For the Heart

For Your Heart this Last Week of Fall: 

Include one’s own experience into the moment, when we ask, what now? What is this moment inviting me to do?

~~Nancy Hathaway  Center for Studying Mindfulness

Happiness
So early it’s still almost dark out.
I’m near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.
When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.
They wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
They are so happy
they aren’t saying anything, these boys.
I think if they could, they would take
each other’s arm.
It’s early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.
They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.
Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn’t enter into this.
Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.”

Happiness” by Raymond Carver, from All of Us: The Collected Poems © Alfred A. Knopf.

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense.  He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. They should demand his immediate resignation NOW.

While you are at it, Ask Representatives Pingree and Golden to support the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act bill presented by Seth Moulton and others. (This war on Venezuela is about OIL – Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, and it is a distraction from the…..EPSTEIN FILES)

On last Tuesday, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), along with Reps. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07), announced the introduction of new legislation, called the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act, at a press conference by the House steps. 
The No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act prohibits the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Congressman Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who served four tours in Iraq, emphasized that the legislation is urgently needed in light of recent developments. For a live stream broadcast of his press conference go here.

Last week Trump posted execution threats towards Democratic lawmakers who are all former military/CIA who posted a video asking troops not to obey illegal orders: Ask Pingree and Golden to join the effort begun yesterday by Representative Al Greene to begin Trump impeachment hearings. There is no walking this threat of violence back. Go here for a script for your call.

Mutual Aid

ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.”  Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.

Heating Assistance:  If you have friends, neighbors, or need support for Heating Assistance, Li Heap funds have been authorized for Maine, Click here to learn more about applying for LIHEAP assistance. Collins and King were  involved in pushing that this money get released after the Government shutdown.

Arts and Politics!

Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page.  According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds.  Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month. Indivisible Bangor suggests you stop using Spotify free version and instead try some of these options:  We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. (Thanks to George from Indivisible Bangor for these suggestions)

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here. 
• Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities:  It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
• Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to let LD 1971 become law, by not signing and not vetoing it:  Go here to make a comment on this on her website. (She can’t sign the bill anymore, but can veto it.)
• Here are 2 Maine related actions you can take today – Ask Governor Mills to let LD 1971 , an act which forbids Maine Law Enforcement and other public offices from doing the work of ICE, go into law. (She can no longer sign it, but she can veto it.) Go here to email or call her at (207) 287-3531. 
• If you have already done the above,  ask your local Maine Representative and Senator to support LD 1383 “An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations.” This bill prohibits Maine from investing its funds from any companies, entities, persons or financial institutions that are “associated with” a “perpetrator state”. For more details see the attachment below. The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rightsis responsible for this campaign, see their  one page toolkit  here, and write a letter to your state legislative representatives.
• Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives:  Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
• For a very interesting list of actions related to upcoming Federal legislation check out Shelly’s email attached below.
• From Linda:  I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
• From Topsham Representative Rafael Macias: Rafael is sponsoring LD 1383 in this coming legislature starting in January to require PERS to divest from all war related industries. More information on this below in the StateWide Action section. (See toppling action for more information on this.)
• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

Statewide Actions

• Support Somali families in Maine: Due to the sewage coming out of Donald Trump’s mouth about Somalis in the US, Lewiston is holding a celebration to support our Maine Somali families, this Saturday, December 13th from 12:00 – 3:00 at Kennedy Park in Lewiston.Lewiston school board members also have recently gotten threats for being too supportive of immigrants.
• Home Depot Actions: Sign the petition that is demanding that Home Depot stop complying with ICE, personalize this letter to Home Depot corporate headquarters making the same demand, for more actions such as going to your local Home Depot and delivering a letter to the manager go to Ice Out of Home Depot. This month Indivisible Mid Maine and Bangor Indivisible are holding vigils near Home Depots in their area.  Join us. (Thanks to Indivisible Mid Maine for these actions!)
• More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
• The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rights is launching a statewide campaign in support of LD 1383, a bill to end our local complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values. 
  You can learn all about our campaign in this one page toolkit with easy links to background info on LD 1383 and where folks can write their own letters to reps in just minutes.
  Please write a letter to your state legislative representatives.  See the attached document for more information on this effort.
• Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat.   Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here.  Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
• Check out the No Kings Alliance page for  updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
• The Maine Library Commission has delayed a vote taken recently to require small public libraries throughout rural Maine to hire a lead librarian, and stay open a specific number of hours weekly. Libraries that do not conform to the rule would not be eligible for inter-library loans or the digital lending services the state provides. No funds were offered to small libraries to meet this new rule. This ruling, if enacted would affect libraries all over the state, and force closings and restrict services. Please email Brian Cundick, Chair of the Commission, at bryce.cundick@maine.edu, to let him know you oppose this ruling and why. For more details on this situation and what libraries would be affected go to the Maine Monitor’s article on this issue. We should not be making it harder for small, rural, all volunteer libraries to operate in Maine. Knowledge is power. (Thanks to Elisabeth for this lead.)
   (The Library Commission, a 17-member board appointed by the Governor, is broadly representative of the state’s library community. The Commission establishes the policies and operations of the State Library, gives advice and makes recommendations on the expenditure of state and federal funds, and establishes guidelines and policies for statewide library programs.) 

LOCAL ACTIONS: Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. If you have items for our weekly newsletter, please email me and I will pass them on.

There is a community member who is looking to provide home cleaning services in the Waterville area for $25 an hour. Send an email with subject “Cleaning” to get in contact for scheduling! You would be providing income for a local mother with an infant son to care for.   

Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English?  To sign up for English tutoring or any of our other volunteer opportunities, please visit: Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP) to fill out a volunteer interest survey. An English Learning option at the Waterville library at 1:00 on Mondays is also an option for volunteers. Contact CANMP for the details. You can also Donate to the Capitol Area New Mainers Project’s rapid response fund. CANMP is actively helping those affected by ICE abductions, both with legal funding and other financial support for family members.

The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and partners are organizing an ICE watch Hotline  in Maine. They need volunteer hotline operators to answer phones from Mainers concerned about ICE sitings. They are looking for folks fluent in one or more of the following: Spanish, French and Portugese. 207-544-9989Thursday, December 4th,  Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm: stop the coup, support Democracy, Notice the new time on this one! 
First Saturday of Each Month: Somerset Stands Up Rallies 2:30–Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, downtown Skowhegan. Bring your signs, American flags, your voice, your friends, families and neighbors for this peaceful gathering of concerned residents of Somerset County.  
Sunday, December 14th : 1:00 (and every Sunday): Stand with us against Trump/Stephen Miller; For Peace in the Middle East, For Ukraine, Stop the War in Iran, etc. on the Bridge by CVS in Waterville 
Tuesday, December 16th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) New Location at the corner of Main Street and Waterville Commons Drive  Stand with us to Boycott Home Depot as well as support local businesses this shopping season.  Check out  Ice Out of Home Depot for what our demands are. We will be holding our vigil there for the month of December. See attachment below. 
Wednesday, December 10th: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville,  Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at recordconnection@gmail.com. 
SOLIDARITY 

*Consider supporting Graham Platner. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. Volunteer here. The oddsmakers have him beating Mills in the primary as of this week.

However, Mills is a good alternative to support if she wins the primary in June. We must oust Collins!

* Consider hanging the “Republicans raised your health care costs by $1300” on walls and bulletin boards. For more info go here.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!  

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

Emanuel

ps. Please let me know if you don’t wish to get these Action Alerts, and please feel free to pass all or parts of these alerts on to others you know. Note my email is changed to emanuel.pariser@gmail.com

‘The future of medicine lies in empowering people, not just treating them.’  C. Everett Koop, Surgeon General, 1982-1989

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It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!

Good morning! Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor.

Following this newsletter is Emanuel’s Daily Action Email from Augusta -a great list of important actions and information.

Also, TWO urgent actions from Hancock County Democrats:

~Action 184 – The “Fix It Act” (12/5), that discusses the bipartisan bill, HR 6010, the Fix It Act, that aims to extend the ACA premium tax credits by two years.

The vote on this act, HR 6010, may occur today!

~Action 185 – Now it’s the Architects! (12/5) discusses that the profession of architecture is also no longer to be recognized as a qualifying profession by the Department of Education.

Also, check out the latest from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (12/9) with information about Trump’s and Hegseth’s illegal warmongering off Venezuela’s shores, the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, and others.

A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!

And THANK YOU to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Planning events and maintaining the website and email list take money, so these donations are appreciated!

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Current News:

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Weekly Vigils

Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area!

First up is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor at 11:00 am, and today is the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil from noon to 1:00 pm.  

Bangor Visibility Brigade
Fridays

The week finishes with the Visibility Brigade on Fridays. Join the brigade on the Essex Street overpass at the new time of 3:00 p.m. as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here

Home Depot Saturdays

For the next two Saturdays of holiday shopping, 12/13 & 12/20, we will be out on Stillwater Ave at noon for one hour, across from the entrance to the Home Depot shopping center.

Contact George for more info!

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Upcoming Events:

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***TODAY***
December 10 International Human rights Day in Bangor

In the midst of tragic events in Gaza, Venezuela, Ukraine, Sudan, and many other locations, the world will observe the 77th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), including an event on December 10 in Bangor. Participants will hold a vigil/standout from 12 noon-12:30 PM on Wednesday at the Kenduskeag Stream bridge, outside 6 State, downtown Bangor. 

Supporters of human rights worldwide, and particularly those worried about the lives and safety of people in the hotspots mentioned above, will hand out copies of the UDHR. Participants will read the entire Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the Preamble and its 30 articles. The UDHR was first signed in 1948 by over 50 members of the United Nations, including the United States, with no dissent. 

“Promoting human rights means an end to the violence by all sides of these conflicts and a priority for respecting human lives; there are nonviolent alternatives that are more effective in resolving conflicts,” stated Larry Dansinger of the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, an organizer of the event. 

What: vigil/standout
When: Wednesday, December 10, 12 noon-12:30 PM
Where: Kenduskeag Stream bridge, outside 6 State, downtown Bangor

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Navigating Community Relationships in Rocky Waters
Brewer, Saturday, 12/13

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Home Depot Picketing
Saturday, 12/13

We will be out there every Saturday at noon for the next two Saturdays with our signs for an hour to inform people about Home Depot’s complicity with and support of the Trump administration.

The shopping boycott weekend is over, but if you can, continue to focus on local businesses and others that are not collaborating with the Trump administration.

Effective boycotts take time and sacrifice and we CAN do it!

Home Depot has allowed its parking lots to become ground zero for ICE raids on immigrant day laborers, and its billionaire co-founder Bernie Marcus has funneled millions into Trump’s campaigns.

Target, which once branded itself as the friendly, inclusive big-box store, has now scrapped its DEI goals and scaled back LGBTQ+ offerings to avoid angering the regime.

Amazon didn’t just shower Trump’s inauguration with cash — Jeff Bezos’ company pitched facial-recognition tools to ICE and powers the Palantir systems ICE uses to track and deport immigrants, making Amazon a core contractor for the regime’s deportation machine.

Amazon owns Audible.com, Whole Foods Market, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, Ring doorbell cameras, Goodreads, IMDB, zappos.com, Zoox self-driving subsidiary, and other companies, so keep those in mind, too. -George.

If you have any suggestions or ideas for alternatives to these stores, drop me a line here!

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Other News:

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Holiday Gift Drive for The Shaw House in Bangor

The Shaw House in Bangor provides preventative and emergency services to youth between the ages of 10 and 24 who are at risk of, or who are currently experiencing, homelessness.

There are currently seven teens living at the Shaw House, ages 16 to 18 – four boys and three girls. Help make this Holiday season special for them by donating items from this list from the kids. 

Go here for the list of items these kids are requesting for Christmas, as well as a list of general goods the Shaw House needs.  

Please drop off gifts at the Food and Medicine building in Brewer by December 17th. All details are here.

Thank you very much!!!!

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Ask Governor Mills to NOT VETO LD 1971

From the Maine People’s Alliance:

“Governor Mills refused to sign this bill into law in the last legislative session and will have just 3 days in the new legislative session starting January 7, 2026, to either veto the bill or allow it to become law without her signature.

“The immoral and illegal actions of ICE throughout the United States and in Maine including arresting parents outside of schools, terrorizing immigrant communities, and attempting to intimidate and assault lawful protestors and those who would document their actions must be resisted. Maine law enforcement should be free to focus on their jobs in keeping the people of Maine safe from crime and not compelled to support immigration enforcement outside of criminal investigations.”

President Trump has singled out our Somali friends and neighbors, targeting them in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, for the next ICE terror campaign:

Trump ‘garbage’ rhetoric about Somalis draws cheers from administration, silence from Republicans and alarm from critics, Reuters, 12/4/2025

ICE agents to descend on Twin Cities as soon as this week, sources tell ABC News, KSTP, 12/4/2025

Maine has a vibrant Somali community and we need to stand with them, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because we know that the ICE terror campaign will not stop with immigrants. Please call Governor Janet Mills and ask her to allow LD 1971 to become law and please contact your senators and congressional representatives and let them know you object to Donald Trump’s use of DHS agencies to terrorize people in our cities. There is a handy list of links at the bottom of this email, tap the link below.

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Cancel Spotify Until They Stop Collaborating with ICE

From Indivisible Project:

Today, social media feeds are full of people sharing their Spotify Wrapped results, while Spotify is full of … ICE recruitment ads. 

Here are a few things you can do right now: 

• If you’re still paying for Spotify premium, cancel your subscription. We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. 
• (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. Any other suggestions, just let me know! -George).
• Don’t use Spotify’s free version either. You don’t need to delete your account. Just close out your apps and don’t open them again until Spotify stops forcing ICE ads into people’s feeds. 
• Instead of sharing your Spotify Wrapped this year, share our Wrapped-themed posts calling on others to cancel Spotify. As long as Spotify is willing to take money from ICE, they don’t need (and don’t deserve) free advertising on our social feeds. And there’s no reason you can’t post your own list of top songs/artists on social — maybe alongside a message about why you chose not to stream them on Spotify. 
• Use this social media moment to have GENTLE, NON-SHAMING conversations with friends about the Spotify boycott. Seriously, no one is going to respond well to judgy DMs when they’re just trying to post something fun about the music they like. So approach with kindness, maybe compliment their music tastes, and then talk about why you’ve decided to stream from other platforms for the time being (one point you can make: Those platforms probably treat their favorite artists much, much better than Spotify does). 
• Help us track the growth of this economic campaign by taking our one-question survey. 

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Join Indivisible Bangor!

Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Or do you just want to keep up with what we’re doing?  Sign up to volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! Your level of involvement is up to you!

Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the link below to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings, which will resume after the holidays!

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Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry

The shutdown is over, but the need is not. There are still cuts to programs that help people with food and other needs.

Please DONATE to a local food pantry- food, personal items, and even cash.  Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.

Also, ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!

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The Maine ICE Watch Hotline

The purpose of the hotline is to protect immigrant families by providing accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connect Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees.

Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition ICE Watch Resource Hub.

Read more about it here in this Newscenter Maine article.

(207) 544-9989

Other Ways to Take Action­ (Courtesy of Indivisible Cumberland County: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. Action Alert on LD 1917: Contact Governor Mills and tell her to sign into law this bill to protect Maine’s immigrant communities, workforce, public safety, and future!  Donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund: Fund pools resources from across communities into a shared fund we can draw from immediately when urgent needs arise.  NO I.C.E. for Maine: Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE.

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Make Some Calls!

It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

Write Some Emails!

If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.

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We are on Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook!

Follow us! Invite your friends! Comment! You’ll be glad you did!

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We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangor and tell them to put it on the account of Indivisible Bangor. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!

****Be sure the attendant writes down “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.

Thank you for all you do! – George and Indivisible Bangor

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And now to the Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action:

Action Wednesday December 10th: Ask Governor Mills to Let LD 1971 Become Law + Help LD 1383 Become Law

Good Morning Folks, it’s Wednesday and the Maine Legislature is getting ready to get back into session on January 7th and will be in session until April 15th. There are lots of bills coming up soon, so let’s get ready to take action on them. “All politics is local” and the closer you live to someone in politics the more power you have.

Top Action to Take Today:

Here are 2 Maine related actions you can take today

– Ask Governor Mills to let LD 1971 , an act which forbids Maine Law Enforcement and other public offices from doing the work of ICE, go into law. (She can no longer sign it, but she can veto it.) Go here to email or call her at (207) 287-3531. 

-If you have already done the above,  ask your local Maine Representative and Senator to support LD 1383 “An Act to Require State Divestment from Perpetrators of International Human Rights Violations.” This bill prohibits Maine from investing its funds from any companies, entities, persons or financial institutions that are “associated with” a “perpetrator state”. For more details see the attachment below. The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rightsis responsible for this campaign, see their  one page toolkit  here, and write a letter to your state legislative representatives.

For “More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth” from Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action (12/10), click here.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!  

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

~~Emanuel

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It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

This is time sensitive: Ask our congressional representatives to Extend the ACA tax credits by voting for the FixIt Act.  This act proposes a two-year extension of enhanced ACA premium tax credits, paying for it by cracking down on Medicare Advantage fraud and insurance broker misconduct.  This vote is what the Republicans offered King and Democrats if they supported the CR budget bill that re-opened the government in November. The vote will come as soon as today! Please write an email or call King, Collins, Golden and/or Pingree and ask them to vote IN FAVOR of the Fixit Act! For more on the ACA tax credits go here. For much more detailed information see the attached action email from Abbie McMillen. Collins is submitting her own version of this called the CARE act.

Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense.  He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. They should demand his immediate resignation NOW.

While you are at it, Ask Representatives Pingree and Golden to support the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act bill presented by Seth Moulton and others. (This war on Venezuela is about OIL – Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, and it is a distraction from the…..EPSTEIN FILES)

On last Tuesday, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), along with Reps. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07), announced the introduction of new legislation, called the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act, at a press conference by the House steps. 
The No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act prohibits the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Congressman Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who served four tours in Iraq, emphasized that the legislation is urgently needed in light of recent developments. For a live stream broadcast of his press conference go here.

Last week Trump posted execution threats towards Democratic lawmakers who are all former military/CIA who posted a video asking troops not to obey illegal orders: Ask Pingree and Golden to join the effort begun yesterday by Representative Al Greene to begin Trump impeachment hearings. There is no walking this threat of violence back. Go here for a script for your call.

Mutual Aid

ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.”  Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.

Heating Assistance:  If you have friends, neighbors, or need support for Heating Assistance, Li Heap funds have been authorized for Maine, Click here to learn more about applying for LIHEAP assistance. Collins and King were  involved in pushing that this money get released after the Government shutdown.

Arts and Politics!

Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page.  According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds.  Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month. Indivisible Bangor suggests you stop using Spotify free version and instead try some of these options:  We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. (Thanks to George from Indivisible Bangor for these suggestions)

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here. 
• Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities:  It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
• Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to let LD 1971 become law, by not signing and not vetoing it:  Go here to make a comment on this on her website. (She can’t sign the bill anymore, but can veto it.)
• Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives:  Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
• For a very interesting list of actions related to upcoming Federal legislation check out Shelly’s email attached below.
• From Linda:  I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
• From Topsham Representative Rafael Macias: Rafael is sponsoring LD 1383 in this coming legislature starting in January to require PERS to divest from all war related industries. More information on this below in the StateWide Action section. (See toppling action for more information on this.)
• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

Statewide Actions

• Home Depot Actions: Sign the petition that is demanding that Home Depot stop complying with ICE, personalize this letter to Home Depot corporate headquarters making the same demand, for more actions such as going to your local Home Depot and delivering a letter to the manager go to Ice Out of Home Depot. This month Indivisible Mid Maine and Bangor Indivisible are holding vigils near Home Depots in their area.  Join us. (Thanks to Indivisible Mid Maine for these actions!)
• More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
• The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rights is launching a statewide campaign in support of LD 1383, a bill to end our local complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values. 
  You can learn all about our campaign in this one page toolkit with easy links to background info on LD 1383 and where folks can write their own letters to reps in just minutes.
  Please write a letter to your state legislative representatives.  See the attached document for more information on this effort.
• Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat.   Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here.  Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
• Check out the No Kings Alliance page for updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
• The Maine Library Commission has delayed a vote taken recently to require small public libraries throughout rural Maine to hire a lead librarian, and stay open a specific number of hours weekly. Libraries that do not conform to the rule would not be eligible for inter-library loans or the digital lending services the state provides. No funds were offered to small libraries to meet this new rule. This ruling, if enacted would affect libraries all over the state, and force closings and restrict services. Please email Brian Cundick, Chair of the Commission, at bryce.cundick@maine.edu, to let him know you oppose this ruling and why. For more details on this situation and what libraries would be affected go to the Maine Monitor’s article on this issue. We should not be making it harder for small, rural, all volunteer libraries to operate in Maine. Knowledge is power. (Thanks to Elisabeth for this lead.)
  (The Library Commission, a 17-member board appointed by the Governor, is broadly representative of the state’s library community. The Commission establishes the policies and operations of the State Library, gives advice and makes recommendations on the expenditure of state and federal funds, and establishes guidelines and policies for statewide library programs.) 

LOCAL ACTIONS: Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. If you have items for our weekly newsletter, please email me and I will pass them on.

There is a community member who is looking to provide home cleaning services in the Waterville area for $25 an hour. Send an email with subject “Cleaning” to get in contact for scheduling! You would be providing income for a local mother with an infant son to care for.   

Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English?  To sign up for English tutoring or any of our other volunteer opportunities, please visit: Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP) to fill out a volunteer interest survey. An English Learning option at the Waterville library at 1:00 on Mondays is also an option for volunteers. Contact CANMP for the details. You can also Donate to the Capitol Area New Mainers Project’s rapid response fund. CANMP is actively helping those affected by ICE abductions, both with legal funding and other financial support for family members.

The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and partners are organizing an ICE watch Hotline  in Maine. They need volunteer hotline operators to answer phones from Mainers concerned about ICE sitings. They are looking for folks fluent in one or more of the following: Spanish, French and Portugese. 207-544-9989Wednesday, December 10th: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville,  Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at recordconnection@gmail.com. 
Thursday, December 4th,  Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm: stop the coup, support Democracy, Notice the new time on this one! 
First Saturday of Each Month: Somerset Stands Up Rallies 2:30–Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, downtown Skowhegan. Bring your signs, American flags, your voice, your friends, families and neighbors for this peaceful gathering of concerned residents of Somerset County.  
Sunday, December 14th : 1:00 (and every Sunday): Stand with us against Trump/Stephen Miller; For Peace in the Middle East, For Ukraine, Stop the War in Iran, etc. on the Bridge by CVS in Waterville 
Tuesday, December 16th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) New Location at the corner of Main Street and Waterville Commons Drive  Stand with us to Boycott Home Depot as well as support local businesses this shopping season.  Check out  Ice Out of Home Depot for what our demands are. We will be holding our vigil there for the month of December. See attachment below.SOLIDARITY 

*Consider supporting Graham Platner. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. Volunteer here. Platner will be coming to a town near you; check out his schedule on his website or above, and then make your decision! 

Mills is a good alternative to support if she wins the primary in June. We must oust Collins!

*If you would like to join Maine People’s Alliance Federal Lobby Group, please contact Jim Parakilas at jamesparakilas@gmail.com. We meet Mondays at 2 pm on Zoom. 

* Consider hanging the “Republicans raised your health care costs by $1300” on walls and bulletin boards. For more info go here.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!  

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

Emanuel

“Non-collaboration is a dynamic weapon. We must refuse. We must use it to send this government to the grave.” Nelson Mandela

In a democracy, you believe it or not; in a dictatorship, you believe it or else. — Evan Esar

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It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!

Good morning on this chilly, but sunny, Tuesday morning. Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor.

Following this newsletter is Emanuel’s Daily Action Email from Augusta -a great list of important actions and information.

Also, TWO urgent actions from Hancock County Democrats:

~Action 184 – The “Fix It Act” (12/5), that discusses the bipartisan bill, HR 6010, the Fix It Act, that aims to extend the ACA premium tax credits by two years.

~Action 185 – Now it’s the Architects! (12/5) discusses that the profession of architecture is also no longer to be recognized as a qualifying profession by the Department of Education.

Also, check out the latest from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (12/9) with information about Trump’s and Hegseth’s illegal warmongering off Venezuela’s shores, the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, and others.

A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!

And THANK YOU to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund! Planning events and maintaining the website and email list take money, so these donations are appreciated!

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Current News:

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Weekly Vigils

Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area!

TODAY is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor at 11:00 am, followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil from noon to 1:00 pm.  

Bangor Visibility Brigade
Fridays

The week finishes with the Visibility Brigade on Fridays. Join the brigade on the Essex Street overpass at the new time of 3:00 p.m. as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here

Home Depot Saturdays

For the next two Saturdays of holiday shopping, 12/13 & 12/20, we will be out on Stillwater Ave at noon for one hour, across from the entrance to the Home Depot shopping center.

Contact George for more info!

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Upcoming Events:

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***TONIGHT***
Bangor Town Hall and Food Drive with Nirav Shah!
Tuesday, 12/9

Tonight, 12/9, a Town Hall and Food Drive in Bangor with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nirav Shah.

This will be a great opportunity to hear directly from Nirav, ask questions, and share what matters most to you and your community. We encourage attendees to come ready with questions — and as Nirav likes to say, there is only one rule: no easy questions! Nirav is excited to listen, learn, and engage with you on the issues that matter most.

FOOD DRIVE: In the spirit of supporting our neighbors ahead of the holiday season we will also be hosting a food drive at the event. If you’re able, please consider bringing a non-perishable food donation to help families in need. We are collecting items for local food pantries. Items in high demand: peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken, pasta / pasta sauce, cereals, granola bars.

We hope to see you there — let’s come together, talk about the future of Maine, and support our community!

📍 Bangor Public Library: 145 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04401

📅 Tonight, Tuesday, December 9

🕐 Town Hall begins at 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)

Questions? Contact kira@shahformaine.com

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***TONIGHT***
UMaine Grad Workers Union Forum – The State of Affordability in Maine
Tuesday, 12/9 -UMaine

Join Grad Workers, ME Legislators, and the community for an important public forum discussion on affordability for workers at the Universities of Maine!

One of the major issues that we as Graduate Workers have been working to address in our first union contract is the crisis of affordability for GWs. Cost of living has risen dramatically over the last five years, and yet GW pay has not gone up since 2022, healthcare expenses have skyrocketed, and the economic pressures on GWs are worse than ever. The University of Maine System as a public institution that should be lifting up Maine families, not perpetuating low wage, low benefit working conditions.

When: Tonight, 12/9 6pm
Where: UMaine Orono Campus, building and room TBD
RSVP HERE

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December 10 International Human rights Day in Bangor

In the midst of tragic events in Gaza, Venezuela, Ukraine, Sudan, and many other locations, the world will observe the 77th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), including an event on December 10 in Bangor. Participants will hold a vigil/standout from 12 noon-12:30 PM on Wednesday at the Kenduskeag Stream bridge, outside 6 State, downtown Bangor. 

Supporters of human rights worldwide, and particularly those worried about the lives and safety of people in the hotspots mentioned above, will hand out copies of the UDHR. Participants will read the entire Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the Preamble and its 30 articles. The UDHR was first signed in 1948 by over 50 members of the United Nations, including the United States, with no dissent. 

“Promoting human rights means an end to the violence by all sides of these conflicts and a priority for respecting human lives; there are nonviolent alternatives that are more effective in resolving conflicts,” stated Larry Dansinger of the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, an organizer of the event. 

What: vigil/standout
When: Wednesday, December 10, 12 noon-12:30 PM
Where: Kenduskeag Stream bridge, outside 6 State, downtown Bangor

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Navigating Community Relationships in Rocky Waters
Brewer, Saturday, 12/13

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Home Depot Picketing
Saturday, 12/13

We will be out there every Saturday at noon for the next two Saturdays with our signs for an hour to inform people about Home Depot’s complicity with and support of the Trump administration.

The shopping boycott weekend is over, but if you can, continue to focus on local businesses and others that are not collaborating with the Trump administration.

Effective boycotts take time and sacrifice and we CAN do it!

Home Depot has allowed its parking lots to become ground zero for ICE raids on immigrant day laborers, and its billionaire co-founder Bernie Marcus has funneled millions into Trump’s campaigns.

Target, which once branded itself as the friendly, inclusive big-box store, has now scrapped its DEI goals and scaled back LGBTQ+ offerings to avoid angering the regime.

Amazon didn’t just shower Trump’s inauguration with cash — Jeff Bezos’ company pitched facial-recognition tools to ICE and powers the Palantir systems ICE uses to track and deport immigrants, making Amazon a core contractor for the regime’s deportation machine.

Amazon owns Audible.com, Whole Foods Market, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, Ring doorbell cameras, Goodreads, IMDB, zappos.com, Zoox self-driving subsidiary, and other companies, so keep those in mind, too. -George.

If you have any suggestions or ideas for alternatives to these stores, drop me a line here!

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Other News:

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Ask Governor Mills to NOT VETO LD 1971

From the Maine People’s Alliance:

“Governor Mills refused to sign this bill into law in the last legislative session and will have just 3 days in the new legislative session starting January 7, 2026, to either veto the bill or allow it to become law without her signature.

“The immoral and illegal actions of ICE throughout the United States and in Maine including arresting parents outside of schools, terrorizing immigrant communities, and attempting to intimidate and assault lawful protestors and those who would document their actions must be resisted. Maine law enforcement should be free to focus on their jobs in keeping the people of Maine safe from crime and not compelled to support immigration enforcement outside of criminal investigations.”

President Trump has singled out our Somali friends and neighbors, targeting them in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, for the next ICE terror campaign:

Trump ‘garbage’ rhetoric about Somalis draws cheers from administration, silence from Republicans and alarm from critics, Reuters, 12/4/2025

ICE agents to descend on Twin Cities as soon as this week, sources tell ABC News, KSTP, 12/4/2025

Maine has a vibrant Somali community and we need to stand with them, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because we know that the ICE terror campaign will not stop with immigrants. Please call Governor Janet Mills and ask her to allow LD 1971 to become law and please contact your senators and congressional representatives and let them know you object to Donald Trump’s use of DHS agencies to terrorize people in our cities. There is a handy list of links at the bottom of this email, tap the link below.

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Cancel Spotify Until They Stop Collaborating with ICE

From Indivisible Project:

Today, social media feeds are full of people sharing their Spotify Wrapped results, while Spotify is full of … ICE recruitment ads. 

Here are a few things you can do right now: 

• If you’re still paying for Spotify premium, cancel your subscription. We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. 
• (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! And another fun and quirky alternative, also based in California, is Luxuriamusic.com. Any other suggestions, just let me know! -George).
• Don’t use Spotify’s free version either. You don’t need to delete your account. Just close out your apps and don’t open them again until Spotify stops forcing ICE ads into people’s feeds. 
• Instead of sharing your Spotify Wrapped this year, share our Wrapped-themed posts calling on others to cancel Spotify. As long as Spotify is willing to take money from ICE, they don’t need (and don’t deserve) free advertising on our social feeds. And there’s no reason you can’t post your own list of top songs/artists on social — maybe alongside a message about why you chose not to stream them on Spotify. 
• Use this social media moment to have GENTLE, NON-SHAMING conversations with friends about the Spotify boycott. Seriously, no one is going to respond well to judgy DMs when they’re just trying to post something fun about the music they like. So approach with kindness, maybe compliment their music tastes, and then talk about why you’ve decided to stream from other platforms for the time being (one point you can make: Those platforms probably treat their favorite artists much, much better than Spotify does). 
• Help us track the growth of this economic campaign by taking our one-question survey. 

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Join Indivisible Bangor!

Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Or do you just want to keep up with what we’re doing?  Sign up to volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! Your level of involvement is up to you!

Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the link below to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings, which will resume after the holidays!

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Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry

The shutdown is over, but the need is not. There are still cuts to programs that help people with food and other needs.

Please DONATE to a local food pantry- food, personal items, and even cash.  Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.

Also, ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!

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The Maine ICE Watch Hotline

The purpose of the hotline is to protect immigrant families by providing accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connect Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees.

Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition ICE Watch Resource Hub.

Read more about it here in this Newscenter Maine article.

(207) 544-9989

Other Ways to Take Action­ (Courtesy of Indivisible Cumberland County: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. Action Alert on LD 1917: Contact Governor Mills and tell her to sign into law this bill to protect Maine’s immigrant communities, workforce, public safety, and future!  Donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund: Fund pools resources from across communities into a shared fund we can draw from immediately when urgent needs arise.  NO I.C.E. for Maine: Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE.

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Make Some Calls!

It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

Write Some Emails!

If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.

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We are on Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook!

Follow us! Invite your friends! Comment! You’ll be glad you did!

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We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangor and tell them to put it on the account of Indivisible Bangor. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!

****Be sure the attendant writes down “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.

Thank you for all you do! – George and Indivisible Bangor

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And now to the Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action:

Action Tuesday December 9th: Holding Home Depot Accountable + Extend the ACA Tax Credits + Support LD 1383 for Maine

Good Morning Folks, it’s a Hold Home Depot accountable Tuesday! HD has been cooperating with the Trump administration allowing ICE to snatch day workers in their parking lots. We want them to stop this practice.

Top Action to Take Today:

 Home Depot Actions: Sign the petition that is demanding that Home Depot stop complying with ICE, personalize this letter to Home Depot corporate headquarters making the same demand, for more actions such as going to your local Home Depot and delivering a letter to the manager go to Ice Out of Home Depot. This month Indivisible Mid Maine and Bangor Indivisible are holding vigils near Home Depots in their area.  Join us. (Thanks to Indivisible Mid Maine for these actions!)

For “More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth” from Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action (12/8), click here.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!  

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

~~Emanuel

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It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!

Good morning on this chilly Monday. Here is today’s newsletter from Indivisible Bangor.

Following this newsletter is Emanuel’s Daily Action Email from Augusta -a great list of important actions and information.

Also, TWO new & urgent actions from Hancock County Democrats:

~Action 184 – The “Fix It Act” (12/5), that discusses the bipartisan bill, HR 6010, the Fix It Act, that aims to extend the ACA premium tax credits by two years.

~Action 185 – Now it’s the Architects! (12/5) discusses that the profession of architecture is also no longer to be recognized as a qualifying profession by the Department of Education.

Also, check out the latest from the Bold Coast Civic Alliance (12/4) with information about impeaching Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, extending the ACA tax credits, and adverse effect that the redefining of professional programs by Trump’s Department of Education will have.

A lot of research goes into these additional actions, so be sure to read them!

And “thank you” to supporters who have been donating to our ActBlue fund!

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Current News:

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Weekly Vigils

Weekly vigils are happening here in the Bangor area!

Tomorrow is the Tuesday Weekly Vigil at the Federal Building in Bangor at 11:00 am, followed by the Wednesday Weekly Orono Vigil from noon to 1:00 pm.  

Bangor Visibility Brigade
Fridays

The week finishes with the Visibility Brigade on Fridays. Join the brigade on the Essex Street overpass at the new time of 3:00 p.m. as we hold letters to spell out messages for the drivers on I-95! Learn more here. Tell them you read about it here

Home Depot Saturdays

For the next two Saturdays of holiday shopping, 12/13 & 12/20, we will be out on Stillwater Ave at noon for one hour, across from the entrance to the Home Depot shopping center.

Contact George for more info!

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Upcoming Events:

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***TODAY***
STOP THE CITY OF BANGOR ENCAMPMENT SWEEP ON DECEMBER 19!
***Today***
Rally & Testimony

The City of Bangor plans to sweep an encampment of 40-50 unhoused residents and remove their belongings on December 19th, despite acknowledging the city’s insufficient shelter capacity. This decision reflects a growing disconnect between local policy and well-established public health evidence showing that encampment sweeps worsen health crises.

*****Read more here: tinyurl.com/STOPBANGORSWEEPS*****

What Actions Can You Take? Rally & Protest TODAY!

• In the Streets: Mon. Dec. 8 at 5:30pm
  RALLY: STOP THE SWEEPS – 73 Harlow St.
• Bring Winter Gear to donate! Hats, gloves, socks, 
• In the Chambers: Mon. Dec. 8 at 7:00pm – Testimony Bangor City Council – 73 Harlow St.

Also, please read the linked PDF for more background and information: “A Strategic Framework for Sanctioned Encampments in Bangor, Maine: Evidence, Models, and Operational Best Practices for Crisis Response“

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Bangor Town Hall and Food Drive with Nirav Shah!
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 12/9

Tomorrow evening, 12/9, a Town Hall and Food Drive in Bangor with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Nirav Shah.

This will be a great opportunity to hear directly from Nirav, ask questions, and share what matters most to you and your community. We encourage attendees to come ready with questions — and as Nirav likes to say, there is only one rule: no easy questions! Nirav is excited to listen, learn, and engage with you on the issues that matter most.

FOOD DRIVE: In the spirit of supporting our neighbors ahead of the holiday season we will also be hosting a food drive at the event. If you’re able, please consider bringing a non-perishable food donation to help families in need. We are collecting items for local food pantries. Items in high demand: peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken, pasta / pasta sauce, cereals, granola bars.

We hope to see you there — let’s come together, talk about the future of Maine, and support our community!

📍 Bangor Public Library: 145 Harlow St., Bangor, ME 04401

📅 Tuesday, December 9

🕐 Town Hall begins at 6:00 PM (doors open at 5:30 PM)

Questions? Contact kira@shahformaine.com

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UMaine Grad Workers Union Forum – The State of Affordability in Maine
Tomorrow, Tuesday, 12/9 -UMaine

Join Grad Workers, ME Legislators, and the community for an important public forum discussion on affordability for workers at the Universities of Maine!

One of the major issues that we as Graduate Workers have been working to address in our first union contract is the crisis of affordability for GWs. Cost of living has risen dramatically over the last five years, and yet GW pay has not gone up since 2022, healthcare expenses have skyrocketed, and the economic pressures on GWs are worse than ever. The University of Maine System as a public institution that should be lifting up Maine families, not perpetuating low wage, low benefit working conditions.

When: 12/9 6pm
Where: UMaine Orono Campus, building and room TBD
RSVP HERE

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Home Depot Picketing
Saturday, 12/13

We will be out there every Saturday at noon for the next three Saturdays with our signs for an hour to inform people about Home Depot’s complicity with and support of the Trump administration.

The shopping boycott weekend is over, but if you can, continue to focus on local businesses and others that are not collaborating with the Trump administration.

Effective boycotts take time and sacrifice and we CAN do it!

Home Depot has allowed its parking lots to become ground zero for ICE raids on immigrant day laborers, and its billionaire co-founder Bernie Marcus has funneled millions into Trump’s campaigns.

Target, which once branded itself as the friendly, inclusive big-box store, has now scrapped its DEI goals and scaled back LGBTQ+ offerings to avoid angering the regime.

Amazon didn’t just shower Trump’s inauguration with cash — Jeff Bezos’ company pitched facial-recognition tools to ICE and powers the Palantir systems ICE uses to track and deport immigrants, making Amazon a core contractor for the regime’s deportation machine. (Amazon owns Audible.com, Whole Foods Market, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, Ring doorbell cameras, and other companies, so keep those in mind, too-George).

If you have any suggestions or ideas for alternatives to these stores, drop me a line here!

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Other News:

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Ask Governor Mills to NOT VETO LD 1971

From the Maine People’s Alliance:

“Governor Mills refused to sign this bill into law in the last legislative session and will have just 3 days in the new legislative session starting January 7, 2026, to either veto the bill or allow it to become law without her signature.

“The immoral and illegal actions of ICE throughout the United States and in Maine including arresting parents outside of schools, terrorizing immigrant communities, and attempting to intimidate and assault lawful protestors and those who would document their actions must be resisted. Maine law enforcement should be free to focus on their jobs in keeping the people of Maine safe from crime and not compelled to support immigration enforcement outside of criminal investigations.”

President Trump has singled out our Somali friends and neighbors, targeting them in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, for the next ICE terror campaign:

Trump ‘garbage’ rhetoric about Somalis draws cheers from administration, silence from Republicans and alarm from critics, Reuters, 12/4/2025

ICE agents to descend on Twin Cities as soon as this week, sources tell ABC News, KSTP, 12/4/2025

Maine has a vibrant Somali community and we need to stand with them, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because we know that the ICE terror campaign will not stop with immigrants. Please call Governor Janet Mills and ask her to allow LD 1971 to become law and please contact your senators and congressional representatives and let them know you object to Donald Trump’s use of DHS agencies to terrorize people in our cities. There is a handy list of links at the bottom of this email, tap the link below.

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Cancel Spotify Until They Stop Collaborating with ICE

From Indivisible Project:

Today, social media feeds are full of people sharing their Spotify Wrapped results, while Spotify is full of … ICE recruitment ads. 

Here are a few things you can do right now: 

• If you’re still paying for Spotify premium, cancel your subscription. We’ve got instructions (and some suggestions on alternatives) here. 
• (I have found another fun streaming site alternative, Soma.FM, based in San Francisco. They are listener supported and feature an eclectic selection of channels, including holiday, soul, and groovy pop! -George).
• Don’t use Spotify’s free version either. You don’t need to delete your account. Just close out your apps and don’t open them again until Spotify stops forcing ICE ads into people’s feeds. 
• Instead of sharing your Spotify Wrapped this year, share our Wrapped-themed posts calling on others to cancel Spotify. As long as Spotify is willing to take money from ICE, they don’t need (and don’t deserve) free advertising on our social feeds. And there’s no reason you can’t post your own list of top songs/artists on social — maybe alongside a message about why you chose not to stream them on Spotify. 
• Use this social media moment to have GENTLE, NON-SHAMING conversations with friends about the Spotify boycott. Seriously, no one is going to respond well to judgy DMs when they’re just trying to post something fun about the music they like. So approach with kindness, maybe compliment their music tastes, and then talk about why you’ve decided to stream from other platforms for the time being (one point you can make: Those platforms probably treat their favorite artists much, much better than Spotify does). 
• Help us track the growth of this economic campaign by taking our one-question survey. 

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Join Indivisible Bangor!

Do you want to become more involved? Would you like to help with the website and communications? How about helping to organize events, such as rallies and overpass actions or be a peacekeeper? Or do you just want to keep up with what we’re doing?  Sign up to volunteer with Indivisible Bangor! Your level of involvement is up to you!

Weekly member meetings are on Zoom with in-person meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. Please click the link below to sign up and we’ll help you with the process of becoming a member of Indivisible Bangor!

New members, and current members, too, are invited to join one of our monthly Zoom informational meetings, which will resume after the holidays!

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Donate to a Food Bank or Pantry

The shutdown is over, but the need is not. There are still cuts to programs that help people with food and other needs.

Please DONATE to a local food pantry- food, personal items, and even cash.  Faith Linking in Action maintains a database of all food pantries and free meals– organized by both location and day of the week– in the Bangor area. Check it out here.

Also, ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.” If you know of any food drives that are happening, please visit this site to add it to the database!

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The Maine ICE Watch Hotline

The purpose of the hotline is to protect immigrant families by providing accurate, real-time information about ICE and Border Patrol activity and connect Maine families to resources and support services during a time of heightened enforcement and targeting of immigrants and refugees.

Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition ICE Watch Resource Hub.

Read more about it here in this Newscenter Maine article.

(207) 544-9989

Other Ways to Take Action­ (Courtesy of Indivisible Cumberland County: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. Action Alert on LD 1917: Contact Governor Mills and tell her to sign into law this bill to protect Maine’s immigrant communities, workforce, public safety, and future!  Donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund: Fund pools resources from across communities into a shared fund we can draw from immediately when urgent needs arise.  NO I.C.E. for Maine: Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE.

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Make Some Calls!

It’s mentioned a few times in these newsletters about calling your representatives in Washington, D.C. It’s one of the most important things we can do and it’s so easy!

Write Some Emails!

If you are more comfortable with sending emails to our Maine congressional delegation in Washington, click the links/buttons. This is a good option if you have lengthy comments or questions.

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We are on Blue Sky, Instagram, and Facebook!

Follow us! Invite your friends! Comment! You’ll be glad you did!

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We have an easy way to donate to Indivisible Bangor. Drop off your returnable bottles and cans to Ohio Street Redemption in Bangor and tell them to put it on the account of Indivisible Bangor. They’ll add the money to our kitty, mail out a regular check, and the money goes to our bank account to help with our expenses! You can find them here!

****Be sure the attendant writes down “Indivisible Bangor” because several donations have not been credited. Thank you!****

And you can donate here, too! Donations help pay for supplies, website, outreach, and to fund the many upcoming actions in Maine.

Thank you for all you do! – George and Indivisible Bangor

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And now to the Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action:

Action Monday December 8th: Ask Congress Members to Support the Fixit Act to Extend ACA tax credits + Keep Holding ICE Accountable

Good Morning Folks, it’s a new week and, from what I can see, our key actions continue to along the same track: Insurance Affordability, Holding ICE accountable, Mutual Aid, Boycotts and Disinvestments, and…the Epstein Files! Go for it. 

Remember, if you know of a resistance-related action, a bill, or a strategy you think I could highlight whether it is national, statewide, or local please let me know. Consider sending a similar action list to your friends – they will open emails from you!

Top Action to Take Today:

This is time sensitive: Ask our congressional representatives to Extend the ACA tax credits by voting for the FixIt Act.  This act proposes a two-year extension of enhanced ACA premium tax credits, paying for it by cracking down on Medicare Advantage fraud and insurance broker misconduct.  This vote is what the Republicans offered King and Democrats if they supported the CR budget bill that re-opened the government in November. The vote will come as soon as December 10th! Please write an email or call King, Collins, Golden and/or Pingree and ask them to vote IN FAVOR of the Fixit Act! For more on the ACA tax credits go here. For much more detailed information see the action email from Hancock County Democrats here. 

For “More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth” from Emanuel’s Daily Call to Action (12/8), click here.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!  

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

~~Emanuel

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It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!

More Actions Today if You Have the Bandwidth

Ask Governor Mills to let LD 1971 , an act which forbids Maine Law Enforcement and other public offices from doing the work of ICE, go into law. (She can no longer sign it, but she can veto it.) Go here to email or call her at (207) 287-3531.   Remember in Nazi Germany, and in many other fascist government take-overs, action starts with scapegoating a perceived “outside” group of people such as Immigrants, Jews, Roma, Buddhists, etc.  For more holding ICE accountable actions, go to the More Actions section below.

Ask our Senators and Congressional Representatives to demand a resignation or begin impeachment proceedings for Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense.  He is now guilty of war crimes due to his ordering the killing of wounded combatants on a boat blown up twice in September by US drones. Both King and Collins voted AGAINST his nomination in the first place. For more information on this go here. They should demand his immediate resignation NOW.

While you are at it, Ask Representatives Pingree and Golden to support the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act bill presented by Seth Moulton and others. (This war on Venezuela is about OIL – Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, and it is a distraction from the…..EPSTEIN FILES)

On last Tuesday, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06), along with Reps. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Eugene Vindman (VA-07), announced the introduction of new legislation, called the No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act, at a press conference by the House steps. 
The No Unauthorized Force in Venezuela Act prohibits the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Congressman Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran who served four tours in Iraq, emphasized that the legislation is urgently needed in light of recent developments. For a live stream broadcast of his press conference go here.

Holding ICE accountable: Home Depot Actions – For more Anti-Ice activities go to: Ice Out of Home Depot to sign a petition sent to Home Depot headquarters, personalize this letter to Home Depot Execs and send it to them, and publicly comment on Home Depot’s social media posts with these demands: Publicly condemn ICE raids, Stop cooperating with ICE – close stores and parking lots to agents, Protect workers and customers from attacks, Help detained victims and support their families, Release security video and other footage of enforcement actions at Home Depot stores. (Thanks to Mid Maine Indivisible for this info.)

Last week Trump posted execution threats towards Democratic lawmakers who are all former military/CIA who posted a video asking troops not to obey illegal orders: Ask Pingree and Golden to join the effort begun yesterday by Representative Al Greene to begin Trump impeachment hearings. There is no walking this threat of violence back. Go here for a script for your call.

Mutual Aid

ActivateMaine has created a site, SNAP Into Action: “a statewide effort to help those who are affected by the freezing of benefits due to the Government shut down.”  Even though the Government is “open” now, hunger issues continue for people around the country.

Arts and Politics!

Consider boycotting Spotify and canceling your subscription to them: To participate in the boycott of Spotify for their running of ads recruiting for ICE, visit this Indivisible page for more information, and for ready-made materials you can post online and use in other ways to encourage others to cancel their subscriptions, visit this page.  According to Indivisible Bangor, Pandora is running the same ICE recruiting adds.  Pandora is a subsidiary of SiriusXM. Spotify’s stock has dropped 13% in the past month.

GOT MORE TIME? HERE ARE SOME MORE ACTIONS  (just pick one!)

• Join the Maine People’s Alliance in bringing your story to our Congresspeople: Are your insurance rates going up? Did you lose SNAP benefits – the MPA wants to hear your story and use it to fight for Mainers in the ongoing shutdown budget battle. Fill out this form and tell your story here. 
• Call or email our Congressional Representatives to publicly condemn the administration’s use of our Military to create havoc in Blue Cities:  It is time to publicly denounce these unconstitutional, king-like actions of our Executive branch. Where is the outrage? Go to 5calls.org for a script on this request.
• Call or write Governor Mills and ask her to let LD 1971 become law, by not signing and not vetoing it:  Go here to make a comment on this on her website. (She can’t sign the bill anymore, but can veto it.)
• Call Governor Mills and our Congressional Representatives:  Ask Mills to deny any request from the Trump administration to deploy National Guard Troops for local law enforcement; Ask our representatives to sound the alarm about the use of US Military to intimidate and harass peaceful, public protests. Go here for wording on this.
• From Linda:  I testified in support of LD 99 in 2020 and was thrilled that it was passed into law. LD 99 requires MainePERS to divest from all fossil fuel investments. The MainePERS Board was given until December 31, 2025, to comply with this law and has made almost no forward motion. If you would like to sign our petition in support of divesting, it would be appreciated.
• From Topsham Representative Rafael Macias: Rafael is sponsoring LD 1383 in this coming legislature starting in January to require PERS to divest from all war related industries. More information on this below in the StateWide Action section. 
• Consider volunteering and/or donating to one of the worthy immigrant support organizations listed below:  Capital Area New Mainers Project, Mainers for Humane Immigration, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, (all Maine based), and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, go here to donate to the Capital Area New Mainers Project.

Statewide Actions

• More ICE resistance: Maine’s ICE Watch Hotline Training: Get trained to field, verify, and document potential community ICE sightings and provide trusted, reliable information on ICE activity to immigrant communities. NO I.C.E. for Maine (noice4me): Learn more about this effort to reign in ICE. Here is the number for the ICE Watch hotline in Maine: 207 544 9989
• The Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rights is launching a statewide campaign in support of LD 1383, a bill to end our local complicity in all genocides and the persecution and detention of our neighbors by keeping our state’s investments aligned with our values. Time is short: to secure its passage, the bill must be brought to the floor in January.
  You can learn all about our campaign in this one page toolkit with easy links to background info on LD 1383 and where folks can write their own letters to reps in just minutes.
  Please write a letter to your state legislative representatives 
• Mid Maine Indivisible has a great weekly newsletter – To sign up: go here. Indivisible Bangor has a great daily newsletter and actions go here to sign up. If you are in the Mid Coast area consider joining Audacity – learn more here. The Bold Coast Civic Alliance has a newsletter as well as the Hancock County Democrat.   Cumberland County Indivisible newsletter go here.  Greater Portland Indivisible, go here. We are developing a great ecosystem for resistance communications in Maine.
• Check out the No Kings Alliance page for weekly updates about actions that you can take to continue building the pro-democracy movement, building and protecting our communities. (Thank you to Indivisible Mid Maine for this suggestion)
• Check out Graham Platner’s Online Town Hall Mon, Dec 8 @ 5pm  to sign up  go here or go to Grahamforsenate.com
• The Maine Library Commission has delayed a vote taken recently to require small public libraries throughout rural Maine to hire a lead librarian, and stay open a specific number of hours weekly. Libraries that do not conform to the rule would not be eligible for inter-library loans or the digital lending services the state provides. No funds were offered to small libraries to meet this new rule. This ruling, if enacted would affect libraries all over the state, and force closings and restrict services. Please email Brian Cundick, Chair of the Commission, at bryce.cundick@maine.edu, to let him know you oppose this ruling and why. For more details on this situation and what libraries would be affected go to the Maine Monitor’s article on this issue. We should not be making it harder for small, rural, all volunteer libraries to operate in Maine. Knowledge is power. (Thanks to Elisabeth for this lead.)
   (The Library Commission, a 17-member board appointed by the Governor, is broadly representative of the state’s library community. The Commission establishes the policies and operations of the State Library, gives advice and makes recommendations on the expenditure of state and federal funds, and establishes guidelines and policies for statewide library programs.) 

LOCAL ACTIONS: Join Mid Maine Indivisible(Kennebec and Somerset Counties) Please join us if you are in the Mid Maine area.  To sign up: go here. If you have items for our weekly newsletter, please email me and I will pass them on.

There is a community member who is looking to provide home cleaning services in the Waterville area for $25 an hour. Send an email with subject “Cleaning” to get in contact for scheduling! You would be providing income for a local mother with an infant son to care for.   

Are you interested in helping New Mainers learn/improve their English?  To sign up for English tutoring or any of our other volunteer opportunities, please visit: Capital Area New Mainers Project (CANMP) to fill out a volunteer interest survey. An English Learning option at the Waterville library at 1:00 on Mondays is also an option for volunteers. Contact CANMP for the details. You can also Donate to the Capitol Area New Mainers Project’s rapid response fund. CANMP is actively helping those affected by ICE abductions, both with legal funding and other financial support for family members.

The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and partners are organizing an ICE watch Hotline  in Maine. They need volunteer hotline operators to answer phones from Mainers concerned about ICE sitings. They are looking for folks fluent in one or more of the following: Spanish, French and Portugese. 207-544-9989Tuesday, December 9th: 12:00-1:00 (and every Tuesday) New Location at the corner of Main Street and Waterville Commons Drive  Stand with us to Boycott Home Depot as well as support local businesses this shopping season.  Check out  Ice Out of Home Depot for what our demands are. We will be holding our vigil there for the month of December. See attachment below.
Wednesday, December 10th: (and every Wednesday) 12:00-1:00 Waterville,  Corner of Main and Chaplin St. Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, GRR! demonstrates every Wednesday across from Resolve, the local anti-abortion center. Please join us in assuring all Mainers have access to safe, legal, shame-free reproductive health care including abortions and contraceptive care. For more info please contact Elayne Richard  at recordconnection@gmail.com. 
Thursday, December 4th,  Fairfield Benton Bridge 3-4 pm: stop the coup, support Democracy, Notice the new time on this one! 
First Saturday of Each Month: Somerset Stands Up Rallies 2:30–Margaret Chase Smith Bridge, downtown Skowhegan. Bring your signs, American flags, your voice, your friends, families and neighbors for this peaceful gathering of concerned residents of Somerset County.  
Sunday, November 23d : 1:00 (and every Sunday): Stand with us against Trump/Stephen Miller; For Peace in the Middle East, For Ukraine, Stop the War in Iran, etc. on the Bridge by CVS in WatervilleSOLIDARITY 

*Consider supporting Graham Platner. He is an electrifying speaker, with good positions on the important issues. Volunteer here. Platner will be coming to a town near you; check out his schedule on his website or above, and then make your decision! 

Mills is a good alternative to support if she wins the primary in June. We must oust Collins!

*If you would like to join Maine People’s Alliance Federal Lobby Group, please contact Jim Parakilas at jamesparakilas@gmail.com. We meet Mondays at 2 pm on Zoom. 

* Consider hanging the “Republicans raised your health care costs by $1300” on walls and bulletin boards. For more info go here.

With great appreciation for all the engagement everywhere!  

As always, throw a little sand in their gears! 

Emanuel

ps. Please let me know if you don’t wish to get these Action Alerts, and please feel free to pass all or parts of these alerts on to others you know. Note my email is changed to emanuel.pariser@gmail.com

In a democracy, you believe it or not; in a dictatorship, you believe it or else. — Evan Esar

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It’s a piece of cake to email or call with these links!

The names of our senators and representatives listed below are links that go right to their official congressional contact form pages. The telephone numbers are links that should open your phone app to call that number. It’s that easy!

Senator Angus King             
DC: (202) 224-5344
Augusta: (207) 622-8292 

Senator Susan Collins         
DC: (202) 224-2523 
Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree      
DC: (202) 225-6116
Portland: (207) 774-5019  
Waterville: (207) 873-5713  

Congressman Jared Golden         
DC: (202) 225-6306 
Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009 
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767

Find your State Representative: 
By name: Here
By district: Here

Find your State Senator:
By name: Here
By district: Here

Our government in Augusta:

Governor Janet Mills
Email Governor Mills
Call (207) 287-3531

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows
Contact Secretary Bellows
Call (207)626-8400

Attorney General Aaron M. Frey
Contact Mr. Frey
Call (207) 626-8800

Questions or comments? Contact George!