All, I began writing this newsletter early Wednesday evening, before learning of the shooting (wounding) of another person in Minneapolis. Tension and unrest in the streets of Minneapolis are increasing by the hour, and federal officials seem intent on provoking violence as a pretext for invoking the Insurrection Act.
Federal officials may succeed in their malignant purpose. But let’s be crystal clear about one thing: There aren’t enough ICE agents and National Guard troops to intimidate tens of millions of Americans peacefully protesting in the streets. This is a battle that Trump will ultimately lose if Americans rise en masse to defend their liberties and the rule of law.
We should also be clear that everything that Trump is doing is driving down his popularity ratings and prompting Republican members of Congress to begin a tepid retreat from Trump’s maniacal actions. As ICE agents cement their status in the manosphere as the American Gestapo—see former Trump fanboy Joe Rogan’s comments—the move to defund ICE will pick up support among the people and in Congress.
Congressional Republicans may still believe that calls to “abolish ICE” are a losing political proposition for Democrats. They will be disabused of that notion in the coming days as their constituents tell them to stop the thuggish tactics of ICE.
Trump and his enablers have made a grievous miscalculation about the level of support for their dictatorial tactics. A strong majority of Americans oppose what ICE is doing and how it is conducting its operations. It is only a matter of time before congressional Republicans understand that ICE’s tactics are driving up the Democratic margin of victory in the 2026 midterms. (Note: Nobody should relent; there are no guarantees; we could lose unless we continue fighting with the same intensity.)
Finally, let’s be clear that we must remain peaceful even as we take to the streets to exercise our constitutional right to petition the government for redress of grievances. We cannot give Trump a pretext to invoke the Insurrection Act, but we cannot back down. Resist peacefully, and do not surrender. Together, there is nothing we cannot do.
Late update: Two differing versions of the story are emerging regarding the wounding of a person sought by ICE. A statement by DHS claims the person was shot after the ICE officer was assaulted by two persons with snow shovels. But family members of the injured person claim he sought refuge in his apartment first and was shot after he entered his apartment.
Below is the newsletter I wrote before the most recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis.
Although Trump is on the verge of breaking NATO (something Putin could never achieve in his wildest dreams), there were pro-democracy victories in the US worth noting. To stop Trump’s foreign policy misadventures, we must end his unchecked control over Congress ***now—***and retake control of both chambers in November to ensure we lock in constraints on Trump. We are closer to achieving both objectives than many believe.
Two Democratic victories in the mid-census redistricting battle.
Trump is trying to rig the 2026 congressional election by directing red states to engage in mid-census gerrymandering. Although Trump has had limited success in that endeavor, most notably in Texas, Democratic states have fought back. In November, California approved a constitutional amendment that changed the partisan balance in five congressional districts. Republicans have challenged California’s so-called “Proposition 50” on multiple occasions. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court dealt the latest defeat to the Republican challenges. See AZ Central, Federal appeals court upholds California’s Prop 50 redistricting maps.
Although the Republicans challenging Proposition 50 have vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court, past rulings suggest that Republicans will not prevail. California’s stated purpose was to counteract the partisan gerrymandering in Texas—which the Supreme Court allowed to stand. The same logic would apply to California’s redistricting. Thus, it appears that California’s newly drawn congressional districts will remain in place through the 2026 midterms. This is a significant victory for Democrats as they attempt to seize control of the House.
Similarly, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow mid-census redistricting. See Democracy Docket, Virginia House passes amendment allowing redistricting to counter GOP gerrymanders. Although Virginia’s redistricting initiative cannot take effect before the 2026 midterms, it could affect the 2028 congressional elections. We should take any win we can get!
Trump is losing his grip in Congress
Trump’s grip on Congress is loosening every day. As reported in the New York Times, Congress is quietly restoring many of the cuts contained in the Big Ugly Bill. See Congress Is Spurning Many of Trump’s Proposed Spending Cuts. (Gift article, accessible to all.)
For arcane procedural reasons, the Big Ugly Bill was not subject to the filibuster in the Senate. But the specific appropriations bills that implement the Big Ugly Bill are subject to the filibuster—giving Democrats leverage they did not have when the Big Ugly Bill was passed. Per the Times,
[T]he spending bills that they are now moving through Congress reflect the political reality that any funding measure must be bipartisan in order to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate and become law.
As explained by Senator Patty Murray, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee,
These are bills that reject the devastating cuts Trump demanded in his deeply unserious budget he sent to Congress about a year ago. When just about every secretary came before our Appropriations Committee to advocate for those Trump funding cuts, I made clear to them I planned to rip up his budget and write a new one — and that is exactly what we are doing.
The Times article also suggests that a major government shutdown is unlikely at the end of this month. Appropriators in the House and Senate have agreed on eight of 12 bills needed to pass a 2026 budget. If Congress passes and the president signs eight appropriations bills, the scale of any government shutdown at the end of January will be significantly reduced.
But the important point is that if the shutdown is avoided, it will be because Democrats were able to roll back many of the cuts proposed in the Big Ugly Bill.
Over in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson is increasingly unable to control the Republican caucus to advance legislation. See Politico, Embarrassing floor meltdown has House Republicans questioning their leaders.
Per Politico,
Members were aghast after a stunning Tuesday night meltdown on the House floor, where opposition from a handful of GOP members led to the defeat of one labor bill and the postponement of three others. Some questioned why the Republican floor and whip teams — under the direction of Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, respectively — had allowed the votes to be scheduled.
Finally, the Senate defeated a bipartisan war powers resolution on a 50-50-1 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The defeat occurred after GOP Senators Hawley and Young caved to pressure from Donald Trump. See The Hill, Two Republicans flip, defeating war powers resolution after intense Trump pressure.
The fact that Trump had to personally lobby two GOP Senators and rely on JD Vance to defeat a rebuke of his invasion of Venezuela is a sign of Trump’s increasing weakness. Trump also needed a promise by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Hawley and Young that the administration would notify Congress in advance of any significant armed excursion into Venezuela—a promise that is both illusory and merely a restatement of the requirements of the War Powers Act. It offered nothing to Hawley and Young, other than political cover for their cowardly retreat.
What will it take for Republicans to finally break with Trump on his insane foreign policy? Read on!
Germany sends troops to Greenland amid US invasion threats.
In his wildest dreams, Putin could not have imagined that NATO allies would be engaged in a military standoff over one NATO member—the US—invading another NATO member—Denmark’s autonomous territory of Greenland. See Newsweek, Germany, Other NATO Allies Sending Troops to Greenland Amid Trump Threats.
In addition, France has announced its participation in joint military exercises with Denmark as part of Operation Arctic Endurance. The show of force by NATO allies is intended to counter Trump’s remark that Greenland’s military defense consisted of “two dogsleds.” While Greenland may have a small military, Article V of the NATO treaty requires mutual aid if a member state is attacked. Without the US, the combined strength of NATO is roughly equal to that of the US. See How Strong Is NATO Without The US? We Look At The Data - Global Affairs Explained.
The meeting between US and Danish officials on the fate of Greenland was a disaster. JD Vance manifested his hatred of Europe during the talks. See Politico, ‘Vance hates us’: Europe’s Greenland fears grow as US vice president dives into talks.
Trump’s Greenland obsession is a threat to global peace—and is confusing the heck out of the American people, who do not support Trump’s move to take over Greenland. See The Hill, Just 17 percent approve of Trump Greenland acquisition efforts: Poll.
Trump’s tariffs have made China richer than ever.
Trump’s tariffs against many US trading partners have reshaped global trade patterns—to the great detriment of the US and the great benefit of China. China now has the largest trade surplus in world history. See WSJ, China Announces Record Trade Surplus as Its Exports Flood World Markets. (Gift article, accessible to all.)
Per the WSJ,
The tariffs reduced China’s trade surplus with the United States by 22 percent last year. But Chinese factories increased sales to other regions, in many cases bypassing American tariffs by shipping goods to the United States through Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
At the same time, the price of groceries is still rising in the US, despite Trump’s lies to the contrary. See WSJ, A Year Into Trump’s Second Term, Grocery Prices Are Still Rising.
Defense Department investigating Jason Crow and Elissa Slotkin over video
The Department of Defense is continuing its absurd administrative proceeding against Senator Mark Kelly for his accurate restatement of the law in a video reminding US troops they must refuse to obey an unlawful order. The DOD backed off a threat of court-martial but is pursuing an administrative proceeding to retroactively change Senator Kelly’s rank and retirement pay. The effort is transparently illegal. See Slate, The Defense Department’s case against Mark Kelly is even dumber than it sounds.
Neither the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Navy have authority to retroactively demote a Captain, as opposed to a flag officers (an Admiral). Per Slate,
Could Hegseth just go ahead and sign an order demoting Kelly and docking his retirement pay? Actually, no. According to Fidell, the secretary of defense has the authority to demote only flag officers—that is, generals and admirals. Kelly’s rank of captain, the highest of the U.S. Navy’s senior officers, is one notch below rear admiral, the lowest-ranking flag officer.
Hegseth is now setting his sights on Senator Elissa Slotkin and Rep. Jason Crow. The claims against both are equally baseless and will be unsuccessful. [Cut short to report on Minneapolis.]
Opportunity for Reader Engagement
Join Markers For Democracy, Downtown Nasty Women Social Group, and Team Min on Friday, January 16, at 11 am ET for a conversation with Leah Litman, Professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches and writes on constitutional law, federal courts, and federal post-conviction review. She is a co-host of the popular “Strict Scrutiny” podcast, and the author of the New York Times best-seller “Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes.” RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/markersfordemocracy/event/879632/
Concluding Thoughts
The unfolding events in Minneapolis are deeply disturbing and unsettling. But whatever happens, the American people have the upper hand because they can rise in the tens of millions and commence large-scale boycotts and a general strike. Trump’s invocation of the Insurrection Act, if that happens, will turn even more members of the manosphere against Trump. See NBC News, Joe Rogan criticizes ICE tactics: ‘Are we really going to be the Gestapo?’
On Wednesday, I sent a special edition of the newsletter that discussed a recent decline in free subscriptions and asked for support in helping to spread the word about Today’s Edition. See Special Edition: Spread the Word.
I received many thoughtful replies about why readers might be turning away from this newsletter (and others). One reader sent a very supportive reply that said, in part, “I think the tone of your newsletter shifted ever-so-slightly to push for more protesting.”
Upon reflection, the reader is absolutely right about the slight shift in tone, although I continue to urge people to action by calling, writing, texting, canvassing, and donating. I understand that the increased emphasis on protesting is not necessarily what everyone wants to hear. But we have no choice. A moment of crisis is upon us, and we are the last line of defense. The major guardrails of democracy have failed us: Congress, the Supreme Court, the media, and business leaders.
It is up to us. The violent tactics of ICE will stop when enough of us say “No.” There are a limited number of ways for people to express their disapproval of the government, including contacting elected officials, writing letters to the editor, posting on social media, calling, sending postcards, and voting.
But the most immediate and effective response during a moment of crisis is for our elected officials to see their constituents raising their voices in the streets.
I wish it were otherwise. We should not be called upon to protest continuously. But here we are. If we do not rally tens of millions of Americans to the defense of democracy, there is nothing that can stop the reactionary forces of MAGA extremism.
It is up to us. We must act. The time is now.
The people of Minneapolis need to know that America has their back. Show them by your presence at mass action protests, by taking individual actions, and by participating in coordinated pressure campaigns from home. They will listen—or we will replace each and every one of them!
Stay strong, everyone! We will make it through this together!
Daily Dose of Perspective
NGC 281, also known as the Pacman Nebula, is an emission nebula located 9,300 light-years from Earth.
Pro-democracy protest photos
Peace rally on Sunday, January 5, in Machipongo, Virginia, over 60 people with only a one-day notice.
These pictures were taken today at the Ice Out For Good Rally in Boca Raton, Florida. Over four hundred people were there holding signs, listening to speeches and chanting slogans. We were spread out along an extremely busy main roadway and I would guess that thousands of cars honked in support of our signs and banners!
21 folks on the pedestrian overpass today for Indivisible San Jose’s weekly bannering. Our messages were well received with lots of honks and waves, which encourages us to keep going!
Encinitas “ Ice out for Good” 1/10/26
The 4 corners ice out for good was very successful, and the beautiful Vigil held in Oceanside Sunday evening, the 11th was very moving and well attended, especially with such short notice.
State Street in Santa Barbara, CA
We’ve been protesting every Wednesday for the past 7 months in Londonderry, NH, a red dot of a town in purple New Hampshire. And we feel we are making a difference.
Below is a photo of our protest today. We had a bumper crop of participants and an all-time record of honks and waves — 337 in just 90 minutes. Absolutely unbelievable. It clearly reflects people’s increasing fury at what’s going on in our country
But the most important moment didn’t come from the numbers.
A man dressed in worn, work-stained clothes drove past us, then turned around, parked his car, and walked over. He took the time to thank us — each of us — for what we’re doing. He told us he wished he could stand with us, but he’s holding down three jobs just to support his family.
In our semi-rural Eugene neighborhood, there’s an older guy with an old printing press who posts The Word of the Day in front of his house. Usually, SAT-type words we love that stimulate our brains. My friend photographs her doggie in front of the world, and when I house-sit, I’m sure to walk there and send the word to Italy, Germany, or Mexico (my friend likes to travel). Just wanted to let you know the word last Friday…
New York, New York
Markers and Downtown Nasty Women from Sunday’s protest:
We were 1000 strong at today’s 39th week of protests outside the Burlington, MA ICE facility. There now are standouts there every day of the week, 11-1:00. After organizers speak, the loudspeakers are turned toward the ICE facility and folks read from the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
THE PERSONAL PROTEST PROJECT - In June 2025, one man decided he had to do SOMETHING to protest Trump, so at the busiest intersection within 40 miles he protested with his signs everyday for a month. He was then joined by others who continued the protest every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Soon 2 other groups picked 2 other intersections to expand The Personal Protest Project which is continuing and growing in other towns on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Twice our usual number of protesters on January 10 in Monson, MA. More honks than usual too.
Self-explanatory, with 300 people holding candles in a vigil over the Otter Creek, Middlebury, VT
Second community event 1/13/2026
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