Shutdowns, Censorship, and Claws Out
Stopgap Showdown
Congress is playing chicken with your rent money again. Democrats want to tie healthcare protections and ACA tax credits into the stopgap funding bill, while Republicans are trying to pass a version that leaves working families high and dry. Tick tock — the shutdown clock hits Sept 30.
Fed vs. Fascists
The Fed just cut rates by 0.25% because jobs are slowing and Trump’s inflation tantrums are looming. Bonus drama: Trump tried to fire Governor Lisa Cook because she has the audacity to be smart and independent. Courts blocked him, proving at least some guardrails aren’t completely shredded.
Free Speech on the Chopping Block
Jimmy Kimmel cracked a joke, and suddenly the government acts like he’s a national security threat. Democrats are fighting back with the “Nope Act” — as in “No Political Enemies.” If this passes, maybe comedians won’t need to get security clearances before roasting fascists.
Charlie Kirk Fallout
Kirk’s assassination is being shamelessly used to crank up the fascist fear machine. Instead of mourning, the regime is salivating at the chance to label critics as “enemies.” Obama popped his head up to remind America that this is a dangerous moment — understatement of the decade.
Legal Trenches
Cook v. Trump is the latest court battle holding the line on institutional independence. Every ruling matters. When the executive branch tries to bulldoze its way into the Fed, the courts are all that’s left between us and financial authoritarianism.
Why It Matters
When shutdowns become bargaining chips, ordinary people starve while billionaires feast. When free speech is punished, comedians and critics become enemies of the state. When political violence spirals, the regime justifies more repression. And when Trump meddles in the Fed? Kiss independent economic policy goodbye. This is the slow bleed of democracy — death by a thousand tiny authoritarian cuts.
Today’s To-Do List
- Call your Senators and Representatives. Tell them: no healthcare cuts, no hostage games. Demand protections for ACA subsidies and Medicaid.
- Amplify the “Nope Act.” Share, tweet, skeet, scream it from the rooftops: retaliation is not governance.
- Support legal watchdogs fighting Cook v. Trump and similar cases. Donate, volunteer, or at least spread the word.
- Plug into local resistance: join ACLU, Indivisible, FIRE, SPLC, or your scrappy local brigade. They’re organizing protests, rallies, and workshops.
- Prep for shutdowns: build or join mutual aid networks, food drives, and local clinics. The regime won’t feed you — but your neighbors will.
- Take visibility action: overpass bannering, chalking, zine drops. Every poster is a middle claw to fascism.
- Keep receipts: document censorship, report harassment, and share reliable info on rising political violence.
Featured Resister: Indivisible Tampa Bay
These folks aren’t waiting for Congress to grow a spine. They’re holding rallies, hosting overpass banner drops, and mobilizing against censorship and cuts. If you’re in Florida, plug in. If not, steal their playbook and unleash it in your town.
Kitty’s Rallying Cry
Fascists want us scared, silent, and scrambling. Instead, we’ll be loud, organized, and clawing at every weak spot in their armor. Stock your zines, sharpen your claws, and remember: every action, no matter how small, is another scratch on their gilded throne. Rise. Resist. Revolt.
Sources
- Reuters: Democrats push stopgap with healthcare
- Politico: Shutdown strategy
- Washington Post: Shutdown risk
- Guardian: Fed cut + Trump vs. Cook
- Wikipedia: Cook v. Trump
- Guardian: Free speech retaliation
- Guardian: Obama on Kirk killing
- Brookings: Regulatory changes