Tidbits - Mar.20 - Reader Comments: Mahmoud Khalil Arrest Greatest Threat to Free Speech Since Red Scare; Assault on Social Security; DHS Ends TSA Officers' Contract; Teachers And Schools; Call Script: Demand the Release of Mahmoud Khalil; more....

This is a moment of maximum Democratic leverage that they will not have again until the midterms and that is not a lock. It is a tragic, stupid and rather repugnant move.

Lynn Hamilton
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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The writer is wrong.

While Dems are angry, those in the middle who we need to convince to "throw the Republican rascals out" in 2026 will praise Dems for putting aside partisan politics and acceding to those in charge -- however misguided their view may be. Remember, our hope to save Democracy is to win back at least one -- maybe two houses of congress.

PS If we shut down government what happens to the federal courts that are now overturning Elon Drumpf's actions? Do they close? How do they operate with the federal buildings closed?

Tom Abinanti
Attorney at Law

Re: Trump and Musk Are Getting Their Butts Royally Spanked in the Courts

Some 25,000 federal employees will be back at work Monday. Look beyond Capitol Hill: The resistance, in fact, is strong.

Mike Roberts
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

Re: Senators Introduce Bill To Ban Federal Labor Unions

(posting on Portside Labor)

What’s it all about? THIS IS WHAT ITS ALL ABOUT

Even as public employee unions fight the Trump administration’s personnel cuts, a pair of GOP senators want to ban federal employees from belonging to unions.

Rob Prince
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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As fucking Goes Wisconsin (2011)

Edward A Sadlowski

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It could get worse

David Newby

Re: Why We’re Mobilizing on April 5th

Whether you're outraged by skyrocketing healthcare costs, job cuts, attacks on privacy, or the gutting of essential services—this moment is for you.

Lynn Hamilton
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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i regret I'm unable to join or support the Hands Off mobilization because it calls for Hands Off support for NATO and Hands off continuing the proxy war using Ukrainians to weaken Russia with the goal of another stupid 'regime change' there. It is next to impossible to rally behind resistance to the MAGA reversal of Democratic reforms and social advances when they are accompanied by resistance to reversing Democratic and Republican addiction to sustaining the war economy of WWII.

Peggy Dobbins

Trade War -- Cartoon by Rob Rogers

Rob Rogers
March 13, 2025
TinyView

Re: ‘I Am a Political Prisoner’: Mahmoud Khalil’s Letter From Jail

Via Portside comes Mahmoud Khalil's letter which I read. I suggest you read it as well. In the comments? A report of a court decision about where Kahlil challenge to his confinement could take place. As you may know, he was arrested in Manhattan, moved after a day to New Jersey and then quickly moved to Louisiana. The fast shuffle of confinement is not an accident. ICE has detention facilities in NYC. It's the plan of Trump and his lawless band to try to keep his case from being heard in places where judges might look carefully at the lawless way ICE operated in his case. In NYC, cops used to prevent those detained from seeing a judge by moving them "around the horn" from precinct to precinct.

Daniel Millstone
Post on Facebook

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'My arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza, which resumed in full force Monday night.'

Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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Thank you so much for your witness. we are everywhere calling for your release and for justice to roll down like a mighty river.

Cathy Deppe

Re: Greenpeace Must Pay at Least $660M Over Dakota Pipeline Protests, Says Jury

Non-profit, which will appeal decision, says lawsuits like this are aimed at ‘destroying the right to peaceful protest’

US Progressive Activists' Update
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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From: "Greenpeace USA" <info@greenpeaceusa.org>
BREAKING: We have a verdict

We have big news: the jury has officially reached a verdict in our trial against Big Oil company Energy Transfer's meritless lawsuit.

This verdict is not the end of this case. Although a jury of nine people in North Dakota has decided that Greenpeace entities are liable for over $660 million in damages, this isn't over.

We're going to appeal. And we're prepared to fight this all the way to victory.

We absolutely believe in our legal defense. We believe the law is fully on our side. We believe in what we did at Standing Rock, and that ultimately we will prevail against this meritless lawsuit.

Before we discuss next steps, let's acknowledge that this is a dark moment in United States history. And let's talk about what "victory" actually means.

We've fought Energy Transfer's lawsuits for more than seven years. Every step of the way, we've emphasized that these types of lawsuits -- intended to silence and shut down critics -- are pe part of a growing national attack on our First Amendment rights.

The truth is, "victory" doesn't just mean defeating this specific lawsuit. It means that no other organization or individual has to defend themselves against this type of attack.

This lawsuit was designed to scare and divide our movement. Instead, the opposite has happened --in the last year alone, more than 350,000 individuals around the world and more than 430 organizations representing millions of people have spoken out against it.

Thankfully, we've never been lonely in this fight. It's entirely thanks to Greenpeace supporters like you that we've had the resources to fight back for more than seven years without ever slowing down our work campaigning for a green, just, and peaceful future.

Greenpeace USA was founded on nonviolent direct action and peaceful protest over 50 years ago, and we've exercised our right to peacefully expose environmental harm ever since. Energy Transfer chose to target three Greenpeace entities because of what our history represents.

We are simply a community of people who share a set of values, and our community is part of a larger global movement. No courtroom or judgment can stop that movement.

As we've long said: we will not be silenced, and our movement will endure.

For now, we'll leave you with this quote from Standing Rock Grassroots member Waniya Locke, published last month in The New York Times:

"When you look back at history, they always try to wipe us out."

Beyond just attempting to diminish every American's free speech rights, this lawsuit attempts to erase Indigenous leadership. It's an attack on Indigenous sovereignty, and a racist attempt to rewrite the actual history of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests.

More than seven years later, we remain deeply proud of what we did to support that Indigenous-led resistance. We own everything we did, because what we did was simply living our values.

With your support, we will continue living those values for many years to come.

In solidarity,
Greenpeace USA

Donate

Big Oil is suing Greenpeace USA. We need your help to fight back and keep this movement alive -- for people, and for our planet.

DONATE NOW

Greenpeace USA
1300 Eye Street NW, STE 1100 East
Washington, DC 20005
800-722-6995

Greenpeace Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(4) organization. As a result of our effective work for new environmental policies, contributions are not tax-deductible.

Re: Everybody Hates Elon

I hated Musk before it was trendy. It was very obvious a very long time ago exactly what he was.

Eleanor Roosevelt
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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The closest thing we have to a Trump economic spokesman is Elon Musk, who sees dead people collecting Social Security. And here’s the thing: while there’s still a dwindling Musk/Tesla cult, to a first approximation everyone else hates Elon.

Chuck Dineen
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

Tesla Vandalism -- Cartoon and Commentary by Nick Anderson

I do not condone the recent vandalism against Tesla vehicles in any way. However, I fully welcome the decline in Tesla's stock price and the damage to its brand. Elon Musk derives much of his power from Tesla’s valuation — while he has other ventures, none offer the same financial liquidity and wealth. Now, the brand is taking a hit, and Musk has no one to blame but himself.

Nick Anderson
March 12, 2025
Pen Strokes

Re: Plan 2028: Bringing Labor and Social Movements Together

(posting on Portside Labor)

UAW called for unions to synchronize contract expirations on May 1, 2028. How can we harness this compression point to coordinate our movements?

Carolle Charles
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

Re: Rep. McGovern and a National Strike

(posting on Portside Labor)

What we need to think about are things like maybe a national strike across this country.

Jose G Ortiz
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

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We need a national strike--it shouldn't be led by Democrats though

Kevin Wilson
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

Eggs, greed and lack of decency...MAGA -- Cartoon by Markus Grolik

US egg shortage caused by Avian influenza: Magaland needs Denmark and EU for eggs....and Greenlands rare earths.

Markus Grolik
March 16, 2025
Cartoon Movement

Re: The Leader of a Major Government Union Outlines Their Strategy To Battle Trump Federal Cuts—and Says Elon Musk Has ‘No Clue’ About Workers

(posting on Portside Labor)

Thank you for the story and the interview reprint. Stylistic point: it is the 'Democratic' Party, not the 'Democrat' Party. The latter phrase, is used as a pejorative insult. The late Sen. Bob Dole, R-Kansas, coined it when he sought the GOP presidential nomination and referred to World Wars I and II, Korea and Vietnam as 'Democrat wars.'

Mark Gruenberg
Editor
Press Associates Union News Service
veteran newspaperman (i.e. old and been around long enough to remember that campaign, and that speech)

Doged -- Cartoon by Christopher Weyant

Christopher Weyant
March 14, 2025
Boston Globe

They Are Who They Say They Are -- Cartoon by Bruce MacKinnon

Bruce MacKinnon
March 3, 2025
The Chronicle Herald (Halifax)

Re: Global Left Midweek – Focus on Eastern Europe

It's kept pretty quiet, but Eastern Europe is in good turmoil.
Global Left Midweek – Focus on Eastern Europe

Ethan Young
Posted on Portside's Facebook page

Re: Militarism Is No Answer to Trump

Militarism is no answer to Trump". Maybe, but pacifism is certainly no answer to Putin. Appeasement didn't work in 1938 and it won't work now. Weakness in the face of an aggressive expansionist is just an invitation to further aggression. Either the Europeans prepare to defend themselves or the Baltic states will be the next target for Russian irredentism as Putin has already said that Peter the Great's borders are his minimum goal. European hegemony is his target and a Europe that can't defend itself will make it easy for him to achieve that.

Stan Nadel
Amazon delenda est

We Did Everything We Could -- Cartoon by Brendan Loper

Brendan Loper
March 18, 2025
The New Yorker

New Yale Budget Lab Report Confirms Republicans’ “Big Beautiful Bill” is Just a Massive Handout to Billionaires—Paid for by Middle Class

Remember when Republicans promised their so-called “big, beautiful bill” would primarily help low-income Americans? Turns out, they were lying.

Today, the nonpartisan Yale Budget Lab released a damning new report confirming that 70% of the Republican budget’s benefits would go straight to the wealthiest 5%, while the bottom 40% get stuck with the bill. And how do they plan to pay for this billionaire bonanza? By gutting critical programs that middle-class Americans rely on—including the largest Medicaid cuts in American history.

The numbers don’t lie: The Republican plan is an outright cash grab, stealing from the middle class to bankroll the ultra-rich. Once again, Republicans are proving who they really work for—not everyday Americans, but their billionaire donors.

They’re lying about who benefits. They’re lying when they say Medicaid is off-limits. They’re lying when they claim this helps working families.

The truth? The Republican budget is a betrayal of the middle class—plain and simple.

Democrats will fight like hell to stop this Republican scheme, and we won’t let them get away with pretending they stand for anything other than lining the pockets of the wealthy—at everyone else’s expense.

Additional Resources from House Budget Dems:

Click here for a fact sheet from House Budget Committee Democrats detailing how the Republican budget demands massive cuts to Medicaid – and exposing how Republicans who claim their budget doesn’t cut Medicaid are lying.

Click here for district information from House Budget Committee Democrats on Medicaid, Affordable Care Act, and SNAP enrollment in communities across America.

Click here to read a full report from House Budget Committee Democrats exposing how the Republican budget undermines working families while benefiting the wealthy and well-connected.

###

CONTACT
Jay Bhargava | 202-225-0097
Jacob Hicks | 202-225-0544

democrats-budget.house.gov

House Budget Committee Democrats
507 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Announcing The Labor Notes Podcast!

In this news show, our staff organizers and co-hosts Danielle Smith and Natascha Elena Uhlmann will talk each week about the strikes, contract campaigns, shop floor actions, reform caucus organizing, and union elections that rank-and-file workers in the labor movement’s troublemaking wing are taking on.

Tune in to our first episode out today to hear from our staff editor Jenny Brown, who reported recently on how U.S. Steel workers resisted a planned acquisition by Japanese steel manufacturer Nippon that could have left workers on the chopping block.

You can listen to the full episode on Podbean
On Apple Podcasts
On Spotify
And on the Labor Notes YouTube channel

You can also read Jenny's story here:

#laborradionetwork

NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION SATURDAY, APRIL 5 (Indivisible and lots of other organizations)

Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!

Find an Event - Click here

A core principle behind Hands Off! is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

On April 5th, we rise up

They’re dismantling our country. They’re looting our government. And they think we’ll just watch.

On Saturday, April 5th, we rise up with one demand: Hands Off!

This is a nationwide mobilization to stop the most brazen power grab in modern history. Trump, Musk, and their billionaire cronies are orchestrating an all-out assault on our government, our economy, and our basic rights—enabled by Congress every step of the way.

They want to strip America for parts—shuttering Social Security offices, firing essential workers, eliminating consumer protections, and gutting Medicaid—all to bankroll their billionaire tax scam. They’re handing over our tax dollars, our public services, and our democracy to the ultra-rich.

If we don’t fight now, there won’t be anything left to save.

Why we’re mobilizing
We are facing a national crisis. Our democracy, our livelihoods, and our rights are all on the line as Trump and Musk execute their illegal takeover.

They’re dismantling Social Security and Medicare—forcing seniors and disabled Americans to jump through hoops to access the benefits they’ve already paid into.
They’re handing trillions to billionaires—while forcing the rest of us to pay higher prices for food, rent, and healthcare.
They’re gutting protections for working people—so payday lenders, banks, and credit card companies can scam Americans with zero consequences.
They’re assaulting our communities and our rights—targeting veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and political opponents.
They won’t stop there.

This is not just corruption. This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover.

This is the moment where we say NO. No more looting, no more stealing, no more billionaires raiding our government while working people struggle to survive.

On April 5th, we take action. Across the country, thousands of people will march, rally, disrupt, and demand an end to this billionaire power grab. We’ll show up at state capitals, federal buildings, congressional offices, and city centers—anywhere we can make sure they hear us.

For general inquiries, please contact support@handsoff2025.com

If you have a media inquiry, please contact media@handsoff2025.com

April 5 Partners

Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education

To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign

We publicly affirm our commitment to the enterprise of higher education in a democratic and free society, and to the values and practices that facilitate the production, advancement, and sharing of knowledge. Given the continuous and escalating attacks on higher education along with many other pillars of American democracy by the Trump administration and its allies, we call on colleges and universities to protect these values.

We affirm that:

The democratic ideals of free thought, free speech, free association, freedom of assembly and the right to dissent are worth fighting for. Democracy both honors our dignity as individuals and enables collective action on behalf of the common good.

Education is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society. People come from all over the world to take part in the free exchange of ideas and the depth of knowledge and expertise found in US colleges and universities. The capacity and tools these institutions provide to think carefully and deeply about politics, society, and the built and natural worlds produce scholars and world citizens whose contributions benefit us all. The value of American education has long been a consensus position across parties and ideologies; both Democratic and Republican administrations have supported our system of higher education.

Diversity is essential. Democracy requires that we invest fully in the rich array of our differences. We affirm the fundamental dignity and value of each person of every race, ethnicity, national origin, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, legal status, religion, identity, ideology and viewpoint. Bringing together people with different experiences, talents, and perspectives is critical to a successful learning environment and ultimately benefits society as a whole.

Education, knowledge, and science are intrinsically worthwhile. They improve both individual lives and the collective well-being of a democratic society. Cutting funding risks inflicting lasting damage on scholarly inquiry, from work in the arts to social policy to life-saving medical research and care.

Academic freedom is necessary to the pursuit of knowledge. Research must be conducted free from political threat if it is to identify and develop ideas serving the human race. These ideas, turned into action, are critical elements of any functioning society, including the rule of law, medical care, and scientific advancement.

No amount of accommodation or compliance will protect us. The current attacks on higher education amount to an assault on the foundational principles of democracy. If we abandon our commitments to equality, pluralism, and free scholarly inquiry we turn our backs on the most essential ingredients to our democracy: reflecting on our past, pooling our present talents, and investing in our future.

As scholars, educators, and people who care about our students and our democracy, we believe it is our duty to speak out against the attacks on diversity and pluralism, on scholarship and learning, on academic freedom, and on democracy itself. We are doing so through this statement, and will continue to do so on our campuses and beyond.

We urge the leaders of America’s colleges and universities, and every American who believes in democracy and education, to stand up for the values we share.

We call on college and university leadership to refuse to comply with the unethical, irresponsible and frequently illegal demands of the Trump administration; to join together to speak out in defense of the values of academic freedom, scholarship and research; to protect their students and faculty from government reprisals; and to fight attacks on our institutions in the public sphere and the legal arena.

To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign

note you need to be signed in to a gmail-linked account to fill in the form; if you are having trouble signing you can email daniel.laurison@gmail.com with your full name, title, and institution as you would like them to appear and I will add you manually.

Resisting Authoritarianism and Hate Through Civil Resistance: Two Workshops on Strategic Nonviolent Action in the Trump Era -- San Francisco -- March 23 & 24

The University of San Francisco's Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice will be hosting two workshops on nonviolent resistance March 23-24.

Resisting Authoritarianism and Racism Through Civil Resistance: Two Workshops on Strategic Nonviolent Action in the Trump Era

Led by Eileen Flanagan, Trainings Coordinator of Choose Democracy

This workshop consists of two in-person sessions: please feel free to attend one or both as your schedule allows. We hope to see you there!

Subverting Power: How We Can Make Activism More Strategic by Refusing to Cooperate with Unjust Policies

Sunday, March 23 | 1:00-5:00 pm | Maier Room, Fromm Hall

Putting Theory into Practice: Sharpening Our Activist Skills for a Time of Social Conflict

Monday, March 24 | 6:30-9:30 pm | Sobrato Club

Virtual Meeting and Film Screening -- "Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink" + Director Rick Goldsmith -- March 29

Saturday, March 29
8 – 10:30pm EDT

Virtual event -- Join from anywhere

Worried about the media diets of your fellow Americans, the loss of local journalism jobs - and the impact of this on our democracy?

Join our Zoom screening of "Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink" followed by discussion with Director Rick Goldsmith.

Stripped for Parts is the story of a secretive hedge fund that is plundering what is left of America’s newspapers, and the journalists who are fighting back.

Hedge fund Alden Global Capital is quietly gobbling up newspapers across the country and gutting them, but no one knows why– until journalist Julie Reynolds begins to investigate. Her findings trigger rebellions across the country by journalists working at Alden-owned newspapers. Backed by the NewsGuild union, the newsmen and women go toe-to-toe with their “vulture capitalist” owners in a battle to save and rebuild local journalism in America.

Who will control the future of America’s news ecosystem: Wall Street billionaires concerned only with profit, or those who see journalism as an essential public service, the lifeblood of our democracy?

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/923029964

This film is NOT available on streaming platforms. This is a unique opportunity to watch via Zoom with Director Q&A - and be empowered with ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE to fight for local journalism!

Rick Goldsmith is a Peabody award winner and an Academy Award-nominee. More here: https://strippedforpartsfilm.com/the-filmmaker/

Building Power against Hostile Headwinds -- Berlin -- May 2 - 4 (Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung)
How trade unions can respond to the climate crisis, austerity, and the growing far-right threat

TU-Berlin
Straße des 17. Juni
10623 Berlin

May 2 - May 4, 2025

Register Now

Following the spectacular success of our last trade union conference in Bochum in 2023, attended by over 1,500 workers, trade unionists, and movement allies, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and a number of trade union partners have agreed to hold the sixth Conference on Trade Union Renewal from 2–4 May 2025 under the motto “Building Hegemony against Hostile Headwinds” at the Technical University of Berlin.

At our nationwide conference, we want to analyse current workplace struggles in a practical way with hundreds of activists from trade unions, academia, and labour solidarity movements, and discuss together how we can strengthen trade union counter-power even in difficult times, and thus provide answers to the challenges ahead.

We would like to invite you to take part, support us with your application, and bring many of your colleagues with you!

Please register early for the conference so that we can plan better.

You are welcome to support us in promoting the conference by displaying or distributing flyers and putting up conference posters. Please send an email to Konferenz.GE@rosalux.org with the number of flyers you would like and your mailing address.

We will publish the conference programme and lots of information about the conference here on this page in the coming weeks and months — so stay tuned!

Contact
Fanni Stolz,
Senior Fellow for Care and Health, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung
Email: fanni.stolz@rosalux.org
Phone: +49 30 44310 116

Portside