By Joanie Juster—
For the past month, Juneau, Alaska—the only state capital that can only be accessed by air or sea—has been buried under record amounts of snow. Every day for weeks, Juneau has been experiencing Snowpocalypse, Snowmageddon, Snowtopia. Boats in the harbor have sunk under the weight of all that snow. Roofs have collapsed. Roads have closed. The residents of Juneau—tough and resilient Alaskans that they are—have dealt with it as best they can, but even they have had to say, “C’mon, enough is enough already!”
That’s how these past couple of weeks have felt on the news front. Just when we thought we could slam the door on 2025 as a bad fever dream, 2026 showed up as last year’s evil twin, smacking us upside the head with a blizzard of horrific headlines before the New Year’s Eve champagne had even gone flat. Like Juneau, the onslaught has been overwhelming, and it’s going to take epic amounts of hard work and grit to dig ourselves out. If you thought Project 2025 was bad, Project 2026 has ratcheted up the insanity to a whole new level.
We have a man in the White House whose brain is clearly not functioning properly, surrounded by minions and sycophants motivated by hate, greed, and personal ambition, rather than a commitment to public service. It’s like a missing episode of The Twilight Zone. They have shown no allegiance to the Constitution, the American people, the rule of law, international treaties, or rules of common decency. They will gleefully deny healthcare, childcare, and human rights to Americans, while terrorizing any non-white people here at home and around the world, and threatening countries throughout the Western Hemisphere. From Venezuela to Cuba, to Mexico, Panama, Canada, and even Greenland, no country seems safe from their overreach. Like the other countries in the Western Hemisphere that the administration has been threatening, Greenland deserves to be left in peace.
Being a Good Neighbor, Part 1
The tragic killing of Renée Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, felt like another major inflection point for our country in these troubled times. Most of us did not have the privilege of knowing her. Most of us only know what little has been gleaned from her social media, learned from her grieving family and friends, and what has been endlessly shared by media outlets, sometimes incorrectly.
However, one thing we do know is that, thanks to alert witnesses, a video record exists of the confrontation that ended in her death. Volunteers were on the street to witness and record the actions of the ICE agents in their neighborhood, so we now have proof of what was done to her—proof that makes it harder for the DHS to spin lies, and claim that she was a radical terrorist. Watching out for our neighbors and bearing witness to injustice is a responsibility we all share. Want to learn more? You can find trainings here: https://tinyurl.com/WitnessTrain
Being a Good Neighbor, Part II
When the current temporary resident of the White House took office the first time, in January 2017, his first acts included the Muslim travel ban, and building an enormously expensive wall along our border with Mexico in a vain attempt to halt immigration. One of San Francisco’s leading activists—the son of immigrants from Mexico himself—decided to do something about it. Honoring his family’s heritage, Leandro Gonzales made over 300 tamales from his family recipe, building a symbolic “wall” of tamales at Lookout, and selling them off to raise money for La Raza Centro Legal.
Since then, Leandro has organized teams of willing volunteers to make thousands of delicious tamales to benefit our community. On January 3, I was lucky enough to be part of the Tamale Time team, helping to make over 600 tamales, this time benefiting the Castro Country Club and Castro Community on Patrol. As Leandro said on Facebook, “Our volunteers … come together to assemble the tamales made with tradition, care, and purpose. Every order placed now directly supports safe spaces and the neighbors and community members we serve.”
If you missed out on this round of tamales, you can still honor Leandro’s work by supporting the Castro Country Club and Castro Community on Patrol, an all-volunteer organization that helps keep the Castro community safe. Now celebrating their 20th year, CCOP is currently recruiting volunteers, and could really use your help. Since 2006, they have distributed over 130,000 free safety whistles, conducted thousands of safety patrols, and supported hundreds of other community nonprofit events, rallies, and functions.
Even volunteering just three hours per month can make a difference. All necessary training and equipment are provided. On your once-a-month walking safety patrols, you can provide information to tourists, guidance to residents and workers, and call in professional emergency responders when necessary. For more info, or to sign up: https://www.castropatrol.org/
What’s Next: Elections, Marches, and More
Midterm elections are coming up in November, but, long before then, there are important elections on the calendar. In many states, there are local races coming up soon for county clerks that will determine how votes are cast, counted, and certified.
You can help keep elections fair and safe by supporting the State and Local Election Alliance, which has been keeping an eye on the most strategic races: https://www.state-elections.org/
The date for the next nationwide No Kings Day will be announced soon, but, in the meantime, your presence is requested and needed on Monday, January 19, for the annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day March, which proceeds from San Francisco’s Caltrain Station at 11 am to Yerba Buena Gardens. Thousands march in San Francisco each year to pay homage to the historic Selma-to-Montgomery marches, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, legacy of justice, equity, and nonviolent protest.
This year, the NorCal MLK Foundation, which hosts the march, will be featuring an array of other events throughout the week leading up to January 19. From theological discussions and music festivals to an immigration workshop, there are plenty to choose from. Details here: https://tinyurl.com/NorCalMLK26
Some Good News: A Sweet Way to Support Trans Kids
Girl Scout Cookie season is almost upon us, and the good news is that you can support trans kids by buying your cookies online. Erin in the Morning, an online journalist who specializes in queer news and legislation that affect the trans community, has put together a list of links for trans kids across the country who are selling cookies to support their scout activities. Buy some cookies and show these kids they are loved and supported: https://tinyurl.com/TransGSC
It has been said that action is the antidote to despair. Let’s go out there and make this a happy new year, against all odds.
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on January 15, 2026
Recent Comments