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TIDBITS-SEPT. 17: READER COMMENTS: SUPREMES REBUFF TRUMP ON MAIL
VOTING; WHAT KIND OF CANDIDATES DEMS RUN IN FUTURE; READER OFFERS
ADVICE TO RURAL ALASKA MINIMUM WAGE FIGHT; RESOURCE FOR FAIR, FREE
ELECTIONS; SPECIAL EVENT IN HONOR OF THE UN CHARTER  
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September 17, 2026
xxxxxx

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_ Reader Comments: Supreme Courts Rebuffs Trump on Mail Voting; What
Kind of Candidates Democrats Run in Future; Reader Offers Advice to
Rural Alaska Minimum Wage Fight; Resource for Fair and Free Elections;
A Special Event in Honor of the UN Charter. _

Sept. 17, 2026-Reader Comments, Resources, Announcements, Cartoons,
xxxxxx

 

* JUSTICE  --  CARTOON BY CLAY BENNETT
* RE: HOW STATUS QUO DEMOCRATS COULD CREATE ANOTHER TRUMP  (BERNARD
MOORE)
* EVOLUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY  --  MEME
* BAD BOT  --  CARTOON BY STEVE SACK
* RE: TRUMP TOOK CONTROL OF ANOTHER COUNTRY’S OIL FORTUNE. WHERE
THE HELL IS THE MONEY?  (VELVA SPRIGGS)
* VOTE REPUBLICAN TO STOP SOCIALISM  --  MEME  (OCCUPY DEMOCRATS)
* RE: THE TEENAGE GIRLS BEHIND A $25 MINIMUM WAGE FIGHT IN RURAL
ALASKA  (BUZZ DAVIS; CHABELI CARRAZANA)

 

RESOURCES:

* HOLD THE LINE IS A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO ENSURE
OUR ELECTIONS ARE FREE, FAIR, RESPECTED, AND SAFE.
* THE AMERICAN CRISIS - RESPONDING TO TIMES THAT TRY OUR SOULS

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

* "WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED" - A SPECIAL EVENT IN HONOR OF THE UN
CHARTER - NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21  (THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA)
* WEBINAR: WHO OWNS APPALACHIA? PROPERTY, EXTRACTION, AND LAND
LIBERATION - SEPTEMBER 30  (NATURAL HISTORY FROM THE OTHER SIDE, A
VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING SERIES ORGANIZED BY RED NATURAL HISTORY FELLOWS
WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM)

 

..JUSTICE  --  CARTOON BY CLAY BENNETT

 

Clay BennettSeptember 16, 2026Chattanooga Times Free Press
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RE: HOW STATUS QUO DEMOCRATS COULD CREATE ANOTHER TRUMP 

We need an all hands on deck united front to smash the right-wing
extremists and upend authoritarians in power.  We must also strive to
transform this broken, rigged system. Let's not act as if Trump and
his movement is an anomaly when it is a predicable result of both
parties putting corporations and the wealthy elite above the people.

    "...the Democratic Doom Loop — a party that overpromises
when it is out of power, then underdelivers (for everyone other than
its donors) when it is in power — prompting voters to then angrily
vote for a GOP that promises to destroy the whole system."

Bernard MoorePost on Facebook

 

EVOLUTION OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY  --  MEME

This is progress?

 

 

BAD BOT  --  CARTOON BY STEVE SACK 

Hang on...it’s gonna get bumpy…

Steve SackSeptember 15, 2026The Art of Sack
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RE: TRUMP TOOK CONTROL OF ANOTHER COUNTRY’S OIL FORTUNE. WHERE THE
HELL IS THE MONEY? 

Where is the oil?

Velva Spriggs

 

VOTE REPUBLICAN TO STOP SOCIALISM  --  MEME 

 

Somehow, his gullible cult STILL continues to fall for his snake-oil
promises…

Occupy DemocratsSeptember 13, 2026Occupy Democrats
[[link removed]] 

 

RE: THE TEENAGE GIRLS BEHIND A $25 MINIMUM WAGE FIGHT IN RURAL
ALASKA 

Hello!  Would you pls. forward this message to reporter Carrazana?
 And let me know you have done so.

Thank you!

Hello Chabeli!  This is Buzz Davis from Tucson, AZ an old organizer.

During the early 2000's in Dane Co. WI which is the county that the
capitol Madison is in, a group of anti war folks,conducted referendum
petition drives in a good number of cities and counties.

In some cities after the referendum wording was approved by the clerk
of the city or village or county, we would then try to gather more
than the required number of signatures.

But a good number of times we finished the time period and did not
have enough signatures.  Or we were nearly finished and realized we
were not going to have time and effort to get all the signatures
needed.

HERE IS WHAT WE DID.  We would ask the clerk to put the referendum
issue on the city, village or county agenda.  If we failed to get the
min. number, we would ask that the governing body (city council,
village board, co. board) would use their own authority to put the
refer. question on the ballot.

My memory is we were always successful in getting them to put the ref.
on the ballot the next time people voted.

There will be some one on the governing body who is against the issue
and thus argues that this is a nation or state question not a
community issue.  Another will say it is a valid issue and they
collect X% of the signatures required so that shows many people think
it is important so I an in flavor of placing the refer. on the next
ballot.  The clerk usually has to explain to the board that yes the
ordinances or state law allows the governing body the power to place
refer. questions on the ballot.

Now for the public comment period have the young circulators speak and
some business owners, and so old folks.

If an old person says I have my family and my grand children and I can
hardly ever see them because our young people always have to leave the
area or the state to get good paying jobs.  We think young people
should be able to stay and live in the community they were raised in
if they wish BUT they certainly should not have to live in poverty
just because they choose Nome to live in.

Also before the week of the meeting with the refer. issue on the
agenda, the young people and older people could write letters to the
newspaper about the need for higher wages is, want their kids to be
near them, etc. etc. etc.

With luck and a bit of talking to the elected officials on the council
or board ahead of time the youth will probably be successful.

Then a group of people need to organize a Vote Yes campaign with town
halls with speakers on how raising the min. wage impacts a community,
etc. and also you can register here tonight to be able to vote if you
never have, etc.

Thank you for the efforts and I say bravo to the women for doing this
effort!!!

Peace!  Buzz

     =====

This is fantastic, Buzz, thank you for sending this over. I'll forward
it to the students.

All my best!

Chabeli

 

HOLD THE LINE IS A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO ENSURE OUR
ELECTIONS ARE FREE, FAIR, RESPECTED, AND SAFE. 

 

We Have Power Together

Our freedom to vote and our elections are under attack. Each of us
must play a role in pushing back.

HOLD THE LINE IS A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO ENSURE OUR
ELECTIONS ARE FREE, FAIR, RESPECTED, AND SAFE.

Whether you are a political newcomer, an experienced community
advocate, or anywhere in between, the goal of Hold the Line is to help
you and members of your community take action to ensure a successful
election in 2026, and beyond.

READ THE GUIDE - CLICK HERE [[link removed]] 

TAKE ACTION - CLICK HERE
[[link removed]] 

 

The Problem

There comes a time when people from all walks of life must join
together and stand united to protect their country, and then build a
better future.

Now is such a time.

The stakes of this moment are clear. In the 2026 midterm elections,
our freedom to vote, have our votes be counted, and have the results
respected are all under threat. There are four red lines we are
watching for:

* •RED LINE 1: Voter disenfranchisement
* •RED LINE 2: Election betrayal and disinformation
* •RED LINE 3: Refusal to accept the valid results of the
elections
* •RED LINE 4: Incitement or enactment of political violence or
political persecution related to the election

READ THE GUIDE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE THREATS TO OUR ELECTION >>
[[link removed]]

_Hold the Line was started in 2020 by Hardy Merriman, Ankur Asthana,
Marium Navid, and Kifah Shah. Work on the 2020 guide was conducted in
independent capacities. In 2026, Maxwell Love joined the team as
Project Director._

Sign up and let us know how you want to plug in—we'll get you
connected right away.
[[link removed]] 

 

THE AMERICAN CRISIS - RESPONDING TO TIMES THAT TRY OUR SOULS 

 

The American Crisis report is addressed to the great majority of
people working and living in the United States and to community
leaders and public servants. The goal of this report is to provide a
timely and actionable resource to protect democratic processes and
respond to the system failures of our time.

To our fellow Americans: This is not the time to look away. More than
ever we need the kind of courage that history books heroize. We
implore you to step forward and face the crisis.

READ THE REPORT
[[link removed]]
- CLICK HERE FOR PDF
[[link removed]] 

 

"WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED" - A SPECIAL EVENT IN HONOR OF THE UN CHARTER -
NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21  (THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA) 

 

The Government of South Africa is honored to present an updated
program for "We Shall Not Be Moved," a special celebration of the UN
Charter to inaugurate High-Level Week of the 81st UN General Assembly.

 
The event will feature:

* Opening remarks by renowned PROFESSOR DAVID HARVEY
* Discussion with the brilliant MAHMOUD KHALIL and the fearless ABER
KAWAS, NYC-DSA's candidate for NY Senate.
* Remarks by South Africa's Foreign Minister RONALD LAMOLA
* Keynote speech from SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS

 
Meet us in the beautiful nave of the Riverside Church, where Nelson
Mandela arrived for the first time to make his historic official
address in the United States following his release from 27 years in
prison.
 
THERE IS STILL TIME TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT BY CLICKING HERE. WE CAN’T
WAIT TO WELCOME YOU THERE!
[[link removed]]

 

WEBINAR: WHO OWNS APPALACHIA? PROPERTY, EXTRACTION, AND LAND
LIBERATION - SEPTEMBER 30  (NATURAL HISTORY FROM THE OTHER SIDE, A
VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING SERIES ORGANIZED BY RED NATURAL HISTORY FELLOWS
WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM) 

 

 

For generations, Central Appalachia has been subjected to one
extractive project after another. As the coal industry has retreated,
prisons and now AI data centers have gained new footholds on a terrain
already ravaged by a long history of mining.

How did this region become a target for repeated cycles of
dispossession, extraction, and abandonment? And what would it take to
break this cycle decisively?

WHO OWNS APPALACHIA?PROPERTY, EXTRACTION, AND LAND
LIBERATIONWEDNESDAY, SEPT 30 | 12PM ET / 9AM PT

RSVP NOW
[[link removed]] 

Join us [[link removed]]
for a roundtable on the concentrated patterns of land ownership at the
root of Appalachia’s long history of extraction—and how
understanding property relations can strengthen struggles for a world
beyond them.

Curated by Red Natural History Fellow LINDSAY SHADE, the conversation
brings abolitionist scholar and organizer RUTH WILSON GILMORE into
dialogue with SHARON FISHER, MARY CROMER, and TIFFANY JOY (PYETTE),
organizers and advocates confronting prisons, data centers, land
dispossession, and extractive development across Central Appalachia.

Together, they’ll explore how communities are working not only to
interrupt cycles of extraction and abandonment, but to build
reparative and abolitionist futures in Appalachia and beyond.

*Please note: This roundtable will not be recorded.

Central Appalachia has been a key site of the extractive economy for
two centuries. In recent decades, landscapes reshaped and abandoned by
the coal industry have been repurposed for prisons and, now, AI data
centers.

How did this region become a target for repeated cycles of extraction
and abandonment? How are communities using land ownership data not
only to stop new extractive developments before they take hold, but
also to break with the property regime that underpins them? And what
can these struggles teach us about resisting extractivism elsewhere?.

This roundtable conversation will explore how histories of
dispossession and unequal land ownership shape what gets built, where,
and for whose benefit. Featuring scholar-activists, lawyers, prison
abolitionists, and environmental justice organizers with decades of
experience in Central Appalachia and across the United States,
speakers will confront the role of land ownership systems in
perpetuating extractivism—asking how understanding property
relations can strengthen our collective efforts to both resist new
developments and build reparative futures in Appalachia and beyond.

SPEAKERS

TIFFANY JOY (PYETTE) is the founder and co-executive director of the
Appalachian Rekindling Project, an Indigenous, women-led initiative
based in central Appalachia (southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia,
and West Virginia) dedicated to ecological restoration, Indigenous
land rematriation, and cultural revitalization.

SHARON FISHER is president of The Clinch Coalition, which fights for
environmental justice in southwest Virginia. She is also a leader of
SWVA Watch, a grassroots movement opposing data centers and harmful
energy developments such as nuclear, natural gas, and blue hydrogen.
Originally from West Virginia, Sharon's family includes five
generations of coal miners.

MARY CROMER is an environmental lawyer and Deputy Director of
Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, Inc. (Kentucky) and resident of
Wise County, Virginia, where her family has farmed since the 1840s.
Her community-based environmental law work has focused on
environmental justice issues from toxic waste, to clean drinking
water, to landowner rights issues, and more.

LINDSAY SHADE is an environmental sociologist, Red Natural History
fellow, convenor and co-founder of the Appalachian Land Study
Collective, and creator of OpenLand, a people’s land records
observatory.

RUTH WILSON GILMORE is Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences,
American Studies, and Africana Studies at the City University of New
York Graduate Center. Co-founder of many grassroots organizations
including California Prison Moratorium Project, Critical Resistance,
and Central California Environmental Justice Network, Ruthie wrote
_Abolition Geography: Essays Towards Liberation _(2022)_,_ and _Golden
Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing
California _(2007). Recent publications include an Introduction to
Lenin’s _Imperialism and the National Question _(2024), and
forewords to _Making the World Clean _by Françoise Vergès (2025),
and _Making Death and Life in Palestine_, Tithi Bhattacharya and Sue
Ferguson, editors (2025).

_This event is part of __Natural History from the Other Side_
[[link removed]]_,
a virtual programming series organized by Red Natural History Fellows
with The Natural History Museum, and made possible through the support
of 4Culture and the Henry Luce Foundation._

 

* Reader Comments
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* mail voting
[[link removed]]
* Fair Elections
[[link removed]]
* Protect the Results
[[link removed]]
* Elections 2026
[[link removed]]
* 2026 Midterms
[[link removed]]
* Supreme Court
[[link removed]]
* democracy
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* MAGA
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* Donald Trump
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* Democratic Party
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* Minimum Wage
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* organizing
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* youth
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* teenagers
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* UN Charter
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* South Africa
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* Government of South Africa
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* Appalachia
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* property
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* extraction
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* Data Centers
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* Cartoons
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* resources
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* Announcements
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*
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*
*
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INTERPRET THE WORLD AND CHANGE IT

 

 

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