and advocacy organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Get involved with them here: Center for American Progress (CAP).
Other Things You Can Do
‼️ Check your voter registration ‼️ ← Seems obvious, but super important.
📰 🗞️ SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCES!! 🗞️ 📰
If you are able to at all, lend your financial support to local newspapers, PBS and NPR stations and community newsletters.
📺 PBS
📡 NPR
📞 Call your Congress critters and register your concerns!
(202) 224-3121 is the main switchboard number for Congress. They will ask for your city and state or your zip code and connect you with your representatives. It’s easy and it does make a difference.
📞❗️ OR, check out 5Calls
📪 Write postcards to help Democratic candidates and progressive judges get elected: Postcards to Voters
Newsie Progressive Muse usually posts an update in comments each day letting us know what PTV campaigns are currently happening.
🚨❗️New❗️🚨 Here is a 123 page guide to ways that we can act to counter political violence:
HOPE: HARNESSING OUR POWER TO END POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Boycott the regime funders
3️⃣ Check out Third Act Actions page — there might be something there that you can do.
💵 Donate 💳
❗️ New ❗️ bilboteach has set up a donation page for Democrats running for the Senate:
And here’s a link to Goodie’s fund raiser for Democrats for the House of Representatives:
If you are able to donate, now is the time.
🧵 Remember: Share your favorite news sites, podcasts or vloggers in the comments! By spreading good news and action ideas, you help build that better world that we all hope to see. AND, the GNR comments section is a bonus reason to read GNR every day!!
💙 RoundUp WindDown 💙
That’s it from me and CG for another Tuesday. Take good care of yourself and those you love. Get some rest, eat nutritious food and get as much time outdoors as you possibly can.
Happy Valentine’s Day (on Saturday) and have a good week. Thanks for reading!