Democracy Happy Hour - August 13, 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.

National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers

With Andy Moore, executive director

Meeting resources

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/2OsHbf7Bb6V_m-rvzA2hJH2Xu3OyOzksVm-ludRYIvtNaO1Ee4VdPJ8Gm1DtiGbdA2t0KN5YCZLZoWAq.91IcpIO3JjGlBNld

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/UH74W0wM5JVHeNs5SXB1E0mZ7CNWDWS6IMyrlo_d1-i1Z_wBirFMzNzUv-yQALlD5j1lDRs0KC2cjkJm.uruDRayJsleQ9pY8

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/y-z_z4eehMOuClCjCLcysqOQQm73-C4F4cXp9ZzcXJRRdZBb__QzieGKIR99nkFdBco-CpnLXhgECJhr.f5CSw7eyGkL1b33i

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/PuDihvOd065ebWJc8N_0rY2De8p9mDnjGw_lMG8oklsARdZVdgdO86xoip50Sxj8Q14vt1wTeHKf4kIH.EyODnw_7Ak132gho

National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers - https://www.nonpartisanreformers.org

Policy List - https://www.nonpartisanreformers.org/policy-list

Subscribe for Updates - https://www.nonpartisanreformers.org/#stay-updated

NANR Summit 2025  in Miami – Dec 3-5, 2025 -https://www.nonpartisanreformers.org/summit

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 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 to End Gerrymandering for Good - https://sightline.org/2017/09/25/how-to-end-gerrymandering-for-good/
• 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

August 2025

August 05

• Hundreds of alleged human rights abuses in immigrant detention, report finds - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/immigration-detention-human-rights-abuses-report-rcna222499

August 06

• DOJ tells judge it will ask Supreme Court to quickly rule on constitutionality of Trump’s birthright citizenship order - https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/politics/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court-trump
• ‘Horrific’: report reveals abuse of pregnant women and children at US Ice facilities - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/06/physical-sexual-abuse-pregnant-women-children-immigration-centers
• Supreme Court, Justice Department push back on lower courts over emergency docket orders - https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/6/supreme-court-justice-department-push-back-lower-courts-emergency/
• Texas election map fight swells into national political warfare - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/06/texas-redistricting-map-republicans-democrats/
• U.S. plans to ease human rights criticism of El Salvador, Israel, Russia - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/06/trump-human-rights-el-salvador-israel-russia
• Wisconsin Supreme Court Strikes Down Legislative Vetoes - https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/wisconsin-supreme-court-strikes-down-legislative-vetoes

August 07

• A decade of Supreme Court rulings have given states increasingly unfettered power in redistricting - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-rulings-states-unfettered-power-redistricting-rcna223146
• Cornyn Says F.B.I. Will Help Find Texas Lawmakers Who Left State - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/politics/texas-redistricting-cornyn-fbi.html
• Federal judge issues fourth block of Trump's birthright citizenship order since Supreme Court ruling - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-block-trump-birthright-citizenship-supreme-court/
• Five important cases the Supreme Court is set to decide in the coming term - https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/deadline-legal-blog/supreme-court-next-term-big-cases-voting-rights-rcna223601
• Florida House speaker puts together Congressional redistricting committee - https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/08/07/florida-redistricting-perez-desantis-trump-2026-midterm-congress/
• Indiana’s Republican leaders won’t commit to redistricting after Vance visit - https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/politics/indiana-redistricting-jd-vance
• Judge Orders Halt to Construction at Florida’s ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/alligator-alcatraz-florida-construction.html
• Led by Trump, Republicans push to redraw election maps in multiple states - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/07/trump-republicans-redistricting-texas-indiana/
• Trump administration urges Supreme Court to block district court ruling preventing immigration stops - https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/08/trump-administration-urges-supreme-court-to-block-district-court-ruling-preventing-certain-immigration-stops/
• Trump Delayed a Medicare Change After Health Company Donations - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/us/politics/trump-medicare-bandages-donors.html
• Trump orders new census excluding undocumented immigrants amid redistricting battles - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-orders-new-census-excluding-undocumented-immigrants-amid/story?id=124442223

August 08

• America’s CEOs come to the White House bearing gifts and flattery - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/08/trump-tech-ceos-flattery-gifts
• Justice Department escalates scrutiny of Trump foes with probes of Letitia James and Adam Schiff - https://apnews.com/article/trump-james-attorney-general-justice-department-subpoena-9dec45248df0e06b1d99ff9944e6d327
• Newsom says special election on California redistricting planned for November - https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5444113-newsom-democrats-new-house-map/
• Texas Democrats fight back in court against Abbott’s bid to remove them - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/08/texas-democrats-redistricting-court-00500649
• Trump executive order gives politicians control over all federal grants, alarming researchers - https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-federal-funding-grants-nih-fema-4b4b6c23a25a8ae3fdc7b43c4586c999

August 10

• Fighting Fire With Fire,’ Democrats on Defense as Texas Redistricting Looms - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/us/politics/democrats-texas-redistricting.html
• In Election Cases, Supreme Court Keeps Removing Guardrails - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/us/supreme-court-voting-redistricting.html
• Texas redistricting fight with Democrats ‘could last years’, threatens Greg Abbott - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/10/greg-abbott-special-legislature-session-democrats

August 11

• Bowser calls Trump’s takeover of D.C. police department ‘unsettling and unprecedented’ - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/11/trump-presidency-news
• Court orders Alabama to keep using current districts until 2030 redistricting - https://www.alreporter.com/2025/08/11/court-orders-alabama-to-keep-using-current-districts-until-2030-redistricting/
• Here is the official letter [Maine] Secretary Bellows sent Trump’s DOJ rejecting request for voter data - https://mainemorningstar.com/briefs/here-is-the-official-letter-secretary-bellows-sent-trumps-doj-rejecting-request-for-voter-data/
• Justice Department widens its request for Pennsylvania election information - https://penncapital-star.com/election-2025/justice-department-widens-its-request-for-pennsylvania-election-information/
• Supreme Court formally asked to overturn landmark same-sex marriage ruling - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-formally-asked-overturn-landmark-same-sex/story?id=124465302
• Trump orders federal takeover of D.C. police, deploys National Guard - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/08/11/trump-national-guard-dc-crime-crackdown
• ump’s big bill is powering his mass deportations. Congress is starting to ask questions - https://apnews.com/article/trump-congress-deportations-immigration-raids-homeland-security-a2c6a2f726629e62bd0199aee68294f6
• What Is Political Corruption and What Can We Do About It? - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/what-political-corruption-and-what-can-we-do-about-it

August 12

• Appeals Court Allows DOGE Access to Sensitive Data at Several Agencies - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/us/politics/appeals-court-doge-data.html
• Pentagon plan would create military ‘reaction force’ for civil unrest - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/12/national-guard-civil-unrest
• Supreme Court Set to Hear Case That Could Impact Who Can Challenge Election Laws - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/supreme-court-set-to-hear-case-that-could-impact-who-can-challenge-election-laws/
• The D.N.C.’s New Leader Seeks to Curb Dark Money Influence in 2028 Primaries - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/us/politics/the-dncs-new-leader-seeks-to-curb-dark-money-influence-in-2028-primaries.html
• Trump’s pick for BLS commissioner endorses suspending monthly jobs reports - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/08/12/bls-antoni-suspend-jobs-report
• Trump’s Show of Force Begins to Take Shape as Guard Troops Deploy in D.C. - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/us/politics/dc-police-national-guard.html

August 13

• Trump’s moves toward taking over Washington are unprecedented. Here’s what the law says - https://apnews.com/article/trump-washington-crime-national-guard-police-13ba96454031352665e59ee67f678482

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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