Is it just us, or did something change this week?

First, there was the remarkable spectacle of GOP members of Congress pushing for real accountability for the clients and friends of Jeffrey Epstein. Even Trump’s desperate, ham-fisted attempt at distraction fell flat.

Then came the RFK, Jr. hearings, in which the HHS Secretary took heat from several GOP Senators — and was reduced to petulant sputtering by the Democrats, who came out swinging.

Then there were the significant losses in court — on tariffs, on funding for Harvard, and their attempts to use the Alien Enemies Act as a tool to deport people (in the 5th Circuit!). And there’s the embarrassing spectacle of the DOJ’s failure to secure charges against street protestors in DC and New York.

Another big story this week was the growing speculation about Trump’s health and age. The general public and the media alike aren’t buying the cover story that there’s nothing to see here.

The through line in all these stories this week is that Trump and his minions are losing credibility with the American people. (And HOO BOY, this won’t help.)

We all know by now how Trump responds when he’s losing control: he’ll take an aggressive, base-pleasing action to try to change the subject — call it his “Heil Mary” play. Something like, say, murdering 11 individuals on a boat in international waters. Or attempting to strip Constitutional rights from trans people.

Will it work? It has in the past, as his supporters seem eternally willing to overlook their misgivings about Trump, as long as he keeps attacking people they’ve been conditioned to hate.

What we need right now is for the opposition to STAY ON OFFENSE. Hammer away relentlessly at all these illegalities and inconsistencies. Keep pressing on the weak spots. Could the Dems learn here in the late innings how to act like winners?

Mark your calendars for our next FORWRD WITH FRIENDS happy hour! As a reminder, we’re hosting a series of happy hours to create opportunities to invite new folks into the fold … and we hope you’ll help by bringing a friend or two along.

We’ll be playing POLITICAL DIRTBAG TRIVIA, too … assemble your teams and we’ll see you there!

Thanks to everyone who cleaned out their closets and came out for our first-ever clothing swap at Shipe Park this week. And BIG THANKS to Laura Carbonneau and her committee of Hyde Park neighbors for putting together such a great event!

The idea for this event was hatched at the FORWRD Hyde Park meetup as a low-key opportunity to invite our younger friends and neighbors to join us.

Plus, as Laura pointed out, “we all have too many clothes.” Yeah, guilty as charged. Local organizations Heartening and Casa Marianella are grateful for everything that we didn’t swap.

Special thanks to the Blowcomotion brass band for making it a party! It was a great evening to be in Hyde Park!

If you attended the NO KINGS protest in June, you were part of one of largest days of protest in American history. Now the goal is to go even BIGGER, on Saturday, October 18.

Let’s start making our plans … we’ll want to show out in FULL FORCE for this one. We’ll be thinking about how we can show up (and tapping the big brains of our Arts & Culture committee, naturally). Tell your friends, tell your kids, tell your book club — it’s time to hit the streets again.

FORWRD member and all-around dynamo Jamie Gardner has been working with the League of Women Voters and other volunteers to canvass businesses around the Lamar & Rundberg area to inform them of their rights in case of an ICE raid.

The group drops off information kits, leaves stacks of red Know Your Rights cards for customers and employees, and registers new voters (you can become a Volunteer Deputy Registrar and do this, too!). They’d like to expand to other neighborhoods with high Spanish-speaking populations.

One FORWRD member who went with Jamie last week described the experience as “the most useful thing I’ve done since I started getting involved in political action.”

Jamie’s hosting a planning meeting TOMORROW (Saturday, 9/6) from 10-12 — if you’re interested in joining, you can email her for the location and details. THANK YOU, Jamie & crew, for everything you’re doing to help our neighbors stay safe!

For Friday, September 5th: 

💜= FORWRD member recommended

Local Austin events (in person):