8 Things to Know Before Flock Cameras Come to Your Town

Flock surveillance cameras were nowhere, then everywhere. Perched on high. Watching. While the majority of Americans may feel uneasy under their gaze, many feel safer. And it’s sparked a debate about where privacy ends and public safety begins. Should you allow Flock to nest in your neighborhood? Or should they fly the coop? Do you even have a say? Here’s what you need to know.

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Dolly Parton Was Someone We Could All Agree On

She was a devout Christian who became a gay-rights icon. A rhinestone glamour queen who wrote the plainest, truest songs ever recorded about growing up dirt poor. Beloved in red-state hollers and blue-state cities, at Pentecostal churches and Pride parades alike.

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💬 Your Turn

Are Flock cameras in your town yet? Do they make you feel safer, watched, or a little of both? Reply to this email and tell us. We’ll feature the best replies in an upcoming blog post.

🗞️ News & Views

Daniel Lubetzky launches ‘Build or Break’ podcast. The Builders Movement founder, KIND Snacks founder, and ‘Shark Tank’ shark launches a podcast in which he has deep conversations with people about what it takes to build something — and the moments that almost broke them. Guests include Matthew McConaughey, Kendra Scott, Mark Cuban, Andrew Yang, and many more. Watch the trailer on YouTube.

We could all use Dolly Parton’s advice right now. The country star, who died Tuesday at the age of 80, talked with Parade about that feeling of helplessness gripping much of the world. When there’s so much to be worried about, it’s easy to feel like there’s not much we can do. But we can still look around us. We can show up for our communities, help the people within our reach, and make the world we live in a little better. Her powerful words.

Jodie Foster: How fear divides us. The actress explains how fear can narrow our thinking and sometimes keep us from seeing what’s possible. She argues that we don’t have to ignore our instincts, but we can take a step back and examine what’s driving them before we act. Engage with intention.

Should we stop watching the news? Independent Journalist Johnny Harris warns what happens when we let headlines shape our entire worldview—and shares what he believes is a better way to learn about current events. Getting a full picture.

Sign up to host a Builders BBQ and get a free starter kit

The whole idea behind the Builders BBQ is simple: fire up the grill and invite friends, family, and neighbors, including someone who may see the world differently, to pull up a chair. The first 250 readers who sign up to host will get a free kit to help them get started, packed with BBQ-ready recipes, icebreaker activities, and free snacks.

“Bringing people together is so important to us as a family, and I believe this is the perfect opportunity to remind people we have so much more in common than they realize. The future of our country depends on conversations like these. “ — Lesa from Hershey, Pennsylvania

Host a Builders BBQ

7 Resources for Talking to People You Disagree With

As our kids head back to school this month, we at Builders thought we’d join them. Not literally, of course (we’ve gained a few and no longer fit comfortably in a locker). But in the spirit of education, we thought now would be the perfect time to brush up on our civics skills. Here are seven resources we’re using to get there.

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💬 Your Turn

We know this list isn’t exhaustive. What book, podcast, newsletter, or program has helped you handle hard conversations? Reply to this email and tell us the resources you swear by.

🗞️ News & Views

Facing stage 4 cancer, Ben Sasse shares what America needs. The former Republican senator discusses the misguided incentives that make our congress so dysfunctional — and why he’s still betting on the USA. How America can survive.

Why everyone else is an ‘idiot.’ Ever notice how everyone else somehow has the wrong opinion? A cognitive scientist explains how you and people like you seem to have drawn the exact right opinion of the world, while everyone else is either too conservative or too liberal. What you might be missing.

We should all take this advice from Sonia Sotomayor’s mom. Disagreement can be frustrating. But the associate justice of the Supreme Court, who is no stranger to disagreement, says she stayed grounded by remembering this lesson from her mother. An important lesson.

Sign up to host a Builders BBQ and get a free starter kit

The whole idea behind the Builders BBQ is simple: fire up the grill and invite friends, family, and neighbors, including someone who may see the world differently, to pull up a chair. The first 250 readers who sign up to host will get a free kit to help them get started, packed with BBQ-ready recipes, icebreaker activities, and healthy snacks from partners like Mavericks, a company that has always defined itself by thinking outside the box.

Join over 100 Builders across America who have already opened up their backyards (and their minds) to neighbors they’d like to know better.

“Bringing people together is so important to us as a family, and I believe this is the perfect opportunity to remind people we have so much more in common than they realize. The future of our country depends on conversations like these. “ — Lesa from Hershey, Pennsylvania

Host a Builders BBQ

“I’m a Conservative Who Got in a Blowout Fight With My Liberal Future Father-in-Law. Now I’m Wondering if the Marriage Will Work”

Every week, readers write in asking how to navigate relationships strained by today’s political climate. Our “Dear Builders” series offers guidance for holding onto the people who matter, even when you don’t see eye to eye.

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💬 Your Turn

Need help with a relationship pushed to the brink by politics? Reply to this email with a conflict you’d like our take on. We may feature your response in an upcoming “Dear Builders” advice column.

🗞️ News & Views

The world needs more people like this kid. Muhammad Kaif was asked a question designed to create division, but instead of accepting the idea that he had to choose between his identity and his empathy, he showed something far more powerful. Our founder, Daniel Lubetzky, reacts to the powerful viral video. Love over hate.

Texas public schools are now required to display the Ten Commandments – should they be? Is the new law a harmless nod to America’s heritage, or is the government putting a religious thumb on a captive audience of kids? The answer could be something neither party is willing to confront. Things turned ugly.

Pope Leo: Where real joy comes from. Pope Leo argues that true happiness is hard to find in the things we consume. Here’s where we should look instead. True fulfillment.

11 Facts That Will Change How You See US Politics

Most Americans don’t care about the culture wars. Nor do they follow politics all that closely. They do, however, agree on a whole lot more than you’ve been led to believe. These surprising facts and more will change how you see your country — and the neighbors who call it home. Read more.

How to Be a Pebble in Someone’s Shoe

Author and Builders Movement Partner Amanda Ripley highlights the “paradox of persuasion,” profiling two cousins who manage to stay close (and even talk politics at length) despite their deeply conflicting views on President Donald Trump. Read more.

💬 Your Turn

Got a surprising fact about America or its politics that changed how you see things? Reply to this email and share it. We’ll feature the best ones in a future newsletter.

🗞️ News & Views

Ronald Reagan on the American Dream. During his last speech as president, Reagan shared what makes our country so special — and what we must never lose sight of. Builders Movement Founder Daniel Lubetzky reacts to Reagan’s stirring message. Watch now.

In case you missed it: The most surprising immigration bill in years. Two members of Congress from opposite parties did something almost nobody thought was still possible in Washington. For two years, they worked in the same room on the third rail of American politics, and what they came up with has business groups and immigration advocates cheering while both parties’ hardliners scramble to kill it. Builders Texas has the full story. Read more.

Rethink how you view disagreement. Comedian Trevor Noah explains how two people can look at the same thing, come to different conclusions, and still have a meaningful conversation. Here’s how.

Builders in Action

Builders Movement Partner Tim Shriver launches the Center for Dignity in Politics. What does it look like to lead with dignity? To answer that question, Builders Movement Partner Tim Shriver has launched the bipartisan Center for Dignity in Politics, which will equip governors with the tools, training, and resources to navigate disagreement, reduce polarization, and strengthen democracy. Learn more.

Stand Together CEO Brian Hooks receives top nonprofit award. Congratulations to Builders Movement Partner Brian Hooks, CEO of Stand Together, on being named to the 2026 NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50. The annual list recognizes the most influential leaders in philanthropy, whose vision and impact extend beyond their own organizations to move the entire nonprofit sector forward. Stand Together is a philanthropic community that helps America’s boldest changemakers tackle the root causes of our country’s biggest problems, and this is a well-deserved honor for Brian and the entire ST community. We’re proud to celebrate alongside them. See the top 50.

Bite to Unite

Builders are bringing their communities together one BBQ at a time — now’s your chance to join in. More than 100 readers have signed up to host a Builders BBQ, opening their backyards to neighbors with different perspectives and community members they want to understand better. It all starts with a simple idea: connection begins when you show up.

“All of my neighbors have changed since we moved in 15 years ago. We don’t know them, but we certainly post different yard signs. I want to know these faces by name, and I want them to know they can call me when they need something.” — Leesa from La Crosse, Wisconsin

This summer, you can join them. Take a #BiteToUnite and join the Builders BBQ Challenge. The first 250 hosts will receive a free Builders Starter Kit.

Host a Builders BBQ.

Where is Mitch McConnell? The People Deserve Answers

The silence around Mitch McConnell’s health is raising a question both parties would rather dodge, and the way they’re dodging it tells you a lot about our politics. Read more.

💬 Your Turn

With control of the Senate potentially hinging on seats like Kentucky’s, are you tuning in to the midterms yet? As November approaches, what do you wish more politicians would address? Is there one issue that’ll decide your vote? Reply to this newsletter and tell us. We’ll feature the best replies in an upcoming blog.

🗞️ News & Views

Trans athletes in sports. The WNBA’s Sophie Cunningham reignited America’s biggest sports debate just weeks after the Supreme Court voted to uphold state laws requiring student-athletes to compete based on biological sex. Inside the controversy.

Sharon McMahon: Democracy starts in your community. On the Let’s Talk, Sis podcast, Builders Movement Partner Sharon McMahon explains that if the government is “of the people,” then democracy depends on people taking responsibility for the communities they’re part of. What YOU can do.

Is the American Dream still alive? In the third episode of our series Bite to Unite: The Discussion, four Americans from different backgrounds and perspectives explore what opportunity, freedom, and belonging look like in a changing country. They share personal stories of immigration, overcoming hardship, building a future, and the progress they’ve seen — while also wrestling with the barriers that still exist for many Americans. Watch the full debate on YouTube.

🍔 A Bite to Unite

World Central Kitchen and celebrity chef José Andrés are joining the Builders BBQ Challenge to prove a shared plate can bring anyone together.

This summer, the Builders BBQ Challenge is asking people across the country to fire up the grill and invite someone who sees the world differently to share a meal. It’s a backyard-sized answer to a divided moment: good food, real conversation, and neighbors rediscovering how much they have in common.

And we’ve got legendary company in the kitchen. We’re proud to partner with World Central Kitchen, the organization that’s first to the frontlines with hot meals in the face of humanitarian, climate, and community crises. WCK was founded by Movement Partner José Andrés, the Spanish-American celebrity chef and the organization’s Chief Feeding Officer, who has spent his career proving that a shared plate can do what almost nothing else can: bring people together.

WCK is even helping stock your table: the first 250 people who sign up to host a Builders BBQ will receive a free kit that includes a book full of BBQ-ready recipes from Andrés, so you’ll have plenty of good food to gather around.

So fire up the grill, invite someone who sees the world differently, and join a movement that believes the country gets stronger every time neighbors sit down to eat together.

Host a Builders BBQ

7 Ways to Disagree With Someone You Love (Without Torching the Relationship)

Loving someone grants you no immunity from disagreeing with them. If anything, the people closest to us are the ones we clash with hardest, because we actually care what they think. The real skill is learning to go at the idea without ruining the relationship.

👉 How to pull it off

💬 Your Turn

We want to hear how this plays out in your life. What’s the disagreement you keep having with someone you love, and how do you handle it when it flares up? Maybe you’ve got a trick that defuses things, or maybe you’re still searching for one. Reply to this email and tell us your story.

News & Views

MLB’s ‘Sandlot’ tribute will leave you in tears. Sports have always been bigger than the game. This emotional interlude that aired during the MLB All-Star game is chock-full of heartstring-tugging moments, from George W. Bush’s first pitch after 9/11 to fans uniting across the World Cup. The field keeps proving it can pull people together when little else can. In a divided moment, that’s worth holding onto. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Europeans react to America’s ‘normal.’ Some of America’s favorite World Cup moments had nothing to do with the actual sport — it was watching tourists discover that our coffee cups are “bucket-sized” and that our pancakes are served in multiples of 10. Their hilarious reactions.

How does a Black man befriend the KKK? Daryl Davis, a member of the Builders Movement, has spent decades answering that question through his actions. Instead of responding to hate with more hate, Daryl chose something much harder: curiosity. He listened, asked questions, and treated people with dignity, even when they didn’t extend the same to him. Over time, those conversations changed lives. Our Founder, Daniel Lubetzky, breaks down Daryl’s incredible story. Building bridges.

Some People Are Celebrating Lindsey Graham’s Death. Here’s Why That’s a Trap.

It’s hard to extend grace to someone you believe didn’t always extend it to others. That’s part of why some celebrated the senator’s death online. But our politics won’t become more humane through dehumanization. Read more.

🍔 A Bite To Unite

Two culinary legends take on the Builders BBQ Challenge. Award-winning celebrity chef and restaurateur Tim Love and legendary pitmaster Ryan Mitchell are taking on the Builders BBQ Challenge, using barbecue to bring people together, share stories, and connect across differences. Watch the clip.

Want to take on the challenge yourself? Join over a hundred people who have already signed up to host a Builders BBQ in their own backyard, inviting friends, family, and neighbors — even those who may see the world differently — to bond over good food. Create your own Builders BBQ.

🗞️ News & Views

Political leaders across the spectrum react to Lindsey Graham’s death. However one may have felt about his politics, celebrating anyone’s death is exactly what opportunistic, divisive leaders want from us: to see the “other side” as less than human. That’s the whole game. Don’t play it. These responses to Graham’s death, from both the right and the left, are what it looks like to rise above “us vs. them.” Read their statements.

Tourists react to America. World Cup fans are impressed by American generosity. Despite the World Cup’s competitive nature, fans continue to connect across American host cities. Instead of simply welcoming visitors from around the world, Americans are inviting them to share the experience over a meal, a drink, or a simple conversation. Leading with kindness.

Man gives World Cup tourists a taste of Texas. When the World Cup brought visitors from Poland and France to the U.S., one Texan invited them to spend a few days experiencing life in South Central Texas. From learning the two-step to riding around the ranch and making a stop at Buc-ee’s, they got a firsthand look at a side of America you won’t find in a travel brochure—or in the headlines. The full Texas treatment.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

Trump Says AI Is ‘Woke’ — Is It? We Asked an AI Expert

President Donald Trump and other conservatives have accused artificial intelligence chatbots of leaning to the left. Is AI politically biased? We talked to AI expert and Movement Partner Keegan Evans to find out.

Read the conversation

💬 Your Turn

Ask an AI chatbot a hot-button political question and reply to this email with what it said. Did it pick a side?

🍔 A Bite To Unite

This summer, we’re launching the Builders BBQ Challenge, which asks people across the country to come together and fire up the grill. Hosts are encouraged to invite their friends, family, or neighbors — including someone who may see the world differently from them. Over a hundred of you have already signed up to host and received a free kit to get started. Why? Because you know that only through face-to-face interaction can people truly see how much they have in common. As one host from Wisconsin puts it: “We have a pride flag at one house and a ‘Never Hillary’ bumper sticker at another. It’s a beautiful neighborhood. But one hour together would make it better.”

Create Your Builders BBQ

🗞️ News & Views

Van Jones turns the AI debate on its head. The Social entrepreneur and Movement Partner reframes the debate around artificial intelligence, naming the real dangers of AI without trafficking in doom and gloom. He argues that our oldest wisdom — “ancestral intelligence” and “ancient intelligence” — is exactly what this new era needs. Watch the full TED Talk.

John Cena on what it means to be a patriot. In this 2016 “We Are America” ad, John Cena argues that loving your country means recognizing the people who make it what it is, not just the symbols we rally around. America has never been simple. It’s made up of different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. That diversity doesn’t erase disagreement, but it reminds us that patriotism can leave room for complexity. Love vs. pride—there’s a difference.

Reagan’s defense of the American Dream. President Ronald Reagan once described America as unlike any other place—not defined by where people come from, but by what they can become once they arrive. Builders Movement Partner Steven Olikara examines how that idea has been shaped and strengthened over time. The real story of America.

Barbara Jordan and the search for a national community. Former U.S. Representative Barbara Jordan delivered this keynote address in 1976, but her message still resonates 50 years later. Jordan reminds us that we can’t build a stronger country by dwelling on the problems that divide us. Progress comes from asking what each of us can do to strengthen our shared “national community.” Her inspiring speech.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

30 Quotes That Define America

This weekend, America turns 250. And if you go looking for the single idea that has carried this country through revolution, civil war, depression, and every kind of division, you keep landing on the same one: that wildly different people can still choose to belong to each other. Here are 30 quotes, from founders and presidents to poets and thinkers, that capture what it means to stick together and find common ground.

Read them here

‘Barbecue is Too Inclusive to Be Divisive’: Legendary Pitmaster Tells Us What He Learned About Bringing People Together

James Beard-nominated pitmaster and Movement Partner Ryan Mitchell is helping us launch the Builders BBQ Challenge this summer, an invitation to fire up the grill and enjoy good food with people who may not see the world the same way you do. We sat down with Mitchell to talk about why sharing a meal face-to-face matters more than ever and what generations of his family sacrificed to keep the barbecue tradition alive.

Read the conversation

🍔 A Bite To Unite

Over the past year, 80% of you said the same thing: you want more connection. More community. More real, face-to-face moments with the people around you — and hundreds of you went even further and asked specifically: can Builders help make this happen? Introducing the Builders BBQ Challenge. We’re asking people across the country to come together and fire up the grill — just in time for America’s 250th birthday. Hosts are encouraged to invite their friends, family, or neighbors — including someone who may see the world differently from them politically, ideologically, generationally, or culturally. Because as Builders, we know that there is far more that unites us than divides us.

Create Your Builders BBQ

News & Views

The real star of the World Cup. The World Cup is giving millions of people a glimpse of a side of America that rarely makes the headlines. Not through politics or outrage, but through ordinary people welcoming visitors, sharing stories, and helping strangers feel at home. This tourist explains how everyday Americans are changing the narrative. World, meet America.

The news used to be different. People disagreed, sometimes passionately, but the goal was still to help the public learn and better understand the world and the viewpoints around them. A resurfaced clip of Rachel Maddow and Tucker Carlson playfully joking with one another from across the aisle while still discussing the issues at hand illustrates how polarization has worsened public discourse. More of this.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

10 Moments That Almost Broke America, But Made Us Stronger Instead

You’ve probably heard it uttered online recently: America is more divided than ever. But we’ve survived worse. Much worse. And every time we did, we came out stronger than before. As we reflect on our nation’s 250 years, here’s the history worth remembering.

👉 Read more

News & Views

German fan says World Cup is changing how people view the U.S. For many visitors, their view of the U.S. has been shaped by headlines and social media. Now they’re meeting people, exploring new places, and experiencing the country for themselves. The World Cup is about soccer, but it’s also a reminder that firsthand experience can change the way we see each other. Meet the tourists going viral.

Tim Burchett calls out insider trading in Congress. On an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Burchett, the Republican representative for Tennessee’s 2nd congressional district, echoes a principle most Americans agree on: members of Congress shouldn’t be able to trade stocks using insider information. He points to congressional stock trading as one example of a system that can erode trust in the people elected to represent us. Listen in.

George Carlin predicted our division 30 years ago. If the system feels stuck, George Carlin would ask: is it by accident? We’re constantly reminded of what divides us—politics, beliefs, backgrounds, and identities. Those differences are real, but when they become the entire focus, it’s easy to lose sight of what we share: a desire for dignity, security, and a voice in shaping the future. An uncomfortable truth.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

7 Questions to Ask Someone You Disagree With

Before you fire off that scorching comeback, try taking a beat and asking a question instead. Nobody’s ever been insulted into changing their mind. But a good question can crack open a real conversation.

👉 Start here

News & Views

My Father’s Math. In 1992, Movement Partner Alex Kruglov had just arrived in the U.S. after leaving Ukraine. The 12-year-old refugee thought he had America figured out: you don’t spend time on anything that doesn’t pay. Then he watched his father sprint across the street to haul a stranger’s mattress up four flights — for free. They must be paying him, he thought. They weren’t. It took him 30 years to understand why. A Father’s Day lesson.

Muslim, Jewish, and Chirstian — all in one family!? Noah Eckstein’s family spans Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. His Muslim grandfather, Jewish grandfather, and Christian grandmother never gave up their beliefs. But they never gave up on each other either. Eckstein, who just completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard, gave a commencement speech at the university that has the whole internet talking. His inspiring speech.

Bill Burr describes the real danger in America. States hating states. People hating people. Burr says enough is enough. After traveling the world, the comedian has discovered a universal truth that may help us wake up. The root of our problems.

Builders Weekly Challenge

Find someone you disagree with and ask them one of the seven questions from today’s blog. Then reply to this newsletter and tell us how it affected the conversation. Did it lower the temperature? Were they more receptive to your thoughts? We’ll share the best replies in an upcoming blog post.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

In his book Think Again, organizational psychologist and Movement Partner Adam Grant identifies three characters that tend to take the wheel the moment someone challenges what we believe.

👉 You’ve probably been them all at one point

Builders Weekly Challenge

Think of the last time someone corrected you and they were right. How did you respond? Could you have handled it better? Reply to this email and let us know.

News & Views

TMZ says they’ll highlight politicians on vacation during the government shutdown. The tabloid news org announced that they will be publicizing photos of politicians on vacation in the midst of a weeks long partial government shutdown. As of right now, roughly 50,000 TSA agents across the country remain unpaid. ‘Take a picture and send it to us.’

What if party labels disappeared from ballots? Back in 2011, former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura proposed a pretty simple—but bold—idea: what if every ballot just listed candidates’ names, with no party labels at all? It’s too easy to vote on ‘autopilot.’

Frank Sinatra explains why hate is pointless. In this vintage PSA, the legendary singer and actor breaks down how illogical bigotry is. Founding Partner Daniel Lubetzky reacts to the powerful video. We are all human.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

Builders Like You Just Scored a Huge Legislative Win for New Moms

How a politically diverse group of ordinary citizens extended Medicaid coverage for thousands of low-income mothers, making Wisconsin the 49th state to do so. How they did it.

Builders Weekly Challenge

Has your family (or a family you know) struggled to get Medicaid coverage after having a baby? Reply to this email and let us know — or forward it to someone who needs to see it.

Builders in Action

Miss Oklahoma State Fair is taking the Builders Movement into classrooms. Miriam Lowe is visiting schools across Oklahoma to teach students about our 4 C’s: curiosity, compassion, courage, and creativity. Building a brighter future.

Builders Buzz

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin’s fight for new moms just made history—and Builders helped make it happen. After years of cross-partisan grassroots advocacy, Governor Tony Evers signed legislation extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year for thousands of low-income Wisconsin women, thanks in no small part to the citizen coalition Builders helped build. Read the full article.

14 Wisconsinites from totally different backgrounds built the coalition that changed everything. When WKOW asked how Wisconsin finally got postpartum Medicaid extended, the answer was Builders. People like Ali Muldrow, a mother of three who said it was “very easy to see myself in women who maybe didn’t identify with me politically.” Watch the story from WKOW.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people. Support the Builders Movement.

A new group of voters is seeing a meteoric rise in America—and it isn’t Democrats or Republicans. With both parties equally unpopular and younger generations opting out of labels entirely, the real story of American politics may not be red vs. blue at all.

🇺🇲 Where politics is headed

News & Views

Conan O’Brien on why the Oscars are more than awards. At the Academy Awards on Sunday night, the host highlighted the event’s global reach: 31 countries across six continents, thousands of people collaborating across languages and cultures. He pointed to patience, resilience, and optimism—the same qualities that turn effort and creativity into work that resonates worldwide. His unifying message

Senate strikes rare deal that aims to lower housing costs. Could it work? A Democrat and a Republican just teamed up on a housing bill that has economists, Wall Street, and everyday homebuyers watching closely. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act could reshape who gets to own a home in America—but not everyone agrees on how. Inside the debate

Denzel Washington’s challenge to journalists. “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do read it, you’re misinformed.” That’s how the actor captured a frustration many people feel about the modern media environment. Why the truth gets buried

Builders in Action

Builders presents Steven Olikara with Common Ground Award. Last week at the Lumen Awards, Builders Chief Marketing Officer Kristin Moss honored Olikara for his work combating toxic polarization by presenting him with the Common Ground Award. As the CEO of Bridge Entertainment Labs and a Builders Movement Partner, Olikara has been a champion of depolarization since the earliest days of the bridge-building movement, working tirelessly to combat the division-industrial complex and to help knit the American community back together. During his acceptance speech, he discussed the relationship between storytelling and American democracy, and how telling new American “stories of us” can reinvigorate our democracy for the next 250 years. Watch his empowering speech.

Builders Weekly Challenge

The story, not the stat. Ask someone to tell a personal story that shaped their view on an issue—no facts, no data. Reply to this email to share what you learned that numbers wouldn’t show.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

If you’ve ever had that feeling where you want to do something but have no idea where to start, you’re not alone. Luckily, Sharon McMahon — known by her millions of followers as “America’s Government Teacher” — just answered that question. And the answers are not what you’re expecting.

📚 See what you’re missing

News & Views

🦸 You don’t need to be a superhero to save democracy. But we got one anyway. Zachary Levi, known for his roles in films like the superhero blockbuster Shazam! and the hit TV series Chuck, has been helping Builders get out the vote in Texas. His methods are… unconventional, to say the least. See what Zachary Levi did.

⛰️ We all claim the moral high ground. Media trainer and public speaking coach Sally Kohn admits something most people won’t: even while being praised for “civility,” she caught herself thinking harsh, dismissive thoughts about other people—and convincing herself it was justified because she was “right.” That’s the trap.

Builders in Action

Builders Citizen Solutions helps Wisconsin moms win. Three years ago, a group of Wisconsinites joined a Builders Citizen Solutions session to tackle some of the state’s toughest issues together. Despite deep ideological differences, they found common ground around one clear priority: making sure new moms don’t lose healthcare just weeks after giving birth. That citizen-led proposal — extending postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months — just passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. When political roadblocks stalled the bill, these Builders kept organizing, meeting with lawmakers, and rallying the public until the will of the people prevailed. It’s proof that when ordinary Americans are given the space and structure to collaborate, they can deliver extraordinary results. See how it happened.

Builders Weekly Challenge

The Steelman Test. Before criticizing an argument you disagree with, try making the strongest possible case for it. Reply to this email and tell us what changed once you tried.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

Have They Ever Built Anything?

Movement Partner Brian Hamilton, an entrepreneur and star of ABC’s Free Enterprise, says that’s the first question every voter should ask about a candidate.

🚧 Talkers vs. doers in politics

News & Views

Pope Leo XIV offers a practical Lenten message for Christians everywhere. What if sacrificing something wasn’t about food, but about how we speak? What each of us should give up.

The tradition of presidential letters. For generations, outgoing presidents have left a private letter for the person stepping into the role—not for public view, but for the reality of what awaits inside the office. Words from one president to the next.

⭐ Don’t roll over, Texas. Builders Texas launches a get-out-the-vote campaign inspired by Texas’s strangest and most beloved mascot: the armadillo. Big things are coming.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

5 Questions to Ask Before You Vote

Voting based on who will actually govern effectively is hard. It requires asking questions that go deeper than party labels, campaign slogans, and who “won” the last debate.

🗳️ This will change our politics

News & Views

✡️ How this Super Bowl ad should have gone. Our sister organization, Builders Middle East, made its own version of that viral Super Bowl ad against antisemitism—one that refuses to portray Jews as victims, but rather as protagonists in their own lives. Builders turn darkness into light.

🚫 Republican governors boycott White House meeting after Trump excludes Democrats. The National Governors Association has canceled its annual White House meeting after President Trump only invited Republican governors. Here’s what happened.

🏈 Clint Eastwood’s halftime speech. The iconic actor’s Super Bowl spot frames America not as winning or losing, but as paused—caught between what’s already happened and what comes next. Watch the inspiring commercial.

🐰 Bad Bunny’s message to America. During his Super Bowl LX halftime performance, the Puerto Rican artist lit up the jumbotron with a simple but striking message. A sentiment we can all support.

From the Inbox

♥️ Love across the aisle. We asked people in politically mixed relationships how they make it work. These responses might help if you’re trying to figure out the same thing. ‘Mutual respect and understanding.’

Builders Weekly Challenge

💕 🔄 Valentine’s Day Media Swap. Exchange with your significant other one article, podcast, or clip you found persuasive. The catch? You can only ask clarifying questions about the media, no rebuttals. Reply to this email with one thing you understood better afterward.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do For Democracy (That You Probably Aren’t Doing)

There’s one moment in the political process that quietly shapes everything that comes after. Almost no one pays attention to it.

👀 See what you’re missing

News & Views

🚔 Don Lemon arrested. The former CNN anchor’s arrest after an anti-ICE protest that ended up inside a church has ignited a fierce debate that cuts across politics, press freedom, and the rule of law. Read what the case reveals.

✊🏾 Sharon McMahon spotlights a forgotten civil rights icon. Builders Movement Partner Sharon McMahon highlights the life and work of Septima Clark, whose influence helped shape the civil rights movement long before she was widely recognized. A trailblazer you’ve never heard of.

📽️ Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady urge us to reject hate in this ad for the big game. Last year’s powerful commercial featured the rapper and star athlete cutting through the noise with a message impossible to ignore. A year later, that message remains as urgent as ever. So, what now?

Love Knows No Party

♥️ Across the aisle, into your arms. Do you and your partner share different political views? If so, how do you make it work? Reply to this email and tell us for a chance to be featured in an upcoming blog.

Minneapolis Doesn’t Need More Chaos—Here’s What It Needs Instead

Minneapolis is reeling after Alex Pretti’s death, and social media is full of calls for chaos, revolution, and retaliation. But there’s a better path forward that protects everyone’s rights without tearing the country apart.

📚 What needs to happen next

News & Views

🤝 Bipartisan push for accountability and transparency after Alex Pretti’s killing. Democratic and Republican lawmakers seek a full, impartial investigation, cooperation across federal, state, and local agencies, and no rushing to judgment. Read their statements.

🔶 ‘An evil man spared my family from death.’ In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, Founding Partner Daniel Lubetzky shared the haunting story of how an unkind man decided to return an act of kindness—and how his entire family exists because of it. We all have a human side.

Real Talk, Real Americans

🔵 Anti-ICE protestor calls out the algorithm. A protestor with a Liberal algorithm shares a novel solution for overcoming the divisions between her and her family, whose content skews Republican. ‘I think we should trade phones’

🔴 Republican says ‘There’s always a place for loving our brothers and sisters.’ A right-leaning voter in California explains where his beliefs diverge from many in his party—and how we must never forget to show compassion for the less fortunate. What does ‘taking care of others’ mean to you?

Builders Weekly Challenge

✅ The values check. Ask someone why an issue matters to them personally—not what they think should be done. Reply to this email with the value you heard underneath their position.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement

The Missing Tool for Tackling Tough Problems

If you’re tired of feeling like every difficult conversation turns into a shouting match where nobody learns anything, there’s a better way to approach it.

🧠 Think better

News & Views

Andrew Schulz and Ben Shapiro agree on one thing. What we’re living through doesn’t just feel chaotic—it’s built that way. When attention became the currency, nuance stopped being rewarded. A nation of extremes.

Reshma Saujani is calling “bullsh*t.” The lawyer, politician, and founder of the nonprofit “Girls Who Code” says our deepest divisions aren’t caused by disagreement. Instead, they’re a design problem—a result of engineers coding us into isolation. Designing a better future.

Builders Weekly Challenge

🤝 The kind disagreement. Disagree with someone without sarcasm, name-calling, or raised voices. Just calm, clear honesty. Tell us if it changed the mood at all.

Help Turn Common Ground Into Real Change

In a world where extremists seek to divide for power and profit, Builders take action to unite, create, and bring light to the world. Support the development of new media, tools, and platforms to help us give the power back to the people.

👉 Support the Builders Movement