<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[People Power United | News & Action: Statements]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Power United Statements is where we share our official responses on the issues shaping our rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and democracy. Through these statements, we speak clearly about what is at stake, hold those in power accountable, and keep our community informed about our values, our position, and the actions we are taking to defend our democracy.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/s/statements</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xrzw!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcdde7924-b8bd-43e4-9704-3298e7b7d962_256x256.png</url><title>People Power United | News &amp; Action: Statements</title><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/s/statements</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:44:32 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[People Power United]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[laurie@peoplepowerunited.org]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[laurie@peoplepowerunited.org]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Laurie Woodward Garcia]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Laurie Woodward Garcia]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[laurie@peoplepowerunited.org]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[laurie@peoplepowerunited.org]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Laurie Woodward Garcia]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Urges SEC to Protect Climate Rules]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Power United urges the SEC to halt its climate disclosure rule rollback while the agency lacks the political balance required by law.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-sec-climate-disclosure-rules</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-sec-climate-disclosure-rules</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:32:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6bae9cd1-304f-43ba-9645-d4968eb9d121_5184x3456.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Friends, each week, </span><strong>on behalf of our membership</strong><span>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance </span><strong>freedom over fascism,</strong><span> </span><strong>progress, and power to the people</strong><span>. Here is a letter send to </span>People Power United Joins efforts to <strong>urge the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to refrain from finalizing the rescission of the climate-related disclosure rules</strong>, and to object to its legal and policy arguments justifying the rescission. Shout out to <strong>Our Financial Security</strong> for leading these efforts.</p><p><span>Vanessa A. Countryman</span></p><p><span>Secretary</span></p><p><span>Securities and Exchange Commission</span></p><p><span>100 F Street NE</span></p><p><span>Washington, DC 20549&#8211;1090</span></p><p><span>August 3, 2026</span></p><p><strong><span>Re: Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules (File No. S7-2026-19) </span></strong><span>Dear Secretary Countryman:</span></p><p><span>The undersigned 15 investors, labor unions, and public interest organizations write to urge the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to refrain from finalizing the rescission of the climate-related disclosure rules, and to object to its legal and policy arguments justifying the rescission. In its release, the SEC attempts to hamstring its own ability to further its mission to protect investors, maintain fair and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation by putting forth a vision of its statutory authority that is unsupported by statute, caselaw, and past SEC practice, and a preferred policy approach that ignores an overwhelming amount of investor voices. If adopted, this flawed perspective would have far-ranging, negative implications.</span></p><p><strong><span>The SEC&#8217;s Statutory Authority Arguments Are Unfounded</span></strong></p><p><span>Section 7(a)(1) of the Securities Act and sections 12 and 13 of the Securities Exchange Act grant the SEC authority to require &#8220;such other information&#8221; as it determines is &#8220;necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors&#8221; in addition to statutorily specified disclosures.</span><sup><span>1</span></sup><span> The SEC&#8217;s arguments that this authority is limited to disclosures &#8220;channeled by&#8221; and &#8220;comparable to&#8221; the kinds of disclosures in Schedule A of the Securities Act and the equivalent provisions of the Securities Exchange Act such that they must be &#8220;central to an understanding of the company&#8217;s business or financial characteristics&#8221; &#8212; and that climate-related disclosures do not meet this standard &#8212; are thoroughly debunked by the &#8220;Shadow SEC,&#8221; composed of legal academics including former SEC General Counsel and Acting Director of the Division of Corporation Finance John Coates.</span><sup><span>2</span></sup></p><p><span>The current SEC&#8217;s assertion that its authority is so narrow is contravened by the Commission&#8217;s longstanding practice. Throughout its history, the SEC has exercised its authority to require &#8220;such other information&#8221; as it determines is &#8220;necessary or appropriate in the public interest or for the</span></p><p><sup><span>1 </span></sup><span>15 U.S.C. &#167; 77g(a)(1); 15 U.S.C. &#167;&#167; 78l&#8211;78m.</span></p><p><sup><span>2 </span></sup><span>Coates, John et al. &#8220;Shadow SEC Statement No. 10: The SEC&#8217;s Proposed Climate &#8220;Do-Over&#8221;&#8212;Prejudged, Internally Inconsistent, and Partisan.&#8221; The CLS Blue Sky Blog. July 1, 2026.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>1</span></p><p><span>protection of investors&#8221;</span><sup><span>3 </span></sup><span>without engaging in the cramped exercise of comparing the newer disclosures it mandated to Schedule A and its Exchange Act equivalents.</span></p><p><span>The SEC&#8217;s newly-advanced and unsupported legal position is further undermined by the reversal of the SEC staff&#8217;s position expressed as recently as two years ago. In a public meeting in 2024, the SEC staff recommended the SEC adopt the very disclosures it is now attempting to rescind. The SEC staff&#8217;s recommendation was the result of thorough consideration of the legal issues after reviewing a historically large comment file that included discussion of the SEC&#8217;s legal authority to promulgate the rules. Now, many of the same staff, without any intervening adverse judicial decisions addressing the SEC&#8217;s authority, have decided the agency lacks the authority. The aboutface of the staff&#8217;s perspective a mere two years later is notable and brings into doubt the legal consistency and rule of law that underpin our capital markets and raises significant doubt as to the integrity of this process. </span></p><p><span>The SEC could have chosen to propose to rescind the climate-related disclosure rules purely on policy grounds. Therefore, its discussion of its legal authority is superfluous, and given the recent Supreme Court decision in </span><em><span>Loper Bright</span></em><span>,</span><sup><span>4 </span></sup><span>deserving of little to no deference from courts. The SEC seems to be striving to limit its authority by creating an illusion of a legal controversy where there is none. Indeed, the SEC has recently proposed several rules under dubious legal authority, and yet does not provide a comparable discussion of its interpretation of its authority to do so.</span></p><p><strong><span>The SEC Is Attempting To Make Materiality an Issuer-Determined Concept Instead of an Investor-Determined Standard, Turning the Supreme Court&#8217;s Definition of &#8220;Materiality&#8221; on Its Head</span></strong></p><p><span>There is no statutory language, legislative history, or caselaw suggesting the SEC&#8217;s disclosure authority is limited by materiality.</span><sup><span>5 </span></sup><span>The SEC does not deny this, as it places its argument about materiality under its policy reasons for rescinding the rules instead of under its section on statutory authority.</span></p><p><span>Even if we were to accept materiality as a requirement for the SEC to require a disclosure item, the SEC&#8217;s articulated conception of materiality runs afoul of the Supreme Court holding that information is material if there is a &#8220;substantial likelihood that the disclosure of the omitted fact would have been viewed by the reasonable investor as having significantly altered the &#8216;total mix&#8217; of information.&#8221;</span><sup><span>6 </span></sup><span>Even though the SEC attempts to characterize interest in climate disclosures as limited to niche investors, that characterization is unsupported by the SEC&#8217;s rulemaking record. An analysis of 320 comment letters submitted to the climate-related disclosure rules comment file by asset owners and asset managers that collectively own or manage over $50 trillion in assets showed</span></p><p><sup><span>3 </span></sup><span>15 U.S.C. &#167; 77g(a)(1); 15 U.S.C. &#167;&#167; 78l&#8211;78m.</span></p><p><sup><span>4 </span></sup><em><span>Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo</span></em><span>, 603 U.S. 871 (2024).</span></p><p><sup><span>5 </span></sup><span>Thornton, Alexandra and Tyler Gellasch. &#8220;The SEC Has Broad Authority To Require Climate and Other ESG Disclosures.&#8221; Center for American Progress. June 10, 2021.</span></p><p><sup><span>6 </span></sup><em><span>TSC Industries, Inc. v. Northway, Inc.</span></em><span>, 426 U.S. 438, 449 (1976) (emphasis added).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>2</span></p><p><span>overwhelming support for the proposals.</span><sup><span>7 </span></sup><span>For example, the analysis found that 270 investors mentioned requiring climate-risk disclosures in the 10-K and 97 percent of those who did supported it, and 296 investors mentioned aligning disclosures with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and 100 percent of those who did supported it.</span><sup><span>8</span></sup><span>If such incontrovertible evidence of investor support for adding disclosures to the &#8220;&#8216;total mix&#8217; of information&#8221; is insufficient to meet the SEC&#8217;s definition of materiality, it is difficult to fathom what would.</span></p><p><span>Indeed, the SEC is attempting to turn the concept of materiality on its head such that issuers can have free rein to trump reasonable investors&#8217; determination of what is material &#8212; in clear contravention of the Supreme Court&#8217;s position that materiality is determined by reference to what a reasonable </span><em><span>investor </span></em><span>would consider important. The SEC contends that the climate-related disclosure rules &#8220;are unnecessary because existing disclosure requirements already elicit information about the material effects of climate-related matters.&#8221;</span><sup><span>9 </span></sup><span>But investors have repeatedly made clear, including in the 2022 comment file, that there are many disclosures they find material that issuers are either not providing or not providing with the desired level of reliability and comparability. This is the case with human capital management as well: the SEC&#8217;s 2020 principles-based requirement that companies provide certain human capital management disclosures if material did not result in meaningful disclosures,</span><sup><span>10 </span></sup><span>and investors are continuing to demand mandatory disclosures.</span><sup><span>11 </span></sup><span>The SEC leaving disclosures up to the discretion of the issuer when investors have already spoken clearly and forcefully on these issues effectively puts the issuer in the driver&#8217;s seat where the investor should be, with predictable results.</span></p><p><span>Scholars have been debating whether regulators should mandate certain disclosures or let issuers decide what to disclose for decades. John C. Coffee Jr. made the case for a mandatory disclosure system in a seminal 1984 article, arguing that it would &#8220;improve the allocative efficiency of the capital market&#8212;and this improvement in turn implies a more productive economy.&#8221;</span><sup><span>12 </span></sup><span>Many others have also called for a mandatory disclosure system over the years as well as an increase in the amount of mandatory disclosures required.</span><sup><span>13 </span></sup><span>Scholars and others have often cited the need for</span></p><p><sup><span>7 </span></sup><span>Rothstein, Steven. Ceres. &#8220;Analysis shows that investors strongly support the SEC&#8217;s proposed climate disclosure rule.&#8221; October 11, 2022.</span></p><p><sup><span>8</span></sup><em><span>Id</span></em><span>.</span></p><p><sup><span>9 </span></sup><span>Securities and Exchange Commission. &#8220;Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules.&#8221; Proposed withdrawal of final rules. May 29, 2026 at 47.</span></p><p><sup><span>10 </span></sup><span>Intelligize. Human Capital Disclosure Report: Learning on the Job. April 21, 2021.</span></p><p><sup><span>11 </span></sup><em><span>See </span></em><span>Human Capital Management Coalition. Available at https://www.hcmcoalition.org/. Accessed July 2026. </span><sup><span>12 </span></sup><span>Coffee, Jr. John C. Market Failure and the Economic Case for a Mandatory Disclosure System. 70 VA. L. REV. 717. 1984.</span></p><p><sup><span>13 </span></sup><em><span>See, e.g. </span></em><span>Brown, J. Robert. Revisiting (Again) &#8220;Truth in Securities Revisited&#8221; The SEC Disclosure Regime in the New Millennium. Journal of Law and Political Economy, 5(2). May 2025. Fox, Merritt B. The Issuer Choice Debate. 2 THEORETICAL INQUIRIES L. 563. 2001. Fox, Merritt B. Retaining Mandatory Securities Disclosure: Why Issuer Choice Is Not Investor Empowerment. 85 VA. L. REV. 1335. 1999. Green, Andy et al. &#8220;Letter to SEC on Corporate Transparency and Accountability and the Coronavirus Pandemic.&#8221; May 26, 2020. Guttentag, Michael D. An Argument for Imposing Disclosure Requirements on Public Companies. Florida State University Law Review, No. 32, 2004. February 26, 2009.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>3</span></p><p><span>investors to be able to have comparable data and incentives for issuers to provide less disclosure than would be optimal for investors and efficient markets as reasons for a robust mandatory disclosure system. Paul G. Mahoney, a David and Mary Harrison Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia Law School who served as dean of the Law School and interim president of the university, has argued that the main justification for mandatory disclosures is to reduce the costs of investors monitoring corporate management to prevent their self-serving use of company resources.</span><sup><span>14 </span></sup><span>The SEC should therefore continue to mandate certain disclosures instead of leaving it up to issues to determine whether they should.</span></p><p><strong><span>The SEC is Curtailing the Avenues Available for Investors to Communicate About What Is Material to Them</span></strong></p><p><span>Meanwhile, the SEC is shutting down opportunities for investors to communicate to issuers &#8212; and the SEC itself &#8212; what they find material. With this release, the SEC discounts the record number of investors that strongly supported the climate-related disclosure rules in the 2022 comment file,  indicating that the SEC will not prioritize investor voices in its notice-and-comment rulemaking.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>The SEC has also taken other actions that limit investors&#8217; ability to communicate what they find material: 1) changing 13D/13G guidance suggesting that investors with more than a five percent ownership stake in public companies could be subjected to heightened regulation if they engaged</span></p><p><span>with companies on important issues,</span><sup><span>15 </span></sup><span>causing a chilling effect on investor engagements with issuers;</span><sup><span>16 </span></sup><span>2) curtailing investor access to courts by going from disfavoring forced arbitration provisions to explicitly allowing them,</span><sup><span>17 </span></sup><span>3) changing its staff guidance so that only shareholders with over $5 million in shares will be able to communicate through EDGAR;</span><sup><span>18 </span></sup><span>and 4) chipping away at the shareholder proposal process by issuing a staff legal bulletin making it easier for companies to exclude proposals;</span><sup><span>19 </span></sup><span>no longer serving as the arbiter on disputes between corporate management and shareholders over whether shareholder proposals can be excluded from corporate ballots;</span><sup><span>20 </span></sup><span>and according to reporting, likely attempting to repeal Rule 14a-8, the regulation governing shareholder proposals, altogether.</span><sup><span>21 </span></sup><span>But regarding this specific issue, investors have spoken loudly and</span></p><p><sup><span>14 </span></sup><span>Mahoney, Paul G. Mandatory Disclosure as a Solution to Agency Costs. 62 U. CHI. L. REV. 1047. 1995. </span><sup><span>15 </span></sup><span>Securities and Exchange Commission. &#8220;Exchange Act Sections 13(d) and 13(g) and Regulation 13D-G Beneficial Ownership Reporting.&#8221; July 11, 2025.</span></p><p><sup><span>16 </span></sup><span>Johnson, Lamar. &#8220;SEC updates guidance on ESG engagement disclosures, prompts temporary confusion.&#8221; ESG Dive. February 25, 2025.</span></p><p><sup><span>17 </span></sup><span>Securities and Exchange Commission. &#8220;Acceleration of Effectiveness of Registration Statements of Issuers with Certain Mandatory Arbitration Provisions.&#8221; Final rule; Policy statement. September 19, 2025. </span><sup><span>18 </span></sup><span>Securities and Exchange Commission. &#8220;Proxy Rules and Schedules 14A/14C.&#8221; July 9, 2026. </span><sup><span>19 </span></sup><span>Crenshaw, Caroline A. &#8220;Statement on Staff Legal Bulletin 14M.&#8221; Securities and Exchange Commission. February 12, 2025.</span></p><p><sup><span>20 </span></sup><span>Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Corporation Finance. &#8220;Statement Regarding the Division of Corporation Finance&#8217;s Role in the Exchange Act Rule 14a-8 Process for the Current Proxy Season.&#8221; November 17, 2025. </span><sup><span>21 </span></sup><span>Schmidt, Robert and Ryan Tracy. &#8220;SEC Planning to Repeal Rule Governing Shareholder Proposals.&#8221; Capitol Account. June 22, 2026.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>4</span></p><p><span>unambiguously about what they deem material. This SEC is taking the position that investors representing $50 trillion in assets are not sufficiently reasonable, elevating its own judgment in a newly SEC-created environment that has significantly curtailed the ability of investors to speak.</span></p><p><span>Instead of protecting investors as its mission requires, the SEC is making it more difficult for investors to make their voices heard by the management of the companies they are invested in, by the SEC, and in the courts. Its actions betray a prioritization of corporate management over investors, in contravention to its statutory mission.</span></p><p><strong><span>The SEC&#8217;s Reasoning Could Have Broad Implications Beyond Climate-Related Disclosures to the Detriment of Investors, Fair and Efficient Markets, and Capital Formation</span></strong></p><p><span>The reasoning behind the SEC&#8217;s proposed repeal, if followed, could have broad implications beyond the rescission of climate-related disclosure rules, into areas of great importance to investors. If the SEC adopts this unsupported, narrow interpretation of its authority and ignores investor voices, it will be unable to fulfill its mission, including with respect to longstanding disclosures such as market risks, more recently-adopted disclosures such as cybersecurity, and possible future disclosures such as human capital management, automation, and artificial intelligence.</span><sup><span>22 </span></sup><span>The risks are significant, including increased investor costs, less informed investment decisions, greater market mispricing, and misallocation of capital across the economy.</span></p><p><span>First, reducing current disclosures and curtailing the SEC&#8217;s ability to mandate additional disclosures as they become necessary would impose additional costs on investors, as the costs of obtaining such information would shift from the issuers who have easy access to the information to investors who</span></p><p><span>will be forced to purchase such information from private data providers. Such information will be less complete and less reliable than SEC-mandated disclosures.</span></p><p><span>Second, the reliability and comparability of the information would also be impaired due to the lack of specific SEC requirements and uniformity of disclosures.</span></p><p><span>Third, the decrease in information available to all investors would make markets less fair. There would be more material nonpublic information available to corporate insiders and others with business or personal relationships with issuers or management, putting retail and index fund investors at a disadvantage.</span></p><p><sup><span>22 </span></sup><span>Gerding, Erik et al. Freshfields US LLP. &#8220;What the SEC&#8217;s Proposed Rescission of its Climate-Related Disclosure Rules Signals for Future Disclosure Rulemaking Beyond Climate.&#8221; Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance. July 14, 2026; </span><em><span>see </span></em><span>Securities and Exchange Commission Investor Advisory Committee. &#8220;Recommendation of the SEC Investor Advisory Committee Regarding the Disclosure of Artificial Intelligence&#8217;s Impact on Operations.&#8221; December 4, 2025.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>5</span></p><p><span>Fourth, reduced disclosure would undermine capital formation, as reduced transparency may result in investors seeking a higher risk premium. Transparency is critical to forming and maintaining investments. The reduced visibility from the decrease in information elevates risk and widens information gaps, which can deter long-term institutional capital investment.</span></p><p><span>Fifth, reduced disclosure would also undermine efficient capital allocation. If investors lack robust disclosures, companies exposed to less risk can lose out in capital raising to companies exposed to higher risks.</span></p><p><span>Lastly, we are also concerned that the SEC has made these broad pronouncements about its authority at a time when the agency lacks the political balance mandated by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and has not met the statutory requirement that appointments to the SEC alternate by party.</span><sup><span>23 </span></sup><span>We urge the SEC to withdraw the proposal in its entirety.</span></p><p><span>Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this proposal. For further discussion, please contact Natalia Renta at natalia@ourfinancialsecurity.org.</span></p><p><span>Sincerely,</span></p><p><span>AFT</span></p><p><span>American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund</span></p><p><span>Chevedden Corporate Governance</span></p><p><span>Harrington Investments, Inc.</span></p><p><span>Investor Advocates for Social Justice</span></p><p><span>Muslims for Just Futures</span></p><p><span>National Education Association (NEA)</span></p><p><span>NorthStar Asset Management</span></p><p><span>People Power United</span></p><p><span>Public Citizen</span></p><p><span>Service Employees International Union (SEIU)</span></p><p><span>SOC Investment Group</span></p><p><span>United Church Funds</span></p><p><span>Zevin Asset Management</span></p><p><sup><span>23 </span></sup><span>15 U.S.C. 78d(a) (providing that no more than three commissioners shall be members of the same political party and that &#8220;in making appointments members of different political parties shall be appointed alternately as nearly as may be practicable&#8221;).</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>6</span></p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United opposed Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dr. Schwartz&#8217;s comments on abortion emergency care are especially troubling given the Trump Administration actions undermining protections for emergency abortion care.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-opposed-dr-erica</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-opposed-dr-erica</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:40:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a1da4130-284e-44c1-a1f3-cff2448e114f_4718x3458.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Friends, each week, </span><strong>on behalf of our membership</strong><span>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance </span><strong>freedom over fascism,</strong><span> </span><strong>progress, and power to the people</strong><span>. Here is a copy of a letter sent to the Senate</span><strong><span> to </span>oppose Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control &amp; Prevention<span>.  </span></strong></p><p><span>August 5, 2026</span></p><p><span>Dear Senator,</span></p><p><span>The undersigned organizations committed to reproductive rights, justice, and health equity urge Senators to vote against the confirmation of Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control &amp; Prevention (CDC). Dr. Schwartz&#8217;s testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor &amp; Pensions (HELP) Committee included deeply concerning promises to increase abortion surveillance and vague, unfounded assertions that states are &#8220;hiding&#8221; abortions under the guise of emergency care. These statements reveal a nominee who would approach this important job through an ideological lens, and whose actions could be devastating for patients and providers nationwide.</span></p><p><span>The primary responsibility of the CDC is to protect public health and safety by controlling and preventing disease, injury, and disability both in the U.S. and globally. To achieve this, the CDC engages in research, data collection, health guidance, and preventive measures, working collaboratively with states. Currently,</span></p><p><span>the CDC collects data on abortions from states on a voluntary basis, including the states of residence of individuals seeking abortions, their reasons for seeking care, and the methods of care provided.</span></p><p><span>During the HELP Committee hearing, Senator Hawley implied that there was a problem with states choosing not to voluntarily report this data, as if states were trying to hide something. Dr. Schwartz was asked by Senator Hawley if she &#8220;[w]ould commit to trying to get as much information [and]&#8230;to collect that data from&#8230; those states that are currently holding out and not giving it&#8230;.&#8221; Senator Hawley&#8217;s push for mandatory abortion data collection follows Project 2025&#8217;s playbook, which proposed making abortion surveillance reporting to the CDC mandatory by weaponizing federal funding as a means of enforcement. Rather than reaffirming CDC policy of 50+ years&#8212;that states are able to decide for themselves whether to submit data&#8212;Dr. Schwartz instead appeared to guarantee Senator Hawley that she would take up his charge, stating &#8220;Senator you have my commitment, abortion surveillance is </span><em><span>absolutely </span></em><span>a critical component of what the CDC is currently doing&#8230;yes, I agree I will look into that.&#8221;</span></p><p><span>Dr. Schwartz&#8217;s response suggests a willingness to compromise CDC&#8217;s longstanding, decades-long practice in order to secure a confirmation vote. This would cause concern at any time, but is especially alarming at a time when people capable of pregnancy are at heightened risk for surveillance, criminalization, and targeting by hostile officials. This calls into serious question her qualifications for the position of director of the CDC.</span></p><p><span>Dr. Schwartz also made unprovoked and unfounded statements regarding emergency abortion services, implying that states are not accurately reporting data and are trying to &#8220;hide&#8221; abortions as &#8220;emergency services&#8221; saying CDC needs to &#8220;make sure that certain states are not conflating emergency services and hiding abortions in that emergency services case definition.&#8221; She further opined that the CDC &#8220;need[s] to make sure we are pulling out &#8216;true abortions&#8217; and making sure we&#8217;re really having clear case definitions regarding abortion so the data is actually accurate.&#8221; These statements not only undermine the fact that emergency abortion care is a valid and increasingly necessary form of health care but also raises concerns about how she might misuse her role as CDC Director to launch unfounded investigations into states that are trying to protect people&#8217;s access to the abortion care they need.</span></p><p><span>Dr. Schwartz&#8217;s comments on abortion emergency care are especially troubling given the Trump Administration actions undermining protections for emergency abortion care. Last year, the Trump administration rescinded Biden-era guidance on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA)&#8212;a long-standing federal law that protects access to emergency care in hospital emergency rooms. It also dropped an enforcement action against the State of Idaho, whose abortion ban directly conflicts with EMTALA&#8212;sowing confusion and fear for health care providers and patients experiencing dangerous pregnancy complications. As a result of this confusion and fear, hospitals have turned away patients in dire circumstances, and some women have suffered serious complications or died because they could not get the health-preserving and life-saving abortion care they needed. Dr. Schwartz&#8217;s attempt to distinguish &#8220;true abortion&#8221;&#8212;a term that is both stigmatizing and lacks any basis in law or medicine&#8212;from emergency abortion care is either reckless or purposefully seeking to push forward an ideological agenda. In either event, it signals that Dr. Schwartz should not lead an agency dedicated to public health, since such comments from a national public health leader will further contribute to the confusion and fear in hospital emergency rooms and will lead to more needless suffering and to deaths.</span></p><p><span>Public health in the U.S. is in a fragile state. Our country is navigating multiple public health crises, including increased spread of infectious diseases; exceptionally high maternal mortality rates, particularly for Black women; and the post-</span><em><span>Dobbs </span></em><span>landscape of abortion access, which forces one in five people to travel out of state to obtain care. In the years since </span><em><span>Roe v. Wade </span></em><span>was wrongly overturned, studies have shown a significant increase in criminalization related to abortion, birth, and loss of pregnancy, disproportionately affecting Black, Brown, and low-income women. We cannot afford to confirm a CDC Director who has signaled a willingness to increase surveillance of people seeking abortion care and cater to anti-abortion extremists&#8217; demands. Moreover, as Director of the CDC, Schwartz would have the authority to conduct biased studies or suppress evidence that yet again proves abortion is safe. This could result in further mis- and disinformation that seeks to mislead people about the science and safety of abortion care.</span></p><p><span>For these reasons, we urge you to oppose the confirmation of Erica Schwartz for Director of the CDC. Signed,</span></p><p><span>Abortion Forward (OH)</span></p><p><span>All* Above All</span></p><p><span>American Atheists</span></p><p><span>Arkansas Black Gay Men&#8217;s Forum</span></p><p><span>Black Voters Matter Fund</span></p><p><span>Clearinghouse on Women&#8217;s Issues</span></p><p><span>Equality California</span></p><p><span>Feminist Majority Foundation</span></p><p><span>If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice</span></p><p><span>National Abortion Federation</span></p><p><span>National Asian Pacific American Women&#8217;s Forum</span></p><p><span>National Council of Jewish Women</span></p><p><span>National Health Law Program</span></p><p><span>National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice National Network of Abortion Funds National Organization for Women</span></p><p><span>National Women&#8217;s Law Center Action Fund New Disabled South</span></p><p><span>PAI</span></p><p><span>People Power United</span></p><p><span>Physicians for Reproductive Health</span></p><p><span>Planned Parenthood Federation of America Population Connection Action Fund</span></p><p><span>Positive Women&#8217;s Network-USA</span></p><p><span>Pregnancy Justice</span></p><p><span>Reproductive Freedom for All</span></p><p><span>RootsAction</span></p><p><span>Silver State Equality</span></p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Movement Efforts to ensure Meta Must Put Consent Before AI Data Collection]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the Age of AI: people should affirmatively choose whether their identity, likeness, voice, and personal experiences may be used to power artificial intelligence systems.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/meta-must-put-consent-before-ai-data-collection</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/meta-must-put-consent-before-ai-data-collection</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:41:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5b78f0af-9b7b-49f3-aed2-96cc1db6c39f_5746x3831.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Friends, each week, </span><strong>on behalf of our membership</strong><span>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance </span><strong>freedom over fascism,</strong><span> </span><strong>progress, and power to the people</strong><span>. Here is a copy of a letter sent to Meta advocating for </span><strong><span>consent before AI Data collection. </span></strong>Shout out to Public Citizen for leading this effort.</p><p>August 4, 2026</p><p>Mark Zuckerberg</p><p>Chief Executive Officer</p><p>Meta Platforms</p><p>Meta Must Put Consent Before AI Data Collection</p><p>Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,</p><p>We, the undersigned organizations, write to urge Meta to commit to a simple principle that will be incredibly important in the Age of AI: people should affirmatively choose whether their identity, likeness, voice, and personal experiences may be used to power artificial intelligence systems.</p><p>Although Meta recently withdrew its Muse AI image generation feature following widespread public backlash, the underlying concerns remain unresolved. Before being pulled from the market, Muse permitted users to generate AI-created images depicting individuals with public Instagram accounts through a default opt-out system rather than obtaining affirmative consent. Consumers were automatically enrolled without their permission, generally received no notice when AI-generated images involving their likeness were created, and were required to navigate complex privacy settings to prevent future use.</p><p>The widespread pushback, and subsequent market removal of Muse, served as an important acknowledgement that the public expects stronger privacy protections. But it does not resolve the broader direction Meta appears to be taking. Public reporting indicates that Meta is developing increasingly sophisticated AI-powered wearable technologies capable of continuously capturing images, audio, and other information about users and the people around them. These systems reportedly create searchable records of everyday life, extract detailed metadata about individuals&#8217; activities and relationships, and may ultimately be used to improve Meta&#8217;s AI models. Reports also suggest that future devices may reduce or eliminate visible indicators that recording is occurring, making it increasingly difficult for bystanders to know when they are being observed.</p><p>This is an upside down approach to privacy. Rather than asking permission before collecting and repurposing deeply personal information, Muse and new technologies reportedly under consideration by Meta place the burden on consumers to discover, understand, and disable complicated privacy settings after the fact. Even more troubling, bystanders often have no meaningful opportunity to consent at all rendering any sense of privacy obsolete.</p><p>People do not surrender control over their identity simply because they maintain a public social media profile or exist in public spaces. No person should have to fear that their biometric information will be captured by a technology company simply because they exist in public. Consumers reasonably expect that sharing photographs with friends, walking through a neighborhood, attending school, shopping, or participating in community life does not constitute blanket permission for those experiences to become commercial training data for AI systems.</p><p>Privacy is not merely a preference setting, it is a fundamental component of human dignity, individual autonomy, and civil rights and civil liberties.</p><p>Accordingly, we urge Meta to:</p><p>Obtain genuine, clear, affirmative consent before collecting or processing biometric information, including to identify a person</p><p>Cease business and data practices that replicate a person&#8217;s voice or likeness, or train AI models</p><p>Ensure that privacy protections are easy to understand, easy to exercise, and enabled by default where appropriate.</p><p>Publicly commit that meaningful affirmative consent, not data maximization, will guide Meta&#8217;s responsible innovation principles.</p><p>Meta can demonstrate that technological leadership includes respecting the dignity, autonomy, and informed choices of the people whose lives make these technologies possible. We urge Meta to adopt these principles before introducing additional AI products that further erode personal privacy.</p><p>We look forward to your timely reply.</p><p>Public Citizen</p><p>American Civil Liberties Union</p><p>Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network</p><p>Center for AI and Digital Policy</p><p>Center for Oil and Gas Organizing</p><p>Climate Crisis Working Group of Moore Co.</p><p>Color of Change</p><p>Common Cause</p><p>Common Sense Media</p><p>Consumer Action</p><p>Consumer Federation of America</p><p>Demand Progress Education Fund</p><p>Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)</p><p>Encode AI</p><p>Evitable</p><p>Innovate EDU</p><p>Innovation for Everyone</p><p>MIT Data + Feminism Lab</p><p>MPower Change</p><p>National Black Justice Collective</p><p>NoSo Connection Collective</p><p>Open MIC (Open Media and Information Companies Initiative)</p><p>Oregon Consumer Justice</p><p>Our Subscription to Addiction</p><p>People Power United</p><p>Public Knowledge</p><p>Rinascimento Green</p><p>ReThink Citizens</p><p>SAG-AFTRA</p><p>Stand.earth</p><p>Techtonic Justice</p><p>The Oversight Lab</p><p>The Tech Oversight Project</p><p>The Value Alliance</p><p>The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights</p><p>Transparency Coalition</p><p>UltraViolet</p><p>UnidosUS</p><p>Women&#8217;s Media Center</p><p>CC:</p><p>U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee</p><p>U.S. Senate Oversight Committee</p><p>U.S. Federal Trade Commission</p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Amicus Brief to Urge Supreme Court to Block Trump Order Threatening Mail-in Ballots]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Executive Order orders the United States Postal Service (USPS) to withhold ballots to voters who do not appear on the lists compiled by DHS and SSA.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-amicus-2d0</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-amicus-2d0</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:35:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cadb9f64-e6c5-43d6-ab4e-b23c99263d64_3454x2558.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Friends, each week, </span><strong>on behalf of our membership</strong><span>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance </span><strong>freedom over fascism,</strong><span> </span><strong>progress, and power to the people</strong><span>. Here is a copy of a press release for our recent efforts: </span><strong>Asian Law Caucus and 24 Civil Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court to Block Trump Order Threatening Mail-in Ballots. Shout out to the Asian Law Caucus for leading this effort.</strong></p><p><strong>August 3, 2026</strong></p><h3><strong>Asian Law Caucus and 24 Civil Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court to Block Trump Order Threatening Mail-in Ballots</strong></h3><p>SAN FRANCISCO &#8211; Asian Law Caucus, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, South Asian American Justice Collaborative, and Common Cause today filed an <a href="https://cdn.craft.cloud/5cd1c590-65ba-4ad2-a52c-b55e67f8f04b/assets/media/Programs/DNI/TrumpvCA_AmicusBrief_AsianLawCaucus_260803.pdf">amicus brief</a> in the United States Supreme Court on the behalf of 24 organizations urging the Court to reject the Trump administration&#8217;s request to reinstate Executive Order 14399 while litigation continues. The filing comes after a federal court blocked key provisions of the Executive Order and the Trump administration and intervenor states asked the Supreme Court to allow its implementation while the case proceeds. With the November midterm elections only months away, civil rights and community organizations are alarmed by the Executive Order, which would undermine access to the ballot, potentially disenfranchising tens of millions of American voters, and bring federal interference into state elections administration. Many of these organizations have spent decades providing direct services and conducting voter outreach and education and urge the Supreme Court to deny the stay of the lower court&#8217;s decision invalidating the main sections of the Executive Order. In addition to disenfranchising eligible voters, the Executive Order creates confusion and doubt for all eligible voters seeking to mail in their ballots.</p><p>&#8220;This Executive Order is a naked attempt to keep too many Americans from voting. Almost half of Asian American voters cast their ballots by mail and many Americans could have their essential right to vote thrown out by a faulty federal system,&#8221; said<strong> Aarti Kohli, executive director at Asian Law Caucus</strong>. &#8220;While the Trump administration manufactures yet another crisis, the Asian Law Caucus and our coalition partners are doing the real work of protecting our democracy by training and deploying poll monitors, running an election day hotline, and staying in direct communication with local election officials. Every eligible voter gets to have a say, and we will continue to defend the right to vote.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;For many voters&#8212;especially Asian Americans, naturalized citizens, disabled folks, and voters with limited English proficiency&#8212;mail ballot voting is the most practical, and often only way, to cast their vote and participate in our democracy,&#8221; said <strong>Ronak Patel, staff attorney with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF).</strong> The federal government&#8217;s attempt to control states&#8217; vote-by-mail programs fails its supposed objectives of protecting against violations of federal law and maintaining public confidence in elections. Instead, it has caused confusion among voters and jeopardized the franchise of millions of American citizens.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Trump&#8217;s Executive Order directs the Department of Homeland Security to create &#8216;Citizenship Lists&#8217;. This is dangerous because federal databases like SAVE are often incomplete, and SAVE data has resulted in thousands of failures to correctly identify citizens,&#8221; said <strong>Meredyth Yoon, litigation director at</strong> <strong>Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Atlanta.</strong> &#8220;The EO threatens to block many eligible voters who rely on voting by mail from casting their ballots, including voters with limited mobility or English proficiency. We are asking the Supreme Court to uphold the status quo by allowing the injunction to remain in effect. The real danger of blocking citizens from voting is far worse than the prospect of noncitizens voting, which evidence consistently shows is a non-issue.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;For many South Asian Americans, voting is made possible through mail ballots, language assistance, and accessible election systems,&#8221; said <strong>Kalpana Peddibhotla, executive director at South Asian American Justice Collaborative (SAAJCO).</strong> &#8220;Executive Order 14399 threatened to create confusion and unnecessary barriers that could discourage eligible voters from participating in our democracy. Every eligible voter deserves a fair opportunity to cast their ballot and have it counted, regardless of the language they speak or how they vote. We are proud to stand with our partners in defending the fundamental right to vote.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Inaccurate, federally-compiled &#8220;state citizenship lists&#8221; risk disenfranchising eligible voters</strong></p><p>Despite clear evidence that noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare, the Trump administration continues to dedicate immense resources to scrutinizing state elections officials. Executive Order instructs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to compile &#8220;&#8216;state citizenship lists&#8221; that would use the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/13/save-voter-citizenship-tool-mistakes-confusion/">unreliable</a> federal SAVE database, which the federal government concedes is both incomplete and inaccurate. The federal system has a <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/system-dhs-urging-states-assess-voter-rolls-return/story?id=134863557">history of errors</a> and leaves many groups vulnerable to losing their ability to vote due to federal bureaucratic errors&#8212;including naturalized citizens, members of communities that have historically experienced discrimination in voting, older individuals, voters with disabilities, voters who are low-income, without access to documentation of their citizenship status or who regularly move and change addresses.</p><p><strong>Mail-in ballot changes create confusion and obstacles for voters</strong></p><p>The Executive Order also orders the United States Postal Service (USPS) to withhold ballots to voters who do not appear on the lists compiled by DHS and SSA. Tasking three agencies with the power to decide who can vote and who receives a ballot is an extreme departure, as state elections officials maintain constitutional authority to run elections. Executive Order 14399 is the latest step in the administration&#8217;s effort to undermine voter confidence in the elections and create <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/07/11/conflicting-court-orders-over-citizenship-data-stir-more-midterm-confusion/">widespread confusion</a> and, ultimately, disenfranchise voters. Millions of Americans&#8212;voters of color, naturalized citizens, elderly voters, voters with limited English proficiency, and voters with disabilities&#8212;rely on voting by mail. For organizations that conduct voter outreach and education, the confusion caused by the Executive Order has added an additional burden as they address voter concerns and ensure that their communities can cast their ballots.</p><p>Signatories to the legal brief include AAPI Equity Alliance, Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander for Equity, Asian Americans Advancing Justice of Southern California, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of New Jersey, Asian Law Alliance, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, Asian Refugees United, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Equal Justice Society, Hands United, LEAD Filipino, Mekong NYC, Miami Valley Immigration Coalition, OneAmerica, Parent-Child Relationship Association, Public Counsel, SAATH, SAAVETX Education Fund, Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Stop AAPI Hate, and The Workers Circle.</p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Calls for AI Security Probe]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Power United urges Congress to investigate the OpenAI&#8211;Hugging Face security incident and strengthen federal oversight of AI security.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-calls-for-ai-probe</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-calls-for-ai-probe</guid><pubDate>Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:31:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1f7ae997-3e73-406e-8b0d-568e36dea8e5_4608x3456.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Friends, each week, </span><strong>on behalf of our membership</strong><span>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance </span><strong>freedom over fascism,</strong><span> </span><strong>progress, and power to the people</strong><span>. </span>People Power United joined this letter to <strong>urge Congress to investigate the OpenAI&#8211;Hugging Face security incident and strengthen federal AI oversight</strong>. Shout out to Public Citizen for leading these efforts.</p><p><span>July 31, 2026</span></p><p><span>Dear Members of Congress:</span></p><p><span>We write to urge Congress to recognize the recent OpenAI&#8211;Hugging Face security incident as a  historic inflection point in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and a clear warning that  the continued absence of meaningful federal oversight of frontier AI companies has left  Americans, and people around the world, in unnecessary danger as increasingly powerful AI  systems are being built and deployed by Big Tech without legally binding standards for safety,  security, transparency, or accountability. </span><strong><span>Accordingly, Congress should immediately open a  Congressional investigation into the incident and examine whether the development and  testing of frontier AI systems require stronger statutory safeguards and independent  oversight.</span></strong></p><p><span>For years, a wide range of experts - academics, civil society organizations, and AI labs - have  called for improved regulation of AI models, citing empirical evidence of improved capabilities  to enable bad actors and fundamental flaws in the models that perpetuate harmful outcomes for  citizens. Yet despite these repeated warnings, Congress has been slow to establish a  comprehensive federal framework to govern the development and deployment of frontier AI  systems. The recent OpenAI model attack on Hugging Face&#8217;s infrastructure&#8212;a leading open source AI platform used by millions of developers, researchers, companies, and governments to  build and deploy artificial intelligence systems&#8212;marks a watershed moment in AI governance  and underscores that the future experts have warned about has finally arrived.</span></p><p><span>According to the public accounts, an advanced OpenAI system, while undergoing internal  testing, escaped its intended containment environment by exploiting a previously unknown  software vulnerability. After obtaining broader access, it autonomously identified, planned, and  executed a multi-stage cyber intrusion into Hugging Face&#8217;s infrastructure to accomplish its  assigned objective which went unnoticed by OpenAI for a week. Subsequent public reporting  and analyses revealed the model remained active outside its intended testing environment for  approximately four days, carrying out thousands of autonomous actions across the open internet.  This incident also affected Modal Labs&#8217; customer account, suggesting the model&#8217;s cyber  operations extended beyond a single target. The incident represents an unprecedented  demonstration that frontier AI systems need to be better tested and secured so we can proactively  prevent them from carrying out sustained unanticipated operations that cross organizational  boundaries, risking critical infrastructure, personal information, and digital integrity.</span></p><p><span>This incident arose from decisions OpenAI made during the development and evaluation of its  frontier AI system. OpenAI determined the system&#8217;s capabilities, designed the testing environment, established the objectives it was expected to pursue, and controlled the safeguards  intended to limit its operation. The resulting security incident therefore underscores the risks that  can arise when private companies are permitted to conduct consequential real-world evaluationsof frontier systems without legally enforceable standards governing safety, security,  containment, independent oversight, or accountability. As AI developers continue to expand the  capabilities of these systems, Congress should ensure that the risks created by frontier AI  development are not borne primarily by the public, downstream organizations, or critical  infrastructure.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>The OpenAI&#8211;Hugging Face incident should not be viewed as an isolated anomaly. Last year,  reporting indicated that threat actors used Anthropic&#8217;s Claude models in connection with the  GTIG cyber campaign, further demonstrating that AI systems are already being leveraged in  real-world cyber operations across multiple platforms. These incidents preview the kinds of AI related security risks that frontier AI systems may pose if left without appropriate safeguards.  While these incidents were contained before more significant harm occurred, we may not be as  fortunate next time. Congress has a narrowing window to act before a more consequential AI related disaster forces action in the wake of irreversible harm. Rather than waiting for that  moment, lawmakers should seize this opportunity to establish thoughtful, risk-based guardrails  that protect the public while preserving the authority of states to respond to emerging AI risks  and adopt stronger protections as technology continues to evolve.</span></p><p><span>While the formation of the Open Secure AI Alliance reflects a growing recognition within  industry that AI security demands greater attention, it also underscores that companies  developing these systems acknowledge the risks are significant enough to warrant coordinated  action. But this voluntary initiative is not the same as responsible governance. Voluntary  alliances cannot compel participation, establish uniform safety standards, ensure independent  evaluation, or provide meaningful accountability when failures occur. Congress should view this  initiative not as further evidence that the era of relying exclusively on voluntary commitments  has reached its limit. The public deserves safeguards grounded in law, not promises grounded in  goodwill.</span></p><p><span>The events disclosed by OpenAI and Hugging Face demonstrate that existing voluntary  commitments are not, by themselves, sufficient to address frontier AI systems. The United  States&#8217; greatest strength is both its capacity to innovate and its willingness to govern innovation  responsibly. As the global leader in artificial intelligence, our responsibility extends beyond  winning the race for market share, investment, or technological supremacy. True leadership is  measured by whether we have the wisdom and courage to ensure that these extraordinary  technologies serve humanity safely and ethically.</span></p><p><span>Congress can ensure that America is remembered not only as the nation that built the most  powerful AI systems, but as the nation that had the foresight to govern them responsibly. We  respectfully urge Congress to seize this historic moment and establish the safeguards necessary</span></p><p><span>to ensure that American leadership in artificial intelligence is defined by accountability,  responsibility, and moral leadership worthy of generations to come.</span></p><p><span>Sincerely, <br></span></p><p><span>Public Citizen</span></p><p><span>Tech Oversight Project Americans for Responsible  Innovation</span></p><p><span>350 Conejo / San Fernando  Valley</span></p><p><span>The Alliance for Secure AI Animals Are Sentient Beings,  Inc.</span></p><p><span>Autistic Women &amp;</span></p><p><span>Nonbinary Network</span></p><p><span>Black Voters Matter Fund Cascadia Climate Action  Now</span></p><p><span>Center for Progressive  Reform</span></p><p><span>Clean Elections Texas</span></p><p><span>Climate Defenders</span></p><p><span>Common Cause</span></p><p><span>Consumer Action</span></p><p><span>Demand Progress Economic  Security Project Action Education Fund</span></p><p><span>Enabled Emissions Campaign EncodeAI</span></p><p><span>Future of Life Institute Friend of the Earth U.S. Green America</span></p><p><span>Humane Intelligence Public  Benefit Corporation</span></p><p><span>Indivisible</span></p><p><span>Long Beach Alliance for  Clean Energy</span></p><p><span>MARBE SA</span></p><p><span>Memphis Community  Against Pollution</span></p><p><span>Mid-Ohio Valley Climate  Action</span></p><p><span>Mpower Change</span></p><p><span>National Association of</span></p><p><span>Voice Actors (NAVA) National Coalition Against  Cryptomining</span></p><p><span>Novadaur</span></p><p><span>Oil and Gas Action Network Our Subscription to</span></p><p><span>Addiction</span></p><p><span>People Power United</span></p><p><span>Physicians for Social</span></p><p><span>Responsibility Pennsylvania  Progressives for Climate Public Knowledge</span></p><p><span>ReThink Citizens</span></p><p><span>Seneca Lake Guardian Stand.earth</span></p><p><span>The Value Alliance</span></p><p><span>Third Act SoCal</span></p><p><span>United for Respect <br></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span>____________________________________________________</span></p><p><span>Mark Linder, Professor, Syracuse University</span></p><p><span>Maroussia L&#233;vesque, Assistant Professor in Law &amp; AI, Queen&#8217;s University</span></p><p><span>Eli Pariser, author / activist </span><em><span>The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You </span></em><span>Allison Stanger, Distinguished Endowed Professor, Middlebury College and Santa Fe Institute Shenja van der Graaf, Associate Professor, Communication Science, University of Twente (NL) Moshe Vardi, University Professor and George Distinguished Service Professor in Computational  Engineering, Rice University</span></p><p><span>Salil Vadhan, Vicky Joseph Professor of Computer Science &amp; Applied Mathematics, Harvard University Shlomit Wagman, Former Director-General of the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing  Prohibition Authority, Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School;</span></p><p><span>Jim Waldo, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science and Technology Policy,  Harvard University</span></p><p><span>Baobao Zhang, Associate Professor, Political Science, Syracuse University</span></p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Amicus Brief in State of Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-amicus</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-amicus</guid><pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2026 03:55:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/39d34f96-72d0-4acf-bcca-cdcd409bf995_5506x3671.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>freedom over fascism,</strong> <strong>progress, and power to the people</strong>.  </p><p>Here is a copy of our sign-on to an <strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SUjNKcaY-jJLJM_TsO1-krvNeEzmzVY6eGMVxCJeUWw/edit?usp=sharing">Amicus Brief in State of Louisiana v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration advocating for nationwide accessibility of Mifepristone</a></strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SUjNKcaY-jJLJM_TsO1-krvNeEzmzVY6eGMVxCJeUWw/edit?usp=sharing">.</a></p><p>To learn more about this case visit: <a href="https://reproductiverights.org/resources/louisiana-v-fda-abortion-pill-access-under-fire/">Louisiana v. FDA: Abortion Pill Access Under Fire</a></p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Coalition featuring Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III announces March on Washington 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III lead March on Washington 2026, uniting a national coalition to defend voting rights and democracy.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/coalition-featuring-rev-al-sharpton</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/coalition-featuring-rev-al-sharpton</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Jul 2026 03:55:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/18364e6a-ec16-4eab-82db-8220377febaa_4896x3672.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, 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fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join movement efforts on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>freedom over fascism,</strong> <strong>progress, and power to the people</strong>.  I am pleased to announce People Power United has joined the coalition led by <strong>Reverend Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III </strong>to join the <strong><mark data-color="#ffff00" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">MARCH ON WASHINGTON </mark></strong>happening on Friday, August 28, 2026.</p><p>A coalition of national partners including the National Action Network Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III announced &#8220;March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote&#8221; on Friday, August 28, 2026.</p><p>The event will also commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.</p><p>Other March on Washington 2026 partners include the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the National Urban League (NUL), the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), UnidosUS, the Working Families Party, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), Lawyers&#8217; Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyer&#8217;s Committee), and Veterans Equity Project, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Common Cause, People Power United, United For Democracy, Vote.org, Family Equality, In the Public Square, Bet Mishpachah, Faith in Action Fund, Faith in Action National Network, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), and the Interfaith Alliance.</p><p>U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D- New York), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, will be joined by a delegation of members at the march.</p><p>Martin Luther King III said 63 years have passed since his father and iconic Civil Rights Leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and declared his dream for America, the fundamental right at the heart of that dream, the right to vote, is once again under &#8220;direct assault.&#8221;</p><p>He said the 2026 March on Washington comes at a moment of profound urgency, following the United States Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to gut Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, a ruling Sharpton has called &#8220;a bullet in the heart of the voting rights movement.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Defending the vote means defending the foundation of our democracy,&#8221; said Martin Luther King III. &#8220;Sixty-three years after my father stood at the Lincoln Memorial, we are called to march again, not only in remembrance, but in action.&#8221;</p><p>Social justice leader Arndrea Waters King, the wife of Martin Luther King III, said The March on Washington 2026 is a moral call to protect democracy for every generation.<br>&#8220;We march to defend the vote, honor those who sacrificed for it, and ensure that every voice is protected,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Under the banner <strong>&#8220;Defend the Vote,&#8221; </strong>this year&#8217;s march will bring together civil rights leaders, faith communities, organizers, and Americans from every corner of the country to demand the protection and restoration of voting rights for all citizens.</p><p>It is both a commemoration of the legacy of those who marched in 1963 and a call to action to protect the gains they fought, bled, and died to secure.</p><p>Registration for <a href="https://marchonwashington2026.com/">March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote</a> is now open. </p><p>Supporters from across the country are encouraged to register today at the National Action Network website. Additional details, including program information, speakers, and participating partners, will be announced in the weeks ahead.</p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Movement Efforts to Safeguard Elections, Close Major Campaign Finance Loophole as Foreign Ownership of American Corporations Skyrockets]]></title><description><![CDATA[Friends, each week, on behalf of our membership, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance freedom over fascism,]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement-e58</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement-e58</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2026 03:55:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/701454de-bc8d-43fd-b026-9fa12ea7c4a7_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Friends, each week, </span><strong>on behalf of our membership</strong><span>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance </span><strong>freedom over fascism,</strong><span> </span><strong>progress, and power to the people</strong><span>. Here is a copy of a press release mentioning our support for Congress to </span>Safeguard Elections, Close Major Campaign Finance Loophole as Foreign Ownership of American Corporations Skyrockets. Shout out to Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for leading this effort.</p><p>July 22, 2026</p><p><span>Washington, D.C.&#8212;Today, Representative Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced bicameral legislation that would crack down on the corrupt influence of foreign money in American elections. As foreign ownership in American companies soars, the Get Foreign Money Out of U.S. Elections Act seeks to close a major campaign finance loophole that has allowed U.S. companies appreciably owned by foreign entities to pour unlimited sums of money into our elections.</span></p><p><span>&#8220;The Roberts Court&#8217;s outrageous decision in Citizens United continues to spell disaster for American democracy, as it allows oligarchs and autocrats from around the world to wield their influence over our elections through corporate ownership and political interference,&#8221; </span><strong><span>said Rep. Raskin.</span></strong><span> &#8220;I&#8217;m introducing the Get Foreign Money Out of U.S. Elections Act with Senator Whitehouse to root out foreign corporate corruption of our politics and make sure our elections are going to be decided by the American people and not overseas oligarchs.&#8221;</span></p><p><span>&#8220;Thanks to the disastrous Citizens United decision, foreign actors can exploit the same corrupting dark money channels that allow unlimited corporate spending,&#8221;</span><strong><span> said Sen. Whitehouse. </span></strong><span>&#8220;We should get rid of the damned stuff entirely, but this bill would at least safeguard our democracy from foreign adversaries influencing American elections from the shadows.&#8221;</span></p><p><span>Foreign nationals are buying stock in American companies at record rates. From 1986 to 2020, foreign ownership of American stocks increased </span><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/iansimmons/2024/03/28/under-the-influence-how-companies-loyal-to-foreign-investors-undermine-our-elections-and-economy/"><span>tenfold from 4 percent to 40 percent</span></a><span>. As foreign ownership of American corporations grows ever larger, we must legislate to make certain that foreign money is not entering our politics and buying our politicians.</span></p><p><span>While current law bars individual foreign nationals from personally spending in U.S. elections, the Roberts Court&#8217;s 2010 Citizens United v. FEC decision enabled corporations to engage in unlimited political spending. This created a loophole that allows unlimited political spending by American-registered corporations&#8212;including major multinationals&#8212;that are foreign-owned, foreign-controlled or foreign-influenced. This bill rejects spending in American politics by foreign-owned, foreign-controlled and foreign-influenced corporations (using well-supported foreign ownership thresholds to&#8239;determine&#8239;when U.S. corporations should be prohibited from spending). It does not prevent individual permanent residents living in the United States from exercising their constitutional right to contribute to candidates.</span></p><p><span>Rep. Raskin and Sen. Whitehouse have long led the fight to protect the integrity of American elections. In May, Rep. Raskin </span><a href="https://raskin.house.gov/2026/5/raskin-garcia-and-morelle-unveil-landmark-legislation-to-curb-trump-administration-s-historic-abuses-of-power-profiteering-from-public-office"><span>introduced the </span></a><em><a href="https://raskin.house.gov/2026/5/raskin-garcia-and-morelle-unveil-landmark-legislation-to-curb-trump-administration-s-historic-abuses-of-power-profiteering-from-public-office"><span>Protecting Our Democracy Act (PODA).</span></a><span> </span></em><span>PODA would require presidential candidates to submit their tax returns to the Federal Election Commission and strengthen disclosure requirements for online political advertisements. In December, Rep. Raskin introduced the</span><em><span> Ranked Choice Voting Act</span></em><span> which would </span><a href="https://raskin.house.gov/2025/12/raskin-beyer-welch-introduce-bicameral-legislation-to-expand-ranked-choice-voting-to-all-congressional-elections"><span>allow voters to express their ranked support for multiple candidates in all congressional races,</span></a><span> making our elections fairer and more representative.</span></p><p><span>The </span><em><span>Get Foreign Money Out of U.S. Elections Act</span></em><span> is cosponsored by Reps. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jared Golden (ME-02), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Andriano Espaillat (NY-13), Greg Casar (TX-35), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Jason Crow (CO-06), Andre Carson (IN-07), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Mike Levin (CA-49), Chuy Garcia (IL-04), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Angie Craig (MN-02), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Danny Davis (IL-07), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Ed Case (HI-01), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Josh Riley (NY-19), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Pablo Hernandez (PR-AL), Al Green (TX-09), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Troy Carter (LA-02), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ritchie Torres (NY-15) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). In the Senate, the bill is cosponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).</span></p><p><span>This legislation is endorsed by Court Accountability; Center for American Progress (CAP); Citizens For Responsibility &amp; Ethics in Washington (CREW); End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund; Common Cause; Public Citizen; Free Speech For People; Alliance For Democracy; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); Blue Haven Initiative; Citizen Action of New York; Clean Elections Texas; Communication Workers of America; DAWN; Fix Democracy First; Greenpeace USA; Indivisible Santa Fe; MarchOnHarrisburg; Michiganders for Fair &amp; Transparent Elections; Money Out Voters In; National Voter Corps; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Our Revolution; People For the American Way; People Power United; Represent Us San Diego; Secure Elections Network; Transparency International U.S.; United Church of Christ and Voices For Progress.</span></p><p><span>Read what supporters of the bill are saying </span><a href="https://raskin.house.gov/_cache/files/8/c/8c694ed8-0e9f-47fd-86d2-dfcbee1ed98c/9B8914CB9D49A4E56100728A95B4E06FC83B1F9995E2B2486103C1CAA01E07B1.gfmoe-quotes.pdf"><span>here</span></a><span>.</span></p><p><span>Read the full bill text </span><a href="https://raskin.house.gov/_cache/files/c/7/c71cb65d-4f80-4b6d-8058-f6e31df8b676/EC23380D65ED0B21358F313742C9702BC864CDECF3C2302C6F9141A1D912272D.gfmoe-2026.pdf"><span>here</span></a><span>.</span></p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Movement Letter opposing the confirmation of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to serve as commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement-ed1</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement-ed1</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:42:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/83442ee4-e0f1-43e4-8b52-789d1607523f_5016x3344.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>freedom over fascism,</strong> <strong>progress, and power to the people</strong>.  Here is a copy of our sign-on to a letter opposing the confirmation of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to serve as commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Shout out to the National Consumer League for leading this effort.</p><p>July 21,2026</p><p><span>Dear Chair Cruz and Ranking Member Cantwell,</span></p><p><span>We write to urge you to protect the independence and nonpartisanship of the Consumer  Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the nation&#8217;s chief household product safety regulator.  Product safety hazards have no partisan leanings, and neither should the Commission tasked with  addressing them. Accordingly, we respectfully request that members of the Senate Committee  on Commerce, Science, and Transportation vote against reporting favorably the nominations of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to serve as CPSC commissioners.</span></p><p><span>In 1972, Congress established the CPSC as an independent federal agency led by five  bipartisan commissioners exclusively charged with overseeing the safety of household consumer  products. Since then, members of Congress from both parties have supported the role of an  independent, nonpartisan CPSC. By law, CPSC commissioners must be mission-driven and  subject matter experts with a &#8220;background and expertise in areas related to consumer products  and protection of the public from risks to safety.&#8221;</span><sup><span>1</span></sup><span> No more than three commissioners may be  affiliated with the same political party.</span><sup><span>2</span></sup><span> Further, the law prohibits commissioners from owning  stock or bonds of substantial value in a company that sells or manufactures consumer products, or from being in &#8220;any other manner pecuniarily interested in such a person.&#8221;</span><sup><span>3</span></sup></p><p><span>Historically, the agency&#8217;s independence has buffered the commissioners from political pressure from the White House and large donors. This has ensured that the agency has acted with  transparency and a diversity of views, which has benefited the American people. Further, the  presence of minority commissioners provided a layer of oversight and accountability on CPSC  actions.</span></p><p><span>With this independent and nonpartisan structure, the CPSC has had a lifesaving effect.  CPSC standards and enforcement activities have helped spur a 43 percent decline in residential  fires, a 47 percent decrease in fire deaths, and a 41 percent reduction in fire injuries from 1980 to  2018.</span><sup><span>4</span></sup><span> Child poisonings have decreased by 80 percent between 1972 and 2020.</span><sup><span>5 </span></sup><span>Bicycle  injuries dropped by 35 percent between 1973 and 2020.</span><sup><span>6 </span></sup><span>Deaths from refrigerator door entrapments and garage door incidents have been virtually eliminated.</span><sup><span>7</span></sup><span> Crib deaths have  plummeted by 80 percent from 1973 to 2018.</span><sup><span>8</span></sup><span> Pool and pool equipment injury rates have  decreased by 55 percent from 1975 to 2019.</span><sup><span>9</span></sup></p><p><span>In May 2025, the Trump administration removed the three Democratic, Senate-confirmed  CPSC commissioners. The removals were not for cause. The emails received by  Commissioners Richard Trumka Jr. and Mary T. Boyle merely state that &#8220;[o]n behalf of President  Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position on the Consumer Product Safety  Commission is terminated effective immediately.&#8221; No neglect of duty was cited. No  malfeasance was alleged.</span></p><p><span>President Trump has since nominated two individuals of his own political party,  threatening to further undermine the independence and nonpartisanship of the CPSC. Diverse  perspectives and transparency improve safety. Silencing the voices of subject matter experts  with whom the President politically disagrees or who may not serve his financial interests can  have a chilling effect on the CPSC&#8217;s functions. The President&#8217;s assertion of control over CPSC  commissioners has eliminated the transparency provided by minority commissioners and the  independence of those who remain.</span></p><p><span>This is particularly troublesome given the conflict of interest created by the President&#8217;s  financial stake and those of his family and supporters in consumer products the CPSC is  entrusted to regulate. President Trump financially benefits from the distribution of a vast array  of consumer products, including Trump Watches, Trump Sneakers, and &#8220;45&#8221; Guitars.</span><sup><span>10</span></sup><span> The  President also has substantial financial interests in major manufacturers, retailers, and online  marketplaces, including Whirlpool Corp., Newell Rubbermaid, Macy&#8217;s Retail Holdings, and  Amazon.com Inc.</span><sup><span>11</span></sup><span> The Trump Organization, helmed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump,  sells a wide variety of consumer products, including toys and children&#8217;s products; apparel,  footwear, and accessories; sporting goods; pet products; and household goods such as drinkware,  kitchenware, linens, candles, and home d&#233;cor.</span><sup><span>12</span></sup><span> First Lady Melania Trump, through  MelaniaTrump.com, is associated with the sales of jewelry and Christmas ornaments.</span><sup><span>13</span></sup><span> Lara  Trump and Kai Trump sell apparel through their respective online stores.</span><sup><span>14</span></sup><span> Secretary of  Education Linda McMahon maintains a significant financial stake in TKO Group Holdings,  which has lucrative licensing deals for World Wrestling Entertainment toys, apparel, and  accessories.</span><sup><span>15</span></sup><span> Mike Lindell, a prominent supporter of the President, is the founder of MyPillow, </span>which sells bedding and apparel.<sup>16</sup> Former special Government employee Elon Musk profits  from sales of Tesla&#8217;s Powerwall systems and the Tesla Cyberquad for children.<sup>17</sup> Political ally  and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White profits from UFC&#8217;s sale of  apparel, combat-sport equipment, and collectibles.<sup>18</sup></p><p><span>These extensive financial and familial interests heighten concerns that the President could  use his authority to influence CPSC enforcement decisions in ways that protect his and his  associates&#8217; interests, as the administration has done in matters before other federal agencies. In  response to a lawsuit filed by President Trump against the Internal Revenue Service, the  Department of Justice (DOJ) entered into a settlement agreement in May that created a $1.8  billion fund to compensate alleged victims of &#8220;government weaponization&#8221; and provided the  President, his family, and their businesses with sweeping and unprecedented immunity from tax  investigations.</span><sup><span>19 </span></sup><span>The agreement was later voided by a federal judge.</span><sup><span>20 </span></sup><span>In 2025, the Federal  Bureau of Investigation (FBI) closed an investigation into border czar Tom Homan, who  allegedly accepted a $50,000 bag of cash from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for  promised immigration-related government contracts.</span><sup><span>21</span></sup><span> In February 2025, the DOJ ordered  federal prosecutors to dismiss the corruption prosecution of New York City Mayor Eric Adams,  claiming the prosecution interfered with Adams&#8217;s ability to assist the administration&#8217;s  immigration-enforcement efforts.</span><sup><span>22</span></sup><span> In 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission paused a  fraud and market manipulation lawsuit against Justin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency billionaire  who has invested heavily in President Trump&#8217;s cryptocurrency projects.</span><sup><span>23</span></sup></p><p><span>We are concerned that without balanced representation at the CPSC, this small agency  with a big mission will be unable to independently carry out its congressionally mandated duties and provide the public with the transparency it deserves. Congress deliberately established an  independent, nonpartisan agency with exclusive authority over the safety of consumer products.  Such independence ensures that product safety comes before partisanship and that household  hazards are treated like the safety imperative they so clearly are. Defective and violative  consumer products put Americans, especially vulnerable populations such as infants, children  and the elderly, at risk of death and injury. Once identified, those products must be recalled and removed from consumers&#8217; homes quickly, regardless of who manufactures or sells such  products. The CPSC is no place for political favoritism. We therefore urge you to oppose  reporting favorably the nominations of Brien Lorenze and Karen Sessions to serve as CPSC  commissioners.</span></p><p><span>Thank you for your attention to this important matter. If you would like any additional  information about our request, please contact Daniel Greene of the National Consumers League  at danielg@nclnet.org.</span></p><p><span>Sincerely,</span></p><p><span>National Consumers League Consumer Federation of America <br></span></p><p><span>Access Ready Inc.</span></p><p><span>Affordable Homeownership Foundation  Inc.</span></p><p><span>Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota</span></p><p><span>Center for Auto Safety</span></p><p><span>Center for Pet Safety</span></p><p><span>Community Economic Empowerment  Network</span></p><p><span>Consumers for Auto Reliability and  Safety</span></p><p><span>Cribs for Kids</span></p><p><span>Derrick Stone Safe Sleep</span></p><p><span>Detroit Greenways Coalition</span></p><p><span>Earth Action, Inc.</span></p><p><span>Economic Action Maryland Fund</span></p><p><span>Housing and Economic Rights  Advocates</span></p><p><span>Just Strategy</span></p><p><span>Keeping Babies Safe</span></p><p><span>Kids and Car Safety</span></p><p><span>Missourians for Responsible  Transportation</span></p><p><span>National Association of Consumer  Advocates</span></p><p><span>National Bicycle Dealers Association  People Power United</span></p><p><span>Safety Research &amp; Strategies StopDistractions.org</span></p><p><span>The Collaborative</span></p><p><span>The Wisconsin Bike Fed</span></p><p><span>Together We Thrive, Inc.</span></p><p><span>Trailnet</span></p><p><span>Truck Safety Coalition</span></p><p><span>Dr. Charles Jennissen, Product Safety  Advocate</span></p><p><strong><span>References</span></strong></p><p><sup>1 </sup>15 U.S. Code &#167; 2053(a).</p><p><sup>2</sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>3 </sup>15 U.S. Code &#167; 2053(c).</p><p><sup>4 </sup>Consumer Product Safety Commission. &#8220;CPSC Celebrates 50 Years of Making Consumer Safety Our  Mission.&#8221; 15 March 2022, www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2022/CPSC-Celebrates-50-Years-of-Making Consumer-Safety-our-Mission.</p><p><sup>5</sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>6</sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>7</sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>8</sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>9</sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>10 </sup>President Donald J. Trump, &#8220;OGE Form 278e.&#8221; 29 June 2026. https://www.citizensforethics.org/wp - content/uploads/2026/06/Donald-J-Trump-2026-278ANNUAL.pdf.</p><p><sup>11 </sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>12 </sup>The Trump Organization. &#8220;Leadership.&#8221; https://www.trump.com/leadership. Accessed 13 July 2026.; Trump  Store, &#8220;Trump Store.&#8221; https://www.trumpstore.com/. Accessed 13 July 2026.</p><p><sup>13 </sup>Melania Trump &#8221;Melania Trump.&#8221; https://www.melaniatrump.com/. Accessed 13 July 2026.  <sup>14 </sup>Lara Trump, &#8220;Shop Lara Trump.&#8221; https://shop.laratrump.com/. Accessed 13 July 2026.; Kai Trump &#8220;Kai  Trump Store.&#8221; https://kaitrump.shop/. Accessed 13 July 2026.</p><p><sup>15 </sup>The Honorable Linda McMahon, &#8220;OGE Form 278e.&#8221; https://projects.propublica.org/trump -team-financial disclosures/appointees/mcmahon-linda/. Accessed 13 July 2026.</p><p><sup>16 </sup>My Pillow. &#8220;My Pillow.&#8221;</p><p>https://www.mypillow.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqSyEdymIdsohaIWyDtNNrLQisTrSBxI0QMfh6GElZbs_7biByx.  Accessed 13 July 2026.</p><p><sup>17 </sup>Tesla. &#8220;Powerwall.&#8221; https://www.tesla.com/powerwall. Accessed 13 July 2026.; Tesla, &#8220;Cyberquad for Kids.&#8221;  https://shop.tesla.com/product/cyberquad-for-kids. Accessed 13 July 2026.</p><p><sup>18 </sup>UFC Store. &#8220;UFC Store.&#8221; https://www.ufcstore.com/en/?_s=bm-UFCStore-UFC.com-Shop UFC_Navigation-2025. Accessed 13 July 2026.</p><p><sup>19 </sup>The New York Times. &#8220;Trump Administration Live Updates: Judge Says President&#8217;s Lawsuit With I.R.S.  Was Self-Dealing.&#8221; 13 July 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/13/us/trump -news. <sup>20 </sup><em>Id</em>.</p><p><sup>21 </sup>Reuters. &#8220;Trump Aide Homan Accepted $50,000 in Bribery Sting Operation, Sources Say.&#8221; 22 September  2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-aide-homan-accepted-50000-bribery-sting-operation-sources-say 2025-09-21.</p><p><sup>22 </sup>Reuters, &#8220;Judge Dismisses New York Mayor&#8217;s Corruption Case, Slams Trump Administration &#8220;Bargain&#8221;.&#8221; 2  April 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-corruption-case-dismissed-cannot-be-brought again-2025-04-02.</p><p><sup>23 </sup>The Washington Post. &#8220;Who is Justin Sun, the Chinese billionaire at Trump&#8217;s crypto dinner?&#8221; 23 May 2025.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/05/23/trump-crypto-dinner-justin-sun.</p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Advocating for Impeachment of Secretary Markwayne Mullin]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/letter-congress-impeach-markwayne-mullin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/letter-congress-impeach-markwayne-mullin</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 21 Jul 2026 03:55:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ce760535-51bc-40f1-a73a-af027f41bc79_5976x3984.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>freedom over fascism,</strong> <strong>progress, and power to the people</strong>.  Here is a copy of our sign-on to a letter to Congress advocating for the impeachment of  Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Shout out to Voto Latino for leading this effort.</p><p>July 16, 2026</p><blockquote><p><span>Dear Speaker Johnson, Leader Jeffries, Chairman Jordan, Ranking Member Raskin, Chairman Garbarino, and Ranking Member Thompson:</span></p><p><span>On behalf of Voto Latino and the undersigned interfaith, human rights, business, immigration, veteran and civil rights leaders, we write to demand the immediate introduction of articles of impeachment and a full congressional investigation into Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin&#8217;s handling of deaths in detention, shootings by ICE and CBP agents and other violence perpetuated by DHS. Secretary Mullin has demonstrated a profound and systemic failure to exercise sound judgment and oversight of agency actions as required by his office. His actions and oversight constitute a gross dereliction of duty that directly threatens the public interest.</span></p><p><span>We are extremely concerned about the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, Texas and the shootings by DHS agents under his tenure. Sec. Mullin has failed to provide meaningful oversight over the rogue and unchecked pattern of excessive force weaponized against entire communities across the country, the tragic and preventable deaths of individuals under ICE custody and the deplorable, sub-human conditions under which at least 60,000 immigrants and U.S. citizens are currently subjected to within detention centers nationwide.</span></p><p><span>Under his stewardship, DHS has fundamentally eroded public trust in federal law enforcement, violating its core statutory mandate to protect the homeland while preserving civil rights. Under Secretary Mullin, the department has continued to engage in unchecked enforcement operating completely outside the bounds of human dignity, statutory oversight, and due process. Rather than upholding constitutional protections, his leadership has actively incentivized a reckless and violent approach that subverts the rule of law. This systemic mismanagement not only compromises the physical safety of our communities but constitutes a direct betrayal of the core democratic values upon which this nation was founded.</span></p><p><strong><span>Documented Rights Violations Under Secretary Mullin&#8217;s Leadership:</span></strong></p><p><span>1. </span><strong><span>The Fatal ICE Shootings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Johan Sebasti&#225;n Dur&#225;n Guerrero in Maine:</span></strong></p><p><span>In less than a week, two separate killings of Latino men at the hands of ICE have been reported, laying bare a devastating escalation of lethal force. On July 7, 2026, a federal immigration agent operating under Secretary Mullin&#8217;s administration shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a beloved husband, father, and small construction business owner who had lived productively in the United States for 35 years and was in the process of regularizing his immigration status.</span><sup><span>1 </span></sup><span>ICE agents operating in unmarked SUVs pulled over his work van at sunrise. Rather than a routine civil enforcement action, agents deployed lethal force, shooting Mr. Salgado Araujo in the abdomen in broad daylight and handcuffing him as he groaned on the pavement.</span></p><p><span>Just days later, on July 13, 2026, Johan Sebasti&#225;n Dur&#225;n Guerrero, a 26-year-old from Colombia who was fully authorized to work in the United States was shot and killed by ICE agents at an intersection in Biddeford, Maine. This horrific string of tragedies is not isolated; it is part of a systemic pattern of unmitigated violence under Secretary Mullin&#8217;s administration.</span><sup><span>2 </span></sup><span>Our families are bearing the devastating brunt of a hyper-funded federal agency operating with zero restraints, sweeping power, and no oversight. We firmly join Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, alongside state and federal leaders, in demanding an immediate, fully independent, and transparent investigation into these killings. We demand a real, unbiased third-party inquiry, the public release of all relevant video footage&#8212;including body-worn camera recordings&#8212;and a comprehensive, unedited accounting of exactly what happened.</span><sup><span>3</span></sup></p><p><span>2. </span><strong><span>Obstruction of Congress and Restricting Congressional Oversight of ICE Facilities:</span></strong></p><p><span>Under Secretary Mullin, DHS has systematically impeded the constitutional right and duty of members of Congress to conduct oversight of federal detention facilities. This was starkly demonstrated at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey.</span><sup><span>4 </span></sup><span>When lawmakers, families, and advocates attempted to investigate systemic abuses&#8212;including hunger strikes over rotten food, overcrowding, and the tragic custody death of Jean Wilson-Brutus&#8212;Secretary Mullin&#8217;s administration responded with extreme obstruction and escalatory tactics.</span><sup><span>5 6 7 </span></sup><span>Rather than allowing transparent oversight into a facility unfit to house detainees, DHS implemented restrictive visitation policies designed to shield private prison operators like the GEO Group from public and congressional scrutiny.</span><sup><span>8 </span></sup><span>Furthermore, when peaceful protests erupted outside the facility, ICE agents deployed unprovoked, escalatory force&#8212;including the use of tear gas, pepper spray, and batons against both detainees inside and advocates exercising their First Amendment rights outside.</span><sup><span>9</span></sup></p><p><span>3. </span><strong><span>Flagrant Defiance of Court Orders and the Federal Judiciary:</span></strong></p><p><span>During his first appearance on Capitol Hill as Secretary on June 2, 2026, Secretary Mullin repeatedly refused four separate times to commit to following future federal court orders when judges ruled that DHS is acting illegally. When pressed by Senator Chris Murphy on whether he would implement judicial rulings, Secretary Mullin callously claimed he could not answer because he views the judiciary as &#8220;politicized,&#8221; stating that judges &#8220;use their bench for their political opinion, not just the rule of law.&#8221; As Senator Murphy noted during the panel, DHS has violated nearly 100 court orders this year alone, a flagrant noncompliance that directly fueled the catastrophic, longest government funding lapse in U.S. history earlier this year.</span><sup><span>10</span></sup></p><p><span>4. </span><strong><span>Mass Family Separation and Human Toll on U.S. Citizen Children:</span></strong></p><p><span>Under Secretary Mullin&#8217;s expanded enforcement directives, the human toll on children and families has reached catastrophic proportions. According to a May 2026 analysis, more than 205,000 children have had a parent detained by federal authorities since the current administration took office. While this systemic crisis began before his tenure, Secretary Mullin took command of the agency on March 24, 2026, and actively accelerated these operations. Just two months into his administration, the pace of family trauma has intensified, with the overall figures now including an estimated 145,000 U.S. citizen children and north of 50,000 children under the age of six. More than 22,000 children have had both parents detained, leaving them entirely abandoned. This deliberate orchestration of mass family separation, carried out through the aggressive raids and detention operations expanded by Secretary Mullin, constitutes an unconscionable attack on innocent children and a flagrant violation of child welfare and basic human dignity.</span><sup><span>11</span></sup></p><p><strong><span>5. Surge in Custody Fatalities:</span></strong></p><p><span>At least 21 people have tragically died in ICE custody over the course of 2026. Alarmingly, eight of these preventable deaths have occurred since Secretary Mullin took office in March 2026, highlighting a severe and immediate health and safety crisis under his brief tenure.</span><sup><span>12</span></sup></p><p><strong><span>6. Aggressive Expansion of Family Detention Infrastructure:</span></strong></p><p><span>Since March 24, 2026, Secretary Mullin has aggressively pushed forward six detention center expansions across Texas, Arizona, California, and Louisiana. This includes the highly alarming construction of a 528-bed facility specifically engineered to hold families and young children directly adjacent to a deportation flight hub.</span><sup><span>13</span></sup></p><p><span>The survival of our system of checks and balances depends on your willingness to act. We demand that you hold Secretary Mullin accountable for his systemic violations of constitutional protections and his direct assault on Congressional authority. Congress must act now to remove him from office before more lives are lost.</span></p><p><span>Thank you for treating this plea with the urgency it warrants. We are available to provide further documentation or testify as needed.</span></p><p><span>Respectfully,</span></p><p><span>Voto Latino</span></p><p><span>Alianza Americas</span></p><p><span>Alianza for Progress</span></p><p><span>America&#8217;s Voice</span></p><p><span>American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)</span></p><p><span>Aqu&#237;: The Accountability Movement</span></p><p><span>Bend the Arc</span></p><p><span>Border Network for Human Rights</span></p><p><span>Center for Gender &amp; Refugee Studies</span></p><p><span>Center for Law and Social Policy</span></p><p><span>Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)</span></p><p><span>Communities United for Status &amp; Protection (CUSP)</span></p><p><span>Democracy Power Project</span></p><p><span>East Bay Sanctuary Covenant</span></p><p><span>El Centro de la Raza, Washington State</span></p><p><span>Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM)</span></p><p><span>Food Justice DmV</span></p><p><span>Freedom for Immigrants</span></p><p><span>GALEO Impact Fund, Inc. (Norcross, GA)</span></p><p><span>Grassroots Leadership</span></p><p><span>Hispanic Federation</span></p><p><span>Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef)</span></p><p><span>Immigrants Rising</span></p><p><span>Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti</span></p><p><span>Jolt Action</span></p><p><span>Latino Victory Project</span></p><p><span>Maine Immigrants&#8217; Rights Coalition</span></p><p><span>Make the Road New Jersey</span></p><p><span>Make the Road Pennsylvania</span></p><p><span>Make the Road States</span></p><p><span>MANA, A National Latina Organization</span></p><p><span>Mi Familia Vota</span></p><p><span>Miami Valley Immigration Coalition</span></p><p><span>MPower Change Action Fund</span></p><p><span>National Action Network</span></p><p><span>National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)</span></p><p><span>National Korean American Service and Education Consortium</span></p><p><span>New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice</span></p><p><span>People Power United</span></p><p><span>Poder Latinx</span></p><p><span>Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN)</span></p><p><span>Tennessee Immigrant &amp; Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC)</span></p><p><span>The Gathering for Justice</span></p><p><span>The Workers Circle</span></p><p><span>UnidosUS Action Fund</span></p><p><span>Unitarian Universalist Association</span></p><p><span>Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)</span></p><p><span>Venezuelan American Caucus</span></p><p><span>Voters of Tomorrow</span></p><p><span>Win Without War</span></p><p><span>Workers Defense Action Fund</span></p><p><em><span>For more information on this letter, please reach reach out to Press@votolatino.org </span></em><span>_____________________</span></p><p><span>1. PBS NewsHour. (2026, July 8). </span><em><span>A Mexican father was shot and killed by an ICE of icer. His son is demanding an independent probe.</span></em></p><p><span>https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-mexican-father-was-shot-and-killed-by-an-ice-officer-his-son-is-demanding-an -independent-probe</span></p><p><span>2. NBC News. (2026, July 13). </span><em><span>ICE investigation underway after fatal shooting in Biddeford, Maine</span></em><span>. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/biddeford-maine-ice-investigation-fatal-shooting-rcna587279 3. Garcia, S. [@RepSylviaGarcia]. (2026, July 8). </span><em><span>Statement demanding an independent investigation into the fatal ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston </span></em><span>[Tweet]. X.</span></p><div class="twitter-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://x.com/RepSylviaGarcia/status/2075228817954673027&quot;,&quot;full_text&quot;:&quot;ICE shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in our community.\n\nHis family deserves answers.\n\nThat is why I sent a letter to DHS and ICE demanding a real independent investigation, all video footage, and a full accounting of what happened.\n\nICE cannot investigate itself. &quot;,&quot;username&quot;:&quot;RepSylviaGarcia&quot;,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Rep. Sylvia Garcia&quot;,&quot;profile_image_url&quot;:&quot;https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2004789711202668545/tLa2LGoQ_normal.jpg&quot;,&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-07-09T14:41:20.000Z&quot;,&quot;photos&quot;:[{&quot;img_url&quot;:&quot;https://pbs.substack.com/media/HMyxVfHXwAA4ofX.jpg&quot;,&quot;link_url&quot;:&quot;https://t.co/GPKheFQas1&quot;},{&quot;img_url&quot;:&quot;https://pbs.substack.com/media/HMyxblKW8AAQaIj.jpg&quot;,&quot;link_url&quot;:&quot;https://t.co/GPKheFQas1&quot;},{&quot;img_url&quot;:&quot;https://pbs.substack.com/media/HMyxiImXUAA0wPB.jpg&quot;,&quot;link_url&quot;:&quot;https://t.co/GPKheFQas1&quot;}],&quot;quoted_tweet&quot;:{},&quot;reply_count&quot;:236,&quot;retweet_count&quot;:438,&quot;like_count&quot;:1954,&quot;impression_count&quot;:26693,&quot;expanded_url&quot;:null,&quot;video_url&quot;:null,&quot;video_preview_media_key&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false}" data-component-name="Twitter2ToDOM"></div><p><span>4. Kim, A., Booker, C. A., Watson Coleman, B., Pou, N., Pallone, F., Jr., Norcross, D., Menendez, J. R., Mejia, A., McIver, L., &amp; Conaway, H. C., Jr. (2026, May 29). </span><em><span>Delaney Hall oversight letter </span></em><span>[Congressional oversight letter]. Office of Senator Andy Kim.</span></p><p><span>https://www.kim.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Quill-Letter-L37114-Delaney-Hall-Oversight-Letter-FINAL-V ersion-4-05-29-2026-@-02-26-PM.pdf</span></p><p><span>5. Villalba, L. (n.d.). </span><em><span>El grito de nosotros / Our cry: A letter from inside Delaney Hall</span></em><span>. Movimiento Cosecha. https://www.lahuelga.com/elgrito</span></p><p><span>6. Silva, D. (2026, May). </span><em><span>Expired food, neglected medical care and hunger strike allegations fuel protests at N.J. ICE facility</span></em><span>. NBC News.</span></p><p><span>https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/expired-food-neglected-medical-care-hunger-strike-allegations-fuel-pro-rcna3 46874</span><em><span>.</span></em></p><p><span>7. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (n.d.). </span><em><span>Detainee death report: BRUTUS, Jean Wilson</span></em><span>. https://www.ice.gov/doclib/foia/reports/ddrJeanWilsonBrutus.pdf</span></p><p><span>8. American Immigration Lawyers Association. (2026, May 11). </span><em><span>ICE issues memo restricting congressional visits to detention facilities </span></em><span>(AILA Doc. No. 26051200).</span></p><p><span>https://www.aila.org/library/ice-issues-memo-restricting-congressional-visits-to-detention-facilities 9. de Guzman, C. (2026, June 1). </span><em><span>What to know about the hunger strike and protests at a New Jersey ICE facility</span></em><span>. </span><em><span>TIME</span></em><span>. https://time.com/article/2026/05/26/delaney-hall-ice-protests-new-jersey-dhs-geo-group-hunger-strike/ 10. POLITICO. (2026, June 2). </span><em><span>Live updates: Justin Murphy wins New Jersey Republican primary for U.S. Senate</span></em><span>. Retrieved July 9, 2026, from</span></p><p><span>https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/06/02/congress/justin-murphy-senate-new-jersey-00947916 11. Cancian, M., Cantu, N., Howard, L., &amp; Watson, T. (2026, May 18). </span><em><span>The administration has detained 400,000 immigrants: What do we know about their children? </span></em><span>Brookings.</span></p><p><span>https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-administration-has-detained-400000-immigrants-what-do-we-know-about-thei r-children/</span></p><p><span>12. National Immigration Project. (2026, June 29). </span><em><span>Mourning those who have died in ICE custody</span></em><span>. https://nipnlg.org/news/mourning-those-who-have-died-ice-custody</span></p><p><span>13. Brook, J. (2026, July 6). </span><em><span>A new ICE facility could speed up deportations for families and kids</span></em><span>. PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/a-new-ice-facility-could-speed-up-deportations-for-families-and-kids</span></p></blockquote><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress to Reject a Harmful Reconciliation 3.0 Package]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement-96a</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement-96a</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 03:43:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/fb642a4d-ec9b-4cc5-a4f6-42950f406c8f_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>freedom over fascism,</strong> <strong>progress, and power to the people</strong>.  Here is a copy of our sign-on to a letter to Congress to Reject a Harmful Reconciliation 3.0 Package. Shout out to the Coalition on Human Needs for Leading this effort.</p><p>July 2026</p><p>Dear Representative/Senator:</p><p>The 215 undersigned organizations, who represent a broad set of stakeholders who care about human needs, urge you to <strong>prioritize protecting people struggling to make ends meet by rejecting further cuts to basic needs programs via a &#8220;Reconciliation 3.0&#8221; package or other legislative vehicle</strong>.</p><p>We represent human service providers, faith groups, national, state, and local policy experts, and civil rights, labor, and other organizations concerned with meeting the needs of people with low incomes. We are deeply concerned about families struggling with rising costs of health care, food, housing, and other human needs, and many in our networks are dealing with the aftermath of H.R. 1&#8217;s historic cuts to basic needs programs including SNAP, Medicaid and the ACA, higher education, the Child Tax Credit, and other human needs programs. We&#8217;re already seeing the impacts, for example:</p><ul><li><p>From enactment of H.R. 1 last year through March 2026, <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/snap-tracker-people-are-losing-food-assistance-as-the-republican-megabill">more than 4 million people</a> lost access to SNAP&#8217;s food assistance including <a href="https://firstfocus.org/news/more-than-700000-children-have-already-lost-food-assistance/">more than 700,000 children</a>;</p></li><li><p><a href="https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/05/28/two-million-fewer-children-are-enrolled-in-medicaid-since-trump-took-office/"><span>2 million children have lost Medicaid/CHIP coverage</span></a> with <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/27/medicaid-children-enrollment-falling">experts flagging that many more are losing coverage in 2026</a>;</p></li><li><p>CMS&#8217;s new Medicaid work reporting rule is creating <a href="https://familiesusa.org/press-releases/millions-at-risk-of-losing-health-coverage-as-cms-releases-medicaid-work-reporting-requirement-rule-that-creates-confusion-and-chaos-for-states/?emci=d37423ec-c25d-f111-8fcb-000d3a18905c&amp;emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&amp;ceid=">confusion and chaos for states</a> and will <a href="https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/fy26-work-requirements-coalition-statement">harm patients</a>;</p></li><li><p><a href="https://hpmmatters.publichealth.gwu.edu/HCBS-impacts-tracker-project">More than 15 states</a> proposing or already taking away care from people with disabilities and older adults through cuts to Medicaid home and community based services;</p></li><li><p>Approximately <a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/what-we-know-so-far-about-2026-aca-marketplace-enrollment-premiums-and-deductibles/">5 million fewer Americans have coverage via ACA marketplaces</a> while <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/health/higher-marketplace-premiums-take-a-toll-on-enrollment-and-on-marketplace-enrollees">millions more grapple with higher premium costs</a>;</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.clasp.org/blog/child-tax-credit-falls-short-for-families/">2.6 million American citizen children</a> with parents who don&#8217;t have Social Security numbers lost access to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) while <a href="https://povertycenter.columbia.edu/publication/2025/children-left-behind-by-child-tax-credit-reconciliation">one in four children (19 million) are left out of the full value of the CTC</a>; and</p></li><li><p>Lawfully present immigrants, including <a href="https://justiceinaging.org/understanding-the-impact-of-h-r-1-on-older-immigrants-access-to-health-care/">seniors who have long participated in Medicare</a>, are already losing access to health and food assistance.</p></li></ul><p>At a time when many are dealing with rising costs and policy changes that make it harder to put food on the table and access health coverage, we are alarmed about reports that House leaders are looking to fast track additional cuts to basic needs programs via another reconciliation package, further increasing hardship for families across the country and disrupting the lives of low-income working families, service providers, and localities. Nationwide, community-based organizations have struggled to address increased needs in their communities, exacerbated by rising costs, while facing uncertainties about funding for programs (we note that <a href="https://www.chn.org/voices/letter-from-over-500-organizations-in-support-of-increased-allocation-fy27-labor-hhs-edu-bill/">over 500 organizations urged Congress</a> to &#8220;insist that the Administration follow authorizing and appropriations law across all federal agencies&#8221;).</p><p><a href="https://www.chn.org/voices/what-the-public-really-thinks-about-basic-needs-programs/">Polling shows the widespread support</a> for protecting basic needs programs, and advocates including <a href="https://campaignforchildren.org/resource/sign-on-letter-to-congress-prioritize-children-in-upcoming-budget-decisions/">children&#8217;s groups</a> and <a href="https://c-c-d.org/fichiers/Disability-Aging-Mar26-Letter-to-Congressional-Leadership-on-critical-role-of-HCBS.pdf">disability advocates</a> have sounded the alarm about the impact of budget decisions on local communities. <strong>Families are facing a basic needs crisis and further cuts to basic needs programs will only exacerbate the hardship that families, providers, and local policymakers are grappling with every day </strong>by making it harder for families to buy food, access care and health services, pay rent, and more. We believe Congress must protect health care, care services that enable older adults and people with disabilities to remain in their homes, child care, the Earned Income Tax Credit, food assistance, housing, and other basic needs programs, not exacerbate families&#8217; everyday crises. The undersigned organizations urge you to <strong>reject any Reconciliation 3.0 package that threatens human needs</strong> <strong>and instead work with Leadership along with colleagues to protect and strengthen basic needs programs.</strong></p><p>Sincerely yours,</p><p>The list below reflects signing organizations as of 1 PM ET, July 13, 2026.</p><p><strong>National organizations:</strong><br>AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education)</p><p>The Advocacy Institute</p><p>AIDS United</p><p>All4Ed</p><p>Alliance to End Hunger</p><p>Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools</p><p>American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees</p><p>American Friends Service Committee</p><p>American Network of Community Options and Resources</p><p>American Society of Nephrology</p><p>Americans for Tax Fairness</p><p>The Arc of the United States</p><p>Autistic Self Advocacy Network</p><p>Autistic Women &amp; Nonbinary Network</p><p>Big Cities Health Coalition</p><p>CAP Tulsa</p><p>Caring Across Generations</p><p>Child Welfare League of America</p><p>Children&#8217;s HealthWatch</p><p>Church World Service</p><p>Climate Justice Alliance</p><p>Clinical Social Work Association</p><p>Coalition on Human Needs</p><p>Common Threads</p><p>Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Region</p><p>Cure KCNH1 Foundation</p><p>Disability Rights Education &amp; Defense Fund</p><p>Economic Security Project Action</p><p>EdTrust</p><p>Faith in Action Network</p><p>Faithful America</p><p>Family Values @ Work</p><p>First Focus Campaign for Children</p><p>Food Research &amp; Action Center (FRAC)</p><p>Friends Committee on National Legislation</p><p>HealthBegins</p><p>HIV Medicine Association</p><p>Human Appeal</p><p>Hunger Free America</p><p>Institute for Educational Leadership</p><p>Institute for Policy Studies&#8217; Poverty Project</p><p>JustLeadershipUSA</p><p>Main Street Alliance</p><p>MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger</p><p>Meals on Wheels America</p><p>Muslim Advocates</p><p>National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd</p><p>National Alliance to End Sexual Violence</p><p>National Association for College Admission Counseling</p><p>National Association of Counsel for Children</p><p>National Center on Adoption and Permanency</p><p>National Center on Domestic Violence Trauma and Mental Health</p><p>National Coalition for the Homeless</p><p>National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare</p><p>National Council for Community and Education Partnerships</p><p>National Council of Churches USA</p><p>National Council of Jewish Women</p><p>National Domestic Violence Hotline</p><p>National Education Association</p><p>National Health Care for the Homeless Council</p><p>National Immigration Law Center</p><p>National Organization for Women</p><p>National Resource Center on Domestic Violence</p><p>National Skills Coalition</p><p>National Urban League</p><p>National Women&#8217;s Law Center</p><p>National Women&#8217;s Political Caucus</p><p>NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice</p><p>Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies</p><p>Oxfam America</p><p>People Power United</p><p>Popular Democracy</p><p>PrEP4All</p><p>Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness</p><p>Prevent Blindness</p><p>Prevention Institute</p><p>Progressive Democrats of America</p><p>Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)</p><p>RESULTS</p><p>Share Our Strength</p><p>Sisters of Mercy of the Americas&#8217; Justice Team</p><p>Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, Iowa</p><p>Society for Public Health Education</p><p>UnidosUS</p><p>Union for Reform Judaism</p><p>Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice</p><p>Voices of Health Care Action</p><p>Win Without War</p><p>Youth First Justice Collaborative</p><p>Youth Law Center</p><p>ZERO TO THREE</p><p><strong>Local and state organizations:</strong><br>The Ability Center of Greater Toledo</p><p>Action Wellness</p><p>Adelante Mujeres</p><p>Alabama Arise</p><p>Alaska Children&#8217;s Trust</p><p>The Arc of Aurora</p><p>Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families</p><p>Ashland County Aging Unit, Inc.</p><p>Asian Resources, Inc.</p><p>AZCEND</p><p>Being Alive/People with AIDS Action Coalition</p><p>Bet Tzedek Legal Services</p><p>Black Children&#8217;s Institute of Tennessee</p><p>Blue Ridge Independent Living Center</p><p>Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency</p><p>Center for Community Solutions</p><p>Charlotte Trans Health</p><p>Children&#8217;s Advocacy Alliance</p><p>The Children&#8217;s Agenda</p><p>Children&#8217;s Institute</p><p>Church Of St Francis Xavier</p><p>Citizen Action of New York</p><p>Citizens&#8217; Committee for Children of New York</p><p>Clare Housing</p><p>Coalition of CA Welfare Rights Organizations</p><p>Colorado Coalition for the Homeless</p><p>Colorado Consumer Health Initiative</p><p>Common Good Iowa</p><p>Community of Caring</p><p>Connecticut Voices for Children</p><p>County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA)</p><p>Courage California</p><p>Creative Innovative</p><p>DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board</p><p>The Diaper Bank of Connecticut</p><p>Dientes Community Dental Care</p><p>Disability Rights Ohio</p><p>Disability Rights Oregon</p><p>Dominican Sisters Ministry of Presence</p><p>East Bay Housing Organizations</p><p>East Bay Sanctuary Covenant</p><p>East Boston Social Centers</p><p>El Refugio, Inc.</p><p>Engage NH</p><p>Equality California</p><p>Faith Commons</p><p>Family Focus</p><p>The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA)</p><p>Five Horizons Health Services</p><p>Florida Impact</p><p>The Food Group</p><p>Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls Minnesota</p><p>The Freedom Center, Inc.</p><p>Gather</p><p>Glide Foundation</p><p>Greater Boston Legal Services, on behalf of our clients</p><p>Grow Food Northampton</p><p>Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice</p><p>Hawaii Children&#8217;s Action Network Speaks!</p><p>Health Action New Mexico</p><p>Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama</p><p>Homeless Services United</p><p>Housing Action Illinois</p><p>Hunger Solutions New York</p><p>Illinois Collaboration on Youth</p><p>Independence Alliance</p><p>Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute</p><p>Iowa Hunger Coalition</p><p>Jewish Family Service of Colorado</p><p>Just Harvest</p><p>Kentucky Voices for Health</p><p>Klamath and Lake Community Action Services</p><p>Legal Aid Justice Center</p><p>Legal Key Partnership for Health and Justice</p><p>Life Start Inc.</p><p>Locker Project</p><p>Long Island Center for Independent Living (LICIL)</p><p>Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest</p><p>Maine Center for Economic Policy</p><p>Maine Council of Churches</p><p>Meals4Families</p><p>Mental Health Association of NW PA</p><p>Michigan Council for Maternal Child Health</p><p>Michigan&#8217;s Children</p><p>Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers</p><p>Minnesota Farmers&#8217; Market Association</p><p>Minnesota Prenatal to Three Coalition</p><p>Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative</p><p>Mountain Resource Center</p><p>New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA)</p><p>NH Hunger Solutions</p><p>NH Peace Action</p><p>Niagara Community Action Program, Inc.</p><p>NYPAN of the Southern Finger Lakes</p><p>Oasis Legal Services</p><p>Ohio APSE</p><p>Ohio Olmstead Task Force</p><p>One Family</p><p>Open Your Heart to the Hungry and Homeless</p><p>Orange County Rapid Response Network</p><p>Orange County United Way</p><p>Oregon Public Health Association</p><p>Parable of the Sower Cooperative</p><p>PathPoint</p><p>Pennsylvania Policy Center</p><p>Policy Matters Ohio</p><p>Praxis Health Empowerment</p><p>Pride Community Center of the Brazos Valley</p><p>Progress Center for Independent Living</p><p>Promise Arizona</p><p>RESULTS Florida</p><p>San Mateo County Pride Center</p><p>Sauti Yetu Center for African Women, Inc</p><p>SEIU Local 105</p><p>Serving at-risk families everywhere, Inc.</p><p>Sister Carmen Community Center</p><p>Sisters of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation</p><p>Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston</p><p>Snake River Alliance</p><p>Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning</p><p>St. Matthew Trinity Lunchtime Ministry</p><p>The SOURCE</p><p>Steuben County Habitat for Humanity</p><p>Thorne Nature Experience</p><p>TRII/Dignidad</p><p>Tzedek DC</p><p>University District Food Bank</p><p>Utah Housing Coalition</p><p>Utahns Against Hunger</p><p>Valley Oak Children&#8217;s Services</p><p>The Village at Glencliff</p><p>Violence Free Minnesota</p><p>Vivent Health</p><p>VNA Community Services</p><p>Voices for Children in Nebraska</p><p>Voices for Utah Children</p><p>Voices for Vermont&#8217;s Children</p><p>Voices Of Hope</p><p>WA Housing Alliance</p><p>Wellbeing Revolution: Leading with Heart &amp; Strategy &#8211; loto ma&#8217;a, ngutu kovi</p><p>Westchester Community Opportunity Program, Inc.</p><p>Women Employed</p><p>Wyoming Community Foundation</p><p>YMCA of Greater New York</p><p>YWCA Columbus</p><p>YWCA of Kauai</p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-movement</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 03:37:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/262d3222-6c82-4205-8f0c-7bab1c6365f9_5072x3373.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United Joins Movement Letter to Congress Denouncing ICE Shootings.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join movement efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>freedom over fascism,</strong> <strong>progress, and power to the people</strong>.  Here is a copy of our sign-on to a letter to Congress denouncing the recent ICE shootings. Shout out to the <strong>Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights </strong>for Leading this effort.</p><p>July 15, 2026</p><p>Dear Member of Congress:</p><p>The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the 131 additional undersigned civil and human rights organizations are profoundly concerned about the recent fatal shooting of Mr. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, age 52, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Houston. And as of this writing, we are gathering information about yet another fatal shooting by ICE yesterday in Biddeford, Maine.</p><p>These tragic shootings appear to fit into a pattern that was completely foreseeable, given the steadfast refusal of Congress to engage in proper oversight of ICE and Customs &amp; Border Protection (CBP). We call on you to hold ICE accountable by demanding a full, independent, and transparent investigation into what led to these deaths, and to bring ICE and CBP under control of Congress, the courts, and the Constitution.</p><p>As has been widely reported, until Tuesday, July 7, 2026, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was living the American Dream. Like millions of immigrants before him, he came to the U.S. from Mexico more than three decades ago in search of opportunity. He settled in Houston, built homes for a living, and eventually started his own construction company. Together, he and his wife raised three sons, all of whom pursued higher education and careers of service and innovation: one is a teacher, one is an engineer, and one is studying engineering in college. According to his family, Mr. Araujo had no criminal record and was actively pursuing legal avenues to regularize his immigration status.</p><p>During the early morning hours of July 7, Mr. Araujo was picking up members of his construction crew before heading to work when he was reportedly pursued by an unmarked vehicle. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson has acknowledged that ICE was not actively looking for Mr. Araujo. ICE has presented certain claims as to what happened next, immediately before Mr. Araujo was fatally shot. These claims simply cannot be accepted at face value.</p><p>ICE&#8217;s claims related to the shocking and untimely death of Mr. Araujo are particularly suspect because, as DHS itself acknowledges, the agents involved in the shooting were not wearing body-worn cameras. And DHS&#8217;s attempt to pin the failure of the officers to wear body-worn cameras on a partial government shutdown strains credulity, given that the last shutdown ended several months ago, and given that ICE had received years&#8217; worth of funding under the 2025 budget reconciliation bill. Especially in light of this failure, every other piece of relevant evidence, including surveillance video, radio communications, and witness statements, must be preserved and released to the public.</p><p>The claims are also suspect because DHS has, in multiple instances, falsely tried to justify immigration enforcement-related shootings by claiming victims tried to harm officers. In the 2025 shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago, ICE alleged she tried to ram federal agents, but video evidence later showed that to be false, and the criminal charges against her were dismissed. Earlier this year in Minneapolis, ICE claimed Renee Good tried to hit an officer with her vehicle before she was fatally shot, but video showed she was clearly steering away from the officer before he shot her. Days later, an ICE agent shot Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis in the leg, which DHS claimed was done in self-defense, but the claim was later disproven by video evidence. That same month in Minneapolis, DHS officials falsely accused Alex Pretti of &#8220;wishing to inflict harm&#8221; on officers, but video soon showed he never brandished a weapon and had been disarmed before he was fatally shot.</p><p>In short, ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have a long and growing history of using excessive and deadly force, presenting false narratives, and refusing to hold officers accountable.</p><p>At the same time, Congress has given ICE and Border Patrol staggering amounts of additional funding, while refusing to provide any new meaningful oversight or safeguards against civil and human rights violations.</p><p>We urge you to demand a fully independent investigation as well as the immediate release of all available evidence related to the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and this most recent ICE-related shooting in Maine. The public deserves the truth, and the Salgado family deserves justice. We urge you to work towards meaningful accountability measures as we move forward.</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights<br>League of United Latin American Citizens<br>#AfghanEvac<br>50501<br>A. Philip Randolph Institute<br>AFT<br>Alianza Americas<br>Alliance for Quality Education<br>American Civil Liberties Union<br>American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees<br>American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)<br>American Humanist Association<br>America&#8217;s Voice<br>Arab American Institute (AAI)<br>Asian Americans Advancing Justice &#8211; AAJC<br>Ayuda<br>Bend the Arc: Jewish Action<br>Bienestar Human Services<br>Care in Action<br>Center for Constitutional Rights<br>Center for Gender &amp; Refugee Studies<br>Clearinghouse on Women&#8217;s Issues<br>Common Cause<br>Court Accountability Action<br>Defending Rights &amp; Dissent<br>Demand Progress<br>D&#275;mos<br>Disability Rights Education &amp; Defense Fund<br>Drug Policy Alliance<br>Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)<br>Equal Justice Society<br>EQUAL MEANS EQUAL<br>Equal Rights Advocates<br>Equality California<br>Estrella del Paso<br>Feminist Majority Foundation<br>Free Speech For People<br>Friends Outside<br>Frontera de Cristo<br>Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity (LEAD Fund)<br>GAIN Power<br>Get Free<br>Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees<br>Greenpeace USA<br>Haitian Bridge Alliance<br>HIAS<br>Hindus for Human Rights<br>Hispanic Federation<br>Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative<br>Human Rights Campaign<br>Human Rights First<br>Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef)<br>Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)<br>Immigrants Rising<br>Impact Fund<br>Indivisible<br>Indo-American Center<br>Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti<br>Japanese American Citizens League<br>Jewish Council for Public Affairs<br>Jobs to Move America<br>Just Detention International<br>Justice for Migrant Women<br>Kino Border Initiative<br>La Union del Pueblo Entero (LUPE)<br>Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)<br>LatinoJustice PRLDEF<br>Lavender Rights Project<br>Lawyers for Good Government<br>League of Women Voters of the United States<br>Legal Aid at Work<br>Maine Immigrants&#8217; Rights Coalition<br>MANA, A National Latina Organization<br>MoveOn<br>Mpact Global<br>Muslim Advocates<br>Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)<br>NAACP Legal Defense &amp; Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)<br>National Action Network<br>National Association of Social Workers<br>National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)<br>National Council of Jewish Women<br>National Domestic Workers Alliance<br>National Education Association<br>National Hispanic Council on Aging<br>National Hispanic Media Coalition<br>National Immigrant Justice Center<br>National Immigration Law Center<br>National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund<br>National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC)<br>National Organization for Women<br>National Women&#8217;s Law Center<br>NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice<br>NMAC<br>Oasis Legal Services<br>People For the American Way<br>People Power United<br>Planned Parenthood Action Fund<br>Public Citizen<br>Public Justice<br>Quixote Center<br>Reproductive Freedom for All<br>Ribbon &#8211; A Center of Excellence<br>Right To Be<br>Robert &amp; Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center<br>Sanctuary for Families<br>Service Employees International Union (SEIU)<br>Showing Up for Racial Justice<br>Sojourners<br>South Asian Network<br>South Asian Public Health Association<br>South Asian SOAR<br>Southern Border Communities Coalition<br>Stop AAPI Hate<br>The Sikh Coalition<br>The Southern Poverty Law Center<br>The Workers Circle<br>T&#8217;ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights<br>UnidosUS<br>Union for Reform Judaism<br>Union of Concerned Scientists<br>United Auto Workers<br>United Church of Christ<br>United Parent Leaders Action Network<br>USAHello<br>VECINA<br>Venezuelan American Caucus<br>Vera Institute of Justice<br>Visibility Brigade<br>Waves Ahead Corp<br>Western States Center<br>Win Without War</p><div><hr></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trump’s Illegal War on Iran Must Be Stopped]]></title><description><![CDATA[: People Power United condemns Trump&#8217;s illegal war on Iran and urges Congress to block funding for this unauthorized and dangerous war.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/trumps-illegal-war-on-iran-must-be-stopped</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/trumps-illegal-war-on-iran-must-be-stopped</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 22:24:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United&#8217;s Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration&#8217;s Illegal War in Iran.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, each week, <strong>on behalf of our membership</strong>, we join coalition efforts and sign on to letters to Congress and other key decision-makers on a wide range of issues that advance <strong>progress and power to the people</strong>. Normally, I post these letters on our website rather than fill your inbox with too many emails. But today, I am sharing the letter sent to Congress: <strong>No Funding for Trump&#8217;s Illegal War on Iran</strong>.</p><p>Before I share the letter below, I want to highlight an important reason this war is <strong>illegal, unwise, uncertain, and unconscionable</strong>:</p><blockquote><p>&#8220;the cost of President Donald Trump&#8217;s expanding military campaign in Iran is already rivaling and could soon exceed what it would have taken to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance subsidies that recently expired.</p></blockquote><p><strong>Let that sink in. A few weeks of war equals a year of Affordable Care Act subsidies &#8212; saving lives and supporting healthier communities.</strong></p><p>The war is estimated to cost as much as <strong>$1 billion per day</strong>, while congressional budget analyses show that extending enhanced ACA subsidies would have cost about <strong>$30 billion for one year</strong> or roughly <strong>$60 billion for two years</strong>.&#8221;<a class="footnote-anchor" data-component-name="FootnoteAnchorToDOM" id="footnote-anchor-1" href="#footnote-1" target="_self">1</a></p><p><strong>People Power United stands in fierce opposition</strong> to the Trump administration&#8217;s decision to bomb Iran <strong>without a declaration of war, without congressional authorization, and without the consent of the American people</strong>. The Constitution is unambiguous: <strong>the power to declare war belongs to Congress</strong> &#8212; not to one man, not to a cabinet of unelected loyalists, and not to a president who has mistaken the Oval Office for a throne.</p><p>We mourn every American life placed in harm&#8217;s way, and we grieve for the innocent civilians who will bear the cost of decisions they had no voice in making. As we have said before: <strong>&#8220;In a free democracy, no president gets to unilaterally send our sons and daughters to die without answering to Congress and to the American people. The rule of law is not optional &#8212; not now, not ever.&#8221;</strong></p><p>Here is the <a href="https://www.citizen.org/article/no-funding-for-trumps-illegal-war-on-iran/">letter</a> sent to Congress on behalf of our members:</p><blockquote><p>Dear U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives,</p><p>We, the undersigned 251 organizations, have a range of institutional missions and mandates, but are united in seeking an end to an unconstitutional, unauthorized U.S. war. We therefore urge you to vote against any additional funding for Trump&#8217;s unconstitutional war on Iran, including the reported supplemental appropriations bill that could provide $50 billion or more for this devastating war.</p><p>By launching a war against Iran, Trump has violated the Constitution, defied international law, flouted the will of the American people, and has put millions of lives across the region at risk. A vote for President Trump&#8217;s Pentagon supplemental funding package would be a vote to commit the U.S. even further to this crisis, which has already killed seven U.S. servicemembers and nearly 2,000 people from across the region, and which endangers the lives of many more.</p><p>The Constitution assigns responsibility for authorizing war solely to Congress to ensure that the president does not unilaterally impose the costs and tradeoffs of armed conflict. Congress and the administration have slashed crucial programs as Americans experience soaring economic costs across the board. Waging a war of choice that costs an estimated $1 billion a day not only fails to address the economic squeeze and healthcare crisis facing working Americans, it also diverts federal funding that could otherwise be utilized.</p><p>The Pentagon budget already now totals more than $1 trillion, after the extra $150 billion the agency received in the tax and budget reconciliation bill. The $50 billion that the administration reportedly seeks for a new Pentagon supplemental would be enough to restore food assistance for four million Americans that was taken away in the tax and budget reconciliation bill, establish universal pre-K education, and pay for the annual construction of more than 100,000 units of housing, among other possible priorities. Congress must not allow the illegal commencement of hostilities to force a de facto decision to prioritize warmaking over other needs.</p><p>The choice before Congress is whether it will choose to prevent this unconstitutional war from dragging out and potentially escalating or enabling dangerous and deadly protracted conflict. We urge you to refuse funding for this illegal war that Congress never authorized and a majority of the American people oppose.</p></blockquote><h4><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-congress-don-t-fund-trump-s-war-in-iran?ref=WVSDEUs">Tell Congress: Don&#8217;t Fund Trump&#8217;s War in Iran</a></strong></h4><p></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://civicshout.com/p/tell-congress-don-t-fund-trump-s-war-in-iran?ref=WVSDEUs&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;No More Money for War&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-congress-don-t-fund-trump-s-war-in-iran?ref=WVSDEUs"><span>No More Money for War</span></a></p><div><hr></div><h2><strong>5 Reasons the Grassroots Resistance Movement Can&#8217;t Wait to Resist Project 2025</strong></h2><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><div class="image-link image2" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png" width="1456" height="250" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:250,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:83091,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Resist Project 2025: Time for Action.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Protect Our Planet: Time for Action.&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://wewantfreedomoverfascism.substack.com/i/177090859?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Resist Project 2025: Time for Action." title="Protect Our Planet: Time for Action." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUQT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F33e6dd86-43c7-4c02-a334-9a4ffd7dd9a3_1456x250.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div></div></div></div><figcaption class="image-caption">Resist Project 2025: Time for Action.</figcaption></figure></div><h3><strong>&#128165;Your Power in Action: What You Can Do Today</strong></h3><ul><li><p><strong><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/not-one-dime-for-trumps-war/?source=group-people-power-united&amp;referrer=group-people-power-united&amp;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplepowerunited.org">Make your voice heard</a></strong>: <strong>&#128683; Not One Dime for Trump&#8217;s War, &#128203; Sign the petition: <a href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-congress-stop-trump-s-illegal-war-in-iran?ref=ANUlIdA">Tell Congress: Stop Trump&#8217;s Illegal War in Iran</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong>&#128266; <a href="https://civicshout.com/p/block-trump-s-election-denier-pick-to-lead-dhs?ref=m0BaVDc">Tell Congress:</a></strong> <strong>Block Trump&#8217;s Election Denier Pick to Lead DHS,</strong></p><p><strong>&#128073; <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-the-senate-vote-against-the-confirmation-of-markwayne-mullin-to-lead-dhs?source=direct_link&amp;referrer=group-people-power-united&amp;redirect=https://peoplepowerunited.org">Power up</a>: Reject Markwayne Mullins Confirmation, &#9742;&#65039; Call your Senator at (202) 224-3121</strong> and tell them to <strong>vote NO on Mullin for DHS</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>&#128226; <a href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-state-ags-block-the-warner-paramount-mega-merger?ref=tB9Y5VM">Be the change</a> Tell State AGs: Block the Warner-Paramount Mega-Merger</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>&#127916; <a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-ice-at-the-polls-2/?source=group-people-power-united&amp;referrer=group-people-power-united&amp;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplepowerunited.org">Speak out now</a>: Tell Your Secretary of State: No ICE at the Polls.</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>&#128680;<a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/lawmakers-take-action-to-stop-the-next-great-recession/?source=group-people-power-united&amp;referrer=group-people-power-united&amp;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplepowerunited.org">Use your voice</a>: Stop the next Great Recession before it starts</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>BONUS: &#128499;&#65039; <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/ballot-and-voting-information-f17">Make your voice heard</a> </strong>Register to vote,<strong> vote</strong> in every election, and help your community do the same. Reproductive freedom is won and lost at the ballot box.</p></li><li><p><strong>BONUS: &#128081;&#128683; <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/the-complete-guide-to-the-no-kings-movement">Drive the change</a> </strong>Sign up for the next national <strong>No Kings Day of Action</strong> and show up in solidarity with everyone whose rights are under attack.</p></li></ul><p><em>The movement for resisting out of control wars starts here.</em></p><div><hr></div><h2><strong>People Power United: Who We Are &amp; What We Stand For</strong></h2><p><strong>Hatred has no home here.</strong> Not now. Not ever.</p><p>People Power United stands unwaveringly against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and every form of bigotry. That is not a disclaimer &#8212; it is <strong>our foundation</strong>. It is who we are, every single day.</p><p>We are <strong>300,000+ strong</strong> &#8212; everyday people from every corner of this country who refuse to sit down, stay quiet, or give up on democracy. We are not funded by corporations. We are not beholden to PACs or billionaires or special interests. We are powered entirely by you &#8212; by the people who show up, speak out, and refuse to let freedom die on our watch.</p><p>People Power United is organized by <strong>Laurie Woodward Garcia</strong> &#8212; an activist who has marched, organized, and fought on the front lines, from the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base to the steps of Congress. Paid with hugs and kisses.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg" width="582" height="388.13324175824175" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:582,&quot;bytes&quot;:614300,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation.&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation." title="Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation.</figcaption></figure></div><h3><strong>Rise Together. Build People Power.</strong></h3><p>Democracy needs you in it &#8212; not on the sidelines.</p><p>Join us! Every day, we provide ways for you to <strong>plug in, speak out, show up, and build power</strong> at the local, state, and national levels.</p><p>Subscribe for free and stay informed, stay activated, and stay connected to a movement that advocates every day for <strong>freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people</strong>. Or go further: upgrade to a paid subscription &#8212; not as a transaction, but as an investment in people-powered journalism and activism that answers to no one but you. Or gift a subscription to someone who believes in liberty and justice for all-not just the wealthy or powerful.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" width="532" height="353.6923076923077" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:968,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:532,&quot;bytes&quot;:3908087,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court." title="Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div class="footnote" data-component-name="FootnoteToDOM"><a id="footnote-1" href="#footnote-anchor-1" class="footnote-number" contenteditable="false" target="_self">1</a><div class="footnote-content"><p>https://www.newsweek.com/iran-war-costs-compared-to-aca-health-care-subsidies-11655181</p><p></p></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Power United condemns Trump's unauthorized bombing of Iran, demands Congress invoke the War Powers Act, and calls for accountability.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-uniteds-statement-denouncing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-uniteds-statement-denouncing</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:00:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/66e312dc-d172-498d-a6bd-dc08e80dd716_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." title="People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration's Illegal Bombing of Iran. image of crowd with text that reads people power united." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">People Power United&#8217;s Statement Denouncing the Trump Administration&#8217;s Illegal Bombing of Iran.</figcaption></figure></div><p>People Power United stands in fierce opposition to the Trump administration&#8217;s decision to bomb Iran without a declaration of war, without congressional authorization, and without the consent of the American people. The Constitution is unambiguous: <strong>the power to declare war belongs to Congress &#8212; not to one man, not to a cabinet of unelected loyalists, and not to a president who has mistaken the Oval Office for a throne.</strong> </p><p>We mourn every American life placed in harm&#8217;s way and grieve for the innocent civilians who will bear the cost of decisions they had no voice in making. &#8220;Power to the people does not mean power to a strongman,&#8221; said Laurie Woodward Garcia, founder of People Power United. <strong>&#8220;In a free democracy, no president gets to unilaterally send our sons and daughters to die without answering to Congress and to the American people. The rule of law is not optional &#8212; not now, not ever.&#8221;</strong></p><p>We call on every member of Congress &#8212; Republican and Democrat alike &#8212; to invoke the War Powers Resolution immediately, defund this unauthorized military action, and remember who they were elected to serve.</p><p>We will not stand silent while this administration wages an illegal war on behalf of no one but itself. We affirm our unshakeable commitment to organizing, mobilizing, and rising together until the promise of this democracy is honored in deed, not just in word. <strong>No illegal wars. No unchecked power. No exceptions. Power to the people.</strong></p><div><hr></div><h2><strong>People Power United: Who We Are &amp; What We Stand For</strong></h2><p><strong>Hatred has no home here.</strong> Not now. Not ever.</p><p>People Power United stands unwaveringly against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and every form of bigotry. That is not a disclaimer &#8212; it is <strong>our foundation</strong>. It is who we are, every single day.</p><p>We are <strong>300,000+ strong</strong> &#8212; everyday people from every corner of this country who refuse to sit down, stay quiet, or give up on democracy. We are not funded by corporations. We are not beholden to PACs or billionaires or special interests. We are powered entirely by you &#8212; by the people who show up, speak out, and refuse to let freedom die on our watch.</p><p>People Power United is organized by <strong>Laurie Woodward Garcia</strong> &#8212; an activist who has marched, organized, and fought on the front lines, from the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base to the steps of Congress. Paid with hugs and kisses.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 848w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:582,&quot;bytes&quot;:614300,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation.&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation." title="Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XMfA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12ae8327-6361-42ea-a539-ddcbfbbb5cba_1797x1198.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie at the Free the Children March at Homestead Air Force Base during Trump 1.0 and the cruel implementation of child separation.</figcaption></figure></div><h3><strong>Rise Together. Build People Power.</strong></h3><p>Democracy needs you in it &#8212; not on the sidelines.</p><p>Join us! Every day, we provide ways for you to <strong>plug in, speak out, show up, and build power</strong> at the local, state, and national levels.</p><p>Subscribe for free and stay informed, stay activated, and stay connected to a movement that advocates every day for <strong>freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people</strong>. Or go further: upgrade to a paid subscription &#8212; not as a transaction, but as an investment in people-powered journalism and activism that answers to no one but you. Or gift a subscription to someone who believes in liberty and justice for all-not just the wealthy or powerful.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" width="532" height="353.6923076923077" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:968,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:532,&quot;bytes&quot;:3908087,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court.&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court." title="Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie with People Power United joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress to advocate for reforms to the Supreme Court.</figcaption></figure></div><p>Together we rise. Subscribe for free or power up today &#8212; because freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people isn&#8217;t a slogan. It&#8217;s our mission.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[📢 Statement from People Power United Condemning Racist Trump Post]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/statement-from-people-power-united</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/statement-from-people-power-united</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Laurie Woodward Garcia]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 18:43:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg" width="640" height="427" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:427,&quot;width&quot;:640,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:43796,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/i/187118301?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WXvP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fccd061cd-8bcd-4ad8-aba7-6c3527c86683_640x427.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h3>Statement from People Power United Condemning Racist Post</h3><p><strong>People Power United unequivocally condemns the racist social media post shared by Donald Trump depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as primates.</strong> We will not share it but know this imagery draws on one of the oldest and most dehumanizing racist tropes in American history and has been widely denounced by civil rights leaders and lawmakers across the political spectrum.</p><p>Reports confirm the post showed the Obamas&#8217; faces superimposed on animated primates within a conspiracy-theory video about the 2020 election&#8212;claims repeatedly rejected by courts and officials. The post sparked <strong>bipartisan outrage</strong> and was ultimately deleted by the White House after intense backlash, even as officials initially dismissed criticism as &#8220;fake outrage.&#8221;</p><p>As one leader described it, the video was <strong>&#8220;blatantly racist,&#8221;</strong> underscoring the continuing danger of rhetoric that dehumanizes Black Americans and threatens the dignity of our democracy.</p><p>People Power United stands firmly for a <strong>multiracial democracy rooted in dignity, equality, and truth. </strong>Racism&#8212;especially when amplified from the highest levels of power&#8212;harms communities, divides the nation, and undermines the very freedoms our Constitution promises to protect.</p><p>We call on all leaders, regardless of party, to reject racism in every form, demand accountability, and recommit to the values of justice and equality for all people. <strong>Silence is not neutrality; silence is complicity.</strong></p><p>Together, we rise for dignity.<br>Together, we rise for democracy.<br><strong>Power to the People</strong></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Take action today:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-democratic-leaders-don-t-cave-on-ice-accountability?ref=mJf2VbY">Tell Democratic Leaders: Don&#8217;t Cave on ICE Accountability</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/stop-republicans-new-attack-on-voting-rights?ref=roFx6eU">Stop Republicans&#8217; New Attack on Voting Rights</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/investigate-doj-attacks-on-don-lemon-other-journalists?ref=nE8KU1g">Investigate DOJ Attacks on Don Lemon &amp; Other Journalists</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-member-of-congress-to-co-sponsor-and-support-the-freedom-to-vote-act/">Click here</a></strong> to Tell your member of Congress to co-sponsor and support the <strong>Freedom to Vote Act</strong> and the <strong>John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act</strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/now-is-the-time-to-declare-racism-a-public-health-crisis">Click here</a></strong> to Tell Lawmakers: Now is the time to <strong>declare racism a public health crisis</strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe">Click here</a></strong> to upgrade your subscription or gift to someone you know</p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/put-the-minneapolis-killers-on-trial?ref=2L25VdM">Put the Minneapolis Killers on Trial</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-congress-demand-stephen-miller-s-resignation?ref=K38jQ8w">Tell Congress: Demand Stephen Miller&#8217;s Resignation</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://www.mobilize.us/peoplepowerunited/event/786981/">Join People Power United</a></strong></p></li></ul><p>People power expands when ordinary people step in, speak up, and demand accountability from those in power. Every day, we&#8217;re proving that the future belongs to people who refuse to be silent or sidelined.</p><p>That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s so important to join the <strong>National Day of Action for No Kings</strong>. If you&#8217;ve heard anyone say nothing is happening, know this: action is happening everywhere. Communities across the country are organizing right now&#8212;and you can too. Bring together friends, family, and coworkers to stand against fascism and to champion progress and power to the people.</p><p><strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/the-complete-guide-to-the-no-kings-movement">The Complete Guide to the No Kings Day of Action</a> </strong>is now available.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/the-complete-guide-to-the-no-kings-movement" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png" width="1000" height="1000" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1000,&quot;width&quot;:1000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:970837,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/the-complete-guide-to-the-no-kings-movement&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/i/186437370?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Z7KQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7ecc20fc-1ed9-4e58-8657-2cad51684582_1000x1000.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h1><strong>Thanks for taking action!</strong></h1><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png" width="506" height="300.4375" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:&quot;normal&quot;,&quot;height&quot;:608,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:506,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8F4E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6fda9338-f5f9-4bd5-b57a-70c854a4aa9d_1024x608.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr></div><h1><strong>People Power United Updates</strong></h1><p>Our group is growing by leaps and bounds! Folks understand that with love in our hearts and hard work, we will reclaim our nation from cruelty, chaos, and confusion. We are having fun making impactful changes in our community! In case you missed it, this past week was busy:</p><ul><li><p>People Power United joins coalition efforts to push for free and fair elections for all eligible voters</p></li><li><p>People Power United joins coalition efforts to push for a halt to handing blank checks to ICE</p></li><li><p>People Power United joined an Amicus brief for an upcoming case at the Supreme Court</p></li><li><p>People Power United members signed on to several petitions and letters to Members of Congress advocating for progress and Power to the People</p></li><li><p>We sent out <strong>several updates</strong> and <strong>news briefs via our newsletters</strong>.</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h1><strong>&#10024; Together we can inspire change!</strong></h1><p><strong>People Power United</strong> is a <strong>grassroots group</strong> of over <strong>300,000+ members in all 50 states-powered by people like YOU</strong>. We champion <strong>progress</strong> and <strong>power to the people.</strong></p><p>We believe in change because <strong>we make change happen.</strong></p><p>Here&#8217;s what makes us special:<br>&#128161; <strong>Grassroots energy:</strong> No fundraising, no constant emails asking for donations.<br>&#128226; <strong>Impact through action:</strong> We believe in the possibility of change and do the work to make it happen. We don&#8217;t just complain, we make change happen!</p><p>In this community, we will <strong>never stay silent in the face of hate or bigotry.</strong> We stand up and speak out against racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and every form of discrimination that seeks to divide and harm.</p><p>We believe:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Everyone deserves dignity </strong>&#8212;with access to housing, healthcare, and education.</p></li><li><p><strong>Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive </strong>&#8212; regardless of age, race, sex, sexual preference, preferred pronouns, religion, or employment status.</p></li><li><p><strong>Everyone deserves safety</strong>&#8212;clean air and water, and communities free from gun violence.</p></li></ul><p>Join us to build People Power! Together, we can protect and empower those we love, champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people&#8217;s will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.</p><p><strong>The power is in your hands. Let&#8217;s fight for freedom over fascism&#8212;because our future depends on it.</strong></p><h1><strong>What You Can Do</strong></h1><ul><li><p><strong>People Power United doesn&#8217;t fundraise, but your support can make all the difference. </strong>Hearts &#10084;&#65039;, comments&#128483;&#65039;, shares &#128226;, and follows &#128204;are always appreciated. Follow us on <strong><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/peoplepowerunited.bsky.social">BlueSky</a> </strong>and/or other<strong> <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/follow-us-on-social-media-729">social media</a></strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe">Click here</a></strong> to support our efforts by becoming a paid subscriber or gifting to someone you know.</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p>Join us to build People Power! Together, we can champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people&#8217;s will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.</p><p>Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)</p><p>Leader, People Power United</p><p>Representing America&#8217;s largest grassroots organization with over 300,000+ members, driven entirely by the energy and commitment of everyday people. We are proudly 100% independent, powered by people&#8212;not special interests.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" width="532" height="353.6923076923077" 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress for reforms to the Supreme Court</figcaption></figure></div><p><strong><a href="https://www.peoplepowerunited.org/">People Power United</a></strong> | In this community, we will always speak out against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and bigotry!  </p><p>People Power United is a group of community members that champions freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people.</p><div><hr></div><p>When you become a paid subscriber to People Power United&#8217;s newsletter, <strong>you&#8217;re investing in real, grassroots change. </strong>You&#8217;re backing a fearless community that <em>shows up, speaks out, and organizes for justice</em>&#8212;not for clicks, not for profit, but for people. <strong>Your support helps power the daily actions, urgent campaigns, and bold strategies</strong> that challenge the status quo and put democracy back in the hands of the many&#8212;not the wealthy few. This isn&#8217;t just a newsletter&#8212;it&#8217;s your front-row seat to the fight for progress. And your subscription? That&#8217;s your stake in a future we build together.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Restoring Power to the People: EXPERTS Act Counters Trump-Era Corruption and Corporate Control]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/restoring-power-to-the-people-expertsact-experts-act</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/restoring-power-to-the-people-expertsact-experts-act</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 21:00:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ca849361-b319-49d7-91f6-793a2bee5e1c_192x123.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>People Power United joined other groups as a proud endorser of the Experts Protect Effective Rules, Transparency, and Stability <strong>(EXPERTS) Act</strong>. You can find more information about the EXPERTS Act in the press release below from U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA). People Power United is also a proud member of the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, and their press release can be found <a href="https://sensiblesafeguards.org/press/experts-act-would-restore-and-modernize-the-federal-regulatory-system-which-has-been-corrupted-by-trump-courts-and-corporate-lobbyists/">here.</a></p><p>November 19,2025</p><p>Original copy can be found <a href="https://jayapal.house.gov/2025/11/19/jayapal-warren-introduce-legislation-to-curb-corporate-influence-on-federal-regulation-restore-deference-to-experts/">here.</a></p><p>WASHINGTON, D.C. &#8212; U.S Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) are introducing the Experts Protect Effective Rules, Transparency, and Stability (EXPERTS) Act to re-establish public trust in the federal regulatory process by prioritizing transparency and elevating the voices of subject matter experts over those of corporations with profit-driven interests.</p><p>&#8220;Many Americans are taught in civics classes that Congress passes a law and that&#8217;s it, but the reality is that any major legislation enacted must also be implemented and enforced by the executive branch to become a reality,&#8221; <strong>said Jayapal.</strong> &#8220;We are seeing the Trump administration dismantle systems created to ensure that federal regulation prioritizes public safety. At a time when corporations and CEOs have outsized power, it is critical that we ensure that public interest is protected. This bill will level the playing field to ensure that laws passed actually work for the American people.</p><p>&#8220;Giant corporations and their armies of lobbyists shouldn&#8217;t get to manipulate how our laws are implemented,&#8221; <strong>said Senator Warren. </strong>&#8220;While Donald Trump keeps selling away influence over our government, we&#8217;re fighting to ensure the rules are being written to help working Americans, not corporate interests.&#8221;</p><p>The federal rulemaking process is how governmental agencies implement and enforce the law. Rulemaking creates essential regulations that carry out the goals of legislation addressing issues ranging from health care to workers&#8217; rights. It requires agencies to give the public notice of proposed regulations and the opportunity to comment or provide feedback. But presently, industry-backed lobbyists hold more negotiating power in the regulatory process than the general public. They are able to schedule private meetings with regulators, fund sham scientific studies to submit with public comments, and misrepresent the negative impact of stricter regulatory oversight.</p><p>Last year, in their <em>Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo</em> ruling, the Supreme Court overturned the <em>Chevron </em>deference doctrine that required courts to respect the expertise of federal agencies in implementing laws passed by Congress. This doctrine has led to a broad range of protections for Americans, including reducing worker exposure to hazardous substances, limiting predatory credit card fees, and promoting clean air and water. The <em>Loper Bright</em> ruling gives courts greater leeway to overturn expertise-based policies for the benefit of the Trump Administration and corporations.</p><p>The EXPERTS Act would:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Codify </strong><em><strong>Chevron </strong></em><strong>Deference</strong>: Require courts to defer to agencies&#8217; reasonable interpretations of their rules that Congress empowered them to issue in order to implement statutes.</p></li><li><p><strong>Establish Rulemaking Transparency</strong>: Require a full disclosure of who is funding the scientific, economic, and technical studies submitted to agencies during the rulemaking process, mandate a public explanation for the withdrawal of rules, and require the public disclosure of any changes made to a regulatory proposal during the rulemaking process.</p></li><li><p><strong>Eliminate Industry-Backed Delays to Rulemaking</strong>: Accelerate the rulemaking review process by excluding private parties from using the negotiated rulemaking process.</p></li><li><p><strong>Restore the Time Limit for Legal Challenges</strong>: Reinstate a 6-year time limit for legal challenges to agency actions, with the clock starting when the action is finalized.</p></li><li><p><strong>Empower the Public in the Rulemaking Process</strong>: Fine corporations that lie to the government about whether a public interest rule would cost their shareholders, establish an Office of the Public Advocate to serve as an advocate for public interests, and require the government to respond to citizen petitions.</p></li></ul><p>&#8220;The EXPERTS Act is urgently needed to respond to the rampant deregulatory efforts happening now. The bill is a comprehensive blueprint for modernizing, improving, and strengthening the regulatory system to better protect the public. The EXPERTS Act would enhance our government&#8217;s ability to deliver results for workers, consumers, public health, and our environment. And it would increase participation so that people &#8211; not just big corporations &#8211; can weigh in on potential rules that affect them,&#8221; <strong>said Rachel Weintraub, Executive Director, Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS). </strong>&#8220;For most of the last century, policy, scientific, and technical experts were in charge of writing the rules that protect American workers, consumers, families, and our environment &#8211; and it made all of us better off. Expert regulators brought us cleaner air and water, safer food and consumer products, fairer workplaces and markets, and much more. Every year going back decades, studies showed the benefits to the public of new and existing regulations outweighing the costs to industry by a factor of 10-to-1 or more. This is what trusting the experts got us, and it&#8217;s what the EXPERTS Act will restore.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;The EXPERTS Act is the marquee legislation to improve our regulatory system,&#8221; <strong>said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President, Public Citizen and CSS Co-Chair.</strong> &#8220;The bill aims directly at the corporate capture of our rulemaking process, brings transparency to the regulatory review process and imposes a $250,000 fine on corporations that submit false information, among other things. The bill is essential law for the future of our health, safety, environment, and workers. Public Citizen urges swift passage in both chambers.&#8221;</p><p><strong><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/send-a-message-to-your-member-of-congress">Please send a message </a></strong>to your member of Congress to support and endorse the Experts Act.</p><p>House sponsors can be found <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6145/cosponsors">here.</a></p><p>Senate sponsors can be found <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3210">here.</a></p><p>***</p><p>People Power United is a <strong><a href="https://www.newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe">reader-supported</a></strong> publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[📢 Political Violence Is a Threat to Us All]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Power United denounces all political violence&#8212;from deadly hate crimes to attacks on journalists, election workers, and democratic institutions. Read our powerful call to protect voting rights, defend free speech, and keep power where it belongs: with the people.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-statement-denouncing-all-forms-of-political-violence</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-statement-denouncing-all-forms-of-political-violence</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 20 Sep 2025 14:57:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg" width="1456" height="992" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:992,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2792568,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;USA flag in a field with the sun rising&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/i/174099493?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="USA flag in a field with the sun rising" title="USA flag in a field with the sun rising" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d9B_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7da04b50-bfae-4d2c-b0b9-9aa6654278ed_4479x3053.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@aaronburden?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Aaron Burden</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/flag-of-usa-on-grass-field-9C8r4QUwZRQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><p>Friends, today marks the final day of our series on political violence. If you missed Parts 1&#8211;4, you can catch up on them <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/">here.</a></p><h3>People Power United&#8217;s Statement Denouncing All Forms of Political Violence</h3><p>People Power United stands in fierce, unshakable opposition to <strong>all forms of political violence&#8212;no matter the target or motive.</strong> Violence is not debate. Violence is not democracy. Violence is a direct assault on the freedoms we hold sacred.</p><p>We condemn, by name, a wave of hate, terror, and assassination meant to silence communities and erode democracy:</p><p>&#8211; the <strong>Charleston church massacre (2015)</strong>, where a white supremacist murdered nine Black parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church.</p><p>&#8211; the <strong>Planned Parenthood attack in Colorado Springs (2015)</strong>, where an anti-abortion extremist killed three and injured nine.</p><p>&#8211; the <strong>Charlottesville car-ramming (2017)</strong> that murdered Heather Heyer and injured dozens.</p><p>&#8211; the antisemitic slaughter at <strong>Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue (2018)</strong>, the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.</p><p>&#8211; the racist massacre at the <strong>El Paso Walmart (2019)</strong>, targeting Latino shoppers.</p><p>&#8211; the attempted kidnapping of <strong>Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (2020)</strong> by a far-right militia.</p><p>&#8211; the armed assault on the <strong>U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021</strong>, where a pro-Trump mob tried to overturn a free and fair election.</p><p>&#8211; the racist massacre at the <strong>Buffalo Tops supermarket (2022)</strong>, where 10 Black shoppers were murdered.</p><p>&#8211; the hate-driven killings at a <strong>Jacksonville Dollar General (2023)</strong> targeting Black Floridians.</p><p>&#8211; the hammer assault on <strong>Paul Pelosi (2022) </strong>husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.</p><p>&#8211; the tragic shootings of <strong>Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband</strong> and the wounding of <strong>State Senator John Hoffman and his wife</strong> (2025).</p><p>&#8211; the deaths of <strong>Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber</strong> in Kenosha (2020) during a racial-justice protest by <strong>Kyle Rittenhouse  </strong></p><p>&#8211; the arson attack on <strong>Governor Josh Shapiro&#8217;s</strong> home</p><p>&#8211;the shooting of <strong>Israeli Embassy Staffers </strong>in D.C.</p><p>&#8211; the assassination of conservative activist <strong>Charlie Kirk (2025)</strong>.</p><p>&#8211; the attempted <strong>assassination of President Donald Trump (2024)</strong>, a shocking act of political violence that, like all others, must be condemned without reservation.</p><p>&#8211; the attempted <strong>assassination of President Ronald Reagan (1981)</strong>, proof that political violence spares no party or ideology.</p><p>&#8211; and the decades of deadly attacks on abortion providers, including <strong>Dr. George Tiller (2009), Dr. Barnett Slepian (1998), Dr. John Britton (1994), and Dr. David Gunn (1993)</strong>.</p><p>These acts of violence do not belong to any single ideology&#8212;they are the work of <strong>hate itself</strong>.</p><p>Political violence is not limited to bullets and bombs.</p><p>We condemn President Trump's own assaults on the <strong>First Amendment</strong>:</p><p>&#8211; Barring the <strong>Associated Press</strong> from Air Force One and the Oval Office until it obeyed his chosen words, turning press access into a <strong>loyalty test</strong>.</p><p>&#8211; Signing <strong>Executive Order 14290</strong> to defund <strong>NPR and PBS</strong>, claiming they do not provide "fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage."</p><p>&#8211; Pressuring broadcasters and threatening critics such as <strong>Jimmy Kimmel</strong>, and celebrating the cancellation of <strong>Stephen Colbert's Late Show</strong>.</p><p>&#8211; Launching massive defamation suits against outlets like <em>The New York Times</em> to intimidate journalists.</p><p>We also condemn President Trump&#8217;s <strong>assaults on the rule of law</strong>, using threats and the power of his office to intimidate and attack political opponents instead of working across party lines to pass laws that serve the American people.</p><p>Political violence also attacks the <strong>machinery of democracy</strong>.</p><p>Election workers are doxxed and threatened with death. Armed vigilantes stalk ballot drop boxes. False claims of "stolen elections" fuel harassment campaigns against secretaries of state and local officials. These acts are an assault on the principle that <strong>government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed</strong>.</p><p>And political violence seeks to destroy the <strong>rule of law</strong> itself.</p><p>People Power United unequivocally rejects that path.</p><p>We call on every American&#8212;of every party, belief, or background&#8212;to rise.</p><p><strong>Political violence wants us to be silent. </strong>Our response must be action&#8212;together, and on our terms. Political violence thrives when people stay home, keep their heads down, and surrender their voices. Democracies rarely fall in one dramatic coup&#8212;<strong>they wither through millions of quiet surrenders.</strong></p><p>Our differences must be settled <strong>at the ballot box, through the courts, and through people-powered advocacy.</strong> Progress means progress&#8212;advancing justice and equality without harming those who disagree. The Constitution provides the framework; <strong>the people give the power</strong>.</p><p>The answer is not to retreat but to get <strong>louder with organizing and fearless solidarity</strong>.</p><div><hr></div><h1><strong>Today&#8217;s Call to Action</strong></h1><ul><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/investigate-trump-fcc-chair-s-role-in-kimmel-s-suspension?ref=8-_aBBM">Click here</a></strong> to <strong>Investigate Trump FCC Chair's Role in Kimmel's Suspension</strong></p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/tell-abc-resist-censorship-don-t-let-trump-silence-kimmel?ref=YMH3-MU">Click here</a> </strong>to<strong> </strong>Tell ABC: Resist Censorship. <strong>Don't Let Trump Silence Kimmel</strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-protect-our-elections-from-2020-deniers-now?source=direct_link&amp;referrer=group-people-power-united&amp;redirect=https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/">Click here</a></strong> to Tell Congress: <strong>Protect our Elections from 2020 Deniers</strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-to-pass-the-billionaires-income-tax?source=group-people-power-united&amp;referrer=group-people-power-united&amp;redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplepowerunited.org%2F">Click here</a></strong> to Tell Congress to <strong>Pass the Billionaires Income Tax</strong></p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://civicshout.com/p/unequivocally-denounce-all-political-violence-2?ref=56RSYjg">Click here</a></strong> to <strong>Unequivocally Denounce All Political Violence</strong></p></li><li><p>Restacks and comments are appreciated!</p></li></ul><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=peoplepowerunited" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png" width="827" height="432" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:432,&quot;width&quot;:827,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:427912,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Join the Movement for NO KINGS. Saturday October 18, 2025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Join the Movement for NO KINGS. Saturday October 18, 2025&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=peoplepowerunited&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/i/173588945?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Join the Movement for NO KINGS. Saturday October 18, 2025" title="Join the Movement for NO KINGS. Saturday October 18, 2025" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-kqb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F531a755e-3b8f-4936-b34d-f48e969e056e_827x432.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Power belongs to the People. Join the NO KINGS movement on Saturday, Oct. 18</figcaption></figure></div><p>On <strong>October 18th</strong>, we rise together. From coast to coast, millions will send one message loud and clear: <strong>No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.</strong> This is more than a slogan&#8212;it&#8217;s a declaration of defiance and a promise to defend democracy. When Trump sends troops to silence dissent, threatens to erase our votes, or bargains away our lives for his billionaire donors, we will not be silent. We will not surrender our future. Power belongs to the people.</p><p>Find an event near you by <strong><a href="https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=peoplepowerunited">clicking here.</a></strong> Don&#8217;t see your city? Check back soon&#8212;new events are added all the time. Or <strong><a href="https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/c/no-kings-2/event/create/?utm_source=peoplepowerunited">click here</a></strong> to sign up and host your own. And for anyone wondering,<strong> if your city isn&#8217;t listed yet, just keep checking or start your own event today!</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=peoplepowerunited&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Find a NO KINGS event near you&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=peoplepowerunited"><span>Find a NO KINGS event near you</span></a></p><p><strong>A core principle of all No Kings events is nonviolent action.</strong> Participants are expected to de-escalate conflicts, act lawfully, and never bring weapons&#8212;legal or otherwise.</p><h1><strong>Thanks for taking action!</strong></h1><div><hr></div><h1><strong>People Power United Updates</strong></h1><p>Our group is growing by leaps and bounds! Folks understand that with love in our hearts &#10084;&#65039; and hard work, <strong>we will reclaim our nation from cruelty, chaos, and confusion.</strong> In case you missed it, this past week was busy:</p><ul><li><p>In case you haven&#8217;t noticed, we&#8217;ve been making updates to the website. My deepest apologies if you recently landed on a page with a broken link. We&#8217;re working hard to catch up with all the changes&#8212;thank you so much for your patience!</p></li></ul><p>To meet the moment we are in, we have expanded our outreach so our members can go deeper in their advocacy on issues:</p><ul><li><p>&#128226; <strong><a href="https://resistproject2025.substack.com/">Resist Project 2025</a></strong> is dedicated to stand strong against those who seek to impose Project 2025, threaten our democracy, and strip away our rights and freedoms.</p></li><li><p>As our communities face escalating raids, detentions, and fear, &#129482;<em><strong><a href="https://icebreakernews.substack.com/">ICEbreaker News</a></strong></em> keeps watch. We shine a light on the cruelty, demand accountability, and organize to end the injustice.</p></li><li><p>&#127758;<strong><a href="https://protectourplanet.substack.com/">Protect Our Planet</a></strong> is dedicated to protecting our planet, exposing environmental injustice, and powering grassroots action for a sustainable future.</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><h1><strong>&#10024; Together we can inspire change!</strong></h1><p><strong>People Power United</strong> is a <strong>grassroots group</strong> with members <strong>in all 50 states-powered by people like YOU</strong>. We champion <strong>progress</strong> and <strong>power to the people.</strong></p><p>We believe in change because <strong>we make change happen.</strong></p><p>Here&#8217;s what makes us special:<br>&#128161; <strong>Grassroots energy:</strong> No fundraising, no constant emails asking for donations.<br>&#128226; <strong>Impact through action:</strong> We believe in the possibility of change and do the work to make it happen. We don&#8217;t just complain, we make change happen!</p><p>In this community, we will <strong>never stay silent in the face of hate or bigotry.</strong> We stand up and speak out against racism, xenophobia, islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, elitism, transphobia, misogynoir, and every form of discrimination that seeks to divide and harm.</p><p>We believe:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Everyone deserves dignity </strong>&#8212;with access to housing, healthcare, and education.</p></li><li><p><strong>Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive </strong>&#8212; regardless of age, race, sex, sexual preference, preferred pronouns, religion, or employment status.</p></li><li><p><strong>Everyone deserves safety</strong>&#8212;clean air and water, and communities free from gun violence.</p></li></ul><p><strong>The power is in your hands. Let&#8217;s champion freedom over fascism&#8212;because our future depends on it.</strong></p><div><hr></div><h1><strong>FYI</strong></h1><p>Please note that when <em>People Power United</em> uses the word <strong>&#8220;fight&#8221;</strong> in writing, online, or in speech, we mean to advocate fiercely, <em>never to incite or support violence</em>. We do not condone violence in any form, nor do we promote breaking the law.</p><p>Our work is rooted in <strong>peaceful advocacy</strong> through exercising our constitutional rights: voting, free speech, peaceful assembly, rallies, protests, and acts of civil disobedience. We use these tools to defend our rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and our democracy. <strong>And together, we will win.</strong></p><div><hr></div><p>Join us to build People Power! Together, we can champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people's will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.</p><p>Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests), <a href="https://peoplepowerunited.org/">People Power United</a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" width="532" height="353.6923076923077" 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress for reforms to the Supreme Court</figcaption></figure></div><p>People Power United is a group of community members that <strong>champions progress</strong> and <strong>power for the people</strong>.</p><p>People Power United is community-powered, heart-driven, and people-led. You make that possible.</p><p>&#128293; Join us on the front lines:<br>&#10145;&#65039; <strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/calls-to-action">Speak Out</a></strong> &#8211; Check out our latest calls to action<br>&#10145;&#65039; <strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/events">Show Up</a></strong> &#8211; Find events near you<br>&#10145;&#65039;<a href="https://www.newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/join-people-power-united"> </a><strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/join-people-power-united">Join People Power United</a></strong> &#8211; Join the grassroots movement for progress and power to the people.</p><p>We are powered by people. <em>Not billionaires. Not PACs.</em> Just us.</p><div><hr></div><p>When you become a paid subscriber to People Power United&#8217;s newsletter, <strong>you&#8217;re investing in real, grassroots change. </strong>You&#8217;re backing a fearless community that <em>shows up, speaks out, and organizes for justice</em>&#8212;not for clicks, not for profit, but for people. <strong>Your support helps power the daily actions, urgent campaigns, and bold strategies</strong> that challenge the status quo and put democracy back in the hands of the many&#8212;not the wealthy few. This isn&#8217;t just a newsletter&#8212;it&#8217;s your front-row seat to the champion progress and power to the people. And your subscription? It&#8217;s your stake in the future we build together.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United's Statement Denouncing the Supreme Court’s Betrayal of Liberty and Justice for All]]></title><description><![CDATA[People Power United denounces the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling allowing racial profiling, warning it terrorizes immigrants, erodes liberty and justice for all, and empowers masked agents to target hardworking people who call America home.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-uniteds-statement-denouncing-racial-profiling-supreme-court</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-uniteds-statement-denouncing-racial-profiling-supreme-court</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Sep 2025 16:18:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8e22d8f6-b77b-4ec2-8a55-ff9ab2c8e3fc_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>People Power United stands in fierce opposition to the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to allow racial profiling in our communities. </strong>This ruling is not justice&#8212;it is an open invitation to terrorize our immigrant brothers and sisters, neighbors, coworkers, and friends who call America home.</p><p>When masked agents are empowered to stop, harass, and detain people based on nothing more than the color of their skin or the language they speak&#8212;often without warrants&#8212;our Constitution is shredded in real time. <strong>There is no </strong><em><strong>&#8220;liberty and justice for all&#8221;</strong></em><strong> under a Court that compromises its own legitimacy by giving a green light to racial profiling and state-sponsored fear.</strong></p><p>America is not a land where families should live in daily terror of government agents. <strong>America is a land where </strong><em><strong>every</strong></em><strong> person&#8212;regardless of race, heritage, or immigration status&#8212;deserves dignity, safety, and equal protection under the law</strong>.</p><p>We will not stand silent while hardworking, peaceful people are scapegoated and criminalized for political gain. We denounce this dangerous ruling and affirm our commitment to organizing, mobilizing, and rising together to ensure that the promise of liberty and justice is real for all people&#8212;not just the privileged few.</p><p><strong>No profiling. No terror. No exceptions. Power to the people.</strong></p><p>Together, we can champion progress, protect our rights and freedoms, and hold our leaders accountable to the people&#8217;s will. By<strong> <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/calls-to-action">speaking out</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/events">showing up</a>, and <a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/join-people-power-united">building power</a>, </strong>we&#8217;ll defend democracy, uphold the rule of law, and inspire voters to take meaningful action&#8212;so that <em>everyone</em> in our community can thrive.</p><div><hr></div><p>Join us to build People Power! Together, we can champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people's will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.</p><p>Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests), <strong><a href="https://peoplepowerunited.org">People Power United</a></strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7Yx9!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F633803f6-a30a-4109-8ccd-88f80c05699a_4234x2816.jpeg 424w, 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fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Laurie joining other activists and organizations to drop thousands of petitions off to Congress for reforms to the Supreme Court</figcaption></figure></div><p>People Power United is a group of community members that <strong>champions progress</strong> and <strong>power for the people</strong>.</p><h2><strong>Other Ways to Plug Into Our Work</strong></h2><p>People Power United is community-powered, heart-driven, and people-led. You make that possible.</p><p>&#128293; Join us on the front lines:<br>&#10145;&#65039; <strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/calls-to-action">Speak Out</a></strong> &#8211; Check out our latest calls to action<br>&#10145;&#65039; <strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/events">Show Up</a></strong> &#8211; Find events near you<br>&#10145;&#65039;<a href="https://www.newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/join-people-power-united"> </a><strong><a href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/join-people-power-united">Join People Power United</a></strong> &#8211; Invite others to join the movement</p><p>We are powered by people. <em>Not billionaires. Not PACs.</em> Just us.</p><div><hr></div><p>When you become a paid subscriber to People Power United&#8217;s newsletter, <strong>you&#8217;re investing in real, grassroots change. </strong>You&#8217;re backing a fearless community that <em>shows up, speaks out, and organizes for justice</em>&#8212;not for clicks, not for profit, but for people. <strong>Your support helps power the daily actions, urgent campaigns, and bold strategies</strong> that challenge the status quo and put democracy back in the hands of the many&#8212;not the wealthy few. This isn&#8217;t just a newsletter&#8212;it&#8217;s your front-row seat to the champion progress and power to the people. And your subscription? It&#8217;s your stake in the future we build together.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United joined coalition efforts to Congress to eliminate the Hyde Amendment during the appropriations process]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joined-coalition-7af</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joined-coalition-7af</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2025 22:39:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e4463356-8fd4-414d-bc13-5fd833fe5705_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>People Power United joined coalition efforts to Congress to eliminate the Hyde Amendment during the appropriations process. Shout out to All* Above All for leading this effort.</p><p>July 30, 2025</p><p>Dear Chairs Collins and Cole, Vice Chair Murray, and Ranking Member DeLauro:</p><p>As organizations committed to ensuring all people can access reproductive health care, including abortion, however much money they make, no matter where they&#8217;re from, or whatever their race or gender, we believe that each of us should be able to make decisions about pregnancy and parenting that are best for our families without political interference. However, policymakers have enacted bans on insurance coverage of abortion that push this decision out of reach for many, particularly those working to make ends meet. To this end, we urge you to put forth appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year 2026 that does not include bans or restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion.</p><p>Since the first passage of the Hyde Amendment in 1976, the appropriations process has been used as a vehicle to systematically deny insurance coverage of abortion. Studies show that when policymakers place restrictions on Medicaid coverage of abortion, it forces one in four poor women to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term.<sup>1</sup>Additionally, a woman who seeks an abortion, but is denied, is more likely to fall into poverty than one who is able to get an abortion.<sup>2</sup></p><p>Since the decision in <em>Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization </em>erroneously held that there is no constitutional right to abortion, 19 states have outright banned the procedure or imposed a ban at an arbitrary point in pregnancy. More than 25 million women aged 15-44 live in states where there are more restrictions imposed than prior to the Dobbs decision. This is nearly 1 in 5 women.<sup>3 </sup>As of 2024, 35% or 5.5 million women aged 15-49 who are enrolled in</p><p>This is a crucial moment for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, for women, LGBTQI folks, immigrants, and young people. As the Medicaid program faces deep cuts and reproductive health clinics across the country face potential closures due to the recent passage of H.R. 1,<sup>5</sup>these individuals are the most harmed by the Hyde Amendment and other coverage bans. We are fighting for a future in which abortion is affordable, available, and supported for anyone who seeks care &#8212; without barriers based on who you are, where you are from, or how much you earn. We are reimagining a world in which each of us makes a living wage and everyone has access to the full-spectrum of reproductive health care, including abortion.</p><p>We urge you, as leaders of the Appropriations Committees, to draft and pass federal spending bills that end the shameful legacy of the Hyde Amendment and related abortion coverage restrictions. Now is the time to take action for people working to make ends meet and stop the relentless attacks on abortion coverage.</p><p>We ask that FY 2026 appropriations legislation be free of abortion coverage restrictions, including those that impact the following populations: (i) Medicaid, Medicare, and Children&#8217;s Health Insurance Program beneficiaries; (ii) federal employees and their dependents; (iii) Peace Corps volunteers; (iv) Native American people (iv) women in federal prisons and detention centers, including those detained for immigration purposes; and (v) low-income people in the District of Columbia through the use of local funds. This includes the Weldon Amendment, which has been attached to Hyde and used to threaten states that seek to ensure abortion coverage. Additionally, we urge you to reject any efforts to add new policy riders that seek to undermine access to health care.</p><p>Each of us should be able to make decisions about our health and our futures with dignity and have control over our own economic security. Yet these policies have harmed our families, our communities, and our health for far too long. We implore the 119th Congress to lift abortion coverage bans and end the Hyde Amendment.</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>Abortion Forward</p><p>ACCESS REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE</p><p>Advocates for Youth</p><p>AIDS United</p><p>All* Above All</p><p>American Association of University Women (AAUW)</p><p>American Atheists</p><p>American Humanist Association</p><p>Arkansas Black Gay Mens Forum</p><p>Black Women's Health Imperative</p><p>Center for Biological Diversity</p><p>Clearinghouse on Women's Issues</p><p>Community Catalyst</p><p>Doctors for America</p><p>End Rape On Campus</p><p>Equal Rights Advocates</p><p>Feminist Majority Foundation</p><p>Guttmacher Institute</p><p>Hadassah, The Women&#8217;s Zionist Organization of America Ibis Reproductive Health</p><p>Institute for Women's Policy Research</p><p>International Center for Research on Women</p><p>Ipas US</p><p>League of Women Voters of the United States</p><p>Legal Momentum, the Women's Legal Defense &amp; Education Fund me too. International</p><p>NAPAWF</p><p>National Abortion Federation</p><p>National Council of Jewish Women</p><p>National Network of Abortion Funds</p><p>National Organization for Women</p><p>National Organization for Women</p><p>National Partnership Women &amp; Families</p><p>National Women's Law Center Action Fund</p><p>Partners in Abortion Care</p><p>People Power United</p><p>Physicians for Reproductive Health</p><p>Planned Parenthood Federation of America Positive Women's Network-USA</p><p>Power to Decide</p><p>Public Justice Center</p><p>Reproductive Freedom for All</p><p>SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change</p><p>SiX Action</p><p>Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine</p><p>Supermajority</p><p>True North Research</p><p>UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health </p><p>URGE: Unite for Reproductive &amp; Gender Equity </p><p>Women's March</p><p><sup>1 </sup>Henshaw SK et al., <em>Restrictions on Medicaid Funding for Abortions: A Literature Review</em>, Guttmacher Institute, 2009. https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/MedicaidLitReview.pdf</p><p><sup>2 </sup>Foster, D. G. (2020). <em>The Turnaway Study: Ten Years, a Thousand Women, and the Consequences of Having--or Being Denied--an Abortion</em>. Scribner.</p><p><sup>3 </sup>Santhanam, L. (2023, June 24). <em>A year after fall of Roe v. Wade, 25 million women live in states with abortion bans or restrictions. </em>PBS NewsHour.</p><p>https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/a-year-after-fall-of-roe-v-wade-25-million-women-live-in-states-with-abortio n-bans-or-restrictions</p><p>Medicaid live in states where abortion is legal but not covered by the program except in Hyde-allowable circumstances.<sup>4</sup></p><p><sup>4 </sup>Kaiser Family Foundation. (2023). <em>Medicaid coverage for women.</em></p><p>https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/issue-brief/medicaid-coverage-for-women/</p><p><sup>5 </sup>Planned Parenthood. (2025, July 4). Planned Parenthood defunded&#8212;but we&#8217;re still here. Planned Parenthood. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/planned-parenthood-defunded-but-were-still-here</p><p>***</p><p>People Power United is a <strong><a href="https://www.newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe">reader-supported</a></strong> publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[People Power United joins coalition to Urge Senators to Oppose Means’ Nomination]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#128509;A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.]]></description><link>https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-coalition-ba8</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/p/people-power-united-joins-coalition-ba8</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[People Power United]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 29 Jul 2025 03:18:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a73bb7a5-df8f-44a1-a821-b57044eb86b5_1456x1048.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png" width="1456" height="485" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:485,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:114207,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jLLc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae7082af-a211-44ec-b526-b1da02c3e29a_1500x500.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" class="icon-noB79L"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image buttonBase-GK1x3M"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2 icon-noB79L"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>People Power United joins coalition to Urge Senators to Oppose Means&#8217; Nomination. Shout out to Public Citizen for leading this effort. Here is the letter sent on behalf of our membership.</p><p>July 25, 2025</p><p>Dear Senator,</p><p>The undersigned organizations urge you to vote against confirming Dr. Casey Means as Surgeon General. Means is not a serious nominee and is wholly unqualified to serve as a lead U.S. public health official.</p><p>Means<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/casey-means-inactive-medical-license-scrutiny-2069433"> does not have</a> an active medical license and<a href="https://archive.ph/nGPnF"> dropped out</a> of her surgical residency before completing it. She<a href="https://archive.ph/kLRja"> states</a> that it was after leaving traditional medical practice that she began to &#8220;understand the real reasons why people get sick&#8221; and properly treat them. Colleagues from her residency have<a href="https://archive.ph/kLRja"> criticized</a> her for wrongly perpetuating the idea that modern medicine is a conspiracy to keep people sick.</p><p>Indeed, in her blog posts and interviews as a wellness influencer, Means has expressed misinformed and conspiratorial thinking on matters of public health. She has<a href="https://time.com/7284235/dr-casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee-trump/"> called</a> birth control pills a &#8220;disrespect of life.&#8221; She has<a href="https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/07/calley-means-casey-means-conservative-voices-of-chronic-disease-crisis/"> declined</a> to distance herself from anti-vaccine positions espoused by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., refused to say if she thinks vaccines are effective, and has even expressed skepticism about the hepatitis B vaccination for babies. She<a href="https://time.com/7284235/dr-casey-means-surgeon-general-nominee-trump/"> wrote</a>, &#8220;There is growing evidence that the total burden of the current extreme and growing vaccine schedule is causing health declines in vulnerable children.&#8221;</p><p>Means also has potential conflicts of interest. She founded and is the chief medical officer of<a href="https://www.levels.com/blog/author/caseymeans#!"> Levels</a>, a membership-based continuous glucose monitoring technology company. If she does not step down from this role and divest from the company, she will likely be engaging directly on matters as Surgeon General from which she stands to personally profit.</p><p>The Surgeon General of the United States has two fundamental responsibilities. One is to lead the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS) &#8211; over 6,000 civil servants dedicated to improving public health in the United States. Many of these civil servants are subject matter experts who have already been wrongfully terminated by the Trump Administration and by directives from Secretary Kennedy. Means may have experience as an influencer, but she has little to no managerial experience in the context of government agencies or scientific research. This lack of experience means she may be out of her depth leading a critical agency in these uncertain times.</p><p>Second, the Surgeon General plays a critical role as the nation&#8217;s chief health communicator. That role requires the Surgeon General to educate the American public about the best available science and, when needed, to issue authoritative public health advisories. They should not be merely promoting their personal beliefs or making decisions based on anything but scientific evidence. The range of unscientific ideas, wellness products and conspiratorial claims that Means is associated with makes her a less than ideal candidate to serve in a role that requires being a credible health communicator for the country and upholding sound science.</p><p>These are seriously disqualifying characteristics for the Surgeon General of the US and the Trump administration should immediately rescind Means&#8217; nomination for this position. If they do not, and her confirmation proceeds to the Senate floor, senators must vote no.</p><p>Sincerely,</p><p>AFL-CIO<br>AIDS Foundation Chicago<br>Americans for Democratic Action Southern California<br>Autistic Self Advocacy Network<br>Balanced<br>Beta Cell Action<br>Center for Science in the Public Interest<br>Community Catalyst<br>Consilium Scientific<br>Defend Public Health<br>Doctors for America<br>Healthy Schools Campaign<br>International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers<br>Jacobs Institute of Women&#8217;s Health<br>Labor Campaign for Single Payer<br>MomsRising<br>National Consumers League<br>National Council of Jewish Women<br>National Nurses United<br>National Women&#8217;s Law Center<br>People Power United<br>Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)<br>Progressive Democrats of America, Maryland<br>Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK)<br>Public Citizen<br>Rise Up WV<br>SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change<br>T1International<br>The Insulin Initiative<br>Unity Fellowship of Christ Church-NYC<br>VOCAL-NY<br>Voices of Health Care Action</p><p>***</p><p>People Power United is a <strong><a href="https://www.newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe">reader-supported</a></strong> publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://newsletter.peoplepowerunited.org/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><p></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>