Hi, all, and happy Monday.
Hope you were able to get some rest this weekend. Some of you, I know, went to Families First events, or did overpass protests, or attended a Tesla Takedown, and I thank you for it. But I hope you, too, got to put your feet up at some point. This is exhausting work. Be careful not to burn yourselves out!
Having said that, your protests have never been so important.
It’s funny to be out of the country. One feels distanced, a bit, from the awfulness, but also constantly aware of it. When you tell people here where you’re from their first words tend to be “I’m sorry.” It’s sort of heartbreaking. There is a prevailing astonishment at what is happening in our country, and an overwhelming disgust that Trump is somehow still in power. I try to reassure the people I speak to that millions of us are fighting him with all we have, but it’s not as easy to convince them of it as I’d like, since the corporate media routinely refuses to cover our protests.
Still, there is one thing upon which everyone agrees: Trump is a catastrophe for the United States and the world. He is despised—at least in the part of Canada I’m in— in a way I can’t fully express. People do seem to understand that not all Americans are with him, but I encourage us all to keep the protests big and visible. There are still some, like the woman to whom I spoke at a local farmers’ market a few days ago, who believe that “Americans seem to all be with him.” Ugh. No, we are not.
When we ask ourselves, then, whether or not it is “worth it” to keep protesting, to keep showing up at Tesla Takedowns, to keep creating more freeway signage, to keep thinking of out-of-the-box ways to display our fury, the answer is a resounding YES. Not only for yourself, and for your fellow Americans, but for the world at large.
After all, WE know we’re fighting tooth and nail. They should know it, too.
On that note, let’s get to work!
Call Your Senators (find yours here or use this list to find staffer contact info) 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I’m calling to demand that the Senator vote no on Emil Bove. His confirmation would be a catastrophe. We’ve never seen such an unfit and dangerous nominee. Will the Senator oppose?
Second, I want the Senator to support an investigation into the potential corruption occurring between Trump and media companies, specifically the Paramount merger deal. Trump’s legal threats against news sources not only threaten freedom of the press, but also pave the way for open bribery. It’s got to stop. Thanks. [H/T]
Call Your House Rep (find yours here or use this list to find staffer contact info) 📲 📲
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First, I want the Congressmember to support an investigation into the potential corruption occurring between Trump and media companies, specifically the Paramount merger deal. Trump’s legal threats against news sources not only threaten freedom of the press, but also pave the way for open bribery. [H/T]
Second, when is the Congressmember holding their Town Hall this recess? There are many things we voters want to talk about.
[If the staffer says none are planned add:] That’s unacceptable. Our President is protecting pedophiles, prices are skyrocketing, our basic Constitutional rights are under assault, the federal government is being dismantled, and ICE is terrorizing our communities—s/he needs to schedule a Town Hall now. Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
Sign a Letter of Support for Efraín Pérez
Efraín Pérez is a father, worker, and longtime Angeleno who has lived in the U.S. since 1994. He was detained by ICE in June after finishing a job in Glendale. My friend David Giron is collecting signatures and letters of support urging Efrain’s release and return to his family. Letters will be printed and mailed using a traditional mail merge.
Please complete the form here to add your name. You may also include an optional personal paragraph that will be added to your letter.
Get Smart! 📚
People’s Action and a bunch of amazing partners will be holding a livestream to unpack the devastating budget passed by MAGA Republicans. They’ll also be talking about how to fight back.
This livestream is a chance to hear directly from movement leaders, impacted people, union organizers, and elected officials about what’s in the bill, why it passed, and what we must do next to fight forward.
Join them on July 30 at 8PM ET to make meaning, build power, and prepare for action this August and beyond.
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
This terrific new video from the National Immigration Law Center, “We Get There Together,” underscores how powerful interests like politicians, corporations, and private prison companies have kept immigration laws intentionally dysfunctional to divide working people and maintain control. From the 1990s to today, it traces how policy decisions have harmed millions of immigrants while letting the real culprits off the hook.
The video is available in English and in Spanish, and also sharable via Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky andYouTube. Let’s get it out there!
Give 💰!
Chef Jose Andres has a beautiful and compelling Op-Ed in the New York Times today about the famine in Gaza. Here is an archived link so all can access it.
After reading it, please consider donating to World Central Kitchen if you can. They know how to get people fed. Not just in Gaza, but in Israel, in Texas, and everywhere else the need exists. This should be something we can all get behind.
Practivist Pod!
Ack! I forgot to post our latest Practivist episode last week so I’m doing it now.
In the latest Practivist Pod episode, we talk about the Epstein scandal that just shut down the House of Representatives, Stephen Colbert’s insane cancellation, and what we want you to do on Congress’s extra-long recess! And then Steve has a great convo with one of the leading youth engagement leaders in the country, the founder of Voters of Tomorrow, Santiago Mayer.
Chop Wood, Save the Planet 🔥
Trump has nominated two new Republicans to FERC, and they’re BAD. We need the Senate to refuse to confirm them. Read more and send a letter to your Senator about these nominees here.
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: your Senators] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PNMEZJ to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
Emil Bove's nomination as a federal appeals court judge should be rejected due to his disturbing track record of unethical conduct and blatant disregard for the rule of law. As acting deputy attorney general, Bove weaponized the Department of Justice for political retaliation, ordering the firing of Jan. 6 prosecutors and threatening to purge the FBI when they challenged the Trump administration's unlawful agenda.
Even more egregiously, the New York Times reported that Bove directed DOJ officials to "ignore" court orders interfering with the administration's policy of deporting immigrants to foreign prisons - a flagrant violation of judicial authority. Bove's complicity in defying court rulings and enabling the Trump administration's unconstitutional overreach demonstrates his unfitness to serve on the federal bench.
Over 900 former DOJ lawyers have penned a letter opposing Bove's confirmation precisely because his actions contradict the integrity expected of federal judges. Granting Bove a lifetime appointment would only further erode public trust in an independent judiciary upholding equality under the law. The Senate must uphold its constitutional duty as a co-equal branch of government and block this unacceptable nomination. Confirming an individual so overtly disdainful of judicial oversight would be an endorsement of authoritarianism over democratic values.
Bove's conduct has clearly shown he lacks the impartiality and commitment to justice required of federal judges. I urge you to vote against his confirmation when it comes before the full Senate on July 28th.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
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