Denver, CO - Just a couple of blocks from the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver, another kind of convention is taking place under a "Big Tent," literally and figuratively.
The Alliance for Sustainable Colorado is a cosponsor of the tent. Aaron Nelson of the group explains that backers - such as Google, YouTube, and fellow sponsor ProgressNowAction - want to promote voter engagement, by catering to those who work within the New Media landscape.
"Some of the largest political blogs have over eight million unique visitors every single month. We're in an on-demand world these days; people like to go online, point and click. So, the 'New Media' is being used more and more as the Internet is being used more and more."
The 8,000-square-foot Big Tent houses about 500 bloggers, and dozens of panel discussions are taking place there. Under the "big" lights, voting rights, climate change, and healthcare are among the hot topics.
Noted Web site "Daily Kos" (www.dailykos.com) is another cosponsor. Executive Editor Susan Gardner feels blogs are an important part of the convention coverage.
"The blogs offer a way for us to no longer be consumers, but to be creators of our democracy, as well."
The Big Tent is also attracting its share of celebrities. Actress Daryl Hannah says she'll be video-blogging from the site.
"It's a great way to share information - and I think when people have information, they make wise decisions."
Another award-winning Web site is hosting a national dialogue during the convention. Every day, "Votelink.com" (www.Votelink.com), poses key questions and prompts readers to make choices about them. For example, had Votelink respondents been "in charge" of federal policymaking this week, the monthly $12 billion the United States now directs toward war efforts abroad would be going instead to pay down the national debt.
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In many U.S. cities, President's Day was used to sound the alarm over actions by the Trump administration.
Minnesota protesters braved subzero temperatures Monday to express worry about the loss of democratic norms.
The 50501 Movement is described as a grassroots effort where organizers connect online to schedule peaceful protests in all states.
Monday marked the second nationwide group of rallies since President Donald Trump returned to office.
Woodbury's Rob Gallagher attended the St. Paul event. He said he's convinced democracy is being undermined as Trump's staff aggressively cuts agency budgets and workers in the face of court challenges.
"It affects everybody, the great many," said Gallagher, "and for what? You know, it's incompetently done, it's done without checks and balances on appropriations that have already been made, and without checks on conflicts of interest. And so, it's wrong in every dimension."
Those conflicts of interest involve claims that Trump adviser Elon Musk, leading the purge of spending cuts, is violating ethics rules because his companies hold government contracts.
Other protesters say Congress isn't doing enough to intervene.
Musk and other Trump officials defend their actions, saying these are changes Americans voted for.
The 50501 Movement says it isn't tied to any political party and calls for Trump to be impeached and for Musk to be investigated.
Gallagher said he hopes the feelings they're expressing dovetail into other forms of peaceful protest, in both blue and red states.
"Consumers' purchasing drives the economy," said Gallagher, "and if we could leverage this sort of group activity into a 'no buy day' - or, you know, 'no purchases over a weekend' - or to other kinds of group activity, that would move the needle."
Gallagher, who is retired, said he worked many years in business and was trained to reduce wasteful spending. He's convinced any entity can be made more efficient, but thinks what's happening in Washington, D.C., isn't the way to do it.
Attendance has varied at these protests, depending on the state and weather. Most in the Midwest have seen several hundred people.
Support for this reporting was provided by Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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As the Trump administration ramps up arrests of undocumented immigrants, some in Nevada are choosing to skip work or keep their children home from school.
On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to ban birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. But as real fear plagues communities in Nevada and across the country, the Silver State's nine-member Latino Caucus has said they won't stay complacent.
Assemblywoman and caucus chair Cecilia González, D-Las Vegas, said Trump's attack on immigrant families is personal for her, which is why she's introducing The Family Unity Support Act.
"This bill is seeking to ensure the protections of children's whose parents may be facing deportation proceedings," she said, "so it ensures that their overall mental, scholarly and legal well-being are taken care of by the state."
The bill's final details are still being worked out.
The White House has said the roundups taking place nationwide are targeting immigrants with criminal records, but some with no record have also been detained. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, has said any potential raids on schools would be assessed on a "case-by-case basis," and determined by national-security or public-safety threats.
Assemblywoman Selena Torres-Fossett, D-Las Vegas, who is also part of the Nevada Latino Caucus, said they will look at every policy to ensure Nevada children and their families stay safe, but warned that with immigration being such a hot-button issue, more directives and actions from the White House are likely to follow.
"I think we are going to continue to see the federal government and President Trump inciting fear and hate in our schools and our communities," she said, "and we will continue to fight back in every way that we can."
In response to the federal government's actions pertaining to immigrant communities, the ACLU of Nevada has created an online portal for Nevadans to report civil liberties and civil rights violations of immigrants in the Silver State.
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Idaho lawmakers have introduced a slate of bills which would put up greater hurdles for passing voter-initiated ballot measures.
Legislation this session includes bills to increase the threshold for passage to 50%, allowing the governor to veto passed measures and proposes a constitutional amendment that would require signatures from six percent of voters in all 35 districts.
Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, assistant Senate minority leader, said the measures come after years of attacks from Republicans on voter initiatives.
"They constantly live in fear that the people will tire of the Legislature not listening to them and will use the initiative process to get done that which the Legislature should do," Ruchti asserted.
Ruchti noted one instance in which lawmakers did not listen to Idahoans was on Medicaid expansion. In 2018, 60% of voters approved a measure to expand the program. Lawmakers have introduced a bill this session to repeal Medicaid expansion. Sponsors of ballot measure legislation argued out-of-state money drives the initiatives.
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, who sponsored some of the bills to increase initiative thresholds, said allowing the governor to veto measures would be similar to bills passed in the Legislature. He also contended it is "good protection for a misinformed electorate if they don't get the information like we get to have."
Ruchti countered lawmakers deal with people who have agendas.
"We are surrounded by special interest groups who are trying to get their particular bills passed and they use a variety of arguments, some of which are specious, some of which are accurate information," Ruchti observed. "It's just part of living in a democracy. So, the voters can figure this out and they do."
Senate Joint Resolution 101 would make the signature gathering process for voter initiatives harder, increasing the number of districts where six percent of voters have to sign from 18 to all 35. The resolution would need approval from voters to amend the constitution. Lawmakers proposed the amending resolution because in 2021, the Idaho Supreme Court blocked a similar bill, calling it unconstitutional.
Ruchti added attempts like this are disrupting grassroots efforts.
"The signature gatherers, for example, as a general rule and maybe even almost entirely are volunteers who are just taking their time to do something that they feel is really important," Ruchti pointed out. "That certainly was the way it was with Medicaid expansion."
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