Across Washington, DC, posters have appeared labeling Attorney General Pam Bondi as a “pedo protector” and “Epstein Queen.” Photo by Raider on Bluesky.

Hi, all, and happy Sunday!

I’ve got another long list of wins for you! Yes, the news this week has been awful, as always, but wow have we also made more headway! We’re beating back fascists, stopping data centers, blocking ICE warehouses, and so much more, just by showing up and standing together in solidarity.

So if you’ve spent the week doomscrolling it’s time for you to take a break to bask in the fact that good things are also happening. It matters. Please spread the word, and thank you all for allowing me to bring you this happy news.

Celebrate This! 🎉

The Supreme Court dealt a major blow to Trump’s economic policy, ruling that he had exceeded his authority when he imposed tariffs on nearly every U.S. trading partner.

Gov. Andy Beshear ordered flags at all state office buildings to be lowered to half-staff on March 7 to honor the life and legacy of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.

U.S. school districts are boosting climate curriculum.​

Planned Parenthood locations across Massachusetts are now offering vasectomies. The nonprofit said it moved to offer the surgeries that sterilize male reproductive organs after it saw a jump in requests for them after Trump’s election in 2024.

U2 released a new EP featuring songs that push for peace and unity, beginning with a tribute to Renee Good.

Department of Justice prosecutors across the US have suffered a string of embarrassing defeats in their aggressive pursuit of criminal cases against people accused of “assaulting” and “impeding” federal officers.

A federal judge issued a scathing ruling accusing the Trump administration of ‘terror’ against immigrants.

A court ruled that body cam footage of the DOGE raid on the US Institute of Peace must be released.

New moms in Wisconsin finally got an extension of postpartum Medicaid benefits after the GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos ended his years-long obstruction of the bipartisan bill. (Vos also announced his retirement that same week! Good.)

The Department of Education has ended their directive that attempted to restrict DEI efforts in schools nationwide. A huge victory for academic freedom and education equity!

GOP angst over voter turnout is building as their losses pile up.

A New York appellate court allowed a redraw of the state’s congressional map to move forward.

Maryland banned local law enforcement from being part of ICE’s notorious 287(g) program. New Mexico did the same last week.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore a slavery exhibit it had removed at George Washington’s former home in Philadelphia.

On Presidents’ Day, hundreds of protestors gathered outside Trump Tower in NYC, holding up middle fingers in a massive repudiation of Trump and everything he represents.

About 50 protesters gathered in Oregon Park on Presidents’ Day calling for Enterprise Rent-A-Car to end its contract with DHS and stop renting vehicles to ICE agents.

A group called Haven Watch continues to support people being released from Whipple detention center in MN in the freezing cold. An amazing, all volunteer effort.

Cardi B. is sparring with DHS online, and Cardi is winning.

Christian clergy are deploying spiritual infrastructure — from organizing prayer circles to acting as human shields — to resist the Trump administration’s immigration agenda.

The AI firm Anthropic says it will donate $20M to political groups and candidates supporting AI regulation policies. Anthropic’s donation puts it in opposition to the ChatGPT maker OpenAI, which has advocated for less stringent regulation of AI.

Virginia lawmakers passed a bill to expand collective bargaining rights to public workers.

A federal judge ordered the release of a Filipino man from an ICE detention facility in Washington, noting a “pattern of failures” in his medical care that “more likely than not resulted in extreme pain and permanent disability.”

The Baltimore County Council passed an emergency bill that would prohibit the opening of an ICE detention center in Hunt Valley.

Virginia Governor Spanberger has signed a constitutional amendment that would repeal the state’s ban on same‑sex marriage and enshrine marriage equality in the Virginia Constitution, putting the measure before voters this November.

Billionaire Hyatt Chair Thomas Pritzker stepped down over his connections to Epstein.

The owner of a Hutchins, TX warehouse announced it would not sell or lease its building to DHS, amid concerns from the community about a potential ICE detention facility there.

Tricia McLaughlin, Kristi Noem’s spokesperson, left the DHS this week.

More than a dozen health and environmental justice non-profits have sued the EPA over its revocation of the endangerment finding.

Stephen Colbert’s full interview with James Talarico has now been viewed 7.5 million times —more than any other interview he’s done in years. Clips from it have garnered 85 million views across YouTube and social media.

After Republicans sought to remove roughly 250,000 people from North Carolina’s voter registry, more than 70,000 voters will now get additional time to correct missing or incomplete information.

Bruce Springsteen announced a “No Kings”-themed arena tour this spring, “in celebration and in defense of America.”

James Talarico raised $2.5 million after CBS spiked his Colbert interview.

Approval of Trump’s immigration policies fell to the lowest level since his return to the White House — 37% — amid signs he is losing support among American men on the issue.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced new bus lane projects that had previously been canceled in “backroom deals.”

Colorado Democrats launched a redistricting effort, which, if successful, would move their delegation from 4-4 to 7-1 in advance of the 2028 and 2030 elections.

In the first few days since early voting started, the most populous counties in Texas are seeing a higher turnout than the past two primaries.

The number of workers covered under union contracts increased to a 16-year high in 2025, despite ongoing attempts by the Trump administration to wipe out collective bargaining agreements for tens of thousands of federal workers.

AMC Theaters will refuse to screen an AI short film after an online uproar. Good.

A U.S. citizen and Army veteran who was taken into immigration custody during an ICE raid in Camarillo last summer is suing the federal government.

Pope Leo has declined Trump’s invitation to participate in the Board of Peace, believing the U.N. should be the one to handle international crises, not the Trump-chaired board.

Some of the bead strands being thrown at Mardi Gras this year will be biodegradable!

Members of the Georgia State Elections Board voted to issue a formal letter of reprimand to Musk’s America PAC over the billionaire technocrat’s illegal efforts to get Trump elected.

The FDA reversed its decision on Moderna’s flu vaccine and has agreed to review it for possible approval.

Illinois residents have seen more than $1.1 billion in medical debt erased, with the help of a state program that launched less than a year-and-a-half ago.

Alysa Liu became the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in figure skating in 24 years. And the story of how she came to this moment is…everything.

World No. 5 tennis player Coco Gauff spoke out about immigration crackdowns happening in the U.S., saying, “I don’t think people should be dying in the streets for just existing.”

The European Parliament approved a resolution stating that trans women are women. Amazing!

A federal judge ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia cannot be re-detained by immigration authorities.

A coalition of Winter Olympians and other athletes delivered a petition with 21,000 signatures to the International Olympic Committee, urging the IOC to consider ending fossil fuel sponsorships.

Investors poured a record amount of money into the energy transition last year: $2.3 trillion worldwide, according to new figures from research firm BloombergNEF.

Mike Lindell, who is currently running for Minnesota governor, is in hot water after his campaign spent nearly $200,000 of contributions on copies of his own book.

Heat pumps outsold fossil gas–fired furnaces in the U.S. yet again last year.

A massive new battery has entered service in southern Maine, providing a much-needed boost to the Northeast’s efforts to expand clean and affordable energy.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has come out strongly against ICE, announcing a ban on agents using city property to conduct operations and ordering the police department to investigate their activities.

In a 4 to 1 vote, the Davis, CA City Council just approved a resolution ending city engagement with companies controlled by Elon Musk (except for Starlink) and formally urging California’s public pension giants–CalPERS and CalSTRS-- to divest from Tesla stock and related securities.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested for misconduct in public office in relation to his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison after he imposed martial law in December 2024.

An elderly Pennsylvania man turned down an offer of more than $15 million to sell his land to data center developers.

The Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the state’s charter school funding law violates the Kentucky Constitution, dealing a significant blow to school choice advocates and affirming strict protections for public education funding.

The University of Oregon has approved the use of medication abortion, often prescribed with mifepristone and misoprostol, at University Health Services starting in fall 2026.

Watch This! 👀

Watch this amazing dance activism piece choreographed by Matthew Steffens for the First Amendment Troop. It honors Renee Good and Alex Pretti. It was performed and filmed live on President’s Day in DC in front of the Lincoln Memorial and Kennedy Center.

Share

Leave a comment


From Chop Wood, Carry Water via this RSS feed