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Pricking out salvia seedlings: a hands-on guide to stronger, healthier transplants

The first time I pricked out salvia seedlings, I lost half the tray. Not to clumsiness — to hesitation. I waited too long, the roots wove together like tiny white threads in a braid, and every seedling I pulled dragged three neighbors with it. By morning, most of them had damped off in a soggy clump. That failure taught me more than any seed packet ever could. And now, a few hundred trays later, I want to walk you through the exact timing, tools, technique, and aftercare so your young salvias survive — and thrive — every single time.

The two-leaf rule — knowing when salvia seedlings are ready

Young salvias announce their readiness with a clear visual signal: the first pair of true leaves. Those rounded, smooth first leaves you see after germination? Those are cotyledons — essentially battery packs that fueled the initial push through the soil. Cotyledons look pale, fleshy, and generic. True leaves look entirely different. Salvia true leaves emerge slightly textured, oval, and sometimes faintly aromatic when you brush a fingertip across the surface. On Salvia splendens, the first true leaves carry a subtle sheen. On Salvia nemorosa, the true leaves feel rougher, almost like fine sandpaper.

You want to see two true leaves fully unfurled before you reach for the widger. For most annual bedding salvias, that moment arrives roughly three to four weeks after germination. Perennial types often take a week longer. Here’s where I see beginners stall: they wait for four or six true leaves “just to be safe.” Don’t. Waiting past four true leaves lets roots tangle into a dense mat, and the salvia seedlings stretch toward light and grow leggy. I’ve found that the two-to-four-leaf window is the sweet spot — big enough to handle, small enough that roots separate cleanly.

Tools and soil mix — set up before you start

Salvia seedlings don’t give you much working time once you lift them from the tray, so gather everything first. Lay it all out on your bench. Honestly, this prep phase is where the real efficiency lives.

• Cell trays or 3-inch pots hold individual seedlings and encourage strong root systems. A 72-count insert fits inside a standard 1020 flat and works perfectly for most salvias until the plants reach 3–4 inches tall.
• A dibber is a pencil-sized pointed stick. A dibber creates a planting hole 1–1.5 inches deep in seconds and keeps the root channel narrow enough to cradle fragile roots.
• A widger is a thin, flat-bladed tool about 4 inches long. A widger slides under the root mass without severing fine feeder roots. A plastic fork or an old butter knife works in a pinch.
• Pre-moistened potting mix provides the landing pad. I mix roughly 50% peat-free compost, 30% perlite, and 20% vermiculite. Alternatively, a ready-made seedling mix like Espoma Organic Seed Starter does the job — just add extra perlite for drainage.
• A spray bottle or a watering can with a fine rose delivers gentle moisture without blasting tiny transplants out of their new holes.
• Labels and a waterproof marker keep varieties straight, because trust me, all salvia seedlings look alike at this stage.

Salvias despise soggy roots more than almost any bedding annual I grow. That perlite in the mix isn’t optional — the perlite guarantees air pockets survive around the roots even after watering. My favorite trick: squeeze a fistful of the moistened mix. The mix should clump briefly and then crumble when you poke the clump. Too wet means trouble.

Step by step — pricking out salvia seedlings without breaking a sweat Water the tray an hour before you begin

Dry roots snap. Wet roots slide free. You water the seed tray about an hour before transplanting to let moisture soften the growing medium around every root system. I either bottom-soak the tray in a shallow basin for 20 minutes or mist the surface evenly until the top half-inch looks uniformly damp. The goal is moist, not dripping. Salvia seedlings sitting in waterlogged mix bruise more easily because their stems swell and turn glassy.

Loosen, lift, and hold by the leaf — never the stem

This is the moment that scares most beginners, and honestly, it scared me too. The stem of a young salvia feels like a wet thread between your fingers. One accidental squeeze and the vascular tissue collapses — game over for that seedling.

Slide the widger under the root mass at about a 45-degree angle, roughly half an inch away from the stem base. Lever upward gently. The seedling rises with a small plug of mix clinging to the roots. Now — and this part is critical — you grip the seedling by one cotyledon leaf, not the stem. Pinch the leaf lightly between your thumb and index finger. A torn cotyledon barely slows the plant down. A crushed stem kills the salvia seedling within hours. I crushed dozens before I trained my fingers to hover instead of pinch. Take it slow.

Drop into the hole and firm gently

Use the dibber to poke a hole in the center of the cell or pot. Make the hole deep enough so the roots hang straight down without bending or J-hooking at the bottom — usually about 1 to 1.5 inches deep for a three-week-old salvia. Lower the seedling in. Here’s a detail most guides skip: you bury the stem up to just below the cotyledons. That buried stem section develops adventitious roots over time, and the salvia transplant grows stockier as a result.

Press the mix around the base with two fingertips. Firm, not tight. You want soil-to-root contact, not a compacted brick. The mix should hold the seedling upright when you release your fingers.

Water in and move to shade

You water each seedling lightly right after transplanting. I use a fine-rose watering can and pour until water just begins to trickle from the drainage holes. Some growers prefer bottom-watering at this stage, which works well too — set the tray in a shallow basin of room-temperature water for 10 minutes, then remove the tray and let the excess drain.

Direct sun during the first 48 hours stresses salvia transplants badly. The roots haven’t anchored yet, and the leaves lose moisture faster than the roots can replace the moisture. Place the tray under bright indirect light, or raise your grow lights an extra 4–6 inches above the canopy. After two days, you move the salvia seedlings back to their normal light position.

The first 7 days — aftercare that makes or breaks your salvias

Freshly pricked-out salvia seedlings enter a fragile window. The roots need to explore new mix, the stem needs to stabilize, and the leaves need to resume photosynthesis — all at once. None of the top-ranking competitor pages I reviewed in 2026 dedicate a full section to this critical week, which is a shame, because aftercare determines whether your salvias take off or stall.

Keep ambient temperature between 65°F and 72°F. Salvia seedlings tolerate cooler nights down to about 58°F, and a slight nighttime temperature drop actually encourages compact growth. Place a humidity dome over the tray for the first two days, then remove the dome to let airflow circulate. Stagnant humid air invites fungal problems faster than almost anything else in my experience.

Check moisture daily. You water when the top half-inch of mix feels dry to the touch — not before. Overwatering freshly pricked-out salvias is the single most common killer, because soggy roots can’t access oxygen and the fungal pathogen Pythium thrives in saturated conditions. After one full week, you feed the salvia seedlings with half-strength balanced liquid fertilizer (something like 10-10-10 diluted to 50%). That first feeding replaces nutrients the roots have already started pulling from the fresh mix.

Trouble signs and quick fixes

Salvia seedlings communicate stress visually, and catching the signs early saves the whole tray.

Wilting after transplant. The transplanted seedlings droop for 24–48 hours. This reaction is normal. You mist the foliage lightly twice a day and keep the tray out of full sun. The salvia transplants usually perk up by day three.

Yellowing lower leaves. The oldest leaves turn pale yellow within the first week. Transplant shock or overwatering causes the yellowing in most cases. You reduce watering frequency, confirm the drainage holes are open, and wait. New green growth at the center of the plant signals recovery.

Leggy growth after pricking out. The salvia seedlings stretch upward with thin, elongated internodes. Low light intensity drives the stretching. You lower your grow lights to 3–4 inches above the canopy and drop nighttime temperature to 58–60°F. The combination slows vertical growth and encourages thicker stems.

Damping off. A dark, water-soaked ring appears at the stem base, and the seedling collapses. You remove affected salvia seedlings immediately, improve airflow around the tray, and cut back watering. Damping off spreads fast, so act the moment you notice the first casualty.

One small step for a seedling

Pricking out is a five-minute task that changes the trajectory of every plant on your bench. Once you master the lift-by-the-leaf technique and resist the urge to drown the transplants afterward, the whole seed-starting process feels less like a gamble and more like a craft. And that’s the shift I love most about this stage — the move from passive waiting to active shaping.

I still remember the first tray I pricked out successfully: 36 Salvia splendens ‘Sizzler Red,’ each one standing upright in its own cell, roots dangling straight. A week later, every single plant had pushed new growth. That row of tiny green rosettes on my shelf felt like a small victory. It still does, every spring. Try the technique this season, and let me know in the comments how your young salvias turn out — or ask a question, because chances are I’ve made the mistake you’re worried about.

Frequently asked questions Can I prick out salvia seedlings directly into the garden?

Only after your last frost date passes in your USDA zone. Salvia seedlings need nighttime temperatures above 50°F to survive outdoors. Most US gardeners prick out into cell trays indoors and harden the transplants off over 7–10 days before planting outside.

Do different salvia species need different pricking-out timing?

Annual bedding types like Salvia splendens grow fast — you prick them out at two true leaves, usually around three weeks after germination. Perennial species like Salvia nemorosa develop more slowly and tolerate an extra week in the seed tray. Salvia patens produces larger seedlings; move Salvia patens when the first true leaf reaches about half an inch wide.

What if the roots break during pricking out?

Salvia seedlings recover well from minor root damage. You keep the broken-root seedling slightly more humid for three to four days by misting or replacing the dome. Avoid fertilizing until new root growth appears, which usually takes about a week.

Should I pinch salvia seedlings after pricking out?

Wait until the young salvia carries four to six pairs of true leaves before pinching the growing tip. Pinching too early slows establishment right when the transplant needs all its energy directed toward root growth.

How many salvia seedlings fit in a standard 1020 tray after pricking out?

A standard 1020 tray holds 32 to 72 cells depending on the insert you choose. For most salvias, 2-inch cells in a 72-count insert work well until the plant reaches 3–4 inches tall. At that height, you pot on into 3-inch containers to give the root system room to expand.

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Why do celosia inflorescences blacken and drop off — and what you can actually do about it

You step outside with your morning coffee, glance at the bed of ‘Dragon’s Breath’ that looked absolutely electric two days ago — and your stomach drops. A dark, soggy patch is spreading across the top of the tallest cockscomb. The flower head next to it has already collapsed, almost black, sagging like a wet paper bag. By afternoon, pieces start falling to the mulch. What happened?

I’ve been there. More than once.

Blackening celosia inflorescences signal something more specific — and usually more urgent — than the gradual fading every bloom goes through at end of season. This article walks through every cause of celosia flowers turning black and dropping off, gives you a fast diagnostic method you can use while standing in your garden, and lays out fixes that actually work. No fluff, no generic “water properly” advice. Let’s get into the real reasons.

Celosia at a glance — what makes this flower tick

Celosia belongs to the Amaranthaceae family and grows as a warm-season annual across most of the United States. Celosia thrives year-round only in USDA zones 10–12; everywhere else, gardeners treat celosia as a single-season plant. The species needs full sun — six hours minimum — and well-drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.

Three main flower forms exist: crested (the classic cockscomb), plumed (feathery spikes like ‘Century Mix’), and wheat-type or spicata (slender tapers like ‘Flamingo Feather’). All three trace their ancestry to tropical West Africa.

That tropical origin matters here. Celosia evolved for heat, bright light, and sharp drainage. Every condition that deviates from that profile pushes celosia flower tissue toward stress — and stressed tissue blackens faster than healthy tissue when a pathogen, frost, or waterlogging event hits. Keep that mental model as you read the causes below.

Every reason celosia inflorescences blacken and fall off Botrytis and other fungal invaders

Botrytis cinerea is a gray-mold fungus. Botrytis thrives in humidity above 80%, spreads through airborne spores, and colonizes damaged tissue within 24 hours. On celosia, botrytis starts as small water-soaked spots on the inflorescence — spots that darken to brown, then black, within a day or two. Flip the flower head over and look for a fuzzy gray spore layer on the underside. That gray fuzz is the confirmation.

I lost an entire row of crested cockscomb to botrytis one August in zone 7a. The whole bed looked scorched overnight — but the giveaway was the gray felt coating every flower head by the second morning.

Leaf spot fungi and Fusarium oxysporum (a soil-borne wilt pathogen) can also blacken celosia flowers, though Fusarium usually kills the stem first. Fusarium wilt causes one-sided wilting and internal stem browning before the blooms collapse. Leaf spot stays on foliage until severe, then jumps to flower tissue in wet weather.

Overwatering and waterlogged soil

Celosia roots need oxygen. Waterlogged soil suffocates root cells within 48 hours, and stressed roots cannot supply the flower head with nutrients or water — paradoxically, the bloom dehydrates from above while drowning from below. Meanwhile, standing moisture on the inflorescence itself creates a perfect landing pad for fungal spores.

Here’s a quick test: push your finger two inches into the soil near the plant’s base. Soil should feel damp, not muddy. Mud means you are overwatering celosia or your drainage is failing. By the way, if celosia stems feel mushy at the base, skip ahead to the fungal section — that’s your answer.

Frost and cold snaps — the overnight disaster

Celosia has zero frost tolerance. A brief dip below 35 °F blackens celosia flower tissue overnight. Frost damage looks different from fungal damage: frost produces uniform blackening across every exposed surface, while fungal infection starts as a patchy spot and spreads outward. Frost-damaged celosia petals also feel limp and translucent, not fuzzy or slimy.

Honestly, this one surprised me the first time — a single October night at 34 °F turned a gorgeous ‘Prestige Scarlet’ bed into something that looked diseased. It wasn’t disease. It was cold, and the damage was irreversible.

The seed-setting stage nobody warns you about

Celosia blooms naturally darken, dry, and drop when the plant finishes its reproductive cycle. The flower head shifts color from the center outward, turns papery and brittle, and eventually releases tiny black seeds. This process is normal biology, not pathology.

The diagnostic difference: natural senescence produces dry, crumbly, lightweight flower heads. Pathological blackening produces mushy, heavy, often foul-smelling tissue. Squeeze the flower head gently. Dry and papery? The plant is simply done. Wet and squishy? Something else is wrong.

Sunlight starvation and heat stress

Celosia planted in partial shade grows leggy, and celosia flower heads in low light fade to pale tones, then brown, then blacken at the edges as cells die. The opposite extreme — sustained temperatures above 95 °F combined with drought — scorches celosia petal tips, producing crispy dark margins that can be mistaken for disease.

My personal rule of thumb: celosia wants hot, not scorching. Six to eight hours of direct morning-to-midday sun with light afternoon shade works best in zones 8–9 where summer heat gets brutal.

Pest damage that opens the door to blackening

Aphids, spider mites, and caterpillars wound celosia flower tissue. Wounded tissue invites fungal spores. The sequence is predictable: pests feed → micro-wounds form → Botrytis or leaf-spot fungi enter → blackening follows within days. Check the undersides of flower heads for aphid colonies or fine webbing. Sticky honeydew residue on the bloom surface is another telltale sign of active pest feeding.

How to diagnose your specific problem

Celosia blackening has at least five distinct causes, and each one leaves a slightly different fingerprint. Grab the affected flower head (wear gloves if you suspect fungus) and use this quick-reference table:

Visual clue Most likely cause First action Fuzzy gray coating on black tissue Botrytis gray mold Remove and bag infected flower heads immediately Uniform black across all exposed surfaces Frost or cold snap Check overnight low temps; cover remaining plants Mushy base, wilting stem, then black bloom Root rot / overwatering Stop watering; improve drainage Dry, papery, crumbly black flower head Natural seed-setting senescence Harvest seeds or deadhead — plant is finishing its cycle Sticky residue, tiny insects, patchy dark spots Pest damage + secondary fungal infection Blast pests with water; apply neem oil Crispy dark edges, dry soil, extreme heat Heat scorch / drought stress Water deeply at the base; add 2 inches of mulch

The “squeeze test” summarizes the whole diagnostic approach: mushy means fungal or rot, dry-crumbly means aging or frost, sticky means pests.

Saving your celosia — practical fixes that actually work Cut away the damage — how and where to prune

Celosia responds well to sanitation pruning. Sterilize your shears with rubbing alcohol, cut at least one inch below the blackened area into green, firm stem tissue, and drop every removed piece into a plastic bag — not onto the ground. Do not compost blackened celosia material. Fungal spores survive composting temperatures in most home compost bins.

Fix the water situation

Water celosia at the base, never overhead. Drip irrigation or a soaker hose keeps moisture off flower heads entirely. For container-grown celosia, ensure every pot has drainage holes and use a mix containing at least 30 % perlite. Raised beds solve most in-ground drainage problems in clay-heavy soils.

Fight fungal disease with targeted treatment

Apply copper-based fungicide — Bonide Copper Fungicide is widely available at US garden centers — at the first sign of botrytis spots. Spray early in the morning so foliage dries quickly. Daconil (chlorothalonil) works as a preventive when weather forecasts predict several humid, cool nights in a row. Neem oil handles light fungal pressure and also deters soft-bodied pests, giving you a two-for-one benefit. Reapply every 7–10 days during active infection.

Protect celosia from frost (or know when to let go)

Cover celosia plants with frost cloth when overnight temperatures drop below 40 °F. Anchor the cloth at the base so trapped warmth stays around the plant. But here’s the honest truth: celosia is an annual. Once a hard freeze arrives — sustained temps below 28 °F — the plant’s life cycle ends. Harvest healthy blooms before the first frost and hang celosia flower heads upside down in a dry room. Dried celosia holds color for months.

Boost airflow and spacing

Space celosia plants 10–12 inches apart at transplant time. Remove lower leaves once the plant reaches 8 inches tall — removing lower celosia foliage improves air circulation around the base where humidity concentrates. In my experience, this single habit prevents more fungal problems than any spray.

Prevention checklist for next season

1. Choose a planting site with full sun and fast-draining soil.
2. Space celosia transplants 10–12 inches apart in every direction.
3. Water celosia at the base using drip irrigation or a soaker hose.
4. Apply balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) monthly — excess nitrogen promotes soft growth vulnerable to fungus.
5. Scout celosia plants weekly for aphids, spider mites, and caterpillars.
6. Deadhead fading celosia blooms before they become entry points for disease.
7. Monitor weather forecasts and cover celosia before any night below 40 °F.

A final thought

I’ve grown celosia for over fifteen years, and I still lose a plant now and then. The difference between my early seasons and now is that I understand why — and I catch problems three days earlier. Celosia is tough, generous, and forgiving when you give it warmth, sunshine, and dry flower heads. One bad week doesn’t have to ruin a whole season.

If you’re staring at a blackened cockscomb right now, take a breath, run through the diagnostic table, and start with the simplest fix. Most celosia plants bounce back faster than you’d expect. I’d love to hear what’s happening in your garden — drop a comment below with your cultivar, your zone, and what the flower heads look like. Let’s figure it out together.

FAQ — celosia blackening and bloom drop Can celosia recover once the flower heads have turned completely black?

Celosia cannot revive a fully blackened flower head — dead tissue stays dead. However, celosia plants often push new side shoots and secondary blooms after you remove the damaged inflorescence, provided the stem and roots remain healthy.

Is it safe to compost blackened celosia flowers?

Blackened celosia flowers may carry Botrytis spores or other fungal pathogens. Most backyard compost piles do not reach temperatures high enough to kill these spores. Bag and discard blackened celosia material with household waste instead.

Do all celosia types (crested, plumed, spicata) blacken equally?

Crested (cockscomb) celosia blackens most noticeably because crested flower heads trap moisture in their dense folds. Plumed and spicata types dry faster and resist botrytis somewhat better, though no celosia type is immune.

Could black celosia flowers indicate a soil nutrient problem?

Nutrient deficiencies rarely cause flower blackening directly. Severe phosphorus deficiency darkens celosia foliage to a purplish hue, but true black flower tissue almost always points to fungal infection, frost, or overwatering rather than a nutrient issue.

How do I tell celosia flower blackening from normal drying for seed saving?

Celosia flowers drying for seed saving turn brown, then tan, and feel papery and light. Pathological blackening produces dark, mushy, often foul-smelling tissue that feels heavy with moisture. The squeeze test — papery versus squishy — gives you the answer in seconds.

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How to keep your ageratum mother plant alive over winter (and why it’s worth the effort)

Last September, my phone buzzed with that dreaded first frost advisory, and I stood in the garden staring at a ‘Blue Horizon’ ageratum that had been blooming its heart out since June. Pulling the whole plant and tossing the remains on the compost pile felt criminal. So I didn’t. I dug the ageratum up, potted the root ball, and carried the entire sticky-stemmed, slightly pungent thing into my kitchen. That decision to keep my ageratum mother plant over winter changed the way I garden every fall — and five seasons later, I still maintain descendants of that original plant.

Here’s what most seed packets won’t tell you: ageratum is not a true annual. Ageratum houstonianum — commonly called floss flower — is a tender perennial native to Mexico and Central America. The plant thrives year-round in USDA zones 10–11 but dies at the first hard frost everywhere else. Because American gardeners overwhelmingly treat the floss flower as disposable, almost no mainstream guide explains how to overwinter a specific mother plant indoors. This article fills that gap with every step I’ve learned, tested, and occasionally botched.

Why bother overwintering ageratum?

Ageratum earns the label “tender perennial” because the plant’s roots, stems, and crown survive indefinitely in frost-free conditions. “Tender” simply means the plant lacks cold hardiness — not that the plant lacks longevity. That distinction matters, because the moment you understand ageratum can live for years, throwing one away in October starts to feel wasteful.

I genuinely believe overwintering makes sense for four practical reasons. First, gardeners preserve a specific variety or flower color they love. Tall cutting types like ‘Blue Horizon’ or ‘Red Flint’ aren’t always easy to source as transplants each spring, and seed availability fluctuates. Second, an overwintered mother plant gives you a six-to-eight-week head start on spring blooms compared to starting from seed. Third — and this surprised me the most — a single mother plant produces dozens of stem cuttings in late winter, multiplying your stock for free. Fourth, keeping a living plant simply beats adding another carcass to the compost bin.

The right time to bring ageratum indoors

Ageratum suffers visible damage once nighttime temperatures dip below 40–45 °F. Gardeners don’t need to panic at the first cool evening, but they do need to act before a genuine frost. Timing depends on where you live.

Gardeners in zones 5–6 typically move their ageratum indoors by late September. Zone 7–8 gardeners usually have until mid-October. Zone 9 gardeners may only need protection during rare cold snaps — a frost cloth over the pot can be enough. And yes, I learned this the hard way: one year I waited until the forecast said 33 °F, rushed outside at 10 p.m. with a headlamp, and dug the plant in near-darkness. The ageratum survived. My back did not enjoy the experience. Check your USDA hardiness zone, watch the ten-day forecast starting in mid-September, and plan your move during daylight hours.

Step-by-step — preparing the mother plant for winter Dig, pot, and inspect

Gardeners growing ageratum in a garden bed should dig a wide circle around the root ball — roughly six inches from the main stem — to avoid slicing through feeder roots. Shake off excess garden soil gently. A healthy ageratum mother plant from the garden fits comfortably in a pot one to two inches wider than the root ball. I prefer a six-to-eight-inch terracotta pot because the clay breathes and reduces the risk of soggy roots.

Fill the pot with a well-draining mix: equal parts quality potting soil and perlite works well. Skip heavy garden soil entirely — the ageratum’s roots need airflow. Now comes the tricky part. Inspect every leaf surface, stem junction, and the soil surface for hitchhikers. Whiteflies and spider mites adore ageratum outdoors, and those populations explode in the warm, still air of a house. Flip leaves over. Look closely. One overlooked whitefly colony can infest your entire houseplant collection by December.

The quarantine period

One detail most guides skip: the ageratum needs isolation before joining your indoor plants. Place the freshly potted mother plant in a bright room away from other houseplants for seven to ten days. During quarantine, spray the entire plant — tops and undersides of leaves — with a dilute insecticidal soap solution or neem oil. Repeat the spray after five days. This two-round treatment catches pests that survived the first application as eggs or nymphs. I’ve watched a friend skip quarantine and spend all winter battling whiteflies on her fiddle-leaf fig. Not worth the risk.

Pruning before the move

Cut the ageratum back by one-third to one-half of its height using clean, sharp scissors. Remove all spent flower clusters, yellowing leaves, and any leggy or crossing stems. The mother plant looks rough after a hard prune — honestly, the first time I tried this, the result looked so pitiful by mid-October that I nearly composted the whole pot. Glad I didn’t. That aggressive haircut forces the ageratum to redirect energy toward roots and compact new growth, which is exactly what the plant needs for winter survival indoors.

Indoor care through the cold months Light requirements

Ageratum needs at least six hours of bright light each day indoors. A south-facing window handles this in most US homes from October through February. West-facing windows work as a second choice. Gardeners in northern states — Minnesota, Michigan, upstate New York — face brutally short winter days, and a windowsill alone may not provide enough light. A basic LED shop light positioned six inches above the ageratum for 12–14 hours a day solves the problem affordably. The mother plant responds to supplemental light within a week: new leaves emerge greener and stems stay compact instead of stretching toward a distant window.

Watering and humidity

Water the ageratum when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. The mother plant hates waterlogged roots — root rot kills more overwintering ageratum than cold ever does. But bone-dry soil stresses the plant too, causing leaf edges to crisp and lower leaves to drop. Find the middle ground. Indoor heating systems slash humidity to 20–30 %, and ageratum prefers 50 % or higher. Group the pot with other plants on a pebble tray filled with water to raise local humidity. Let’s be real: misting does almost nothing measurable for humidity. The water evaporates in minutes. A pebble tray or a small room humidifier delivers consistent results.

Temperature and feeding

Ageratum tolerates cool rooms down to about 50 °F at night but stops active growth below that threshold. Keep the room above 55 °F for the healthiest winter foliage. Avoid placing the pot near drafty doors, single-pane windows, or heating vents that blast dry air directly onto the leaves.

Feeding deserves a light touch. The ageratum rests during the shortest days of the year, so heavy fertilizer pushes weak, leggy growth. Apply a half-strength liquid fertilizer once a month from November through January, or skip feeding entirely until late February when increasing daylight triggers new growth. In my experience, under-feeding during winter causes zero problems; over-feeding causes pale, floppy stems that invite disease.

Common winter problems (and fixes)

• Leggy, pale growth signals insufficient light — move the ageratum closer to the window or add a grow light.
• Sudden leaf drop indicates overwatering or cold drafts — check soil moisture and relocate the pot away from exterior doors.
• Whiteflies appear as tiny white specks on leaf undersides — spray insecticidal soap every five days for three consecutive rounds.
• Crispy leaf edges suggest low humidity — place the pot on a pebble tray and group the ageratum with other plants.

Taking cuttings from your winter mother plant

Ageratum cuttings root easily, and late January through February is the ideal window. Days lengthen noticeably by then, and the mother plant begins pushing fresh growth — perfect cutting material. Propagating ageratum from a mother plant produces genetic clones, so every cutting preserves the exact flower color, height, and branching habit of the parent. Seed-grown ageratum can vary. Clones don’t.

Snip three-to-four-inch stem tips from non-flowering shoots, cutting just below a leaf node. Strip the lower leaves, leaving two or three leaves at the top. Dip the cut end in powdered rooting hormone — a light tap to coat, not a heavy dunk. Insert each cutting about one inch deep into a small pot of moist perlite or a 50/50 peat-perlite blend. Cover the pot loosely with a clear plastic bag to hold humidity, and set the cuttings in bright indirect light at 65–70 °F. Ageratum cuttings typically root in two to three weeks. A gentle tug that meets resistance confirms new roots. I’d argue this propagation step alone justifies overwintering — one mother plant can yield fifteen to twenty rooted cuttings, enough to fill a border or share with every neighbor on the block.

Transitioning back outdoors in spring

Ageratum rebounds fast once nighttime temperatures stay above 50 °F, but the mother plant and rooted cuttings need a hardening-off period first. Start by placing the pots outdoors in full shade for one hour on day one. Increase sun exposure and outdoor time gradually over seven to ten days. Transplant the ageratum into garden beds or larger containers after your region’s last frost date passes. The mother plant — now a seasoned survivor — typically blooms weeks before any seed-started ageratum in the neighborhood.

Frankly, there’s a quiet thrill in watching a plant you carried through a Minnesota February explode into blue blossoms by late May while everyone else’s six-packs from the garden center are still adjusting to outdoor life.

Frequently asked questions Can ageratum survive winter outdoors in any US zone?

Ageratum survives outdoors year-round only in USDA zones 10–11 — parts of southern Florida, coastal Southern California, and Hawaii. Frost kills the above-ground growth everywhere else, so gardeners in zones 9 and below need to bring the plant indoors or treat the ageratum as an annual.

Will my overwintered ageratum look the same next year?

A mother plant that receives proper light and regular pruning produces the same flower color and growth habit the following season. Ageratum maintained clonally — through cuttings or direct overwintering — stays true to the parent, unlike seed-grown plants that sometimes show variation.

How long can I keep the same ageratum mother plant alive?

Gardeners report maintaining ageratum mother plants for three to five years with annual overwintering. The plant becomes woodier at the base over time. Taking fresh cuttings each February ensures vigorous replacement stock that blooms as heavily as a young plant.

Is it easier to just start ageratum from seed every spring?

Seed starting works, but ageratum seeds need six to eight weeks of indoor growing before transplant, and germination can be uneven. An overwintered mother plant or rooted cuttings bloom weeks earlier and guarantee the exact variety the gardener wants — no surprises, no waiting.

So — what variety are you overwintering this fall? Whether your ageratum is a compact lavender mound or a tall, wild ‘Blue Horizon’ swaying at the back of the border, that plant deserves a winter indoors and another summer in the sun. Carry the pot inside, give the ageratum decent light and restrained water, and by March you’ll have a mother plant ready to produce an army of cuttings. Spring always comes. Your ageratum will be ready for the occasion.

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The Yellow Vest, or gilets jaunes, are grassroots worker movement that have defied politics as usual in France and the rest of the world. In our latest, Scott talks with…

May 14, 2026—Politico’s Eric He reports on Gov. Newsom’s May Revise budget proposal, which calls for deferring $3.9 billion in Proposition 98 school funding despite revenues coming in $16.5 billion above projections. The move has drawn swift condemnation from teachers unions, school boards, and Democratic lawmakers who argue the constitutionally-guaranteed funding is urgently needed — including by Los Angeles Unified, which is counting on state dollars to honor $1.2 billion in new union contracts. On the positive side for education advocates, the governor preserved $1 billion for community schools expansion. Public Advocates Managing Attorney John Affeldt weighed in on the deferral, saying that while restraints are warranted, it’s “not a crazy maneuver given the volatility of our revenue picture.”

Read the Story

The post Politico Pro: Newsom sticks with controversial funding deferral in mixed-bag schools budget appeared first on Public Advocates.

Massive Florida-based power company NextEra Energy announced today its plan to acquire Virginia’s Dominion Energy, citing the growth of A.I. data centers as the impetus for the move. In response, Public Citizen Energy Program director Tyson Slocum issued the following statement:

“This absurd proposal to merge two massive, well-capitalized utilities should be dead on arrival for state and federal regulators. Household customers have everything to lose and nothing to gain by allowing two behemoths, NextEra and Dominion, to merge.

“The claim that the tie-up is needed to address data center demand is a false narrative; the merger will do nothing to increase generating capacity, let alone desperately-needed renewable generating capacity. These mega-utilities are merely using rising concern about data centers as an excuse to concentrate political and economic power of two giant utilities to maximize financial returns to shareholders. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and state regulators should reject this outlandish, unnecessary merger as completely contrary to the public interest.“

Many right-leaning figures have tried to push the idea that the UK is an outlier on net-zero.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed that other countries are “not following us” in aiming to cut emissions to net-zero, while GB News owner Paul Marshall said in March that the UK is “pursuing a path of unilateral economic disarmament”.

Both are among those on the right of UK politics who have falsely claimed that the UK’s net-zero target is “unilateral” and that this is a reason why the goal should be abandoned.

However, these claims ignore that 140 of the world’s 198 countries (71%) have net-zero targets. 

In fact, Iran and the US are the only two of the world’s top 20 carbon dioxide (CO2) emitters that lack a net-zero target, as shown in the map below.

If the UK were to scrap its net-zero target, as called for by both the opposition Conservatives and hard-right Reform UK, this is the group of major emitters it would be joining.

Countries with net-zero targets, as of May 2026. Data source: Net Zero Tracker

The latest assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s foremost authority on climate science, said the only way to stop global warming was to reach net-zero CO2 emissions.

The UK was the first major economy to set a net-zero target in 2019.

Since then, almost all of the world’s major emitters have followed suit, with China announcing a net-zero target in 2020 and India, Saudi Arabia and Russia launching goals in 2021.

Around 74% of global emissions are now covered by some kind of national net-zero target, according to data from the Net Zero Tracker, a consortium tracking net-zero policies.

According to the Net Zero Tracker, 34 nations – including the UK – have set a net-zero target into law, signifying the highest possible level of commitment.

In addition, 63 nations have stated their goal in a policy document, 16 nations have made a net-zero “pledge” and 23 nations have a net-zero “proposal”. (Four nations have declared that they have already reached net-zero.)

Types of net-zero targets across countries. Data source: Net Zero Tracker

The US, the world’s largest historical emitter when counting its cumulative climate impact since the start of the industrial revolution, had a net-zero target under former president Joe Biden. However, it was abandoned by the current Trump administration.

Despite this, some 18 regions and 43 cities in the US still have some form of net-zero commitment, according to the Net Zero Tracker.

John Lang, lead of the Net Zero Tracker, tells Carbon Brief:

“Ironically, of the world’s 20 largest emitters, only the US and Iran lack net-zero targets – precisely as the Iran crisis exposes the risks of dependence on fossil fuels and volatile oil markets.

“Arguing against net-zero is arguing for greater exposure to geopolitical instability and energy price shocks. The UK has already shown that cutting fossil-fuel dependence can go hand in hand with economic growth, reducing emissions by 54% since 1990 while almost doubling the size of the economy.”

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The post Factcheck: US and Iran are world’s only major emitters without net-zero targets appeared first on Carbon Brief.

Fight for the Future, Access Now, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and other leading human rights organizations are demanding Meta immediately course correct and make good on promises to protect Instagram DMs with end-to-end encryption by default.

Led by Fight for the Future, 50 human rights groups are expressing outrage over Meta’s decision to discontinue “opt-in” end-to-end encryption for Instagram messages, as well as its apparent reversal of plans to protect Instagram messages with end-to-end encryption by default. The groups sent a letter to Meta calling on the company to immediately course correct and follow through on promises to ensure users’ direct messages (DMs) are safe from third-party access.

For the communities represented by the organizational endorsers of the letter, including activists, LGBTQ+ people, abortion seekers, journalists and other targeted groups around the world, privacy online is not “optional.” It’s a matter of life and death.

Meta’s removal of “opt-in end-to-end encryption” for direct messages on Instagram—a feature only available to users in certain regions—took effect on May 8, 2026. Meta has claimed the move was driven by “lack of interest from users.”

The decision and rationale represent a complete reversal of Meta’s well-established commitments to end-to-end encrypted communications, as well as its promises to make end-to-end encryption the default setting for Instagram messages.

”Meta has repeatedly articulated the importance of end-to-end encryption, sometimes mirroring the exact language our organizations have used for years to explain why online messages must be protected and private. Does Meta expect us to simply forget this history? Does the company expect us to accept the absurd justification that ‘users aren’t interested in E2EE’ when Meta knows very well we shouldn’t be forced to opt-in to life-saving privacy features?” said Leila Nashashibi, Campaigner at Fight for the Future. “Meta has defended E2EE in the past, even when it wasn’t politically convenient. Clearly the company’s political calculus has shifted. Is Meta axing its E2EE plans in order to curry favor with Trump, who wants unfettered access to our messages so his administration can spy on us and target us? Or does the company believe that the profit potential of violating our privacy and harvesting our most sensitive information—our private messages—is simply too great to pass up? We deserve to know the truth behind this total betrayal of users’ safety and privacy. We’re calling on organizations and users all over the world to reject this shameful move. If Meta wants to keep its Instagram users, it must make DMs safe NOW.”

”Secure E2EE messaging is a BASIC digital need and right. Several years ago, we joined in asking Meta to encrypt DMs. As Meta has acknowledged, privacy online is actually critical to people’s safety online AND offline. Now, Meta says they’re rolling this safety measure back after offering E2EE as a difficult to find optional setting? That’s so disingenuous and disappointing,” said Maya Morales of WA People’s Privacy. “If Meta wants people to use its platforms, it has to ensure that using them doesn’t actively endanger us. Without encryption, our personal conversations have been fed straight to government agencies or officials we might critique, to DHS/ICE, to data brokers, into AI models, you name it. This is not a trivial issue. Unsecured DMs can—and have—resulted in people’s entire lives being destroyed. E2EE should be the default setting for all apps that offer messaging, and AI should never be used in ANY messaging service without non-coerced, opt-in consent. If Meta’s not going to keep users safe, is it prepared for a mass-exodus?”

Fight for the Future and a coalition of civil society organizations strongly applauded Meta’s implementation of default end-to-end encryption on Facebook Messenger in December 2023. The move came after public outcry and pressure in response to Meta handing over unencrypted Messenger direct messages between a Nebraska teenager and her mother to law enforcement—messages that led to the teen’s prosecution for choosing to have an abortion.

In the months preceding the December 2023 announcement, Rob Sherman, VP and Deputy Chief Privacy Officer for Policy at Meta, sent a letter to Fight for the Future stating: “We remain committed to rolling out default end-to-end encryption for private conversations on Messenger in 2023, and shortly afterwards for Instagram.”

In the the letter, Mr. Sherman notes:

People expect technology companies to provide the best security to protect their personal information, and we believe end-to-end [encryption] is an important component of building trust with our users because it:

• Promotes a fundamental right to privacy, which allows loved ones to communicate without fear.
• Helps prevent both serious and common crimes like hacking and identity theft.
• Enables journalists, civil society, religious groups, scholars, and artists to exercise their rights to free and private speech without surveillance or retaliation.

Meta’s backtracking on its end-to-end encryption commitments comes on the heals of yet another disappointing decision: On May 5, Meta announced that the company will be “developing” a tool that can determine a user’s age based on visual, physical characteristics. Under the guise of kids safety, this will mean scanning every single picture posted on the platform to determine people’s ages, with no guardrails. Fight for the Future has been warning for years that online ID checks in all of its forms, regardless of the public relations term in use (age assurance, age verification, age estimation) is a censorship and privacy nightmare that will lead to Big Tech companies cobbling together even more information about users of all ages.

By Simon Pirani Russia’s political prisoners are “outcasts in their own land,” Sergei Dudchenko, a biker tortured and framed by the security services, told his trial judges this month before being handed a seven-year prison sentence. Those arrested for opposing the war on Ukraine had “fewer rights than a stray dog, and on top of […]

Red Stone Movement Goes Public: Tribal Nations Demand Protection of Sacred Pipestone Site FLANDREAU, SD – The controversial Magellan Pipeline issue is heating up again. The pipeline, owned by OneOk of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had its construction permit rescinded by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on January 7, 2025. The proposed route would build a new […]

May 15, 2026 Read the story on MSN.com Greenaction blasts the Navy over continued botched “cleanup” at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund Site Click here to read the Article on MSN.com

May 14 2026

Bay City News Article on the Latest Scandal with the U.S. Navy and the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard Superfund Site

Click Here to read the Bay City News Article

“SF: Cabinet Storing Radiological Materials Discovered At Former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard”

May 15, 2026 Read Capital & Main news story with Greenaction and allies: California Hazardous Waste Rules Criticized as Years Late and Polluter Friendly

May 1, 2026—EdSource reporter John Fensterwald covers Governor Newsom’s May Revision and its mixed implications for California schools—including a higher COLA, a historic $2.4 billion special education increase, and a $5 billion discretionary block grant, offset by the governor’s continued withholding of $3.9 billion in Proposition 98 funds that school groups say belongs in classrooms now. Managing Attorney John Affeldt is quoted warning that the budget’s reliance on AI-driven tax revenues is not a stable foundation: “Our state cannot continue to rely on temporary AI stock market bubbles.” Affeldt calls for more robust, permanent revenue streams—and makes clear that the same teachers being asked to transform students’ lives are being priced out of the communities they serve.”

Read the Story

The post Edsource: California schools could get billions more in Newsom’s final budget plan — with one catch appeared first on Public Advocates.

TORONTO — Rachel Doran, executive director at Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to the Implementation Agreement for the Canada-Alberta MOU:

“The long-awaited agreement between the federal government and Alberta was promised to strengthen Canada’s competitiveness and the effectiveness of key climate policies—but is, in reality, a step backward. This is true not only when it comes to reducing climate-change-causing emissions from big industry, but also on the aspiration laid out yesterday to double Canada’s electricity grid as the economic backbone of our future.

“Indeed, the federal government’s goal of a net-zero grid by 2050 may be fundamentally at odds with the details in this MOU. Alberta, once the Canadian capital of renewable investment, has not made any concrete commitments to unleash its once-booming free market. It has, conversely, secured a commitment that natural gas generation will be expanded and is likewise not dropping its legal challenge against Canada’s Clean Electricity Regulations. Furthermore, the federal government’s suggestion that the regulations will be ‘in abeyance’ until after all court cases have been finalized—a process that may take years—will create significant investment uncertainty. 

“Alberta policy changes have already undermined tens of billions in renewable energy investments in the province. Despite leading the country in wind, solar, and energy storage deployment early this decade, private investment in renewables has fallen by nearly 99% since 2023 due to changes introduced by Premier Smith’s government. 

“On the Clean Electricity Regulations, Alberta has agreed only to negotiate an equivalency agreement if courts uphold the policy’s constitutionality. If Alberta does not negotiate in good faith and the agreement has no teeth to prevent future debate, the result could be a provincial race to the bottom, leaving Canada’s vision of a competitive, unified electricity grid back where it started: fragmented and increasingly failing to realize its potential.

“And while the government’s press release and implementation agreement suggest that Alberta will make changes to its Restructured Energy Market to facilitate more investment in renewables, the MOU makes a far weaker commitment: that changes will only be considered if warranted.

“None of this adds up to meeting the vision laid out by the federal government only yesterday to double Canada’s relatively clean electricity grid as a way to electrify industry and Canadian homes: an essential play both for the future of our economy and household affordability.

“The agreement similarly falls short in delivering on effective industrial carbon pricing, which modelling by the Canadian Climate Institute found to be doing the most heavy lifting toward our climate targets. While changes to Canada’s industrial carbon pricing system were meant to strengthen the actual impact of the policy, if not the optics of it, the dials here are turned too low to result in the better outcome that was promised. 

“The agreement makes an attempt to ensure the real carbon price that companies pay comes closer to the so-called ‘headline price,’ and yes, setting a carbon price floor is a good idea, as is signing contracts for difference to ensure governments stick to their promises for an effective carbon price. But when it comes to the actual numbers needed to empower these changes, the agreement offers too little, too late. 

“An industrial carbon price serves as an incentive for companies to invest in cleaner methods of production. If increasing this price to meaningful levels is pushed down the road, then so will be any related investments. Industrial carbon pricing is tied to over 70 major projects worth more than $57 billion. And this does not just affect Alberta. By striking this deal with one province, the federal government has potentially opened the floodgates for a lowering of ambition across all provincial industrial carbon pricing systems, affecting the incentives for steel mills in Ontario, potash mines in Saskatchewan, and cement plants in B.C.

“Canada is falling out of step with key trading partners in the transition to a global clean energy economy. Whereas the agreement aims for an effective carbon price of $130 by 2040, the European Union carbon price is close to that amount already today. And while the agreement sets tightening rates of 2% or lower, the EU has set rates of over 4% every year. 

“The EU knows where it needs to go, launching a comprehensive set of new measures—including electricity tax cuts and investments in renewables—that cement clean energy as the path to energy security. EV sales are unsurprisingly skyrocketing globally, including here in Canada: March EV sales were up 75% year-over-year. 

“More than 40 countries are currently rationing energy, and it’s no wonder. As International Energy Agency head Fatih Birol put it, ‘the damage is done…. There will be a significant boost to renewables and nuclear power and a further shift towards a more electrified future,’ adding that ‘this will cut into the main markets for oil.’

“In other words, the same forces driving up oil prices today are destroying the fossil fuel demand of tomorrow. This government has suggested that it’s making certain short-term concessions while keeping its eye firmly on building for the future. But the reality is that, once again, Alberta is making promises while the federal government is making commitments. Canadians need policies that strike a better balance.”

The post Response: Lopsided MOU undermines yesterday’s clean electricity strategy appeared first on Clean Energy Canada.

Oh man. Same old clown show, awash with boondoggles, each more cringey than the last. As the mad man-child deconstructs DC and slaps his hideous face and name everywhere - historic buildings, fascist arches, garish statues, possibly imaginary gold phones - others have taken his lead with their own patriotic spinoffs. Cue "Fuck You" upgrades, a Strait to Hell arcade for a video-game war, and a Trump/Epstein "Memorial Reading Room" packed with 3.5 million pages of files, where "the truth is hard to deny."

Trump's narcissistic vandalizing of D.C. - couldn't his KKK dad have just hugged him now and then? - is "something dictators have done throughout history," noted Bernie Sanders of his proposed SERVE Act, or Stop Executive Renaming for Vanity and Ego. Co-sponsored by six Senate Dems, the bill would bar any sitting president from naming federal properties after themselves, an act both "arrogant" and illegal. At this rate many weary Americans would likely argue, "Let the chiseling off begin," but for now the bill sits in legislative limbo and we're stuck with the resulting atrocities; they continue to multiply like locusts, even as he's proposed a $10-billion fund for more "beautification" projects around "the capital of the greatest Nation in the history of the world."

Though he increasingly nods off in public - or per the White House, blinks - he still clutches at a farcical show of dominance he's leaned on in the endless self-glorification campaign that is his execrable life. There are posts quoting fictional "fans": "Remarkable leadership,” "Master of the Deal,” "THE GREATEST PRESIDENT WE HAVE EVER KNOWN." From the guy who's "confused the country for his living room," there's D.C's re-branding: the plaques, name changes, razed East Wing for a billion-dollar "albatross" nobody wants. There are new massive Stalin-esque banners at construction sites proclaiming, “Thank you, PRESIDENT TRUMP”- "like Michael Scott buying himself a World’s Best Boss coffee mug" we paid for - to which unenthused residents added, "Fuck You Cunt."

Snug in a delusional bubble where his approval is def not in the toilet, he feels free to rant, lie, melt down online without consequence. In one manic night, he posts 55 times in three hours: “Arrest Obama the traitor” and “DEMONIC FORCE,” also Hillary, Brennan, Comey, Kelly. Asked how much he thinks about the cost to Americans of his calamitous war, he blurts, “Not even a little bit.” His lackeys follow suit: Ka$h Patel yells, lies, hustles bourbon, pads his stats and takes a "VIP snorkel" in Pearl Harbor around the tomb of 900 U.S. soldiers as Sean Duffy takes his nine offspring on a "patriotic," seven-month Great American Road Trip filmed for YouTube and complete with "head-spinning" corporate sponsorship, both on the taxpayers' now-rapidly-shrinking dime.

Meanwhile, another project nobody asked for - draining and repainting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, aka "reflective pond," from traditional grey to garish blue - has shockingly veered off course. After boasting his bestest golf course pool painters could easy-peasy do a no-bid, $1.8 million, "smart and beautiful construction" that Dems stupidly opposed - "Dumacrats love sewage" - the cost has soared to $13.1 million, it's now by a contractor he "did not know and have never used before,” staff are worried the job is behind schedule, with "uneven application" leaving bubbles, holes and "mottled shades of blue" in the pool, and a judge has set a May 21 hearing for a lawsuit charging the project wasn't properly vetted, ditto a color "more appropriate to a resort or theme park."

More winning in Miami, where another lawsuit charges three acres of multi-million-dollar waterfront land were illegally grifted by DeSantis to Trump for $10 for his presidential “library,” actually a gaudy hotel with no books but more vitally two gold statues of, you know. They will presumably join in grotesque kinship with the $300,000, crypto-bro-funded, bronze and gold leaf Don Colossus just unveiled at Doral Miami, "where the Republic is currently moldering." Before "a robotic chorus of evangelical functionaries who (have) transformed themselves into the most theologically humiliated cohort in modern memory," the statue was honored as, not an idolatrous golden calf, insisted Pastor Mark Burns, but "a celebration of life" and symbol of "the hand of God over (Trump’s) life." Definitely not a cult.

Tacky is as tacky doesBluesky screenshot

Despite being heralded as God's second favorite son - one who "understands the Scriptures better than the Pope" - Trump is also widely deemed "an economic serial killer" presiding over an "America First Corporate Graveyard," skyrocketing inflation, national debt, farm bankruptcies, and energy costs, and possibly "the largest single act of grand larceny in American history" with a $10 billion payout by his own DOJ against his own IRS to settle his bullshit lawsuit for their leak of his tax returns, which every other president has released. Still, because grifting chutzpah thy name is, and because there's never enough money to fill the ugly gaping hole where a soul should be, he's still running penny-ante scams. Up next: Trump Mobile, "for the forgotten MAGA man."

Last June, his huckster spawn announced the launch of "a sleek, gold smartphone engineered for performance.” The T1 Phone, "proudly designed and built in the United States,” would be available in August at $499. For almost a year, they urged followers to make $100 "deposits" to "pre-order" the beauties; over half a million did, ponying up about $59 million. Then, the bait and switch. The terms of service quietly changed: The "deposit" provided "a conditional opportunity" to buy if Trump Mobile chose to sell. Pricing, production schedules, shipping costs were "non-binding." "Made in the USA" became "Proudly American Designed." "Delivery" dates got pushed back. Unexplained charges appeared. A reporter who called "Customer Service" got “Omega Auto Care." To date, no fantasy Trump phones have shipped. Cheap Crooks 'R Us.

"Service for the forgotten MAGA man"Image from Bluesky

Also, liars. With even neo-cons now deeming the Iran War potentially more of a debacle than Vietnam, the good folks at Secret Handshake, creators of the Trump/Epstein bestie statues, decided that with the regime hyping war like a video game, they might as well turn it into one. Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell , which is also online, features three working, arcade video games set up inside DC's War Memorial; they promise "high-octane, flag-waving, boots-on-the-ground...pure pixelated patriotism," or, per Hegseth, "laser-focused maximum reps annihilation mission crushing (with) sustained unrelenting pressure." Battles - by tweet, not gun - pit US forces against ”Iranian schoolgirl,“ "DEIyatollah,“ low-flow shower heads, the Pope and other "threats to American freedom."

Games open with Trump declaring, “Another big, beautiful day as the best President ever.” Options for the prompt, “Ready to ROCK Iran back to the Stone Ages?” are “Not Yet...” “Yes” and “Hell Yes.” Yells Pete, “Let’s liberate some oil!” Trump can order a Diet Coke or bomb Iran; search for barrels of oil, ideas for Truth Social posts, or endless threats that lead nowhere; he vows to “fight this war and win it by hamburger o’clock.” Melania: “I WAS NEVER ON THE EPSTEIN JET...Did you burn the files yet?” JD, fat-faced: “I love couch.” The only way you can lose is by trying to hold Melania’s hand, which abruptly ends the game; otherwise, it’s impossible to end or win it. Irony never dies: Images have surfaced of bored National Guardsmen - a $1 million a day deployment - playing.

Another piece of protest art brings the truth of "one of the most horrific crimes in American history” to Trump's hometown. "The Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” in New York's Tribeca, is a first-of-its-kind, 5,000-square-foot installation containing all the unsealed Epstein files - 3.5 million pages printed and bound into 3,437 volumes weighing 17,000 pounds, "a physical, undeniable record of corruption, cover-ups, and crime." The pop-up project in the Mriya Gallery was created by the non-profit Primary Facts; it took them about a month to print the files. The exhibit is on view through May 21; admission to groups for a one-hour session is free; organizers are raising funds to cover the New York premiere and bring it to other cities.

The Trumpsonian installation is built around a candlelit tribute to Epstein's more than 1,200 victims and survivors, whose names are all redacted here in closed binders - unlike at the DOJ, where they were badly, only partly redacted, a failure adding insult to injury along with an ongoing, multi-pronged cover-up. The Trump and Epstein Reading Room also includes a timeline documenting the decades-long crimes, legal proceedings and intersections between the two men's lives, all underlining the criminal absurdity of federal claims "there's nothing left to investigate." The vast trove of information, organizers say, is "what 3.5 million pages of evidence looks like." Trump, as deeply complicit as he is narcissistic, "wanted his name on stuff." Now, here it is.

From the TrumpsonianImage from Memorial Reading Room

May 13, 2026,

Moab Times Independent article
“Protest Planned near La Sal over Uranium Mining Concerns”

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/protest-planned-near-la-sal-over-uranium-mining-concerns/

Like The Price Of Gas? Trump Did That!

It’s the 78th anniversary the Nakba. The Nakba, meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement, dispossession, and ethnic cleansing of roughly 750,000 Palestinian Arabs during the 1948 Arab-Israeli…

Thursday, May 14, 2026
Press Contact: Sumeet Bal, Director of Communications, 917-647-1952, sbal@publicadvocates.org

California Can’t Lead the World While Leaving Workers Behind

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—California enters this May Revision in a moment of unexpected abundance—and familiar avoidance. 

Tax revenues are more than $16 billion above forecast. The state’s cash position has hit record highs. California dominates the global technology economy, leading the world in IPOs, artificial intelligence, Fortune 500 companies and innovation. But California cannot claim to lead the world while its teachers, nurses and essential workers are being priced out of the communities they sustain. Dominating in technology while losing ground on economic security for working families is not a strong legacy—it is a contradiction that demands solutions. The question this May Revision must answer is not whether California can dominate. It already does. The question is who that dominance works for.

California already knows how to build the things families need—the governor’s commitment to increasing per-pupil funding, investing in our educators, and expanding community schools proves that. When the state chooses to invest directly, boldly and consistently, it changes lives. Community schools are doing that now, in the communities that need it most. 

Housing and transit deserve the same commitment—not threats, not red tape reduction alone, but direct state investment that meets the scale of the crisis. Without substantial and sustained funding for affordable housing, low-income Californians will continue to struggle, regardless of how much development streamlining or local government oversight the state pursues. Meanwhile, the state’s basic protections against rent gouging and arbitrary evictions, the Tenant Protection Act, will expire in 2030 unless a governor with the courage to fight for and strengthen it steps forward. At the same time, without an infusion of state money, our public transit network is in danger of collapse. 

Abundance is not the same as security—AND it is not the same as justice. The working families at the center of our state’s story are experiencing a cost of living crisis that no IPO can solve—and they are waiting to see whether California’s record revenues will reach them, or pass them by once again. The question is made more urgent by federal cuts stripping millions of Californians of healthcare, food assistance, and housing support, and a proposed restructuring of Cap-and-Invest revenues that could cut affordable housing, transit, and clean air programs in half—redirecting dollars from low-wealth communities to fossil fuel companies. Seven years ago, the governor promised to fix the state’s boom-and-bust tax system. The boom is here. The question is whether he will use it for the Californians who built this state—and can no longer afford to live in it.

Education: A Legacy Built, A Problem Unaddressed

“Governor Newsom’s historic community schools investments will cement one of his enduring legacies, just as LCFF defined Jerry Brown’s,” said John Affeldt, Managing Attorney for Education Equity. “The research is showing that California’s community schools have cut chronic absenteeism by 30% compared to similar schools, reduced suspensions by 15% overall and delivered learning gains in English equivalent to 151 extra days of instruction for Black students.”

“But the governor’s May Revise failed to address one of the key equity challenges remaining for him—the state’s unconstitutional discrimination against low-wealth school districts in modernizing facilities. The State’s program for renovating dilapidated schools substantially favors high-wealth communities who are able to raise much more in matching funds, leaving students in poor districts in overheated portables and leaky classrooms amidst black mold and unremediated asbestos. The governor has acknowledged ‘you can’t look in the eyes of these kids,” but today, he chose to look away—and to keep fighting them in court,” added Affeldt, a lead counsel in a Public Advocates’ lawsuit suing the State over the issue.

“As far as moving forward into the future, our state cannot continue to rely on temporary AI stock market bubbles. To his credit, the governor proposed some modest new taxes, but to build a budget that will enable our residents to thrive, California needs more robust permanent revenue streams to support our schools and healthy communities. We cannot ask teachers to transform students’ lives while those same teachers are being priced out of the communities they serve.”

Higher Education: Affordability Crisis Threatens College Access & Completion?

“California’s economy is growing because generations of students had a path to affordable higher education. But too many low-income students are still being left behind as the cost of education and living continue to rise. If we want a future powered by innovation, we need to make sure opportunity isn’t reserved for those who could afford college anyway. We call on the governor and the legislature to strengthen and expand Cal Grant to keep the door to economic mobility open for the students coming after us—and ensures California’s future includes everyone,” said Sbeydeh Viveros-Walton, Director of Higher Education.

“For low-income Black and Latinx students, affordability is the difference between access, completion and attrition,” said Jetaun Stevens, Deputy Director of Higher Education Equity & Senior Staff Attorney. “Housing is the largest cost students face when pursuing higher education, and California’s housing crisis makes higher education out of reach for many low-income students. With 60% of community college students facing housing insecurity and nearly a quarter of community college students facing homelessness, we need greater investment in housing. We call on the governor and legislature to invest in additional projects through the Higher Education Housing Grant program—including reinvesting funds from withdrawn projects—and open up access to part-time community college students. We encourage the governor and legislature to make greater investments in affordable housing and homelessness prevention to improve economic opportunity for all low-income Californians, including supporting the Senate’s proposal to invest $1 billion in Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program 7 (HHAP) and an additional $1 billion for HHAP 8.”   

Housing Relief Deferred, Renters Left Behind

We welcome the inclusion of $500 million in HHAP 7 funds—California’s primary homelessness assistance program—in the governor’s proposal, but we are concerned about new requirements to receive that funding. Requiring a local funding match will shut out many jurisdictions. Requiring a Prohousing Designation is even more limiting: only 47 jurisdictions would currently qualify. Further, a Prohousing Designation is substantially based on how friendly a jurisdiction’s development environment is for market-rate developers—a standard which should not impede aid to people experiencing homelessness. Consistent, predictable funding is what moves people from the streets to stability. The Senate’s “Foundation for the Future” budget priorities letter reflects this, committing $1 billion for HHAP 7 and $1 billion more for a subsequent 8th round of funding. The governor should match that commitment—without the barriers.

Governor Newsom’s proposal also fails to address what his administration’s proposed changes to Cap-and-Invest would do to the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities grant program (AHSC), the largest source of affordable housing funding in the state. When asked directly, the governor said it wouldn’t be addressed in his proposal. That is not an answer. Redirecting Cap-and-Invest money away from affordable housing and transit to fossil fuel companies and other polluters is a choice—and it demands a response.  Now is the time, however, for Governor Newsom to propose funding to backfill the affordable housing and transit funding that will be lost if his proposal to redirect AHSC money to polluters moves forward.

The human cost of inaction is not abstract.  More than half of California’s 6.1 million renter households spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Nearly a third spend more than half. Evictions have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels. “Housing is the largest item in a family’s budget and the governor’s housing proposals in his final budget do not address the problem or deliver the help renters desperately need,” said Michelle Pariset, Director of Legislative Affairs. “Governor Newsom will leave office without securing his legacy on rent stabilization and just cause for eviction, as the state’s basic protections against rent gouging and arbitrary evictions are set to expire in 2030. He could have worked with the legislature to remove this sunset on the Tenant Protection Act—permanently shielding renters from gouging and no fault evictions. Instead, renters will face that fight with a new governor and a legislature freshly-drenched in real estate industry campaign spending.”

Transit: When Transit Fails, Working Families Pay

The future of public transit in California hangs in the balance at the same time the rising costs of transportation is hurting low-income families. Citizens in multiple regions are collecting signatures for ballot initiatives to maintain critical service, but the state must do its part. “The governor’s proposed CARB regulations for the Cap-and-Invest program would eliminate over $600 million a year in critical state transit funding—funding for service, lower fares for seniors and students, electric buses, and infrastructure upgrades. These are cuts that the Californians who depend on transit cannot afford,” said Laurel Paget-Seekins, Senior Transportation Policy Advocate. “This governor’s proposal would leave a massive multi-year budget hole for transit and affordable housing at a time when Californians need additional investment to address rising costs of housing and transportation.” 

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Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing, transportation equity, and climate justice.

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