Democracy Happy Hour - August 06, 2025

Fix Democracy First hosts a weekly Democracy Happy Hour on Wednesdays @ 5-6:30pm PT. Grab a drink and join us and learn about the latest democracy efforts, challenges, solutions, as well upcoming events and actions.

This is a recurring event. You only have to register once. Register here.

The Dignity Index: Easing Divisions, Preventing Violence & Solving Problems

With Preston Brightwell

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/bdLSPkgrUZmzgbyU2lhOpqUPXrCchNFGmxsOfjvQqAg9XGp71ycfztYfL4Tav-mrmhO5YwYQ5dAgcDTB.WZAfqhBBJ3daWDAS

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/bWsFaw_Sjtk1k-AUFssrUHQSQu3nfIYeYhITYXzC-hV8tqk6xWqYNeL1u4bFg4H56eP9Mn03RrJAQEHt.wJIhL24PerHmiP0y

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/pRsEyvKTs1OWp2cVeLsYJ-DT8viHhNKgyHelttVZFIyd3eKBwlKD9Ok5mhhhLlrlIeZxm7UwHDdxM12u.iTidhbsdVn9FzcP3

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/4qxbS2PFgYS4teHZwXTRZDa6UDECU6WEjCqB5KeNUmGygXVrsnUnIYeIu5Y-E-JaV31PdT9_Kl_0dFjH.9wC2aF0_9fLfWkFn

Meeting resources

• The Dignity Index - https://www.dignity.us/
• Dignity Index Scale Card
• Resources - https://www.dignity.us/resources

FDF Links

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Donate to Fix Democracy First here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Fix Democracy First is looking for new board members! If interested, please apply to one or both of our boards. If you have any questions, please respond to this email.

• Fix Democracy First Education Fund (501c3) Board Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXiaGJJ0bVqV5eqW2irfLHWrU0n8iwVIsDwDjtrTP36mEj5g/viewform
• Fix Democracy First (501c4) Board Application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtDKKTBsOo7X_nk-7POVUTpJ-K1vfP-U_zHQrW1Ke7JNfvug/viewform

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Aug 13 – National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers with Andy Moore, Executive Director
• Aug 20 – Speak Up for Justice: Uniting the Nation to Protect the Judiciary with Founder Paul Kiesel
• Aug 27 – The Path Forward for a Healthy Democracy Ecosystem with Kristina Becvar, Bridge Alliance Ed Fund
• Sept 3 – Canceled - NO Democracy Happy Hour this week
• Sept 10 – TBD
• Sept 17 – National Popular Vote with Dr. John R. Koza, Chair
• Sept 24– Impeach Trump. Again. Campaign with John Bonifaz, Co-Founder & President of Free Speech for People

Actions and events

Actions

• 5 Calls - https://5calls.org/
• How You Can Protect Democracy - 29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy - https://protectdemocracy.org/how-to-protect-democracy
• Impeach Trump. Again. - https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/. Sign the Petition: https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/#actionJoin a local Indivisible group - https://indivisible.org/groups
• Join Braver Angels - https://braverangels.org/get-involved/#become-member
• Paths to Understanding - The Potluck Project – https://pathstounderstanding.org/get-involved/potluck
• Protect Public Media Funding - https://protectmypublicmedia.org/
• Share Your Democracy Story, Declaration for American Democracy  -  https://dfadcoalition.org/story
• Tell your Senators to oppose the SAVE Act - https://www.lwv.org/take-action/tell-your-members-congress-oppose-save-act
• The Freedom Writers Collaborative - https://freedomwriterscollaborative.org/
• The People's Hub for Grassroots Democracy Organizing - https://www.usgrassroots.org

Events

• Democracy in the Park Picnic in Spokane – Aug 23^rd @ 12 pm – RSVP here: https://fixdemocracyfirst.salsalabs.org/democracy-in-the-park-2025-spokane

Democracy in the News

Resources

• 2024-2025 SCOTUS Term - https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024
• All of the Trump Administration’s Major Moves in the First 100 Days - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-agenda-2025.html
• The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability - https://www.justsecurity.org/117267/anti-corruption-tracker/
• Democracy 2025 – Democracy 2025 is the strategic hub to protect people and their rights should the Trump-Vance administration seek to unlawfully strip away freedoms and prosperity. -  https://www.democracy2025.org/
• How You Can Protect Democracy - 29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy - https://protectdemocracy.org/how-to-protect-democracy
• North Dakota Legislative Redistricting Challenge (Turtle Mountain Band) –
  https://www.democracydocket.com/cases/north-dakota-legislative-redistricting-challenge
• State of Emergency - Democracy, Civil Rights & Progress Under Attack  - https://stateofblackamerica.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/NUL-SOBA-Executive%20Summary-2025-web%20%281%29%20%281%29.pdf
• The People's Hub For Grassroots Democracy Organizing  - https://www.usgrassroots.org/
• Timeline: Tracking the Trump Justice Department’s Anti-Voting Shift - https://www.democracydocket.com/timeline-tracking-the-trump-justice-departments-anti-voting-shift/
• Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-administration-lawsuits.html

July 2025

July 30

• GOP Lays Groundwork for a New Attack on Federal Voter Protections - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/gop-lays-groundwork-for-a-new-attack-on-federal-voter-protections/
• Redistricting wars upend 2026 midterm elections - https://thehill.com/newsletters/evening-report/5428391-trump-pressure-texas-redistricting/
• Texas Republicans get a bigger House edge under a new map, meeting Trump’s goals - https://apnews.com/article/texas-republicans-democrats-redistricting-72f02ef1eeb04240cc8431e8f962fa10
• Trump's billion-dollar settlement spree - https://www.axios.com/2025/07/30/trump-harvard-settlement-dei-lawsuit
• Warnock declares 'fight for the life of the republic' in reintroducing John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act - https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/sen-raphael-warnock-reintroduces-john-lewis-voting-rights-advancement-act/85-52089c4f-9226-47c6-8d7b-74518ba01d90

July 31

• As Federal Support for Elections Evolves, States Adapt to Close Emerging Gaps - https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/as-federal-support-for-elections-evolves-states-adapt-to-close-emerging-gaps
• Elon Musk gives millions to Republican super PACs ahead of the midterms - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/elon-musk-gives-millions-republican-super-pacs-ahead-midterms-rcna222114
• Georgia Election Board Wants Trump Administration to Probe 2020 Contest - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/georgia-state-election-board-trump-administration-2020-election-results/
• Group launches ‘decline to sign’ campaign against citizen-only voting measures - https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/group-launches-decline-to-sign-campaign-against-citizen-only-voting-measures/
• Kavanaugh Defends Supreme Court’s Terse Emergency Orders - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/us/politics/kavanaugh-supreme-court-emergency.html
• Republicans bet big on Latino voters in redistricted Texas - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/31/republicans-texas-redistricting-latino-voters-00485890
• Smithsonian removes Trump from impeachment exhibit in American history museum - https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/07/31/trump-impeachment-smithsonian/
• The federal government is paying more than 154,000 people not to work - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/31/federal-workers-doge-buyout-paid/
• Trump Appeals Ruling That Blocked Parts of His Extreme Anti-Voting Order - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/trump-appeals-ruling-that-blocked-his-extreme-anti-voting-order/
• Trump, Term-Limited, Amasses $200 Million War Chest for Political Ambitions - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/us/politics/maga-inc-trump-fundraising.html

August 2025

Aug 01

• Democratic governors advise strong counteroffensive on redistricting - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/01/democratic-governors-advise-strong-counteroffensive-on-redistricting-00490344
• How the GOP Hopes to Gerrymander Its Way to a Midterms Victory - https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/gerrymanders-2026-midterms-republicans/
• Less staff, even less trust: Some states say they can't rely on Trump's DHS for election security - https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/less-staff-even-less-trust-states-say-cant-rely-trumps-dhs-election-se-rcna220855
• Maine ballot to feature voter ID and red flag law questions this November - https://www.newscentermaine.com/video/news/politics/maine-politics/maine-ballot-to-feature-voter-id-and-red-flag-law-questions-this-november/97-dcff608d-a6dd-443b-abbb-67854c6a7f8d
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down following funding cuts - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/08/01/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-shutdown
• The Great Political Money Gap - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/us/politics/maga-inc-future-forward.html
• The Voting Rights Act Turns 60. Its Future Has Never Looked More Fragile. - https://capitalbnews.org/voting-rights-act-60-year-anniversary-black-voters/
• Trump fires labor statistics chief after large revision to jobs report - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/08/01/trump-fires-bls-chief
• US appeals court indicates it might declare Trump’s birthright citizenship order unconstitutional - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/01/judge-trump-birthright-citizenship-unconstitutional
• US Supreme Court poised to assess validity of key voting rights law - https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-supreme-court-poised-assess-validity-key-voting-rights-law-2025-08-01/

Aug 02

• Court limits Trump's asylum crackdown at the U.S.-Mexico border - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/court-limits-trump-asylum-crackdown-us-mexico-border/
• DOJ plans to ask all states for detailed voting info - https://stateline.org/2025/08/01/doj-plans-to-ask-all-states-for-detailed-voting-info/
• Donor List Suggests Scale of Trump’s Pay-for-Access Operation - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/02/us/politics/donor-list-suggests-scale-of-trumps-pay-for-access-operation.html
• Florida GOP, DeSantis may follow Texas’s lead - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5432996-florida-republicans-redrawing-congressional-lines/
• How the courts became the biggest roadblock to Trump’s plans - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/02/judge-blocks-trump-birthright-citizenship
• Limited options for Democrats to retaliate if Texas Republicans redraw congressional map - https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-trump-republicans-democrats-texas-california-e53fd3df17fb9677c29cbd155b91c353
• Missouri Senate leader says special session is ‘likely’ to redraw congressional map - https://missouriindependent.com/2025/08/02/missouri-senate-leader-says-special-session-is-likely-to-redraw-congressional-map/
• Roughly 192,000 Wisconsin voter registrations deactivated during routine maintenance - https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/02/wisconsin-elections-commission-deactivates-roughly-192000-voters/85488532007/
• Smithsonian to restore Trump to impeachment exhibit ‘in the coming weeks - https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2025/08/02/trump-impeachment-smithsonian-restore
• Texas State House Panel Advances Gerrymandered Congressional Map - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/02/us/politics/texas-redistricting.html
• Trump and his allies mount a pressure campaign against US elections ahead of the midterms - https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/02/politics/trump-elections-pressure-campaign

Aug 03

• Ex-Trump prosecutor Jack Smith faces investigation by independent political watchdog - https://apnews.com/article/trump-jack-smith-investigate-cotton-special-counsel-f32b39962d7aee1cb87f71ea9fde13f5
• South Dakota Secretary of State Confirms Unintentional Disclosure of Voter Registration Data - https://www.mykxlg.com/news/state/south-dakota-secretary-of-state-confirms-unintentional-disclosure-of-voter-registration-data/article_53081637-f2a6-4655-8611-1a1ccff3f5d0.html
• Texas Democrats Leave State to Block G.O.P. From Redrawing Political Map - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/03/us/texas-democrats-walkout-redistricting-map-gop.html
• The Justice Department seeks voter and election information from at least 19 states, AP finds - https://apnews.com/article/justice-department-election-officials-voting-trump-a04b1522bed0cb6bbc286e25b139701f
• The Trump Administration’s Campaign to Undermine the Next Election - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/trump-administrations-campaign-undermine-next-election

Aug 04

• Appeals court upholds Texas law requiring ID numbers to cast mail-in ballots - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/04/appeals-court-upholds-texas-law-requiring-id-numbers-to-cast-mail-in-ballots-00493514
• Arizona’s secretary of state changes election manual in response to Republican challenges - https://azmirror.com/2025/08/04/arizonas-secretary-of-state-changes-election-manual-in-response-to-republican-challenges/
• How the Supreme Court kickstarted the redistricting arms race - https://www.axios.com/2025/08/04/texas-redistricting-supreme-court-rucho
• Justice Department demand for state voter lists underscores their importance - https://stateline.org/2025/08/04/justice-department-demand-for-state-voter-lists-underscores-their-importance/
• Texas governor threatens to remove Democrats who left state over Trump-backed redistricting - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/texas-governor-threatens-to-remove-democrats-who-left-state-over-trump-backed-redistricting

Aug 05

• California, New York signal they’re moving forward with redistricting - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5437566-california-new-york-redistricting/
• Federal judge rules Trump administration cannot reallocate billions meant for disaster mitigation - https://apnews.com/article/fema-bric-grants-lawsuit-climate-disaster-b10c8d2783543f61c8e8562befdd8fa7
• Seattle voters appear poised to renew Democracy Voucher program - https://www.cascadepbs.org/election-2025/2025/08/seattle-voters-appear-poised-to-renew-democracy-voucher-program/
• Texas senator asks FBI to help locate and arrest Democrats for leaving state - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/texas-republicans-redistricting-maps-trump
• Trump threatens federal takeover of D.C. after attack on DOGE worker - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/08/05/trump-doge-worker-washington-dc-crime
• Unprecedented Big Money Surge for Super PAC Tied to Trump - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/unprecedented-big-money-surge-super-pac-tied-trump

Aug 06

• 60 years later, Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters face new threats - https://www.npr.org/2025/08/06/nx-s1-5482864/scotus-voting-rights-act-8th-circuit-vra
• Trump vowed to make D.C. ‘safe and beautiful.’ Here’s what’s happened. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/06/trump-dc-crime-home-rule

Good News Websites

• ABC Good News - https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/good-news
• Daily Good - https://www.dailygood.org/
• Democracy's Good News - https://www.democracygroup.org/topics/democracys-good-news
• Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• Politics & Government Good News - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/impact/democracy
• Sunny Skyz - https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
• The Happy News - https://thehappynewspaper.com/

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