Where There's Woke

The Trump administration quietly filed 400 pages of regulations that could gut science, housing, arts and victim services funding across the entire country. Political appointees would get veto power over grants once decided purely on merit, and money could vanish mid-project with zero appeal. Lydia breaks down exactly how bad it gets. But we can fight back! Listen in to find out how.

• Stand Up for Science

  • Comment portal: https://fight2win.standupforscience.net/campaign/omb_comment/

• Proposed Rule Changes (5/29/2026)

• Federal Register Comment Submission

• Sample General Comment:

  • I am submitting this comment as a member of the public concerned about the proposed "Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance" (OMB-2026-0034). I oppose finalizing this rule as written. Requiring political appointees to conduct pre-issuance review of discretionary grants, and downgrading peer-review recommendations to merely advisory, replaces a merit-based, expert-driven funding system with one where funding decisions can be made based on political alignment rather than scientific or programmatic merit. This risks delaying or blocking legitimate research and public-interest programs based on politics rather than quality, and it undermines the credibility of federal grantmaking across every agency this rule touches, not just scientific research. I am also concerned about the expanded authority to terminate active, already-awarded grants without a guaranteed appeals process. Recipients, such as universities, hospitals, nonprofits, state and local governments, need a predictable, fair process to rely on federal awards they have already been granted and are actively spending in good faith. I urge OMB to withdraw or substantially narrow these provisions, preserve the presumption that peer-review and merit-based recommendations are binding absent a documented, specific reason to deviate, and restore a meaningful appeals process for any grant facing suspension or termination.

• Sample § 200.205 Comment:

  • [200.205] I am writing to oppose the proposed pre-issuance review requirement in § 200.205, which requires senior political appointees to review discretionary grant proposals and downgrades peer-review recommendations to merely "advisory." Peer review by subject-matter experts has been the foundation of federal grantmaking for decades because it evaluates proposals on scientific and programmatic merit rather than political alignment. Requiring proposals to "demonstrably advance the President's policy priorities" as a condition of funding inserts a political test into a process that should be judged on quality, feasibility, and public benefit. This risks funding decisions being made (or overturned) by officials without relevant subject-matter expertise, and discourages researchers and institutions from pursuing legitimate, high-merit work that might be perceived as politically disfavored regardless of its scientific value. I urge OMB to remove this provision, or at minimum to require that peer-review recommendations remain the primary basis for funding decisions, with any political override documented, narrowly justified, and subject to independent review.

• Sample § 200.340 Comment:

  • [200.340] I am writing to oppose the proposed expansion of grant termination authority in § 200.340, which would allow agencies to terminate active, already-awarded grants if they are judged "inconsistent with program goals or agency priorities" or "no longer in the Federal Government's interest," without a guaranteed process for recipients to appeal. Multi-year research, public health, and community programs require funding stability to be effective. Researchers hire staff, enroll patients in clinical trials, and make long-term institutional commitments based on the expectation that an awarded grant will be honored for its stated term absent a specific, documented failure of performance or compliance. Allowing termination based on vague, after-the-fact judgments about "priorities," without any appeals process, introduces instability that will discourage qualified applicants, disrupt ongoing work and reduce accountability for the termination decisions themselves. I urge OMB to require a specific, documented justification for any mid-award termination, tied to defined performance or compliance standards set out in advance, and to restore a meaningful appeals process for recipients facing termination.

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Politico just published new allegations against Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, and they are about as bad as it gets. It is not a close call: Platner is done. We did an emergency, live unedited response. We thought it was warranted given our previous coverage.

Sources:

• Politico: woman says Platner sexually assaulted her

• NYT Platner texts

• NYT women recall behavior

• Reckoning Action

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However bad you think the Freedom250 nonsense is, it's worse. It's actually straight up crazy how much grift and ineptitude there is. And Vanilla Ice.

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Gad Saad, a marketing professor who calls himself an evolutionary behavioral scientist, made a PragerU video called Suicidal Empathy, based on Paul Bloom's book I MEANNNN his own "new" book. This pile of crap has 2.8 million views. Lydia and Thomas go through every single claim.

Sources:

• Gad Saad: Suicidal Empathy (PragerU)

• German Federal Crime Statistics (Bundeskriminalamt), 2015-2016

• Peer-reviewed study on immigration and crime in Germany, 2008-2019

• ABC News: Police budget analysis across 109 U.S. cities, 2019-2022

• Washington Post: Police spending vs. crime rates analysis going back to 1960

• Supreme Court of Canada: Canada v. Khadr, unanimous rulings on rights violations

• FAA: Disability hiring language on agency website (present since 2013)

• FAA Aviation Safety Workforce Plan 2020-2029, disability hiring language

• University of Minnesota Medical School: Class of 2026 white coat ceremony oath and media relations statement

• Concordia University: Gad Saad faculty profile and Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences (2008-2018)

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It's Pride Month, so conservatives are DYING. The MLB team in SAN FRANCISCO has anti-gay bigots who can't STFU. Fox News airs a segment fear mongering over the mere presence of rainbows places. And more raging fragility. Lydia breaks down the Republican effort to literally rebrand June.

Sources:

• Office of Management and Budget proposed rule conditioning federal funding on rejection of "gender ideology"

• San Francisco Chronicle: Mike Krukow on Giants Pride Night

• Media Matters: Fox News coverage of James Talarico, March-June 2025

• Offside News: NHL 2025-26 Pride Night Review

If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to [email protected].

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A second wave of coverage has hit Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, and this time it's a New York Times deep-dive into his past relationships. Thomas breaks down both the texting article and the "several women" piece: who the sources actually are, what the reporting can and can't corroborate, why one accuser's background raises serious questions, and whether either story should have run at all. Plus, a broader conversation about what voters are supposed to do when the candidate they've got is... complicated.

Sources:

• Platner's Texts with Women Concern Campaign as Senate Race Took Off (Katie Glueck & Lisa Lerer, The New York Times; May 30, 2026)

• Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall 'Unsettling' Behavior (Katie Glueck & Lisa Lerer, The New York Times; June 4, 2026)

If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to [email protected].

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If you have lived in blissful peace not knowing who Spencer Pratt is, Lydia is so sorry, but it's time. The former The Hills reality TV villain is a serious contender in the Los Angeles mayoral race (as of recording - votes are still being counted) and Lydia breaks down everything: who he actually is, what his campaign infrastructure reveals about who's really behind it, the claims he keeps repeating about homelessness that don't hold up to scrutiny, and why this is the Trump playbook running in one of the biggest cities in America. It's a lot. Lydia is not okay.

• Toward a New Understanding: The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, University of California - San Francisco; June 2023)

• Assaf RD, et al. Illicit Substance Use and Treatment Access Among Adults Experiencing Homelessness. JAMA. 2025 Apr 8;333(14):1222-1231.

• Spencer Pratt Is Running Trump's Playbook in Los Angeles—and Trump Approves (Philip Elliott, Time; 5/21/2026)

• LA City Ethics Commission campaign finance filings, Spencer Pratt

  • 1/1/26-4/18/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/141063

  • 4/19/26-5/16/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/142921

  • 5/17/26-5/27/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/143643

If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to [email protected].

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We're SO excited to welcome journalist Kat Tenbarge to Where There's Woke! Over the years Kat's beat has been focused on internet culture and influencers, and the transformation of that space pre-COVID to now. Naturally, we had tons to talk about -- Why does it matter to pay attention to these spaces at all? Did influencers really make an impact in the 2024 election? What can we glean about the population's media literacy based on the digestion of this content? Is there an alt-right influencer pipeline for women? We had a blast, and can't wait to talk to Kat again soon!

Be sure to check out her reporting at Spitfire News! And don't forget to follow Kat on Bluesky!

**If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to [email protected].**

A Wisconsin school board was so appalled by a song selection for a high school wind symphony concert that they held a board meeting to determine if the students should be allowed to play it at all. Lydia breaks down this full story, why the song was so "controversial", and gives us more details about the snowflake board members that were so offended.

• The Opt-Out Notice sent home to families in fall 2025

• Watertown Unified School District Policy 2240: Controversial Issues in the Classroom

• Educational Services Committee meeting, 5/5/2026

• Special School Board Meeting, 5/12/2026

• "A Mother of A Revolution!", Omar Thomas

• Watertown Wind Symphony at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5/20/2026

**If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to [email protected].**

Ron DeSantis was so bothered by the mere IDEA of AP African American Studies in 2023 that Florida created a "competitor" to College Board's Advanced Placement, and they've just released their course framework for U.S. History. It's....not good. Historians are chiming in, and Lydia's here to break it down: why does Florida have this, what does it actually do for students and teachers, what's in this framework and how does it compare to APUSH, and just how much indoctrination is Florida attempting to accomplish.

• Florida Advanced Courses and Tests, Department of Education

• AP US History Framework (effective Fall 2026)

• Florida House Bill 1537 (2023)

**If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to [email protected].**