Week 1: Introducing Two Truths and a Fiction
News is overwhelming,.. Let's try something new!
Hey y’all,
The other day, I was listening to NPR’s Up First—my usual morning routine—and realized my entire day was ruined. I ended up picking a fight with my husband and snapping at my kids, all because the news tanked my mood. Terrible way to start the day. (Not Up First per se, but the news in general.) But when you’re like me and need to stay informed for work, you end up taking in all the drama and walking around like a cranky person who thinks the world is going to hell.
Well, I’d like to offer you an alternative: Two Truths and a Fiction. It’s my weekly breakdown of two of the most important headlines (from news sources I actually like) plus one fiction recommendation—maybe related to the headlines, maybe not, but definitely worth reading. I’m going to test this out for a year, dropping it on Fridays, and see if it helps people.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, go ahead and subscribe—and share it with a friend. If enough of you subscribe, I’ll keep going; if not, I’ll iterate, as they say. Let’s hope this approach keeps us informed and a little less cranky.
Top Domestic News Headline this Week:
Trump administration can continue mass firings of federal workers, judge rules. The Guardian
What?
Now, I’ll admit I’m biased here: I’m based in D.C., so obviously it’s on my radar. But it’s not just a local thing—it’s part of a larger conversation about checks and balances.
Basically, we’re watching the legal system say, “Yes, keep firing federal employees en masse,” which is wildly unprecedented in modern times. If you think about it, this could set a pretty scary precedent for how federal agencies are staffed—or gutted—and whether or not there’s any pushback from Congress. And if Congress is too scared to step in, that says a lot about how power is shifting right now.
Why do we care?
So, to me, this matters because it fits into a bigger picture: Are our institutions as strong as we’d like to believe? I saw a lot of headlines this week that asked the question, ‘Can they do that?’ And I think what they really wondered was, do we have real checks and balances in this country, or can one branch of government just steamroll the others? In a time where half the country’s worried about democracy crumbling, it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.
Top International News headline this week:
Reversing U.S. policy, Trump attacks Zelenskyy, blames Ukraine for war with Russia. NPR
What?
Meanwhile, on the international front, we’ve got Trump calling Zelensky a dictator and implying that Ukraine started the war. This is huge because it signals a serious shift in which governments the U.S. is aligning with. Since World War I, we’ve mostly cozied up to democratic allies in Western Europe. Now, it seems we’re turning toward more authoritarian regimes (think Saudi Arabia, Russia, etc., I think we saw this coming).
Why do we care?
Well, for one, it could reshape global power structures—like, if the U.S. decides it’s not that into democracy anymore, that’s a massive deal. It also impacts trade, diplomacy, and, ultimately, how the world sees Americans. The whole “Zelensky started the war” line is straight-up misinformation, because we know Russia invaded Ukraine. But if enough powerful people keep repeating that misinformation, it becomes a narrative. And that’s dangerous.
The Fiction Fix
This week I was happy because my Google alerts were popping off telling me that people are searching for new reads—especially fantasy and (surprise!) Octavia Butler. Turns out Parable of the Sower just made its way back onto the NYT Bestseller list a few weeks ago, which is amazing.
I’m actually knee-deep in publishing my own post-apocalyptic dystopian novel, so in case you missed it, yes, I’m totally here for all the gloom-and-doom futures. But I’m also super hyped to recommend another Black woman’s dystopian work during Black History Month—yes, we still doing Black History Month here, my Substack, my rules, right? So that’s the book I’m diving into this week, and I’ll keep you posted on all the future realities she has predicted.
Anyway, if you want to join me, grab a copy of Parable of the Sower and let’s chat on substack!
I hope that made the headlines a little more digestible, and the fiction gives you a good escape this weekend.
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