The Week in Review: October 17, 2025

· This week, Secretary Hegseth cheered the Texas National Guard for sending home troops deployed to Chicago because they were too fat. No word on whether being too drunk, too unfaithful, or too loose with classified information are also on the send home list, Pete, so you’re safe for now.

· Skims (Kim K’s company) just introduced a line of “bush” thongs, that have synthetic hair attached to the front of the panties, making it look like, well, you get the idea. Pro-tip, ladies: if you want to save the $39, consider just not shaving for a month.

· Politico this week leaked thousands of young republican chat strings, showing them joking about loving Hitler, wishing slavery were back, and supporting rape. These young leaders include (but are not limited to) William Hendrix, the Kansas Young Republicans Vice Chair; Bobby Walker, the New York Young Republicans Vice Chair who called rape “epic”; Peter Guinta, a member of the New York Young Republicans who suggested ‘no’ voters be sent to the gas chamber; Ann Kaykaty, New York’s national committee member, who, excited to see showers turn into gas chambers, wrote “I’m ready to watch people burn now”, pursuant to Jim Maligo’s comment ““Can we fix the showers? Gas chambers don’t fit the Hitler aesthetic,” and “We gotta pretend that we like them. ‘Hey, come on in. Take a nice shower and relax’. Boom — they’re dead.” But sure, let’s keep pretending Trump supporting republicans are good people who just want cheap gas.

· “Sir, I’m not going to even dignify that question with a lie.” — Amy Poehler, as Pam Bondi, responding to questions from Congressional members (while the rest of us wonder whether her performance was just a transcript).

· This week, the Australia High Court unanimously ruled against Candace Owens, who sued last year after she was denied entry into the country on the grounds that she did not pass their character test. The High Court has now permanently banned the white supremacist (I said what I said) from entering Australia. Ooooh, now do the US!!!

· “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family.” — Prince Andrew, announcing that he would give up his royal titles. Evidently, the transatlantic slave trade, general colonization, looting of valuables from other countries, creating global economic systems that forced reliance on Britain, and actively promoting cultural erasure can be forgiven, but dear god, one must have standards! Hang out with known pedos and you’re out!

· Answer there: the Nazi swastika was displayed on a flag in his office. Who is: Adolph Hitler? Oh, I see what you did there, thinking ahead. But this one was so obvious, friends. I’m sorry, the actual answer we were looking for was the office of Representative Dave Taylor of Ohio. Oopsy!

· Governor Gretchen Whitmer published a completely unhinged, screaming, mentally deranged voicemail she received from a MAGA woman who went sideways on “democrats.” Now might be a good time to mention that October is mental health awareness month.

· This week, the Guardian published an article, outlining the rise of a new way to be popular, called being “the chill girl” in high school. To be a chill girl, you need to “chill” while boys make racist, sexist, and homophobic comments about your friends. Funny how styles change. When I was in high school, we called that same girl “a bitch.”

· Scott Weiner is challenging Nancy Pelosi for Congress. Nance, you’re an icon, but maybe before you stroke out, you give the young(er) folks a chance to get us out of this mess.

· “Nope.” — virtually all news media outlets (including Trump-leaning Fox News and Newsmax), in response to Pete Hegseth’s demand they agree to his pre-approval of their articles in order to get access to Pentagon briefings.

· “Nope” — USC, MIT, Brown, and UPenn, when told by the Trump administration to sign his Compact in order to receive funding.

· “Nope” — ATL, AZA, BIL, BOS, BWI, BUR, BUF, CAK, CLT, CLE, DEN, DCA, EWR, FLL, HPN, IAD, IAG, JFK, LAS, LGA, MKE, MDW, MSP, OAK, ORD, PDX, PHL, PHX, RDU, ROC, SAN, SEA, SFO, SJC, SLC, SMF, SNA, all refusing to broadcast Kristi Noem’s airport announcement that the democrats are responsible for safety lapses.

· “Nope.” — Florida judge this week who ruled the Trump Administration and Miami-Dade College trustees, denying the land grab for the presidential library, because the trustees gave insufficient notice to potential objectors about giving $67 million in land for his library.

· “Nope” — Illinois, Oregon, California courts, determining Trump may not use the Insurrection Act to put troops in US cities.

· “Nope.” — California Department of Public Health, refusing to abide by the Trump CDC guidelines and instead giving free COVID and flu shots to everyone.

· Cheryl Hines, wife of RFK, Jr, went on “The View” this week and confirmed that yes, her husband did have a “brain worm” that ate at his brain, but “only a little bit.” Like, just the frontal lobe?

· Donna Adelson received a sentence of life in prison this week for her role in murdering her professor son-in-law because he refused to give full custody of his children to her daughter, who lived closer. Seems like a tough way to learn there were easier ways to see your grandkids . . . like just visiting them once in a while.

I need to ask you something, because I am decidedly not the chill girl. How much is it going to take for you to stop twisting yourself into a pretzel to try to find good in Trump voters? If we don’t radically accept that the majority of them are actually not “just good people,” and start facing the reason why a predominantly white group of people voted for a white supremacist (hint: same reason as Hazel Bryan Massery taunted Elizabeth Eckford), then you are doing a disservice to the brown people around you.

We know what’s up. When will you start to believe more in the people you claim to love than in your belief that people you’ve never met require defending? When will you stop trying to isolate mass racism into small acts committed by a minority? I suggest now is that time.

Does seeing the actual truth mean you can’t work for peace? Of course not. Does it mean you must write off an entire group of people? No. Can you still try to engage and change minds and hearts? Absolutely. But, much like Arjuna’s discussion with his Charioteer in the Bhagavad Gita, it’s time to understand that just because your way of thinking centers around tolerance, justice, due process, and non-violence does not mean you get the privilege of staying in your bubble, so you don’t have to see the evil around you. You serve no one when you deny what’s true so that you don’t have to change your own thinking.

If you don’t stand up now, all that gentle peace you know will be gone. Stand up and fight, please. Stop arguing nuance! What are you drinking?