March is for MARCHING FORWARD. And there is so much to do that I am going to devote the bulk of today's newsletter to the many civic engagements and volunteer possibilities in our area, beginning with the needs of Grassroots North Shore. Followed by some newsy bits.

First up, Campus Voter Engagement Volunteers Needed: Alerting students to upcoming elections is very rewarding. Volunteers will be informing students about the Supreme Court Election and providing them with information on registering to vote, early in person voting on the UWM campus and other city locations, and candidate information. Your job will be handing out flyers and holding a very quick conversation with students as they dash by to their next class. We need volunteers to go to the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) during the week of March 23-26 and possibly April 6 and 7. We need volunteers to work at UWM the week of March 30 – April 3 and April 6 and 7. A shift is approximately 1 ½-2 hours, and the work is outdoors (weather permitting) since we are handing out partisan flyers and need to stay on public sidewalks and Spaights Plaza at UWM. Please let Norma Gilson know if you can participate at [email protected], 414-588-1241.

Second, Canvassing in your area: The latest Marquette poll finds that two-thirds of voters say they are undecided about the race for the Supreme Court. You can make a dent in that number! Here's a list of opportunities. So put on your running shoes or just a comfortable pair for walking so you can start turning out the vote. Here's the canvassing schedule for the North Shore and some parts of Milwaukee. Please sign up for one or more shifts in a location near you.

• Canvass in Fox Point/Bayside, Saturdays: March 7, 14, 21, & 28.
• Canvass in Glendale, Sundays: March 8, 15, 22, & 29.
• Canvass in the Lakefront, Saturdays: March 7, 14, 21, & 28.
• Canvass in Shorewood, Saturdays: March 7, 14, 21; Apr 4.
• Canvass in West Allis, Saturdays: : March 7, 14, 21, & 28.
• Canvass in Whitefish Bay, Saturdays: March 7 & 21.

Attend the next meeting of Worth Fighting For Wisconsin on Monday, March 9, at 7:00pm. Why? Anat Shenker-Osorio from ASO Communications is the featured speaker. Anat is a researcher and campaign strategist par excellence. Many of us have attended her monthly (now bi-weekly) Movement Briefings for years, learning how to frame issues and use winning narratives. WFFWi (and North Shore Maps before it) use her messaging advice, as do thousands — probably hundreds of thousands — of people around the world. Also, Court of Appeals Judge Chris Taylor will talk a bit about herself and her campaign for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This discussion will be STRICTLY NONPARTISAN!. Join the virtual meeting!

Some other NO KINGS events in our area:

• NO KINGS SHOREWOOD, 2:00-3:30pm. RSVP for specific directions.
• NO KINGS BROOKFIELD, 10:30am - 12:00pm. RSVP for specific directions.
• NO KINGS GREENFIELD, 10:00 - 11:30am. RSVP. Rally at S 76th St and W Layton Ave, Greenfield.
• NO KINGS WAUKESHA, 1:30 - 3:00pm in Cutler Park, 321 Wisconsin Ave, Waukesha. RSVP.
• NO KINGS GRAFTON, 10:00 - 11:00am. RSVP. Rally at North and South sides of Washington St (between Port Washington Rd & Cheyenne Ave), Grafton.

Support Chris Taylor for the Supreme Court: MAKE A SHORT VIDEO explaining why you are voting for Judge Taylor and what this election means to you. (If you can do a selfie, you can make a short vertical video!) As you know, hearing from friends, family and neighbors is the best way to motivate others to vote. Videos like these are incredibly impactful — an easy way to make a big difference in this election! A Better Wisconsin Together, the organization putting this effort together, will send you talking points. They'll use the videos in social media around the state to drive turnout for this crucial election. (NOTE: You will be identified by your first name only.) To get started, just send a quick email to [email protected] for more details.

Souls to the Polls: Free Rides to the Polls 2026. We need you to show up! Free and fair elections are the foundation of a healthy democracy, but they only work when people actively participate and protect them. Showing up — whether to vote, volunteer, advocate, or support voter education — ensures that every voice has a chance to be heard and that the rules of our democracy are applied equally to all. The stakes could not be higher in this election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. We need in-person poll drivers and volunteers in the Virtual Call Center to make calls to voters and answer our hotline to schedule and dispatch rides to vote. Together, we can make voting accessible to all those who want their voices heard. Please complete a short form to let us know where your skills, interests, and passion fit best.

Milwaukee Voter Project: MVP needs to fill a third of its shifts at various DMV sites. Please donate some time to help us reach more voters. Even if it is only one shift it will make a difference. Shifts are 2 hours long and the MVP will train anybody who is new to this project. Sign up for one or more shifts on the DMV Signup Genius.

League of Women Voters Volunteers Needed - Be an Election Observer! Help the League monitor Wisconsin's elections. We are seeking volunteers to be trained as Election Observers and placed in polling places in specific areas around the state. You don't need to be a League member to volunteer for this &mdassh; although we'd love to have you join us!

The Election Observation Program works

• to be sure there is no disenfranchisement;
• to monitor the voter experience - including registration and showing ID<;/li>
• to monitor the absentee ballot counting process;
• to track any problems that can be fixed in future elections.

The LWV is currently recruiting Election Observers for the April 7th Election. Sign up by March 16th to volunteer. Join us! Let’s celebrate the freedom to vote in 2026! More information and sign up.

Also the League has yard signs for just $24. Buy one with a donation to the League of Women Voters.

Finally, Grassroots North Shore has placards to put in car windows (or house or apartment windows). Displaying a placard or a yard sign doesn't substitute for more substantive engagement. So by all means show your support as you drive around town, but be sure to lean in to one of the many ways to get more engaged I have noted above. To get a placard, all you have to do is contact the person who lives nearest to you. and has some signs to give away.

The placards are 17"x14". Here's what they look like:

Here's where you can get yours:

• Karin Adelmann, [email protected], Fox Point.
• Mark Gennis, [email protected], Mequon.
• Cheryl Maranto, [email protected], Glendale

Just send an email to get the address and to arrange a time to pick one up. 

Another placard that might tickle your fancy is available for download and printing. It's an homage to the lockeroom sign in the beloved Ted Lasso TV series. Perfect window dressing! Enjoy.

Also note that today, March 4, is the last day to BUY TICKETS to the Annual Gala of the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County on Sunday, March 22 at the Italian Community Center (631 E. Chicago Street, Milwaukee). The special attraction this year is a 2-hour happy hour featuring the Democratic gubernatorial candidates! All the candidates. One room. Two hours to actually talk to them. Tickets start at $100 for an individual attendee. A sponsorship is $150 and includes an individual ticket plus a $50 donation. You can be listed as a Host for $250. And you can purchase a table of 10 seats for $1000. Doors open at 4:00pm. Please RSVP names and dietary needs by March 4th to Brady Coulthard.

Newsy Bits

In his Recombobulation Area analysis of the latest Marquette poll — which found that 66% of Wisconsin registered voters were undecided in this two-person race for the Supreme Court seat — Dan Shafer notes that "President Donald Trump’s net job approval [in Wisconsin] just reached another new low for his second term, and has been on the decline since his return to office. It’s at a net minus-10 now, nearing his lowest mark overall in the poll across his two terms." And this poll took place before he began bombing Iran, a move that does not have a lot of American support. Let's see how low he can go.

My favorite data substack, G. Elliott Morris's Strength in Numbers has a new poll showing that Trump's SOTU “pivot” to affordability didn't work. Among Americans who watched the speech, 57% thought our orange overlord mostly focused on topics other than the issues that mattered most to the respondent. And those respondents were not wrong. "According to an analysis of Mr Trump’s speech by Strength In Numbers, the president spent just 13% of his time Tuesday night talking about affordability, jobs, and health care — the top 3 issues voters say they care about today. In comparison, he spent 24% of his SOTU address on immigration, including deportations and mentions of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants, and 20% on foreign policy." Here's a complete view of respondents's answers to the question which issues are most important to them compared to which issues Trump focused on in his 108 minutes of the speech:

And last, a reminder that the Milwaukee County Democratic Party is holding a series of events in their Bay View office — 2999 S Delaware Ave, Milwaukee — to provide an opportunity for people to meet the gubernatorial candidates one at a time. Here's the list of all the meetings. Be sure you save the dates and times for the candidates you want to meet.

• Francesca Hong, Sunday, February 22, 1:00 - 2:30pm
  
  
• Kelda Roys, Thursday, March 5, 6:00 - 7:30pm
  
  
• David Crowley, Saturday, March 7, 12:00 - 1:30pm
  
  
• Missy Hughes, Wednesday, March 11, 6:00 - 7:30pm
  
  
• Joel Brennan , Monday, March 16, 6:00 - 7:30pm
  
  
• Mandela Barnes, Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 - 7:30pm

Robin Vos, the longest serving Assembly Speaker in Wisconsin history, will not be running for reelection this year! Yippee!!! Here is Dan Shafer's quick summation in his substack The Recombobulation Area (February 20, 2026 ). "The era he’s presided over has been destructive and damaging for Wisconsin, and he’s been at the heart of it all. Wisconsin is unequivocally worse off for his years of leadership in the state. His calculating, power-consolidation-at-all-costs approach has held the state back time and time again. His clear disdain for his opposition, lacking even a baseline level of respect, is abhorrent. The way he’s deployed a politics of dismissive cruelty to blue cities like Milwaukee has been repulsive. His stubborn refusal to act at a moment of genuine crisis in 2020 was cataclysmic, and is one of endless examples when he’s put politics over people. He’s been a singular force against good governance throughout his time as Assembly Speaker. The way he operates is the antithesis of everything politics should be." About Vos's retirement, he says: "For the good people of Wisconsin, this is true cause for celebration." Amen to that!!

Vos decided to close up shop for the remainder of the year, ending the legislative session last week. And he was determined to bury a bill extending postpartum care to lower income mothers, keeping it bottled up in committee even though it had already passed the Senate. Democrats used an arcane strategy that threatened to up-end the legislative calendar but Vos finally relented at the urging of several Republicans who were also sponsoring the bill — and perhaps in a sign that with his retirement pending he no longer held an iron grip over his caucus. The measure passed! (ProPublica, February 19, 2026). Dems used the same strategy for a bill on insurance coverage for breast cancer screenings, and got that one passed too! Now Vos can go home and watch the paint dry: there will not be a regular legislative session for the rest of the year.

Nevertheless, in his State of the State address Governor Evers "announced he will be signing an executive order calling the Wisconsin State Legislature into a special session later this spring to pass a constitutional amendment banning partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin" (WisPolitics, February 17, 2026). More happy, happy, joy, joy!!

To amend the Wisconsin Constitution requires two successive state legislatures to pass it. Then it goes to the people for a referendum. So this effort has a ways to go. And Governor Evers will no longer be in office if the legislature manages to pass the proposed amendment. And that makes it all the more imperative that we elect Democrats to the governorship and provide Democratic majorities in both the Assembly and the Senate in November. So get your skates on so you can start now with turning out the vote for the Wisconsin Supreme Court election in April and support for the Democratic ticket in the fall! Here's the canvassing schedule for the North Shore and some parts of Milwaukee. Please sign up for one or more shifts in a location near you.

So I have to say a word about the Trump show last night. You know — the State of the Union address that took more than 100 minutes to deliver. I did not watch it. You may not have either. My word about it, nevertheless, is peeyew. Apparently he avoided some subjects like ICE and Epstein. Instead he lied his way through, claiming that "this is the golden age of America." He "bragged about tax cuts for billionaires, claimed 'no inflation' and said 'prices are plummeting downward,' bragged about how all his job creation was in the private sector (conveniently ignoring that the country only created 181,000 jobs in all of 2025), and claimed he secured $18 trillion in new investment—a number so ludicrous that the libertarian CATO Institute called it 'mostly fake,' 'wildly exaggerated,' and 'ridiculous'" (Daily Kos, February 25, 2026). Kos sums up like this: "He was nasty, rude, divisive, and as always, full of lies."

In an admirable bit of snark, a headline in today's The Guardian reads "‘Nobel prize for fiction’: Trump’s State of the Union provokes polarized reactions." In her opinion column in The Guardian today, Moira Donegon notes "Trump has lost the ability to entertain. Sadly, he hasn’t lost the ability to offend." And that's all the time I intend to devote to his fantasies.

And once again, the courts, however slowly, are pushing back on some of the regime's most noxious policies. Just today a Federal Judge Finds Third-Country Deportations Unlawful (the link is shared to avoid the paywall). "The ruling amounts to a sweeping repudiation of one of the administration’s most aggressive deportation policies, one in which immigrants are flown to distant places to which they have no ties, including Eswatini, Rwanda and Ghana."

Now it's time to get busy!

TAKE ACTION

On February 1, Grassroots North Shore hosted a fabulous webinar focused on the role of the courts in preserving our democratic republic, featuring three renowned litigators: Jeff Mandel founder, president and general counsel at Law Forward; Mary McCord from Executive Director of Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP); and Paul Kiesel from Speak Up for Justice. If you missed it or just want to refresh your memory, you can watch it on our YouTube channel.

There are so many depredations emanating from the Trump regime that you could probably attend a different demonstration every day from now until 2028! And now that the weather in Wisconsin is a bit more hospitable for big outdoor crowds, it's time to get engaged. So here are two coming right up.

First, there will be Stand Up for Science rallies all around the country on Saturday, March 7. You can find the nearest one on the website. When I looked last week, the nearest one will be in Madison — sign up for it here. There may be one in Milwaukee too. Check it out.

Second, the next NO KINGS rally is scheduled for March 28 in Washington Park in Milwaukee. I'll have more details closer to the date but right now make sure you mark your calendar and plan to attend. Also, staging big rallires is not cost free. If you can afford to give a few shekels, here's where to go: nokingsmke.com.

Prepare for ICE incursions: Help save children and hardworking parents from DHS and ICE incarceration!

Kathleen Blake is offering a flyer you can use to host your own Whistle & Zine packet construction party. You can download it here. She will supply the whistles and a pdf of the zine (instructions). The flyer is intended for anyone – neighbors, church friends, Zentangle enthusiasts, gardening clubs, or family projects. Let's create positive change! She has listed locations that urgently need DROP-OFFS of whistle packets. Call her for addresses. Spread the word! Use the space at the top right for your DIY party details. Get others involved!

We provide the whistles and zines; you simply enjoy the company of friends while contributing to the safety of our neighbors and loved ones. Order your materials today: Kathleen@[email protected].

From the national Indivisible weekly newsletter: Join the week of action to halt ICE/Border Patrol terror. Members of Congress return to DC tomorrow; this will be a critical week in our fight against new ICE and Border Patrol funding without meaningful guardrails and a stop to the violence in our communities. Groups are encouraged to organize nonviolent rallies outside congressional offices, and everyone should use our call and email tools to keep up the pressure on their Members of Congress.

The Milwaukee County Democratic Party is holding a series of events in their Bay View office — 2999 S Delaware Ave, Milwaukee — to provide an opportunity for people to meet the gubernatorial candidates one at a time. Here's the list of all the meetings. Be sure you save the dates and times for the candidates you want to meet.

• Francesca Hong, Sunday, February 22, 1:00 - 2:30pm
  
  
• Kelda Roys, Thursday, March 5, 6:00 - 7:30pm
  
  
• David Crowley, Saturday, March 7, 12:00 - 1:30pm
  
  
• Missy Hughes, Wednesday, March 11, 6:00 - 7:30pm
  
  
• Mandela Barnes, Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 - 7:30pm
  
  

Our Wisconsin legislature seems to be wrapping up business this week and ADJOURNING for the rest of the year! Meanwhile, Governor Evers in partnership with the Democratic Party is raising money to hand over to the campaign of whoever wins the Democratic primary on August 11. Named the Wisconsin Governor Readiness Project, it aims to build a war chest and the campaign infrastructure the winning candidate will need to hit the ground running on day one of the general election campaign. The donation page has high preset amounts on it but you can type in whatever you can afford. Because the Governor is right: "In 2026, we need to protect the progress we’ve made by electing a Democrat who believes in supporting working families, strengthening public schools, and protecting our rights and freedoms" (WisDems website, September 22, 2025). We need to make sure we elect a state government that works for us. Please give what you can.

And just FYI, Grassroots North Shore will be holding a forum for the gubernatorial candidates at Nicolet High School on Sunday, May 17. Save the date in your calendar now so you don't miss it. Kathleen Dunn (a longtime radio host and inductee into the Milwaukee Media Hall of Fame) will moderate the event. The forum will take place from 2:00 — 5:00pm. Other details will be finalized and announced soon. But you can sign up now!

Most of our communities did not have a primary for the nonpartisan election that will be held on April 7. But that does not mean the election isn't important. The ballot is usually filled with candidates for city, town, or village boards and judges. You can preview your ballot at MyVote.WI.gov. While you're there, make sure you check your registration. And plan to request an absentee ballot! It's becoming increasingly important to vote early, whether by absentee ballot or during the early in-person period before each election. For April's election, early voting in most communities will take place weekdays from March 24 through April 3. Check your own municipality's website for specific information where you live.

Why does voting absentee or voting early in-person matter so much this year? We've all heard our loathsome leader bloviate about nationalizing the 2026 elections, or even calling them off altogether. He threatens to issue an executive order to forbid mail-in ballots (which he himself uses to vote in his south Florida district)! Of course the executive branch of the federal government has no role in the administration of elections. The US Constitution assigns that power to the states, although Congress can pass some regulations to make the system more uniform across all the states. In many areas of the country, election officials are preparing for a range of possibilities. "While many Republicans brush off the president’s threats, election officials are rushing to organize meetings and conference calls to prepare for scenarios in which Trump might use federal agents, troops or MAGA-aligned local officials to interfere in elections" (MSNOW, February 9, 2026). Voting absentee or early in person makes crowds at the polls less likely and can reduce the amount of time voting is interrupted by challenges to voters.

One of the ways those of us who probably don't live in areas that could be subject to ICE, National Guard, or other federal agents seeking to intimidate voters — most likely in densely urban and Democratic areas like Milwaukee — is to vote early and then volunteer to be an observer at polls where such threats might materialize. As a citizen of the state you can observe at ANY POLLING LOCATION. The League of Women Voters has an excellent Election Observation Program that has been running since at least 2016. The League will train volunteers who must be available on election day for two-hour shifts. You can begin for the April 7 election if you sign up by March 16. Start at the League's page for volunteer opportunities and the click the link to Sign Up Today!

Why is electing Chris Taylor so vital? After all, when we elected Susan Crawford in a landslide last year, we produced a liberal leaning court for the first time in forever. And we definitely want that to last! The next justice to be up for re-election is Rebecca Dallet, one of the key defenders of our freedoms. Her election will take place in April 2028. So Chris Taylor is our insurance policy keeping the court in the hands of those who have brought us fair maps, will ensure reproductive rights, and protect the rule of law. The liberal majority, with Chris Taylor, holds the court through the next census. And that could be vital for ensuring that the legislature draw fair, nonpartisan election maps.

Taylor's opponent, Maria Lazar, has tried to make herself sound like a reasonable and fair-minded judge. But she just isn't. American Bridge 21st Century spells it out: "Maria Lazar is running for the Wisconsin Supreme Court with a record that shows she is unfit for Wisconsin’s highest court. Throughout her career Lazar has repeatedly taken positions and issued rulings that narrowed fundamental rights, favored political power over fair representation, and discounted harm to victims and voters."

Here are a few key issues:

• Supports extreme abortion positions;
• Supports gerrymandered maps;
• Makes decisions (since overturned) aiding election deniers.

In contrast, Judge Taylor

• Supports reproductive rights and freedoms ;
• Spent 10 years in the state Assembly championing progressive issues;
• Supports the right of workers to unionize.

Finally, you've probably seen the news that the FCC leaned on CBS who told Stephen Colbert in no uncertain terms that he could not air an interview with Jim Talarico, a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Senate in Texas. Naturally what happened next is that the segment was posted on the CBS YouTube channel and "aired" in its entirety there. The FCC can bluster all it wants about stuff using the public airways, as CBS does. But not the Internet. And now the results are in: How the GOP’s latest media meddling is a major self-own shows interest in Talarico skyrocketing, both nationally and in Texas. (Scroll down to see the graphs.) And it's not just googling. CBS Austin reports the Talarico campaign raises $2.5M in 24 hours following 'Late Show' appearance. Early voting in the primary began yesterday. The primary will be held on March 3. We'll be watching!

I've repeated the links to sign up for this weekend's canvasses in the North Shore. None were listed for Ozaukee County. So if you are able, please sign up to alert voters to the coming election and its importance to the future of our state. Below the box for the canvass stations is a box of dates the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County is holding for the public to meet gubernatorial candidates one at a time. It's an up close and personal way to hear directly about issues that matter to you. You should go!

TAKE ACTION

5 Calls: This site makes it dead simple to call your Senators and your Representative on key issues of the day. The site provides an explanation of the issue, phone numbers for your Reps, and a script to follow. This week, we are urging you to make calls on the following issues:

• No funding deal for the Department of Homeland Security, the department in which ICE, CBP, and other immigration organizations are housed, until meaningful guardrails for ICE, CBP, and other similar organizations are implemented in the funding bill.
  
  
• Claw Back the $170B Slush Fund for ICE and CBP. Congress must immediately claw back the tens of billions of dollars being used to terrorize and murder people across the United States at the expense of government programs that keep our communities safe.
  
  
• Demand Full Epstein Case File Release and Public Hearings. Congress must demand the DOJ release all files as mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, call for public hearings on the released files’ contents, and hold the DOJ accountable for shielding perpetrators.
  
  
• Impeach Attorney General Pam Bondi!

Epstein just won't die! So, some Congressional Representatives have been able to look at the Epstein files with the redactions removed if they personally traipse to the Department of Justice to view them. They are not permitted to take any electronic devices into the room with the computers that display the files, but apparently they can take notes. This morning's Daily Kos feature — Abbreviated Pundit Roundup — features images of Tuesday evening's New York Times front page to show how much real estate the newspaper devoted to Epstein-related matters: six top stories in all.

If like me you are getting a bit tired of how much the Epstein matter still dominates the news, you might be amazed at how far the scandal reaches. The BBC News has a half-hour program explaining how the files are impacting a range of countries. The presenter notes that there are now investigations in 10 countries! If you have the time, it's worth a listen. The sex trafficking now seems to be the least of it, or at least coexists with financial and political revelations. The web of powerful people revealed in these files so far has recently overtaken more salacious stories. Reports of whose names are in the email exchanges are always careful to explain that social relationships with the convicted sex offender is not itself a crime. But oh what these files reveal about elites and their behind-the-scenes activities, events and relationships they have desperately wanted to remain hidden.

Big surprise! Bad Bunny has now become the great dividing line between MAGA and the rest of us. Yahoo News proclaims Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Gets ‘Awful’ Reviews From MAGA and Most of the Internet. On the other hand, Time leads with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Was an Exuberant Act of Resistance: "Bad Bunny’s halftime show was a fierce act of resistance, and a triumph on many levels. It was an exuberant exercise in spectacle, stagecraft, choreography and camera work; you could have not understood a single word and still had a blast." The opposing views certainly speak to our political and cultural moment. Another article on Yahoo News, MAGA Civil War Erupts Over Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Show, says it all.

Yesterday there were several national notices of important election issues. The New York Times analysis notes that the affidavit authorizing the search of the Fulton County Georgia Election offices said the "FBI criminal investigation originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen, Presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity." It goes on to say "many of the claims in the affidavit refer to long-held — and consistently debunked — conspiracy theories about elections in Georgia, including arguments about fraudulent and duplicate absent ballots, election-machine tabulator tapes and missing ballot images. The claims often focus on small administrative errors or easily explainable abnormalities as evidence of fraud." The NYT article is gifted to you to avoid the paywall.

Kyle Cheney, alas on X so I will not link to it, notes that "A federal judge in Michigan has rejected the administration's attempt to obtain the state's voter rolls. Judge Hala Jarbou, a Trump appointee, said the law does not require the state to turn them over." The judge — chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan — dismissed the case. NBC News points out that this is the "the third time a court has tossed a lawsuit by the Trump administration in its efforts to obtain voter registration lists from the states."

The Trump regime's losses in courts keep piling up. No doubt you've already heard the acting U.S. Attorney for DC Jeannine Pirro tried and failed to get a grand jury "to indict Democratic lawmakers over a video urging members of the military and intelligence communities not to comply with unlawful orders" (NBC News, February 10, 2026). The story goes on to list other failures to indict Trump's political enemies like James Comey and Letitia James, who the U.S. Attorney's office tried and failed to win an indictment with TWO DIFFERENT grand juries! And a jury trial acquitted the man who threw a Subway sandwich at a federal officer, also in DC. The piece ends with this observation: "It’s very rare for federal grand juries to say prosecutors failed to meet the probable cause threshold for an indictment." Looks like it's getting more common lately.

As we look toward the fall elections, it is helpful to keep an eye on the big picture. Here's an NBC News take on how current Senators and Representatives are seeing the fall outcome: Members of Congress are fleeing the job at a historically high rate. "Fifty-one House members and nine senators have decided not to run for re-election, the most retirements from Congress this century." In 2018, a year when Democrats gained 40 seats in the House, 34 Republicans decided not to run again. The picture is a bit complicated by the fact that some who are choosing not to run for their House or Senate seats have decided to run for a different office — for governor, for example, or for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

In other election news you might have missed, Analilia Mejia has won the latest special election primary — in New Jersey. She bested a large field that included a former Representative, Tom Malinowski. Mejia is described as a "progressive activist" who "ran on a platform of affordability for the working class, including more funding for child care and raising taxes on the highest earners" (The 19th, February 10, 2026). The seat became open when Mikie Sherrill was sworn in as Governor of NJ. It's not a competitive district, so Mejia is expected to win the seat. But she'll have to do it all over again for the fall election!

And that's the news portion. Now it's your turn to get engaged. The two boxed items just below are both concerned with upcoming elections and provide you with opportunities to help knock on doors in your neighborhood and to meet some of the gubernatorial candidates ahead of the August primary. After that come our weekly ACTION items and then a really long list of area events. Get busy!

TAKE ACTION

5 Calls: This site makes it dead simple to call your Senators and your Representative on key issues of the day. It always provides an explanation of the issue, phone numbers for your Reps, and a script to follow. This week, we are urging you to make calls on the following issues:

• Oppose the SAVE America Act - HOUSE VOTE THIS WEEK. This bill would hinder millions of eligible Americans, including married women who changed their name, from registering to vote by requiring citizens to present a birth certificate or passport in person to register and again when they go to the polls.
  
  
• No Continuing Resolution (CR) for the Department of Homeland Security, the department in which ICE, CBP, and other immigration organizations are housed. This would cut off funding for DHS until appropriate restraints on ICE and CBP are implemented in law.
  
  
• Claw Back the $170B Slush Fund for ICE and CBP. Congress must immediately claw back the tens of billions of dollars being used to terrorize and murder people across the United States at the expense of government programs that keep our communities safe.
  
  
• Demand Full Epstein Case File Release and Public Hearings. Congress must demand the DOJ release all files as mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, call for public hearings on the released files’ contents, and hold the DOJ accountable for shielding perpetrators.

Saturday, March 7

Monday, March 9

Tuesday, March 18

So much is going on, and the news items come so quickly on top of each other, that I am going to begin the newsletter with actions you need to take RIGHT AWAY.

TAKE ACTION

For residents of the city, the ACLU warns that "the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission is holding a meeting Thursday night, and the Milwaukee Police Department’s proposed use of facial recognition technology (FRT) is on the agenda. Despite overwhelming local public opposition regarding FRT’s racial bias, the inevitability of wrongful arrests, and the ongoing weaponization of surveillance by the federal government against immigrants and protesters–MPD still wants to use FRT on Milwaukee residents."

This notice comes too late for you to attend the meeting tonight but not too late for you to contact your Milwaukee Common Council representative. The Milwaukee Turners provides email and phone scripts you can use. The ACLU provides an online form and an editable message that will be sent to your Alderperson and the Mayor.

Indivisible asks EVERYONE to call their Senators and Representative "to insist on real guardrails that put an end to ICE and CBP’s lawless thuggery and get them out of our cities. We can’t settle for insufficient reforms like body cams -- we’ve all seen that Trump’s goons are perfectly happy to gas, tackle, and kill innocent people on film."

• Call your Senators with phone numbers and script.
• Call your Representative with phone number and script.
• Email your members of Congress with contact information and message.

New Postcard Project:  GRNS has been contacted by Swing Blue Alliance from Boston, MA.Their  project is to send 60,000 postcards into WI for the Supreme Court election.  The cards are nonpartisan (not mentioning Judge Chris Taylor) but  express democratic values and are being sent to low turn-out Democratic voters  in Congressional District 3 (seat held by Van Orden). The goal is to boost Dem turnout for the Spring Election of low turnout voters for all three elections:  April 7, Primary - August 1, and General Election -  11/3

Here are the details:

• HOSTS  find  group of friends  to share an order of 12 packets of cards - 25 cards per pack.  
• The message is mostly preprinted with a simple handwritten sentence required.
• Cards, address labels  and instructions will be mailed to  the host to give to the group and the postcards must  be mailed on March 21, 2026.
• Cost: of the Packets of 25 cards = $5.25, Stamps, $15.25, Shipping $16.95. Total per pack = $262.95 The idea is to share the cost with your group.  
• The host will communicate with the project coordinators from Swing Blue Alliance to sign up for the project and place an order.  
• If we have at least two people willing to be Hosts for this project, GRNS will cover the cost.  It would be great if there were more Hosts and groups and if the cost can be covered by the groups.  

If you are interested please contact Norma at [email protected] or 414-588-1241.

The National Campaign for Justice also urges us to tell Congress: "Pass systemic reforms that restrict ICE from terrorizing our cities and reallocate funding to invest in healthcare instead." Here's what the National Campaign for Justice recommends — but you can do your own thing once you fill out the form on the right-hand side of the screen and then click the button to "start writing."

"As Congress negotiates DHS funding, lawmakers must move beyond minor reforms and impose real restrictions that protect people and communities. That means

• Cutting ICE funding enough to restore expired ACA subsidies and Medicaid cuts passed in 2025.
• Banning ICE raids at schools, hospitals, courts, day cares, and houses of worship.
• Prohibiting the arrest or detention of children and ending the use of kids as leverage.
• Stopping CBP from assisting ICE far from the border.
• Requiring a warrant before entering any home or private business.

Congress has the power to do this right now. What happens next depends on public pressure."

Now for the Newsletter!

Worry about the upcoming mid-term elections is ratcheting up in part because Steve Bannon announced on his War Room podcast on February 3rd "that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be deployed to swarm polling places during the upcoming midterm elections" (Truthout, February 5, 2026).

That provocative boast coincided with Trump's call for "Republican officials to 'take over' voting procedures in 15 states, though he did not name them. 'The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over,’ he said. 'We should take over the voting, the voting in at least many — 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting'" (New York Times, gift article, February 3, 2026).

The White House tried to walk back the assertion, but Trump was doubling down, saying on February 4 "that he believed the federal government should 'get involved' in elections that are riddled with 'corruption,' reiterating his position that the federal government should usurp state laws by exerting control over local elections."

So now what? CcatSun at Daily Kos (February 5, 2026) lays out how the Trumpistas plan to steal the midterm election and then offers a nascent plan to counteract the unconstitutional moves:

Deep in a long article about this dangerous development, CNN gets around to noting that the US Constitution "tasks individual state legislatures with determining how congressional elections are to be held." The article goes on to state "Crucially, the Constitution provides no avenue for a president to decide how elections are run. So regardless of what Trump means by nationalizing the elections, it is not something that he has the power to order on behalf of the executive branch alone." As January 6. 2021, has demonstrated, however, Trump is willing to do ANYTHING to control elections. As with so many issues these days, it's up to us to stop any illegal effort to intimidate voters or suppress voting.

Wiser and more learned heads than mine will no doubt be addressing how we can thwart this looming disaster, but meanwhile those who can should definitely volunteer to be observers at the polls, especially in areas where people may be at risk of detention by ICE and CBP, even if they are US citizens entitled to vote. The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin has extensive information about how their program for election observers has functioned in the past. At the end of the piece, there's a link you can use to learn how you can become an Election Observer with the League.

The storied Washington Post, whose former motto was "Democracy Dies in Darkness," has, it seems, entered its own twilight as The Guardian's headline announces "Mass layoffs fuel fears of ‘death spiral’ at Washington Post" (February 5. 2026): "Nearly one-third of the entire company – which stood at 2,500 employees in late 2023, before a round of buyouts – was axed."

Clearly the shape of journalism, once dominated by newspaper and television businesses, is changing dramatically. Many star journalists, like Jennifer Rubin (formerly an opinion columnist for the Washington Post), now have individual substacks or have gathered into collectives like The Contrarian, a venture started by Rubin and Norm Eisen, or The Bulwark. The result, of course, is the same kind of fragmentation we see with video streaming services. Of necessity, all of these authors and collectives need subscribers. And the result is that it becomes ever more expensive to read all the views that're fit to print.

Finally, our own beloved Ben Wikler is publishing a book — THIS IS THE PLAN: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy, to be available as an old fashioned paper book, an ebook, and an audio book narrated by Ben himself on July 21. You can pre-order it now. According to Wikler, the book shares the story of how "a state that was (fairly recently) categorized as a “democracy desert” is now a toss-up for a Democratic trifecta in the 2026 midterms. To hear Wisconsin’s story, told from the inside, is to realize that there’s a way out of this mess. The book shares that story—and then applies its formula to a national plan to win elections, remove democracy’s saboteurs from office, and make America work for all of us."

There's so much more to cover, but I can't get to everything today! So I'll just finish up by pointing out that Saturday, February 7, is an especially event-full day. There are so many events that I could not add all the area canvasses that are happening around Milwaukee. The best thing you can do to find events near you is to go to mobilize.us, and use the filters to type in the area where you live and the date. You will get a list of events happening more or less near you. Plan to participate in SOMETHING, if not on the 7th, then on a day that's convenient for you.

And a last note: a number of rallies and marches are taking place in the next week or two. Rallies and marches are energizing and demonstrate to us that we are not alone. But attending them is no longer enough to create the kind of change we will need to begin the work of repairing the world. I urge you to move outside your comfort zone and to engage in the organizing we need to do if we're going to get to the other side of the deluge.

I want to begin today's missive with a stirring speech by David Jolly, former Republican Congressman from Florida and now a Democrat running for governor of that state. He exhorts us to "choose the right side of history." Although some of the speech is obviously part of his campaign, the truths he tells are what Americans need to hear: "Minnesota matters.... There is a rot in the soul of America." The speech is less than eight minutes long. Take time to watch.

Minnesota's resilience and resistance to the depredations of ICE and CBP — it was Customs and Border Patrol agents who murdered Alex Pretti — just may represent a tipping point for America. In his substack Strength in Numbers post, The ICE shootings are a tipping point, G. Elliott Morris shows the rapid decline in approval of Trump's immigration policies and then discusses it in comparison to other tipping points in recent American history. First he shows that there has been a 50 point change in Americans' attitudes towards  abolishing ICE. "This extreme shift, in a position previously considered extreme, is why I think we have reached a tipping point on immigration."

Morris identifies the Jan.-Feb 1968 Tet Offensive as a classic tipping point. The event precipitated the collapse of public support for the Vietnam war: "By the autumn of 1968, support had fallen to the mid-30s, and opposition surpassed 50%." The Abu Ghraib scandel similarly led public support for the Bush administration's pursuit of the war in Iraq to plummet. Like the earlier tipping point events, accounts of the ICE shootings in Minneapolis have gained wide distribution even among folks who have not focused on political issues. "I’ll note that social media accounts with no political affiliation — bourbon enthusiasts, hobby communities, sports brands, etc — are now posting anti-ICE content." Criticism of ICE and CBP policies now come from both the left and the right, and even from within the Trump regime.

The article is long and detailed — but certainly worth a read if you have time. Morris ends with this salient observation: "Tipping points, once crossed, don’t usually reverse — that is why they are called tipping points. ICE and DHS are remarkably young institutions. Sixteen months ago, the idea that they might face genuine accountability, structural reform, or even abolition seemed politically absurd. Today, it doesn’t." In short, the killings and the cruelty have now created a tipping point. Brighter days lie ahead.

Although the country is increasingly opposing the cruel and probably illegal methods the federal government is deploying against immigrants, here in Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area we need to be better prepared for a heavy ICE presence even if the Trump cabal has shown some few, faint signs of softening its approach to detaining and deporting immigrants. To that end, mark your calendars for Bystander Intervention/De-escalation Training on Sunday, February 15, from 1;00 - 3:00pm. The event is sponsored by Bay Bridge, Grassroots North Shore, and Grassroots Germantown and hosted by ACTive Bystander WI. It will be held at the Whitefish Bay Public Library, 5420 N Marlborough Dr. Space is limited so sign up NOW.

There are many legal efforts underway to constrain the Trump regime's rampage. So on Sunday, February 1, from 4:30 - 6:00pm, online, Grassroots North Shore is hosting a program on the crucial role of the courts — both state and federal — in defending our freedoms. Please RSVP for Protecting This Wall of Democracy: Defending the Courts and Constitution in the State and the Nation. We have a stellar group of speakers lined up:

• Jeff Mandell, President and founder of Law Forward;
  
  
• Mary B. McCord, Director of Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection;
  
  
• Paul L. Kiessel, attorney and founder of Speak up for Justice, a nonpartisan initiative projecting the rule of law, our democracy, and our judges.

This event is also our Grassroots North Shore Annual Fundraiser to support all of our activities — including phoning, sending postcards, and leafletting voters for every election, a forum in May for the state's gubernatorial race that will take place in a primary in August and in the November 3 general election, and other educational programs during the year. This year, we've expanded our ambitions to include two Assembly races, two state Senate races, two Congressional races, and the five statewide offices up in this year's general election! That means a LOT of postcards to produce and send! That's where the funds we raise will go. Please be generous and support Grassroots North Shore with a donation. (If you've already signed up for the event but haven't yet donated, you can do so now.)

Meanwhile, we have a vital election looming, on April 7, for a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice. The WisDems are starting their weekends of action THIS WEEKEND, January 31 and February 1! Here's a list of all the Friendbanks and Canvasses I currently know about.

• 65 Days to Victory Spring Election Canvass in Brown Deer! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• 65 Days to Victory Canvass in Foxpoint/Bayside! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am, 12:00pm and 3:00pm.
• 65 Days to Victory Friendbank in Glendale! Friend-to-Friend Outreach on Saturday, January 31, from 3:00 - 6:00pm at 6563 N Crestwood Dr, Glendale.
• Shorewood Canvass on Saturday, January 31, 4516 N Newhall St, Shorewood. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• 65 Days to Victory Friendbank in Whitefish Bay! Friend-to-Friend Outreach on Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• Mequon Democrats 65 Days to Victory Canvass! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• Grafton and Cedarburg Democrats 65 Days to Victory Canvass! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.
• Menomonee Falls Democrats 65 Days to Victory Canvass! Saturday, January 31. Address upon sign-up. Shifts at 9:00am and 12:00pm.

You will find more WisDems events for the kickoff weekend for Waukesha County in the Events list below.

TAKE ACTION

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin OPPOSES the upcoming passage of Senate Bill 553 in the Assembly which already passed in the Senate on November 18, 2025. This bill redefines the legal definition of abortion in order to appear concerned about a pregnant patient requiring abortion healthcare. In fact, it further restricts their life-saving options. We are asking voters to call their legislators today to urge their Assembly Representatives vote to OPPOSE SB553. The League has held the position of the individual’s right to privacy in making reproductive health decisions, inclusive of abortion, since 1983. This bill attempts to dictate the care a physician can provide and potentially interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. Find your legislators. See a fuller discussion, the script for calls, and a link to record your action.

Postcards to Swing States: News Boosting Postcards. Sign up to write News Boosting postcards to help combat disinformation and make sure voters in states with the most competitive Senate elections in 2026 learn how harmful the Trump/GOP agenda is for them.

Research results show their postcards increase turnout by 1.3%. In a state like Wisconsin, where many elections have very small margins of victory, a 1.3% increase in turnout can make a big difference. Right now, postcards are going to states with potentially flippable US Senate races. But starting on May 1, Postcards to Swing States will start sign-ups for its Get Out the Vote efforts and will include additional states as well as competitive US House districts. Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district might be included in that GOTV program.

There's tons of things to cover this week but I want to start with an invitation to the Annual Grassroots North Shore fundraiser, and not just because we need your financial support for our work! We're holding it online on Sunday, February 1, from 4:30 - 6:00pm. This year's fundraiser focuses on the role of the courts — both state and federal — in defending our freedoms. So please RSVP for Protecting This Wall of Democracy: Defending the Courts and Constitution in the State and the Nation. And support Grassroots North Shore with a donation. (If you've already signed up for the event but haven't yet donated, you can do so now.)

As our Supreme Court casts aside precedent and voter protections, as legislatures redraw electoral districts, and as unwelcome ICE and national guard deployments march into multiple states, the courts now define and protect the country’s norms and laws. We have a stellar lineup of speakers to address those issues:

• Jeff Mandell, President and founder of Law Forward;
  
  
• Mary B. McCord, Director of Georgetown Law's Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection;
  
  
• Paul L. Kiessel, attorney and founder of Speak up for Justice, a nonpartisan initiative projecting the rule of law, our democracy, and our judges.

The money we raise makes all our work possible — election activities as well as events to keep us informed and engaged. So please be as generous as you can. You can donate online. If you'd rather send a check, make it out to Grassroots North Shore. Please put "fundraiser 2026" on the memo line. And mail it to PO Box 170684, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53217-8056.

Before we get to this week's ghastly events, I want to talk a bit about voting in the elections this year and why we are urging everyone to check their registration NOW and to request absentee ballots for all the elections this year by visiting MyVote.WI.gov. If you don't want to use an absentee ballot — which can be put in the US mail or deposited in a drop box in your municipality — you can also plan to vote early in person at your municipal clerk's office. For the April 7 election, early in-person voting runs from March 24 - April 3. Times can vary by community, so contact your clerk for specific information.

Here's why: Republicans are doing all they can to rig the election to make sure our Orange Overlord Wannabe does not lose the majority in the House of Representatives or the Senate. One of their strategies, which they used in some areas in the 2022 elections, is to disrupt and slow down the process of voting at the polls. GOP poll "observers" have been known to challenge many in person voters. Even though "the vast majority of challenges are deemed invalid", they add significantly to the work of election administrators. Moreover, these challenges can intimidate voters. And the whole process at that polling place slows down, causing other voters to have to wait longer to cast their ballot.

So, if you can, vote absentee. If not, then vote early in person. The MyVote site has early in person voting information for at least some areas of Wisconsin. Or it directs you to contact your municipal clerk, with email address and phone number. The same site also provides an opportunity to become a poll worker in your area.

Now on with the carnage and threats du jour.

In December a US District judge had ruled that "federal agents deployed to the state under the operation are prohibited from arresting or detaining peaceful protesters." Yesterday "an appeals court has temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order that barred immigration agents from arresting protesters or using non-lethal weapons against them" (ABC News, January 21, 2026). Today Vice President JD Vance is going to Minneapolis for "a roundtable discussion with local leaders and members of the community, ... amid escalating political tensions over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence there" (NBC News, January 20, 2026).

A few days ago, "the Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota" (Reuters, January 18, 2026). They have not yet deployed to Minnesota and there's some speculation that their real destination — since they are trained for arctic warfare — might secretly be Greenland! Meanwhile, Governor Walz mobilized the Minnesota National Guard, signing "an executive order authorizing Guard deployment to support civil authorities if protests threatened public safety, stating Minnesota must remain prepared to protect residents and infrastructure" (Military.com, January 19, 2026). Apparently the National Guard will wear reflective vests over their uniforms to distinguish them from ICE and other federal goons (Task & Purpose, January 20, 2026). In his executive order, Walz outlines the actions the National Guard can undertake at the behest of local law enforcement: to "support local law enforcement efforts to protect life and property, ensure public safety, and protect freedom of speech by allowing for peaceful demonstrations" (Executive Order 26-01, January 8, 2026).

Trump's saber rattling about possessing Greenland has been met with a massive backlash among European leaders. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, was especially forceful and clear-eyed about what Trump's threats mean. Watch his full speech in English on YouTube or read the transcript provided by the World Economic Forum at Davos. Yesterday  Trump said he was dropping his threat to impose tariffs on European allies as part of a pressure campaign to gain control of Greenland, saying after a meeting with the NATO secretary general that there was an unspecified "framework" of an agreement. The framework might involve "a compromise in which Denmark would give the United States sovereignty over small pockets of Greenlandic land where the United States could build military bases" (gift article in the New York Times, January 21, 2026).

The Guardian's take on Trump's Davos speech blasts him: "Trump paints himself as great white hope in racism-drenched Davos speech." You just have to read a key paragraph to get the gist: "Trump’s speech had the fingerprints of Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and architect of his draconian immigration policy, all over it. It chimed with an entire discourse of white identity politics festering on the US right." Along with his racist tirades, "Donald Trump turned up in Davos wielding an insult bazooka. He mocked Emmanuel Macron’s aviator sunglasses, chided Mark Carney ('Canada lives because of the United States'), asserted that the Swiss are 'only good because of us' and had a dig at Denmark for losing Greenland 'in six hours' during the second world war." Plus, during his rambling cringe of a speech, he confused Greenland for Iceland several times (Daily Kos, January 21, 2026). What an embarrassment our felonious leader is!

For a palate cleanser, here are a few great essays to read.

• A grand unified strategy to uphold the Constitution: A wave of proposals to strengthen the tools, not the rules. By Ben Raderstorf.
• A Prosecutor's Take on the Minnesota Shooting: I worked on the Rodney King case. Here’s how I see the Good Case. By Harry Litman.
• MAGA Delusions of Economic Leverage by Paul Krugman.

TAKE ACTION

MILWAUKEE STANDS WITH MINNEAPOLIS, a mass march for all victims of ICE terror. Red Arrow (Dontre Hamilton) Park 920 N Water Street, Milwaukee. The event begins at 4:00pm on January 23. It will wrap up with a Resource Fair at Turner Hall. Dress super warmly but brave the weather!

Volunteer with the Voter Protection Team! Wisconsin is often referred to as the breaking point state—as goes Wisconsin, so goes the country. That means that Voter Protection is more important than ever. Every vote is critical, every voter should have their vote count, and every voter we can help make their voice heard brings us one step closer to taking our country back. Sign up.

Dear reader —

As you probably know by now, Judge Hannah Dugan has been found guilty of a felony obstruction but not guilty of concealing an immigrant from federal agents.

Grassroots North Shore as well as a group of local and statewide nonprofits and progressive organizations have signed a statement the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign put out as a press release and has posted on its website. It says in part:

To understand more about the case, Ruth Conniff's commentary — Making sense of the trial and felony conviction of a Milwaukee judge who stood up to ICE — in today's Wisconsin Examiner focuses on the prosecution's argument that Dugan interfered by letting Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, the defendant, leave the courthouse. So the agents ultimately had to arrest Flores-Ruiz on the street outside making the agents less "safe." "The federal agents called to the stand, the prosecutors in the courtroom, and Schimel [the Acting US Attorney], in his summary of the case, made a big point about the 'safety' of law enforcement officers. Repeatedly, we heard that immigration agents prefer to make arrests inside courthouses because they provide a 'safe' environment in which to operate."

Conniff concludes: "The real questions raised by Dugan’s case are whether we believe the 'safety' of the agents making those dubious arrests matters more than the safety of our communities, and whether we want the courts to be able to regulate the conduct in their own courthouses as a check on the government’s exercise of raw power."

For an explanation of the legal issues, Adam Klasfeld and Harry Litman, both legal scholars, discuss what happened and what comes next. One issue that might emerge from an appeal is "materiality," meaning that nothing Judge Dugan did materially affected the outcome: Flores-Ruiz exited Judge Dugan's courtroom through a door primarily used by juries but it led to the public hallway where the federal agents were waiting. Presumably they could have arrested him in the public hallway. One of them even accompanied the immigrant to the ground floor and presumably could have detained him before he left the courthouse! Subsequently Flores-Ruiz was arrested on the street outside the courthouse. So no harm, no foul? The discussion between Klasfeld and Litman is about 22 minutes long.

There is a legal defense fund for her. Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine P. Geske oversees and serves as trustee of the fund. Because the case involves a sitting judge, there are strict rules on who can contribute. The gist of the rules are as follows:

• if you are not a registered lobbyist,
• you are not a Milwaukee County resident,
• or you do not have any business before the Milwaukee County Circuit Court system,

you are probably eligible to contribute as are your friends, family, and like-minded co-workers. Any amount you can give or can solicit from others will be appreciated. Contribute online through Stripe (rather than ActBlue) or write a check payable to “Hannah Dugan Legal Defense Fund” and send to:

          Hannah Dugan Legal Defense Fund
          1345 N Jefferson St., #172
          Milwaukee, WI 53202

In solidarity,
Nancy Kaplan
www.grassrootsnorthshore.com

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.

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!