July 30, 1778: Congress passed America's first whistleblower law, after two officers were sued for reporting their commander's abuse of prisoners. Congress funded their defense instead. 248 years later, National Whistleblower Day marks the same duty: Truth over rank.

CW: suicide, anti-trans violence May Pollard, 16, died by suicide in January after years under Idaho's anti-trans care and bathroom bans. Her parents are speaking out. 🧵 (1/3)

Trump questions election security. Oregon's answer: signature-checked ballots, 24-hour surveillance, public observers, secure voter data. The facts: www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

A public-facing economist at Idaho's labor agency was also an anonymous account trafficking in Nazi imagery and white nationalist promotion. Communities deserve public servants who serve everyone. Naming this is how we protect our institutions.

Jacob Jones@jonesdaily.bsky.social · last mo.

How a data leak unmasked an Idaho state employee raising thousands of dollars a month in subscriptions by anonymously promoting pro-Russian commentary, white nationalists and Nazi memes. My new story for @investigatewest.bsky.social: www.investigatewest.org/idaho-labor-...

"The Spillers have bought up much of downtown Battle Ground, WA, seated their own people in city hall, & bought the town's only newspaper. Now they're building a new church for a pastor tied to Christian nationalist Doug Wilson, and a dedicated group of locals is fighting back." buff.ly/lB1jYXO

Battle Ground: The Making of a Christian Nationalist Company Town

Battle Ground, Washington, is becoming a blueprint for Christian nationalist localism. Through real estate, political influence, media ownership, and church networks, Maddox Industrial Transformer…

globalextremism.org

Today is International Non-Binary People's Day. As anti-democracy movements work to erase non-binary people from public life, we're clear: a democracy where we all thrive includes non-binary people. Not as an exception, but as a given. #NonBinaryPeoplesDay

"Employers can no longer exploit workers in dangerous jobs just because they live where they work." www.workingwa.org/for-media/20...

Adult Family Home Workers Win Labor Rights Fight  — Working Washington

Today, the Washington Supreme Court announced a ruling granting the right to fair pay and safe workplaces to tens of thousands of the mostly-immigrant care workers who protect and care for our elderly...

workingwa.org

I love both how this calls out these groups' weakness & these truths: The story of this country's first 250 years is the story of people who expanded democracy against those who tried to narrow it. [T]he promise of an inclusive democracy is still ours to keep—and we intend to keep it, together.

Western States Center@westernstatescenter.org · last mo.

Groups like Patriot Front march in masks because their vision can't survive in the open, and because they know most Americans reject it.

6 years after the passing of civil rights hero John Lewis, communities across the country will come together for a Weekend of Action from July 17-July 19 to urge and support their community members in exercising their sacred freedom to vote. 📍 Sign up to host/attend ➡️ GoodTroubleLivesOn.Org

Groups like Patriot Front march in masks because their vision can't survive in the open, and because they know most Americans reject it.

Democracy isn’t something we have. It’s something we do, especially when things get difficult. So while they're betting on our exhaustion, we're betting on each other.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court ruled that states can ban transgender girls from school sports. This is a devastating ruling for trans students across the country who simply want the freedom to play with their friends.

Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the 6–3 majority in Trump v. Barbara: the Constitution's text controls, full stop. Birthright citizenship stands. (1/4)

Yesterday, SCOTUS dealt a blow to digital dragnets. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court held that police tracking your location history via geofence warrants is a Fourth Amendment search. Tech companies can't be weaponized into passive surveillance engines. Learn more: www.eff.org/deeplinks/20...

🗳️ Today’s SCOTUS ruling in Watson v. RNC blocks a dangerous anti-democracy effort to throw out valid mail-in ballots facing postal delays. States keep the authority to protect voters and ensure accessible elections. Read LCCHR’s statement: civilrights.org/2026/06/29/t...

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that the government can end TPS for hundreds of thousands of Haitian and Syrian immigrants, and courts are barred from reviewing whether it even followed its own legal requirements. Justices Jackson, Kagan, and Sotomayor dissented. Read more: buff.ly/22euSkJ

Our Culture Lab team was recently in Minneapolis for the NIVA convening and was fortunate enough to catch @jordanklepper.bsky.social's keynote!

Juneteenth is a mandate to defend democracy, not just a historical memory. We honor Black freedom by actively resisting bigotry and organizing for an inclusive society where everyone belongs. ✊🏾 🔗 Check out our resources to strengthen democracy in your area: buff.ly/v6vuKVk

FBI raids targeting the Ohio Organizing Collaborative are alarming political intimidation. For 20 years, OOC has protected voting rights for Black, brown, & working-class Ohioans. Voters choose leaders. Take action with Hands Off Ohio! Learn more at www.handsoffohio.org

Civil rights organizations protect your vote, fight the hate groups threatening your community, and tell the truth about our past. This administration's response? Indict them. We join @splcenter.org in calling for the DOJ to dismiss this case.

Follow LeFavour's journey from their 2-mile walk to the school bus along a dirt road to their monumental election as Idaho's first openly queer state senator. LeFavour will be joined in conversation by Amy Herzfeld-Copple, Executive Director of Western States Center. Learn more at

Cole Nicole LeFavour With Amy Herzfeld-Copple

The Legendary Independent Bookstore

buff.ly

State AGs (incl OR & WA) sent a letter to Vanguard, Fidelity & Schwab for freezing customer donations to @splcenter.org. Caving to political bullying doesn't just ignore what donors want, it directly threatens free speech for groups fighting for civil rights and democracy. More:

Attorney General Ellison urges funds to reevaluate decision to cut off Southern Poverty Law Center

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a civil rights nonprofit that works to combat white supremacist organizations and other hate groups in numerous ways

buff.ly

We are outraged by today’s verdict in the #Spokane3 trial, but we remain committed to defending democracy, immigrant justice, and civil rights. www.rangemedia.co/spokane-9-pr...

Voting by mail is how we do elections in Oregon, and that’s the choice states get to make. President Trump doesn’t get to control that. This isn’t over - we will keep fighting to protect every Oregonian’s access to the ballot. www.pbs.org/newshour/amp...

Federal judge refuses to block Trump order to create federal voter list and limit mail voting

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, late Wednesday rejected the request by Democrats and civil rights groups that had argued President Donald Trump’s order would likely ...

pbs.org

The ACLU of Wyoming just filed a critical lawsuit challenging the Laramie County Sheriff's unilateral decision to sign 287(g) agreements with ICE — Check out their 🧵

ACLU of Wyoming@acluwyoming.bsky.social · 2mo ago

BREAKING: We’re suing the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office for its 287(g) agreements.

Our Culture Lab Program Director, Kim Warnick, says she's "received an influx of concern from independent venues and artists as ICE and CBP ramp up violent tactics as arts and culture programming continue to be under attack..." Read at The Fader: www.thefader.com/2026/05/21/h...

Here’s how music venues can protect their community from ICE

Kim Warnick of Western States Center shares a guide on how music venues around the U.S. can protect themselves, artists, and patrons against ICE threats.

thefader.com

We honor those who lost their lives in military service. And we remember that the freedoms people for—safety, dignity, democracy, and the right to speak freely—require all of us to keep defending them here at home. Inclusive democracy is something we practice together.

We stand with the Southern Poverty Law Center and will continue to defend democracy and all its rights and freedoms. Speaking out against hate is not a crime, using research & advocacy is not a crime, protecting communities is not a crime. civilrights.org/resource/sig...

Today’s House Judiciary Committee on @SPLCenter was a shameful spectacle designed to send a message to every civil rights organization in America: submit to this administration's will or you are next. #DissentIsNotACrime

The far right took a walloping in Idaho’s GOP primaries this week. Bryan Clark's piece looks at what those losses could signal, and why grievance politics doesn't always land the way candidates expect.

Idaho Statesman@idahostatesman.com · 3mo ago

No two ways about it. Tuesday was a bad night for the far right in Idaho. | Opinion