The Smile: 04/17/2025

 

Hi friend, California just became the first state to sue the Trump administration over its reckless tariffs—and we couldn’t be prouder. This bold legal action is a critical step in protecting working families, small businesses, and our economy. Add your name to support California’s stand against Trump’s tariffs - THIS SINGLE CLICK PETITION INCLUDES MY INFORMATION - SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE PETITIONS SUCH AS THIS FOR YOURSELF! From massive Bernie rallies in red districts to legal victories protecting climate funding and the rights of international students, progressives are showing up and fighting back. There’s so much more to be hopeful about—let’s dive into today’s good news together. 💛 California becomes the first state to sue Trump over tariffs Maryland Democratic senator travels to El Salvador in push for Abrego Garcia’s return Trump administration likely acted in contempt of court by not turning around deportation flights, judge says 'They saved my life:' After cardiac arrest, heart patient returns to thank care team Progressives rake in cash and senators prepare for tough races: Takeaways from the new campaign finance reports   LOTS OF SMALL DONATIONS ADD UP!  IF YOU CAN, A $5 DONATION MATTERS! excerpt:  Cash boom for vocal anti-Trump Democrats  Progressives who have emerged as the most vocal counterweights to Trump posted massive fundraising hauls in the first three months of the year — even though they either aren't up for re-election in 2026 or won't face competitive races. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., brought in $11.5 million over that span, including almost $10 million from donations of less than $200. After spending about $3.2 million, he finished with $19 million banked away.   The $11.5 million total underscores the huge donor base Sanders has built since his first Democratic presidential bid in 2016, and is more than he raised during the entirety of 2023 and 2024 combined, when he was on the ballot for another Senate term. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who has been barnstorming the country with Sanders and trying to step into her party’s leadership void, raised $9.6 million in the first quarter and had $8.2 million in cash on hand. Ocasio-Cortez spent significantly to help raise that money, $5 million overall, as she’s been flooding social media with fundraising videos. But she’s seen a significant return, far greater than the $1.3 million she raised in the first quarter of 2023. Ocasio-Cortez faces re-election next year in a safe Democratic district, but her strong fundraising won’t quell speculation that she’s eying higher office down the road. Other Democrats who have sought a higher profile in the second Trump administration posted big numbers, too. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who told NBC News earlier this year that he wants to “build a movement” to help fight Trump, raised $8 million in the first three months of the year, which is more than what he raised across all of 2024, when he was up for re-election. He also spent $4 million in the first quarter. And Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a potential 2028 presidential contender who compared Vice President JD Vance to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin at a speech Tuesday, raised $3.7 million.  Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., received significant praise from Democrats after his marathon speech on the Senate floor highlighting his frustration with the Trump administration. But that speech came after the books closed on the first quarter, so it won’t be clear whether that translated to a fundraising boom until later this summer.   Bernie Sanders Rally Crowd Size Tops 30K in District Trump Won Three Times You are not alone! Look at the crowd sizes! excerpt: "In a city of 85,000, in a Republican [district], more than 30,000 people came out on a Tuesday night," he wrote. "We can and WILL defeat Trump and the oligarchs." A Folsom Lake College official confirmed to Newsweek on Wednesday that 30,000 people were in attendance. During the Folsom rally, Sanders acknowledged the crowd size he has drawn to conservative states like Idaho and Utah. "We were in Idaho—Idaho!—and 12,000 people showed up...the most conservative state in the country," the progressive senator said, "we had 20,000 people in Salt Lake City—[in] a Republican state." Sanders' staff said that he held his largest-ever rally in Los Angeles, California on Saturday. They said the event drew a crowd of some 36,000 people. What People Are Saying Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a Fighting Oligarchy rally in Los Angeles: "Big money is how we got Donald Trump. And his whole presidency began with launching tools for bribery, meme coins to fleece working people and move around money in the dark, extortion settlements from media companies and law firms who gladly pay them." ELON MUSK IS A NAZI! THIS IS THE BEST MUSKRAT CAN DO? Elon Musk on Sanders' recent Denver, Colorado rally in a March 23 X post: "The Dems just move around the same group of paid 'protesters.'" In a separate post on Friday, Musk wrote: "Bernie is just fully communist." Unions launch Rise Up legal defense network for federal workers fired under Trump Valley teen working against animal-tested cosmetics sales in AZ International students sue after Trump administration terminates their legal status 2 Judges Order Federal Agencies to Unfreeze Climate Money Today’s user-submitted photo was sent in by Laura who shared the cutest photo of her dog, Amira! If you want the chance to have your photo featured, reply to this email 😄 Thank you for reading, and we hope these articles shine a light on your day. In solidarity, Emily from The Smile