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8/17/18 

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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.       In Trump’s latest assault on free speech, a new proposal has just appeared in the Federal Register originating in the National Park Service, headed by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke;  this proposal would charge protesters for demonstrating in the nation’s Capital: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=NPS-2018-0007-0001 The details of these regulatory changes--which include application fees, the cost of barricades set up at police discretion, trash removal and sanitation, and charges for purported harm to grass, turf, benches, poles and walkway--are summarized by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund: http://www.justiceonline.org/take_action_to_save_free_speech  Just as we stopped the imposition of exorbitant fees at national parks, we must stop this pay-to-protest move by deluging the NPS with our objections: 

2.      Yesterday, on the same day that nearly 350 newspapers ran editorials rebuking Trump’s rally cry that the press is the “enemy of the people”, the Senate passed a unanimous resolution affirming the free press as a hallmark of a democratic society.    https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/senate-adopts-resolution-declares-press-not-enemy Let’s thank our Senators and remind them to keep speaking out about these unfounded and unprecedented attacks on journalists. And let’s call the White House and tell them we are sick and tired of these attacks on the First Amendment. As the New York Times put so well, "Insisting that truths you don’t like are ‘fake news’ is dangerous to the lifeblood of democracy."

3.      Time is running out on reauthorizing HR 6545, the Violence Against Women Act, a bill that recognizes domestic violence for the extreme crime that it is.   https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/time-running-out-for-violence-against-women-act. Not a single Republican member of the House has signed on as a co-sponsor. Let’s contact our Reps and ask why they have not yet supported this bill, and then let's publicize this widely as a key reason we need to vote them out in 2018.

4.      When the president was mulling over whether to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) claimed that this kind of action only happens in a banana republic and Speaker or the House, Paul Ryan, dismissed the threat as trolling. Now that this has actually happened, ostensibly to scare Brennan and others into silence, https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/16/politics/john-brennan-nyt-op-ed/index.html, let’s ask Senator Corker, Speaker Ryan, and our own MoCs what they are going to do to make sure that we don’t turn into a country where journalists seeking truth are demeaned and only supporters of the president have access to information.  

5.      There has been intense speculation that the timing of revoking CIA director John Brennan’s security clearance was to distract attention from former White House Aide, Omarosa Maginault Newman’s claim that there’s a tape of the president using the N-word, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-revokes-security-clearance-of-former-cia-director-john-brennan/2018/08/15/043b6fc4-a0bb-11e8-8e87-c869fe70a721_story.html?utm_term=.2a2c20325304, a claim that press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders could not outright deny. http://time.com/5367143/omarosa-manigault-donald-trump-tape-n-word-sarah-sanders/. Let’s make sure this story stays in the news by sharing it widely on social media and writing letters to the editor about the many ways the president has acted in a racist manner, regardless of whether the tape exists. Let’s also ask our MoCs to call for an investigation.

6.      Although geared to Maine voters, the information can easily be generalized to other states as well in this CASE REVIEW: Kavanaugh on the issues provided to us by Suit Up Maine.  If we want to see where Kavanaugh stands on any issue, this will show us.  Let’s use this good information and call our senators to oppose Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Justice.

7.      A few days ago, Celeste Pewter (Twitter: @celeste_pewter) pointed out another item lost in the news cycle: the announcement that "Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is taking new steps to roll back an Obama-era rule intended to combat housing segregation."   https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/Ben-Carson-HUD-Fair-Housing-Rule-Rollback-490773821.html Here's the official press release: 
https://www.hud.gov/press/press_releases_media_advisories/HUD_No_18_079. Public comment will be available soon, here:  
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/search?conditions%5Bagency_ids%5D=228&conditions%5Bterm%5D=fair+housing&order=newest Let's not forget to scan the Federal Register for other issues requiring public comment.

8.     The slow-motion Saturday Night Massacre continues unabated. Trump has revoked the security clearance of John Brennan and then went on to say that it is because of the Russia situation:  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/402085-trump-ties-revoking-brennan-clearance-to-russia-probe  Although it feels at time like our GOP MoC are never going to wake up and act, we also do not know what will break the dam. Let’s let our MoC know that Trump’s retributive actions are not the hallmark of the country we want to live in.

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.       Postcards To Voters has re-launched Campaign 96: Florida Vote-By-Mail Enrollment. This time the focus is Pinellas County, which includes Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater. Studies have shown that registering someone to vote-by-mail increases the likelihood that they will vote. Let's request 5 addresses today and let our Florida friends and family know about this opportunity to help get out the Florida Democratic vote. If we're in Pinellas County, we can also sign up for Vote-By-Mail online here. When Democrats vote by mail, Democrats win.

2.      A federal judge Tuesday ruled unconstitutional a New Hampshire law giving local election moderators the authority to invalidate absentee ballots by visually comparing the signature on each ballot with the signature on each accompanying affidavit. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty, in a 49-page ruling, found that the “signature-match requirement has disenfranchised hundreds of absentee voters.” Let's read more at WMUR Manchester.  Let's be aware of this ruling; it could have significance for our own states in the future.

3.      The real win is in getting out the vote.  As Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, “Our swing voter is not red to blue.  It if from non-voter to voter.”  Let’s check out some ways we can help create some of these swing voters:  https://politicalcharge.org/2018/08/15/how-you-can-help-get-out-the-vote-this-november/

4.      “Democrats have about a 75 percent chance of retaking the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, according to the data crunchers at FiveThirtyEight. The website launched their new House forecast on Thursday, predicting an 80 percent chance that Democrats gain between 14 and 58 seats. The party needs a net gain of 23 seats to retake the House in November. FiveThirtyEight says there is a 10 percent chance that Democrats gain fewer than 14 seats and a 10 percent chance of a big wave that would see them gain more than 58 seats. Other election trackers are also seeing favorable signs for Democrats three months before the midterms, raising the left's hopes for a blue wave. The Cook Political Report earlier this week moved four more GOP-held seats to the toss-up category.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/402159-fivethirtyeight-says-dems-have-75-percent-chance-of-winning  While this is good news, it only happens if we continue to be diligent.  Let’s all make sure to continue to encourage voter registration, vote in our primaries, make sure our 18-year-old family members are registered, and we all take a democratic friend to the polls with us in November. Let’s all keep working towards the BLUE WAVE. 

Election 2018 – By State

1.       Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:

August 17
New York (state)
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary
August 18
Florida
Early Voting Begins
Primary
August 20
Wyoming
In person absentee voting ends
Primary
August 21
Wyoming
Voter Registration Deadline
Primary (same day registration)
August 21
Alaska
Election date
Primary
August 21
Wyoming
Election date
Primary
August 23
Oklahoma
Early Voting begins
Runoffs
August 25
Oklahoma
Early voting ends
Runoffs
August 25
Guam
Election date
Primary
August 25
Florida
Early Voting ends
Primary
(source:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)

2.      Upcoming Primaries:

A)    Tuesday, 8/28



Other Actions

1.       A new report found glyphosate, the active ingredient in the Monsanto weed-killer Roundup that some health authorities link to cancer, in a number of popular breakfast foods and cereals marketed to children. Thirty-one out of 45 tested products had levels higher than what some scientists consider safe for children. Let's read more at CBS News. Let's contact the makers of these products to ask about glyphosate in their products:  a) General Mills b) Kelloggs  c) Quaker Oats (a PepsiCo company) d) Post Holdings. If we are giving our children cereals from other manufacturers, let's do the extra work today to find their contact information and make our inquiries. Let's share what we find out on social media.

2.      Postcards To Voters' Campaign #100 is for...the history books? The Florida Atlantic University (FAU) - Wimberly Library Special Collections Department wants to preserve some of our postcards for future research/use. They are interested in receiving postcards from each of us (ONE per volunteer) where we share our thoughts on: a) the importance of voting b) the kind of change we hope to see in the future c) our opinion on the current state of politics in the U.S. d) why we volunteer to write #PostcardsToVoters e) how volunteering to boost voter turnout makes us feel. It's super easy to participate. And we each only need to write 1 postcard! It will become part of FAU's Special Collection for students and academic researchers to view for years to come. Using the same techniques we use for our regular postcards, let's write 1 with our own thoughts to one or more of the items above. Address them to: Special Collection: Postcards to Voters, c/o Tony The Democrat, 2774 Cobb Pkwy NW #109-199, Kennesaw, GA 30152-3469. 

3.      School has begun and that means there are some children who many not get lunch due to lack of funds or unpaid bills.  https://fox17.com/news/nation-world/student-denied-lunch-on-first-day-of-school-over-15-cents  If we are able and if we can find it in our hearts, let’s go to a local school and offer to pay off some lunch debts for students who can learn so much better if they are not hungry. 

4.      Environmentalist Bill McKibben is doing a 6-week, educational video series on climate change. The first three videos (The Climate Crisis, Renewable Energy Around the World, and Renewable Energy Jobs Myth) already out, with more forthcoming. Let’s watch and learn what we can do about climate change. https://www.sandersinstitute.com/resources/press-releases/press-release-bill-mckibben-teams-up-with-sanders-institute-for-series-on-climate-change

5.      Can postcards help increase voter registration? Sister District Action Network and the Voter Participation Center did an experiment and found that postcards can make a difference. Let’s check out their new and sometimes surprising findings here: 

Marches/events/webinars/TwitterStorms to attend/organize

1.       Sunday, August 19 at 7:30ET, we are invited to take part in a MoveOn.org’s Resist & Win Organizing Call to hear from community leaders, issue experts, and grassroots activists about how you can take action to stop Donald Trump's nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, from cementing the worst of Trump's policies for a generation and save the Supreme Court. We can learn more and sign up here:  https://act.moveon.org/survey/resistandwin20

2.      Sunday, August 19 at 8pm, we can all join in a TwitterStorm to defeat Kavanaugh.   More information here where we can also find a tweetsheet and a toolkit:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1650660501726704/

3.      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.

4.      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.

5.      On September 22 there will be a protest at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago in Florida in commemoration of the first anniversary of Hurricane Maria:   

States


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


Reading/Watching

What are Security Clearances?  How Long They Last and the Different Types, as John Brennan Has His Revoked - https://www.newsweek.com/security-clearance-levels-explain-1076749






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