Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!
Lots going on today. This morning, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new economic data showing the unemployment rate jumped up to 4.6%—the highest level in more than 4 years. A whopping 710,000 more people are unemployed now versus November 2024. The Census Bureau also reported October retail sales remained flat, the lowest reading in five months. Meanwhile, wage growth cooled significantly. The words “flashing warning signs” were used in almost every article about the new report.
But the warning signs aren’t just because of one report. Prices are also skyrocketing everywhere. Energy bills are up an average of 13% across the US. American families have spent, on average, an extra $1200 because of Trump’s tariffs. Holiday goods are noticeably more expensive. Coffee and tea are up 9%. Meat is up 6%. Fruit is up 6%. Jewelry and watches are up 8%. Clothing accessories are up 15% On average, health care costs will more than double for tens of millions of Americans next year, and in some states it’ll be worse. Iowa will see increases of up 173%. Ohio, of up to 137%. Texas premiums could increase up to 289%! 2 Needless to say all of this is causing unbelievable hardship and pain to working Americans.
It’s a mess all around, and it’s a mess DIRECTLY as a result of Trump’s policies. Poll after poll shows that Americans blame him, too. Good. This fact won’t help us pay our bills, but it will definitely help us win more elections. That’s important.
In other news, Vanity Fair came out with a new profile of Susie Wiles, Trump’s White House Chief of Staff. It’s a doozy. (You can read part 1 here and part 2 here to avoid paywalls.)
Wiles is smart, so I’m not sure what game she was playing here, but the article paints a deeply unflattering picture of the administration for which she works. She describes Elon Musk as “an avowed ketamine [user],” admits that Trump does not, and never will, understand the operational details of smaller federal agencies, including USAID, and acknowledges serious failures in deportation processes under the DHS. She says Trump has “an alcoholic’s personality” and that he “wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle.” (This admission, by the way, contradicts the administration’s official claim that the strikes are strictly about drug interdiction rather than regime change.)
It goes on. Everyone in the administration comes across as inept, incompetent, emotionally unstable, and narcissistic. In other words, exactly as they are. It’s a damning portrait, but utterly unsurprising and mostly meaningless. It won’t change any minds—we knew how bad it was in the White House already; Wiles simply confirms it.
One thing the article does do is underscore how badly Trump wants regime change in Venezuela. That’s why we’re going to call and demand YES votes on two War Powers Resolutions coming up for a vote this week. I’m told they could actually pass, so let’s really put the pressure on, please! There are also votes on a couple of terrible anti-trans bills and the Republicans’ latest (awful) attempt at a healthcare bill—you can read more about it here.
Finally, there was a visceral and deeply negative reaction yesterday to Trump’s Reiner post. To me, it felt new, and different. Republicans who usually don’t speak up did, and even “nonpolitical” people seemed disgusted. My outraged video about it, which I filmed more or less in my pajamas but which obviously struck a chord, received unanimous agreement—in all of the thousands of responses to it across platforms I couldn’t find a single one in support of Trump. That’s incredibly rare.
Things are changing, my friends. The tide is shifting. Trump is losing his grip on America, and Republican lawmakers, and even, to a small but notable extent, MAGA voters.
Our job is to keep doing what we’re doing. It’s working.
So let’s get back to it one more time.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want the Senator to oppose any legislation that includes federal preemption of state AI laws. We shouldn’t weaken safeguards on AI technology at a time when we need more regulations to protect the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence.
Second, I understand that Sen. Adam Schiff is going to ask for unanimous consent for a bill requiring the administration to release the Sept. 2 boat strikes video. I want the Senator to support him on this. We will not let this go. We want to see the video and we want Hegseth to pay for his crimes if crimes were committed. Thank you.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
First, I want the Congressmember to support the two War Powers Resolutions that would halt the Trump administration’s unauthorized military operation against Venezuela. Your constituents do not want another endless war. We’re counting on you to check the Trump administration’s lawless attacks against Venezuela.
Second, I strongly oppose H.R. 3492 and HR 498. The first is a dangerous bill that would criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender young people, and the second blocks Medicaid from covering gender affirming care. I expect the Congressmember to vote no. Thanks. [H/T and petition]
Finally, I support Hakeem Jeffries bill extending the ACA premium tax credits. I do NOT support Republicans’ new, eleventh-hour, half-baked plan that isn’t even feasible to implement. Extend the subsidies now! Americans are staring down an affordability crisis. Congress needs to act.
Extra Credit ✅
It appears increasingly likely that Pete Hegseth oversaw war crimes in the regime’s illegal bombings of small boats in the Caribbean. Congress has a duty to launch investigations into these strikes, which have killed over 87 people thus far. Use Indivisible’s tool to email your Members of Congress to demand investigations into Hegseth’s murderous strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Get Smart on Immigration! 📚
There’s a great new podcast about ICE and Trump’s mass deportation campaign, and I’m very excited about it.
The website describes the podcast thusly:
THE RAID podcast is a deep dive into the frontlines of the ICE and Border Patrol immigration raids being implemented by the Trump administration. With an expert team of journalists and community members, the ever changing landscape and stories of the “mass deportation” will be documented and broadcast. Americans will know firsthand what the raids feel like, whether they are lawful and what is happening to the people swept up by the unprecedented and ever increasing show of force.
The host is multiple Emmy-award winning journalist John Carlos Frey.
This week, believe it or not, I was a guest on the podcast! The episode is now live, and you can find it on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. But even if you don’t watch my episode, I do urge you to subscribe to the podcast. Frey gave the best interview I’ve ever sat for. I guarantee this will be an amazing show to follow. Please check it out!
Get Smart on SCOTUS! ⚖️
Alliance for Justice invites you to an important discussion, Holding Court: How Chief Justice Roberts Dismantled Our Rights, taking place TOMORROW, Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 2 PM ET. Join them for a conversation with Lisa Graves, Executive Director of True North Research, co-founder of Court Accountability, and author of the new book, Without Precedent: How Chief Justice Roberts and His Accomplices Rewrote the Constitution and Dismantled Our Rights. AFJ President Rachel Rossi will be moderating the discussion.
This virtual discussion will include an examination of the forces that shaped the current Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roberts, the pivotal decisions that have redefined constitutional rights, and the networks of power that helped drive this judicial evolution. We will also explore how progressive advocates have sought to counter that regression.
Don’t miss out on this important discussion! You can sign up to join the conversation here!
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PSOMXK 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.)
I am writing to urge you to scrutinize—and if necessary block—any media merger that would concentrate control of major American news organizations in the hands of a small group of politically connected billionaires.History shows that authoritarian systems do not begin with tanks in the streets. They begin when powerful interests quietly seize control of information, eliminate competition, and decide which voices are heard and which are marginalized. Once that happens, elections still exist—but citizens no longer receive honest or independent information.Reports that Paramount, backed by tech billionaire Larry Ellison, has made a hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery raise precisely these concerns. This is not just another corporate deal. It is part of a broader pattern in which wealthy insiders seek influence over media outlets that have been critical of those in power.Americans across the political spectrum reject monopolies, rigged markets, and censorship by elites. Yet media consolidation allows exactly that: fewer owners, fewer viewpoints, and more pressure on journalists to fall in line. When media outlets become dependent on politically aligned owners, criticism is chilled—not by law, but by fear.This is how authoritarian systems operate. They maintain the appearance of free speech while quietly narrowing the range of acceptable debate. The result is a public that believes it is free, while being systematically denied unfiltered information.Congress has a responsibility to prevent this outcome. That means enforcing antitrust laws as written, holding hearings on the democratic and national consequences of media concentration, and ensuring regulatory agencies are not used to reward allies or punish critics.The American people do not want an oligarch-controlled press, a single approved narrative, or a media system that serves power instead of the public. Free markets and free speech depend on competition, independence, and real accountability.I urge you to act now—before media capture becomes irreversible.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
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