rss

rss

Hi, all, and happy Friday.

We made it through another week!

And what an eventful, in-many-ways-hopeful-but-still-difficult week it was. It isn’t over yet, either. This morning the House Oversight Committee dropped 19 more photos from the Epstein estate—they appear to be part of a new tranche of tens of thousands in their possession. I posted a few on my Instagram—trigger warning: some of them are deeply disturbing.

Beyond the photos of the sexual paraphernalia that these monsters used on children, there were pictures featuring Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Richard Branson, Woody Allen, Bill Gates, Larry Summers, and, of course, Donald Trump—repeatedly. In two of the photos Trump is posing with females whose faces have been redacted—presumably because they are victims trying to maintain their privacy. There is also a picture of Trump-branded condoms—perhaps a private joke. Yuck.

Keep in mind—these aren’t “the Epstein files,” per se, from the DOJ. These, again, are materials delivered to Democrats on the House Oversight Committee by Jeffrey Epstein’s estate. The files themselves—the ones Congress passed legislation to force the release of—are supposed to be made public by next week. Assuming that happens, we can expect to see many more damning, disturbing, and shocking photos. (If you are a victim of sexual assault, I am sorry that your holidays will be tainted by this. I know it is very, very upsetting.)

The Epstein case, in short, isn’t going away. Add to that Trump’s abysmal polling numbers, Republicans’ self-sabotage on healthcare, Indiana Republicans’ refusal to rig their maps despite the outrageous threats they received from Team Trump, and Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s release—finally!—from ICE detention yesterday and it’s been a decent week for our side. There are many other wins I’ll save for Sunday’s newsletter, too.

Of course tens of millions of Americans are staring down healthcare bankruptcy, Trump is threatening a land war with Venezuela, ICE is still wreaking terror on immigrant communities, and MAGA is as vicious and violent as ever. We’re not nearly out of the woods, my friends. Not even close.

But I believe we have found the path out, and that we’re on it. That’s a hell of a lot better than being utterly and completely lost. When you don’t know how to get home, a path in the right direction is a hopeful thing indeed.

That path is a result of your hard work. Without you we’d still be adrift.

So let’s hold our heads up high, take a few deep breaths, and take a few more steps on it right now.

P.S. —I’m so sorry about posting the wrong link to Resistance Wrapped yesterday. I also understand there were some technical problems? It worked perfectly for me…Anyway, here’s the correct link. Please let me know in the comments if it works!

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

I understand that the House voted yesterday to pass the PERMIT Act, a terrible bill that would curb states’ authority to block pipeline construction. It would also add new limits on environmental suits and restrict the EPA’s ability to veto Army Corps of Engineers water permits, making it more difficult for states to reject pipeline projects on Clean Water Act grounds. This is horrifying; I expect the Senator to vote no on this bill. Clean air and water for me and my family is a top priority. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I am calling today because I know that Articles of Impeachment for RFK Jr were filed in the House on December 10. I want the Representative to co-sponsor them. RFK Jr. is a threat to our health, his policies are killing us, and he has dismantled the health and science ecosystem in our nation. He must be held accountable.

Also, I know there are several discharge petitions floating around the House right now pertaining to the ACA premium tax credits extension. I want the Congressmember to support the one that extends them for three years. It is the only one that can be voted on next week—the rest would have to wait until after the holiday recess, which is too long. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

Stand Up for Science has been working to support Articles of Impeachment against RFK Jr… On Wednesday, Rep. Haley Stevens (M-11) filed these articles in the House.

Impeachment can only happen if we effectively show our government that Rep. Stevens’ filing of the articles of impeachment was not a fringe political stunt, but a legitimate effort backed by the scientific and medical community and the public. If you believe in the power of standing up and speaking out here’s the plan!

Go to standupforscience.net/impeach-rfkjr

Sign your name to endorse the Articles.
Share with everyone you know.
Call your Rep with their automatic dialer! We are asking them to CO-SPONSOR the articles. (I also put this script above.)
Send your rep a Quack-o-gram!

Get Smart! 📚

So, I just did a Substack Live with Rafael MeMaitre, former Director of Public Affairs for FEMA. From 2014–2017 he oversaw national crisis communications, including Hurricane Matthew (2016), Louisiana and South Carolina flooding (2016), the Ebola response, the Flint water crisis, and the surge of unaccompanied children at the southwest border. He is, in other words, an expert on what FEMA does and why we need it. He’s also been closely watching what’s happened to the agency under this administration.

He and I just had a fascinating conversation about all of that. Please watch. I found it really, really informative. And alarming. But also inspiring. You’ll learn a lot.

I’m sending it out in a separate email right after this one.

Give 💰!

Force Multiplier Presents: Help flip the House and hold Republicans accountable in rural and small town America! Tuesday, December 16, 7–8 pm ET on Zoom

Featuring:

Sarah Jaynes, Executive Director of Rural Democracy Initiative

Heather Holdridge, Managing Director of Real Voices Media

Richard Trent, Executive Director of Main Street Alliance

The Rural Democracy Initiative (RDI), a longtime partner of Force Multiplier, is convening the Rural House Accountability Project.

Real Voices Media, which builds local social media pages and provides technical and digital media expertise, will take the lead in content creation, training and distribution.

RDI’s local partners such as Main Street Alliance, Iowa Farmers Union and PA Stands Up will identify local voices and integrate these messages into their on-the-ground accountability, voter education, and mobilization work.

Your donation will go to RDI’s c4 Rural Victory Fund to support its partners including Real Voices Media.

Hear all about it on Tuesday, December 16, 7–8 pm ET on Zoom

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T] [Text SIGN PGNDZS 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.)

President Donald Trump has launched a new “Gold Card” immigration program that allows wealthy foreign nationals to seek expedited U.S. residency by paying a nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee and—after background checks—a $1,000,000 payment to the federal government. A corporate version requires $2,000,000 per sponsored employee, along with ongoing maintenance and transfer fees.The program’s own website promises residency “in record time,” reportedly within weeks. That fast lane is unavailable to families, workers, and asylum seekers who wait years in backlogs or face aggressive enforcement. This is not immigration reform; it is a two-tier system that favors wealth over fairness.

[Read the full letter here.]

OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess

Chop Wood, Carry Water is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Chop Wood Carry Water 12/12