In this Newsletter
- Chair’s Message
- Upcoming Events
- ICYMI
- Volunteer Opportunities
- DAGR News and Views
- On our RADAR - DA Priorities
Dear Friends,
Never a dull moment. The second coming of President Donald Trump is proving to be even more exhausting and terrifying than the first. The Donald continues to suck up all the Earth's oxygen leaving you gasping with outrage. Perhaps the Epstein scandal, the latest outrage, but this time consuming Trump's base, may be his undoing. What is Trump hiding?
In the meantime, the midterms are just a little over 450 days away. We at DAGR are already thinking ahead and starting to prepare. We will begin reaching out to you and others in the next few months. Ahead of us lies one of the most important midterm elections in American history. Never has it been so important to register and to vote.
But to keep you up-to-date, we've been busy these last six months. Since the current Executive Committee was voted into office in late January, we have organized 22 social events, 9 protest actions, published 28 articles, newsletters, videos and opinion pieces, participated in 11 interviews and panels – plus we had the most amazing cake for our 4th of July event in Athens!
We've also been working on the nitty gritty details of keeping DAGR up and running, things like renewing our lease and updating our bank details and By Laws (more to come on that).
But our collective efforts are paying off. Membership, social media followers, and event attendance have all increased over the past six months.
The next 18 months will be busy. We need you, our members, to stay engaged. We need your help. America needs your help.
Alkman Granitsas
Chair, Democrats Abroad Greece
Tuesday, AUG 5 - 19:30 - 21:00 EET
One Million Rising
Resistance Gathering online in Europe, an Indivisible Abroad event hosted in Grenoble, France. Dems Abroad are invited, along with all ‘small d’ democrats. At this virtual session, the allies will be talking about ways the community of Americans abroad can take action and help stop the advance of authoritarianism through non-violent, non-cooperation techniques. Learn more here.
Sunday, AUG 10 - 15:00 EET
A Conversation with the Chair
International Chair Martha McDevitt-Pugh will sit down with members for a conversation on the direction we're headed and how you can get involved.Topics to be covered include GOTV Strategy for 2025–2026, protecting our voting rights, the Home States Initiative, and the upcoming DNC meeting. RSVP.
Tuesday, AUG 12 - 19:00-21:00 EET
Happy Hour in Athens
Athens Chapter meets again at En Aithria, the Monastiraki-Thission venue. The milieu invites lively conversation about next steps in the resistance. And visitors from abroad are welcome, too. No RSVP is needed. Details on the DAGR Events page.
NOTICE: “Gone Fishing’ in Thessaloniki AND At-Large
Thessaloniki traditionally ‘clears out’ during the summer. At-Large events will also recognize a holiday break. Happy Hours and Morning Coffees for both will be on hold, or dropping a line off the quay, resuming again in September.
Sunday, AUG 17 - 10:00-13:00 EET
Democrats Abroad Global General Meeting - extension
Time ran out at the June AGM, so we're set to finish voting on Resolutions R9, 10, 12, 24, 8, 22, and 23. Note that 23 has been set at the end; it may be contentious. Read the Resolutions here. Get more information and RSVP for the meeting.
Tuesday, AUG 19 - 19:30 EET
DAGR ExCom Meeting
The Dems Abroad Greece board, aka ExCom, meets every month. Members are welcome to sit in and come up to speed on the many things your board has to handle. Get a leg up on upcoming events in planning, and much more. Reply on this email for the WebEx link.
And that’s not all …
See what other country committees and global caucuses are doing, on the DA website Events page.
Kamala Harris on The Late Show
EXTENDED INTERVIEW: VP Kamala Harris's "107 Days" Is A Peek Behind The Scenes Of The 2024 Election – Harris talks about her book, “107 Days,” what it was like running this shortest campaign in US history. It’s a pretty honest, heart-felt interview. If you missed it … well, here tis.
Good Trouble Lives On!
On the anniversary of John Lewis's death, tributes to his work and plans for bringing it forward took place around the world. Here is the Democrats Abroad program. Inspiring!
Joe Rogan Experience #2341 - Bernie Sanders
Most of us missed this one. Rogan as Rogan. Sanders as Sanders. And they share agreement more often than not. Really?
Buying Out of Holiday Slacker Guilt
May we add a smiley face here? After all, do we really feel guilty kicking back on a beach or shovelling in local specialties our ‘tia’ in the village has been cooking up? Well, okay, maybe just a little?
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Painless Remedy #1
If you’re in the States, in the village, or staying behind in the now-emptied and totally delightful city, you’ll likely hear some American-accented English. Don’t hide your light! Introduce yourself. If they’re fellow US Americans, ease into a conversation and let them know about Democrats Abroad. If they’re Canadians, say “Thanks for having our backs!”
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Painless Remedy #2
Autumn 2025 will see a few special elections in the US and a lot of ‘local issues.’ We recommend boning up on what GOP legislatures may be sneaking through in your state. See what’s going on in the home turf. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn it’s a lot!
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Painless Remedy #3
DAGR will be forming up our teams for 2026 this fall. That’s Events, Comms, Issues and GOTV phone banking! If you sign up now, you can enjoy the rest of your summer, knowing you’ll pay for it later. Think of it as the American Express version of volunteering.
For more way to look at volunteering, per time you have to give, check out the DNC Blue Print.
AZ-07: Voter for Adelita Grijalva!
There’s a special election to replace the late Raul Grijalva. His daughter Adelita won the primary. Check out this article on the DAGR web page for details if you can help.
DAGR: So Far, So Good … 6 months into this term
It’s a wrap on what the current ExCom (Executive Committee) has got rolling since January. Worth supporting in person, in kind, in cash. Next year’s midterm elections are already in the news and local planning is underway. See what we’ve done and where we still have to do.
4th of July: What’s It To Ya?
Thinking ahead to next year, we look back at the meaning we attach to holidays. It may be they rise from our earlier experiences of them, the place, the traditions. There may be more. Try this light hop through a few and see if it triggers any ideas you’d like to share for what to do in 2026.
Hometown: Stay in Touch!
Over half the states allow citizens abroad to vote ‘down-ballot’ i.e. for races other than President and Congress. If you can, but feel you’re out of touch, there are ways to get back in touch. Read on! It’s energizing!
DAGR’s Weekly Reader: Last Month This Week?
Once again, we’ve collected those mostly longer, outside-sourced items favored by political wonks (like us). We try to keep them off the fast-moving social platforms. Have a look! And do send us articles you think might fit here in the month ahead!
JUL w1 JUL w2 JUL w3 JUL w4
Music to Make a Stand By
To stretch a simile, the past few months have been a bit like Oz, shoved along a yellow brick road by a gang of flying monkeys in MAGA hats (or judicial robes), plagued by the wicked witches of our own self-doubts. Will we EVER get back home again? Back to building a more perfect union? "But, Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn't already have."
You? Do you have some music we should play?
The Daily Blue Print
It’s a new go-to source if you ever find yourself wondering what the Democrats are doing or what the media might not be telling you. Is it a biased source? Very much so - it's the DNC's newest entry into the grassroots media space, but it's the bias we need right now to keep us level headed.
This Report Got Her Sanctioned by Trump
Exposing a global economy of genocide and those who profit from it, UN Rapporteur Francesca Albanese says the sanctions are “mafia style intimidation techniques” in this 1-hr interview with The Big Picture.
Falsifying a Tax Return Can Cost Your Citizenship Under Trump
Breaking US law has long been a reason for revoking naturalization, but usually for willful tax evasion, violent or other major crimes. In Trump 2.0, it’s just another weapon in the war on rational democracy. A long, but very well researched read!
Umar Farooq & Ellen M. Gilmer, Bloomberg Law, July 25, 2025
Trump’s Remittance Tax; Information by Dems Abroad Taxation Task Force
This is a summary of the tax’s main provisions as written into that One Big (un)Beautiful Bill signed into law on July 4. The DA TTF team does deep research and turns out highly accurate information.
If You Can’t Beat Em, Commit Em
Trump’s executive order pushes forcible hospitalization of homeless people and could increase hospitalization of homeless individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. Experts in the field say this is not the best solution. Washington Post, gift link
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The August newsletter started out a skimpy little thing. And then there was that global meeting and Harris's fine interview on Colbert. The Scots gave their least favorite son a fitting greeting, and the other allies smiled like they agreed with his latest tariff concoction and then announced their intention to stiff him at the UN. All in all, the month kind of filled up. We expect it to rev even higher from here on out. So, rest and refuel as you can. See you in September.
Democratically yours,
Democats Abroad Greece
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https://www.democratsabroad.org/