The House budget reconciliation bill includes frightening language to ban states from regulating artificial intelligence: this is a long Substack post quoting recent Wired magazine reporting on the systems potentially being used.

open.substack.com/pub/quadzill…

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

Please read. Angie and I were just taking about how fraught this issue is and how the right has succeed in shutting down legitimate discussions. Hope this helps.

"...There’s so much more to say about this issue—and so many angles people overlook. Transgender sports bans don’t just harm trans athletes; they’ve also led to cisgender kids being subjected to invasive genital exams just to play in youth leagues. The science doesn’t support the bans: many trans athletes compete at a disadvantage, and in even the most populous states, only a handful participate at all. These laws waste public money, codify discrimination, and serve as gateways for even broader anti-trans attacks. And politically, they don’t offer the protection some Democrats hope for—just ask New Hampshire, where some Democrats caved on sports bans, lost 20 House seats, and are now staring down a flood of new anti-trans legislation. There is no moderate case for these bans. If you’re not a reactionary conservative, you shouldn’t be backing them."
open.substack.com/pub/erininth…

Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo Actions

1) Weekly Protests at Huizenga's Office continue! Join the fun and enjoy all the encouraging car honks! Fridays at 12:00, and 4:30; co-hosted by Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo and Indivisible Southwest Michigan; 5228 Lovers Lane, Suite 108, Portage.
The Kalamazoo Visibility Brigade is often up the road on the overpass, and Indivisible sometimes joins forces with them. Check them out here:
mobilize.us/kalamazoovisibilit…

2) Wednesday, May 21, 6:30 pm - Next Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo (IGK) Meeting, People's Church, 1758 N. 10th Street, Kalamazoo, MI.

3) June 6 & 7 are both the Do Dah Parade and PRIDE weekend. Please email IndivisibleKalamazoo2@gmail.com if you can volunteer to (A) help do parade PREP (we have a "Robin Hood" theme), (B) MARCH in the Parade with Indivisible (because we need to know how many "costume" items to make) and (C) STAFF our table at Pride for part of a day.

4) Next MASS EVENT: Saturday, June 14 - details to come. This is Flag Day and the President's birthday. He wants a military parade. We The People are going to protest everywhere else around the country and avoid D.C. The theme is NO KINGS! More forthcoming at: nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=indivi…

5) IGK Shirts are available for order through our website: indivisiblekzoo.itemorder.com/… Shirts are printed in batches, so note the deadline listed at the top of the Order page.

Opportunities Through Other Organizations

6) 5/6/25 - 5/12/25 is the second Amazon Boycott due to concerns about the company's business practices, labor conditions, and the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This is organized through The Peoples Union USA. Here is an article about their efforts:
newsweek.com/nationwide-amazon…

7) Saturday, May 10, 12:00-2:00 "Takedown" Protest, corner of S. Westnedge and Old Kilgore. "No Kings, Jesters, Oligarchies!" Boycott and divest from Tesla, SpaceX, Boring, Grok, and Target. Donations of shelf stable foods, toiletries, diapers accepted.

8) Monday, May 12 at 6pm Comstock School Board meeting. "Comstock School Board Quietly Rescinded Protections for Trans Students — We Demand a Reinstatement Vote". Show your support. Bring a sign or share your story during public comment. We ask that this remain a peaceful demonstration of support. 6138 King Highway, Kalamazoo, MI 49048. ➔ More info below, including an opportunity to write to Comstock School Board Members.

9) Mondays 5/12 and 5/19, 6-8 PM Monday Poster Nights! Join Kalamazoo and Van Buren Indivisible 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

10) For those who can travel - Monday, May 12, 6 pm No ICE Detention Center in Baldwin - "Communities not Cages". Attend the Baldwin Village Council Meeting to support their opposition to this ICE Detention Center; 620 Washington St, Baldwin, MI. ➔ Flier attached below, with more info and other ways to get involved in this initiative, including contacting our Elected Officials.
Press Release here: nodetentioncentersmi.org/2025/…

11) Tuesday, May 13, 6 pm - The KCDP Do Something group is meeting at Crawlspace Comedy Theatre
315 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo. Sheriff Fuller will be speaking about ICE, and related issues for Kalamazoo County. allevents.in/kalamazoo/do-some…

12) El Concilio and the United Farm Workers are calling for Action on farmworker wages.
Senator Slotkin has announced plans to freeze farmworker wages. You can find more information on this issue here: Instagram Link
Call to action: Instead of fighting to protect American workers, Elissa Slotkin told us she’s decided to work with the GOP to make it easier and cheaper to import vulnerable foreign guest workers. You can call Senator Slotkin’s DC office at 202-759-4087 to voice your concerns. ➔ You can find a script about Protecting Farm Worker Wages below.

More on the Comstock School Board

Comstock School Board Quietly Rescinded Protections for Trans Students
We Demand a Reinstatement Vote

On March 10th, 2025, the Comstock Public School Board voted to rescind Policy 5106 –
Transgender Students, which outlined basic protections for transgender students, including affirming names and pronouns, bathroom access, and accurate school records. The vote happened quietly and without community input, in response to Executive Orders 14168 and 14190 from the Trump administration threatening to pull federal funding from schools that support trans students.

The board's action was nearly invisible—until a parent was contacted and told, incorrectly, that transgender students would now be required to use bathrooms matching their gender assigned at birth. That misunderstanding revealed the board’s lack of clarity on civil rights law and prompted community concern. Only after pushback did they acknowledge that federal protections still cover bathroom access—but by then, the damage was done, and the policy had
already been rescinded.

Let’s be clear: this was a politically motivated decision based on fear, not facts. The federal threats are already being blocked in court, and schools are not losing funding for affirming trans students.

Comstock’s decision is out of step with the rest of Michigan. Of 535 public school districts:

26 have adopted and retained trans student policies
461 never had a policy
41 considered a policy but left it blank
Only 9, including Comstock, have chosen to rescind

We demand that the Comstock Board immediately move to vote on reinstating Policy 5106. Our students deserve clarity, consistency, and compassion—not performative compliance and legal ambiguity.

🗣Take Action : Copy and paste the form letter below and email it to every board member and the superintendent. Let them know we see what they did—and we expect better.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑Join Us : Next Monday, May 12th, at 6pm for the next Comstock School Board meeting and show your support. Bring a sign or share your story during public comment. We ask that this remain a peaceful demonstration of support.
6138 King Highway, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Board Members:

Pamela Dickinson - President
pamela.dickinson@comstockps.org

Matthew Schreiner - Vice President
matt.schreiner@comstockps.org

Paul Lamphear - Treasurer
paul.lamphear@comstockps.org

Saralyn Brown - Secretary
saralyn.brown@comstockps.org

Hillary Cook - Trustee
hillary.cook@comstockps.org

Richard Hathaway - Trustee
richard.hathaway@comstockps.org

Kristie Poulson - Trustee
kristie.poulson@comstockps.org

Jeff Thoenes - Superintendant
Jeff.Thoenes@ComstockPS.org

open.substack.com/pub/blueamp/…

Wow…. we’ve been talking around the edges of this issue for months….mainly waiting for buyer’s remorse to set in and figuring out how to politicize it, but this is a huge, all-encompassing breakdown.

Good ideas, but some rules are meant to be broken.

karintamerius.substack.com/p/t…

The Message Is the Movement: Your Guide to Smarter Protest Signage

Do you know how to design signs that sing?

^{Karin Tamerius (The Smart Politics Way)}

Good ideas, but some rules are meant to be broken.

karintamerius.substack.com/p/t…

The Message Is the Movement: Your Guide to Smarter Protest Signage

Do you know how to design signs that sing?

^{Karin Tamerius (The Smart Politics Way)}

bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct7yv1

‪Peter Butts‬ ‪@pbutts61.bsky.social‬
Federalist Papers #47….yes, “47.”
As James Madison wrote in “Federalist No. 47”: “The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary in the same hands … may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”

yahoo.com/news/trump-showing-w…

From Liz Cheney

I need more from you.
You keep sending emails begging for $15,
while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time.
This administration is not simply “a different ideology.”
It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control.
And you?
You’re still asking for decorum and donations. WTF.
That won’t save us.
I don’t want to hear another polite floor speech.
I want strategy.
I want fire.
I want action so bold it shifts the damn news cycle — not fits inside one.
Every time I see something from the DNC, it’s asking me for funds.
Surprise.
Those of us who donate don’t want to keep sending money just to watch you stand frozen as the Constitution goes up in flames — shaking your heads and saying,
“Well, there’s not much we can do. He has the majority.”
I call bullshit.
If you don’t know how to think outside the box…
If you don’t know how to strategize…
If you don’t know how to fight fire with fire…
what the hell are we giving you money for?
Some of us have two or three advanced degrees.
Some of us have military training.
Some of us know what coordinated resistance looks like — and this ain’t it.
Yes, the tours around the country? Nice.
The speeches? Nice.
The clever congressional clapbacks? Nice.
That was great for giving hope.
Now we need action.
You have to stop acting like this is a normal presidency that will just time out in four years.
We’re not even at Day 90, and look at the chaos.
Look at the disappearances.
Look at the erosion of the judiciary, the press, and our rights.
If you do not stop this, we will not make it 1,460 days.
So here’s what I need from you — right now:
⸻
1. Form an independent, civilian-powered investigative coalition.
I’m talking experts. Veterans. Whistleblowers. Journalists. Watchdog orgs.
Deputize the resistance. Build a real-time archive of corruption, overreach, and executive abuse.
Make it public. Make it unshakable.
Let the people drag the rot into the light.
If you can’t hold formal hearings, hold public ones.
If Congress won’t act, let the country act.
This isn’t about optics — it’s about receipts.
Because at some point, these people will be held accountable.
And when that day comes, we’ll need every name, every signature, every illegal order, every act of silence—documented.
You’re not just preserving truth — you’re preparing evidence for prosecution.
The more they vanish people and weaponize data, the more we need truth in the sunlight.
⸻
2. Join the International Criminal Court.
Yes, I said it. Call their bluff.
You cannot control what the other side does.
But you can control your own integrity.
So prove it. Prove that your party is still grounded in law, human rights, and ethical leadership.
Join.
If you’ve got nothing to hide — join.
Show the world who’s hiding bodies, bribes, and buried bank accounts.
Force the GOP to explain why they’d rather protect a war criminal than sign a treaty.
And while you’re at it, publicly invite ICC observers into U.S. borders.
Make this administration explain — on camera — why they’re terrified of international oversight.
⸻
3. Fund state-level resistance infrastructure.
Don’t just send postcards. Send resources.
Channel DNC funds into rapid-response teams, legal defense coalitions, sanctuary networks, and digital security training.
If the federal government is hijacked, build power underneath it.
If the laws become tools of oppression, help people resist them legally, locally, and boldly.
This is not campaign season — this is an authoritarian purge.
Stop campaigning.
Act like this is the end of democracy, because it is.
We WILL REMEMBER the warriors come primaries.
Fighting this regime should be your marketing strategy.
And let’s be clear:
The reason the other side always seems three steps ahead is because they ARE.
They prepared for this.
They infiltrated school boards, courts, local legislatures, and police unions.
They built a machine while you wrote press releases.
We’re reacting — they’ve been executing a plan for years.
It’s time to shift from panic to blueprint.
You should already be working with strategists and military minds on PROJECT 2029 —
a coordinated, long-term plan to rebuild this country when the smoke clears.
You should be publicly laying out:
• The laws and amendments you’ll pass to ensure this never happens again
• The systems you’ll tear down and the safeguards you’ll enshrine
• The plan to hold perpetrators of human atrocities accountable
• The urgent commitment to immediately bring home those sold into slavery in El Salvador
You say you’re the party of the people?
Then show the people the plan.
⸻
4. Use your platform to educate the public on rights and resistance tactics.
If they’re going to strip us of rights and lie about it — arm the people with truth.
Text campaigns. Mass trainings. Downloadable “Know Your Rights” kits. Multilingual legal guides. Encrypted phone trees.
Give people tools, not soundbites.
We don’t need more slogans.
We need survival manuals.
⸻
5. Leverage international media and watchdogs.
Stop hoping U.S. cable news will wake up.
They’re too busy playing both sides of fascism.
Feed the real stories to BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, Der Spiegel — hell, leak them to anonymous dropboxes if you have to.
Make what’s happening in America a global scandal.
And stop relying on platforms that are actively suppressing truth.
Start leveraging Substack. Use Bluesky.
That’s where the resistance is migrating. That’s where censorship hasn’t caught up.
If the mainstream won’t carry the truth — outflank them.
Get creative. Go underground. Go global.
If our democracy is being dismantled in broad daylight, make sure the whole world sees it — and make sure we’re still able to say it.
⸻
6. Create a digital safe haven for whistleblowers and defectors.
Not everyone inside this regime is loyal.
Some are scared. Some want out.
Build the channels.
Encrypted. Anonymous. Protected.
Make it easy for the cracks in the system to become gaping holes.
And while you’re at it?
Stop ostracizing MAGA defectors.
Everyone makes mistakes — even glaring, critical ones.
We are not the bullies.
We are not the ones filled with hate.
And it is not your job to shame people who finally saw the fire and chose to step out of it.
They will have to deal with that internal struggle — the guilt of putting a very dangerous and callous regime in power.
But they’re already outnumbered. Don’t push them back into the crowd.
We don’t need purity.
We need numbers.
We need people willing to burn their red hats and testify against the machine they helped build.
⸻
7. Study the collapse—and the comeback.
You should be learning from South Korea and how they managed their brief rule under dictatorship.
They didn’t waste time chasing the one man with absolute immunity.
They went after the structure.
The aides. The enforcers. The loyalists. The architects.
They knocked out the foundation one pillar at a time —
until the “strongman” had no one left to stand on.
And his power crumbled beneath him.
You should be independently investigating every author of Project 2025,
every aide who defies court orders,
every communications director repeating lies,
every policy writer enabling cruelty,
every water boy who keeps this engine running.
You can’t stop a regime by asking the king to sit down.
You dismantle the throne he’s standing on — one coward at a time.
⸻
Stop being scared to fight dirty when the other side is fighting to erase the damn Constitution.
They are threatening to disappear AMERICANS.
A M E R I C A N S.
And your biggest move can’t be another strongly worded email.
We don’t want your urgently fundraising subject lines.
We want backbone.
We want action.
We want to know you’ll stand up before we’re all ordered to sit down — permanently.
We are watching.
And I don’t just mean your base.
I mean millions of us who see exactly what’s happening.
I’ve only got 6,000 followers — but the groups I’m in? The networks I touch? Over a quarter million.
Often when I speak, it echoes.
But when we ALL
speak, it ROARS with pressure that will cause change.
We need to be deafening.
You still have a chance to do something historic.
To be remembered for courage, not caution.
To go down as the party that didn’t just watch the fall — but fought the hell back with everything they had.
But the clock is ticking.
And the deportation buses are idling.

robertreich.substack.com/p/how…

1. Stop treating Trump’s excuses as his real concerns.

2. For the same reason, stop assuming that Trump is concerned about other nations’ “unfair” trade practices or illegal immigration.

3. Trump’s major interest is capitulation itself.

4. Each surrender feeds the public impression that Trump wants fed — that he is all-powerful, invincible, and able to get every person, institution, and country to cower to him.

5. Each capitulation encourages him and his goons to engage in even more bullying of more institutions and countries.

6. Most of these institutions and countries will cave to Trump because their leaders are mainly concerned about their own institution’s or country’s survival.

7. It’s vitally important, therefore, that institutions and countries join together to fight this systemic intimidation.

8. University faculties must join together under the umbrella of the American Association of University Professors.

9. Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the European Union must join together.

10. The media must not fan the flames of Trump’s madness.

10 rules for dealing with Trump’s demands for capitulation

Whether it’s universities, law firms, or entire countries, here are 10 basic rules for hitting back

^{Robert Reich}

El Concilio is a local non profit that provides educational, social service, and legal resources for the Kalamazoo community. In a presentation to Indivisible Kalamazoo's Wednesday meeting, Amberly Elementary (and WMU) alum Marysol Millar presented an overview of the organization's programs and how you can help:

- financial donations always appreciated
- volunteers for food distribution
- education volunteer opportunities
-Rapid Response Team training.

elconciliokzoo.org/

elconciliokzoo.org/

1. Keep making calls.
5calls.org/
2. Call Congress about the budget; email Huizenga.
3. Amazon Boycott through March 14.
4. March 13 & 27 phone banking for Susan Crawford for WI S Court indivisible.org/scowls2025
5. March 15: Mail #IdesofTrump postcards
(text me if you need some)
6. March 16: Rally for LGBT rights, 2-5 pm in Lansing
7. March 18 & 27: Imagine Kalamazoo 2035 environmental group
kalamazoocity.org/Government/P…
8. March 19: League of Conservation Voters Huizenga Protest
lcv.org/
9. March 19 & 26: non-partisan Vigil of Faith, noon at city hall
10. March 21-28 Nestle Boycott

The local action working group is also planning no on Friday protests at the Lovers Lane office of Bill Huizenga.

Here’s the list so far….

Restore CDC
restoredcdc.org/www.cdc.gov/in…

Internet Archive
archive.org/

Data Rescue Project
datarescueproject.org/about-da…

Centered America Misinformation Database
centeredamerica.substack.com/p…

DISPLAY SETTINGS
Friendica has two display themes: “Vier” and “Frio.”
-To change settings, click on your profile icon at the upper right and then drag down to SETTINGS.
-From the menu on the left, select DISPLAY.
-Use the pull down window to select VIER or FRIO. Scroll down to click on SUBMIT.
There are small layout differences, so its a personal choice. You may find FRIO looks more like Facebook.

To compose new posts in FRIO, click on the HOME icon, select CONVERSATIONS, then click on the new post (pencil/paper) icon.

Indivisible (national)
indivisible.org/

Statewide Indivisible Michigan
statewideindivisiblemi.com/

Indivisible Greater Grand Rapids
indivisiblegrr.substack.com/

Indivisible Greater Kalamazoo
indivisiblekzoo.org/

Week of March 9 Action Items from Indivisible GRR:

Top 5 Things You Can Do This Week
The list may seem short this week, but we’re directing people to utilize the 5Calls app, which includes the current issues and is updated regularly. Also, there are definitely A LOT of events happening in the coming weeks, including a few outside opportunities so you can get some fresh air after you make those calls.

Call Senators Peters, 202.224.6221 and Slotkin, 202.224.4822 (see Resources for You for more contact info)

Sen. Slotkin: Thank her for her State of the Union speech response (even if you think she wasn't aggressive enough)

Hold town halls during the upcoming Congressional recess (March 15-23)

Oppose firing of 80,000 jobs at the VA, which is 15% of the VA workforce.

Oppose reduction of IRS workforce by 50%.

Oppose MAGA plan to stockpile taxpayer money in a crypto currency reserve scam

Demand that Trump disclose the identities of the donors to his transition team and how much they donated.

Call Rep. Scholten 202.225.3831

Sign up to receive Rep. Scholten’s newsletter. It’s actually quite informative.

Hold town halls during the upcoming Congressional recess (March 15-23)

Publically - loudly and often – fight and obstruct the Trump/Musk agenda with all possible congressional tools

Oppose firing of 80,000 jobs at the VA, which is 15% of the VA workforce.

Oppose reduction of IRS workforce by 50%.

Oppose MAGA plan to stockpile taxpayer money in a crypto currency reserve scam

Demand that Trump

Call your State Representative: Every single Michigan House Republican voted to cut $5 billion (25%!) from the education budget and to defund higher education. It didn’t even go through the committee process to allow people to read it (see contact info in Resources for You).

If you have a GOP Rep: Let them know how you feel about this lack of process and their vote

If you have a Dem Rep: Thank them for voting against this budget

Use apps to maximize and amplify your resistance!

Download the 5Calls app and start calling!

Check out the Everywhere Is Queer app to support local, LGBTQ+ owned businesses in your area

Educate Yourself

Read: Thirty lonely but beautiful actions you can take right now which probably won't magically catalyze a mass movement against Trump but that are still wildly important

Check out the A History of Racial Injustice from The Equal Justice Initiative. Founded in 1989 by Bryan Stevenson, a widely acclaimed public interest lawyer and bestselling author of Just Mercy, you can sign up for daily history lessons delivered right to your email inbox. Here is an overview of March that will give you an idea of the information they provide.

Subscribe to Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson’s column on Substack where she breaks down current events through the lens of history.

Attend any of the events listed below!

#6 for triple extra credit: Take care of yourself! Watch your favorite feel good movie(s) to take a break from the relentless chaos. Casablanca, Amelie, and School of Rock are good options. You probably have others on your own lists. Pop some corn, open a can of your favorite carbonated beverage, and settle in for a little vacation for your brain.

<img src="https://kalamazoopipeband.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/libby-2.jpg"/>

How do I get started with Libby by OverDrive?
1. Get a free card from your local public library.
2. Download the Libby App.
3. Use your library card number and pin (typically the last 4 digits of your phone number) to configure your Libby account.
4. Search by title or use the "magazine" filter to browse titles.
5. Select title, then click "Subscribe" to add the latest issue to your "Magazine Rack."
6. For more tips, open the Libby Magazine Help page:
help.libbyapp.com/en-us/catego…

<img src="https://kalamazoopipeband.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/libby-1-1.jpg"/>

Erin in the Morning
erininthemorning.com/?utm_sour…

Peter

2025-03-03 02:01:57

Substack: Legal Issues

Andrew Weissmann
https://substack.com/@weissmann

Democracy Docket
https://substack.com/@democracydocket

Law Dork
https://www.lawdork.com/

Andrew Weissmann
substack.com/@weissmann

Democracy Docket
substack.com/@democracydocket

Law Dork
lawdork.com/

American Pamphleteer
ladylibertie.substack.com/

Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance
substack.com/@joycevance

The Contrarian -Jen Rubin and Norm Eisen
contrarian.substack.com/

Heather Cox Richardson
substack.com/@heathercoxrichar…

Dworkin Report
dworkinsubstack.com/

Krassenstein
substack.com/profile/756622-kr…

Lincoln Project
substack.com/@lincolnproject62…

Meidas+
meidasplus.com/?utm_source=sub…

Paul Krugman
paulkrugman.substack.com/

Public Notice--Aaron Rupar
publicnotice.co/

Robert Reich
robertreich.substack.com/

Seth Abramson
substack.com/@sethabramson?utm…

The Warning with Steve Schmidt
steveschmidt.substack.com/