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8/10/18 

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Many newspapers, including New York Times and Washington Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles each month.  We can also check with our local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.

1.       Link correction:   A special prosecutor has been appointed to investigate whether aides to Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) forged signatures in order to get an independent on the ballot in order to draw votes away from the Democrat in a 3-way race. 
https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/special-prosecutor-scott-taylor-forgery  Let’s spread this story widely and call on Rep. Taylor to resign if these allegations prove to be true. 

2.      In a closed-door fundraising session last week, Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, claimed that keeping a GOP majority was the only way to protect Trump from the outcome of the Mueller investigation since collusion can be a crime. https://www.newsweek.com/nunes-admits-collusion-can-be-crime-secret-recordings-1064999. Let’s ask our GOP MoCs if they are standing blindly with Rep. Nunes or if they are going to do their jobs and abide by the rule of the law. We should demand that they pass legislation to protect the Mueller investigation now. We should also contact Speaker Ryan and ask that Nunes be removed from his chairmanship position due to ethical issues.

3.      By the time Congress returns from recess, they will have just eleven days to reauthorize the Violence Against Women's Act (VAWA) before it expires (https://bit.ly/2vvieA9). This important legislation has been around since the early nineties with bipartisan support and offers protections for victims of domestic violence and provides grants for law enforcement training and victims services. This year's proposal would also address the needs of Native American women both within and outside of reservations (https://bit.ly/2npgmob). Let's contact our representatives and make sure that they pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (H.R. 6545) ASAP. 

4.      Wednesday was a doozie. Rep. Chris Collins was arrested by the FBI for securities and wire fraud: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/401014-gop-rep-charged-with-insider-trading-pledges-to-fight-charges-run-for   And then Rep. Devin Nunes was heard on a released recording at a GOP fundraiser laying out the plan for confirming Kavanaugh and then impeaching Rosenstein: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/401021-nunes-suggested-at-private-fundraiser-that-republican-majority-is-needed-to   Let’s let Speaker Paul Ryan know that we await his call for Collins’ and Nunes’ resignations: https://www.speaker.gov  and on Twitter  @SpeakerRyan    If we are able, we can also consider contributions to Collins’ and Nunes’ challengers in their respective House races in November:  

5.      In the Senate, it is customary and expected to conduct a thorough review of a Supreme Court nominee's professional record when considering her/him for confirmation. Before nominating Brett Kavanaugh, the Trump administration was warned that his collection of judicial/political documents was large, so Republicans cannot now claim that Democrat's requests to review all those documents are somehow "obstructionist." And yet, Dems on the Judiciary Committee are being forced to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to get what they need to properly vet Kavanaugh (https://www.vox.com/2018/8/8/17664522/brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-democrats). This is unprecedented, and shameful Republican obstruction in its own right, so let's inform Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley (202-224-3744, 515-288-1145) that we're taking note of his dangerous and undemocratic stonewalling.

6.      The latest concern about Supreme Court Justice Nominee Brett Kavanaugh is his position on voting rights. Among other controversial findings, Kavanaugh invoked the myth of voter fraud to uphold a South Carolina Voter ID law. http://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/400961-on-voting-rights-we-have-much-more-to-lose-with-brett-kavanaugh. Let’s make sure to express this grave concern to our Senators as another reason to vote no on this nomination and ask them what they are going to protect the Voting Rights Act and assure equal access to voting.

7.      From Indivisible East Bay Judiciary:  Remember David Porter, Trump's judicial nominee who would have been happy to live 100 years ago? Sen McConnell wants to bring this nomination to a final vote when the Senate returns from recess next week. He's looking for enough votes from Senators to do this.  David Porter has criticized Supreme Court cases that supported FDR’s New Deal (yes, in 1933), and he belongs to a conservative think tank that says the minimum wage is unconstitutional. As an attorney, he has worked against the Affordable Care Act, women’s rights, marriage equality, environmental protection, and workers’ rights. Porter should never be a judge. Your Senators need to hear from you in the coming week.  Attached is our toolkit against Porter's nomination. Feel free to use our materials as you like and share with other progressive groups. The same materials, including the graphic, are also posted on our website and may be copied from there.

Election 2018 – General

An election guide from Postcards for America:  In this Google doc (updated regularly), each State shows ALL Democratic Candidates running for Congress, Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State (if applicable) with links to their websites and Twitter. Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a Shareable Facebook Post and a Document. For most States, there are also Info & Links for Voter Registrations, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting & Voter ID, Age Requirements and being a Poll Worker.  Let’s check this out and use and share it:  

1.       Phonebanking for candidates is a great, and proven, way to help make the blue wave happen: https://whystatesmatter.sisterdistrict.com/phonebank-its-worth-it-411ca40dfc6b. And what's more, it's easy to get going on it! Sign up with Swing Left here to volunteer for your district, or any other you'd like to pitch in for! We just signed up ourselves and can't wait to get started: https://swingleft.org/phonebank

2.      We have another opportunity to help a True Blue Democrat take a seat away from someone who ran as a Democrat and was elected as a Democrat only to decide to vote with the Republicans. Postcards To Voters has launched Campaign 98: Julie Goldberg for NY State Senate. The primary election will be on Thursday, Sept. 13. Let's request 5 addresses today. If we are new, we can sign up with Postcards To Voters.

3.      After the latest revelations on Rachel Maddow, and the derailing of the House Intelligence Committee Investigations, it is time for Devin Nunes to go. Even though he won his CA22 seat by 34 points, his lead is clearly shrinking and now is the time to make it disappear by writing postcards or phone banking for Nunes’ opponent, Andrew Janz. We can do it all from home by sending an email here:
intern@andrewjanzforcongress.com  and telling them we  want to post  card for Janz. We can also sign up to postcard and phone bank directly from the campaign site here https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-1738015697446368768  We can find out more about Andrew Janz from his campaign site here:  https://www.andrewjanzforcongress.com/ and follow him on Facebook too:   https://www.facebook.com/andrewjanzforcongress/

Election 2018 – By State

1.       Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:

August 9
Connecticut
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 9
Hawaii
Early Voting ends
Primary
August 10
Wisconsin
In person absentee voting ends
Primary
August 10
Wisconsin
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 11
Delaware
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 11
Hawaii
Election date
Primary
August 12
Rhode Island
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 13
Alabama
Voter Registration Deadline
Municipals
August 13
Arkansas
Early Voting ends
State Senate Dist 8
August 13
Minnesota
Early Voting ends
Primary
August 13
Vermont
Early Voting ends
Primary
August 14
Vermont
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 14
Wisconsin
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 14
Connecticut
Election date
Primary
August 14
Minnesota
Election date
Primary
August 14
Vermont
Election date
Primary
August 14
Wisconsin
Election date
Primary
August 14
Arkansas
Election date
State Senate Dist 8
August 15
Massachusetts
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 17
New York (state)
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 18
Florida
Early Voting Begins
Primary
(source:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)

2.      Upcoming Primaries:






3.      GA:  If we are looking for ways to ensure fair, safe elections and protect our votes, we can check out The Peanut Gallery, created by Common Cause Georgia to help monitor the actions of local boards of elections across the state. They are engaging local volunteers and asking us to adopt our own county board of elections, or in some cases a neighboring county, where we would take notes on the business of the meeting. These notes are then uploaded to an online blog called “The Peanut Gallery” where they can be seen by the public and monitored for trends related to polling closures, changes in voting practices, and other related voting issues. Common Cause Georgia, along with our partners, uses this information in the case legal action is required.  We can find out more and then sign up if we like here:  https://www.commoncause.org/georgia/our-work/voting-elections/the-peanut-gallery/

Other Actions

1.       Laura Ingraham was loud and proud about her white nationalism on Fox News on Wednesday night: http://thehill.com/homenews/media/401044-laura-ingraham-america-as-we-know-it-doesnt-exist-anymore-due-to-demographic  Let’s let her know how repulsed we are: on Twitter @IngrahamAngle or in writing: Fox News, 1211 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10036  Let’s also contact her advertisers and ask them why they are supporting such racism.  Scroll down to “Top Laura Ingraham Advertisers” here:  https://www.foxnewsadvertisers.com/

2.      From RAICES:  We desperately need your help. Since Trump decided to separate families we've been inundated w/ hundreds of new cases. We need attorneys, legal professionals, case workers, volunteers & other experts to join our network. You don't need to be based in Texas.  Use this form to sign up for more information:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSecEHw4eujVJwQ9t9ocuULskBjBzqRMF77ZO2Iy-Zy88eqmQQ/viewform

3.      The average American generates about 4.5 pounds of trash every day. Not all the items we discard end up in landfills; we recycle or compost more than one-third of our trash. But we could be doing so much more. Let's read this article from the NRDC with ideas about ways we can think more conscientiously about our everyday habits and develop new routines.  Bringing a reusable container from home for restaurant leftovers is one easy habit to start.

4.      United We Dream continues to assist Dreamers who are trying to keep up with the changing legalities of their situations.  One of the things they do is to raise funds to help pay for the DACA renewal costs.  Their words: “Together with partners on the ground, we helped nearly 1,700 DACA recipients who needed help to cover their DACA renewal fees. But our work isn't over. More DACA recipients need your help.”  If we are able, we can help here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/renewalfund

5.      In their own response to the devastation in Syria, “Last summer, Taylor, together with Nabila Ali, Priti Bansal, and Wendy Widom, undertook an ambitious campaign to raise money to send “baby boxes” to displaced mothers and their young children in Syria.”  https://www.humanitytoday.com/us-moms-step-up-to-help-after-seeing-kids-suffer-in-syria_6923.html  We can still help this emergency fund by donating here:  https://campaign.hchearts.org/parceloflove

6.      “Uber is allowing its drivers to refuse passengers attending the upcoming "Unite the Right" white supremacist rally in Washington, D.C., on Sunday.”  http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/401156-uber-drivers-permitted-to-refuse-passengers-at-approaching  Let’s thank Uber for being considerate of their drivers’ safety and comfort.  Contact:  Uber HQ, 1455 Market St #400, San Francisco, CA 94103 or (866) 576-1039 or @Uber 

7.      “Republicans enter the final month of the primary season, they’re looking ahead to a general-election strategy of embracing anxiety as a tool to motivate voters.”  https://apnews.com/7249c46323574be381a856178c9fffff  Let’s make sure to let our family, friends, and fellow voters know that Dems are offering something much better:  hope, integrity, progress, and justice.

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       Russian hackers are attacking our voting system while Congress turns a blind eye. We need to hold them accountable and demand that our votes are protected and safe.  We can help spread the word by joining this Action Together Network twitter-storm, this Sunday, Aug. 12, from 8-9pm Eastern Time. To join in, we can click here for more information and access to prewritten tweets we can send out with just a few clicks:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2134427433446557/

2.      When the Unite the Right holds their white supremacist rally in Washington, D.C. this weekend, there will be counter protests:  A) Rise Up Fight Back Counter-Protest (https://www.facebook.com/events/252309685372109/)  hosted by Black Lives Matter DC, on Aug. 12 from 2-4PM at  905 16th St NW, DC, B)  Still Here, Still Strong Rally (https://shutitdowndc.org/index.html)  hosted by Shut It Down DC, on Aug. 12 from 12-3PM at Freedom Plaza, 1455 Pennsylvania Av NW, DC, and C)  United to Love: Standing Together in Love and Resisting Hate (https://www.unitedtolove.org) hosted by United to Love , on Aug. 12,  11 am- 3PM on the National Mall-4th Street NW, DC.  Here is some good advice from our friends at RISE District: BE ADVISED: White supremacists at the Unite the Right Rally will be looking to provoke violence in hopes of getting counter-protesters arrested. DO NOT ENGAGE WHITE SUPREMACISTS. They want to project themselves as victims because it helps their recruitment and strengthens their cause. Don't give them any fuel by getting close enough for them to instigate a confrontation!  ***IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: The following link has important information to ensure you are safe and to help you in the event you encounter abuses, or anything goes wrong. This comprehensive list includes instructions for every outcome, from escaping tear gas to protecting your online privacy:  https://right-to-protest.org/protect-your-protest/

3.      On Thursday, August 16, join hundreds of volunteers for a host call to learn how you can plan a successful Organizing for '18 House Party on Saturday, August 25 at 8PM EDT, and start mobilizing folks to volunteer for crucial campaigns this fall, and make their voices heard at the polls this November.  We can sign up for the webinar here:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4c4n3bQmROGtDI1PKRMpPw

4.      Evidence is piling up that Brett Kavanaugh cannot be trusted to protect the right to choose or check executive power (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/29/us/brett-kavanaugh-signing-statements.html). So activists across the country are coming together for a 50-state day of action against his nomination on August 26th. Let’s find an event near us or start our own here.

5.      Experts say we are already starting to see the impacts of climate change playing out in real time with extreme weather patterns:  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/27/extreme-global-weather-climate-change-michael-mann). We cannot wait for action. On September 8th, people all over the world are coming together in a coordinated call for local action for the climate, jobs and justice. We can find a Rise for Climate event near us here, or we can sign up to organize our own.

States


Find elected state officials: https://openstates.org/


1.       MOST: HHS Secretary Alex Azar is asking states to cooperate with the administration’s plan to allow sales of “short-term” health plans that do not meet Obamacare requirements. http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/401122-trump-administration-urges-states-to-cooperate-on-expansion-of-non. Let’s contact our governor and state legislators to make sure that our state is following the lead of Maryland and Vermont by restricting these plans as much as possible.

2.      MOST: “California is firing back at the Trump administration with a plan to safeguard the state’s greenhouse gas emissions rules from a proposed federal rollback.  A state Air Resources Board proposal released Tuesday would force automakers to meet California’s existing standards on car and truck pollution, even if weaker ones are adopted by the Trump administration.” The implications for the rest of the country are considerable and positive. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-carb-trump-emissions-20180807-story.html  Let’s check out this action alert from one of our own with specific actions depending on which state we are in:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gCABODDSTM_rLbXdFM8uweW01CU7hZ4t

Reading/Watching

1.       How Fear Affects Political Ideology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=vB9HMjSRBIA

2.      From Sierra Club: Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service revoked a 2014 ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in national wildlife refuges. Recent research has linked this particular class of pesticides to harmful effects on bees and other pollinators. Conservationists have already notified the Republican administration that they will sue. (source: Reuters.) 

3.      The Koch Brothers Commissioned a Survey of Americans and Found Most Like a $15 Minimum Wage, Free College, and Universal Healthcare - https://theintercept.com/2018/08/09/koch-brothers-health-care-free-college/

4.      A year after Charlottesville, are we standing up for what’s right? - https://medium.com/@aditijuneja/a-year-after-charlottesville-are-we-standing-up-for-whats-right-a971c4c22dbb






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