“Collectively, we must be willing to defend the rights and freedoms of all Americans — regardless of whom they voted for.” Ansley Skipper on the National Guard deployment to Memphis.

Now more than ever it’s critical to do what you can to support local, public, and independent media. Here are 2 ways to start: 1️⃣ FindYourNews.org can help you locate local trusted, independent, nonprofit newsrooms. 2️⃣ ProtectMyPublicMedia.org has all the info you need to help you contact Congress.

What we're reading: The Ringer’s @brianphillips.bsky.social on why surrendering is not just immoral — it’s bad business.

The current crackdown on speech violates our Constitution, and we shouldn’t need new laws to prevent ideological censorship. But when government tries to skirt basic constitutional principles, Congress can step in. We analyze the plans for the No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act:

Now more than ever it’s critical to do what you can to support local, public, and independent media. Here are 2 ways to start: 1️⃣ FindYourNews.org can help you locate local trusted, independent, nonprofit newsrooms. 2️⃣ ProtectMyPublicMedia.org has all the info you need to help you contact Congress.

In sending National Guard troops to Memphis, President Trump is looking for a convenient scapegoat and vulnerable target. Native Memphian Ansley Skipper on what that means. https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/domestic-deployment-blues

"By far the most important thing you can do to help overcome attempts at censorship is to continue to use your free speech rights calmly and peacefully to advocate against violence, against repression, and for civic space," new from @raders.bsky.social. Read and subscribe for more ⬇️

What we're reading: The Ringer’s @brianphillips.bsky.social on why surrendering is not just immoral — it’s bad business.

“Democracy needs a shared foundation of truth. And we as Americans can disagree on solutions, we should. But if we can't agree on basic facts, we can't self-govern — and that is what authoritarians count on," @rachelegoodman.bsky.social shared with On Point's Meghna Chakrabarti.

The current crackdown on speech violates our Constitution, and we shouldn’t need new laws to prevent ideological censorship. But when government tries to skirt basic constitutional principles, Congress can step in. We analyze the plans for the No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act:

Soldiers on the streets of Memphis are not going to get the same attention as they did in Washington or Los Angeles. Ansley Skipper explains why we should take notice: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/domestic-deployment-blues

Nonprofit and charitable orgs that provide critical services are being unjustifiably targeted in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder. We stand with a broad coalition to condemn acts of violence and the weaponizing of such against civil society, other perceived adversaries, or any class of people. ⬇️

The FCC has become a weapon of ideological censorship. All of us — Congress, civil society, media, business leaders, individuals — must act quickly & collectively, to protect one of our most cherished constitutional rights and freedoms. Here’s the #CollectiveCourage campaign already underway ⬇️

@rachelegoodman.bsky.social spoke with @wbur.org's Meghna Chakrabarti to discuss attacks on independent sources of fact-based info, like Wikipedia. “The authoritarian playbook is straightforward here. Neutralize any institution that might contradict your version of reality.”

POTUS & many of his allies are seeking to weaponize Charlie Kirk's murder. The argument will be that any group who criticizes the gov, its leaders, or their agenda is potentially responsible for “fomenting” violence. Here are our top 3 recommendations for orgs to stay resilient ahead of threats. ⬇️

NEW: We joined a coalition of nonprofit orgs and charities urging the administration to stop its escalation of political division, and the unjustified targeting of orgs and people in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder. Full statement via @publiccitizen.bsky.social 🔗 https://protdem.org/3I9KZLk

Episode 6 of #ThisOldDemocracy podcast. New insights. New reasons to listen. 🎧 Out now! Get a fix of @msifry.bsky.social and @ianbassin.bsky.social from @protectdemocracy.org talking about election reforms like fusion voting.

We analyze a deeply heavy truth: violence almost always benefits authoritarianism. It chills people's willingness to engage in public life and gives the autocrat a pretext to respond with repression. Here's how to remain resilient: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/violence-is-toxic-to-democracy

Deadline to submit a comment is today. ⬇️

🚨ACTION🚨 The public has until tomorrow — September 17th 11:59pm EST — to submit comments on the proposed rule change to Public Service Loan Forgiveness, a change that threatens to politicize a program that staff at many nonprofits rely on. Resources to submit a comment are threaded ⬇️

A nonpartisan, merit-based civil service is integral to a healthy democracy. Here are 2 new pages on the federal workforce: 1️⃣ Hub of our advocacy efforts to protect a nonpartisan civil service: https://protdem.org/4pu9bsE 2️⃣ Accessible resources for current & former feds: https://protdem.org/4nvESQn

Recent domestic deployments of the National Guard against the will of local and state officials threaten to: ❌Critically undermine the Guard’s mission readiness ❌Politicize our non-partisan military ⏳It’s time to end the D.C. deployment. NotTheMission.org

Scapegoating trans and nonbinary folks is right out of the authoritarian playbook to gain and consolidate power. Here’s how to fight back against the scapegoating to protect our communities and defeat the authoritarian threat. https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/protecting-democracy-requires-protecting

Recent domestic deployments of the National Guard against the will of local and state officials threaten to: ❌Critically undermine the Guard’s mission readiness ❌Politicize our non-partisan military ⏳It’s time to end the D.C. deployment. NotTheMission.org

How can Americans tell the difference between legitimate law enforcement and politicized weaponization? Protect Democracy has a new interactive tool, check it out: https://protectdemocracy.org/work/retaliatory-action-tracker/

⚠️ A proposed change to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility threatens to politicize the program, targeting those working in areas this admin dislikes, leaving room for weaponization by any future admin. All nonprofits should be worried, read below for details and how to take action: 🧵⬇️

The men and women of the National Guard signed up to protect fellow citizens from harm, not to police them. The unprecedented deployment of the Guard to U.S. cities threatens the civilian-military balance that has long safeguarded our nation. NotTheMission.org

#CollectiveCourage: Faith leaders and organizations across the country are working together on concrete actions to defend immigrants and refugees against attacks from the federal government. Chicago is the latest in that faithful fight.

Start your day with something new: our latest #ThisOldDemocracy podcast episode is here. All about the authoritarian mindset with @msifry.bsky.social and @ianbassin.bsky.social from @protectdemocracy.org (Links below)

Recent domestic deployments of the National Guard against the will of local and state officials threaten to: ❌Critically undermine the Guard’s mission readiness ❌Politicize our non-partisan military ⏳It’s time to end the D.C. deployment. NotTheMission.org

The murder of Charlie Kirk is part of a dangerous pattern of violence threatening our democracy & the safety of our communities. Part of the democracy movement’s work is ensuring everyone can express their opinions & engage in civic debate in peace. We must all agree violence is always unacceptable.

A neutral, nonpartisan, merit-based civil service is integral to a healthy democracy. Learn more about our litigation, communications, policy, and other advocacy efforts to protect federal workers: https://protectdemocracy.org/work/safeguarding-a-nonpartisan-civil-service/

Are you a civil servant looking for resources? Protect Democracy put together this curated list to help you navigate attacks on the federal workforce. Read, bookmark and share: https://protectdemocracy.org/work/resources-for-civil-servants/

NEW: @alexandrachandler.bsky.social spoke with @ariberman.bsky.social about Trump’s multi-faceted plan to manipulate the midterms. "There are all these levers and all of these tools to interfere with, sabotage, subvert elections, but there are far fewer people that are going to be surprised now.”

RESOURCE: We launched a new tracker that helps spot when an investigation, arrest or prosecution made by the Trump administration is legitimate law enforcement activity, or politically-motivated retaliation. Check it out: https://protectdemocracy.org/work/retaliatory-action-tracker/

“There are all these levers and all of these tools to interfere with, sabotage, subvert elections, but there are far fewer people that are going to be surprised now” says our own @alexandrachandler.bsky.social in @motherjones.com on prepping against election subversion.

Authoritarianism seeks to pick off competing centers of power — and it really does need to capture most or all of them. So everything, anything, that stops, slows, or reverses those efforts makes it less likely that the project will succeed. https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/filling-sandbags

It seems like everywhere we turn there’s another autocratic assault on democracy. The incremental approach is intentional — and it’s also how we fight back. In this week’s briefing, @raders.bsky.social highlights nine small wins and how they form a bulwark to protect our democracy.

AG Pam Bondi’s chief of staff reportedly overruled DOJ’s Antitrust Division career staff, accepting a settlement so the Hewlett-Packard/Juniper merger goes through. Such an action risks prioritizing lobbyists over public interest + expert recs. We submitted a comment on the merger settlement. 🧵⬇️

9/10 - We’re hosting a webinar w/ @cdt.org & @civilrightsorg.bsky.social on the gov’s efforts to expand its access to highly sensitive state data, threatening the security/privacy of Americans’ personal info. RSVP: https://cdt.org/event/federal-efforts-to-expand-access-to-state-administrative-data/

📷 New #ThisOldDemocracy podcast episode alert! We dive into authoritarianism — don’t miss it. Link below. @protectdemocracy.org @ianbassin.bsky.social @msifry.bsky.social

Modern autocrats try to dismantle democracy incrementally. In our latest briefing, we have a strategy to fight back: filling sandbags — piling up small wins — to hold back the flood of the authoritarian threat. Read more: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/filling-sandbags

Abusing law enforcement powers helps the autocrat intimidate and silence critics. We published a new tracker and 3-part test to spot politically-motivated retaliation from real law enforcement actions; plus, what to do about it.

Don’t be fooled by the makeup and the giant red tie. Trump isn’t joking, and we’re not living in a parody of autocracy. To save our democracy, it’s time to take his threats seriously, writes @amandacarpenter.bsky.social

Cerin Lindgrensavage makes apportionments — the Trump admin’s budget maneuvers — easy to understand in this conversation with Chris Geidner. She explains the White House's attempts to hide what they’re doing with our tax dollars and what we can do about it. Watch the discussion here:

As the Trump admin continues to unleash a flurry of high-profile investigations and indictments, here's a three-part test to quickly spot a legitimate law enforcement activity, v.s. a politically-motivated retaliation. https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/is-it-law-enforcement-or-is-it-retribution

#CollectiveCourage by the numbers — Erica Chenoweth notes that empirically “no government has withstood a challenge of 3.5% of their population mobilizing against it during a peak event.” Sustained protest movements work because they are impossible to ignore.

NEW: Why defending the independence of agencies like the Fed, FTC, & FDIC is key to economic stability and democracy itself. “Seizing power over the central bank is a power grab straight out of the authoritarian playbook, and one with predictable, ugly outcomes for America’s economy and democracy.”

Next Weds 9/10: We’ll be diving into the Trump admin’s efforts to expand federal access to state data, the legal protections that govern data sharing between federal and state governments, and the harms associated with these unprecedented efforts. Learn more and RSVP at ⬇️

New from Protect Democracy: a public tracker of retaliatory actions, and a clear test to evaluate them. Not all high-profile cases are political; here’s how to tell the difference: https://protectdemocracy.org/work/retaliatory-action-tracker/