Newsletter Vol 1; issue 17kalamazoo
indivisiblekzoo.org/

Email 2024kalamazooindivisble@gmail.com to receive the newsletter.

Trump Grifting America

"Last week, a state-backed United Arab Emirates investment firm announced that it would make a $2 billion business deal using digital currency affiliated with Trump’s family. There are so many glaring conflicts of interest here to unpack, and his family could make tens of millions off this deal alone. Crooked Media 
• "Trump unveiled a new crypto exchange, World Liberty Financial, in September 2024 — right before the election. The group was marketed as an internet bank, where people can borrow and lend money using crypto. As of late March, it had sold at least $550 million in crypto. (The White House claims Trump’s assets are in a trust managed by his children, so there’s no conflict of interest. But that hasn’t stopped them from using Trump’s persona to market the crypto.)" Crooked Media 
• "...Mega-wealthy people will purchase tons of the Trump family’s cryptocurrency to gain access to the White House. It’s happening in plain sight: Trump is hosting private dinners for people who invest in his digital coins, including one event that costs $1.5 million to attend. One company publicly bragged about buying influence this week." Crooked Media

Trumpenomics Local Devastation

Kalamazoo non-profits have already lost $37 million in previously allocated federal funds but $222 million are at risk.  The YWCA launched SolidarityData.org to track Trump cuts to 37 Kalamazoo nonprofits and local government agencies,  According to  MLive "Cuts have put 96,775 people at risk of losing access to housing, food and other essential services. So far, 61 people have lost their jobs, per the website, and 717 more are at risk". In Kzoo County over 7k residents are at risk of losing housing assistance which includes emergency shelters, transitional housing and programs for older adults and those with disabilities. Susan Reed, the Director of Michigan Immigrant Rights Center said "The Trump administration’s cuts intentionally target at-risk people," Reed suggests Kalamazoo residents contact state and federal representatives, attending “solidarity sessions,” volunteering and donating. MLive

1. Visit the 5 Calls website for scripts, or download the app and it will connect you immediately with your elected officials and provide a script.

2. Send a free fax via FaxZero.com. No fax machine is required.

3. Directly dial your elected official's phone number and say, "I want to leave a comment." Provide your name and address, and then leave your comment.
4. Go to their website, click on "contact" and send an email.

Contact Your Congressman

1) Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4) (Huizenga is no longer accepting comments by phone; go to huizenga.house.gov/ and click "contact me")

2) Tim Walberg (R-MI-5) (202) 225-6276

1.Demand No Cuts to Medicaid and Child Welfare Programs in Budget Reconciliation  Read more on 5 Calls 2. Block Budget Increase for ICE and Mass Deportations  House and Senate Republicans are working on a budget reconciliation bill that proposes between $90 and $175 billion in spending increases over the next 10 years, This funding influx would allow ICE to: a. Expand the use of the wartime authority known as the Alien Enemies Act to unlawfully send immigrants to other countries without notice or due process. b. Build a massive immigration jail on Guantanamo Bay. c. Add thousands of officers and enlist police and sheriff's deputies across the country to help arrest and jail more immigrants. d. Funnel billions to private contractors to identify targets, jail them in for-profit detention centers, and fast-track their deportations. 5 Calls for info/script 3. Oppose Funding Cuts to NPR and PBS The Trump administration is calling to starve local National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations by demanding $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity that disburses funding to public media organizations and local stations throughout the U.S. While this amount is a small percentage of the overall budgets of NPR and PBS, most of the federal funding goes to local member stations to keep news departments afloat and able to produce local programming. These funding cuts are part of a larger effort to dismantle the nation's public broadcasting system, spearheaded by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Taylor Greene chairs the DOGE subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight, and seeks to end all funding for public broadcasting. Her committee began hearings under the moniker "Anti-American Airwaves." 5 Calls for info/script 4. Protect the Great Lakes Sea Lamprey Danger

5. More issues/scripts on the 5 Calls app or website

Contact Your Senators

1) Sen. Gary Peters (D) 616-233-9150
2) Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D) 203-224-4822 (Slotkin is not accepting faxes at this point in time)
1.Demand No Cuts to Medicaid and Child Welfare Programs in Budget Reconciliation 
Read more on 5 Calls
2. Block Budget Increase for ICE and Mass Deportations 
House and Senate Republicans are working on a budget reconciliation bill that proposes between $90 and $175 billion in spending increases over the next 10 years,
This funding influx would allow ICE to:
a. Expand the use of the wartime authority known as the Alien Enemies Act to unlawfully send immigrants to other countries without notice or due process.
b. Build a massive immigration jail on Guantanamo Bay.
c. Add thousands of officers and enlist police and sheriff's deputies across the country to help arrest and jail more immigrants.
d. Funnel billions to private contractors to identify targets, jail them in for-profit detention centers, and fast-track their deportations. 5 Calls for info/script
3. Oppose Funding Cuts to NPR and PBS
The Trump administration is calling to starve local National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations by demanding $1.1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity that disburses funding to public media organizations and local stations throughout the U.S. While this amount is a small percentage of the overall budgets of NPR and PBS, most of the federal funding goes to local member stations to keep news departments afloat and able to produce local programming.
These funding cuts are part of a larger effort to dismantle the nation's public broadcasting system, spearheaded by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Taylor Greene chairs the DOGE subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight, and seeks to end all funding for public broadcasting. Her committee began hearings under the moniker "Anti-American Airwaves." 5 Calls for info/script
4. Protect the Great Lakes
Sea Lamprey Danger

5. More issues/scripts on the 5 Calls app or website

Contact Your State Legislators

MI Sen. Sean McCann (D-19) 517-373-5100
MI Rep. Matt Longjohn (D-40) 517-373-8670
MI Rep. Julie Rogers (D-41) 517-373-1783 
MI Rep. Matt Hall (R-42) 517-373-1784 gophouse.org/member/repmatthal…
MI Rep. Sarah Lightner (R-45) 517-373-1773 electsarahlightner.com/
MI Sen. Thomas Albert (R-5) 517-373-1734 senatorthomasalbert.com/contac…

Join us at Huizenga’s Office

Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo is hosting weekly protests on the sidewalk by Huizenga's Portage office, 5228 Lovers Lane, Suite 108, on Fridays from 12:00–1:00 p.m. and 4:30–6:00 p.m. Signs may be available; bring signs that focus on Huizenga and his actions. Additionally, bring a letter or postcard to deliver to his office during the protest. Parking may be available in the Trestlewood Office Park or in the Portage Creek Bicentennial Trail parking lot at the corner of Kilgore and Lovers Lane. Bring friends!

Boycotts

May 20–26 / The People's Union boycott of Walmart
June 3–9 / The People's Union boycott of Target
June 24–30 / The People's Union boycott of McDonald's
July 4 / The People's Union Independence Day boycott

Protests

May 16 / 12:00–1:00 p.m.; 4:30–6:00 p.m. / Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo protest, Huizenga Portage office. Bring signs and letters (to slip under the door) to 5228 Lovers Ln., Suite 108
May 19 /  6:00––8:00 p.m.  Monday Poster Nights! Join Kalamazoo and Indivisible Southwest Michigan
(VanBuren) members for fun making posters. Supplies provided (or bring your own). ALL are welcome. ALL ages.
ALL IDEAS! The Lucky Wolf, 404 E Michigan Ave, Paw Paw, MI; 269-913-4153 
May 23 / 12:00–1:00 p.m.; 4:30–6:00 p.m. / Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo protest, Huizenga Portage office. Bring signs and letters (to slip under the door) to 5228 Lovers Ln., Suite 108
May 30 / 12:00–1:00 p.m.; 4:30–6:00 p.m. / Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo protest, Huizenga Portage office. Bring signs and letters (to slip under the door) to 5228 Lovers Ln., Suite 108
June 14 / NO KINGS Protest. KALAMAZOO. Details TBD

Events

May 13 / 5:30 p.m. Election Security by Kalamazoo County Clerk's Office 1000 W Paterson, Kalamazoo
May 13 / 6:00 p.m. Do Something Meeting, Crawlspace Comedy Theater. Sheriff Richard Fuller speaking about ICE
May 14 / 8:00–9:00 p.m. / Markers for Democracypostcard campaign
May 15 / 3:00–4:30 p.m. / Field Team 6's BYOP text team to register Democrats in key swing states. RSVP (Virtual event)
May 15 / 3:00–4:00 p.m. / What's the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible's Co-Founders (Virtual event) 
May 21 / 6:30 p.m. / Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo meeting, People's Church in person or on Zoom.
May 21 / 3:00–4:00 p.m. / What's the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible's Co-Founders (Virtual event)
May 22 / 1:00 p.m. / Dealing with Disinformation (Virtual event)
May 22  / 1:00 p.m. / Political Writing Workshop (Virtual event)
May 28 / 3:00–4:00 p.m. / What's the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible's Co-Founders (Virtual event) 
May 29 / 3:00–4:30 p.m. / Field Team 6's BYOP text team to register Democrats in key swing states. RSVP (Virtual event)
June 4 / 6:30 p.m. / Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo meeting, People's Church in person or on Zoom. Ranked-choice voting 
June 6–7   Kalamazoo Pride; IGK tabling Outfront Kalamazoo 
June 7 / 11:00 a.m. Do Dah Parade   IGK will be marching- details to come
June  14 / 1:00 ––7:00 p.m. Rootead's Juneteenth Celebration Bronson Park
June 21 / 6:30 p.m. / Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo meeting, People's Church in person or on Zoom.
Fall — Democracy Fest (Date TBD)

The Court News

1. Republican Court Losses Stack Up Across The Country
*5/2/25 Republicans suffered two defeats in Pennsylvania. "A trial court dismissed a right-wing lawsuit seeking to purge hundreds of thousands of voters, while the Third Circuit rejected a motion to block a lower court’s decision requiring Pennsylvania to count undated or incorrectly dated mail-in ballots."
*5/5/25 "The Department of Justice announced it would not appeal a federal court ruling in Washington, D.C., that blocked key parts of President Trump’s executive order on elections. This decision was a significant victory for Democrats who had challenged the order, and a key concession by the administration that Trump’s unconstitutional power grab over federal elections will not succeed."
*5/6/25  "A federal judge ended the ridiculous slammed 6-month-long effort to overturn the North Carolina Supreme Court election. A Trump-appointed judge dismissed every claim made by the Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin," the Republican candidate, FINALLY conceded.
*5/7/25  A 3-judge federal panel — with two Trump-appointed judges and one appointed by Ronald Reagan — "excoriated the state of Alabama for intentionally discriminating against Black voters and ignoring the court’s previous ruling. The court indicated it might consider placing the state back under special supervision under the Voting Rights Act due to its continued violations of Black voters’ rights."
*Indiana, Florida, Kansas and Montana were all targeted this week with lawsuits over newly enacted anti-democracy laws.
* "A petition filed this week in the Wisconsin Supreme Court would undo the state’s partisan gerrymandered congressional map. Republicans currently enjoy a 6-2 majority in the congressional delegation. By all accounts, a fair map would be evenly split." Democracy Docket 
2. Another Judge Halted Another EO
"A judge has temporarily halted Trump’s firings at federal agencies—for at least 2 weeks. Judge Susan Illston stated: “As history demonstrates, the president may broadly restructure federal agencies only when authorized by Congress." Scott Dworkin
3. SCOTUS to Hear Technicality in Birthright Citizrnship Case 
"This week, on Thursday, the Supreme Court hears oral argument in the birthright citizenship case. But not exactly, because the issue on the table isn’t whether Trump can undo the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship to anyone born in the United States; it’s about a technical issue, one we’ve encountered before. The issue is whether a district judge can issue an injunction that takes effect nationwide, or whether their decision is only applicable within certain their judicial district, or even limited just to the parties in front of them." Heather Cox Richardson

The Bad News
1. DOGE Savings Claim Quietly Decreased by $1 Billion
"DOGE was exposed for removing nearly $1 billion in so-called 'savings' from their website. When it comes to finding fraud, all they have to do is look in the mirror" — Scott Dworkin
2. RFK Jr. Pledges to Find 'What's Behind' Autism by September
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent decades as a self-appointed expert on autism and what causes it, yet he just showed world he has a very limited understanding of the experience of autism patients in 2025. Of course, we need to find out the cause and hopefully eradicate it if possible (i.e. it isn't a forever chemical or something), but claiming autistic kids won't live full lives or use a toilet unassisted is stigmatizing. Watch the video below, I'm speechless. (Public Notice)

3. House Republican Gives Game Away on Medicaid Cuts

"Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) said the quiet part out loud on how House Republicans plan to cut Medicaid: 'The federal government is paying 90% of the Medicaid expansion. What we've talked about is moving that 90% level of the expansion back. Nobody would be kicked off Medicaid as long as governors decided they wanted to continue to fund the program'" — Meidas+

4. Republican Cuts May Cause Health Insurance Crisis

"CNN's Ronald Brownstein: 'House Republicans are zeroing [in] on reversing the ACA Medicaid expansion. It could raise the number of uninsured by 11 million and destabilize budgets in all 40 states that expanded. 6.8 million people in Republican districts are now benefiting from this.'" — Meidas+

5. State Department to Undergo Draconian 'Reorganization'

"Tyler McBrien, editor of Lawfare: 'The new State Department reorg[inization] pretty much cuts all departments related to global women's issues, global criminal justice, conflict stabilization operations, trafficking in persons, and international religious freedom offices [and] bureaus.'" — Meidas+

6. DOGE, Musk, and Russia Stealing Americans' Data

"On April 15, Jenna McLaughlin of NPR reported on an official whistleblower disclosure that as soon as members of the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (DOGE) arrived at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), they appeared to be hacking into secure data. While they claimed to be looking for places to cut costs, the behavior of the DOGE team suggested something else was going on. They demanded the highest level of access, tried to hide their activities in the system, turned off monitoring tools, and then manually deleted the record of their tracks, all behaviors that cybersecurity experts told McLaughlin sounded like 'what criminal or state-sponsored hackers might do.'

Staffers noticed that an IP address in Russia was trying to log in to the system using a newly created DOGE account with correct username and password, and later saw that a large amount of sensitive data was leaving the agency. Cybersecurity experts identified that spike as a sign of a breach in the system, creating the potential for that data to be sold, stolen, or used to hurt companies, while the head of DOGE himself could use the information for his own businesses. 'All of this is alarming,' Russ Handorf, who worked in cybersecurity for the FBI, told McLaughlin. 'If this was a publicly traded company, I would have to report this [breach] to the Securities and Exchange Commission.' When the whistleblower brought his concerns to someone at NLRB, he received threats.

'If he didn’t know the backstory, any [chief information security officer] worth his salt would look at network activity like this and assume it’s a nation-state attack from China or Russia,' Jake Braun, former acting principal deputy national cyber director at the White House, told McLaughlin.

McLaughlin noted that the story of what happened at the NLRB is not uncommon. When challenged by judges, DOGE has offered conflicting and vague answers to the question of why it needs access to sensitive information, and has dismissed concerns about cybersecurity and privacy. The administration has slashed through the agencies that protect systems from attack and Trump has signed an executive order urging government departments to 'eliminate…information silos' and to share their information.

Sharon Block, the executive director of Harvard Law School's Center for Labor and a Just Economy and a former NLRB board member, told McLaughlin: 'There is nothing that I can see about what DOGE is doing that follows any of the standard procedures for how you do an audit that has integrity and that's meaningful and will actually produce results that serve the normal auditing function, which is to look for fraud, waste and abuse…. The mismatch between what they're doing and the established, professional way to do what they say they're doing...that just kind of gives away the store, that they are not actually about finding more efficient ways for the government to operate.'

On April 18, Makena Kelly and Vittoria Elliott of Wired reported that DOGE is building a master database that knits together information from U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration, and voting data from Pennsylvania and Florida. This appears to be designed to find and pressure undocumented immigrants, Kelly and Elliott reported, but the effects of the consolidation of data are not limited to them." — Heather Cox Richardson

7. More Fallout from Surge of Anti-Vaccine Disinformation on Social Media

1,792% increase in whooping cough in Michigan — MLive

8. Trade War Fallout

A) "Bloomberg reported that Chinese refineries have slashed US oil imports by 90% and are now purchasing record volumes of Canadian crude"

B) "Shaun Rein, with China Market Research Group: 'China is not buying American oil but is now buying Canadian oil. China is not buying American soybeans but buying Brazilian soybeans. China is not buying American Boeings but buying France's Airbuses. China is not buying American beef but buying Australian. China has decided basically not to buy anything from America and, aside from semiconductors, can easily replace American made products.' 'America, on the other hand, had to exempt iPhones and computers from tariffs. America can't buy antibiotics and rare earth anywhere else. Things are not going to go the way Trump wants. Bessent, Navarro, Lutnick should be fired. Can there be a more arrogant yet unsophisticated triumvirate in American economic history?'"

C) "Derek Thompson with The Atlantic: 'We really did it. We took a growing US manufacturing economy, declared it broken, started a trade war, and... broke US manufacturing. In last 48 hours: Philly Fed Survey: "New orders fell sharply, from 8.7 in March to -34.2, its lowest reading since April 2020." NY Fed Survey: "Expected orders and shipments plunging." Again, this is supposed to be a policy to revive US manufacturing?'" — Meidas+

9. ICE Arrest Dem Mayor

"Authorities arrested Newark Mayor Ras Baraka after he was accused of trespassing inside an ICE detention center today. Baraka, who is running for governor, was protesting the center’s opening. He has “chosen to disregard the law,” interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said in a statement." Crooked Media

12. SCOTUS allows Trump's Transgender Military Ban

Military will purge 1000 soldiers

13. Trump is Thinking of Suspending Habeas Corpus

According to Lord Voldemort (Stephen Miller) Trump wants to end Habeas Corpus which is the right to challenge incarceration in court, because it's slowing down deportation. Unfortunately for Trump and Voldemort, it's a Constitutionally guaranteed right that can only be suspended “when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it" which Trump and Miller are planning to claim with a straight face. Democracy Docket

14. Qatar Seduces Trump

"The Trump administration plans on accepting a luxury jumbo jet as a gift from the Qatari royal family. Taking a “gift” worth hundreds of millions of dollars from a foreign country is absolutely an impeachable act, as it violates the Constitution". Scott Dworkin

 
The Good News
1. Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo Printables

We have printable ready for you to print. Get IGK bookmarks, business cards, flyers, and more from our website.

2. Abdul El-Sayed Running for U.S. Senate in Michigan

3. Tides Are Turning Against Trump's Abuses of Power

"The shift in momentum against the Trump administration is palpable. The White House is mired in scandal and internal discord. The economic outlook darkens daily, and our foreign policy is in disarray. The courts continue to hand them defeats at nearly every level, including the Supreme Court.

As the administration grows more desperate and more principled lawyers exit, it has become increasingly defiant and reckless in court. It is baiting judges to hold it in contempt. More judges will almost certainly do so. We are on the brink of a full blown constitutional crisis." — Democracy Docket

4. Dem Senators Blocked the GENIUS Act

Because it didn't go far enough to regulate cryptocurrency to keep foreign powers from using it to curry favor with Trump. That means there is nothing stopping him right now but they are hoping to pass a stricter law.

5. Trump Backs Off Tariffs

"U.S. levies on Chinese goods will drop from at least 145% to a base levy of 30% for an initial period of 90 days, while Chinese levies are set to fall from at least 125% to 10% on U.S. goods.U.S. levies on Chinese goods will drop from at least 145% to a base levy of 30% for an initial period of 90 days, while Chinese levies are set to fall from at least 125% to 10% on U.S. goods" NPR

6, Trump Fails to Bully Zelensky

"This weekend, Trump tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into accepting Putin’s offer to meet with Russian representatives—and to abandon hope for a ceasefire. That all backfired.

Zelensky responded by demanding Putin meet with him in person, stating: “We await a full and lasting ceasefire … I will be waiting for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”

Zelensky sets the bar for how we should deal with dictators like Trump and Putin. We don’t just bow and kiss their ring. They must be confronted head-on, like we’ve done with Trump for more than 9 years now." Scott Dworkin