The resistance is loud and making big change. Grammy stages are becoming protest platforms, France ended a medieval "marital duty", and an 8th grader is building an app to protect immigrant families in the US.
Let's dive into the good news to celebrate this past week:
Bad Bunny Calls for "ICE Out" at Grammys: Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech to call out ICE, joining the growing chorus of artists refusing to stay silent while immigrant communities are terrorized. The global superstar leveraged one of music's biggest stages to amplify the resistance movement.
Bruce Springsteen Releases New Protest Song: Bruce Springsteen wrote, recorded, and released "Streets of Minneapolis" in just three days as a direct response to ICE raids and the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, with lyrics calling out "King Trump's private army" and "Miller and Noem's dirty lies." The Boss dedicated the song to "the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors."
Ohio's Free Menstrual Products Law for Incarcerated Women: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a law requiring all correctional facilities to provide free menstrual products, daily showers during menstruation, and proper disposal bins—ending the dehumanizing practice of women begging for pads or resorting to toilet paper and wash rags. Formerly incarcerated women and advocates fought for THREE consecutive legislative sessions to get this passed.
Ireland Moves to Abolish Three-Day Abortion Wait: Ruth Coppinger introduced a bill to abolish Ireland's mandatory 72-hour waiting period for abortion, calling out the "deeply problematic" requirement that doesn't apply to any other medical procedure. The World Health Organization, United Nations, and Irish Family Planning Association have all identified this waiting period as harmful, with psychotherapists confirming it causes "enormous distress" to patients.
France Abolishes "Marital Duty" to Have Sex: After the European Court of Human Rights condemned France for allowing a woman's refusal of sex to be used against her in a fault-based divorce, the National Assembly approved a bill making clear that marriage does NOT create an "obligation for sexual relations," finally erasing the medieval notion that wives owe their husbands sex.
8th Grader Creates Immigration Rights App: 14-year-old Julian Miramontes created an app called "Know Your Rights / Conozca Sus Derechos" to help immigrants understand and protect their rights, winning California's Congressional App Challenge. This eighth grader saw his community under attack, and instead of waiting for adults to fix it, he built a tool to empower people with knowledge.
Tallulah Proulx Makes Philippines Olympic History: Seventeen-year-old Tallulah Proulx has become the first female and youngest athlete ever from the Philippines to secure a spot at the Winter Olympics, qualifying for alpine skiing at Milano Cortina 2026 after showing "immense resilience, determination, and composure" in her final qualifying race.
Minnesota National Guard Greets Protesters with Refreshments: Members of the Minnesota National Guard showed up to protests not with riot gear and aggression, but with cookies, donuts, and hot chocolate, telling media "We're here to help." This stunning display of de-escalation stands in stark contrast to the militarized responses we've seen at other protests across the country. This is what happens when those in uniform actually serve the people.
Barter Black: Nicole Murphy's Platform for Black Entrepreneurs: Maryland entrepreneur Nicole Murphy created Barter Black, a membership-based platform where Black business owners can exchange services and products without relying on loans or perfect credit scores, with members using "Barter Bucks" to buy and sell everything from legal services to graphic design. The platform, which won Best Black Tech Company from the Washington Informer, launches its mobile app on February 5th with a tour through Maryland, Tulsa, Houston, Atlanta, Brooklyn, and New Orleans.
