This week, Ezra covers creeping authoritarianism, No Kings Day, and some ways
we’re reaching new allies. Plus, you can help defend Medicaid, fight
disinformation, and join some uplifting virtual calls in our weekly action
items.

Hey Team,

If you’re like me, you’re probably increasingly alarmed about how creepy
the creeping authoritarianism is getting. In recent days, it’s been the
blatant corruption and escalating attacks on the opposition.

Corruption and escalating threats. Trump is bragging about his plan to
accept a $400 million ultra-luxury plane from the Qatari monarch -- a
plane Trump claims he'll use as Air Force One before taking into his
post-presidency for his personal use. The same guy who wants to blow a
reported $45 million in taxpayer money on a birthday military parade for
himself also wants [ [link removed] ]a “flying palace” fit for a king. It’s so bad that
even the racist, conspiracy theory-peddling, Trump sycophant Laura Loomer
says he’s gone too far.

This news comes at the same time Trump’s crackdown on speech is escalating
into an all-out war on political dissent. On Friday, federal officials
[ [link removed] ]arrested Newark’s mayor, Ras Baraka, outside an Immigration and Customs
Enforcement detention facility. They’ve threatened to arrest three members
of Congress who were present as well, while the White House Deputy Chief
of Staff Stephen Miller [ [link removed] ]threatened to suspend habeas corpus altogether.

While Trump brags about bribes and escalates attacks on the opposition,
his Republican flunkies in the House are moving a budget through four
committees this week. The current plan? Taking healthcare from [ [link removed] ]14
million Americans and cutting taxes for billionaires.

All of this is infuriating, frightening, and predictable all at the same
time. And it begs the question: what can we do about it?

The best read of the week is about what works. In their op-ed [ [link removed] ]How Will
We Know When We Have Lost Our Democracy?, the authors of How Democracies
Die and experts in authoritarianism argue that America is indeed
descending into an authoritarian state, but this descent is not inevitable
or irreversible. For those of us organizing and trying to convince others
to organize, here’s a key quote that I hope we internalize:

“So far, the most energetic opposition has come not from civic leaders but
from everyday citizens, showing up at congressional town hall meetings or
participating in Hands Off rallies across the country. Our leaders must
follow their example.”

That’s us -- that’s all of us! If you have called on your Dem reps or
senators to fight back harder; if you’ve attended a Republican town hall;
if you were one of 3.5 million who showed up for Hands Off; or if you are
planning to show up for [ [link removed] ]No Kings Day on June 14 -- you are doing what
needs to be done. This is what building a pro-democracy movement at a time
of competitive authoritarianism looks like.

We need to reach beyond the choir -- here’s how I’m thinking about that.
Because we’re trying to build a people-powered pro-democracy movement, I
feel urgency around meeting people where they are. And as nice as that New
York Times op-ed is, we know more and more people are getting their news
outside of traditional media.

Indivisible is trying to respond to that reality, which means that last
week [ [link removed] ]I went on Rachel Maddow’s show (❤️) to announce No Kings Day, but
Leah and I also [ [link removed] ]sat down with Tim Miller from the xxxxxx. In the
coming days, we’ve got interviews lined up with the Contrarian, Brian
Tyler Cohen, and PoliticsGirl.

There will be more to come, and if you have specific recommendations for
non-traditional media where we should be trying to get the word out,
[ [link removed] ]please let me know.

Thank you for not just reading the news, but figuring out what you can do
to help. It matters; it’s necessary; and it’s working. Please keep up the
fight, and read on for helpful actions you can take this week.

In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director
Indivisible

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Your weekly to-dos

 1. [ [link removed] ]Register for a No Kings protest to defy Trump’s tyranny -- and
ruin his self-serving birthday parade -- on June 14. As Trump hosts
his un-American military parade in DC, we’re rising up everywhere else
to show him and our fellow Americans what real power looks like. Don’t
see a protest near you yet? More events are added every day, so please
[ [link removed] ]check our map again soon or [ [link removed] ]use our toolkit to host your own
event!
 2. [ [link removed] ]If you have a GOP representative, send an email to get them on the
record about plans to defund SNAP and Medicaid. DC Republicans are
finally rolling out specifics of their plans to decimate beloved
social safety net programs -- all to fund tax breaks for billionaires.
We need to get them on the record and hold them accountable. You can
also [ [link removed] ]click here to CALL their office.
 3. [ [link removed] ]DC Indivisibles: Rally outside the Supreme Court at 10am this
Thursday, May 15, to defend birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court
is hearing a vile lawsuit from the Trump Administration to end
birthright citizenship and rip millions of American families apart.
We’re partnering with CASA, pregnant parents, and grassroots allies to
rally outside the court and show the overwhelming support for
immigrants and first-gen Americans.
 5. [ [link removed] ]Join the mass call this Thursday, May 15, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to
launch the next phase in our fight against Medicaid cuts. DC
Republicans are finally unveiling new details of their plan to gut
Medicaid to pay for billionaires’ tax breaks, so we’re joining a call
with Working Families Power and allies nationwide to lay out our next
steps to stop them -- with actions and takeaways you can put to use
right away.

P.S. No Kings Day could be our biggest, loudest, and most widespread mass
protests yet, and grassroots donations make that possible by funding the
tools, recruitment efforts, signage, and logistical details (like speakers
and portapotties) that great events need! [ [link removed] ]If you’re able, chip in
today to support our nationwide organizing and help make the No Kings
protests massive.

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This week's update on the Republican tax scam

After squabbling behind closed doors for months, Republican-led House
Committees are scheduled to publicly unveil key elements of their
reconciliation plan* this week, and GOP leaders could compile draft bill
text by next week.

But getting enough buy-in to draft a bill is still miles and miles away
from earning enough votes to pass it in both chambers. Even if this week
goes smoothly for them, GOP leaders will still need to unite virtually
every Republican lawmaker around their plan’s most politically toxic cuts.
We expect those to include:

* [ [link removed] ]Kicking 14 million Americans off their healthcare through historic
cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act
* [ [link removed] ]Taking food off the table of roughly 9 million families per month
-- including millions of children and senior citizens -- by cutting
SNAP benefits
* [ [link removed] ]Forcing billions of dollars of new healthcare and food assistance
costs onto state and local governments -- likely driving huge cuts in
infrastructure and other services that will cost thousands of jobs
* [ [link removed] ]Job losses, service reductions, and even outright closures at
hospitals nationwide, particularly in rural communities

As Republicans move into this new, more public phase of their effort to
make billionaires richer and screw over everyone else, we need to boost
awareness of how their plans would hurt our communities -- and apply
pressure on vulnerable Republicans that makes intra-party divides even
deeper. We have a toolkit for that.

[ [link removed] ]Please use our new “Stop The Cuts” toolkit to take action, organize
your neighbors, and educate your community about the terrible harm this
bill will cause in District of Columbia!

*You might see this effort called various things, including: the Trump tax
bill, the tax scam, the GOP megabill, or the reconciliation bill. They’re all
shorthand for the same Republican plan to defund Medicaid, SNAP, and other
beloved programs so the government can “afford” to cut taxes for corporations
and the ultra-rich.

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Reminder: You’re invited to Thursday's “What’s the Plan” calls!

From the reconciliation fight, to creeping authoritarianism, to immigrant
justice, DOGE cuts, and beyond… There's a lot going on and a lot to wrap
our heads around each week. It can be confusing. Exhausting. Scary.

That’s why Indivisible’s co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin
[ [link removed] ]meet with Indivisibles nationwide every Thursday (at 3pm ET / 12pm PT)
to help make sense of the news, draw inspiration from our work, and lay
out what’s next for our movement. It’s part pep-rally and part strategy
session -- but mainly a lot of Leah and Ezra answering YOUR questions.

[ [link removed] ]Flier for Indivisible's weekly What's the Plan call on Thursdays at 3pm ET
-- Click to register and join the call

You don’t want to miss it, and we would love to see you there! [ [link removed] ]Click
here to join our weekly “What’s the Plan” virtual call with Leah and Ezra
on Thursday at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.

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Fight right-wing disinformation with Indivisible’s Truth Brigade

Justice is under attack by right-wing disinformation! Far-right lies are
fueling regressive laws and legally dubious executive orders, and
propagandists nationwide are filing baseless cases to legitimize the
unconscionable.

The Truth Brigade is Indivisible’s answer to the lies. We’re leading a
grassroots approach to combating disinformation and, on May 14, launching
a new campaign, “When Lies Make Laws,” to expose their tactics and
highlight the stakes for our society.

[ [link removed] ]JOIN US: Sign up for the Truth Brigade New Member Orientation and
Message Campaign Launch this Wednesday, May 14, at 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm
PT. Truth Brigade's virtual meetings are open to anyone ready to fight
online lies -- from brand new members to longtime Brigadiers!

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IndivisiWIN of the week

[28]Two Indivisibles stand on a lawn with a yard sign the reads JUSTICE FOR
CRICKET in the ground. They're waving a poster with the handwritten message that
says PROTECT ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

In red and rural South Dakota -- home to Trump’s [ [link removed] ]canine-killing
Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem -- Indivisible Rapid City found a
uniquely memorable and uplifting way to fight for justice and highlight
this administration’s atrocities.

Their [ [link removed] ]Justice for Cricket event was half-protest, half-fundraiser.
Dozens of Indivisibles and other activists came together outside city hall
to highlight Trump and Noem’s cruelty while collecting hundreds of pounds
of dog food and pet supplies for the local Humane Society!

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