How to Stand Up, Speak Out, and Stay Informed...
...at this crucial moment.
Readers,
Back in November I said I’d share ways to stay informed, plus actions we can take, while living under the current U.S. administration.
It’s been a brutal first few weeks, with warrantless I.C.E. raids of workplaces (including arrests of U.S. citizens), mass deportations, erasure of trans people and denial of their care, Federal agencies no longer recognizing Black History Month, Women’s History Month, LBGTQ Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Juneteenth, tariffs on goods from neighbors and allies, and more.
The chaos got further ratcheted up this weekend when the wealthiest man in the world and his young charges breached security at U.S.A.I.D., and the Treasury’s federal payment system that handles Social Security and Medicare, giving them access to our most sensitive information.
Several of you have reached out to me asking what we can do about this and other threats, so, off hand, here are some resources for news and action that I recommend:
What I’m Reading:
Historian
’s is essential daily reading.I feel the same is true of
by , who for several years had been the Public Editor for The New York Times.I’m a big fan of
, a sharp, informative (and often funny) newsletter by my cousin, the political scientist . If you don’t believe his cousin, believe and , who recently cited posts of his. He was also quoted the other day in NYMag/Intelligencer in a piece terrifyingly headlined: “Elon Musk May Have Your Social Security Number”:
I read everything Jamelle Bouie writes and posts—his New York Times column and newsletter, and for more immediate critical information and news analysis, I follow him on just about every platform: Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok. I bailed on Twitter/X, but you can still find Bouie there. (Cousin Seth and I jinxed each other when I asked for his news source recommendations over text yesterday.)
That’s me in blue and cousin Seth in white. When The New York Times started aggressively editing veteran columnist
, he left and started an eye-opening newsletter here on Substack.- ’s is also an excellent source of thoughtful, rigorous reporting, as is Popular Information’s new newsletter.
How I’m Staying Involved:
I’ve downloaded the “5 Calls” app, which makes it easy to contact your representatives on various issues, and includes sample scripts you can use when you leave them messages.
You can also just directly call your reps, as I’ve been doing pretty much daily, sometimes more than once a day. Capitol switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
Indivisible is a great organization that consistently offers opportunities to speak out, mobilize, and otherwise get involved, locally and nationally.
Everyday Activist is a useful source for news and suggestions for action.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, 2/5/25, there will be “50 Protests in 50 States” at every state capitol in the U.S.
Those are my top-suggestions for this quick, off-the-cuff post. Got an essential news source you recommend for these times? Or an organization that makes it easy to get involved? Also…how’s everyone doing?
Earlier: My November interview with policy expert Callie Freitag.
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Okay, that’s all for now. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for reading, and for your support. 🙏 💝
-Sari
How's everyone doing? I'm reeling, sick at heart, furious, can't bear to look or not look. Which is just how they want to keep anyone with a conscience, so I need to kick my butt into action. Calling my reps, again. Thanks for the sparks!
These are excellent ideas and resources. Thank you. I also follow Anand Giridharadas at The.Ink on Substack, as well as The Contrarian (Jen Rubin et al). Legacy media has failed us. It's independent journalism all the way now.