Three to Get Ready for February 23, 2026

Bad News First

The news can be disheartening, but it can also increase our determination to do something. Let’s get information.

1. In the wake of a ProPublica report on the conditions under which children are being detained at the immigrant family detention center in Dilley Texas, troubling accounts continue to emerge from Dilley and other shelters.
2. An executive order granted limited immunity for companies making the herbicide glyphosate and EPA weakened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants.
3. Senior warrant officers in the U.S. Army must bid against one another in an auction for retention bonuses. Officers who seek higher bonuses will receive none at all. Hmm.

But Here’s the Good News

Encouraging developments don’t always make the headlines. But good news is happening, so let's give it the recognition it deserves.

1. A federal judge in West Virginia has ruled that immigration arrests by unidentified masked officials in unmarked cars without a warrant or stated legal justification are unreasonable seizures, violating the U.S. Constitution. “It is an assault on the constitutional order. It is what the Fourth Amendment was written to prevent. It is what the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment forbids.”
2. Cases against ICE protestors for impeding Homeland Security operations are falling apart because officers’ accounts lack credibility. (Note also the bad news of a previously unreported 2025 death of a U.S. citizen at the hands of Homeland Security, which the Department of Homeland Security characterizes as resulting from “defensive shots” after the victim “intentionally ran over” an agent. Sound familiar?)
3. Pope Leo declined the president’s invitation to join the “Board of Peace,” as well as the vice president’s invitation to celebrate America’s July 4 celebrations, choosing to spend the day with migrants instead. Bonus rock star good news: Bruce is undertaking a tour “in celebration and in defense of America” and U2 released a new six-song album inspired by people fighting for freedom, including a song dedicated to Renee Good.

And Here’s What You Can Do

Pope Leo and Bruce and Bono each have their own lane. Let's find yours! Try these on for size, or click More Ideas to find a perfect fit.

1. Join Stand Up for Science to send letters to your federal representatives to halt the destruction of materials in the Goddard Space Flight Center Library.
2. Why not send some postcards to women or rural voters in Virginia?
3. Activate America is organizing phone banking and postcards to impact key races. Take a look!