Below is a special message from Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, about the importance of supporting Truthout at this critical time.
Dear Fellow Truthout Readers,
There are 1440 minutes in a day, and I use every one of them. But when my computer or phone indicates that I’ve gotten something from Truthout, everything stops for me, for at least ten minutes, until I can carefully see and internalize what’s there.
I don’t follow the mainstream media anymore. It’s utterly futile. It’s bought and paid for. Not only can’t we take Fox seriously, but it’s also next to impossible to get MSNBC to cover the important stories. We’ve had them ignore gigantic issues. This country has married weapons of mass destruction to crazy fundamentalist Christians, and the mainstream media, disgracefully, does not want to get involved with it – the story of our time. Truthout is telling that story. It’s telling it with Matt Harwood’s reporting on fundamentalism in the US military, William Astore’s reporting on the substitution of evangelism for PTSD care and more.
One of the greatest Americans that ever lived in this country was the peerless historian, author and activist Howard Zinn, who was a member of the Truthout Board of Advisers. I joined the Board of Advisers shortly after Zinn died, less than a year ago.
He once succinctly and sagaciously said, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.” Indeed, seven words that rocked the universe.
According to Zinn’s standards, Truthout is the most patriotic American news organization out there.
Before Truthout existed, there was nowhere to go to make sure the important stories got out. And if Truthout went away, there’d be a fatal vacuum. There would be no place for real news with real-world consequences to go, which is always the tragic harbinger of a civilization’s demise.
Sincerely,
Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, member of the Truthout board of advisers
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Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy