Table of Contents
Weather Reports:
New York: 29°F with goddamn freezing rain turning to sleet, the kind of wet cold that seeps through your soul and makes you question why humans ever settled this miserable stretch of coastline
Kansas City: 18°F and clear as fuck, so cold your breath freezes mid-exhale, the air so sharp it could slice through bullshit and bad intentions alike
Atlanta: 41°F with scattered showers, that annoying Southern drizzle that's too wimpy to commit to real rain but persistent enough to ruin your whole damn day
San Francisco: 56°F and shrouded in that iconic coastal fog, the kind that rolls in thick as regret and makes you feel like you're living inside a beautiful, melancholic painting
Detroit: 22°F with snow flurries, those delicate motherfucking snowflakes that look pretty for about five minutes before turning into grey slush that ruins your shoes and your mood
Good morning, beloved community. It's Friday, January 23rd. Today: Jack Smith testifies that Trump caused January 6th, just 32 fossil fuel companies poison half our fucking atmosphere, trans wrestlers fight hate with laughter and lube, and the life hack that'll change your damn week.
First time here? Join hundreds of seekers cutting through the noise. Sign up here.
Editor's note: The cold grips hard today, but the fire of resistance burns hotter.
Jack Smith's Reckoning
The wood-paneled hearing room smells like old paper and stale coffee, the fluorescent lights harsh enough to reveal every lie. Former Special Counsel Jack Smith sits straight-backed, his voice steady as he tells Congress what they already fucking know but refuse to admit: Donald Trump caused January 6th. "Our investigation revealed that Donald Trump is the person who caused Jan. 6, that it was foreseeable to him and that he sought to exploit the violence," Smith testified. While Trump rage-posted from his phone calling Smith a "deranged animal," the prosecutor remained unflinching. No one should be above the law, Smith insisted, even as Trump threatened to prosecute him. The damage: Democracy hangs by threads Trump keeps trying to cut. Response: Smith refuses intimidation, standing firm that he'd bring the same charges against any president, Democrat or Republican, because that's what justice actually fucking means. CNN
Wall Street Isn’t Warning You, But This Chart Might
Vanguard just projected public markets may return only 5% annually over the next decade. In a 2024 report, Goldman Sachs forecasted the S&P 500 may return just 3% annually for the same time frame—stats that put current valuations in the 7th percentile of history.
Translation? The gains we’ve seen over the past few years might not continue for quite a while.
Meanwhile, another asset class—almost entirely uncorrelated to the S&P 500 historically—has overall outpaced it for decades (1995-2024), according to Masterworks data.
Masterworks lets everyday investors invest in shares of multimillion-dollar artworks by legends like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso.
And they’re not just buying. They’re exiting—with net annualized returns like 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5% among their 23 sales.*
Wall Street won’t talk about this. But the wealthy already are. Shares in new offerings can sell quickly but…
*Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd.
32 Companies, Half the Planet's Carbon Sins
Imagine the weight of smoke—not metaphorical, but real—32 companies producing enough CO2 to choke half the atmosphere in a single year. State-controlled fossil fuel behemoths from Saudi Aramco to China's coal giants pumped enough greenhouse gases in 2024 to alter weather patterns your grandchildren will curse. The science is brutal: 57% of global fossil CO2 emissions came from state-run companies, 17 of them controlled by governments that opposed phasing out fossil fuels at COP30. These aren't accidents—they're choices. Choices made by men in air-conditioned rooms while the planet burns. Action: The Carbon Majors dataset now tracks every molecule of their destruction, linking these emissions directly to hundreds of heatwaves that killed thousands, heatwaves scientists say would have been "virtually impossible" without their pollution. Trump's rolling back every climate protection, but the data doesn't lie, and neither does the heat. Earth.org
Trans Bodies, Queer Joy, Lube Wrestling
Picture a warehouse packed with queer folks, the air thick with anticipation and olive oil. Trans Dudes of LA have turned wrestling into resistance, T Boy Wrestling packing venues across the country with a politically charged mix of classic American grappling, staged psychodramas, and drag. This isn't your MAGA uncle's WWE—this is bodies reclaiming space, trans and nonbinary wrestlers making the latent homoeroticism of traditional wrestling beautifully, explicitly queer. "We wanted to move away from a support-group model to highlight artists and makers in the community," organizers explained. In an era where 886 anti-trans bills have been introduced across 49 states, these collectives fight back with a lot of laughter and a little lube wrestling. Stakes: While Trump's administration strips rights, these communities are building their own stages, their own rules, their own fucking joy. Movement: From Boston's BLOWW to LA's Lez Get Physical, queer wrestling nights are surging nationwide—visibility as armor, pleasure as protest, bodies that refuse to be erased. LGBTQ Nation
"We should never forget what they did to the guy that we the people elected president twice."
— Rep. Jim Jordan, twisting accountability into victimhood like a dickhead
Here's the survival truth Jordan won't tell you: Remembering isn't the problem—it's selective amnesia. When you choose to forget the violence, the lies, the attempted coup, you're not protecting democracy, you're burying it alive. Practice radical honesty in your own life. Write down what you witnessed. Trust your own fucking eyes. Don't let gaslighters—political or personal—rewrite your reality. The people who tell you to forget are the ones with the most to hide.
Community & Culture
Drag queen nails Erika Kirk impersonation, raises funds for ACLU: LA-based drag performer Lauren Banall went viral (7+ million views) with her campy yet spot-on impersonation of Charlie Kirk's widow Erika, complete with icy blue contacts and intense eye makeup. Banall's lip-syncing to Kirk's memorial speeches and interviews turned grief into satire, then satire into activism—she's now raising money for the ACLU "so we can fight this administration in the courts and win." In a time when Trump demands loyalty over law, queens with contacts and convictions are fighting back one viral video at a time. Pride.com
Minnesota businesses shut down to protest ICE terror: Hundreds of Twin Cities businesses are closing Friday for an "ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom"—no work, no school, no shopping. After federal agents shot and killed Renee Good during a raid, and with ICE now authorized to kick down doors without judicial warrants, the community is using economic power as resistance. Restaurant owners are donating meals to immigrant families while paying their workers' salaries. "This is a bigger thing than the weather," one organizer said, even as temperatures hit 8 below zero. Trump's Minneapolis crackdown has turned a progressive city into a war zone, but solidarity tastes like free pizza and feels like locked doors keeping ICE the fuck out. NBC News
Lesbian knight game 1348 Ex Voto breaks the internet: People are losing their shit over upcoming RPG 1348 Ex Voto, which features protagonist Aeta rescuing her "closest one" Bianca from bandits in 14th-century Italy. The story trailer's unabashed sapphic yearning (Aeta clutching Bianca's medallion, the field scene between them) has fans screaming "LESBIAN KNIGHT GAME" across social media. Right-wingers predictably raged about "historical inaccuracy," conveniently forgetting the 13th-century Trobairitz who wrote love poems to women and lesbian relationships documented back to 10,000 BC. Sometimes progress looks like a queer protagonist wielding a sword in chainmail, and sometimes that's exactly what the fuck we need. Pink News
Nature & Science
Monk fruit's hidden health arsenal: Scientists discovered that monk fruit is way more than a zero-calorie sweetener. Its peel and pulp contain a rich mix of antioxidants, terpenoids, flavonoids, and amino acids that interact with biological pathways controlling inflammation, metabolism, and cellular protection. Different varieties offer different chemical profiles—nature's pharmacy hiding inside a gourd. The research shows these compounds neutralize free radicals and support heart health, which feels like a small mercy in a world where 32 companies are poisoning the atmosphere. Sometimes wisdom means paying attention to what plants have been trying to tell us all along. ScienceDaily
Life Hacks
Master the five-minute rule: When anxiety hits, commit to doing the thing you're avoiding for just five minutes. Usually, starting is the hardest part—the momentum carries you through.
Create a "done" list, not just a to-do list: Write down what you accomplished each day. Seeing progress builds the resilience you need for the long fight ahead.
Practice the "hell yes or no" principle: If something doesn't make you say "hell yes," it's a "no." Your time is the only resource you can't get back, so stop wasting it on lukewarm bullshit.
Food
January citrus celebration salad: Segment blood oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines. Toss with arugula, shaved fennel, toasted pistachios, and a honey-tahini dressing. The bitter, sweet, and bright flavors wake up taste buds dulled by winter's grey monotony.
Grow your own sprouts: In a mason jar with cheesecloth, soak alfalfa or mung bean seeds overnight, then rinse and drain twice daily. Fresh sprouts in 3-5 days—food sovereignty starts in your kitchen.
Make herb-infused oil: Heat olive oil gently with rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Strain after 30 minutes. Drizzle over everything. Sometimes luxury is just paying attention to what makes food taste like it matters.
"I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down."
— Attributed to Abraham Lincoln
Here's what Lincoln understood that we're fucking forgetting: Success isn't solitary. Find your people—the ones who see you when you can't see yourself, who hold your hope when yours runs dry. But here's the harder part: be that person for someone else. Notice who's struggling. Reach out. Sometimes survival is a collective project, not an individual achievement. In these dark times, your loyalty to each other might be the only light that matters.
Deep Read: Trump's Coalition Crumbles
The Hill | Matt K. Lewis. Trump's sprawling, incoherent 2024 coalition—minorities, young gamers, Joe Rogan disciples—is fracturing faster than his ego can repair it. New polling shows him underwater with every group that put him in office. His response? Threaten Greenland, defend the ICE agent who killed Renee Good, promise to invoke the Insurrection Act. "Moving fast in the wrong direction is better than standing still," Trump believes, "even if that direction happens to be straight off a cliff." The man operates like a poorly run corporate downsizing: last hired, first fired. Read
Etcetera
Top 10 Signs Trump's Presidency Is a Dumpster Fire of His Own Making:
His approval rating is 56% disapproval—even his own voters are fleeing
Jack Smith testifying that Trump "caused January 6" while Trump live-tweets threats
Epstein files still mostly redacted despite promises
ICE agents authorized to kick down doors without warrants, turning America into a police state
His tariff-driven economic policies bankrupting small businesses
Threatening to take Greenland by force—actual dictator shit
The coalition that elected him collapsing in record time
Public trust in government institutions at historic lows
His own party members like MTG turning against him over policies
Calling Jack Smith "a deranged animal" while demanding DOJ prosecute him—the projection is exhausting
Clickbait: Abraham Lincoln's friendship secret: The president who held the nation together during civil war credited his success to having "a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down." Research shows Lincoln battled severe depression throughout his life, saved multiple times by friends like Joshua Speed and David Davis. His humor and humility drew people in, creating a support network that carried him through the darkest times. Sometimes the most radical act is admitting you need help, then accepting it when it comes. Upworthy
The Gathering History: Elizabeth Blackwell becomes first woman to receive MD in the U.S. (1849); British forces capture Tripoli from Germans in WWII (1943); bathyscaphe Trieste reaches deepest ocean point (1960); Nixon announces Vietnam War ceasefire (1973); final communication with Pioneer 10 spacecraft (2003).
"Drag comes from the dolls! Period point blank!"
— Cardi B, celebrating her trans glam squad
Survival means recognizing who taught you everything you know. The people society tells you to ignore—drag queens, trans women, sex workers, immigrants—are often the ones holding wisdom you desperately need. Pay attention to who's been pushed to the margins. Learn their names. Credit their work. Celebrate their art. The revolution has always been led by people the establishment tried to erase. Don't let them.
Who the Fuck Is Actually In The Gathering?
Poetry and Feelings: thepoetmiranda.com
Personal Queer Journey: thistleandfern.org
Life Banter: brandonellrich.substack.com
Lisa's Porch Talk: wuzzittoya.org / wuzzittoya.substack.com
Presence Not Permission: presencenotpermission.beehiiv.com
Become a member: thistleandmoss.com/upgrade
Behind the Name: The Gathering is your daily dose of mushroom network intelligence—the mycelial threads connecting truth-tellers, the root systems feeding resistance, the underground wisdom that knows exactly what the fuck matters when everything else is noise.
