Screen breaks and the right desk setup offer relief from work-related eye strain

• January 24, 2025

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ

NEW YORK (AP) — The trouble started every day at around 3 p.m., after Cathy Higgins had spent five or six hours staring at an array of computer screens at her desk. Her university job overseeing research projects involved peering closely at numbers and details on contracts, applications and budgets.

“My vision was so blurry, I couldn’t even see what was on the screen, and I was squinting so much that I could not function,” Higgins said.

When her eyesight got bad, Higgins walked around and spoke with members of her staff. She began planning in-person meetings for afternoons. But she would resume the computer work late at night after her children went to bed.

“If I had to continue working through the blurry vision, that’s when the migraines would happen,” Higgins said.

Digital screens are pervasive, not only at work but in our homes, schools and shops. An estimated 104 million Americans of working age spend more than seven hours a day in front of screens, according to the American Optometric Association. All that screen time can take a toll.

Too much exposure to screens can lead to dry or watery eyes, fuzzy vision and headaches. It can also lead to myopia, or nearsightedness, in some people, especially children. Some technology workers even describe short bouts of vertigo when they look at screens for too long.

Overworked eyes

One reason for the discomfort is that staring closely at screens for prolonged periods causes the muscle that helps eye focus to tighten up.

“That muscle’s not supposed to stay tight all day long. And if it does, it’s like picking up a light weight and trying to hold it over your head for hours,” American Optometric Association President Steven Reed said. “It’s not hard to pick it up. But after a while, even though it’s not a heavy lift, your body just gets tired.”

Fortunately, exposure to blue light from computer screens and devices has not been shown to cause permanent eye damage, according to the American Academy of Opthalmology.

Nevertheless, symptoms can disrupt work, family time and rest. As an optometrist in Mississippi, Reed sees patients who complain of frequent eye pain, headaches and blurry vision associated with computer use. He advises getting an eye exam and taking frequent breaks.

For Higgins, trying to catch up on the work she couldn’t do when her eyes were too fatigued on weekdays cut into time she spent with her daughters on weekends. “They’d be playing together, and I couldn’t be as engaged as I would have liked to have been in what they were doing,” she said.

Here are some tips from eye health professionals to reduce eye strain caused by devices.

Follow the 20-20-20 rule

Take a break every 20 minutes from sitting at a computer. During the break, focus your eyes on something that’s about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Pausing close-up work and looking at something in the distance gives tired, tight muscles time to relax.

“Luckily, eye strain is temporary,” said Raj Maturi, an ophthalmologist at Midwest Eye Institute in Indianapolis who serves as spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “The best way to avoid these symptoms is by taking breaks from our screens or near work activities and using lubricating eye drops, if needed.”

People usually blink about 18 to 22 times per minute. But when looking at a screen, the rate drops to three to seven times per minute, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That’s where eye drops come in.

It’s good to move around and go outside, but when you don’t have time for an outdoor walk, frequent 20-second breaks can help.

Change your desk setup

Some people find that using a larger computer monitor helps reduce eye fatigue. You can also increase the font size on your laptop, monitor or smartphone screen.

Higgins did all of the above after she started a new job as senior vice president at Stand Up to Cancer. Since she works remotely from home in Midlothian, Virginia, she got a 29-inch monitor and sits about three feet away from it, about a foot farther than in most office setups.

The changes helped. She still has occasional issues with blurriness, but not as frequently. “When I have an extended day, like a 12-hour day, that’s when I start to have vision issues again,” she said.

Sitting an arm’s length away from your screen and adjusting it so you’re looking slightly downward also can help reduce eye strain, according to the American Academy of Opthalmology.

Be wary of product claims

Some products, such as blue light glasses, are marketed with claims that they will reduce digital eye strain, improve sleep and prevent eye disease. But several studies have found the glasses are not very effective, according to the American Academy of Opthalmology. It’s really our behavior with digital devices that causes symptoms, not the small amount of blue light coming from screens, the group said.

Extracurricular optics

After stepping away from computers at work, many people find themselves reading or scrolling on smartphone screens. It’s not just workers: children are using laptops, tablets and smart screens in school settings throughout the day.

Too much screen time or focusing on nearby objects can accelerate the onset and progression of nearsightedness, especially in children, said Ayesha Malik, pediatric optometrist in the division of ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Anyone streaming shows should do so on a television, instead of a tablet, to help relieve eye strain, she said.

Children should follow the 20-20-20-2 rule, which includes an extra “2” at the end to encourage playing outdoors for 2 hours a day, which helps with eye development, she said.

“The reality is that most children are engaging with screens throughout the day at school and home. It becomes difficult to track the total number of hours,” Malik said. “Aim for not more than 20 minutes during any one session.”

Sleeping soundly

The blue light that digital screens emit can increase alertness, so watching Netflix on an iPad or scrolling through social media feeds in bed may make it hard to get restful sleep.

To give your eyes and brain the rest they need, doctors recommend turning off screens one to two hours before going to sleep. You can also set devices to “dark mode” in the evening to reduce the impact of bright light. If you’re used to streaming videos at night, try listening to an audiobook or podcast instead.

Have you overcome an obstacle or made a profound change in your work? Send your questions and story ideas to cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well.

​ Orange County Register 

How to organize your financial life ahead of natural disasters

• January 24, 2025

By CORA LEWIS

NEW YORK (AP) — If you live in a part of the world prone to wildfires, floods, blizzards, tornadoes, or earthquakes, there are ways you can make sure you’re financially prepared for disaster, beyond insurance.

The Federal Emergency Management Association and the Red Cross advise that households gather important documents and contacts in a safe place, take photographs or record a video of the rooms in your home and any valuable belongings, and to have cash on hand, in case ATMs and electronic or online banking resources aren’t available, among other guidance.

Lisa Berdie, director of policy and research for the Financial Health Network, an organization that focuses on underserved consumers, refers to these steps as “preparedness,” but stresses the need for “investments in efforts to lessen the severity of climate impacts, reduce risks, and minimize financial harm.”

“Key here is recognizing that it is not just the headline-grabbing events, but smaller-scale events and chronic stressors (for example, heat) that have dramatic financial consequences for households,” Berdie said. “Some of the action steps that households can consider (there)… include weatherizing homes and addressing health hazards that are worsened by climate hazards, like mold and air quality.”

Here’s what you can do to be more financially prepared and organized in case of disaster:

First, compile and assess

According to FEMA, the first thing to do is compile important documents. These include: birth and marriage certificates, social security cards, military service records and your pet’s ID tags, microchip and vaccination records.

Other documents to have organized include: housing payments, utility bills, credit/debit card information, receipts from child support, checking, savings, and retirement account numbers, insurance policies, paystubs, tax statements, and wills, according to FEMA.

Medical information to have on hand includes: health insurance and pharmacy cards, records of immunizations and allergies, copies of prescriptions, and records of medical devices or equipment for disabilities.

Also make records of important contacts, such as:

1. Landlord or mortgage representatives

2. Doctors, dentists, or other health care providers

3. Insurance agents

4. Representatives in charge of military benefits and social and disability services

5. Assistive technology or medical equipment providers

6. Lawyers

7. Financial advisors

8. Banking institutions

9. Neighborhood, civic, and house of worship contacts

“Make sure you store important phone numbers somewhere besides just your cell phone,” FEMA advises.

Why is this information necessary?

When you apply for disaster assistance, you may need to show proof of ID or income. You may also need to re-establish financial accounts if checks are destroyed or if online access is down.

Other records can help you prove the identity of household members, maintain or re-establish contact with family and friends, maintain contact with employers, and apply for other forms of assistance.

How else can I organize my financial life to prepare for disaster?

If you don’t have an original version of a document listed above, contact the appropriate company or agency to request a copy. If you receive paper checks for any federal benefits, consider enrolling in automatic benefits, and if you receive paper checks from an employer, consider requesting direct deposit or prepaid debit cards.

FEMA also advises printing or downloading statements of any bills paid automatically, such as rent or mortgage payments, utilities, loan payments, and membership fees. Downloading banking and bill payment apps for your phone can also help you stay mobile in times of emergency.

Photographing or recording a video of the rooms in your home and any valuable belongings is also advisable as a form of record keeping.

Store cash along with important documents

FEMA and the Red Cross advise individuals to keep cash in the same safe location as one’s important documents to pay for emergency purchases in the event that ATMs aren’t functioning or banks are closed. The amount of cash should be based on the basic needs of your family, including gas, food, and medications.

Make sure your information is up-to-date

Review insurance policies and financial paperwork to be sure they’re accurate and current — that includes homeowners, auto, and renters insurance.

Store documents securely

Store paper and electronic copies of all files in safe locations. Consider keeping paper copies in a fireproof and waterproof box or safe, a bank safe deposit box, or with a trusted friend or relative.

If you’re already using a safe deposit box, check state laws to confirm who can and can’t access the safe if the owner dies or can’t access it themselves due to injury or illness, FEMA advises.

To store electronic copies of important documents, use a password-protected format on a flash or external hard drive, which you can also keep in the fireproof, waterproof box.

Finally, update consistently

Revisit and update your documents regularly.

Updates are especially important when significant changes in your life occur, such as: when your insurance changes, when you move, open or close bank accounts, become married or divorced, when you have a child, when your child changes schools, during retirement planning, and if there’s a death in the household.

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

​ Orange County Register 

5 economic forces that could shape the first year of Trump’s presidency

• January 24, 2025

By JOSH BOAK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Like most presidents, Donald Trump faces an economy that seldom bends to political ambitions.

The Republican has promised strong growth, high tariffs, income tax cuts and booming oilfields. But despite the solid job market and low 4.1% unemployment rate, he has to contend with headwinds like inflation, a budget deficit, increased tensions over trade, the fallout from his plans to curtail immigration and a persistent wealth gap.

Each of these issues could help to shape how voters feel about a president they returned to the White House with the specific goal of fixing the economy.

For his part, Trump wants to blame all the challenges before him on his predecessor, Joe Biden, who in turn blamed Trump in 2021 for the problems his own administration had to tackle.

“This begins with confronting the economic chaos caused by the failed policies of the last administration,” Trump told the World Economic Forum on Thursday.

Here are five economic forces that could shape the first year of Trump’s presidency:

For voters, the price still isn’t right

Whipping inflation is easier said than done.

In AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of last year’s electorate, 4 in 10 voters called inflation the “single most important factor” in their choice for president. About two-thirds of this group voted for Trump — a sign he owes his victory in large part to the high cost of groceries, gasoline, housing, autos and other goods.

Going forward, monthly reports on the consumer price index will be a clear measure of whether Trump can deliver. But inflation has actually increased in recent months. Consumer prices were increasing at a healthy 2.4% annual rate in September, compared with 2.9% in December. Economists say inflation could worsen if Trump imposes tariffs and uses deficit-funded income tax cuts.

Republicans often hit Biden hard on egg prices. But Democrats could use similar attacks on Trump. Over the past year, coffee costs have risen just 1% for U.S. consumers, but the International Monetary Fund has the price of the actual beans climbing 55% in a sign that lattes, espressos and plain old cups of joe could soon cost more.

Then there’s housing. Voters are still frustrated by high mortgage rates and prices staying elevated due to a shortage of properties. Shelter is 37% of the consumer price index. Price increases for housing have eased, but shelter costs are still rising at 4.6% a year, compared with annual increases averaging 3.3% before the pandemic.

Trump is betting that more energy production can cut into inflation rates, but domestic production is already near record levels, according to the government.

Which tariffs are really coming

Trump says 25% tariffs are coming for Mexican and Canadian imports as soon as Feb. 1. He’s also talked about additional tariffs of 10% on Chinese goods. His stated goal is to stop illegal border crossings and the flow of chemicals used to make drugs such as fentanyl.

For Trump, tariffs are a diplomatic tool for his policy goals. But they’re also a threat possibly meant to jumpstart trade talks. They’re also a revenue raiser that he claims could bring trillions of dollars into the treasury.

Trump did increase tariffs during his first term, with revenue collection more than doubling to an annual rate of $85.4 billion, which might sound like a lot but was equal to just 0.4% of the gross domestic product. Multiple analyses by the Budget Lab at Yale and the Peterson Institute for International Economics, among others, say the threatened tariffs would increase costs for a typical family in a way that effectively raises taxes.

What really matters is whether Trump delivers on his threats. That is why Ben Harris, a former Biden adviser who is now director of economic studies at the Brookings Institution, says voters should focus on average tariff rates.

“Trade is really tricky” Harris said. “But in broad terms, look at what he does and not what he says.”

What happens with the national debt

Trump likes to blame inflation on the national debt, saying Biden’s policies flooded the U.S. economy with more money than it could absorb. But about 22% of the $36 trillion outstanding total debt originated from the policies of Trump’s first term, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a fiscal watchdog.

Paul Winfree, a former Trump staffer who is now president and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center, warned in a recent analysis that the U.S. is getting too close for comfort to its fiscal limits. His analysis suggests that if Trump can preserve 3% growth he could extend his expiring 2017 tax cuts while keeping the debt sufficiently stable by cutting spending $100 billion to $140 billion a year.

The risk is that higher borrowing costs and debt can limit what Trump does while keeping borrowing costs high for consumers. Lawmakers who once viewed the debt as problem years away increasingly see it as something to address now.

“One of the biggest vibe shifts I’m picking up on now among policymakers is they’re beginning to realize the long-term is today,” Winfree said.

Winfree said the key number to watch is the interest rates charged on U.S. debt — which will tell the public if investors think the amount of borrowing is problematic. Interest on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note is at roughly 4.6%, up a full percentage point since September.

Immigrants are still needed to fill jobs

Trump’s executive orders are a clear crackdown on immigration — and that could be a drag on economic growth and cause monthly job gains to slow. Trump often frames immigration as a criminal and national security issue by focusing on people crossing the border illegally.

But economies that can’t add enough workers are at risk of stagnating — and the U.S. labor market at this stage needs immigrants as part of the jobs mix. About 84% of America’s net population growth last year came from immigrants, according to the Census Bureau. That’s 2.8 million immigrants.

“They not only work in the economy, but they spend in the economy,” said Satyam Panday, chief U.S. economist at S&P Global Ratings. “Their spending is somebody else’s income in the economy.”

If Trump were simply to put immigration back at his 2017 and 2019 averages of 750,000 immigrants annually, growth could slow from an estimated 2.7% last year to 2% going forward, Panday’s analysis found. The construction, agriculture and leisure and hospitality industries would probably struggle to find employees.

In other words, it’s worth monitoring the monthly jobs report and immigration flows.

Mind the wealth gap

Trump is going to have to figure out how to balance the interests of billionaires with those of his blue- collar voters. His inaugural events included several of the world’s wealthiest men: Tesla’s Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and LVMH’s Bernard Arnault. Each is worth roughly $200 billion or more, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index.

Scott Ellis, a member of the group Patriotic Millionaires, said it’s worth monitoring just how much their wealth increases under Trump. This year, as of Friday, Arnault’s net worth has risen $23 billion, Bezos is up by $15 billion, Zuckerberg is up by $18 billion and Musk’s wealth has risen by $6 billion. Those are all monthly increases.

By contrast, the most recent available Census Bureau data show that the median U.S. household wealth rose $9,600 in 2021-2022, to $176,500.

​ Orange County Register 

Reality TV couple sues the city of Los Angeles after losing home in fires

• January 24, 2025

By JAIMIE DING, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reality TV couple Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are suing the city of Los Angeles after losing their Pacific Palisades home in the wildfires that have torn through Southern California in recent weeks.

The couple, who rose to stardom on “The Hills,” a spin-off of “Laguna Beach,” filed the lawsuit Tuesday along with more than 20 other property owners and residents who were affected by the Palisades Fire. The complaint blames Los Angeles and its municipal water department for the water issues that hampered firefighting efforts and says it ultimately led to the damage to their properties.

The Eaton and Palisades fires, ignited by strong winds during one of the region’s driest years on record, have killed 28 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures, putting them among the most destructive fires in California history.

There has been intense scrutiny over hydrants running dry and problems with water pressure, leading to a barrage of lawsuits against the city and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for an independent investigation into the LA water utility over the issues.

The complaint filed by the couple and others mentions that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, which services the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, was offline and had been out of commission since February 2024 while awaiting repairs. The hydrants in the neighborhood were connected to three tanks that held 1 million gallons (3.7 million liters) of water each and went dry within 12 hours, the complaint said, citing Janisse Quiñones, the water utility’s chief executive and chief engineer.

Without water from the reservoir, firefighters had to primarily rely on the water tanks, which were not designed to fight such a large fire, the complaint said.

The city and water utility did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

While the repairs to the reservoir were requested in January 2024, the water utility told the Los Angeles Times they would not be completed until April or May 2025.

The lawsuit called the Palisades Fire an “inescapable and unavoidable consequence” of the water system operated by the city and water utility.

“The system necessarily failed, and this failure was a substantial factor in causing Plaintiffs to suffer the losses alleged in this complaint,” it said.

The plaintiffs cite the principle known as “ inverse condemnation,” which is the same mechanism that requires utilities to pay for wildfire damages caused by their equipment.

​ Orange County Register 

Boxing star Naoya Inoue wants to follow Shohei Ohtani’s path after brutal KO win

• January 24, 2025

TOKYO — Japanese boxing superstar Naoya Inoue is headed to the United States after another devastating knockout.

His promoter wants Americans to cherish Inoue as much as they do Shohei Ohtani.

The unbeaten Inoue — nicknamed “The Monster” — knocked out overmatched South Korean opponent Ye Joon Kim in the fourth round in Tokyo on Friday to remain the undisputed super bantamweight champion.

It was Inoue’s third successful defense of his super bantamweight titles and took his record to 29-0, with 26 KOs.

Bob Arum, Inoue’s promoter at Top Rank, confirmed afterward that Inoue’s next fight will be in Las Vegas. His last fight outside Japan was in Vegas, when he beat Michael Dasmarinas in June 2021.

Nearly four years on and Inoue will arrive as a pound-for-pound superstar who is a four-division world champion — in light flyweight, super flyweight, bantamweight and now super bantamweight.

Whetting the appetite, Arum evoked comparisons with Ohtani, the Japanese baseball player who is the headline act for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I observed that the great country of Japan has given Ohtani to Los Angeles,” Arum said.

“And at least for one fight, the great country of Japan will give the great Inoue to the city of Las Vegas this spring.”

Kim was only fighting Inoue as a replacement for Sam Goodman, an Australian who pulled out because of a recurrence of an eye injury that forced the postponement of the original bout with Inoue scheduled for Dec. 24.

In a bold move, Kim invited Inoue to take a shot at him early in the fourth round. Inoue responded with a devastating right hand that sent Kim to his knees. He couldn’t beat the count.

“I feel a lot of love from everyone. I appreciate it,” Inoue said. “Overall, I think it was a good match. I didn’t have enough time to study my opponent, so I just took time to see what was coming from him.”

​ Orange County Register 

Disneyland to close Napa Rose for extensive makeover

• January 24, 2025

Disneyland’s award-winning Napa Rose restaurant — renowned for its wine country-themed fine dining, exhibition kitchen with a chef’s counter and impressive wine cellar — is about to go under the knife for an extreme makeover.

The Napa Rose restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel will temporarily close in the spring and reopen in the fall after an extensive renovation.

ALSO SEE: Disneyland’s Napa Rose celebrates 20 years of bringing wine center stage

The Napa Rose transformation will extend to the menu while maintaining the 1,500-label wine collection. The fan-favorite Smiling Tiger Salad will remain after the menu makeover.

The refurbishment will maintain the restaurant’s California Craftsman design and rustic elegance while introducing reclaimed French oak flooring and columns, hand-pinged artisan metals and a grapevine-inspired chandelier.

ALSO SEE: Disney appoints new Disneyland president from cruise line division

The exhibition kitchen and chef’s counter will be expanded as well as the outdoor patio with two new fireplaces.

Chef Andrew Sutton, who serves as the Culinary Director of Signature Dining at the Disneyland resort, oversees Napa Rose as well as Carthay Circle at Disney California Adventure and the private Club 33 at Disneyland.

ALSO SEE: Downtown Disney ‘store of stories’ will change every few months

Through the years, Napa Rose has picked up numerous honors — receiving the AAA Four Diamond award many times over and making Gayot’s short list of Best California Cuisine restaurants in Orange County. The Zagat Guide once rated Napa Rose second in the state behind only the French Laundry in Yountville. The Forbes Travel Guide awarded the restaurant four stars in 2024.

From its earliest days, the wine-obsessed Napa Rose encouraged every staffer — from the hostesses and bussers to the cooks and food runners — to take sommelier training.

The current dinner menu includes Peking Partridge, Braised Wild Boar, Winter Goose Pot Pie and Colorado Lamb Loin.

The Vintner’s Table six-course prix fixe menu paired with a wine flight will set you back $293.

A closing date has not yet been announced. Napa Rose reservations remain available through late March, according to the Disneyland website.

​ Orange County Register 

Australian Open: Jannik Sinner beats Ben Shelton to return to final

• January 24, 2025

MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Jannik Sinner overcame some third-set cramping and beat Ben Shelton 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2 on Friday to return to the Australian Open final as he seeks a third Grand Slam title.

The No. 1-ranked Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, fell behind in the opening set and twice was a point from losing it when Shelton served at 6-5. But Sinner broke there, then dominated the ensuing tiebreaker, and broke again to begin the second set.

“It was a very tough first set, but a very crucial one,” said Sinner, who ran his winning streak to 20 matches dating to late last season.

Shelton is a 22-year-old American who now is 0-2 in Grand Slam semifinals.

“I know I’m close,” he said. “I know my level’s close.”

Sinner described the matchup against the 21st-seeded Shelton at Melbourne Park as filled with “a lot of tension.”

“I’m very happy with how I handled the situation today,” Sinner said.

The only trouble he ran into in the last two sets of the 2 1/2-hour contest in Rod Laver Arena was when he clutched at his left hamstring, and then his right thigh, in the third. He was treated by a trainer, who massaged both of Sinner’s legs during changeovers.

Sinner is now the youngest man since Jim Courier in 1992-93 to reach consecutive finals at the Australian Open. It was Courier who conducted the post-match interview with Sinner on Friday.

Sinner won his first major title at Melbourne Park a year ago, then grabbed No. 2 at the U.S. Open in September, shortly after being exonerated in a doping case that is still under appeal. There is a hearing scheduled for April.

On Sunday, Sinner will try to add to his trophy haul when he faces No. 2 Alexander Zverev for the championship.

Zverev advanced to his third major final — he is 0-2, with both losses in five sets — when Novak Djokovic quit after one set of their semifinal Friday because of a leg injury.

“Everything can happen. He’s an incredible player,” Sinner said about Zverev. “He’s looking for his first major. There’s going to be, again, a lot of tension.”

Shelton regretted being unable to close out the initial set.

“I’ve made my living on tour, so far, serving out sets and being able to serve out sets. Having two set points on my serve, serving at 6-5, I feel like (it was) uncharacteristic for me not to come through and win that,” said Shelton, who reached the semifinals at the 2023 U.S. Open. “Obviously you’re playing the No. 1 player in the world. The chances, the windows, are always small. Sometimes you miss your window, and the guy steps up his level, starts making a lot more first serves, playing better. The break chances don’t come as often.”

​ Orange County Register 

Who is Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop who upset Trump during an inaugural prayer service?

• January 24, 2025

By TIFFANY STANLEY, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Right Rev. Mariann Budde made headlines this week after she angered President Donald Trump with her sermon during an inaugural prayer service.

It was not the first time the cleric has publicly disagreed with Trump, but it became a striking moment in what is usually a staid and scripted event.

Here’s more about the Episcopal bishop of Washington, who has continued to speak out in the wake of the president’s derision.

What did Bishop Budde and President Trump say?

“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President,” the soft-spoken bishop said from the pulpit of Washington National Cathedral.

“I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” she said.

“There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives,” Budde preached.

She said “the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” calling them “good neighbors” and “faithful members” of religious communities.

The Trump administration has already issued executive orders rolling back transgender rights and toughening immigration policies.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance looked visibly disgruntled at times as they sat in the front pew with their wives. Vance raised his eyebrows and said something to second lady Usha Vance, who stared straight ahead.

At the White House afterward, Trump said he “didn’t think it was a good service.”

He later called Budde a “Radical Left hard line Trump hater” on his Truth Social site and demanded an apology for “her inappropriate statements.”

In an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Budde said she would continue to pray for the president, as is custom in Episcopal worship.

“I don’t agree with many of his values and assumptions about American society and how to respond to the challenges of our time,” she said. “I strongly disagree, actually. But I believe we can disagree respectfully.”

She is the first woman to hold her church position

Budde, 65, is the first woman to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, a position she has held since 2011. She oversees 86 churches across Washington, D.C., and Maryland, with 38,000 members.

National spokespeople for the Episcopal Church called Budde “a valued and trusted pastor.” They said, “We stand by Bishop Budde and her appeal for the Christian values of mercy and compassion.”

Before her current post, she served as a parish priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years.

Budde grew up in New Jersey and Colorado, and for a time as a teenager, she identified as an evangelical. Later she returned to the Episcopal Church, the mainline Protestant denomination of her childhood.

She graduated from the University of Rochester and Virginia Theological Seminary, an Episcopal institution just outside Washington.

“I’m a mom. I’m a grandmother. I really care about the people in our communities,” Budde said.

A different kind of prayer service

She revised her sermon over and over again.

Budde knew last summer that the theme of the inaugural service would be unity after a “divisive election season.”

“Couldn’t we just acknowledge that we can’t paint whole groups of people in one broad stroke? That’s the stuff of political campaigning. I understand that. But we’re running the country now,” she said.

And as she watched the inauguration the day before she was set to preach, she noted Trump-supporting clergy offered a different Christian perspective in their prayers than her own. She hoped to show another way to interpret the world through the lens of faith.

More than a dozen religious leaders spoke during the cathedral’s interfaith service, including those from Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Notably absent from the invited clergy with speaking roles were conservative evangelicals, who are among Trump’s strongest supporters and now among Budde’s loudest critics.

The strong reactions to Budde’s sermon largely fell along predictable political and religious lines. Progressive people of faith found in her an inspiring example of “ speaking truth to power.” Some conservative religious voices found her plea confrontational and disrespectful. Others took issue with a woman in a powerful church leadership role, which their traditions reserve for men.

Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, a prominent Trump supporter, was at the service and posted on X that Budde “insulted rather than encouraged our great president” and “there was palpable disgust in the audience with her words.”

Budde felt some of that pushback when she processed down the aisle of the cathedral after the service. The president did not acknowledge her when she passed.

She thought phrasing her words to the president as a plea for mercy “was a very gentle way to do it because I was acknowledging his authority and his power.”

“I guess I had that wrong,” she said.

Budde has clashed with Trump before

The national cathedral has long been the ceremonial home of high-profile political events. But in 2017, it faced criticism from liberal-leaning Episcopalians for hosting Trump’s first inaugural prayer service. While Budde spoke at the service, there was no sermon that year at Trump’s request.

The content of Budde’s words this time should come as no surprise to those who have watched her career.

Budde has joined other cathedral leaders in rebuking Trump’s “racialized rhetoric” and blaming him for inciting violence on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to keep him in power.

Most notably, she said she was “outraged” in 2020 after Trump staged an appearance in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, which is near the White House. He held up a Bible after the area had been cleared of peaceful protesters.

In 2023, Budde published a book that reflected on that summer of 2020 after George Floyd’s death, when she criticized the sitting president. It’s titled, “How We Learn to Be Brave.”

“The capacity to respond in such a moment doesn’t drop from the sky, nor is its significance measured by a week’s worth of media coverage,” Budde wrote.

That kind of boldness, she argued, is preceded by countless, smaller decisions that summon bravery.

“Its ultimate significance is determined by how we live after the moment passes.”

Associated Press reporters Darlene Superville and Gary Fields in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

​ Orange County Register