This Is Not Normal: What Power Is Doing Today — and What We’re Doing Back
Another day, another pile of red flags being waved like it’s a parade. While officials downplay, delay, and deny, the damage keeps stacking up — to civil liberties, to bodily autonomy, to basic democratic norms. None of this is accidental. It’s coordinated. It’s intentional. And it only works if people stay quiet.
Today’s stories make one thing clear: pressure is being applied from the top down, and resistance is building from the ground up. That’s where this blog lives — in the gap between what they want you to ignore and what they hope you won’t organize around.
Schadenfreude 🍿
Melania Trump Documentary Scrapped in South Africa Amid Backlash and Bad Timing
A planned theatrical release of the new Melania documentary was abruptly withdrawn in South Africa just days before its scheduled opening. According to reports, the local distributor Filmfinity pulled the film “based on the current climate,” without offering a clear explanation, even though the movie had already cleared classification and secured bookings with major cinema chains like Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro.
The decision comes amid broader sensitivities around U.S. politics and the Trump administration’s strained relations with South Africa, though it’s unclear whether political objections were the driving factor. Some industry observers also pointed to weak ticket sales and backlash over the documentary’s direct ties to the subject and its controversial director, Brett Ratner.
The Fourth Reich Caucus
Montana Legislature Takes Aim at U.S. Senate Elections with 17th Amendment Repeal Push
Montana Senate Joint Resolution 22 was a proposed state resolution that sought to repeal the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which currently mandates the direct popular election of U.S. Senators. If enacted, the repeal would have returned the power to select senators to state legislatures — the system that existed before 1913. The resolution advanced through committees and passed the Montana Senate, but failed in the House and died in the 2025 legislative process. Advocates argue repeal would strengthen state power and federalism, while critics note it would most dramatically reduce voters’ direct control over Senate representation and require a national constitutional amendment to take effect.
Georgia Lawmaker Proposes Renaming Sawnee Mountain “Trump Mountain”
Georgia House Resolution 1053 is a symbolic measure introduced in the 2025-2026 legislative session that would urge state and local officials to consider renaming Sawnee Mountain in Forsyth County, Georgia, as “Trump Mountain.” The resolution, sponsored by Republican State Rep. David Clark and several GOP colleagues, frames the proposed name change as a way to honor former President Donald Trump’s leadership and legacy and highlights a 2024 town hall he held nearby.
The resolution is currently in first reading and carries no binding legal force; it merely expresses a legislative sentiment and encourages relevant authorities to consider the change. Reaction among local officials and community leaders has been mixed. Some residents and county leaders oppose the rename, citing the historic and cultural significance of the original name, which honors a local Cherokee chief and reflects the area’s Native American heritage.
The Resistance
Can You Spot an ICE or CBP Agent? The Intercept Built a Patch Guide Because They Won’t Tell You
The Intercept published a guide showing the official shoulder patches and insignia used by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) so people can figure out which federal immigration agents are actually in their communities. This is something authorities stubbornly refuse to make clear on their own, even as agents show up in unmarked clothes and vehicles.
The timing of this guide isn’t academic. After the killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, agents involved in that incident remained anonymous because they were wearing civilian gear and masks — but distinct patches on their vests provided the only real clues to who they were. The guide breaks down official ICE/CBP identification marks and even notes some unofficial or personalized patches that have been spotted in the field. It’s essentially a transparency tool that federal agencies should have provided but never did.
How People Are Trying to Help Minnesota Fight ICE — and Why It Matters
A Vox guide lays out ways people can help support protesters and immigrant communities in Minnesota as resistance to aggressive ICE enforcement grows. The article makes plain that this moment is not just about marches — it’s about practical support, legal help, donations, and long-term solidarity.
It urges people to donate to mutual-aid funds like the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund and other local efforts that supply essentials and safety gear. It also highlights that immigrant legal assistance is critical — those with lawyers are far more likely to avoid deportation.
Beyond Minnesota, the piece encourages supporters to volunteer locally, document ICE activity safely, educate themselves on rights, and contact elected officials about immigration policy. Communities are being told that solidarity matters as much as street presence, especially when federal agents are being deployed in force.
World War III
Scientists Say We’re Closer to “Midnight” Than Ever — 85 Seconds to Apocalypse
The Doomsday Clock was pushed to 85 seconds to midnight in January 2026 — the closest to catastrophe since the Clock was created in 1947. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the world is not safer now than last year. Instead, risks from nuclear weapons, climate change, artificial intelligence, biotech threats, and fractured international cooperation have intensified and compounded.
In the organization’s official statement, the Science and Security Board blamed a global failure of leadership. Major powers like the United States, Russia, and China have grown more aggressive and nationalistic. Hard-won diplomatic frameworks are collapsing. That makes humanity closer to midnight than ever before. The Clock is meant as a metaphor, not a prediction. But it’s also a warning. Scientists say that without urgent, coordinated action on nuclear arms, climate policy, biosecurity, and technology regulation, “catastrophe” isn’t just dramatic language — it’s a measurable risk.
Broligarchy
Ubiquiti Accused of Fueling Russian Drone War While Saying “We Don’t Know Where Our Gear Ends Up”
A Hunterbrook Media investigation claims that gear from Ubiquiti — a $33 billion U.S. tech company — has become a backbone for Russian military communications, including drone operations in Ukraine. Russian units, some accused of war crimes, are reported to rely heavily on Ubiquiti radio bridge antennae despite U.S. export bans.
The report says Hunterbrook posed as a Russian procurement officer and found official distributors willing to ship export-controlled gear anyway, sometimes routing it through third countries to evade sanctions. Ubiquiti’s shipments to Russia reportedly rose 66% after the invasion, even though the company claims it has no visibility into where its products end up. Critics argue the coverage may be tied to Hunterbrook’s short position on Ubiquiti stock, and some industry voices characterize the outlet as sensationalist rather than neutral.
Obergruppenführer Nosferatu
America Isn’t ‘Under Threat’ — But Right-Wing Rhetoric Pretends It Is
The Salty Politics piece argues that conservative leaders are turning normal protest and dissent into an imagined domestic insurgency. Officials have begun labeling critics and observers as “terrorists,” even when they’re simply filming or speaking out. That tactic, the author says, is the classic authoritarian playbook: paint your opponents as enemies of the state to justify crackdowns and increased control.
This isn’t an organic threat, the newsletter says — it’s manufactured political theater. By slapping extreme labels on unarmed citizens, power brokers are reshaping the meaning of “security” and making resistance look sinister. The warning is blunt: turning protest into national-security theater undermines civil liberties. It doesn’t protect the public, the author argues — it silences them.
Cheeto von Taco Schitzenpantz
Canada Warns of a “Donbas-Style Threat” as U.S. Rhetoric Escalates — Yes, Really
In a recent MeidasPlus post, Canadian voices warned that relations with the United States have deteriorated enough that Canada could face a “Donbas-style threat” — a reference to the contested, hybrid-war zone in eastern Ukraine — if things keep going south. The warning was tied to rising political and military tensions sparked by rhetoric from U.S. leaders about absorbing Canada or treating it as a “51st state,” comments that have some Canadians taking worst-case scenarios seriously rather than laughing them off.
The coverage leans into political drama: trade disputes, NATO friction, and public statements that many in Ottawa see as bait for instability. Rather than write it off as absurd, MeidasPlus highlighted how some Canadians are now openly discussing scenarios that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
Whether this is alarmism, deterrence, or political posturing, the broader message is clear: Canadian leaders and commentators are not treating U.S. threats like polite lunch invites anymore — and they’re warning their own people to pay attention.
Every Major Assault and Sexual Misconduct Allegation Against Donald Trump, Summarized
A PBS NewsHour compendium recaps the major assault and sexual misconduct allegations that have surfaced against Donald Trump over decades, involving multiple women accusing him of unwanted physical contact, groping, and more serious claims. The piece dates back to at least 2019 when NewsHour first aggregated these allegations, which included accounts ranging from unwanted touching and forced kisses to claims of more aggressive conduct.
Among the most notable cases highlighted is E. Jean Carroll’s allegation that Trump sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s — an accusation that later led to a civil jury finding him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in New York City and awarding significant damages.
The NewsHour piece frames these allegations as part of a broader pattern of accusations brought forward primarily by women during his 2016 presidential campaign cycle and beyond. Trump has consistently denied all wrongdoing in each case.
Ethnic Cleansing Project
Kansas Lawmakers Are Racing the Most Extreme Anti-Trans Bill Yet
Kansas legislators are pushing an anti-transgender bill that goes beyond anything we’ve seen before. It would ban trans people from certain bathrooms and empower private citizens like bounty hunters to sue or police trans people in private business restrooms — yes, private businesses. It’s not just about bans anymore; it’s about creating civil penalties and incentives for strangers to hunt down trans people.
The bill is moving fast through the legislature and could pass the Senate soon. If it becomes law, it wouldn’t just restrict public spaces — it would open the door to civil liability and private enforcement against transgender people for using bathrooms that match their gender identity. Critics say this is state-sanctioned harassment and legal mobbing, not genuine public safety policy. Legislation like this tells transgender Kansans that anyone could sue them for existing in a place other people deem “wrong.” Feels like a pro rape bill to me.
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital Closes Youth Gender Clinic — Because Federal Threats Work (Too Well)
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, Washington, is shutting down its pediatric gender-affirming care clinic. The decision came after federal officials threatened to pull Medicare and Medicaid funding from the entire health system if it continued offering those services. That’s money almost every patient in the region depends on, so administrators folded rather than fight. The clinic had already stopped taking new patients months ago. Now even kids already on puberty blockers or hormone therapy are being sent back to general doctors or forced to find care elsewhere.
Critics call this appeasement, not protection, arguing that hospitals are being bullied into abandoning care for trans youth long before any federal rule has actually cut funding. Families and advocates say this preemptive shutdown shows just how effective intimidation can be — and how little safety progressive state laws actually provide.
The Resistance
Senate Has a “Big Day” on ICE Funding — But the House Is Nowhere to Be Found
Simon Rosenberg says today is a big day in the Senate for possible reforms to DHS and ICE as lawmakers work to avoid a government shutdown and push meaningful changes to immigration enforcement. Democrats are trying to strip ICE out of the DHS funding bill and add protections like judicial warrants for arrests. Senate leaders are negotiating with White House support, while House Republicans are still AWOL, refusing to deal with the issue at all. Rosenberg blasts the Speaker for letting critical negotiations grind to a halt by sending representatives home. He urges readers to call their senators now to keep pressure on and defend reforms, arguing that public pushback — especially after recent federal agent violence — is the only thing forcing Republicans to take the issue seriously.
The Boss Drops a New Resistance Anthem
Bruce Springsteen just released a new resistance song. The timing was not subtle. The message was not either. The track leans hard into defiance, dignity, and collective pushback. Power is questioned. Authority is challenged. Ordinary people are centered, as usual. In other words, the Boss did what he’s always done. He picked a side. And it wasn’t the boot.
Rural Healthcare Stories Are Being Collected Because “Data” Has Failed to Move Anyone
The Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare is asking people to upload their rural healthcare stories. Real experiences are being gathered because policy debates keep pretending hospitals close quietly and without consequences. These stories highlight long drives for emergency care, empty clinics, and exhausted staff. They also show what gets lost when funding disappears and communities are told to “adjust.” The message is not subtle. Rural healthcare is not theoretical. If lawmakers will not listen to numbers, they will be confronted with people.
How Cult Expert Dr. Steven Hassan Says We Can “Deprogram” MAGA Allegiance
In a conversation featured on The Left Hook with Wajahat Ali, cult specialist Dr. Steven Hassan argues that the MAGA movement functions like a modern cult of personality rooted in misinformation and loyal devotion to Donald Trump. Hassan, a mental health professional and author who has spent decades studying brainwashing and undue influence, describes how people can become socially and psychologically entrenched in belief systems that override facts and personal relationships — a dynamic he sees reflected in MAGA today.
Hassan draws on his own history as a former cult member of the Unification Church and his professional work helping individuals disentangle from coercive groups. He notes that raising awareness of these dynamics, expanding empathetic engagement, and offering off-ramps for supporters to reconnect with reality are key steps toward reducing people’s susceptibility to extreme group influence.
The piece emphasizes that while the challenge is immense — with many still believing election falsehoods years after January 6th — Hassan remains optimistic that it’s possible to help people break out of polarized, manipulative thought loops if interventions are grounded in respect, understanding, and critical thinking.
American Gestapo
Minnesota Under Siege: ICE Brutality, Deadly Force, and a City Pushed to the Edge
A Minneapolis resident writes that his city is living “under a violent authoritarian occupation.” Federal agents, especially ICE and Border Patrol, are flooding the streets. Peaceful observers are tear-gassed. Witnesses are detained. A local VA nurse was shot and killed after filming agents at a donut shop. The letter says this is not isolated. Schools, daycares, and ordinary homes are being targeted. People are pulled from their houses. Chemical irritants banned even in war zones are being used. Courts briefly tried to limit violence, but those limits were overturned.
Instead of de-escalating, the federal presence has doubled down. Thousands of agents now far outnumber local police. Many residents believe the goal is deliberate escalation to justify even harsher measures. Despite fear and grief, organizers in Minneapolis are pushing back. Clergy, neighbors, and everyday people are forming patrols, mutual-aid networks, and witness teams. The writer urges outsiders to pay attention, share stories, support local nonprofits, and demand ICE withdrawal
ICE Is Running Secret Watchlists of Americans
Internal documents surfaced. Official denials quickly followed. According to reporting by Ken Klippenstein, ICE and DHS have quietly maintained secret watchlists that include U.S. citizens. Protesters were tracked. Activists were logged. Even associates were pulled in. Oversight was thin. Transparency was missing.
The tools behind the tracking were later exposed. Databases with names like Bluekey and Slipstream were used to scrape social media and personal data. Although these systems were built for immigration enforcement, Americans were still swept up. The problem was obvious. DHS publicly insisted no domestic tracking exists. Internal sources said the opposite. As a result, concerns about surveillance, free speech, and political targeting have only grown.
Department of Injustice
Trump Seizes Georgia Ballots and Other Moves Set Off Alarm Bells, Says Aaron Parnas
Aaron Parnas reports that alarm bells are ringing as the Trump administration seized voter rolls and ballots in Georgia, escalating its long-running push around election claims just weeks before key contests. The move was described as extraordinary — and worrisome for democracy — by election officials who see it as intimidation rather than oversight.
Parnas also notes that Trump amplified posts labeling an activist, Alex Pretti, a “domestic terrorist,” even though the viral footage cited was unrelated to Pretti’s death and instead part of a broader smear campaign. Meanwhile, federal immigration enforcement is being reshuffled: Tom Homan, the administration’s so-called “border czar,” said ICE and Border Patrol forces in Minnesota will be drawn down, even as controversies around detention conditions continue.
National figures are reacting. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced a Senate run, framing Minnesota’s moment as a test of leadership amid chaos. And Parnas is reporting from Washington D.C., where lawyers are working to block executive orders in court. Parnas frames all of this as interconnected pressure on democratic norms — urging his audience that the stakes are high and that independent reporting matters now more than ever
Epstein Trump Pedo”files”
The Epstein Network Is Still Being Protected — And the Paper Trail Keeps Growing
Today’s reporting underscores what has never been resolved: the Epstein case ended with a conviction, not accountability. New filings, revived analysis, and lingering redactions continue to point toward unnamed associates, sealed agreements, and institutional reluctance to fully expose the network. The story isn’t resurfacing — it never actually closed.
What We Are Watching Today
- Border Czar Concedes Immigration Operations Have Not Been “Perfect,” Orders Drawdown
- National Security Agency Nominee Testifies at Confirmation Hearing Live
- Coast Guard Commandant Testifies Before Senate Panel Live
- Mayors Discuss Data Centers in U.S. Cities Live
- Senate Session Live
- President Trump Holds a Cabinet Meeting Live
- House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Holds News Conference
- Former NBA Player Discusses Mental Health at U.S. Conference of Mayors Meeting
- President Trump Makes an Announcement
New Resistance Resources
Today’s Call to Action
- Watch this training video from NO KINGS
- Download and share the new graphics for the March 28th No Kings International Protest
- Read Today’s Resistance Survival Guide: How to Stay Safe When Federal Agents Show Up Where They Legally Don’t Belong
- Sign These Petitions
- Donate to Mutual Aid for MN
- Call your Senators
- Demand that they vote NO on any DHS bill that does not work to stop ICE’s reckless attacks
Hello, my name is ____________, and I am a constituent of the senator’s. I urgently call on the Senator to vote NO on the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill being voted on in the Senate this week, either alone or in combination with other bills.
With ICE and Customs and Border Protection agents terrorizing communities and killing citizens on our streets in broad daylight, we need ICE and CBP agents to be withdrawn from our communities, and a full, independent investigation into all ICE and CBP-related deaths. The Senator must demand strong measures to stop warrantless arrests, hold federal officers accountable, stop family and child detention, and require other strong protections in any DHS funding bill.
Please urge the Senator to vote NO on the DHS funding bill today.
- Send These Prewritten Emails
- Tell the Senate to Vote NO on ICE Funding
- Tell Google and YouTube: Stop taking money from ICE. Take down vile ICE recruitment ads now.
- Tell Your Attorney General: Keep ICE Out of Public Schools
- Tell Verizon: Stop Powering Detention, Deportation, and Abuse.
- Tell the Senate: Vote NO on DHS and ICE Funding
- Stop ICE’s Attack On Our Communities
- Stop Congress from increasing ICE and Border Patrol’s budget
- Protect Veterans’ Access to Abortion Care
- Wall Street greed is driving the housing crisis
- Register and Attend An Event
- March 28th No Kings National Call to Action National Protest
- ICE OUT Protests
- Thursday, February 5, 8 – 9pm EST Eyes on ICE: Document and Record
Silence is the strategy they’re counting on. Fatigue is the tool. Confusion is the cover. But none of that means we stop. We document. We organize. We show up. We make calls. We fund mutual aid. We refuse to normalize abuse of power just because it happens daily now. The point of resistance isn’t perfection. It’s persistence — and today still counts.