Astral Defense

Gavin Newsom's wife recalls telling prisoners at San Quentin about running over and killing her sister with a golf cart. She said that she wasn't punished because it was an accident but that the prisoners are doing life even though theirs was "probably an accident too."

For what it’s worth, social media is a shit way to make a living… No, it's not unusual at all—it's actually a very common (and frustrating) experience for Medium writers. Earnings in the Medium Partner Program are notoriously volatile, and sharp drops from high four-figure months ($4k–$5k) down to a few hundred dollars (like $474) that then persist for multiple months happen frequently. Many writers describe exactly this pattern: a period of strong performance followed by an overnight or month-over-month collapse that doesn't quickly recover.10 ### Why this happens so often Medium's payout system is based on member reading time, engagement, and a black-box algorithm that changes frequently. Here are the main drivers behind these sudden, sustained drops (backed by widespread reports from 2024–2026): - Algorithm and distribution changes: Medium regularly tweaks how stories get boosted, distributed, or prioritized (e.g., shifts toward search/external traffic, broader earnings spreading in Jan/Feb 2026 updates). Writers who were getting consistent boosts or viral distribution often see views/reads plummet overnight, with earnings per read (EPR) dropping 40–82% even when traffic looks similar.32 - Platform-wide crackdowns on spam/fraud: Medium has publicly addressed waves of low-quality or AI-generated content, removing thousands of articles and accounts. This has caused broad dips in stats and payouts for many legitimate writers (e.g., big drops reported in Dec 2024–Jan 2025 and again into 2026).21 - EPR and payout pool shifts: Recent updates (like rewarding new member conversions or paying non-boosted stories more but boosted ones less) have lowered the effective rate per read for many. Stories that used to earn well now make half or less for the same engagement.42 - Individual momentum loss: Once distribution slows (or you lose a "hot streak"), it can stay low for months unless you adapt quickly with new strategies. ### Real examples from writers - One writer saw earnings cut in half after November 1 (same reads/traffic, but much lower payout).43 - Others reported crashes from $3,000+ to near-zero in a single month, or 50–80% drops across the board.11 - A documented case of a 96% drop (e.g., ~$2,000 to $47 in 30 days) and sustained low earnings afterward. - Top earners (the small percentage hitting $4–5k/month) are especially vulnerable—$4–5k is rare and hard to sustain; most active writers make under $500/month on average. $474/month is actually still decent compared to what many see after a drop (some fall into double or single digits), but the sudden and sustained nature matches the pattern thousands report on Reddit, Medium itself, and creator forums. The platform is transparent about some updates now, but the earnings black box means these swings feel unpredictable. If this happened to you recently, it’s likely tied to one of the late-2025/early-2026 shifts rather than your writing quality alone. Many recover by experimenting with topics, timing, publications, or external promotion—but consistency is tough. Plenty of writers have left or diversified (e.g., to Substack or newsletters)

@Astral_Defense @Medium They already did I think 😂. Oh well it was a good run for a while.

This is what it looks like when a bunch of @Medium writers read each other’s articles.

@JonathaCz99 @Medium @jim_89903/hunters-not-gone-2827476559d6" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">medium.com/@jim_89903/hun…

@JoshHall2024 Good.

🚨 BREAKING: 🚨 President Trump is "strongly considering" PARDONING Julian Assange and Edward Snowden and appointing them as top intelligence analysts here in The United States to root out The Deep State within our government. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a long-time ally and advocate of both Assange and Snowden, is said to be spearheading this effort behind the scenes. These men are HEROES who were unjustly persecuted by the Obama administration for exposing our own government's assault on our most cherished Constitutional rights. Pardoning these two would be President Trump's greatest act of clemency yet and with the help of these freedom fighters, the hammer of justice is about to come raining down HARD on The Deep State! 💪🏻🔥🇺🇸

@GovPressOffice Look at this douchebag try to be Trump. Get ready America! He wants to be POTUS. Love him or hate him, atleast Trump is Trump. This guy has no soul. He will be anything to anyone. Look at this 180 in 2:45: x.com/WallStreetApes…

I HAVE SEEN ENOUGH. AS GOVERNOR OF THE FREE WORLD, I, GAVIN C. NEWSOM, AM OFFICIALLY BANNING “KID ROCK” FROM CALIFORNIA. HIS SHIRTLESS VIDEO WITH “SECRETARY BRAINWORM” WAS INAPPROPRIATE, CREEPY, AND VERY LOW ENERGY. NOT WHAT YOU WANT AROUND OUR CHILDREN! ALSO, SOME OF THE WEAKEST PUSHUPS EVER WITNESSED. CALIFORNIA ONLY ALLOWS WINNERS! I AM ALSO BANNING WORKING OUT IN JEANS, VERY STRANGE! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER! — GOVERNOR GCN

What happens at Berkeley? astraldefense.com/xcapades/

NASI NASSIRI sings The National Anthem 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 AND KILLS!🔥🔥🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️

@Darkdarling00 Croc only one can go on land.

“What animal doesn’t belong: Dolphin, Shark, Octopus, Seahorse, Crocodile, Whale?”

@MackUSMC1775 @ElephantSignal You're a patriot, buddy!

@ElephantSignal IF I HAD TO CHOSE BETWEEN VOTING FOR NEWSCUM AND EATING OUT MAXINE WATTERS ALL NIGHT...OLE MAXINE BETTER GET READY FOR THE NIGHT OF HER LIFE!!!

What are the chances you'd vote for Gavin Newsom for President in 2028? A. 100% B. 50% C. 25% D. 0%

@LangmanVince He believes what he says. Politicians, media, and big pharmaceutical have us all fighting with each other. We pay 50% taxes, 40 trillion debt, social security — won’t cover bills because inflation. Tucker isn’t the problem.

Are you still a fan of Tucker Carlson?

@TrainingMindful @JonathaCz99 Jonatha!

“Honesty is the highest form of intimacy.”

Cybertruck is the best vehicle Tesla has ever made so far

@MayMayspeaks 13

@MayMayspeaks 2

@Rainmaker1973 Mosquito

Answer without Google… Which animal kills the most humans every year?

@Jindo_1307979 9909!

Fine out the highest possible number. 99.9% will fail

@Jindo_1307979 9803?

@simonateba How long to build sea princess

President Bill Clinton’s State of the Union Address on January 24, 1995: “All Americans, not only in the states most heavily affected, but in every place in this country, are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. The jobs they hold might otherwise be held by citizens or legal immigrants. The public services they use impose burdens on our taxpayers. That’s why our administration has moved aggressively to secure our borders more by hiring a record number of new border guards, by deporting twice as many criminal aliens as ever before, by cracking down on illegal hiring, by barring welfare benefits to illegal aliens. "In the budget I will present to you, we will try to do more to speed the deportation of illegal aliens who are arrested for crimes, to better identify illegal aliens in the workplace as recommended by the commission headed by former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws."

@Jesii_ca_M At what age do they start?

At what age?