The temperature in this country hasn’t dropped in the past three weeks.
If anything, the air is thicker now — heavy with fear, anger, and a creeping sense that the guardrails are gone.
Three weeks after the murder of a white supremacist podcaster in Utah, the political violence that followed has not ebbed. Instead, it has metastasized — threats against journalists, influencers, ordinary citizens who dare to dissent.
What we’re seeing is not a series of isolated attacks, but the pattern of a democracy unraveling.
Yesterday, Trump and Pete Hegseth took the stage before 800 of the nation’s top military brass.
The silence that met them was deafening. No applause, no endorsement — just unease.
But silence doesn’t deter this White House. Hegseth, manic and spiraling by his own aides’ accounts, railed against beards, “woke culture,” and DEI initiatives as if he were fighting phantoms. He even suggested easing punishment for sexual assault in the military, calling it an “earnest mistake.” Imagine hearing that as a survivor, after decades of stalled reform.
Meanwhile, the economy is faltering.
The September jobs report showed contraction, consumer confidence keeps sliding, and prices rise with no relief in sight. The federal government is shut down. This is the context in which Trump is consolidating power — crisis piled on crisis, leaving people too weary to resist. It’s a tactic as old as authoritarianism itself.
And yet, there are sparks of resistance.
A federal court just blocked Trump’s effort to deport legal residents for speaking out against genocide — a chilling reminder of how fragile free speech has become.
Another judge dismissed Trump’s $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Times.
These victories matter, but they’re fragile, easily drowned out by the daily flood of threats and violence.
We should name this moment clearly: the risk to free speech is no longer abstract, nor is the risk to democracy. Abroad, we’ve seen leaders exploit fear to muzzle opposition. Now it’s here at home. The question is whether we will stand in the silence — or speak while we still can.
We must be louder than ever if we want to fight the fascist takeover of our country.
It’s no longer about prevention. That moment has come and gone.
Now, it’s about correction.
We must find it within all of us to become the fierce warriors we wish we had.
Funding Calls
MIT whistleblower Dr. Babak Babakinejad only has a few more weeks to raise the funds necessary to fight his wrongful termination. All of Babak’s concerns were verified and the program was shut down completely. And still, they fired him in retaliation. Please help him receive the compensation he is due. Donate here.
A local artist just had her first coloring book published on Amazon! You can buy a copy for your kids, your grandkids, nieces, nephews, whomever! Click here to purchase on Amazon.
The UNHCR continues to provide international relief for refugees across the world. You can support them here.
CASA provides legal, professional and charitable support to new immigrants in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Georgia. Their lobbying arm, Casa in Action, fights Trump’s fascism in court and in statehouse building. Casa continues to fight for immigrants in landmark cases, including Trump V. Casa — the birthright citizenship case. You can donate to CASA here.
I know that sometimes $5 or $10 donations feel small, but truly they have an invaluable impact on fundraising efforts. If 1,000 people give $5, a program like UNHCR could provide tarps to hundreds of families to protect them from severe weather.
Upcoming Events
Nationwide: March/Rally against Racism scheduled for October 14, 2025. Contact local organizers for more information.
Nationwide: No Kings Day rallies and marches, October 18, 2025. More information here.
Washington, DC: March against Fascism, November 5, 2025. More info here.