Democracy Happy Hour - June 11, 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 on the Promise of Democracy

With author Paul Zeitz

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/dl6sdvxkxafGGjnDVfVaWqLf78MXah5TQsz4GfiFrsFBQHfGul5Fq9gOaGbOhLnnWgE2TzkhUsJf88oT.6Vn_IXn794v8_SSz

• Gallery View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/5irFY658ilQaWPfdkHng5FYa4bTY8U5v6mU1xsrpgqcMMqC9cq9c0i1cICNgWtpaNlHUO7_22GaN_zqa.KlNKbLN1Kbm0pQU5

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/WAjLWoMxzMde0ZxyqBGjSYrRtRyDpcASjSeF67wYWO2if5d_7KT0vKh78usAs7IuXnbKqqbLCx6y9BCZ.R2lpPwgjGNmv2rDY

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/1rMxX8iiW6i3o6CWQHLjiBqm1aLjpRjdsgZDZiETspO01q1qeRW_V5r4h5WHNNrfjmIsUJWDGrdrxJpf.xo_qqhRQ9t2NioSP

Meeting resources

About Dr. Paul Zeitz

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

• Jun 18 – Introducing the Resist Trump Campaign with Nevin Kamath
• Jun 25 – A History of Public Financing of Elections in Seattle with Rory O'Sullivan
• Jul 2 – No Democracy Happy Hour this week – Happy July 4^th!
• Jul 9 – Hit Refresh on the U.S. Constitution: A Revolutionary Roadmap for Fulfilling on the Promise of Democracy with author Paul Zeitz
• Jul 16 - Save Democracy in America: End Big Money with Voter Dollars with Dan McMillan

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/
• No Kings National Day of Action – June 14^th - https://www.nokings.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

• 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
• 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 02

• State Voter Suppression Bills Could Disenfranchise Millions Ahead of Midterms - https://truthout.org/articles/state-voter-suppression-bills-could-disenfranchise-millions-ahead-of-midterms/

June 04

• ALEC Sets Sights On New Anti-Voting Bills in States - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/alec-sets-sights-on-new-anti-voting-bills-in-states/
• Top GOP Map-Drawer and Right-Wing Law Firm Team Up to Target Texas Minority Voters - https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/top-gop-map-drawer-and-right-wing-law-firm-team-up-to-target-minority-voters-in-texas/
• Trump orders investigation into alleged cover-up of Biden’s decline - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/04/trump-biden-investigate-cover-up-decline-autopen

June 05

• Supreme Court makes it easier to claim ‘reverse discrimination’ in employment, in a case from Ohio - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-discrimination-lawsuit-ohio-205f07a2d47d7a46cfc96a5fefdf9269
• Supreme Court sides with Catholic charity in religious-rights case over unemployment taxes - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-catholic-religious-rights-taxes-02b0cb21b05a24dbced9884bdda2c0b5
• Texas bill requiring proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration dies at end of session - https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/voting/2025/06/05/523216/bill-requiring-proof-of-u-s-citizenship-for-texas-voter-registration-fails/
• Trump and Musk Alliance Crumbles Amid Public Threats and Insults - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/05/us/trump-elon-musk

June 06

• Alabama Asks SCOTUS to Revive Racially Discriminatory Map - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/alabama-asks-scotus-to-revive-its-intentional-racial-gerrymander/
• Federal panel rules in favor of state in Arkansas congressional redistricting lawsuit - https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/06/06/federal-panel-rules-in-favor-of-state-in-arkansas-congressional-redistricting-lawsuit/
• Federal vs. state power at issue in a hearing over Trump’s election overhaul executive order - https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-elections-democrats-states-8a329645f15e161103709409ecf3e746
• Justices Grant DOGE Access to Social Security Data and Let the Team Shield Records - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/us/politics/supreme-court-doge-social-security.html
• New lawsuit asks federal court to give Phil Lyman personal data of Utah’s 1.8M registered voters - https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/06/06/phil-lyman-sues-personal-data/
• Trump administration races to fix a big mistake: DOGE fired too many people - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/06/06/doge-staff-cuts-rehiring-federal-workers

June 07

• GOPers Fear Proof of Citizenship Laws May Hurt Their Own Voters - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/gopers-fear-proof-of-citizenship-laws-may-hurt-their-own-voters/
• The 911 presidency: Trump flexes emergency powers in his second term - https://apnews.com/article/trump-emergency-powers-tariffs-immigration-5cbe386d8f2cc4a374a5d005e618d76a

June 08

• Maine Legislature Rejects Voter ID Bill on Partisan Lines Following Lengthy and Impassioned Debate - https://www.themainewire.com/2025/06/maine-legislature-rejects-voter-id-bill-on-partisan-lines-following-lengthy-and-impassioned-debate/
• Several thousand N.J. voters received letters saying they can’t vote in primary - https://newjerseyglobe.com/campaigns/several-thousand-n-j-voters-received-letters-saying-they-cant-vote-in-primary/
• Trump Jumps at the Chance for a Confrontation in California Over Immigration - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/08/us/politics/trump-california-immigration.html

June 09

• GOP bill could worsen inflation and lead to financial crisis, economists warn - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/06/09/trump-gop-bill-inflation-debt
• Newsom in interview: Trump’s actions echo authoritarian regimes - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/09/gavin-newsom-trump-los-angeles-protests
• The Supreme Court will issue a flurry of decisions in the coming weeks. Here's what to expect. - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-cases-decisions-gender-affirming-care-birthright-citizenship/
• Trump's travel ban is now in effect. Here's what to know - https://www.npr.org/2025/06/09/nx-s1-5427998/trump-travel-ban-countries-immigration-enforcement
• 'We're happy to have this fight': Trump administration leans into California protests - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/-happy-fight-trump-administration-leans-california-protests-rcna211860
• Why Musk is vulnerable in conflict with Trump - https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/06/09/musk-is-vulnerable-battle-with-trump/

June 10

• DC prepares for Trump’s military parade with 18 miles of fencing and 175 magnetometers - https://apnews.com/article/trump-parade-military-secret-service-dc-birthday-cb66cba29cdc06ba798521454918271d
• Georgia Supreme Court rejects changes sought by Trump-aligned board ahead of 2024 election - https://georgiarecorder.com/2025/06/10/georgia-supreme-court-rejects-changes-sought-by-trump-aligned-board-ahead-of-2024-election/
• House votes to repeal D.C. laws on noncitizen voting, police discipline - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/06/10/house-vote-dc-laws-police-reform-noncitizen-voting/
• Judge Denies California’s Request for Immediate Block on Trump’s Use of Military in Los Angeles - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/newsom-emergency-block-court-trump-military-los-angeles/
• Los Angeles leaders impose curfew as protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown continue - https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-protests-ice-national-guard-9dfd2d025070bb6060d908dd3cf9b1f0
• Newsom asks court to block Trump’s use of military to support LA immigration raids - https://apnews.com/live/immigration-protests-los-angeles-6-10-2025
• Newsom Tells Nation That Trump Is Destroying American Democracy - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/us/newsom-speech-trump-la-protests.html
• Seattle police chief expects to be jailed under Trump administration - https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/seattle-police-chief-expects-to-be-jailed-under-trump-administration
• Seattle’s democracy vouchers are working. Here’s the proof - https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/10/seattles-democracy-vouchers-are-working-heres-the-proof/
• Trump pledges "very big force" for June 14 parade protests - https://www.axios.com/2025/06/10/trump-parade-protests-june-14-force
• U.S. Supreme Court rejects GOP request to review Pa. provisional ballot ruling - https://penncapital-star.com/briefs/u-s-supreme-court-rejects-gop-request-to-review-pa-provisional-ballot-ruling/
• Voter rights groups say Ohio GOP voting overhaul threatens the state’s citizen initiative process - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2025/06/10/voter-rights-groups-say-ohio-gops-voting-overhaul-threatens-the-states-citizen-initiative-process/

June 11

• Longtime Maricopa County voters will soon get notices requesting proof of citizenship - https://www.votebeat.org/arizona/2025/06/11/maricopa-county-letter-notifying-voters-proof-citizenship-state-error/
• Marines on standby outside LA as protests pop up across the US - https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/la-protests-ice-raids-trump-06-11-25
• National Guard troops have temporarily detained civilians in LA protests, commander says - https://apnews.com/article/national-guard-immigration-raids-los-angeles-c9957a0d4ded48e40ce78efb0b7a8fbf
• Protests spread to U.S. cities beyond L.A.; California mayors say troops escalate unrest - https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/06/11/la-protests-ice-live-updates-trump/

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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