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 7-Minute Citizen: Your Power, Your Rights, Your Democracy

With Wes Chaput

Meeting resources

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/NkRAyLfTWRPPciQsRSk7q9QOr3WXn4eqkoGz_3ukhqjDMAfV7M3mOmQNuj_376DMfdzE02WGeIWk-A91.MiBBteW5wwrv0ExJ

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/t6Jlu8vp84l4bzQDtSqkL-vpFaNU9xpt3DpMMcbx3f8CZMMomrv4nm48Tvdhcm1I3kqt3d1FAw9skg80.XZnaYvjQt8WBbLzm

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/UaQZb8rfgC_2jZXXVbxDIy1aCpFjjBRtCouu8fZKVQX2Fst4E5g0cbGXqTnHX8wiPW3ewdwbtHwduQhB.Tbc-GsqqljQub0fC

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/NtQxF-L1pN285LtXKFEjg5r7Wmpd4tiAsLP7nv48QElcVtGzIojnS-chDOdQsWRSOrftSTqGuUK0KfgV.2CK303DnH6TUmTLq

Meeting links

To purchase The 7-Minute Citizen: Your Power, Your Rights, Your Democracy, and to connect with Wes on social media, go to:

• Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJC13D5V
• Substack: https://substack.com/@7minutecitizen
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/7minutecitizen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/7MinuteCitizen/

FDF Links

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

Join Fix Democracy First Boards

• 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

• Feb 25 - Leaving MAGA with Rich Logis
• Mar 4 - Polemic for Democracy: A Framework for Pragmatic Action with author Zane Gustafson
• Mar 11 - Civic Learning Week: Expanding Civic Education with Hands-On Experience with Morgan Kim, Generation Citizen & Margit McGuire, Civic Learning Council
• Mar 18 - Digital Democracy Project with Cassie Clayton

Actions and events

Actions

• Impeach Trump. Again. https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/.  Sign the Petition: https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/#action
• Sign & Share our WA Citizen Resolution to UNDO Citizens United - https://bit.ly/WA-Undo-Citizens-United

Events

• NO KINGS Day on March 28th, https://www.nokings.org

Training

• Eyes on ICE: Document and Record – Feb 5th @ 5 pm PT/8 pm ET - https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/892452/

Democracy in the News

Resources

• The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability - https://www.justsecurity.org/117267/anti-corruption-tracker/
• The SAVE Act: Overview and Facts - https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-save-act-overview-and-facts/
• How You Can Protect Democracy - 29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy - https://protectdemocracy.org/how-to-protect-democracy
• Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions - https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/
• 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 of the Trump Administration’s Efforts to Undermine Elections - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/timeline-trump-administrations-efforts-undermine-elections
• 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
• Trump’s Take, cash and gifts received by Trump - https://www.americanprogress.org/feature/trumps-take/

February

February 03

• Cato Study: Immigrants Reduced Deficits by $14.5 Trillion Since 1994 - https://www.cato.org/blog/cato-study-immigrants-reduced-deficits-145-trillion-1994

February 04

• Pro-Trump Super PAC Raises Record-Breaking $305 Million - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/pro-trump-super-pac-raises-record-breaking-305-million

February 05

• Democrats have fundraising edge in key Senate races, but GOP leads in the House - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/02/democrats-have-fundraising-edge-is-key-senate-races-but-gop-leads-in-the-house/
• Trump Says He’ll Only Accept 2026 Midterms If He Deems Them “Honest” - https://truthout.org/articles/trump-says-hell-only-accept-2026-midterms-if-he-deems-them-honest/
• Virginia Democrats release proposed map aimed at picking up 4 congressional seats - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/virginia-democrats-release-proposed-map-aimed-at-picking-up-4-congressional-seats/

February 06

• All but one Virginia House district could go blue in Democrats’ proposed map - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/02/06/virginia-redistricting-maps/
• FBI invites elections officials nationwide to a call on 'preparations' for midterm elections - https://abcnews.com/US/fbi-invites-elections-officials-nationwide-call-preparations-midterm/story?id=129910737

February 08

• As American Views of ICE Dim, Warehouses Become a Symbol of Resistance - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/nyregion/ice-warehouse-new-york-opposition.html

February 09

• A Raid in a Small Town Brings Trump’s Deportations to Deep-Red Idaho - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/us/politics/trump-deportation-idaho.html
• Judge blocks California’s ban on federal agents wearing masks but requires badges be clearly seen - https://apnews.com/article/california-mask-ban-ice-agents-lawsuit-715a24629f112ca3f12b0b619461dc60
• Less than 14% of those arrested by ICE in Trump's 1st year back in office had violent criminal records, document shows - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-arrests-violent-criminal-records-trump-first-year/
• Masks emerge as symbol of Trump’s ICE crackdown and a flashpoint in Congress - https://apnews.com/article/ice-masks-congress-homeland-security-shutdown-funding-3c5b2050286aab930d8c81eb9cb1e03e
• Republicans ask Supreme Court to block states from counting legally cast mail ballots - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/republicans-ask-supreme-court-to-block-states-from-counting-legally-cast-mail-ballots/
• State officials say the Trump administration has been absent on election security - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/state-officials-say-trump-administration-election-security-rcna257031
• The billion-dollar middlemen: How a handful of firms dominate political ad buying - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2026/02/this-handful-of-firms-dominates-political-ad-buying
• Trump Administration to Cut $600 Million in Health Funding From Four States - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/health/trump-public-health-cuts-california.html
• Trump’s immigration crackdown is straining federal courts. Judges are raising the alarm - https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-bond-habeas-courts-d1d1fa9b16365577651ef958a0ec342f

February 10

• D.C. grand jury declines to indict six Democratic lawmakers - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/02/10/dc-grand-jury-kelly-slotkin-pirro
• FBI cited debunked claims to obtain warrant for Fulton County vote records, documents show - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/02/10/fulton-voting-search-affidavit
• Federal judge dismisses Trump administration attempt to access Michigan voter rolls - https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/federal-judge-dismisses-trump-administration-attempt-to-access-michigan-voter-rolls/
• Republican Cash Edge Threatens to Swamp Democrats in the Midterms - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/us/politics/republicans-democrats-midterms-fund-raising.html

February 11

• House passes Save America Act, Trump-backed bill to impose new voting rules - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/11/house-save-act-trump-elections-bill
• ‘Proportional representation’ could reduce polarization in Congress and help more people feel like their voices are being heard - https://www.seattlepi.com/news/proportional-representation-could-reduce-a21346966
• National Guard troops were quietly withdrawn from some U.S. cities - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/02/11/national-guard-los-angeles-chicago-portland

February 12

• Border czar says Minnesota immigration crackdown is over, after angry protests and 2 fatal shootings - https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-metro-surge-ice-523d18d5d75c81cbf9f24c602f1884ff
• Judge Temporarily Blocks Hegseth from Punishing Kelly for Video - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/us/judge-blocks-kelly-punishment-hegseth.html

February 13

• Homeland Security Wants Social Media Sites to Expose Anti-ICE Accounts - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/technology/dhs-anti-ice-social-media.html
• ICE Agents Menaced Minnesota Protesters at Their Homes, Filings Say - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/us/minneapolis-ice-agents-protester-home-visits.html
• ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/13/ice-detention-center-expansion
• Supreme Court of Virginia greenlights redistricting referendum - https://virginiamercury.com/2026/02/13/supreme-court-of-virginia-greenlights-redistricting-referendum/
• Trump boasts of over $1.5B in political funds. His spending tactic could shape the midterms - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-boasts-of-over-1-5b-in-political-funds-his-spending-tactic-could-shape-the-midterms
• Trump vows voter ID requirements for the midterms, 'whether approved by Congress or not' - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/trump-vows-voter-id-requirements-midterms-rcna259018

February 15

• Border czar Homan says small security force to remain in Minnesota - https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/02/15/tom-homan-minnesota-drawdown

February 16

• More than 70,000 voters will stay on North Carolina voter rolls after settlement - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/north-carolina-voter-id-dnc-rnc-settlement-registration-rcna258986
• NAACP asks judge to protect against ‘misuse’ of voter data seized by FBI in Georgia’s Fulton County - https://apnews.com/article/fbi-georgia-elections-fulton-county-2020-ballots-e0eb5970169ade6f775e317f7fa12d5e
• Stop fighting, start fixing; this is how we rebuild democracy - https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/stop-fighting-start-fixing-this-is-how-we-rebuild-democracy

February 17

• Fulton County (GA) accuses Justice Department of misleading the judge who approved elections office search warrant - https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/17/politics/fulton-county-ballots-justice-department
• SCOTUS decisions to be issued this week, what could be released - https://www.dailyfly.com/2026/02/17/scotus-decisions-to-be-issued-this-week-what-could-be-released/
• The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King, has died at 84 - https://apnews.com/article/jesse-jackson-dies-43abb84d2ffc76d967f9a5596ebd0be1
• Trump Is Raising Billions in Federal Funds. That’s Not a Good Thing. - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/17/opinion/trump-federal-money-slush-fund.html
• Voting rights groups sue Ohio over law cancelling registrations without notice - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/02/17/voting-rights-groups-sue-ohio-over-law-cancelling-registrations-without-notice/

February 18

• Tracking the Battle to Reshape Congress for the Midterms - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/02/18/us/politics/midterms-house-maps-redistricting.html

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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