Hosted by Religions for Peace USA—a global interfaith network dedicated to peace, justice, and human dignity—this panel brings together spiritual leaders from diverse traditions to explore how faith communities can help renew democracy and show up with courage and moral clarity. We’ll be joined by: Rev. Paul Raushenbush of Interfaith Alliance; Jeanné  Lewis from Faith in Public Life; Dr. Sousan Abadian of the Interfaith Council of DC; and, Dr. Naeem Baig, former moderator of Religions for Peace USA. Let’s gather, reflect, and find strength.

Defend Democracy and Protect Freedom
Endorsed by UUSJ and many other non-governmental organizations

We've been learning how to mobilize, and May Day is our next chance to Rise for Freedom!  Let's make May 1st as successful as April 5th when we came together in peace and joy to say Hands Off! 

Democracy Leaders Event
Hosted by UUSJ’s Democracy Action Team

Wednesday, May 28
7:30 p.m. ET • 6:30 p.m. CT • 5:30 p.m. MT • 4:30 p.m. PT
RSVP Online

Hill Days 2025
June 16-17
RSVP

We are planning a UU Hill Day together with UUSC, UUMFE, and UUJEC, that will allow you to speak justice in the language of your faith and ensure our voices and values are heard loud and clear. This will be an opportunity to level a collective, faithful advocacy response to the human rights and environmental harms enacted by the new administration, and we will confront the assault on immigrants and our constitutional norms.

Review the details to find out more and donate to support the Hill Outing.

Comically depressing coverage

Reporter Mehdi Hasan summarizes Trump’s presidency, so far, at breakneck speed in his video, Trump’s 100 Days in 100 Seconds, for his media outlet Zeteo.

“fight—EVERYWHERE AND ALL AT ONCE.”

It seems the poltical types might finally be getting the message more and more Americans have been sending. See the rousing speech by Governor J.B. Pritzker in New Hampshire, see Letters from an American, April 28, by Heather Cox Richardson, for a text copy and some context, or a segment by Jen Psaki, MSNBC, or the full speech via NBC.

1st 100-Days Bipartisan Poll of Hispanic Voters

UnidosUS, Voces Unidas, LULAC, and Climate Power en Accion collaborated to sponsor a bipartisan poll of 1,002 Hispanic voters, with over-samples in AZ, CA, CO, FL and TX conducted by the bipartisan polling team of BSP and Shaw & Co. Research. See the Press Release, a webinar video, a set of interactive results, and check out the methodology. 

Select key findings:

• 63% have an unfavorable view of the President, and 59% disapprove of the job he is doing.
• 60% have an unfavorable view of Republicans in Congress, and 59% disapprove of the way they are handling their congressional majority.
• Four of the top five priorities for Hispanic voters continue to be driven by pocketbook issues.
• 60% believe President Trump and congressional Republicans are not focusing enough attention on lowering the cost of everyday necessities.
• 78% of Latino voters believe it is important to deport dangerous criminals, but that President Trump and congressional Republicans should not target long-residing undocumented immigrants without criminal records.
• 60% disapprove of eliminating funds for programs that help Americans pay their electricity bills to help cut the federal budget.

A session on pro-democracy litigation

UUSJ hosted Sunu Chandy, Esq., Senior Advisor at Democracy Forward, in conversation with Pablo DeJesús, Executive Director of UUSJ, about the work of Democracy Forward (DF). The conversation covered the broad contours of the legal landscape and what we should all understand about the challenges to our democracy, freedoms, and liberties. 

The session was not recorded and closed to the press, but Sunu shared many interesting and insightful comments as well as the following resources:

• Democracy Forward Executive Order Center - tracks the EOs and which ones are being challenged
• LGBTQ Bar - Cases tracking LGBTQ related EOs
• Safeguarding and Strengthening Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives - Civil Rights work - While there are now over 100 cases citing last year’s Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and UNC (“SFFA”), DF’s report highlights how the anti-equity efforts to weaponize this decision have largely failed in the courts. 
• DF lawsuit challenges the unlawful removal of EEOC Commissioner Jocelyn Samuels - Civil Rights agencies are being weaponized, including, of course, DOJ and HHS. These are a few examples regarding the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• For information on Federal Workers Legal Defense, visit Workers Legal Defense. Federal workers seeking legal support can start here. If you are a lawyer looking to volunteer, sign up here.
• Sunu's debut poetry book is called My Dear Comrades. See The UU World, “Picking Up Linzer Torte Cookies for the Quaker Potluck” (March 2025) and upcoming events.

How Tariffs impact our democracy

Want to push back on the tariffs? Call the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask to be connected to your Members of Congress, and ask them to support and co-sponsor S. 1272 / H.R. 2665, the Trade Review Act of 2025. Both bills have bipartisan support. You can also write to most members by dropping a comment on their websites.

According to an April 18-22 Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos national poll, 64% of Americans disapprove of the president’s efforts to raise import taxes. That is not surprising, given that tariffs increase the cost of producing and selling products, and generally, the price as well. 

• The U.S. government receives additional money from the tariffs, and consumers pay for it. It’s a tax increase, an increase in our cost of living. The higher the tariffs, the more we pay, if we can even get the products at all.
• The tariffs are damaging our relationships with other countries. Our good friends in Canada and many other countries do not appreciate the way they are being treated, and are now boycotting the U.S. That hurts our businesses that rely on people travelling to the United States, and destroys businesses that rely on imported products. 
• The tariffs also increase stock market volatility, decrease consumer confidence, and increase the risk of a recession. 

Government Lookie-Loo

The CBPP has a new post IRS-ICE Agreement Weakening Privacy Protections Poses Risks for All Taxpayers, which highlights the consequences of the administration’s approach to governance.

Cold Shoulder for Afghans

The administration appears to be on the verge of sending those Afghans who supported the U.S. in the Afghan War back to a very uncertain future under the Taliban. 'We're Breaking Our Promises': Afghans Who Helped US at Risk of Deportation as Trump Ends Protections, Military.com

The current TPS designation for Afghanistan is in effect through May 20, 2025. It has been reported in media that the administration may terminate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation despite Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) member organizations’ requests–UUSJ is a member– to the outgoing Biden administration DHS (in November and December) and the Trump administration DHS (in March) to continue the designation first created in 2022 and redesignated and extended in 2023.

In the view of EOA advocates, termination of TPS for Afghanistan would be inconsistent with the TPS statute and spirit of the law, which is intended to protect individuals from deportation. At the same time, conditions are unsafe in the designated country.

Immigrants Face an Uncertain Future

In the U.S., immigrants are facing grave challenges due to punishing policies and hostile social attitudes. Recently implemented policies include stricter enforcement measures and cuts in funding for refugee resettlement and other support for immigrants. There are glimmers of hope for the future as resistance and resilience among immigrant communities and advocacy by allies are beginning to lead to a pause in a few harsher policies, such as deportations without due process.

Now, one hundred days into President Trump’s second term, the refugee resettlement program remains indefinitely suspended, and no refugees are arriving. In addition, contracts with organizations that process refugees overseas and provide critical Reception and Placement (R&P) services to those who have already arrived remain suspended. Recently, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the administration must process and resettle over 10,000 refugees who had completed all necessary processing steps and had booked flights the U.S. So far, the administration has done little to comply with this ruling.

House and Senate Republicans are currently working on drafting their “reconciliation” budget package, which appears likely to include significant cuts to programs like SNAP and Medicaid, while providing huge increases in funding for border militarization and ICE immigration enforcement, detention, and deportation. The future of funding for programs for refugees and asylum seekers remains uncertain.

Many of the estimated eleven million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have been here for ten years or longer. They are our neighbors, co-workers, and friends and are a valued part of our communities. They play a vital role in various industries, such agriculture, construction, transportation, hospitality, and healthcare. UUSJ remains committed to seeking pathways to permanent residency for immigrants who pose no threat to public safety or national security.

Voters Alarmed by Costs, Abuse of Power, and Clean Energy Cuts

Founding staff writer at Heatmap, Emily Pontecorvo, shares 5 Charts to Help Make Sense of Trump’s First 100 Days, writing, “Trump has gutted the staff of key agencies dealing with climate policy and science, and shut multiple offices focused on environmental justice. His administration has taken offline thousands of web resources related to climate change and shut down a $5 billion offshore wind project that had just started construction. And then there’s the fact that now everyone, no matter what side of the energy transition they fall on, is talking about “energy dominance.”

A recent poll by Climate Power, in partnership with LCV and Hart Research, rings true with Pontecorvo’s analysis. The poll looked at Trump’s first 100 days in office. The poll found that “voters expected Trump to improve the economy and lower the cost of living, but they believe he’s done neither. Confidence in his energy policies is falling, as more voters now associate them with higher costs. There’s also increasing concern that Trump is putting polluters ahead of everyday families.” The poll finds this view is shared by Democrats, independents, and those who voted for Trump, albeit with reservations. 

In related news, Victor Menotti, US Coordinator for the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice, writes “While we see significant setbacks for climate action in the US and internationally, the lack of leadership from Trump’s official opposition may allow space for local communities and national networks to amplify progressive policy analyses and advance an agenda aligned with global climate justice.” See his piece Trump’s First 100 Days Were a Climate Disaster, for RLS.

UUs Appreciate Pope Francis

Catch the statement by UUA President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, about Pope Francis? After you've reviewed that, check out Remembering Pope Francis's Climate Legacy by Time.

The Dramatic Effect of No Cars

What Paris has done for its air quality “shows how ambitious policymaking can directly improve health in large cities. Air pollution is often described by health experts as a silent killer.” This reporting by Naema Ahmed and Chico Harlan in Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change. MSN. Over a short two decades, the city has successfully converted car lanes into bike lanes, added green spaces, and eliminated 50,000 parking spots.

Environment and Climate Coverage

• Trump’s Eyebrow Raising Coal Bailout is Outdated, Expensive, and Slow, Climate Power
• FEMA losing roughly 20% of permanent staff, including longtime leaders, ahead of hurricane season, CNN
• Smoke from New Jersey wildfire blows toward New York, WaPo
• Interior Department to Fast-Track Oil, Gas and Mining Projects, NYT
• US clean energy manufacturing stalls as Republicans take aim at IRA, FT
• What We Lose When America Loses AmeriCorps Rolling Stone
• Scientists say NOAA cuts by Trump undermine improvements in hurricane forecasts NPR
• Summer 2025: Nearly half of the US expected to have abnormally hot, dry conditions USA Today
• On a dairy farm run on Hindu principles, cow 'friends' yield milk and higher consciousness RNS
• Yes, Your Friends and Neighbors Want to Talk to You About Climate Change The Revelator
• A simple tweak to tax law has helped bring solar power to the communities that need it most Grist
• Trump administration cancels the National Climate Assessment NPR
• Tornado-producing storm deals deadly weather to Oklahoma and Texas AP
• Zero-Emissions Electricity Surpasses 40% of World Electricity Clean Technica

Sleeves Rolled Up Yet? 

Politico reports that the House speaker is pushing for a committee tax bill vote next week, and Trump's economic chief predicts the tax bill will pass by summer. House GOP leaders also vow to push forward with a budget vote, meaning, we will have our work cut out for us.

Semafor reports, Republican senators pan proposed House changes to Medicaid as ‘cutting benefits’ which confirms the public education and advocacy we participate in, is working.

100 Ways Trump Has Hurt Workers in His First 100 Days

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) put out its analysis of the new administration: “100 Days, 100 Ways,” asserting that “In the first 100 days of his second term, Trump has hurt working people and the economy over 100 ways. From his attacks on workers’ rights to his chaotic implementation of historically high tariffs, and his dismantling of critical federal agencies and the programs they administer, Trump’s actions have left workers with fewer rights and have put the U.S. economy on a path toward an almost certain recession.” The report outlines numerous ways in which the administration, Congress, and the courts are impacting workers’ quality of life, as documented by EPI’s Federal Policy Watch.

Boycott Retailers

The People’s Union
May 6-12: Amazon Blackout 2, (no Whole Foods or Prime orders)
May 20-26: Walmart Blackout 2

NAACP The Black Consumer Advisory is recommending boycotts on companies that are rolling back their DEI policies, including Amazon, Google, McDonald's, Target, Tractor Supply, Meta, and Walmart

Tariffs are Tough on Farmers

Our friends and allies in the People Versus Fossil Fuels Campaign, Food and Water Watch, have a new post out, How Tariffs Hurt Farmers and Families. They find, “To defend farmers in the field and families at the grocery store, we need a crackdown on corporate abuses and an overhaul of our federal food and agriculture policies — Trump’s tyrannical tariffs won’t cut it.”

• Trump campaigned on lower prices and support for workers and rural America, yet his tariff policy is harrowing for farmers and consumers. 
• His tariffs are the highest in more than a century and will worsen the existing crisis for American farm families. 
• Recent U.S. farm policies have fragmented rural economies, with consequences for small and medium-sized farms.
• We need policies that support U.S. industries, as well as policies that support farmers, rural communities, and a fair food system. 
• We had such policies back in the New Deal era; supply management prevented overproduction and ensured farmers could earn a livable income.

Also see, ProPublica, Politically Connected Firms Benefit From Trump Tariff Exemptions Amid Secrecy, Confusion, and Climate Power’s Tariff Memos: Trump’s Economic Chaos is Driving Up Costs for MI, AZ, PA, GA, WI, TX, NV.

Budget and Tax Content and Clippings

• Unpaid-for Tax Cuts Would Shrink Incomes, CBO Finds, CRFB
• Trump to Replace Acting IRS Commissioner, WSJ
• The Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans’ Plan To Make Billionaires Richer May Make Americans Sicker, CAP
• Ending Direct File Program is a Gift to the Tax-Prep Industry That Will Cost Taxpayers Time and Money, ITEP
• Trump’s Millionaire Tax Would Hit CEOs, Wall Street Bankers While Billionaires Slide, Bloomberg
• ‘Oppressive’ Taxation That Isn’t, Inequality: 
• “More and more cheating”: DOGE's cuts to the IRS may have a big price tag, Salon
• Trump’s Agenda is Driving Up Costs Everywhere, and Trump’s Cost Crisis, Climate Power
• Trump told Republican senators he’s open to raising taxes on highest earners, SEMAFOR
• Donald Trump’s Big Wealth Tax, CEPR
• Budget forecasters ratchet up projected interest costs if GOP tax cuts aren’t paid for, Politico
• Senate Republicans Rig Congressional Rules to Make Their Tax Cuts Appear Cost-Free, ITEP