SCOTUS's Callais decision is the latest move in a decades-long strategy to concentrate power at the top by silencing communities most likely to demand change. Read @couriernewsroom.bsky.social →https://couriernewsroom.com/news/callais-working-as-intended/

BREAKING: The Supreme Court upheld an Alabama Congressional map that denies Black voters fair representation. This decision flies in the face of democracy and is another critical blow to our voting rights.

“Pulte’s apparent disregard for ethics and willingness to use federal power against Trump’s perceived enemies should disqualify him from having extraordinary access to our nation’s most sensitive intelligence and national security matters.” @normeisen.bsky.social

BREAKING: Fed judge rules Trump’s hand-picked board illegally renamed the Kennedy Center. Board members literally muted @repbeatty.bsky.social when she tried to object to the illegal renaming. So, she sued—and WON. The Kennedy Center will keep its name, and Trump has 2 weeks to remove his.

BREAKING: we just won our Kennedy Center case! Both the renaming & the closure of the Kennedy Center are enjoined Kudos to our wonderful client @repbeatty.bsky.social & my colleagues @democracydefendersaction.org & Washington Litigation Group This is a 1-2 punch against Trump's corruption

@normeisen.bsky.social is LIVE on the Kennedy Center news! WATCH: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Nearly 40% of Americans don't have $400 to cover an emergency expense, yet Trump and his enablers are working overtime to put his face on a $250 bill.

The courts declared that Alabama's electoral map is racially discriminatory more than once. Yet GOP lawmakers persist—insist—on disenfranchising the state's Black citizens. They owe voters an explanation for why they feel entitled to handpick their voters and marginalize Alabama's Black citizens.

Trump’s DOJ can’t rewrite or erase the violent Jan. 6 assault on our capitol. We the people have the receipts—and the video.

Americans are paying the price for Trump’s unilateral decision to go to war with Iran. Gas cost $1.50 more/gallon. Prices will stay high for the foreseeable future, experts say. We continue to pay a high price for Trump’s unchecked power.

Under the last admin, the CFTC brought 80+ crypto enforcement cases. Under Trump? Two. Officials who asked questions were purged and those who played along got industry jobs. A @nytimes.com investigation shows how the Trump administration defanged the watchdog agency deliberately.

On #MemorialDay we pause to honor those who gave their lives for our country and our freedoms. We defend the promise of the America they fought for, one where every vote counts, freedom belongs to all, and no one is above the law.

On Friday's Legal Fight Club, @katiephang.bsky.social and @brendanballou.bsky.social break down a new lawsuit filed on behalf of Capitol Police officers challenging the Trump administration's $1.776 billion fund. Full episode @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQF9H0qgvuk

What does a democracy defender look like? It looks like standing up to threats and building a democracy that works for everyone. A democracy defender looks like you, looks like all of us!

Regulatory capture in real time: Big Tobacco writes a $5M check, gets a Mar-a-Lago lunch, and the FDA commissioner who says no is pushed out. The policy that followed? Not governance but a transaction that skipped the normal rulemaking process entirely.

Trump promised to lower your energy costs. Instead, he’s issuing “emergency” orders to keep dying coal plants alive, and sending you the bailout bill. This is just one example. Emergency powers have become Trump’s go-to tool to push his agenda & bypass the rules.

Trump says he can’t release his taxes because they're under audit & “when they’re not, I’d be proud to show it.” This excuse lasted 8 years, over three campaigns and two presidencies. But his DOJ just ended those audits...permanently. Time to show us what you’re so proud of.

This isn’t just one incident. It is a pattern of self-dealing that spans crypto, foreign policy, and now, a lawsuit in which the plaintiff and the defendant are effectively the same person. Read our issue paper on the most brazen act of self-dealing in modern presidential history. ➡

Trump says he doesn’t think about your financial situation, but he sure does think about his own. In Q1, he made more than 3,500 stock trades. He bought stock in Apple, Dell, and Micron—then used the presidential podium to hype them. Congress can and should stop this.

Trump sued the IRS, which he controls, for $10B over leaked tax returns. With Trump as plaintiff & effectively defendant, a judge asked both sides to explain why they aren't in conflict. Instead, Trump dropped the lawsuit & DOJ negotiated a settlement including a $1.77B fund paid for by taxpayers.

Trump’s so-called anti-weaponization fund is a weaponization of executive power. Forget morality. "If this settlement is allowed to stand, the only limit to Trump’s grift and power will be his own imagination," — @normeisen.bsky.social https://www.democracydefendersfund.org/prs/05.18.26-pr

Proud to represent 90+ House members fighting to block Trump’s unconstitutional $1.7 billion slush fund for himself and MAGA allies—funded by the American taxpayers. "It's against the law for the president to in effect sue himself—and then settle for a huge sum."

A judge said Trump's $10B claim was bogus. So Trump negotiated with himself and settled with himself — at our expense. A $1.7B taxpayer-funded slush fund for Trump's cronies. Congress must investigate!

The march is not over. It moved from a bridge to a ballot, and now it's in the maps. Thousands are joining in downtown Montgomery and across the country today for a National Day of Action. Find an event near you at → allroadsleadtothesouth.com #AllRoadsSouth #FreedomSummer2026

Our team has landed in Selma, the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement 60 years ago. Leaders of the movement will once again walk across the infamous Edmund Pettus Bridge Stay tuned! We are covering the All Roads Lead to the South rally all day. We will not be complicit with racist gerrymanders

We the people would like a word…

It’s common sense that elected officials shouldn’t profit from the industries they regulate—yet Trump has made $1B+ from crypto. An unchecked crypto market brings risks to our economy, national security and the public trust. Ask yourself: Why are Senate Republicans OK with that?

The honor was ours — presenting the first-ever Democracy Defender Award to a woman of firsts who has spent her career making this country live up to its promise @democracydefendersaction.org -TN

The Senate voted unanimously to ban senators from prediction market wagers. Now it’s the House’s turn. We’re urging Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries to extend that ban to members, their families, and congressional staff.

Attacks on our voting rights will not go unanswered. A national coalition of 160+ organizations are coming together for a National Day of Action in Alabama on May 16. Selma in the morning, Montgomery in the afternoon, with local activation events around the country. Register here:

The Commander in Chief just admitted he doesn’t think about what it costs you. Let that sink in.

GOP leaders, with permission from SCOTUS, continue to brazenly articulate their motives. One-party rule and a willingness to use their power to silence anyone who gets in their way. aldailynews.com/heres-how-al...

In case there were any lingering questions about the end goal: Three years ago, federal courts stopped Alabama's illegal racial gerrymander. Today? SCOTUS says it's okay. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-greenlights-11th-hour-alabama-redistricting-plan-for-2026-election/

The VA Supreme Court cloaked its ruling in ahistorical lessons and procedural arguments—all to circumvent the will of the voters. States are redistricting w/o voter input. VA lawmakers took the question to the ppl. Our Senior Policy Counsel Jonathan Barry-Blocker breaks it down:

The attack on our voting rights will not happen quietly or without organized resistance. This Saturday, faith leaders, civil rights orgs, elected officials, labor, students & everyday people who refuse to stand by are gathering in Selma & Montgomery to make that clear.

Today, the SPLC appeared in federal court for an arraignment. For 55 years, the SPLC has fought to dismantle hate and build a future rooted in justice, work that continues today. Read more: https://bit.ly/3PqgVi0

Southern states wasting no time following last week's SCOTUS 6-3 ruling that eviscerated remaining protections against racial gerrymandering. @staceyabrams.com on @allinwithchris.bsky.social explains what this means for Black & brown voters and ALL Americans.

Just stunning to think, it will have taken nine days to unravel 60 years of progress, when it comes to representation in these states. Still, we remain undeterred.

When the flow state hits and The Future of Democracy Prize submission writes itself...

This takeover is not a done deal. State AGs can act to #BlockTheMerger and prevent the hemorrhaging of independent journalism.

Emoluments clause anyone?...a sitting president is turning a public airport into a venue to sell his personal merch--paid for by taxpayers.

Senate Republicans want to spend $1B of your tax dollars on Trump's ballroom. Meanwhile, everyday American families are struggling to afford groceries, rent and doctor's visits.

In 2023, the Roberts Court ruled Alabama's electoral map diluted Black voting power. Now state leaders want the Court to reverse itself & let the racial gerrymander stand. If justices agree, it would again demonstrate the Roberts Court is more beholden to a partisan agenda than our Constitution.

Me knowing I still have time to submit to The Future of Democracy Prize.

“Ignoring racial discrimination does not make it go away. You cannot cure a disease by refusing to diagnose it.” The Court turned its back on multiracial democracy but it cannot silence generations of past or present fighting for fair representation. @slakin.bsky.social on recent SCOTUS decision 👇

Tomorrow, millions will show up to demand the government put working people over billionaires, and lawyers and judges across the country will reaffirm the oaths they took to the Constitution. People hold the power. Find an event near you. #MayDay #LawDayofAction

The statute is clear: the Kennedy Center Board's decision to put Trump's name on this institution at his urging is illegal. And questions remain what irreparable harm might be done if closure moves forward. Yesterday, a judge demanded answers—and the Trump admin had none.

The Voting Rights Act has been attacked before. Every attack sparked stronger activism, broader coalitions, & deeper commitment to ensuring voters decide who represents them, not the other way around. This moment will be no different.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana map that fairly represents Black voters, gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. This devastating attack from the Court majority destroys protections for voters of color across the country.

A sitting president attempting to rebrand America’s 250th by putting his face on coins, national parks passes, buildings, and now U.S. passports... a WH spokesperson called the design—Trump's face directly on top of the Declaration of Independence—"patriotic." Our founders would like a word.