THE RISING: spring forward.

ONE DOWN

Yes, there was a momentary jolt of joy at seeing the end of Kristi Noem’s disastrous term as DHS Secretary. The public outcry, expressed through anti-ICE calls and rallies, was not wasted.

But there’s still much use to get out of our protest signs as Noem’s replacement, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, once confirmed, may be even more of a MAGA devotee. And we’re still stuck with their boss.

FOTU$ (Felon of the Unites $tates), a dangerous, malignant narcissist with enormous, unchecked power, appears determined to exhibit to the whole world how not to lead. Through a consistent pattern of petulant, reckless, and irresponsible behavior, he is causing the wholesale degradation of the quality of life for billions of people.

REGRETTABLE

He has recklessly dragged us into a violent war against Iran, another unnecessary, unprovoked, and illegal war, for reasons that seem to change daily. He and his equally regrettable advisors are spreading violence and fear, with not a clue as to how to end it, because that’s the hard part, and they can’t be bothered with that. Because of them, little schoolgirls have perished and have had to be buried in mass graves instead of learning and growing up, leaving their parents questioning their own reason to live. Due to this regime’s poor planning, about a million Americans are stranded in the war zone, many of whom are reportedly still without a clear evacuation plan.

We’re bombarded by atrocities and imminent harm, and accountability for the suffering they’re causing remains elusive. Survivors of child sexual abuse and human trafficking continue to bear trauma for years without justice or closure. ICE agents terrorize our towns. Immigrants disappear off the streets to endure human rights violations, or worse, die, in unregulated for-profit detention facilities. The affordability crisis is worsening. The climate catastrophe is compounding, causing more climate refugees to fight for survival.

JUST NO!

That is not the world we want!

They are not the leaders we need!

This is the exact opposite of making America great again, by any standard, but sadly and maddeningly, this is the reality they’ve imposed upon us to wake up to every day.

It’s become more important than ever that we cling to our values and ideals. As FOTU$, Inc. goes about their practice of devaluing human life, alienating allies, disregarding consequences, and corrupting social norms, we have to be diligent about protecting and strengthening our connection to the better angels of our nature.

RISE

There’s a profound hunger for compassion, especially now, and we must remind ourselves that this need not overpower the light within us, even as we acknowledge and process our anguish and anger. While we may not wield the power to end a war alone, we haven’t lost our right or our ability to be gentle with ourselves and one another and to move toward a more peaceful existence. In our daily lives, we can create the kind of world we wish to inhabit — where connections are real and meaningful, where every soul feels a sense of belonging, and where the human spirit flourishes.

So let’s inspire one another to rise together. Let’s confront the narratives that attempt to divide us, and instead, root ourselves in our shared humanity.

Every small act of kindness has the power to create ripples of more kindness. Every effort to uplift someone who needs a hand can transform their life in profound ways. And every call for justice counts toward shaping the world we want.

These are not just dreams or empty thoughts. These are things we already see and do in our daily lives, embodying the very essence of being human, and manifesting in our neighborhoods and communities. These are our dreams made real, worth protecting, embracing, and upholding. Together, we are already creating the world we aspire to inhabit.

☀️☀️☀️

DHS

Yesterday, following an eventful House Judiciary Committee hearing where she faced tough questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, FOTU$ fired DHS Sec. Kristi Noem and demoted her to a new administration role as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. Noem’s tenure at DHS was controversial as she oversaw the implementation of FOTU$’s increased immigration enforcement effort, while allegedly engaging in an affair with former FOTU$ campaign manager Cory Lewandowski. The last straw for FOTU$, however, appears to be a multimillion-dollar DHS ad campaign starring Noem herself, and the no-bid contract she awarded to a company with ties to her friends. Yesterday, she testified under oath that FOTU$ signed off on the contract, a claim which he denies. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) is FOTU$’s choice to replace her. You may remember him from the time he challenged Teamsters President Sean O’Brien to a fight in the middle of a Congressional hearing. Noem’s ouster shows that FOTU$ cannot handle being challenged and reminds the American people that accountability is possible. Now, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is calling for a perjury investigation into former Sec. Noem, while Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), who will become chair of the House Judiciary Committee if Democrats take back control of the House this year, said that “We need to have a cleaning of house at the Department of Homeland Security and a repudiation of all of these terrible policies of corruption, cover-up, lying and authoritarian violence against citizens and immigrants.”

PRIMARIES

Speaking of comeuppance, this week, the 2026 primary election season kicked off with races in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas. Based on the results, the GOP ought to worry about their chances come November. In Texas, the high-profile Democratic Senate primary between Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) and State Rep. James Talarico (D-HD-50) resulted in a victory for Team Talarico, after it harnessed the power of the Hispanic and Latino vote. While Texas voters have not elected a Democrat to statewide office in 32 years, the Democratic turnout in Tuesday’s primary beat the GOP’s by over 100,000 voters. In 2018, when former Rep. Beto O’Rourke was on the Senate primary ballot; 1,037,779 Democratic votes were cast. This year, the number of Democratic votes surged to over 2.2 million. Something exciting is happening in Texas...we’ll be keeping a close eye on this race as it develops.

In North Carolina, former Gov. Roy Cooper secured the Democratic Senate nomination and will face off against former RNC chairman Michael Whatley in November. Recent polling shows former Gov. Cooper leading Whatley, but the Senate Leadership Fund has already started attacking former Gov. Cooper, so we must be prepared.

On Tuesday evening in Arkansas, GOP Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders suffered several losses after two longtime GOP state senators who opposed her plan to build the state’s largest prison defeated her handpicked challengers. Additionally, in the state house, Democrat Alex Holladay flipped District 70 in a special election.

Elsewhere this week, Reps. Burgess Owens (R-UT-04) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01) became the latest GOP members to decline to seek re-election, bringing the total number of GOP incumbents ditching their jobs this cycle to an eye-popping 32. In Iowa, incumbent GOP Sen. Steve Daines announced at the last minute that he will not run for another term, either, potentially making room for a Democrat to flip the seat. Following calls from both parties to drop his reelection bid, embattled Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX-23), who this week admitted that he engaged in an affair with his aide, announced that he will not seek another term.

Next Tuesday, Mississippi voters will cast their ballots, as will residents of GA-14, where there will be a special election to fill the seat of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

CALIFORNIA

On Tuesday, California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks took the unusual step of releasing an open letter imploring the party’s gubernatorial candidates to assess their viability ahead of today’s filing deadline. The current field of Democrats hoping to succeed Gov. Newsom remains large, and many candidates continue to poll in the single digits. If those lower-polling candidates stay in the race, they increase the likelihood that two GOP candidates could lock Democrats out of the November election. Yesterday, former Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon did the right thing and ended his campaign, choosing to back Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14) instead. Other candidates, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and former State Controller Betty Yee, however, filed their candidate paperwork this week, indicating that they have no intention of stepping aside for now. Ballots will be mailed by May 4th, so Democrats are running out of time to prevent the GOP from flipping this seat and destroying the good work that Gov. Newsom has done to protect the Golden State from the wrath and incompetence of FOTU$, Inc. Former California State Senate Leader Toni Atkins, who ended her gubernatorial campaign last year, put it well: “Dropping out of a big race is tough, I know this well, and everyone should have the space to do the right thing in their own way. But the clock is ticking, the stakes are high, and as Democrats, we’ve already seen what happens if we get these pivotal moments wrong. Let’s not screw this up.”

IRAN

In 2015, President Obama announced the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to limit Iran’s nuclear program.

Three years later, FOTU$ abandoned the deal.

Last Friday evening, in an unsecured room at Mar-a-Lago, FOTU$, Inc. launched the ridiculously named operation “Epic Fury” in Iran, after caving to a pressure campaign by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who convinced FOTU$ that now is the time for regime change in Iran, despite UN intelligence that did not find evidence of a coordinated Iranian program to build nuclear weapons.

Now, the U.S. is engaged in yet another GOP-led conflict in the Middle East, even as new polling shows that over two-thirds of Americans oppose regime change wars, and many prominent MAGA diehards are questioning FOTU$, Inc.’s actions.

The night after ordering the initial strikes in Iran, which hit a girls’ school and resulted in the deaths of six U.S. service members, FOTU$ attended a $1 million-a-plate fundraiser for his super PAC at Mar-a-Lago. Days later, he and Sec. of War Pete Hegseth remained unbothered by the reality that the war could drag on and continue to cause chaos and cost American lives. Despite military rules that bar active-duty service members and civilian personnel from participating in political activities, later this month, Hegseth was supposed to be a special guest at a fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA-03), who is facing a competitive re-election campaign against state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott (D-IA-014). In days since the war began, there have been multiple failed efforts in Congress to rein in FOTU$’s war powers, proving that Democrats’ best recourse continues to be winning back the House and doing their best to flip the Senate so that they can kneecap FOTU$’s agenda.

While Congress couldn’t stop the war in Iran, this week, the House Oversight Committee voted 24-19 to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi in relation to her role in the Epstein investigation. This move is significant because five GOP members backed it, and it underscores new polling that shows that most Americans want more accountability in relation to FOTU$, Inc.’s alleged involvement in covering up information connected to the Epstein files.

On Sunday, we’ll spring our clocks forward and welcome more hours of daylight. Now that the midterm elections are here, after far too many dark days under FOTU$, Inc. and his MAGA allies, the promising glow of Democratic victories across the nation is within our view, so long as we work hard over the next few months to reach it.

FIGHT
DANCE
LOVE
BE IN THE MAGIC

Susie T. Buell

P.S. In addition to this email newsletter, The Rising is now available on Substack! Please subscribe here and share the link with your networks.

P.S. Be informed. Be involved. Be Joyful. The Rising is a free weekly newsletter and a labor of love packed with need-to-know information, carefully curated good news, and easy, bite-sized actions that keep hope alive in these dark times.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee released video of depositions with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conducted as part of the panel’s investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein files. NPR

Emmanuel Damas, 56, a Haitian asylum seeker held for four months in ICE custody at Florence Correctional Center, died Monday at a Scottsdale hospital due to complications from an infected tooth after struggling to receive timely medical care. Arizona Daily Star

The Department of Defense officially notified Anthropic leadership that the company and its products have been designated a supply-chain risk. TechCrunch

Tens of thousands of Americans are losing access to treatment for HIV as nearly 20 states impose restrictions on assistance programs and several others weigh such changes.The biggest change took effect in Florida on Sunday, when officials cut off benefits for at least 16,000 residents living with HIV. The state also will no longer cover Biktarvy, the most widely prescribed HIV medication. The New York Times

Elon Musk returned to San Francisco federal court to face a fraud trial on Monday. Musk is defending himself against claims he schemed to tank Twitter’s stock price before he acquired the company in October 2022. Gazetteer

GOOD NEWS, VICTORIES, INSPIRATION, & HEROES

Good Government

• The US Supreme Court steered clear of the politically charged fray over state voting rolls, rejecting two appeals from a conservative group that sought broader access to election data in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Bloomberg Law

• A third of American workers now have access to some form of government-issued paid leave — the biggest share ever. The 19th

• The US Supreme Court declined to hear a case about whether an artwork generated with the help of AI can be copyrighted. The refusal means that a lower court’s decision to reject the copyright request will stand. Engadget

Mother Earth

• Corporate giants including Amazon and Google unveiled a $100 million effort to stake projects that cut climate “superpollutants“ like methane, black carbon, and refrigerant gases. Axios

• The best photos of the rare blood moon total lunar eclipse – in pictures. The Guardian

We Won’t Back Down

• A US trade court judge ordered the government to begin paying potentially billions of dollars in refunds to importers who paid tariffs that the supreme court said last month were collected illegally. The Guardian

• More than a dozen incidents led by FOTU$’s Border Patrol chief in Minneapolis are under criminal investigation, according to state law enforcement officials in Minnesota. The Independent

• A coalition of 24 Democratic state attorneys general and governors filed a lawsuit asking the U.S. Court of International Trade to block implementation of FOTU$’s new global 10% tariff on the grounds that it is unconstitutional and violates the law. POLITICO

• Dario Amodei said that Anthropic plans to challenge the Department of Defense’s decision to label the AI firm a supply-chain risk in court, a designation he has called “legally unsound.” TechCrunch

• A new organization launched to fight public corruption is suing FOTU$ and his attorney general, accusing them of flouting the law when they blessed the sale of TikTok’s U.S. assets to White House allies. NPR

• The Justice Department shelved an investigation into former President Joe Biden’s use of an autopen. NBC

• The Democratic effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts just gained a high-profile supporter: former President Barack Obama. POLITICO

• Mayor Jacob Frey and Public Rights Project founder and CEO Jill Habig: Our resistance in Minneapolis should be a lesson for other mayors. MS NOW

• The San Francisco Ballet withdrew from a series of performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in the latest cancellation during FOTU$, Inc.’s takeover of the institution. The New York Times

More Good News

• Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, and Philadelphia are competing to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention. Axios

• NPR is standing up for the public’s right to ask hard questions in a national campaign dubbed “For your right to be curious.“ At NPR’s headquarters, on billboards in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and across social media, NPR’s three iconic letters transform into “how,” “who,” and “why“ — a bold declaration of its commitment to fight for Americans’ right to ask questions both big and small. NHPR

• More Democrats filed to run for office in Idaho last week than at any point in recent history. 100 Democrats out of 272 candidates filed for the Legislature and ten out of 29 filed for statewide offices. Party leaders are touting their organizing and recruiting efforts, while also noting an increased interest in public office as the Republican supermajority in the Legislature votes on budget cuts. Idaho Education News

• Noah Wyle became the first male actor to sweep the actor category in all five major award shows, taking home an Emmy, a Golden Globe, the Critics’ Choice Award, and the Television Critics Association Award in addition to the Actor Award. Forbes

IMPORTANT DATES & RESOURCES

2026 Statewide Primary Election Dates:

• Tuesday, March 10th: MS

• Tuesday, March 17th: IL

• Tuesday, March 31st: AR (runoffs)

• Tuesday, April 7th: MS (runoffs)

• Tuesday, May 5th: IN, OH

• Tuesday, May 12th: NE, NC (runoffs), WV

• Saturday, May 16th: LA

• Tuesday, May 19th: AL, GA, ID, KY, OR, PA

• Tuesday, May 26th: TX (runoffs)

• Tuesday, June 2nd: CA, IA, MT, NJ, NM, SD

• Tuesday, June 9th: ME, NV, ND, SC

• Tuesday, June 16th: AL (runoffs), GA (runoffs), OK, VA

• Tuesday, June 23rd: MD, NY, SC (runoffs), UT

• Tuesday, June 27th: LA (runoffs)

• Tuesday, June 30th: CO

• Tuesday, July 28th: SD (runoffs)

• Tuesday, August 4th: AZ, KS, MI, MO, WA

• Thursday, August 6th: TN

• Saturday, August 8th: HI

• Tuesday, August 11th: CT, MN, VT, WI

• Tuesday, August 18th: AK, FL, WY

• Tuesday, August 25th: OK (runoffs)

• Tuesday, September 1st: MA

• Tuesday, September 8th: NH, RI

• Tuesday, September 15th: DE

2026 Special Election Dates:

• Tuesday, March 10th: GA-14 Special Election

• Thursday, April 16th: NJ-11 Special General Election

• Tuesday, April 21st: VA Special Redistricting Referendum Election

• Tuesday, August 4th: CA-01 Special Election

Days until the 2026 midterm election: 242

Days until the 2028 presidential election: 977

Be Prepared:

• Check your voter registration status or register to vote

• Here are your rights when protesting or interacting with immigration agents. ACLU

• Know your rights if immigration agents come to your home or workplace. United We Dream

• If you live in California, sign up for the state’s new tool to stop your data from being sold by brokers.

• Call the San Francisco Immigrant & Legal Education Network Rapid Response Hotline at (415) 200-1548 or the Alameda County Immigration Legal Education Partnership Hotline at (510) 241-4011 to report ICE activity

• If you personally witness an ICE arrest, here’s how to safely record the interaction and what to do with the recording. Witness Media Lab

Activist Resources:

• A practical guide to democracy on the brink. Indivisible

• How to leave Twitter for Bluesky. Popular Science

• The WIRED guide to protecting yourself from government surveillance. WIRED

• Call or write to your Representative or Senator. Congress.gov

• Ten things we can all do to protect democracy. Democracy Docket

• Freedom over fascism toolkit. ASO Communications/Research Collaborative

• Watch award-winning actor John Lithgow read Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century. PoliticsGirl

• 160 ways to change the world without losing your sh*t. Red Wine & Blue

TAKE CARE, FIND JOY, HELP OTHERS

Take Care

• Users are ditching ChatGPT for Claude — here’s how to make the switch. TechCrunch

• United Airlines updated its passenger agreement to require travelers to wear headphones when listening to audio or video on personal devices — and warned that those who refuse could be removed from a flight or even permanently banned. San Francisco Chronicle

• How to use a video doorbell without feeding the surveillance state. WIRED

Find Joy

• Celebrate International Women’s Day in the Bay Area: Concerts, summits, and free events. San Francisco Chronicle

• Surreal scenes from the colorful Holi festival. Reuters

• The seven best new Trader Joe’s finds to kick off spring. Food & Wine

Help Others

• See your friends and family.

• Donate to your local animal shelter.

• Give blood and get CPR certified.

• Support your local abortion fund.

• Adopt a public media station.

• Show up wherever your presence is needed.

• Tip generously.

• Want to help someone get a raise? Take the survey at the end of a customer service call.

ACTIONS

1. Tell Congress: No War with Iran
Trump has launched unauthorized military strikes on Iran, dragging the United States into yet another war without approval from Congress.

This reckless escalation is putting U.S. servicemembers, Americans, and Iranian civilians in danger all to advance a unilateral regime-change agenda that the American people never asked for and do not support.

The American public does not want another endless war in the Middle East. Congress has a constitutional obligation to assert its war powers immediately and block any further military action. The Constitution is clear: Congress, NOT the president, holds the power to declare war and to approve or disapprove sustained military engagement.

That authority is a duty.

Members of Congress must use every lever in their toolbox. From immediate oversight, to forcing a vote on a War Powers Resolution, to restricting or cutting off funding for unauthorized hostilities, to holding this administration accountable and putting an immediate stop to this war. We need to let Congress know we won’t accept anything less.

2. Participate in the Next No Kings Day on Saturday, March 28th
As President Trump escalates his attempts to control us, it is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country. If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken. We are coming together again on March 28th because we know we can overcome this repression when we unite. Click here to find your nearest event.

3. Make Your Voice Heard - Call Congress
5 Calls is the easiest and most effective way for U.S. constituents to make a political impact. Click here to find your legislators and contact them about the issues that matter to you.

4. Consider Holding Your Own Pop-Up Protest
Consider protesting in any place of visibility on your own time. All you need is a sign, a speaker of any size, some candles if you’d like, all thrown in a little backpack. Visit backbonecampaign.org for DIY kit inspiration.

5. Participate in a 50501 Protest
Click here to locate upcoming 50501 protests in your area.

6. Join Trump Regime Takedown Saturdays
Keep democracy alive every Saturday by showing up, taking a stand, and sticking together for the long haul. Standing together is better than standing alone. Let’s get together and call out the Trump/MAGA regime as a community. Plus, it’s fun! Think of it as our democracy corner—a place for you to voice your opinion, hang out with like-minded fellow protesters, and experience a cathartic moment together. Learn more and sign up here.

EVENTS

San Francisco Leader’s Circle Reception and Dinner
You’re invited to join DCCC Chairwoman Suzan DelBene, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and special guest Governor Gavin Newsom for a Leader’s Circle reception and dinner benefiting Nancy Pelosi Victory Fund.
Monday, March 9th, Evening, San Francisco, CA, RSVP here

Reception With U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01), Candidate for U.S. Senate
You’re invited to join us for a reception in support of U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Wednesday, March 11th, 5:00pm, San Francisco, CA, RSVP here

EWBA Welcomes MI State Sen. Mallory McMorrow in Marin
Electing Women Bay Area invites you to an event in support of MI State Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Friday, March 20th, 5:30pm, Larkspur, CA, RSVP here

EWBA Welcomes MI State Sen. Mallory McMorrow in Lafayette
Electing Women Bay Area invites you to an event in support of MI State Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Saturday, March 21st, 10:00am, Lafayette, CA, RSVP here

DCCC Red to Blue Reception
Please join us for a reception benefiting DCCC Red to Blue candidates JoAnna Mendoza (AZ-06), Christina Bohannan (IA-01), Paige Cognetti (PA-08), and Janelle Stelson (PA-10).
Tuesday, March 24th, 5:00pm, San Francisco, CA, RSVP here

An Evening in Support of Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12)
Please join us for a reception in support of Rep. Lateefah Simon’s re-election campaign.
Tuesday, March 31st, 6:00pm, San Francisco, CA, RSVP here

What’s the Plan with Leah and Ezra
The chaos out of the White House is meant to overwhelm us. Our antidote is community. Join Indivisible co-founders Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin every Thursday to break down the week’s biggest political stories, answer your questions, and map out strategies for taking action.
Thursdays, 3:00pm ET/12:00pm PT, RSVP here

IMAGE OF THE WEEK

“Naheed Arshad, left, joins protesters with the Milwaukee Anti-War Committee and allied local and national organizations at a rally at Zeidler Union Square on Saturday, Feb. 28 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Protestors are condemning U.S. and Israeli bombings of Iran and calling for an end to military actions there.” 📸 by Jovanny Hernandez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Via USA TODAY Network