New Week, Same Mess

 🧱Brick by Brick: Watching Democracy Get Dismantled🧱

📌Trump Preparing Large-Scale Cancellation of Federal Funding for California, Sources Say

What Happened: The Trump Administration is preparing to cancel millions in federal funding for California in response to the state’s allowance of transgender athletes, green energy policies, and resistance towards strict immigration/deportation measures. Specifically, the administration wants to fully terminate support for the California State University system—the state's third largest employer that plays a critical role in both engineering and biomedical research. These proposals come after Trump cut $126.4 million from flood prevention projects for blue states and used funds to punish Harvard and Columbia for their allowance of free speech.

Why It Matters: This isn’t just a budget decision—it’s a political shakedown. California is the fourth-largest economy in the world and a net payer into the federal system, meaning its success helps bankroll red states that rely heavily on federal aid. Gutting funding for its public universities and infrastructure doesn’t just punish progressive policies—it destabilizes a national economy tethered to California’s innovation and output. If the state retaliates or struggles to operate, it won’t just hurt blue America—rural red states will feel the blowback too. Using federal dollars as a weapon to force ideological conformity turns governance into extortion and bulldozes the constitutional balance between states’ rights and federal power.

📌 White House Budget Request Slashes Funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities

What Happened: Trump’s new budget request proposes slashing funding for tribal colleges and universities, ending more than $13 million in appropriations the Institute for American Indian Arts receives every year. Founded in 1962, the college has provided affordable education to thousands of Native artists for decades, but now students and faculty are worried this historic institution will have to close. Though the Department of the Interior originally promised tribal nations would be excluded from DEI cuts, layoffs in other Native programs and the breaking of treaty promises prove no marginalized group is safe.

Why It Matters: This is what happens when “eliminating woke” becomes a political stunt—students lose their education, communities lose their culture, and promises to Native nations are broken without hesitation. Defunding the Institute for American Indian Arts threatens to shutter one of the only spaces where Indigenous students can afford to study their history, express their identity, and build careers in the arts. Students are already scrambling to find answers, fearing they’ll be forced to drop out or abandon their creative paths entirely. It’s part of a broader pattern in the Trump administration: cutting support for any institution that empowers marginalized groups, even if it means dismantling lifelines generations have depended on. When education becomes the target of ideological warfare, the result isn’t fiscal savings—it’s the slow erasure of entire communities.

📌 California Democrats Push Back on Trump's Decision to Mobilize the National Guard

What Happened: Trump sent 2,000 National Guard troops to LA County after the city experienced anti-immigration raid protests. According to California’s governor Gavin Newsom, the troops were sent against his wishes and were done to “manufacture a crisis” since the protests had already concluded. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warns that active-duty Marines will be mobilized if violence continues. 

Why It Matters: This deployment signals a dangerous shift toward militarizing responses to civil dissent, treating protest as a threat rather than a democratic right. Ignoring the governor’s clear opposition undermines federalism and the balance of power designed to protect states’ autonomy. Such tactics sow distrust between communities and government, escalating tensions instead of calming them. This approach prioritizes political theater over genuine public safety, putting vulnerable civilians at unnecessary risk. Trump’s actions echo tactics from authoritarian regimes like North Korea and Russia, where force replaces dialogue and rights get trampled. It’s a stark warning that America risks trading democracy for intimidation if this approach goes unchecked.

📌 Trump Warns 'Any' Protesters at Military Parade Will Be 'Met with Heavy Force'

What Happened: On June 14th, Trump will hold a parade to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary that also happens to be his birthday. Trump warned that any protesters will be met with “heavy force”—though not specifying what exactly he means. The event is expected to cost taxpayers upwards of $45 million. While Trump claims it’s a celebration of America’s power, the resistance towards, consequences, and date of the parade prove it's nothing more than a personal vanity project.

Why It Matters: Trump’s parade isn’t a military tribute—it’s a $45 million ego boost wrapped in flags and threats. Framing dissent as danger and promising “heavy force” against protesters signals a government more interested in silencing citizens than serving them. It’s part of a growing pattern where public funds fuel Trump’s image rather than the public good. This kind of spectacle distracts from real issues while normalizing intimidation tactics. The fact that it lands on his birthday makes the whole thing feel less like patriotism and more like performance. That money could actually help veterans waiting months for basic care through the VA—but instead, a former draft dodger wants a show of strength he once avoided. If this is how he celebrates in the open, imagine how he governs behind closed doors.

📌 EPA Set to Roll Back Rules That Limit Greenhouse Gases and Mercury From US Power Plants

What Happened: Falling in line with Trump’s campaign promise to “unleash” American energy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is set to eliminate rules that limit greenhouse gas and mercury emissions from power plants. These pollutants harm the brain development of young children, increase risk for heart attacks, and disproportionately affect low-income communities. Preventing an estimated 30,000 deaths and saving $275 billion every year they are in effect, the targeted rules were key pieces in Biden’s efforts to combat climate change.

Why It Matters: Trump’s energy plan isn’t about innovation or independence—it’s about letting big polluters off the leash so he can claim a win while the rest of us choke on the consequences. In the process, he’s risking tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars a year, all while pretending the climate crisis isn’t already crashing through our front door. The burden will fall hardest on the country’s most vulnerable—low-income, Black, and Hispanic communities already breathing in the worst air. This is a textbook example of prioritizing industry profits over public health, science, and basic decency. Environmental advocates are preparing to fight back in court, but the pressure is now on the EPA to decide whether it will protect people or power plants.

📌 Fulbright Scholarship Board Members Resign Over ‘Unprecedented Actions’ by the Trump Administration

What Happened: The Fulbright Scholarship, established in 1946, offers select students and teachers an educational cultural exchange program in their country of choice. Becoming the latest target in Trump’s crusade over education, his administration has denied a substantial number of Fulbright awards to those already selected. This move caused nearly all members of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to resign over concerns Trump is jeopardizing the academic freedom, free speech, and non-partisanship of the program. 

Why It Matters: Trump’s move to sabotage the Fulbright Program takes a sledgehammer to a legacy of global learning that’s uplifted generations of scholars. Stripping awards from already-selected students creates chaos and uncertainty for those who planned their futures around these opportunities. It also sends a chilling message: international collaboration, academic freedom, and critical thinking are no longer safe under this administration. This fits into a larger pattern—targeting foreign students, censoring campuses, and trying to turn education into a loyalty test. If intellectual exchange is now considered a threat, then ignorance isn’t a side effect of his agenda—it’s the goal.

🎭 Meme of the Week

See you next week—stay informed, stay engaged, and don’t let the BS fool you.

✨Your movement bestie – Shae

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