from the chat: nancy reagan's astrologer 🔮

ALSO: texts from an expert pro-choice digital organizer, the Pope scolds priests for using ChatGPT, what's happening to Punch the monkey, and more

Happy Friday, February 27th! Almost there!

WELCOME :)

Just a reminder: every Tuesday and Friday, I’ll be in your inbox with the latest in politics, tech & social media, culture, and other relevant topics – and I’ll share some notes and tips on what I’m keeping my eye on.

Want to do a super fun, super cool rapid interview for this newsletter like the one below??? Reply to this email or hit the button below. Tips, thoughts, concerns, good jokes, bad jokes, ☕️, etc?

And finally, if you enjoy this newsletter and want to share it with your network (and/or your chronically online friends), or buy me a matcha, that would be so appreciated 🙏

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Today, we have some texts from the wonderful Emily Harrison! Emily is the Director of Digital Organizing and Engagement at Catholics for Choice, an abortion doula, and a proud Minneapolitan! Enjoy :)

LR: As an expert digital strategist who advocates for reproductive freedoms in the context of faith – two very powerful and weighty subject matters – what are three lessons you’ve learned about communicating and resonating with people online?

EH: 1. your go-to talking points are your go-to for a reason — so share them regularly! every time we post something like “Catholicism is not compatible with white Christian nationalism” or “Mary had a choice. You should too,” they become our highest performing posts of the month. it resonates with your existing audience, obviously, and it’s something new followers want or need to hear to affirm their beliefs! you don’t always need to be creating new content, just stick to your core beliefs and the right people will find you.

2. storytelling is a sacred practice that can be so healing. our online story center is one of our most-visited webpages, and when we share those stories on social, they always inspire more stories in the comments. there’s no better way to connect w your people than by listening to them, affirming their experiences, and uplifting their stories.

3. create content for your audience, not your opposition. if we were always on defense against anti-abortion extremists, it would literally take all of our capacity all of the time. instead of tracking everything they say or do, we create for our people. plus, then you can avoid repeating the anti’s talking points, which is my biggest pet peeve! stop repeating their b.s.!! focus on your values instead!!

LR: These days, it often feels like the internet only rewards snark, dunking, and outrage. From your perspective, what does effective, values-driven digital community-building look like right now? Are there best practices you’ve seen work for building authentic and inclusive communities online?

EH: be willing to meet people in the middle!!! a lot of the new folks who find us feel complicated about abortion — tbh some of our life-long supporters do, too. we don’t ignore or discard them for not perfectly aligning with our beliefs. we welcome them in and provide resources to help them discern their values in a non-judgmental space. pushing people away or lecturing them on what they “should” believe doesn’t build community, it weakens it. it’s part of why our Pro-Choice Catholicism 101 workshops are so popular. people want to be able to think and talk through any viewpoints they feel sticky on, and we want to walk with them on that journey.

same for online — we’ll call out the hypocrisy of the anti-abortion movement all day long, but we’re not going to attack the students being forced to attend the so-called March for “Life” by their Catholic school (instead we actually hang posters along the march route w QR codes to provide them pro-choice resources, if they’re curious about learning more). we are genuinely interested in meeting you no matter where you’re at, as long as you’re approaching the conversation in good faith. even i volunteered at an anti-abortion fake clinic in high school and now i’m here! people and their viewpoints evolve if you give them the space to do so.

LR: I know you’re also an abortion doula. Can you share a little more about what that is and what you do?

EH: i loooove being a doula! it can look like many different things based on the patient and what they need — i was always an in-clinic doula, but some doulas provide support to people self-managing their abortions at home. the goal is to comfort the patient in whatever way they need, especially when dealing w the medical industrial complex. sometimes that is holding their hand while they’re getting an IV and sitting in silence. sometimes it’s yapping about their favorite movies as a distraction. everyone has different experiences and emotions going into an abortion and i aim to be whoever they need me to be in that moment. There are doula collectives around the country that are almost always volunteer-run and offer free services, so if you’re interested in receiving support on your abortion journey, i recommend searching around!

LR: I know you’re also a proud Minneapolitan – and Minneapolis has been an inspiration to all of us for what strength, solidarity, and standing up for friends and neighbors can look like. If you were building a Minneapolis starter pack, what would be in it?

EH: 1. a whistle — i don’t know a Minneapolitan who doesn’t carry a whistle with them right now to try and protect our neighbors from 🧊

2. Grain Belt Premium — i don’t drink beer (sorry) but minnesota has a long history of good local beer and my partner said i couldn’t not include it

3. an iced cola-cano from duck duck coffee — a classic from one of the best community-oriented, mutual aid-focused coffee shops in south mpls that gives you an extra caffeine boost from the pop (you can’t pay me to say soda)

4. good snow boots — so you don’t slip on the ice and can stay warm during a long protest (we love those)

5. sambusa — Minnesota has the largest population of Somali residents in the U.S. and they make our state so much greater 🫶

6. this is cheating because the state fair isn’t in mpls BUT a bucket of sweet martha’s cookies fresh from the state fair — bc even tho the wait is long and some think it’s overrated, what’s more Minnesotan than sharing your bucket of warm, gooey cookies with the people around you?

LR: You get three songs to put on a Spotify party playlist… what are they?

EH: okay so i literally just made a four hour birthday playlist and it was mostly taylor swift…..but i’ll mix it up: Guilty as Sin? by Taylor Swift, Blame Brett by The Beaches, and What I Want by MUNA

How Jeffrey Epstein Used Pop Music to Manipulate Those Around Him

Epstein chided another young woman for forgetting to send him music in February 2012. “I scheduled my day around you,” he wrote in a typo-filled email. “You have not been nice with me, no playlist. afer one month, you tell me you do nothing all day but chill in the apt i give you, and then you tell me sorry i have no time to make playlist. you are wonderful„ but i am very dissparointed how you treat me as a friend.” (Rolling Stone, 2/26 – free version)

A White House Staffer Appears to Run Massive Pro-Trump X Account

The operator of the Johnny MAGA account has not disclosed an official relationship with the White House while operating the Johnny MAGA X account. Multiple media outlets, including Mother Jones, TownHall, and the New York Post, have all linked out to posts on the Johnny MAGA account seemingly as organic reflections of public sentiment on political issues. (WIRED, 2/25 – free version)

IRS broke law ‘approximately 42,695 times’ in giving DHS data

Federal law requires that before the IRS hands over a taxpayer’s address, a requesting agency must first provide the IRS with the name and address of the person it’s looking for. The requirement exists to ensure that the government can access confidential tax records only for individuals it has already specifically identified. (WaPo, 2/26 – free version)

Money, Power…and Horoscopes? Why Astrology Is Washington’s Secret Obsession

Plenty of DC power players, especially the diplomats, have consulted experts in the occult sciences. Caroline Casey is the queen of astrology in Washington and has been for over 40 years. Svetlana Godillo was a flamboyant Russian who at one point wrote an astrology column for The Washington Post. And Joan Quigley, the Hollywood phenomenon, offered regular astrological guidance to Nancy Reagan. (Vanity Fair, 2/26)

Pope Implores Priests to Stop Writing Sermons Using ChatGPT

The holy father drew a fascinating line in the sand, declaring that despite AI’s capabilities now or in the future, a chatbot could never stand-in for a flesh-and-blood priest. “To give a homily is to share faith,” he said, and AI “will never be able to share faith.” (Futurism, 2/24)

Waymo steps up lobbying after D.C. delays robotaxis

Waymo is tapping $16 billion in fresh capital to accelerate its national expansion. But not so fast in D.C., where council members are deferring approval until a long-awaited study gets done. That study, compelled by law, required DDOT to issue a report within a year on how to “safely accommodate the deployment of autonomous vehicles on public roadways.” (Axios, 2/27)

Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers

Some commentators have labeled this wave of American emigrants the “Donald Dash” since numbers have spiked under President Trump’s second term. But the phenomenon has been building for years—fed by the rise of remote work, mounting living costs and an appetite for foreign lifestyles that feel within reach, especially in Europe. (WSJ open link, 2/25)

Manon’s Katseye Hiatus: Black Girl Group Members Deserve Better Than This (OP-ED)

In November, the companies launched the sale of a merch package that featured a quiz page personalized to each Katseye member. For Bannerman, one question read, “What does Manon think is her best feature?” The options were: “Her sense of humor, her selfishness, her laziness, or her quiet nature.” Even the framing of the question — what does she think about herself — encourages speculation that doesn’t reflect reality, but distorts her narrative. (Rolling Stone, 2/25 – free version)

Modern Looks, Smaller Sizes: American Girl Dolls Get a Makeover

According to Ms. Cygielman, the new dolls weren’t redesigned to look thinner or to resemble teenagers. Unlike the original dolls, which were 18 inches tall, the updated dolls are 14½ inches, an established size that has existed in other American Girl product lines. The primary reason for the change of size and weight was for “ease of play” for younger consumers, she said. (NYT gift link, 2/24)

• Lucy’s note: can’t believe Big Ozempic got Serena Williams AND Kit Kitteridge :(

The tragedy of Punch the monkey: why do mother animals abandon their offspring?

The videos have prompted questions about why monkeys abandon their babies. Alison Behie, a primatology expert at Australian National University, said such abandonment is unusual but can occur under certain conditions, citing “age, health and inexperience” as possible factors. (The Guardian, 2/23)

@itsyouyouagainREMEMBER THAT!!! #toxicmen #toxicmasculinity #relatablememes #datingadviceforwomen #egyptian_tik_tok

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Extra Credit 🤓

• The incredible Dylan Wells just started a newsletter called Verified! You can sign up here

• “What the CBK craze tells us about how much we hate it here” from Rachel Richardson of highly flammable by Rachel Richardson

• “Has hype surpassed art?” from Post-Culture by Sibling Studio and Nina Maria

That’s all for now – I’ll see you on Tuesday!