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When Trump takes office in 70 days, the risk begins. Here's how you can take control now.

Trump won. Now what?

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

President-elect Trump ran a campaign of exclusion and fear. So until he shows us otherwise, it's smart to hope for the best but expect the worst when it comes to his governing style.


But there is some ... good news. There are 70 full days between noon Eastern time today, Nov. 10, 2016, and noon on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2017.

If Trump intends to act on any or all of the promises he made in the past 18 months, there are a few things you and your family might want to do now to prepare for a Trump presidency.

Here they are:

1. If you're working or living in this country on a visa, work permit, or outdated passport, know the status of your documents.

Photo by Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images.

Trump campaigned on building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and didn't rule out mass deportations. As news of his election spread, uncertainty and fear took over.

"They are crying in despair," immigrant advocate Gaby Pacheco wrote in a Facebook post. "To those who voted for Trump, know that you have put a target on our backs."

Before Trump makes any sweeping changes to immigration policy, make sure you and your family secure or renew your work permits or visas as needed.

Also, if you're transgender, take this time to secure or renew your passport in your correct gender. That may be very difficult to do under the new administration.

2. Talk to your health care provider about birth control options that will outlast a Trump presidency.

Image via iStock.

Under the Obama administration, Congress worked tirelessly to defund Planned Parenthood and push abstinence-only sex education. With Obama in the Oval Office, their plans stopped cold. He even delivered on free birth control. But that may change.

Abortion providers and reproductive justice organizations remained optimistic in the wake of the news. “He’s not the first Republican president who has wanted to overturn Roe," National Abortion Federation President Vicki Saporta told BuzzFeed News. "Ronald Regan and the two Bushes did, and none of them were successful.”

Even so, if Trump rolls back Obamacare or cuts funding to Planned Parenthood and other community health organizations, many women and families could be left without affordable contraception options. If you're currently taking birth control, talk to your health care provider about options for reversible, long-term birth control like implants or intra-uterine devices. Depending on your plan, or lack thereof, these options may be available for free or a reduced cost.

3. Get loud and serious about climate change.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

We're about to have a president who thinks global warming is a hoax.

Just one day after the election, stock in the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines plummeted. The future of green jobs, much-needed regulation, and tough policy looks bleak.

But we can do a lot in 70 days and after that.  It's time to get loud. We need to stand by our experts, our academics, our Leonardo DiCaprios and make this the issue of our day. Because it is. In the interim, make small changes around your home and re-think the way you eat, shop, and travel. Small changes can add up, and in the wake of sweeping change, it's all we've got.

4. Support organizations making all of these things possible with your time, energy, or dollars.

Image via iStock.

Helping new residents and undocumented families, protecting reproductive rights, and funding green innovations isn't often easy or cheap. There are people and organizations working hard to do all of these things and much, much more. But these organizations can't persist without support.

Step up to the plate and volunteer. If you have the capacity to do so, contribute money or in-kind donations. Tweet, talk-up, and share the brilliant work these organizations do so those in need can find these valuable resources.

5. Embrace kindness.

Support people who don't feel at home in Trump's America.

Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images.

This one isn't just for the next 70 days; it's forever.

Trump succeeded because he used hate and fear to divide and activate the electorate. He was openly hostile to Latinos, Muslims, blacks, the LGBTQ community, and people with disabilities. And while that worked for his campaign, that's no way to run a country. All of us dedicated to goodness, truth, and kindness need to stand together and stand up to white supremacy, misogyny, and discrimination.

Let's stand together, no matter what. Embrace kindness. Listen to and uplift underrepresented voices. Don't look to Canada; look right here. Let's make the country we want. Bigotry will not win the day.

We have — at most — 70 days before Obama hands the White House over to Trump.

But we have a lifetime to work toward a common goal: creating a nation and government that works for all of us.

It starts today.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

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via Google and Freepik

Google's new personal information removal submission page.

In the internet era, the idea of personal privacy is all but a myth. With a few keystrokes just about anyone can get your home address, phone number, email, age and the names of your family members. The fact that this information is readily available puts us all in the dangerous position of being the victim of fraud, stalking and violence.

What makes the situation even worse is that our information was put online without any of our consent.

The good news is that Google just made a big change that gives us all a little more control over our personal information. On April 27, the company announced it will allow anyone to request removals of their personal information from its Search feature.

“Open access to information is a key goal of Search, but so is empowering people with the tools they need to protect themselves and keep their sensitive, personally identifiable information private. That’s why we’re updating our policies to help people take more control of their online presence in Search,” Michelle Chang, Google’s Global Policy Lead for Search, announced on the company’s blog.

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Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

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Becca Moore and Raul Torres having margaritas.

Becca Moore is a popular TikToker with over 800,000 followers who's known for her funny, laid-back takes on dating. Like any influencer-type she was at the Coachella music and arts festival in Indio, California recently. While she was at Coachella, she was robbed of her phone, rental car keys and wallet.

“I went to Coachella this weekend and I thought this guy was kinda hitting on me but then he just robbed me,” Becca says at the beginning of her three-minute TikTok video with over 3 million views. After the festival, she was left with no ride, money, or means to get in contact with friends and family. She was stranded in the desert.

Becca’s friend’s hotel called her an Uber so she could get to a local store to buy a new phone. The driver she was incredibly lucky to be connected with was a lot more than a guy with a car in a time of need, he was a guardian angel named Raul Torres from Fresno, California, six hours north of Indio.

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Joy

44 years ago he became her protector after a terrible act. Today, they've been reunited in love.

Betsy and Irv are finally getting the happy ending they deserve. Together.

It’s pretty safe to say that everyone loves a good love story.

There’s a whole genre of music and movies dedicated to the idea of someone being swept off of their feet after circumstances tried to keep them from their true love. Romance novels could single handedly keep public libraries and bookstores afloat. Everyone loves "love" and the story of Betsy and Irv just takes the cake. Betsy Sailor attended Penn State University as a business major, which was almost unheard of in 1978 and Irv Pankey attended the university while playing football. The pair’s paths never crossed, until an unfortunate incident bonded the two forever.

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@SopheAlice/TikTok

Best way to travel, really.

As they say, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.”

This old adage was brought to life in a whole new way after two friends who thought they booked tickets to Budapest, Hungary, instead found themselves heading to Bucharest, Romania.

Just a minor 500-mile difference, but who’s counting?

TikToker @SophAlice posted a video of the pair realizing their mix-up, which went viral and set them off on an impromptu adventure based entirely on the comments they received.
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