FEBRUARY 18, 2026
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THIS WEEK:
- New Helena Pop-Up Protests
- Thursday’s Membership Meeting: Building Helena’s NO KINGS III
- Republicans Chose Shutdown. Now We Escalate.
- Mark Your Calendars
- Good Reads / Good Watches / Good Listens
- This Week’s TO-DO List for the Good Trouble In Helena
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“The most striking data point is that low-political-knowledge, low-news-engagement voters — roughly 27% of the electorate — have swung from supporting Trump by 11 points in 2024 to disapproving of him by 13 points. These low-information people largely don’t consume political news directly, so their changing attitudes are a sign that the consequences of Trump’s presidency are a topic of conversation among normal people.”
From G. Elliott Morris, “Strength in Numbers,” February 15, 2026
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New Helena Pop-Up Protests: Be There. Be Heard.
Freedom and democracy need a public voice.
Have you been hankering to let the community know how you feel about what is happening to Freedom and Democracy in this country? Indivisible Helena members are busy organizing Pop-Up Protests so you can do just that!
The first will be at the corner of Benton and Euclid Avenues from 4:30-5:30 pm on Wednesday, February 25th. Protesters will meet in the former Joslyn’s Furniture Parking Lot. Plan to arrive at 4:15 pm for a Crowd Support Briefing.
In preparation, there will be a sign-making party on Monday, February 23rd from 6-8 pm at 5374 Glacier Point Loop. Join like-minded Helenans to make signs with the themes of Freedom and Democracy. And, while you are at it, save the date for the next Pop-Up which will be Wednesday, March 11th from 4:30-5-30pm at Custer and Washington (near Costco).
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Thursday’s IH Membership Meeting:
Building Helena’s NO KINGS III
Thursday February 19, 6pm
Plymouth Congregational Church, Upstairs Sanctuary
400 S Oakes St (at Winne & Oakes)
INDIVISIBLE HELENA Members and Friends:
March 28 is coming fast. If NO KINGS III is going to be the largest resistance event Helena has ever seen, it will be because we build it together.
At Thursday’s Membership Meeting, The Good Trouble Work Group will share the latest plans for our March 28 National Day of Action and two other exciting projects that will need volunteers.
Workgroup members are organizing two pop-up protests promoting democracy and freedom, and associated sign-making parties. The Group is also launching a project to further engage IH members by making visits to Indivisibles who have No Kings yard signs.
These are great opportunities to take action and get to know the Indivisible Helena community — you know, make new friends and grow the Resistance. We will be calling for volunteers to step in now.
Other Agenda Items
- Let’s hear your ideas for some Good Trouble
- Where and how you can volunteer and exercise your activist muscles and grow the resistance
- Updating the NO KINGS yard signs
- Crucial information about the non-violent movement strategies and how we continue to grow our community and connections.
Bring a friend. It could be fun and there could be music!
Courage — and actions — friends!
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Republicans Chose Shutdown.
Now We Escalate.
How we hold them accountable — and win this fight.
On February 14, the Indivisible national team broke down how Republicans forced a DHS shutdown instead of negotiating meaningful reforms to ICE and Border Patrol.
The shutdown creates real risks — and real leverage. Here’s what comes next, and how we use this moment to demand accountability.
What Comes Next
Let us be the first to say that DHS is deeply broken, and as soon as possible, we need to dismantle the entire thing and start over.
But a DHS shutdown in the current moment comes with real costs. DHS oversees FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard. A prolonged shutdown could impact disaster relief, air travel, and many other facets of American life — not to mention the paychecks of a large number of government workers.
On the flip side, while ICE and Border Patrol do have huge reserves of funding due to Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, Republicans have acknowledged that this shutdown will deplete those funds more quickly and possibly disrupt some ICE and Border Patrol operations.
A prolonged shutdown is very possible. Dems have introduced legislation to fund all of DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol while negotiations on reforms continue, but at the moment Republicans think the chaos of the shutdown gives them more leverage. It’s up to us to change that.
What You Can Do
Supermajorities of Americans think ICE and Border Patrol are out of control and want Congress to do something about it. Democrats are aligned with the public. Republicans hold the unpopular position — and keeping the heat on them is how we win this fight.
We’re going to make Republicans own this shutdown and all of ICE and Border Patrol’s abuses. They walked away from the negotiating table. They rejected massively popular reforms. They demanded more money for an unaccountable secret police force, and they’re willing to punish the public with flight delays and other disruptions to get their way.
That’s the message we need every American to hear, and with your help, we’re going to build a public backlash that is so strong that Republicans have no choice but to back down. Here’s how you can get started:
- Contact your Members of Congress and encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same. We need to drive hundreds of thousands more calls to Congress to make sure Democrats keep up the fight and Republicans agree to a bill that protects our communities and civil rights.
- Sign up for our Tuesday phonebank into Republican states. We’re calling constituents and encouraging them to ramp up the pressure on their Republican senators.
- Use our toolkit to organize a district office visit. Both the House and Senate are currently in recess. This is the perfect time to organize an office visit, especially if you have a Republican Member of Congress. If their staff refuse to meet with you, use our toolkit to organize a rally outside their office or other visibility events in your community. Check our map over the coming days to see if there’s already an event in your area.
- Chip in to support our pressure campaign. If this fight drags on, we’ll be looking at more protests, billboards, and other tactics to keep the heat on congressional Republicans. The more we raise, the more we’ll be able to do.
The grassroots pressure is working — in the past two weeks we’ve blocked increased funding for ICE and Border Patrol twice. Together, we’re going to keep fighting to get real accountability and get ICE and Border Patrol out of our communities for good.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
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Mark your Calendars
Thursday February 19, 6pm
Plymouth Congregational Church, Upstairs Sanctuary
400 S Oakes St (at Winne & Oakes)
Thursday, February 19, 6 p.m. — Indivisible Helena Membership Meeting
Learn the latest plans for Helena’s March 28 NO KINGS III action and find out about volunteer opportunities.
Monday, February 23, 6 – 8 p.m. — Sign-Making Party
Join us for a sign-making party at 5374 Glacier Point Loop for the upcoming pop-up protests on February 25 and March 11, themed Freedom and Democracy.
Wednesday, February 25, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. — Pop-Up Protest
Join Indivisible Helena members for its first a pop-up protest at the corner of Benton and Euclid (meeting at the old Josyln’s Furniture parking lot). Please come at 4:15 for a crowd-support briefing.
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Good Reads / Good Watches / Good Listens
1
Heather Delaney Reese
Trump Is Showing Us What Comes Next
Substack
February 14, 2026
In this long essay, Reese lays out how Trump is expressing his terror of losing his hold on power, and the inevitability of his facing accountability for his crimes, by “sowing division, stoking fear.” Reese concludes, “But they [Trump, the powerful, the rich — those in the Epstein web] can’t hide forever … The question is whether we as a society have the courage to keep prying them open and demand the truth, no matter how ugly it gets.”
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2
David Dayden
The Quintessential Epstein Files Email
The American Prospect
February 17, 2026
David Dayen digs deep into the files to examine what the “Epstein class” — “a network of privilege and connections” — is, how it operates, and who it serves. Everyone in the club appears compromised to some extent, yet they seem to believe they will never pay, that they will never be held accountable. We can’t allow politicians to do nothing with the damning information they’re uncovering; they must bring about accountability. A fascinating read.
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3
Melanie Demore
YouTube AUDIO: Standing Stone
Melanie Demore is compassion, power, and transformation wrapped up in a voice as deep as it can be. Leading groups in songs that stretch the soul with exquisite pacing allows each singer to experience the power of their own voice, seamlessly connecting to all the others in the room. Using her songs to bring communities into solidarity and nonviolence, Melanie invites us all to find joy and power in collective care and resistance.
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This Week’s To-Do List
Make Good Trouble in Helena!
1. IH POP-UP SIGN ACTION
Indivisible Helena members are organizing a pop-up protest. The first one will be held at the corner of Benton and Euclid (meeting at the old Josyln’s Furniture parking lot) on Wednesday, February 25, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Join us for a sign-making party on Monday, Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m. at 5374 Glacier Point Loop. The theme for this pop-up protest is Freedom and Democracy. Save the date for the next pop-up, which will be Wednesday, March 11, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Plan to arrive at 4:15 for a crowd-support briefing.
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2. CONTINUE CALLING OUR FEDERAL DELEGATION
Senator Steve Daines: (202) 224-2651
Senator Tim Sheehey: (202) 224-2644
Representative Ryan Zinke: (202) 225-5628
Representative Troy Downing: (202) 225-3211
Refer to the above article, “Republicans Chose Shutdown. Now We Escalate.”
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3. STOCK THE PUREVIEW PANTRIES
Let’s not forget the Little Free Pantries at PureView Health Center. The two pantries are always accepting nonperishable food and personal hygiene products. Drop off at PureView, 1930 9th Ave, Monday thru Friday, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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4. HONK & WAVE
Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m.
11th and Montana Ave.
In true Montana fashion, the Honk & Wave continues weekly, except on days at 10℉ or below, or 0℉ with the wind chill.
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Get Your No Kings Yard Signs!
We’ve got ‘em, you want ‘em
Request by email, and we’ll get them to you. The No Kings sign campaign is here until we are sure there will be NO KINGS, EVER!
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Support Indivisible Helena
If you’d like to support Indivisible Helena in pushing back against fascism, please consider a donation via this link to the Indivisible Helena ActBlue donation portal or use the QR code below. Your information will remain private — neither IH nor ActBlue shares or sells personal data.
Together, we’ll make sure the U.S. has NO KING.
