t seems like there's more than a week's worth of news to report; there's just so much of it. The media have a laser-like focus on the Jeffrey Epstein case — all except Faux News, of course. But before we get to the firehose, I want to mention two programs Grassroots North Shore wants to promote.
The first is a joint production of Grassroots North Shore and our sister organization Worth Fighting For Wisconsin, called the One Million Rising Workshop, featuring former US Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Jim Santelle. Today, federal forces — including military forces ordered to act against American civilians, ICE and other federal agents ordered to snatch people off the streets, and national guard troops co-opted by the federal government — are acting with impunity. We have seen what they have done in California and Chicago.
Are we prepared for them here? It's critically important that we understand what "The Feds" can and cannot do, and understand what our best response would be if they do what they aren't supposed to do. To make sure we're ready, we will provide an overview of a One Million Rising training the leadership attended on July 16. (You can see the whole training on YouTube.) The trainers described how Trump and his would-be authoritarian regime have worked to take over the “pillars of support” that undergird political leaders. Then we’ll dive into one of the pillars: Military / Police. We’re calling it “The Feds.” Jim Santelle will guide our discussion and help explain our rights as we protest, accompany immigrants to ICE/Court hearings, etc., and track ICE or other federal activities. Please sign up to participate.
The second is a Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition on a STATEWIDE TOUR, coming to Waukesha on August 20. So save the date and plan to attend one. Why? Because we may have fair maps now, but they’re only temporary. Without lasting legislation, we risk going back to a system where politicians pick their voters — and ignore the will of the people. When maps are rigged, we don’t get what we want or need: clean air and water, strong public schools, affordable healthcare, and real accountability. We need to enshrine in law, and ultimately in the state constitution, an Independent Redistricting Commission to take the task of drawing electoral maps out of the hands of politicians — who tend to produce gerrymandered maps to protect the party in power and their incumbents — and into the hands of voters. The Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition is mounting this tour to hear from YOU. But if you can't attend, you can read a first draft of a proposal, written by activists and volunteers with the Fair Maps Coalition, here and comment so it can be revised to reflect the ideas of Wisconsin's citizens.
Now on to tariffs — the very mention of the word starts me yawning. As you may know, Trump has been very busy announcing a new rounds of them, many of them seeming as arbitrary as the last ones. According to Reuters's timeline of tariff and trade deal announcements since the Orange Man took office, July has been a busy month for them. Threats of draconian tariffs came up on July 3, 6, 7,10, 12, and 15. For example, on July 3, he says he will "place a 20% tariff on many Vietnamese exports, with trans-shipments from third countries through Vietnam facing a 40% levy." On July 10, it was Canada's turn: "a 35% tariff on imports from Canada in August and plans to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most other trading partners." On the 12th it was "to impose a 30% tariff on imports from Mexico and the EU" and on the 15th, it was a "19% tariff on goods from Indonesia." Finally, yesterday, the man singlehandedly destroying the global economy says he struck a trade deal with Japan that "lowers tariffs on auto imports to 15% and spares Tokyo from punishing new levies on other goods." Only "lowers" is a misnomer since the 15% tariff on auto parts and imports is certainly lower than the 25% tariff he announced on April 3, 2025, but still higher than it had been before Trump started his trade wars.
The impact of Trump's trade strategy, if we can call it that, has already been felt — and not in a good way — in Wisconsin. Joe Schultz of Wisconsin Public Radio, writing in yesterday's Urban Milwaukee, claims that "President Donald Trump’s tariffs are making it harder for Wisconsin businesses to predict the price of raw materials and are straining decades-long relationships with trade partners — and more tariffs are expected to take effect next month." He goes on to say that "tonnage through the Port of Milwaukee since the start of 2025 was down by about 30 percent as of May compared to the same period last year."
The TACO tag just won't go away. Every week, it seems, brings a new tariff threat and a new tariff "reduction." Once a month or so, we hear that the tariff the Trump regime had imposed some time earlier is now going to be postponed, maybe for 90 days, maybe just for three weeks. And unpredictability seems to be the point. Stock markets in Japan and around the world rallied after the trade deal was announced: "Share prices rose sharply in Tokyo, where the Nikkei index of leading Japanese companies increased by 3.5%. European markets followed, with the FTSE 100 gaining 0.4% to close at a fresh record high of 9,061. US markets posted further gains with the Dow Jones rising by over 1% and the S&P closing up 0.78% at a record high" (The Guardian, July 23, 2025).
The mainstream media seem to consider this trade deal a success and a "win" for the Trumpistas. Here's CNN's take: How Trump turned the tide in his trade war. And from Axios: How Trump has shifted trade war psychology. "Six months ago, the prospect of a 15% tariff on all goods from a major trading partner like Japan — vastly higher than seen in modern times — would likely have spooked financial markets and caused a wave of economic worry. Now it brings relief.... Financial markets and manufacturers alike...[have] concluded that it's not so terrible, considering it could be worse." So my head still hurts, just not as much as it was when I was still smashing it into the wall? Some win!
The outrage about the Epstein files coming from both the MAGA base and increasingly from Democrats is kind of deafening. Much of the coverage, though, focuses on Trump's betrayal of his promise to be the most transparent administration EVER. Or something like that. ("I like transparency here. And I’m the most transparent President in history." In the White House Archives. ) But the real issue is the tissue of conspiracy theories that grew up around the pedofile's activities. You see, Epstein was supposed to be the center of a cabal of elites, especially prominent Democrats like the Clintons. Members of the cabal supposedly paid Epstein money to pursue the sexual abuse of children while the "deep state" was (and is) withholding the files to protect the elites. (See Why do Trump's MAGA followers care so much about the Epstein files? ABC News, July 19, 2025). And Trump was supposed to expose EVERYTHING. Now the administration wants everyone to move on. As a result, at least in my naive opinion, it is now impossible for it to release enough information to satisfy the baying hordes. Because whatever they manage to release, the information will never corroborate the whole fabulous (in the sense of a wildly unbelievable) conspiracy.
Enough of that. Let's turn to a mystery here at home. Speculation runs rampant about Justice Rebecca Bradley's lack of fundraising for her supposed re-election bid. A week ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that she had raised NO MONEY during the finance reporting period that ended in June. Meanwhile, Judge Chris Taylor, who is running for the seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has raised "raised more than $583,000 since she launched her campaign in May." That two-month haul outpaced "Justice-elect Susan Crawford's $460,000 haul in the same timeframe." The Journal Sentinel's article does not reach the obvious conclusion, but several other media outfits have: WPR went with the headline Justice Rebecca Bradley is up for election. But will she be on the ballot?. Mark Belling was an early bird on this story, writing on June 11, before the June 30 closure of the finance period, EXCLUSIVE: Rebecca Bradley Unlikely To Run For Reelection To Wisconsin Supreme Court: "Sources close to Bradley say she has been discussing her options on a run with close advisers and political strategists. Those familiar with Bradley’s thinking say she has not made a final decision but that it is unlikely that she will run."
Bruce Murphy's latest in Urban Milwaukee has a pretty interesting view: "Does Justice Rebecca Bradley Face An Enthusiasm Gap?" He writes that "speculation abounds: that she’s tired of being a minority judge on the high court, which is no fun. That she’s not excited about undergoing the personal attacks that are inevitable in a hard-fought, red-versus-blue election." But he wonders whether "Republicans aren’t excited about working for her reelection." Republicans, he speculates, "will want to portray Chris Taylor as a liberal extremist" but may find it difficult to do because, as Murphy says, Bradley holds "some of the most extreme views in modern Wisconsin history." Needless to say, it is probably easier for Chris Taylor to win in a race with an open seat than it would be for her to run against an incumbent.
There's a lot more to cover, alas. But it's time for everyone to hop off the couch and DO SOMETHING to make our state and country just a little bit better!
TAKE ACTION
Fighting Oligarchy Coalition community assemblies:
In Milwaukee, Saturday July 26, at 2:00pm. Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N Vel R Phillips Ave.
In Franklin, Sunday, July 27, at 2:00pm. Whitnall Park, 5879 S 92nd St.
A broad coalition of labor unions, grassroots organizations, advocacy groups, and working-class leaders has launched the Fighting Oligarchy Tour, a two-part journey across Wisconsin to build support for The New Wisconsin Idea—a bold economic justice vision for a state that works for the working class, not the billionaires. The coalition is calling out the corporate greed that has left working families behind while billionaires grow richer. With a clear message—“Make Wisconsin work for the working class, not the billionaires”—the tour aims to galvanize communities around a shared vision for economic justice for every Wisconsinite. Download the event flyer for a synopsis of the New Wisconsin Idea.
Ozaukee County Fair Volunteers Needed: Please sign up to work a shift at the Ozaukee Dems' booth at the Ozaukee County Fair, July 30 - August 3. We're only asking for 3-4 hours of your time. It’s fun, it goes by fast, and you never are there alone Please sign up TODAY!.
From WisDems: Poll Workers are essential to the voting process and protecting the rights of voters and small-d democracy. It also provides an opportunity for you to serve your community in an essential civic capacity and to get to know your neighbors better. Sign up to become a poll worker for the 2026-2027 election cycle! Curious about what it entails? Join our Poll Worker Info Sessions! These 30-minute Zoom sessions will run every Tuesday night (5-5:30pmCT) and Thursday afternoon (1-1:30pmCT) throughout this summer and fall. We’ll discuss the specifics of the nomination process, as well as the requirements and basics of being a poll worker, and you can ask our team any questions that you might have!
Also Weekly Voter Protection Phonebanks are back!! Love talking to voters and giving them an opportunity to protect our democracy? You’re in luck! Help our team recruit poll workers for the 2026-2027 election cycle at one of our weekly phonebanks! We’ll train you how to make phone calls to potential poll workers, and provide a script. Our phonebanks will run weekly on Monday nights from 5-7pm CT. Head to the signup page now to find one that works for you.
From Vote Forward: In April 2023, Vote Forward volunteers sent tens of thousands of handwritten letters to voters across Wisconsin, encouraging them to participate in the state’s Supreme Court election. With our letter writing campaign in this year’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court election already underway, we’re counting on volunteers like you to help us replicate the impact we made in Wisconsin.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has made rulings with enormous implications for voting rights in recent years, including striking down the state’s gerrymandered congressional map in 2018 and extending the mail-in ballot deadline amidst the pandemic in 2020. It’s safe to say the outcome of this year’s retention election will also have huge implications for the future of our democracy, so will you sign up to send letters to voters in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court campaign today? Sign up.
From Postcards to Swing States: Sign up to write postcards to rally Democrats to vote in the November 4 elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Here's how it works:
- We mail you the postcards for free, along with voter lists and instructions with proven message options. Expect delivery within 1-2 weeks of when you sign up.
- You handwrite one of our short message options and hand address the voter's address. Please do not make up your own message.
- You provide Postcard Stamps (currently $0.62) and mail the postcards on the October date indicated on your instructions.
News Boosting postcards, a new program this year. Sign up now to help write our innovative News Boosting postcards to spread the truth to voters across Virginia. Target voters will receive 10 postcards between July and October — each volunteer will send just one headline and have at least four weeks to write their 100+ cards before the assigned mailing date.
We're measuring the effectiveness of this new approach on both turnout and vote choice in a large randomized controlled experiment, which will help inform Democratic strategy.
See the 1-page flyer that explains this new and innovative effort in greater detail.
EVENTS
Wednesday, July 23
Unite and Rise Trainings: Championing Issues that Matter Most to You, 10:00 - 11:15am CDT
virtual
This webinar will be a roundtable discussion that focuses on the challenging yet ever evolving conversations around issues. Whatever issue that speaks to voters and compels them to use their voice as their vote is the energy that LWVUS must harness to effect lasting and ever-present change to dispel apathy and breathe new life into our democracy. Join Chelsey R. Cartwright, Democracy Truth Project Manager, Local League Leaders, Pinny Sheoran, co-presidents of the Michigan League Denise Hatrsough and Paula Bowman, and members of the Young Voter Power cohort and Founder & CEO of MisfitMinds Collective, Kristin Turner for an engaging conversation on how issues must be anchored to build trust, harness collective action with an emphasis on unity and transformation as our shared strengths. Registration required.
July Banned Book Club: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, 6:30 - 8:00pm CDT
virtual
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a groundbreaking account of the modern criminal justice system and how it has created a new caste-like system that has resulted in the imprisonment of millions of Black Americans and making them second-class citizens. This book has been banned in prison systems in North Carolina and New Jersey and later allowed after the ACLU protested the bans. Sign up.
Thursday, July 24
The Powers of the Judicial Branch, 6:30 - 7:30pm
Virtual
With norms crumbling and the other branches of government failing to uphold their duties, the courts are increasingly the last line of defense for our democracy. But what gives them that power and who keeps them in check? Join us for the next RWB Civics Salon as we dive into the judicial branch. We will learn how it’s set up, what powers it holds, and how it fits into our system of checks and balances. We’ll get to the heart of what the courts are actually supposed to do and why it matters now more than ever. See you there! Sign up.
Saturday, July 26
Fighting Oligarchy Tour, 2:00pm
Turner Hall
A broad coalition of labor unions, grassroots organizations, advocacy groups, and working-class leaders has launched the Fighting Oligarchy Tour, a two-part journey across Wisconsin to build support for The New Wisconsin Idea—a bold economic justice vision for a state that works for the working class, not the billionaires. The coalition is calling out the corporate greed that has left working families behind while billionaires grow richer. With a clear message—“Make Wisconsin work for the working class, not the billionaires”—the tour aims to galvanize communities around a shared vision for economic justice for every Wisconsinite. Download the event flyer for a synopsis of the New Wisconsin Idea.
Sunday, July 27
Fighting Oligarchy Tour, 2:00pm
Whitnall Park, Franklin
A broad coalition of labor unions, grassroots organizations, advocacy groups, and working-class leaders has launched the Fighting Oligarchy Tour, a two-part journey across Wisconsin to build support for The New Wisconsin Idea—a bold economic justice vision for a state that works for the working class, not the billionaires. The coalition is calling out the corporate greed that has left working families behind while billionaires grow richer. With a clear message—“Make Wisconsin work for the working class, not the billionaires”—the tour aims to galvanize communities around a shared vision for economic justice for every Wisconsinite. Download the event flyerfor a synopsis of the New Wisconsin Idea.
Tuesday, July 29
The Dismantling of our Government: Federal Workers Speak Out, 6:30pm CDT
virtual
Across federal agencies, public servants are being pushed out, placed on leave, or pressured into early retirement. Behind it all is a clear and deliberate goal, the dismantling of our government. What happens when expertise is discarded, departments are hollowed out, and essential functions of government are crippled? Since January, more than 275,000 federal employees have been targeted for layoffs by Trump’s DOGE and other reductions in force, and the administration has been able to already fire more than 128,000 of them.
But the confusion surrounding these layoffs and their legality is causing ongoing problems. Employees are being denied early retirement or unemployment benefits that were promised to them because the Trump administration doesn’t file the right paperwork. They’ve received no information for how to apply for insurance benefits.
And we’re all taking the brunt of these firings, as essential services like Social Security, FEMA, and the National Weather Service have empty desks. Join Red Wine & Blue and sign up.
Wednesday, July 30
One Million Rising: Strategic Non-Cooperation to Fight Authoritarianism, 7:00 - 8:00pm
Virtual
Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full-scale attacks on our democracy. We don’t have to wait until it’s too late. We can stop this. But it’ll take all of us—not just on single days of mass action, but through sustained organizing in our communities.
That’s why this summer, we’re launching One Million Rising—a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. You’re invited to join us—and lead.
**Session 2: How to Make it Happen - July 30** This train-the-trainer session is how we get to one million. Learn not just our strategy, but how you can train others and get them on board. You'll host your first community resistance gathering after this session. Sign up.
Saturday, August 2
Voces de la Frontera: Milwaukee ICE Verifier Training Series, 1:00 - 3:00pm
733 W Historic Mitchell St, Milwaukee
Become a community defense network verifier! Verifiers are people who respond to ICE alerts by quickly traveling to the reported locations to confirm or deny ICE activity. The role requires reliable transportation and some daytime flexibility. Trainings are held at the Voces Milwaukee office (733 W Mitchell St) every first and third Saturday of the month from 1-3pm. Please sign up in advance.
Sunday, August 3
One Million Rising Workshop, 5:00 - 6:30pm
Zoom, Franklin
At this Workshop sponsored by Grassroots North Shore and Worth Fighting For Wisconsin, we will summarize some of what we learned from attending a One Million Rising training session organized by the groups behind the No Kings rallies. The trainers described how Trump and his would-be authoritarian regime have worked to take over the “pillars of support” that support political leaders.
Focusing on the Military / Police pillar — what we're calling "The Feds" — former US Attorney James Santelle will explain our rights when we are protesting, accompanying immigrants to ICE/court hearings, or tracking ICE or other federal activities and what to do if the military, police, or ICE agents violate those rights. His guidance can help keep us safe in the months to come.
Register.
Wednesday, August 6
Celebration of the Voting Rights Act, 9:00am - 4:30pm
Wisconsin State Capitol
LWVWI, with local leagues, is hosting a 60th Anniversary celebration commemorating the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and we hope you can join us! This is a powerful community gathering to honor landmark civil rights legislation and mobilize against decades of attacks on voting rights, with a call to restore and protect them through the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Diana Wynn, LWV president, is the keynote speaker. It's free and lunch will be provided. Sign up.
The League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County has chartered a motor coach to take 50 League members and friends of our League to Madison on that day. We will leave from the League Office in West Allis at 8 a.m. (sharp) and return at 5 p.m. (sharp). If you plan to go to the event and would like a ride to and from Madison on that day, RESERVE A RIDE HERE! The event in Madison is free and includes a free lunch but the ride to Madison has a fee of $34 per person.
Save the Date
WI Fair Maps Coalition Statewide Tour: Janesville, 5:30 - 7:30pm CDT
address in Janesville when you register
The Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition is on a STATEWIDE TOUR, and we want to hear from YOU!
We may have fair maps now, but they’re only temporary. Without lasting legislation, we risk going back to a system where politicians pick their voters — and ignore the will of the people. When maps are rigged, we don’t get what we want or need: clean air and water, strong public schools, affordable healthcare, and real accountability.
Activists and volunteers with the Fair Maps Coalition have been working on a draft proposal for an Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) over the last several months. Now, we want feedback from the public — including YOU! We hope you will join a Fair Maps Community Hearing near you, but you can also view the proposal and give feedback on our website.
Wednesday, August 13
One Million Rising: Strategic Non-Cooperation to Fight Authoritarianism, 7:00 - 8:00pm
Virtual
Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full-scale attacks on our democracy. We don’t have to wait until it’s too late. We can stop this. But it’ll take all of us—not just on single days of mass action, but through sustained organizing in our communities.
That’s why this summer, we’re launching One Million Rising—a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. You’re invited to join us—and lead.
**Session 3: What Now? - August 13** You'll be onboarded to basic campaign design and learn how to implement it locally as well as get plugged into our next national campaign work. Your second community resistance gathering will move this action forward. Sign up.
Saturday, August 16
Voces de la Frontera: Milwaukee ICE Verifier Training Series, 1:00 - 3:00pm
733 W Historic Mitchell St, Milwaukee
Become a community defense network verifier! Verifiers are people who respond to ICE alerts by quickly traveling to the reported locations to confirm or deny ICE activity. *The role requires reliable transportation and some daytime flexibility. Trainings are held at the Voces Milwaukee office (733 W Mitchell St) every first and third Saturday of the month from 1-3pm. Only one training is necessary. Please sign up in advance.
Wednesday, August 20
Unite and Rise Trainings: Championing Issues that Matter Most to You, 12:30 - 1:30pm CDT
virtual
There is a direct and swift assault on the federal government being enacted by the current administration. The power of the pen via executive orders has been brutalized and it has left voters from Arizona to Pennsylvania in a frenzy. What is the scope of each branch of government and why does understanding these roles matter in the long run?
Join LWVUS staff attorney Thomas Tai, Chelsey R. Cartwright, Democracy Truth Project Manager, and Kaitlyn Dowling, Senior Analyst at the Algorithmic Transparency Institute and Rebecca Goldman, Justice Reform Legislative & Policy Manager (TBD) for a conversation that takes a deep dive into why it’s important that voters understand the purview of the executive branch, judicial branch, and legislative branch of government.
The conversation will hinge on why the distinction between branches of government matters, the history behind the separation of powers, and how expanding your knowledge base of this information can inform and influence your work in your state or local League. Registration required.
WI Fair Maps Coalition Statewide Tour: Waukesha, 6:00 - 8:00pm CDT
Waukesha address when you register
The Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition is on a STATEWIDE TOUR, and we want to hear from YOU!
We may have fair maps now, but they’re only temporary. Without lasting legislation, we risk going back to a system where politicians pick their voters — and ignore the will of the people. When maps are rigged, we don’t get what we want or need: clean air and water, strong public schools, affordable healthcare, and real accountability.
Activists and volunteers with the Fair Maps Coalition have been working on a draft proposal for an Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) over the last several months. Now, we want feedback from the public — including YOU! We hope you will join a Fair Maps Community Hearing near you, but you can also view the proposal and give feedback on our website.
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