CRAG News, Impacts, and Resources

Hello CRAGgy Friends,
Welcome new people! This list now includes 184 people.
Today's note is a mix of news, resources, and the usual list of local meetings.

1. Bergman News
2. Uproar in Social Security Administration
3. What's going on? Find out with Tracker Sites
4. A few substacks I've been following.
5. Upcoming Local Township/city meetings
6. Events and meetings

1. Bergman News

• The event made front page news in Houghton: An Unhappy Group: Angry residents vent about Congressman Bergman, by Jennifer Donovan
  • Here's the full video.
  • And it was mentioned on the national Scott Dworkin's report:
    • 'There was another empty-seat town hall in GOP Rep. Jack Bergman’s district in Michigan. One of our readers, MC Friedrich, said: “two overflow rooms listened to participants record their 3-minute remarks.” One attendee was teacher Christiana Reynolds, who turned to the empty chair and “thanked” Bergman for taking the time to be there. Reynolds said Trump is “illegally trying to destroy the Dept. of Education,” and wondered what kids are “supposed to do when our high schools start closing?”'
• An enthusiastic group welcomed Bergman to his private visit to GS Engineering on Friday.
  

• Traverse City Indivisible is hosting another town hall on Saturday evening; it will be live-streamed.
• Bridge Michigan article on town halls. Others are protesting elsewhere in his district. Letters to the editor Mining Journal, Alpena News, and Traverse City refutes Jack's claims that town halls are funded by Soros.

2. Uproar in Social Security AdministrationA judge has temporarily blocked DOGE activities in the SSA, saying
“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion,” Hollander wrote. “It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack.”
And causing some back and forth about whether blocking 11 DOGE employees from accessing personal data means the whole agency has to be shut down. Short answer: NO, existing employees can keep working.
3. What's going on? Find out with Tracker SitesHere's an awesome List of Trackers on many topics, tariffs, health care, LGBTQ+, climate, etc. Some examples:

• Litigation tracker: useful summaries of the many lawsuits underway to block administration actions.
• DOGE Tracker: This site compares actual funds being canceled from DOGE eliminating contracts with their claims of savings. Currently: $12B verified canceled in grants and contracts vs $115B claimed. (searchable by location and type of business.)
• Project 2025 Trackers: Project 2025 serves as a guide to the government unraveling that we are seeing, overview (ACLU). Project2025 Observer compares promises to actions (does not account for actions blocked by the courts). Center for Progressive Reform also has a tracker.

4. A few substacks I've been following.

• Jessica Craven- Chop wood, carry water. practical political actions.
• Lady Libertie- The American Pamphleteer. Inspiration for saving democracy.
• Jess Piper- The view from rural Missouri. Politics in a rural area and forewarnings about what life under a republican super-majority looks like.

5. Upcoming Local Township/city meetings CALENDARWe are trying to get someone to speak up at every possible local meeting. Stand up, say your piece How are government actions affecting you? How do they hurt your community? You don't have to say a lot; some people just say a sentence or two "I'm worried about Medicaid cuts"; "I don't want Elon Musk having access to my private data."
As examples, my statements to all bodies are posted on Substack. (I can post yours, too, if you want to share.)

• March 26, 7 pm Portage Lake District Library board
• March 26, 5:30 pm Houghton City Council
• March 28th, 1 pm Calumet Township

When and where does your local city or township board meet? Let me know. Thanks to those who have shared.
6. Events and meetings CALENDAR

• March 26, AWAVE gathering at 5th and Elm, Hancock. Continuing on 4th Wednesdays.
• March 29 Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy March at the bridge. (Michigan United Action)

Ongoing:

• Yoopers for Ukraine march on the bridge every Sunday, 3 pm
• Houghton County Dems meet every first Wednesday, 7 pm at the Super 8.

Join:

• Join local Keweenaw Indivisible here. This group is actively planning multiple activities; volunteers with enthusiasm and/or talents can contribute. Contact [[email protected]](mailto: [email protected]) to connect.
• Lake Superior Region Indivisible has formed in Marquette. Contact them at [email protected].

Thanks for all your support
Stay Well
Sarah

Citizens Rally for Accountable Government
Calendar
How and why to act locally
CRAG statements to local bodies
Join CRAG
RSS Feed (paste link into your RSS reader):
https://www.fireelon.net/1/feed