February 21 Friday roundup

Hello again from just a stone’s throw outside the nation’s capital! Each week since January 20 has been wilder than the last, and this one was no exception. One piece of advice from Arctic expeditions in choppy seas: when the boat is heeling and visibility is low, no matter how experienced you are, it’s smart to use a carabiner clip to attach yourself to something sturdy, so you don’t get washed overboard. The seas aren’t bad in this photo, but you can get a good look at the carabiner clips used by me and the team I worked with in the Arctic.

In our metaphorical case, I would say to attach yourself to something bigger than yourself. It might be a volunteer group, a book club, your church, or even a set of online gaming friends. But find a group of people who will check in on one another, even if it’s just to remind you of your responsibilities to the group. Too many of us are isolated already. And the rougher the seas, the more precautions we ought to take to keep from losing anyone.

For this week’s “Next Comes What” podcast episode, I looked at the nationwide protests against Donald Trump and Elon Musk on Presidents Day, including a trip down to the U.S. Capitol to see what was happening there on Monday. And I talked in greater detail about something I’ve mentioned a lot in my writing: how keeping even a little independence in our courts and making sure people can still express their will in public (often but not always through protest) are the best historical bets for preserving democracy. You can watch the episode on YouTube or listen to it via Apple, Spotify, and anywhere else you get your podcasts.

(Yet another reminder that Tuesday’s posts are usually history and politics. Friday posts provide links to the podcast episode based on the Tuesday written post—along with links for other reading or actions you can take, as well as occasional news about other things I’m up to. Occasional Thursday posts are on other topics, including stories from my reporting or from childhood.)

Here are the links from this week’s podcast episode: For those worried about immigrant families and their rights, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s office has put together a Know Your Rights page on her official site. Much of the information will be useful nationwide, and where it’s specific to her district, you can ask your representative or a local nonprofit for corresponding information.

If you can’t protest due to your job, remember, there are other things you can do to secure democracy. Here’s an example from Michigan of the kind of legal observer program I mentioned in the episode.

For a lot more ways to get involved, check out the first event in a new series of teach-ins hosted by the fabulous DC bookstore Politics & Prose. It launches March 7, and will include some real civil liberties giants. You can go in person or watch on YouTube.

Longtime organizers Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba likewise have much to offer. You can also consult the indefatigable Greg Pak’s Bluesky feed and old-school web page of links for more neat things to read and do. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can invent a way to fill a gap you might notice in your community. But first you have to get out there and see what’s happening.

***

Keeping up the tradition of showing you a hands-on thing I made or am working on this week, I’m posting a photo of the bagels I boiled and baked a few days ago. I’ve been making them at home for several months now, but just started hand-rolling them a few weeks ago after watching this video that upped my game considerably. And I will say that hand-rolling them (as the guy in the video does around two minutes in) as opposed to just punching a hole in the middle, has made a huge taste difference. It clearly changes the molecular structure of the dough in some good ways.

And to keep from turning into an armchair pundit who simply tells everyone else what to do, I’ve been meeting with people about teaching a little self-defense again in communities that lack instructors, which I did for a living for several years at one point in my life.

I’ll keep you posted on all of it! In the meantime, take care of yourself, and do what you can to build a better world.

 Your paid subscriptions support my work.