50501 FRIDAY BRIEFING | APRIL 24, 2026
Veterans arrested for peace. Scripts for your senators. And one of the most viral AI-scams MAGA fell for.
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MONDAY: This Week in Action | April 20–26, 2026
Earth Day arrived Wednesday and the We Are America March has been on the road all week.
And May Day is just one week away!
Monday we went over the events and actions for this upcoming week, from the No Kings ACLU Know Your Rights trainings to the De-ICE Citizens Bank People’s Shareholder Meeting in Providence, to the We Are America March, which tomorrow finishes its 160-mile walk from Philadelphia and arrives on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Click here to read the full post from Monday & sources
If you attended any of this week’s actions, let us know which one and how it went in the comments.
TUESDAY: Who to Call and Email Today | April 21
The April 30 Section 702 deadline is days away. ICE funding could move through reconciliation as soon as next week. And the Endangered Species Act was on the House floor.
Tuesday, we shared ready-to-use phone scripts and email templates covering eight issues: Section 702 surveillance reform, ICE and Border Patrol funding, TPS protections for Haitians and Syrians, immigration court independence, the CFPB, Virginia’s Law, and H.R. 1897.
This became one of the week’s most restacked posts, and the comment section filled with readers who adapted the scripts and shared exactly how they used them. One reader from Georgetown, Kentucky pasted her entire combined letter to her representatives, covering all eight issues. 🎉
The Capitol switchboard is (202) 224-3121.
There is still time to call on Section 702 before the April 30 deadline.
Click here to read the full post from Tuesday & sources
WEDNESDAY: Unlike Jan. 6, These Veterans Entered the Capitol to Stop the Abuse of Power
This week’s most widely shared article | 50501 Veterans
71 veterans and military family members were arrested inside the Cannon House Office Building rotunda on Monday, April 20.
They came carrying red tulips for Iranian civilians killed in the war and a flag-folding ceremony for American service members. They held banners reading “End the War on Iran.” They demanded a meeting with the Speaker and refused to leave when ordered.
They were zip-tied and escorted out.
The war-powers resolution they came to demand had failed in the House just four days earlier: 213 to 214.
Pew-polling found that 61% of Americans disapproved of Trump’s handling of the conflict, while Ipsos found that only 24% said the military action had been worth it. These veterans were speaking more honestly than most elected officials.
You can still act alongside them: contact your representatives through Resist.bot or 5Calls.org, and follow the veteran-led organizations behind this action, including 50501 Veterans, About Face, Veterans For Peace, Common Defense, Military Families Speak Out, and the Center on Conscience & War.
Click here to read the full post from Wednesday & sources
THURSDAY: MAGA Got Played by AI
A 22-year-old medical student in India spent a few hours, used Google’s Gemini, and built a fake MAGA nurse named “Emily Hart” who hit 10,000 followers and millions of views.
He created the backstory, generated ice-fishing and rifle-range imagery, posted rage bait daily, and made thousands of dollars in merchandise and subscriptions before Instagram banned the account for fraud in February. Then there was “Jessica Foster,” a fake AI-generated Army soldier and Trump supporter who hit a million followers in four months before her account disappeared too.
When he tried a liberal version of the same persona, it didn’t work. His explanation: “Democrats know that it’s AI slop.”
Click here to read the full post from Thursday & sources
If one person can industrialize this as a side hustle, coordinated networks with geopolitical funding could do it at a much larger scale. The enforcement is nowhere near matching the scale.
LOOKING AHEAD: THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS
Monday, April 27: If you haven’t registered a May Day action yet, this is the final stretch. Use the May Day Strong event map or the NEA’s May Day toolkit to find something near you or to register your own.
Tuesday, April 28: Workers Memorial Day. The AFL-CIO has planning resources and materials available. The ACLU’s April People Power Action Call also takes place. RSVP to hold your spot for the call.
Wednesday, April 29: The Supreme Court hears arguments in the consolidated TPS cases for Haiti and Syria. This could determine whether approximately 356,000 people who have built lives under existing law can be pushed toward deportation by executive action.
Thursday, April 30: Section 702 surveillance authorization expires. Congress will either let it lapse, renew it, or attach a warrant requirement. If your senators haven’t heard from you yet, Wednesday is the last day to make that call.
Friday, May 1: May Day Strong, Workers Over Billionaires. Marches, rallies, and for those who are able, a refusal of business as usual through No School, No Work, No Shopping. The more you help us get the word out, the more of an impact we can make.
The veterans who walked into that rotunda on Monday knew they were probably going to be arrested. But they still went anyway.
What do you think is the difference between the kind of civic courage we’re seeing from veterans and military families right now and the silence from most elected officials who took an oath to the same Constitution?
Leave a comment below.
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Have a courageous Friday & keep up the good trouble!
Thanks for the recap. Especially appreciate including the (De-ICE) Citizens Bank Shareholder meeting action! It was awesome. The key is a sound strategy and persist, persist, persist! We will 💪
I don't believe war is ever the answer and I also support the women & men in uniform who work to protect. I applaud those veterans who spoke up in the capital in DC! My thanks to them.