It’s Friday afternoon. I read this from Hakeem Jeffries and found myself wondering…
What have we done this week to keep the pressure on? I have to say that I have done nothing. Hopefully you guys have a better answer than me. If not, we need to make some phone calls to elected officials before the end of the day.
House Republicans have been forced to delay two committee hearings on their extreme budget.
Keep the pressure on. It’s working. pic.twitter.com/jiFnWeiRUb
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) May 2, 2025
.
News: Four union leaders stand up for Abrego Garcia’s rights in new letter to El Salvadoran ambassador. Labor is ramping up its advocacy for this sheet metal worker.
“The erosion of due process for immigrants in the US is a direct threat to the rights of all working people.” pic.twitter.com/Mm37xC3Yqi
— Greg Sargent (@GregTSargent) May 2, 2025
h/t rikyrah
So you don’t have to click on twitter, here’s the letter.
The tweet references “four union leaders” but I didn’t see the names of those leaders, and I don’t know how many different unions are involved. Still, I think this is an important move.
Your thoughts?
Open thread.
Feline Delinquents Open Thread
Baud
The names are in the images in the tweet.
karen gail
Read the tweet, names and their signatures.
WaterGirl
@Baud: Ah yes.
Especially glad to see Unite Here signed on to that – we have supported their efforts in the past for AZ.
Butch
I contacted my senator (Elissa Slotkin) about 2 months ago, asking why she wasn’t doing more to stop Trump and why she kept voting to approve his unqualified nominees. I finally got a response yesterday; it was basically boilerplate that didn’t answer my comments at all and instead talked about all the “letters” she had sent on various subjects. I worked on the Hill a while ago; DC really is 25 square miles surrounded by reality and I know that to DC insiders sending a letter is supposed to be an impressive achievement. Not to me.
WaterGirl
I am finally listening to the Mary McCord and Judge Michael Luttig video on the rule of law as I start to make dinner. Pressing play now.Apparently you have to be a paid subscriber to view the video. Sigh.
WaterGirl
Trying this instead.
dc
I went to our local May Day protest yesterday. That’s all the bandwidth I have this week.
Miss Bianca
@dc: same.
I am a government meetings reporter, and I have had it up to here with the authoritarian shenanigans of some of my local government institutions, most lately and notoriously the School Board. But I don’t know if I can keep it up with them – unfortunately, the nature of a small town and having multiple jobs is that in *one* of my jobs, I should be going after them hammer and tongs. But for one of my other gigs, I have to make nice with the School District as a potential grant/programming partner.
It’s weirdly exhausting. And then there’s all the state and national BS to respond to…
Jeffro
I haven’t done much this week, but I will resume calling my (utterly worthless MAGA) representative next week about the ridiculous trumpov budge
*wait…I did do something, sort of: I ordered a Harvard t-shirt. Super-lame, I know, but it felt good ordering it and it’ll feel good wearing it around town…kind of a quiet F.U. to trumpov
Timill
We rescued a cat. FLV+, FIP+. We can treat for FIP..
Also ordered a couple of “Ea-Nasir’s Fine Quality Copper Ingots” T-shirts..
We will see if I need to write a complaint tablet about them…
Marcia hasn’t been well, which has kept us from anything active.
Timill
@Jeffro: Harvard or Hahvahd?
:-)
RaflW
It felt like a small thing (my participation, I mean) but we attended the May Day rally at the Minnesota Capitol yesterday. Pretty good turnout, but BF and I both felt like protests that are on busy streets (like the one we went to on CO Hwy 9 a few weeks ago) might have more impact. Our Capitol lawn is out of sight of pretty much everyone going about their daily lives, and as we see too often, the press finds all this protest to be dull and un-newsworthy.
lowtechcyclist
@Timill:
I’m so glad FIP can be treated now. Over Christmas 1998, we lost a cat to FIP that we’d recently adopted. Korsakov was such a sweet little kitten.
JerseyBeard
@Timill: “Harlem”
hoytwillrise
hakeem jeffries is a coward, he’s certainly not the or a leader of the Democratic party no matter how much Pelosi wants it. Telling reps to not go to El Salvador is not his business. What a cowardly twit.
lowtechcyclist
One of our cats needed some teeth removed, and we’d already scheduled it for yesterday before I knew there were going to be protests then.
Gotta admit, though, that the USSR is still my main association with May Day, even after all these years.
Now that Hair Furor has decided that May 8 is Victory Day (it already was, fathead – V-E Day as in Victory in Europe Day), I figure the full title now is Victory Over Fascism Day. I will find a place to wave a sign to that effect, even if there are no organized protests.
ETA: Ironically, my dentist (as opposed to my cat’s dentist) was at the local protest in my county.
Baud
OT maybe the Vatican meeting stoked Trump’s ego enough
As always with Trump, it’s not done until it’s done. But Ukraine is one of the few areas I don’t mind playing to his vanity if it helps with protecting their ability to fight.
WaterGirl
@RaflW: A bunch of small things add up. Either a bunch of small things from one person or small things from a bunch of people.
I think location is important for the events.
RaflW
This isn’t really activism, but we’re going to see Pearl Cleage’s Nacirema Society at the Guthrie Theater this evening. Seeing a black-authored, black acted live stage production is at least something we can do (and enjoy!) in these times.
I don’t actually get out to the theater much anymore, so maybe I’m not that aware of things, but I’m concerned by how many tickets are still available for the show. Dunno if this is one of those quiet “the economy is sucking” effects?
PsiFighter37
I am on the hamster wheel of parenting. A fifth weekend, out of the past 6, with at least one birthday party. Add on to that the usual weekend activities, and there’s nary time or energy left. But I applaud all the good work that is being done. Keep up the pressure. The fact that the House GOP is fighting over the budget means it is not a foregone conclusion that the GOP is going to legislatively decimate the government (which would be far worse than what Elon’s teenagers are doing now).
Miss Bianca
@hoytwillrise: Facts apparently not in evidence. Do try to keep up.
frosty
Damn. Nothing. Last call was 4/17 to Fetterman to filibuster the SAVE Act. I have eight topics / sentences since then to call about and half of them are obsolete already. I’ll look for some more ideas in this thread.
WTFGhost
“Hitler didn’t give due process to the Jews, because how could he? He wanted to kill all of the bad Jews, and he promised to kill millions, and how could he have done that if he’d given them due process to see if they were bad people or not? That’s what you need to ask his detractors – how would he have gotten millions of Jews killed, if he’d wasted time giving them due process?”
Oh, I’m sorry – that was JD Vance, talking about mass deportations, not about Hitler about killing Jews, my mistake. But still, you see the problem, if you want to do BIG THINGS, you have to be willing to ignore the rights of lots, and lots, and lots, of people, many of whom are probably pretty good and decent folk.
Thinking up educational bits is all I can do. I need someone to turn these ideas into puppet shows or podcasts or tide pods or whatever the cool kids watch these days.
(
Interesting Name Goes Here
@hoytwillrise: …Ah, so it is Hate Hakeem Jeffries week.
I can never tell.
You do know that story got debunked, right?
And then people wonder why I have the feelings that I do. Jesus Christ.
WaterGirl
@Timill: Sorry to hear that Marcia has not been feeling well.
Baud
@Interesting Name Goes Here:
This one seems like he’s being paid. But who knows?
frosty
@frosty: OK, I’ve done one thing – I went to a 4/5 Hands Off protest. Couldn’t fit yesterday into my busy retiree schedule, unfortunately.
Interesting Name Goes Here
@Baud: At this point, I don’t much care if they’re being paid or they’re true believers. They’re making their stupid petty bullshit my problem, and I’m really tired of it.
WaterGirl
@frosty:
Everything moves at light speed now. Except the things that should!
Are they obsolete because whatever it was is a done deal already, or obsolete in the sense that they have been superseded by other crises that are even worse?
frosty
@hoytwillrise: Thank you for sharing your support!
Baud
@Interesting Name Goes Here:
AI is probably going to make the problem even worse, so I hope you have a plan to deal with it, for your own mental health.
Joy in FL
@Jeffro: I love the idea of buying a Harvard t shirt. I just went to The Harvard Shop and bought one. (comment #9)
My dad got his law degree from Harvard in the early 1950s, and when I was a toddler, I had a t-shirt that said “HARVARD, 19??”. (I did not attend Harvard.) I wish I still had the photo of me wearing that shirt. So now I’ll have a Harvard shirt for the adult me.
frosty
@WaterGirl: Obsolete because of being superseded by other crises. Some of them are hardy perennials though and would be suitable for a call when nothing new is hitting the fan:
—–
Do you think the Trump administration should obey a Supreme Court order?
And let’s be clear: Republicans have surrendered your power. I truly cannot explain it. Why put in all of this effort to run for office to represent your state, only to give up all of your power to a wannabe king and his billionaire friends?
It’s time to make it clear why you keep voting to sustain this administration. Trump has clearly stated his intent and his disregard for the law and American citizens. And clearly against a democratic, peaceful world order. Are Republican members of Congress not responding out of fear or out of agreement?
Josie
I received information from Postcards to Swing States on three upcoming elections. I signed up for 100 postcards to an area that is most needed. They said I should receive my marching orders in a couple of weeks. I have my special pens and my stamps and am ready to go.
ETA: Loved the letter advocating for Mr. Abrego Garcia.
WTFGhost
@WTFGhost: with respect to my joke about puppet shows – is there a Sesame Street Civics project out there?
“The President may be very powerful, but any federal judge might rule against him, and that is the law!”
“You mean, the President must faithfully follow the ruling?”
“That’s right! No cheating, no playing games, because the courts are a co-equal branch. A judge can be overruled, but until that happens, the judge’s word is law!”
It seems like something liberals might want.
rikyrah
Sophia A. Nelson (@IAmSophiaNelson) posted at 8:35 AM on Fri, May 02, 2025:
He’s destroying public education. He’s destroying public broadcasting. He’s destroyed USAID. He’s imposed regressive tariffs on our trading partners. He’s attacked the @smithsonian and deported citizens for no crimes, with no process. He’s destroyed our NSA/Defense credibility.
(https://x.com/IAmSophiaNelson/status/1918298364963078369?t=GMyKn9uKW1-mPq7-tD0dYA&s=03)
BlueGuitarist
I’ve been going to the local protests, including a May Day demonstration; and will go to one tomorrow, working to bend the arc towards justice.
We shall overcome.
WG: really appreciate you
the serenity photos, All your fascists bound to lose….
Here’s the Rhiannon Giddens version:
youtube.com/watch?v=dWUa7aAIfLE
and DriveBy Truckers, The Perilous Night
youtube.com/watch?v=Luoe-6ok_TE
rikyrah
Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) posted at 3:13 PM on Fri, May 02, 2025:
BREAKING: 12,808 Racist people have donated over $346,000 to Shiloh Hendrix, who called an autistic 5-year-old African American a ‘n–ger’ multiple times at a playground.
At the end of the Thread I will tell you how you can help the actual victim out. Shiloh writes… (THREAD) t.co/0driZu6PnD
(https://x.com/krassenstein/status/1918398551807115580?t=iBT3sQVMAvoQN7edUt2zWg&s=03)
rikyrah
LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) posted at 1:14 PM on Fri, May 02, 2025:
ICE agents stand guard at Arizona maternity ward to quickly deport migrant mom.
Agents are posted outside the new mother’s hospital room—refusing to let her speak to a lawyer—as she has legally requested.
She faces rapid deportation under Trump’s “expedited removal” policy which could put her—and her baby’s—health and safety at imminent risk.
“She may have viable defenses to assert if given the opportunity,” her lawyer said.
“I’m asking them to put her in deportation proceedings and to release her. They have the discretion to do that, so that she can be with her baby and find accommodations.”
The Guatemalan woman was arrested in the Arizona desert after fleeing high levels of violence in her home country.
#DemVoice1 #wtpBLUE #DemsUnitedhttps://t.co/ZiWC3fuSK5
(x.com/LongTimeHistory/status/1918368625683263705?t=OEj24iFQG8if8G_LrdZAiA&s=03)
rikyrah
Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) posted at 0:15 PM on Fri, May 02, 2025:
That says BILLION.
Jeff Bezos discloses plan to sell up to $4.8 billion in Amazon stock t.co/1F7pWL6bNU
(https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1918353658716274931?t=So82A5YMz5lbjDfOkbx_NA&s=03)
frosty
@Josie:
What’s the website for them? I did a search and didn’t find anything.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Jimmy Williams of IUPAT is awesome. He was one of the speakers at the AOC/Sanders stump.
inthesetimes.com/article/building-trades-iupat-pro-act-efca-union-workers
Lyrebird
@rikyrah: horrific.
I’m usually not able to click through to find the rest of the thread… if you see this, could you also post a link to the tweet with the info on helping the little boy’s family?
ETA: or anyone else with interest, a XTwitter account, etc
WaterGirl
@frosty:
That’s very good. We might have to have another thread soon where folks can share their approach and their talking points.
WaterGirl
@WTFGhost: Love that!
Noskilz
I call my Congressman and Senators daily – there is no shortage of material to draw on, and if I have to be apalled by what they have chosen to enable, they’ll have to get used to hearing about it on the regular.
WaterGirl
@BlueGuitarist: Thank you, Blue!
Priscianus Jr
@WaterGirl: Funny, I saw it on YouTube for free.
youtube.com/watch?v=_TU-Wv2_fcY
JetsamPool
I called my representatives and senators about the NSF suspending grant awards and the budget. I actually got through to one of the senators’ offices, much to my surprise. The others all had voice mail, so I will have to send an email. All are Dems, so they can’t do much.
WaterGirl
@Priscianus Jr: That’s the same one I put up the other day, and the same one that booted me out this afternoon.
But it let me in just now. Thank you!
prostratedragon
If culture counts, I’m going to see this production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha tomorrow. The creative people and performers, including the standard opera orchestra and its conductor, are all or nearly all Black, which is a rare treat. And, of course, the story grows out of Reconstruction. This article has a little of the music.
zhena gogolia
@prostratedragon: I love it. Just listened to it the other day (Houston Opera).
zhena gogolia
@prostratedragon: I’m confused, though. They’re making Zodzerick the hero?
Miss Bianca
@prostratedragon: OMG, so envious! I have loved Scott Joplin’s music since I was ten years old and The Sting came out. In fact, that soundtrack was the first LP I ever bought myself – saved up my allowance!
They Call Me Noni
@rikyrah: Well, he does have a wedding to pay for.
And I typed that with all the snark I could muster.
prostratedragon
@zhena gogolia: I gather he’s supposed to be an agent of change. Treemonisha comes into her own as a way of dealing with the effect he has on her. I’ll know more tomorrow.
So happens that a cojple of months ago I saw Bluebeard’s Castle, another work from 1911 with a spotty performance history, though Bartok did definitely live to see it once. In that work also, the fate of the protagonist Judith can be interpreted in more than one way.
prostratedragon
@Miss Bianca: I’m hoping it winds up on Great Performances or something.
zhena gogolia
@prostratedragon: Hmmm. In the version I know, he’s the opposite of the agent of change. He’s keeping the people in their state of superstitious ignorance.
prostratedragon
@zhena gogolia: I don’t know yet. But suppose someone realizes that, and what this ignorance serves?
prostratedragon
Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” just flashed through my mind.
WaterGirl
@BlueGuitarist:
Enjoyed that!
zhena gogolia
@prostratedragon: I don’t know, I guess I’d want to honor what Joplin wrote.
ceece
Went to a May 1 protest! Joan Baez was there too! Mostly a bunch of old white people in a town that is only 48% white. Asians and Latinos conspicuously scarce. But the turnout was pretty good for a Thursday.
postcarding starts for real for me once I get my grades in at the end of the month.
Kayla Rudbek
Planning on spending money at the Black-owned yarn businesses coming to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, that’s the current protest plans. I need to check with Union of Concerned Scientists and 5 Calls as well; I will vote for any Democrats except Warner and Kaine for Senators.
Loveofcoffee
I’ve been volunteering for a save the library campaign, and once grades are in will ramp up my work with the local dem office