Every day (Monday-Friday), we’ll update this space with protests, signs, and other public demonstrations against the actions of the administration. Keep checking to see how Americans all across the country are protecting and defending democracy. Get help organizing from Indivisible, find protests in your area at mobilize.us, and send us your protest photos at submit@contrariannews.org.

July 16

July 15

July 14

July 13

July 10

July 9

July 8

July 7

July 6

July 3

July 2

July 1

June 30

June 29

June 26

June 25

June 24

June 23

June 22

June 19

June 18

June 17

June 16

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Make ‘Good Trouble’ This Weekend

Good Trouble Lives On — a group that carries on the legacy of the Civil Rights icon and former Rep. John Lewis — is organizing a nationwide “weekend of action” July 17-19 to oppose the MAGA assault on democracy and voting rights.

The weekend seeks to revive “the spirit that fueled Selma, Montgomery, and the March on Washington.” And it is organized around three pillars: Teach, Reach, and Preach. Organizers seek to teach affected communities about “the power of civic participation,” to reach individuals through “trusted relationships,” and to preach “a message of hope, justice, and collective responsibility” that creates empowerment in the defense of our democracy. Watch a know-your-rights training on how to responsibly make the kind of “good trouble” Lewis championed, and find an event near you.

Freedom Summer Rolls On

The Freedom Summer campaign, sponsored by the Black Power War Room, is sponsoring prodemocracy events this weekend in conjunction with the Good Trouble actions, including a large rally in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon, July 18.

You can also check out the group’s map and calendar for opportunities to plug into other prodemocracy events from California to Indiana to North Carolina.

Demand Accountability from ICE

ICE keeps killing people in the streets. Last week, federal immigration agents shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, during an enforcement operation in Houston. This week, ICE agents shot and killed a Colombian immigrant with legal status, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, 25, near Portland, Maine. Neither man was the target of an ICE warrant. The agency — which has been caught time egregiously misrepresenting facts — claims both men “weaponized” their vehicles against the ICE officers who shot them. Sign the League of United Latin American Citizens’ petition calling for a full, transparent investigation into the Houston shooting. Contact your members of Congress to demand permanent changes to ICE practice, including ending routine vehicle stops.

Oppose Blanche for Attorney General

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and current toady Todd Blanche is scheduled for a confirmation vote that could make him the nation’s attorney general, further weaponizing the Department of Justice against Trump’s perceived enemies. Take it from Contrarian contributor Ben Sheehan: This would be bad news for anyone who cares about the rule of law. Contact your senators using this tool from Common Cause.

Fight Flock Surveillance

Is Big Brother watching you when you drive?

A huge web of AI-powered cameras has been installed along roadways in recent years across the country. The street cams can identify your vehicle and track your location and share that data with potentially thousands of law enforcement agencies. The largest network belongs to Flock, a company that has generated controversy both for its secretive surveillance practices and for its CEO’s dismissive response to backlash from privacy advocates.

DeFlock is an organization devoted to fighting the invasion of privacy posed by ALPRs — or automated licence plate readers — which it describes as being able to “capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car’s location, date, time, make, model, color, and identifying features” and installed for the use of “police departments, businesses, and HOAs.” The DeFlock website offers resources to report ALPR locations, view a map of cameras in your area, and sign up for a National Week of Action in mid-August.

Subscribe now

Stop Russ Vought’s Federal Coup

In recent weeks, more than 500,000 people submitted public comments in opposition to Russ Vought’s push to politicize federal research with a proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance. This rule would “require all scientific grants to be approved by political appointees,” snatching approval power from career experts and undermining the scientific process. All funding would be aligned with “administration policies and priorities.” Now, OMB must review and respond to every substantive comment submitted prior to a proposed October 1 implementation date, or risk “serious litigation,” according to Colette Delawalla, CEO of Stand Up for Science. Use the group’s action center to “contact Congress incessantly” to oppose this rule and demand OMB fully comply with its mandate to address the flood of public comments.

Protect Public Lands

The Trump administration is moving to revoke federal protections from nearly 90 percent of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. The move breaks commitments negotiated with local Tribal Nations, and puts these spectacular wild areas, rich with archaeological sites, at risk for drilling, mining, and other private-interest resource extraction. (Trump previously attempted to strip protections from a smaller portion of these monuments during his first term — and even sold oil leases on the lands — before the Biden administration reversed his destructive actions.)

Use the Conservation Lands Fund website to write letters to the executive branch and your members of Congress to demand preservation of these national treasures.

Keep Human Rights Central at the World Cup

Soccer fans from across the globe have been attending FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. host cities. The ACLU offers a handy know-your-rights guide that also explains the risks of attendance. “Fans, players, journalists, and everyone alike should be prepared for potential … racial profiling by law enforcement, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, suppression of speech and protest, and other threats to civil liberties,” the ACLU warns. Separately, Amnesty International is encouraging soccer fans to tell FIFA to promote respect for human rights across the tournament. “FIFA promises a tournament where everyone ‘feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.’” Amnesty warns. “But the reality tells a very different story.” Indeed, a FIFA agent was caught on tape confiscating Iranian flags from fans.

Subscribe now

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Demand Accountability from ICE

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, was fatally shot by ICE agents during an enforcement operation in Houston. ICE’s statement says an agent opened fire after Salgado Araujo allegedly attempted to strike officers with his vehicle. Public officials and advocates are calling for an independent review, noting that previous ICE accounts of fatal encounters have later been disputed by video footage and eyewitness testimony. Sign the League of United Latin American Citizens’ petition calling for a full, transparent investigation into the shooting.

Join an Immigrant-Rights Training Call

Indivisible is hosting a training call on July 9 from 8-9 p.m. eastern time as part of its Immigrant Justice Summer series. This training provides activists a “three-step blueprint” to help safeguard community members in the face of an ICE surge, touting “a safe, hyper-local, immigrant-aligned response.”

Oppose Blanche for Attorney General

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer and current toady Todd Blanche is scheduled for a confirmation vote that could make him the nation’s attorney general, further weaponizing the Department of Justice against Trump’s perceived enemies. Take it from Contrarian contributor Ben Sheehan, this would be bad news for anyone who cares about the rule of law. Contact your Senators using this tool from Common Cause.

Stop Russ Vought’s Federal Coup

In his capacity as head of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought is pushing to privatize and politicize our federal government with a new proposed Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance. This rule would “require all scientific grants to be approved by political appointees,” snatching approval power from career experts and undermining the scientific process. All funding would be aligned with “administration policies and priorities.” Public comments are open until July 13. Leave your own through Stand Up For Science’s comment portal, which will upload your submission directly to OMB. You can register to join Stand Up For Science’s online OMB Deadline Day Rally on Monday at 2 p.m. eastern time.

Get Into ‘Good Trouble’

Good Trouble Lives On — a group that carries on the legacy of the Civil Rights icon and former Rep. John Lewis — is organizing a nationwide “weekend of action” July 17-19 to oppose the MAGA assault on democracy and voting rights.

The weekend, which seeks to revive “the spirit that fueled Selma, Montgomery, and the March on Washington,” is organized around three pillars: Teach, Reach, and Preach. Organizers seek to teach affected communities about “the power of civic participation,” to reach individuals through “trusted relationships,” and to preach “a message of hope, justice, and collective responsibility” that creates empowerment in the defense of our democracy. Find an event near you, or sign up for a training to host one of your own.

Freedom Summer Rolls On

The Freedom Summer campaign, sponsored by the Black Power War Room, is sponsoring prodemocracy events this week from California to Florida to Maryland. Check out the group’s map and calendar for opportunities to plug into events defending voting rights and organizing church groups.

Support Trans Youth

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold state laws banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’s sports carries significant implications for transgender students across the United States. Find ways to take action and support trans youth at the Campaign for Southern Equality. The organization’s Trans Youth Emergency Project offers logistical and financial support to families in search of accessible care. You can also send a message of support to trans youth in states with bans on gender-affirming care, check out the group’s toolkit, and get details about your state’s laws and local resources.

Oppose Eliminating the Peace Corps

An amendment to the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) appropriations bill was advanced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) would eliminate Peace Corps funding. The Peace Corps is an executive branch agency that sends trained volunteers across the globe to work with local communities on their developmental goals. DOGE cuts already forced the agency to shutter many of its successful programs. Tell your representatives to vote ‘no’ on Perry’s amendment to eliminate Peace Corps funding and spread the word on social media.

Keep Human Rights Central at the World Cup

Soccer fans from across the globe are attending FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. host cities. The ACLU offers a handy know-your-rights guide that also explains the risks of attendance. “Fans, players, journalists, and everyone alike should be prepared for potential … racial profiling by law enforcement, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, suppression of speech and protest, and other threats to civil liberties,” the ACLU warns. Separately, Amnesty International is encouraging soccer fans to tell FIFA to promote respect for human rights across the tournament. “FIFA promises a tournament where everyone ‘feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.’” Amnesty warns. “But the reality tells a very different story.” Indeed, a FIFA agent was caught on tape confiscating Iranian flags from fans.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Limited Edition Screen Prints!

Celebrate America 250 with The Art of Resistance

This limited-edition collection of screen prints is created to honor the American tradition of leveraging creative expression to inspire change.

All proceeds from merch sales go towards funding critical litigation and resistance journalism to fight back against Trump and uphold democracy.

Click here to order yours!

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

A Vital America 250 Call To Action

Support Trans Youth

The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold state laws banning transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls sports carries significant implications for transgender students across the United States. Find ways to take action and support trans youth at the Campaign for Southern Equality.The organization’s Trans Youth Emergency Project offers logistical and financial support to families in search of accessible care. You can also send a message of support to trans youth in states with bans on gender-affirming care, check out the group’s toolkit, and get details about your state’s laws and local resources.

Enjoy Historical Context

The National Archives celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a live reading of the foundational document and other events at its Washington, D.C., museum, where visitors can also see the original Declaration (with a free timed ticket). The event will be livestreamed. Find out more here.

Show Up for Our National Parks

The Trump administration’s second term has left America’s national parks under growing pressure as deep budget cuts, higher entrance fees, and the removal of historical exhibits reshape sites across the country. In celebration of Independence Day, national park entry is free for U.S. residents from July 3-5. Celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary and support the National Park Service this weekend by finding a park near you, attending a special event, or learning more about the stories these places preserve – including the history MAGA wants to erase.

Support Veterans and A Better Vision of America

Though it can feel weird to celebrate at this moment in American history, the Women’s March is encouraging proud Americans to not let Trump’s America become the norm by hosting a weekend of action centered around veterans and military families. “Host a rally, march, BBQ, teach-in, or gathering in your community. Put your town on the map and invite others to join you. Courage is contagious,” its website says. Find an event near you on the group’s website.

Subscribe now

Speak Up for the First Amendment

JD Vance’s weird appearance on The View is still sparking ire from the administration. The FCC is attempting to take control of the show’s guest booking. If successful, the FCC’s control would be another devastating attack on the First Amendment. Make your objections to this takeover attempt known by July 6. Every voice matters. You can scan the QR code below with your phone to submit your comments.

Oppose Eliminating the Peace Corps

An amendment to the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) appropriations bill was advanced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) would eliminate Peace Corps funding. While voting on this bill has paused, the amendment has not been withdrawn. The Peace Corps is an executive branch agency that sends trained volunteers across the globe at the request of a country to work with local communities on their developmental goals. DOGE cuts already forced the agency to shutter many of its successful programs. Tell your representatives to vote NO on Perry’s amendment to eliminate Peace Corps funding and spread the word on social media.

Demand Changes at Delaney Hall

Hunger strikes are ongoing at the wretched detention facility in New Jersey known as Delaney Hall, operated on behalf of ICE by the for-profit jailer GEOGroup. Women have joined a strike started by men. Read the strikers’ demands, which include “safe drinking water” and “adequate nutrition.” Their own calls to action include contacting officials in state government, ICE, and GEOGroup itself.

Keep Human Rights Central at the World Cup

Millions of soccer fans are attending FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. host cities. The ACLU offers a handy know-your-rights guide that also explains the risks of attendance. “Fans, players, journalists, and everyone alike should be prepared for potential … racial profiling by law enforcement, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, suppression of speech and protest, and other threats to civil liberties,” the ACLU warns. Separately, Amnesty International is encouraging soccer fans to tell FIFA to promote respect for human rights across the tournament. “FIFA promises a tournament where everyone ‘feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.’” Amnesty warns. “But the reality tells a very different story.” Indeed, a FIFA agent was caught on tape confiscating Iranian flags from fans.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Speak Up for the First Amendment

On the heels of JD Vance’s weird appearance on The View last week, the FCC is attempting to take control of the show’s guest booking. If successful, the FCC’s control would be another devastating attack on the First Amendment. Make your objections to this takeover attempt known by July 6. Every voice matters. You can scan the QR code below with your phone to submit your comments.

Defend Voting Rights

Donald Trump is making a renewed push to pass the SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of voters, disproportionately women — as Republicans seek to limit access to the ballot box ahead of the November elections. The act has passed the House and must be vigorously opposed in the Senate. Republicans are also seeking to eliminate or severely restrict mail-in-voting. Submit your comments objecting to the reversal of voting-by-mail practices and abilities by July 2.

Oppose Eliminating Peace Corps

An amendment to the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) appropriations bill advanced by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) would eliminate Peace Corps funding. The Peace Corps is an executive branch agency that sends trained volunteers across the globe at the request of a country to work with local communities on their developmental goals. DOGE cuts already forced the agency to shutter many of its successful programs. Tell your representatives to vote NO on Perry’s amendment to eliminate Peace Corps funding and spread the word on social media.

Subscribe now

Mobilize for ‘All of Us 250’

The next mass protest of the Trump regime is coming on June 27. The demonstration is organized by the All of Us 250, a coalition of “civic, cultural, labor, immigrant rights, racial justice, youth, faith, and democracy organizations.” The protest agenda aims to counter the “narrow and exclusionary narrative” about the nation’s 250th birthday promoted by “the MAGA regime” and offers a positive platform that prioritizes living wages, climate justice, reproductive rights, voting rights, and gun safety. The flagship mobilization will take place in the late morning in Washington, D.C., with satellite actions planned nationwide. Find out more at AllofUs250.org.

Protect Protesters and Observers

The Department Homeland Security arrested 15 people in Minneapolis during a raid in connection with anti-ICE protests earlier this year. The Department of Justice charged members of Minnesota Direct Action with myriad crimes, including conspiracy and interference, denouncing them as “rioters” with “Antifa ties.” The charges suggest anyone who has expressed disdain toward ICE could become a target for prosecution. If you witness a raid in Minneapolis, contact the Minnesota chapter of National Lawyers Guild. If you’re outside Minnesota, consider supporting the labor and faith groups that have denounced the raid as renewed “political repression” from the Trump administration.

Demand Changes at Delaney Hall

Hunger strikes are ongoing at the wretched detention facility in New Jersey known as Delaney Hall, operated on behalf of ICE by the for-profit jailer GEOGroup. Women have joined a strike started by men. Read the strikers’ demands, which include “safe drinking water” and “adequate nutrition.” Their own calls to action include contacting officials in state government, ICE, and GEOGroup itself.

Keep Human Rights Central at the World Cup

Millions of soccer fans are attending FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. host cities. The ACLU offers a handy know-your-rights guide that also explains the risks of attendance. “Fans, players, journalists, and everyone alike should be prepared for potential … racial profiling by law enforcement, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, suppression of speech and protest, and other threats to civil liberties,” the ACLU warns. Separately, Amnesty International is encouraging soccer fans to tell FIFA to promote respect for human rights across the tournament. “FIFA promises a tournament where everyone ‘feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.’” Amnesty warns. “But the reality tells a very different story.” Indeed, a FIFA agent was caught on tape confiscating Iranian flags from fans.

Vote Like Your Nation Depends on It

The June primary calendar is wrapping up, with Colorado’s primary on June 30.

Check Vote411.org to verify your voting details and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Welcome the Obama Center

The Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on Chicago’s South Side on Juneteenth, kickstarting a grand-opening weekend. The 19-acre complex is an innovative take on the “presidential library” and includes an indoor basketball court, a public library branch, a vegetable garden, and a plaza honoring the late civil rights lion John Lewis. You might learn, for example, about the Obama Iran deal, which blunted that country’s nuclear capabilities while avoiding the kind of reckless war that Trump launched this year. Or you can consider the accomplishments of former first lady Michelle Obama, whose legacy cannot be tarnished by gutter bigotry or unhinged conspiracy theories. Tickets for a June 18 preview celebration with the Obamas are sold out, but you can join a livestream by signing up at Obama.org.

Kick Off ‘Freedom Summer’ with Juneteenth Week of Action

The civil rights organizers at Black Power War Room have launched a reprise of Freedom Summer, evoking the historic 1964 mobilization of Black voters in the Deep South. The group’s Juneteenth “week of action” is underway, having kicked off earlier this week in Atlanta where the legislature is weighing redistricting for 2028 that could gut Black voting power. Still on tap: a rally in Harlem on June 20 and a “virtual mass-meeting” on June 23. Find a full schedule and map of events at FreedomSummer2026.com.

A similar Juneteenth weekend of action is being promoted by Good Trouble Lives On, which honors the legacy of John Lewis. Good Trouble is sponsoring events nationwide and offering the rally cry: “Teach! Reach! Preach!” Find a map of events here. Watch a recording of the group’s organizing webinar here.

To find other Juneteenth actions and celebrations across the country, consult this calendar. And check out this essay on the meaning of Juneteenth in America’s 250th year by Deborah Archer, the first person of color to lead the ACLU.

Defend Voting Rights

Trump is making a renewed push to pass the SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of voters, disproportionately women — as Republicans seek to limit access to the ballot box ahead of the November elections. The act has passed the House and must be vigorously opposed in the Senate.

Subscribe now

Mobilize for ‘All of Us 250’

The next mass protest of the Trump regime is coming on June 27. The demonstration is organized by the All of Us 250, a coalition made up of “civic, cultural, labor, immigrant rights, racial justice, youth, faith, and democracy organizations.” The protest agenda aims to counter the “narrow and exclusionary narrative” about the nation’s 250th birthday promoted by “the MAGA regime” and offers a positive platform that prioritizes living wages, climate justice, reproductive rights, voting rights, and gun safety. The flagship mobilization will take place in the late morning in Washington, D.C., with satellite actions planned nationwide. Find out more at AllofUs250.org.

Protect Protestors

The Department Homeland Security arrested 15 anti-ICE activists in Minneapolis in a raid on Tuesday. The Department of Justice has charged these members of Minnesota Direct Action with myriad crimes, including conspiracy and interference, denouncing them as “rioters” with “Antifa ties.” These seemingly trumped up charges suggest anyone who has proteste ICE overreach could become a target for prosecution. If you witness a raid in Minneapolis, contact the Minnesota chapter of National Lawyers Guild. If you’re outside of Minnesota consider supporting the labor and faith groups that have denounced the raid as renewed “political repression” from the Trump administration.

Demand Changes at Delaney Hall

Hunger strikes are ongoing at the wretched detention facility in New Jersey known as Delaney Hall, operated on behalf of ICE by the for-profit jailer GEOGroup. Women have joined a strike started by men. Read the strikers’ demands, which include “safe drinking water” and “adequate nutrition.” Their own calls to action include contacting officials in state government, ICE, and GEOGroup itself.

Keep Human Rights Central at the World Cup

Millions of soccer fans are attending FIFA World Cup matches in U.S. host cities. The ACLU offers a handy know-your-rights guide that also explains the risks of attendance. “Fans, players, journalists, and everyone alike should be prepared for potential … racial profiling by law enforcement, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, suppression of speech and protest, and other threats to civil liberties,” the ACLU warns. Separately, Amnesty International is encouraging soccer fans to tell FIFA to promote respect for human rights across the tournament. “FIFA promises a tournament where everyone ‘feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.’” Amnesty warns. “But the reality tells a very different story.” Indeed, a FIFA agent was caught on tape confiscating Iranian flags from fans.

Vote Like Your Nation Depends on It

The June primary calendar is wrapping up, with contests in Maryland, New York, Utah on June 23 and Colorado on June 30.

Check Vote411.org to verify your voting details and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Subscribe now

After a long day of weather delays and the administration’s attempts to further delay justice and get an emergency stay on the order, which was denied, the crews finally got to work. As the midnight deadline approached, the defendants requested a 12-hour extension to complete the work.

We were on the ground live for all of it, including a live interview with Representative Beatty, and will not stop fighting for American democracy.

We plan to return Saturday with continued coverage of this removal, to highlight this victory against this corrupt regime, and to be with you all in this historic moment, Contrarians.

Join the fight now and get 25% off an annual subscription

Contrarians in Court bring hundreds of cases and legal matters against Trump’s regime — by joining our community today, YOU help STOP the chaos!

Get 25% off for 1 year

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Support the Trumpsonian

After the Department of Justice announced it had concluded its review of the Epstein files, The Institute of Primary Facts and collaborators created a free immersive experience named the Trumpsonian to keep Epstein and his crimes at the forefront. The Trumpsonian debuted in New York with a 24-hour broadcast and is now in Washington, D.C. Inside the “museum” is the Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room, which contains 3,437 bound volumes of the Epstein files and hosts survivor-centered talks and a Q&A. For folks in the Washington, D.C. area (or those down for last-minute travel), reserve your free visit to The Trumpsonian through June 14. With enough support, the organization intends to bring the experience to cities across America.

Oppose the ‘Trump Arch’

Donald Trump wants to build a massive triumphal arch to celebrate himself. The 250-foot-tall structure would stand between the National Mall and Arlington Cemetery. If approved, the arch would be a stark, vertical structure situated in an area designed for horizontal memorials, block views of historical sites, including the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, and possibly disrupt flight patterns in nearby National Airport. The public comment period for Trump’s vanity project is open. You can review planning documents, impact reports, and renderings at the National Park’s comment page and submit feedback through June 15.

Shatter the Corporatization of “Pride”

June is Pride Month, which corporations co-opt with rainbow merchandise and supposed support of the queer community. Yet behind the rainbow square profile pictures sometimes lurks a dirty secret: Many of these companies give massive donations to politicians who work against the LGBTQ community. Gen Z For Change’s Pay Back Pride campaign is unmasking these corporations because “performative allyship sucks.” Find a list of the largest donors and let the companies know, that without true support of the gay community, they won’t have your support.

Defend Human Rights During the World Cup

Millions of soccer fans are making their way to FIFA World Cup host cities this week, including in the United States, where the Trump regime’s harsh immigration tactics have incited widespread fear. The ACLU has a handy guide for knowing your rights that also explains the risks of attending a World Cup game in the United States. “Fans, players, journalists, and everyone alike should be prepared for potential risks, including racial profiling by law enforcement, invasive social media screening, searches of electronic devices, suppression of speech and protest, and other threats to civil liberties,” the ACLU warns.

Amnesty International is encouraging soccer fans — and all fans of human rights — to tell FIFA to demand host cities respect human rights. Amnesty’s website, which includes several action items for the World Cup, says: “FIFA promises a tournament where everyone ‘feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.’ But the reality tells a very different story.”

Subscribe now

Block the Nomination of Trump Toadies

Trump cronies Todd Blanche and Bill Pulte are unfit, especially to be the Senate-approved head of the Department of Justice or the acting director of the nation’s intelligence apparatus, respectively. Contact your senators to insist that Trump’s former personal lawyer, Blanche, not become attorney general and to find a way to deny Pulte’s entry into the national security apparatus. Indivisible has launched a campaign to block the “ludicrously unqualified” Pulte, in particular.

Rise Up, Sing Out: June 14

As counterprogramming to the UFC spectacle Trump is planning at the White House, the No Kings Coalition is hosting a nationwide organizing event on June 14. These organizing parties will feature their own marquee entertainment — a Rise Up, Sing Out concert in defense of the First Amendment, with appearances by Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, and Singing Resistance. Sign up for an organizing event at NoKings.org or look for concert tickets here if you can make it to New York City. (Watch Ezra Levin of Indivisible describe the June 14 events and the need for a diversity of tactics to defend democracy here.)

Prep for ‘Freedom Summer’ 2.0

The Civil Rights organizers at Black Power War Room are launching a reprise of Freedom Summer, evoking the historic 1964 mobilization that registered Black voters in the Deep South. The kickoff is a Juneteenth “week of action” — June 16 to 24 — with anchor events in Harlem and Atlanta. The full Freedom Summer calendar includes events culminating in a pre-election “last push” on Halloween. Sign up with an email to access the group’s toolkit for activists.

Mobilize for ‘All of Us 250’

The next mass protest of the Trump regime is coming on June 27, organized by the All of Us 250 coalition. The group’s website says the United States is at a “crossroads” on its 250th birthday. Organizers seek to push back against the MAGA “whitewash” of the nation’s past and push forward in a commitment of “finishing the work” to make the United States a country in which “freedom and equality are truly for all.” This is not a No Kings event, but it includes familiar partners, such as 50501 and the Women’s March. Plan to join the main mobilization in Washington, D.C., or find or host a local demonstration near you. You can also sign on to the group’s declaration or put your own words to paper for a companion project called Letters to America.

Vote Like Your Nation Depends on It

Tuesday, June 16, features primary elections in Oklahoma and Washington, D.C.

The rest of the June primary calendar includes contests in Maryland, New York, Utah on June 23, and rounds out with Colorado on June 30.

Check Vote411.org to verify your voting details and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Join the fight now and get 25% off an annual subscription

Contrarians in Court bring hundreds of cases and legal matters against Trump’s regime — by joining our community today, YOU help STOP the chaos!

Get 25% off for 1 year

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Mobilize for ‘All of Us 250’

The next mass protest of the Trump regime is coming on June 27, organized by the All of Us 250 coalition. The group’s website describes America as standing at a “crossroads” on its 250th birthday. Organizers seek to push back against the MAGA “whitewash” of the nation’s past and push forward in a commitment of “finishing the work” to make America a country where “freedom and equality are truly for all.” This is not a No Kings event, but it includes familiar partners such as 50501 and the Women’s March. Plan to join the main mobilization in Washington, D.C., or find or host a local demonstration near you. You can also sign on to the group’s declaration or put your own words to paper for a companion project called Letters to America.

Block Trump’s Intel Stooge

Bill Pulte, Donald Trump’s choice to serve as acting director of national intelligence, is not only unqualified, he’s also a MAGA toady to the core. Contrarian publisher Norm Eisen laid out the case against the man whose “leading qualification appears to be his appetite to use power for political retribution.” Indivisible is leading a campaign calling for Pulte’s removal.

Subscribe now

Participate in ‘Seven Days In June’

Leading unions and healthcare groups have launched a Seven Days in June campaign to elevate a national conversation about America’s healthcare crisis and the need for consistent non-partisan public health investment. The campaign has attracted celebrity support, including from Broadway giant Lin Manuel Miranda. (Watch his appeal to “make our voices heard.”) Read the group’s call to action, find a calendar of events, and plan to participate in a candlelight vigil on June 5.

D-Day Is for Democracy

Pro-democracy organizers of the Visibility Brigade are honoring the sacrifice of D-Day and the fierce fight against fascism that it symbolizes by mounting nationwide protests on June 6. The Visibility Brigade organizes demonstrations on freeway overpasses — holding large protest signs and banners to remind “everyday people that they are not alone in these unprecedented times.”

The D-Day event targets the unchecked billionaire power that’s fueling the fascist lurch the federal government. You can find a brigade chapter near you, check out the group’s activist toolkit for “rush hour resistance,” and sign up for the D-Day events here.

Rise Up, Sing Out: June 14

On June 14, the No Kings Coalition is hosting a nationwide organizing event as counterprogramming to the UFC spectacle at the Trump White House. These organizing parties will feature their own marquee entertainment — a Rise Up, Sing Out concert in defense of the First Amendment, with appearances by Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Jane Fonda, Julia Roberts, and Singing Resistance. Sign up for an organizing event at NoKings.org or look for concert tickets here if you can make it to New York City. (Watch Ezra Levin of Indivisible describe the June 14 events and the need for a diversity of tactics to defend democracy here.)

Prep for ‘Freedom Summer’ 2.0

The Civil Rights organizers at Black Power War Room are launching a reprise of Freedom Summer, evoking the historic 1964 mobilization that registered Black voters in the Deep South. The calendar begins with a Juneteenth “week of action” and includes 10 events through a pre-election “last push” on Halloween. Sign up with an email to access the group’s toolkit for activists.

Protect ICE Detainees and Protestors

Don’t let ICE atrocities slip from the spotlight. Support the detainees and protestors at Delaney Hall, where hunger strikers inside are protesting wormy food and shoddy medical care, while demonstrators are being met with violence from the Department of Homeland Security and even New Jersey state police. For those in New Jersey, advocate for bill A4300, which would impose a tax on private detention facilities to fund immigrant legal defense programs. Outside of New Jersey, demand that your representatives and senators enact ICE reforms and conduct inspections of facilities that have earned comparisons to concentration camps. Indivisible has a campaign to connect you with your members of Congress to speak out against “inhumane conditions” at Delaney Hall and “detention centers across the country.”

End the Cuba Blockade

The Trump administration’s lawless blockade of Cuba is creating immense suffering as island residents go without gasoline, fuel oil, and electricity. Now the administration has unveiled a criminal indictment of Raúl Castro, perhaps setting the stage for regime change like the United States imposed on Venezuela after indicting Nicolás Maduro. Indivisible has a campaign for activists to contact Congress to demand an end to the blockade and to oppose potential military action on the sovereign island nation.

Vote Like Your Nation Depends on It

Tuesday, June 9, is a major event on the primary schedule with elections from coast to coast. Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina have primaries next Tuesday, so make sure you are registered to vote and have a voting plan.

The rest of the June primary calendar is stocked, with more contests upcoming:

June 16: Oklahoma, Washington, D.C.

June 23: Maryland, New York, Utah

June 30: Colorado

Check Vote411.org to verify your voting details and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Cheer on Vote Defenders

In rare good news on the redistricting wars in the South, voting-rights groups prevailed this week in Alabama — securing a ruling by a three-judge district court panel that blocked the state’s effort to impose new a congressional map for 2026 because it was “tainted by intentional race-based discrimination.” (The decision is being appealed to the Supreme Court, which had earlier given Alabama a tentative green light to proceed with a hyperpartisan redistricting in the wake of the high court’s Callais decision.)

The ruling is a reminder to support the crucial work of the ACLU, which brought the litigation in coalition with the Legal Defense Fund, church groups, and the NAACP of Alabama. The ACLU also played a leadership role in the fight for representation in South Carolina, where this week Republicans, heeding the call of pro-democracy activists, stalled a Trump-backed redistricting plan that would have eliminated the state’s only majority-minority House district.

Prep for “Freedom Summer” 2.0

The Civil Rights organizers at Black Power War Room are launching a reprise of Freedom Summer, evoking the historic 1964 mobilization that registered Black voters in the Deep South. The just-announced calendar includes a series of events designed to activate and turn out Black voters and allies in the fight for a true American democracy. It begins with a Juneteenth “week of action” and stretches through a pre-election “last push” on Halloween. Sign up with an email to access the group’s toolkit for activists.

Train to Fight While Trump Watches UFC

On June 14, the No Kings Coalition is hosting a nationwide organizing event as counterprogramming to the UFC spectacle at the Trump White House. The coalition describes the purpose of the evening as “transforming the energy from the streets into sustained local organizing” in order “to build long-term, local collective power and defend our communities against this administration’s ongoing threats.”

These organizing parties will feature their own marquee entertainment — a Rise Up, Sing Out concert in defense of the First Amendment, with appearances by Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, and Jane Fonda. “Throughout history, authoritarians have wanted to make people feel alone, isolated,” Fonda said, announcing the concert. “[But] when people have stood together—with open hearts, open arms, in solidarity and in community—the people have prevailed.”

Sign up for an organizing event at NoKings.org, or look for concert tickets here.

Subscribe now

End the Cuba Blockade

The Trump administration’s lawless blockade of Cuba is creating immense suffering as island residents go without gasoline, fuel oil, and electricity. Now the administration has unveiled a criminal indictment of Raúl Castro, perhaps setting the stage for regime change like the United States imposed on Venezuela after indicting Nicolás Maduro. Indivisible has a campaign for activists to contact Congress to demand an end to the blockade and to oppose potential military action on the sovereign island nation.

Protect ICE Detainees and Protestors

Don’t let ICE atrocities slip from the spotlight. ICE agents clashed with protestors outside of the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey on Tuesday after Sen. Andy Kim’s inspection of the facility. The protests began after news spread that a detainee — who organized a hunger strike against inhumane conditions inside — was being transferred to another facility.

Support the detainees and protestors. For those in New Jersey, contact your representatives and advocate for bill A4300, which would impose a tax on private detention facilities to fund immigrant legal defense programs. Outside of New Jersey, demand that your representatives and senators enact ICE reforms and conduct inspections of facilities that have earned comparisons to concentration camps. Encourage Congress to embrace Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s simple logic for ICE funding: “No accountability? No check.”

Prep for “Seven Days In June”

Leading unions and healthcare groups have launched a Seven Days in June campaign to elevate a national conversation about America’s healthcare crisis and the need for consistent non-partisan public health investment. Read the group’s call to action and plan to participate in a candlelight vigil on June 5.

D-Day is for Democracy

Pro-democracy organizers of the Visibility Brigade are honoring the sacrifice of D-Day and the fierce fight against fascism that it symbolizes by mounting nationwide protests on June 6. The Visibility Brigade organizes demonstrations on freeway overpasses — holding large signs and banners to communicate “peacefully, visibly, and powerfully” to passing motorists, with the aim of “reminding everyday people that they are not alone in these unprecedented times.” The D-Day event targets the unchecked billionaire power that’s fueling the fascist lurch the federal government. You can find a brigade chapter near you, check out the group’s activist toolkit for “rush hour resistance,” and sign up for the D-Day events here.

Fight Presidential Corruption

Donald Trump has secured an outlandish “settlement” from the Justice Department that creates a nearly $1.8 billion slush fund for Trump to distribute to supposed victims of judicial “weaponization.” As our publisher Norm Eisen described it: “This is a smash-and-grab job, pure and simple: Trump wants to raid the American treasury to line his allies’ pockets.”

Many of those now clamoring for a payout are Jan. 6ers, including former Proud Boy honcho Enrique Tarrio, whom Trump pardoned for seditious conspiracy. Indivisible has launched a campaign to contact your members of Congress to demand “no payouts for insurrectionists.”

Stand with E. Jean

E. Jean Carroll — who outraged Donald Trump by winning a combined $88 million in judgments against him related to sexual assault and subsequent defamation — is now being criminally investigated, in a case of actual weaponization by the Trump Justice Department. Watch a documentary about Carroll that includes gutting footage of her deposition recounting her abuse at the hands of Trump.

Vote Like Your Nation Depends on It

Tuesday, June 2, is a major event on the primary schedule with elections from coast-to-coast.

California holds its “jungle” primary, which could either put two Democrats through to the next round in the fight for governor, or effectively choose the next leader of the Golden State if a Republican makes it to the general election. (California hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2011.)

On the same night, Iowa will choose a Democrat to fight for the Senate for the seat being vacated by Republican Joni Ernst. Montana decides which Democrat will get the nod for a pivotal House race. There are also primaries in New Jersey (where Republicans will pick the candidate to face off with Sen. Cory Booker), New Mexico, and South Dakota.

The rest of the June primary calendar is stocked, with another ten contests upcoming:

June 9: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina

June 16: Oklahoma, Washington, D.C.

June 23: Maryland, New York, Utah

June 30: Colorado

Check Vote411.org to verify your voting details and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Subscribe now

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Fight Presidential Corruption

Donald Trump has dropped his scammy lawsuit against the IRS — after getting an outlandish “settlement” from the Justice Department that creates a $1.776 billion slush fund for Trump to distribute to supposed victims of judicial “weaponization.” As our publisher Norm Eisen puts it: “This is a smash-and-grab job, pure and simple: Trump wants to raid the American treasury to line his allies’ pockets.”

The same agreement includes a stipulation that bars the IRS from tax enforcement actions against the president, his family, or his businesses — putting to rest an audit that might have forced Trump to cough up $100 million. This news comes the same week that Trump has been exposed for publicly hyping companies he’d recently bought stock in. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of Trumpworld corruption scandals.

In America, the presidency must be an office of public trust, not a vehicle for personal enrichment. Contact your members of Congress to demand the legislative branch quash Trump’s deal with the Justice Department, which has even GOP leaders nervous. And prepare for the long fight ahead by brushing up on the Brennan Center’s “Nine Solutions for Political Corruption.”

Keep Up the Redistricting Fight

Thousands attended. Millions watched and supported from afar. But the “All Roads Lead to the South” day of action in mid-May was not a one-and-done event. The struggle continues. Keep abreast of the latest in MAGA attempts to erode Black representation in Congress by signing up for updates from the Black Power War Room and by monitoring the latest redistricting news from South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and beyond.

Read bell hooks and Irritate JD Vance

Whitney Alese, a popular digital creator who posts under the handle thereclaimed, noticed that JD Vance’s memoirs have almost the same titles as books by the renowned American philosopher and author bell hooks. This could “potentially promote erasure of her [work],” according to Alese. To counteract this, join Alese in reading bell hooks’ book communion in June. Go to bookshop.org to get the book or request it through your local library. Brownie points if you also read hooks’ Appalachian Elegy: Poetry and Place. (Vance’s last book title is similar.)

No Blank Check for War

Donald Trump’s war on Iran has been a moral and strategic disaster. Lawmakers hold the power to block funding for Trump’s devastating war, which already has cost at least $29 billion, while disrupting global commerce. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s call for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress.

Subscribe now

Fight Big Data Locally

Seven in ten Americans oppose the construction of artificial intelligence data centers in their communities, according to a recent Gallup poll. And for good reason — the AI centers increase air, water, light, and noise pollution and drive up energy prices.

Americans fighting to block construction of these emissions-producing, water-hogging facilities have a new tool at their disposal. StopBigData.org has built an interactive map of data center projects from coast to coast and offers assistance drafting opposition emails to local officials and policymakers. Visitors can sign a declaration demanding robust federal regulation of AI infrastructure that has, to date, “weakened the power grid, drained local water supplies, and left taxpayers with costs that corporations admit should fall on them.”

D-Day is for Democracy

Pro-democracy organizers of the Visibility Brigade are honoring the sacrifice of D-Day and the fierce fight against fascism that it symbolizes by mounting nationwide protests on June 6. The Visibility Brigade organizes demonstrations on freeway overpasses — holding large signs and banners to communicate “peacefully, visibly, and powerfully” to passing motorists, with the aim of “reminding everyday people that they are not alone in these unprecedented times.” The D-Day event targets the unchecked billionaire power that’s fueling the fascist lurch the federal government. You can find a brigade chapter near you, check out the group’s activist toolkit for “rush hour resistance,” and sign up for the D-Day events here.

Prepare for “Seven Days In June”

Leading unions and healthcare groups have launched the Seven Days in June campaign to elevate a national conversation about America’s healthcare crisis and the need for consistent non-partisan public health investment. Read the group’s call to action and plan to participate in a candlelight vigil on June 5.

Meanwhile, sign a Stop Taking Our Health Care petition from Social Security Works to speak out against rising healthcare costs and demand that Congress not cut healthcare programs.

Learn and Fight The Authoritarian Playbook

Frustrated with the attack on our democracy and want a simple, concise resource to understand and act? Stacey Abrams launched the 10 Steps mobilization and education campaign to do just that. 10 Steps provides a framework to understanding the “authoritarian playbook” and the tools to fight it. Peruse the campaign’s valuable resources page and toolkit, join events near you, become a partner, or spread awareness online.

Vote Like Your Democracy Depends on It

Texas closes out May primary season with the Republican senate runoff between Trump suckup Sen. John Cornyn and Trump-endorsed, scandal-scarred attorney general, Ken Paxton.

The June primary calendar is stocked, with contests in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Here’s the schedule for a month with five Tuesdays:

June 2: California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota

June 9: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina

June 16: Oklahoma, Washington, D.C.,

June 23: Maryland, New York, Utah

June 30: Colorado

Check your voting details at Vote411.org and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

The New Civil Rights Movement Starts Now

Republicans across the South are using the cover of the Supreme Court’s execrable Callais decision to dilute the power of Black and Brown voters. In response, voting rights advocates are organizing an All Roads Lead to the South day of protest and action on Saturday, May 16.

The day’s key demonstrations will take place in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, two hallowed grounds from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s. Organizers are framing the action as a continuation of that struggle: “Our parents and grandparents marched, organized, bled, and won,” they write. “The Voting Rights Act was theirs. The fight to keep it is ours.”

The day will begin in Selma, scene of the Bloody Sunday march in 1965, with a “Moral Moment for Faith Leaders” at 9 a.m. local time, with a crossing the famed Edmund Pettus Bridge. The culmination of the day of action will be in Montgomery, home of the bus boycott led by Rosa Parks, with a rally at the state capitol beginning at 1 p.m. The Contrarian will be reporting on the scene all day. Contrarian publisher Norm Eisen, April Ryan, and others will come to you live from Montgomery on Saturday evening with a recap of the day’s events.

Subscribe now

Supporting actions are planned in cities from Austin to St. Louis, Trenton to Tallahassee. Find the event nearest you on this interactive map or organize one of your own.

The most important step you can take in the face of the Republican assault on representative democracy is ensuring that you, your friends, and your family members are registered to vote and have a plan to vote in November. The All Roads page has a “Stop the Voting Purge” tool to help you check your registration and polling place, register to vote if necessary, and sign up for election reminders.

A Day Against Data Centers

A recent Gallup poll found that 70 percent of Americans do not want AI data centers in their communities, and for good reason — the centers increase air-, water-, light-, and noise pollution; and drive up energy prices. Americans across the country are fighting to keep these emissions-producing, water-hogging facilities out of their communities. This Saturday, Say No To Data Centers is leading the charge for nonpartisan, localized protests to block the approval and construction of new data centers. Say No has published a list of protest and educational resources, alongside a list of participating opposition groups near you.

Prepare for “Seven Days In June”

Leading unions and health care groups have launched a campaign called Seven Days in June. The campaign aims to elevate a national conversation about America’s healthcare crisis and the need for consistent non-partisan public health investment. Read the group’s call to action and plan to participate in a candlelight vigil on June 5.

Meanwhile, sign a Stop Taking Our Health Care petition from Social Security Works to speak out against rising healthcare costs and demand that Congress not cut healthcare programs.

No Blank Check for War

Donald Trump’s war on Iran has been a moral and strategic disaster. Lawmakers hold the power to block funding for Trump’s devastating war, which already has cost at least $29 billion, while disrupting global commerce. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s call for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress.

After Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, far-right elected officials in Southern states are scrambling to try to redraw voting maps mid-cycle — as mobilize.us put it, “without voter input, without transparency, and without shame.”

The Callais ruling is giving far-right legislators and governors an opportunity to prevent Black and Brown citizens a say in who represents them.

Tomorrow, in New Orleans, Montgomery, and Nashville, voters are mobilizing to defend their right to vote and their right to representation.

The events include:

LOUISIANA: Flood the Polls, Fill the Streets

Gov. Jeff Landry canceled Louisiana’s U.S. House primaries — not the entire primary — after absentee ballots were sent and early voting was set to start. His far-right crony legislators are racing to redraw the state’s congressional map to eliminate majority-Black districts. Everyone who supports democracy in Louisiana is encouraged to vote, to call the governor and their state legislators, and make their voices heard.

A rally is planned for 8 a.m. tomorrow at the criminal courthouse at 2700 Tulane Avenue in Louisiana. Find out more here.

ALABAMA: NO to a Special Session to Redraw Maps

Following in Landry’s dirty footsteps, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is trying to suspend her state’s May 19 congressional primary to get a rigged voting map passed in a special session. A 3 p.m. Monday rally at the Alabama State House at 11 South Union Street in Montgomery will let Ivey and far-right legislators know what the state’s voters think of their anti-democratic efforts. Find out more here.

TENNESSEE: NO to a Special Session to Redraw Maps

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called a special session for May 5 with only four days’ notice to redraw congressional maps — without public input, if possible. At noon on Tuesday, people from across the state will rally at the state Capitol at 600 Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard in Nashville to say no to any new maps that disenfranchise Black and Brown voters. Find out more here.

Protests will continue across the South this week. Keep watching this space for more coverage about the push-back on the ground.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Stand Up for Voting Rights

The reactionary justices of the Supreme Court just dealt a grave blow to the Voting Rights Act, allowing states to diminish the electoral power of Black and Brown communities through racial gerrymandering. Florida has already pushed through an egregious redistricting map that does exactly that. Louisiana is now suspending its mid-May primary and aiming to redraw its electoral map.

To realize a vision of a multi-racial democracy, Americans must put constant pressure on elected officials to create a fair and representative electoral system. Speak out for fair maps. Many states have upcoming legislative sessions — and existing districts that are providing fair representation to your community could be on the chopping block. Show up and get involved with the legislative process. Don’t let your elected officials make decisions about you without hearing from you.

As Lauren Groh-Wargo of Fair Fight Action made clear in a video appearance on The Contrarian, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment for democracy:

Here are other ways you can get involved:

• Join Indivisible and a broad coalition No Kings of partners at 8 p.m. ET tonight for a rapid-response call to discuss the ruling’s implications and plan next steps.

• Ensure that you and your community members are registered to vote.

• Tell Congress to ban partisan and racial gerrymanding.

• Fight for one of the most important upcoming elections — the May 19 Georgia Supreme Court election.

Join in ‘May Day Strong’

Tomorrow is May Day and a chance for the pro-democracy movement to flex its economic muscle in the face of authoritarian overreach and billionaire power. May Day Strong organizers — including Indivisible and labor, and clergy groups — have called for the rough equivalent of a general strike on Friday: “No work. No school. No shopping.”

This action will feel different from a No Kings event. “This is a tactical escalation beyond just mobilizing on a Saturday,” Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin tells The Contrarian. ”It is a more-difficult tactic to pull off. But it’s a more-difficult tactic with payoff,” he says, pointing to the success of consumer actions against companies like Tesla, Disney, Avelo Airlines, Spotify, and others in changing corporate behavior.

The day will be filled with working-class solidarity — including rallies, demonstrations, and community events. Check out this toolkit to organize an event locally or plan to join one of thousands of events already on tap nationwide.

Curb Gun Violence

The White House Correspondents Dinner shooting is just the latest iteration of the gun violence epidemic plaguing America, yet our politicians refuse to act. Take action with Everytown For Gun Safety and BradyUnited, to advocate for stricter gun laws, demand accountability from our leaders, and learn how to help those impacted by a mass shooting.

No Blank Check for War

Donald Trump’s 60-day authority to wage military action in Iran without congressional approval expires May 1. He may well ignore the deadline, but lawmakers still hold the power to block funding for Trump’s devastating war, which already has cost at least $25 billion, while harming global commerce. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s call for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress.

Keep Trump’s Face Off Your Passport

Trump, who likes to put his scowling mug everywhere, is now poised to have his face printed in your passport. Renew your passport online to avoid having a Trump-branded travel document. Or send the State Department a message urging reconsideration of this misguided vanity project.

Check Your Voter Registration

Indiana and Ohio hold primaries on May 5. The next two months will be busy with primary contests. Check your voter registration status and deadline here.

Subscribe now

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Reading as Resistance

Today is World Book Day — or International Day of the Book — an annual celebration intended to promote reading and publishing awareness, organized by UNESCO. This global event highlights the power of books to bridge cultures and foster literacy. At a moment when U.S. libraries are facing funding cuts and censorship is on the rise, there’s no better time to visit your local branch, or step into an independent book store.

Here are a few recommendations from The Contrarian:

How to Be a Dissident by Gal Beckerman (library link)
An invigorating guide to fighting back — part philosophy, part history, part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian drift.

Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution by Anand Gopal (library link)
A history of how Manbij, Syria, ousted the Assad regime in 2011 — and the extraordinary experiment in democracy that followed — through the eyes of the people who made it happen. Gopal spoke with The Contrarian’s Abraham Kenmore about the work.

Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy by Joyce Vance (library link)
A political manifesto for our present moment — a history lesson and a call to save the republic. Vance reminds us that we’re all in this together and that complacency is not an option.

The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit (library link)
Solnit brings the precision instrument of her prose — fired in equal parts anger and empathy — to a survey of how the world has changed since 1960, animated by the question of what comes next.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (library link)
Two-and-a-half years after the war in Gaza began, El Akkad’s combination memoir-manifesto stands as a searing rebuke to the still-falling bombs — and as (probably?) the only National Book Award winner to have begun as a tweet.

How to Dodge a Cannonball: a Novel by Dennard Dayle (library link)
This biting, genuinely hilarious satire has been pitched as the “Catch-22 for the Civil War.” Like Catch-22, it also has a thing or two to say about the present.

What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (library link)
Johnson, a marine biologist, gives a galvanizing, clear-eyed look at the climate crisis, taking in perspectives from across science, policy, culture, and justice — and dares to look ahead. “Sometimes the bravest thing we can do while facing an existential crisis is imagine life on the other side.”

Why Fascists Fear Teachers by Randi Weingarten (library link)
Book bans, curriculum wars, cuts to the bone of public education: these have been weapons of authoritarian regimes longer than they’ve been Trump-era headlines. Weingarten examines the long history of fascists targeting teachers — and how educators, and the rest of us, can fight right back.

The Mirage Factory: Illusion, Imagination, and the Invention of Los Angeles by Gary Krist (library link)
Books are a useful means of distraction and immersion into a different time and cadence. Among our favorite narrative non-fiction authors, Krist illuminates the birth of Los Angeles, a metropolis that never should have been, through the stories of three complex visionaries who dreamed it into reality.

In the Times of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (library link)
Women drive successful resistance movements but are often footnoted in official narratives. Alvarez captures this truth through a fictionalized account of the Mirabal sisters, real women who led an underground resistance in the Dominican Republic during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The novel exposes the female-led movement that made liberation possible while breathing the women’s humanity into the story.

Block the Merger

Help block Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Run by the Trump-allied Ellison family, Paramount is seeking to create a right-wing media monopoly that poses a threat to journalistic independence and artistic integrity. (Watch Meredith Blake’s video explainer or read her article explaining what’s at stake). You can a sign a letter opposing the deal at Block The Merger. If you’re in the Washington, D.C., area, consider attending a protest today at 5:30 p.m., or watch the livestream. The Contrarian’s Norm Eisen will speak.

Support SPLC

The Southern Poverty Law Center is being targeted in a malicious prosecution by the federal government on charges that paying informants who infiltrate extremist groups is somehow tantamount to providing support to those same groups. (“The SPLC is manufacturing racism,” Trump toady and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said announcing the indictment, “to justify its existence.” ) Visit SPLCenter.org to learn about the group’s actual work of confronting the threats of white supremacy and violent extremism that the Trump Justice Department is turning a blind eye to — as it harasses one of the nation’s most storied civil rights watchdogs.

Subscribe now

Mobilize for May Day

May Day is shaping up to be a major happening for the pro-democracy movement, flexing its economic muscle in the face of authoritarian overreach and billionaire power. Organizers — including Indivisible, labor, and clergy groups — are calling for a nationwide general strike: “No work. No school. No shopping.” As Indivisible puts it: “May Day offers us an opportunity to test our movement’s ability to do nonviolent, economic disruption.” The day will be filled with working-class solidarity — including rallies, demonstrations, and community events. Check out this toolkit for organizing an event locally, or plan to join one of more than 1,000 already on tap nationwide. You can also sign a pledge to participate, print out a poster, or find a script to encourage businesses to shut down for the day. Find out more at MayDayStrong.

Help Impeach Pete Hegseth

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) has filed articles of impeachment for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seeking his removal for having waged an unauthorized war, for violating “the law of armed conflict and targeting civilians,” and for reckless endangerment of U.S. service members. If you’d prefer to oust the modern-day crusader from Trump’s Cabinet, ask your representative to cosponsor Ansari’s efforts.

No Blank Check for War

Lawmakers have the power to block funding for Trump’s illegal war in Iran. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s budget that calls for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding congressional oversight and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Check Your Voter Registration

May and June will be busy primary months. Check your voter registration status and deadline here.

Subscribe now

Normally, congressional redistricting happens every ten years after the census to make sure that everyone in the state is fairly represented in Congress. But last year, at Trump’s urging, because he was worried about Republicans losing the House, he convinced Texas to redistrict mid-decade to give Republicans an advantage.

And then everything cascaded from there. Then California responded by passing a ballot measure to give Democrats a five seat advantage, effectively canceling out the Texas gains. And in the past year, Ohio, North Carolina, and Missouri got in the mix, adding seats for Republicans a total of four between them, while Utah added one for Democrats.

Next week, Florida Republicans will be discussing changing the state’s congressional maps that could add between 1 and 5 seats to Republicans in the House. And in June, the Supreme Court could be issuing a ruling on a voting rights case that could add another 19 seats to Republicans in the South.

You know those majority Black congressional districts in southern states that were drawn to protect Black voters so that they would always have representation in Congress in states that historically disenfranchized them? Well, the Supreme Court could soon say “no more.”

Oh, and the ballot measure that just passed in Virginia yesterday?

Well, the state Supreme Court could still strike it down. But if you take anything away from this video, make it this: It’s not guaranteed that these districts go for Republicans or Democrats. Voters can change their mind. We’re already seeing this in Texas. Latinos are having second thoughts about voting for Trump based on what he’s done around immigration.

It’s not guaranteed that these districts will 100% go Republican or Democrat in the fall. So stay tuned and for updates.

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Mobilize for May Day

May Day is shaping up to be a major happening for the pro-democracy movement, flexing its economic muscle in the face of authoritarian overreach and billionaire power. Organizers — including Indivisible, labor, and clergy groups — are calling for a nationwide general strike: “No work. No school. No shopping.” As Indivisible puts it: “May Day offers us an opportunity to test our movement’s ability to do nonviolent, economic disruption.” The day will be filled with working-class solidarity — including rallies, demonstrations, and community events. Check out this toolkit for organizing an event locally, or plan to join one of more than 1,000 already on tap nationwide. You can also sign a pledge to participate, print out a poster, or find a script to encourage businesses to shut down for the day. Find out more at MayDayStrong.

Embrace Earth Day

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. Whether you want to help clean up plastic trash, plant a tree, or organize your community, you can find an event near you at Earthday.org.

Stand Up for the Forest Service

The Trump administration has announced it is gutting the Forest Service, closing regional offices, shuttering research stations, and relocating its headquarters to Utah, a state pursuing mineral extraction on public lands. Call your members of Congress to support the Save Our Forests Act of 2025. Pressure companies that built their businesses on the promise of wild and open public lands (think: Nalgene and L.L. Bean) to stand up to the administration at SaveUSFS.org.

Demand Accountability for Trump’s Genocidal Threats

It cannot be acceptable for a U.S. president to threaten to annihilate an entire civilization. Donald Trump’s genocidal Truth Social post of April 7 was so extreme as to possibly constitute a war crime in itself. Dozens of members of Congress have called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove a reckless commander in chief who can’t distinguish between tough negotiation tactics and terrorism — and now seems to have a God complex, feuding with the pope and posting a meme of himself as Jesus. (More on the 25th Amendment option here and here.) Call your members of Congress to insist that Trump’s grave breach of moral leadership not be swept under the rug.

Help Impeach Pete Hegseth

Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) has filed articles of impeachment for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, seeking his removal for having waged an unauthorized war, for violating “the law of armed conflict and targeting civilians,” and for reckless endangerment of U.S. service members. If you’d prefer to oust the modern-day crusader from Trump’s Cabinet, ask your representative to cosponsor Ansari’s efforts.

No Blank Check for War

Lawmakers have the power to block funding for Trump’s illegal war in Iran. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s budget that calls for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding congressional oversight and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Check Your Voter Registration

May and June will be busy primary months. Check your voter registration status and deadline here.

Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials, to ensuring your right to vote, to supporting public-interest journalism.

Subscribe now

Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.

Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.

Demand Accountability for Trump’s Genocidal Threats

It cannot be acceptable for a U.S. president to threaten to annihilate an entire civilization. Donald Trump’s infamous genocidal Truth Social post of April 7 was so extreme as to possibly constitute a war crime in itself. Dozens of members of Congress have called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked to remove a reckless, addled commander in chief who can’t distinguish between tough negotiation tactics and terrorism. (More on the 25th Amendment option here and here.) Even members of Trump’s MAGA coalition have broken with Trump over the incident. Call your members of Congress to raise your voice and insist that this grave breach of moral leadership not be swept under the rug.

No Blank Check for War

Whatever the status of the fragile ceasefire, lawmakers have the power to block funding for Trump’s illegal war. You can also let your lawmakers know how you feel about Trump’s budget that calls for a 40 percent increase in Pentagon spending. Indivisible has a form to send messages to your members of Congress demanding cessation of hostilities, congressional oversight, and a vote on a war powers resolution. Join or organize a peaceful anti-war protest. Find resources here.

Learn About Tax Resistance

April 15 is around the corner. Do you approve of where your tax dollars are going? Tax resistance is not for everyone and can carry serious consequences. But it can also take many forms, including sending a letter of protest with your tax return. The National War Tax Resistance Coordinating Committee has been around since the 1980s and offers an illuminating how-to guide for both the committed and the curious.

Save the Forest Service

Urgently call your members of Congress at 202-225-3121 and ask them to support the Save Our Forests Act of 2025. The Trump administration last week announced the “restructuring” of the U.S. Forest Service, which manages 193 million acres of forest and grasslands, by closing regional offices, shuttering research stations, and relocating its headquarters to Utah, a state aggressively pursuing mineral extraction on public lands. Hatch magazine called it “the most devastating attack on the U.S. Forest Service in the agency’s 121-year history.” Alt National Park Service is leading a campaign to encourage corporations to stand up the lands protected by the Forest Service.

Check Your Voter Registration

Six states have voter registration deadlines coming up. Check your registration status and deadline here. Make sure your friends, family, and neighbors are also registered and ready to vote!

Mobilize for May Day

What’s next after No Kings 3? May Day. On May 1, forge solidarity and flex economic power by joining a nationwide general strike — “no work, no school, no shopping” — backed by Indivisible, labor, and clergy groups. Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg sees the aims as demanding the government invest in our communities, not enrich billionaires, fund endless wars, or deploy agents to detain our neighbors. Register for an April 7 organizing call here, and find out more at MayDayStrong.

Know Your Air-Travel Rights

With ICE goons deployed at the nation’s airports, read the ACLU’s “Know Your Rights” guide for travelers. Remember that all people on American soil have rights guaranteed by the Constitution and that you also have rights surrounding your electronic devices.

Hold the Line on DHS Funding

Keep up the fight over Department of Homeland Security funding. You’re winning. The standoff has already secured the ouster of the execrable DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. And the Congress is reportedly poised to approve a DHS package that funds everything but ICE. Indivisible offers talking points to demand Congress continue to negotiate reforms to Trump’s deeply unpopular mass deportation agenda.

Protect Voting Rights

The SAVE Act — which would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters — has passed the House and must be opposed in the Senate, where it is being debated. Pay attention to state-based voter-suppression bills; Florida just passed what Governor Ron DeSantis is touting as the state’s mini version of the SAVE Act. (The ACLU is already contesting it in court.)

Subscribe now

First, we need JD Vance on board and then at least eight of the 15 congressionally authorized cabinet secretaries. Of those, at least nine people must write a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, saying that Trump is unable to do the job of president.

Once that letter is sent, JD Vance becomes the acting president. After that, Trump can send his own letter to Johnson and Grassley saying, no, I’m fine. They’re jealous. And he resumes being president. But JD and the secretaries have four days to send another letter to Johnson and Grassley saying, no, he’s crazy, we’re serious.

And then JD resumes being acting president. That third letter being sent triggers a 48 hour period for Congress to assemble, and they have 21 days to vote on this. If two thirds of the House and two thirds of the Senate agree with Vance and the secretaries, then JD continues being acting president. But if both houses can’t reach a two thirds vote, then Trump goes back to being president and, you know, probably fires the secretaries and sends JD on a permanent mission somewhere with shit weather.

This is real and it’s the only constitutional way to remove a sitting president besides impeachment and removal. The reason we have it is because it was written after the Kennedy assassination, and Congress was concerned about a situation where a president wasn’t technically dead, but, you know, brain dead.

And so they wanted to have a way to remove somebody if that was the case. But in the amendment, they didn’t specify that reason. So technically, it can be used for anyone who’s unable to do the job.

Ben Sheehan is a political commentator and digital creator. He specializes in civics education, which is showcased in his latest book, What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy Is Supposed to Work. Check out his Substack, Politics Made Easy.