14|Democracy ascendant; MAGA on the run.

AOC's most important message & a treat from Paris.

3 Big Things:

1️⃣ 7 Million 🪧✊

That’s the estimated number of people who marched last Saturday at more than 4,600 official No Kings demonstrations — not counting the numerous spontaneous meetups here and abroad. That’s more than one protest per federal worker illegally laid off by the Trump Administration two weeks ago.

The June No Kings day drew just under 7 million, and organizers expected 5 million people this time around.

The marches could not have come at a more important time, at day 18 of the government shutdown — just as Democrats have finally found the car keys. And Republicans were running scared from the protests — simultaneously calling them radically dangerous and ‘just full of old people.’ (The protest were a cross section of America — bipartisan, multigenerational, etc.) You know they are scared and confused when they can’t pick which lie to stick with.

Saturday was a much-needed victory for two fights — the one against authoritarianism and the one inside ourselves.

It’s so easy when you see ICE paramilitary forces terrorizing U.S. citizens and residents, when you see the city of Chicago living in fear, when you hear about the endless grift and bribes by the Trump family, when journalists and comedians alike are being harassed and silenced, when violence continues to be threatened by our own president—it’s easy to let cynicism eat us up inside. It’s easy to let the overwhelm and fear consume us.

But days like this weekend remind us that we are not alone — not even close.

75 million Americans did not vote for Trump — and millions more either wish they had cast a ballot in November or are having buyer’s remorse.

This fight will continue. Not every day will be as sunshiny as Saturday. In their desperation, Trump and his thugs will cause more pain and grow more dangerous. This is not a sign of power, but one of weakness. It’s what all tyrants do.

There will be dark days, but the sun always comes. Freedom always wins.

2️⃣ 80,000 🚗 🚙

That’s how many cars pass between Los Angeles and San Diego on the I-5 every day.

On Saturday, Trump had the military fire artillery rounds over the interstate — within hours of the No Kings protests. They failed to inform Gov. Gavin Newsom until the day before, when he abruptly told state authorities to close the free way for safety.

“This is a profoundly absurd show of force that could put Californians directly in harm’s way.” — Newsom told the NYTimes.

Surprise: At least one artillery round exploded early, dropping shrapnel onto the interstate. It hit a patrol car and motorcycle cop.

This is the sort of reckless behavior I’m talking about, the brinkmanship of a wannabe despot.

Source NYTimes.

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3️⃣ 10,000 👩‍⚖️ 🏛️

That’s how many federal workers Russ Vought, the director of OMB (Office of Management and Budget), threatened to fire if the shutdown continued. The comments came after a court blocked the Trump Administration from firing roughly 4,200 federal workers the week before.

The law explicitly states workers cannot be laid off during a shutdown. That law was created for this exact purpose, to protect federal workers from being threatened or used as hostages.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston said the Trump Administration was acting without thinking things through, according to PBS. (Yeah!)

“It’s very much ready, fire, aim on most of these programs, and it has a human cost,” Judge Illston said. “It’s a human cost that cannot be tolerated.”

These political fights are just theater to many politicians; it’s entertainment or reality TV. It shouldn’t come as a surprise if Monday or Tuesday headlines include more layoffs or shutdown threats out of the White House in response to No Kings.

But, as Judge Illston said, these fights have a real human cost.

Democrats are going to have to add demands to their Shutdown List:

• Ensure furloughed federal workers receive back pay.

• Reinstate anyone laid off.

This fight is about protecting people: the 20 million that will see health insurance premiums skyrocket, the 15 million who will lose Medicaid, the countless more that will lose access to basic health services when their nearby hospital or clinic closes, veterans and military families fighting to make ends meet or receive health care, and federal workers bearing the brunt of the shutdown.

That’s what separates us from the other side — more than policy, more than religion, more than party affiliation, even more than who we voted for in the last election. We want to help people—all people. Trump doesn’t.

Of all the news and headlines of the past week, the most important moment came during Bernie and AOC’s town hall on CNN last Wednesday.

ICYMI:

A couple of projects are taking off.

• The Internet Bill of Rights is LIVE: Last month, we discussed how Democrats don’t just have a message problem, they have a medium problem. Conservatives and billionaires have taken over the media infrastructure. Now, we have to take it back.

• The 2030 Peace is ramping up. Here we’ll discuss the context for military conflicts, and how we create conditions for peace in our world.

Sign up for updates on either series here. (Just toggle them on/off in your preferences.)

Editor’s Note:

Happy fall. 🍁 After a semi-summer hiatus, we’ve gotten back into the swing of things. Stacey got married… and the happy couple is now expecting! A huge congratulations to him. I was able to visit family, including some folks from the new generation. Cheers to nieces, nephews, children all — the smiling faces we fight for each day.

It’s important to take time with family and friends, to remember the freedoms we are striving to preserve, to fill your heart to the brim. I hope you’ve all had time in your busy days to be together with the ones you love.

Here is a piece of joy to start your week: protesters in Paris singing the national anthem in solidarity with Americans.

Yours in Revolution—Álio