While you were doomscrolling…
This week: a bold immigration reform bill from Rep. María Elvira Salazar, another round of Epstein drama, and a grim update on the U.S. power grid. We’re mad, but are we focusing on what actually sustains a functioning country?
1. A Bipartisan Policy Worth Paying Attention To
The DIGNITY Act (H.R. 4393), introduced by Reps. Salazar (R‑Fla.) and Escobar (D‑Texas), does what few bills do: couples real border enforcement with a structured, earned path to legal status. No blank checks. No free rides. And no federal benefits while enrolled in the program. Educate yourself here if you’re interested.
Bill summary – National Immigration Forum
Here’s the shiny parts of what it proposes:
- Funds tech, barriers and manpower to keep the border secure
- Creates a renewable 7-year “Dignity Status” requiring tax restitution, work history, background checks, and no access to federal welfare
- Provides a long-term pathway to citizenship (only after a second “Redemption” phase)
- Funds the program through fines and fees, not new tax dollars.
This is thoughtful, balanced legislation. Even if it doesn’t pass, it proves that serious ideas still exist, and are worth rewarding. It’s almost like adults created it.
2. The Epstein List: Accountability or Distraction?
Let’s be honest: I’m nosy. I want the names. If Trump is there, I want to know. If Schumer or the Clintons are there, I really want to know. If anyone used access and wealth to exploit children, the public has a right to see them held accountable.
But at some point, we have to ask what we’re actually doing with this story.
Right now this feels less like a pursuit of justice and more like a nationwide obsession with scandal-as-sport. We meme it. We speculate.
We’ve all got something we care more about than average. That’s fair. But when the same scandal holds our attention for years, and without movement, we start losing perspective. Especially when it crowds out the quieter crises already taking root around us.
3. The Crisis Nobody’s Watching
Meanwhile, back in the real world, our electrical grid is limping toward collapse.
A recent report from the Department of Energy warns that blackouts in the U.S. could increase 100-fold by 2030 if no action is taken (DOE source). Some locations could see over 400 hours of outages per year, just as AI data centers, crypto farms, and EV demand begin to spike (E&E News).
And for those clinging to green energy as the silver bullet, we’re just not there yet.
Solar panels don’t install themselves. Wind turbines need diesel-powered cranes. Backup battery storage isn’t scalable enough for base load. Even your electric car plug-in depends on fossil fuels somewhere in the chain. Go figure that irony, right?
Think of it this way: we’re plugging in more and more appliances (EVs, AI servers, smart homes) but we haven’t upgraded the breaker box since the ’90s. Remember what I said about upgrading phones?
With close ties to the electric co-op community, I see this crisis up close. These workers aren’t just flipping switches. They’re holding up a system that most Americans don’t think twice about…until it fails.
So while we’re squinting at Epstein court docs like it’s the Da Vinci Code, I’m over here asking “who’s planning to keep the lights on”?
Caring about Epstein’s victims isn’t optional. Neither is caring about immigration reform. But if we don’t care about infrastructure, nothing else works. You don’t get legal hearings, accountability, online outrage (or groceries) without power.
Want to go deeper?
Full DIGNITY Act bill text – Congress.gov Bill Summary – National Immigration Forum DOE Resource Adequacy Report ASCE Infrastructure Report – Energy Section (PDF)
What She Said 