The only education any American needs is how to load their guns!
“Everything Perfect at DOD! Secretary Not Hardly Drunk!”
“He’s just an ordinary patriot with a fervent hobby.”
This is “The Boardroom” from Donald Trump’s “reality” show “The Apprentice.” Look at the top and you can see where the wall ends because it wasn’t a real boardroom. It was a set built on a soundstage because Trump’s real offices were small and shoddy. The show created an *illusion* of Trump success.
BIGGLIEST JOKE OF THE DAY: “Latino Evangelicals”:
“Although many Latino evangelicals believed that the Trump administration would only target people with criminal records for deportation, they’ve been surprised to learn that even some of their own pastors are now in the crosshairs.
Agustin Quiles, a spokesperson for the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Councils and Evangelical Institutions, tells the AP that he’s disturbed that the “messaging appears to be that anyone who is undocumented is a criminal” and he said that “we want to ask the president to reconsider because these actions are causing pain and trauma to so many families in and beyond our churches.”
Trump Talked to Putin By Phone Wednesday, the First Official Contact of Presidency
U.S. president says the two leaders have agreed to visit each other’s countries and will open immediate talks on Ukraine war
U.S. sending “low-risk” migrants to Guantanamo, despite vow to send “the worst”
While the Trump administration has highlighted transfers of dangerous criminals to Guantanamo Bay, it is also sending nonviolent, “low-risk” migrants.
But please don’t delete without scrolling down to the Extra Credit item, which is of particular and specific pertinence to our interests here on Playtime, and just do that one if you can’t stomach bothering your congresscritters today. Seriously, just do the Extra Credit item-you won’t be sorry, and you will make a difference!!!Thanks, A.
I hope you’re hanging in there today. I know things remain gobsmackingly awful, but I remain cautiously optimistic that the opposition is at last finding its sea legs.
A few reasons for this are:
1) House Democrats announced this morning that they have formally established a Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group! Good! We need a committee specifically dedicated to this fight, and this one, it seems, will be. I also happen to know that a huge political influencer is meeting with the Democrats this morning (and all week) to teach them how to make effective posts for social media. It’s overdue, and I’m very glad it’s happening.
2) There are now several big rallies or actions in the works—a nationwide protest on February 17, a one-day general strike on February 28, and a “total shutdown” on March 15. I’m sure many more things are being planned. There’s also now a website for a General Strike, and 200K people—including me—have already signed a strike card. The organizers offer a weekly Discord discussion, by the way, if you have questions about how a general strike might work. All are welcome.
3) Finally, my sister Lily went to her first Indivisible meeting last night. She called me from her car—in high excitement, I might add—to tell me that the meeting, which was hosted by a brand new Indivisible group, Rockland Indivisible, was so full that she couldn’t even get into the parking lot of the library where it was being held! Cars were backed up on the freeway trying to get in! She eventually found parking a ways away and walked over, but the room was so full she couldn’t get inside. She listened from the hallway and was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of the 300 people (!!) in the room. More were watching on Zoom. This kind of out-of-control enthusiasm for (and turnout at) a new Indivisible group is just wildly encouraging.
I could go on. It’s building. It’s coming. I feel it. We just need to keep fanning the flames.
Our job is to not quit while it’s hard. They want us to. They’re counting on it. They literally think we’re snowflakes. They think their orgy of destruction will force us to walk away in exhaustion.
They’re going to find out that they’re very wrong.
Breathe in strength. Breathe out fear. I’m not downplaying the danger. It’s real. I simply believe in our power more than I fear their malevolence. You should too.
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling to demand that the Senator vocally support the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and protect it from being dismantled by the Trump administration. The CFPB does vital work to protect consumers like me from being scammed by predators. A block to its funding is both illegal and also puts me at direct risk for financial harm. [H/T]
Speaking of which, almost everything Elon Musk is doing is illegal. Does the Senator stand for law and order or doesn’t s/he? If s/he does, then s/he needs to fight to take Congress’s power back. Agencies like the CFPB and USAID can’t be shut down without Congressional approval. That’s the LAW. Standing up for it is literally the Senator’s job. Thanks.
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
[If Republican:]
I’m calling in strong opposition to defunding USAID. Why is Congress letting Musk do this? It’s illegal. Any closing of an agency established by Congress can only be approved by Congress. Also, USAID gives the US massive influence overseas, it keeps diseases at bay, and it gives U.S. farmers a place to sell their produce. By gutting it you are hurting Americans. Please restore support for USAID immediately. I didn’t vote for Elon Musk and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him hurt my country. Thanks.
[If Democrat]
I’m upset about the gutting of USAID. I appreciate Democrats’ support for it, but the message needs to be stronger, louder and more effective. Congress needs to take its power back—any major reform or closing of an agency established by Congress can only be approved by Congress. More needs to be done now to stop the dismantling of USAID and other vital agencies, and to provide appropriate protections to the federal workforce. Thanks.
The Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, a former leader in gender-affirming health care in the bluest of blue states, has stopped offering vital health care to new patients, cancelling scheduled appointments for hormone treatments. We know that a lack of access for trans kids leads to higher rates of depression and suicide so we must call this out for what it is, a callous and fear-based decision to capitulate in advance to a transphobic White House trying to rule by Executive Order. Gender affirming care is protected under California state law so denying this care is also illegal.
CHLA’s patient relations line is 323-361-4682 (you have to let the entire outgoing message play to get to the VM. The “press pound” function doesn’t work.
Say something like:
My name is ____ and I am deeply disappointed by CHLA’s decision to stop providing gender-affirming care to new patients. This sends a terrible message to the rest of the country that even hospitals in blue states are unwilling to provide vital healthcare for trans patients. It also goes against California State Law. Please reverse this horrible decision. It will only lead to increased rates of depression and suicide for trans children. Thank you.
You can also call California Attorney General Rob Bonta. He’s written a letter to put CHLA on notice, but needs to know that is not enough. His office’s number is 1-800-952-5225 (press 1 for English, then 7 to leave a message). If you live in CA be sure to say that but you can call even if you don’t.
My name is ____ and I want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to protect trans kids in our communities. I was extremely disappointed to hear that Children’s Hospital of LA recently stopped providing gender-affirming care for new patients. This sets a dangerous precedent for other medical providers in California and violates the Unruh Civil Rights Act. I understand your office has put CHLA on notice but we need you to do more until this dangerous decision is reversed. Thank you.
Get Organized
Join Indivisible’s weekly discussion with co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg on Thursdays, 3pm ET/12pm PT.
When horrendous news comes at us as fast as it has the last few weeks, the only way to process it and stay grounded is to come together in community and discuss what’s happening. And, more importantly, discuss how we fight back. I can’t adequately describe how helpful these weekly Indivisible calls are to me. Ezra and Leah are so smart, so strategic, and so tough. They give me a lot of hope.
Want to stay apprised of what’s happening in the news but need it in a not-overwhelming format? I really like Matt Kiser’s Substack “What the F**k Just Happened Today?” (The actual name contains the full curse word, so if that’s a dealbreaker don’t click on it.)
Matt describes it this way:
WTF Just Happened Today? is a clear, once-a-day newsletter helping normal people make sense of the news. It’s curated daily and delivered every afternoon around 3 pm PT.
My job is to help distill news that deserves attention into a clear, understandable, and accurate first draft of history for normal people who might not otherwise engage with the news. WTFJHT covers the news through the lens of the executive branch specifically – and the president in particular – followed by the legislative and judicial branches in general, and in that order.
I find it to be a useful way of keeping track of the top headlines without drowning in information overload. Maybe you will, too. Check it out here.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
Truth Bombing is a new means of communicating that tackles the misinformation problem. Learn to use your creativity and social media to create & distribute pro-democracy messaging where it will do the most good.
This is Civic Sunday’s 6th zoom about it, by popular demand. Thursday Feb 13, 2pm PST/5pm EST.
Join Grassroots Democrats HQ and WisDems to make calls to voters for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election! Join them every week on Wednesdays to recruit volunteers from 3-5pm PT/6-8pm ET and Sundays to contact voters from 10am-12pm/1pm-3pm ET.
You’ll be making calls to talk to voters in Wisconsin about what issues are important to them & the importance of the Supreme Court Race and Spring Elections!
First time making calls? Phone banking is easy, fun, and rewarding! You’ll receive comprehensive training at the start of your shift.
Right now, ICE agents and other federal immigration officers are racially profiling and detaining U.S. citizens and people with valid visas because of how they look. For example, some Native residents of Arizona and New Mexico have already been questioned or detained by federal immigration agents. Some federal agents have also rejected Tribal ID cards or Certificates of Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) as proof of citizenship. In response to these civil rights violations, Tribal leaders across the country are encouraging their members to carry documentation and to know their rights if ICE agents stop them on the street or knock on their door.
In these ICE roundups, federal agents are also violating people’s constitutional rights — which apply regardless of immigration status — by arresting people without reasonable suspicion. Additionally, although being here as an undocumented person is a civil violation and not a crime, federal agents are arresting undocumented people who have no criminal records.
Please do everything in your power to stop the presidential administration’s illegal and unconstitutional actions, including by rejecting Trump nominees who plan to break the law, speaking out forcefully to pressure the White House to walk back violations of the law, refusing to fund immigration raids and detention, and conducting oversight visits of immigration detention centers. Immigrants and Indigenous people make America great. Thanks.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Feb. 12th always reminds me of the time we were sitting in a Wendy’s eating on the way to/from a karate tournament. Someone in the restaurant sneezed (it wasn’t crowded,) and I automatically said “God bless you!” then the kid said, “Science could have prevented that.” It was pretty awesome. Happy Darwin Day!
February 12, 1809
Charles Robert Darwin, who first described the process of evolution of species in the plant and animal kingdoms through natural selection, was born. It is now celebrated as Darwin Day, when the common language of science, bridging language and culture, is recognized and appreciated.
Darwin Day ideas ================================================ February 12, 1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded by sixty Americans, both black and white, in a call to safeguard civil, legal, economic, human, and political rights of black Americans. The call was partly in reaction to a race riot in 1908 in Springfield, Illinois, home of Abraham Lincoln. The call was issued on the centennial of his birth, and principally written by Oswald Garrison Villard, president of the N.Y. Evening Post Company: “If Mr. Lincoln could revisit this country in the flesh, he would be disheartened and discouraged.” Oswald Garrison Villard NAACP’s beginnings ================================================== February 12, 1947 An estimated 400-500 veterans and conscientious objectors from World Wars I and II burned their draft cards during two demonstrations, in front of the White House and at New York City’s Labor Temple, in protest of a proposed universal conscription law. This was the first peacetime draft-card burning. ================================================== February 12, 1993 About 5,000 demonstrators marched on Atlanta’s State Capitol to protest the Georgia state flag (on left) because its principal element was the Confederate battle flag. That flag was adopted in 1956 by the state legislature in reaction to the Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education ordering the racial integration of public schools. Several newspaper editorials opposed the flag as well as 18 local patriotic organizations, including the United Daughters of the Confederacy, stating the flag “would cause strife.”
In 2001 the Georgia state flag was redesigned, shown above. ==================================================== February 12, 1997 In “Prince of Peace Plowshares,” six activists poured blood and symbolically disarmed U.S.S. The Sullivans, a nuclear-capable Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, at the Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. All were eventually convicted of destruction of government property and conspiracy. Read more about this action
Legal experts warn of ‘constitutional crisis’ as JD Vance and Elon Musk question judges’ authority over Trump
Vice President JD Vance wrote Sunday on X, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
So first Netanyahu violated the ceasefire deal by not letting the aid and help through, now they demand that the hostage deal be changed in their favor. This means that Netanyahu gets everything he wants and the Palestinians get nothing. Way to be honorable people who violate agreements every chance they get. Hugs.
Netanyahu warns “ceasefire will be terminated” if Hamas doesn’t free hostages by Saturday
Both Trump and Netanyahu said they wanted captives freed by Saturday.
Americans Are Trapped in an Algorithmic Cage
Ideas The private companies in control of social-media networks possess an unprecedented ability to manipulate and control the populace. February 07, 2025 Shortly before President George W. Bush was reelected, in 2004, an anonymous Bush-administration source told The New York Times, “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality.” Those in what the adviser called “the reality-based community” would be left “studying that reality—judiciously, as you will.” Then “we’ll act again,
Scottie's Playtime 