College of Constructive Hell-Raising

06/06/2026

New series for kids from those card-carrying ACLUers….

Class is in session! We’re breaking down civil rights and liberties in fun, digestible formats for kids and grownups alike in our new series, Know Your Right...

06/06/2026

Damned outside of the Status Quo. Damned as a part of it…..

"Writing in The New York Times, the researchers hypothesized that there wasn’t a correlation with anti-transgender bias as much as there was, oddly, a correlation with “anti-establishment” bias.

The sustained social disruption since 2020 has fueled resentment and a loss of confidence in institutions perceived to have failed — governments, corporations, the broader establishment. By 2020, support for gay and le***an equality had become an establishment position. Corporate America, for example, demonstrated a concrete commitment to gay rights, with companies donating hundreds of thousands of dollars for Pride celebrations and other efforts at gay and le***an inclusion.

In other words, g**s and le***ans were “collateral damage,” they theorized, amid a larger revolt against established institutions."

Trump and the GOP are fomenting a full-throated backlash meant to destroy LGBTQ rights, including marriage equality. But we have the power to stop it.

06/06/2026

Does it work on the demographic it’s targeting?

This country belongs to whoever shows up. And do you know who shows up for every election? Old people. But only 46% of people18-34 years old voted in the las...

06/05/2026

Texas Theater. June 11th, 6 pm.
Texas Organizing Project sponsored film on Data Centers.
Let them know you’re coming:

06/04/2026

"Data center demand is becoming one of the defining forces shaping U.S. power markets in 2026, creating new opportunities and new constraints across generation, transmission, and project development. As AI demand accelerates and developers race to secure power, questions around siting, permitting, local sentiment, and infrastructure readiness are becoming increasingly important.

​Join Heatmap and Orennia for a conversation on the evolving data center landscape, including where projects are moving forward, where opposition is emerging, and how sentiment, permitting risk, and power market dynamics are influencing siting and investment decisions.

​The conversation will explore the latest trends in data center demand, behind-the-meter opportunities, and the signals energy stakeholders should be watching as the sector continues to evolve."

Data center demand is becoming one of the defining forces shaping U.S. power markets in 2026, creating new opportunities and new constraints across generation,…

06/04/2026

"Before I leave the stage, I have one last thing to say.

'Every single person here has a voice, we have the privilege to use it when millions around the world are struggling and suffering to be heard,' Hijaz said.

'Whether it's the millions suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan and so many other countries around the world, or the families being torn apart by ICE, these are not distant issues.

'They are happening right now as I speak,' she said, drawing cheers from the audience.

'My point is, we're not given a voice to stay silent,' Hijaz added."

Clayton High School senior Leen Hijaz was concluding her commencement address on Thursday when she pivoted to last-minute unapproved remarks.

06/04/2026

Protests work:

“We’re seeking a humane response to something that is as close to evil as I’ve ever seen,” one volunteer told HuffPost.

06/03/2026

fyi:

06/02/2026

Whether you agree with former Mayor Laura Miller’s political Rx or not, it’s been our experience that her description of how Dallas City Hall works is very on-point. Just dropped on Monday, about the same time as the Mavs announcement that they’re going to Valley View.

Reporter. Councilmember. Mayor. Laura Miller has fought Dallas city hall from every seat at the table. The future of downtown hinges on one bold structural change.

06/01/2026

"A self-trained community educator and activist, Yin wants to be the Allen wrench, that little L-shaped hex key in almost every IKEA box, to connect people with their local government. Yin has done that by creating two podcasts — Only in San Jose and Only in Santa Clara County — that seek to demystify topics including how to speak at City Council meetings, understanding county budgets and the role of public commissions. “I’m building a library of civic knowledge,” Yin told San José Spotlight. “The goal is to transform the way we practice democracy in local government."

Ellina Yin compares citizen participation in local government to putting together a piece of IKEA furniture using one of those frustrating assembly manuals that have no words. A self-trained community educator and activist, Yin wants to be the Allen wrench, that little L-shaped hex key in almost eve...