Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 43 | The Stakes are High

This week, we choose to address the wide-ranging tentacles of the Epstein Files, their relationship to Iran, and the importance of voting. These three are interconnected. Trump and his loyalists keep trying to obfuscate the channels of justice. They refuse to release the full files and keep distracting attention away from their far-reaching crimes by creating chaos in our country and around the world. He is all but broadcasting that he plans to meddle in the November elections for fear of losing his base, and bombing Iran creates the conditions for him to issue a state of emergency and cancel elections. He will try it. So it is more important than ever for us to stay engaged in whatever ways we can—voting, speaking out, upholding the constitution, creating, organizing…it all belongs.

We’re back after a few weeks due to Zoom or the Cloud eating one recording and traveling to an awesome concert with our oldest!

This week, we choose to address the wide-ranging tentacles of the Epstein Files, their relationship to Iran, and the importance of voting. These three are interconnected. Trump and his loyalists keep trying to obfuscate the channels of justice. They refuse to release the full files and keep distracting attention away from their far-reaching crimes by creating chaos in our country and around the world. He is all but broadcasting that he plans to meddle in the November elections for fear of losing his base, and bombing Iran creates the conditions for him to issue a state of emergency and cancel elections. He will try it. So it is more important than ever for us to stay engaged in whatever ways we can—voting, speaking out, upholding the constitution, creating, organizing…it all belongs.

If you are listening on March 3rd, go vote in your primaries!

Thanks for joining us.

——

Resources:

  1. https://substack.com/home/post/p-189503340

  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOtOKN0BvB0

  3. https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ce94y2yykgrt

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 42 | Staying Engaged

Trump has already telegraphed his intent to take federal control over the 2026 midterm elections. He’s already gotten Texas to turn over its voter registration rolls and is browbeating others to follow suit. The administration continues to escalate ICE movements, especially in complicit states like Texas. Warehouses are being built, bought, and planned to hold hundreds of detained immigrants and citizens. An increasingly unpopular administration is gripping harder to control.

But let’s talk about what’s working. Protests are working. Going to city council meetings to refuse permits to privately run human warehouses works. Voting works. Calling your reps works. So does checking on your neighbor and documenting what you see. Shoot, we saw artwork in powerfully during the Super Bowl! We are far too creative a species to take this lying down!

ICE is overfunded and undertrained, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere, so we’ve got to employ some long game energy to keep resisting what’s being thrown at us.

Thanks for listening.

———

Resources

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-7-2026

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7160372/

https://youtu.be/V3mQLlrZBI8?si=ous5B96QUls75g9h

https://open.substack.com/pub/hollyhudley/p/no-3?r=57omf0&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 41 | “Jesus Wept”

In an unconventional move, Judge Fred Biery wrote these words in his opinion ordering the release of Liam and Adrian Conejo Arias: “Jesus wept.” I don’t read it so much as an imposition of Christian values on the legal system, but as highlighting the moral depravity of an administration that is willing to detain children to prove a point. I’ll link to her commentary below, but a Lawyer and Mother wrote that his use of this verse speaks less to a political failing (though it is) and more to a spiritual failing. In its simplest form, religion, from the Latin relegare, means to bind together. To practice being bound to one another does not require a particular doctrine, only a belief that each person is worthy of dignity and reverence, and to treat them as such.

In an unconventional move, Judge Fred Biery wrote these words in his opinion ordering the release of Liam and Adrian Conejo Arias: “Jesus wept.” I don’t read it so much as an imposition of Christian values on the legal system, but as highlighting the moral depravity of an administration that is willing to detain children to prove a point. I’ll link to her commentary below, but a Lawyer and Mother wrote that his use of this verse speaks less to a political failing (though it is) and more to a spiritual failing. In its simplest form, religion, from the Latin relegare, means to bind together. To practice being bound to one another does not require a particular doctrine, only a belief that each person is worthy of dignity and reverence, and to treat them as such.

Many people with a more acute historical mind than I have are writing about how this moment has been building for decades. This fact should not make us complacent or indifferent. It should not make us less shocked or angry. it is so easy to look the other way or fall under the spell that “things aren’t so bad,” but what is happening right now is not normal in a democracy. we are needed to uphold a system run for the people, by the people.

I hope we are motivated to stay engaged, to lift our voices, and support our most vulnerable neighbors.

Thanks for listening.

Resources:

  1. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26708008-us-district-judge-fred-bierys-opinion-ordering-release-of-5-year-old-liam-arias-and-father/

  2. https://www.instagram.com/p/DUOXkrPDR6h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

  3. https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/27/us/video/mn-group-singing-resistance-ice-vrt-digvid

  4. https://substack.com/@terileigh

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 40 | We Stand WIth Minnesota

The past week has brought an onslaught of events and emotions. We’ve seen ICE double down on Minnesotans, and we’ve seen these resolute midwesterners triple down en masse. It seems the whole state showed up for the protest on January 23. The very next day, we saw ICE brutally murder another citizen advocate, Alex Pretti. Minnesota hasn’t let up. Following the death of Alex Pretti, their National Guard was mobilized and armed with donuts, coffee, and cocoa for the residents they were called to protect. All of this in sub-freezing temps amidst one of the worst winter storms in recent history. I am both dismayed and inspired.

The past week has brought an onslaught of events and emotions. We’ve seen ICE double down on Minnesotans, and we’ve seen these resolute midwesterners triple down en masse. It seems the whole state showed up for the protest on January 23. The very next day, we saw ICE brutally murder another citizen advocate, Alex Pretti. Minnesota hasn’t let up. Following the death of Alex Pretti, their National Guard was mobilized and armed with donuts, coffee, and cocoa for the residents they were called to protect. All of this in sub-freezing temps amidst one of the worst winter storms in recent history. I am both dismayed and inspired.

No matter where you live, it’s time to take some of the lessons from the good folks of Minnesota and apply them to our own cities. Where can you stand up? What resources do you have available to you to chip away at the brutality this administration is so willing to mete out? Where will you place your body and make “good trouble” so that the fragments of democracy may be preserved? If you have money to give, click HERE to help fund community organizers and legal advocacy in Minnesota.

Check out some of these resources below:

  1. https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/19/texas-immigration-ice-arrests-raids-police/

  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/opinion/trump-minneapolis-ice.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

  3. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/new-hampshire-bishop-warns-clergy-prepare-new-era-129330353

  4. for information on “Reviving the American Family” and what Project 2025 is trying to do next.

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Episode 39 | Our Single Garment of Destiny

We recorded on MLK day in the US, and we end this podcast by reading one of his well known quotes from his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” It reads, “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

The US has all but forgotten this truth of reality. We are all the faces of this country. I would ask each of us to examine the face we are showing and how we are using our power and privilege in such a time as this.

We recorded on MLK day in the US, and we end this podcast by reading one of his well known quotes from his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” It reads, “In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

The US has all but forgotten this truth of reality. We are all the faces of this country. I would ask each of us to examine the face we are showing and how we are using our power and privilege in such a time as this.

Trump is threatening to employ the Insurrection Act against Minnesota without consent or request, essentially committing an act of war against our own people. We attached Governor Walz’s response to everything that has gone on, but suffice to say that nonviolent protest is powerful and needed wherever we are.

We also emphasize the importance of local elections—the Trump administration is looking to install its allies as county clerks and other local officials to influence the implementation and, presumably, the outcome of the upcoming elections. We cannot let this happen. Be aware of what is happening in your areas and get involved. Don’t be afraid to be a non-violent nuisance!

Check out the references below for some further reading and information. And stay engaged!

———

Resources:

  1. Gov. Tim Walz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGTsYXBWQgU

  2. “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” pdf

  3. https://www.state-elections.org

  4. https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/political-scene/a-stark-warning-about-the-2026-election-with-robert-kagan

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Episode 38 | We Are In A Bad Way

We address three topics this week: what we are learning about Venezuela, ICE actions against Renee Good in Minnesota, and voters’ privacy in the upcoming election cycle.

As crazy as it seems, there are parallels between what Trump says his purpose was in Venezuela and what occurred in Minnesota. The abduction of Maduro was not about holding him accountable or limiting his power; it was about mimicking it. Days after criticizing Maduro for actions against his own people as a way to justify actions taken by the US, Trump justified ICE’s killing of Renee Good. Get this through your heads — the president of the United States is justifying the killing of an unarmed civilian and citizen. The administration is denigrating the victim, calling her a left-wing terrorist, and protecting its paramilitary. Trump is not interested in removing a dictator from power. Just look who he instated as the substitute! He is interested in minimizing his competition and asserting his own authority.

As my friend Jimmy Patterson says in his Substack, “Some Grace Maybe,” our best recourse is to protest peacefully. This podcast is our form of peaceful protest. What is yours? The other recourse we have is to participate in elections and demand better. As we stand, our glorious state of Texas has handed over a complete list of registered voters to the DOJ. DNC litigators argue this violates federal election law and risks using the information to manipulate outcomes. Gov. Abbott is also trying to take control of Harris County elections — the largest Democratic stronghold in the state. All the more reason why we must vote and protest against the loss of freedoms.

Stay informed and stay engaged, y’all. We got work to do!

We address three topics this week: what we are learning about Venezuela, ICE actions against Renee Good in Minnesota, and voters’ privacy in the upcoming election cycle.

As crazy as it seems, there are parallels between what Trump says his purpose was in Venezuela and what occurred in Minnesota. The abduction of Maduro was not about holding him accountable or limiting his power; it was about mimicking it. Days after criticizing Maduro for actions against his own people as a way to justify actions taken by the US, Trump justified ICE’s killing of Renee Good. Get this through your heads — the president of the United States is justifying the killing of an unarmed civilian and citizen. The administration is denigrating the victim, calling her a left-wing terrorist, and protecting its paramilitary. Trump is not interested in removing a dictator from power. Just look who he instated as the substitute! He is interested in minimizing his competition and asserting his own authority.

As my friend Jimmy Patterson says in his Substack, “Some Grace Maybe,” our best recourse is to protest peacefully. This podcast is our form of peaceful protest. What is yours? The other recourse we have is to participate in elections and demand better. As we stand, our glorious state of Texas has handed over a complete list of registered voters to the DOJ. DNC litigators argue this violates federal election law and risks using the information to manipulate outcomes. Gov. Abbott is also trying to take control of Harris County elections — the largest Democratic stronghold in the state. All the more reason why we must vote and protest against the loss of freedoms.

Stay informed and stay engaged, y’all. We got work to do!

Resources:

  1. https://www.democracydocket.com

  2. https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/09/texas-voter-roll-trump-administration-justice-department-democrats-dnc/

  3. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77krp7m362o

  4. https://www.irishstar.com/culture/entertainment/fox-news-trump-ice-shooting-36528168

  5. https://substack.com/@snyder?utm_source=global-search

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 37 | A Week in…

…and many are asking for a refund on 2026 already! Shortly after midnight on January 3, the Trump administration took military action against Venezuela, which resulted in the extradition of Maduro and his wife to the US to be accused and tried for drug trafficking. All of this was performed without congressional approval. Strangely, Trump let Fox and Friends know before informing our elected officials! While there is a precedent for not obtaining approval for military action, the event underscores the broadening authority modern presidents exercise over military force. The jury is out on whether the actions taken were illegal, though many say they were a violation of international law. We’ll see how the UN responds.

What a way to start the New Year. Trump continues to show that he is willing to exploit the law to achieve power and usurp constitutional law. Our civic leaders are violating the ethics of their professions to appease a feckless leader. This story is still unfolding, and we will continue to follow it.

———

Resources:

  1. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trumps-claims-after-u-s-strike-on-venezuela-and-capture-of-maduro

  2. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/making-sense-of-the-us-military-operation-in-venezuela/

  3. https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-3-2026


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Episode 36 | the Multi-Headed Hydra

One of the things we talk about in this episode is stamina - how do we keep pressing for the kind of change we need to see in this country? How do we swing back toward democracy? Many are turning a blind eye to the lack of legal processes in our country right now, not least of all the Supreme Court. They are playing to a bully, but they are also getting a taste of power. We are a split population, but there is evidence that the bullies are losing popularity. There is evidence that we are chipping away at the hydra. Deep change ultimately calls for long game energy, where short-term wins are achieved bit by bit. It took almost 15 years to oust Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. from power in the Philippines, but it was the people on the ground who played the long game. This is what we need right now so that we do not casually and passively slide further away from a government for the people by the people. Do we have it in us?

One of the things we talk about in this episode is stamina - how do we keep pressing for the kind of change we need to see in this country? How do we swing back toward democracy? Many are turning a blind eye to the lack of legal processes in our country right now, not least of all the Supreme Court. They are playing to a bully, but they are also getting a taste of power. We are a split population, but there is evidence that the bullies are losing popularity. There is evidence that the hydra is being chipped away. Deep change ultimately calls for long game energy, where short-term wins are achieved bit by bit. It took almost 15 years to oust Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. from power in the Philippines, but it was the people on the ground who played the long game. This is what we need right now so that we do not casually and passively slide further away from a government for the people by the people. Do we have it in us?

Thanks for listening!

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 35 | The Christian Thing To Do?

Though it’s been a couple of weeks, the Trump administration keeps on providing plenty of fodder for podcasts. The whole “let’s strike every boat coming out of Venezuela” strategy seems a great distraction to Trump’s growing unpopularity. When six democratic lawmakers pleaded to the military to remain faithful to the Constitution rather than a despot, Trump called for these people to be executed. Ummmm, what do we call an act of sedition called for by the president himself?? This is from the playbook of Christian Nationalism, an underlying philosophy of Project 2025. They call for political violence in the name of religion and patriotism. Looks to me like idolatry.

Though it’s been a couple of weeks, the Trump administration keeps on providing plenty of fodder for podcasts. The whole “let’s strike every boat coming out of Venezuela” strategy seems a great distraction to Trump’s growing unpopularity. When six democratic lawmakers pleaded to the military to remain faithful to the Constitution rather than a despot, Trump called for these people to be executed. Ummmm, what do we call an act of sedition called for by the president himself?? This is from the playbook of Christian Nationalism, an underlying philosophy of Project 2025. They call for political violence in the name of religion and patriotism. Looks to me like idolatry.

The vast difference between the response of the Church - from idolatry and violence to resistance and protest - is amazing to me. Some clerics are upholding the golden rule of love the stranger and do unto others as you would have them do to you, while others openly preach against our immigrant population and for political violence. Both are expressions of Christianity, albeit they range from unhealthy to healthy. I’ll let you guess which one we think is healthy!

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Episode 34 | The Saga Continues

Amidst a democratic victory in the special elections, the current elected Democrats joined with Republicans to reopen the government, with the promise of a vote on healthcare forthcoming. While SNAP benefits have been restored, the rollout is slow and varies by state. ICE continues to rampage cities and traumatize residents. Amidst all of this, a push to release the complete Epstein files continues. While we recorded, Trump issued a statement to the Republicans to release them, which implies that his name has been redacted by some of his cronies thumbing through them over the last months. This administration sows chaos as a distraction and then plays the hero by “rescuing” us from the chaos they created.

Amidst a democratic victory in the special elections, the current elected Democrats joined with Republicans to reopen the government, with the promise of a vote on healthcare forthcoming. While SNAP benefits have been restored, the rollout is slow and varies by state. ICE continues to rampage cities and traumatize residents. Amidst all of this, a push to release the complete Epstein files continues. While we recorded, Trump issued a statement to the Republicans to release them, which implies that his name has been redacted by some of his cronies thumbing through them over the last months. This administration sows chaos as a distraction and then plays the hero by “rescuing” us from the chaos they created.

Trump is on the defensive, quite like a wounded animal. However, the wounded animal is sometimes the most dangerous. Stay alert, connected, and present to what is going on. Demand the release of the files to your reps and be an ally to those whose lives are shaken by this administration’s cruel policies.

Thanks for listening.

———

  1. https://www.theroot.com/telltale-signs-that-trump-is-quickly-running-out-of-tim-2000073298/slides/9

  2. https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/government-shutdown-snap-benefits-november-payments

  3. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/17/trump-administration-news-updates-latest

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Episode 33 | “The Cruelty is the Point”

The cruelty is the point" was coined by Adam Serwer, a staff writer for The Atlantic Magazine, in his October 2018 essay of the same name. It became a widely used catchphrase to describe the political approach and policies of the Trump administration. 

Defunding food programs for the poor, withholding pay from government employees, especially the ones the president doesn’t like, and limiting asylum to a few thousand people a year is cruel. There is a delight this administration takes in punishing its “enemies” as well as the poor and dispossessed. Sociologist Robert Bellah encouraged us to dig deep into shared cultural values beyond the self to create a moral society with a shared set of values. This is what he called a civic religion. Right now, however, it seems we are driven by capitalism and competition rather than collaboration. It is difficult for an individualistic society to make a shift toward collectivism. Still, I think a second music is playing, “one below the other…lower, steady, perhaps more faithful for being less heard yet always present” (Annie Lighthart). Let’s tune into it and beat our drums to the sounds of freedom and compassion.

The cruelty is the point" was coined by Adam Serwer, a staff writer for The Atlantic Magazine, in his October 2018 essay of the same name. It became a widely used catchphrase to describe the Trump administration's political approach and policies. 

Defunding food programs for the poor, withholding pay from government employees, especially the ones the president doesn’t like, and limiting asylum to a few thousand people a year is cruel. There is a delight this administration takes in punishing its “enemies” as well as the poor and dispossessed. Sociologist Robert Bellah encouraged us to dig deep into shared cultural values beyond the self to create a moral society with a shared set of values. This is what he called a civic religion. Right now, however, it seems we are driven by capitalism and competition rather than collaboration. It is difficult for an individualistic society to make a shift toward collectivism. Still, I think a second music is playing, “one below the other…lower, steady, perhaps more faithful for being less heard yet always present” (Annie Lighthart). Let’s tune into it and beat our drums to the sounds of freedom and compassion.

———

  1. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/the-cruelty-is-the-point/572104/

  2. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/30/trump-refugee-restrictions-white-south-africans

  3. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/28/texas-snap-food-stamps-federal-shutdown-explained-2/

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Episode 32 | A Broken House

In the language of dreams, houses symbolize the dreamer’s psyche or inner world. The state of the house — be it chaotic, old, in disrepair, clean, bright, or dark — reflects what might be going on for the dreamer. If we externalize this symbol into the waking world, we might say our house is broken. Quite literally, the White House, a symbol of democracy, has been busted open, and its gilded power has been expanded without process or approval. Dump trucks are carrying debris from the grounds early or late in the day. The whole thing is happening without photos or reportage. A secret project we all know is happening.

In the language of dreams, houses symbolize the dreamer’s psyche or inner world. The state of the house — be it chaotic, old, in disrepair, clean, bright, or dark — reflects what might be going on for the dreamer. If we externalize this symbol into the waking world, we might say our house is broken. Quite literally, the White House, a symbol of democracy, has been busted open, and its gilded power has been expanded without process or approval. Dump trucks are carrying debris from the grounds early or late in the day. The whole thing is happening without photos or reportage. A secret project we all know is happening.

The symbolism is not lost on me. What was covert — abuses of power and privilege — has been made overt. The grabs at power are not in the dark. Our house is broken. We’re past the point of being able to say, “Well, surely it’s not that bad.” We are witnessing a president who has no plans to leave his broken house. Wherever we are, we need to speak truth to power, to challenge and stand up for what is being lost. We want to remind you that we aren’t powerless — however small the action is. Your efforts matter whether you do something in your neighborhood, city, state, or country.

———

  1. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2025/10/east-wing-rubble/684703/

  2. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/10/24/the-us-warships-off-venezuela-arent-there-to-fight-drugs

  3. https://news.gallup.com/poll/696722/congress-job-rating-sinks-trump-steady.aspx

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Episode 31 | No Kings

On Saturday, October 18, around 7 million (MILLION!) people marched around the country to support “No Kings Day.” Whether we realize it or not, the protests stretch all the way back to England circa 1215. King John signed the Magna Carta in Runnymede in support of the principle that everyone, including the king, was subject to the law. It introduced key concepts like the right to a fair trial, due process, and protection from arbitrary rule that would inform the US Constitution a few centuries later. Meanwhile, we’ve got a president who fancies himself above the law, so people took to the streets.

On Saturday, October 18, around 7 million (MILLION!) people marched around the country to support “No Kings Day.” Whether we realize it or not, the protests stretch all the way back to England circa 1215. King John signed the Magna Carta in Runnymede in support of the principle that everyone, including the king, was subject to the law. It introduced key concepts like the right to a fair trial, due process, and protection from arbitrary rule that would inform the US Constitution a few centuries later. Meanwhile, we’ve got a president who fancies himself above the law, so people took to the streets.

In this podcast, we talk about the ingredients of activism, from doing, to learning, to being. How do we live out our everyday lives in accordance with our values? How can we contribute to change in big and small ways? We can first look to our communities to take up the issues closest to home. Tiny movements ripple outward to create great change.

———

Learn more from the following links:

  1. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/11/autocracy-resistance-social-movement/684336/

  2. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/texas-governor-calls-removal-rainbow-crosswalks-calling-safety-issue-rcna236929

  3. https://youtu.be/1XyhGq2QUjE?si=zkloUzzr9xOgvR8e

  4. https://www.npr.org/2025/10/19/nx-s1-5579042/no-kings-protests-takeaways

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Episode 30 | “What’s Going On”

The above image is a screenshot of Rufus Scrimgeour in the 7th Harry Potter movie. He opens the film with, “These are dark times; there is no denying.” We encourage you to stay informed, stay engaged, and document what is happening around and inside you. Thanks for listening.

Somehow Marvin Gay’s epic song feels like an appropriate soundtrack to this week’s podcast. What’s going on in our country needs our attention. As ICE is being employed as Trump’s personal paramilitary, as recruitment for it increases and gets ever more lucrative, and as the Texas National Guard makes its way to Illinois, we ought to be singing along. We ought to be flooding the streets. We need to resist by staying informed, supporting causes for freedom, justice, and democracy, and documenting what’s happening around us.

We also need to find moments for connection, joy, and ease. This, too, is important.

The golden rule asks us to love our neighbor as ourselves, so now’s the time to ask ourselves how we are doing in that regard? Who do you consider your neighbor? We will need each other, for what affects one affects all.

Thanks for listening. Click on the following resources to learn more.

———

  1. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/05/greg-abbott-trump-texas-national-guard/

  2. https://chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/2025/10/01/massive-immigration-raid-on-chicago-apartment-building-leaves-residents-reeling-i-feel-defeated

  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/us/politics/trump-college-funding.html?unlocked_article_code=1.q08.gpFl.0d1qIz9Ca72H&smid=url-share

  4. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/texas-lawmaker-testifies-gop-used-minority-communities-as-pawns-in-new-map/?utm_campaign=13199957-Premium%20Content%20Emails&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=383600716&utm_content=383600716&utm_source=hs_email

  5. https://www.ice.gov/join

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Episode 29 | NSPM - 7

Amidst all else that is getting media attention, Trump and his team managed to sign a little-noticed national security directive intended to target “radical left violence” or anything that is anti-Trump. Both individuals and institutions can be targeted if you indicate any of the following behaviors now identified as “violent:”

  • anti-American (what it means to be an American is not clearly defined)

  • anti-Christian (read: anti-Christian Nationalism)

  • anti-Capitalist

  • support for the overthrow of the US government (um, January 6th anyone?)

  • extremism on migration (wait, so mass deportation isn’t extreme?)

  • extremism on race (can’t even define what this means, but my guess is if I say Black Lives Matter, I am an extremist.)

  • extremism on gender (there are only two, y’all. Anything else is considered extreme.)

  • hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family

  • hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on religion, and

  • hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on morality (so “freedom and justice for all” might be viewed as hostile).

This memorandum should terrify us and wake us up. I emailed the article (linked below) to my dad, who is right of center, and he said, “Whelp, I qualify for about half.” The categories of violence have not clearly been defined, which is perhaps an even scarier notion because they are up for interpretation by the enforcer. These are designed to pit us against each other, to engage in policing each other’s freedoms and behaviors. What will you do to raise awareness and resist?

———

  1. To learn more about Trump’s NSPM-7 directive, click here.

  2. Ezra Klein interviews Ta’Nehsisi Coates

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 28 | Free speech & Repsonsibility

It’s impossible to avoid talking about the ugliness of political violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Whether we agree with him or not, there is no justification for shooting him. For us, as we are greeted with a barrage of repsonses to his death, the issue that rises to the top is around free speech. The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

However, free speech is not upheld if it incites violence, harassment, or contains threats. If one person’s freedom of expression harms another, is it still considered free? I think we ought to hold ourselves accountable for how our speech can harm others, and it ought to be applied ethically and responsibly.

It’s impossible to avoid talking about the ugliness of political violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Whether we agree with him or not, there is no justification for shooting him. For us, as we are greeted with a barrage of responses to his death, the issue that rises to the top is around free speech. The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

However, free speech is not upheld if it incites violence, harassment, or contains threats. If one person’s freedom of expression harms another, is it still considered free? I think we ought to hold ourselves accountable for how our speech can harm others, and it ought to be applied ethically and responsibly.

Since recoding this podcast, free speech is being openly challenged - Jimmy Kimmel was canceled, journalists have been fired, and teachers have been let go for personal posts or “contradictory curriculum” in the state of Texas. We even waited almost a week to release this for fear of reprisals. However, saying something feels more important than silence. Now more than ever we must protect our freedoms and fight for a democracy.

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 27 | Facing Hopelessness

I know this episode's title is dire. The truth is that we are in a dire situation, we are facing hopelessness, and Josh and I believe we can’t go to sleep on it.

I know many of us want to go on about our day to avoid feeling perpetually stressed. To a degree, this is okay—take in what you can and stand in where you can. But going to sleep on what is happening may inadvertently cause harm. How can we attend to reality without being consumed by it?

Last week, Rep. Ann Johnson, who is living this every day, said repeatedly, “I know I sound crazy, but this is really happening.” I believe her. I am a person who wants to look reality in the face and decide to persist regardless of the outcome. Ultimately, we face hopelessness by letting it transform into hope and doing what we can. This podcast is part of our effort to do just that. Thanks for listening.

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  1. Click to read about Stacy Abrams on 10 steps toward autocracy.

  2. Click to read about Justice Sotomayor’s dissent.

  3. Click to view Trump’s weird rant about farmworkers.

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 26 | Rep. Ann Johnson, Badass

This whole episode is embedded in good news—and if not overtly fluffy good news, it's inspired by a fierce and compassionate woman who is quickly becoming my local hero: Rep. Ann Johnson.

This whole episode is embedded in good news—and if not overtly fluffy good news, it's inspired by a fierce and compassionate woman who is quickly becoming my local hero: Rep. Ann Johnson. She is in league with Abraham Lincoln, who jumped from a 2nd story window in 1840 to break quorum, and with Professor Dumbledore, who disapparated to protest the asinine Minister of Magic in Harry Potter 5: The Order of the Phoenix.

The quote from Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird came to mind as I listened to her on Sunday at St. Paul’s in Ordinary Life class. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.” She and her colleagues knew they were licked when they left the state, but they did it anyway to draw attention to the unconstitutionality of gerrymandering in Texas. Make no mistake, Republicans are calling it “redistricting,” and while that may be the ultimate result, their move is designed to manipulate electoral boundaries in favor of one party over another. We cannot go to sleep on this.

We were talking about whether we should continue our podcast owing to several factors—one of which is my lame social media presence—but Rep. Johnson lit a fire in me. This is our protest song, this is our action, this is our way of connecting with even a few who want to protect our fragile democracy. I’m not giving up for a president with dictator dreams. I hope you don’t either.

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  1. Go to https://annjohnson.com to find out more and donate.

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 25 | A Language Problem or a Moral One?

We spend a few moments updating voter redistricting, our numbness to violence, and the uptick in cities threatening to be taken over by the military.

We also discuss a conservative viewpoint expressed by David Brooks and others that the right's “nihilism” is, in part, caused by high-falutin’ leftist language and ideas around equity and inclusion. We are curious what listeners think about this view. The article is linked in the notes.

We spend a few moments updating voter redistricting, our numbness to violence, and the uptick in cities threatening to be taken over by the military.

We also discuss a conservative viewpoint expressed by David Brooks and others that the “nihilism” of the right is, in part, caused by highfalutin leftist language and ideas around equity and inclusion. While those accustomed to being unquestioningly included in systems likely do feel overwhelmed by the attention to DEI-related topics, it is childish to say that the nihilism of the radical right is the fault of the increase in “vaguely progressive agendas.”

It is dangerous to deny that the Republicans are at least partially personally responsible for the way Donald Trump has been allowed to overtake the party. I can empathize with the overwhelm, but I cannot give credence to not holding the right accountable for the destruction not only of their own party but of our fragile democracy. We’ll link a few articles in our notes…let us know what you think.

I hope the Trump opposition can get really clear on what they are for. Don’t dress it up in pretty language, just be bold and say what you care about, and then fight for it.

Thanks for listening!

One edit: I said the group that preceded Project 2025 was the Seven Storied Mountain. I got that wrong! Thomas Merton, a mystic and wonderful teacher wrote a book called The Seven Storied Mountain. The group I was trying to recall is called the Seven Mountain Mandate, or 7MM, for short. You can read more here.

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  1. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/21/opinion/rufo-yarvin-trump-nihilism.html

  2. https://abc7.com/post/trump-expands-cities-targeted-possible-military-deployment-baltimore-spat-governor/17636050/

  3. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/29/trump-project-2025-history

  4. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/22/democrats-woke-language-blacklist-00519421?nid=0000018f-3124-de07-a98f-3be4d1400000&nname=politico-toplines&nrid=6766ab12-468a-43ce-a6f6-daeeb782d096

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Holly Hudley Holly Hudley

Episode 24 | Entering the Zone of Militarization

In this episode, we talk about the militarization of the D.C. area as Trump moves the National Guard in, voter redistricting in Texas, and the impact of White Christian Nationalism on our society. We wonder what rights to resist the military/law enforcement have if they perceive an injustice is occurring. We commend the dissent of the Texas Democrats. As of our recording, the vote in Texas had not been passed. As of this upload, the vote to reorganize voting districts has been passed. A lot can happen in a day.

It occurs to me that in this time, the primary question on our lips ought to be, “Who do we say is our neighbor? And how are you treating them?”

In this episode, we talk about the militarization of the D.C. area as Trump moves the National Guard in, voter redistricting in Texas, and the impact of White Christian Nationalism on our society. We wonder what rights to resist the military/law enforcement have if they perceive an injustice is occurring. We commend the dissent of the Texas Democrats. As of our recording, the vote in Texas had not been passed. As of this upload, the vote to reorganize voting districts has been passed. A lot can happen in a day.

We are reaching the enactment of what Timothy Snyder warned us about - the militarization of the police force working as a conglomerate with other government and military agencies. I cannot stress enough how dangerous this is. Employing the military against its own people…we got a problem, y’all. We have a problem when ICE is recruiting more heavily and offering larger incentive packages than public school districts are for teachers.

There are a few links we discussed in todays podcast, so please peruse.

  1. On Project 2025 and its impact on your state.

  2. A return to the nostalgia of Manifest Destiny as evidenced by the resurfacing of “American Progress”

  3. The drama of the Epstein files continues and moves to Texas.

American philosophy and theology center around the individual rather than around the collective. As I’ve said before, when we cannot operate as if we are part of the large “we,” as if our actions don’t impact those around us, we lose sight of the purpose of democracy.

Thanks for listening, and stay strong, folks!

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