Democracy Happy Hour - July 09, 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.

Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling the Promise of Democracy

With Paul Zeitz

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/5vtvF6zygYI-T0MCCjcIAxE5EiAjqOH6hlK5rxQpGksSkv2LkRCXh1L44QIxB23dAJlFko1LxPRr8Ic.laWAZh03JOmZigCN

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/Mjh0ejg69qZetxbsnEWQbOkyayq7S9a9sPo0czSGEVgaygUAiYytituo3rBvg4q1BaJBnRXZUvEVRm5t.s8Z_TNg_IubCbuKT

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/zTxmSufBZPwX0unh2TzMtvxuanehIhhiHdwHQVJ7x6MRQ8skF2uF-evZUxXDji5mCIy5hyff8jf1-TTm.W-do5o-53kdezTba

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/DTmqTcb1ftNHne1arJznt5PWlpwKYzWICn7FdzQiCKhLKk64uxDZQjKyyZ23dzlHEd0-gw9j_FRWkjpM.1FZNq3wUERPdpPJ1

Meeting resources

• Dr. Paul Zeitz’s recent podcast episode with Lawrence Lessig: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/professor-lawrence-lessig-on-healing-our-broken-democracy/id1692425658?i=1000708084356
• Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling on the Promise of Democracy
• Join #unifyUSA here: https://unify-usa.org/
• The Great Constitutional Refresh: - https://open.substack.com/pub/drpaulzeitz/p/the-great-constitutional-refresh

FDF Links

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

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Jul 16 - Save Democracy in America: End Big Money with Voter Dollars with Dan McMillan
• Jul 23 - Canceled - NO Democracy Happy Hour this week
• Jul 30 - DIY-ing America: Civic Engagement & Innovation with June Klees, Waging Dialogue
• Aug 6 – The Dignity Index: Easing Divisions, Preventing Violence & Solving Problems with Preston Brightwell
• Aug 13 – National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers with Andy Moore, Executive Director

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
• Join 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
• Stop the SAVE Act (emails) -  https://win.newmode.net/declarationforamericandemocracycoalition/stopthesaveact
• 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 Organzing - https://www.usgrassroots.org

Events

• 50501 - https://www.fiftyfifty.one – Next National Day of Action
• America 250 - https://america250.org
• John Lewis Day of Action: Good Trouble Lives On – July 17^th – https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/
  • Planning Meetings - https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/792911/
  • https://goodtroubleliveson.org/
• We’re Worth Fighting & Other Events with Election Response Center - https://www.mobilize.us/electionresponsecenter/?utm_source=fixdemocracyfirst
• Yes on Prop 1 - Seattle Democracy Voucher Program Levy Renewal – Aug 5^th primary
  • Campaign website - https://yesonprop1seattle.org/
  • Endorsement Form - https://forms.gle/tArHMaFedtXcPqPw7
  • Donation page - https://secure.anedot.com/prop1seattle/donate

Democracy in the News

Resources

• 2024-2025 Term - https://www.oyez.org/cases/2024
• All of the Trump Administration’s Major Moves in the First xx Days - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-agenda-2025.html
• 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
• Study of the 2024 STV City Council Election in Portland, Oregon - https://mggg.org/ppm
• The People's Hub For Grassroots Democracy Organizing  - https://www.usgrassroots.org/
• Tracking the Lawsuits Against Trump’s Agenda - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-administration-lawsuits.html
• Trump Administration Highlights - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/18/us/trump-president-news
• What has Trump done today? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2025/trump-administration-actions

June 2025

June 13

• Trump Suffers Major Blow in Attempt to Overhaul U.S. Elections - https://newrepublic.com/post/196797/trump-court-blow-attempt-overhaul-us-elections-voting-citizenship

June 18

• Supreme Court upholds Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/18/supreme-court-tennessee-transgender-care-ban-00411939

June 25

• Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to hear challenges to the state’s congressional district boundaries - https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-redistricting-congress-supreme-court-65f1b019febe9ca0d0db234b975b3445

June 26

• New Filing Details NC Election Board and Trump DOJ Co-Ordinating on Plan That Could Disenfranchise Voters - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/new-filing-details-nc-election-board-and-trump-doj-co-ordinating-on-plan-that-could-disenfranchise-voters/
• Republicans admit gerrymandering. SC Supreme Court weighs if that’s allowed - https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article309329780.html
• States can block Medicaid money for health care at Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court says - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-planned-parenthood-abortion-medicaid-e056395b9e5646d13539e76605027a1f
• US state department told to end nearly all its overseas pro-democracy programs - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/26/us-state-department-overseas-pro-democracy-programs

June 27

• SCOTUS Will Rehear Louisiana Redistricting Case Next Term, Signaling Major Ruling to Come -https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-will-rehear-louisiana-redistricting-case-next-term-signaling-major-ruling-to-come/
• Supreme Court Limits Judges’ Ability to Issue Nationwide Injunctions, a Win for Trump - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/27/us/birthright-citizenship-supreme-court
• Supreme Court says Maryland parents can pull their kids from public school lessons using LGBTQ books - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-lgbtq-books-religion-maryland-schools-c0b0fb4b96531636fcb98b08aabc3cf9
• The major Supreme Court decisions in 2025 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2025/supreme-court-cases-decisions/?itid=hp-top-table-main
• What the Supreme Court’s Ruling Will Mean for Birthright Citizenship - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/27/us/politics/27nat-birthright-citizenship-impacts.html

June 30

• A List of Nearly Everything in the G.O.P. Bill, and How Much It Would Cost or Save - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/30/upshot/senate-republican-megabill.html
• RNC Sues Arizona To Block Voting Access for Overseas U.S. Citizens - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/rnc-sues-arizona-to-block-voting-access-for-overseas-u-s-citizens/
• Supreme Court takes up a Republican appeal to end limits on party spending in federal elections - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-political-party-spending-a6b43b10ae73e58cc2e7af581b91ec76
• Trump administration sues Los Angeles, claiming the city refuses to cooperate on immigration - https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-california-immigration-raids-trump-administration-lawsuit-70957edcec43e6def5a56e81f8cce512
• With Billions of Dollars Controlling American Politics, the Government Will Never Be for the People - https://thefulcrum.us/governance-legislation/billionaire-oligarchy

July 2025

July 01

• 20 states sue after the Trump administration releases private Medicaid data to deportation officials - https://apnews.com/article/trump-medicaid-immigrant-california-161f7e1b9087512d674258f32f822878
• Gray asks court to toss case challenging Wyoming’s new voter registration law - https://wyofile.com/gray-asks-court-to-toss-case-challenging-wyomings-new-voter-registration-law/
• Ron DeSantis says Florida ‘gypped’ out of congressional seat, wants another census and redistricting - https://floridapolitics.com/archives/745706-florida-gypped-desantis/
• What the Justice Department’s push to bring denaturalization cases means - https://apnews.com/article/denaturalization-memo-justice-department-trump-271516babd88591dc2e2a9fb462c4ce2

July 02

• Judge Rejects Trump’s Attempt to Stop Asylum Claims at Border - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/us/politics/asylum-trump.html
• Justice Dept. Explores Using Criminal Charges Against Election Officials - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/us/politics/justice-department-election-data.html
• Musk vows to start a third party. Funding’s no issue, but there are others. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/07/02/elon-musk-third-party-trump
• Online Ad Spending in 2024 Election Totaled at Least $1.9 Billion - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/online-ad-spending-2024-election-totaled-least-19-billion
• PAC Spending in Council Races More Than Doubled, Fueled by Money from DoorDash, Airbnb and Uber - https://www.thecity.nyc/2025/07/02/outside-spending-city-council-2025-election/
• Report gives appraisal of Portland's first election with ranked-choice voting for city council races - https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/portland-ranked-choice-vote-election-report-research-single-transferrable/283-eedb94d4-5ab0-4660-a2d3-8dc52228b007
• Trump’s Finances Were Shaky. Then He Began to Capitalize on His Comeback. - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/us/trump-finances-crypto.html
• Staunch election denier appointed to Georgia county’s board of elections - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/02/georgia-election-denier-gail-lee

July 03

• Connecticut’s voter rights law, the strongest in the nation, finally got funded - https://statescoop.com/connecticut-voter-rights-law-got-funded/
• House Democrats, California leaders weigh tit-for-tat redistricting if Texas Republicans redraw maps - https://www.texastribune.org/2025/07/03/redistricting-texas-california-democrats-retaliation-trump-newsom/
• The Supreme Court keeps helping Donald Trump - https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/07/03/the-supreme-court-keeps-helping-donald-trump
• Top cases to be heard during US Supreme Court's 2025-2026 term - https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/top-cases-be-heard-during-us-supreme-courts-2025-2026-term-2025-07-03/

July 04

• ICE prepares detention blitz with historic $45 billion in funding - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/04/trump-bill-ice-immigrant-detention
• President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Is Now the Law - https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/07/president-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-is-now-the-law/

July 05

• 6 of the biggest challenges facing Musk’s new political party - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/07/05/msuk-america-party

July 06

• Trump and GOP target ballots arriving after Election Day that delay counts and feed conspiracy fears - https://apnews.com/article/trump-ballot-counting-election-day-deadline-california-d9403415687f7f0a0e2c8749511f6652

July 07

• Arkansas group collects signatures for ballot measure, considers working with similar coalition - https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/07/07/arkansas-group-collects-signatures-for-ballot-measure-considers-partnering-with-coalition/
• Court Strikes Down ‘Unconstitutional’ Kansas Ballot Application Law - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/court-strikes-down-unconstitutional-kansas-ballot-application-law/
• Georgia appeals court upholds ruling saying election officials must certify results - https://apnews.com/article/georgia-election-certification-1b2e61aff0589c2940b9f372ea0b34c2
• Secretary of State backs legislation to expand ranked choice voting option to all cities, counties - https://alphanews.org/secretary-of-state-backs-legislation-to-expand-ranked-choice-voting-option-to-all-cities-counties/
• Supreme Court's expansive view of presidential power is 'solidly' pro-Trump: ANALYSIS - https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-courts-expansive-view-presidential-power-solidly-pro/story?id=123454459

July 08

• Court denies rehearing voting rights case; group calls decision ‘loss for Native American voters’ - https://northdakotamonitor.com/2025/07/08/court-denies-rehearing-voting-rights-case-group-calls-decision-loss-for-native-american-voters/
• DOJ Jumps Into Another Anti-Voting Lawsuit - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/doj-jumps-into-another-anti-voting-lawsuit/
• IRS says churches should be allowed to make political endorsements - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/08/irs-church-endorsements
• Supreme Court Clears Way for Mass Firings at Federal Agencies - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/us/politics/supreme-court-federal-workers-layoffs.html
• Trump Has Kneecapped the FEC and Won’t Fix It - https://www.notus.org/policy/fec-quorum-campaign-finance

July 09

• Supreme Court Won’t Revive Aggressive Florida Immigration Law - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/us/politics/supreme-court-florida-immigration-law.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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