Sunrise Movement

Federal agents secretly spied on protesters and progressive groups during Operation Metro Surge, according to documents filed in a federal case. The surveillance efforts included recording conversations, infiltrating Signal chats, and obtaining financial records from organizations like the Service Employees International Union using administrative subpoenas. A defense attorney argued that this broad collection of private records violates both the First Amendment and organizational privacy rights.

Organizers in Minneapolis learned via a court filing that they were subject to extensive government surveillance, including undercover ICE agents attending meetings and protests while the Sunrise Movement pursued nonviolent protest. The federal investigation used aggressive tactics, which included subpoenas of financial records and an apparent attempt to entice an organizer into more confrontational action. These revelations came out through reports detailing ICE investigations like Operation Puppet Master.

Court documents revealed a federal surveillance operation, named Operation Puppet Master, that targeted progressive groups and labor unions in Minneapolis. Department of Homeland Security officers infiltrated meetings—held in churches, schools, and parks—which discussed constitutionally protected protests and de-escalation tactics. The defense lawyer filing the documents described these operations as irrational investigations driven by politics rather than criminal conduct.

Federal agents launched surveillance operations, dubbed Operation Puppet Master and Project Whipple Shield, targeting progressive organizations and labor unions in Minneapolis. According to court documents, Department of Homeland Security officers infiltrated meetings at churches, schools, and parks discussing constitutionally protected protests. Defense lawyer Kevin Riach argued that these programs constituted a “broad and irrational investigation” driven by politics rather than criminal conduct.

Court documents reveal that federal agents conducted a sweeping undercover surveillance operation, named Operation Puppet Master, targeting progressive organizations and labor unions in Minneapolis. This investigation included monitoring meetings at churches and schools and collecting financial records as part of a case involving individuals charged with impeding an immigration crackdown. Defense lawyers argued that the program was a "broad and irrational investigation" driven by politics rather than criminal conduct.

William Lawrence, an environmental organizer advocating for a datacenter moratorium, won the Democratic primary in Michigan’s seventh congressional district. He will face Republican incumbent Tom Barrett in the November election.

Progressive candidates in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary faced unexpected challenges as moderate Rep. Haley Stevens and progressive Abdul El-Sayed remained in a tight race. Mixed results for progressive candidates in other Michigan races and broader questions about the movement's effectiveness were highlighted, with public polling having previously shown a larger lead for El-Sayed.

Tuesday's primaries in Michigan and other states showed mixed results for progressive candidates, with Will Lawrence winning in Michigan's 7th District but others like Cori Bush and Donavan McKinney facing close races. PAC money and party interventions influenced outcomes, while progressive efforts remained on the verge of historic wins despite challenges in rural areas.

Progressive Will Lawrence won a key Michigan House primary, defeating Bridget Brink, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, and Matt Maasdam, a former Navy SEAL. The victory is seen as a setback for Democratic leaders, who feared a split in the moderate vote. Similar progressive wins occurred in California and Maine, challenging establishment-backed candidates.

William Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, defeated Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Lawrence will face Rep. Tom Barrett in the November general election. The National Republican Congressional Committee criticized the result as damaging to Democrats' House prospects.

William Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, defeated former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam in the Democratic primary for Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Lawrence will face Rep. Tom Barrett in the general election and received endorsements from Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Sen. Bernie Sanders, highlighting the Democratic Party's internal conflict between progressive and establishment factions.

William Lawrence won the primary for the Michigan House District. He is a co-founder of the youth-led environmental group the Sunrise Movement.

Bernie Sanders-endorsed William Lawrence defeated Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District Democratic primary. Lawrence is a Sunrise Movement co-founder.

Will Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement and backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, is projected to win the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District. He will face Rep. Tom Barrett in the November election after defeating Bridget Brink, endorsed by former Democratic governors Jennifer Granholm and Jim Blanchard.

The Michigan Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens is a key focus, reflecting tensions within the Democratic Party between progressive and moderate factions. Other notable races in Michigan districts highlight divisions over issues like AIPAC influence and progressive policies, with external groups like Sunrise Movement and Emily’s List playing prominent roles.

William Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, is running for a purple Michigan congressional district on progressive issues including a moratorium on data centers and labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide. His campaign faces opposition from centrists and a shadowy group running misleading ads. Abdul El-Sayed, a Michigan Senate candidate, has endorsed Lawrence, aligning with his grassroots-focused approach.

Yotam Moram, a key organizer of Occupy Wall Street, reflects on the movement's collapse due to police raids, evictions, and an internal 'politics of powerlessness.' He highlights his ongoing work with groups like the Sunrise Movement, Dream Defenders, and tenants unions to build grassroots strategies for political change.

Progressives backed by Bernie Sanders are pushing a data center moratorium to position AI as a political issue, mirroring AIPAC's influence. New York's moratorium and campaigns in Michigan and Arizona highlight efforts to frame data centers as energy-wasting threats to communities, while opponents argue regulation could cost jobs.

William Lawrence, a Congressional candidate, held a town hall in Lansing to address voters after a primary debate was canceled. Over 100 attendees questioned him on issues including data centers, schools of choice, and immigration, while he emphasized engaging underrepresented voters and outlined policy positions like a federal moratorium on new data centers. Opponents Bridget Brink and Matt Maasdam did not attend the debate.

Will Lawrence, a progressive candidate for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, has deleted controversial past social media posts, including support for 'defund the police' and open migration, to distance himself from them during his campaign. He faces similar challenges as other progressives like Darializa Avila Chevalier and Graham Platner, who also grapple with resurfaced posts.

The Green New Deal Network disbanded in 2025 amid political shifts and Trump's reelection, prompting climate activists to focus on opposing AI data centers due to environmental concerns like energy use and emissions. Activists like Saul Levin and groups such as the Sunrise Movement are mobilizing against data center construction across the U.S., highlighting a bipartisan anti-data center movement.

America faces severe climate impacts like wildfires and drought but public interest in climate change is declining. The Trump administration disregards climate action, while Democrats and activists shift focus away from climate issues, with some delaying emissions cuts and others broadening their advocacy.

Young Philadelphia activists ended a 22-day hunger strike after City Council approved Mayor Cherelle Parker’s $7 billion budget plan. The strike, led by Sunrise Movement Philadelphia, demanded the city use its $1.187 billion fund balance to address affordability through seven pillars including housing, schools, and renewable energy. While the budget did not include their core proposals, the group secured meetings and public commitments.

The Sunrise Movement endorsed Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and architect of the Green New Deal, for California’s 11th Congressional District. Chakrabarti, a progressive firebrand, faces Democratic rivals in a primary to succeed former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with support from figures like Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.

Republican senators are questioning a Secret Service proposal to add $1 billion to fund a Trump White House ballroom renovation. The article also covers Republican opposition to a $1.776 billion DOJ fund created to compensate Capitol rioters, with lawmakers like Brian Fitzpatrick and Bill Cassidy pledging to block these expenditures.

Will Lawrence, co-founder of the Sunrise Movement climate justice group, is running for the Democratic nomination in a swing Michigan congressional district with an endorsement from Bernie Sanders. Lawrence is campaigning on a platform opposing AI data centers and calling for a nationwide moratorium on them, particularly relevant as three mega data center complexes are planned for his district.

Defending Education, a watchdog group, warns that May Day student protests are the start of a long-term push to normalize political activism in schools, led by teachers' unions and allies like the Sunrise Movement. The report claims over $1 billion has been funneled to liberal causes since 2015, with groups like the National Education Association (NEA) funding Midwest Academy, a progressive organizer training organization. May Day materials call for disrupting 'billionaire takeover' and abolishing ICE, but critics argue this harms low-income families.