Three Wins Today: Oct 21, 2025

What does establishment mean?

What does establishment mean? I’m serious, I hear the word thrown around so much, but I genuinely don’t have a clue.

Mirriam Webster says: “a controlling group.”

But what does that even mean? Why has this become the catch all term for “older Dems who don’t agree with me on 100% of everything”?

There’s this idea that “establishment” means “centrist.” But these are the same Dems who fight hardest against gun violence and are fighting back against ICE the hardest. The same Dems who call out gerrymandering whenever possible and meet with Planned Parenthood regularly to figure out how to best support them in this moment.

Most of these people are even members of the largest Caucus in the House, The Equality Caucus, which had 191 members as of February. This caucus is focused on the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community, yes, including the T. There are quite literally 22 Dems not in the Caucus. Are they somehow the “controlling group?” And do we know why they’re not in the caucus? Is every Dem in a caucus?

I think these words, with a strict definition that can only mean one thing are dangerous.

It leaves no room to be wrong, no room to learn new information. It creates a box that is closed on all sides. We need more understanding. More discussion. More debate. But that can’t happen if we write off people because of a word that was given an arbitrary definition on social media.

We are all on the same side. We all want to save democracy and create something better and more equitable than was there before. But that’s not possible if we’re making assumptions about each other. Why do we want an enemy on our own side? What good does that do anyone?

Republicans are the “establishment.” Let’s stop helping them spread their message.

I don’t know why this post is so clunky, I’m usually better at this, but I hope it got the point across anyway.

Onto wins!

The moment Albany International Airport turned off the Hatch Act violation (from Briana Supardi)

Nationwide

Mon, Oct 13 - Native Americans in Philanthropy, Newman’s Own Foundation, and Novo Nordisk have partnered up to give out the first annual Indigenous Tomorrows Fund grants:

In its pilot year, the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund is supporting projects that uplift young people and build pathways toward community well-being, cultural continuity, and self-determined futures. Selected efforts will each receive a $30,000 grant, and include initiatives that promote food justice and access to nourishing foods for children, advance community health and wellness, and deepen connections between food, culture, and healing across generations.

This is so incredibly exciting. Showing young people that they belong and their culture and experiences are valid is so important, especially right now. The grants will be going to 24 organizations in 12 states.

Indigenous Communities Officer at Newman’s Own Foundation, Jackie Blackbird, explained:

Indigenous youth are reconnecting to their culture and to healing more and more. Projects like the Indigenous Tomorrows Fund help them also build that confidence and learn more about challenges in communities.

I hope this grant is around for many years to come.

Albany, New York

Tue, Oct 14 - We’ve heard about several airports that never started playing Sec Noem’s Hatch Act violation, but what about the ones that did? Well, Albany International Airport started by playing the video from Friday till Tuesday, but on Tuesday, Briana Supardi, a reporter at CBS 6, just happened to be at the airport the very moment they stopped playing it.

She spoke to Matt Hunter, director of communications at the airport:

Historically, the content displayed on the TSA checkpoint monitors here and at airports across the country is controlled and managed by TSA. Last week, footage was put up on the monitor without prior notice to the Albany County Airport Authority. After reviewing our legal options — and in line with longstanding policies of not displaying political advertising, messaging, or content of any kind in public buildings.

It’s amazing to hear that the airport wasn’t consulted at all. That some TSA representative did it without any approval from the airport itself whatsoever.

I’m glad they feel like they have a legal basis for taking it down, we’ll see what happens with these cases, which I’m sure will be in front of a judge soon.

And further, he credits publications like CBS6 and members of public asking questions for the video being taken down.

Yet another example of our power, when we speak up.

I’m also looking forward to seeing more airports follow suit. Just because it started playing in a given airport, doesn’t mean it can’t be stopped.

Oklahoma

Wed, Oct 15 - State Superintendent, Lindel Fields is continuing to dismantle everything Ryan Walters tried to create, this time, it’s the bibles. He said, in a statement that he’s going to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against Walters attempt to put a bible (a Trump bible) in every single public school classroom:

We plan to file a motion to dismiss, and have no plans to distribute Bibles or a biblical character education curriculum in classrooms. If resources are left to be allocated, the timing is fortunate since the team and I are currently reviewing the (Oklahoma State Department of Education) budget.

I can’t wait to see what he means by that. What is he going to use that budget for? Maybe more updated text books? Or more school librarians? Hopefully it’s something that would really piss Walters off.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, who filed the lawsuit, released a statement together on Wed:

The promise of separation of church and state guaranteed by the U.S. and Oklahoma constitutions means that families and students — not politicians — get to decide when and how to engage with religion. The attempts to promote religion in the classroom and the abuses of power that the Oklahoma State Department of Education engaged in under Walters’ tenure should never happen in Oklahoma or anywhere in the United States again.

Congrats Oklahoma on continuing to undo the damage Walters caused.

---

And those are the wins for today. I hope they empower you to keep fighting back!

Our voices are our superpower, but only when we use them!