9/26/18
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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 29, When 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
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/2O97NMZ, https://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
2.
Some interpersonal verbs, conjugated by
gender - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2018/09/19/some-interpersonal-verbs-conjugated-by-gender/?utm_term=.f76d35ee907e
3.
A different look at gerrymandering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWjLFZdWz9E
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