We're NOT Doomed: Jan 28, 2026

This is NOT permanent.

People need to stop saying we won’t come back from this. We will. No matter how bad it gets, there is no planet where America is cut of from the world forever.

Don’t believe me?

Germany

When you think of Germany today, what do you think of?

I bet it’s not about how evil they are. It’s not about the Third Reich. When I think of Germany I think of DW News, one of the best most well researched and thoughtful news organizations in the world.

We will not be forever ostracized from the world. The US is not doomed. Once this is all over, we will heal. And some things will take time, but others will happen Day 1. We will be immediately let back into things like the Paris Climate Accord and WHO and all these other things Trump removed us from.

Europe will probably never rely on America like they did before, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing—neither does Europe, for that matter.

The amount of things Trump has done that aren’t legal and can be reversed as easily as they were put in place, with just an executive order is immense.

Rebuilding the agencies that have been shut down will be harder. Bringing back the public media that didn’t have the funds to stay open will take longer.

Keith Porter and Renee Good and Alex Pretti and all the other incredible people who have been killed at the hands of ICE will not come back, and that is a catastrophe in every single way. But everything else can and will.

This is why we vote. This is why we can’t give up. So little of what we’re experiencing right now is permanent. And we have so much power to make sure it lasts for as short a time as possible.

Local elections matter as much as national ones, and there are elections every single week that chip away at this.

Maybe we won’t be the world police again, and I don’t think that’s the worst outcome, but we WILL be trusted and respected again. The US will come back from this and we will be able to make that progress we desperately need.

This isn’t Pollyanna, this isn’t toxic positivity. This is just how the world works.

And guess what, when Russia and Hungary and Israel and god willing, North Korea and so many other authoritarian controlled countries come back from that, the same will be said for them too.

This disaster isn’t permanent, how the world sees us and how we see ourselves isn’t permanent, and the harder we fight back, the faster most of this can be reversed and we can move forward and focus on creating a country we’re actually proud of.

Ukraine

Mon, Jan 22 - Rachael Ray has been given the Golden Heart Humanitarian Award by President Zelenskyy. Apparently, since the war broke out, she has been on seven missions to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Congress Committee of America posted the announcement saying:

This prestigious state honor recognizes individuals whose humanitarian service has made a meaningful impact during russia’s war against Ukraine. Through seven UCCA humanitarian missions, Rachael has delivered aid, supported wounded soldiers and children, and consistently used her platform to advocate for Ukraine. We are deeply grateful for her compassion and unwavering commitment

My mom was incredibly involved in Ukraine, especially at the beginning, and even she had no idea.

We heard about the men, we heard about Sean Penn and José Andrés. And they did incredible work and are still doing incredible work, and I’m so glad we heard about them. But we didn’t hear about any woman. The American humanitarian heroes were men. And maybe that’s not an oversight, maybe Rachael Ray wanted it that way.

She posted on her social media saying:

I’m overwhelmed and humbled by this honor from President Zelenskyy. And honestly—a little embarrassed to be recognized for work that should be done simply because it’s the right thing to do. To receive this acknowledgment from a leader I respect so deeply makes me profoundly grateful.

I know that, as a Jew, we are raised to know that real tzedakah (charity) only exists if you do it without bringing attention to yourself. A good deed is only good if you showing other people you’re doing it is not the point. Maybe it’s the same in her culture.

There’s just something about this that makes me think, right, good people still exist. Some people just to the right thing because it’s the right thing, not because they’ll get something out of it.

And god damn it, does that make me feel less Doomed.

California

Tue, Jan 23 - This is another reminder of why state level elections matter. Because Dems have a trifecta in California, when the US pulled out of The World Health Organization (WHO), California joined.

Governor Gavin Newsom said:

The Trump administration’s withdrawal from WHO is a reckless decision that will hurt all Californians and Americans. California will not bear witness to the chaos this decision will bring. We will continue to foster partnerships across the globe and remain at the forefront of public health preparedness, including through our membership as the only state in WHO’s Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network.

Hopefully other states join soon. But I really love that Newsom and the rest of the executive branch don’t wait to see how other states are gonna do something. When something bad happens, California responds immediately.

And the more states we get with Dem executive branches and trifectas the less Doomed we are. Remember this if you ever consider not voting.

Spain

Mon, Jan 26 - Spain is not following in the US’ footsteps. They announced that any foreign national who entered the country before Dec 31 and has been in the country for at least five months and can prove it, can stay as temporary residents, regardless of if they’re documented or not.

The plan was announced, at a press conference, by the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz.

She said it is:

a measure that has been worked on for a long time, discussed and necessary to respond to a reality that already exists in our streets, in our companies and in our society.

She went on to say:

the mechanism we have designed is simple and aims to break down the bureaucratic barriers of the past.

It’s easy to feel like the entire world is moving towards the right, and in a lot of ways it is, but, hearing about this, about somewhere that’s not the case, that has so much power.

Things are so bad here right now, but they aren’t everywhere. It’s a reminder that We’re NOT Doomed and as long as we keep fighting, we will get there too, eventually.

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So those are today’s stories. I hope they inspire you to use your unique talents to fight back, because, as long as we keep fighting, we’re NOT doomed. Never forget that.

Our voices are our superpower, but ONLY when we use them!