Ask Grandma Mana

Raising kids to have empathy for others and an understanding of consent is one of the most important things parents can do to help reduce the incidence of sexual assault.

For an excellent book for older teens and adults about the early warning signs of abusive relationships, myths about abusive personalities, and how to get help, we highly recommend "Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" at https://www.amightygirl.com/why-does-he-do-that

"I had never been more scared in my life than I was that first time that he hurt me," Epstein abuse survivor Jena-Lisa Jones emotionally recounted at a Capitol Hill press conference. She was only 14, a freshman in high school, when she was first brought to Jeffrey Epstein's door. Looking back, she reflected: "I know that I was just a little kid but sometimes I still feel that it was my fault this happened."

For years, the women who survived Epstein's abuse -- many of whom were children when they were trafficked -- have fought for justice and transparency. At every turn, Trump stood in their way, dismissing their cause as a "hoax" and pressuring fellow Republicans to bury the investigation. He only reversed course when it became politically impossible not to.

Yesterday, at a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, autoworker TJ Sabula confronted the president with two words: "Pe*****le protector." Trump reacted with fury -- mouthing "f*ck you" twice and flipping his middle finger at the worker, all captured on video now seen by millions. The White House tried to spin the encounter, with communications director Steven Cheung calling Sabula "a lunatic wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage" -- a lie clearly contradicted by the widely circulated video.

Sabula's words were not baseless insults. They were a reference to Trump's months-long effort to obstruct the release of the Epstein files. For much of 2025, Trump dismissed the push for transparency as a "Democrat hoax that never ends." When Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) launched a bipartisan discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the files, the White House waged an aggressive pressure campaign against Republican representatives, with one official calling support for the petition "a very hostile act to the administration."

Only when it became clear that enough Republicans would break ranks did Trump abruptly reverse course in November 2025, urging Republicans to vote for the bill he had spent months trying to kill. The House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act 427-1 on November 18, 2025, and Trump signed it into law the following day -- though he still insisted it was a "Democrat hoax" even as he took credit for its passage.

Yet even now, Trump's Justice Department is slow-walking the release of the Epstein files. As of early January, less than 1% of the files have been made public, with heavy redactions throughout. The DOJ missed the December 19 statutory deadline, and files have been removed from the public website without explanation.

Last week, Reps. Khanna and Massie filed a request asking a federal judge to appoint a special master to compel the Justice Department to comply with the law. "Put simply, the DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act," they wrote.

For a president who famously shields himself from the public -- spending much of his time at his Florida mansion with minimal contact with ordinary Americans -- being confronted with the words "pe*****le protector" clearly struck a nerve. His vulgar, visceral reaction suggests the "pe*****le protector" label clearly hit closer to home than he'd like to admit.

For his act of speaking truth to power, Sabula has been suspended without pay by Ford pending an investigation. He told the Washington Post he has "no regrets whatsoever," adding: "I don't feel as though fate looks upon you often, and when it does, you better be ready to seize the opportunity." Later, he remarked, "Needless to say, I don't think I'm getting invited to the new ballroom."

Americans across the country have rallied to support what many are calling a patriot. Two verified GoFundMe campaigns launched overnight have already raised over $600,000 combined. One campaign organizer wrote: "Please help us raise funds for patriot TJ Sabula!! TJ was suspended from his job at the Ford Automotive Company for correctly calling President Donald J. Trump a pe*****le protector!! Let's rally and support TJ and help him pay some bills (and force DJT to release the Trump/Epstein Files)."

As donations pour in, supporters have left messages of encouragement. "Thank you for flexing your freedom of speech," wrote one donor. "Thank you for causing 'good trouble,'" wrote another.

For their part, the survivors are still waiting. TJ Sabula just said out loud what many Americans have been thinking.

To support the GoFundMe campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-ford-worker-tj-sabula-during-suspension

To see the video and read more about this incident, visit https://wapo.st/4sG38CD

To read about the lawmakers' new request for a federal judge to force the DOJ to comply with the Epstein files release, visit https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5680206-epstein-files-doj-compliance-khanna-massie/

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To read the powerful story of one Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, her harrowing memoir was recently released: "Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice," visit https://amzn.to/4nZbSAZ (Amazon) and https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780593493120 (Bookshop)

Raising kids to have empathy for others and an understanding of consent is one of the most important things parents can do to help reduce the incidence of sexual assault. To teach children -- girls and boys alike -- about the need to respect others and their personal boundaries, we recommend "Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent, and Respect" for ages 4 to 7 (https://www.amightygirl.com/body-boundaries) and "Consent (for Kids!)" for ages 6 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/consent-for-kids)

There is also a helpful guide for teens on topics such as consent and coercion, "Real Talk About S*x and Consent: What Every Teen Needs to Know," for ages 13 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/real-talk-about-sex-and-consent

For an excellent book for older teens and adults about the early warning signs of abusive relationships, myths about abusive personalities, and how to get help, we highly recommend "Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" at https://www.amightygirl.com/why-does-he-do-that

If you know a teen girl struggling after sexual abuse or trauma, “The S*xual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls: A Guide to Recovery from S*xual Assault and Abuse” may help at https://www.amightygirl.com/sexual-trauma-workbook-girls

For several fictional stories that address r**e and sexual violence and offer a helpful way to spark conversations with young adult readers around sexual assault, we recommend "Speak" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/speak), "Girl Made of Stars" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/girl-made-of-stars), and "The Way I Used To Be" for ages 15 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-way-i-used-to-be)

To read more about the White House pressure campaign to block the Epstein vote last fall, visit https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/us/politics/trump-epstein-vote-boebert.html?unlocked_article_code=1.008.aKyI.O3KFJv-_97L6&smid=url-share

Curious what it’s like to hold a piece of the moon? 🌕 With these DIY Moon Rocks, kids can create their own space treasure while learning some cool science along the way!

A little mixing, a little molding, and—boom!—you've got sparkly moon rocks right at home. Ready to blast off into some hands-on fun?! 🌌

Learn to bake by ratio.

SLOW DOWN AGEING

Anne Lamott wants a word with you...

We need all of our history to understand and appreciate who we really are. #civics #easyrecipe #kitchenhacks #inconvenienttruth #smithsonian #blackhistory

Companion planting is nature’s way of minimizing pest damage, boosting soil fertility, reducing w**d competition, and, ultimately, increasing yields 🌱💪 Productive gardens cultivated with companion planting in mind also tend to look better! For a tried-and-true way to reduce pests, attract pollinators, and boost growth, use our Companion Planting Chart when adding plants to your garden. Here's more! 🌱 Almanac.com/Companion-Planting-Guide-Vegetables

I seem to be on a food kick lately, aren't I ?

RECIPE - https://www.lovebakesgoodcakes.com/no-knead-bread/
This No-Knead Bread is the easiest recipe ever! Flour, salt, yeast, and water combine, then bake in a hot Dutch Oven to make the most delicious crusty bread.

Now, I wonder how to make pita pocket bread!

Bread in 10 minutes! No oven! This is the tastiest thing I've ever eaten! Anyone can do it.

Veggies you can grow from scraps 🥬

https://gardeningsoul.com/20-vegetables-you-can-re-grow.../