Morning all. Yesterday we read, were inspired by and reflected upon The Declaration of Independence. Today let’s draw strength and inspiration from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
…….
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
A new birth of freedom. That should be one of our goals here at Hopium.
A new birth of freedom for this remarkable and inspiring nation.
My google search yielded this summary this morning:
Proposed budget cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are raising concerns about potential negative impacts on weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and public safety. Specifically, cuts to NOAA's research, satellite programs, and workforce could hinder the agency's ability to provide accurate weather information, potentially leading to increased risks during severe weather events
Dozens of people were killed or are still missing due to an part to inaccurate weather forecast for the Texas hill country. Watch this video:
Yes, Trump = sabotage, plunder and extraordinary betrayal (link):
The fight, however, continues. From Politico:
“Judges are finding workarounds to Trump’s big Supreme Court win” (link) -
If the Supreme Court’s near-ban on nationwide injunctions was the earth-shattering victory President Donald Trump claimed, no one seems to have told his courtroom opponents.
While the absence of that tool is clearly a sea change for the judiciary, early results indicate that judges see other paths to impose sweeping restrictions on government actions they deem unlawful. And those options remain viable in many major pending lawsuits against the administration.
Since the high court’s ruling last Friday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss issued an extraordinary rejection of the president’s effort to ban asylum for most southern border-crossers, a ruling with nationwide effect.
Moss, an Obama appointee, emphasized that his decision was not one of the now-verboten injunctions. Instead, it relied on two alternative routes the Supreme Court acknowledged remained available for those challenging Trump’s policies: class actions, which allow large groups to band together and sue over a common problem, and the Administrative Procedure Act, a federal law that permits courts to “set aside” federal agency actions that violate the law, including rules, regulations and memos laying out new procedures.
The ruling by Moss drew intense outrage from the Trump administration, which accused the judge of going “rogue” and violating the Supreme Court’s intentions.
Hours later, U.S. District Judge John Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, ordered federal health officials to restore hundreds of web pages containing gender-related data that officials took down pursuant to a Trump executive order cracking down on “gender ideology.” He described the move as an example of federal officials “acting first and thinking later.”
Despite the nationwide implications of his ruling, Bates emphasized that the APA allows courts to effectively undo unjustified agency action, adding that even the Justice Department did “not argue that more tailored relief is even possible here, let alone appropriate.” The judge also left open the possibility that officials could go back to the drawing board and find a lawful way to restrict content related to so-called “gender ideology.”
And in Massachusetts, Reagan-appointed U.S. District Judge William Young was careful to emphasize that his expansive ruling restoring health research grants — cut following the same executive order cited by Bates — was nonetheless tailored only to provide relief to the organizations that sued. Like Bates, Young’s ruling relied on the APA.
“Public officials, in their haste to appease the Executive, simply moved too fast and broke things,” Young wrote.
In short, the Supreme Court’s ruling on nationwide injunctions may be the tectonic shift that wasn’t. Despite the extraordinary potential to reshape the judiciary, its immediate impact — particularly in the innumerable challenges to Trump’s effort to single-handedly slash and reshape the federal government — may be limited.
A morning note from Hopium community member Aspenwood:
My sister, her husband and i zoomed to read the Declaration. After each grievance was read by one of us, we all compared DT's actions. 27 grievances, 27 matches. It was a gruesome but invigorating unity of declaration. We highly recommend to all. Clears the mind and fortifies the soul.
Last week Dr. Deborah Potter helped pass “resolutions of condemnation” in two New Mexico counties. Today the right leaning Albuquerque Journal published an op-ed from her explaining the rationale behind this important work:
We now have 38 resolutions like these moving or passed in 13 states. You can learn more about our Resolutions Project here; we will be making all of this a bit more accessible in the coming days; and a huge shout out to Dr. Potter and all of you proud, plucky, patriots out there doing the work that needs to be done every day as the fight continues…..
Now, Let’s Get To Work
Support Hopium’s Priority Candidates - Friends, you all rallied these last few days. We hit our $25,000 goal for our newly endorsed Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Senator Jon Ossoff - thank you! Our revised fundraising goals are for Labor Day, remarkably, only two months away, with the November elections now only four months away. We can do this people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mikie Sherrill NJ Gov - $200,000 goal, $31k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch Our Interview
Abigail Spanberger VA Gov - $250,000 goal, $148k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer | Watch Our Interview
Jon Ossoff GA Senate - $200,000 goal, $28k raised - Donate | Learn More | Volunteer
Hopium House 7 - $250,000 goal, $154k raised - Donate | Learn More, Volunteer, Watch Our Interviews
We also have ongoing campaigns to support the new DNC, the Anderson Clayton and the North Carolina Democratic Party and to thank Senator Cory Booker for his spirited leadership in a time of enormous challenge. Lots of choices - do something to support these great candidates and parties today!
I am grateful to all of you who fought so hard against the terrible bill that Trump signed into law yesterday with a speech that even for him was remarkably full of fabrications and lies. We worked hard peeps. It was righteous and good work. As I said to you in this week’s video we need to learn from these last few months and continue to get better, stronger, more powerful. For while we are making progress we are clearly not where we need to be.
In the coming days as I reflect on what just happened, and listen to all of you, we will be reworking and updating our collective summer and fall actions. Here is what we have now, with more to come, soon:
1 - Get The Military Off Our Streets, Fight Trump’s Inhumane Immigration Escalation - Contact your Rep and Senators to demand they fight Trump’s illegal use of the National Guard and Marines in California. Encourage Democrats at all levels of government to a stand with Governor Newsom and the California - for Trump is not just attacking California, he is attacking the rights and freedoms of all of us. See my recent interviews with Joe Garcia, Leon Krauze and Senator Chris Van Hollen for more.
In the coming days I want to work with all of you to do something more explicit about demanding the end of masked, plain clothes “police” snatching people here in America without warrants.
2 - Join Our Resolutions Project - Inspired by the tactics of our Founders, learn about how Hopium members are advancing “resolutions of condemnation” in their communities across the country and consider bringing this initiative to your state, country or city/town. Our resolutions passed in two New Mexico counties last week, and we now have 38 resolutions moving in 13 states. Amazing stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3 -Volunteer To Help Your State and/or Local Democratic Parties Stand Up Voter Registration Efforts - In the presentation he made to our community recently Tom Bonier made a persuasive case that Democrats must once again make partisan voter registration a national priority. State and local Democratic Parties are in the planning stages to take this on. Members of our community should consider contacting their state and local parties and offer to help stand up these vital efforts in the coming months.
For more on the need to make partisan voter registration great again see my recent interview with Jane Kleeb, Nebraska Democratic Party Chair, DNC Vice Chair and President of the Association of Democratic State Committees.
On Monday the DNC, the DSCC, the DCCC, the DGA and the ASDC announced a major new “Organizing Summer” project. Learn more about it here. I hope to have someone join us in the coming days to help us understand how we can support this exciting new initiative. Organizing to win these 29 Republican held House districts will be one of most important collective priorities for the next 16 months:
4 - Stand Up For Science - Sign on to the critically important Bethesda Declaration and watch my interview with Stand Up For Science’s Executive Director Colette Delawalla. Signing on to the Declaration is one concrete way you can take action today. Another is to back over 700 employees of the EPA who have taken a courageous stand challenging EPA Administration Lee Zeldin this week. You can learn more and sign your name in support of this remarkable effort here.
Please self-report your activities to our daily paid subscriber chat. These reports help inspire all of us to do more and fight harder! Been impressive to see how many of you remain involved in local, in person protests of all kinds in your communities. Keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Grow Hopium - We’ve set a goal of trying to grow the Hopium community from the 152,000 we are now to 175,000 by Labor Day. Do what you can to encourage your friends, family and colleagues to become a summer subscriber to Hopium, free or paid. If each current paid subscriber brings in just one new subscriber this summer we will hit our goal.
To encourage the growth of our community annual paid subscriptions are 10% off through Labor Day. Use that link to buy gift or group subscriptions, and join our new referral rewards program too.
Keep working hard all. Proud to be in this fight with all of you, and a fight it surely is - Simon
Simon and all
I think we need to create a powerful pac called
vote you out.
Primary all Republicans and support Democrats who will take care of the middle class and the working class of America.
It’s to get rid of all republican office holders all the way to the top and all the way to the bottom
that are loyal to Trump that are not loyal to the American people and their best interests.
It’s about forcing billionaires to pay their taxes
It’s about creating a wealth tax that is significant enough on billionaires to pay for United States infrastructure as well as Medicare for all and free college for all
it is About finding all the hidden money in the Caribbean etc for taxation to support America
It’s about taking back America
Your thoughts?
Jeff Wincentsen.
Yesterday I watched your interview with Mikie Sherrill. I donated to her campaign. I will also donate to Abigail Spanberger. So important to get the states in order.