Working Families
posted 2025-07 to 2025-09
A reading list (roughly in reverse chronological order) of contributions to the common pool of news/analysis/resources.
— a readers travelogue ::: to bear witness
Feds Disappear Trans People from “LGBT”
Intel reports on threats to Pride events reveal campaign to stamp out the word “transgender”
from Ken Klippenstein
"Two federal intelligence reports warning of threats to Pride Day events in June make repeated reference to the dangers to the “LGB+ community” with no mention whatsoever of transgender people. This comes amid the Trump administration’s campaign to capitalize on the death of Charlie Kirk to wage war on transgender suspects as “nihilist violent extremists.”
"The sad irony here is that transgender people suffer the highest rate of hate crimes of any group within the LGBT community, underscoring how strange it is to omit them from reports intended to enhance public safety.
"Adoption of the “LBG+” acronym has been observed in several other federal agencies since Trump took office, including, as I reported at the time, the State Department. The use of the term by the national security state has not been previously reported."
The Coverup That Targets Our Earned Benefits
America’s Most Trusted Program Faces a Dangerous, Deliberate Cover-Up
from People Power United
"Friends, Social Security is more than a monthly check. It is one of the most successful public institutions in U.S. history—a lifeline that keeps families afloat and local economies strong.
"Created during the Great Depression to shield Americans from forces beyond their control, it remains a pillar of economic stability and shared responsibility. Today, nearly 6.2 million children—about 9 percent of all U.S. kids—receive benefits, lifting close to a million out of poverty (Teen Vogue, 2025). For seniors, Social Security is often the difference between dignity and destitution: without it, nearly four in ten older Americans would live below the poverty line (Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 2025).
"...the Social Security Administration (SSA) is being deliberately weakened by the Trump administration. Staff cuts and field-office closures that began under Trump have caused delays for seniors and disabled Americans who rely on timely benefits. This is not mere incompetence—it is calculated sabotage. As the Economic Policy Institute warns, the so-called "efficiency" agenda aimed at shrinking government is better described as sabotage (EPI, 2025).
"Worse, evidence is mounting of a cover-up designed to hide the damage.
"Worse, evidence is mounting of a cover-up designed to hide the damage. Senator Elizabeth Warren sounded the alarm in September 2025, revealing that the Social Security Administration quietly removed key customer-service metrics from its public website. "The Social Security Administration is concealing dysfunction by deleting the very data that shows it," Warren said, warning that Americans deserve transparency about wait times, call-back rates, and processing delays (Senator Warren, 2025)."
Trump’s GOP Blamed as Rural Health Clinics Begin to Fall Under Crushing Weight of Big, Ugly Bill
A Virginia healthcare company said it was closing three rural clinics as part of its 'ongoing response to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.'
from Common Dreams
"Hospitals and healthcare clinics across the US have been announcing layoffs, service cuts, and closures in the weeks since Republicans passed a budget law that’s estimated to slash spending on Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade.
" Tim Layton, an associate professor of public policy and economics at the University of Virginia, told CNN that rural areas figure to be particularly vulnerable to the Medicaid cuts given their lower population densities.
"'You can expect those places to be impacted by now having people who don’t even have Medicaid,' he said. 'With fewer people to spread fixed costs across, it becomes harder and harder to stay open.'
"Leor Tal, campaign director for Unrig Our Economy, said that the cuts to Medicaid looked particularly bad politically for Republicans when contrasted to the tax cuts that disproportionately benefit high-income Americans.
"'These closures are the congressional Republican agenda in action: cuts to healthcare for rural moms and families, tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires,' Tal said. 'These closures are not an accident—they are the direct result of a law written to serve the wealthy and leave working people behind, and unless Republicans in Congress reverse course, more working-class Americans will be left behind while the rich get even richer.'"
Tribal Nations Scramble to Save Clean Energy Projects as Federal Support Vanishes
As federal programs are frozen or eliminated, Indigenous communities are seeking new ways to fund and finish urgently needed renewable energy plans
from The Circle
"Cody Two Bear, who is Standing Rock Sioux, served on his tribal council during the Dakota Access pipeline protests in 2017. Growing up in a community powered by coal, the experience was transformative. 'I’ve seen the energy extraction that has placed a toll significantly on tribal nations when it comes to land, animals, water, and sacred sites,' said Two Bear. 'Understanding more about that energy, I started to look into my own tribe as a whole.'
"In 2018, Two Bear founded Indigenize Energy, a nonprofit organization that works with tribes to pursue energy sovereignty and economic development by kickstarting clean energy projects. Last year, with nearly $136 million in federal funding through Solar for All, a program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, the nonprofit launched the Tribal Renewable Energy Coalition, which aims to build solar projects with 14 tribal nations in the Northern Plains.
"But when Donald Trump took office in January, those projects hit a wall: The Trump administration froze Solar for All’s funding. That temporarily left the coalition and its members earlier this year without access to their entitled grant (it was later released in March). However, the EPA is considering ending the program entirely.
"Tribes are now seeking philanthropy, short-term funding, and conventional financing to cover delays and gaps in project costs."
Minnesota’s language diversity offers a snapshot of a changing state
The top three non-English languages, Spanish, Somali and Hmong, are no surprise. But the state’s language communities range from Pashto to Fulani
from Sahan Journal
The Gun Control Debate at the Capitol is Going as Expected
from The Minnesota Reformer
"Tensions between Democrats and Republicans were on full display during the second and final meeting of a state Senate working group on gun violence prevention, just two days after the lawmakers expressed a willingness to work together following a Minneapolis school shooting that killed two children and injured 21 others.
"Democratic-Farmer-Labor members of the working group put forward a number of gun policy proposals, many of which have gotten hearings in recent legislative sessions: safe storage requirements; funding for gun violence prevention research; and bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and binary triggers, which increase the rate of fire of a gun.
"The Republican members held the line on their party’s opposition to any measure that would place new restrictions on firearms. They did not submit any specific proposals for consideration, citing a lack of time to prepare."
Hennepin County will Limit Felony Charges Stemming from Low-Level Traffic Stops
County Attorney Mary Moriarty said the new policy addresses historical targeting of Black drivers.
from The Minnesota Star Tribune
"Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office will no longer prosecute most felony cases arising from low-level traffic stops, arguing that law enforcement in the state’s most populous county have long disproportionately targeted minorities for violations like broken tail lights or improper turns.
"Moriarty said she has observed footage from squad cars and noted police have looked for traffic violations as a pretext for a stop, even if the driver isn’t being pursued for any other reason or they aren’t driving dangerously.
"Moriarty also noted the police shooting deaths of Philando Castile and Daunte Wright occurred after low-level traffic stops.
"Jeronimo Yanez, the St. Anthony police officer who stopped Castile, told him the stop was for a broken taillight. Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter stopped Wright for an improper turn and noted expired license plate tabs."
Wall Street Is Killing the Housing Market
Investment giants are buying up homes and pricing real people out of the market.
from Inequality.org
"Unfortunately, the right to a home in America is under threat. Rents have skyrocketed, homelessness is rising, and home ownership is increasingly unattainable for most Americans.
"There are multiple causes, but one culprit stands out: classic Wall Street greed. Massive private equity corporations and hedge funds are buying up homes by the thousands — houses, apartment buildings, and mobile home parks alike — and then jacking up rents."
Trump’s Invasion of D.C. Costs over $1 Million a Day. What Could That Fund Instead?
Deploying the National Guard against D.C.’s unhoused population costs four times more than simply housing them. And that’s true across the country.
from Inequality.org
"Previous reporting found that National Guard deployments cost the U.S. government $530 per Guard member, per day. So the price tag of deploying 2,091 troops to D.C. is well over $1 million per day — and the number of troops will likely continue to grow. And with no deadline for the D.C. deployment, those costs could add up for months or even years.
"This militarized spending comes at the expense of federal programs — like public housing — that actually do prevent crime and improve health and education outcomes.
"Using those figures and other publicly available data, I calculated that the daily cost of operating public housing for all 5,616 people who are unhoused in D.C. on any given night is one-quarter the daily expense of deploying the National Guard. If the Guard remains deployed for three months, it would cost more than operating public housing for the entire unhoused population in D.C. for an entire year."
Following Shootings, Free Trainings Focus on a Vital Type of First Aid Anyone Can Do
What is psychological first aid and how can it help members of your community after a traumatic event? Recent trainings and apps seek to spread the knowledge and the practice
from Minnesota Post
- Psychological First Aid
- Safety
- Comfort
- Connection
- Self empowerment
- Hope
At Your Doorstep
How The Gig Economy Fuels Global Exploitation & Undermines Democracy
from Reactionary International
"Digital labour platforms, or platform apps, are tech-based intermediaries that connect workers who provide labour services with customers and businesses that demand and supply these services. The workers are engaged on a casual basis, and are compensated per commission or ‘gig’. At the crux of this model lies the ‘independent contractor’ classification, wherein the workers are not legally considered employees of these app companies, but are instead classified as self-employed vendors, which puts the costs of conducting these services — such as vehicle costs, fuel, insurance, licensing — entirely on the workers. Not quite the technological innovation as they are often advertised, platform apps instead heralded the production of a perpetually ‘on demand’ workforce. The restructured labour model, which has since mushroomed into a global phenomenon, has its roots in two economic moments in the twentieth century..."
About the Reactionary International consortium
"Coups. Assassinations. Riots. Detentions. Disinformation. We know the tactics that have been deployed to undermine our democracies. But who is behind them?
"That is why we launched a research consortium on the Reactionary International: to trace the connections between the politicians, platforms, think-tanks, funders, foundations, publications, judges, and journalists that comprise this global network — and to support democratic systems to become more resilient to their insidious tactics."
Trump's Calamitous Crypto Corruption
It's enriching him and his family but endangering you, me, and the entire economy
from Robert Reich
"So far, the Trump family has made about $3 billion from crypto — with many purchases by foreign buyers. Forbes now estimates that over half of Trump’s entire net worth is crypto-based.
"With Trump acting as both the President of the United States and as his own crypto brand ambassador, it’s hard to tell which job he’s doing at any given moment.
"One US company said it explicitly purchased $2 million of Trump’s meme coins to influence trade policy.
"Trump’s Justice Department even scrapped the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, giving a green-light to all kinds of crypto crime, even though Americans lost $9.3 billion in crypto scams in 2024."
"...crypto firms could end up holding more than $2 trillion in U.S. treasury bills as collateral. If they had to suddenly liquidate those assets to cover a bank run, the value of U.S. securities could plummet, triggering a global financial crisis."
As US Edges Closer to Stagflation, Economists Blame Trump Policies
Recent data shows stagflation, stagnant growth and price inflation, is possible as economy shaken by uncertainty
from the Guardian
"'Say stagflation is happening, but at a very slow pace, because firms are waiting to pass through [the cost of tariffs],' said Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan, an economist at Brown University. 'Firms are going to start seeing demand increase and say: ‘Oh, now I can pass through my higher costs on to more consumers.’ … Then we are going to see inflation.'
"One analysis from Goldman Sachs said that US consumers had already absorbed 22% of the cost of tariffs, and that they could eventually take on 67% if current tariffs continue.
"If prices continue to rise, and the labor market continues to slow, stagflation will get stronger.
"The Yale Budget Lab estimated that Trump’s tariffs could increase the number of Americans living in poverty by at least 650,000 as tariffs become what the lab calls an 'indirect tax'".
Top 19 'Truly Superwealthy' US Families Grew $1 Trillion Richer Last Year
Families including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg now control a combined $2.6 trillion in wealth, according to renowned economist Gabriel Zucman
from Common Dreams
"In 2024, those ultrarich households saw the largest single-year wealth increase on record.
"The Wall Street Journal noted in its Wednesday write-up of Zucman's analysis—based on data from Forbes, Fortune, and the Federal Reserve—that the families in his 'research on the top 0.00001% in the U.S. are worth at least $45 billion per household and include Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and private-equity investor Stephen Schwarzman.'
"Their wealth is largely tied up in the U.S. stock market, which rose more than 23% in 2024. The richest 10% of U.S. households control 93% of stock market wealth, according to the Federal Reserve.
"Meanwhile, families at the bottom of the U.S. income and wealth distribution have struggled due to what the Economic Policy Institute recently described as 'policy-induced wage suppression.'
"'Since 1975, nearly $80 trillion in wealth has been redistributed from the bottom 90% of Americans to the top 1%,' Sanders said last month in response to the paper. 'The massive income and wealth inequality in America today is not only morally unjust, it is profoundly damaging to our democracy.'"
'Insane Economics,' Bernie Sanders Says of Musk's Trillionaire Potential
'No society can survive when one man becomes a trillionaire while the working class struggles to survive"
—Bernie Sanders
from Common Dreams
"US economic inequality has been exacerbated by the policies of the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. Although President Donald Trump campaigned on promises to "make America affordable again," upon returning to office he invited Musk to help gut the federal government and has pursued a pro-billionaire agenda under which critical social programs are being sacrificed upon the altar of multitrillion-dollar tax breaks for corporations and oligarchs.
"An analysis published last week by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office affirmed that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by Trump in July will increase the wealth of the richest 10% of US households by $13,600 annually—largely due to tax cuts—while simultaneously taking about $1,200 annually from the poorest 10% of households, mainly due to cuts in programs including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."
Lawsuits against patients over unpaid medical bills increase in Minnesota to a five-year high
from MPR
"When patients are unable to pay their medical bills and fall into debt, hospitals and health care providers often turn over that debt to collection agencies, and eventually they can be sued by the provider or a collection firm for payment. Lester Bird, a senior manager with Pew Charitable Trusts, said those lawsuits can come with financial repercussions such as having your wages garnished, and it can also have emotional consequences.
"Lawsuits filed for overall consumer debt, including debt from unpaid medical bills, auto loans and credit cards, are also increasing — not just in Minnesota, but across the country. Some experts say these cases are possibly aided by artificial intelligence, which makes it easier for companies to analyze debt that is piling up and file lawsuits quickly."
Medicare Will Require Prior Approval for Certain Procedures
A pilot program in six states will use a tactic employed by private insurers that has been heavily criticized for delaying and denying medical care.
from NY Times
"The federal government plans to hire private companies to use artificial intelligence to determine whether patients would be covered for some procedures, like certain spine surgeries or steroid injections. Similar algorithms used by insurers have been the subject of several high-profile lawsuits, which have asserted that the technology allowed the companies to swiftly deny large batches of claims and cut patients off from care in rehabilitation facilities.
"The A.I. companies selected to oversee the program would have a strong financial incentive to deny claims. Medicare plans to pay them a share of the savings generated from rejections.
"The American Medical Association wrote in a letter that doctors view prior authorization 'gas one of the most burdensome and disruptive administrative requirements they face in providing quality care to patients.'g Most patients who appeal are successful, but a vast majority never appeal."
Beyond the Fringe: Why Majorities of Voters Believe Conspiracies About Power and Institutions
from Change Research
"A Conspiracy theories are often dismissed as fringe ideas, but new Change Research data shows they’re anything but. In a national survey of 1,590 registered voters (August 20–26, 2025), majorities endorsed many conspiracy claims—especially those rooted in deep mistrust of government, media, business, and technology. By conspiracy theory, we mean a belief that some secret but influential individual or organization is responsible for an event or phenomenon. Importantly, we make no judgment here about whether such theories are true or false; our focus is on how widely they are held and what they reveal about public trust.
"Key Findings"
"Institutional Distrust Dominates: Large majorities believe powerful institutions act in secret against the public interest. For example, 83% say U.S. leaders excuse human rights abuses to protect political or business interests, 82% believe the CIA has assassinated foreign leaders, and 75% think Jeffrey Epstein was murdered to shield elites.
- "Widespread Belief in Modern Conspiracies: 60% say government agents instigated the January 6th riot, 56% believe COVID-19 was deliberately created in a lab, and 52% think big tech companies censor conservatives.
- "Fringe Claims Still Draw Minority Support: About four in ten voters buy into disproven or extreme ideas like election fraud in 2020 (42%), government foreknowledge of 9/11 (41%), or vaccines hiding dangerous ingredients (39%). More outlandish theories—flat Earth (23%), fake moon landing (22%), or 'birds aren’t real' (2%)—have less support."
The Latest on Trump's Tariffs
from MN AG Keith Ellison
A federal appeals court just struck down Trump’s tariffs. Learn what means for you on today’s episode of Affording Your Life
Advancing Our Values
from Indivisible
"In a time of rising injustice and division, the Advancing Our Values campaign is a call to action for Indivisible members to rise together. Rooted in care, solidarity, and resistance, this campaign equips and supports groups to stand up for communities under attack through mutual aid, rapid response, and political education.
"We know that showing up in solidarity means doing so effectively, thoughtfully, and without causing harm. That’s why this campaign is about learning and unlearning, listening deeply, and building trust as we take action together."
We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health
from NY Times Opinion
"What the health and human services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has done to the C.D.C. and to our nation’s public health system over the past several months — culminating in his decision to fire Susan Monarez as C.D.C. director days ago — is unlike anything we had ever seen at the agency and unlike anything our country had ever experienced.
"Mr. Kennedy has fired thousands of federal health workers and severely weakened programs designed to protect Americans from cancer, heart attacks, strokes, lead poisoning, injury, violence and more. Amid the largest measles outbreak in the United States in a generation, he’s focused on unproven treatments while downplaying vaccines. He canceled investments in promising medical research that will leave us ill prepared for future health emergencies.
Minneapolis Devastated After Two Mass Shootings in 24 Hours Leave 3 Dead, 24 Injured
from Sahan Journal
"Two children were killed and several more were injured in a mass shooting Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis. One man was killed and six people were injured in an unrelated shooting Tuesday.
"The Minnesota House People of Color and Indigenous Caucus released a statement Wednesday, calling for a united response to end gun violence.
"'The epidemic of gun violence continues to wreak havoc on our neighborhoods, and we have to offer our community more than simple platitudes,' the statement read in part. 'We need tangible solutions and the political courage to act. We will not accept this as ‘normal’ and will not continue to turn a blind eye to an obvious issue affecting our state and nation.'"
Three Undaunted Labor Figures
Unions remain critical in the fight for democracy and social justice
from the Contrarian (Jen Rubin)
"In the run-up to Labor Day, The Contrarian has featured guests and columns on the labor movement all week to underscore the critical role unions play in protecting workers and defending democracy. Even if you have never been a union member, you almost certainly have enjoyed the protection of workplace safety rules and benefits that labor unions fought for over decades (e.g., paid vacation, sick leave, overtime). But unions have also been key in battles for civil rights, environmental justice, and the social safety net.
"Three union figures’ legacies speak to the essential role that organized labor plays in nearly every issue that’s critical to Americans. Their biographies remind us that for decades union leaders and members have pushed back against threats, smears, violence, and public skepticism to struggle collectively for a more just society."
Drastic Cuts to Renewable Energy
from Heather Cox Richardson
"Just days before Labor Day, a holiday designed to celebrate the importance and power of American workers in the United States, the Transportation Department cancelled $679 million in funding for offshore wind projects, and the Department of Energy announced it is withdrawing a $716 million loan guarantee to complete infrastructure for an offshore wind project in New Jersey.
"Reversing the shift toward renewable energy not only attacks attempts to address the crisis of climate change and boosts the fossil fuel industry on which some of Trump’s apparent allies depend, but also undermines a society based on the independence of American workers. In 2023, about 3.5 million Americans worked in jobs related to the renewable energy sector, and jobs in that sector grew at more than twice the rate of those in other sectors in what was a strong U.S. labor market. The production of coal, which Trump often points to as an ideal for American jobs, peaked in 2008. Between then and 2021, employment in coal mining fell by almost 60% in the East and almost 40% in the West, leaving a total of about 40,000 employees.
"Another cut last week sums up the repercussions of the administration’s attack on renewable energy. On August 22 the Interior Department suddenly and without explanation stopped construction of a wind farm off the coast of Connecticut and Rhode Island that was 80% complete and was set to be finished early next year. As Matthew Daly of the Associated Press noted yesterday, Revolution Wind was the region’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm. It was designed to power more than 350,000 homes, provide jobs in Connecticut and Rhode Island, and enable Rhode Island to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2033.
"The Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut expressed their dismay at the decision, noting that Revolution Wind employed more than 1,000 local union workers and is part of a $20 billion investment in 'American energy generation, port infrastructure, supply chain, and domestic shipbuilding and manufacturing across over 40 states' by Ørsted, a Danish multinational company."
FEMA’s Chaotic Summer Has Gone From Bad to Worse
from Wired
"Following a week of strife at the disaster relief agency, Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem told FEMA employees to 'be vocal' about their positive experiences with the Trump administration.
"On Monday, more than 190 current and former FEMA employees signed onto a public letter criticizing the agency. While most employees signed anonymously, 35 of them signed with their names attached. Many current employees who signed onto the letter with their full names were almost immediately placed on administrative leave following the publication of the letter, The Washington Post reported.
"The letter comes after a summer of disastrous flooding across the US, which critics say has been handled poorly as the administration slow-walks responses to requests for aid from certain states. FEMA employees tell WIRED that staff attrition and policies clogging up contract approvals are weakening the agency, which is facing a hard deadline to get contracts out the door by the end of the fiscal year; these policies have already created scrutiny for the agency over its response to flooding in Texas this summer, arguably the most high-profile disaster this year. Now, as the nation heads into the most intense months of the Atlantic hurricane season, employees worry that the agency is not prepared to face another catastrophe."
The Trump Recession Is Coming
from The New Republic
"The president’s assault on the independence of the Federal Reserve is only the latest of several reckless economic actions that have put the country on the brink of economic disaster.
"...the economy is in significantly worse shape than it was a year ago, thanks in large part to actions Trump himself has taken. The public recognizes this, as polls show a clear majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of the economy and blame him for rising prices. Still, media attention has lagged: There is nowhere near the coverage of consumer attitudes that there was last spring.
"To be fair, there has been a lot to cover since Trump took office: the gutting of the federal government, the deportation of law-abiding immigrants to foreign gulags, the militarization of L.A. and now D.C., the weaponization of the Department of Justice, airstrikes on Iran, and so much more. But Trump has also done everything possible to push the country toward recession.
"It’s hard to overstate just how dire the situation is. The economy that Trump inherited was the envy of the developed world. For all of its problems—such as lingering high prices and longstanding inequality—Biden and his advisors navigated post-pandemic inflation better than almost anyone, thanks to the administration’s industrial policy and several key pieces of legislation aimed at boosting infrastructure spending. In just a few months, Trump has wrecked that progress. And he has done so for no compelling reason whatsoever—simply because he has always, going back to his first term, taken pleasure in destroying his predecessor’s accomplishments."
DOGE Put Critical Social Security Data at Risk, Whistle-Blower Says
DOGE team members uploaded a database with the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to a vulnerable cloud server, according to the agency’s chief data officer.
from NYTimes
"Members of the Department of Government Efficiency uploaded a copy of a crucial Social Security database in June to a vulnerable cloud server, putting the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans at risk of being leaked or hacked, according to a whistle-blower complaint filed by the Social Security Administration’s chief data officer.
"The database contains records of all Social Security numbers issued by the federal government. It includes individuals’ full names, addresses and birth dates, among other details that could be used to steal their identities, making it one of the nation’s most sensitive repositories of personal information.
"The account by the whistle-blower, Charles Borges, underscores concerns that have led to lawsuits seeking to block young software engineers at the agency built by Elon Musk from having access to confidential government data. In his complaint, Mr. Borges said DOGE members copied the data to an internal agency server that only DOGE could access, forgoing the type of 'independent security monitoring' normally required under agency policy for such sensitive data and creating 'enormous vulnerabilities.'"
Local Food Shelves Fret Over Federal Funding Cuts
from CCX Media
"The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program helps low-income families supplement their grocery budget—but local hunger relief leaders say the program is about to see a significant funding cut. Leaders from Second Harvest Heartland, The Food Group and ICA Food Shelf spoke about SNAP at a news conference in Brooklyn Park on Monday afternoon. Those leaders, alongside Rep. Kelly Morrison (D-Minnesota), held the conference to raise awareness of how it could affect Minnesotans."
Take a Minute to Learn About Pocket Rescissions
and Another Minute to Send a Letter to Your Senators Opposing Them
from Chris Bowers (Wolves and Sheep)
"'Pocket rescissions' are a crackpot legal theory cooked up by Trump's closest allies as a means to give him even more power. However, crackpot legal theories have never stopped Trump from trying to consolidate power before, and they likely won't stop him this time, either (especially given how slowly the courts have been moving). Members of Congress—ideally of both parties—need to speak out against pocket rescissions, especially now that we have entered the 45 day window when the Trump administration might try to employ them."
"Sign and send a letter to your U.S. senators, urging them to oppose "pocket rescissions" and protect congressional power over federal spending."
Trump voters wanted relief from medical bills. For millions, the bills are about to get bigger.
from Minnesota Reformer
"The president and his Republican congressional allies have brushed off the health care cuts, including hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicaid retrenchment in the mammoth tax law. 'You won’t even notice it,' Trump said at the White House after the bill signing July 4. 'Just waste, fraud, and abuse.'
"But consumer and patient advocates around the country warn that the erosion of federal health care protections since Trump took office in January threatens to significantly undermine Americans’ financial security.
"'These changes will hit our communities hard,' said Arika Sánchez, who oversees health care policy at the nonprofit New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty.
"Sánchez predicted many more people the center works with will end up with medical debt. 'When families get stuck with medical debt, it hurts their credit scores, makes it harder to get a car, a home, or even a job,' she said. 'Medical debt wrecks people’s lives.'"
Minnesota could pay additional $86 million annually thanks to SNAP cuts in Trump tax bill
from Minnesota Reformer
"In addition to the new state cost-sharing for SNAP, Trump’s tax bill also expands work requirements for adults to those under age 65, up from age 55, and to families with children older than 13. In Minnesota, about 29,000 additional adults will need to meet the work requirements or risk losing their benefits.
"The purported goal of the work requirements is to force recipients to get jobs so they won’t need SNAP assistance in the future, but research shows that work requirements don’t increase employment or earnings. The overwhelming outcome is that people lose their benefits.
"Trump’s bill also restricts SNAP to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, meaning that the 8,000 SNAP recipients who are refugees, asylees or hold another legal immigration status will not be eligible."
This Tiny MAGA Town Borders Canada. They're Ready to Say Good Riddance
from Politico
"NORTHWEST ANGLE, Minnesota — Paul Colson compared the Angle to a scene painted by Norman Rockwell: It's quiet, safe and the fishing's great. But life in this United States exclave — a 150-person pocket of Minnesota that is entirely surrounded by water and Canada — isn't always picture perfect, the third-generation resident acknowledged one morning last month.
"The only way to reach this fishers' paradise without driving through Canadian customs is via prop plane, boat or — during ice fishing season — by snowmobiling more than an hour across the Lake of the Woods, the second-largest lake in the land of 10,000 of them. The Angle is only part of the country due to an 18th-century surveying error, which has made it the northernmost point in the contiguous U.S. For elementary-aged kids, there's a one-room schoolhouse (if you don't count the recently added gym and kitchenette), but starting in sixth grade students in the Angle have to go through four international border checkpoints and be bused more than 120 miles round trip to Warroad, Minnesota, for class each school day."
- Residents who overwhelmingly voted MAGA are increasingly frustrated as Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports drive up costs of essentials.
- Repeated threats to annex Canada and dismantle trade agreements have unsettled locals reliant on cross-border commerce, leading a few core supporters to question their allegiance.
- But most residents support Trump's crusade against Canada, whom they feel has often made things difficult for them.
- Even as MAGA signs remain, a growing minority of residents say they will back candidates promising to stabilize US-Canada relations and ease economic pressures.
The battle to shape the public’s perception of Trump’s big bill is just beginning
from the Minnesota Reformer
"'Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one, but six months into his disastrous second term, he’s robbing working Minnesotans to fund tax handouts for his billionaire backers,' Martin said in a statement accompanying the new tracker. As chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Martin never lost a statewide race in 15 years.
"One problem for Democrats in the near term, however: Republicans shrewdly — politically, if not fiscally — delayed the safety net cuts until after the midterm elections, which means many Americans will see the benefits of the bill while the costs won’t be felt for some time."
How Plants and Fungi Trade Resources Without a Brain
Over the past few decades, scientists have come to increasingly appreciate plant intelligence
from NPR
"A billion years ago, there were no plants on land. Plants managed to expand from the oceans by trading with fungi and microbes, who could break rocks down into nutrients they needed.
"This led to a 90% reduction in CO2 levels," says Kiers. "We owe our atmosphere, we owe our forests, we owe our grasslands to this partnership."
"(Mycorrhizae are still responsible for drawing down so much CO2 each year—the equivalent of 1/3 the emissions from fossil fuels—that Kiers co-founded an organization, SPUN, to "protect the underground" the same way we protect the Amazon Rainforest and biodiversity hotspots like the Galapago.)
"'I do think there's something to be said about intact networks,' she says. 'They really offer a lot of resilience.'"
Not just electricity — water supplies will be taxed by data centers
from Minnesota Reformer
"One large-scale data center can consume as much water as 12,000 households, according to the the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
"...proposed mines, factories and data centers threaten to deplete the underground aquifers that supply up to 40% of the Great Lakes’ volume — and drinking water reserves for nearly three-quarters of Minnesotans."
BlackRock’s bid for Minnesota Power worries consumer advocates
from Minnesota Reformer
"A private equity buyout of the electric utility serving large swathes of northern Minnesota could weaken its finances and jeopardize its compliance with Minnesota’s carbon-free power standard — while raising rates and reducing reliability for more than 150,000 customers, administrative law judge Megan J. McKenzie said on July 15. McKenzie’s lengthy report called on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission — or the PUC — to reject the proposed deal."
Line 3 protester convicted of felony granted new trial because of prosecutorial misconduct
from Minnesota Reformer
"An anti-pipeline demonstrator convicted of a felony is entitled to a new trial after the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the prosecutor’s repeated misconduct robbed her of a fair trial.
"The decision is the latest rebuke of Garrett Slyva, a former Aitkin County assistant attorney who oversaw numerous since-dismissed prosecutions of Line 3 protesters including prominent Ojibwe activist Winona LaDuke."
Data Center Download — Water
from MCEA
"Proposals for data centers are popping up all over the state. In some cases, cities aren't even revealing if large industrial proposals are for data centers at all, using non-disclosure agreements to keep communities in the dark. In response we've started making information requests for communications between the cities and companies that they're legally obligated to provide.
"In fact, as it stands, these data centers don't need to apply for their own water withdrawal permits at all. Instead, they are using a permit that the city already has, and asking the city to apply for larger withdrawals. From the outside, it may look as if the city needs more water for residents and businesses, but in fact, a single user has come in and doubled the demand.
"This also creates a perverse incentive for cities to compete against each other to market their water resources to attract these facilities, and disincentives cooperation among cities to plan for sustainable regional water use. With at least 10 data centers proposed on the outer edges of the Twin Cities, and no scrutiny of individual permits or analysis of the cumulative effects of these large increases, this is an unsustainable situation that will harm Minnesota's water resources."
Capitalism is Illegal
from Progressive International
"This year, Earth Overshoot Day fell on 25 July—the date by which humanity has already used up more resources than the planet can regenerate in an entire year. Two days earlier, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a historic ruling: states are legally obliged to stop this planetary overshoot, and to hold those responsible to account. In effect, the world's highest court has confirmed what movements across the world have long insisted: the climate crisis is not just a political failure. It is an economic and a legal one. And the system driving it—capitalism—is, by every meaningful measure, illegal.
"In an unanimous advisory opinion issued on 23 July, the 15 judges of the ICJ found that: The 1.5°C limit is not just a target—it is a legal threshold; all states have binding legal obligations to prevent 'significant harm' to the environment; fossil fuel production, consumption, and subsidies may constitute 'internationally wrongful acts'; and wealthy countries have additional legal responsibilities to lead the fight against climate change.
"Importantly, the Court affirmed that climate inaction is a breach not only of environmental treaties but of general international law and human rights law. In the words of Professor Jorge Viñuales of Cambridge University, the Court 'essentially sided with the Global South and small island developing states.'"
Resisting Erasure: Capital, Imperialism and Race in Palestine
from Politics Theory Other podcast
"Adam Hanieh, Rafeef Ziadah, and Robert Knox on their new co-authored book, 'Resisting Erasure: Capital, Imperialism and Race in Palestine'. We spoke about the inadequacy of framing the question of Palestine and the Gaza genocide solely as a humanitarian issue and how the Israeli project of settler-colonialism has been part and parcel of the expansion of European and American capitalism."
Extra! Extra! 7/27
from Chop Wood Carry Water
"The United Nations reported a global shift toward renewable energy, passing a "positive tipping point" where solar and wind power will become even cheaper and more widespread."
"Liberal group Protect Our Care is launching a $525,000 radio ad campaign attacking Republicans for threatening Medicaid coverage for rural Americans. The ads are running in Arizona, Florida, California, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington."
"A diverse group of faith leaders, college students, grandmothers, retired lawyers and professors has been showing up at immigration courts across the nation to escort immigrants at risk of being detained for deportation by ICE agents."
"The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has announced a new program to deliver hot meals, groceries and prescription medicines to immigrant parishioners amid ongoing ICE raids."
"In a landmark ruling, the International Court of Justice declared that failure to act on climate change can be an "internationally wrongful act"—meaning countries could face legal consequences for harming the planet."
Data Center Download
from Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
"Right now, some of the world's largest tech companies are quietly planning massive data centers across Minnesota. These facilities could use as much electricity as every home in our state combined, consume millions of gallons of water daily, and operate with minimal public oversight."
"Across the state, these facilities are moving forward without comprehensive environmental review or meaningful public input."
"Before we hand over our water, energy, and natural resources to Big Tech, Minnesotans deserve answers to four essential questions:
- Energy - Where will the electricity come from?
- Water - Would our ground and surface waters be protected?
- Materials - Would these operations drive more appeals for mining?
- Community Impact - How would neighbors be affected?"
A Guide for State and Local Governments to Protect People Financially in the Lead-up to and Aftermath of Climate Disasters
from Equitable & Just Insurance Initiative
"In a world of increasingly severe and frequent climate disasters, state and local governments need to be prepared to protect the public with emergency interventions. Hurricanes, wildfires, floods and more create not just physical and emotional devastation but also undermine economic and financial security for months or years after disasters strike. Recent examples like the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires have made clear what’s at stake for the financial health of a community if policymakers don’t act quickly to provide new resources and protections. These demands are critical to protect communities, homeowners, renters, insurance policyholders, and the general public."
Fully Automated Hacking
from Control/AI
"AI agents are rapidly improving across crucial domains such as math, cybersecurity, biology, and chemical engineering, and conclude that since controlling agents pursuing long-term goals is harder, AI development 'follows a dangerous trajectory'."
How you can stop Peter Thiel’s Palantir
from Robert Reich
"As I have written, Palantir is at the nexus of several worrisome realities: artificial intelligence, Trump’s use of the U.S. military on American civilians, his attack on immigrants, his collection of personal information on millions of Americans, and the parts of Silicon Valley dedicated to turning the U.S. from a democracy into a dictatorship led by tech bros.
"Palantir sells an AI-based platform that allows its users — among them, military and law enforcement agencies — to analyze personal data, including social media profiles, personal information, and physical characteristics. These are used to identify and surveil individuals.
"In March, Trump signed an executive order requiring all agencies and departments of the federal government to share data on Americans. To get the job done, Trump chose Palantir Technologies.
"According to New York Times reporting, Palantir’s software may now be used to combine data gleaned from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service. Meanwhile, the administration wants access to citizens’ and others’ bank account numbers and medical claims."
Duluth Man Walks Up To 12 Miles a Day
Checking in on people living on the streets
from MPR
"Kesti's days start as early as 6 a.m. He walks 10-12 miles most days, through downpours and blizzards, heat waves and cold snaps. He recently climbed 91 flights of stairs in a single day — almost as many stairs as in the Empire State Building."
Bullets in the Windows
from Your Local Epidemiologist
"I've spent the past 36 hours trying to process what happened. What is clear is this: it wasn't random. Violence rarely is. And it goes far beyond what happened Friday.
"The perpetrator was shooting at public health workers—the people who devote their careers to keeping communities safe. The ones who work to stop the spread of disease and reduce gun violence. And in this case, targeted because of their work on the Covid-19 vaccine."
Trump is underwater on trade in 40 states
from Strength in Numbers
"This week, Donald Trump put in place a fresh set of tariffs on imports from nearly 70 different countries. The new taxes range from 10 to 41%, and add to the tariffs the president already enacted earlier in his term. Friend of Strength In Numbers Joey Politano calculates that the average good imported into the U.S. now has an 18% tariff attached to it.
"Swing states are strikingly negative on tariffs. My predictive model trained on 4,000 interviews with U.S. adults shows that Trump's approval on trade is just 41% in the average state, whereas 59% disapprove of his job performance in the area. Trump is below 45% in every major battleground state — including Iowa, Texas, and Florida, where Republican senators are running for re-election next year."
Urging an International AI Treaty: An Open Letter
"We call on governments worldwide to actively respond to the potentially catastrophic risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems to humanity, encompassing threats from misuse, systemic risks, and loss of control. We advocate for the development and ratification of an international AI treaty to reduce these risks, and ensure the benefits of AI for all."
STAT(S) of the Week: Tariffed Enough Already
from Rachel Bitecofer
"Tariffs are taxes. They always have been. And Trump's 'tariff strategy' is, in effect, a massive new federal tax—on top of the one you already pay every April. Call it the Trump Tax: a second pipeline of revenue flowing from American wallets directly into the U.S. Treasury.
"And now, thanks to new data from the Treasury Department, we can see just how much we're paying."
Trump Pushes Policies That 'Treat Homelessness and Mental Illness as a Crime
from Common Dreams
"'Homelessness is a policy failure,' said one ACLU leader. 'Weaponizing federal funding to fuel cruel and ineffective approaches to homelessness won't solve this crisis.'"
ACLU Condemns Trump Executive Order Targeting Disabled and Unhoused People
from the ACLU
"Scout Katovich, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Trone Center for Justice and Equality, issued the following statement in response to the executive order:
"'From the so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' that will strip health care from millions to this dangerous executive order, every action this administration takes displays remarkable disdain for the rights and dignity of vulnerable people.
'Pushing people into locked institutions and forcing treatment won't solve homelessness or support people with disabilities. The exact opposite is true – institutions are dangerous and deadly, and forced treatment doesn't work. We need safe, decent, and affordable housing as well as equal access to medical care and voluntary, community-based mental health and evidence-based substance use treatment from trusted providers.'"
The trillion-dollar AI arms race is here
from the Guardian
"Tech companies are fighting to claim the title of having the world's most advanced AI. The goal is to supercharge their bottom line and keep investors and Wall Street happy. But developing the world's most advanced AI means spending billions on data centers and other physical infrastructure to house and power the supercomputers needed for AI. It also means a drain on natural resources and the grid in the areas surrounding data centers worldwide."
"Claims that artificial intelligence will help solve the climate crisis are misguided, with the technology instead likely cause rising energy use and turbocharge the spread of climate disinformation, a coalition of environmental groups has warned."
Right-Wing Supreme Court Acts Again
& the "Rescissions" Before Congress
Heather Cox Richardson
"Without any explanation, the right-wing majority on the Supreme Court yesterday granted a stay on a lower court's order that the Trump administration could not gut the Department of Education while the issue is in the courts. The majority thus throws the weight of the Supreme Court behind the ability of the Trump administration to get rid of departments established by Congress—a power the Supreme Court denied when President Richard M. Nixon tried it in 1973.
"This is a major expansion of presidential power, permitting the president to disregard laws Congress has passed, despite the Constitution's clear assignment of lawmaking power to Congress alone."
This article by Richardson goes into several critical recent moves to grab more powers for the Executive Branch. She provides a very helpful explaination of what is happening & who might be driving it.
FEMA
the NYTimes
"FEMA Didn't Answer Thousands of Calls From Flood Survivors, Documents Show.
"Two days after deadly Texas floods, the agency struggled to answer calls from survivors because of call center contracts that weren't extended."
GOP Budget Bill Will Make ICE "Largest Federal Law Enforcement Agency in the History of the Nation"
Democracy Now
This bill provides a whopping $170 billion to transform immigration enforcement and detention. This includes $45 billion for new detention jails. That's 265% more than the current ICE detention budget and more than the budget of the federal prison system. ICE's enforcement budget would increase by $30 billion, a threefold increase, and there's some $46 billion for border walls and more.
American Immigration Council calls the bill, quote, "the largest investment in detention and deportation in US history; a policy choice that does nothing to address the systemic failures of our immigration system while inflicting harm, sowing chaos, and tearing families apart"...
The administration is targeting immigrants as a "gateway, "opening the door into violating the rights of anyone they choose to. They're banking on citizens not paying attention if "only" immigrants are affected.
But this $170 billion is to fund a private army that answers only to Trump, and it would be the third largest military force on Earth, after the U.S. and Russia. For perspective, the FBI has a budget of $10 billion
Concentration Camp Labor
by Timothy Snyder
A Hero: The Senate Parliamentarian Has Reset The Game
From the Big Picture blog
"Rulings by Elizabeth MacDonough take big bites out of the GOP's 'Big Beautiful Bill'"
What Vaccines Can I Get this Fall?
Probably most of them, but maybe for the last time. Get them while you can.
from Rasmussen Retorts
"Americans will have access to most vaccines this fall, but maybe not COVID. Other countries should not be affected, with some caveats. That’s not great news, but it’s also not 'no vaccines.' Unfortunately, that applies to this year only."
Front Row Seats to the End of the Merit System
Politicization reaches federal hiring and retention
from If you can keep it
"Hell-bent on politicizing the civil service, the Trump administration came out swinging with multiple executive orders, memoranda, and internal guidance meant to ensure that only loyalists were retained or hired as civil servants. For months, there have been open questions about how these orders would get implemented, about what they would mean in practice. No longer. The wheels are now in motion, and a new Trumpified version of the civil service is starting to take shape."
Trump's Widening War on Gender-Affirming Care
from Axios
"The Trump administration's crackdown on gender-affirming care is expanding rapidly as officials investigate hospitals, cut off benefits for federal workers and their dependents, and pick new fights with blue states.
"The latest moves could put hospitals and other providers in the middle of a showdown between federal power and patient privacy protections — or even force health providers to break their own state laws.
"The actions have also created an atmosphere of fear for transgender individuals, their families, and health providers who say they're providing medically necessary care and haven't violated any laws."
FEMA Now Requires Disaster Victims to Have an Email Address
from Wired
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will now require disaster survivors to register for federal aid using an email address—a departure from previous policy where email addresses were optional. The move, FEMA employees tell WIRED, puts people across the US with little to no access to internet services at risk of losing out on crucial federal financial assistance after disasters.
"In 2022, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the government agency that advises the president on telecoms and information policy, reported that one in five American households had no access to the internet in their homes. While the majority of offline households said they had no desire to be online, nearly 20 percent said that they couldn’t afford internet access. Offline households, NTIA data shows, are more likely than their online counterparts to make less than $25,000 a year, and are more likely to be racial and ethnic minorities. NTIA data from November 2023 shows that nearly 17 percent of households in Missouri and 20 percent of households in Tennessee—the two states where FEMA workers spoke to WIRED—had no internet use at all in the home.
"'Email is already a MAJOR barrier for a lot of survivors, especially the elderly,' they say. 'They must use the email to create a profile on disasterassistance.gov, and this is where their correspondence is. They receive an email informing them they have a new letter, but the actual letter is within their online profile. They have to do all these verifications to access it, and it’s too much for a lot of people. A lot need postal, and email is a terrible option for them even if they have an email address and know how to read their emails.'
"The changes come amid a wider push from the agency to shift aid following disasters from the federal government to the state. As WIRED reported in May, the agency has phased out door-to-door surveying of survivors this summer. FEMA workers worry what even more obstacles to aid could mean for those in need."
Culture War By Executive Order and Its Impact on Libraries
As professionals and as citizens, we must decide whether we will serve as stewards of culture, or as instruments of the state. The future of libraries, museums, and archives depends on our answer.
from Every Library Institute
"In the first 100 days of his second administration, President Donald Trump issued several executive orders targeting important federal cultural institutions.
"These included the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) , the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the Smithsonian Institution.
"Framed under themes like 'restoring patriotism,' 'ending woke ideology,' and 'restoring American exceptionalism,' these directives represent an unprecedented use of executive authority aimed at reshaping the mission, governance, and funding of America’s cultural institutions, including libraries, museums, and archives."
MAGA Attacks on Women In Hyperdrive
'Christian' nationalists, right wing podcast bros, and MAGA politicians have formed an axis of evil against women — men must step up to fight back
from Qasim Rashid
"Christian nationals are demanding women stay home, be stripped of voting rights, the right to work and earn an income, or the right to have any leadership positions. Right wing pod bros are demanding women "owe" their husbands sex as "marital debt." MAGA politicians are gutting reproductive health, gutting Medicaid, and banning Mifepristone—all as maternal mortality continues to rise."
Day Zero: The Empire Strikes Again
AIs surpass humans at hacking, while the dangerous AI race continues with GPT-5, Claude 4.1, and Genie 3.
from Control AI
"AI hacking systems could be a double-edged sword. Systems like XBOW can be used to find and patch vulnerabilities in computer systems, but in the wrong hands they could potentially be used to launch unprecedented cyberattacks.
"This should be viewed within the context of AIs becoming more capable across the board, including in dangerous domains. OpenAI's recent ChatGPT Agent was the first system classified as "High" capability in biological and chemical domains, able to "meaningfully help a novice to create severe biological harm".
Disaster in the Making
Trump to Open 401(k)s to Crypto, Private Equity Vultures
from Common Dreams
"U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday that would allow private equity and cryptocurrencies into Americans' 401(k)s, appeasing corporate interests that lobbied for the change and disregarding warnings about the risks it poses to retirement accounts."
Sesame Street, State Media, and the Fast March to Fascism
& How We Fight Back
from Qasim Rashid
"It’s hard to overstate how devastating the Trump regime’s latest move is: the total defunding and shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). This calculated attack will kneecap NPR and PBS, strip millions of children of educational programming, and further erode one of the few remaining pillars of independent, public-minded journalism and storytelling in America. Adding to this injury is the insult of a required 'bias monitor' before Trump’s FCC approves the Skydance/Paramount merger. We are one step closer to state media, and we need to keep ourselves informed...
"Once, the media was called the 'fourth estate,' a watchdog to hold power accountable. Today, much of it has been reduced to a lapdog, justifying its own subservience under the guise of 'neutrality.' But there is nothing neutral about normalizing fascism.
"So we’re left with a choice: accept this collapse, or build something better."
1 Big Thing: Medical Orgs Bumped from Vaccine Working Groups
from Axios
"Divisions between the federal government and the medical establishment are deepening ahead of the respiratory virus season after the Trump administration purged at least 10 professional societies from federal working groups on vaccine policy."
New Construction
Imagining a progressive era
from Wolves and Sheep
"If Trump’s destructive legacy will give us an opportunity to rebuild America, we first need to envision what we want to emerge from the rubble he leaves behind...
"Let’s start with the two drivers of change that led to the Trump reaction: economic inequality and the emerging majority minority America. Trump is exacerbating the former and resisting the latter. A progressive era would do the opposite. It would reverse economic inequality and embrace a diverse, multicultural nation...
"And a new foundation will need to be built. Because creating a country where rights are expanded and government works for those who can’t afford to purchase access to it requires more than simply winning an election. It requires an earthquake.
"An earthquake comparable to the one that enabled the expansion of rights after the Civil War.
"An earthquake that made possible the establishment of social welfare policies after the Depression."
Flock's Surveillance System Might Already Be Overseeing Your Community
Millions in Public Funds, Zero Public Input
from Drop Site
"Flock is a $7.5 billion surveillance technology company, operating in over 5,000 communities across 49 states. Flock has a proven playbook to expand through securing local government contracts, often behind closed doors.
"Flock's technology has been used to assist with everything from ICE investigations in Illinois to abortion investigations in Texas. 'Local police around the country are performing lookups in Flock's AI-powered automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system for 'immigration' related searches and as part of other ICE investigations, giving federal law enforcement side-door access to a tool that it currently does not have a formal contract for,' 404 Media reported in May. A Johnson county sheriff searched over 83,000 cameras to prosecute a woman traveling over state lines to obtain an abortion, including searches of thousands of cameras in Washington and Illinois where abortion is legal, according to data obtained by 404 Media.
"The technology brings into question the presumption of innocence, the legal principle that people are innocent until proven guilty. Charles Siefe, the former NSA employee who spoke at the June 10th meeting in Scarsdale, explained to Drop Site how Flock provides a system of 'persistent severance' through interconnected Live View Cameras (LVCs) and License Plate Readers (LPRs). 'You can actually go into the database and look for stuff to see if you can tag that person with a crime.' He compares this to traffic stops, saying, 'police officers know if you follow someone in a car for a couple of miles, the likelihood is you'll be able to pull them over for something.'"
Is Public Health Dead?
from Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance
"The rule of law isn’t the only cornerstone of our democracy that has been severely damaged during the Trump era. We are seeing it more clearly now, in this second term, with Kennedy in office, hollowing out some of the best of public health while the administration wages war on public health infrastructure inside of government and the universities and research institutions that advance it on the outside. The consequences are serious."
Rural Communities Need the Community Schools Approach More Than Ever
from the Progressive
"Post-pandemic, schools continue to struggle with food insecurity, mental health, and chronic student absenteeism—but the community schools approach can help close these gaps."
The final tally for the Big Ugly Bill
from Robert Hubbell
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its final report on the "cost" of the Big Ugly Bill. According to the CBO, the bill will increase the deficit by $3.4 trillion and result in 10 million Americans losing health coverage.
"...the shocking increase in the deficit was spent almost entirely on tax breaks for millionaires and grotesque increases in the budgets for ICE and the military. To the extent the deficit was offset, it was "paid for" by removing 10 million Americans from healthcare."
You Don’t Mean 'Culture War'
from The Objective
"If you believe the headlines, there is an all-encompassing conflict in the United States with two distinguishable sides. The shorthand for this fight is the 'culture war.' And apparently we’re all living in it.
"You cannot lump all voices into a two-sided conflict without erasing distinct voices and moral imperatives. The phrase allows for a lazy description of the day’s events, without, for example, mentioning racism or homophobia or xenophobia. And without added context, it helps journalists and readers to ignore who is doing harm and who is being harmed."
American Immigration Council
"We envision a nation where immigrants are embraced, communities are enriched, and justice prevails for all. We strive to create a society that values immigrants as vital contributors to our nation and where everyone is afforded an equal opportunity to thrive socially, economically, and culturally.
Get News & Analysis
As deportations of southeast Asians ramp up, community organizes response
from Minnesota Reformer
"More than 150 southeast Asians have been deported from Minnesota since May, according to MN8, a Southeast Asian political advocacy group. More are awaiting deportation at an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana.
"Many of those deported were brought to the U.S. as children as their parents fled the destruction of the Vietnam War and what’s known as the Secret War in Laos. The CIA recruited Hmong people in Laos to fight against the North Vietnamese army; many of the surviving soldiers fled with their families to the U.S. after the war.
"Activists gathered at the East Side Freedom Library in St. Paul Sunday to call attention to the deportations and discuss how to respond."
Genocide, Neutrality and the University Sector
Neutrality as a colonial construct
from Rafeef Ziadah
"The ongoing destruction in Gaza demands urgent academic and ethical reckoning, exposing the complicity of universities and scholarly disciplines in sustaining settler-colonial violence. This essay interrogates the role of Sociology as a discipline and academic institutions in shaping, legitimising, or resisting systemic oppression, with a focus on institutional neutrality as a mechanism of erasure. Drawing on critical scholarship on settler colonialism, anti-Palestinian racism and neoliberal academia, the article examines how universities suppress Palestine advocacy through overt repression, bureaucratic silencing and material entanglements with the military-industrial complex. It critiques the discourse of neutrality and balance, demonstrating how these frameworks function to maintain dominant power structures. By tracing the complicity of Western academic institutions – from their partnerships with Israeli military research to their suppression of pro-Palestinian activism – the article argues that meaningful decolonisation requires a rejection of performative neutrality and an active dismantling of structures that sustain occupation and genocide."
We Teach Life, Sir
Ziadah recites the poem
from Rafeef Ziadah
"Today, my body was a TV’d massacre that had to fit into soundbites and word limits."
"Civil rights activist Angela Davis says that Ziadah’s words 'hit you right in the heart. They are more powerful than any weapon.'"
Misperceptions of the Border: Migration, Race, and Class Today
from Adam Hanieh & Rafeef Ziadah
"In recent decades, a rich current of Marxist literature has insisted that categories of race and class under capitalism cannot be separated from one another, in either a theoretical or historical sense.1 The basic premise of this work is that processes of class formation are always racialised in specific, historically concrete ways; and that, likewise, racialised groups are necessarily marked by class inequalities and differences in social power.
"All of this has proven exceptionally invigorating to Marxism, and our argument in this paper draws heavily upon many of the insights generated by this existing literature (both new and old). In what follows, however, we single out one dimension of this work that we feel needs to be explored much more systematically: the role of global migration and the nature of national borders within the co-constitution of class and race. By this, we are not at all suggesting that migration, the migrant experience, and the crossing of borders have not figured centrally within Marxist analyses of race and class. There is a strong tradition, particularly exemplified in the work of some Black British writers,9 which has paid close attention to the intersection between racial formation, migration, and labour.10 This work has opened up critical insights into the relationship between migration, class, and processes of racialisation, particularly through the postwar period. However, in our opinion, this work often takes the national scale and its borders as an assumed given, and does not go far enough in problematising and demystifying the particular place of migrant labour and borders in global capitalism. In what follows, we seek to challenge these common-sense perceptions of national borders, and ask what can be learnt about the interconnections of race and class through more systematically foregrounding migration within the circuit of capital accumulation."
Solidarity in Action
Building Relationships & Coalitions w/ best-selling Author Cristina Jimenez
from Indivisible
"This session is part of our ongoing Solidarity in Action Learning series designed to series and connected to a collective reading of the authors book Dreaming of Home, How We Turn Fear Into Pride, Power, and Real Change. In this session, we explored how to form, manage and sustain powerful coalitions that amplify community support, social justice and advocacy efforts. Whether you’re working in a local neighborhood network, a national campaign, or an emerging grassroots group, this session equips you with the strategies and inspiration to build deep, values-based partnerships that can hold through conflict, adapt overtime and win change together."
Resisting Erasure: Capital, Imperialism and Race in Palestine
from Politics Theory Other podcast
"Adam Hanieh, Rafeef Ziadah, and Robert Knox on their new co-authored book, 'Resisting Erasure: Capital, Imperialism and Race in Palestine'. We spoke about the inadequacy of framing the question of Palestine and the Gaza genocide solely as a humanitarian issue and how the Israeli project of settler-colonialism has been part and parcel of the expansion of European and American capitalism."
Learning About Scripted Violence
from the Anti-Authoritarian Playbook (Scot Nakagawa)
"Chip Berlet’s work examines how political rhetoric, especially coded language, can incite violence by portraying certain groups as existential threats, thus encouraging individuals to take violent action. His analysis highlights the responsibility of political leaders, media figures, and activists in shaping discourse that either promotes or discourages violence."
Nakagawa always provides a clear breakdown of what is at stake, how authoritarianism works, and strategies to fight back.
Build your click-through agency by clicking on the link below. This practice is an act of resistance in an age of rising AI summaries that ask you to passively receive their generative text wthout clicking through to any original source of information — to accept them as a truth oraclei without the need for transparent logic or the citations behind their conclusions.
Sadopopulism Is A Disturbing Policy, But We Need To Understand It
from Status Kuo (Jay Kuo)
"Jay Kuo explores this phenomenon of the modern right, what authoritarian expert Timothy Snyder calls 'sadopopulism.' That a strongman like Trump could win democratic elections on a platform of cruelty and pain may seem counterintuitive, but it is in fact part of a time-tested playbook. We need to first identify it for what it is, why it’s working, and how it’s driving the modern fascist MAGA ethos."
Signs of Solidarity
Canvassing Toolkit
from NO Kings
"When businesses and communities stand together, we send a powerful message: immigrants are essential and welcome here. This guide will help you organize locally, engage business owners, and build visible, united resistance.
"Download our printable signs — one designates a private area for employees that ICE cannot enter without a judicial warrant, and others show public solidarity with immigrants. Print them, bring them to businesses, and help send a clear message that our community stands together against fear and intimidation."
Use the following link to download your choice of high-resolution posters.
'I've been spat on': gender non-conforming women tell of toilet abuse after UK's supreme court ruling
from the Guardian
"'If you're masculine presenting or butch lesbian, women's toilets are not a safe space. I've been spat on, screamed at and it's just so sad that this looks likely to get worse.'"
Bullets in the Windows
from Your Local Epidemiologist
"I've spent the past 36 hours trying to process what happened. What is clear is this: it wasn't random. Violence rarely is. And it goes far beyond what happened Friday.
"The perpetrator was shooting at public health workers—the people who devote their careers to keeping communities safe. The ones who work to stop the spread of disease and reduce gun violence. And in this case, targeted because of their work on the Covid-19 vaccine."
Trump Pushes Policies That 'Treat Homelessness and Mental Illness as a Crime
from Common Dreams
"'Homelessness is a policy failure,' said one ACLU leader. 'Weaponizing federal funding to fuel cruel and ineffective approaches to homelessness won't solve this crisis.'"
ACLU Condemns Trump Executive Order Targeting Disabled and Unhoused People
from the ACLU
"Scout Katovich, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Trone Center for Justice and Equality, issued the following statement in response to the executive order:
"'From the so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill' that will strip health care from millions to this dangerous executive order, every action this administration takes displays remarkable disdain for the rights and dignity of vulnerable people.
'Pushing people into locked institutions and forcing treatment won't solve homelessness or support people with disabilities. The exact opposite is true – institutions are dangerous and deadly, and forced treatment doesn't work. We need safe, decent, and affordable housing as well as equal access to medical care and voluntary, community-based mental health and evidence-based substance use treatment from trusted providers.'"
Abusive Practices at Three Florida Immigration Detention Centers
"You Feel Like Your Life Is Over"
from Human Rights Watch
"Within a month of the inauguration, the number of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began increasing. Throughout 2024, an average of 37,500 people were detained in immigration detention in the US per day.[1] As of June 20, 2025, on any given day, over 56,000 people were in detention across the country, 40 percent more than in June 2024, and the highest detention population in the history of US immigration detention. As of June 15, immigration detention numbers were at an average of 56,400 per day, and nearly 72 percent of individuals detained had no criminal history.
"Between January and June 2025, thousands were held in immigration detention at the Krome North Service Processing Center (Krome), the Broward Transitional Center (BTC), and the Federal Detention Center (FDC), in Florida, under conditions that flagrantly violate international human rights standards and the United States government's own immigration detention standards. ...
"Detainees in three Florida facilities told Human Rights Watch that ICE detention officers and private contractor guards treated them in a degrading and dehumanizing manner. Some were detained shackled for prolonged periods on buses without food, water, or functioning toilets; there was extreme overcrowding in freezing holding cells where detainees were forced to sleep on cold concrete floors under constant fluorescent lighting; and many were denied access to basic hygiene and medical care."
Elizabeth Castillo — Story of Courage
from WLRN
"They saw their neighbors taken away by ICE. Then they made a plan
"At first, Castillo was on her own with a megaphone. When she saw ICE vehicles in the streets she followed them in her car, honking and shouting to warn people that they were coming. She started getting up before dawn to patrol her apartment complex. Then she contacted the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which runs a nearby job center. Through it, she was plugged into a citywide network of people who are constantly tracking ICE's activities..."
Building Partnerships and Coalitions featuring, Cristina Jimenez
from Indivisible
- When:
- Monday, August 18, 6:00–7:30pm
- Where:
- Online
"Become equipped with strategies and best practices for forming, managing, and sustaining effective coalitions to amplify social, community support, and advocacy efforts."
Trump's Widening War on Gender-Affirming Care
from Axios
"The Trump administration's crackdown on gender-affirming care is expanding rapidly as officials investigate hospitals, cut off benefits for federal workers and their dependents, and pick new fights with blue states.
"The latest moves could put hospitals and other providers in the middle of a showdown between federal power and patient privacy protections — or even force health providers to break their own state laws.
"The actions have also created an atmosphere of fear for transgender individuals, their families, and health providers who say they're providing medically necessary care and haven't violated any laws."
Culture War By Executive Order and Its Impact on Libraries
As professionals and as citizens, we must decide whether we will serve as stewards of culture, or as instruments of the state. The future of libraries, museums, and archives depends on our answer.
from Every Library Institute
"In the first 100 days of his second administration, President Donald Trump issued several executive orders targeting important federal cultural institutions.
"These included the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) , the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and the Smithsonian Institution.
"Framed under themes like 'restoring patriotism,' 'ending woke ideology,' and 'restoring American exceptionalism,' these directives represent an unprecedented use of executive authority aimed at reshaping the mission, governance, and funding of America’s cultural institutions, including libraries, museums, and archives."
Christian Militants Are Using Instagram to Recruit—and Becoming Influencers in the Process
from Wired
"An emerging guard of paramilitary activists are using social media and edgy aesthetics to build a new brand of anti-government, Christian nationalist militias."
MAGA Attacks on Women In Hyperdrive
'Christian' nationalists, right wing podcast bros, and MAGA politicians have formed an axis of evil against women — men must step up to fight back
from Qasim Rashid
"Christian nationals are demanding women stay home, be stripped of voting rights, the right to work and earn an income, or the right to have any leadership positions. Right wing pod bros are demanding women "owe" their husbands sex as "marital debt." MAGA politicians are gutting reproductive health, gutting Medicaid, and banning Mifepristone—all as maternal mortality continues to rise."
Pussy Riot's Cathedral Performance
Russia, 2012 — Another Lesson In Creative Cultural Resistance
from Scot Nakagawa
"In 2012, the feminist punk collective Pussy Riot staged a provocative protest performance inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Wearing colorful balaclavas and dresses, the group performed their "punk prayer," a chaotic and defiant act that criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church's complicity in authoritarianism and patriarchy. The performance lasted only minutes before security intervened, but its message echoed far beyond the walls of the cathedral.
"The performance became a flashpoint for global conversations about authoritarianism, sexism, and corruption. The harsh punishment meted out to the performers—long prison sentences for 'hooliganism motivated by religious hatred'—underscored the regime's intolerance of dissent. At the same time, the event catalyzed international solidarity campaigns, brought attention to the intersection of art and activism, and made Pussy Riot an enduring symbol of resistance."
Project 2025 Tracker
"Project 2025 is a comprehensive conservative policy blueprint developed by The Heritage Foundation and supported by an alliance of over 100 conservative organizations. It provides a detailed roadmap for transforming the federal government and implementing conservative policies in a future Republican presidential administration.
Project 2025 Tracker is "a comprehensive, community-driven initiative to track the implementation of Project 2025's policy proposals"
New Construction
Imagining a progressive era
from Wolves and Sheep
"If Trump’s destructive legacy will give us an opportunity to rebuild America, we first need to envision what we want to emerge from the rubble he leaves behind...
"Let’s start with the two drivers of change that led to the Trump reaction: economic inequality and the emerging majority minority America. Trump is exacerbating the former and resisting the latter. A progressive era would do the opposite. It would reverse economic inequality and embrace a diverse, multicultural nation...
"And a new foundation will need to be built. Because creating a country where rights are expanded and government works for those who can’t afford to purchase access to it requires more than simply winning an election. It requires an earthquake.
"An earthquake comparable to the one that enabled the expansion of rights after the Civil War.
"An earthquake that made possible the establishment of social welfare policies after the Depression."
"We'll Smash the Fucking Window Out and Drag Him Out"
from ProPublica
"In Los Angeles, a terrified immigrant sits inside a truck as a masked man swings a baton, shattering his window."
"Use-of-force experts and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement insiders say the tactic was rarely used during previous administrations. They say there is no known policy change greenlighting agents' smashing of windows. Rather, it's a part of a broader shattering of norms."
"'There are arrest quotas, and they are increasingly aggressive. There's been an emphasis placed on speed and numbers that did not exist before,' says Deborah Fleischaker, who served as ICE chief of staff under President Joe Biden."
This U.S. Executive Order Turned Mental Illness Into a Crime, Complete with Data Collection and Forced Institutionalization
from Care2
"An executive order that Trump signed in July 2025 has effectively made it a crime to have a mental illness, struggle with substance use, or be unhoused. And the punishment for those crimes could be both forced institutionalization without consent, and loss of privacy rights over sensitive health data."
The Fight Against ICE's Cruelty and the Rise of State Violence
from ICEbreaker News
"ICE may deport migrants to countries other than their own with just six hours notice, memo says"
"A senior White House aide has reportedly set a daily ICE arrest quota of 3,000, guiding DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to oversee high-volume immigration raids nationwide."
"New data shows ICE is focusing more on non-criminal undocumented immigrants, contradicting its messaging about targeting 'criminal' migrants and raising questions about enforcement priorities"
"After temporarily pausing workplace raids, ICE has rescinded the exemption, resuming enforcement in farms, hotels, and restaurants despite industry concerns."
Trump’s 'Crime' Canard
from the Contrarian
"Despite last week’s lawsuit, which focused primarily on Attorney General Pam Bondi’s letter (since revised) purporting to 'take over' the D.C. Metropolitan Police Force, the federal occupation of D.C. and assault on migrants has metastasized. Random checkpoints snare drivers indiscriminately. Violent arrests horrify residents..."
Election Policy in the Second Trump Administration
from Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
- When:
- Thursday, Sept. 4, 10am–2pm
- Where:
- Virtual via Zoom
"Since taking office again, President Donald Trump has aggressively sought to change U.S. election policy. His executive order mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, changes the rules governing postmarked ballots, and directs the Election Assistance Commission to rescind voting equipment certification. In addition, the administration has abandoned many of the election security improvements that followed the 2016 and 2020 Russian attempts to influence U.S. elections. Other initiatives like The SAVE Act, memorializing elements of President Trump’s executive order in law, have worried election administrators. This one-day conference, sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Certificate in Election Administration Program, will explore these issues, the likelihood these policies will be adopted, and the effect they could have on U.S. elections."
Donald Trump's Evolution on LGBTQ+ Issues
from The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook (Scot Nakagawa)
From relatively progressive for a Republican to hard right turn.
"Several factors likely influenced this shift:
- Political Calculation: Recognition that the Republican base, particularly evangelical Christians, strongly opposed LGBTQ+ rights
- Influence of Advisors: Figures like Mike Pence and conservative religious leaders gained significant influence in his administration
- Base Mobilization Strategy: Identifying transgender issues as effective wedge issues for mobilizing conservative voters
- Shifting Coalition Politics: Deepening alliance with religious conservatives who prioritized these issues
- Culture War Focus: Recognition that gender and sexuality issues created energizing political contrasts"
Nakagawa goes on to detail implications and strategic approaches for LGBTQ+ advocates.
For example, his section on strategic messaging includes the following:
- "Emphasize that most Americans support LGBTQ+ rights, framing opposition as outside of the mainstream
- Focus on values-based messaging around fairness, freedom, and family
- Use local messengers trusted by specific communities rather than national figures
- Position anti-LGBTQ rhetoric as a distraction from economic and other issues"
Living in 1984
from Joyce Vance
"The headline tonight reads, 'White House to Vet Smithsonian Museums to Fit Trump’s Historical Vision.' It’s in The Wall Street Journal, not exactly a bastion of liberal views. 'Top White House officials will scrutinize exhibitions, internal processes, collections and artist grants ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.'
"Why? The Journal answers that question in the opening paragraph: 'The White House plans to conduct a far-reaching review of Smithsonian museum exhibitions, materials and operations ahead of America’s 250th anniversary to ensure the museums align with President Trump’s interpretation of American history.'
"Trump’s interpretation of American history? The man isn’t exactly a scholar."
OutFront Policy & Organizing
from Outfront MN
"Last month, the Trump administration shut down the 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline's LGBTQ+ youth services. This decision will have devastating impact on LGBTQ+ people of all ages as we continue to withstand attack after attack on our rights. But don't forget: there are always people ready to help. The following organizations are here to assist those in crisis:
- Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
- LGBTQ National Youth Talkline: 1-800-246-7743
- The Trevor Project Youth Call Line: 1-866-488-7386
- The Trevor Project Yout Text Line: Text ‘START’ to 678-678
- Crisis Text Line: Text ‘HOME’ to 741741
- Black Trans Advocacy Coalition: 855-624-7715 "
Who’s questioning women’s right to vote?
from Minnesota Reformer
"'If you look at the way things played out in the past, we have this very liberal period followed by a conservative backlash,' Marino said. 'And that’s what’s going on now. You have this period of liberalism where people were having a more expansive view of gender ideology, ideas about sexuality and women in politics. We had some pretty prominent female politicians that were making it pretty far in the last couple of years. And now there’s a backlash.' Marino said. 'And that’s what’s going on now. You have this period of liberalism where people were having a more expansive view of gender ideology, ideas about sexuality and women in politics. We had some pretty prominent female politicians that were making it pretty far in the last couple of years. And now there’s a backlash.'"
Epstein Is Only the Tip of the Iceberg: The Trump Protection Machine and the Epidemic of Violence Against Women
from Meditations in an Emergency (Rebecca Solnit)
"One reason this violence is so unacknowledged is that it is in the most literal sense not news – there are tides of hatred and violence against other groups that ebb and flow, but violence against women is global and enduring, a constant rather than an event. Another is that law enforcement and the legal system have often been more interested in protecting perpetrators, and society has often normalized and even celebrated violence against women.
"Imagine that we had no word for cancer and no recognition of the varieties of ways it manifests, so that we just had occasional lurid news stories about strange and sometimes fatal growths in various parts of various people, not connecting the versions in brains to the versions in prostates and breasts (and of course if we didn't recognize the common denominators we couldn't develop diagnoses and treatments or address root causes). Feminism has in fact offered a diagnosis, steadily, for decades and centuries: that the cause is misogyny and the violence is intended to perpetrate the inequality, exploitation, and subordination of women. But the one-case stories avoid this recognition by treating something ubiquitous as exceptional and isolated."
The Basic Struggle Today
How to live a moral life in an age of bullies
from Robert Reich
"Throughout history, the central struggle of civilization has been against brutality by the powerful. Civilization is the opposite of brutality. A civil society doesn’t allow the strong to brutally treat the weak.
"Yet in my lifetime, I’ve witnessed a breakdown. I’ve seen a change occur — from support of decency and constraints on brutality, to tolerance of indecency and support for unconstrained cruelty.
"Trump is not the cause. He’s the culmination.
"So how do we lead moral lives in this age of bullies?"
How ICE’s Arrest of a High School Student Activated a Massachusetts Town
from Mother Jones
"The arrest of the Brazilian-native honors student has thrust Milford into the national spotlight, making it a flashpoint for President Donald Trump’s turbocharged immigration enforcement. It has also served as a catalyst for resistance in a town where dynamics around immigration have at times created fissures. 'It definitely brought the community much closer together,' said Coleen Greco, the mother of one of Gomes da Silva’s volleyball teammates. 'I hadn’t seen that kind of activation in the 22 years I’ve lived here. Nothing like it.'
"Word of Gomes da Silva’s detention spread quickly through Milford, a 30,000-person blue-collar town 40 miles southwest of Boston. When he didn’t show up to volleyball practice that Saturday morning, his teammates and coaches assumed he must have overslept. Then coach Andrew Mainini got a text from a player, an undocumented 17-year-old who was in the car with Gomes da Silva. ICE had let him go along with an exchange student from Spain, but held onto Gomes da Silva. Mainini recalled feeling shocked and helpless. 'We didn’t know what to do,' he said...
"The mobilization immediately after Gomes da Silva’s arrest struck Low as a 'pivotal moment' for Milford, where Trump won 42 percent of votes in 2024. 'It’s really the first time I can remember that there’s been a significant portion of the community speaking up on behalf of the immigrants who live here,' Low said, noting that he hadn’t heard a public official in the town espouse such a pro-immigrant stance in all his years of organizing work. 'I think that’s really important going forward.'"
"Palestine Is Really the Center of the World"
Angela Davis on Gaza, Black-Jewish Solidarity & Trump
from Democracy Now
"Professor Davis, you've said that "Palestine is a moral litmus test for the world," quoting, of course, the late poet June Jordan.
"And so, it's a moment that is a bit difficult to digest, but I do think that even as we cry, even as we express solidarity amidst the suffering, we should recognize that this is a moment we've been waiting for, where people all over the world are recognizing Palestine as a litmus test and are recognizing that the people in the Sudan will — in Sudan will not be successful, people in Congo will not be successful, people in Haiti will not be successful, if they do not follow the leadership of the Palestinian people, who absolutely refuse to capitulate and genuflect to Zionism and to global capitalism and to racism."
Advancing Our Values
A call to action for Indivisible members to rise together
"In a time of rising injustice and division, the Advancing Our Values campaign is a call to action for Indivisible members to rise together. Rooted in care, solidarity, and resistance, this campaign equips and supports groups to stand up for communities under attack through mutual aid, rapid response, and political education.
"We know that showing up in solidarity means doing so effectively, thoughtfully, and without causing harm. That's why this campaign is about learning and unlearning, listening deeply, and building trust as we take action together."
Messaging Guides
from Anat Shenker-Osorio
"Host of the Words to Win By podcast and Principal of ASO Communications, Anat Shenker-Osorio examines why certain messages falter where others deliver. She has led research for new messaging on issues ranging from freedom to join together in union to clean energy and from immigrant rights to reforming criminal justice. Anat's original approach through priming experiments, task-based testing and online dial surveys has led to progressive electoral and policy victories across the globe."
In a first-of-its-kind decision, an AI company wins a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by authors
from NPR
"AI companies could have the legal right to train their large language models on copyrighted works — as long as they obtain copies of those works legally.
"That's the upshot of a first-of-its-kind ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco on Monday in an ongoing copyright infringement case that pits a group of authors against a major AI company.
"The ruling is significant because it represents the first substantive decision on how fair use applies to generative AI systems."
America: A Work in Progress, Powered by the People
Laurie Woodward Garcia and People Power United
"We are builders and dreamers, inventors and caregivers. Like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, 'The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice'—but only because people like us rise up and help bend it. From Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to Dolores Huerta shouting 'Sí se puede,' our history is shaped by the courage of ordinary people who refused to stay silent.
"We are not defined by our darkest moments, but by what we choose to do in their aftermath. We are not a nation that cowers to bullies or bows to fear. We rise. We speak out. We show up. We march forward."
Superman: Movie Review
from Qasim Rashid
"I feel compelled to share a powerful work of art that speaks to the human rights issues I care so deeply about. Walking into the theatre I’d seen murmurings from MAGA pundits that the movie was 'woke' (used as a pejorative of course) and even 'anti-Israel.' Not only are these claims unfounded, in reality, the film demonstrates the power of storytelling, the need for justice, and makes us wonder—who are the real superheroes in our world today?"
What I Learned From John Lewis
from Our Moral Moment
"When Things Look Bad, Lean In. How Moral Movements Overcome Evil."
"I learned from John Lewis and the many SNCC veterans who invited us into the beloved community of their movement family that the Southern Freedom Movement never turned away from America’s darkness. They rode the Freedom Rides all the way to Mississippi’s Parchman Prison because they knew that was the deepest, darkest hole in the South. And if they could shine the light of freedom there, they could expose the lie of the whole filthy, rotten system.
"They didn’t try to avoid Bull Conner in Birmingham. They designed a campaign to confront his violence with moral courage - to expose the poison of white supremacy for all the world to see on their television screens."
Concentration camp expert warns Trump won’t stop with just immigrants in camps
from the Dean's Report
"'We need to be aware, as a country, how quickly this can get much, much worse.'
"That is the warning from Andrea Pitzer--an expert on concentration camps who wrote the 2017 book, 'One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps'-on where we find ourselves today under the Trump regime."
Betar Organizing Street Confrontations
from Drop Site
"The secret chat logs include plans to burn Qurans and attack pro-Palestine protesters with pepper spray."
"Founded as a paramilitary Zionist organization in 1923, Betar Worldwide has a prominent far-right chapter in the US that has aided the Trump administration’s deportation efforts by doxxing and agitating against pro-Palestine organizers. Betar US largely operates out of New York City, and in a video published and then deleted by their official X account, Betar’s members recently advertised their attempts to instigate a confrontation with the volunteers for Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign."