CovertAction Bulletin

According to recent reporting [https://www.wired.com/story/dark-money-group-secret-funding-democrat-influencers/] by Taylor Lorenz in Wired, a secretive dark money group is funding influencers to post pro-Democratic Party messaging on social media services - paying them up to $8,000 per month to do so and holding them to a secretive contract that prevents them from even revealing their relationship to the organization Chorus, backed by the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Some of those named as affiliated with the program including Brian Tyler Cohen, Olivia Julianna, David Pakman and Pod Save America’s Jon Favreau have posted uncannily similar response statements and videos attacking everything except the facts of the article. Kenneth Walden, behind the account 2RawTooReal, wasn’t even listed in the article but posted an attack video saying “Apparently, we’re not allowed to bash Democrats or actually give them any type of constructive criticism. However, I swear I be on damn Bernie Sanders’ ass like flies on —.” The ironies abound, and the dismissals of the story have fallen flat. Democrats fully recognize that they need to appeal to young voters, those who are most influenced by social media.  According to Berkeley Political Review [https://bpr.studentorg.berkeley.edu/2025/05/01/a-post-mortem-of-the-youth-vote-in-2024/], “Biden won youth (ages 18 to 29) voters by 24 points [in 2020], but Harris only led Trump by 11 points [in 2024].” The damning statistics don’t necessarily reflect that young people are actually getting more conservative, but likely that they’re more aware of a corrupt system in which both parties promote more cops, defend genocide and send ICE after innocent people. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/CovertActionMagazine]

In a stark escalation, Donald Trump has armed the National Guard members on the streets of Washington, DC. He’s also signed an executive order getting rid of cashless bail - putting poor people who are arrested at significant risk of being stuck in jail waiting months or longer for trials if they can’t afford outrageous cash bails. He then signed an executive order suggesting a one-year prison sentence for anyone who burns an American flag - in complete contradiction to the 1989 Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson that determined flag burning is protected First Amendment speech. And on Monday the 25th in the Oval Office, Trump said “A lot of people are saying, ‘maybe we need a dictator’... you send in troops, and instead of being praised they’re saying you’re trying to take over the republic. These people are sick.” The remarks also come as Trump looks to send federal troops to cities like Chicago, Baltimore, LA and elsewhere. We all have to take these expansions of the police state and attacks on civil liberties extremely seriously as he talks about dictatorship and crackdowns. While these developments feel unprecedented, we have a lot to learn from anti-fascist, anti-dictatorship and civil rights struggles throughout U.S. and world history. We also start this episode with a continuation of last week’s discussion on the inspiring things Rachel saw in China on her recent trip. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/CovertActionMagazine]

The founder of Tech Buzz China, Rui Ma, posted on X [https://x.com/ruima/status/1955040979259650267] after a recent trip to China about her observations on energy there. “Energy is considered a solved problem. The Chinese government’s investment in sustainable energy – from advanced hydropower to next-generation nuclear – means that, relative to many other markets, electricity supply is secure and inexpensive. Everywhere we went, people treated energy availability as a given. This is a stark contrast to the U.S., where AI growth is increasingly tied to debates over data center power consumption and grid limitations.” reads part of Ma’s tweet thread. In fact, in Texas, the anarchy of capitalism has let the state position itself as a haven for energy-sucking datacenters and cryptominers, but a new law in Texas gives utility company ERCOT the ability to cut power to datacenters in times of drastic shortages - which could impact other important or crucial services. A recent Fortune article [https://fortune.com/2025/08/14/data-centers-china-grid-us-infrastructure/] also quotes Chinese electricity expert David Fishman as saying, “They’re set up to hit grand slams… The U.S., at best, can get on base.” This disparity between the U.S. and China has AI and tech experts in the U.S. worried about the country falling behind in AI and other key areas, because they see China as a competitor and adversary that has to be beaten.  Fishman goes on to explain that “Capital is really biased toward shorter-term returns,” while in China the state is able to set priorities for national investment. Rachel was recently in China, and this is part 1 of our discussion about the differences between the Chinese planned system and the US for-profit mess.  Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/CovertActionMagazine]

Donald Trump has taken yet another step in the ruling class’ quest to trash civil liberties, expand the brutal role of cops and other agents of the state and wage an all-out assault on Black people across the country. On Monday the 11th, he announced that Attorney General Pam Bondi would be in control of the DC police, and that Secret Service, DEA, FBI and National Guard troops would be deployed around the District. Trump and Bondi’s claims about crime in DC are just an excuse to launch an attack on Black residents in the city, along with the city’s homeless population - about whom Trump said “We’re getting rid of the slums where they live.” Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller even tweeted that DC will be safe, clean, beautiful and that “DC will be set free” - a chilling fascist dogwhistle. Resistance has already sprung up in DC with protests outside the White House itself, at Dupont Circle and elsewhere, with calls to restore what’s known as home rule and for real statehood for the District to be enacted. On his side, Trump has threatened other cities including Oakland, California; Baltimore; New York; Chicago; and Los Angeles - where he had already deployed militarized troops to counter the rebellion against ICE. We’re also joined by Walter Smolarek, Editor at LiberationNews.org, to discuss the upcoming Trump/Putin summit in Alaska. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/CovertActionMagazine]

Militarized ICE and Homeland Security raids targeted farms in California’s Central Coast on July 10th, with 200 farm workers ending up arrested, some being critically injured and one tragically losing his life. Masked and heavily armed ICE agents used tear gas and rubber bullets to target workers and those who came to their defense. As soon as community members got word of the possible raids, they sprung into action, tracking the ICE caravan and sharing notifications through community networks that have been built up to keep residents safe from ICE. Organizations like VC Defensa mobilized to the Glass House Farms in Camarillo, staying for hours. To talk more about what happened in Ventura County, we’re joined by Ryan Drury and Lainy Yompian of the organization VC Defensa. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/CovertActionMagazine]