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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.
Now that Trump has been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in violating
campaign finance laws, several Democratic Senators are taking a stand and
insisting that the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing needs to be put on hold.http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/403009-dem-senators-kavanaugh-hearing-should-be-postponed-following-cohen-plea.
However, the American public needs to weigh in so that GOP Senators, undecided
Democrats, and Democrats who have already taken this position know that we
agree. A president whose legitimacy is in question should not be appointing a
Supreme Court Justice, especially one who has been on record stating that a president should be
immune from criminal investigation.
The Mueller investigation must continue before this appointment is considered. As
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) tweeted yesterday, “As an unindicted co-conspirator
of a federal crime, President Trump should not be allowed to appoint someone to
a lifetime position on the highest court in our land – a court which may very
well adjudicate on this matter.” Let’s call our Senators now.
2.
Senator
Susan Collins is claiming that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh considers
Roe v. Wade established law, https://www.npr.org/2018/08/21/640626120/collins-says-supreme-court-nominee-kavanaugh-called-roe-v-wade-settled-law,
implying that he won’t support challenges to a woman’s right to choose. But, as
Senator Chuck Schumer says, “Everything the Supreme Court decides is settled
law until it unsettles it. Saying a case is settled law is not the same thing
as saying a case was correctly decided." Since Senator Collins has said
she disregards calls from people out of state,
she needs to hear from everyone in Maine that she is putting women’s lives on
the line. She must vote no on Kavanaugh. We can also remind her that she voted
for the Tax Bill because she received a promise from Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell on stabilizing Obamacare payments, a promise that was not granted. If
we live in Maine, let’s tell Senator Collins that it’s time for her to listen
to her constituents, and not be swayed by false promises. Let’s encourage friends
and family call her, too.
3.
From
Ezra Levin of Indivisible: Every Senator has a staffer who covers
judiciary issues, and every judiciary staffer has an email address.
@IndivisibleTeam has helpfully collected all of those here, in case you have
any thoughts to share for your senators:
4.
We now
know that the weapon that killed the children in Yemen was a US bomb dropped by
Saudi Arabia. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/19/us-supplied-bomb-that-killed-40-children-school-bus-yemen We should not be partnering with Saudi Arabia
when our goals are so very different. Sen.
Chris Murphy (D-CN) just introduced an amendment in the Senate that would end
U.S. funding for the Yemen war. https://www.mintpressnews.com/ndaa-amendment-yemen/248044/ Let’s join CredoAction and ask our senators
to support this amendment: https://act.credoaction.com/call/Murphy_Yemen_Calls
5.
It’s
more than a little ironic that early Tuesday—before Cohen and Manafort
took over the news—Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced the Anticorruption and
Public Integrity Act (S. 3357),
which would, among other things, ban lobbying by senior and elected officials
for life, require the president and vice president to place assets in a blind
trust and release their tax returns, and create a new, independent Office of
Public Integrity. It faces stiff
opposition from MoCs who benefit from the current big-money system, but as
Warren herself put it, "most people will see these ideas as no-brainers
and be shocked they're not already the law." From a requirement for elected
officials to release their tax returns to a ban on them working as lobbyists,
this Act addresses so much of what we know to be the corrupt political
environment epitomized by the current White House. https://www.npr.org/2018/08/21/640535346/in-possible-2020-campaign-preview-elizabeth-warren-rolls-out-anti-corruption-bil Let's tell our MoCs to put their constituents
first by cosponsoring and supporting this bill.
6.
With
great sadness we learned that the body of a 20-year-old University of Iowa
student was found and a man has been charged with her murder. The initial reports were that the killer was
an undocumented immigrant and several officials, including Trump, spoke out
again on the danger of these people in our country. However, it was later learned that he was
working her legally. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/08/22/mollie-tibbetts-undocumented-immigrant-suspect/1060204002/ So many play into the fear that immigrants
are dangerous, however, the facts do not tell the same story. In fact, undocumented workers are less likely
to commit dangerous crimes: https://www.politifact.com/california/statements/2017/aug/03/antonio-villaraigosa/mostly-true-undocumented-immigrants-less-likely-co/ Let’s use this information when we are
talking to our legislators and family and friends.
7.
Consumer
Financial Protection Board nominee, Kathy Kraninger, who has been involved with
the administration’s family separation policy, has been opposed by 57
nonprofits, civil rights groups and labor unions. http://thehill.com/policy/finance/403061-dozens-of-groups-urge-senate-to-reject-trump-consumer-bureau-nominee. No
Democrats are supporting her, so we need just one or two Republicans to break
ranks. The vote is scheduled for today. Let’s tell our Senators to vote no on
this nomination.
8.
The assault
on our free speech continues: “Dozens of bills and executive orders that aim to
restrict high-profile protests have been introduced in at least 31 states and
the federal government since November 2016. Fifteen have been enacted . . ..
Some of the laws would expand definitions of rioting and terrorism and would
even increase penalties for blocking traffic.” Environmentalists say the new
bills are part of an effort to recast environmental activists as criminals,
even terrorists:
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22082018/pipeline-protest-laws-felony-free-speech-arrests-first-amendment-oklahoma-iowa-louisiana
If our states are among those where such legislation is in the works, let’s
make sure our representatives know that the right to protest, to speak, and to
assemble are guaranteed by the first amendment to the Constitution.
9.
Correction: Now that we know that children can hack a
state’s election system and change the outcome, we know it is time to set some
standards and protections for the hallmark of our country. https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/08/21/i-just-hacked-a-state-election-17-not-a-good-hacker-219374 “Two
bills in Congress – the Secure Elections Act [S. 2261]
and the PAVE Act [H.R. 6093] –
would implement a number of best-practice policies around cybersecurity and
vote tabulation that are endorsed by most experts. “It may be too late to
make these improvements for midterms, but let’s contact our MoCs to ask that
they co-sponsor and support these essential pieces of legislation.
10. Trump’s proposed rule, Affordable Clean
Energy (ACE), which rolls back Obama’s Clean Power Plan which was a concerted
effort to reduce carbon emissions and help slow down climate change, is a
dangerous step backwards and panders to the fossil fuel industry. https://www.npr.org/2018/08/21/640630613/trump-administration-proposes-new-plan-to-regulate-carbon-emissions-from-coal We know that renewable energy is the way of
the future and we know that the country, not individual states, needs to be on
a plan and in conjunction with other countries to change the rapid path of climate
change. We also know that when this possibility
was announced last fall that many health organizations voiced their
opposition: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/pages/JointStatementCPP.aspx Let’s take the time to make a public comment
about this: https://www.epa.gov/stationary-sources-air-pollution/affordable-clean-energy-rule-proposal-how-comment
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.
If we
are a Puerto Rican who relocated to the U.S. after hurricanes Irma and Maria
and are planning to vote in the midterm elections, ProPublica wants to hear
from us. A lawsuit filed last Thursday claims
that Puerto Ricans living in Florida who have limited English proficiency will
be prevented from voting because “elections in many parts of the state are
conducted only in English.” The suit alleges that 32 Florida counties are not
planning to provide ballots in Spanish. Let's read more at ProPublica (and the article in Spanish here). Let's respond if this applies to us. The
article has a form for us at the bottom to fill out and submit. Let's also
forward this information to others.
2.
A plan
to close most polling places in a predominantly black Georgia county ahead of
November’s elections is drawing opposition from the state’s gubernatorial
candidates and voting rights activists, who deem it blatant voter
suppression. The two-member local elections board is expected to
vote on Friday on a proposal to shutter seven of nine polling sites
in rural Randolph County, citing they are not ADA compliant, located in
southwest Georgia, where roughly 60 percent of the 7,800 residents are black.
Let's read more at Reuters and then contact the Randolph
County Board of Elections by calling 855-782-6310 Ext.
5 or email:tblack.randolphcounty@gmail.com. Let's tell them to keep those seven polling
places open with ADA accommodations or to find new polling places that are.
Election
2018 – By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
|
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
|
|
August 28
|
Arizona
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 28
|
Florida
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 28
|
Oklahoma
|
Election date
|
Runoffs
|
|
August 28
|
Arizona
|
Early voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
September 1
|
New Hampshire
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary by mail: in person-same day
|
|
September 3
|
Alaska
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
REAA
|
|
September 4
|
Massachusetts
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
September 6
|
Delaware
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
September 11
|
New Hampshire
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
September 12
|
Rhode Island
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
(source: by date:
https://goo.gl/gjFv2u / by state:
https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)
2.
Upcoming Primaries:
A) Tuesday, 8/28
3.
CA: Courage Campaign is launching a
bold plan with Flip the 14 and United Domestic Workers to reach more than
350,000 voters in California by voting day -- and it starts on Labor Day
weekend. They’re organizing 100 house parties all across California to
bring folks together to coordinate, recruit more volunteers, and get energized
to win in November. We can help out by hosting a house party on Labor Day.
It's fun and straightforward, and we'll be provided with all the tools
and support we need to be successful. With plenty of help planning,
organizing and recruiting, we'll set people up with phone or text banks to
contact other Courage members and progressives in our area and ask them
to volunteer and even host their own party. Soon, the handful of
people we’ve recruited can result in dozens of volunteers working through
November and hundreds of new voters at the polls on Voting Day! We can
click here to find out more and sign up if we would like: http://act.couragecampaign.org/event/host-californiacounts-phone-bank/create/?
4.
FL: In July, the League of Women
Voters won their lawsuit over the state's prohibition of early voting locations
on college and university campuses. Student votes are vital, but
many Supervisors still haven’t established an early voting location on
college campuses in time for the November general election! We can help out
by using this
list of
the largest state universities in Florida to contact the Supervisor of
Elections office in their counties today and ask that they make establishing an
early voting location on campus a top priority for the November general election. NOTE:
Even if we don't get a yes or no answer, knowing where a Supervisor is in his
or her process would be immensely helpful as well. If a Supervisor's office
details any plans or actions that they are taking, we can let The League know
what they are doing by emailing them here: comms@lwvfl.org
5. FL: A
Florida judge has thrown 'misleading' charter school amendment 8 off the
midterm ballot saying the three-pronged measure about schools was
“misleading” and failed to inform voters of its purpose. The three
proposed changes to the state constitution are unrelated except that they
all deal with public schools. We can read more at the SunSentinel. The
ruling was a victory for the League of Women Voters of Florida. We
can look for our local LWVFL chapter: here.
We can read the LWVFL take on all the FL Constitution ballot measures here.
Let's make sure we understand these before the Midterm Elections so that we can
make informed decisions and educate others.
Other
Actions
1. From
one of our own: QUICK ACTIONS YOU CAN
TAKE TODAY! The atrocity of tearing
apart families seeking refuge and asylum must end. Families that have been torn
apart must be reunited, and the impacts of their separation must be addressed.
If you want to take action from wherever you are, join us for this weekly
virtual event. Between 12 and 1 PM each Wednesday (or whenever your lunch break
is), take as many of the actions on this list [Lunchtime for Change] as possible. There will be new actions
every Wednesday! Tweet and share your actions – and a link to this page -- on your social media networks with the hashtag #FamiliesBelongTogether to make a greater impact.
2. Grannies
Respond/Abuelas Responden, the grannies who traveled from all over
the country to McAllen, TX to protest family separation, are seeking folks
interested in writing to adult immigrant detainees. We can find more information here: https://padlet.com/granniesrespond/letters and follow them on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/granniesrespond/
3. Another
project the Grannies have begun is the Overground Railroad Project. https://pix11.com/2018/08/20/grannies-return-from-texas-ice-detention-center-where-they-protested-immigration-policies/ If we live in one of the following cities
and want to help, we are asked to email granniesrespond@gmail.com: A) Atlanta,
GA, B) Dallas, TX, C) Kansas City, KS, D) Houston, TX, E) Louisville, KY, F) Memphis,
TN, G) Miami, FL, H) Mobile, AL, I) New
Orlean, LA, J) New York City, NY, K) Sacramento, CA, or L) San Antonio, TX
4. National
healthcare advocate Ady Barkan, who has ALS, has an interesting approach to
courting Sen. Collins (R-ME) vote on Kavanaugh.
He is soliciting donations to go to her opponent in her 2020 re-election
bid should she vote for Kavanaugh. https://theintercept.com/2018/08/16/brett-kavanaugh-susan-collins-ady-barkan/ Over $100,000 has been raised so far. Let’s see if we can help: https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/387413/either-sen-collins-votes-no-on-kavanaugh-or-we-fund-her-future-opponent
5. “NETWORK’s Nuns
on the Bus are hitting the road again in October — for
the first time in two years — to hold members of Congress accountable for
their votes on the 2017 Tax Bill and the many attempts to repeal the Affordable
Care Act. . . . Our Goal: To tell the
truth about the Tax Policy and to hold elected officials accountable for their
votes. Nuns on the Bus will use the 2018 midterms to focus electoral
energy on reasonable revenue for responsible programs. We will
discuss the connections between voters’ participation in the midterm elections,
their elected officials’ votes, and these harmful policies. We will carry what
we learn from voters across the country to President Trump’s resort at
Mar-a-Lago.” Let’s follow them on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nunsonthebus/ and see where we can meet up with
them: https://networklobby.org/bus2018/events/ Let’s
learn more about their efforts here: https://networklobby.org/bus2018/
6. From
Postcards from Kate: Today we're thanking Beto O'Rourke for his
recent response on NFL players taking a knee. ‘I can think of nothing more
American.’ Watch the clip here and send his campaign some
encouragement!! Beto O'Rourke, Beto
O'Rourke Campaign Office, 300 S Florence St., El Paso, TX 79901
Marches/events/webinars/TwitterStorms to
attend/organize
1.
Trump himself may have been fingered by his former
lawyer, but that does not mean we can let up on opposing Trump's latest nominee
to the Supreme Court. "Join us on August 26th as we hold a national
day of action in all 50 states to fight Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee
Brett Kavanaugh and demand that our representatives in Washington act NOW to
protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms. Roe v. Wade, voting rights,
workers' rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, and much more are all in grave
danger if this Supreme Court nominee is confirmed. With so much at stake, we
cannot back down." Let's find and participate in the nearest Unite for
Justice event to protest Kavanaugh's nomination, here: https://uniteforjustice2018.com
2.
On September 8, the Peoples Climate
Movement will lead a
national mobilization for climate, jobs, and justice. We can find a Rise for Climate event near us here, or we can sign up to organize our own.
(Note: Rise for Climate,
Jobs, and Justice action in New York City will be held on THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 6 at 5:30 p.m. at Battery Park.)
3.
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:
http://thehill.com/latino/401578-trumps-mar-a-lago-to-be-greeted-with-massive-protest-on-hurricane-maria-anniversary Let’s put this on our calendars
if we will be nearby.
States
Reading/Watching
1.
Trump
Administration Says Deportable Immigrants Can't Go to the Courts- Even if Their
First Amendment Rights Are Violated - That was the position articulated by
Justice Department lawyers before a panel of judges on the 2nd Circuit
Court of Appeals in New York City. Let's stay aware of this civil rights'
issue. -- https://theintercept.com/2018/08/20/ravi-ragbir-immigration-first-amendment/
2.
Spike Lee’s “BlacKkkKlansman” “uses the
alt-right cry of “America first!” to rocket his film into the festering, rancid
race hatred of the Trump era”:
https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/blackkklansman-movie-review-spike-lee-706035/
Let’s go see it if we have not already.
3.
30 House
Ratings Shift in Favor of Democrats, 2 Move Toward GOP - https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/30-house-ratings-shift-in-favor-of-democrats-2-shift-toward-gop
4.
America's illegitimate president - https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/americas-illegitimate-president-20180823-p4zz63.html
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