For the Week of October 6, 2025

🎙️Oct 6, 2025 Weekly Actions Audio – available for when you’re on the go

📣 See Eastside and Seattle Protests 2025 for up-to-date opportunities.

🔷 Join us for our next group meeting on Sun Oct 12 from 3-4:30 pm online. Register here to attend. New members, please join at 2:30 for a new member orientation.

🔷 If the Republican government shutdown continues, many services will be affected. Among them is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (known as WIC). Low-income families rely on these funds for food and other essentials. Consider helping local organizations that support this population by donating funds or goods such as baby formula, diapers, and the like. Such organizations include Kid Vantage (formerly Eastside Baby Corner), Babies of Homeless, and Jubilee Reach, or check out the full list here.

🔷 The Indivisible Eastside Rally Team is finalizing details for the march, rally, and foodbank collection for No Kings Day in Redmond on Sat Oct 18. It will be roughly from 12:30 – 3 pm; details still TBD. They are recruiting volunteers to be a part of what is expected to be the largest nationwide event ever held. Check out the volunteer opportunities HERE (use the access code ‘rally’). There will also be a No Kings Seattle event, plus events in Bothell, Mercer Island, Issaquah, and Lake Forest Park; regular Saturday protests in Bellevue and Kirkland will also be held as usual that day. See our Eastside and Seattle Protests 2025 page for more details!

🔷 Alert: the Washington Secretary of State cautions voters that using a designated ballot drop box is the most reliable method for voting within 7 – 10 days prior to the Tues Nov 4 election due to potential postmark delays at the post office. Any ballots postmarked after 8 pm on Nov 4 are tossed out, and current post office systems jeopardize that. Instead, locate a designated ballot box and be sure to cast your vote during the state voting period Oct 18 – Nov 4. King County has special protection measures in place for ballot boxes.

Here are your 2 Actions and Bright Spots.

✊ Action 1 – Tell our members of Congress: No university loyalty pledges to Trump

From 5calls.org

The Trump administration sent a memo to nine universities urging them to sign a new “compact” pledging support for Trump’s political agenda to ensure their access to federal funding. Terms of the compact include caps on international students, strict gender definitions, and changes to governance structures to protect conservative ideas. The administration is considering extending this requirement to all universities.

Academic research and intellectual rigor are at stake, and both will suffer at state research universities like the University of Washington and Washington State University if Trump’s loyalty pledge is allowed to take root. Please contact your members of Congress to push back on Trump’s actions.

Sen. Patty Murray: DC 202-224-2621 | Seattle 206-553-5545 | EMAIL
Sen. Maria Cantwell: DC 202-224-3441 | Seattle 206-220-6400 | EMAIL
Rep. Suzan DelBene (1st): DC 202-225-6311 | Bellevue 425-485-0085 | EMAIL
Rep. Kim Schrier (8th): DC 202-225-7761 | Issaquah 425-657-1001| EMAIL
Rep. Adam Smith (9th): DC 202-225-8901 | Renton 425-793-5180 | EMAIL

☎ Sample Script:

Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m a constituent from [CITY, ZIP].

I’m calling to express my concern about the Trump administration demanding that universities pledge support for their political agenda in order to receive federal funding. I ask that you forcefully speak out against this authoritarian power grab of our academic institutions and work to protect their independence and necessary scientific work.

Thank you.

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied]

✊ Action 2 – Demand that the State Department protect US citizens abroad

From Chop Wood, Carry Water on Oct 2

After many threats and attacks, it appears that the boats in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a multi-national mission carrying aid into Gaza, have been illegally intercepted on international waters by the Israeli government. International law protects peaceful citizens at sea. Let’s demand the State Department uphold its duty to these American citizens, many of whom are former servicemembers and one is a Washington state citizen.

Contact the State Department online (scroll down to the form).

☎ Sample Script:

The Global Sumud Flotilla, a multi-national mission carrying aid into Gaza, has been illegally intercepted on international waters. There were many US citizens aboard, several of whom are former servicemembers. They need your help. International law protects peaceful citizens at sea, and it is the duty of the U.S. government to protect Americans abroad from illegal detention by foreign governments. The State Department must uphold its duty to Americans. Please intervene with the Israeli government now.

Candidate Corner: Vishal Bhargava for Bellevue City Council

From IE member Ruth L.

Vishal Bhargava is running to retain the Bellevue City Council seat he was appointed to when John Stokes retired. I’m supporting Vishal because, as a member and chair of the Planning Commission, he was often the progressive swing vote on decisions related to housing and the Comprehensive Plan. He has been outspoken in his support for policies aimed at housing affordability. Vishal is an architect and urban planner by training and works in the tech sector.

I’m also impressed that Vishal is the only candidate running for any position who has endorsements from all six of the other city council members in Bellevue, and from two candidates he beat in the primary! That tells you a lot about his integrity and how he is valued by his colleagues. Paul Clark, Vishal’s opponent, claims to be non-partisan. Yet, for many years, he donated to the King County Republican Party and even served as a 2016 delegate for Donald Trump.

The last thing we need on the Bellevue City Council is a MAGA fan. Please support Vishal Bhargava. And if you are able, please send him a donation to help him beat this well-funded opponent.

⛅ Bright Spots

from various sources, including Chop Wood, Carry Water’s weekly round-up

A federal judge temporarily blocked Trump’s National Guard deployment to Portland. The judge received testimony from state and local officials, affirming that protests outside the ICE facility in the city have been small with no arrests by Portland police in months.
World Central Kitchen announced it is building two new kitchens in Gaza, which will “nearly double” its daily meal production and move it closer to its goal of serving one million hot meals to people every day.
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the RNC’s lawsuit challenging Michigan’s voter roll maintenance practices.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore $50 million in grant funding to U.C.L.A. for medical research, including studies into Parkinson’s disease treatment, cancer recovery, and other areas that would improve the health of Americans.
The Gates Foundation pledged $912 million to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and urged governments to take stronger action, too.
Microsoft has terminated the Israeli military’s access to technology it used to operate a powerful surveillance system that collected millions of Palestinian civilian phone calls made each day in Gaza and the West Bank.
MacKenzie Scott gave $70 million to UNCF to financially strengthen historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Less than two weeks after the Trump administration dissolved a panel analyzing financial risks from climate change, former panel members are forming a new institute to continue the work.

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