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.

VillageCo: Creating a Locally Connected World

With Jason Sears

Meeting resources

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/1O-7o9XwmbD1gcwZjroADzOlkM6Y17dqyQUVMXUkIAYfC0sbTijPjRhkscAcQ6kn7hyQSzkQT9bpcXp5.xZ1nQQhCu-J6aD9c
• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/B0GZ9o7bwpItm7e6nuteVrsH-WgztkXoze9aO59GSYmLQGGvmKRQo_yF_7rw6E0TovHgx3FXBFksDKVk.mefLPejRnj0W4MgU
• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/ZMlp7z3QOvtl7-yilsql2p6rH6dn3x2TTzHOlGKuSGv390SmuCDEbUmzwFCRQBuoYZJnbtksj3G-GMY.qFtKIWzL8vjYlXrG
• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/fWJi__PpZTdbCO9vlclaS-46oP0ziRraDRodFNvpoAupKIa5MuXzfbrB0adR7bzG7l7RFGbt8lFFjOOW.wyltfhv2XaSBU0n2

Meeting links

• https://www.villageco.org/village-growing
• Jason at jason@villageco.org

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

• Jan 28 – Pinion Vote with Scott Pierce
• Feb 4 - Living on the Edge: How Human Nature Is Being Hacked — and How We Can Respect Each Other Again with Rev. Terry Kyllo, Paths to Understanding
• Feb 11 - The Choice - Proportional RCV in Portland & Beyond: Film & Discussion
• Feb 18 - The 7-Minute Citizen: Your Power, Your Rights, Your Democracy with author Wes Chaput
• Feb 25 - Leaving MAGA with Rich Logis
• Mar 4 - Polemic for Democracy: A Framework for Pragmatic Action with author Zane Gustafson

Actions and events

Actions

• Impeach Trump. Again. https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/.  Sign the Petition: https://www.impeachtrumpagain.org/#action

Events

• Democracy Lobby Day 2026 – January 23rd in Olympia. Register to join @ https://bit.ly/DemocracyLobbyDay2026-FDF
• NO Kings Alliance: The Rapid Response Arm of the Movement - https://www.nokings.org/alliance

Democracy in the News

Resources

• The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability - https://www.justsecurity.org/117267/anti-corruption-tracker/
• 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/

January 2026

January 06

• No Legal Basis for Invading Venezuela - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/no-legal-basis-invading-venezuela

January 07

• Trump announces U.S. will leave dozens of international organizations - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/07/trump-rubio-united-nations-withdrawal

January 08

• A Supreme Court ruling could bring historic drop in Black representation in Congress - https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5646525/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-black-caucus
• Candidate sues in federal court over Arkansas election law banning nonvoters from polling places - https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/jan/08/candidate-sues-in-federal-court-over-arkansas/
• Heritage paper on families calls for ‘marriage bootcamp,’ more babies - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/08/heritage-report-promote-marriage-births/
• How Gerrymandering and Authoritarian Trends Threaten 2026 Elections - https://thefulcrum.us/democracy/gerrymandering-2026-election
• Senate advances measure to restrict Trump's power to use military force in Venezuela - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-advances-measure-restrict-trumps-power-use-military-force-venez-rcna252892
• Texas governor threatens state takeover of Houston elections - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/texas-governor-threatens-state-takeover-of-houston-elections/
• The Supreme Court may leave alone the Voting Rights Act just long enough to keep the GOP from House control in 2026 - https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/08/scotus-gop-2026-redistricting-midterms-00715400
• Trump ‘Always’ Respects Election Results, but in the U.S., He Says They’re ‘Rigged’ - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-elections.html
• Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’ - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-power-morality.html
• Trump Says U.S. Oversight of Venezuela Could Last for Years - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-venezuela.html

January 09

• 5 states sue Trump administration for withholding billions in social safety net funds - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/5-states-sue-trump-administration-for-withholding-billions-in-social-safety-net-funds
• Americans have had their mail-in ballots counted after Election Day for generations − a Supreme Court ruling could end the practice - https://theconversation.com/americans-have-had-their-mail-in-ballots-counted-after-election-day-for-generations-a-supreme-court-ruling-could-end-the-practice-267409
• As Election Year Opens, G.O.P. Seeks Some Distance From Trump - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/us/politics/congress-republicans-trump-distancing.html
• DNC warns states that complied with DOJ voter roll demand may have violated federal law - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/dnc-warns-states-that-complied-with-doj-voter-roll-demand-may-have-violated-federal-law/
• Federal court blocks key parts of Trump’s anti-voting order, restores states’ control over elections - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-court-blocks-key-parts-of-trumps-anti-voting-order-restores-states-control-over-elections/
• Judge Blocks Trump Officials From Freezing Billions in Social Services Funds - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/us/politics/trump-child-care-funding-freeze.html
• Judge blocks Trump’s elections order in lawsuit by vote-by-mail states Oregon and Washington - https://apnews.com/article/trump-mail-ballot-citizenship-elections-574546e2940c82154f5a5bd050d6dccf
• Louisiana Turning Over Trove of Voter Registration Data to Federal Government - https://www.redriverradio.org/news/2026-01-09/louisiana-turning-over-trove-of-voter-registration-data-to-federal-government
• Missouri secretary of state admits he wrote flawed language for anti-redistricting ballot measure - https://www.stlpr.org/government-politics-issues/2026-01-09/missouri-redistricting-ballot-measure-denny-hoskins-prejudice-summary
• New Republican election officials make voting harder in North Carolina  - https://www.democracydocket.com/opinion/new-republican-election-officials-make-voting-harder-in-north-carolina/
• Supreme Court, Swamped by Emergencies, Neglects Rest of Docket - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/us/politics/supreme-court-docket.html
• Texas hands over complete list of registered voters to Trump administration - https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/09/texas-voter-roll-trump-administration-justice-department-democrats-dnc/
• TN sends voter data including SSNs to DOJ, and DNC threatens lawsuit - https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/09/tennessee-voter-data-doj/88072297007/
• US Justice Department wants Idaho’s identifiable voter roll, public records show - https://idahocapitalsun.com/2026/01/09/us-justice-department-wants-idahos-identifiable-voter-roll-public-records-show/
• ‘We Are Going to Start Now Hitting Land’: Trump Threatens Military Campaign Against Cartels - https://time.com/7344918/trump-land-strike-drug-cartels-mexico-venezuela-latin-america/

January 10

• Anti-ICE protesters assemble across the US after shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon - https://apnews.com/article/ice-protests-shootings-minneapolis-portland-a5922ea4b414afa485f324c0adf1d232
• Indiana Lawmakers Consider Anti-Doxxing Bill Following Redistricting Bomb, Swatting Threats - https://www.inkfreenews.com/2026/01/10/indiana-lawmakers-consider-anti-doxxing-bill-following-redistricting-bomb-swatting-threats/

January 11

• Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/us/politics/jerome-powell-fed-inquiry-trump.html
• More federal officers headed to Minnesota; officials point fingers over ICE shooting - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/11/rene-good-ice-shooting-investigation

January 12

• Fed Changes Course and Takes On Trump’s Political Fight - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/business/federal-reserve-changes-course-trump-administration.html
• Minnesota and Illinois Sue Trump Administration Over ICE Deployments - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/12/us/minnesota-llinois-lawsuit-ice-trump-administration.html
• New High of 45% in U.S. Identify as Political Independents - https://news.gallup.com/poll/700499/new-high-identify-political-independents.aspx
• Trump is trying to change how the midterm elections are conducted - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/01/12/trump-midterms-elections-voting-redistricting
• Trump regrets not seizing voting machines after 2020 election loss - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/12/trump-voting-machines-election-2020
• Where the redistricting fight goes next - https://www.politico.com/newsletters/weekly-score/2026/01/12/where-the-redistricting-fight-goes-next-00721591
• Young Americans are increasingly rejecting the Democratic and Republican parties, a new poll shows - https://apnews.com/article/poll-independents-moderates-republicans-democrats-trump-ba353eb6807fd854f5b6e6de52d152fa

January 13

• Minnesota protesters, agents repeatedly square off while prosecutors quit after Renee Good’s death - https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-immigration-tension-lawsuit-renee-good-8c80b7e47788c58140ce4442eb02f7c3
• Supreme Court Highlights: Justices Seem Inclined to Allow States to Bar Transgender Athletes - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/13/us/supreme-court-trans-athletes

January 14

• A Jim Crow-era civil rights law is central to the Trump Justice Department’s effort to ‘clean’ voter rolls - https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/14/politics/voter-rolls-lawsuits-civil-rights-act
• Federal Judges Uphold California’s New Congressional Maps - https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/14/us/politics/federal-court-california-redistricting-decision.html
• How much money President Trump and his family have made - https://www.npr.org/2026/01/14/nx-s1-5677024/trump-profits-merch-hotels-crypto
• Trump administration indefinitely pauses immigrant visa processing for 75 nations - https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/01/14/trump-immigration-visa-processing-pause

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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