🚨 Do you know how personnel policies are changing at the Dept of Commerce? From requiring "five things I accomplished" reports months after other agencies dropped them to giving sr. political appointees final say over whether probationary employees keep their jobs, we've documented it all. ⬇️

The Civil Service Archive

Tracking changes affecting the shape and operation of federal government agencies under the second Trump administration.

civilservicearchive.org

Poll workers help make voting possible at the local level — they prepare polling stations, check in voters, and keep Election Day running smoothly (and get paid to do it!). Sign up, bring a friend, and help make sure every voter has a place to cast their ballot: https://protdem.org/4x56ArP

Defending the midterms is only half the job. Building a stronger democracy is the other. @vox.com's @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social joins @amandacarpenter.bsky.social and @farbodnagra.bsky.social to discuss the structural reforms that could renew our democracy. 🔗 RSVP here: https://protdem.org/AfterTrump

When federal forces deploy in American cities, local businesses bear the economic brunt. Our toolkit Business Election Defense Toolkit offers practical ways business leaders can defend local stability, protect staff, and uphold the rule of law. Read and share: https://protdem.org/business-toolkit

Business Election Defense Toolkit

How business owners and leaders can prepare for possible federal deployments, protect their teams, and advocate for their communities

protdem.org

What we're reading - Proportional representation was “long dismissed as a fringe idea in the U.S…no longer.” @starrprospect.bsky.social argues that attention is shifting. The fix to gerrymandering isn’t better maps. It’s a system where seats reflect the votes, no matter how the maps are drawn. ⬇️

Proportional Representation Gets a New Look - The American Prospect

Supreme Court decisions and unrestrained partisan gerrymandering are focusing attention on a fundamental election reform. But one version is more feasible than the others.

prospect.org

The Dept. of Health and Human Services now ties 25% of a senior employee's performance rating to "Faithful Support of Administration of Law and the President's Policies." Explore our Archive of policy changes to understand what’s happening at the agency: https://civilservicearchive.org/update/481/

Attn. People of Faith: Together with @sojo.net, we've created the Faith Companion Action Guide 2026 — a nonpartisan toolkit equipping faith leaders & communities to safeguard democracy. Free, fair, and safe elections depend on communities ready to protect every eligible voter. Get the guide ⬇️

Protect Democracy

Free, fair, safe, and accessible elections depend on more than what happens at the ballot box. They require communities that are prepared to protect every eligible voter’s freedom to participate, supp...

sojo.net

The chaos of the news cycle can make it hard to see the big picture. Our Authoritarianism Action Watch tool provides expert analysis on threats to American democracy as they happen—so you can distinguish signal from noise. Explore the tracker: actionwatch.org

A bipartisan group of former FCC officials filed an opposition against the agency's unprecedented early license renewal proceeding against ABC. Their voices are key to the conversation as the FCC tries to send a chilling message to broadcasters: disfavored coverage could put your license at risk.

Supporting a bipartisan group of former FCC Commissioners and Chairs in opposing the FCC's suppression of speech - Protect Democracy

Protect Democracy submitted comments to the FCC on behalf of a bipartisan group of former FCC Commissioners and Chairs in opposing the FCC's suppression of speech.

protectdemocracy.org

Election certification is a mandatory process, not a political one. Ahead of the 2026 midterms, we updated 8 legal guides with @allvotingislocal.bsky.social, @brennancenter.org & @campaignlegal.org showing how state laws ensure every vote is counted. Read the guides: https://protdem.org/4g6Nax8

"You loot, you lose. We must demand a comprehensive audit of the White House ... preparing now, civil litigators, forensic accountants, and investigators can build the framework to target the most flagrant areas of self-enrichment." @amandacarpenter.bsky.social's plan to undo Trump-era corruption

Undoing Trump’s Golden Age of Corruption

He’s made the presidency into a profitable grift. Here’s how some of his ill-gotten gains might be clawed back.

thebulwark.com

🚨 Status Update: Escalating In the latest update to our Authoritarian Action Watch, we analyze the administration’s actions to quash dissent as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signals plans to go after the tax-exempt status of some nonprofits. Read more here: ⬇️ https://protdem.org/dissent

Major victory for accountability: Massachusetts just passed the Universal Constitutional Remedies Act thru its legislature, ensuring if gov officials violate your constitutional rights, you have a way to seek justice: https://protdem.org/4g9uCvh Here's where UCRA is becoming the law of the land:

RESOURCE: Our Business Response toolkit created for business leaders outlines 3 steps: 🛠️ Build your community ✍🏽 Prepare your business 🗣️ Use your voice as a community leader Get toolkit 🔗 https://protdem.org/business-toolkit Co-authored w/@horizonsprjt.bsky.social & @integrity-mttrs.bsky.social.

In our latest briefing, Ben Raderstorf offers a fresh perspective on the upcoming midterms. Defending free and fair elections isn't just the endgame of authoritarianism — it's about opening the door for systemic reform. Get the briefing: https://protdem.org/4bTflNy

“One of the great advantages of [proportional representation] is it gives voters a greater stake in staying engaged with politics and paying attention to what the people in office are doing," says UGA's James C. Cobb, one of 500+ historians and scholars we supported in a letter to Congress.

UGA historian says proportional representation could reshape redistricting, Black political influence in Georgia

Renowned historian James C. Cobb told CBS News Atlanta why he joined 500+ scholars urging Congress to rethink winner-take-all elections after SCOTUS's Callais ruling.

cbsnews.com

What we're reading - "If a university with Yale’s prestige and resources opts not to fight this administration’s extralegal pressure ... you will not avert a crisis; you will create one." Arne Duncan and David Pressman call on Yale's board of trustees to defend the future of academic freedom.

Opinion | Yale’s trustees face a decision with profound consequences

A lesson from Hungary: Boards don't capitulate to authoritarians. The people on them do.

wapo.st

We have the tools to end gerrymandering at its source—right now. How? Gerrymandering works best in single-member districts. If Congress adopts proportional representation, the ability to manipulate maps collapses. Here’s how: https://www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/how-to-end-the-redistricting-wars

How to end the redistricting wars for good

As mid-cycle redistricting escalates, one reform would keep the maps from mattering

ifyoucankeepit.org

As U.K. leaders embrace proportional representation, Protect Democracy's Grant Tudor explains how this shift offers American reformers a modern blueprint for building a less polarized democracy. Read his full analysis for @theunpopulist.net here ⬇️

Britain's New Prime Minister Sees Proportional Representation as a Cure to Polarization

America needs a leader to champion similar electoral reforms in this country

theunpopulist.net

NEW: The president recently used his bully pulpit to spread disinformation about the 2020 election in an attempt to undermine 2026. Thankfully, this play is an entirely predictable one. Read the latest in our Threat Tracker analyzing threats to our democratic systems in real-time. ⬇️

Authoritarian Action Watch Threat Tracker

How's American democracy doing? This tool gives us a way to understand how authoritarian actions and pushback against them add up.

protdem.org

“You would think…that they would have the same courage a 7-year-old would. That they'd have the courage to sit down and explain their decisions to remove these books from school libraries.” Protect Democracy's Ori Lev about our case challenging the constitutionality of Escambia Co's book removals.

The Escambia school board deposed students. Now it says its own members shouldn't be deposed

The Escambia County School Board deposed student plaintiffs in a book ban lawsuit, including a 7-year-old who wanted access to a picture book. Now, board members are asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court...

wusf.org

🚨JUST ADDED: 130 new records documenting recent policy changes at USDA, Commerce, Energy, EPA, HHS, and Interior are now live on the Civil Service Archive. The Archive helps you track changes like retaliation against employees who dissent. Explore them here: https://civilservicearchive.org/

NEW: We cover three major stories depicting how the Trump administration is deploying federal power to subvert our elections and avoid accountability. Swipe through to spot the subversion →

The corruption in the Trump Administration is BRAZEN. Trump is talking about mass pardons for his cronies to try to get away with it all. We need a pardon-proof accountability plan. Here's where we can start. Give this a share if you like the idea!

Threats to young voters’ power are real, intentional, and part of a playbook — strict ID laws, election disinformation, threats of federal agents at polling locations. Here’s what the newest generation of voters needs to know about exercising their right to vote amid obstacles. Get the toolkit ⬇️

The Gen Z Election Defense Toolkit

A young person's guide to protecting and participating in U.S. Elections

protdem.org

Leading up to Election Day, organizing to ensure you and your community are ready to vote is the #1 way to defend the right to choose your leaders. But what happens after votes is cast? We'll need to hold the line on the results. Read how to defend the will of voters beyond Election Day.

Hold the line

Make sure the winners take office

ifyoucankeepit.org

I'm very proud to have helped organize this coalition through @techfreedom.org

Protect Democracy@protectdemocracy.org · last wk.

NEW: A bipartisan coalition of former FCC officials, represented by Protect Democracy, filed an opposition urging the FCC to terminate its early renewal review of ABC's licenses — a proceeding they call "an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process." https://protdem.org/3Rjacrj

Today, @techfreedom.org's @berinszoka.bsky.social joined @protectdemocracy.org and a bipartisan coalition of former high-ranking FCC officials in urging FCC Chairman Carr to end the Commission's retaliatory early review of ABC's broadcast licenses. protectdemocracy.org/wp-content/u...

Protect Democracy's Ori Lev spoke with @wusf.org about our recent day in court arguing on behalf of students and their parents, authors, and others in our case challenging the constitutionality of the Escambia County School Board book removals. Read the piece here: https://protdem.org/4x79blb

NEW: A bipartisan coalition of former FCC officials, represented by Protect Democracy, filed an opposition urging the FCC to terminate its early renewal review of ABC's licenses — a proceeding they call "an assault on free speech disguised as regulatory process." https://protdem.org/3Rjacrj