Democracy Happy Hour - February 19, 20205

Topic:  Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy with Page Gardner

Fix Democracy First hosts a weekly Democracy Happy Hour on Wednesdays @ 5-6:30pm PT. Grab a drink and join us and learn about the latest democracy efforts, challenges, solutions, as well upcoming events and actions.

This is a recurring event. You only have to register once.

Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy

With Page Gardner

• Speaker View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/BlgHW9aHxwQzGvOj0RWscm-gAXrKTpDlsWOsnd3jubHMgtOIn-LXMLffju2h6qP1Fb7ZYiOpdxIAb0-p.MRYEKr1XXgROnCWR

• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/qpmQmfs4gt4-eKhmMqA_IddWysZpLGUcbz_X2Do6wjvMKe223x7YasotVLRaPw_qLV64w8efN_jMPG6X.ugIfSagArfJQ-obB

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/1S4xH5_cmbdHpFK8gbzA38PdPagjVNzUwIfs8wF2KK1cR-ijVdpimzw2FyvcV-qT6xBt5NgwKOZUF7E.srkaa5hAveWyB5k_

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/j6b-upePPYCuy2RXuI1HLf1D9qARILb76LAxVWEJQHJ6wnDXWBB3cm8SIxQNTGJ4AVGbsaXIqshMd56M.y5XfP6w0omoydayC

Meeting resources

• Executive Summary of the Strategic Plan: https://innovatingforpublicgood.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/IFPG-Strategic-Plan-Executive-Summary.pdf
• Innovating for the Public Good homepage: https://innovatingforpublicgood.org/
• Email for questions or interest: innovating@innovatingforpublicgood.org

FDF Links

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/
• Donate to Fix Democracy First here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Feb 26 - SPECIAL EVENT: Local Media & Its Impact on Democracy Expert Panel Discussion - Panelists include:
  
  • Chardonnay Beaver - Author & Multimedia Storyteller, The Facts Newspaper
  • Michele Goldchain - Social Media & Video Editor at WTOP News
  • Marcus Harrison Green - Publisher of Hinton, Publishing & Founder of the South Seattle Emerald
  • Andrea Otañez - Professor of Journalism and Public Interest at the University of Washington
  • Joanne M. Lisosky, Ph.D. - Professor Emerita at Pacific Lutheran University and Coauthor of the League of Women Voters Journalism Study
  • MODERATOR: Di Zhang - Librarian at Renton Technical College
• Mar 05 - Democracy Vouchers and the Promise of Fairer Elections with Jennifer Heerwig
• Mar 12 - SPECIAL Program for Civic Learning Week - Increasing Youth Civic Engagement with Hands-on Projects & Civic Seal Programs with Generation Citizen
• Mar 19 - Multi-Member Districts with the League of Women Voters of WA Education Project Team
• Mar 26 - Grand Bargain Project: Reuniting America around a Common-Sense Plan for Nationwide Prosperity

Actions and events

Actions

• 5 Calls - https://5calls.org/
• Declaration for American Democracy – Share Your Democracy Story -  https://dfadcoalition.org/story
• Economic Blackout Day – Feb 28^th - https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/economic-blackout-day-what-is-it-and-why-americans-are-protesting-on-feb-28-article-118169976 - Organized by the People’s Union USA - https://theonecalledjai.com/
• Join a local Indivisible group - https://indivisible.org/groups
• Join Braver Angels - https://braverangels.org/get-involved/#become-member
• Take Action Network for Washington State Legislation & Actions - https://www.takeaction.network

Events

• Antidemocratic: A Conversation with David Daley - Friday, February 21, at 9:15 am PT/12:15 pm ET - https://campaignlegal.org/events/antidemocratic-conversation-david-daley
• Democracy 2025 – Democracy 2025 is the strategic hub to protect people and their rights should the Trump-Vance administration seek to unlawfully strip away freedoms and prosperity. -  https://www.democracy2025.org/
• How You Can Protect Democracy - 29 concrete actions you can take right now to protect democracy - https://protectdemocracy.org/how-to-protect-democracy
• Increasing Youth Civic Engagement with Hands-on Projects & Civic Seal Programs – Special Civic Learning Week Democracy Happy Hour on March 12^th @ 5 pm PT/8 pm ET - https://civiclearningweek.org/event/increasing-youth-civic-engagement-with-hands-on-projects-civic-seal-programs/
• Paths to Understanding - The Potluck Project – https://pathstounderstanding.org/get-involved/potluck

Democracy in the News

Resources

• Democracy 2025 – Democracy 2025 is the strategic hub to protect people and their rights should the Trump-Vance administration seek to unlawfully strip away freedoms and prosperity. -  https://www.democracy2025.org/
• What Courts Can Do If the Trump Administration Defies Court Orders  - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/what-courts-can-do-if-trump-administration-defies-court-orders

February 2025

February 05

• Protesters in cities across the US rally against Trump’s policies, Project 2025 and Elon Musk - https://apnews.com/article/50501-protests-project-2025-trump-state-capitols-ddd341171a54ba9b498cbfe7530e18ab
• Trump and Musk’s dismantling of government is shaking the foundations of US democracy - https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-doge-congress-4e0c025629e8a0c758d13dc916ab4f43

February 06

• New York State’s Public Campaign Financing Program Empowers Constituent Small Donors - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/new-york-states-public-campaign-financing-program-empowers-constituent

February 07

• North Carolina judge’s ruling retains close court election result, but more legal steps are expected - https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-election-supreme-court-votes-challenge-384bfc17c5c5a98d0cd7d7722cf00b3a
• What’s happening at the FEC? - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/02/whats-happening-at-the-fec
• Wisconsin Supreme Court says swing state’s embattled elections chief can remain in post - https://apnews.com/article/wisconsin-supreme-court-election-meagan-wolfe-49e24127cb793d3b6981d0e3a7f0fdee

February 09

• GOP laws aimed at very rare noncitizen voting could hit eligible voters - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/09/noncitizen-voter-trump-republicans-democrats/
• Revealed: how a shadowy group of far-right donors is funding federal employee watchlists - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/09/american-accountability-foundation-project-2025
• Supreme Court that Trump helped shape could have the last word on his aggressive executive orders - https://apnews.com/article/trump-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-presidential-power-076bca4dba472d0d7e3b1d059cac7978
• Vance and Musk question the authority of the courts as Trump’s agenda faces legal pushback - https://apnews.com/article/trump-judiciary-musk-separation-of-powers-balance-checks-069c169ea1ddf6eea76f502d544c4c16

February 10

• Alabama’s congressional map at stake in federal Voting Rights Act trial - https://apnews.com/article/alabama-voting-rights-act-redistricting-8cb41ca832ffe60675579beae8926da1
• New York’s top court to consider noncitizen voting in city elections - https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/10/ny-courtnoncitizen-voting-00203174
• Trump’s Actions Have Created a Constitutional Crisis, Scholars Say - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/us/politics/trump-constitutional-crisis.html
• White House Failed to Comply With Court Order, Judge Rules - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/10/us/trump-unfreezing-federal-grants-judge-ruling.html

February 11

• Federal lobbying set new record in 2024 - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2025/02/federal-lobbying-set-new-record-in-2024
• Judge orders CDC, FDA to restore websites taken down after Trump gender order - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/02/11/judge-orders-cdc-websites-restored
• The SAVE Act: What to know about the bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote - https://www.axios.com/2025/02/11/save-act-what-to-know

February 12

• Arkansas Senate moves several bills to amend state’s petition-gathering process - https://arkansasadvocate.com/2025/02/12/arkansas-senate-moves-several-bills-to-amend-states-petition-gathering-process/
• Judge removes key legal hurdle for Trump’s plan to trim federal workforce with deferred resignations - https://apnews.com/article/trump-elon-musk-federal-workers-buyouts-e8cd4f40ac16220bd0a399a00c5b9f63
• Voting Rights Claims Plunge in Wake of Supreme Court Decision - https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/voting-rights-claims-plunge-in-wake-of-supreme-court-decision
• What Marbury v. Madison means for the Supreme Court — and America - https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-marbury-madison-trump-musk-constitution-81281e29b46b409984dc5a2e0cf7a06c
• White House says it’s the judges — not Trump — causing a ‘constitutional crisis’ - https://apnews.com/article/trump-judges-rulings-constitutional-crisis-presidential-power-a9c593cf3f9faec23a03f4a5123fefdb

February 13

• ‘Follow the damn law’: Washington leaders have terse words for Trump - https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/13/follow-the-damn-law-washington-leaders-have-terse-words-for-trump/
• State elections board confirms it will seek NC Supreme Court review of Griffin/Riggs dispute - https://www.carolinajournal.com/state-elections-board-confirms-it-will-seek-nc-supreme-court-review-of-griffin-riggs-dispute/
• Virginia moves to protect reproductive and voting rights, but the fight is far from over - https://virginiamercury.com/2025/02/13/virginia-moves-to-protect-reproductive-and-voting-rights-but-the-fight-is-far-from-over/
• When The Truth No Longer Matters: How Social Media’s Engagement Obsession Is Killing Democracy - https://www.forbes.com/sites/hessiejones/2025/02/13/when-the-truth-no-longer-matters-how-social-medias-engagement-obsession-is-killing-democracy/

February 14

• Republican proposal would ban voter registration drives in NC - https://www.wral.com/story/republican-proposal-would-ban-voter-registration-drives-in-nc/21860685/
• SAVE Act seeks proof of citizenship for voter registration amid claims of fraud - https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/gop-save-act-hr-22-strict-proof-citizenship-requirement-voting/3844246/

February 15

• Control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court is up for grabs — again — in first big 2025 battleground race - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/wisconsin-supreme-court-race-2025-battleground-state-rcna191726
• Trump moves with dizzying speed on his to-do list. But there are warning signs in his first month - https://apnews.com/article/trump-firings-tariffs-lawsuits-economy-ukraine-putin-19b79f62ad7c9d51cfb1f0551953051e

February 16

• First Test of Trump’s Power to Fire Officials Reaches Supreme Court - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/16/us/trump-supreme-court-special-counsel.html
• Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS - https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/16/doge-irs-access-taxpayer-data

February 17

• Trump’s Justice Department signals a retreat from voting rights cases - https://www.votebeat.org/2025/02/17/trump-justice-department-withdraws-voting-rights-cases-louisiana-redistricting/

February 18

• Hobbs vetoes Republican plan to end Election Day ballot drop-offs - https://azmirror.com/2025/02/18/hobbs-vetoes-republican-plan-to-end-election-day-ballot-drop-offs/
• Judge Denies Request From 14 States to Temporarily Block DOGE Actions - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/14-states-sue-to-block-elon-musks-doge-actions-claim-unconstitutional-abuse-of-power
• Trump Order Seeks More Power Over Agencies Congress Made Independent - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02/18/us/trump-news
• Utah one step closer to becoming next state to leave voter roll group ERIC - https://utahnewsdispatch.com/2025/02/18/utah-closer-to-leaving-voter-roll-group-eric/

February 19

• 15 Years After Citizens United, Seattle Can Show the Way Forward - https://thefulcrum.us/money-politics/influence-of-money-in-elections
• All of the Trump Administration’s Major Moves in the First 30 Days - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/us/trump-agenda-2025.html

Good News Websites

• ABC Good News - https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/good-news
• Daily Good - https://www.dailygood.org/
• Democracy's Good News - https://www.democracygroup.org/topics/democracys-good-news
• Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• Politics & Government Good News - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/impact/democracy
• Sunny Skyz - https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
• The Happy News - https://thehappynewspaper.com/

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