Resist & Rising Together Weekly: Good News and Progress from the Resistance
🗽 Wins for Freedom Over Fascism
Supreme Court blocks last-minute changes to mail voting before the midterms. The Supreme Court rejected the administration’s request to enforce new Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the November 3 election, leaving existing state voting procedures in place. The immediate result is that states and voters will not have to navigate a new ballot-delivery system just weeks before Election Day. Legal Defense Fund
California enacts new protections for ballots and election systems. A package signed September 19 creates penalties for unauthorized seizure or interference with ballots and election records, extends some vote-by-mail drop-off hours, strengthens cybersecurity provisions, and expands disclosure requirements for paid political content. The measures add new protections around election administration and transparency ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Guardian
🫶 Wins for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Appeals court rules third-country deportation policy unlawful. The First Circuit unanimously held that people facing removal to countries other than their own must receive notice and a meaningful opportunity to raise fears of persecution or torture. The decision strengthens due-process protections for immigrants who could otherwise be sent to countries where they have no ties. The Washington Post
Federal judge orders longtime refugee released from ICE detention. Robert Tony Totpal, a stateless man who came to the United States with his family as a refugee in 1984, was ordered released from the Northwest ICE Processing Center within 24 hours; the court also required notice and a hearing before any future re-detention. The ruling reinforces that immigration detention remains subject to constitutional due-process requirements. Justia
🌎 Wins for Protecting Our Planet
Judge rules EPA unlawfully terminated the $7 billion Solar for All program. A federal judge vacated the EPA’s cancellation of grants intended to expand solar access for low-income communities, rejecting the agency’s claim that it had authority to terminate the awards. The ruling could preserve clean-energy investments designed to lower electricity costs and expand access to solar power for hundreds of thousands of households. Reuters
Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova settle their legal dispute, removing uncertainty around a major offshore wind project. The companies ended their litigation and GE withdrew its attempt to terminate its involvement; all 62 turbines are now capable of producing power for more than 400,000 homes and businesses, according to the project. The settlement removes a major obstacle for one of the largest U.S. offshore wind projects after years of delays. New Hampshire Public Radio
💗 Wins for Reproductive Freedom for All
Federal appeals court keeps Washington’s abortion-coverage law in place. The Ninth Circuit upheld Washington’s Reproductive Parity Act against a constitutional challenge, preserving requirements that most state-regulated health plans covering maternity care also cover abortion. The decision maintains existing insurance access to reproductive healthcare for Washington patients. Law360
Illinois launches a statewide reproductive healthcare resource hub. The new online hub brings together information about reproductive healthcare, patient rights, finding care, and help paying for services. Centralizing those resources gives patients a clearer path to understanding and accessing reproductive healthcare in the state. State of Illinois
✊ Wins for Labor Rights
Providence nurses ratify a new contract with stronger safety and workplace protections. Nurses at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett overwhelmingly approved a new agreement that includes wage increases along with improvements involving workplace safety, break nurses, education, bereavement leave, and other working conditions. The agreement turns sustained worker organizing into concrete improvements on the job. UFCW 3000
Frontier Airlines mechanics approve a new five-year union contract. Nearly 500 Teamsters mechanics voted 93% to ratify an agreement providing wage increases, higher pension contributions, increased license premiums, bonuses, and an additional week of vacation for longtime workers. The contract shows collective bargaining translating directly into higher compensation and stronger retirement benefits. International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Power belongs to the people who show up, speak out, organize, and build the power to hold our leaders accountable to the will of the people.
No Kings: Vote Early
Millions of us have already shown what people power looks like when we stand together. On October 17, we take the next step: No Kings: Vote Early.
Across the country, communities have filled streets and public spaces to defend our rights, freedoms, and democracy. Those moments reminded us of a powerful truth:
We are not powerless. And we are not alone.
Now we carry that energy from the streets to the ballot box.
Voting early is one of the simplest ways to make sure our voices are counted while helping our friends, families, and neighbors create their own voting plans.
On October 17, communities nationwide will come together for No Kings: Vote Early.
Whether you have joined every No Kings action or this is your first time stepping forward, there is a place for you.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
📍 Find a No Kings: Vote Early event near you
🙋 Host a No Kings: Vote Early event
Can’t find an event near you? Bring one to your community. Gather your neighbors. Help make sure every voice is heard.
Progress rarely arrives all at once. This week, it looked like courts protecting due process, voters keeping access to familiar election systems, clean-energy projects moving forward, patients retaining healthcare access, and workers turning solidarity into better contracts. These wins came from people using the courts, organizing workplaces, building institutions, and refusing to surrender their voice.
Power belongs to the people who show up, speak out, stand together, and build the power to hold our leaders accountable to the people they serve.
Laurie Woodward Garcia
(paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)
Leader, People Power United
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🗽 America at 250: Liberty, Justice, and Building Power to the People
People power does not build itself. It grows when people choose to stand together.
Every person who joins, stays connected, shares this work, and helps carry it forward makes this movement stronger. This belongs to all of us.
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Thank you Laurie and your valiant crew for these positive updates. Such things tend to fade away
from view amid all the catastrophic news we receive daily!
Yes, some great news. Thank you for all you are doing.