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In Ariel Lawhon’s novel The Frozen River, Maine midwife Martha Ballard navigates a world where women’s voices are systematically dismissed, their testimonies discounted, and their expertise questioned by men who hold all institutional power. Set against the brutal winter of 1789, the novel follows Martha as she becomes the crucial witness in a rape trial, a case where justice depends on whether the community will believe a woman’s word over a man’s reputation. Sound familiar?

Dear Champions of the EEOB: On May 7, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) will consider a proposal to paint the entire historic granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB). While our lawsuit contends that this project is illegally before NCPC at this time, we will provide substantive responses to the proposal and ask experts and members of the public toweigh in on the dangers of this project, which would permanently harm and alter a Nation

Use the link below to view Caroline Gergel's presentation from the April 18, 2026, DWCNV meeting on environmental issues. In particular, you may wish to open and watch the short video on making good water choices that is linked in slide #19. (Sometimes an ad pops up at the start of the water usage video. If one does, please ignore and then select "skip" to skip the ad. DWCNV does not support any product that may show to preface the water usage video. We do, however, endorse l

The question before us now is this: who is the bigger fool, the fool himself or someone who knowingly follows him? Perhaps Trump has pulled the wool over the eyes of his Cabinet and his MAGA followers, or perhaps the MAGA members are joyfully joining in on the deceptions deployed by the Jester-in-Chief as he tramples legal tradition, leaps into war on a whim, and discards democracy, all the while dancing in deceit, restructuring his realm just to retain power, draining his do

While staying informed about the troubling developments under the current administration is important, if you’re in the mood for something more uplifting, a member suggested taking a look at Good Good Good News at https://www.goodgoodgood.co/

Below is a link to Margaret Fisher's presentation. Please consider contacting PRISM (see last slide) to get more information on how to fight invasives and/or to volunteer to help clear invasive plants from Fairfax County. If you would like to start a PRISM program in your county, the Fairfax PRISM group could likely help direct your efforts. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1v7mcGoGzELz1TZVnO1S4054GwtTK3HSb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108527162634774447456&rtpof=true&sd=true

If you missed the April meeting, you could review Dr. Kitchen’s presentation at the link below. If you attended and would like to revisit the material, it’s included here as well. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MbeWL0zUXyxUGffZFVFXXB6jp4Mqpgp2/edit?slide=id.p1#slide=id.p1

Below is a link to the presentation by Julie Bolthouse, AICP, Director of Land Use at the Piedmont Environmental Council. If you were unable to attend, we invite you to review the presentation for an overview of these important issues. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HVnpwNJSLrJhrDagt3S9Z1R_jjbqUEtpVWjjQ4kBcks/edit?usp=drivesdk

REMOVE THE DATA CENTER TAX SUBSIDY FROM THE UPCOMING BUDGET BEFORE THE VOTE! Take action right now to end Virginia’s $1.9 billion Data Center Tax Break. Tell your Legislators and the Governor to End the Data Center Tax Subsidy. Rather than funding some of the wealthiest companies on earth, shouldn’t we collect that revenue and invest it back into our communities? Use the link below to access the Piedmont Environmental Council’s information, including talking points to use

Annie, Between the States may be set during the American Civil War, but its themes of division, identity, propaganda, and moral courage resonate with today’s American political climate. Historical fiction often risks feeling distant; Elliott’s novel does the opposite. It narrows the lens to one young woman’s experience and, in doing so, exposes patterns that still define how Americans disagree, align, and judge one another. At the center is Annie’s position between worlds: No

I just received a nice update from Senator Warner on his efforts around AI, where he said the following: “ We’ve seen the warning signs – big companies are announcing massive layoffs, citing increases in productivity due to AI… and it’s not just the layoffs, I fear. I’m also worried that more and more employers will quietly fail to post new jobs in the first place, pulling the rug out from young adults struggling to find their first job. And it’s not just white-collar work or

8 million people 3,300 protests on all seven continents, we collectively produced the largest protest in American history. Now we build on that. What’s Next? No Kings held a mass call about what is next. Check out the l ivestream recording here . All core resources shared last night can be found at https://nokings.org/whats-next , and don't miss the following: Community Gathering Toolkit to gather with your people over the next few weeks and commit to taking action toge

On April 9th in Lorton, VA, Indivisible Turning the Tables is launching a working group focused on: Civics 101 – making civic education more accessible Just the Facts – providing clear, factual resources to counter misinformation Adopt a Bill – helping people understand and engage with the legislative process Our goal is to build a community-driven effort that helps move people from feeling overwhelmed to becoming informed and actively engaged.  Sign UP Here

PLEASE join the DWCNV on APRIL 19TH AT 9 AM . We will clean up the trash on Clifton Road. Once again, the DWCNV is giving back to the Clifton community, and we invite members, family, and friends to join us. Our annual Spring Cleanup event will be held on Sunday, April 19, from 9 am until 12 pm. We'll be picking up trash along part of Clifton Road from the triangle downtown to Braddock Road. You can meet us at the road leading to Clifton Elementary School at 9 am, where you

We have agency. We will write the future. We the People need to take the power back. As usual, they go LOW, and then they go LOWER! There are some real shenanigans going on with the redistricting vote. You may have seen, or received, a flyer or text stating that Gov. Spanberger and former President Obama oppose this redistricting, which is, I hate to say it, fake news. Yes, the “no fake news” criers are out there publishing fake news and trying to confuse and outright mislea

Please join the DWCNV on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the Pohick Regional Library from 3:30 - 5:30 pm in Meeting Room 1. In the spirit of Earth Day, our discussions this month will focus on environmental issues. Guest speakers will include Margaret Fisher, winner of Fairfax’s 2025 Individual Resident Environmental Excellence Award, Dr. Robert Kitchen, retired physician turned environmental advocate, and Julie Bolthouse, co-chair of the Data Center Reform Coalition and me

See the Impact: How the Proposed Map Affects Your District Before you head to the polls, it is vital to understand the stakes. We have analyzed the partisan performance span for every proposed congressional district using data from the last five major elections. These charts illustrate the range of expected outcomes, ensuring voters have a transparent view of how the new map balances representation across the state. Range of Election Results for Proposed Redistricting Plan Wh

Deadlines Voter registration: Register to vote or update an existing registration online using the Citizen Portal by July 24, 2026. Early in‑person voting: June 18, 2026 – August 1, 2026. If a local registrar’s office is closed on June 19, 2026, due to the state holiday, the office will be open for early voting on Thursday, June 18, 2026. Contact your local registrar’s office for information on early voting and satellite voting locations. Voter registration offices will be

“Beware the Ides of March” is an expression of foreboding, not because March 15th is a particularly threatening date, but because Caesar was warned to be wary of that day, yet he ignored the warning, and it cost him his life. The election of 2024 could be viewed similarly: all of the signs of disaster were there, yet the voters refused to see them. We were aware of 34 felony convictions. Trump did not hide his character flaws, and he is not the lone Republican failing to demo

Danielle Robay shares the lessons she’s learned from the changemakers who gather in Gloria Steinem's home. By Danielle Robay March 07, 2026 Architects of Change Copy to Clipboard Listen to this article. 0:00 /10:02 1× The first time I hosted a Talking Circle in Gloria Steinem’s living room, I thought everything had to be perfect. This was my maiden opportunity as a Gloria Steinem Foundation Fellow to carry Gloria’s legacy forward. In the 1960s, Gloria Steinem and her peers we