Three Wins Today: Aug 29, 2025
The Power of One
We need to have a talk.
NBC is almost never the original source, unless it’s an interview or it says “exclusive” that goes for AP and Reuters too. One of today’s stories is about Newbern Alabama. It’s a story I helped give national attention to back in 2023 and I’m so glad the newest win in this story is getting some traction now.
Everyone is sharing this NBC article. And it has some great points and quotes, but this news is from Tuesday, and they posted it yesterday acting like they broke the story. Because I followed this story from the beginning, (and covered the entire story on TikTok) I knew the source I was looking for. Capital B News has been covering this story every step of the way. And guess what, their article is from Tuesday night.
My point is this: sourcing matters. Not just finding an article and saying that’s a source, but finding the RIGHT article, and finding where THEY got their information and reading that too. Media literacy is not dead, but it is dying. It’s incumbent on us to make sure it stays alive.
You say traditional media is bs? Then don’t use it when you’re giving sources unless it really is the only source (like an exclusive or a specific quote from a specific interview with THEM.) I’m always amused that the people who shit on traditional media are the ones that use it as a source the most.
Cite your sources and give credit to those who do the hard work. That way they can keep doing it and keep breaking the stories most important to break.
On that note, let’s get to some wins, shall we?
Alabama
Tues, Aug 26 - Mayor Patrick Braxton won reelection in Newbern Alabama 2/3 of the vote! He has been Mayor of Newbern for 5 years, but the white minority never accepted that. There had never been an election and the white mayors acted as a dynasty, passing it from person to person as they saw fit. Braxton filed with all the correct paperwork (to white Mayor Stoke’s dismay) and won. Because he ran unopposed, there was no election as it typical when someone is running unopposed.
The white mayor said it was fraud and for three years they went back and forth. In 2023, the white mayor and his town council literally locked Mayor Braxton and his town council out of the town hall and town files. He sued and it got even more messy. You can find more info in my Tiktok playlist for Alabama politics.
I covered this entire story back in 2023, but I kind of lost track of it since then.
Turns out that even though 1/3 of the town didn’t even think he was the mayor, he has already had an impact, modernizing the sewer system and getting fresh groceries into the town:
They partnered with the Equal Justice Initiative to bring a mobile grocery truck to the town, which does not have a grocery store. The only store in town, the Mercantile, closed in 2024. This effort with EJI helped bring fresh produce and groceries to dozens of residents at discounted prices
Under the Braxton administration, the council has also started working with the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and a host of other universities and organizations to design a modern sewer system to address the town’s decades-long wastewater and sanitation issues.
Tuesday was election day in most Alabama municipalities, including Newbern, which made town elders like, Barbara Carlisle over the moon. She told Capital B reporter Aallyah Wright:
I really smile about it. It’s something that should have been happening way back. I’ve been in Newbern for over 50 years, and this is my first time ever voting for mayor. I think it’s great, really tremendous. I’m happy to do it.
And Mayor Braxton won. He had an opponent, there was an election, and he won well over the majority of votes. Their population is 138. Mayor Braxton got 66 votes. His opponent got 26.
I love so much that this story I’ve followed for so long has a happy ending!
Pennsylvania
TODAY - State Rep Malcolm Kenyatta (D-181) (Yes, he is also the DNC vice-chair) began his Walk for Transit to raise awareness about the struggles facing so many Pennsylvanians now that there were service cuts thanks to Republicans refusing to fully fund SEPTA (South Eastern PA Transportation Authority.)
Back on July 15, I interviewed Rep Kenyatta, mostly about DNC things, but we did talk about this, because this started when the budget fight started. SEPTA got emergency funding back in November, but now it has expired and Republicans don’t want to add more funding to the budget.
There’s a lot more going on that also includes a 6 week Senate hiatus cause Republicans didn’t want to deal with SEPTA funding.
Well, thanks to their slow walking, there is no funding and service had stopped, though it is coming back for students.
The win is that Malcolm isn’t taking it sitting down, literally. From today to Tues Nov 2, he will be walking from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, both to raise awareness for the problem, and just show a small example of what people go through if they can’t access public transit.
Go Malcolm! Thank you for walking the walk!
California
TODAY - Thanks to the incredible work of
, and , The League of Women voters have reversed their opposition to Prop 50, The Election Rigging Response Act, they will now remain neutral, which is the best we can hope for from an anti gerrymandering organization.
And Craven put as extra credit on her Chop Wood Carry Water for last Monday:
The League of Women Voters in California has come out against Governor Newsom’s redistricting plan. This is really unfortunate, especially considering that Common Cause has said they won’t oppose it. LWV’s opinion does matter, and this amendment could fail if we don’t rally everyone to support it.
Please consider sending them an email at lwvc@lwvc.org asking them to change course.
And today LWV put out this press release:
Early in the process, before the ballot language was written, we, along with several other good government groups, issued independent statements opposing mid-cycle redistricting. This was consistent with the League’s long-standing positions at both the state and national level. Since then, and on the heels of Texas’ decision, California Governor Newsom and the legislature moved forward to do mid-cycle redistricting. Now, the ballot measure language has been finalized. While the process for the redistricting in California differs from what is happening in Texas, the California League recognizes the importance of staying aligned with our national League and with state and local Leagues, such as in Texas, that are, or may soon be, in court challenging unfair maps.
With all of these factors in mind, we have decided not to take a position on Proposition 50.
I want to be very very clear. Without the work of Frazz and Craven THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
This is the power of one at work!
This was very long but I hope you read the whole thing and you’re now more motivated than ever.
It just takes one of us to decide to do something. Every single one of these stories is because one person decided they alone can make an impact, and in all three cases, they did.
You can too.
Our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!
Here's another one:
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings, a longtime Democratic donor and Newsom ally, dropped $2 million into Gavin Newsom's redistricting campaign.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/netflix-ceo-2-million-gavin-newsom-redistricting-campaign-00536569
Because of Jess Craven, I wrote an email to the LWV. I urged them to not only get on board with the redistricting in CA but also to change their rule about allowing only the candidates who show up to debate. For YEARS in Texas, the Democratic candidates would show up but not be allowed to speak because the Republican candidates didn't bother to attend. From my perspective, it's fair to allow all parties an opportunity to speak but, if they don't show, they've forfeited their chance. Maybe some of them would show if they knew it mattered. No response.