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9/28/18 

Rapid-response protests being planned around the country for
FRIDAY NOON local time at local Senate offices.
Wear black.

Find others, circle up, take photos, tell Senate staff you're there!


Contact Federal Government Officials


Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Fax legislators for free: 

Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

 
********************************

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.       While Ford and Kavanaugh testified yesterday, the other two accusers, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, along with key witnesses including Mark Judge, who was supposedly in the room with Kavanaugh and Ford, were not invited. Anita Hill, who testified over 25 years ago on being sexually harassed by Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, has rightly claimed that this hearing is a mockery.  https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/408689-anita-hill-senate-gop-handling-of-kavanaugh-accusations-is-a-real. It is clear that the real reason Republicans are insisting on pushing through on Kavanaugh's confirmation is to support their evangelical base: https://apnews.com/73d6bf49463045e0a4dce215b1b020c7, and they are willing to sacrifice basic ethics, due process, and human decency to maintain power. We must keep calling our own Senators, members of the Judiciary Committee (call their regional offices, if needed), and key potential swing votes like Jeff Flake (R-AZ) 202-224-4521, Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) 202-224-6665, and Susan Collins (R-ME) 202-224-2523 to demand that votes on Kavanaugh’s nomination must be halted until all accusers and witnesses have had a chance to testify and their claims are fully vetted by outside NON-BIASED investigators. To do anything less is a blow in the face to sexual assault survivors, women, and the fundamental principles of our democracy. If we are survivors of sexual assault and feel able to, perhaps it’s time to identify ourselves and share our stories. Facts aren’t seeming to work in swaying our representatives; perhaps emotions will.  We can also use Indivisible’s vote tracker to see where we need to put pressure:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IhksP1EBXbIxirXRILNBOjTH89drJp8im3d2ELnvlSg/edit#gid=1913565360  Let’s remind them that women are watching.

2.      “Security researchers say that they have found evidence that for the first time Russia-backed hackers are now using a more sophisticated type of malware to target government entities.”  https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/27/russian-hackers-fancy-bear-now-targeting-governments-with-rootkit-malware/ Let’s ask our MoCs what they are doing to mitigate or eradicate this threat to our democracy.

3.      With the cavalcade of political problems, we've been facing recently, it's easy to let issues like climate change fall off of our mental radars. Let's remember, though, that everything is related, and that the environmental degradation already resulting from climate change both shapes and is shaped by our politics. The struggle to elect progressive MoCs is part of the struggle to rein in greenhouse gas emitters, just as the fight to reinstate the US's commitment to the Paris Accord is part of the fight against immigration policies that would seek (futilely) to hold back a rising tide of climate refugees.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/24/americas-era-of-climate-mass-migration-is-here   Let's keep the big picture in mind, and add an environmental cause or two to our political activism, because it's all connected. 

4.      While Trump postponed his meeting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein until next week, his position, and that of the Muller investigation, remains in jeopardy.  https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/27/trump-postpones-meeting-with-deputy-ag-rosenstein-until-next-week.html  Let’s ask our senators to co-sponsor and support the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act (S. 2644 /H.R. 5476) Our country needs that protection for the investigation.

5.      “Palo Alto psychology professor Christine Blasey Ford delivered powerful testimony about her alleged past sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.“  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/09/27/christine-ford-testimony-key-moments-brett-kavanaugh/1442603002/  Those of us who understand sexual assault and resulting trauma, realize how difficult, yet powerful, her testimony was.  Let’s honor this brave woman and send her bright colorful postcards (that do not require opening and are clearly not hate mail) to thank her with words of gratitude for her courage to speak yesterday: Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Palo Alto University,1791 Arastradero Rd, Palo Alto, CA, 94304

6.      The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General found that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services tapped doctors to medically screen immigrants seeking green cards, including dozens with a history of “egregious infractions.”  The report looked at more than 5,500 doctors employed as of June 2017; more than 130 had some background of wrongdoing, including one who sexually exploited female patients and another who tried to have a dissatisfied patient killed, the report said:  https://khn.org/morning-breakout/doctors-used-to-screen-immigrants-seeking-green-cards-include-dozens-with-history-of-egregious- infractions/ or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/26/us/physicians-abuse-immigrants.html  Let’s ask that Homeland Security account for choosing and hiring such doctors:  https://www.dhs.gov/contact-us or 202-282-8495 or Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, DHS, Washington, DC 20128

7.      “The Environmental Protection Agency plans to dissolve its Office of the Science Advisor, a senior post that was created to counsel the E.P.A. administrator on the scientific research underpinning health and environmental regulations, according to a person familiar with the agency’s plans. The person spoke anonymously because the decision had not yet been made public.” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/climate/epa-science-adviser.html  Let’s ask our MoCs what this is all about.  The understanding of science is essential to the environment.

8.     The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed the head of the Office of Children's Health Protection on an unexplained—but not disciplinary--administrative leave Tuesday in a move that those close to the agency suspect is intended to sideline the office's work; Dr. Ruth Etzel is a pediatrician and epidemiologist who has, among other things, opposed a move by the EPA's current office of chemical regulation, led by former chemical industry lobbyist Nancy Beck, to rescind an Obama-era standard saying farm workers under 18 could not apply the most toxic pesticides. EPA spokesperson John Konkus declined to explain the agency's decision: https://www.ecowatch.com/epa-childrens-health-leader-2608317304.html  In the interest of our children's health, why don’t we demand an explanation from Andrew Wheeler: 202-564-4700 or Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460.

 Election 2018 – General

1.       March For Our Lives organizers have created a new campaign, Turnout Tuesday, which will focus on a different call to action each Tuesday leading up to the midterms, with the goal of getting out the vote and raising awareness about the upcoming election. The campaign kicks off October 2nd, with a call to action to knock on 25 doors in our area and ask each resident if they have registered to vote. Let's check out the other calls to action, and sign up to participate here:  https://marchforourlives.com/turnout-tuesday/  When we sign up we can be part of the first training call and get all the info we need to lead these efforts in our communites. 

2.      Postcards To Voters had a "Beto Bump" on Monday with Campaign 111: Beto and Bell going from the typical 8,500 addresses-requested per day to over 36,000 addresses-requested.  Along with Beto in Texas, electing Phil Bredesen in Tennessee is another key to the narrow path of a Democratic Senate. We can now write 5 cards for Campaign 112: Phil Bredesen.  We can sign up as new volunteers here. If we are current volunteers who request addresses via text we can help the organization save money by requesting addresses from "Facebook Abby" instead of via Text Abby. Each text costs money while the Facebook version uses Facebook Messenger at no cost to Postcards To Voters.  If we can, let's make the switch. We can get started with Facebook Abby here and even follow Facebook Abby on Facebook

3.      How well are our elections run? Using data from a federal survey sent to local election officials after the 2016 elections, ProPublica has put together this tool that allows us to view our own local elections by county. We can check out voter turnout and other information. Let's check out the data from our own counties and see if there is anything we can do help the process.

4.      Republican Rep. Dave Brat is trailing Democrat Abigail Spanberger by 5 points in a Virginia district (CD07) that hasn't sent a Democrat to the House in more than 45 years, according to a new poll. Let's read more at The Hill. We can support Spanberger by writing postcards for her with Postcards For Virginia. Let's write some cards to Virginia voters today for mailing in a few weeks. 

Election 2018 – By State

1.       ALL:  Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE

2.      ALL:  If we are not sure where to start looking for information about candidates, issues, etc., we can check out the League of Women Voters’ website:  https://www.vote411.org/

3.      ALL:  K-12 curriculum decisions are made by those we elect to state school boards.  Sometimes we like what they and sometimes not.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp-HGwIbs5w  Let’s make sure we know who we are voting for these state school board positions.

Other Actions

1.       From Teaching Tolerance: “Allegations of sexual assault and harassment have dominated the news this week. This edition of The Moment offers resources that can guide you through tough but necessary classroom conversations about consent and responsibility”:  https://www.tolerance.org/the-moment/september-26-2018-teaching-about-sexual-assault-and-consent

2.      Greyhound is continuing to allow Border Patrol agents to board its buses, profile the passengers, and demand proof of citizenship (https://bit.ly/2NIptQ9). As the ACLU points out, Greyhound would be within its rights to refuse to allow Border Patrol agents to board the buses without a warrant or probable cause, yet they refuse to do so, becoming complicit in the treatment of riders who are profiled, detained, and/or deported. Let's contact Greyhound, and specifically their CEO and Senior Legal Officer, and tell them to change their policies and stop allowing ICE and Border Patrol to board their buses and harass their passengers: Phone: (214-849-8966) Mailing address: Greyhound Lines, Inc P.O. Box 660691, MS 470, Dallas, TX 75266-0691 Twitter: @GreyhoundBus, Dave Leach, President and Chief Executive Officer Greyhound Lines, Inc. 350 N. St. Paul Street Dallas, TX 75201, Tricia Martinez Senior Legal Officer Greyhound Lines, Inc. 350 N. St. Paul Street, Dallas, TX 75201 e-mail: 

3.      A Trump supporter in Montana who is a mother with stated in an interview with NBC that groping is not a big deal, while her two daughters looked on in tacit approval. https://twitter.com/msnbc/status/1045126477283565568. This is exactly what is wrong with our culture ( let’s not forget the fact that the president of the United States was elected despite bragging about grabbing women by the p-ssy), and no one should be conveying the message to their children that groping is okay. Our bodies are our bodies, and must be respected. Let’s bombard social media channels with the hashtag #gropingisabigdeal, and tell our Senators, as well as the members of the Judiciary Committee that we expect them to operate on the absolute value that violating someone’s physical boundaries without their consent is absolutely not okay under any circumstances.   

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       Shannon Coulter, founder of the well-respected and effective #GrabYourWallet initiative (https://grabyourwallet.org) is running an interesting webinar at 10 a.m. PSTTODAY! Every wonder how journalists get their tips? Well, it takes two. "This is a basic informational session aimed at helping you understand exactly how to communicate potentially valuable information to journalists while also protecting your own identity/privacy if you so desire." Sign up for "Tipping Journalists 101" here:

2.      From Saturday, September 22 to Saturday, September 29When We All Vote will celebrate a week of action. Communities across the country will host voter registration events throughout the week in cities big and small with the help of volunteers like us. On September 23, Michelle Obama will be hosting the Las Vegas event and on September 28, she will host the Miami event. We can sign up to volunteer or RSVP for one of the events at When We All Vote. Let's look for an event near us. 

3.      The 2018 March for Black Women will occur in Washington, D.C. on September 29 and New York City on September 30, with sister marches all over the country.   Let’s fine more information here:   https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/march-for-black-women  and here: https://www.facebook.com/events/187741818714062/  Let’s learn how to start a sister march/townhall here:  https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/town-halls-sister-marches

States


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


1.       MOST: “Three Republican governors called for the Senate to take its time with or even forgo a vote on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court ahead of a hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill to examine sexual assault allegations against him.”  https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/27/kavanaugh-governors-847804 Unless we live in Maryland, Massachusetts, or Ohio, let’s contact our governors and ask them to do the same.

2.      CA:  Governor Brown still has not signed AB 3131 or SB 822 into law and this is his final week to do it! Last week Indivisible drove over *550 calls* to the Governor's office for AB 3131. We can do even more this week! AB 3131 is a commonsense measure that allows the community to have a seat at the table before military weapons (e.g. tanks, grenade launchers, etc.) are brought into our neighborhoods by requiring law enforcement to hold an open public hearing prior to acquisition of any such equipment. SB 822 is the strongest state-level net neutrality bill in the nation. We can call this number to be connected with the Governor's office and tell him to sign AB 3131 and SB 822 into law! 1-833-522-8923

Reading/Watching

1.       Brett Kavanaugh and the Cruelty of Male Bonding:  When being one of the guys comes at a woman’s expense - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/brett-kavanaugh-allegations-yearbook-male-bonding.html

2.      Bethesda Resident Describes “Culture of Privilege” Leading to Exploitation and Abuse -  https://mont.thesentinel.com/2018/09/26/bethesda-resident-describes-culture-of-privilege-leading-to-sexual-assault/
  
3.      Texas Tribune: In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton is defending a state law requiring students to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. India Landry, a senior at Windfern High School outside Houston, refused to stand when the Pledge of Allegiance came on over the intercom and was expelled. The expulsion was reversed. However, this free speech issue is going to court. A hearing is expected in 2019.







9/27/18 


If we are APPALLED by the Senate Judiciary’s lack of response to the many allegations of sexual abuse levied at Nominee Kavanaugh, we can call the DIRECT number for the Office of the Judiciary - Grassley's office, and voice our opinion there. They ARE taking tallies: 202-224-5225.

We can use our own words or we can use this script from Shannon Coulter of Grab Your Wallet, "I'm a [Californian] and I just wanted to let you know that I will donate to the political opponents of any Senator who votes to confirm Kavanaugh for the rest of their political careers."


on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays allowing our followers extra time
to spend working on campaigns.


“Between being in the middle of Week of Action and today being National Voter Registration Day, the challenge this week is obvious: Register one new voter. It could be someone who's never voted before, or someone who moved recently who needs to update their registration, or a relative that just turned 18 and can vote […]”  Let’s read more:  https://politicalcharge.org/2018/09/25/6-weekends-left-until-midterms-challenge-of-the-week/

 If we are not sure where to start looking for information about candidates, issues, etc., we can check out the League of Women Voters’ website:  https://www.vote411.org/

We can also help by writing with Postcards to Voters:  https://postcardstovoters.org

It’s time for boots on the grounds!




9/26/18 

Contact Federal Government Officials


Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Fax legislators for free: 

Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

 
********************************

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.       Unless it is reauthorized this week, the Violence Against Women Act (H.R. 6545) will expire on Sunday.  https://www.teenvogue.com/story/violence-against-women-act-vawa-expires-september-30  The Kavanaugh fiasco show us just how women are not supported amongst our majority lawmakers.  Six of the senators who now sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted against reauthorization in 2013.  https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/violence-against-women-act-vote/ The bill currently has 163 co-sponsors in the House.  Let’s ask Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to bring it to a vote. Let’s call all our MoCs to let them know that it is essential this protection continue.  Women are watching.

2.      If you were tuned out of the news cycle on Monday morning you fortunately missed a very wild ride of whether Deputy Attorney General was being fired, was resigning, or was having pause pressed until he can meet with the President on Thursday. The wheel landed on the final option and there are concerns that this is a distraction timed to pull energy away from the Kavanaugh/Blasey Ford hearing:  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/sep/24/rod-rosenstein-resigns-latest-reports-trump-mueller-investigation  Good thing we can walk and chew gum. Let’s take three actions: A) Call our MoCs and tell them that we want them to pass the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act (S. 1735/H.R. 3654) and The Special Counsel Integrity Act (S. 1741/H.R. 3771) ASAP, B) Call the Department of Justice Comment line at 202-353-1555 (then option 9) and leave a message asking that Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein NOT resign. C) Make sure we are signed up to receive rapid response alerts from MoveOn.org about national actions should Mueller or Rosenstein be fired: https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search/ 

3.      The issues surrounding the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh evolve/devolve by the hour, but one thing is clear, the GOP is doubling down with nasty remarks from Mitch McConnell, Orrin Hatch, and new Tweets from Trump. They are calling the accusations of sexual violence false and part of a partisan smear campaign and have called for a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination on Friday, apparently regardless of Thursday’s testimony: 
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/408161-gop-mounts-counter-offensive-on-kavanaugh and https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/25/judiciary-committee-reschedules-kavanaugh-vote-for-friday-morning.html Let’s let our Senators know that we the people are barking down on this and that Kavanaugh was not fit for the position prior to the accusations due to his lying.

4.      Senator Lisa Murkowski, (R-AK), one of the identified swing votes on the Kavanaugh nomination has stated publicly that an FBI investigation “would clear up all the questions.” https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/408305-murkowski-kavanaugh-decision-about-believing-the-accuser. Let’s thank Senator Murkowski (202) 224-6665, and also ask her to stand up for the women of the country (81% of whom have experienced sexual harassment or assault) and push for that FBI investigation before any votes are taken. Let’s also express our concern that several of her male GOP colleagues including Lindsay Graham, Chuck Grassley, and Mitch McConnell, have already made up their minds and could not possibly be counted on to weigh Dr. Ford’s testimony in an unbiased manner, as they would absolutely be required to if this were an actual trial.

5.      "Teenagers across the country are watching how adults are handling the allegations against President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, and taking notes."  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/21/us/brett-kavanaugh-high-school.html “Most of all, we’re each scared that the national conversation around Kavanaugh gives entitled young men today the green light to be abusive without worrying that it could affect their future ambitions. We don’t understand how, in the midst of the #MeToo movement, people could be so dismissive of such serious accusations. We feel like we’re sliding backward.”  https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/9/25/17897964/kavanaugh-confirmation-sexual-assault-allegations-yale-georgetown-prep  Let's tell our MoCs that young eyes are watching and they know the difference between right and wrong and they should, too.

6.      Let’s not forget that thousands of children are still being kept in detention and permanent and harmful effects will result.  https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/comments-about-child-abuse-changed-minds-border-kids-experts-say-n910401  Let’s ask our MoCs what they are doing to get these children out of detention and with their families or in other loving environments, if that is not possible.

7.      Too often, the news from Washington, DC, eclipses the real needs of the American people. Let’s tell our MoCs that, it may not be making headlines, but we care that quality, affordable childcare is available to all. Let’s tell them to support the 21st Century Child Care Investment Act (H.R. 1466). The Act will provide a tax credit to childcare providers that help families up to 400% of the poverty line to afford childcare. https://advocatenews.net/congresswoman-clark-visits-malden-head-start-calls-for-childcare-cost-relief-through-tax-credit-bill/

8.     In a recent address to an evangelical group, Representative Stephen King (R-IA) said, “What man wouldn’t face such an allegation?... if that’s the new standard, no man will ever qualify for the Supreme Court again.” https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/408001-gop-lawmaker-on-kavanaugh-what-man-wouldnt-face-such-an. While King was trying to argue that all men could find themselves falsely accused of sexual assault, according to data the national sexual violence resource center over 90% of sexual assault cases reported are found to be true. As the discussion over Kavanaugh continues, let’s educate ourselves with facts on why so few cases get reported at all and how victims suffer long-lasting trauma. Then let’s educate Representative King (202-225-4426, Twitter @SteveKingIA) about the real stats and tell him that we’re fine with setting a standard that no Supreme Court Justice nominee be confirmed if there is any question of a history of past sexual assault and harassment. And if that means we end up with nine women on the Supreme Court, that’s fine, too.

9.      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) plans to approve within ten days a request by a hunter to import the trophy of a black rhino killed in a controversial hunt last year, according to an official email reviewed by The Hill. An 80-something man won the chance to hunt the rhino after bidding $275,000 at a Dallas Safari Club event in 2016. “It’s disgusting to see federal wildlife officials giving a Texas billionaire a pat on the back for blowing away this incredibly rare rhino,” said Tanya Sanerib, CBD’s international legal director, in a statement. “We shouldn’t be sanctioning the death of this majestic animal by allowing this trophy into the United States. The cruelty of trophy hunting simply doesn’t comport with efforts to save Africa’s imperiled wildlife.” Both groups wrote a letter Monday to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Acting FWS Director Jim Kurth, arguing that the permit should not be granted. 
https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/408165-administration-to-approve-contentious-import-of-endangered-black  Let’s tell Zinke this isn’t the way to save wildlife. No imports on trophy killings.  Contact: https://www.doi.gov/contact-us or  tweet @SecretaryZinke

10.  The Republican administration last week proposed eliminating a decade-old regulation that puts hospitals at risk of losing their Medicare funding if too many of their patients die or suffer organ failure after receiving transplants. Let's read more about this at ProPublica. We can submit our comments via the three methods described in the first two pages of the Dept. of Health and Human Services proposal. We must reference CMS-3346-P in all our comments.

11.   A federal judge has restored Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for grizzly bears living around Yellowstone National Park. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen said the federal government didn't use the best available science when it removed the bears from the threatened-species list last year. Monday's ruling puts a stop to proposed grizzly hunts in Wyoming and Idaho. Let's read more at NPR. The federal government could appeal the decision. Let's keep up our calls to support endangered wildlife and to protect the ESA.

12.  From Chop Wood/Carry Water:  Please ask the Senator to reject S. 3388, the Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act. This bill would still allow insurers to deny types of coverage to people based on their health status and is no replacement for the Affordable Care Act's consumer protections.  [https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2018/09/20/gop-strategy-on-pre-existing-conditions-duck-and-cover-345655]  

13.  In case we have lost track of “tax reform 2.0” amid all the Kavanaugh/Rosenstein chaos: Paul Ryan plans to put Trump's newest tax scam before the House this week, and Americans for Tax Fairness provides all the information we need to respond—including talking points, call-in information, state-by-state reports, and analyses from the Center for American Progress, the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities, and The Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy:  https://americansfortaxfairness.org/taxscam2/  Let’s be sure to call on our Representatives to oppose this bill, which will cost the American people an additional $3 trillion--a debt increase that will undoubtedly be used by Republicans to demand deep cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, education and more.    

14.  The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, wants to make a “technical correction” to the budget bill Trump signed in February by attaching this “correction” to the opioid package now moving through Congress.  Lo and behold, this “correction” would net them a $4 billion windfall from the federal Treasury:  https://khn.org/morning-breakout/lawmakers-advocates-accuse-pharma-of-trying-to-hijack-opioid-bill-with-doughnut-hole-change/ or  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/24/us/politics/opioid-bill-drug-companies.html  Urge our MoCs to insist that this blatantly self-interested “correction” be removed from this bill before it is signed into law.

 Election 2018 – General

1.       Earlier in the week, the NAACP of Atlanta put out a call asking for volunteers to help send postcards to purged voters in Georgia in the hopes of re-registering as many as possible by the October 9 deadline.  Since that time, over 1000 folks have stepped up to help, but more help is needed. All we need to do is to email one of these two addresses and ask for a batch of voters to send postcards to:  president@naacpatlanta.org or vp3@naacpatlanta.org Then, try to recruit others to help!!

2.      Are we ready to vote? Are we SURE about that? It might not be as easy as we think, because elections are run by states, and states can be crazy. Use this ProPublica guide to ensure that all the i's and t's are dotted and crossed, for ourselves and others (for those of us helping to GOTV): https://www.propublica.org/article/users-guide-to-democracy-voting-in-america

3.      Let’s further voting rights by helping local journalists to cover and expose impediments to voting that occur on election day. Let’s tell our local TV, radio, online, and print reporters to sign up for ProPublica’s collaborative journalism project, Electionland: https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/electionland#

4.      If we're following Beto O'Rourke in Texas as he attempts to take over Ted Cruz's senate seat, we'll be thrilled about Postcards To Voters' Campaign 111: Beto O'Rourke and Adrienne Bell. We have an opportunity to write to a new list of Democratic voters in Texas’ 14th Congressional District urging them to vote for all Democratic candidates on their ballot. Let's help flip TX14 and Texas itself by writing 5 cards for this campaign. We can sign up as new volunteers here.

Election 2018 – By State

1.       ALL:  Upcoming voting dates and deadlines:  by date:  https://goo.gl/gjFv2u   by state:  https://goo.gl/7gTzvE

2.      ALL:  If we are not sure where to start looking for information about candidates, issues, etc., we can check out the League of Women Voters’ website:  https://www.vote411.org/

3.      CA:  "It’s hard to overstate how destructive Proposition 6 would be for California. It would eliminate $5 billion a year from the state budget, wiping out funds that could be used to fill potholes on local streets, smooth highways and stabilize bridges. It would cancel funding for highway and rail projects designed to move cargo more cleanly and efficiently, hurting the state’s vital freight industry. It would slash money for light rail lines and commuter rail service, meaning fewer trains for people trying to get to work."
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-endorsement-proposition-6-20180922-story.html   Let's make sure to vote no on Prop 6 and tell our friends and family to do the same.

4.      NJ:  A new law signed Aug. 10 by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy made big changes to who receives mail-in ballots ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections. If we are NJ residents, let's read this article at NorthJersey that explains what we need to know about the new law. We can also read the official information, check out our registration status and find out where to vote at the NJ Dept. of State.

Other Actions

1.       In amongst the general chaos, the fight for net neutrality has not gone away, and the midterm elections are less than 2 months away. Want to know where local candidates stand on the issue? We can find out at http://VoteForNetNeutrality.com  or text “VOTE” to 384-387.

2.      It's been one year since Hurricane Maria, and Puerto Rico is still suffering. "#Power4PuertoRico is a coalition of organizations and leaders advocating for the island and displaced families in the face of a discriminatory federal response to the humanitarian crisis that followed Hurricane Maria. We focus on building pressure in Washington D.C. and throughout the nation for legislation and policies that will secure the well-being of Puerto Ricans and facilitate a just, transparent and community-driven rebuilding process on the island. Power4PuertoRico is demanding accountability for the thousands of lives lost, and the millions of lives at stake." If we want to sign up to help, and for other updates on this newly-launched project, we can do so here: https://www.power4puertorico.com

3.      “We demand access to detention centers so that the American people and the world can see the permanent harm the Trump administration’s policies are having on children and families in the name of our government.”  Let’s sign on to this petition for journalists to obtain access to detention centers:  https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sign-now-demand-journalists-be-given-immediate-access-to-detention-centers

4.      Another GoFundMe account has been set up to help cover the legal costs of the women coming forward against Kavanaugh.  If we are able, we can donate here:  https://www.gofundme.com/webelievedrblaseyford

5.      “Private prison companies are not only making huge profits from the incarceration and detention of people, including children and people who can’t afford bail in local jails, they are also a huge political force in lobbying for the legislation and policies that criminalize immigrants and communities of color in the U.S. . . . But private prisons are not the only ones making money here. Two of the private prison industry leaders, CoreCivic and GEO Group, depend on debt financing from Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and other banks to conduct their day-to-day business operations, finance new facilities, and acquire smaller companies.” https://www.momsrising.org/blog/deliver-a-letter-to-wells-fargo-jpmorgan-chase-to-stop-financing-family-imprisonment  Let’s divest ourselves from these organization and ask that our retirement portfolios or other groups or friends we know do the same.  Let’s also join MomsRising in urging Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase to stop financing GeoGroup and Core Civic:  https://action.momsrising.org/survey/September26_Delivery_Wells_Fargo_JP_MorganChase/

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       From Saturday, September 22 to Saturday, September 29When We All Vote will celebrate a week of action. Communities across the country will host voter registration events throughout the week in cities big and small with the help of volunteers like us. On September 23, Michelle Obama will be hosting the Las Vegas event and on September 28, she will host the Miami event. We can sign up to volunteer or RSVP for one of the events at When We All Vote. Let's look for an event near us. 

2.      Dr. Blasey Ford is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about her attempted rape on Thursday. The Women’s March is coordinating a national day of action on Thursday, September 27. Survivors will gather at their Senators’ offices across the country and share their own testimonies of assault. They will #HearOurVoice.  We can find or sign up to host an event here:  https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/webelievechristine If we can’t find an event near us, we take part in this virtual event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/241077843231113

3.      The 2018 March for Black Women will occur in Washington, D.C. on September 29 and New York City on September 30, with sister marches all over the country.   Let’s fine more information here:   https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/march-for-black-women  and here: https://www.facebook.com/events/187741818714062/  Let’s learn how to start a sister march/townhall here:  https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/town-halls-sister-marches

States


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


1.       AZ: The Arizona Board of Education is considering a revised set of science standards, which would eliminate references to climate change, and remove many references to evolution an natural selection (https://bit.ly/2O97NMZhttps://bit.ly/2xBTaIN). Let's be sure to join Arizona teachers in speaking out against these proposed changes, and ask the board to include the four revisions that the Arizona Science Teachers Association have proposed (found in the article). Mailing address: Arizona Department of Education 1535 West Jefferson Street Phoenix, Arizona 85007 E-mail: 
adeinbox@azed.gov Phone: 602-542-5393

Reading/Watching

1.       How Russia Helped Swing the Election for Trump:  A meticulous analysis of online activity during the 2016 campaign makes a powerful case that targeted cyberattacks by hackers and trolls were decisive - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/01/how-russia-helped-to-swing-the-election-for-trump


3.      A different look at gerrymandering:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWjLFZdWz9E