Written by Welcome to your midday progressive news digest, where we cut through the noise to bring you the stories that matter most to our movement for justice, equality, and human dignity. Today’s edition covers the ongoing fight against authoritarianism, healthcare justice, and the resilience of our progressive community.
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🔥 FIRES OF JUSTICE
⚖️ Trump’s War on Liberal Groups: Inside the Authoritarian Crackdown
URGENT: The Trump administration is deploying America’s counter-terrorism apparatus against liberal nonprofits and progressive organizations in an unprecedented assault on civil society. 📰 [Reuters, October 9, 2025]
“President Donald Trump’s threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal non-profits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multi-agency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role” – [Reuters, October 9, 2025]
Key Details:
- 🎯 Targeted Organizations: George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, ActBlue, Indivisible, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Jewish Voice for Peace, and IfNotNow are on the administration’s list [Reuters, October 9, 2025]
- 🚨 Multi-Agency Assault: FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Justice Department, IRS, and Treasury Department are being coordinated against progressive groups [Reuters, October 9, 2025]
- ⚡ Stephen Miller’s Role: Trump’s top aide is “deeply involved in reviewing government agencies’ investigations into the financial networks” of what they label “domestic terror networks” [Reuters, October 9, 2025]
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🌱 SEEDS OF JUSTICE
🌍 Sunrise Movement Expands Mission to Fight Authoritarianism
The youth-led climate justice organization that popularized the Green New Deal is broadening its focus to combat Trump’s authoritarian power grab while continuing the fight for climate action. 📰 [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
“Every day, Donald Trump is seizing power and shredding the Constitution. What ordinary people do in the coming months will determine whether he and his billionaire cronies can cement their grip on power” – Aru Shiney-Ajay, Sunrise Executive Director [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
New Focus Areas:
- 🎓 Campus Organizing: Urging schools to resist Trump’s attempts to control curricula and political dissent [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
- 🚨 Rapid Response: Mobilizing against troop deployments and immigration policies in cities [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
- ✊ Activist Training: Teaching young people to “recognize authoritarianism” and resist using nonviolent tactics [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
- 🗓️ May 1, 2028 Strike: Building toward mass student mobilization aligned with UAW’s general strike call [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
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💙 COMMUNITY POWER
🏥 Healthcare Justice Under Attack: Government Shutdown Enters Day 9
Senate Democrats are holding the line on healthcare subsidies as Republicans use the government shutdown to attack Obamacare protections that millions of Americans depend on. 📰 [NPR, October 9, 2025]
“Our Republican colleagues – House, Senate, White House – are feeling the heat” on healthcare subsidies – Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer [NPR, October 9, 2025]
What’s at Stake:
- 💊 Healthcare Costs: ACA tax credits set to expire, potentially doubling insurance premiums for millions [NPR, October 9, 2025]
- 🎖️ Military Pay: Service members could miss paychecks starting October 15 [NPR, October 9, 2025]
- ✈️ Airport Delays: Already impacting travelers as federal workers are furloughed [NPR, October 9, 2025]
- 🏛️ Seventh Vote: Senate will hold its seventh failed attempt to end the shutdown today [NPR, October 9, 2025]
Progressive Resistance: Even GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is “publicly criticizing her own leadership for not having a plan to address rising health care costs, and she says her own adult children, their costs are going to double” [NPR, October 9, 2025]
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✊ VOICES RISING
🎓 Campus Activism: Duke Students Defend Immigrant Bus Driver
At Duke University, Sunrise Movement activists are fighting to protect a beloved campus bus driver whose temporary protected status was revoked by the Trump administration, showing how local organizing connects to broader justice movements. 📰 [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
“In order to win a Green New Deal, climate justice, labor justice, racial justice, etc…we’re gonna need to defeat authoritarianism” – Artivista Karlin, Duke University Sunrise organizer [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
Local Action, Global Impact:
- 🚌 Worker Solidarity: Protecting a 20-year employee who lost his job due to immigration status changes [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
- 📢 Free Speech: Urging school officials to overturn anti-protest policies [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
- 🤝 Labor Justice: Developing pro-worker campaigns alongside labor justice groups [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
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🔥 RESISTANCE REPORTS
🚨 Democracy Under Siege: Trump Hints at Unconstitutional Third Term
Adding to concerns about authoritarian consolidation, Trump posted “Trump 2028” merchandise this week, signaling interest in an unconstitutional third term while his administration targets civil society organizations. 📰 [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
“We are just seeing outright disrespect for our constitutional rights, and we can’t accept that” – Stevie O’Hanlon, Sunrise Movement [Mother Jones, October 8, 2025]
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📚 SOURCES & REFERENCES
- • Reuters – “Trump’s war on the left: Inside the plan to investigate liberal groups” by Nandita Bose, Jana Winter, Jeff Mason, Tim Reid, and Ted Hesson (October 9, 2025)
- • Mother Jones – “Sunrise Movement’s New Focus: Fighting Authoritarianism” by Dharna Noor (October 8, 2025)
- • NPR – “Senate to hold 7th vote as government shutdown drags on” by Deirdre Walsh and A Martínez (October 9, 2025)
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💙 Stay informed, stay engaged, stay hopeful 💙
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Keep fighting the good fight. Tomorrow’s digest will bring more stories of resistance, resilience, and hope. ✊🌊
