Time: Tue, Sep 22, 7-8:30pm Location: Ladera Community Church, 3300 Alpine Rd, Portola Valley
Talk with Judge Stephen S. Trott
Thanks to IPV members Karen Turner and Linda Clever for their work putting this program together.
Sponsored by Ladera Community Church Social Justice Committee
As part of LCC’s ongoing Democracy & Disagreement Series, this will be the first presentation in their series focusing on Christian Nationalism.
Judge Stephen S. Trott was appointed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and is now inactive. He will describe the history of the First Amendment, the roots of which lie in attempts to eliminate centuries of religious persecution and violence. Judge Trott will also analyze the coupling of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause as a balanced bargain that assures dignity, freedom and equity for all citizens.
He will outline the consequences of Christian Nationalism as espoused by enthusiasts.
From two acclaimed legal scholars, a new history of the Supreme Court that overturns our most basic assumptions about its role in our democracy, showing how it seized the power it now wields.
Does the U.S. Constitution force us to live under the rule of nine robed lawyers? Many Americans assume that it does. It is commonly said that the Supreme Court has always had the power to decide what the Constitution means and to strike down any act of Congress that violates the justices’ dictates. Even as the Court has used this power to upend democracy—erasing federal laws that once prevented presidential autocracy and protected the right to vote—we are told there is nothing everyday Americans can do, as if our ability to govern ourselves requires the Court to answer our most fundamental questions for us.
But what if that isn’t accurate? What if the Court was not given the power it now wields, but rather seized it?
That is the revelation of Nikolas Bowie and Daphna Renan’s masterful new account of the Supreme Court. In a sweeping narrative of over 200 years of American history, they demonstrate that “judicial supremacy” was not written into the Constitution and has always been challenged as fundamentally at odds with it. Far from being an eternal principle, the power the Court claims to override Congress’s interpretation of the Constitution took hold in reaction to abolition and Reconstruction—not to protect democracy, but to weaken it.
Supremacy charts how the Court has repeatedly sabotaged the efforts of Congress to broaden democracy by enabling presidents, corporations, and the wealthy to ignore enacted law. It also challenges how even liberals understand the Court’s most celebrated rulings—including Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade—showing how the left has unwittingly subscribed to the very ideology that now threatens it.
At every step, Bowie and Renan recover a lost constitutional tradition, one forged by abolitionists, labor leaders, suffragists, and civil rights pioneers. These individuals presented another way forward, in which power is returned to where the Constitution put it—Congress—and everyday Americans have more of a say in the law that shapes our lives.
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and the Fight for America
by David Corn Recommended by Steve G. Publisher: Harper
The definitive and riveting investigation into how Vladimir Putin successfully mounted a decade-long covert war against the United States and how Donald Trump aided and abetted the operation and upended America and the world
How Russia Won tells the little-understood yet crucial story of how Vladimir Putin has waged a secret campaign to subvert and weaken the United States—and how Trump, his MAGA movement, the Republican Party, and right-wing media have served as useful idiots for the tyrannical Russian leader in his assault on America and the West.
In this gripping tale of international intrigue and political skullduggery, David Corn, bestselling author and veteran investigative journalist:
Details the Kremlin’s clandestine operations to fuel political discord in U.S. politics and assist Trump that have been underway since 2016
Exposes the extensive, fierce, and non-stop efforts of Trump and his supporters to deny Russia’s years-long attack on the United States
Delivers a tough truth: Trump and his allies have been complicit in Putin’s war on America
This is the harrowing story of modern information warfare aimed at the U.S. by a nefarious foreign adversary and profound political betrayal at home. It is full of revelations and dramatic accounts of Russian intelligence operations targeting the United States; the Kremlin’s secret schemes to spread disinformation in 2020 and 2024 to boost Trump’s presidential campaigns; ties between Trump’s inner circle—including his personal attorney and his campaign manager—and Putin’s spies; Republican attempts to use Russian disinformation to protect Trump and smear Democrats; the bipartisan congressional investigation that blew apart Trump’s claim the Russia investigation was a hoax and raised troubling questions about his own interactions with Russia; and the never-ending propaganda campaign Trump and MAGA Republicans have pursued to cover up Putin’s clandestine intervention in U.S. politics.
by Naomi Klein, Astra Taylor Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
A scathing investigation into the apocalyptic thinking of the Christian nationalists, tech-bro reactionaries, and populist survivalists who increasingly define the contemporary right—and a recipe for how to fight them.
As the planet burns and shared reality melts, a new iteration of the far right is on the march. How can we understand this dangerous new development, and what resources can we draw on to resist it? In their scathing assessment of the contemporary scene, the celebrated activists and authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor explore how the religious fundamentalists, Silicon Valley technologists, and ethno-nationalists who make up this apocalyptic alliance share more than one might think: they are united in their belief that some kind of cleansing cataclysm is coming, whether through the manifestation of messianic prophecy, the rampages of a resource- and job-consuming artificial intelligence, or the purported existential threat of immigration and cultural replacement. Rather than avoiding this conflagration, they welcome it, convinced they will be among the saved on the other side.
“End Times Fascism” is the ideology of the actors who strive to make the world unlivable and then seek to protect themselves from the fallout—whether by repairing to luxurious private islands, rocketing off to Mars, or bunkering the nation to keep their enemies at bay. The new survivalists have accumulated power, but they are far from impregnable. As Klein and Taylor show via original reporting and analysis, their many internal conflicts and contradictions and their nihilistic inability to envision a shared future, even for their ostensible allies, leave them vulnerable to a new kind of “pro-life” politics—rooted in reverence for our shared existence and regard for the earth we inhabit and must protect.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This transfixing debut from journalist Durán investigates the antidemocratic ideologies espoused by tech billionaires linked to the second Trump administration…It’s an ominous look at an insular elite arrayed against American democracy.” —Publishers Weekly(starred review)
A fearless and urgent chronicle of the tech-authoritarian movement from its early days in San Francisco politics to its current moment on the international stage, exploring the wild and dystopian ambition of the technocrats at its center, and offering a road map to resistance.
When Silicon Valley says it is ‘‘moving fast and breaking things,’’ the world interprets the chaos as a necessary cost of innovation. Gil Durán reveals something far more sinister: a decades-long campaign to replace elected governments with corporate rule.
Drawing on insider political experience and new investigations, Durán traces this ideology from its philosophical roots in The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and Lord William Rees-Mogg. He introduces its modern apostles—Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, and Elon Musk—and shows how the promise of technological liberation has transformed into a global movement for digital feudalism, powered by cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and the algorithmic propaganda of social media.
The Nerd Reich explains the origins, strategies, and ambitions of Silicon Valley’s war on democracy for the first time. From San Francisco’s weaponized elections and secret billionaire projects to the White House, Durán exposes how the world’s richest men are building a new political order.
The Nerd Reich is more than a hidden history, it’s an urgent warning: democracy is being dismantled not by coups or tanks, but by code, capital, and the illusion of innovation. Durán insists there is still time to fight back—if we act now.
Lightworkers Screening & Conversation with Robert Hubbell
Saturday, July 25, 3 – 6pm PDT Redwood City, CA 94062
Join us for a screening of Lightworkers, a powerful new documentary that brings together 35 diverse citizens to tackle the most urgent question of our time: How do we protect our democracy from fascism? Filmmaker Bobby Roth delivers a deeply moving, socio-historic exploration of activism, courage, empathy, and collective responsibility.
We are absolutely thrilled that political commentator Robert Hubbell—the trusted independent voice behind the Today’s Edition Substack and one of the citizens featured in the film—is traveling from Los Angeles to join us for a live Q&A session immediately following the screening.
This film is a profound source of inspiration and deeply relevant to the work we are all doing. Join us to learn, connect, and get energized for the vital efforts and community actions we have ahead of us!
by: Ben Wikler Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Recommended by: Steve G.
A New York Times bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller • An Independent Press Bestseller
“Ben Wikler is one of the most strategic and respected leaders of his generation. If we do what this book says, we will win.”—Nancy Pelosi
From the most successful Democratic operative of the last decade, a revelatory account of what you—yes, you—can do to defeat Trumpism.
If you are looking at the spiraling crisis of American politics in the Trump era and wondering how the hell we get out of this mess, This Is the Plan is the book you’ve been waiting for.
Ben Wikler led the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to a string of improbable victories in a state with a political system so rigged that it was dubbed a “democracy desert”—which is, coincidentally, Trump’s goal for the whole country.
Now, in This Is the Plan, Wikler distills lessons from the front lines in America’s most closely divided state to map out a comprehensive plan to dictator-proof American government, defeat MAGA at every level of the ballot, and build a future of democracy, opportunity, and freedom for all.
It will be a blast. The plan is to, as he writes, “have fun storming the castle—in a civil, metaphorical, and non-January-6th-y way.”
Drawing on decades of organizing, from local races (including a race for county coroner that hinged on the issue of zombification) to presidential showdowns, Wikler brings us behind the scenes to explore the hidden structures of power that shape our politics and our lives, and takes us into the art and science of winning elections. As he details a people-powered path out of the political wilderness, Wikler reveals what you personally can do to move the needle.
This Is the Plan reveals, year by year and step by step, a vision not only to end America’s collapse into authoritarianism but also to reconnect us to our neighbors—and, fighting side by side for democracy, to build meaning, community, and joy.
In 1838, a 28-year-old lawyer from Illinois saw it coming.
Not an invasion. Not a foreign army. The threat he warned about was… Americans. Americans who would choose a man over a law, a leader over a constitution, passion over principle.
Nearly 200 years later, we’re living inside the warning.
Lincoln didn’t need to see January 6th. He didn’t need to watch Dear Leader demand loyalty oaths, purge anyone who wouldn’t kneel, and torch every institution that stood in his way.
He just needed to know human nature.
The question Lincoln posed nearly two centuries ago wasn’t rhetorical. It was a warning. And right now, not enough people have heard it.
How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear – A Pulitzer Winner’s Guide to Personal Courage in an Age of Authoritarianism
By: Julia Angwin and Ami Fields-Meyer Publisher: Simon & Schuster Recommended by: Steve G.
The United States is only the latest country to face a leader who wields fear as a weapon, punishes political enemies, disappears people off the street, and undermines free and fair elections. Today nearly three out of four people on earth live under authoritarianism, the highest rate since the late 1970s.
But even under repressive conditions, each of us holds the power to help defeat autocrats. Based on their acclaimed The New Yorker essay “So You Want to Be a Dissident?,” veteran reporter Julia Angwin and political strategist Ami Fields-Meyer give us a captivating – and profoundly hopeful – guide to courage in an age of fear.
Meet a student from Hong Kong who risked everything for democracy. A mom in a working-class neighborhood of Caracas who broke with the political movement that raised her. Cairo twentysomethings who staged a gutsy stunt to help bring down a dictator. A mild-mannered immigrant fighting to save a landmark U.S. civil rights law. People throughout the United States and across five continents who faced serious risks for dissenting in their workplace, their community, or their country. On Courage is the story of how they did it anyway – and how you can do it, too.
Blending rich, previously untold narratives with history, spirituality, and movement research, Angwin and Fields-Meyer deliver a highly accessible book full of practical lessons – an inspiring resource for anyone, anywhere, who feel the walls of history closing in on them. On Courage is a roadmap to political courage and a powerful case for how taking personal risks can help save the free world.
From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House. Regime Change covers the first year of Trump’s second presidency—a term liberated from every constraint that defined his first. The generals who once told him “no” are gone, and the lawyers who remain have learned to pick their battles. His administration has flouted court orders, and he has claimed powers that Congress once checked. What remains is a President willing to take enormous risks that have upended global markets and toppled heads of state; an imperial President operating almost entirely on instinct alone.
Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader inside the Situation Room and into the secret Oval Office deliberations that have launched a new war in the Middle East and seen Trump seal the border, surge National Guard troops into cities, and send immigration agents into deadly clashes with protestors. Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan bring us behind the scenes of a presidency that has transformed the culture, turned the Justice Department into an agent of retribution against the President’s enemies and the office itself into a brazen vehicle for profit. They reveal a second term propelled by a historical irony that Trump himself has come to understand: that the indictments, the convictions, the assassination attempts, and four years of exile made him not weaker but far more powerful, more vengeful, and more willing to gamble than any President in modern history.
This is the story of how Trump has used that power, who has tried to stop him, and why nearly all of them have failed. It is also the story of something American journalists are more accustomed to chronicling in distant capitals than in their own: a President who has fundamentally altered the nature of the office he holds—and, with it, how the rest of the world understands American power. It is an account of Regime Change right here in America—a landmark real-time history of a modern presidency like no other.
Hawaii has enacted a law that prohibits corporations from spending money on political campaigns, effectively redefining the powers granted to corporations within the state. This legislation, signed by Governor Josh Green, is set to take effect on July 1, 2027, and positions Hawaii as the first state to limit corporate political spending in this manner, aiming to restore integrity in the electoral process.
Key Features of the Law
Prohibition on Corporate Spending: The law explicitly prohibits corporations from spending money on local, state, or federal political campaigns.
Effective Date: The law is set to take effect on July 1, 2027.
Legal Basis: The legislation is grounded in the principle that corporations derive their powers from state law, which allows Hawaii to redefine those powers, excluding political spending.
“In Montana, we proposed both Constitutional & Statutory Initiatives that will sweep corporate and secret-donor money out of Montana’s local, state, and federal politics. It achieves this not by the state of Montana regulating corporate speech, but by the state of Montana simply declining to grant the corporations it creates the power to spend in politics. This is an authority every state possesses, but no state has used it in more than a century. As of March 2026, I-194, the Statutory Initiative, is certified for signature gathering and is underway across Montana through June 19, 2026. The constitutional initiative was found legally sufficient by the Montana Supreme Court. However, we await a decision on the proposed ballot statement. It is unlikely the proposed constitutional initiative will meet calendar deadlines for signature collection in 2026.”
Montana Initiative 194, Prohibit Entities from Contributing to State and Local Candidate and Ballot Measure Elections Initiative, will be on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot.
The initiative would prohibit artificial persons, as defined in the initiative, from contributing to campaigns, ballot measure elections, or political parties. Artificial persons would include nonprofits, trusts, partnerships, corporations, trade associations, or unincorporated associations, and all entities doing business in Montana. If an entity violates the initiative, it would be prohibited from doing business in Montana until it has certified compliance with the initiative.
California:
California Assembly Bill 1984 aims to redefine the powers of corporations by revoking their political spending power and limiting their activities to those specifically granted under state law. This bill emphasizes that all political power is inherent in the people, not in corporations.
Key Provisions
Revocation of Political Spending Power
The bill revokes the political spending power of corporations.
Corporations will only possess powers specifically granted under state law.
Legislative Intent
The legislation declares that all political power is inherent in the people.
It specifies that corporations are creations of statute and do not have natural rights to political activities.
Introduced by Assembly Member Rogers Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Kalra (Coauthors: Assembly Members Addis, Connolly, Elhawary, Garcia, Harabedian, Jackson, Lee, and Schiavo)
Principal coauthor: Senator McGuire (Coauthors: Senators McNerney and Pérez)
Status: April 20, 2026 Re-referred to Com. on Banking and Finance with amendments from original filing on 2-13-2026.
Contact your CA Assemblymember and State Senator and ask them to co-sponsor and actively support AB 1984.
Write a letter to the editor explaining the bill and why it’s important. Point out that Hawai’i has already done this in a bipartisan manner, and that Montana has ballot initiatives to do the same thing.
Support the CA Fair Elections Act, which repeals the ban on public financing of campaigns. All cities and agencies could create their own public financing system if they choose to. Endorse the act and encourage your elected officials to support it as well.
Video: Hawaii Is Overturning Citizens United | Lever Time
Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government
By: Barbara McQuade
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Recommended by: Steve G.
In The Fix, Barbara McQuade draws on her decades of experience as a federal prosecutor to show us the detrimental effects of a government that uses corruption, cruelty, and chaos as tools of control. As a US Attorney, McQuade became all too familiar with corruption cases, prosecuting former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, the “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and Volkswagen, among others. Here, she exposes how rampant corruption and cruelty are being weaponized to manipulate every facet of American life. Weaving together courtroom stories, lessons from history, and real-time legal analysis, McQuade shows how each corrupt offense, each act of cruelty, is a step toward total authoritarianism.
Yet The Fix is not just a critique of power gone awry. McQuade offers clear strategies that ordinary Americans can utilize, from organizing teach-ins and protests to running for local office, to reclaim the rule of law and ensure that elected officials serve the public’s interest, not their own.
Eye-opening and grounded in the author’s abiding faith in the US Constitution to help restore power to the people, The Fix is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of America and ready to work together to take it back.
ICE is trying to move to build a facility in South County — and our community is fighting back.
Although there is no definitive information about the future use of this land, our community will be vigilant and organized to ensure ICE can not expand deportation operations in the Bay at this site.
On May 22, join us for a community briefing to get the full picture: what we know, what’s at stake, and how we stop it. This is your chance to hear directly from community leaders, ask questions, and plug into the campaign.
This facility would threaten the safety and well-being of immigrant families across the entire region. Research has consistently shown that communities located near ICE detention centers experience increased enforcement activity and higher rates of arrests—a pattern that puts immigrant families, mixed-status households, and entire neighborhoods at greater risk.
Santa Clara County is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in California. For years, county leaders and community organizations have fought to pass and defend strong sanctuary protections because they know that the safety of immigrant residents is inseparable from the safety and well-being of the whole county. A new ICE detention center in Gilroy would be a direct threat to everything those protections stand for.
Noelia Corzo – Board of Supervisors, District 2 President
Lisa Gauthier – Supervisor
Elmer Martinez – Redwood City Mayor
James Coleman – SSF City Council Member, representing Working Families
Pranita Venkatesh – Mayor of San Carlos, representing SMC AAPI
Demands for May 1st
Tax the rich. Our families, not their fortunes, should come first.
No ICE. No war. Hands off our vote. Expand democracy, not corporate power
In 2025, billionaires paid an average federal individual tax rate of 3.4%- 8.2%. Their fortunes grew an average of 33%. Meanwhile, the poorest among us have lost SNAP (food stamps), children in schools who qualify no longer receive a free meal (often was their only meal in a day), health care premiums have been increased, Medicaid is set to throw millions off in Dec of ’26, many rural hospitals have closed, stopping childcare subsidies… and so much more.
A day of protests & other actions, to remind ourselves that we are many & strong.
No Work (if you are able), No School (if you are able), No Shopping (we can all stop)
Ways to think about what “billion” really means in seconds are easier to understand than dollars– here’s the inequality if seconds were dollars:
100,000 = 28 hours, 1 million = 11 days, 1 billion = 32 years, 1 trillion=31,688 YEARS
On May 1, 2026, workers, students, and families rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.
By Gal Beckerman Apr 21, 2026 Publisher: Crown Recommended by: Bruce R
An invigorating guide to fighting back—part philosophy, part history, and part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian drift
How do we push back in a world where political leaders wield fear and intimidation? Where digital technology dehumanizes and flattens us? We need role models, and in this engaging book, acclaimed writer Gal Beckerman goes looking for them. Drawing on the stories of dissidents from around the globe and across time, from Socrates to Ai Weiwei, and thinkers like Hannah Arendt and Iris Murdoch, Beckerman reveals the defining characteristics these extraordinary figures share, a set of attributes and practices for anyone navigating the pressures of modern tyranny.
Structured around ten qualities—among them, Be Pessimistic, Be Funny, Be Reckless, and Be Immortal—this illuminating, surprising book blends intellectual history, biography, and cultural criticism. It charts a dissident’s journey from the solitary moment of recognizing the truth, through the risks of speaking it, to the legacy that can outlast a life. What makes dissidents tick? And how might we change when we encounter them?
Urgent and inspiring, Beckerman’s book shows that dissidence is a human capacity we can all cultivate, a refusal to betray one’s inner voice, no matter the cost. In a polarized America and a world sliding toward authoritarianism, we need dissidents—not only the jailed and martyred, but also those of us who face small daily compromises of conscience. How to Be a Dissident lights the way.
How To Resist Authoritarianism Without Losing Yourself | Gal Beckerman VALOR Media Network and Kristofer Goldsmith (May 27, 2026)
Not in theory. Not in history books. Right now.
In this episode of On Offense, Kris Goldsmith speaks with Atlantic staff writer and author Gal Beckerman about his new book, How to Be a Dissident, and the deeper psychological questions raised by life under rising authoritarianism.
This conversation explores conformity, moral courage, propaganda, normalization, and the pressures that cause ordinary people to stay silent while democratic institutions erode around them.
But more importantly, we discuss what makes dissidents different, and Beckerman’s ten rules that shape them.
Drawing from dissident movements across history — and from the lived reality of the second Trump administration — Beckerman argues that resistance begins long before politics. It begins with the refusal to normalize cruelty, corruption, fear, and obedience.
Together, Kris and Gal discuss:
Why authoritarianism depends on adaptation and exhaustion
How propaganda reshapes identity and social behavior
The psychological pressure to conform
Why some people comply while others “sit apart”
The role of community and “neighborism” in resisting authoritarian politics
Why “hopeful pessimism” may be necessary for democratic survival
What integrity looks like in moments of democratic decline
This is a conversation about how human beings behave when institutions fail — and how we choose who we become in the process.
Location: El Camino Real and Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062
Video by Bruce Rafnel
About this event
No Kings 3 is on March 28. Thousands will be out along El Camino across the Peninsula showing outrage at the administration, the illegal ICE actions, taking health care from millions to give tax breaks to billionaires, taking away rights from women over their own bodies, protecting pedophiles–the list goes on. Courage is contagious as we take back the House and Senate AND OUR COUNTRY!
We will meet once again at El Camino and Jefferson in Redwood City as we gather in solidarity and bask in “honk therapy” with everyone driving by joining us in strength and love.
A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values. Turn your back and do not exchange words….that’s what they want and will film you as they try to make us look violent.
Love is stronger than hate!
Photos
Photo by Dan Quinn
No Kings 3 Protests in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento on 28 March 2026
Photos and (a few) videos from the No Kings 3 protests that Pro Bono Photo has covered throughout the greater SF Bay Area. There are subfolders for locations with multiple galleries. There’s one gallery for each protest, listed alphabetically by location.
After The New York Daily News called the Trump administration “the most powerful crime syndicate in history,” MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell explains why a new poll shows more voters believe Donald Trump is covering up Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes.
How Nonviolent Revote Is Shaping the Twenty-first Century.
by Mark Engler and Paul Engler
Publisher: Bold Type Books
Recommended by: Bob B.
In a book that has become a modern classic of social movement organizing, Mark and Paul Engler explain that there is a craft to uprising—and that this craft can change the world.
From protests around climate change and immigrant rights, to #BlackLivesMatter and movements to defend democracy, a new generation is unleashing strategic nonviolent action to shape public debate and force political change. While mass movements are often portrayed as spontaneous and unpredictable, Mark and Paul Engler explore the hidden art behind such outbursts of protest, examining core principles that have been used to spark and guide moments of transformative unrest.
Now updated with new material discussing the major mobilizations of the past decade—including #MeToo, protests for racial and climate justice, and anti-Trump resistance—This Is an Uprising shows how new protest movements can be essential in fighting authoritarianism and advancing social and economic justice today.
Isaacson explores the origins of the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” • He breaks down the historical context, showing how Jefferson drafted it and Franklin and Adams edited it. • The book highlights how those words shaped the American Dream and remain relevant in today’s polarized times.
Donald Trump and the Campaign that Changed America
by Jonathan Karl
Publisher: Dutton
Recommended by: Steve Gadol
The must-read new book from Jonathan Karl, the author of New York Times bestsellers Tired of Winning, Betrayal, and Front Row at the Trump Show
In Retribution, Jonathan Karl’s unparalleled access brings us behind closed doors deep inside the White House and presidential campaigns, revealing the extraordinary moments that ended one man’s presidency and brought another back to power.
This is a story of unprecedented political plot twists, showing what happened behind the scenes as political fortunes fell and rose again, and as a new team coalesced around President Trump with the goal of creating an entirely new world order. From President Biden’s shocking withdrawal and Vice President Harris’s historic run, to the multiple assassination attempts on President Trump, his election, and the changes he has brought to every corner of the country, this book reveals in surprising new detail how we got here, and what we can expect from American politics in the years to come.
China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder
by Michael McFaul
Publisher: Mariner Books
“A history, an analysis, and a set of prescriptions for the greatest geopolitical challenge of our time: the threat to the democratic world posed by China and Russia.” —Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc.
“A monumental account of contemporary geopolitics”—Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents From New York Times bestselling author and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul comes a bold, clear-eyed look at how the autocracies of China and Russia are challenging the current global order, and how America’s future depends on successfully confronting this threat.
Listen to retired US Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Genavieve Koenigshofer, Executive Director of GenUP, speak at the amazing event organized by IPV leader, JoAnn Loulan, with video by Bruce Rafnel.
Stanford University journalism students made this video of the Parade up Embarcadero to the Democracy Fair at Rinconada Park. The video includes IPV organizer JoAnn Loulan speaking about how important it is to VOTE YES ON PROP 50!
Location: Palo Alto, CA; 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Rinconada Cultural Park.
IPV videographer, Bruce Rafnel, prepared this 47-minute video showing many of the activities and speakers at the Democracy Fair at Rinconada Park. Bruce’s coverage includes the closing program featuring retired CA Supreme Court Justice La Doris Cordell, Hesham Sallem of Stanford, Congressman Sam Liccardo, and many Indivisible collaborators.
How Russell Vought became Trump's Shadow President
by Andy Kroll
Publisher: ProPublica
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that insiders say they feel like “he is the commander in chief.”
What Vought has done in the nine months since Trump took office goes much further than slashing foreign aid. Relying on an expansive theory of presidential power and a willingness to test the rule of law, he has frozen vast sums of federal spending, terminated tens of thousands of federal workers and, in a few cases, brought entire agencies to a standstill. In early October, after Senate Democrats refused to vote for a budget resolution without additional health care protections, effectively shutting down the government, Vought became the face of the White House’s response. On the second day of the closure, Trump shared an AI-generated video that depicted his budget director — who, by then, had threatened mass firings across the federal workforce and paused or canceled $26 billion in funding for infrastructure and clean-energy projects in blue states — as the Grim Reaper of Washington, D.C. “We work for the president of the United States,” a senior agency official who regularly deals with the OMB told me. But right now “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.”
Join Indivisible Portola Valley and Indivisible Palo Alto
Gather at 855 El Camino on both sides of El Camino—Town & Country Shopping Center AND the Stanford side cross street Embarcadero!
At 12:30 we will start our parade down BOTH sides of Embarcadero (on the sidewalk) to Rinconada Park for the Democracy Fair!
On June 14th we had 5000 folks–let’s represent the people who can’t be there and let people know WE ARE NOT GIVING UP! That’s what the administration wants-WE DISSENT! Costumes! Signs! Families!
If it feels like America is sliding deeper into darkness—with voter suppression, book bans, gag orders, and fear spreading daily—you’re not alone. The truth is, fascism thrives when good people hesitate, but democracy grows stronger when ordinary people take action. You don’t need the full roadmap to change the world; you just need to take the next best step. Even the smallest action—whether it’s organizing in your community, speaking out at a school board meeting, or showing up for your neighbors—can disrupt authoritarianism and build momentum for lasting change. In this video, I’ll share why action is the antidote to despair and how you can start making a difference today, no matter your resources or time. History shows us that small acts, multiplied by thousands, topple regimes and create movements. Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment or the “perfect” leader—your courage matters now.
A FREE GUIDE FOR PROGRESSIVE LEADERS READY TO CREATE LASTING IMPACT
FRONTLINE goes inside the showdown between U.S. President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power.
President Donald Trump’s allies, opponents and experts talk about how he is testing the extent of his power, the legal pushback and the impact on the rule of law.
For the latest information about No Kings events, go to this website: https://www.nokings.org
About No Kings
In June, we did what many claimed was impossible: peacefully mobilized millions of people to take to the streets and declare with one voice — America has No Kings. And it mattered. The world saw the power of the people. President Trump’s birthday parade was drowned out by protests in every state and across the globe. His attempt to turn June 14 into a coronation collapsed, and the story became the strength of a movement rising against his authoritarian power grabs.
Four months later, that movement roared back even stronger. On October 18, over seven million Americans joined 2,700+ events in all 50 states — a nationwide uprising 14 times larger than both of Trump’s inaugurations combined. What began in June as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy.
Now, President Trump has doubled down. His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They are targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting, and detaining people without warrants. Threatening to overtake elections. Gutting healthcare, environmental protections, and education when families need them most. Rigging maps to silence voters. Ignoring mass shootings at our schools and in our communities. Driving up the cost of living while handing out massive giveaways to billionaire allies, as families struggle.
The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings — and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.
Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger. “No Kings” is more than just a slogan; it is the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, shouted by millions, carried on posters and chants, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together.
Because this country does not belong to kings, dictators, or tyrants. It belongs to We the People — the people who care, who show up, and who fight for dignity, a life we can afford, and real opportunity. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.
El derecho al voto es esencial para nuestra democracia y siempre trabajaremos para protegerlo para todos los estadounidenses elegibles. Únase a nuestra capacitación “Conozca sus derechos electorales federales” para conocer …las acciones que puede tomar para combatir la desinformación y entender de qué manera se presenta la intimidación a los votantes en su comunidad.Show More
Now Playing
Conozca sus derechos electorales federales
El derecho al voto es esencial para nuestra democracia y siempre trabajaremos para protegerlo para todos los estadounidenses elegibles. Únase a nuestra capacitación “Conozca sus derechos electorales federales” para conocer las acciones que puede tomar para combatir la desinformación y entender de qué manera se presenta la intimidación a los votantes en su comunidad.
El derecho al voto es esencial para nuestra democracia y siempre trabajaremos para protegerlo para todos los estadounidenses elegibles. Únase a nuestra capacitación “Conozca sus derechos electorales federales” para conocer …las acciones que puede tomar para combatir la desinformación y entender de qué manera se presenta la intimidación a los votantes en su comunidad.Show More
Now Playing
No Kings & Election Defense: What's Next?
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. As President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to remind the world: America has No Kings.
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.
On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.
As …President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to remind the world: America has No Kings.Show More
Now Playing
No Kings: Vote Early – Election Protection 201 Training
Join the No Kings coalition for this training to prepare for engaging in sustained mobilization and results protection work depending on opposition response to election results. —- No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. As President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to …
Join the No Kings coalition for this training to prepare for engaging in sustained mobilization and results protection work depending on opposition response to election results.
—-
No Thrones. No Crowns. No …Kings.
On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.
As President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to remind the world: America has No Kings.Show More
Now Playing
How to Talk about No Kings Early Vote & Election Protection
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings. On October 17, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people. As President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to remind the world: America has No Kings.
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.
On October 17, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.
As …President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to remind the world: America has No Kings.Show More
Now Playing
No Kings: Vote Early: How to Step Up to Protect the Election (101)
Join the No Kings coalition for this training to learn how you can take action wherever you are to protect our elections this fall. We cover how to get out the vote, the importance of voting early, poll watching, and more. This 101 training focuses on election protection actions that are most central in the early voting period and the period leading up to election day. —– A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action and no civil disobedience. We expect …
Join the No Kings coalition for this training to learn how you can take action wherever you are to protect our elections this fall. We cover how to get out …the vote, the importance of voting early, poll watching, and more.
This 101 training focuses on election protection actions that are most central in the early voting period and the period leading up to election day.
—–
A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action and no civil disobedience. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values, and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events. All events should be held in public spaces or on public property.
No Kings: Vote Early events are nonpartisan and are designed to increase participation from all eligible voters.
—–
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.
On October 18, millions of us are rising again to show the world: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.
As President Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the NO KINGS movement continues to rise stronger. We, the majority of millions, are united to remind the world: America has No Kings.Show More
Now Playing
No Kings: Vote Early Kickoff Call
Join us to learn more about the vision, urgency, and strategy behind the No Kings coalition’s early vote activation and election protection campaign and how you can get involved. We know our right to vote wasn’t given. It was won by people who marched, sat in, stood in line for hours in the rain, and risked everything so we could stand here today. Every generation before us fought for it. And now it’s ours to carry forward.
Join us to learn more about the vision, urgency, and strategy behind the No Kings coalition’s early vote activation and election protection campaign and how you can get involved.
We know …our right to vote wasn’t given. It was won by people who marched, sat in, stood in line for hours in the rain, and risked everything so we could stand here today. Every generation before us fought for it. And now it’s ours to carry forward.Show More
In White Rural Rage, Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman explore why rural Whites have failed to reap the benefits from their outsize political power and why, as a result, they are the most likely group to abandon democratic norms and traditions. Their rage—stoked daily by Republican politicians and the conservative media—now poses an existential threat to the United States.
INTERVIEW: Tom Schaller and Paul Waldman talk to Matt Lewis Media
“Critical thinking” increasingly stands as the most sought-after skill that has long been too fleeting to define. Employers rate it as a pinnacle skill, but one of which they see too little, and educators claim to teach it, but over half of Millennials recently failed a simple Mindedge critical thinking test. So, what is critical thinking? Analysis? Information literacy? Thinking outside the box? Informal logic? Problem-solving? Evaluating data? Decision science? What if all of our efforts to define critical thinking as above have been the core problem with teaching it?
What if, instead of using our brains to devise conceptions of critical thinking, we eliminated the noise and revolutionized a way to teach people how to think better by tracing critical thinking back to its core evolutionary survival mechanisms?
What are the basic survival skills for all organisms?
“[I]nstead of following through on his promise [to lower costs], Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption.”
“That’s 100 corrupt acts in 100 days. Americans deserve accountability. We need to fight back—all of us.”
by: U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Washington, D.C. – On the 100th day of this Trump administration, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) read 100 reports of corruption from President Trump’s term so far into the Congressional record.
Senator Warren pointed to all the ways President Trump, his family, and associates like Elon Musk have used the presidency to enrich themselves, give favors to donors, and made it more difficult to hold him accountable for corruption.
Transcript: “One Hundred Days, One Hundred Acts of Corruption” U.S. Senate Floor April 29, 2025
As Prepared for Delivery
Senator Elizabeth Warren: So here we are: one hundred days; one hundred acts of corruption.
Today, I’m reading into the congressional record 100 reports of corruption from Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. When he ran for office, Trump promised repeatedly that he would lower costs “on day 1.” But instead of following through on his promise, Trump and his administration have paved the way for the president, his top officials, and his billionaire buddies to personally feed at the trough of government corruption.
So, count with me: In just one hundred days, Donald Trump, his family, and his Administration have:
Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground
By Kurt Gray
Publisher: Pantheon
It’s easy to assume that liberals and conservatives have radically different moral foundations. In Outraged, Kurt Gray showcases the latest science to demonstrate that we all have the same moral mind—that everyone’s moral judgments stem from feeling threatened or vulnerable to harm.
We all care about protecting ourselves and the vulnerable. Conflict arises, however, when we have different perceptions of harm. We get outraged when we disagree about who the “real” victim is, whether we’re talking about political issues, fights with our in-laws, or arguments on the playground.
In this fascinating and insightful tour of our moral minds, Gray tackles popular myths that prevent us from understanding ourselves and those around us. While it is commonly believed that our ancestors were apex predators, Gray argues that for the majority of our evolutionary history, humans were more hunted than hunter. This explains why our minds are hard-wired to perceive threats, and provides surprising insights on the scientific origins of our values and beliefs. Though we might think ourselves driven by objective reasoning, Gray unveils new research that finds our moral judgments are based on gut feelings rather than rational thought, and presents a compelling reminder that we are more alike than we might think.
Drawing on groundbreaking research, Gray provides a captivating new explanation for our moral outrage, and unpacks how to best bridge divides. If you want to understand the morals of the “other side,” ask yourself a simple question—what harms do they see?
We cannot separate what has happened to working people over the last five decades from the dangerous lure of Trumpism.
To build a path forward, we must debunk these 10 destructive …myths about our rigged economy.Show More
Now Playing
The 10 Biggest Myths About Our Economy
We cannot separate what has happened to working people over the last five decades from the dangerous lure of Trumpism. To build a path forward, we must debunk these 10 destructive myths about our rigged economy.
We cannot separate what has happened to working people over the last five decades from the dangerous lure of Trumpism.
To build a path forward, we must debunk these 10 destructive …myths about our rigged economy.Show More
Now Playing
Myth 1: "Economics is Objective" I 10 Economic Myths Debunked
We are told countless lies about economics. Enough. I’m launching a new 10-week series debunking economic myths. Here’s episode one:
We are told countless lies about economics.
Enough.
I’m launching a new 10-week series debunking economic myths.
Here’s episode one:
Now Playing
Myth 2: "The Free Market " I 10 Economic Myths Debunked
PSA: When the powerful say they want a “free market,“ what they actually mean is a market controlled by corporations, Wall Street, and the wealthy.
PSA: When the powerful say they want a “free market,“ what they actually mean is a market controlled by corporations, Wall Street, and the wealthy.
Now Playing
Do the Rich Work Harder than Everyone Else? I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #3
No, rich people do not work harder than everyone else. Wealth doesn’t measure a person’s work ethic or what they deserve. It measures how well our economic system has been manipulated in their favor.
No, rich people do not work harder than everyone else.
Wealth doesn’t measure a person’s work ethic or what they deserve.
It measures how well our economic system has been manipulated in …their favor.Show More
Now Playing
How Legalized Bribery Works in America I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #4
“Corporate political donations are free speech.” Give me a break. Corporate political donations are legalized bribery, plain and simple. Watch more Debunking videos now: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
“Corporate political donations are free speech.”
Give me a break. Corporate political donations are legalized bribery, plain and simple.
Why the "Free Market" Isn't Really Free I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #5
The rich would prefer you to believe that the free market is subject to the immutable law of supply and demand. Baloney! For years, the wealthy and powerful have manipulated the market for their own gain. There is nothing “free” about it.
The rich would prefer you to believe that the free market is subject to the immutable law of supply and demand.
Baloney!
For years, the wealthy and powerful have manipulated the market …for their own gain.
The Lie That Costs Americans Their Jobs I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #6
My old boss Bill Clinton called globalization “the economic equivalent of a force of nature, like wind or water.” Here’s what I have to say about that. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
My old boss Bill Clinton called globalization “the economic equivalent of a force of nature, like wind or water.” Here’s what I have to say about that. Watch the rest …of my Debunking series here:
The Real Welfare in America I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #7
The Wells Fargo exec overseeing their customer account scam got a $125 million exit package. Meanwhile, most Americans who lose their jobs get only limited unemployment benefits. When I say we have socialism for the rich, harsh capitalism for the rest, this is what I mean. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
The Wells Fargo exec overseeing their customer account scam got a $125 million exit package.
Meanwhile, most Americans who lose their jobs get only limited unemployment benefits.
When I say we have …socialism for the rich, harsh capitalism for the rest, this is what I mean.
The Job Creation Hoax I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #8 | Robert Reich
I’m so tired of people pretending the rich are “job creators.” Here’s who’s really creating jobs. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
I’m so tired of people pretending the rich are “job creators.” Here’s who’s really creating jobs.
You've Been Lied to About Inflation I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #9
Angry about airfares? Airlines merged from 12 carriers in 1980 to 4 today. Upset about grocery prices? 3 companies control 70% of grocery sales in 167 cities. Mad about drug prices? A handful of drug companies control the pharmaceutical industry. Monopolies are the problem. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
Angry about airfares? Airlines merged from 12 carriers in 1980 to 4 today.
Upset about grocery prices? 3 companies control 70% of grocery sales in 167 cities.
Mad about drug prices? A …handful of drug companies control the pharmaceutical industry.
Is Economic Growth Always Good? I 10 Economic Myths Debunked #10
Think endless economic growth is always good? Think again. Watch the rest of my Debunking series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOLArO56vjuqAau4sUzeF4_KQmdMBBUCg
Think endless economic growth is always good? Think again.
Why Did Some Support a Fascist for President? | 10 Economic Myths Debunked BONUS
Trump isn’t the cause of all of America’s problems — he’s a symptom. He’s the product of years of stagnant wages, big money’s corruption of democracy, and a history rooted in racism. If we want to reduce the lure of authoritarianism – we need to address its root causes.
Trump isn’t the cause of all of America’s problems — he’s a symptom.
He’s the product of years of stagnant wages, big money’s corruption of democracy, and a history rooted in …racism.
If we want to reduce the lure of authoritarianism – we need to address its root causes.Show More
Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt offer a coherent framework for understanding these volatile times. They draw on a wealth of examples—from 1930s France to present-day Thailand—to explain why and how political parties turn against democracy. They then show how our Constitution makes us uniquely vulnerable to attacks from within: It is a pernicious enabler of minority rule, allowing partisan minorities to consistently thwart and even rule over popular majorities. Most modern democracies—from Germany and Sweden to Argentina and New Zealand—have eliminated outdated institutions like elite upper chambers, indirect elections, and lifetime tenure for judges. The United States lags dangerously behind.
INTERVIEW: Levitsky and Ziblatt with journalist Tiziana Dearing at Harvard
“The evidence is clear that boring management matters.“–Raffaella Sadun
Leader selection mistake: People often pick leaders because they make for a good “story.” Excellent leaders have boring stories because they have avoided the conflicts that make for a good story.
We see leadership potential in people who:
speak more (regardless of what they say)
appear confident (regardless of competence)
are perpetually busy (regardless of what they’re doing)
“since we reward people who are good in crises (and ignore people who are such good manager that there are very few crises), [people] soon learn to seek out (or reframe situations as) crises.”–Keith Grint
By William Ury Publisher: Harper Business Recommended by: Bob B.
The author of the world’s best-selling book on negotiation draws on his nearly fifty years of experience and knowledge grappling with the world’s toughest conflicts to offer a way out of the seemingly impossible problems of our time.
With American democracy under threat, diplomat Dr. Richard Haass outlines ten habits to help citizens preserve democracy. Haass also explores real-life examples of Americans who are working towards strengthening democracy and renewing the spirit of a more informed and engaged citizenry. Premiered January 2, 2024 on PBS.
Recommended by: Bob B. – “A nonprofit working to create large collaborative projects to promote consensus policies frameworks with details that could be enacted by Congress on the basis of broad acceptance within the country from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.”
In a recent YouGov poll, 83% of citizens wanted lawmakers from both parties to make our package of 39 life-enhancing reforms “a priority.”
These reforms would significantly advance citizens’ long-thwarted aspirations for:
Greater economic opportunity and growth
Schools that enable kids to reach their potential
Effective & affordable healthcare
Curbing the national debt
Reliable, clean & affordable energy
Fairer, simpler tax code
Congress organized to resolve our differences
Among the reforms that voters across the spectrum support, all but two have been around for years.
Congress has enacted NONE
The reason: Lawmakers win reelection over 90% of the time by blaming the other party for our critical problems and offering sound bites as remedies.
To overcome these dysfunctions, the Grand Bargain includes three reforms that would reward lawmakers who make major progress on our long-term ills — while those who stood in the way would be likely to lose their seats.
Hear Vinay Orekondy from the Grand Bargain Project talk passionately about our project at EarthX 2025 as part of a Rotaract Club spotlight.
As funding and activity surge, trust, performance, and legitimacy continue to decline. A growing field has learned how to manage crisis, but not how to solve it.
For Independents, it’s not about reinventing the entire legislative process – it’s about re-designing the incentives and the system so that they work to benefit the American people.
Generation Z – adults aged 18-29 – represented by far the lowest turnout in the 2024 election, with only around 20 million voting despite more than double that number being eligible.
When communities struggle, the economy weakens, workforce shortages increase, and political divides deepen. If leaders continue to ignore these issues, the long-term consequences will be severe.
America, much like our universe, has always been a nation in motion. It has weathered crises, conflicts, and economic upheavals, yet through the lens of history, the country maintains a sense of forward momentum.
In a recent conversation with Lura Forcum, President at the Independent Center, it became clear just how much thought and purpose is driving this quiet movement. From voter education to future electoral influence, the Independent Center is carving out space for independents to belong and lead.
The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
by David Brooks
Summary
Recommended by Bob
Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and his determination to grow as a person, David Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. How to Know a Person helps readers become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. Along the way it offers a possible remedy for a society that is riven by fragmentation, hostility, and misperception.
At a time when the very foundations of American democracy seem under threat, the lessons of the past offer a road map for navigating a moment of political crisis. In Democracy Awakening, acclaimed historian Heather Cox Richardson delves into the tumultuous journey of American democracy, tracing the roots of Donald Trump’s “authoritarian experiment” to the earliest days of the republic. She examines the historical forces that have led to the current political climate, showing how modern conservatism has preyed upon a disaffected population, weaponizing language and promoting false history to consolidate power.
With remarkable clarity and the same accessible voice that brings millions to her newsletter, Letters from an American, Richardson wrangles a chaotic news feed into a story that pivots effortlessly from the Founders to the abolitionists to Nixon to the January 6 insurrection. An essential read for anyone concerned about the state of America, Democracy Awakening is more than a history book; it’s a call to action. Richardson reminds us that democracy requires constant vigilance and participation from all of us, showing how we, as a nation, can take the lessons of the past to secure a more just and equitable future.
Inspired by her research for the hit podcast Ultra, Rachel Maddow charts the rise of a wild American strain of authoritarianism that has been alive on the far-right edge of our politics for the better part of a century. Before and even after our troops had begun fighting abroad in World War II, a clandestine network flooded the country with disinformation aimed at sapping the strength of the U.S. war effort and persuading Americans that our natural alliance was with the Axis, not against it. It was a sophisticated and shockingly well-funded campaign to undermine democratic institutions, promote antisemitism, and destroy citizens’ confidence in their elected leaders, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the U.S. government and installing authoritarian rule.
Five Ways My Old Party Is Driving Our Democracy to Autocracy
by Stuart Stevens
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Former chief Republican strategist, Lincoln Project adviser, and bestselling author ofIt Was All a Lie, Stuart Stevens offers an ominous warning that the GOP is dragging our country toward autocracy—and if we don’t wake up to the crisis in our system, 2024 may well be our last free and fair election.
INTERVIEW: Stuart Stevens talks to Brian Watt (KQED) at the Commonwealth Club
By: Cassidy Hutchinson Publisher: Simon & Schuster Recommended by: Cindi S.
September 26, 2023
Hutchinson was faced with a choice between loyalty to the Trump administration or loyalty to the country by revealing what she saw and heard in the attempt to overthrow a democratic election. She bravely came forward to become the pivotal witness in the House January 6 investigations, as her testimony transfixed and stunned the nation. In her memoir, Hutchinson reveals the struggle between the pressures she confronted to toe the party line and the demands of the oath she swore to defend American democracy.
The Divider brings us into the Oval Office for countless scenes both tense and comical, revealing how close we got to nuclear war with North Korea, which cabinet members had a resignation pact, whether Trump asked Japan’s prime minister to nominate him for a Nobel Prize and much more. The book also explores the moral choices confronting those around Trump—how they justified working for a man they considered unfit for office, and where they drew their lines.
SWING LEFT PENINSULA created these engaging videos to help spread the word effectively that things are better when Democrats are in office AND to counter MAGA Republicans’ anti-democracy messages.
To Muffle the MAGAphone:
Avoid amplifying MAGA messages.
Amplify pro-Democracy messages.
Don’t Repeat Disinformation – What’s the best thing to do when encountering MAGA disinformation? NOTHING!
Ignore DogWhistles – Ever wonder why MAGA Republicans repeat certain words and phrases? Hint: Dog whistles
Stay United! – Why do MAGA Republicans spend so much time attacking an ever-growing list of others?
Frame It Our Way! – We need to avoid repeating MAGA GOP frames, even to refute them. Talk about the good stuff – what we need for all Americans to thrive.
Share Effectively – What makes an effective message? Lead with shared values. Identify who stands in the way of those values and why. End with your vision for a better future.
Leeja Miller’s deep dive into how people fall for fake news. (28 min.)
Why do conservatives fall for fake news? Is it just them, or are we all culpable? How did Americans become so susceptible to falling for disinformation? And what can we do about it??
Woodward and Costa interviewed more than 200 people at the center of the turmoil, resulting in more than 6,000 pages of transcripts—and a spellbinding and definitive portrait of a nation on the brink. This classic study of Washington takes readers deep inside the Trump White House, the Biden White House, the 2020 campaign, and the Pentagon and Congress, with vivid, eyewitness accounts of what really happened.
The Ash Center believes that diverse perspectives are paramount to better understanding and addressing real-world problems. As a global community that brings together students, faculty, staff, and fellows, with practitioners and policymakers from around the world, we focus on advancing excellence in democracy and self-government. We are committed to fostering an environment of rigor, curiosity, and integrity. As a Center, we therefore value and respect different opinions, lived experiences, and diverse research and policy areas and approaches. We continue to strive for excellence while creating an equitable and inclusive community for all.
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – September 16, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the eighth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Speakers include:
Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School
Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard UniversityShow More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – September 16, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the eighth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. Speakers include: Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller …
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the eighth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Speakers include:
Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School
Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard UniversityShow More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky (Seventh Session)
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the seventh session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. *Please note: This session was originally labeled as Session 8, but is technically the seventh session, due to the postponement of an earlier …
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the seventh session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
*Please note: This session was originally labeled as Session 8, but is technically the seventh session, due to the postponement of an earlier scheduled session.Show More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – April 30, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the sixth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. Speakers include: Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller …
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the sixth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Speakers include:
Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School
Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard UniversityShow More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – March 24, 2026
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the fifth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward. Speakers include: Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller …
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the fifth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Speakers include:
Erica Chenoweth, Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School
Steven Levitsky, David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government at Harvard UniversityShow More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the fourth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the fourth session of The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break …down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.Show More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the third session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the third session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will …break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.Show More
Now Playing
The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the second session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the second session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will …break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.Show More
Now Playing
The Breakdown (Inaugural Session)
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the inaugural session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for the inaugural session of The Breakdown, a new webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will …break down key developments, reflect on this moment’s historical precedents both at home and abroad, and offer evidence-based reflections on the path forward.Show More
