Best Friends Forever

Some topical-leaning links for your Sunday evening perusal

Author

Sandy Allen
September 28, 2025

Welcome to What’s Helping Today, a newsletter about the everyday work of staying alive on earth — written by author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen.

Hi all,

Gonna do a Weekend Content type post — somewhat topical, somewhat not …

Sending gratitude to the anonymous artist who created this statue, which may be gone but is immortal in my memory:

Good tab re: AI is bad:

The Man Calling Bullshit on the AI Boom

Ed Zitron built a massive following by saying what tech journalists won't: that generative AI is an unsustainable bubble propped up by hype and bad math.

www.readtpa.com/p/the-man-calling-bullshit-on-the-ai

Good tab re: the evil money funding the bullshit:

Inside the hidden conservative network bankrolling an "ecosystem" of right-wing news

John Solomon's Informing America set out to create an echo chamber to shape public opinion. It's working.

www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/inside-the-hidden-conservative-network-bankrolling-an-ecosystem-of-right-wing-news-informing-america-john-solomon-war-room

This story’s haunted me ever since … and I was grateful to read this analysis:

When coercion in care makes Kilmeade’s “just kill ’em” thinkable

When coercion in care makes Kilmeade’s “just kill ’em” thinkable   Shannon Pagdon  Content warnings: coercion, forced treatment, incarceration, institutionalization, eugenics, death, lethal in…

disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2025/09/26/when-coercion-in-care-makes-kilmeades-just-kill-em-thinkable

Thought this was fascinating:

Hawaii Supreme Court Expands Rights of Defendants, and Once Again Rebukes SCOTUS - Bolts

The justices ruled that Hawaii’s constitution requires police to record interrogations. And they vowed to protect due process for Hawaii residents—unlike, they said, the Roberts Court.

boltsmag.org/hawaii-supreme-court-police-interrogations

Today in (perhaps obvious) polls:

More Americans see a future where gender-affirming care will be harder to access

A new 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll shows that the share of people who think gender-affirming care will get less accessible jumped to 38% from 20% in 2024.

19thnews.org/2025/09/poll-gender-affirming-care-accessibility

Today in maps:

The Most Detailed Maps of H-1B Visa Holders Joining America's Top Research Institutions

A new analysis by The Xylom shows for the first time just how much America’s top research institutions have grown to depend on the specialized knowledge of H-1B skilled workers — and how this delicate balance might be disrupted by U.S. President Donald Trump’s crackdown on legal immigration.

www.thexylom.com/post/h-1b-visa-trump-uscis-research-university-medicine-engineering-funding-map

Older and alas evergreen and worthwhile analysis from my former colleague and friend Charlie:

The Mass Shooters Are Performing for One Another

The goal of these attacks is to join a lineage of infamous killers.

www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/09/minneapolis-church-shooting-influencers/684083/?gift=bQgJMMVzeo8RHHcE1_KM0cLOcJfQYL_8IWVfn_goAuI&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Great piece:

Finding the Care in Health Care with the Trans Income Project - ANTIGRAVITY Magazine

There are eroding forces at work in our nation. They could be called Christian Nationalism, white nationalism, the Dark Enlightenment/neo-reactionaries, amongst others. But what unites these movements is the thought that the vulnerable—like the trans community and immigrants—should be left to fend for themselves, or eradicated altogether. But just like in moments of crisis in

antigravitymagazine.com/feature/finding-the-care-in-health-care-with-the-trans-income-project

Jaya’s last essay for Eater (😢) and it’s not to be missed:

Nobody Wants to Be a Foodie

How “foodie” went from badge of honor to cringey term to pejorative smear and all the way back again.

www.eater.com/food-culture/911138/foodie-history-american-food-culture

Just to re-share: In case you haven’t yet read it, I’ve got a brief new piece out for Equal Access Public Media, one I highly recommend to fellow journalism professionals in particular:

Transphobic misinformation is a gateway drug - EAPM Style and Accessibility Guide

Over the last week more people have — perhaps for the first time — noticed the fascist lean of their news diets and social media feeds, if not social circles.

eapmstyleguide.org/9-23-2025-transphobic-misinformation

Also re-sharing my latest WHT, in which at last I launched Sandy’s Recipe Club!

What’s Helping Today: Those who’ve supported me with $5 or more this week, as I’ve lately been asking folks who can to consider doing. Like this generous person from this afternoon!

$10 per month

Couple of my own links for these times …. just for anyone new especially …

Like my advice for cis allies who feel despair and my advice for trans folks who feel despair …. and this recent-ish “self care” refresher:

"Mr. Self Care"

refresher on the whole concept and re-sharing my own ways ...

whats-helping-today.beehiiv.com/p/mr-self-care

Older but this one on finding therapists. This one on breathing. This one on meditation, especially geared towards skeptics or those who find it hard (I did too). This one on shame … This one on why elected Dems shouldn’t ‘both sides’ trans …

And hey, just saying: It’s never too late to improve your media diets.

Take care,
Sandy

p.s. If you’re cis especially and you care about trans rights: Please consider actually calling your reps, let them know what’s in your heart and on your mind:

Trump and Dems are officially meeting Monday. This is after Trump cancelled his last meeting with Democrats because they were holding firm on immigrant and transgender protections. The Republican budget has dozens of anti-LGBTQ+ riders. Call your Dem senators, people, don't let them capitulate.

— Erin Reed (@erininthemorning.com)2025-09-28T14:33:44.819Z

p.p. s. Last thing but as a a quick reminder: I’m available for hire to consult (for media and mental health professionals) and/or to speak … Reach out to learn more.

Thanks for reading What’s Helping Today, a newsletter by me — author and journalist Sandy Ernest Allen. If you were forwarded this message, this newsletter is free; you can subscribe here. If you like my work: Please consider supporting me via Buy Me a Coffee. A few bucks is awesome, even more is extra awesome — or better yet, you can sign up to support me each month. Your help in making my career sustainable is greatly appreciated!!!