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Three to Get Ready for
August 20, 2026

Three things you should know about the U.S. government.
Three reasons to believe things can get better.
Three things you can do to help.
Three times a week.
Let’s go!
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Bad News First

The news can be overwhelming, but it can also inform, inspire, and focus our engagement. Let’s gird our loins and take a quick peek.

  1. The deficit has reached $40 trillion for the first time, the market for U.S. Treasury Bonds is becoming volatile, and although military spending remains opaque, the financial impact of the war in Iran is hitting home.

  2. More than 400 previously public federal datasets have disappeared.

  3. An authorless “Census Bureau Report” purports that it “proves” claims of non-citizen voting.

But Here's the
Good News!

Encouraging developments don’t always make the headlines, But good news can provide us with hope and momentum, so let's take heart!

  1. A federal judge temporarily blocked  changes to a federal program aimed at reducing teen pregnancy.

  2. A federal appeals court upheld a temporary order blocking ICE enforcement at or near houses of worship nationwide.

  3. The president’s approval ratings are lower than ever and democratic voter turnout is soaring.

And Here's What You Can Do!

Even small efforts have the potential to ripple out in ways we don’t expect. Plus, doing good is good for you. Give it a try and see!

  1. Review the updated Autocracy Index and resolve to do one thing to support free and fair midterm elections.

  2. What are you doing on August 28? How about you help Defend the Vote?

  3. Forward this newsletter to someone who might like to make do-able democracy part of their weekly routine. P.S. The Action Library has more than 200 ideas!

Past Issues

Here's what's going on and some tips for getting ready to VOTE.
Vote now, so you have time to sort out any shenanigans.
Things are getting weird, and will probably get weirder. Let's focus on VOTING.
Are we working on our ballots this weekend? Here's a timesaver and more.
What's bad for voters and (maybe, we hope) good for democracy? Inflation
There's a lot we can do right now. Let's get busy.

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