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Watch an interview from Democracy Now from a student's and an advocate's perspective. Please share your comments in the chat.

https://youtu.be/RfLOJr_E3fc?si=1-tbKTAghoAGiqwk

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Brown University Student Speaks Out After Surviving Second School Shooting

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Government officials spread conspiracy theories and disinformation

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Yertle the Turtle https://substack.com/inbox/post/171914096?r=2sezo&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true&triedRedirect=true

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Co-Creating Connections and Possibilities in a Time of Transition

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Thanks, Lauren and Kate, for sharing this IG response from Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project about why the current administration is going after the Smithsonian.

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The Weekend: Primetime on Instagram: "[This administration] “is trying to recast white Americans as primary victims of racism in this country... in order to be able to justify these policies you have to hide the true history of this country... and so only the people who want to talk about race are the actual racists.” Nikole Hannah-Jones @nikolehannahjones explains why the Trump administration is going after the Smithsonian."

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6,660 likes, 133 comments - theweekendprime on August 23, 2025: "[This administration] “is trying to recast white Americans as primary victims of racism in this country... in order to be able to justify these policies you have to hide the true history of this country... and so only the people who want to talk about race are the actual racists.” Nikole Hannah-Jones @nikolehannahjones explains why the Trump administration is going after the Smithsonian.". 

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I started today's session (8-25-25) playing Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, first released in 1971. The video was re-released in 2019 to reflect our current state and how the song is still relevant. What song (any genre, classic or new), would you add to our Together We Rise playlist? Share it in the comments...

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Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (Official Video 2019)

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Watch this powerful TEDTalk with Author Jacqueline Woodson, What reading slowly taught me about. During our August 11 webinar, we shared our summer reading list. What books are you reading or re-reading during the summer months? Share yours in the comments....

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Jacqueline Woodson: What reading slowly taught me about writing | TED

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Check out our very own Jenn Pozner's Reality Rehab trailer. Are you familiar with the stereotypical characters on reality TV?

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Reality Rehab with Dr. Jenn: Deprogramming Reality TV's Stock Characters

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Music plays such an essential role in capturing the time we lived in and living in. Take a listen to Tracy Chapman's Talkin’ bout a Revolution (we discussed it on July 14).

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Tracy Chapman - Talkin' About A Revolution (Official Music Video)

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Music plays such an essential role in capturing the time we lived in and living in. Take a listen to Tracy Chapman's Talkin’ bout a Revolution (we discussed it on July 14).

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Tracy Chapman - Talkin' About A Revolution (Official Music Video)

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Kate Dalton's Substack: Getting into Good Trouble

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Messaging Roundup: Getting into good trouble

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In honor of today’s march and the fifth anniversary of John Lewis’s death, we will be reflecting on the theme of good trouble.

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Coachevelt.com

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We're talking about food, family, and relationships

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The power of food in community | Shelina Permalloo | TEDxSouthamptonUniversity

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Protest Playlists on Spotify

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Looking for something? Find artists, songs, albums, playlists, and more.

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How do media and stories portray what it means to be "human"?

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Presentation - Understanding Media Literacy

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100 Best Protest Songs of All Time : https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-protest-songs-1235154848/peter-gabriel-biko-1235231681/

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What's with Iran's Death to America chant? | AJ #shorts

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Democracy NOW

reports on the No Kings Protests around the country.

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No Kings: Millions Across U.S. Protest Trump's Power Grab, Overshadowing His Military Parade

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Watch PBS Newshour report on the No Kings Protests

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Millions turn out nationwide for ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump administration

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In our June 16 Together, We Rise Webinar, we continue to explore Ruha Benjamin's works, including her TED Talk, bestselling books, such as Viral Justice, and her video as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow. Watch the video to learn about her and her vision to reclaim our imagination.

https://youtu.be/LW7Nj_J-7ok?feature=shared

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Watch Ruha Benjamin's TED Talk about the role and effect of technology in our lives. She offers a more humanist " vision of the future, one where humanity isn't saved or slayed by technology, but instead uses it to uplift ordinary people and make things like health care and housing for all a reality."

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Is Technology Our Savior — or Our Slayer? | Ruha Benjamin | TED

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Fake news is spreading like wildfare. Check out this story from Billy Penn in Philly.

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The Inquirer publishes a fake summer reading list as Amy Poehler debuts a fake Philly show

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“Parks and Rec” alumni tease a show called “Philly Justice,” while the Inquirer features a 2025 summer reading list. Unfortunately, both are a bunch of baloney.

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I've enjoyed reading The Honest Broker Substack for some time, and I thought you all might be interested in seeing his suggestion for his favorite 30 anti-tech books of all time (yes, Shakespeare is on the list). Food for thought...

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My reading list for reviving human values in today’s digital desert and liberating yourself from tech overreach

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DOE cancelled $23 million in funding for PBS's Ready To Learn program.

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Department of Education Eliminates Grant for PBS Children’s Shows

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The termination of the federal grant program, called Ready To Learn, resulted in a loss of $23 million that would have gone to educational programs.

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Toni Morrison inspires us

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Toni Morrison on the Importance of Writing in the Face of Hate

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What I Want My Grandchildren to Know

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I Want My Grandchildren to Know about the First 100 Days

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Next funding cuts announced: this time PBS and NPR by executive orders. Check out this NPR report. Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Trump orders end to federal funding for NPR and PBS

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In an executive order, President Trump directs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to stop funding NPR and PBS, the nation’s primary public broadcasters.

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This is the podcast interview we watched during the webinar. See the full interview, Mel Robbins Podcast with Danielle Bayard Jackson about adult friendships.

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It’s Not You: The Real Reason Adult Friendship Is So Hard & 3 Ways to Make It Easier

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Michelle Obama shares with her brother how she has maintained friendships through various stages of her life, followed by a candid interview with Issa Rae.

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ISSA RAE — How to Manage and Grow Changing Friendships | IMO

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Simon and Trevor had a great conversation about relationships, the impact of career on friendship, and so much more.

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Simon Sinek & Trevor Noah on Friendship, Loneliness, Vulnerability, and More | Full Conversation

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I created a very short video of the rally we had last week up at the US/Canadian border near Bellingham, WA. My goal was to capture the spirit of the event. :)

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Last Friday's messaging newsletter that I co-write with my friend Julie.

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Amanda Gorman's book was banned from a FL school.

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Poet and author Amanda Gorman on "The Hill We Climb" being restricted in a Florida school

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Yes, it's a creative way to depict the mess of Trump tariffs

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Democracy Now! reports on the

Hands Off protests are happening globally. 1M+ people took to the streets!

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"Hands Off!": 1M+ Protest Trump's DOGE Cuts, Attacks on Education, Immigration, War on Gaza & More

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'Hands Off!' rally in Boston reported by WCVB.

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Tens of thousands of protesters gather for 'Hands Off!' rally in Boston

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Meet Vanessa Imani, daughter of musicians, singing her heart out on social media. Pam shared this father-daughter duo,

a viral musical sensation, during our group discussion. She's pure joy and definitely knows how to have fun!

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6.1K views · 3.2K reactions | #VanessaImani 🦋 in her @PIX11 News story!!! 📰 🗞️ ❤️🙏🏽🎹
#TruyolsMusic #pix11news #youngsinger #sing #song #newartist #localnews #music #musica #toddlermusic #Wachijab | Truyols Music

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#VanessaImani 🦋 in her @PIX11 News story!!! 📰 🗞️ ❤️🙏🏽🎹
#TruyolsMusic #pix11news #youngsinger #sing #song #newartist #localnews #music #musica #toddlermusic #Wachijab.

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After Trump’s Tariffs, Stocks Plunged but Penguin Memes Ticked Up

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The internet poked fun at the Trump administration’s decision to impose new tariffs on Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Australian territories near Antarctica where many penguins but no people live.

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Why Having Fun in the Secret to a Healthier Life

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Why Having Fun Is the Secret to a Healthier Life | Catherine Price | TED

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Okay. I hesitated to include this resource, because it's NOT for everyone, and is NOT for the faint of heart. I've been listening to the "I've Had It" podcast ladies since they started a couple of years ago, and I have to say, they crack me up! Yes, the language can be crude, but they are also well-researched at calling out the hypocrisy of our current clown car administration, and have interviewed the likes of Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris. They have a companion podcast called IHIP News, which focuses solely on politics, while the original I've Had It pod focuses more on everyday petty grievances that irritate us all (gender reveal parties, anyone?). Give them a listen, if you dare. Don't say I didn't warn you. --Lauren

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Join Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan on their political pop culture podcast ‘I’ve Had It’ every Tuesday and Thursday. IHIP News, a daily or twice daily podcast, serving digestible political news in short doses.

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In the spirit of this week’s theme, inspired by self-proclaimed professional troublemaker, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, and starting “good trouble,” check out

Sen. Booker’s livestream on his YouTube channel and reported by NPR

https://youtu.be/v2utlMxAwtE

Will NPR coverage

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/01/nx-s1-5347318/cory-booker-senate-speech

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Live: Speaking on Trump, Musk, and America’s Moral Moment on the Senate Floor | Senator Cory Booker

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Messaging Newsletter from Brooklyn Resisters Group

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This is a messaging newsletter I co-write with a friend. We try to curate messaging tips and tricks, as well as noteworthy content to share.

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Professional Troublemakers and Allies

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How to be a Professional Troublemaker and Ally with Luvvie Ajayi Jones | Embrace Ambition Summit

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Watch Luvvie Ajayi Jones’s viral TED Talk, Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QijH4UAqGD8&t=21s

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Get comfortable with being uncomfortable | Luvvie Ajayi Jones | TED

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Thoughts?

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This Cornell Professor Is Committed to Rooting Out DEI One Program at a Time

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White people are suffering from discrimination, he says. He’s taking his million-dollar campaign to the Office for Civil Rights.

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Canadians in several cities join ‘Tesla Takedown’ protests against Musk, Trump

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Canadians in several cities have joined a series of “Tesla Takedown” protests happening across the United States and parts of Europe.

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Donta’ Broussard on Instagram: "I visited the most dangerous country in the world 🌎 😂😂😂

#unitedstates  #travel #funny  #usa"

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175K likes, 3,225 comments - thebeardedbackpacker_ on March 14, 2025: "I visited the most dangerous country in the world 🌎 😂😂😂

#unitedstates  #travel #funny  #usa". 

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With Trump’s zigzag actions on trade, March came in like a lion and won’t be going out like a lamb

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A gobsmacked planet is wondering what’s next from President Donald Trump on the tariff spree he’s set in zigzag motion.

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Read MA Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's statement after the Senate’s passage of Republicans’ government spending bill.

https://pressley.house.gov/2025/03/14/pressleys-statement-on-senate-passage-of-republican-government-budget-bill/

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WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement after the Senate's passage of Republicans' shameful government spending bill, which will harm vulnerable families as Elon Musk and Donald Trump continue their unprecedented hostile government takeover.

Rep. Pressley voted against the legislation in the House and had implored her Senate colleagues to hold the line, reject the false choice, and instead support a clean, 30-day stopgap funding measure to allow for bipartisan negotiations on a longer-term funding bill.

"The Republicans' budget bill that just passed the Senate is nothing short of devastating. Every Representative and Senator who voted to support it has let down the communities that elected them to be their voice in Congress. Rather than listen to the pleas from constituents in town halls across the country, Republicans chose to ignore them. When our communities begin to feel the harm of this reckless budget, there will be no one to blame but Republicans licking the boots of Donald Trump and Elon Musk and the handful of Democrats who chose not to fight. Tonight, I am thinking of the kids in pediatric cancer trials, the parents trying to stretch their dollars to cover groceries, the federal workers wronged by this cruel Trump White House, and all of the people across the country who are failed by this budget."

"I voted NO on this bad-faith budget bill. I refuse to be complicit in Republicans' attack on our most vulnerable, and I'm grateful to the overwhelming number of Democratic colleagues in both chambers who held the line and joined us in opposing this disgraceful legislation. I will always center the people, and I will continue standing in the gap and fighting this Administration like lives depend on it, because they do."

Republicans' harmful funding bill will:

Fail to lower the cost of housing and instead cuts rent subsidies for low-income and working Americans by more than $700 million, leaving landlords to foot the bill for or evict more than 32,000 households including veterans, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, and families with disabilities.

Allow Elon Musk and President Trump to fire thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration, which would result in closures of Social Security offices, increased wait times, and unacceptable backlogs for Americans trying to access their earned benefits.

Enable Elon Musk to direct contracts to his companies like Starlink and SpaceX, while unvetted SpaceX employees have burrowed in the FAA, with no requirement for public transparency, fair competition, or Congressional approval - all while mission-critical jobs have been cut at the FAA and Elon Musk's spaceships exploded during two failed space launches since January, causing major disruptions to air travelers.

Cut Army Corps of Engineers construction projects that keep commerce safely flowing on our waterways, manage flood risk, and restore ecosystems by $1.4 billion, or 44 percent, and Elon Musk and President Trump, not Congress, will determine all project funding levels.

Renege on veterans' medical care and create future uncertainty. More veterans are enrolled in VA care than ever. While the bill includes $6 billion in mandatory funds to address an immediate funding shortfall, it fails to include $22.8 billion in fiscal year 2026 advanced funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to care for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances that House Republicans included in their own funding bill last year. It also frees Elon Musk and President Trump to redirect funding meant for homelessness assistance grants, mental health care, rural health, opioid and substance abuse programs, some oncology programs, and caregivers support, however they see fit.

The bill cuts funding for nondefense programs and services by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion compared to fiscal year 2024 enacted levels.

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Pressley's Statement on Senate Passage of Republican Government Budget Bill - Ayanna Pressley

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Pressley, House Dems Opposed Bill That Will Gut Healthcare, Housing & Food Assistance While Emboldening Musk-Trump Assault on Our Democracy...

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Check out this article featuring, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressing many issues we're still grappling with in today's political climate.

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he campaign office of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sits deep in the Bronx, across the street from a Chinese takeaway and 99-cent discount store, near enough to a railway bridge to hear the rumble of passing trains. The front window of the plain redbrick building is dominated by a big, smiling photo of the US congresswoman and notices that say: "We welcome all races, all sexual orientations, all gender identities, all religions, all abilities," and "We say gay in the Bronx". Inside, the words "¡AOC! ORGANIZING BASE" are printed in giant purple letters on a wall.

Ocasio-Cortez, who at 29 became the youngest woman and youngest Latina to serve in the House of Representatives, is now 33, twice re-elected and comfortable in her political skin. She could hardly be described as an old hand but nor does she channel the shock of the new. She deploys social media with enviable authenticity; she grills congressional witnesses like a seasoned interrogator; she is an object of perverse fascination for Fox News and rightwing trolls; she has been around Washington long enough to draw charges of "co-option" and "selling out".

"AOC Is Just a Regular Old Democrat Now," ran a headline on New York magazine's Intelligencer website in July. The article's author, Freddie deBoer, argued that Ocasio-Cortez's appearance on the Pod Save America podcast to announce her endorsement of Joe Biden for president in the 2024 election was her "last kiss-off to the radicals who had supported her, voted for her, donated to her campaign, and made her unusually famous in American politics".

The Ocasio-Cortez who sits for an interview with the Guardian is clearly aware of the leftist's eternal dilemma - purity versus pragmatism - and determined to navigate it with care. She makes clear that Biden cannot take progressives for granted next year but urges Democrats to unite against the bigger threat of "fascism" in America. She condemns the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, but wants the US to be clear about its aims there and acknowledge "the anxieties of our history".

And after a summer of extreme heat and wild weather, she evidently worries that incrementalism will not be enough to address a climate crisis that is crying out for revolution.

casio-Cortez's first legislative proposal after arriving on Capitol Hill was a Green New Deal that envisions a 10-year national mobilisation in the spirit of President Franklin Roosevelt's 1930s New Deal. That went nowhere, but last year Biden did sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law, touting its $369bn investment in clean energy and climate action as the biggest of any nation in history.

However, the president also approved more oil and gas drilling permits in his first two years in office than his predecessor, Donald Trump, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

It is, Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges, a mixed picture. "What is difficult is that the climate crisis does not really care about the political complexities that we very much have to grapple with in our work," she says, wearing a blue dress with floral shoulder pattern and sitting on a long wooden seat dotted with black and yellow cushions.

"We can celebrate all of these policies that result in reductions but we also can't erase them with increased oil and gas production. I'm very concerned about where our net math is on that because we can calculate, yes, we had an enormous amount of reductions that are represented in the Inflation Reduction Act, but this is not something that can be measured necessarily in dollars and cents.

We can celebrate all of these policies that result in reductions but we also can't erase them with increased oil and gas production

"It's measured in carbon tonnes and in emissions and there's a lot of funny math that happens in emissions when people talk about clean coal and how fracking somehow reduces our carbon emissions, when we know that it increases methane, which is far more powerful than CO 2. While on one hand we can applaud the progress, on the other hand that in no way erases the the setbacks that we've had."

Ocasio-Cortez has joined Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Senator Bernie Sanders in introducing a bill calling on the president to declare a national climate emergency to unleash every resource available. In early August, Biden claimed that he had "practically" declared such an emergency, but in reality he has not.

Even so, the congresswoman says: "I believe he understands the scale of the crisis. I think what we are up against, which perhaps should be discussed more for those of us in the climate movement, is the geopolitics of this."

She goes on to describe a challenge that is bigger than one man or one nation. "The shift in energy represents a real threat to traditional power globally. As we shift away from non-renewables, we are talking about threatening power among some of the most influential institutions in the United States, in Latin America and globally. That is something that is going to have profound ramifications, all of which I don't even believe we can fully appreciate yet.

"I think that is what drives an enormous amount of blowback and resistance. When you look at, for example, the influence of the Koch brothers in US democracy, they basically have historically purchased enormous amounts of influence over the United States Senate. They are oil barons. These are fossil fuel companies that have exerted huge amounts of influence both in US democracy and in global interests."

Ocasio-Cortez also points to the power and influence of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and Middle Eastern nations such as the United Arab Emirates. "When we talk about the transition to renewable energies, wrapped inside that is a profound challenge to the current global order and that, I believe, is something that we're going to have to contend with in our time."

For the left, the war in Ukraine is potentially more complicated. Putin's invasion is by any measure an affront to morality. But US support for Ukraine has put critics of the military-industrial complex (the government spends about $900bn a year on defence, around 15% of the federal budget or 3.3% of the gross domestic product) in the uncomfortable position of rooting for the Pentagon and endorsing a windfall for defence contractors. Longtime sceptics of US imperialism suddenly find themselves aligned with Republican hawks.

Ocasio-Cortez articulates the uneasy accommodation: "It's a legitimate conversation. I think on one hand, it is important for us to underscore what a dramatic threat to global order Russia's invasion of Ukraine is and continues to be. We must defend democracy. We cannot allow this reversion into almost a late 19th-century imperial invasion order - it is so incredibly destabilising and dangerous. We must fight against that precedent. We must protect the democracy of Ukraine and the sovereignty of Ukraine 100%.

"I think it's also relevant to acknowledge that this is happening on the heels of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and how many of us were raised growing up saying this was going to be temporary, and it became a forever war. I believe that acknowledging the anxieties of our history of that is relevant.

"Indicating to the people of this country what are we looking for, what are the levels of accountability, is not something that I think is an affront to democracy. I think the American people understandably want clarity about what our commitments are, to what extent they are. I think that is absolutely fair. We do not want a forever war and we also don't want a return to a 19th-century imperial order either."

self-described democratic socialist, Ocasio-Cortez has not been afraid to buck Democratic leadership, including by voting against a deal that Biden negotiated with Republicans in May to raise the debt ceiling. In 2020 she made the provocative comment that, in any other country, she and Biden would not be in the same party. Yet she has endorsed his re-election in 2024. Does that mean she has travelled towards him or he towards her?

"I think it means that we have a US political system that's not parliamentary, to my envy of many other countries," she replies deftly. "There were so many people that were so up in arms about that comment, which I likely maintain to this day. But I find that parliamentary systems allow for a larger degree of honesty about the political coalitions that we must make. It's not anything negative towards the president or towards anybody else.

"It's just a reality that we have very different political coalitions that constitute the Democratic party and being able to define that, I actually think grants us much power. It's to say, listen, I am not defined by nor do I agree with all of the stances of this president, and I'm sure neither does he with mine.

"But that does not mean that we are not in this together against the greater forces and questions of our time, and I think being able to demonstrate that ability to coalesce puts us in a position of far greater strength than, say, the Republican party who are at each other's necks to the extent that they can't even fund the government."

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There has been no greater rallying point for Democrats of all stripes than Trump. As Paul Begala, a former White House adviser, has observed: "Nothing unites the people of Earth like a threat from Mars." Ocasio-Cortez, a celebrated member of "the Squad" of House progressives, regards continued solidarity as imperative for as long as the quadruple-indicted former president menaces US democracy.

She warns: "We should be candid about the fact that his chances as the nominee are still the strongest, probably out of the entire [Republican] field, and what that means. There's very real danger here because with our electoral college, we know it doesn't matter how many millions more votes you get. It's about the smattering of states who just represent a few thousand votes' difference between Trump and Biden.

"We are not in 2020, and seeing what that turnout may look like is something that I'm sure keeps many of us up at night. But that being said, I know that this is why, to me, support of President Biden has been very important, because this question is larger than any policy differences. This is truly about having a strong front against fascism in the United States."

Women have emerged as a profound electoral force, especially with the overturning of Roe v Wade

But will that be enough to motivate the progressive base in 2024? Trump has no serious primary challenger, but his approval rating remains mired in the 40s. A recent Emerson College polling survey found the Green party candidate Cornel West drawing support from 7% of independents, 8% of Black voters and 7% of Hispanics - key parts of the Biden coalition. In a hypothetical presidential election, the survey found 44% support Trump, 39% Biden, 4% West and 13% undecided.

Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges that, after defeating Sanders in the 2020 primary, Biden made welcome efforts to include progressives on joint policy taskforces and in his administration. But she cautions that he must now make his case to the left all over again.

"In 2020 the Biden campaign, after the nomination, did work very hard to unite the party. We're very early still in the 2024 election cycle, but I do believe that it will be very important for President Biden's team to once again engage in that coalition-building because it is not one and done."

Likewise, she continues, Latino voters must not be taken for granted. "Republicans have been very aggressive about building presence in Latino communities, and I believe that we as Democrats can double and triple down in our efforts to communicate in a way that's not just translations of English material, but for us to manoeuvre ourselves almost as a separate, distinct campaign that occurs in Spanish or in many of the languages and communities that constitute the base of the Democratic party."

Ocasio-Cortez was part of an all-Latino congressional delegation that recently visited Brazil, Chile and Colombia to begin redefining US relations with Latin America after decades of interventions and distrust. The group met landless workers and homeless workers who have organised popular movements while also becoming a formidable force at the ballot box.

She reflects: "I think sometimes in the US, especially on the left but even across the political spectrum, there is a struggle between more grassroots movements feeling as though engaging in electoralism is a form of selling out, or the compromises required in being part of a legislative system are somehow delegitimising to an authentic relationship to advancing the working class.

"I think what we've seen from MST [Landless Workers Movement] and MTST [Homeless Workers Movement] is that there's actually a way to do both, that you can preserve your integrity but also understand the importance of taking a pragmatic approach and being in the game when it comes to having electoral representation."

It takes one to know one. Ocasio-Cortez, a former restaurant server and bartender who in 2018 defeated 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley for a seat that represents parts of the Bronx and Queens, faces the accusation from some that she has gone from outsider to insider, that she has become just a little too comfortable toeing the party line.

She laughs. "I think I would be remiss to not mention that I've absolutely been subject to part of that. But just as we hear from some of these folks in Brazil, we are so underserved without having that presence in governance. To sacrifice all of that to a historically neoliberal order has not served us.

"I think that when you see how even the Democratic party of the United States has changed in just the last five years alone, we've seen the fruits of being able to have a seat at the table ... I believe that we would not have the legislation that we have today if it were not for that progressive representation in government."

Her commitment to the system, whatever its flaws, invites the question of whether Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most gifted communicators in politics today, will run for president herself some day. She does not say no. "For me personally, I'm very much just motivated by what the conditions of the present moment are and what we can do to help advance that cause.

"I am not interested in running for anything - president or anything else including for re-election in my own seat - just running for running's sake. It always comes down to the conditions of that moment and the possibilities of our time."

The first woman nominated for president by the Democratic party was Hillary Clinton in 2016. In Trump, she lost to a rival who gloried in shameless misogyny. But Ocasio-Cortez, whose gender, race, age and ideology make her as antithetical to Trump as can be imagined, refuses to be discouraged.

"I do believe that the power of misogyny is very real and very potent in American politics," she says. "But I'm very encouraged by what has happened since then. I believe women have emerged as a profound electoral force, especially with the overturning of Roe v Wade. Young women especially I think have been very animated and organised in this moment. I think we are in a moment of generational change.

"We are absolutely contending with an extraordinary misogyny in our politics. The United States can go around and say what it says, but many, many, many other countries have elected female heads of state, whereas the United States has gone well over 200 years without one. Those barriers are very real, but I think the change of this time is also giving a lot of us a lot of hope."

Before getting back to work in an office of greens, purples, whites and yellows - and hundreds of colourful backpacks for constituents entering the new school year - she sums up: "Certainly the conditions have been such and the misogyny in our politics has been such that we've never been able to elect a woman president. But that doesn't mean we never will."

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'There's a very real danger here': AOC on 2024, the climate crisis and 'selling out'

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Twice re-elected and comfortable in her political skin, the Democratic congresswoman makes clear that Biden can't take progressives for granted

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A lot of my activist friends are raving about the messaging advice of Anat Shenker Osorio. Her recent conversations with Anand Giridharadas can be found here

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An artist installation in the subway in Brooklyn. The messages: "What kind of person opposes inclusion?" "What kind of person opposes diversity?" "What kind of person opposes equity?

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Jonathan Allen on Instagram: "‘Interruption 390’, paint, plastic on video screen, 60 x 112 inches, Atlantic Avenue subway station, Brooklyn🔥 thank you @lauraknicoll for filming this angle & filming install 🔥 thank you #emmakanne for painting assistance 🔥#blackhistorymonth #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #creativeextremes #DEI #DEImatters #nationalemergency #actII #newnormal #stoptrump"

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8,323 likes, 1,820 comments - jonathanallenstudio on February 25, 2025: "‘Interruption 390’, paint, plastic on video screen, 60 x 112 inches, Atlantic Avenue subway station, Brooklyn🔥 thank you @lauraknicoll for filming this angle & filming install 🔥 thank you #emmakanne for painting assistance 🔥#blackhistorymonth #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #creativeextremes #DEI #DEImatters #nationalemergency #actII #newnormal #stoptrump". 

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This article is from the Philadelphia Inquirer. March 10 is Harriet Tubman Day and National Day of Rest for Black women. After the last presidential election, many intentionally decided to rest.

According to Wikipedia, "World Sleep Day is observed annually on the Friday before the March Equinox. The first World Sleep Day was held on March 14, 2008."

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Kamala Harris deserves time to rest. We all do. | Jenice Armstrong

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The National Day of Rest for Black Women on March 10 acknowledges that Black women — the most loyal voting block in the Democratic Party — need to focus on their own well-being and prioritize rest.

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Imagining the worst can be a first step toward moving past anxiety. Read: https://theconversation.com/feeling-political-distress-here-are-coping-strategies-a-psychologist-shares-with-his-clients-246864

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Learn more about where "the first 100 days" came from historically

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The Problem With a President’s ‘First 100 Days’

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A staple of U.S. political discourse has generated unrealistic expectations about how democracy functions.

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The Problem With a President’s ‘First 100 Days’

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Wonderful List of Advice: How to Get Through This

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Americans disheartened by this year's election results may find themselves in a 2016 redux. Facing yet another Donald Trump presidency, you might be asking yourself: How do I cope? How will I steel myself to do it all over again for the next four years? This time around, Trump and his allies have vowed to deport millions of people, fire civil servants and appoint loyalists in their stead, and further restrict abortion access. These policies are genuinely distressing and can feel overwhelming for the many millions of people who will be affected by them.

But it is not 2016. Having a clear-eyed plan for how you'll handle what lies ahead is more protective than succumbing to despair. You can take the lessons learned to buttress your coping skills and avoid psychological exhaustion to make it through the coming days - and the next four years.

Don't suppress your emotions, process them

In the immediate aftermath of the election results, you may be flooded with emotions ranging from despair to rage. "You can't suppress those emotions of fear and despair. You have to process them," says Adrienne Heinz, a clinical research psychologist at Stanford University. "When you finally accept how you feel and the reality, you can start to focus on what you can change."

Processing emotions requires quiet time with your thoughts. It's important in this moment to tune out distractions, like social media, and resist avoidant coping strategies, such as sleeping or doomscrolling, and sit with your feelings instead - whether out in nature or while meditating in your living room.

"Right now, we probably don't have very high distress tolerance - we're maxed out," Heinz says. "But just remembering those emotions don't last forever. They might feel like they're going to eat you and swallow you whole, but if you can walk through them and come out the other side, you will be more emotionally intelligent."

You may want to seek out a trusted friend or a mental health professional to help you work through some of your feelings, says Riana Elyse Anderson, an associate professor at Columbia University's School of Social Work. However, give yourself permission to mute group chats with friends if the conversation or information shared feels overwhelming.

Instead of worrying about what's to come, hard as that may be, ground yourself in the present. Remind yourself that the tree on your lawn is still there, that the bus is still following its route, says licensed clinical social worker Jneé Hill. Squirrels are still scurrying along. "Life is still going on," Hill says.

She also recommends spending time with children who generally have other concerns - they're more interested in the book fair they just visited or the new move they learned in karate. This can bring you back into the present moment. Don't forget to lean into joy wherever you can - this is what refills your energy stores.

Avoid fatalistic thinking

Although the country has clarity on its next president, there are still plenty of unknowns about what exactly will unfold over the next four years. Uncertainty breeds anxiety, research shows, so it's understandable to feel uneasy.

Daniel Hunter, founder of Choose Democracy, an organization that provides resources to help Americans prepare for an undemocratic power grab, says his experience in activism has taught him that the solution isn't to bury your head in the sand or jump to the worst-case scenario. Try not to paint a narrative of the future based on assumptions.

"Consciously engage in that uncertainty and hold there are things we don't know," he says. "We can grieve for the things we know, and we can grieve for the things we don't know, the things we're not certain about. But that's different than telling ourselves a story."

What to do in the weeks, months, and years ahead

Curb reactionary impulses

Trump's first administration was a near-daily blitz of chaotic headlines, Hunter says. "Trump would announce at 3 am some new policy that had never been discussed before," he says. "Then people would feel like we have to react and do something about that. What it meant was we stayed in a constant state, or near-constant state, of Trump setting the agenda."

This time around, try to be more measured and targeted with your reactions, Hunter says. Use moments of outrage to ask yourself what you feel inspired to do and what you'd like to accomplish, "and continue to press forward on those things, regardless of a political context," he says. Hunter points to the effectiveness of the so-called Muslim ban protests, which communicated the public's outrage over the policy at airports across the country. "The disruption that happened in the airports," he says, "was a major piece of putting the pressure on in a material way."

Focus on what you can change

In a similar vein, instead of devoting your attention to things you have no power to change, like the enactment of specific policies or Cabinet appointments, Heinz says to focus on what you do have control over. Choose one issue that resonates with you and find ways to get involved locally. "It might be organizing something at the grassroots level to support new families who need child care," Heinz says. "It could be going to a city council meeting to talk about housing."

You can also consider areas where you don't feel like you have total control, Hill says. "Are you not feeling in control of your livelihood, of your safety, your security, just being able to go out and not be attacked or injured?" The question to then ask is, what can you control to make yourself feel safer during this moment? Perhaps that's spending more time with friends in your home. "Maybe I want to spend some time beautifying and taking care of it," Hill says.

Find - or bolster - your community efforts

Social isolation can make you feel fatigued and emotionally exhausted, studies suggest. Lonely people may also be less trusting of others, another study found. Surrounding yourself with people you love can bring comfort, Heinz says. The morning the race was called, Hunter texted a few friends to make plans to get together and commiserate, cry, laugh.

Knowing your neighbors and finding local groups of people who champion the same causes as you can help you form community. Anderson recommends Mobilize to find events and volunteer opportunities near you. Think about what makes you feel like you've made a difference in the world. Is it protesting? Working with a mutual aid organization? Making dinner for your elderly neighbor? Ask yourself what issue in your town or city matters the most to you and how you could make an impact there. "Getting people in person with each other is how we're going to be able to show up for each other and also get the work done more effectively," Anderson says.

Authoritarianism is fueled by fear, isolation, and perceived helplessness, Heinz says. "That combination ultimately leads to psychological exhaustion," she says. But throwing yourself completely into resistance mode will ultimately lead to burnout. On the other end of the spectrum, there will be moments when you want to curl up in bed and shut out the world, but that isn't an effective long-term strategy, either.

To keep from full emotional exhaustion, you need to set boundaries. "We need psychological boundaries," Hunter says, "not on our phones all the time, spaces where we're not talking about it."

Take time to rest and recuperate, but don't disengage. Set time limits on your news consumption, but don't avoid it completely. Balance upsetting coverage with good news, stories of progress, and examples of people who have gone through tragedy and made it to the other side. Support those you love and stand together with your community to protect others.

"How we live [is] not really a question that's intrinsically tied to a political outcome," Hill says. "Obviously, it has real-life impact, globally and personally, but that philosophical question of how you live your life is not something that can be dictated by other people."

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Coping strategies for the next few days - and the next four years.

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Interesting resources on organizing and social mobilization from Harvard's Ash Center for Dem Governance & Innovation.

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From Crisis to Action: Turning the Tide on Democratic Erosion Through Organizing - Ash Center

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In response to the recent anti-democratic patterns in the United States, the Ash Center hosted a panel of Harvard scholars to discuss how civil society can resist democratic backsliding through social mobilization and organizing.

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I have read more than one article about how a school/group knew Tr2mp was against (subject) but they voted for him anyways, thinking "it won't happen to us".

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#TeslaTakedown protest in Brooklyn Saturday

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Small mini-action Friday in Brooklyn at rush hour. Heartening to see people smile and honk.

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Voice of America Losing Editorial Independence

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In my quest to stay out of silo thinking, I signed up to listen to this discussion CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci for a discussion on current events and the first month of the second Trump administration. It was actually quite fascinating. While I certainly don't agree with everything that was said, I thought that there were some valid points made. One of them is that we must take Trump seriously, and we need to drop our egos and work together -- democrats, republicans, independents... everyone.

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Let’s Find Common Ground with Anthony Scaramucci

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Podcast Episode · Let’s Find Common Ground · 02/28/2025 · 59m

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Influencers Respond

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DAILY BEAST

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Breitbart on Bezos and WP

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Kiss the Ring

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Listen to Let’s Find Common Ground by USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future on Audible. https://www.audible.com/pd/B08K56GJVW?source_code=ASSOR150021221000N

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"Art can Save you" Josh Johnson

Start watching the video at 47:48 min

Comedian Josh Johnson shares his commentary about Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance plus many trending topics.

Share 1 takeaway from his sketch...

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Why Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show Is America

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Actress Natasha Lyonne speaking out about the current methods of dehumanization and the need to protect the most vulnerable in our society

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Journalist Joy Reid's commentary on the Super Bowl halftime show.

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Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show most-watched of all time

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Nathan Zed offers a short history of the recent past

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A Short Commentary: The Revolution Will Be Televised

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What Kendrick Lamar Was Trying to Tell You During His Superbowl Performance

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Watch the Performance: Kendrick Lamar's Superbowl Halftime Show

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Kendrick Lamar's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Federal firings have impacted many states, including Massachusetts. The JFK Library in Boston is one of the latest.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren released a statement Tuesday night that said, "President Trump is firing American workers who monitor bird flu outbreaks, safeguard nuclear facilities, and now those who promote American history in Dorchester — all to help pay for tax breaks for billionaires and giant corporations.”

Originally published on February 18, 2025

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JFK Library to reopen after federal firings forced a ‘temporary closure’ Tuesday

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The news came just hours after the sudden shutdown of the presidential library, which is overseen by the National Archives.

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More federal firings are taking place and have reached Philadelphia. Read to learn more about its snowball effects beyond the respective departments.

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Independence park and local FAA office caught in federal firing spree

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The Trump Administration’s efforts to trim the number of federal employees reached Philadelphia in the past week.

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On 2/17/25, Haymarket Books hosted The Corporate Coup in Global Context: An Emergency Town Hall. Watch and learn how people and organizations are organizing in various communities.

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The Corporate Coup in Global Context: An Emergency Town Hall

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Join Naomi Klein, Chenjerai Kumanyika, Astra Taylor, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor for an emergency town hall on the accelerating corporate dominance of our li…

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Heres what happening today.

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Protests are set to take place on Presidents Day. Here’s why

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Protests against the Trump administration’s actions are planned for Presidents Day. Organizers say they are responding to “the anti-democratic and illegal actions of the Trump administration.”

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Really compelling resource and podcast series (Scene on Radio) to help navigate ethical thinking around complex human challenges

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The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University

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The Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University

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The Kenan Institute for Ethics is an interdisciplinary home for faculty, students, and staff dedicated to understanding and negotiating the moral challenges of our time through the energetic and capacious pursuit of good.

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The recent episode titled 'Do Americans have too much 'me time?' is a thought-provoking discussion around understanding loneliness, social isolation, community building and sense of belonging. Interview features Derek Thompson of The Atlantic who has written about social isolation.

The Gray Area with Sean Illing takes a philosophy-minded look at culture, technology, politics, and the world of ideas. Each week, we invite a guest to explore a question or topic that matters. From the state of democracy, to the struggle with depression and anxiety, to the nature of identity in the digital age, each episode looks for nuance and honesty in the most important conversations of our time.

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From Waleed Shahid’s instagram: On Gramsci, Benjamin, and pessimism & optimism in our time

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Waleed Shahid on Instagram: "Thoughts via Antonio and Walter adrift in the proverbial ocean without a shore."

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1,336 likes, 10 comments - wwwshahid on February 3, 2025: "Thoughts via Antonio and Walter adrift in the proverbial ocean without a shore.". 

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Performance as Artivism

This year's Superbowl Halftime Show featured Musician Kendrick Lamar. It created the most buzz and is the highest-ranking show since Michael Jackson's in the 80s.

In preparation for our Feb. 24, consider watching it and various post-Superbowl analyses to put it in context.

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Kendrick Lamar's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show

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Some public officials are speaking out against Elon Musk's attempts to gain control of the federal government. Watch the video for more insights.

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Trump loses on tariffs, citizenship order as Musk risks another court loss in attack on ‘all’ rules

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AOC live on IG and YouTube. Wise advice, "take a breath"

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What’s Happening & How You Can Take Action | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

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So you want to be an autocrat? Here’s the 10-point checklist

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Today’s autocrats rarely use brute force to wrest control. A human rights and international law scholar details the modern authoritarian’s latest methods to grab and hold power.

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Librarians have been under assault from the conservative agenda for over three years. There have been laws that have been passed in the country that require materials only be accessible to adults. (Some libraries in Idaho are not allowing anybody under the age of 18 in unless they are accompanied by an adult.) There are laws that allow librarians to be arrested for "providing obscene materials to minors" (Alabama). Everylibrary has been helping librarians across the country to fight back. They have updates on what is happening at the state and local level plus political tools on their website to assist.

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News and Updates

STATEMENT: Supporting the 2024 Banned Books Week Congressional Resolution

EveryLibrary is proud to endorse the 2024 Banned Books Week Resolution introduced this week by Congressman Jamie Raskin and Senator Brian Schatz. We extend our sincere thanks to both lawmakers and their co-sponsors for their steadfast leadership in defending the rights of all Americans to freely access diverse books and ideas, especially in the face of the growing and unconstitutional attacks on public libraries, schools, and the First Amendment.

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Stay up-to-date with EveryLibrary's work.

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Provides lessons on resisting authoritarianism from across the globe and throughout history

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How to organize under authoritarian creep in a closing civil society

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With civil society under attack from a dehumanizing far-right government, it bears remembering: In crisis there is also opportunity.

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I love Bluesky. It is troll-free (for now). Lots of people moved here from Twitter after Trump was elected.

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Amanda Silberling, Cody Corrall, Alyssa Stringer

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What is Bluesky? Everything to know about the X competitor.

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Bluesky is the latest app users are flocking to in an effort to replace X. We answer all your questions about the social network.

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Here's where we're reflecting and writing together....

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Timothy Snyder's piece from this weekend:

"Make sure you are talking to people and doing something. The logic of “move fast and break things,” like the logic of all coups, is to gain quick dramatic successes that deter and demoralize and create the impression of inevitability. Nothing is inevitable. Do not be alone and do not be dismayed. Find someone who is doing something you admire and join them.

What is a country? The way its people govern themselves. Sometimes self-government just means elections. And sometimes it means recognizing the deeper dignity and meaning of what it means to be a people. That means speaking up, standing out, and protesting. We can only be free together."

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They have a podcast too, has been helpful in keeping up with what's been happening with tech.

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Tech Policy Press - Technology and Democracy

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Tech Policy Press is a nonprofit media and community venture intended to provoke new ideas, debate and discussion at the intersection of technology and democracy. We publish opinion and analysis.

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This is a excellent CBC resource for folks interested in ideas that shape our Human experience and the ways in which ideas, both big and small, are interrelated.

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Home | Ideas with Nahlah Ayed | CBC Radio

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Ideas is CBC Radio’s program of contemporary thought.

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Listen to Amanda Gorman read her poem at Biden's inauguration.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFDtGZFSKBV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Only four poets have read at past presidential inaugurations

On the Pulse of Morning by Maya Angelou

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48990/on-the-pulse-of-morning

Political Poems on Poetry Foundation

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/collections/144562/political-poems

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Plato wanted to banish poets from his Republic because they can make lies seem like truth. Shelley thought poets were "the unacknowledged legislators of the world," and Auden insisted that "poetry makes nothing happen." This collection of poems point to the many different kinds of political poems, and the reasons for writing them.

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Plato wanted to banish poets from his Republic because they can make lies seem like truth. Shelley thought poets were "the unacknowledged legislators of the world," and Auden insisted that "poetry makes nothing happen." This collection of poems point to the many different kinds of political poems, and the reasons for writing them.

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What’s this about a pause on the gov’t funding freeze? Learn more from this article.

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Explaining the pause on the federal funding freeze

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A federal judge paused a plan by the Trump administration that sought to halt the distribution of all federal grants and loans. Some states, including Massachusetts, are trying to get a full account of what programs might lose support.

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Trump’s FCC chief opens investigation into NPR and PBS

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Brendan Carr, the new head of the Federal Communications Commission under President Trump, says the public broadcasters are being investigated for allegedly running commercials.

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Friday, January 10, 2025

Amovitania/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

Navigating Uncertainty in 2025

In unpredictable times, how can we stay calm, grounded, and on course? This hour, TED speakers lead us through uncertainty.

https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/2025/01/10/ted-radio-hour-for-january-10-2025?showDate=2025-01-10

I just finished listening to this and I found the ideas and discussion encouraging. I found some strategies to help keep me grounded. I particularly like the discussion on "hopeful skepticism"

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From creating “synthetic” memories to reviving ruined monuments, tech no longer simply stores the past—it can enhance it. This hour, we explore new ways to capture, share and even recreate our past.

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Ten Things We Can All Do to Protect Democracy

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From Marc | The most common question I receive is how everyday citizens can help in the fight for democracy.

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Ronny Chieng Blazes America- Learn Math for Your Country

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By Alison Luterman

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Tell me: What disturbed you most about last week’s torrent of Trump’s actions, and how are you dealing with all the news?

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How You can protect democracy

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29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect our system of government