Even though the week is short, our work to defend our democracy continues. 

We are happy to bring you The People’s Bi-Weekly Watchdog Newsletter every other Thursday. We bring you the news you need to know to hold power accountable from the nonpartisan source you can trust.  

This week’s Common Cause newsletter is just a 4 minute read at 620 words. 

⚖️ ILLEGAL: Judge Rules Against Trump in LA

A federal judge ruled President Donald Trump’s deployment of military troops in Los Angeles was ILLEGAL. 

The court sided with democracy: this is not welcome in Los Angeles or any other city. That’s because it was a move right out of the authoritarian playbook: weaponize the government against its own people to silence dissent. It’s a tool used in Russia and China — and that’s why we condemned it and pushed back from the beginning.

Hear more from us on this topic: Next Monday, September 8, Common Cause’s President and CEO, Virginia Kase Solomón, will join a virtual event held by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center to discuss how Common Cause and our allies are meeting this moment to protect our democracy. Click here to sign up. 

🏛️⏰ Trump’s D.C. Emergency Set to Expire

The Trump administration’s 30-day emergency they used to take over DC is set to expire next week — but Trump is threatening to take this effort to new cities and further extend their overreach of power. 

Trump’s D.C. takeover is a preview of his nationwide strategy to crack down on dissent, and if we don’t stop it now, armed National Guard troops might soon be coming to a city near you. That’s why Common Cause is taking action.

We’ve driven thousands of calls to lawmakers, mobilizing people to protest in D.C., and taking action in states across the country, like our Ohio press conference urging Governor DeWine to bring the Ohio National Guard home. Make your voice heard, and join us in fighting back.

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👀 ICYMI

We’re working so hard to protect our democracy, we could write you a novel instead of a newsletter. Instead, here are the top headlines you don’t want to miss: 

• 🐻 California: Ang aming Senior Vice President of Policy & Litigation, Omar Noureldin, joined CapRadio to discuss Common Cause’s six fairness criteria for mid-decade redistricting and how California’s proposal measures up to our standards. Listen to the discussion here. 

• Putting Ethics First in the Golden State. When it comes to elected officials spending taxpayer dollars in California, Common Cause is always first to point to what’s ethical. Follow the latest on a festival’s connection to a mayor’s office. 

• 🏎️ Indiana: Hoosiers are clear — no mid-decade redistricting. Despite weeks of pressure from the White House, Common Cause has been successful moving Indiana legislators to resist calls to gerrymander maps for partisan reasons. Last week, we delivered petitions to let legislators know: Hoosiers don’t want gerrymandering. Matuto pa.

• 🗽 New York: Your Freedom to Know. Common Cause is continuing to push for more transparency in New York through a strong Freedom of Information Law, now sitting on Gov. Hochul’s desk. Read this editorial supporting our stance on the bill.

📊 By the Numbers

🍏 Trouble in Aisle 4. Food prices are rising faster than inflation, and Americans are feeling the burn. New survey data reveals that nearly 90 percent of Americans are worried about affording groceries, more than any other financial concern. 

From June 2024 to June 2025, groceries got more expensive in every category tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite this increasing pressure on everyday Americans, the Trump administration is more concerned with federal invasions of our cities instead of putting food on the table for our families. 

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