Aw, Susie Wiles is sooo special

Before we get to the newsy bits, there's something I need EVERYONE to do: read the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article Protests over Port Washington data center signal new fears and fill out the survey at the end of the piece. Data Centers are popping up everywhere with little to no regulation. And with promises of riches for the communities where they are to be located. But the downsides of these projects don't get enough coverage. They have HUGE IMPLICATIONS for the amount of water and electricity they require. So pollution and the spiking price of utilities for everyone are real concerns. Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin has introduced a bill as a first step toward raising awareness and curbing some otherwise deleterious outcomes, but the current proposal does not regulate giving the companies who own and operate these centers discounts on taxes and electric rates. Have a look at the article, which tries to be even-handed, and then fill out the survey. You have my thanks in advance.

Now for the gobsmacking news! Susie Wiles, White House Chief of Staff at least for now, is everywhere! Her Vanity Fair interviews captured a lot of print pages and air time. But it's all a big distraction, right? Of course, it's appalling that she feels free to say in essence that the country is being governed by a roomful of broken clowns and headed up by a man who famously doesn't drink but who she describes as having "an alcoholic's personality." As Adam Gabbatt, from The Guardian put it, "So it appears Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, agrees with many of us: she thinks Donald Trump’s cabinet is bonkers."

However, Gabbatt's article — Susie Wiles interview might be a useful distraction from how poorly things are going for Americans — enumerates some of the key problems the Trump regime would rather not deal with.

A long overdue jobs report found this week that 41,000 jobs were lost across October and November. Manufacturing jobs are at a 3.5-year low, according to CNN, despite Trump promising a “manufacturing renaissance”, and pledging that his tariffs would create “millions and millions of blue-collar jobs and jobs of every type”.

The unemployment rate hit 4.6% in November, a four year high. Recent Republican election losses have sparked fears over next year’s midterm elections. Trump’s own party defied him over releasing the Epstein files; health subsidies are due to expire at the end of next year, which would send insurance premiums soaring for 22 million Americans; and Trump’s vendetta-driven lawsuits against the New York attorney general, Letitia James, and the former FBI director, James Comey, have been thrown out by courts.

And as I type this up, a NEW discharge petition has just been signed by four (vulnerable) Republicans to force a vote in the House of Representatives to extend the Affordable Care Act premium support subsidies for three years. The full article linked from the brief summary explains that the legislation "would not see action until January, after the subsidies have expired. And even if it were to succeed in the House, it would be all but certain to die in the Senate, where Republicans blocked a three-year extension last week." Here's the link to the full article — Republicans push Democrats’ bid to force a vote on health care subsides over the finish line. Of course these same Republicans could have signed the discharge petition weeks ago so that the vote could take place BEFORE the subsidies expire. The whole thing is yet another "performance" intended to appear virtuous. It's not.

Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Elections commission denies U.S. DOJ demand for voter personal information. "At a special meeting Thursday afternoon [December 11, 2025] and in a letter sent in response to the DOJ demand, WEC stated that Wisconsin law explicitly prevents the commission from sharing the personal information of voters." Boston Public Radio's report notes, "The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission voted 5-1 on Thursday against turning over unredacted voter information to the Trump administration. The lone dissenter was Republican commissioner Robert Spindell." Note that Spindell was one of the fraudulent electors in the 2020 election cycle!

Other news that caught my eye recently includes this bittersweet notice: As hunger concerns linger, Wisconsin after-school programs host food pantry sites. The story focuses on an after school program in Madison but mentions that "other after-school programs have added food pantry services to their offerings for families who may not be able to afford to keep their cupboards full." It's a feel-good story of sorts but keeping children and families fed should not have to be the responsibility of after school programs!

And in other sad news, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant program is in all likelihood shutting down: "Without the stewardship fund, projects to conserve 1,300 acres of Northwoods forest near the headwaters of the Wisconsin River in Vilas County, hundreds of acres of 'ecologically significant' wetlands in Door County and dozens of acres of prairie and grassland in Dane County could go unfinished" (Wisconsin Examiner, December 9, 2025). Founded in 1989, the program had usually found large bipartisan support, but recently "some Republicans in the state Legislature — largely from communities in the northern part of the state — have grown hostile to it." What's more conservative than conservation of the natural environment, I want to know.

The trial for Judge Hannah Dugan is underway. WPR covers both the gathering of supporters ahead of the first day of the trial and some discussion of the early testimony as the trial begins. It's unclear to me when the defense will present its case or when the jury will retire to deliberate.

We're heading into two weeks of holiday cheer. So I am planning to take a brief vacation from producing this newsletter, which would otherwise be scheduled to come out on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve. Whether you are traveling or staying at home, entertaining or just chilling (while keeping warm of course) I wish you all a lovely and joyous holiday season. Next year will be chock-a-block with election activities. Rest up now and then get involved in as many of our efforts to win the elections as you can. We're counting on you. Don't disappoint!

TAKE ACTION

From the Women's March: Free America Walkout Pledge. On January 20 at 2 pm local time, we’re walking out of work, school, everywhere — because a Free America begins the second we refuse to fuel fascism with our labor, our time, or our dollars. When women and feminists pull our labor, our money, and our consent, the country doesn’t just wobble. It stops. We expose the truth: nothing in America moves without us. That’s our leverage. That’s our fire.

On January 20, we’re turning that power all the way on — together. Sign the pledge!

EVENTS

Wednesday, December 17

Ozaukee Democrats Monthly Meeting, 7:00pm
Oz Dems Office, 1245 Cheyenne Ave., #103,Grafton
Join us for our monthly meeting to get the latest updates on our fight to turn Ozaukee County blue and find out how you can help. We’ll also wrap up our Winter Clothing Driving and Judge Chris Taylor Nomination Signature Event just before the Monthly Meeting, from 5-7. Learn more and sign up.

Thursday, December 18

Waukesha Democrats Monthly Meeting, 7:00 - 8:30pm
Southminster Presbyterian Church, 200 Richard St, Waukesha
Annual Holiday Party & Treat Potluck. This year we are also going to watch Rovina’s Choice — a short documentary about the real-world impact of Pres. Trump’s decision to shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to give us extra to discuss. We will also have nomination papers for local candidates to get on the spring April election ballot. Please bring a treat to share with folks and come to make new connections.

Saturday, December 20

East Castle Saturday Group Protest, 1:00 - 1:30pm
Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.
Meet on the east side of the street, Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.

Saturday, December 27

East Castle Saturday Group Protest, 1:00 - 1:30pm
Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.
Meet on the east side of the street, Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.

SAVE THE DATE

Saturday, January 3

East Castle Saturday Group Protest, 1:00 - 1:30pm
Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.
Meet on the east side of the street, Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.

Wednesday, January 14

January Banned Book Club: The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea, 6:30 - 8:00pm CST
Virtual
Author Maggie Tokuda-Hall will join Red Wine & Blue to discuss her award-winning novel, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea. This is a fantasy novel about a pirate named Flora (disguised as Florian) and a highborn lady, Evelyn, who fall in love aboard a ship where the crew plans to sell the passengers into slavery. Evelyn and Florian form an unlikely bond while the novel weaves magic, betrayal, romance, and a daring escape that challenges oppressive power and rigid societal roles. The story explores themes of colonialism, gender identity, and survival. The book has been challenged (and in some cases removed) from school and library collections primarily because it contains graphic violence, sexual themes, and LGBTQ+ content. See you there! Sign up.

Thursday, January 15

Red Wine & Blue Civics Salon: Voting 101 - How We Choose Who's in Charge, 6:30 - 7:30pm CST
Virtual
Ever wonder why some votes seem to count more than others or why certain districts look like squiggly snakes on a map? Join us for an informative look at how we vote in the U.S. and who decides the rules. Knowledge is power! We’ll break down the basics of how our voting systems work from the traditional “winner-take-all” elections to ranked choice, proportional voting, and what gerrymandering really means. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how these systems shape our democracy, who ends up in power, and what reforms could make elections fairer and more representative in our country. See you there! Sign up.

Saturday, January 10

East Castle Saturday Group Protest, 1:00 - 1:30pm
Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.
Meet on the east side of the street, Downer Ave, between Bradford Ave and Lake Drive.

Wednesday, January 21

Saturday, January 31

Coffee, Tea & Democracy, 10:00 - 11:00am
1245 Cheyenne Avenue, Ste 103, Grafton
Stop by the Dem office on the last Saturday of every month from 10 - 11am for this new event!
Q: What is it?
A: A fun and safe space where ideas will percolate and tea is spilt.
We provide refreshments. You bring yourself, and a friend. See you there!

Sunday, February 1

Protecting This Wall of Democracy, 4:30 - 6:00pm
Zoom
Our Courts in Chaos, Our Country in Crisis. We cannot look away now! At Grassroots North Shore annual fundraiser, our expert speakers examine the evolving roles of state and federal courts. As our Supreme Court casts aside precedent and voter protections, as legislatures redraw electoral districts, and as unwelcome national guard deployments march into multiple states, the courts now define and protect the country’s norms. Come hear our speakers:

Attorney Jeff Mandel, President and Founder of Law Forward;
Dr. Mary McCord, Executive Director of Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection;
Attorney Paul Kiesel, founder of Speak Up for Justice.

So save the date, RSVP and donate.