Last weekend, some friends had us over for a fire in the yard and the husbands played some music. It is not always easy to find time for joy and community in these tough times, but it is increasingly important. It was a lovely night.
I was listening to the fellows play Ripple, the Grateful Dead masterpiece, and the line “You who choose to lead must follow” stuck out to me like it never had before.
I’ve thought about that line before, as I have thought about the entire song. Ripple is one of my favorites. Like many Robert Hunter songs, it plays with the theme of a life that is all our own but is also inextricably connected to other lives.
One of the most widely quoted verses of the song clearly lays out that we have our own paths and our own lives:
There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone
Couldn’t be clearer: your life (that which happens between the dawn and dark of night) is for your steps alone. If you go, no one may follow. It is yours and yours alone.
But then there is the line that got my attention this listen through:
You who choose to lead must follow
I’ve heard this line literally hundreds of times before (I love this song). I’ve always thought of it in terms of the spiritual and religious themes of the song. As Garcia sings earlier in the song:
Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men
A fountain that can fill us up that was not made by the hands of men. Something beyond. Something spiritual. Something with deeper meaning. Something that can fill us up. Whatever that non-man made fountain is for you -- God. Nature. The Universe -- It can fill you. And you should let it.
So I thought of the line about “you who choose to lead must follow” in that context. If you choose to lead other people through this life, you must follow that fountain. You must follow a code. Something bigger than you. You who choose to lead must follow the path that will fill people’s cups rather than leading for your own selfish or shortsighted needs.
You who choose to lead must follow. Follow whatever it is that created that fountain.
So that is where I was with it, but the other night I heard it in terms of the whole verse:
You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone
If you should stand then who's to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home
Every line in this seems to say something different. The first line implies that we can choose to lead others (if we follow). The second says that when we fall — when we don’t follow our path — we are all alone. The third says implies that we need a guide. And the final — the most beautiful line in the history of all lyrics: If I knew the way, I would take you home.
Every line a slightly different take. Can we help one another? Are we in this alone? Can we lead? How can we lead if we don’t know the way home?
And all of that hits me in a new way now. Because as I get older, and life gets more complicated, and the world gets more complex, I find that — not only do I desperately want to lead and help and ease the world for others — but I am increasingly unsure if I am doing it right. My own life. My own decisions. Other people’s decisions. The advice I give.
I spoke to a friend last night who has a leadership position at a university that is being pushed further and further right. Is her role helping to protect people at this time? Or is she a cog in a fascist machine? What is the right thing to do when you might be a little bit of both of those? Where is the line and what if you don’t see it in time?
These are hard, hard decisions. I gave my advice, but I don’t know if it is right.
And I come here every week and share some thoughts and good news with all of you. They aren’t ever perfect or completely right. Sometimes they may even be the wrong words to help people.
But maybe, just maybe, it is ok that my message is imperfect and my prose sometimes misses the mark. As Hunter wrote:
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If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near as it were your own?
.
I don’t ever get this just right, but, because of that, you can hear me, the flawed and very human person in it. It is my voice giving a friend advice and trying to be here for as many people as need it.
.
It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
I don't know, don't really care
.
Let there be songs to fill the air
.
So in these awful times, with all these difficult decisions, we all need to lead and we all need to follow. We need to know that there is a fountain not made by men and we can fill our cups there — whether it be nature or religion or music or any other spiritual endeavor.
And we need one another’s words. Whether they are the right ones or not. We need our songs to fill the air. We need to be there to help and guide one another. We should all choose to lead. We cannot just stand there and let the world be. We have to move. We have to act. We have to be a part of a brighter world.
And we need to remember that so many people want to help us find our way home. We are not alone.
It is the love that matters.
Now onto the good news
Democrats are amazing
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Bennet runs out of patience with RFK Jr and yells at him that "I'm asking the questions on behalf of parents and schools and teachers all over the United States of America who deserve so much better than your leadership! That's what this conversation is about."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-09-04T15:13:29.038Z
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WARNER: Do you accept the fact that 1 million Americans died from covid?
RFK Jr: I don't know how many died
W: You're the secretary of health and human services. You don't have any idea how many Americans died from covid?
RFK Jr: I don't think anybody knows that
W: How can you be that ignorant?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-09-04T15:18:14.453Z
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Wyden to RFK Jr: "I hope that you will tell the American people how many preventable child deaths are an acceptable sacrifice for enacting an agenda that I think is fundamentally cruel and defies common sense."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-09-04T14:44:26.737Z
Gov. Hochul authorizes pharmacists to give COVID vaccines
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed an executive order allowing pharmacists in New York to administer COVID-19 vaccines for the next 30 days, in response to federal guidelines that limit vaccine recommendations.
The executive order, which can be renewed every 30 days, aims to maintain vaccine access without requiring a doctor’s prescription. This move comes as New York experiences approximately 600 new COVID-19 cases per day, highlighting the urgency of maintaining vaccine availability.
“This is a power I have to use in the interim,” Hochul stated, emphasizing the need for immediate action until the legislature reconvenes in January to pass more permanent legislation.
Governor Hochul criticized federal guidelines that restrict COVID-19 vaccine recommendations to certain groups, such as those over 65, and exclude expectant mothers and children. She expressed concern over the federal government’s decision, stating, “I don’t understand why you won’t let families have the choice to protect their children’s health.”
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Pritzker: "I refuse to pretend that any of this is normal ... I refuse to fall into the pundit trap that demands we sacrifice vital constitutional rights if it's being done in the fake guise of fighting crime."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-09-02T20:20:30.823Z
It was a terrible week for the jackass
His bad week started at the very start of the week (last weekend)
Trump’s long weekend of humiliation
Alas, Trump is still alive, but there is a consolation prize for those who were holding vigil: He and the White House reacted with over-the-top defensiveness, removing all doubt that the infamous narcissist was feeling deeply embarrassed by the gleeful speculation of his demise.
In case his weekend wasn’t humiliating enough, Trump also got hit with an epic FOMO moment, when Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping got together without him. The three dictators made sure to rub his nose in it with a bunch of images of their happy, Trump-free get-together.
The president did not take well to his weekend of reminders that everybody hates him — at least anyone who sees him clearly. (The zealots at his rallies don’t count, as they seem to deliberately avoid all evidence of his true character, relating only to a silly fantasy sold by right-wing propagandists like Fox News.) Both Trump and White House staff scrambled to conceal his ego injury, but in doing so, they only drew more attention to how much this is all getting under his paper-thin skin. Trump has been turning up the volume on his dictator fantasies lately, but the weekend was a glorious reminder that all his bellowing and threats aren’t accomplishing what he wants more than anything: To make people stop laughing at him. If anything, the contrast between his self-importance and his actual worthlessness is drawing louder scorn all the time.
But the president’s repeated humiliations this weekend also offer some hope. His efforts to be a terrifying figure are routinely undercut by his clownishness. The more he tries to appear mighty, the more he seems increasingly frail in his rapidly aging body.
The goal of fascist leaders is to scare people into submission by seeming invulnerable and all-powerful. But as more people dunk on Trump and mock him for looking weak and old, it becomes harder for him to pull that off — especially if he keeps on lashing out.
Over the past few days, federal courts around the country delivered a series of tough blows to Trump’s fascist agenda.
Trump’s losses in the federal courts continue to pile up, and this week saw a number of critical rulings go against him. Judges from D.C. to Texas to California rejected the Trump regime’s illegal overreach on tariffs, deportations, military law enforcement and even his invocation of the Alien Enemies Act.
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A major ruling from the Federal Circuit invalidating most of Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs;
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A long weekend emergency ruling stopping planeloads of unaccompanied children from being deported to Guatemala;
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Trump’s big loss after a bench trial in California over his unlawful use of federal troops in that state; and
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The Fifth Circuit smackdown of Trump’s invocation of the “Alien Enemies Act” to justify summary deportation of alleged gang members.
Make no mistake: These are big losses that carry major implications for Trump’s plans to isolate the U.S., impose a police state, and conduct mass detentions and deportations.
And if you’re now thinking to yourself, “What does it matter? The Supreme Court will just reverse these” or “Great, but Trump will just disobey the orders,” I want to hit pause and do a reality check. As I’ll explain toward the end of this piece, these arguments, while common and understandable, simply don’t match the facts on the ground.
Trump Has Worst Morning as Victims Strike Back in DC
Donald Trump just had a terrible morning. And in true Trump fashion, he tried to cover up his panic with a pathetic stunt: a military flyover of the Epstein survivors’ press conference in Washington, D.C. He claimed it was because the leader of Poland was visiting. Please. The timing made it clear. This was an intimidation tactic aimed at silencing brave survivors who refuse to be silenced any longer.
How sick is that? Instead of showing compassion or even basic humanity, Trump staged a war-game spectacle above survivors of sexual abuse. That’s who he is. A coward who hides behind stunts when the truth hits too close to home.
And what a truth it is. Survivor after survivor came forward to share what they endured, how Epstein bragged constantly about his close friendship with Trump, and how powerful men gave him a “free pass.” They spoke about the lifelong trauma they carry and their determination to create their own list of the predators who enabled Epstein’s world. These survivors are stronger than Trump will ever be. And he knows it.
Trump has reason to be afraid of the American people
Trump has reason to be afraid of the American people for another reason, too: they want to see the files from the federal investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, especially now that they know Trump is mentioned in those files. Speaker Johnson dismissed the House early for its August break this year to avoid having to deal with the demands of members for the release of the files, but now Congress is back in session and the demands are right back on the table. Trump has tried to stop Republicans from asking for the files by warning such a demand would be seen as a hostile act against the administration.
But it did not silence the words of survivor Jess Michaels.
“For 27 years, I thought I was the only one that Jeffrey Epstein raped. I believed I was alone, and I was kept silent by the shame that was inside me and by the fear outside in the world,” she said. “But I wasn't the only one. None of us were. And what once kept us silent now fuels that fire and the power of our voices. We are not the footnotes in some infamous predator’s tabloid article. We are the experts and the subjects of this story. We are the proof that fear did not break us. And we don't just speak for ourselves, but for every survivor whose story is still unspoken…. This is what power looks like. Survivors united, voices joined, refusing to be dismissed. Know this: justice and accountability are not favors from the powerful. They are obligations, decades overdue. This moment began with Epstein's crimes, but it's going to be remembered for survivors demanding justice, demanding truth, demanding accountability, and we will not stop until survivor voices shape justice, transform culture, and define the future. We are no longer whispers. We are one powerful voice, too loud to ignore, and we will never be silenced again.”
It was a bad day to be Donald Trump.
rule of law, American democracy, and the pursuit of justice.
One day after a federal judge ruled that Trump's use of the National Guard to occupy Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act, two other federal judges handed Trump significant losses:
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A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump's deportation of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador was unlawful and not authorized by the Alien Enemies Act.
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US District Judge Allison Burroughs ruled that Trump unlawfully withheld $2 billion in grants from Harvard University.
Collectively, the decisions invalidate significant portions of Trump's attempts to overturn the Constitution and usurp Congress’s power over immigration, appropriations, and the peacetime use of the military on US soil.
turns out firing the numbers person doesn’t improve numbers.
Trump Suffers Jobs Numbers Disaster After Firing Stats Chief
Donald Trump’s contentious decision to fire the U.S. statistics chief has done little to stem an economic slump, with the latest jobs report showing only 22,000 jobs were added in August - well below expectations.
One month after Trump sacked the Bureau of Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer in response to weak job numbers, the unemployment rate rose to 4.3 per cent, the highest since 2021.
Ahead of Kennedy hearing, GOP saw poll showing Trump voters support vaccines
The poll, conducted by veteran Republican pollsters, found that a majority of Trump voters believe vaccines save lives and support immunizations against measles and hepatitis B.
whoops sounds like ANOTHER of the idiot things you are doing is hated by even your people. Who knew that doing dumb things that hurt people would be unpopular?
Moron.
and finally from the New Yorker How Many Court Cases Can Trump Lose in a Single Week?
Is Donald Trump tired yet of all the losing? During the past week alone, federal judges across the country have rejected some of the most important and far-reaching of Trump’s initiatives—from his efforts to reshape the global economy with tariffs and mobilize the military to act as police in American cities to his refusal to spend billions of dollars in congressionally appropriated funds. The President continues to cite nonexistent emergencies to justify his executive overreach and judges continue to call him out on it, issuing stern rebukes in the tradition of Judge Beryl Howell, who, during a case this spring about the firings of civil servants, observed that “an American President is not a king—not even an ‘elected’ one.”
I’m not sure that this week’s epic losing streak has received the attention that it deserves, no doubt in part because America had other things to worry about, such as whether Trump was actually alive, despite all the internet rumors. It speaks to the present moment that the President is not only very much still with us but has already started fund-raising off the social-media frenzy surrounding his supposed death over Labor Day weekend. (“These rumors are just another desperate attack from the failing left who can’t stand that we’re WINNING and bigly!” the e-mail pitch that arrived in my inbox on Thursday morning said.) But what does it say about the state of things that disputing rumors of his death turns out to be a welcome distraction from underlying political realities for Trump?
“but we’ll never have elections...”
Yes, we will. First:
and this
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Some reassuring info from Joyce Vance:
"(T)he law. 18 U.S.C. § 592 explicitly prohibits any U.S. civil, military, or naval officer from bringing, keeping, or having control of troops or armed men at any polling place during an election."
But she stresses that an engaged public is needed, too.
— Dave Haldiman (@opposablethumbs.bsky.social) 2025-09-03T12:02:48.188Z
and this:
Other Good News
Republicans Break Ranks to Block the Censure of a House Democrat
Representative LaMonica McIver, a New Jersey Democrat, on Wednesday overcame a Republican-led effort to punish her for her role in a clash outside a migrant detention center in Newark that has become a hub of protest over President Trump’s deportation policies.
on Wednesday afternoon seven Republicans joined with Democrats to block a resolution that would have led her to be censured and removed from the Committee on Homeland Security.
What can you do to save democracy?
First, continue to find joy in your life! Don’t let that fuckface live rent free in your mind! This is your life!!!!!
Second, if you can, it is time to start donating. I set up a fundraising page!
It splits our donations among the 15 seats held by Republicans in swing districts. These are seats that were either won by a margin of 4% or less or were won by Harris in 2024. In other words, these are seats we can win in 2026. None of them are in CA or TX (and thus likely to be redistricted). Any money you donate will go directly to whomever our candidate will be in 2026. We only need to flip three of these!
Here is the link:
Some other ways to get involved
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If you can, I strongly recommend going to an in person meeting in your area. One way to find a local group is through indivisible: indivisibleproject.formstack.com/…
- Join the truth brigade! Grassroots-powered lie-stopping. Person by person; mind by openewww.dailykos.com/...d mind
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Election Response Center is a project hosted by Working Families Party, MoveOn Civic Action, Indivisible, and Public Citizen. They are organizing lots of events to get people fighting. Join one at this link
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The ACLU plays a key role in filing lawsuits that often stop voter suppression. Get involved with them at this link.
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Get involved with the Democratic party. We aren’t perfect, but they are fucking evil.
- Get involved with the States Project They are working on turning state legislatures blue
- Get involved with Swing Left. They are working on races right now!
- People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. Get involved with them here
- Center for American Progress Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan policy institute and advocacy organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas, as well as strong leadership and concerted action. Get involved with them here
Looking for something more specific?
Want to focus on the ENVIRONMENT:
Want to focus on CIVIL RIGHTS:
HUMAN RIGHTS - GENERALLY:
LGBTQ+:
WOMEN:
Huge thanks to DKos user dabug for help with this list.
Don’t let the options overwhelm you! Try to pick one thing and see if it calls to you. If it doesn’t find something else.
There are so many ways to get involved and help!
Some inspiration before I say goodbye
“Whatever happens, stay alive.
Don't die before you're dead.
Don't lose yourself, don't lose hope, don't lose direction.
Stay alive, with yourself, with every cell of your body, with every fiber of your skin.
Stay alive, learn, study, think, read, build, invent, create, speak, write, dream, design.
Stay alive, stay alive inside you, stay alive also outside, fill yourself with colors of the world, fill yourself with peace, fill yourself with hope.
Stay alive with joy.
There is only one thing you should not waste in life,
and that's life itself..."
by Virginia Woolf
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At Albany Bulb with Elaine
By Alison Luterman
Side by side on a log by the bay.
Sunlight. Unleashed dogs,
prancing through surf, almost exploding
out of their skins with perfect happiness.
Dogs who don't know about fired park rangers,
or canceled health research, or tariff wars,
or the suicide hotline for veterans getting defunded,
or or or. We've listed horror upon horror
to each other for weeks now, and it does no good,
so instead I tell her how I held a two-day old baby
in my arms, inhaling him like a fresh-baked loaf of bread,
then watched as a sneeze erupted through his body
like a tiny volcano. It was the look of pure
astonishment on his face, as if he were Adam
in the garden of Eden making his debut achoo,
as if it were the first sneeze that ever blew,
that got me. She tells me how her dog
once farted so loudly he startled himself
and fell off the bed where he'd been lolling,
and then the two of us start to laugh so hard
we almost fall off our own log. And this
is our resistance for today; remembering
original innocence. And they can't
take it away from us, though they ban
our very existence, though they slash
our rights to ribbons, we will have
our mirth and our birthright gladness.
Long after every unsold Tesla
has vaporized, and earth has closed over
even the names of these temporary tyrants,
somewhere some women like us
will be sitting side by side, facing the water,
telling human stories and laughing still.
I am so proud and so lucky to be in this with all of you. ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 💙❤️💛💚✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
