by Lara

Flus, colds, and covid are not the only scourges feverishly flaring up again: fascism and anti-intellectualism are political poxes scarring the soul of our society. While you should not underestimate their potential for devastation and death, know that you are not defenseless and you are not alone. 

Metaphorical contagions and actual contagions are a large concern, particularly now with the appointment of RFK as Secretary of Health and Human Services, layoffs and information suppression at the Center for Disease Control, and withdrawal of the United States from the World Health Organization. Though not widely reported on by mainstream media, protests against the Trump regime have erupted in all 50 states and abroad. When viral pandemics occur, we isolate ourselves to protect each other, but to achieve the same result with these metaphorical contagions, we must do just the opposite. We need to come together to resist these plagues.

Fortunately and unfortunately, these ailments aren’t new. We have been inoculated against what may be to come throughout history—our body (of people) has learned to fight this fever before. Though the virus has adapted to new circumstances—technology—over the years, so too can we. The infection vector may have mutated but our resiliency remains, though it is likely to be tested in the time to come.

Toxoplasma gondii is a non-viral parasite to many warm-blooded beings, including felines—whose guts are the only known place where T. gondii are able to reproduce. Incredibly, this single-celled microbe is able to alter the brain and behavior of rodents, causing them to be attracted to—rather than afraid of—the scent of cat urine, increasing the odds of the infected rodent being eaten by a cat and thus allowing for the multiplication and spread of T. gondii. 

Many Americans walked towards the mouth of a predatory beast, allowing for the spread and growth of more hateful policy, with little instinct for self or collective preservation, when they voted against their own interests this past national election. 

Make no mistake, all Trump voters voted against their own interests, for when one individual is oppressed, all are negatively impacted because the oppressed individual will not be able to freely and fully participate in society. Though billionaires are benefitting from the current regime, more people seem to be recognizing the dangers of a system that allows for the accumulation of such inordinate, concentrated amounts wealth-–and it may ultimately lead to changes in societal structures that advance such inequality and the exploitation that makes it possible (which is in its own way parasitic).

“Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world for indeed, that’s all who ever had,” has been attributed to author and anthropologist Margaret Mead. Dr. Mead purportedly considered the first sign of civilization to be a 15,000 year old healed broken femur, which would have required six months’ rest to mend and protection from others to survive the process. 

Part of being a part of a functioning society is caring for your fellow beings, which can take many forms. It may be calling out bigoted behavior. It may be wearing a mask to protect others. It may be bringing a meal to a lonely or hungry neighbor or treating the unhoused like what they are: human beings, deserving of dignity and compassion, as we all are. 

It may be many things but at the heart of them all is our imperative to hold fast and care for each other and protect the vulnerable. With the potential for AI to become conscious (and few regulations limiting data being used to train it and the stealing of data by DOGE) and necrotic tendrils of fascism seeping through rich soils, it is critically important that we retain what makes us compassionate. 

Parasitic capitalism needs to feed on people to survive. Viruses require host cells to replicate. Don’t be a host cell for hatred. Push back against authoritarian and exploitative systems. We are the immune system. Let us overwhelm the forces of evil, the ways bees might swarm around an enemy, extinguishing it with our collective power, warmth, and energy (Note: I am not advocating for violence against individuals, but rather the abatement of ideas and policies that violate human rights). Though the rodent cannot be uneaten, we can work to prevent future rodent consumption, predators from taking office, and parasites from propagating. 

Viruses have fundamentally altered evolutionary history, accounting for ~8% of our genome. Though they have undoubtedly had detrimental and sometimes fatal consequences, often overlooked are impacts that have ultimately been favorable. Indeed, a virus gave rise to the formation of the mammalian placenta, allowing for greater nutrient transfer from mother to progeny. We cannot overlook the devastation viruses have caused nor should we gloss over the good they’ve given rise to. How will you resist this pestilence? What goodness will you grow in its wake?

Love always, 

Lara

The post Inoculation first appeared on Rochester Red Star.

Press release from UW-Madison YDSA

We are so pleased and proud to announce that three of our candidates have won in the ASM elections Wednesday night — Gabo Samoff for College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Student Finance Services Committee, Bobby Gronert for College of Letters and Science and Student Finance Services Committee and Tristan Englemann for College of Engineering (five seats total).

These wins signal that students are dissatisfied with the university and Trump crackdowns on free speech on our campus, that students will not settle for university complicity in the ongoing genocide in Palestine or any other attacks on marginalized students, faculty or workers by the Trump administration — attacks on undocumented and foreign students, trans and reproductive healthcare, layoffs and cuts to university workers. We say socialism beats fascism.

We want to thank everyone who chose to support us in the elections and let you know we are here to fight for and with you. We will do everything in our power to resist repression and encroachments upon ALL students and faculty, fight for justice on our campus and everywhere and are excited to work with you very soon. Let this be a reminder that we are not powerless, and we still win in the darkest of times; a better world is possible. We are only getting started, let’s celebrate this win and keep up the fight!

“My vote today reflects my commitment to making tough choices and doing my job for the people of Maine,” wrote Maine District 2 Rep. Jared Golden (D) after casting the lone Democratic vote in favor of the Republican House budget bill this week. The budget calls for $485 million additional funding for ICE to feed Trump’s deportation machine—which Golden highlighted affirmatively—and another $6 billion in Pentagon spending. Meanwhile, the bill erases earmarks—making it easier for Trump and Musk to turn appropriations into slush funds—and cuts $13 billion from non-military spending in health, clean water, tribal assistance, FEMA, and more. Pulling a reverse Susan Collins, Golden voted in favor of Trump’s budget, knowing his vote would not be decisive. Trump wasn’t thinking about Golden when he demanded “NO DISSENT” from House Republicans, but Golden answered the call regardless. If it were not for the Speaker Mike Johnson’s razor thin majority, one could be tempted to dismiss Golden’s posturing. And Golden’s vote, which seemed like an anomaly just a couple days ago, has now been endorsed by the most powerful elected Democrat in the country, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

I have no special insight into Golden as a person. He’s obviously a very smart, likeable, hardworking man, and has about as much Mainer cred as a person can muster. Moreover, he can be surprisingly progressive on important issues. For instance, while Gov. Janet Mills—generally considered several steps to his left—has vetoed bills expanding Wabanaki sovereignty, Golden has supported important tribal priorities. Golden also vocally supports abortion rights and took a lot of heat for changing his position on banning assault rifles after the mass shooting in Lewiston. Credit where credit is due.

On the other hand, Golden famously split his vote during Trump’s impeachment, claiming he “voted his heart.” The pattern continued when he declared he was “OK” with Trump winning in 2024, even as he ridiculed people worried about Trump’s threats to democracy as “pearl clutching.” While condemning Republican State Rep. Laura Libby’s doxxing of a trans athlete, Golden repeated the right-wing trope that “biological males shouldn’t compete in sports against biological girls.” And when small farmers in Maine faced devastating cuts to USDA support, all Golden could muster was that he was “awaiting more legal clarity.”

[Read next: We’ll need popular resistance to defend trans rights in Maine – Pine & Roses]

Golden clearly wants Mainers to believe that he stands virtually alone in willing to make “tough choices.” Whatever you think of Golden the man, his method of trying to bridge left and right is the problem. After all, Golden won reelection by a whisker. His shrinking majority in District 2 and growing appetite for Manchinite posturing in Washington have led to speculation that he is considering a run for the Blaine House in November of 2026. Although it’s tempting to dismiss his chances in a left-leaning Democratic primary, Democratic leaders—and fundraising behemoths—demonstrated their willingness to pull out all the stops to prevent Bernie taking up the banner in 2016 and 2020. Furthermore, Trump has apparently picked Libby to conquer the state for MAGA in 2026 so the potential for the governor’s race to become “national” is real enough. Is Golden hoping he can serve as a rallying point for centrist and Blue Dog Democrats in the party apparatus? Perhaps. And that’s the problem with Golden’s method. Even if he wins, we lose.

So far I’ve stressed the uniqueness of Golden’s political positioning, but he also shares at least one trait in common with Gov. Mills, Sen. Angus King, and the bulk of the most powerful party leaders. That is, for all the latter’s references to Trump as a threat to democracy, they’re still willing to play by the rules. Mills rightfully won accolades for telling Trump she’d “see him in court.” Yet leaving our rights up to the Roberts Court leaves an awful lot up to chance. 

What’s the alternative? When Mills threatened to strip cost of living raises, direct care workers struck and took their message to the legislature, securing a vote in committee to restore the raise. When University of Maine administrators refused to protect international students, unionized graduate students organized a sit in. When Bowdoin administrators refused to honor a student referendum calling for the college to take action to support the people of Gaza, Students for Justice in Palestine organized an encampment. Actions like these are not yet powerful enough on their own to turn the tide, but they do point in another direction.

[Listen to next: Bowdoin College encampment for Gaza.]

Trump will continue his blitzkrieg for the coming months at least. He’s no pushover and we best prepare for a long series of confrontations. There’s no shame in recognizing we are on the defensive for the time being. But the initiatives we take now, be they organizing for May Day in Maine, standing up for our trans siblings, fighting for social housing, defending local farms or nominating candidates who’ve demonstrated they will fight for us in office, will be all the stronger if we take the time to cement relationships, practice open organizing democracy, and welcome new people into our movements.

So what is Jared Golden thinking? It turns out it’s the same thing as Schumer. In their estimation, sacrificing trans people, immigrants, civil liberties, and federal workers unions are just the cost of doing a certain kind of business in American politics. We need something entirely different. 

[Read next: The future of housing is public.]

The post Jared Golden leads, Schumer follows, Trump wins. appeared first on Pine & Roses.

The post Internationalism Working Group appeared first on Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America.

by Liz Henderson

In pre-grocery store days, March was the hungry month when people had to rely on the supplies of food they raised and stored themselves. With year-round production of fresh vegetables on area farms (as well as local stores, of course), we no longer have to face a bleak menu of sprouted potatoes and shriveled turnips. With a little planning, we can eat the highest quality locally grown food all year round.

Pick a few local farms, get to know the farmers and buy direct at one of the farmers markets—the Public Market and the Brighton Farmers Market run all winter—a farm’s on-farm market, or by joining a community supported agriculture project (CSA).

In terms of mutual benefit and value, joining a CSA is an excellent way to ensure a steady supply of local farm food. Although fewer exist than in the past, there are several CSAs that you can join and March is a good time to do it. Joining a CSA is like joining a club connected to a farm—you pay in advance for a weekly packet of the produce that the farm has to offer. You agree to share the risks and potential bounty from the farm. Most CSAs offer different size shares with varying amounts of choice, and allow you to pay in a lump sum or by installment. Some accept EBT (food stamps).

CSAs in the Rochester area:

Mud Creek – pick-up at the Abundance Food Coop on South Ave or at farm in Victor, accepts EBT

Growing Family Farms – pick-up at farm in Hilton, or the Brighton Farmers Market or Living Roots Wine & Co. in Rochester, certified organic

Fellenz Family Farm – pick-up at Brighton Farmers Market, Pittsford, Canandaigua, Geneva, and at farm in Phelps, certified organic

Porter Farms – 10 pick-up sites around the Rochester area, certified organic

Sunscape Farms – pick-up at farms in Penfield and Greece

G & S Orchards – pick-up at farm’s market in Walworth, also u-pick berries and tree fruit, June – October

Enka:ri Farm – pick-up at farm in Marion, takes SNAP

Homesteads for Hope – pick-up at farm on Manitou Road or at Richly Blessed Community Market, 1050 East Ave, Asbury First United Methodist Church

Kirby’s Farm Market – pick-up at farm’s market in Brockport 

Lagoner Farms – no longer has a CSA but the farm has purchased Amazing Grains Bread Company in Fairport NY and will be selling farm products both at the on-farm market in Williamson and at the Fairport bakery

Small World Food – sells ferments – kimchi, sauerkraut, and others; made from local farm produce at their HQ [936 Exchange Street, Suite A-101, Rochester] and at a stand at the Public Market on Saturdays where they also carry produce and mushrooms from local farms

Grow Your Own

Community gardens like 490 Farmers welcome new members—you can get a 4’ x 8’ bed to use. Or you can take out a permit on one of the many available city-owned lots. There is no deadline for new permits! bit.ly/roccommgarden. 

There are many opportunities to learn more about gardening! 490 Farmers offers weekly workshops on Wednesdays at 5. The Taproot Collective (bit.ly/taprootcoll) provides regular workshops in gardening skills and many chances to volunteer. You can reach them at info@taprootcollective.org. 

You can borrow the tools you need by joining the SouthEast Area Coalition (SEAC) Tool Shed at 1255 University Ave. For more information email SEAC  or call  271-TOOL (8665).

The Cornell Cooperative Extension offers classes, master gardeners to answer your questions, and the website – monroe.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture – has resources for soil testing, garden pest identification, and general garden information as does the website of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York nofany.org/upcoming-events. Blocks In Bloom is a beautification program established by Cornell Cooperative Extension-Monroe County for lower-resourced neighborhoods; a minimum of six homes must participate as a group. For information, email Ashly Piedmont at Cornell Cooperative Extension.

The Rochester Central Library and City Branch Libraries offer gardening books and periodicals as well as gardening programs. For more information visit the Rochester Public Library Program Calendar or email Renée Kendrot.

Full Day Gardening Conference – March 22, 2025

The 2025 Rochester Urban Agriculture Conference & Seed Swap, hosted by the Rochester Urban Agriculture Working Group/UAWG is happening on Saturday, March 22nd, from 9am-4pm at East High School, 1801 E Main Street.  The conference features a seed swap where you can get the seeds you need for your garden for free, interactive workshops—some in Spanish—and booths and display tables of local horticultural/agricultural organizations, products, and services.  The event is free and includes lunch 

UAWG Conference English 2025.pdf 

UAWG Conference Spanish 2025.pdf 

The post Getting Grounded: Plan for a healthy food supply for 2025 first appeared on Rochester Red Star.

Mahmoud Khalil, Columbia University activist, was unjustly arrested by ICE on March 8th in what is a clear attack for his pro-Palestinian work on campus in the spring of 2024.

Mahmoud  was forcibly abducted from his New York apartment and now detained in Louisiana. ICE even threatened his wife with arrest, a US citizen who is 8 months pregnant. The Trump admin is attempting to revoke Mahmoud’s green card and deport him without criminal charges and without providing evidence.

In a post on Truth Social, President Trump applauded ICE for this arrest and promised more to come. In an earlier post, he claims they will freeze all federal funding for any school, colleges, or universities that allow so-called “illegal protest.” Coming from the guy that pardoned even the most violent of the January 6th Insurrectionists, we know this isn’t about legality but simply silencing speech he disagrees with.

First they came for Mahmoud Khalil and I’m gonna fucking say something!

Our comrades in NYC DSA have set up a few ways for you to take action now!

Call your members of Congress – using the provided script, demand action to secure Mahmoud’s release and protect the rights of activists.

Email your elected officials – urge them to take immediate action to stop the targeting of student activists and immigrants.

Let’s make one thing clear: we will not allow our communities to be silenced or terrorized. The fascists in the White House are hoping this will have a chilling effect on political speech and protest. And that’s why we need to be fired up!

The post Free Mahmoud Khalil – Protect Student Activists appeared first on Grand Rapids Democratic Socialists of America.

On March 8, two plainclothes agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) entered a Columbia University apartment building and arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a recent graduate. Khalil was a prominent leader of the Gaza solidarity encampment protesting the genocide in Gaza and the university’s ties to Israel. Initially, the agents informed Khalil that the State Department was revoking his student visa. Khalil is, in fact, a green card holder. In a clear violation of due process, the State Department under Marco Rubio is now saying it will revoke green cards for those who speak out in favor of Palestinian liberation. This development is part of a larger pattern where DHS is disappearing people regardless of the facts. When Khalil’s wife, eight months pregnant, attempted to visit him at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, she was told he was not there. While a judge has temporarily blocked his deportation, Khalil is currently being held incommunicado in Louisiana, half a continent away from his home and family.

The arrest of Mahmoud Khalil is a brazen and extralegal assault by the Trump administration on immigrant rights and the Palestinian liberation movement. Our chapter condemns the actions of DHS, ICE, and the Trump administration, and demands the immediate release of Khalil from detention. After the wave of protests last year, Columbia University created the Office of Institutional Equity, which weaponizes the Civil Rights Act to suppress criticism of Israel. In doing so, Columbia has paved a path for escalated government suppression of our right to protest.

Here in the Bay Area, we have seen a climate of fear take hold as ICE has built a new detention center nearby and sent agents into our communities–all this while Berkeley, UCSF, and other local institutions have cracked down on protest. Bay Area tech companies like Google and Facebook have systematically suppressed any criticism of their contracts with ICE and Israel, censoring social media and firing their own workers.  

As socialists, we understand that the cause of liberation abroad is inextricably linked to the cause of liberation at home. The tragic and chilling case of Mahmoud Khalil makes these connections between immigrant justice and Palestinian liberation viscerally obvious. As Israel has dropped American bombs on Palestinians whom Israel continues to imprison inside the Gaza Strip, the U.S. government has contracted with Israeli weapons manufacturers like Elbit Systems and spyware and hacking outfits like Paragon and Cellebrite to build its wall with Mexico and terrorize immigrant communities throughout the United States.

While both major parties have instituted the current regime of repression, a different future is possible. Instead of building walls, we need to tear them down and build socialism instead. We need to take on our struggles locally and globally, and realize that they are one and the same. Our chapter stands strong in its commitment to justice for immigrants here at home, for the people of Palestine, and for all marginalized groups suffering under the yoke of capitalist oppression and imperialist aggression. We demand an end to their repression by university administrations across the country. We demand an end to American universities’ complicity in Israeli apartheid, occupation, and genocide. We also demand an end to that apartheid, occupation, and genocide. Finally, we demand the abolition of ICE and an end to the assault on immigrants.

Free Palestine. Abolish ICE.

Solidarity,

DSA SF

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, March 12 (6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): March General Meeting (In person at Kelly Cullen Community, 220 Golden Gate)

Thursday, March 13 (5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.): Palestine Solidarity and Anti-Imperialist Working Group (Zoom)

Friday, March 14 (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Education Board Open Meeting (Zoom)

Sunday, March 16 (1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): DSA SF Socialist Job Fair (In person at 215 Golden Gate)

Monday, March 17 (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.): Electoral Board Meeting (Zoom)

Monday, March 17 (6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Regular Meeting (Zoom and in person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, March 17 (7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Labor Board Meeting (Zoom)

Tuesday, March 18 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): Abolish Rent Reading Group – Session 2 (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Wednesday, March 19 (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): What Is DSA? (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Wednesday, March 19 (6:45 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Tenant Organizing Working Group Meeting (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Thursday, March 20 (7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Immigration Justice Priority Working Group Meeting (Zoom)

Friday, March 21 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): Maker Friday (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Saturday, March 22 (10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.): No Appetite for Apartheid Training and Outreach (522 Valencia)

Check out https://dsasf.org/events for more events and updates.

Events & Actions

No Appetite for Apartheid Training and Outreach

Come and canvass local businesses with the Palestine Solidarity and Anti-Imperialist Working Group! No Appetite for Apartheid is a campaign aimed at reducing economic support for Israeli apartheid by canvassing local businesses to boycott Israeli goods. On Saturday, March 22, we’ll be doing a training on how to talk to stores in the neighborhood, then going out and talking with stores together. Meet at 522 Valencia at 10:00 a.m. and we’ll debrief after canvassing at 2:00 p.m.

Behind the Scenes

The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.

To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.