ICE Overreach, Trans Wins, and the Cost of Silence — Why Resistance Is Working
The mask is off — and the pattern is unmistakable. From ICE using children as bait and agents testing the limits of the Fourth Amendment, to disinformation campaigns smothering survivor testimony and Congress quietly sneaking brutality into must-pass bills, this week made one thing clear: the pressure is working, and that’s why the backlash is escalating. At the same time, sustained organizing delivered real wins — including key trans protections surviving GOP sabotage attempts. This moment demands clarity, coordination, and action. Business as usual is the enemy. Resistance is the work.
The Shadow CFO
Forget Trump and Greenland — The Real Shock in Davos Was Howard Lutnick’s Speech on Globalization
At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, everyone was focused on Donald Trump’s awkward, headline-grabbing remarks about Greenland and NATO — but the speech that actually stirred the room came from U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who declared that globalization has failed the West and the U.S. and called for a renewed focus on America-first economic policy. His remarks — challenging decades of free-trade orthodoxy and attacking the global economic order — sparked visible pushback from attendees, with some reports of walkouts and open disagreement among European elites. Critics say this signals a deeper transformation in how economic and geopolitical elites are thinking about the post–Cold War global order and America’s role within it, beyond the spectacle of Trump’s provocations.
Florida Man
From Pharmacists to Therapists: Florida’s New Laws Could Criminalize Routine Care
A new wave of bills in the Florida legislature — including SB1010 and HB743 — would open the door to civil liability and even felony charges against a wide range of healthcare providers and educators who “aid and abet” minors seeking gender-affirming care. The language critics call vague and dangerously expansive could expose pharmacists, therapists, lab techs, teachers, and more to legal action for doing their jobs, and empowers the state attorney general to enforce these rules based on “suspicion, politics, or ideological grievances.” Activists warn the bills aren’t just about care — they’re a tool to intimidate and prosecute professionals and institutions that serve trans youth and their families.
Broligarchy
TikTok Deal Finally Done — But Does It Actually Change Anything?
After years of political drama, legal battles, and looming bans, TikTok has finalized a deal to keep operating in the United States by forming a new American entity controlled mostly by U.S. investors — including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX — while China’s ByteDance retains a minority stake. The move averts a ban that had been set in motion by bipartisan concerns over national security and data access, and the new joint venture promises data protections, algorithm safeguards, and U.S. governance under a board dominated by American stakeholders. Critics and analysts now question whether the agreement meaningfully alters the platform’s influence or addresses the deeper issues that fueled this saga in the first place.
What Trump Really Wants With AI — Not Deregulation, But Domination
Brian Merchant unpacks Donald Trump’s AI agenda beyond the familiar deregulation talking point — showing it as a coordinated push to concentrate power, not just cut “red tape.” Trump’s administration isn’t merely advocating looser rules for tech firms; it’s aligning federal authority with Silicon Valley interests, pushing for federal preemption of state AI safeguards and binding tech giants more closely to the executive branch. The strategy isn’t about free markets but about molding AI development to serve geopolitical dominance and political leverage — illustrated by repeated use of AI-generated content in political messaging and a drive to control the narrative around technology’s role in society.
American Gestapo
Autopsy Contradicts ICE Story — New Evidence in Trump-Era Detention Death
In this video Tony Hinderman (Really American) examines a disturbing case where the autopsy of a Cuban detainee contradicts the official ICE account of his death in a U.S. immigration detention facility. Documentation and medical findings suggest the agent narrative does not align with the physical evidence, raising fresh questions about use of force, transparency, and accountability inside Trump-era and current ICE detention camps. Advocates highlighted in the video argue these kinds of discrepancies are part of broader patterns of unreported violence in detention settings, underscoring the urgent need for independent oversight and public scrutiny of immigration enforcement practices.
Wired: ‘ICE Agents Are Doxing Themselves’ — A Chaotic Twist in the Identity Debate
A WIRED investigation highlights the strange new dynamic around Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) identities: a crowdsourced site called ICE List has compiled profiles of thousands of people alleged to work for ICE using publicly available info, leading to claims that agents are effectively “doxing themselves” by publicly listing their employment on platforms like LinkedIn — even as the Department of Homeland Security condemns any exposure of agents as dangerous doxing. The piece shows how, in some cases, agents’ own online footprints have made them easy to identify, complicating federal warnings about threats and anonymity, and adding fuel to an already heated national debate over transparency, privacy, and accountability in immigration enforcement.
ICE Says Your Front Door Isn’t Protected by the Fourth Amendment — Resist That Theft of Rights!
In an outrageous twist this week, ICE is pushing a new policy saying it doesn’t need real judicial warrants to bust into people’s homes — claiming flimsy “administrative warrants” are good enough. That’s a naked attack on the Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure, which has always required a neutral judge’s sign-off before law enforcement can barge in.
This isn’t legal nuance — it’s the foundation of personal liberty. If agents can kick your door in without a judge’s approval, the rule of law crumbles and every one of us is at risk.
Philly Isn’t the One: Activists Mock ICE Rumors Heading Into a Hostile City
A viral post from Bill Madden sparked dark laughter online after rumors circulated that ICE activity could be headed toward Philadelphia. The reaction wasn’t fear — it was ridicule. Philly’s long reputation for loud, organized, and unapologetically hostile responses to authoritarian nonsense turned the rumor into a punchline, underscoring a broader truth: communities are increasingly unwilling to be quietly intimidated. The post captures a growing mood of defiance as federal immigration enforcement escalates — and a reminder that not every city is willing to play along.
Urgent News: Families Warned After ICE Flyers Offer ‘Food Assistance’ — Are They a Trap?
Aaron Parnas reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been handing out flyers in Minneapolis claiming to offer “food assistance” to families — a move that prompted a local school to warn parents not to respond, fueling fears the outreach could be a trap tied to recent enforcement activity. The update also notes that federal prosecutors are overwhelmed redacting millions of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, slowing other major cases, and underscores the deepening anxiety communities face as ICE operations escalate.
They Used a 5-Year-Old as Bait — And We’re Supposed to Look Away?
A 5-year-old boy coming home from preschool was snatched by ICE, ordered to knock on his own front door, and then hauled off to a Texas detention center with his dad — all while officials deny they “targeted a child.” That’s not enforcement. That’s cruelty masquerading as policy. JoJoFromJerz lays bare the human cost of this terror: the fear lodged inside tiny bodies, the betrayal of trust kids shouldn’t have to learn so young, and the normalization of brutality as “routine.” This isn’t a debate about process — it’s about whether we’re going to let a government weaponize children to do its bidding and still call it justice.
The Clown Caucus
Trans Protections Survive as House Passes Spending Bills — GOP Attacks Fail
The House passed the final set of federal spending bills in a last-minute push to avoid a shutdown — and despite aggressive Republican efforts, key anti-trans riders were stripped out. Proposals aimed at blocking gender-affirming care, restricting trans students, and rolling back civil rights protections did not make it into the final package, marking a rare but meaningful win amid relentless attacks on trans communities. While the bills still include deeply controversial funding — including money for ICE — the failure of coordinated attempts to legislate discrimination through the budget is being viewed by advocates as proof that sustained pressure works, even in hostile terrain.
They Just Passed the ‘Final Four’ — and Packed It With ICE Money
Congress finally passed the last four government funding bills — four months behind schedule — and patted itself on the back like it cured polio. But look closer: the Homeland Security bill includes money for ICE and immigration enforcement that Democrats loudly opposed and many activists are calling out as funding brutality with taxpayer dollars. Seven Democrats even broke ranks to help it pass — and Republicans are rushing it to the Senate ahead of the January 30 deadline to avoid shutdown chaos. Resistance Kitty says: if we’re going to fight for real accountability and humane policy, we can’t let slow-motion “regular order” and half-hearted objections become cover for business as usual.
The Resistance
ICE Out For Good: Nationwide Solidarity Actions Demand Accountability and Reform
The ICE Out For Good campaign is mobilizing people across the United States on and around January 23 for nonviolent solidarity events, marches, and demonstrations in response to escalating federal immigration enforcement and the recent killing of Renée Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Organizers — including a broad national coalition of advocacy groups — are calling for ICE to leave Minnesota and communities nationwide, legal accountability for the officer involved, a halt to federal funding and unconstitutional ICE practices, and corporate and congressional pressure to rein in immigration enforcement and uphold constitutional rights. Actions range from local marches and rallies to coordinated days of reflection and community engagement, all grounded in peaceful protest and public accountability.
Contrarian Calls to Action #A14 — Mobilizing for Congress, Courts, and Community
This edition of Contrarian breaks down strategic ways readers can take meaningful action right now — from targeted Congressional engagement and priority votes to judicial accountability efforts and grassroots outreach. The post highlights specific legislative deadlines, explains which offices are most critical to pressure, and lays out concrete tactics like phone scripts, social media messaging guidance, and coalition-building tips for progressive organizers. It’s a resource-forward playbook aimed at turning awareness into organized impact across federal and local arenas.
The Hidden Story of Jack Smith’s Testimony — What’s Really at Stake
In his breakdown of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, Brian Tyler Cohen highlights that the hearing wasn’t just about Trump’s grievances — it revealed where Trump chooses to focus his energy and where he doesn’t. While Smith laid out the facts of Trump’s indictments and tried to anchor reality in the congressional record, Trump responded with personal attacks and rhetoric instead of grappling with the substance of the charges. The post argues this pattern isn’t new: the Trump DOJ has repeatedly driven resources into vendettas against perceived enemies, dragging out frivolous legal fights at the expense of addressing issues like economic pressure on families, ongoing wars abroad, and stalled progress on topics such as the Epstein files. What looks like courtroom drama is also a window into broader priorities — and, critics say, misaligned ones that leave everyday problems unaddressed.
Weekly DC Protest Calendar: Rallies, Marches & Actions to Join (1/23/26)
This Organize DC roundup lists upcoming protests, vigils, and volunteer actions across Washington, D.C., and nearby — all aimed at resisting executive overreach and connecting grassroots activists. The schedule highlights recurring weekly actions such as Flare Congressional Visits, sign-waving, visibility brigades, democracy rallies, and creative demonstrations like Dance Against DOGE — Fighting Fascism, plus specific events this week including ICE Out for Good — MN Solidarity Day of Action on Friday and another ICE Out For Good action at Sherman Circle on Sunday. You’ll also find group meetings, virtual volunteer opportunities, and links for legal rights info and how to get your own event listed.
Three Cheers for Jack Smith — The Prosecutor Holding Power to Account
Jeff Tiedrich highlights Special Counsel Jack Smith’s forceful testimony before Congress and his role in prosecuting former President Trump — underscoring that Smith isn’t sugar-coating the facts about January 6 or Trump’s obstruction and retention of classified documents. With Republican lawmakers trying to discredit him through interruptions and spectacle, Smith stands firm on indisputable evidence and the principle that no one is above the law. Tiedrich contrasts Smith’s steady, fact-driven approach with the chaos and denial from Trump and his enablers, emphasizing that accountability matters more than political theater.
How to Catch a Fascist: Tactics for Exposing and Defeating the Radical Right
This piece breaks down what it takes to identify and counter rising fascist movements — not through compromise or polite debate, but through active strategies that expose and disrupt organized white supremacist and Nazi groups. Drawing on interviews and decades of on-the-ground antifascist work, it emphasizes that traditional institutions have often failed to confront authoritarian threats head-on, and that a more deliberate, confrontational approach has been necessary to push back against entrenched radical right networks. The article highlights both historical context and practical methods used by activists to infiltrate, document, and undermine these movements, arguing that passivity only allows authoritarianism to grow.
Minnesota Says ICE Out! — A Historic General Strike Shuts It Down
Workers, students, and businesses in Minnesota just flipped the script — a massive general strike has erupted as thousands stay home, shut down commerce, and effectively shut down daily life to protest rising ICE brutality and systemic injustice. Organizers are calling it the “ICE Out! Statewide Shutdown,” and it’s being framed as a nonviolent but powerful act of solidarity with immigrant communities in the wake of federal violence. This isn’t a moment — it’s a movement. Resistance Kitty says: when ordinary people stop business as usual to protect human lives over profit and fear, that’s the kind of uprising that actually changes things.
Don’t Fund the Fascist Deportation Machine — Block ICE Cash Now!
ICE is terrorizing our communities and Congress just tried to throw it more money to keep doing it. That’s unacceptable. Indivisible is calling on all of us to scream, call, and organize until the Senate refuses to bankroll this brutality. No more loopholes, no more excuses — it’s time to strip ICE of power and protect our neighbors. Pick up the phone, spread the word, and show that resistance isn’t optional — it’s mandatory.
Department of Injustice
Independent Autopsy Shows Renee Good Was Shot Multiple Times in Fatal Minneapolis ICE Shooting
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Renée Good — the 37-year-old Minneapolis woman fatally shot by a federal immigration agent on January 7, 2026 — has confirmed she suffered multiple gunshot wounds including a fatal shot to the head, with additional wounds to her forearm and breast, consistent with first-responder reports from the scene. Her family’s lawyers — from Chicago-based Romanucci & Blandin, the firm known for representing George Floyd’s relatives — released the findings as part of a civil investigation into the shooting. The autopsy results contrast with federal statements about the incident, heightening scrutiny of how law enforcement uses force during immigration operations and fueling broader debate over transparency and accountability.
Shakedown Nation: When the President Turns Lawsuits Into Payday
In a move straight out of a mob movie, Donald Trump has sued JP Morgan Chase and Jamie Dimon for billions — claiming he was unfairly “debanked” after January 6. But here’s the twist: the bank that once tolerated Jeffrey Epstein’s business for years isn’t backing down, and Olear peels back how this isn’t just a lawsuit — it’s Trump operating a shakedown economy, where legal threats become leverage and litigation becomes revenue. That the President of the United States is doing this to corporate giants is a stunning distortion of power and a symptom of how deeply corrupted our political economy has become.
If the Law Doesn’t Apply to the Powerful, It Doesn’t Apply at All
When laws become optional for the rich and politically connected, the whole system collapses — and that’s exactly where we’re heading. Julie K. Brown breaks down how Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, yet the DOJ is dragging its feet, leaking crumbs, and redacting names instead of releasing the full truth. A unanimous Senate vote and a presidential signature should have meant transparency — but instead we’re watching powerful officials dodge accountability while the rest of us are told to wait. That’s not justice.
Cheeto von Taco Schitzenpantz
Trump’s Approval Rating Hits Record Low as Disapproval Surges Nationwide
President Donald Trump has recorded his worst approval rating yet during his second term, with a new American Research Group poll showing just 35 % approval and 63 % disapproval — a net approval of –28 points, the lowest of his presidency so far. The survey also finds declining confidence in his handling of the economy, with only about 32 % approving his economic performance, and continued erosion of support across key voter blocs as frustrations grow over national priorities like cost of living, immigration enforcement, and political polarization. The trend comes amid a series of polls showing weakening public sentiment that could have major implications for the 2026 midterms.
Trump Administration Ends NIH Funding for Research Using Aborted Fetal Tissue
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced a new policy barring all federal funding for scientific research that uses human fetal tissue derived from elective abortions, expanding restrictions that had previously been in place under the former Trump administration and reversed during the Biden years. The change, unveiled just ahead of the March for Life, applies to NIH grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts, though existing cell lines created from fetal cells may still be used. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said the shift reflects advances in alternative research technologies and aligns funding with “modern” scientific models, but critics — including many biomedical scientists — warn the policy could hinder research into diseases where fetal tissue has historically played a key role.
UK PM Calls Trump’s NATO Smear ‘Appalling’ After He Insults Allied War Dead
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly rebuked Donald Trump after Trump falsely claimed NATO allies avoided frontline combat in Afghanistan. Starmer called the remarks “insulting” and “appalling,” noting they diminish the sacrifices of British and allied troops who fought — and died — alongside U.S. forces over two decades of war. The backlash underscores growing international alarm over Trump’s casual contempt for allies and his willingness to rewrite history in ways that fracture long-standing military partnerships.
Trump Has Done What Putin Could Only Dream Of — Inflicting Deep Damage on the U.S.
In Zeteo, John Harwood argues that Donald Trump has independently realized outcomes that align with Vladimir Putin’s long-term goals of weakening American democracy and global standing — eroding alliances, splintering institutions, damaging the economy, and undermining the rule of law — without direct orders from Moscow. The piece rejects simplistic conspiracy claims but contends that Trump’s governance has created strategic openings that mirror what Russia could only hope to achieve by pointed interference, leaving the United States in a more fragile and polarized position than in recent memory.
Fiona Hill on Putin’s Hold Over Trump — A Kremlin-Style Playbook in the White House
In The Bulwark Podcast episode, foreign policy expert Fiona Hill breaks down how Vladimir Putin has repeatedly manipulated Donald Trump, with Trump seemingly unaware that the Russian leader often mocks him behind the scenes. Hill and host Tim Miller argue that Trump’s governance echoes Kremlin tactics — backdoor deals, power concentrated among loyalists, and strategic maneuvering that plays to authoritarian strengths. The discussion also touches on broader foreign policy issues like U.S. relations with Europe, the proposed Venezuela-Ukraine swap, and Trump’s fixation on places like Greenland, all underscoring how Trump’s approach to global affairs leaves U.S. interests vulnerable to manipulation.
The Epstein Trump Pedo”files”
Epstein Files Delay and Congressional Clash — Transparency Law Stalls, Pressure Mounts
More than a month after Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, requiring the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents related to the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the vast majority of materials remain unreleased — and the political fallout is intensifying. A federal judge has ruled that lawmakers cannot insert themselves into Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case to force compliance with the statute, even as advocates and survivors condemn the delays and heavy redactions. Meanwhile, bipartisan pressure is building on high-profile figures who have resisted oversight subpoenas, with the House Oversight Committee advancing contempt charges against former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for refusing to testify on their ties to Epstein’s network. These developments illustrate that, despite legal deadlines and public interest, accountability remains a contested terrain.
What We Are Watching Today
- VP Vance & Speaker Johnson Attend “March For Life” Rally in Washington, DC
- RNC Chair Delivers Remarks at Annual Winter Meeting
Today’s Call to Action
- Read Today’s Resistance Survival Guide: #186 How to Stay Safe During ICE Encounters and Street Detentions
- Call Your Senators : Tell the Senate: Not a penny more for ICE brutality
- Attend A Weekend Event
- Sun, Jan 25 @ 4pm
Solidarity with Detained Immigrants › - Sat, Jan 24 @ 10am
Protest Home Depot › - Sat, Jan 24 @ 4pm
Abolir ICE ¡Avelo terminó los ICE vuelvos, Ahora Acabemos con ICE! Lakeland, FL › - Sat, Jan 24 @ 4pm
We Stopped Avelo, Now Abolish ICE! Lakeland, FL › - Sat, Jan 24 @ 10am
No Kings No Dictators › - Sat, Jan 24 @ 10am
No Kings No Dictators ›
- Sun, Jan 25 @ 4pm
- Sign The Petitions
- Call These House Lawmakers and let them know how upset you are that they knowingly funding America’s Gestapo and make sure they know that you will now actively seek to primary them.
Nothing we’re seeing is accidental. Authoritarian systems always overreach when they feel threatened — and they always rely on silence to survive. So we don’t give them silence. We document, organize, protect each other, and refuse to let cruelty pass as policy or propaganda pass as truth. The wins prove this matters. The harm proves urgency. Stay loud, stay connected, and stay in motion — because every action taken now shortens the lifespan of what’s trying to crush us.