Support the victims. Release the files.

Arrest the criminals.

EPSTEIN SURVIVORS PRESS CONFERENCE 

SEPTEMBER 3 at 9:30 a.m.

Your attention needed

From Citizens Climate Lobby

The Trump administration’s fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget is seeking dramatic cuts to key climate and clean energy programs across a range of federal agencies. It’s standard for a presidential administration to propose a budget, but the proposed cuts to climate and clean energy programs are abnormally large.

Email your US Senators and US Representative today.

We’re supporting robust funding for NOAA, NASA, and the Department of Energy to:

• Preserve critical science and research around our changing climate.
• Strengthen U.S. energy leadership and competitiveness.
• Ensure that America’s grid can meet rising demand.
• Reduce costs for taxpayers/ratepayers.

Tell your members of Congress: Reject proposed cuts to these agencies.

Help us ensure that Congress uses its power to fund these critical programs at robust levels. Thanks for your action!

Monday - UPDATE

People Over Billionaires 

10 am to Noon

NORTH END of Copeland Park

Hosted by La Crosse Indivisible 

Labor Day Parade & Labor Fest
10 am - 5 pm

Copeland Park

Hosted by Wisconsin AFL-CIO

For those who can't make it to the north side events, the LaX Dems office will be open from noon to 2 p.m. for folks who want to rally at the intersection of State Road and Losey Boulevard.

 

UPDATE - Yes, the Dem office WILL be open from noon to 2 p.m. Monday for those who want to demonstrate at the corner of Losey and State Road from noon to 2 p.m. This afternoon demo opportunity is not hosted by La Crosse Indivisible. This is a separate opportunity for those who can't or don't want to do the Copeland park things.There may be zero people there or some people there. It's just another opportunity to demonstrate our displeasure with the ongoing coup.

TODAY - Our next State Supreme Court Justice

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30 

4 to 5 p.m.
2318 State Road

Drop in and meet Judge Chris Taylor, candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court

Held at the La Crosse County Democratic party office. 2318 State Road (Across from JavaVino and on the 2 & 4 bus lines)

Project 2025 & Women

Please read and share and act. We are not going to be falling off the cliff onto a comfy cushion. 

"But, by far and away, the biggest priority for a Heritage Foundation-captured CDC is going to be using he agency's legal frameworks for access to medical data, and weaponizing them to control women. *Most* of the a Project 2025 plan for CDC is a witch hunt against abortion on an unprecedented scale." 

Vance in La Crosse Thursday - UPDATED X 2

UPDATE FROM LA CROSSE COUNTY DEMS:

Protest Vice-President JD Vance's visit to La Crosse.  NOON TO 1 p.m. at Copeland Park.

 Bring signs and be ready to make some noise. 

Visit https://www.mobilize.us/wisdems/event/834260/ for more information and to keep updated on any changes.

Taking a break

Posts on CP will be minimal during the next few weeks due to schedule and vision stuff.

I'll try to keep the calendar updated. If you want to guests post, Please send in on the contact form.

In the meantime, there are several great events coming up, including Pride in the Park, Hmong New Year, and Week Without Driving. Please plan to participate!

Phone bank for healthcare

Right now, millions of families’ health care is on the line. The “Big, Ugly Bill” that Republican leaders passed earlier this summer slashed Medicaid and threatened affordable coverage for working people¹—but there’s still hope.

Senate Democrats have introduced the Protecting Healthcare and Lowering Costs Act, which would reverse the worst parts of that bill, safeguard Medicaid, and permanently extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that help keep premiums affordable.²

We need to pressure the Republican majority in Congress to support this legislation, and it starts in the Senate! Lawmakers care especially about how their constituents see them. And that’s exactly why we’re hosting a phone bank to connect volunteers (like you!) to other MoveOn members with Republican senators. We will connect them directly with their senator’s district office to pressure them to repeal Medicaid cuts.

Will you sign up for next week’s phone bank on Monday, August 25, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT to make calls to connect voters with their senators?

You don’t need to be an expert—we’ll give you a script, training, and full support every step of the way. All you need is your phone or a computer, and just a little bit of your time.

Families across the country are counting on us to fight back against cuts that put health care out of reach. Together, we can hold Republican senators accountable for the harm, and pressure them to take back one of the worst parts of the Big, Ugly Bill.

RSVP for next week’s phone bank on Monday, August 25, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

Thanks for all you do.

–Nakia, Aliya, Isbah, Christian, and the rest of the MoveOn team

Sources:

1. “5 ways Trump's megabill will limit health care access,” NPR, July 3, 2025
https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/07/02/nx-s1-5453870/senate-republicans-tax-bill-medicaid-health-care

2. “Wyden, Senate Democrats Introduce Legislation to Reverse Devastating Health Care Cuts in Trumpcare,” Senate Committee on Finance, August 4, 2025
https://www.finance.senate.gov/ranking-members-news/wyden-senate-democrats-introduce-legislation-to-reverse-devastating-health-care-cuts-in-trumpcare

Table for river protection

From Kathryn at Sustain Our River:

We need to keep advocating for our federal agencies and NGOs because this is the budget debate time. Oct 1st is the new budget for 2026. 

I am asking for people to take shifts this weekend for 1-2 hours to table at the Bass Tournament inside Loggers Field at Copeland Park on Saturday and Sunday  Contact 

I have been to another bass tournament and it was like a festival. At our booth we will be asking people to sign petition, letter, and/or postcard to restore federal funds to USGS Science Center on French Island and Fish and Wildlife Service for the Refuge.  We have a some photo booth fun planned also. We will be inside Loggers stadium which sounds good to me because they have real bathrooms! No mud because we're on astro turf!

Read more about it at https://www.facebook.com/events/662573706869136 

Duties: 

• If you can, bring some individual wrapped candy to give out.
• Wear a name tag from your group, if you have one.
• Wear a PFD if you like—as a way to indicate we are a group. The life jacket is intended to add fun and bring attention to our booth

At the booth:  Fish and waterfowl mounts,  petitions, letters to sign, postcards to sign, and photo booth fun 

Questions: Contact Sue Schultz 608-792-0931 or Marc Schultz 608-792-1445 or Kathryn 608 780-0607

Climate Action Now

From the Sierra Club:

If you’ve been thinking about going solar, buying an electric vehicle, or upgrading your home with cleaner, more affordable energy -- now is the time to act.

Federal clean energy tax credits are still available -- but not for long.

Don't miss out on savings for solar, heat pumps, electric vehicles (EVs),

and more!

With the clean energy tax credits, choosing rooftop solar, heat pumps, or electric vehicles can save you thousands of dollars up front -- while helping lower your monthly energy bills for years to come. Switching to clean energy will also protect clean energy and manufacturing jobs, reduce air and water pollution, and make our energy grid more reliable.    Unfortunately, Trump's disastrous budget law is eliminating tax credits that make this clean energy switch affordable, and many of these federal incentives have new deadlines that expire soon. There are just a few months left to access these benefits, so you need to act fast before it's too late! EV Credits: Federal tax credits for eligible vehicles are available through September 30, 2025, with up to $7,500 for new vehicles and $4,000 for used vehicles. EV Charger Credit: Looking to install a home charger? Get up to $1,000 back on your taxes until June 30, 2026. Residential Clean Energy Credits: Claim 30% of the total cost of solar panels, battery storage, and geothermal systems if you buy by December 31, 2025.  Energy Efficient Home Upgrade Credits: Make home energy upgrades, like insulation, windows, or efficient electric appliances, by December 31, 2025 to claim the credit. Heat pump systems: up to $2,000 in credits for energy-efficient heating and cooling. Insulation, air sealing, and weatherization: up to $1,200. Electrical panel upgrades: up to $600 to support electric appliances and EV chargers. Home energy audits: up to $150 to help identify where you can save the most on energy costs. ### If you live in the City of La Crosse and meet Focus on Energy income requirements, you may be eligible for free upgrades including an energy audit, sealing and insulating, upgrades to electrical service, and heat pumps. For a family of one, gross income, line 9 on the 1040 form, must be at or below $60,150. See this page for more details about income eligibility: https://focusonenergy.com/income-qualified and read more about the city's partnership with the award-winning Green Homeowners United here: https://www.greenhomewi.com/lax La Crosse County residents can still join the Grow Solar group buy program to have solar installed on your home or business with reduced-price, bought in bulk, panels. There's a virtual Solar Power Hour information session on September 17. Sign up for info and a free assessment here: https://www.growsolar.org/la-crosse/

New Community Review Board Form

From La Crosse County

Civilian Review Board Launches Community Form

The La Crosse County Civilian Review Board (CRB) has launched a new Community Report Form, offering residents a safe and accessible way to share personal experiences with law enforcement. The form is now live at lacrossecounty.org/crb. Purpose: Created to support transparency, healing, and accountability, the form is part of the CRB’s mission to strengthen public trust through advocacy, outreach, and data collection. Residents can use it to describe interactions with law enforcement that left them feeling harmed, disrespected, profiled, or unheard. Reports may be submitted anonymously and are not shared with law enforcement unless requested by the person submitting. “This isn’t about assigning blame or determining guilt—it’s about creating a space for people to be heard,” said members of the CRB. “When people feel silenced or dismissed after an encounter with law enforcement, they need somewhere to turn. This form is one way to start that conversation.” About the CRB: The CRB does not conduct investigations, impose discipline, or override law enforcement decisions. It is an independent, community-based body formed by the La Crosse County Board following the recommendations of a Study Committee that included law enforcement, judicial representatives, social workers, educators, and community members. How Information is Used: Data from the forms will be used to identify trends and guide discussions with public safety partners. The CRB meets monthly. As appropriate, it shares anonymized data with the La Crosse County Judiciary and Law Committee and participating law enforcement agencies: the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office, La Crosse Police Department, and Onalaska Police Department. Annual reports will be published to support ongoing transparency and community education. Learn more at lacrossecounty.org/crb.

August 27 - Brad Pfaff Corn Roast

It's time for Brad Pfaff's Annual Old-Fashioned Corn Roast! with guests  Rep. Ro Khanna, Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, and many more! 

Wednesday, August 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the La Crosse Interstate Fairgrounds in West Salem!

Contributions gratefully accepted (but not required) here!

Stop letting businesses put pig poop in our water

From Crawford Stewardship Project:

Help stop another preemption of local control!  Our Wisconsin legislature is threatening to make CAFO Operations Ordinances illegal...we need all hands on deck to stop this!

This is a call to support the efforts of Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network (SRWN) to protect local control at the statewide level. Crawford Stewardship Project is a co-founding member of SRWN, a statewide coalition of partners working to hold Big Industrial Ag accountable for their impacts on our family farms and rural communities.

Our communities have the inherent right to self-governance in defense of public health and safety. Current regulatory structures for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) have a singular focus on water quality, (and even that is lacking), leaving it up to local governments to protect public priorities including air quality, biosecurity, fire safety, disaster-mitigation, property values, road impacts, etc.  A growing number of Wisconsin counties and townships have put protections in place by passing Operations Ordinances. These are not bans, but through extensive study and public debate between area stakeholders Operations Ordinances put protections in place that have passed in both liberal and conservative municipalities. They are a basic and appropriate exercise of our democratic process and local control.  Operations Ordinances raise the bar on industrial livestock operations by asking them to address community concerns and behave as good neighbors. Big Ag's Madison lobbyists want to outlaw local ordinances, and they've tried this before: last year SRWN stopped the state from making these ordinances illegal through a concerted campaign that resulted in 900+ messages to the Governor!  Good work team! We need to pull together again. With your support, SRWN can retain our own lobbyist to help make our rural voices heard in Madison and protect our health and property. Grassroots action has gotten us far, but a lobbyist helps make sure we can be at all the right meetings, have an inside scoop on the Capitol as things develop, and can go in to meetings with all the insights we need to be effective.  Whereas CSP works primarily at the local level, SRWN is a coalition of grassroots groups working to take our local voices to the state level in Madison. SRWN has a statewide goal of raising $10k to retain a lobbyist, you can click here to contribute to SRWN's work protecting Operations Ordinances from current threats at the state level.

Stop the MN mine - UPDATE x2

From Houston County, MN friends

HOUSTON COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: That an application has been made by G-Cubed, on behalf of Bruening Rock Products of 900 Montgomery St, Decorah, IA 52101 and Jarad and Clair Olson for a Conditional Use Permit to operate a quarry for mineral extraction in the Agricultural Protection District.

The applicants have decided to withdraw their application for the August public hearing to gather more supplemental information. The application will be rescheduled for a later date.

In the meantime, sign the petition (link coming).

Please plan to attend the hearing in Caledonia on Thursday August 28th in the commissioners room, Houston County Courthouse at 5:15 pm and please send comments by email to Zoning@HoCoMN.gov.  

Comments must be received by this Tuesday, August 19th. 

UPDATE: Comments about the proposed Clair Olson mine must be emailed to Houston County Zoning office by tonight, August 18.   Zoning@HoCoMN.gov.  Comments received by this time will be included in the public information packet. Comments are public information. 

If you intend to speak at the hearing on Thursday August 28, 5:40 pm (be there by 5:15) there will be a sign up sheet outside the County Commissioner's room. We need to pack that hearing room and fill the hallways too!

We don't know if this mineral extraction is intended for cattle bedding or something more but, to us, it doesn't matter. No one should be destroying the unique scenic beauty of this area, putting neighbors at risk of noise, poor air quality,  truck traffic safety issues, road damage, ground water problems, property devalued and tourism ruined. The Root River flows beside this proposed mine. The bike trail, hikers, canoeing all will be effected.  This mine is on the same hill that was a part of the struggle a few years ago...2 miles east of Rushford on #16, across from the entrance to Ferndale Road and Hatchery Drive. The most scenic stretch of the Root River Valley.  Thank you all. 

Clair Olson wants to have a mine/quarry just across Highway 16 from Ferndale Road and Hatchery Drive. The Root River--a trout stream--flows right beneath the proposed mine!  This is one of the most scenic stretches of the Root River Valley. They would be allowed to blast, wash and sort.

In comments ask that the Olson permit be denied and state reasons: The Root River flows right next to the mine: tourism will be hurt;  property values will fall; truck traffic will be a hazard; roads will be damaged; the blasting and washing of the sand will hurt air quality and ground water quality. The scenic beauty will be ruined.   

We don't know if this will be for frack sand or construction/bedding purposes but who knows where the trucks go?

Comments from Wisconsin would be very important since so much damage was done by the mining companies to local communities there and many Wisconsin residents use and appreciate the Root River.

See the notice at https://www.hometownsource.com/classifieds/caledonia_argus/community/announcements/legal/notice_of_public_hearing/houston-county-notice-of-public-hearing/ad_01a01590-1035-56d0-a269-b89b16f77114.html

Compost time

This Project Drawdown article about composting notes, "For every million metric tons of organic wastes that decompose, 469 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases in the form of methane are released."

Composting organic material like food waste and lawn materials results in soil carbon rather than landfill methane emissions.

Learn how to compost at this "Scraps to Soil" workshop at People's Food Co-op on August 22 from 4 to 5 p.m. Register to attend and be entered to win a free compust bin. 

Learn more here: https://www.pfc.coop/classes-events/pfc-composting-class

Read more about how composting combats the climate crisis in this publication from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Bernie in Viroqua

Fighting Oligarchy: A Townhall Conversation with Bernie Sanders in Viroqua

With Special Guest Rebecca Cooke on Saturday, August 23

10:30 a.m. Doors Open

11:00 a.m. Music by Foreign Fields

12:00 noon Speaking Program Starts

Pierce Hill Performing Arts

S4706 Orchard Rd, Viroqua, WI 54665

Please note: the following items are not permitted inside the venue:

• No signs and no flags of any kind
• No weapons of any kind, including for attendees with open carry permits
• No hard water bottles
• No bags larger than a fanny pack (exceptions made only for medical needs)

Free parking is available on-site.

RSVP here: https://act.berniesanders.com/signup/rsvp-oligarchy-viroqua/

Coulee DSA Saturday

From Coulee DSA

COFFEE SOCIAL

Saturday morning at 10 at Cabin Coffee

The Color of Fear

From La Crosse Waking Up White:

The filmmaker Lee Mun Wah is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the film The Color of Fear by letting folks stream it for free this weekend. You can access the film here: https://stirfryseminars.com/lgr-series-the-color-of-fear-1/

Here is a synopsis:

The Color of Fear (Part One) is an insightful, groundbreaking film about the state of race relations in America as seen through the eyes of eight North American men of Asian, European, Latino and African descent. In a series of intelligent, emotional and dramatic confrontations the men reveal the pain and scars that racism has caused them. What emerges is a deeper sense of understanding and trust. This is the dialogue most of us fear, but hope will happen sometime in our lifetime. (1994, 90 minutes, closed captioned)

August 20 - Data Centers

Cross posted from Coulee Region Sierra Club:

AUGUST 20 at 6 p.m. Online

Data Centers: Power Plays - But Who Pays?

Join us and learn about the scale of this data center wave, the massive impact it’s having on the electric sector, and how utilities are responding. We'll discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly in emerging state policies and utility approaches, and what you can do to help hold technology companies, utilities, regulators, and policymakers accountable.

Can't make it? RSVP and we'll send you the recording!

Register at https://tinyurl.com/2pbvtm5x

###

See this article from the Rocky Mountain Institute: "Reality Check: We Have What’s Needed to Reliably Power the Data Center Boom, and It’s Not Coal Plants."

Transit Talk open house 8/13

Public transit is one of the most impactful climate action tools any community has. If more people would choose transit (or biking or walking) instead of driving internal combustion engine personal vehicles, fewer greenhouse gases would be released. More transit use also means less air and plastic pollution, plus safer, more equitable, more affordable travel options. Read more here: https://www.newsonclimatechange.com/how-public-transportation-can-help-reduce-emissions/

If you want to fight global warming, improve air quality and ensure more people have access to our community, you should be a transit advocate! And, if you are a transit advocate, this event is for you!

Your chance to learn more and feed back about the current state of public transit in our area is coming up on Wednesday from 4 to 6 at the People's Food Co-op. Whether you currently take the bus or not (why not?) come for the treats, door prizes, and networking!

Thank you People's Food Co-op for co-sponsoring this event!!

Poll Worker Recruitment Day

From League of Conservation Voters:

Our elections depend on ordinary people who make sure voting runs smoothly and everyone's vote is counted—people like you.

You can make sure we have safe, fair, efficient elections for all: step up and become a poll worker for the next election in your community today.

Read more here: https://www.powerthepolls.org/

Where is DVO?

Opportunity Wisconsin is on the case at https://whereisdvo.com

"Add your name to demand Derrick Van Orden reverse course, hold open, in-person meetings with the people he represents, and explain his positions on cutting essential funding that his constituents rely on, tariffs that are raising already high prices on groceries and gas, and more tax handouts to corporations and billionaires."

Eggroll Fundraiser 8/15-16

It's eggroll time! Get some delish eggrolls this weekend and help two local students make the choir trip of a lifetime to NYC.

Eggrolls are $20/dozen--veggie or pork. Each dozen eggrolls comes with two cups of sauce, sweet or hot.

Order at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfTM0-kDUyFH0L_knMgiFek-vPUjIKWgsZ1OnUW7PrN5sNVgA/viewform

Pick up at 677 Custer Court in Onalaska Friday or Saturday (walk-ins ok). Pre-ordering helps with planning.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: Valerie Hang 608-799-2235 and/or Ru Lor 608-406-8649.

Let's get organized

Lots is happening, and needs to be happening right now as the coup proceeds to the next steps in law-breaking, evil cruelty, wreck America madness. 

This site was started in 2005 to help organize local like-minded allies around environmental protection, climate action, human rights, support for public programs and institutions, free and fair elections, no wars, and more. It was meant to be a community bulletin board to help people connect and to avoid two great events being scheduled against each other.

But, it's not easy to always know what's going on, who speaks for whom, and what others are doing already that might benefit what you are trying to do. Especially now that we have myriad platforms (many owned by the oligarchs we are protesting please remember!) it's easy for things to be missed.

You don't have to sign up for anything to view this site, to post on the calendar, to call for action, to share your event. I've thought about switching to the WordPress platform which isn't part of the Alphabet empire, but almost twenty years of posting seems like too big a lift right now. But, for those who are not and don't want to sign up for (and, in many cases, give up rights to sensitive personal data to) those platforms, we hope to provide as much information as possible to help people support and defend those programs, values, and institutions.

You can help! Please use the contact form to send a guest blog post or ask to be a cp blogger, send info about a one time program or activity or a recurring demonstration or meeting, or highlight a local issue that needs our attention.

In addition, groups like Our Wisconsin Revolution, For Our Future, Indivisible, Wisconsin Progress, MoveOn, Working Families Party, Third Act, La Crosse Dems, DSA, A Better Wisconsin Together, and others are hosting meet-ups, planning sessions, and events but who is on every mailing list? Yikes!

When we hear of something, we will post it here. Use the calendar form to tell us about events. Use the contact form to send a guest blog or message. 

Weekly demonstrations that we know about (send us info about others please):

• Thursdays at noon at 4th & Main - Women in Black vigil
• Thursdays at 5 p.m. at Mormon Coulee Rd & Losey Blvd - anti-ICE 
• Fridays at noon at City Hall lot (La Crosse St & 4th St) - Honk & Wave

Weekend Reading - Updated!

From Jim Stewartson - "The 'Know. Name. Disrupt' (KND) method is largely based on my personal experience as a journalist and activist trying to disrupt QAnon, which uses techniques I helped pioneer for digital entertainment two decades ago, but added an entirely new psychological attachment infrastructure—which I have now studied, and battled, for five years." (Also check out his "The Rupture Has Arrived - Seven Signs We are No Longer A Democracy.")

From Sarah Kendzior - "Imagination is nothing to take for granted. It is one of the main qualities that fascist regimes attempt to outlaw. But they do not need to outlaw what is surrendered."

From Indivisible - "Our shared future depends on everyday Americans choosing to fight back. We believe each of us has a role to play — in blue states, red states, and political battlegrounds across America. We believe MAGA will seek to divide and conquer us, isolating us one by one in an attempt to fracture our resolve. We believe standing together, Indivisible, is the only way to protect our families, our neighbors, and our democracy. And we believe that we will win."

From Substack author "Sarah Connor" - James Hansen's Latest Warning. The 1.5°C Paris target? “Deader than a doornail,” Hansen says. Even 2°C is wishful thinking without radical action. The worst and most probable case is that we keep going as we are, triggering total collapse. But the message in plain terms? We are running out of time faster than we think, because the danger was underestimated from the start."

From the Substack Weaponized Spaces by Caroline Orr Bueno - "A sophisticated strategy is playing out in plain sight that few outside of digital war rooms truly understand or even notice. It doesn't require hacking servers or bribing tech executives. It doesn't even break any rules. It simply requires understanding exactly how algorithms work — and turning them into accomplices."

More coming.

Saturday NO BUY DAY

 

League of Women Voters

 

If you are not a member of the League of Women Voters, why not? This is one of the oldest defenders of voting rights in our country with a track record of registering voters, educating voters about the issues, and ensuring candidates have opportunities to connect with voters.

Join today and then plan to meet up with other LWV members at Sunday's ice cream social from 2 to 4 at Weigent Park. (Register in advance so they'll have enough ice cream!)