Hi, all, and happy Tuesday!
A couple of things before we get to our calls:
First, a friendly reminder that Indivisible is having their big voter protection program kickoff call this Thursday, July 30, at 8pm ET/5pm PT. If you haven’t already, please be sure to register here to get your link for the call. To the extent that it’s possible we should all try to jump and hear what the plan is. It’s that important.
Second, I want to tell you about an exciting new tool I’m going to start using—a great app called Sway that lets you share your voter recommendations with others. I just created a profile on it called Jess’s Progressive Picks. I am going to be adding the candidates I support from all across the country, as well as a more detailed Los Angeles and CA voter guide as we get closer to the midterms. I’ve already started adding names, and more candidates will be coming soon! I’ll also be able to message voters who follow me about races specific to where they live. It’s a super cool free tool and I hope some of you will sign up to follow me on it. You’ll be able to see all the folks I think are worth supporting and where they are, and you can share it with friends. There are other great people doing voter guides there, too, so it’s worth exploring.
Also, if you have a candidate you think I should add please let me know! I’ll uplift any candidate—be it for school board, mayor, town supervisor or governor—as long as they’re progressive. So if you’ve got someone running in a primary or general that you like and they’re in a competitive race let me know! And again, the link to check out my Sway page is here. Just to be really clear, this is a free service and I’m not getting paid anything to promote it. I’ve just always dreamed of sharing a nationwide voter recommendation list—I believe in 2024 I tried doing it on a google doc with mixed success—and this enables me to do it easily!
OK, all. No news recap this morning except to say that Trump is still pressuring John Thune like crazy over the SAVE Act, but there still doesn’t appear to be any real chance it passes, so I’m not losing sleep over it just yet. You shouldn’t either.
The Jay Clayton vote is tonight at around 6PM ET so please call about him before then!
Thank you so much for sticking with me through all of this madness. I can’t believe I’ve been singlehandedly writing this newsletter 5 days a week for almost ten years now. What started as an email to my husband and mom in November of 2016 is now a team over 150K strong. So crazy.
I’d love to see this list grow as we head into the midterms, so please tell a friend about what we’re doing here! After all, the bigger the army the easier the victory.
Let’s get to work.
Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲
Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
First, I want the Senator to oppose Jay Clayton’s nomination—I know the vote is today. This guy is an election denier. He cannot run national intelligence if he won’t state basic facts.
I also want the Senator to oppose Todd Blanche. He betrayed the Epstein survivors, stood up for Trump’s weaponization fund, defended January Sixers, and so much more. He’s unfit.
Finally, I’m calling about the NDAA. This year’s bill includes a provision that would lock the United States into even closer military ties with Israel through weapons development, intelligence sharing, and other military cooperation. I’m asking the Senator to oppose these provisions.
I also want the Senator to oppose the Hunt amendment in the NDAA. Sable Oil shouldn’t be getting state parkland handed to them when they’re facing criminal charges. Make sure this amendment comes out! Thanks.
Extra Credit ✅
The DNC is apparently considering banning Ranked Choice Voting in presidential primaries. If you think this is a bad idea (I do) please sign this petition demanding that they not do it.
Thanks to reader Jean for flagging!
Get Smart! 📚
Care about protecting the midterms from Trump’s election interference? How about making changes so that what’s happening now can NEVER happen again?
You’re invited to join Try And Stop Us for their first Partner Call happening Wednesday at 3:30 PM ET.
Here’s the agenda for Wednesday’s call:
A Conversation on Trump and Republicans’ Attacks on Voting Rights with U.S. Senator Mark Warner and Try And Stop Us Senior Adviser Stephanie Schriock
An Introduction to Try And Stop Us with Mally Smith, Partnership Director
Join them for an engaging discussion that moves beyond the headlines and focuses on the real-world changes that could help make Congress work better for all Americans. This is a new group and I really like the work they’re doing. This should be a good call!
Messaging! Messaging! Messaging! 📣
Want to know how to most effectively talk about what Trump and Republicans are doing right now? I can’t recommend Antonia Scatton’s writing enough—particularly this edition of her messaging newsletter. It’s SO GOOD.
Give 💰!
Join Force Multiplier in Supporting Progressive Online Media
Thursday, July 30, 7:00–8:00 pm ET on Zoom
Over 50% of voters, and over 80% of youth get their news online. Right-leaning online programs have five times the following of progressive programs. This event supports groups who are trying to close that gap, especially in Black, Latino and rural communities. Hear speakers from Media Matters, Courier Newsroom, Chorus and Onyx Impact.
Make a donation of any size through this Act Blue page and receive the Zoom info. 100% of funds raised for this event will go to the groups.
Win Races—Postcards! 🗳
Postcards to Swing States News Boosting postcards just won the Analyst Institute's Hal Malchow Award. This award honors an organization that is committed to transparency, even when results run counter to expectations.
You can sign up to write News Boosting postcards to voters in Texas and Alaska! Combined with their get-out-the-vote postcards, they believe these postcards can flip the US Senate.
The cards are free, the scripts are VERY short, and all you need to pay for is postage. Sign up here!
Win Races—Phonebank! 📲
If you loved the Donavan McKinney interview yesterday—or if you love Abdul El-Sayed and/or Will Lawrence—please help them win in Michigan! There are Indivisible phonebanks for all three on Thursday and Sunday; they REALLY need more volunteers!
(Other upcoming Indivisible phonebanks are: August 4: Phonebank for Peggy Flanagan in Minnesota (6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT), August 5: Phonebank for Justin J. Pearson in Tennessee, August 6: Phonebank for Jarrett Keohokalole in Hawaii (9pm ET/6pm PT/3pm HST)
Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻
[To: your Senators] [H/T] [Text SIGN PLLQIV to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]
(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)
I urge you to oppose Brian Johnson’s nomination to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Johnson served as deputy director of the CFPB during Donald Trump’s first term, when the agency weakened protections against predatory payday lenders, pulled back enforcement, and shifted power away from consumers and toward financial corporations. His record gives the Senate every reason to expect an even more destructive tenure now.
The Trump administration is presenting Johnson as a return to normal operations after Russell Vought’s attempted dismantling of the CFPB. This couldn’t be more wrong.
The truth is Johnson has already supported cutting the agency’s independent funding and weakening its enforcement authority. Confirming him would allow the administration to continue the Project 2025 campaign to dismantle consumer protections, abandon cases against corporate wrongdoers, and deny relief to people cheated by powerful financial institutions.
The agency should be fighting discrimination by banks and lenders, protecting people from financial abuse, and enforcing the law equally.
For 15 years, the CFPB has stood between consumers and some of the most powerful corporations in the country. It has returned billions of dollars to people harmed by illegal conduct and protected families from junk fees, predatory loans, credit reporting abuses, and discrimination. The Senate should demand a director committed to rebuilding that work, rather than confirming someone prepared to continue Vought’s mission under a different name.
Please reject Brian Johnson’s nomination and protect the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from Vought 2.0.
OK, you did it again! You’re helping to save democracy! You’re amazing.
Talk soon.
Jess
Last year you wrote about Onondaga County (NY) legislature flipping blue. This year Oswego County has 17 Dem candidates for legislature- attempting to flip the county leg blue for the first time in 60 years. Usually we have 1 or 2 Dems and 22-23 Republicans. It's a tough uphill battle. We are also lucky enough to have Alissa Ellman running against MAGA Claudia Tenney for Congress. We have a good shot !!
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Jess, kudos for your initiative! Question: what is your criteria for “Progressive?” Mine is simple: upfront voiced rejection of the Israel lobby like Donavan McKinney in Chicago and of course, Mamdani. Both paragons of straightforward values comparisons and unequivocal dedication to constituent needs.