Chop Wood, Carry Water 4/17

Together we can get through this.

Hi, all, and happy Thursday.

Hope you’re hanging in there. I know it’s been a long week. Thanks for still being here and for working so tirelessly for our country. You’re amazing!

It’s a deeply sobering time, but I have a couple of happy(ish) announcements:

First, I’m doing an Instagram Live with Congressman John Larson a bit later today. I’m very excited—he’s incredible!

Rep. Larson, you may remember, went viral in March when someone posted a video of him excoriating Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee for allowing Elon Musk to skip a hearing about Social Security. (You can watch it here.) He’s been in Congress since 1999 and he’s THE authority on Social Security there. He’s also just introduced two important bills to help protect it (see our Resistbot letter below).

I’m really excited for our conversation and hope you can come watch. I know some of you are off of Meta platforms now, but if you’re not it’s at 12:30 PT / 3:30 ET; you can watch it by just hopping onto Instagram at that time and looking for one of our profiles at the top of the screen—it should say LIVE. I think you have to be following at least one of us to see it pop up there, though, so if you’re not just go to one of our profile pages. (I’m @jesscraven101 and he’s @repjohnblarson.) There are also easy instructions for viewing an Instagram Live here.

Whether or not you can come watch, if you have questions you’d particularly like me to pose to the Congressman please drop them in the comments. I aim to ask him what the program’s chances of survival are at this point, what we can do to help protect it, and what measures, if any, folks can take to make sure they get their benefits. Let me know what else you’d like to learn.

The other good news is that we had Alison Gill on the podcast yesterday. She’s awesome—a PhD, a former high-level employee at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the host of The Daily Beans (and of Mueller, She Wrote), and a smart-as-hell individual. It’s a great interview—she has some really interesting stuff to say about the situation with Trump and SCOTUS right now. I learned a lot, and think you will, too. You can watch the conversation here or listen here. It really reminded me of just how many ferociously smart and deeply patriotic people we have in our movement; it’s an encouraging thing to behold.

OK, all. I’m going to cut this introduction a bit short so I can get the newsletter out early. I hope to see some of you later today, and either way I’ll ty to get as much information out of Rep. Larson as I can and bring it back to you.

It’s a tough, tough time, but we can get through this one day together, and we will. Let’s go chop some wood and carry some water, shall we?

It’s the way we’ll stay sane, and it’s the only way we’ll win.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

First, I’m angry about Trump’s plan to privatize the Postal Service—I fully oppose it. I know that Senator Tillis has partnered with Senator Hassan to introduce Senate Resolution 147, which states that the government must “take all appropriate measures to ensure that the USPS…is not subject to privatization.” I want the Senator to sign on to it. Should Trump make a move, these anti-privatization resolutions will be critical in court cases as we fight to stop it.

Second, what is the Senator doing to help bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home? And to stop the many un-Constitutional abductions the Trump administration is undertaking? It’s complete insanity, it’s frightening, and it’s got to stop. We either have due process for all or we’ve ceased to be a democracy. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

First, I’m angry about Trump’s plan to privatize the Postal Service—I fully oppose it. I know that Rep. Bacon has partnered with Rep. Connolly to introduce House Resolution 70, which states that the government must “take all appropriate measures to ensure that the USPS…is not subject to privatization.” I want the Congressmember to sign on to it. Should Trump make a move, these anti-privatization resolutions will be critical in court cases as we fight to stop it.

Second, what is the Congressmember doing to help bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia home? And to stop the many un-Constitutional abductions the Trump administration is undertaking? It’s complete insanity, it’s frightening, and it’s got to stop. We either have due process for all or we’ve ceased to be a democracy. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

[H/T Subscriber Gwen R.]

Let’s write to our alma maters again—or for the first time, if you’re new here—and encourage them to stand together against Trump. They need to hear from us. Just google “President of [your college/university]” and find their email address. Then say something like:

Dear President_____

I am writing as a [student/graduate/faculty member] with an urgent request that [school] stand clearly, strongly, and publicly in opposition to the Trump administration's attack on academic freedom and free expression.

Harvard's president Alan Garber has demonstrated this kind of courageous, uncompromising stand.

Yale's own faculty has demanded that the University stand with Harvard and other colleges and universities in collective defense against illiberalism.

Rutgers has shown great courage, too.

Columbia, on the other hand, has taken the shameful path of appeasement. Do not follow them. [School] can and must demonstrate the moral clarity and fortitude for which these times call. Stand with Harvard, Rutgers, Yale, and others in defending academic freedom at all costs.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to your response.

[Name, year graduated if appropriate]

Acts of Thanks 🙏🏼

[H/T subscriber Janet Z.]

Let’s call the office of Judge Paula Xinis [pronounced GHIN-nis] to thank her for being a bulwark of justice against the injustice and unconstitutionality of the Trump administration. The number is 301-344-0653. I got a voicemail and was able to leave a message!

We can say something like:

My name is _____ and I’m calling from [city, state.] I want to thank Judge Xinis for her courageous defense of the rule of law at this very treacherous time. She is demonstrating courage and fealty to the Constitution where so many are not. I know it can’t be easy. I am so very grateful.

Get Smart and Save the Planet!

On Earth Day, I'll be moderating an event about one of the most actionable climate strategies we have at our disposal: decarbonizing homes and buildings.

Even with a climate denier in the White House, America can still act on climate—right now! Buildings make up 31% of our greenhouse gas emissions, and we don’t need the federal government to make more progress on decarbonizing America’s homes and buildings!

Join me on Tuesday April 22 (Earth Day!) from 7-8 pm ET to learn about decarbonized homes and buildings. You'll learn from a panel of experts from Rewiring America, Bright Saver, and Electrify Now. And, you'll be invited to use the free Climate Action Now app to tell local, state, and business leaders all around the country about the benefits of decarbonized buildings and how they can accelerate the shift!

Register now to join the Climate Action Party on Earth Day, April 22 from 7-8 pm ET.

Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣

Jim Ryan of Terrible Swift Sword just posted another graphic explainer, this time about the SAVE Act. The idea is that we print some of these and leave them around in public places so everyone understands what’s at stake with this bill. The explainer is below, and printing instructions are here. I love that he’s added a QR code to download the 5 Calls app. Awesome!

Get in the Streets! 🪧

Many are asking what’s planned for April 19. I urge you to look at the 50501 site to search for a local protest. If you find none then look for a Tesla Takedown. You should find something. I’m still deciding which Los Angeles event I’ll attend but I’m leaning towards my Old Town Pasadena Tesla Takedown. It doesn’t matter so much which event we attend; the important thing is that we turn out if we can.

And save the date for May 1, which is shaping up to be another huge protest day!

Grab Your Wallet! 💳

I’ll be meeting with the folks at General Strike later today. I’m excited, as I think ultimately this is the route we may need to take. If you haven’t yet signed your strike card please do. The higher that number on the website gets the better I’ll feel about our chances of success. Sign (and share) here. And drop any questions you may have for them in the comments!

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: your House rep] [Text SIGN PFLFUR to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

I’m writing because I’m deeply concerned about the Trump administration’s attacks on Social Security. DOGE is cutting staff at an alarming rate, field offices are being closed, the SSA is insisting they’ll only communicate using Elon Musk’s vanity platform X, and we’re already starting to see alarming interruptions to service at an agency that has heretofore run seamlessly.

Over 70 million Americans—senior citizens and children—rely on Social Security. It is the largest anti-poverty program in the country. Attacks on it are unconscionable and will have disastrous consequences for voters in your district. We are paying attention, and we want it protected.

Rep. John Larson has introduced two bills, the Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act—H.R. 1876—and the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act—H.R. 1877. I expect the representative to co-sponsor both. The attacks on Social Security must stop; I want to see Congress assert their authority and fight for it. Thank you.

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OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.

Talk soon.

Jess