Rising This Week: D-Day Protests
Veterans fight to prevent the Trump admin's cuts to their benefits at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and in nearly 200 other locations across the U.S.
No other news outlet previews the most significant court hearings, protests, and opportunities for civic engagement every week. Keep us thriving.
On the 81st anniversary of the turning point in the war against fascism, U.S. veterans plan to spill onto the streets by the thousands across the country on Friday, June 6, to defend the “benefits, jobs and dignity” of those who served in the military.
The main event will take place at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, just north of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Unite for Veterans, the main organizer in D.C., vocally opposed the White House’s many slights and cuts toward the nation’s warriors, including Donald Trump’s “tone deaf” and “offensive” proposal to rename Veterans Day, the Trump VA’s plan to fire more than 80,000 employees, and the abrupt shutdown of a program that helped more than 17,000 veterans avoid foreclosure.
The Dropkick Murphys, a punk band known for their charity work, will perform at the National Mall, and dozens of other protests will take place elsewhere across the country in front of state capitols and elsewhere. An online, public, and ever-expanding “D-Day Protest Tracker” currently has nearly 200 entries of demonstrations that could be in your area.
Scholar Jamie Rowen, an associate professor of legal studies and political science at UMass Amherst, put the upcoming protests in historical perspective for The Conversation, an academic media collective.
“This is not the first time that veterans have engaged in mass mobilization. Veterans groups in the U.S. have successfully mobilized for centuries, crossing traditional political divisions such as race, class and gender. They are powerful messengers, and their actions in the past have helped secure back pay and pensions for veterans, a Social Security and welfare system for U.S. civilians, and foreign policy changes to end wars abroad.”
While veterans represent only 6.1 percent of the U.S. population, the “veterans preference” in federal hiring makes them 24 percent of the federal workforce, making them deeply vulnerable to the Trump administration’s purge of government, Rowen notes.
Before getting to those listings, I want to celebrate a milestone for All Rise News.
This week, All Rise News reached 10,000 subscribers for the first time, an impressive feat considering that we’re a little more than a month old. Those subscribers are in all 50 states and in 63 countries on every continent except for — to the best of my knowledge — Antarctica.
Beyond the people now receiving these emails every day, news consumers are hearing the name All Rise News more and more across the globe. I have appeared on CNN, the BBC, LBC, and the most influential independent media outlets on and off Substack, each time introduced as the editor-in-chief of All Rise News.
I’ll state the obvious: You’re hearing mostly from just me right now, but our long-term plan is much more ambitious. Everything you have been reading on All Rise News, our unique approach to covering the law and civic engagement, is proof of concept for an idea that we want to scale up.
For that to happen, we need to grow — with your support. It won’t be quick. It won’t be easy, but you have already seen how we have reported stories you aren’t reading anywhere else. We’ve shown you how you can respond to the headlines that most concern you by demystifying various forms of civic engagement, whether by leaving comments in the Federal Register or organizing a protest.
We promised and have been delivering news that empowers. Help us grow that mission.
This Week’s Live-Streams
All Rise News has scheduled live-streams with accomplished experts throughout the week.
Asha Rangappa (Monday at 4 p.m. ET)
A former FBI counterintelligence agent, Asha is a prominent legal commentator and scholar who runs the popular Substack publication
The Freedom Academy with Asha Rangappa. We plan to discuss the Trump administration’s attacks on education and other litigation affecting the rule of law. Click on this link to make sure you don’t miss it!
Barb McQuade (Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET)
The former U.S. Attorney and University of Michigan law professor discusses the softcover release of her book “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America,” along with the latest legal news. We’re former MSNBC colleagues, and she’s still a legal analyst there and NBC News. Click on this link to make sure you don’t miss it!
Harry Litman (Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET)
Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman has been a friend of All Rise News since our inception, and we’re scheduled for another installment of Talking Feds Substack Live dedicated to breaking legal news. Open the Substack app to tune in live!
Prof. Jamie Rowen (Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET)
Prof. Rowen, who teaches legal studies and political science at UMass Amherst, recently wrote a must-read essay on the nationwide protests for veterans’ benefits planned on the anniversary of D-Day this Friday. We’ll discuss issues veterans have faced historically and during the Trump administration. Click on this link to make sure you don’t miss it!
Vicky Ward Investigates (Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET)
All Rise News continues our weekly live-streams with the New York Times bestselling author and investigative reporter on a host of legal topics, including the Trump docket, the Sean Combs trial, and the Harvey Weinstein trial. Click on this link to make sure you don’t miss it!
Ashley Akers (Thursday at 11:30 a.m. ET)
Ashley spent years prosecuting Jan. 6 rioters before resigning from the Justice Department earlier this year after the Trump administration disbanded her unit and replaced Justice Department leadership with loyalists. She now works with the Speak Up for Justice campaign on opposing the budget bill’s threats to judicial independence. Open the Substack app to tune in live!
Note: These are only the live-streams that are currently scheduled, and more may be on the way soon. All Rise News will update subscribers if there are any additional conversations this week.
In the Courts
The New York Times reports that more than 180 rulings have at least temporarily blocked some aspect of the Trump administration’s agenda, and other proceedings keep playing out in courtrooms across the country.
The list of court proceedings below will be updated throughout the week, but look out for developments that do not involve courtroom hearings. For example, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson gave immigration lawyers until Wednesday to oppose the Trump administration’s bid to pause a judge’s ruling blocking it from expelling immigrants to third-party countries without due process.
On Thursday, small businesses and attorneys general must file a legal brief urging an appellate court to reinstate an order blocking Trump’s tariffs.
AAUP v. Rubio (Mon., June 2): The Trump administration will try to avoid a trial seeking to block it from targeting students for deportation based on speech.
How to attend: U.S. District Court, 1 Courthouse Way, Boston, Mass. (Courtroom 18)
Listen virtually: Register for public access here.
When: 12 p.m. Eastern Time
American Public Health Association v. National Institutes of Health (Tues., June 3): A lawsuit challenging Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s gutting of the National Institutes of Health proceeds to a status conference.
How to attend: U.S. District Court, 1 Courthouse Way, Boston, Mass. (Courtroom 18)
Listen virtually: Register for public access here.
When: 11 a.m. ET
State of New York v. United States Department of Education (Tues., June 3): A federal judge considers whether to force the Trump administration to release frozen grant money.
How to attend: SDNY. 40 Foley St. (Room 619)
When: 2:30 p.m. ET
Chung v. Trump (Thurs., June 5): The government must decide whether to initiate deportation proceedings against Columbia University student Yunseo Chung by serving her attorneys — or whether immigration authorities are holding out for her arrest. See our previous coverage here.
How to attend: U.S. District Court for SDNY, 500 Pearl Street, New York N.Y. (Courtroom 21A)
When: 1:45 p.m. Eastern Time
In the Streets
Veterans protest for their benefits at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and dozens of other sites nationwide. This public spreadsheet of protests across the United States has nearly 200 rows.
If you’re looking for — or hoping to promote — other types of demonstrations in your area, check out The Big List of Protests.
Unite for Veterans (Fri., June 6): Thousands of veterans, military families, and their allies will protest VA firings and the slashing of benefits.
Washington, D.C.: The National Mall, just north of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, at 2 p.m. ET. Sign up here.
No Kings on D-Day (Fri., June 6): The momentum for the “No Kings” protest against Trump’s military parade gets an early start in Massachusetts, where the 50501 movement gathers at Boston Common.
Where and When: Parkman Bandstand at 5 p.m.
Note: Our weekly breakdown of calls to elected officials will appear in a separate article this week.
Congratulations on your continued success. You are delivering an excellent news service and I have noticed you commenting on other platforms. The DropKick Murphy are patriots who are the best band ever!
Wow! Just wow! Such great information. Thank you so much. Congratulations on all the media attention. Love watching All Rise News grow. Well deserved!