As well, Feb. 19th is the annual Day of Remembrance of Pres. Roosevelt’s E.O. 9066, interning Japanese-Americans.
February 19, 1919 A Pan-African Congress was organized by W.E.B. DuBois in Paris, France, to coincide with the Versailles Peace Conference after World War I. DuBois, sociologist, historian, novelist, playwright, and cultural critic, served as special representative of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and was assisted by Blaise Diagne, a member of the French Parliament from the West African colony of Senegal. W.E.B. DuBois, founder of the NAACP and convener for the Pan-African Congress in Paris. The Congress’s aim was to call the issue of “international protection of the natives of Africa” to the attention of the United States and the European colonial powers who were making momentous decisions on the nature of the post-war world. DuBois was a moving spirit behind the growing struggle for self-determination among Africans, both on the continent and in the diaspora, and the Pan-African Congresses helped to bring the issues of this struggle to world attention. The Pan-African Congress was re-convened in 1921, 1923, 1927, and 1945. Attendees at the Pan-African Congress. More about W.E.B. DuBois More depth on the Pan-African Congresses
February 19, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt, ten weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, issued a directive ordering all Japanese Americans (Nisei) evacuated from the West Coast of the U.S., and forcing them to live in concentration camps. Executive Order 9066 authorized the Secretary of War and military commanders “to prescribe military areas . . . from which any or all persons may be excluded.” San Francisco Chronicle February 27, 1942 Photo by Dorothea Lange Japanese American residents board the bus for Camp Harmony, 1942. There was strong support from California Attorney General Earl Warren (later U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice), liberal journalist Walter Lippmann and Time magazine—which referred to California as “Japan’s Sudetenland” Japanese-American child on bus to concentration camp. photo: Dorothea Lange 112,000 citizens of Japanese ancestry were relocated, losing their businesses, homes, and belongings to the white residents of their former neighborhoods.This day is referred to as the “Day of Remembrance.” It has been commemorated every year for 67 years to remind Americans of that miscarriage of justice, and to ensure such things do not happen again. Children of the camps Note: In the entire course of the war, 10 people were convicted of spying for Japan, all of whom were Caucasian Day of Remembrance “Not Enough People Know About Day of Remembrance”
February 19, 1972 Paul McCartney’s song, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” was immediately banned from airplay by the BBC. Opening of the song: Give Ireland back to the Irish Don’t make them have to take it away Give Ireland back to the irish Make Ireland Irish today Great Britain you are tremendous And nobody knows like me But really what are you doin’ In the land across the sea Tell me how would you like it If on your way to work You were stopped by Irish soldiers Would you lie down do nothing Would you give in, or go berserk? Paul McCartney and “Wings” rehearse the song
Ocean acidification now looms as a direct challenge to oysters. Experts warn that more acidic conditions can alter the sex balance in these shellfish. Some oysters start life as male, then switch to female later. Shifts in pH threaten to speed that switch.
These shifts could upend aquaculture and coastal ecosystems everywhere.
Researchers note that an oyster population with too many females might see future reproduction problems, since a balanced sex ratio helps keep populations stable.
Photo: Pexels
Oysters rely on environmental cues to decide their sex. (snip-MORE)
Proposal calls on company to prepare reports on ‘macroeconomic costs’ of health insurer’s practices
UnitedHealth Group is attempting to swat down a non-binding shareholder proposal that asked the company to prepare reports on the costs of delayed and denied healthcare.
The proposal, filed by members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), represents a new frontier in seeking to hold insurance companies accountable for the “macroeconomic costs” of denied care – arguing they eventually hurt the bottom line of large investors.
The proposal asks UnitedHealth Group to prepare reports on the “public health-related costs and macroeconomic risks created by the company’s practices that limit or delay access to healthcare”.
“The investors we work with are interested in long-term value creation,” said Meg Jones-Monteiro, senior director of health equity at ICCR. The coalition represents primarily institutional investors, such as pensions and foundations.
“When you think about the investment portfolios our members have, they are very diverse,” Jones-Monteiro. “What happens in one sector impacts another.”
The proposal is non-binding, but UnitedHealth Group is nevertheless fighting to stop it. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in January, UnitedHealth Group attempted to exclude the proposal from proxy statements on technical grounds, arguing in part that the terms “public-health related costs” and “macroeconomic risks” are vague and subject to interpretation. (snip-MORE)
Last month I asked to hear from trans-friendly employers who sponsor visas, and provided a simple form for interested employers to reach out. In the process, I heard from many individuals: people who were hoping to find new employment in another country, and people who worked for companies that were aligned, who were encouraging their bosses to fill in the form.
A quick reminder before we dive in: I’m not providing formal legal or financial advice. I’m just trying to point people in the right direction and provide some ideas for relocation for people who want it.
The bad news
Here’s the bad news: today, that form sits empty. While the post was shared far and wide, not a single person has filled it in.
I think there are a few reasons for this. First and foremost, in the current environment, being listed in such a database presents a significant risk, particularly if you’re doing business with US entities. In an environment where the administration is firing employees and cutting contracts for even the barest mention of support for trans people, there’s every reason to believe that the current administration will penalize people and organizations who work with trans people.
So, that’s not great. I’m very sorry to everyone who got their hopes up that I would be able to make direct connections.
The good news
The good news: some countries actively sponsor visas, welcome trans people, and are hiring.
In my personal conversations with people, what jumped out again and again was that emigrating to the Netherlands was a viable route for many people — and particularly those with tech skills (engineering, IT, product management, design, research, and so on).
Reasons include:
Dutch tech companies tend to sponsor visas. (Look for job vacancies written in English and/or on boards like Tech Me Abroad and Relocate.me.)
You can relocate with a self-employment visa if you have a skilled background, can demonstrate at least one Dutch-based contract or that you’ll start a tech-based business, and can show that you’ll independently make €1,613 (~$1,700) per month.
The DAFT visa lowers the barrier to entry for US entrepreneurs who can commit to invest €4,500 (~$4,700).
The Netherlands is also kind of just a neat country: excellent social safety net, great support for culture and the arts, good connectivity to other European countries, and a strong grant support network for mission-driven tech. Amsterdam is a first-class cosmopolitan city, but other centers in the Netherlands are not to be sniffed at, and the country is so small that you can easily take public transit from one to another in less time than it might take you to commute to work by car in the US.
It is not, however, perfect. Much like the US, the Netherlands has had its own racial reckoning; unlike the US, the discourse has often centered on the idea that racism doesn’t happen there. That’s a rich claim from a society where racist tropes like Zwarte Piet are still commonplace, and where women of color are often marginalized. There’s work to be done — although it’s worth asking if this is truly any worse than the US.
Not everybody can relocate, and not everybody has these skills. I’m aware that this is a privileged route that not everybody can take advantage of. It would be better if there was a defined route for everybody who needed to find a safer place to live; it would be better still if a safe place to live was the place they already call home. This situation is sick and sad, and I truly wish that everything was different.
It also comes with an attendant cost. It’s estimated that moving to the Netherlands will set you back between $6-10K. That’s a lot less than one might expect, but it’s obviously a significant barrier for many people. Unfortunately, very little financial support exists for these moves. If you know of grants, mutual aid funds, or community resources that help trans people relocate, please share them. Funding and guidance from those who’ve navigated the process could make all the difference.
Please reach out
In the meantime, I’ll keep looking. If you are a company in a country that is safe for trans people, and you’re looking to hire people from the US who need visa sponsorship, please fill out this form or reach out to me via email. I’m not giving up.
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I once had a wonderful experience with tens of thousands of pansies. by Worriedman
Plant the green side up and give it a good drink of water a couple of times a week…
Pansies are Viola hybrids, Viola x wittrockiana. (“wittrockiana” sounds like a mountainous region in the south of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick) The common names, pansy, viola and violet are used interchangeably. “Pansies” are usually larger and taller than true violas, with large showy blooms. Violas are usually smaller plants, with smaller blooms, more plentiful than find on pansies. If you want to be a real nerd you can look at the petals. Both kinds of blooms have five petals . On the pansy, four petals point up, one points down. On the viola, two petals point up and three point down.
February 18, 1688 Francis Daniel Pastorius and three other Pennsylvania Quakers (members of the Society of Friends) made the first formal protest against slavery in the new world. At the Thones Kunders House in Germantown (now part of Philadelphia) they signed a proclamation denouncing the importation, sale, and ownership of slaves: “. . . we shall doe [sic] to all men like as we will be done ourselves; making no difference of what generation, descent or colour they are.” More on Germantown Society of Friends
February 18, 1961 above: Bertrand Russell and Edith Russell watching the actress Vanessa Redgrave address the Committee of 100 meeting in Trafalgar Square, which preceded the anti-Polaris “sit-in” outside the Ministry of Defence on February 18, 1961. In London, Sir Bertrand Russell, 88, led a march of 20,000 and sit-down of 5,000 in an anti-nuke rally outside the U.K. Defense Ministry, and was jailed for seven days. It was the first public demonstration organized by the Committee of 100, the direct action wing of the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament. Early CND demonstrator The CND today
February 18, 1970 Five of the “Chicago Seven” (Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, and Jerry Rubin) were found guilty of crossing state lines to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic convention. The Chicago Seven John Froines and Lee Weiner had both been charged with making incendiary devices (stink bombs) but were found not guilty of all charges. None of the seven were found guilty of conspiracy. Attorneys William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass and defendants Weiner and Dellinger were sentenced for contempt of court, except for Weiner for more than a year. All appealed. More on the group Summary of the legal issues
I’ve been staying really busy with writing and calls to my own and other pertinent legislators, and then encouraging and thanking elected Dems (who I’m not fortunate to have for my own district) for doing what they’re able to do in a difficult environment with a minority of seats and little support from we the people. That, some more work on the house, and working with Ollie is really cutting into my time; taking care of those things is a priority for me, and may result in my cutting back on posts and interaction here. I’ll still be around, doing the daily, and checking in to at least like comments when there are some, as long as Scottie wants me to. Meanwhile, here’s a little light duty from Jessica Craven:
There are 179 lawyers in the 119th Congress. Here is a list of all of them. Many of them are Republicans. Those Republicans support the lawless behavior of the Trump administration closing federal agencies authorized by Congress, illegally firing Inspectors generals and staff at the department of justice.
Lawyers are not supposed to take part in criminal behavior or to support the furtherance of a crime, which is what they are doing.
Here is an action you can take. If you have a Republican member of Congress or senator you can look them up at the above link and see if they are attorneys.
Then you can email/call your state Bar association and demand that they be investigated for complicity in the furtherance of a crime by actively supporting Trump in his illegal dismantling of federal agencies and firing of federal workers.Hereis the contact info for all the state bar associations.
Here is a sample text for you to use.
My name is _________________- and I live in (state). I am shocked to see that Representative or Senator __________________, who is a licensed member of the bar in our state, actively supports the illegal dismantling of federal agencies, which only Congress can do. I am shocked to see that they support the illegal firing of federal workers including inspectors general and staff at the Department of Justice without cause. That is complicity in an ongoing crime and I want you to investigate their illegal behavior and suspend them from the bar.
Thank you.
Name, City
Get Smart! 📚
CAP Action has put together a great resource—a Google doc for each state with data on who and what will suffer from cuts if Republicans pass their tax plan. Click here to find your state! (There might be a couple of states missing but they intend to have them all up soon.)
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Hope to see some of you in SF tomorrow. The rest of you will get a regular newsletter then. Thanks!
February 16, 1936 A coalition known as the Popular Front (Frente Popular), comprised of socialists, communists, republicans, and labor groups, narrowly won a majority in the Cortes, Spain’s parliament, defeating the National Front.
February 16, 1959 Fidel Castro was sworn in as Cuba’s youngest prime minister after leading a years-long guerrilla campaign that forced right-wing dictator Fulgencio Batista into exile. Fidel Castro Castro, who had become commander-in-chief of Cuba’s armed forces after Batista was ousted on January 1, replaced the more moderate Jose Miro Cardona as head of the country’s new provisional government. Fulgencio Batista More background on Fidel As reported at the time, including a filmed interview with Castro in English
February 16, 1982 Citizens’ Action for Safe Energy (CASE) succeeded in stopping construction of Black Fox Nuclear Power Plant near Inola, Oklahoma. Public Service of Oklahoma announced the cancellation, the first of its kind solely due to citizen protest. CASE’s founder, Carrie Barefoot Dickerson, known as Aunt Carrie, and her husband, Robert, spent nearly a decade and all their financial assets organizing folks around Tulsa and the state. The Dickersons’ principal concern was the potential damage to health near the plant, and elsewhere through uranium mining and processing. Aunt Carrie, her allies and their success watch video (2011)
February 16, 1996 Seven activists were arrested for blocking the road to the ceremony commissioning the nuclear submarine U.S.S. Greeneville at the Norfolk (Virginia) Naval Base.
February 16, 1996 The Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN), representing Mexico’s southern indigenous peoples, and the Mexican federal government signed the San Andrés Accords. Begun in 1994 in Chiapas state, the EZLN had pushed the government for: • Basic respect for the diversity of the indigenous population of Chiapas; • The conservation of the the natural resources within the territories used and occupied by indigenous peoples; Subcommandate Marcos, leader of the Zapatistas, and two of his officers • A greater participation of indigenous communities in the decisions and control of public expenditures; • The participation of indigenous communities in determining their own development plans, as well as having control over their own administrative and judicial affairs; • The autonomy of indigenous communities and their right of free determination in the framework of the State.
February 16, 2005 The Kyoto Protocol went into effect after countries responsible for 55% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions had ratified the treaty, following Russia’s agreement to its terms. The agreement’s purpose was to reduce such gases to 12% below their levels in 1990 by 2012 and, thus, slow global warming. 180 countries had agreed (except for the United States and Australia, two of the world’s top emitters of GHG per capita) to rules for implementing the Kyoto Protocol on July 29, 2001, in Bonn, Germany. President George W. Bush withdrew the U.S. from the process shortly after he took office that same year. His reasoning was that, since India and China had not signed on, they would gain a competitive advantage. The U.S. is now responsible for 15.6% of the earth’s GHG (with 5% of its population). History, background on the Kyoto Protocol
(However, it’s not well-known, it’s chilling, and it could be upsetting, so take only what you can take. It’s like Rosewood+Greenwood, plus yet more. -A)
Photo: Unidentified Photographer, June 1921 (Getty Images)
Most Black Americans have never heard of the Red Summer of 1919…but it is an element of Black history that we need to pay attention to. This country specializes in committing monstrous atrocities and then ignoring the consequences of their actions. It happened with Native Americans and the Trail of Tears. And, of course, it happened with Black folks. This truth is best captured when we consider what happened in the year 1919.
When Austrian Archduke Franz was assassinated on 28 June 1914, it set off a chain of events that led to what we now call World War 1. Working age white men were drafted and sent to fight, so that left many job vacancies in northern cities that Black men were happy to fill. See, Black folks were feeing the racist South hoping to find less racism in northern cites. The population of Black Chicagoans increased by more than 100% while the number of Black folks in Philadelphia grew by 500%.
While that was happening, 367,000 Black Americans either enlisted or were drafted into service to fight in the war that had just popped off. Black men were eager to prove to white America that Black people deserved dignity. They hoped they would see that by fighting in what white folks were calling ‘The Great War.’ But once the war ended, Black soldiers returned to an ungrateful nation. Thinking about these men, W.E.B. Du Bois wrote on May of 1919 in the NAACP’s Crisis newsletter, “We return. We return from fighting. We return fighting.”
Du Bois had no idea how prophetic his words would be. From May of that year to December, over 25 race massacres took place on American soil. More than 250 Black men, women and children’s lives were violently cut short. Black folks discovered that the racial violence they thought they escaped when they left places like Alabama and Mississippi was not a feature of Southern living. Instead, it was part of being Black in America.
Those white soldiers who came home and discovered that scores of Black people had moved to the north. They also found Black soldiers who felt that they had earned their place in American life by serving their country. An official put it like this: “one of the principle elements causing concern is the returned negro soldier who is not readily fitting back into his prior status of pre-war times.” Therefore, white soldiers became white terrorists to put these soldiers and anyone who looked like them back in their place. There were race massacres in Washington D.C., Omaha, Knoxville, and a massive race riot in Chicago where 38 people were killed and 537 injured. Few white people were arrested for these crimes, fewer were prosecuted. Two years later was the Tulsa race riot where the Greenwood district, what we now call Black Wallstreet, was burned to the ground.
As we celebrate Black History Month, we need to tell the entire truth of our history. Not just the accomplishments of men and women who embody Black excellence, but also the way that America has wronged us. The Red Summer of 1919 is one of those stories that we would like to forget. Yet don’t our accomplishments shine even more brightly considering the darkness we had to endure? No doubt we have endured days when hope unborn had died. But, somehow, against all odds, we came to the place for which our fathers sighed.
So today I have been having a very full day. I have been helping Ron with the bathroom stuff as well as I could. Did our morning walk. I talked to Ron a bought evening meals. I have been watching videos. I have been answering comments which always makes me happy even though I am getting tired. I am working on a post right now on the blogging computer how Ron and I redesigned the hallway bathroom. But even during all that old issues come up. I am so tired of it, and I am sorry to again hit you with it. But two videos showed up in my YouTube feed and I clicked on them. I have to say I shouldn’t have clicked on them, my own damn fault. Ok I admit that. But like a moth to a flame sometimes. What do I say? I should run, and keep running. But far too often I click. And I watch. And I hurt. But each of them tried to send me into the void. Luckily I have strong friends who keep that void from me. Here are the two videos below. I am not opening any more YouTube links for now except for those from those I know and respect. Hugs.
Unlike the story of the teen above I was shared willingly by my older hell spawn female siblings with their boyfriends / future husband. I was way to please the boyfriend without them having to do the work. When the oldest one’s second husband moved into our home and started raping me and her really young kids she laughed to my adopting mother saying it was so cute her soon to be husband thought he was sleeping with a girl. A year later her soon to be 8 years old son came to me saying he wished he had been born a girl so he could be a better girlfriend. I was so entrapped in my own abuse I couldn’t help him. Hell at that time I couldn’t even understand what he was saying, none of my abusers had told me I needed to be the girl, I just was. I regret that to this day. All I could do then was hold him and say please be glad of your man parts and don’t let anyone take them from you. I don’t know if that helped him or if he is angry because he told someone like I did, and they did not help. Sadly he told me who was being abused by the very people abusing him.
Both of these boys were me. Sadly in the first I had no one to go to, the teachers I told only abused me freely and the only time I pulled a gun on one of my abusers … something, maybe a higher power, maybe just a future me, or a better part of me, convinced me not to and to lower the gun, remove my hand from the trigger and to replace everything to the places they belonged. Of all the events in my life that once scares me the most. The idea if I had pulled that trigger that night. What might I have become. Horrible to think of. I was only 9 or so that night. How I might have destroyed the Scotty that was to be. But I had just been violently raped by one of my main hell spawn sibling abusers who had made me do unspeakable things before while growing up. Yet with the gun pressed to his passed out temple, my finger on the trigger, something held me back. I have never understood why. Surly I would have been let off by any court. Blood still tricked down my leg from his sexual assault. But really that was not the point. Something more was. At this point in my life at 62, I doubt I will ever know or understand. Love to all. Best wishes to those that don’t want hugs. Hugs.
The Trump’s administration’s unprecedented war on LGBTQ+ health research—erasing data, censoring science and threatening lives—demands urgent resistance from the medical and research communities.
For the first time in a long time, I was scared. Two weeks after the election, I gave a lecture I’ve delivered countless times, on the critical need to measure sexual orientation and gender identity in health research. Such measures are necessary to identify the unique health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. In my 25 years of doing research in and withLGBT communities, this is a topic that has shaped my career.
Yet this time, I began my lecture with a caveat: I was uncertain—and afraid—of what the new administration might mean for the hard-won progress we’ve made in LGBT health research, to say nothing of the civil rights gained for my community in the past 30 years.
Not only was my fear justified. It was understated.
The administration’s actions have been swift and ruthless. (snip)
The American Public Health Association filed a lawsuit to challenge federal funding freezes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has publicly condemned censorship and used their website to post some of the purged data. Organizations that rely on federal data should publicly take a stand, much like the American Association for Public Opinion Research just did. These aren’t just commendable actions; they’re blueprints for what every medical and scientific organization should do immediately.
Academic publishers and journal editors can no longer remain neutral. They have an ethical imperative to actively resist censorship and protect academic freedom. Their platforms, influence and resources need to be deployed in this fight—now, not after more damage is done.
A commentary by editors of the British Medical Journal is an excellent example. In it, they forcefully decry the Trump administration’s ludicrous order for CDC scientists to withdraw or retract scientific articles containing the aforementioned forbidden words, plainly explaining, “This is not how it works.” Article retractions, they note, do not happen on demand. They happen when there is evidence of data fabrication or manipulation, not because of political pressure.
Some may imagine that silence in the face of injustice will shield them from harm, particularly if their work is seemingly unrelated to issues of sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. But when healthcare data and related research about LGBT groups are suppressed, it is not just scientific integrity that is undermined. We’re actively worsening health outcomes and costing lives. And this is a cost we allwill bear.
Strengthening our cross-issue collaborations and advocacy efforts is imperative. This crisis demands unprecedented coalition-building across scientific disciplines, civil rights organizations and public health institutions. The administration’s assault on LGBT people and health research, as well as science writ large, may seem overwhelming. They are counting on our paralysis and division. We should not—must not—fall prey to this tactic.
It the midst of this deliberately wrought chaos, we must also take care of each other and ourselves. We cannot let these actions crush our spirit and obliterate our hope. I have found comfort in the work of Rebecca Solnit, author of Hope in the Dark, who reminds us that hope is itself an act of resistance. “They want you to feel powerless and surrender and let them trample everything, and you are not going to let them,” she posted on her site, “Meditations in an Emergency,” recently. “The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything, and everything we can save is worth saving.”
Science is worth saving. Speak up. Push back. Build coalitions. File lawsuits. Protect data. Continue research. The future of science and countless lives hang in the balance. We cannot wait another day. We will not surrender.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the weekend. Living through an attempted coup is exhausting. And yet here so many of you are—more every day! Our movement, or whatever we’re calling it now, is growing by leaps and bounds. This newsletter has gained well over 50,000 new subscribers in the last thirty days. That’s NUTS, and also shows that Americans continue to be fired up and determined to fight back. I am so glad.
I know it feels like Trump and Musk are “getting away with everything” right now, but I want to remind you that, as they say in twelve step programs, sometimes we have to just “let time take time.” We’re not even a month into this thing yet. Already the country has seen large demonstrations, swamped Congressional phone lines, mass Senate office visits, the first Stop-Shopping day scheduled (for February 28), and the rise of the 50501 movement. Indivisible groups are exploding, new coalitions are being built, and new connections being formed.
This is a moment when old heroes to many—Adam Schiff, the New York Times, Snoop Dogg?—are proving disappointments, but also when new ones—Chris Murphy, the AP, Kendrick Lamar— are rising with brilliant fierceness. Entire media empires are crumbling, yes, but out of those ashes are emerging a whole new crop of great publications and tough, fearless journalists. Political content creators are taking their rising visibility seriously and forming new groups to coordinate their messaging. State Attorneys General and Governors are stepping up in a big way. Career Prosecutors at the DOJ are, as we speak, exhibiting stunning courage in standing up to Trump.
Progress, in short, is being made, and the work being done. Not always by whom we want, and not always as fast as we want. But that stands to reason: There is a massive and necessary reorganization taking place in response to Trump’s attacks. It can’t be instant—that simply defies the laws of physics. We’ve never been here before, so it stands to reason that none of the old rules apply.
So we’re all going to have to keep building the plane while flying it, remembering that new mechanics and pilots are joining us all the time.
Now a word about the many protests and strikes being planned. I have received a LOT of emails asking me for more information on the ones I’ve mentioned here. I have very little. These events are happening organically in a decentralized way. They are being organized on discords and in signal messages. I am not organizing them. What I put in the newsletter is the extent of what I know.
I did glean some helpful resources from a fellow activist today, though: This site is encouraging groups (not just of these events, but all groups doing on the ground actions) to list their events to create a centralized hub for movement work. You can search by state and see if there’s an action listed. You may also find some events on this website (although it is not organized in a way that is as user friendly). The 50501 Bluesky account is also sharing flyers for events as they learn about them. 50501 also has a Reddit page and a website. They seem to be emerging as a major force in this effort; I intend to follow them. And before you ask—no, I don’t know who “they” are. But last week’s 50501 protests went off without a hitch. I’m not going to keep avoiding them just because they have diffuse leadership. This just may be how resistance to an autocracy has to look. I’m grateful for the work they’re doing.
OK, all. I’m running way behind today, so I’m going to leave you with my favorite Vaclav Havel quote; I resort to it often in moments of duress:
Either we have hope within us or we do not.
It is a dimension of the soul and is not essentially dependent on some particular observation of the world.
HOPE is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It transcends the world that is immediately experienced and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.
HOPE in this deep and powerful sense is not the same as joy that things are going well or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously headed for early success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good, not because it stands a chance to succeed.
HOPE is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out.
It is HOPE, above all which gives the strength to live and continually try new things.
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
(snip)
I know Congress is going on recess soon and I’d like to know when the Senator is holding his/her Town Hall. We constituents have a lot to say about the coup attempt that’s happening and we expect an opportunity to have our voices heard. Thanks.
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I am upset about House Republicans’ proposed cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. Grocery prices and hunger are increasing in the country. Cutting the program that helps over 42 million people put food on the table is unacceptable. Same with Medicaid. 72 million Americans rely on it for healthcare—mostly children, seniors, and veterans. Republicans’ desire to cut these programs in order to pay for tax cuts for rich people is disgusting. What is the Congressmember doing to protect SNAP and Medicaid? Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
VERY IMPORTANT! A group of 17 states (all Republican) have sued the United States government in a case called Texas v Becerra. These states are asking the court to get rid of Section 504—a critically important law that says you can’t discriminate against disabled people if you get money from the US government. Section 504 does everything from requiring schools to include students with disabilities and help them learn to requiring doctors and schools to have sign language interpreters for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. There’s so much more. The fact that they’re suing to kill this rule is really shocking. I guess Texas started the lawsuit when they found out that gender dysphoria can get you 504 protections. But they’re not trying to get rid of just that provision. They’re trying to kill the whole thing.
One of my subscribers sent me a document that explains the situation in super clear language. It also gives us ways to reach out to the Attorneys General involved and ask them to drop the lawsuit. I’m asking all of us who live in one of the 17 states involved to take the time to do this, please.
The document is here. Please read it, share it, and, if you live in one of the 17 red states that are part of the lawsuit, use the sample letter as a template and write to (or call) your Attorney General. This MUST be stopped!
Extra Extra Credit for NY State Residents
You can do this if you’re not a NY resident but obviously it will pack more punch if you live there. There’s also an email form here.
Call Governor Kathy Hochul at 1-518-474-8390 and say:
My name is ____ and I live in [NY zip]. The Trump administration and NYC Mayor Eric Adams seem to have engaged in an overt quid pro quo – dropping the criminal case against Adams in exchange for the Mayor facilitating the Trump administration’s indiscriminate immigration crackdown. The Governor has the power to remove Mayor Adams. She needs to do so. He’s a criminal and a disgrace. Thanks.
Get Smart! 📚
As many of us engage on urgent threats to democracy, it is also vital to prepare and plan for the 2025 elections that will need a robust voter protection effort. Early planning and coordination will be key to protecting voters.
To help kick start that work, I’m pleased to announce a short Zoom presentation on February 25, convened by Voter Protection Corps and featuring voter protection experts analyzing the 2024 elections and providing insight into what to expect in 2025.
Please join them for this interactive virtual event.
Speakers: Caroline Hutton (Voter Protection Director, WisDems), Cecelia Ugarte Baldwin (Voter Protection Director, Democratic Party of Georgia), Jenny Guzman (Common Cause Arizona), Jesse Littlewood (Voter Protection Corps), moderated by Quentin Palfrey (Voter Protection Corps)
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM ET
With RFK Jr. now the HHS Secretary access to abortions is more threatened than ever. I truly believe we’re going to see the FDA ban (or severely restrict) abortion pills soon. Fortunately the amazing org Plan C is not backing down.
From them:
At this time of uncertainty we know several things: evidence-based information is critical in healthcare and beyond. People will continue to have abortions. And the evidence shows that abortion pills are safe, effective, life-saving medications, whether obtained through a clinic visit, via telehealth, or as a self-managed option. Abortion pills are accessible in all states and territories, including states with heavy restrictions, and can be kept on hand for two years.
Here are a few specific actions people can take to protect this access. PLEASE share this information:
Learn about pills in advance. People can access highly affordable (as low as $70) abortion pills now before they need them, so they have access to this vital form of health care. Visit plancpills.org/pills-in-advance to learn more and find pill options.
Order Plan C stickers. To date, we’ve distributed more than 4M stickers that direct people to our website with accurate, up-to-date information about how people are accessing abortion pills. We plan to continue to share this information under a Trump administration. plancpills.org/stickers
Spread the word about resources. We encourage people to know about and bookmark the following resources which will have information on how to access abortion:
For pills by mail sources and info on using them, visit plancpills.org
For clinics, travel and pills by mail visit ineedana.com
And for a one-stop URL for reproductive access information, youhaveoptions.com.
Give 💰!
Movement Voter Project has just launched The Comeback Campaign: a plan for the first 100 days which is an all-hands-on-deck push to fund the most effective frontline groups around the country working to protect communities, block MAGA, and plant the seeds to win back power in 2026 and beyond.
Y’all, I’m doing a bit of work with Gay Valimont’s team to help publicize her upcoming special Congressional election in Florida. This race is a super long shot but in this climate I actually think a victory is possible. Watch the video for more info, then sign up to volunteer here or make a donation here.
Hey Missouri!
I’ve launched yet another state newsletter! This time it’s Missouri (here’s the link). My co-author is Anna Eggemeyer, a St. Louis-based activist, and we’ll be sending out legislative updates, actions, events etc. once every two weeks or so starting today. If you’re from MO, go check it out! Or if you know someone who is, send them the link. Thanks!
No Resistbot letter today, sorry!
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Scottie's Playtime 