Movie nights

Ten percent off on Vimeo with code storm2025

Opening with a whistleblowing account of his epic battle with the European Union, economist turned politician Yanis Varoufakis, former finance minister of Greece, weaves a gripping narrative about the fate of our civilisation in this groundbreaking six-part series, In the Eye of the Storm, joining the dots between the spectre of fascism, the crisis of capitalism, and the historic climate challenge.

"Profound... A wonderful documentary. So powerful!" NAOMI KLEIN

BULLY. COWARD. VICTIM. THE STORY OF ROY COHN (2020) directed by Ivy Meeropol (“Indian Point,” HBO’s “Heir to an Execution”) offers an unflinching look at the infamous attorney who prosecuted Meeropol’s grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and later argued persuasively for their execution in what became known as the atomic spy case.

The film examines Cohn’s life as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the late 1950s – when the young Cohn first experimented in the process of wielding of political power – through the 1980s, when he became a darling of the Reagan White House, a rabid anti-homosexuality activist and political mentor to Donald J. Trump before meeting his death from AIDS in 1986.

$treaming on HBO Max, Fandango at Home. 

For a year, I have been working on Cycling Cities. It is about the most beautiful bicycle cities in Europe and what we in Germany can learn from these cities. For this, in May 2025, I set off from Freiburg with a camera and a bicycle and cycled across Europe for two months, visiting the cities of Paris, Ghent, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, Hamburg, and Copenhagen along the way. I wanted to find out what makes these cities so livable, what makes a bicycle-friendly city, and what conditions are needed to advance the mobility transition and sustainable urban development. I wanted to inform, enthuse, and inspire with this film and encourage people to stand up for livable cities. If the film can make even a small contribution to that, I am overjoyed!

I put a lot of love and energy into Cycling Cities, and in the end a little bit of money too, so if you liked the film, I would be happy about any amount, no matter how small, via Paypal or bank transfer to help refinance the film a bit. Many warm thanks🙏

https://t.co/dCavBzX4vT

And I also want to expressly thank you for this incredible support of my work in recent years. Without it, this film would not have been possible. For that, thank you from the bottom of my heart🙏❤️

I am very much looking forward to you watching the film, giving me feedback, and sharing it, so that the film also reaches people who perhaps are not yet convinced😊

Have fun with the film😊🍿

https://youtu.be/R5jQc1jXLAU?si=ODRvIz0ziJ_wwQws

With warm regards😊

Ingwar Perowanowitsch

Online Defender Training

From laura:

December Community Defender Training:

Answering Your Most Frequently Asked Questions: Cars, Bystanders, Notarios, and More

Tuesday, December 16 at 3:30 p.m.

On December 16, we will close out the year by offering an hour-long training that will cover the most common questions we get following our Know Your Rights presentations. We will go over Fourth Amendment rights in vehicles, bystanders, how to avoid legal scams, and expedited removal. We will also offer the opportunity for attendees to ask their questions in the Q&A and will answer as many as time permits. This is your opportunity to ask your burning questions and review some of the more complex topics our Know Your Rights presentations cover!

This training is for non-attorney advocates, including organizers and others supporting community members facing immigration enforcement. This training will be presented in English with Spanish simultaneous interpretation and is not eligible for CLE credit. 

Questions? Please contact events@nipnlg.org.

REGISTER HERE.

Giving is good

Donate a meal for those at the La Crosse Warming Center. Sign up here.

Donate spare grocery bags to be transformed into mats. Contact Gabe at 608-509-4828 for details.

Donate gifts or money through La Crosse County's For Goodness Sake program. Contact the county at 608-784-HELP as soon as possible.

Donate household goods for someone else to use at the theExchange.

Donate food or money to Hunger Task Force or WAFER Food Pantry.

Donate necessities for those without housing through What I Need Now.

Check out more ways to give at La Crosse Local.

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks: Her life and legacy on civil rights activism

Thursday, December 11, from 11 a.m. to Noon Central 

Online only

Since her refusal to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks became a central leader in the struggle for freedom and equality in the United States and a catalyst to the Civil Rights Movement. Seventy years later, the legacy of Rosa Parks still inspires movements for social change and collective action. 

On December 11, join the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative at Brookings in honoring and reflecting on the 70-year legacy of Rosa Parks. Experts in civil rights history, Black women’s collective action, and economic development will share their reflections on the impact of Rosa Parks from 1955 to the present day. Panelists will discuss the next wave of civil rights policies, legislative action, and civic engagement.  

Viewers can submit questions via email at events@brookings.edu.

Since her refusal to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama on December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks became a central leader in the struggle for freedom and equality in the United States and a catalyst to the Civil Rights Movement. Seventy years later, the legacy of Rosa Parks still inspires movements for social change and collective action. 

On December 11, join the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative at Brookings in honoring and reflecting on the 70-year legacy of Rosa Parks. Experts in civil rights history, Black women’s collective action, and economic development will share their reflections on the impact of Rosa Parks from 1955 to the present day. Panelists will discuss the next wave of civil rights policies, legislative action, and civic engagement.  

Viewers can submit questions via email at events@brookings.edu.

REGISTER: https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch-rosa-parks-civil-rights

 

Rally for ACA

Rally to Preserve the ACA!  Monday, December 15 from Noon-1:00pm in front of Derrick Van Orden's office, 210 7th St. S. We will rally to demand Derrick Van Orden vote to preserve the ACA subsidies! Sponsored by La Crosse County Dems.

And in the meantime, CALL CALL CALL.

House Democratic leaders have introduced a discharge petition designed to force consideration of legislation to extend expiring ACA tax credits for another three years.

The Democrats are hoping to entice a handful of moderate Republicans to endorse the petition, which will require 218 signatures to force a floor vote on the legislation over the objections of Republican leaders.

The battle over the enhanced ACA tax credits has consumed Capitol Hill throughout the history-making federal shutdown, as Democrats had demanded action on the tax credits as a condition of reopening the government.

Republicans, who have sought to repeal the ACA for years, rejected that demand, letting millions of Americans face skyrocketing health care premiums.

"We believe that the American people — given the Republican refusal to act and find a bipartisan path forward — should be given the same level of certainty that Republicans have continued to give the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected,” said Hakeem Jeffries, referencing the massive tax breaks for billionaires granted in Trump’s Big Ugly Bill.

As part of the deal to end the Trump shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has guaranteed the Democrats a vote on the ACA tax credits in December. But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has declined to make a similar commitment.

The House discharge petition is designed to go around Johnson and force the bill to the floor — if it can get a majority of House lawmakers to sign on.

While the ACA has been a partisan issue for years, some Republicans are already clamoring for an extension of the tax credits, urging GOP leaders to address the issue before the premium hikes go into effect on Jan. 1 — ahead of the midterm elections.  

Click “Start Writing” today to send a letter to your member of Congress to sign this discharge petition.

Note: Did you already send a letter? If so, then please dial the Capitol switchboard now at (202) 224-3121 to follow up with a call.

Data Centers & Water

From League of Women Voters:

DATA CENTER GOLD RUSH - Diving into Water Demands

Tuesday, December 9 at 6 p.m.

ONLINE 

Most of the recent articles and webinars on data centers focus on their energy use, but there is another significant concern: Water use. The reality is, in this modern gold rush, there are more proposed hyperscale data centers than our water resources can support. These proposed projects don’t fit into our permitting and regulatory systems. CURE is a leader on the rapidly emerging issues around data center development. 

As a leader on the rapidly emerging issues around data center development in the upper Midwest and nationally, CURE will share lessons learned about how a lack of transparency harms communities across the country. The reality is, in this modern gold rush, there are winners and losers, and currently there are more proposed hyperscale data centers than our infrastructure and resources can support. These proposed projects don’t fit into our permitting and regulatory systems. We will look at why this matters for our communities, with a focus specifically on water.

REGISTER HERE: https://tinyurl.com/WILWVDataCtrs

La Crosse School Board candidate info

Monday at 5 p.m. the School District of La Crosse will hold an info session for those who are interested in running for one of three seats in April.

The session will be held at the new admin space on the south side of Central (2405 Travis Street) which is accessible by MTU 2 & 4.

RSVP by emailing lsteiger@lacrossesd.org or calling 608-789-7659.

From the SDLC Board of Education website:

School Board Election

An election will be held in the School District of La Crosse on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, for the following offices to succeed the present incumbents listed.  The terms of office for school board members include three (3) year terms beginning on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Incumbents are Scott Neumeister, Trevor Sprauge and Deb Suchla.

A February Primary will be required if there are more than 6 candidates with ballot access.

Election Resources

Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) Guide for Candidates

Wisconsin Elections Commission:

• • Election Administration Manual for Wisconsin School District Clerks (rev. Jan. 2021)
  • Election Administration Manual (general; including municipal elections)  (rev. Aug. 2024)
  • Elections Commission Forms
  • Ballot Access Checklist for School Board Candidates (2026 Election) (revised 05/2025) New! 
  • Wisconsin Elections Commission Website

Wisconsin Ethics Commission:

• • Campaign Finance Overview for Local Candidates (rev. Sept. 2023)
  • Ethics Commission Forms (select “Form” in “Document Type”)
  • Campaign Finance Registration Statement for Local Candidate Committees, Form CF-1L (revised 10/2024) 
  • Campaign Finance Checklist for School Board Candidates (2026 Election) New!
  • Individual Donor Contribution Limits Based on 2020 Census Data (see also the February 9, 2022 WASB Legal & Policy Newsletter)
  • Ethics Commission Guideline ETH-1304 related to lawful and unlawful anonymous contributions (issued October 2023)
  • Wisconsin Ethics Commission Website

Know Your Rights

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP  (Rapid Response)

Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m.

Onalaska High School

Learn best practices for rapid response and about Voces de la Frontera's state-wide Community Defense Network.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfamkiTAIBw3cG0NVSyMUU2ZhdWOb28VKfSP9JVHR6aQfS4LQ/viewform

We Ain't Buying It

 From Indivisible:

With the holiday season approaching, let’s make our dollars count.  

We have power as consumers and we can leverage that power to protect our democracy and send a powerful message to companies: When you support Trump, we don’t support you.

Join the We Ain’t Buying It* campaign and take action over Thanksgiving to pressure companies to stop colluding with the Trump administration and enabling their authoritarian overreach.

*My antivirus identifies the campaign site as malicious, so I am not linking to it.

Our Targets:

We’re focused on companies that are capitulating to the Trump administration and going along with their harmful, authoritarian policies. 

• Target caved to Trump and rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
• Home Depot has done nothing to protect immigrants in their stores as ICE continues to conduct violent raids on their property.
• Amazon has funded the Trump administration through donations and discounted government contracts (including for ICE), all in exchange for massive corporate tax breaks. 

These corporations think that they profit when they go along with Trump’s attacks on our democracy. But we can make it clear that there is a price to pay for enabling authoritarianism.

Our Ask:

Our ask is simple: Target, Home Depot, and Amazon must stop undermining our democracy by collaborating with, and enabling, the Trump administration. Reinstate their DEI policies, refuse to cooperate with ICE, and withhold funding to Trump’s authoritarian regime. 

Read more about how to participate at https://indivisible.org/campaign/we-aint-buying-it

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From 50501:

Thus, Nov 27th | Thanksgiving

Don’t Spend a Dime; Spend Family Time

Fri, Nov 28th | Blackout Black Friday

Sat, Nov 29th | Shop Small Saturday

Focusing on shopping small, immigrant, and BIPOC businesses.

Sun, Nov 30th | Circulate the Dollar

Focus on mutual aid and supporting one another!

Mon, Dec 1st | Cyber Shutdown

A day for digital blackout

Google & AI & You

Reports are circulating that Google has updated its policies to allow it to scrape your emails and attachments and other Google spaces to train its AI. 

Here's one report:  Gmail might be harvesting your emails to train AI—here's how to opt out, along with instructions for turning "Smart Features" off. If you turn it off, you will also lose some features like spell check. 

Apparently, Google says it does not look through your emails for its AI. 

However, this is just one front in the war against our AI overlords. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is suing the Trump regime of its use of AI to surveille social media. "The lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration’s program violates the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by using artificial intelligence to monitor and penalize lawful speech on social media platforms. The plaintiffs in the case include the United Automobile Workers (UAW), the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), labor organizations representing millions of American workers, many of whom are visa holders or lawful permanent residents. These unions report a significant chilling effect on their members' participation in speech and organizing activities due to fear of immigration consequences tied to their online posts."

And, there are concerns that DOGE-harvested data is being used to train Elon Musk's AI. "Most critically, government databases track entire populations over time, not just digitally active users. They include people who never use social media, don’t shop online, or actively avoid digital services. For an AI company, this would mean training systems on the actual diversity of human experience rather than just the digital reflections people cast online."

There are certainly other concerns about AI including its use among health insurance corporations to deny claims (soon coming, per the Kaiser Family Foundation, to Medicare) and the rise of data centers which are driving up electricity costs and using millions of gallons of water, and the misunderstanding of what "Artificial Intelligence" actually does. 

On the other hand, Cory Doctorow, author of the new book Enshittification, says AI is a Bubble. We'll see.

Anyway, turn off the AI training if you want.  

Free Films - Native Cinema

 

Native Cinema Showcase Shorts 2025

November 21–28, 2025

All shorts are available to stream free November 21 (5 PM ET) to November 28, 2025 (5 PM ET).

The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film. This year, the museum highlights an array of film shorts featuring a diverse range of Indigenous stories and perspectives.

STREAM HERE.

Friday Food Drive

This Friday, 11/21 from 9 am to 2 pm, Habitat for Humanity + Planned Parenthood of Western Wisconsin are hosting a food drive at Hogan Admin Center, 807 East Ave S. 

All donations will support WAFER and School District pantries.

Habitat for Humanity's ReClaim team is currently salvaging material from Hogan before it's demolished. When you come to donate food, you'll receive a ReStore discount coupon as well as a first glance at some treasures from Hogan! We are able to sell select items onsite, like original brass door pulls. 

Please help spread the word! 

Hope to see you there. 

Natalie 

Natalie Heneghan (she/her)

Community Outreach Director

Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region

Day of Remembrance

 

Each year on November 20th, The Center hosts a gathering of those who wish to recognize Trans Day of Remembrance. It takes place in honor of all our transgender sisters, brothers, and siblings who have lost their lives to transphobic violence. We conduct a roll call of lives lost that year and observe a moment of silence for those who lost their lives.

Thursday, Nov. 20, 5 to 8 p.m.

Pump House Regional Arts Center

119 King St.

and

Remembrance Walk at 3 p.m., UWL Clock Tower

Friends of International Students

What is it?

The LFIS Friendship Family Program, in cooperation with UW-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College, is not a live-in program but rather to promote cross-cultural understanding by fostering relationships between international students and La Crosse area residents. You, as a member of the local community who are familiar with how things function in the U.S., will be able to cultivate relationships with students from other countries, enabling you to expand upon your personal experience by learning more about the ways of life in other countries and vice versa. Friendship families may help make the student’s transition into American life go more smoothly. This is often an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both families and students.

What Is Expected?

You should contact your student(s) after you are matched and invite them to your home for a meal or on an outing (shopping, touring, et cetera). You may invite them to spend American holidays with you, birthday celebrations, outings to historical sites, occupational and professional experiences, sports events, and elementary, middle and high school programs.

MORE DETAILS HERE: https://lfis.info/family-apply

Please Note:

• Families are not expected to support students financially or to board these students at your home, nor are you expected to become involved in any legal issues (immigration or other issues) they may experience while in the United States.
• Families that apply for this program are expected to make a commitment to the student until the end of their first academic year, unless they are an exchange student and leave before that.
• Prospective families are expected to undergo a mandatory basic background check for the safety and comfort of our international students and Friendship Families. No substitutions will be accepted. Every individual in the home who is over the age of 18 years must complete the background check. If anyone in the home has been charged with, convicted of, pleaded guilty or no contest to, or forfeited bail for any criminal conduct under law or ordinance, and the nature of the charge or conviction is incompatible with the responsibilities of a friendship family, we reserve the right to deny placing an international student with that family.
• The family authorizes the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to obtain criminal records about adult members of the family from any source.
• During the course of the Friendship Family assignment, the family agrees to notify the International Education & Engagement (IEE) LFIS liaison, no later than the next day when any member of the family has been convicted of any crime or has been or is being investigated by any governmental agency for any act or offense. If the family fails to abide by this, we have the right to immediately terminate the family’s participation in the Friendship Family Program.
• By signing this form, you acknowledge that you will inform the International Education & Engagement (IEE) LFIS liaison below, of any criminal convictions, pleas of no contest, or pending criminal investigations or household changes since the time of your last background check.

Speak Out on Data Centers

 From Sierra Club

Good news: Legislation proposed to address data center risks

Legislation has been proposed by Senator Habush Sinykin and Representative Angela Stroud that would address some of the major concerns about data centers. This legislation requires data centers to be transparent about their energy and water use, meet strong labor and environmental standards, and use at least 70% renewable energy. It also ensures they pay their fair share and prevents costs from being pushed onto regular customers.

Sent your message here.

Learn more about data centers and those pushing back
Join us on Monday to learn more about the risks data centers pose and what communities are doing in response. Wisconsinites are ramping up their fight against unchecked data center expansion—from DeForest to Port Washington. Learn about the environmental and health impacts of data centers, how to inform your neighbors, and how to get involved.

November 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
RSVP to attend the Zoom here.

Want to do even more? Announcing our new Action Nights!
Starting in December, the Wisconsin Chapter will host monthly Action Nights where you can gather with others and take action on some of the most pressing issues. Data center protections will be one of the topics at our first-ever Action Night.

Action Night
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
5:30–6:30 PM
RSVP here for the Zoom link.

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For more about how data center fever threatens to undo climate action and environmental protection gains, read Future data centers are driving up forecasts for energy demand and U.S. Data Centers Could Consume as Much Water as 10 Million Americans by Decade’s End

BUDGET public hearing tonight

PUBLIC HEARING on 2026 CITY OPERATING BUDGET at 6 p.m.at City Hall.

Will it do any good? Isn't this demockracy where all the decisions are MADE and THEN they have a public hearing?

Still, there's a chance to make some changes.

If you want to speak, show up by 5:45 p.m. to sign in. 

Call for Nominations

Call for Nominations: 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award 

Fast Facts: 

 • For questions, information, and nomination forms, reach out to Anouk Goreta, goretaa@westerntc.edu. 

   • Click here to retrieve a nomination form. 

 • Deadline is Friday, December 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. 

 Criteria: 

 Do you know someone who embodies Dr. King’s legacy? This award was established in 2009 and honors individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership and commitment to building community, enhancing diversity, and working for justice in the Greater La Crosse area in the following: 

  • Building inclusive communities and celebrating diversity 

• Advancing justice, equity, and systemic change 

• Championing social justice, peace, and nonviolence 

• Empowering future generations 

• Going above and beyond their professional roles 

• Making a difference locally—and beyond 

Invitation: 

Join us for the MLK Community Celebration featuring Rev, Adam Russell Taylor, president of Sojourners, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, 7 p.m. Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre, La Crosse. 

Rev. Adam Russell Taylor is president of Sojourners, and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. Sojourners is a Christian organization that promotes justice and a multiracial democracy. Rooted in Jesus’ teachings and the vision of the Beloved Community, Taylor seeks to replace fear and division with a vision that uplifts the vulnerable, promotes the common good, and enables all communities to thrive. www.viterbo.edu/ethics

Saturday events

Coulee DSA is holding its monthly coffee social at Oh Oh Coffee  332 Front Street on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Learn more about Coulee DSA here https://coulee.dsawi.org

Also on Saturday from noon to 2:30 at or around Burns Park, there will be a picnic with free food, bring some if you can, and a collection of non-perishable food items.

And from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Fokus Photo, Studio 307, 123 4th St. S., is offering A FREE studio portrait of anyone who brings a shelf-stable food or money donation to support our unsheltered neighbors through WINN (What I Need Now).