San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan entered the crowded race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, pitching himself as a results-driven Democrat focused on public safety, homelessness, and affordability. Mahan, 43, was elected mayor in 2022 after a career as a tech entrepreneur. He says California Democrats have been too consumed with opposing President Donald Trump and have failed to address the state’s most pressing problems. His campaign centers on what he describes as a “back-to-basics” approach on crime, homelessness, housing costs, and government accountability. Mahan’s entrance has drawn mixed reactions from voters and political leaders. Supporters, including former San Jose mayor and U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, credit him with pushing city officials to focus on measurable outcomes. Critics, however, question whether his political ambitions given and unfinished work as mayor on issues like homelessness. Some residents argue he hasn’t finished the work he started in San Jose and have faulted his handling of housing and public safety challenges. Crowded Democrat Field The 2026 governor’s race remains wide open, with no clear frontrunner emerging in California’s top-two primary system. Democrat contenders include former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra; former Rep. Katie Porter, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2024; Rep. Eric Swalwell; and former Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon. Other Democrats in the race include Tom Steyer, Antonio Villaraigosa, Betty Yee, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. On the Republican and independent side, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and political commentator Steve Hilton have also announced campaigns. The race could produce a general-election matchup between two candidates from the same party rather than a traditional Democrat vs. Republican contest. Mixed Reaction to Mahan Mahan’s challenge underscores growing tensions within California’s Democrat coalition, particularly over crime and homelessness. His willingness to criticize Newsom’s policies on homelessness and crime distinguish him from other candidates in a field that includes establishment figures and progressive favorites. Mahan’s detractors argue his ambitions are premature and that his city-level record as mayor does not yet translate to statewide leadership. As the June primary nears, the gubernatorial campaign is shaping up to be a test of whether California voters prioritize ideological alignment or pragmatic governance—with Mahan now among the growing field of candidates. The post San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan Enters California Governor’s Race appeared first on The Daily Signal.

I’ve been spending a lot more time with my young children this week, and while they make it harder for me to get my work done, they bring incalculable joy to my life. Social science data suggests that I’m far from alone—marriage and fatherhood make men happier and more fulfilled. Social scientists have long reported a strong correlation between involved fathers and various measures of children’s success in life—from better social and emotional development to escaping poverty. But fatherhood isn’t just good for the kids—it also helps the dads. The 2022 General Social Survey found that men ages 18-55 report the highest levels of happiness when they’re married with children. More than a third (35%) of men who are married with children said they were “very happy,” while almost half (49.3%) said they were “pretty happy,” and less than a sixth (15.7%) described themselves as “not at all happy.” By contrast, married men without kids are less likely to be “very happy” (29.8%) and more likely to be “not at all happy” (20.2%). The numbers get worse for single men, with and without kids. I've been spending a lot more time with my adorable kids this week, and while they can certainly be frustrating and distracting from work, my life is immeasurably richer because of them. I understand, on a deep level, why men who are married with kids are the happiest. pic.twitter.com/wdFyc9b3Xz— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 30, 2026 “When it comes to men in their prime today, married fathers are the happiest,” Brad Wilcox, a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, told The Daily Signal in an interview Friday. “Married dads typically live with their kids, so they have the benefit of staying with their kids, seeing their kids experience life,” Wilcox explained. “Married mothers whose husbands are more actively engaged with their children are happier in their marriages,” likely making the fathers happier, too. “Happier marriages are powerfully linked to your overall satisfaction in life,” the professor added. He also noted that married fatherhood changes a man in subtle ways. While pregnancy and childbirth obviously affect women’s hormones, studies have also suggested that men, when they’re married to the mother of their children, also change. Fathers “experience hormonal changes in pregnancy and they experience more hormonal changes the more they care for their infant or their toddler,” Wilcox explained. “It’s not just like married fatherhood domesticates men from a cultural vantage point—it’s also the case that being with your children physically seems to domesticate men, as well.” This leads to a decrease in testosterone, with an associated decline in aggressiveness. The professor suggested the trade-off is very much worth it. “Married fathers are the happiest guys out there, and that suggests that this transition into family for men, even if it’s associated with declines in testosterone, is not a bad thing,” he noted. Married men with children also tend to work harder and make more money to support their families. Women’s pay has increased in recent years, but married men with children still make more money than single men. Something is just right about a man getting married and raising kids. There’s nothing like lifting my 3-year-old son in the air and watching him giggle, or helping my 6-year-old daughter learn to spell increasingly more complicated words. As I type these words, she’s drawing pictures of her favorite characters from “KPop Demon Hunters,” and proudly showing me her handiwork. Raising children reminds me of simple joys and helps me appreciate the life I have. Of course, they’re a handful, and I don’t know what I’d do without my amazing wife to help comfort my boy when he has a tantrum, or to keep track of my daughter’s school schedule. Not a day goes by that we don’t have some mess or accident, and there’s always something to worry about, but the joy the kids bring us makes every struggle worth it. I don’t just believe that marriage and family help men thrive because I’ve read it in a paper or seen a convincing spreadsheet—I know it deep in my bones. None of this is to downplay the issues that lead some to delay marriage and parenthood, and I know not everyone has the opportunities I’ve had. But I cannot stress enough how valuable it is to settle down and to raise children—and I think both American policy and culture should prioritize stable marriages and more children. It won’t just help the kids—it will help the parents to thrive, as well. The post Involved Fatherhood Isn’t Just Great for the Kids—It’s More Fulfilling for Dads, Too appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Last year, Democrats largely stood by Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, who wished death on the children of his political opponent. Now, they’re carrying water for anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement agitators who invaded a church service and traumatized children. Make no mistake: When agitators invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18, they weren’t engaged in peaceful protest. They were committing an atrocity. Agitators stood up and burst in during the middle of service, chanting, “Who shut this down? We shut this down!” According to the Justice Department’s charging document, the agitators blocked the walkways, so terrified parishioners could not escape. They blocked the staircase to Sunday School, so parents could not get to their children. They screamed in the faces of crying children. One agitator allegedly told a child, “Do you know your parents are Nazis, they’re going to burn in hell?” At least one father told investigators that his children were traumatized. One of them said to him, “Daddy, I thought you were going to die.” ?HORRIFYING NEW DETAILSThe invasion of Cities Church was even worse than we thought. Agitators blocked stairs so "parents were unable to get to their children" at Sunday School.?One told a kid, "Do you know your parents are Nazis, they're going to burn in hell?"?1/7 pic.twitter.com/DUNPRdECGa— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 25, 2026 Agitators targeted Cities Church because they claim one of its pastors also led ICE’s office in St. Paul, as if this connection justified terrorizing innocents and depriving their fellow Americans of their right to worship God in their own church building. The Justice Department has charged some of the agitators with two major criminal violations: conspiracy against rights under the Ku Klux Klan Act and a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act, which also protects access to churches. These agitators allegedly prevented their fellow Americans from exercising their rights to practice their religion, a federal crime. Yet the agitators might have engaged in activity that could constitute state or local crimes, such as trespassing, false imprisonment, and even kidnapping. This is not peaceful protest. This is an invasion of a sacred space. Anti-ICE agitators disrupted Cities Church in the middle of service. Warning: the agitators on the Left are serious. The man who posted this video bragged about doing this—comparing it to Jesus flipping over… pic.twitter.com/BeeIdubpwM— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 19, 2026 While former CNN host and current independent journalist Don Lemon claimed to be there just to cover the agitation, he also faces charges for allegedly conspiring before the church invasion, boosting it during the attack, and then taunting churchgoers as they left. ?WHY LEMON WAS CHARGEDCan we please stop lying around here? Here's the grand jury indictment laying out why Don Lemon was charged.At the pre-op briefing Chauntyll Louisa Allen briefed Lemon and the other conspirators about where and what they were doing.On camera, Nekima… pic.twitter.com/gHuN6Q4ZM9— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 31, 2026 Are these the people Democrats really want to be defending? Democrats Carry Water for Church Invaders While some Democrats—like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz—issued halfhearted statements that they do not support the invasion of a church, others stood up for the church invaders, demanding their release. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the arrests of three ringleaders a “gross abuse of power,” and called for the immediate release of Nekima Armstrong—who admitted to leading the church invasion. This is a gross abuse of power. The federal government is picking and choosing who to investigate – going after protestors and not the person who shot and killed one of our neighbors. I am calling for Nekima to be released immediately. https://t.co/HD1LGlPGv4— Mayor Jacob Frey (@MayorFrey) January 22, 2026 The NAACP also demanded Armstrong’s release, claiming she had been peacefully protesting and that “the only reason the FBI and [the Department of Homeland Security] arrested them is that they didn’t like what they had to say.” On Friday, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., posted a photo of herself with Armstrong and others, claiming that they were “lawful protesters” and condemning the “brutal treatment of nonviolent protesters.” Carrying Water for Don Lemon More Democrats condemned the arrests of Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort, who had claimed they entered the church merely to cover the agitation as journalists. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the Trump administration “is behaving no differently from the police states and authoritarian regimes across history—they’ve arrested a journalist for the crime of doing his job.” Once again, the administration is behaving no differently from the police states and authoritarian regimes across history—they’ve arrested a journalist for the crime of doing his job.Let’s be very clear—this arrest is not just about one journalist in once incident. This is a… https://t.co/wA6IwFQMrI— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) January 30, 2026 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., condemned their arrests as “a disgraceful affront to the First Amendment and a corrupt weaponization of the criminal justice system.” “There is zero basis to arrest Don Lemon, and he should be freed immediately,” Jeffries added. He said Lemon was a “law-abiding” journalist “reporting on DHS brutality in Minnesota.” Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., suggested that this arrest echoes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attacks on journalists. Putin would be proud. pic.twitter.com/S4RTtK6Uaz— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 30, 2026 “Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were taken into custody by federal agents for doing exactly what journalists are supposed to do: report the truth,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, a candidate for U.S. Senate, wrote in a Friday press release. “This is censorship by an authoritarian government.” Reps. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y.; Katherine Clark, D-Mass.; Shontel Brown, D-Ohio; Ami Bera, D-Calif.; and others shared similar sentiments. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., condemned Trump for “arresting journalists doing their jobs.” Omar condemned Lemon’s arrest as a “clear violation of the Constitution.” The arrests of Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lundy are unacceptable and a clear violation of the Constitution.This is a dangerous abuse of power that threatens the rights of every single American. They must be released immediately.— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 30, 2026 “Arresting a journalist is a blatant attempt to intimidate,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., wrote on X. “Don Lemon has been on the ground in Minnesota like hundreds of others doing the vital work of covering Trump’s lawlessness and chaos.” Arresting a journalist is a blatant attempt to intimidate and a further indicator of Trump’s authoritarianism. It goes against the most fundamental American values outlined in the First Amendment. Don Lemon has been on the ground in Minnesota like hundreds of others doing the…— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 30, 2026 Here’s the thing, Senator Booker: Don Lemon wasn’t “covering Trump’s lawlessness and chaos.” He was “covering” the horrific invasion of a church service, and it certainly seems to me that he was abetting it. Renee Carlson, who represents Cities Church as general counsel for True North Counsel, said it well: The First Amendment does not allow premeditated plots or coordinated actions to violate the sanctity of a sanctuary, disrupt worship, and intimidate small children. There is no “press pass” to invade a sanctuary or to conspire to interrupt religious services. Lemon’s job as a journalist does not give him carte blanche to engage in trespassing. At the very least, it could be argued that Lemon joined an orchestrated effort to invade a church service, disrupt the service, and prevent people from exercising their First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion. He is innocent until proven guilty, but it sure seems to me like he violated the FACE Act. By downplaying the church invasion as a “protest,” and Lemon’s role as mere reporting, Democrats are minimizing an atrocity. Shame on every Democrat for minimizing the horrific church invasion and carrying water for the invaders. Do you think they would ever let it rest if conservative agitators had invaded a mosque in the middle of prayers? The post Democrats Carry Water for Agitators Who Invade Church Services and Traumatize Children appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Come learn how to grow turmeric: a beautiful, fun and unique superfood! While it’s not the most common crop for home gardeners, it’s actually quite easy to grow – especially if you live in a temperate climate. With a few adaptations, you can successfully grow turmeric in colder zones too! This guide covers everything you need to know: where to get turmeric “seed”, tips for starting indoors or growing turmeric in pots, soil prep, planting instructions, ongoing care, harvesting and more. I also share some of our favorite ways to use it in the kitchen, like our delicious golden milk recipe or homemade fire cider. We’ve been growing turmeric for over 10 years! I can’t wait for you to give it a try too. NOTE: This post was originally published in September 2019 but significantly updated since. One of our turmeric harvests About Turmeric Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a tropical perennial herb native to Southeast Asia. It’s closely related to ginger, so many of these growing tips can apply to ginger too! Turmeric is a popular culinary spice that’s used fresh or dried (as turmeric powder) in a wide variety of dishes including curries, soup, stew, marinades, rice, vegetable dishes and more. In addition to infusing the meal with its beautiful bright golden-orange color and earthy, mildly spicy flavor, turmeric also adds a wealth of nutrients! Health Benefits Turmeric powder, nutritional supplements, or other edible extracts are made from the rhizome – where most of the plant’s flavor, color, and nutrients are stored. The rhizomes also contain the most important active ingredient in turmeric: curcumin.  Thousands of scientific studies show that curcumin is one of the most beneficial medicinal herb compounds in existence! With its strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, curcumin has been proven to reduce inflammation, improve memory, prevent and slow cancer development, boost antioxidant activity, regulate blood pressure, and more. A hand of just-harvested homegrown turmeric. See the darker brown finger on the lower right side of the hand? That is the original seed rhizome that the rest grew from. How Does Turmeric Grow? Turmeric grows lush foliage above ground along with edible rhizomes and roots below the soil. The rhizomes are the part that we most often harvest and consume, and is what is used to make turmeric powder. To grow turmeric, you plant small pieces of the rhizomes rather than typical seeds like other plants. Once they sprout, the rhizome “seeds” send up large tropical-looking leaves as well as clusters of new, larger rhizomes in the soil below. Each seed rhizome is often referred to as a “finger” because when fresh turmeric is harvested, the new big cluster of rhizomes resembles a hand with many fingers. Where to Get Turmeric Seed You can grow turmeric from pieces you buy in the grocery store or online. We have successfully grown turmeric both ways! However, it’s essential to start with certified organic rhizomes since non-organic produce is often treated with substances designed to inhibit sprouting. Check the produce section near the ginger. If you can’t find fresh turmeric locally, or if you want to try growing specific varieties, you can order turmeric rhizomes online. We’ve used Hawaii Clean Seed many times over the years, and have always been very pleased with the quality and results. Once you grow your own turmeric, you can save seed rhizomes from your harvest to replant! PRO TIP: When choosing turmeric from the store, try to find the most fresh and firm turmeric pieces to plant. In my experience, old shriveled rhizomes (already starting to go soft) may rot in the soil instead of sprouting. Natural food stores or Asian markets are more likely to sell fresh turmeric if you’re regular grocer doesn’t.  Turmeric seed we saved from a harvest. We were sorting out which pieces we’d keep for seed, which we’d use fresh or freeze, and those we would dry. Turmeric Varieties The most common variety of turmeric is Curcuma longa, which has a beautiful deep yellow-orange color. We usually see it labelled as “Hawaiian Red” turmeric in the stores.  We’ve experimented with growing a couple other varieties, including Indira Yellow and White Mango, but I prefer the deeper color and sweeter flavor of the Hawaiian Red. The yellow is a bit more pungent and spicy, and the white mango tastes similar to a green, underripe mango.  As it turns out, the darker orange varieties contain more curcumin and are therefore better for your health! So while the yellow and white varieties are unique and fun to grow, they don’t pack the same punch in regards to nutritional benefit (if that’s important to you).  A harvest of Hawaiian Red, Indira Yellow and White Mango turmeric. The brighter orange, the more curcumin! Optimal Conditions to Grow Turmeric Temperature: Turmeric is a tropical plant that thrives in warm temperatures between 65°F to 90°F. It is not frost-tolerant and growth will slow significantly below 50°F, but that doesn’t mean you can’t successfully grow turmeric in colder climates! (See tips below.) Time: Turmeric has a long growing season, requiring 8 to 10 months of frost-free growing from planting to harvest. It’s usually planted (or started indoors) in the winter to early spring, and harvested in the fall to early winter. Sun: Turmeric loves sun but is prone to scorching in extreme heat. So, choose a planting location that receives full sun to partial shade, but try to offer afternoon shade in the hottest climates (when over 90 degrees). For example, I’ve seen Arizona gardeners utilize shade cloth to protect their turmeric plants in the late summer.  Hardiness Zones It’s easy to plant and grow turmeric outside in USDA hardiness zones 8 and higher, in the ground or in containers. We like to grow ours in several wine barrels, which allows us to easily control the soil quality and moisture level. It also makes harvesting a breeze! In zones 7 and lower, it’s best to start turmeric indoors in a mobile container during winter to early spring, and then bring it outside once the weather warms up. The plants will need ample sun or light after sprouting, so an indoor grow light may be required. See tips on sprouting turmeric indoors below. This turmeric gets morning to midday sun, and afternoon shade thanks to the fence on the right. (Some of our other barrels receive afternoon sun as well, which is okay in our mild climate.) Container Size Turmeric will happily grow in a large container, or portioned out into several smaller pots for added mobility. It’s best to use a container that is about 10 to 12 inches deep, and as wide as possible (depending on how many pieces you want to plant). The more surface area, the better! Turmeric rhizomes should be spaced several inches apart, so a narrow container will limit the amount you can grow. Since turmeric is prone to rotting in overly wet soil, ensure the pot or container has holes for ample drainage. We often grow our turmeric in half wine barrel planters but have also used wide fabric Smart Pots – which have superior drainage! They will dry out a little more quickly though, so keep that in mind when your establishing your water routine. Add drip trays as needed to catch runoff, especially for indoor containers.  RELATED: Come see how we modify and prepare wine barrel planters (or whiskey barrels) for planting before use, or this guide on how to set up automatic drip irrigation for containers. Those are pepper plants on the left, but you can see some young turmeric just sprouting in the fabric grow bags on the right. Soil Preparation and Drainage Turmeric grows best in soil that is loose, well-draining, free of big clumps or rocks, and fairly rich in organic matter. Turmeric also prefers slightly acidic soil (pH around 5.5-7), which most garden soil and potting mix already is. Good drainage is essential, especially in the early stages of growth (including before sprouting) as young turmeric rhizomes are susceptible to rotting if left in soggy soil or standing water. Therefore, avoid planting turmeric in clay soil, or in a location where water pools or drainage cannot be controlled. For pots or containers, combine approximately 70-80% organic potting soil with 20-30% aged compost. Work and loosen native soil to at least a foot deep and amend with aged compost, sand, and/or potting soil as needed. Amend soil with a slow-release, well-balanced organic fertilizer (e.g.4-4-4) prior to planting. Follow the instructions on your product of choice; I suggest erring on the lighter side of whatever they recommend. Adding mild, slow-release fertilizers to one of our turmeric barrels before planting. When to Plant Turmeric For folks growing turmeric exclusively outside, plant rhizomes when the soil is regularly 55°F degrees or warmer, with daytime air temperatures close to 70°F . Here on the Central Coast of California (zone 9), we usually plant our turmeric in March and harvest in late December. To figure our when to start turmeric indoors in colder climates, first determine the first fall frost date for your zone (on average) and then count backwards about 9 to 10 months. That means you might need to plant turmeric inside as early as December or January. See tips on starting indoors to follow. RELATED: Not sure when your frost dates are? Come see our free garden planting calendars for every zone – including frost dates, when to start vegetable seeds indoors and transplant seedlings outside. Preparing Turmeric Seed to Plant Prior to planting, store turmeric seed in a moderately cool, dry, dark area with decent airflow. We store ours in a partially open cardboard box in a cool closet. If your turmeric is still in large chunks or clusters (hands), break it down into smaller pieces before planting (which also means more to plant). Use a clean knife to cut the hands or rhizomes at the narrowest junctions (where the fingers meet a base, or “palm” of the hand) to create several seeds. Cut the turmeric into smaller seed pieces a few days to a week prior to planting, so the cuts have time to dry and scab over (put them in a location with good airflow to promote drying). This reduces the chance of rot and disease. PRO TIP: Each turmeric seed piece (rhizome) should have at least two to three nubs or fingers left behind – because that is what is going to sprout! See example photos below. Both of these are examples of good seed rhizome sizes. We could have created three small seed pieces from the top one (cutting off each extra finger) but it would have left far fewer sprouting “nub” sites. Though smaller, the rhizome on the bottom has three viable sprout sites along the top. How to Plant Turmeric Once the turmeric rhizomes have been broken into small pieces (if needed), dried, and the soil is prepared – it’s time to plant! Plant each turmeric rhizome about 2 to 4 inches deep and spaced at least 4 to 6 inches apart in your chosen bed, container or pot. To avoid breaking the fingers, I usually dig a little hole, pop it in, and gently cover it back over – as opposed to shoving it down into the soil as I may when planting garlic cloves. In the planting hole, place the rhizome with any small fingers or nubs facing upward. The sprouts will grow from the nubs, so this sets them up in the right orientation from the start. Water in lightly after planting. Planting the turmeric rhizomes, with the base of the seed about 4 inches deep and the top fingers around 2 inches deep. Starting Turmeric Indoors For those in USDA zones 7 or lower and starting turmeric indoors, follow the same planting instructions provided above – but keep your pots indoors for now! Keep the pots in a sheltered, warm location in your home or use a seedling heat mat below the pots to encourage sprouting. (Light isn’t needed until they sprout). Once they sprout, provide ample bright light – either in a sunny window or by using grow lights overhead. The pots can be moved outside in spring after your last risk of frost has passed, but keep an eye on the forecast for the next few weeks since the new tender leaves will easily be damaged by frost. To prevent shock, it’s best to harden off or gradually acclimate the plants to outdoor conditions over the course of a week before fully moving them outside. This process is called hardening off, and it is important! Bring them out for short durations in a sheltered and shady location for a few days, gradually increasing the time and direct sun exposure over the period of a week. You can also simply leave your turmeric to grow indoors, as long as it has ample light. Patience After Planting After planting, the waiting game beings. Turmeric not only takes a long time to grow, but also a surprisingly long time to sprout – sometimes months! If you’re starting turmeric indoors, it may sprout faster than ours does outside. Yet when we plant turmeric outdoors in February or March, our first sprouts don’t usually poke through the soil until July, and some as late as August! Even though I’ve been growing turmeric for years, the slow start still stresses me out every year. I always think they’ve crapped out on us! Turmeric may sprout faster in warmer climates (we have a really cool, foggy weather in spring and early summer) but at least you’ve been forewarned. Be patient. Don’t worry.  Our turmeric usually takes over 3 months after planting to first emerge as sprouts! Water Needs Turmeric doesn’t need much water or care before it sprouts. Water occasionally as needed to keep the soil mildly damp but not soggy. Use your finger to check the moisture a few inches below the soil surface (or a handy moisture meter) and only water once the soil begins to dry out slightly. To reiterate, those precious rhizomes are prone to rotting if they’re overly wet! Between occasional spring rain and foggy weather, we hardly water our un-sprouted turmeric at all, until things start to dry out and warm up. During the active growing season (once it has large leaves), continue to maintain the soil modestly damp at all times. This will likely mean watering more frequently than you were before! The plants will drink up more water as they grow larger and the weather warms up. In fall to winter, cut back the water a bit again, particularly if you’re receiving rain. A week or two prior to harvesting turmeric, you can stop watering all together. (This isn’t required, but we’ve learned that it’s easier to harvest rhizomes from semi-dry soil!) Fertilizer Turmeric is a fairly heavy feeder while it’s actively growing. To keep our plants happy and healthy, we apply a top-dressing of aged compost along with a light dusting of well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer once or twice during the mid-to-late growing season (summer and fall). Aged pelletized chicken manure is another popular choice to feed turmeric. We sometimes water our turmeric plants with homemade compost tea and/or dilute seaweed extract too. Both are gentle enough to offer on a monthly basis if desired, though once every two to three months is plenty (especially when paired with compost or other fertilizers). These are due for another topping of compost! Harvesting Turmeric You’ll know it’s almost time to harvest turmeric when the leaves start to turn yellow-brown and dry out. See photos of our plants at harvest time below. In addition to leaf appearance, use time as a way to determine when to harvest – an average of 10 months after planting. To harvest turmeric, avoid pulling up on the stalks. Instead, use your hands or a small shovel to gently dig and loosen the soil in a wide perimeter around the turmeric stalks, taking care not to stab and damage the rhizomes. Once the soil is loosened, gently scoop the rhizomes out of the soil with your hands or with a shovel from below. After harvesting, rinse off the rhizomes to remove the dirt. Carefully cut the rhizome hand away from the top green stalk. Use clean scissors or snips to cut away any long stringy roots growing off the rhizomes. Thoroughly air dry before putting them away in storage.  See more storage and preserving tips below. PRO TIP: To avoid breaking our turmeric during harvest, we often find it helpful to tip our wine barrel planters or other pots on their side (onto a tarp) to gently sift through the soil. In addition to water, we also sometimes use a very soft brush to gently remove soil from the cracks and crevices of the turmeric hands. Yellow-brown turmeric leaves just before harvest – using a straight shovel to gently loosen the soil around the edges of the container Rather than digging or pulling on them, risking breaking the “hands” of turmeric, we have come to prefer to dump the whole container over and gently sift around. It’s like digging for gold! Our 2020 turmeric harvest: 28 pounds from 4 wine barrels! Frequently Asked Questions Can you eat turmeric leaves? Yes! While not used as often, turmeric leaves are also edible and nutritious. Some cultures use fresh leaves in cooking, dried and ground into powder, or steeped in water to create an infused liquid to use in cooking. You can also wrap fish in turmeric leaves to roast or grill like banana leaves. While turmeric is still growing, harvest leaves only sparingly since the plant needs them for photosynthesis and to produce sizeable rhizomes. Should you pre-sprout turmeric before planting? You can, but in my experience, I don’t find it necessary. Some sources recommend to lightly bury turmeric rhizomes in a wide shallow tray of damp peat moss or seed starting soil (on a heat mat) to encourage early sprouting – before planting them in their final growing location or container. However, the one year we did this, our harvest was smaller than ever. Perhaps it was just a coincidence but I don’t find it worth the effort. Will turmeric grow back each year? Turmeric is a perennial, meaning it will continue to grow for several years (if allowed). If you harvest all of the rhizomes it won’t grow back, but if some are left in the soil, they’ll go dormant over winter and grow new sprouts and rhizomes the following year. What happens if you don’t harvest turmeric? If you don’t harvest your turmeric at all, the underground rhizomes will continue to divide and form very large clusters and the above-ground plant will eventually grow a beautiful flower (usually during year 2). A turmeric flower growing after some rhizomes were left in the soil from the previous year How to Store and Preserve Turmeric Store dry, unpeeled rhizomes in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, where they’ll stay good for several weeks to a month for fresh eating. If you want to replant some rhizomes, they can be kept out in a temperate, dry, dark location (e.g. a cool closet) for up to a few months. Plus, you’re hoping they’ll eventually sprout anyways! To preserve turmeric, we like to dehydrate and grind it into powder which lasts for two to three years. See our step-by-step guide on how to make homemade turmeric powder. To freeze turmeric, simply freeze the whole rhizomes in an airtight container and plan to use them within a year. The sooner you use them, the more fresh and bright the flavor will be. To use them, we just pop a rhizome out of the freezer and grate it up as needed for meals! Homegrown turmeric skin is so fresh and tender, we don’t even bother peeling it.  A mountain of homegrown healing sunshine. Ways to Use Turmeric Use a sprinkle of turmeric powder or grated fresh turmeric to add an earthy, curry-like pop of flavor and color to lentils, soups, sauces, brown rice, mixed veggies, eggs, and more. We also like to add turmeric to homemade sauerkraut, sourdough inclusions, fire cider, and seasonal kombucha flavors. Another popular use for turmeric powder is to make golden milk – a delicious blend of turmeric, warm spices like cinnamon and ginger, and your milk of choice. It’s amazing for digestion, relaxation, inflammation, and more. Don’t miss our easy golden milk recipe! To reap the optimum health benefits, always add a dash of black pepper with your turmeric. Studies show that consuming ¼ teaspoon of pepper with curcumin increases the bioavailability by 2000%. Consuming turmeric with fats or milks also helps it absorb better. NOTE: If you haven’t had turmeric on its own, keep in mind that it is not spicy like the classic curry you may imagine. Turmeric is a key ingredient in curry and does have a slight sharp bite to it, but it’s nothing like pre-mixed curry powder (which also contains chili powder). And that concludes this lesson on growing turmeric! In closing, it’s probably obvious just how much we love and use turmeric around this homestead. I hope that you found this article informative, useful, and inspiring – so you can also discover the joy of growing turmeric at home! Please feel free to ask questions in the comments below, and spread the love by sharing this post. You may also enjoy: Easy Fire Cider Recipe: How to Make Homemade Fire Cider How to Grow Pineapple Guava (Feijoa): Cold-Hardy Tropical Fruit Easy Golden Milk Recipe (Turmeric Latte) with Vegan Options How to Plant and Grow Garlic: The Ultimate Guide Super Green Sauerkraut Recipe w/ Garlic, Turmeric & Ginger Did you enjoy this article? Want to hear more? Stay in touch! Sign up below to receive weekly updates on new posts from Homestead and Chill. The post How to Grow Turmeric: A Complete Guide with Photos appeared first on Homestead and Chill.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Money may soon change hands after Google agreed to resolve a legal fight over how its voice-enabled products captured audio they were never meant to record. A proposed class action settlement totaling $68 million was disclosed in court filings submitted last Friday. The case traces back to situations where Google Assistant devices began recording without a proper “OK Google” command. The controversy first surfaced publicly in 2019 through reporting by VRT NWS. That investigation described how audio clips generated by accidental activations, referred to internally as “False Accepts,” were routed to human reviewers. Some of those workers later said the clips included private conversations and personal details, including moments involving children or other people who were not intended users of the device. Plaintiffs argued that these recordings amounted to “unlawful and intentional recording of individuals’ confidential communications without their consent.” The complaint also asserted that “information gleaned from these recordings was wrongly transmitted to third parties for targeted advertising and for other purposes.” Google has rejected those claims and, as part of the settlement proposal, continues to deny any allegations of wrongdoing. This case fits into a broader pattern that emerged the same year. In 2019, Google, Apple, and Amazon all faced scrutiny after it became public that voice assistant recordings were sometimes reviewed by human contractors following unintended activations. Apple reached a similar agreement in 2025, paying $95 million while maintaining that Siri recordings were not used to build advertising profiles. Since then, Apple has been preparing Siri for a generative AI refresh, Amazon has begun rolling out updates to Alexa, and Google has steadily sidelined Assistant as it promotes its newer Gemini system. If approved by the court, the Google settlement would apply to users whose accounts were linked to at least one Assistant-enabled device going back to 2016. Eligible hardware includes Pixel phones, Google Home products, smart speakers and displays, along with Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max devices. People who bought one of these products could receive between $18 and $56. Others who used Google Assistant, or who lived in a home where an Assistant device captured their conversations without permission, may qualify for payments ranging from $2 to $10. What the settlement does not change is the underlying design reality of voice assistants. These systems depend on microphones that are always listening for a wake word, which means mistakes are part of their operation. When those mistakes result in recordings of private speech, the harm is not abstract. The proposed payout offers compensation for past failures, but it also highlights how much trust users are expected to place in devices that are built to listen by default. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Google to Pay $68M Over Voice Assistant Privacy Lawsuit appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has in the past turned a blind eye to online censorship, has said he’s investigating whether TikTok is violating state law by suppressing political content critical of President Donald Trump. The governor said Monday that he is directing state officials to review whether the platform engaged in viewpoint-based moderation after reports that certain posts were hidden or received zero engagement. “It’s time to investigate. I am launching a review into whether TikTok is violating state law by censoring Trump-critical content,” Newsom wrote on X. His office later said it had “independently confirmed instances of suppressed content critical of President Trump” and would refer the matter to the California Department of Justice for further examination. The inquiry follows a wave of user reports showing apparent restrictions on videos mentioning Trump, the immigration agency ICE, or the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Some users also said they were unable to send direct messages containing the word “Epstein,” referring to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted child sex offender. Screenshots circulated online appeared to show those messages blocked for “potential guideline violations.” One of the words being blocked was the term “Epstein,” meaning TikTok users were no longer able to discuss notorious child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. TikTok denies any deliberate censorship. The company said it is investigating the “Epstein” issue, but maintains that no policy bans the name. “We don’t have rules against sharing the name ‘Epstein’ in direct messages and are investigating why some users are experiencing issues,” a TikTok representative said. TikTok also attributed the recent wave of technical disruptions to a power failure at one of its US data centers, which caused its algorithm to fail. “It would be inaccurate to report that this is anything but the technical issues we’ve transparently confirmed,” a company spokesperson said. The outage reportedly triggered a system-wide failure that left some videos stuck at zero views and slowed load times for many users. “Over the weekend, an Oracle data center experienced a temporary weather-related power outage which impacted TikTok,” an Oracle spokesperson said. A winter storm did strike large parts of the US over the weekend. “The challenges US TikTok users may be experiencing are the result of technical issues that followed the power outage, which Oracle and TikTok are working to quickly resolve.” The controversy comes shortly after TikTok’s US division underwent a major restructuring designed to prevent a national ban. Under the deal, a consortium of American investors, including Oracle, acquired control of US operations. Oracle’s co-founder, Larry Ellison, a close Trump ally, now oversees the handling of US user data. California State Senator Scott Wiener said he experienced unexplained suppression on his own account, suggesting that it was politically motivated. A video he posted criticizing ICE and referencing the Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti received no engagement at all. “Clearly, TikTok is suppressing criticisms of ICE,” he said, noting that his other posts have never performed that poorly. While the low reach and algorithmic chaos affected TikTok more broadly, the political videos are what has received most attention. Only after the investigation was announced did attention return to Newsom’s own record on speech regulation. As governor, he has signed several bills expanding state authority over digital content, including measures aimed at “misinformation” on social-media platforms. He also suggested that California’s censorship statutes could be applied to AI-generated parody videos of public officials. Those earlier positions have drawn concern from free-speech advocates who argue that such laws give the government too much influence over what can be said online. Whether the TikTok suppression reports reflect deliberate censorship, technical failure, or political convenience, the case illustrates how fragile open communication becomes when both governments and corporations wield power over online discourse. For users, the distinction may not matter. A message that fails to send because of a glitch is indistinguishable from one that disappears for political reasons. And when one of the arguments about American companies taking over TikTok was due to the potential for China to censor. Once a handful of private systems determine whose words circulate and whose do not, even accidental silence starts to look like policy. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Gavin Newsom Says He’s Investigating TikTok Over Alleged Censorship of Anti-Trump and “Epstein” Content appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The British government is broadening its effort to move official credentials and services onto digital platforms, even as initial public interest in existing digital ID options remains very low. In December 2025, authorities began private trials of a digital driver’s license using the GOV.UK One Login app and this week they released a comprehensive plan outlining how digital identity technology will play a central role across government services. Despite the long-term vision, uptake so far has been extremely limited. Government figures show that only 15,000 veterans have successfully added the digital Veteran Card to the GOV.UK One Login app, an adoption rate of about 1%. This suggests that most people are not choosing to use the digital ID tools currently available. The newly released roadmap for “modern digital government” lays out how digital identity is expected to connect numerous public services. Multiple sections of the plan reference efforts to promote and expand digital ID. A government blog post in the plan says the government is “strengthening our digital public infrastructure.” The digital public infrastructure (DPI) program is widely championed by external organizations, including the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the World Economic Forum (WEF), and the Bill Gates collective to describe systems meant to support digital identity and digital payments by 2030. One section titled “Making people’s interactions with government easier and public services work better with digital ID” focuses on issuing digital ID credentials to all British citizens and others legally present in the UK, as well as mandating digital right-to-work checks. Another part of the document titled “Delivering personalised and proactive services through the GOV.UK app” discusses using artificial intelligence-powered features. The plan also describes testing “making local government services available through the GOV.UK app.” A section called “Enabling access to government documents on the go with GOV.UK Wallet” lays out intentions for a GOV.UK Wallet app in which all government credentials will be available by the end of 2027. On health services, a section titled “Digitising the NHS to give patients more control over their care” discusses evolving the NHS app into a central digital health ID and calls it the “secure single digital front door to the NHS, allowing patients to control their health records and access care.” The plan also mentions a “Single Unique Identifier” for children included in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the same bill with broad age verification requirements for social platforms and VPNs, and notes that this identifier has already been piloted, a description that echoes what many see as a form of digital ID for children. Motorists in the UK are now experiencing the first practical use of a digital government credential. The government has begun private trials of a digital driver’s license, making it possible for participants to store their license securely on a smartphone through the GOV.UK One Login app. The trial started with staff from the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) among the first users. A GDS spokesperson said the digital license trial is the “culmination of the team’s efforts in building, stress-testing, designing, iterating, and speaking to users, all done in close partnership with the DVLA.” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the change as significant: “This is a game-changer for the millions of people who use their driving licence as ID. Innovation puts power back in the hands of the people, making everyday interactions faster, easier, and more secure. We are delivering on the Plan for Change by making public services work for everyone.” Technology Secretary Liz Kendall emphasized that the digital license forms part of the government’s broader digital roadmap: “We want people to quickly check their car’s MOT status, renew their driving licence online, or prove their identity securely, putting power and control back in your hands.” Recent headlines suggested the Labour government had backed away from plans for mandatory digital ID. But as we previously reported, that isn’t exactly true. What has changed is the language, not the structure. The government is still advancing compulsory digital identity checks, only distributed across work, services, and online access, rather than presented as one formal requirement. Under the government’s emerging model, digital ID checks are expected to work very differently from the informal, human inspection used today. Instead of briefly showing a physical card to another person, citizens would be required to pass through an active electronic verification each time their identity is checked. The intention is to prevent digital credentials from being treated like static documents that can be glanced at and accepted on sight. Josh Simons, the minister overseeing the digital ID program, confirmed everyone’s worst fears and made clear that the government does not want digital IDs to function as simple visual substitutes for passports or driver’s licenses. Answering a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Blake Stephenson, Simons said, “To help guard against fake digital IDs, we propose that any checking of such IDs will be done via a robust digital process.” He added, “For example, we do not think people should be able to flash their digital ID on their phone screen. This will help ensure a digital ID has not been faked, tampered with, or revoked.” Those who said that showing ID on a smartphone was just like showing a physical ID could not have been more wrong. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post The Slow March Toward a Digital ID Britain appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A major courtroom battle in Los Angeles is testing how far the United States will go in blaming technology companies for the mental health struggles of young users and whether censorship or digital ID mandate pressure grows. The case involves a 19-year-old woman from California, identified as K.G.M., who says she became hooked on social media platforms as a teenager and that the companies behind them deliberately built products to keep her and millions of others scrolling endlessly. Her lawsuit targets Meta, ByteDance, and Google, accusing them of negligence and of knowingly designing addictive systems through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. More: California Content Law Design Code Faces Free Speech Clash Snapchat and TikTok were also named early on but settled already without disclosing terms. What makes this trial significant is not only its focus on social media design but its potential to erode the long-standing legal protections that have kept tech firms largely immune from responsibility for what users post online. Thousands of similar claims are waiting behind this one. Most were folded into a broader judicial proceeding, from which three representative lawsuits involving K.G.M., R.K.C., and Moore were chosen to move forward. The outcomes could set the stage for how future cases are handled or whether mass settlements emerge. Jury selection for K.G.M.’s trial begins this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Key to the plaintiff’s case is a strategy that attempts to sidestep Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the statute that shields online services from liability for third-party speech. K.G.M.’s attorneys insist their case is not about user posts but about the deliberate engineering of algorithms, notification systems, and design loops that keep people engaged. Judge Carolyn Kuhl has already dismissed part of the complaint on Section 230 grounds, particularly those linked to TikTok’s so-called “challenge” videos. Yet she allowed the broader negligence claims to continue, writing that “there is evidence in the record that K.G.M. was harmed by design features” and that “the cause of K.G.M.’s harms is a disputed factual question that must be resolved by the jury.” More: Judge Orders Tech CEOs to Testify in Case Using Algorithmic Design Rules as a New Avenue for Indirect Online Censorship Pressure If a jury finds that design alone can constitute a harmful product, it would mark a turning point in how internet services are regulated and open the door to litigation targeting almost any platform that uses engagement-based algorithms. Attorneys for YouTube and the other defendants argue that the lawsuit cannot logically separate design from the content it delivers. In one clip shown to the court, K.G.M. said, “I have gotten a lot of content promoting…like body checking, posts [of] what I eat in a day, just a cucumber, making people feel bad if they don’t eat like that.” That admission, defense lawyers contend, proves the problem lies with user-created material rather than interface mechanics. What appears to disturb or influence someone online is still a protected expression, not a design flaw. Once design becomes the target of liability, the distinction between engineering and editorial control collapses. If a company can be sued for making a product that amplifies legal speech, its safest response would be to restrict speech itself. Even setting the free speech question aside, the evidentiary burden is formidable. The jury must decide how much of K.G.M.’s distress stems from the apps themselves, how much from the content she consumed, and how much from unrelated life factors. These efforts share a common idea: that platforms should be held responsible for the time and attention people give them. Yet if courts accept that premise, nearly every digital service, including news sites, streaming platforms, and shopping apps, could be accused of “addiction by design,” and bills to address online “harm” through censorship and digital ID mandates will pile up. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post Landmark LA Trial Targets Social Media Addiction Claims appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. Newly disclosed internal records, obtained by the US House Judiciary Committee, reveal that Brussels privately warned X that it could be blocked from operating in the European Union unless it obeyed a set of Digital Services Act demands. We obtained a copy of the records for you here. The decision, stretching across 184 pages, became the foundation for a fine of nearly $150 million. Buried in the text is a clear threat: if X failed to comply, the Commission could “disable access to the infringing service.” That phrase, lifted straight from Article 75(3) of the DSA, turns regulatory oversight into a power switch. The fines themselves read like parodies of seriousness. €45 million for “misappropriating” the blue checkmark. Somehow, allowing people to pay to show they’re a real person and get a checkmark supposedly distorted “cross-industry visual standards.” €35 million for an ad repository deemed too limited. €40 million for withholding data from “qualified researchers,” some based outside the EU. We all know what type of “researcher” that is. Even the supporting evidence borders on comic. One example cited a parody of a Donald Duck account. Regulators claimed the cartoon’s blue checkmark could “mislead users” into believing the fictional duck was real. In Brussels, satire is treated as a compliance issue. The Commission’s orders go beyond Europe’s borders, demanding that X give global researchers access to platform data, including material related to US politics. The House Judiciary Committee called this an overreach into American sovereignty. For Brussels, it is just another box to tick under “responsible governance.” Officials compared X’s operations to other platforms and faulted it for “operating differently.” That phrase captures the real offense: refusing to follow a standardized moderation model shaped by bureaucratic preference. The documents outline a strategy of control built on process and penalties. The Commission presents itself as an impartial referee, yet wields the threat of erasure to enforce conformity. If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. The post EU Records Reveal Absurd Justifications for $150 Million Fine Against X appeared first on Reclaim The Net.