📢 Resist & Rising Together Weekly: Good News and Progress from the Resistance
Resist & Rising Together Weekly shares uplifting stories of resistance, resilience, and real progress in the fight for democracy. Each week, we highlight victories for justice, freedom, and equality.
We’re powered by people, not corporations. Subscribe for free to stay informed — or go paid to help build grassroots change and fuel people-powered resistance.
Resist & Rising Together Weekly: Good News and Progress from the Resistance
Each week, Resist & Rising Together Weekly delivers stories of courage, creativity, and collective power from people pushing back against fascism and building a better future. While authoritarians try to divide and silence us, we’re rising—community by community, action by action—to defend democracy and demand justice.
This is where we celebrate progress: victories in the courts, wins for workers, breakthroughs in climate action, and moments when people everywhere stand up for freedom and fairness.
Because resistance isn’t just about fighting back—it’s about moving forward. Together, we are writing the story of progress, one act of people power at a time.
✊ Protest Highlights
Portland, Oregon — Veterans rallied to “disobey and stand against war on American soil.” - City of Portland
Overseas — Protesters gathered in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Tunisia and Argentina after Israeli forces intercepted a fleet of vessels carrying aid to Gaza. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among the passengers aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla. - CNN & NPR
Morocco — Morocco’s youth protest for fourth night, decry World Cup spending over schools and hospitals - CNN
Brooklyn, NY — Rabbis for Ceasefire group arrested on Yom Kippur after shutting down Brooklyn Bridge - ABC
Chicago, IL — Several groups including the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA) and Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression took part in an “emergency protest.” - NBC Chicago
USA - NoKings.org October 18 event announcement. NO Kings national day of action happening on October 18th reaches over 2000+ events - No Kings
⚖️ State Resistance to Federal Overreach
The State of Oregon filed suit and won to prevent the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops to Portland under the guise of quelling small anti-ICE demonstrations. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, halting the deployment and reaffirming that states retain the right to control their own military forces during peacetime. The decision signaled growing judicial skepticism toward the administration’s use of the military against domestic protest activity. — CNN
🗣️ Free Speech and Transparency
The Knight First Amendment Institute filed a mandamus petition in federal court asking an appeals panel to intervene after a Trump-appointed judge refused to release the special counsel’s report on Donald Trump’s retention of classified documents. The petition argues that the prolonged secrecy undermines public accountability and the public’s right to know what evidence was uncovered. It marks one of the most direct legal challenges yet to the Trump administration’s attempts to suppress investigative findings. — The Washington Post
💵 Federal Reserve Independence and Rule of Law
Every living former chair of the Federal Reserve, along with numerous former Treasury Secretaries and senior economic advisers, sent a joint letter urging the Supreme Court to block Donald Trump from firing Governor Lisa Cook. The signatories warned that removing her would erode central-bank independence and destroy public confidence in monetary policy. The Court later allowed Cook to remain in her position until oral arguments scheduled for January 2026 — a rare setback for the administration’s attempt to consolidate financial control. — Reuters
🎓 Civil Liberties in Higher Education
A federal court in South Dakota reinstated a professor who had been dismissed after posting on social media that right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was “a hate-spreading Nazi.” The judge ruled that the First Amendment protected his post and that the university failed to show any disruption to campus operations. The victory reaffirmed that educators retain the right to express political opinions without fear of government-driven retaliation. — Washington Post
🕊️ Immigrant Rights and Academic Freedom
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. found that the Trump administration unlawfully targeted non-citizen students and scholars who participated in peaceful pro-Palestinian protests, threatening them with deportation in violation of the First Amendment. The ruling ordered the government to cease the intimidation campaign and restore visas for affected individuals. Civil-liberties advocates hailed the decision as a critical check on political repression within academia. — CBS News
📻 Public Broadcasting Independence and Press Freedom
National Public Radio filed suit to block the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from transferring $57.9 million in federal satellite-service funds to a new nonprofit favored by Trump appointees. The complaint argues that redirecting congressionally approved funding violates federal law and long-standing precedent protecting public media from political interference. Journalists and media-ethics experts warn the case could determine whether non-partisan broadcasting survives under future administrations. — Current
📜 Congressional Oversight and Transparency
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a new set of partially redacted Jeffrey Epstein documents obtained through subpoena, including calendars and travel logs. The files revealed communications between Epstein and prominent figures such as Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Steve Bannon. Lawmakers said the disclosure demonstrates the need for continued independent oversight despite efforts by the Trump administration to restrict access to investigative materials. — House Oversight Committee
🎬 Corporate Pushback and Legal Posture
In the ongoing conflict between Donald Trump and major media corporations, the Walt Disney Company began preparing for a high-stakes legal showdown over broadcast-license threats after Trump loyalists targeted ABC for airing Jimmy Kimmel’s return monologue critical of the regime. After consulting with legal experts, Disney stated it was confident the First Amendment would protect its programming decisions. An FCC commissioner publicly urged companies not to bow to political pressure, warning that yielding to intimidation would chill artistic and journalistic freedom across the industry. — Bloomberg
Thanks for joining us for Rising Together Weekly: Good News and Progress from the Resistance. See you next week!
Will You Share Your Story?
In every generation, some people refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. At People Power United, we know the most incredible stories of courage don’t come from halls of power but from the people. That’s why we’re launching “Freedom Over Fascism: Voices of the People.” We want your story. Tell us why you stand against kings in America and believe healthcare is a human right—not a privilege for the powerful. Whether in your own words or, even better, on video, share why you believe democracy must serve everyone who calls America home. Together, we’ll uplift these stories to remind lawmakers that they represent the people—not the wealthy, not the well-connected, but all of us who refuse to be silent in the face of injustice. Because when we raise our voices, we prove that the people’s power is greater than those in power.
You’re invited: NO KINGS National Day of Action
Details: 📅 Date: October 18, 2025 📍 Location: Over 2000+ locations and growing. RSVP today and bring your voice to the movement!
✨ Together we can inspire change!
People Power United is a grassroots group of over 250,000+ members in all 50 states-powered by people like YOU. We champion progress and power to the people.
We believe in change because we make change happen.
Here’s what makes us special:
💡 Grassroots energy: No fundraising, no constant emails asking for donations.
📢 Impact through action: We believe in the possibility of change and do the work to make it happen. We don’t just complain, we make change happen!
Together we can drive progress!
In this community, we will never stay silent in the face of hate or bigotry. We will show up, speak out, and build power 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 our community.
We believe:
Everyone deserves dignity —with access to housing, healthcare, and education.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive — regardless of age, race, sex, sexual preference, pronouns, religion, or employment status.
Everyone deserves safety—clean air and water, and communities free from gun violence.
The power is in your hands. Let’s champion freedom over fascism—because our future depends on it.
Together, we can protect and empower those we love, champion our rights, freedoms, and democracy, hold our leaders accountable to the people’s will, and inspire voters to make a meaningful difference.
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests), People Power United
People Power United is a group of community members that champions freedom over fascism, progress, and power to the people.
People Power United is community-powered, heart-driven, and people-led. We are powered by people. Not billionaires. Not PACs. Not special interests. Just us. You make that possible. Subscribe for free to stay informed — or go paid to help build grassroots change and fuel people-powered resistance.
Thank you Laurie! So nice to see good news for a change.