This Week Has Been Heavy. Here’s What's Lifting Me Up

Local wins, returned rights, and a red dragonfly named Bob.

It’s been an intense week. It honestly feels like it’s been a whole month.

What’s happening in California has so many of us feeling heartbroken and overwhelmed. And that’s understandable. If the news has started to feel like too much, please take a break. Step back. Breathe.

We are still the majority. Americans don’t want to see the military used against civilians. They don’t want extremism. They want peace, dignity, and accountability, and that’s why so many are showing up in protest. If you feel up to it, keep sharing videos that show non-violent resistance. Help others see the truth.

And if you need a moment to feel grounded again… you’re not alone. I needed one too. Let’s look at a few stories that reminded me what we’re fighting for, and that it’s working.

San Antonio just made history.

Gina Ortiz Jones is officially the next mayor, and the first LGBTQ mayor, of San Antonio. She ran a people-first campaign and beat back nearly a million dollars in attacks. Her win is a big deal for one of the country’s largest Latino-majority cities, and it’s also a reminder: when we vote for leaders rooted in compassion and experience, we win.

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Mississippi voters are flipping the script.

This week, Democrats pulled off a string of surprise wins in Mississippi’s local elections, picking up mayor’s seats in cities like Vicksburg, Columbus, and Brookhaven. Even in races they didn’t win, like Gulfport, turnout surged and nearly flipped the result. Mississippi’s Democratic chair called it a “resurgence.”

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Governor Shapiro isn’t playing.

When the USDA pulled $13 million from a food program that helps local farms supply food banks, Pennsylvania’s governor gave them time to fix it. They didn’t.

Now he’s suing.

“I’m tired of waiting for someone to stand up for our farmers and our food banks,” he said. So he’s doing it himself.

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Marcelo is home.

An 18-year-old student from Massachusetts was detained by ICE on his way to volleyball practice last week, even though he wasn’t the target of the operation. After days of sleeping on a concrete floor and acting as a translator for other detained men, he’s finally been released.

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They tried to deport a sick 4-year-old. The community fought back.

A little girl in Bakersfield, California, who depends on daily medical treatment to survive, was nearly deported after the Trump administration stripped her family’s legal status. But thanks to pressure from doctors, lawmakers, and the community, she’s been granted humanitarian parole and can keep getting the care that keeps her alive.

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A judge ruled they deserve due process.

A group of Venezuelan migrants was secretly taken from a detention center in Texas, flown out, and imprisoned in El Salvador, all based on unproven claims that they were gang members. They were never told what was happening or given a chance to defend themselves. This week, a federal judge ruled that the government must provide a way for them to contest what was done to them.

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia is finally home

After being wrongfully taken from the U.S. and sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador, Kilmar Abrego Garcia was finally brought back, something the Trump administration had claimed for months it couldn’t do.

But the story doesn’t end there. Just days after a court ordered his return, he was indicted in Tennessee on charges tied to a 2022 traffic stop. Legal experts and journalists have raised serious concerns about the case, including the sudden timing and the fact that he’s the only person named in the supposed conspiracy.
The good news? Kilmar is back in the U.S., where he can fight these charges with the full rights he was previously denied. And people are paying attention.

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AmeriCorps is coming back.

After the Trump administration slashed programs and forced out thousands of AmeriCorps volunteers, 24 states sued. And they won. A judge just ordered the administration to restore the programs in those states, a huge victory for communities that rely on AmeriCorps for disaster response, education, and local support.

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Newark’s mayor is fighting back.

Mayor Ras Baraka is suing interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba for what he says was a political stunt, his arrest outside an ICE facility where he was conducting oversight with members of Congress. The charges were dropped two weeks later, and a judge criticized the prosecution for rushing to arrest him without a proper investigation.

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Coco Gauff wins Roland Garros!

I know this has nothing to do with politics, but it makes me so happy that Coco won the French Open yesterday… and Carlos Alcaraz won in the men’s singles final today!

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I’m writing this from my backyard, where two squirrels are chasing each other around a tree, and I’m taking deep breaths to stop the headlines from swallowing me whole.

Every spring for the last three years, a red dragonfly visits my garden. I named him Bob. He loves to sit on a stick I placed in a planter on my table, and yesterday, Bob came back!

You might be thinking: “Sylvia, how do you know it’s the same dragonfly?”

I don’t. It probably isn’t. But I don’t care. It makes me happy.

And right now, holding onto small joys like that feels really important.

If you’re looking for more ways to stay grounded, I wrote a post about how I manage my political anxiety after the 2021 inauguration. This might be the perfect week to revisit it, and maybe review your list of things to look forward to.

Here’s the post 👇🏼

For starters: the Wicked Part 2 trailer is out, and yes, I’ve already got November circled on my calendar.

What are you looking forward to this summer? Let me know in the comments!