Authoritarians are using the institutions meant to protect our democracy to seize our power. We cannot treat that as politics as usual. This is patriots versus authoritarians. And every one of us has a role in defending our democracy.

Such a pleasure to join legendary author @JohnGrisham at the @KYAuthorForum in Louisville! I loved our conversation about his new book, The French Illusion, and the joy of telling a good story. Thank you to everyone who joined us.

I had the opportunity to join so many fighters for democracy, including my friends @NedLamont @JahanaHayesCT @ChrisMurphyCT and the @CTDems for their John Bailey Dinner. And I shared some of my reflections on the meaning and power of electing Governors that fight for the people.

Twenty-five years ago, our nation was attacked, and nearly 3,000 lives were stolen. We remember those we lost, the families who still carry their absence and the first responders who ran toward danger. We remember, too, what was under attack that day: our people, our democracy and the freedoms that define us. In the days that followed, Americans came together across differences because the moment demanded it. Today, our nation faces different threats and deep divisions, but the obligation to one another remains. September 11 reminds us that in moments of crisis, we are strongest when we choose courage over fear, unity over division and determination over despair. We honor those we lost by remembering what we share — and by defending it together.

Gloria Steinem understood power: of women, words and coalitions, and she used that power to transform a stubborn nation. She built alliances without concern for how cynics might perceive them - and she lifted leaders long before others understood their promise. Meeting heroes always risks disappointment, but knowing Gloria was an honor, where her humor and kindness were matched by a relentless belief that we could be better. May the Lord bless her family and all who loved her.

For more than a decade, Georgia has left billions of dollars on the table that could have kept hospitals open and helped our neighbors get the care they need. Nine rural hospitals have closed. Rick Jackson says the consequences aren’t “as bad as anybody else thinks.” It is easy to dismiss the consequences when you will never have to bear them. Georgians deserve a governor who knows the difference.

Sixty-one years after the Voting Rights Act became law, its promise is once again under attack. They target Black voting power first because they believe we are the easiest to silence—but their ultimate goal is to dismantle democracy for us all. As I told @MichaelSteele last night: We have the power. We have the agency. We have the numbers. And every time we rise, unite and vote, we prove that our power is real.

Sixty-one years after the Voting Rights Act became law, its promise is once again under attack. Voting rights are not a Black issue. They are democracy’s last defense. We have won this fight before — and through organizing, vigilance, and votes too powerful to ignore, we will win again.

Protecting democracy starts with protecting the freedom to vote. Join me tonight for a conversation about the challenges ahead and the actions we can take together to defend every eligible voter's voice. RSVP: go.redwine.blue/ve0

Donald Trump just used a primetime address to relitigate an election he lost six years ago — and to demand new laws making it harder to vote. Americans see through the lies. He tried this in Georgia first: a call to "find 11,780 votes," a raid on Fulton County, and now a war on the ballot itself. That's not democracy. That's cowardice. America, we've beaten it before.

One of the joys of a book hitting shelves is meeting the readers who bring the stories home. In Coded Justice, Avery Keene enters a world of AI, money and the power to save lives - but innovation has a devastating cost. The question is: who will pay the ultimate price? Thank you to The Book Worm, FoxTale Book Shoppe, Barnes & Noble, A Capella Books, Eagle Eye Book Shop and 44th & 3rd Bookseller for hosting me. Deep gratitude to everyone who joined our conversations. I am especially grateful for the independent bookstores that nurture our curiosity, strengthen our communities and make room for the stories that help us imagine what comes next. Coded Justice, now in paperback, is available wherever books are sold. And ready to be your next beach read. Photo credit: Kevin Lowery