Leaders: Profiles in Courage and Cowardice
Profiles in Courage
♻️ Small Island Leader Not Afraid to Slam Trump’s Eco-Denial
November 17, 2025
It takes the leader of one of the world’s smallest and most threatened nations to call out the harm of America’s retreat from forward-looking climate policy. As Tuvalu’s prime minister reminded the world at this week’s UN Climate Summit, rising seas aren’t just a debate for him — they’re his solitary reality. And his stance echoes a timeless truth often attributed to Gandhi: the true measure of us is how we treat our most vulnerable. If the U.S. won’t stand with the most fragile, what does that say about us?
♻️ Al Gore Slams Climate Inaction at UN’s COP30: “Literally Insane That We Are Letting This Continue”
November 12, 2025
At the climate summit in Brazil, Gore delivered a fiery presentation of mounting disasters and called out major emitters — including the U.S. — for failing to act. He stood up not just for science, but for justice and urgency, marking a moment of leadership amid global inertia.
📢 ProPublica Shines a Light on Border-Czar Conflicts, Forcing Ethics Investigation
October 22, 2025
This is watchdog journalism doing what institutions won’t: ProPublica traced potential financial entanglements around Border Czar Tom Homan and adviser Mark Hall, raising clear conflict-of-interest concerns and prompting ethics scrutiny. In a climate where power prefers silence, this reporting defends free press the rule of law and dignity by demanding transparency from those shaping immigration policy.
📚 Univ. of Arizona Latest to Say ‘No Thanks’ to Trump Funding Compact
UPDATE: Only UT-Austin and Vanderbilt Haven’t Decided! October 21, 2025
In a bold show of integrity, the University of Arizona declined to enter into the proposed compact with the Trump administration that ties federal funding benefits to adopting political priorities. By rejecting the deal, UA sends a clear message: its mission, academic independence, and ethical boundaries will not be compromised for financial strings. We’re still waiting to hear what these other major universities decide, as October 20 was their deadline to respond.
🗽 ‘No Kings,’ No Fear: Coast-to-Coast Marches Stand Up for Democracy
October 20, 2025
From D.C. to small towns in all 50 states, Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies brought out crowds in the millions to defend free expression and the basic idea that leaders answer to the people, not the other way around. Peaceful, coordinated, and unapologetically pro-democracy, the marches modeled exactly the civic courage authoritarian politicians are trying to chill.
📚 MIT Tells White House It Won’t Trade Principles for Federal Funding
October 10, 2025
MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the university “cannot support” a Trump-administration proposal that ties federal funding benefits to adopting political priorities—citing threats to free expression, institutional independence, and merit-based research. It’s a clear stand for academic freedom over coercion and other universities should fall in line with MIT’s courage!
🗳️ Viewers and Celebrities Rally Behind Jimmy Kimmel, Rejecting His Suspension
September 24, 2025
When ABC/Disney pulled Jimmy Kimmel off the air last week, thousands of fans and high-profile allies refused to let it slide. From social media campaigns to open calls of support, they sent a clear message: intimidating TV networks and silencing sharp political humor is unacceptable, and government over-reach must be called out! This collective pushback helped ensure Kimmel’s quick return to his show.
🤝 NY Officials Stand Up to ICE Over Detainee Conditions
September 19, 2025
More than a dozen New York elected officials—including NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams—were arrested on Sept. 18 during a sit-in at Manhattan’s 26 Federal Plaza after being denied access to 10th-floor holding cells. This is a clear defense of dignity and the rule of law: demanding humane treatment and transparency from federal enforcers.
🗽 UC Coalition Sues to Stop White House Coercion and Funding Freezes
September 18, 2025
A coalition of UC students, faculty, staff, and unions filed suit alleging unconstitutional funding freezes and political demands aimed at chilling campus speech and autonomy. This is a clear stand for academic freedom, due process, and the rule of law.
🌎 England’s Channel 4 Dares to Tell the Truth During Trump’s UK Visit: Will Air His Lies on a Loop
September 15, 2025
While UK leaders roll out the red carpet for Trump, England’s Channel 4 is taking a different path: airing an unflinching, hours-long broadcast of Trump’s most dangerous lies. In a moment when many in power are cozying up to him for favor, Channel 4 is choosing honesty over access, courage over complicity. It’s the kind of editorial backbone democracies everywhere should celebrate, especially those in America.
⚖️ Harvard Stands Firm Against Political Retribution, Wins Back Illegally Withheld Federal Funding
September 8, 2025
A federal judge struck down the White House freeze on Harvard’s research funding as unconstitutional retaliation and blocked it going forward. Agencies have begun reinstating awards, and while the administration plans to appeal—and has pushed a $500M “settlement”—students, faculty, and alumni continue to support Harvard holding the line. Brown, Penn, and Columbia could all learn from their Big Brother to the north.
🗳️ Maine’s Secretary of State Tells Trump DOJ to “Go Jump in the Gulf of Maine” — Literally Refuses Voter Records Request
August 1, 2025
When the Trump administration demanded access to Maine’s voter rolls, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows didn’t mince words. She denied the request outright — then told the Justice Department to “go jump in the Gulf of Maine.” Bellows called the Trump Admin move “an unprecedented overreach” and made clear that Maine will not be bullied into sharing sensitive voter information. In an era of election interference and fear-based tactics, her blunt response was a staunch defense of democracy. She stood tall for voter privacy, state authority, and electoral integrity. That’s what courage looks like.
🤝 San Francisco Draws the Line: No Help for ICE, No Data for Deportation – Is Police Interference Next?
July 24, 2025
While many cities claim to be “sanctuaries,” San Francisco is proving it. In the face of stepped-up ICE operations and mounting federal pressure, city officials are proactively drafting new protocols to block police data-sharing, resist license plate surveillance, and shield residents from backdoor deportation tactics. The message is clear: if ICE wants to terrorize communities, they’ll get no help from San Francisco. This is what real courage looks like — not just words, but systems of protection.
🤝 Small Town, Big Heart: Rhinebeck N.Y. Rallies to Stop ICE Deportation, Support “One or Our Own”
July 22, 2025
When ICE detained Gerson Josué Santamaría Turcios — a 23-year-old Honduran immigrant and beloved local business owner — the people of Rhinebeck, NY, didn’t stay silent. They raised over $55,000, packed the courtroom, and secured a federal judge’s emergency order to block his deportation. In a political climate where cruelty often wins, this small Hudson Valley town chose community, courage, and due process instead.
🗳️ Brooklyn Artist Builds a Wall of Shame to Expose January 6 Pardons
July 8, 2025
In a striking act of public dissent, Brooklyn artist Phil Buehler erected a “Wall of Shame” that features the names and faces of more than 100 people pardoned for their roles in the January 6 insurrection. Positioned on a busy street corner, the installation calls out political cowardice and forces everyday Americans to confront what accountability should look like in a democracy.