5/12/20
NATIONAL
ISSUES
Contact all Federal
Members of Congress
(includes contact info and
links to social media)
Fax
legislators for free:
Or use Resistbot: https://resist.bot/
Purchase stamps, postcards,
and other mailing supplies:
Or use StampsLicked to
have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators: https://stampslicked.org/
White
House contact: https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house
|
NEXT COVID
RELIEF BILL IN THE WORKS: ”Speaker Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Democrats are charging ahead this week with
the next round of emergency coronavirus relief — another massive,
multitrillion-dollar package designed to buttress the economy against the
devastating pandemic.” https://thehill.com/homenews/house/497166-the-8-key-provisions-expected-in-democrats-next-covid-19-bill We know that Trump and the GOP do not feel
any more help is needed, but most states, businesses, and citizens do. Let’s contact our MoCs to let them know
that we support this new help. So many people are hurting.
COVID IN
THE WHITE HOUSE: There have been more diagnoses of COVID within
the White House. Despite warnings and
recommendations Trump and Pence have purposefully not worn masks no matter
where they were. https://apnews.com/79b5a52979f32de0056e36e6065802b4
and
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/11/mike-pence-quarantine-coronavirus-white-house Late
yesterday afternoon, however, the White House did an about face and is now
requiring the staff to wear masks. Trump
is not expected to comply. We know this is too late to be helpful. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/11/white-house-instructs-staff-wear-masks-249204 Let’s
contact our MoC to ask how we are going to get out of this nightmare with a
black hole of leadership and a disregard for science.
TELL THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO ISSUE A HATE CRIMES CHARGE AGAINST AHMAUD ABERYS’ KILLERS
AND INVESTIGATE THE COVERUP: Events have moved rapidly in the days since
the country was shocked by the videotaped murder of African American jogger
Ahmaud Arbery by two white men and the miscarriage of justice following it. The
two killers have been arrested and denied bail. Georgia Attorney General Carr
has asked the DOJ to investigate the case and the way local law enforcement
officials and prosecutors mishandled it, and appointed, a fourth
prosecutor, African American Joyette M. Holmes of Cobb County, to oversee
the case. Now the Justice Department is considering its options, including
whether to charge this as a hate crime https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/doj-consider-possible-federal-hate-crime-charges-ahmaud-arbery-shooting-n1204531
Georgia is one of four states in this
country that don't have a hate crime law.
We can call the Department
of Justice and our Representatives and demand that a hate crimes charge be
issued in this case and that a full federal investigation into misconduct in
all areas of this case be held.
COVID RISK: As we see
some states opening, we see that their numbers are not particularly good. https://www.endcoronavirus.org/states While some state governments are providing
trustworthy information and data, many are not.
Erin Bromage, an Associate Professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth,
whose specialty is Infection and Immunology shares with us how to know and
avoid the risks with this disease. Let’s
read it here: https://www.erinbromage.com/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
BARR
DISGRACED: “Nearly 2,000 former Justice Department and
FBI officials on Monday signed an open letter strongly critical of Attorney
General William Barr's decision to abandon the prosecution of Michael Flynn,
calling the action "extraordinarily rare, if not unprecedented."” https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/2-000-former-doj-fbi-officials-call-barr-resign-over-n1204601 Let’s contact the Justice Department asking for
Barr’s resignation and let’s also contact our MoCs asking for his impeachment. Let’s also sign this: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/impeach-remove-attorney-general-barr/
5-YEAR-OLD
DETAINEE: Every Last One has had a lot of
success getting kids like 5-year-old Aliana out of detention, but it's not
easy, and public pressure is often the thing that moves the needle the most.
That and money, of course. Lots of it. But
truly, when the government knows that thousands of people are following a
detained child’s story it helps get them released. Every second counts for this
kiddo. Let’s all sign here: https://www.everylastone.org/aliana
and follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EveryLastOne1
(h/t Chop
Wood Carry Water)
TRAINING
AND JOBS AVAILABLE FOR COVID-19 CONTACT TRACERS: “To halt the spread of covid-19 as states
reopen, we need a network of contact tracers — people who are trained to track
and notify possibly infected individuals and map their exposures to
others. “Contact tracers are … part detective, part therapist and part
social worker,” said one epidemiologist. Many contact tracers will be
needed. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/contact-tracing-jobs-covid/ To address the need, the Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health designed an online course. Here's how you can take it and help fight the spread.” Here
is the course link: https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19-contact-tracing?edocomorp=covid-19-contact-tracing
HELP THE
NAVAJO NATION RESPOND TO COVID OUTBREAKS: The Navajo Nation has more incidences of COVID per capita than any
state in the U.S. https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/497091-navajo-nation-has-more-coronavirus-cases-per-capita-than-any-us-state.
This is due to a chronic housing shortage, lack of running water and a
greater percentage of the population with health conditions. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2020/04/23/coronavirus-pandemic-how-donate-navajo-nation-covid-19-news/3013122001/.
The Navajo
Nation Covid Relief Fund is accepting monetary and
non-monetary donations. Let’s check them out and think about how we can
help.
SUPPORT THE
RIGHT OF THE SIOUX TRIBE TO PROTECT THEIR RESERVATION AGAINST COVID: South Dakota is one of the few states with no
stay-at-home restrictions and their governor is insisting that the Sioux Tribe
take down checkpoints that prevent travelers from COVID hotspots from entering
the reservation. https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-52615311. The
Tribe is insisting that these actions are necessary to protect the people on
the reservation, where there is limited access to health care. Let’s contact
South Dakota
Governor, Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) and tell her that we support
the rights of the Sioux to make decisions about their own land. Let’s also
tweet messages of support to the Chairman of the Sioux Tribe, Harold Frazer
(@CRSTChairman).
#JUSTICE FOR AHMAUD: While
the suspects have finally been arrested in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, most
feel it is because the video was somehow released, and the world saw what
happened in late February. When the
local officials did not make the arrest, the state stepped in. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/05/07/ahmaud-arbery-video-shooting-arrests-justice-mcmichael/3086891001/ Let’s join in with Color of Change in asking for the removal
from office the “two DAs who recused themselves District Attorney Jackie
Johnson and District Attorney George Barnhill further perpetuated the
mismanagement of Ahmaud's case.” We can
sign here: https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/demand-justice-ahmaud
NO FILLING
SUPREME COURT VACANCIES IN AN ELECTION YEAR: In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to conduct
hearings for Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee, claiming that the
people should have their say in an election year. Now, however, McConnell has
shown the true extent of his hypocracy by pledging to fill any Supreme Court
vacancy that might arise in 2020. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/08/republicans-ready-supreme-court-vacancy-243574.
Let’s ask our Senators to pledge to consistency and make sure that once
again the people weigh in on who should be on the Supreme Court by waiting
until after the election.
COVID AND
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: many K-12
and university students, as well as other vulnerable populations, are being
left out in the cold under stay at home orders, unable to access technology and
internet connectivity. “The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that the technology we
need to stay connected is a right, not a privilege.” Let’s make sure
our local government is doing something about it. If not, then this
petition to the City of Philadelphia can give us an idea of what questions we
should be asking: https://phillytechjustice.org/
NOT TOO
LATE FOR A MOTHER’S DAY BAIL-OUT: COVID-19 continues to spread unchecked to
folks behind bars - 192 out of 195 women in a Louisiana prison dormitory were
found to have contracted the disease (https://www.marketwatch.com/story/louisana-prison-unit-has-192-of-195-inmates-test-positive-for-covid-19-2020-05-05).
You can't socially distance in prison or jail, so let's do what we can to help
get folks who don't need to be incarcerated out and safe. National Bail Out
is raising money to get Black mothers and caregivers out of jail by Mother's
Day - we can contribute to their efforts here.
ENVIRONMENTAL
RULES DECIMATED DURING PANDEMIC:
The coronavirus pandemic has provided a handy distraction from the wholesale
destruction of environmental regulation undertaken by federal agencies, with
Trump’s approval; some of these are enumerated in The Guardian: “agencies have
eased fuel-efficiency standards for new cars; frozen rules for soot air
pollution; proposed to drop review requirements for liquefied natural gas
terminals; continued to lease public property to oil and gas companies; sought
to speed up permitting for offshore fish farms; and advanced a proposal on
mercury pollution from power plants that could make it easier for the
government to conclude regulations are too costly to justify their benefits.
The government has also relaxed reporting rules for polluters during the
pandemic”: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/10/trump-environmental-blitzkrieg-coronavirus The
EPA has, moreover, proposed only weak limits on airplane pollution and tried to
create a relief package for oil and gas corporations. The NY Times has
listed 98 such changes t0 environmental regulation: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks.html Trump
is in a hurry because the Congressional Review Act makes it easier to rescind
such rollbacks if they are issued late in an election year. Let’s make
sure the White House and our MoCs know that we are NOT distracted and,
especially as covid-19 sweeps the country, depend on a clean environment where
we can breathe, drink, and eat without fear.
HORRIFYING
DRUG PRICES: Where they
could find data, a study published in the Journal of Virus Eradication compared
the prices globally of possible covid-19 treatments now in clinical
trial: http://viruseradication.com/journal-details/Minimum_costs_to_manufacture_new_treatments_for_COVID-19/
The study calculates what a generic version of these drugs might cost in
different places; for example, a course of hepatitis C drug, Sofosvbuvir, which
costs about $5 to produce, sells currently in the US for $18,610: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/11/soaring-drug-prices-could-bar-access-to-future-coronavirus-treatments The
comparative costs revealed by this study are obscene. We must make it
clear to our MoCs and to the FDA that we will not tolerate only the rich in the
US having access to potentially life-saving drugs.
Correction: PROTECTION FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS: Essential workers are on the frontlines of this
pandemic, with many working in high-risk conditions without appropriate
equipment, safety standards, or job protections. These workers put their lives
on the line every day, and we must do all we can to protect their health and
financial security. Fortunately, Senator Elizabeth Warren has a plan to
ensure our workers get what they need: 1) Truly universal paid sick leave
and family and medical leave, health and safety protections, including personal
protective equipment (PPE) provided by employers at no cost to workers, 2)
Protections for collective bargaining agreements & whistleblowers
with safety concerns, and healthcare security to ensure all essential workers
get the care they need during this crisis, regardless of their immigration
status.3) Robust funding to help struggling child care providers during this
pandemic and reliable, safe, healthy, and high-quality child care for essential
workers. https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-warren-plan-essential-workers-coronavirus-higher-wages-sick-leave-2020-4 When we click this link, we can get key
talking points and be connected to our Representatives to demand the House pass
protection for essential workers: https://elizabethwarren.com/action/essential-workers/call-for-bor
KIDS AND
GLOBAL AWARENESS: For those of us with children in grades 6-12 we
can have them take part in this wonderful program regardless where we live.
This challenge is designed to make children aware of global issues and what
they can do. "EmpowerAndHelp Global
Challenge is a project that allows children to make a difference in this world
with guidance from a team of volunteers and experts. This challenge will
promote compassion, leadership, awareness and creativity. It is open to all
students in grades 6-12." There is
a $12.99 registration fee. We can sign
up here: https://empowerandhelp.com/empowerandhelp-global-awareness-challenge-2020/about-global-awareness-challenge/
FREE ONLINE
THERAPY FOR FRONTLINE HEALTH PROVIDERS: Project Parachute is a group providing free online therapy for
frontline healthcare workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have matched
almost 200 frontliners with licensed, experienced, volunteer therapists around
the country and, with over 600 therapists ready to help, they are able to serve
many more. If we are frontline healthcare workers, or if we know people
who are, we can find out more and signup for free online therapy here. We can
also spread the word though social media to aid healthcare workers affected by
this crisis. https://project-parachute.org/
POSTCARDING
OPPORTUNITIES: From one of our own: Here are this week's postcarding write-ups.
As always, please use them, share them, distribute them. These times are
overwhelming, but speaking out (even just a little) is much more empowering
than remaining silent. We can use
this link to the write-ups:
ELECTION/VOTING
REMINDER: Let’s make sure to regularly check
our voter registration status. States are purging voters routinely--we
don't want to get caught off guard. Take 1 minute and check right now: I Will Vote Then, let’s check how to vote by
mail in our state. Many rules have changed due to the pandemic and we may
be able to vote with a mailed ballot. We can find our state's latest voting
rules here: How to Vote By Mail in Every State
CA: SPECIAL ELECTION TODAY: Christy
Smith, the Democratic candidate is in a tough spot. We need to keep this seat in the House, the
CA-25. https://www.npr.org/2020/05/10/852735326/democrats-fear-losing-u-s-house-special-election-in-southern-california We in this California district have the
chance to send a message to the country – we do not want the GOP leading
us. Vote today. Mail your ballot
today: https://www.ca25specialelection.com/
NE:
PRIMARY TODAY: Nebraska
is holding the nation’s first in-person election in more than a month. We can
read more at Time. Many
Nebraskans have decided to vote by mail. The NE secretary of state’s office
says that over 321,000 mail-in ballots have already been returned, which
surpasses the total voting in the 2016 presidential primary. (More at NET Nebraska/PBS) If we are Nebraska voters who
have not yet voted, let's make a plan to vote as safely as we can.
VOTE BY
MAIL FLORIDA. Postcards to Voters'
volunteers continue to write to Florida registered Democrats to encourage them
to enroll in Vote By Mail. The campaign continues with Brevard County
(Melbourne area) on the Southeast coast. Let's request 5 addresses
today to help with this effort. #MailTheVoteFL
P2V
ELECTION WATCH: Postcards
to Voters' (P2V) volunteers will be watching returns for two May 12 special
elections for which they wrote: 1) CA: Campaign
198: Christy Smith for Congress; 2) WI: Campaign
199: Tricia Zunker for Congress. Let's see who the voters in
these districts chose to represent them.
STATE/LOCAL
CA: VOTE BY MAIL! "California
Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday signed an executive order to
ensure every registered voter in the state is automatically mailed a ballot for
the November presidential election. The executive order does not replace
in-person voting, Newsom said during a press conference." Let's
read more at CBS News. We can send thank you's to Gov. Newsome
at the contact information from his website: https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/.
MA, NY, DE, CT, NJ, RI, PA: RACIAL DISPARITIES/COVID-19: Many states are
lacking transparency and information that is crucial to properly address
inequity as we fight Covid-19 (https://53eig.ht/3fEXJX6). Faith in Action has
published a letter to the northeast coalition of governors, calling out racial
disparities and lack of sufficient racial demographic data in each of the
states. Let's read through the letter, then join Faith in Action in
asking our northeast state governors to coordinate a regional response through
data, criminal justice, door-to-door testing, contact tracing in the most
at-risk communities, no-cost treatment and testing for residents, cash and food
assistance, a moratorium on evictions, and universal vote-by-mail.
MO: MISSOURI WANTS TO BRING BACK PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING:
Republican
legislators in Missouri are trying to gut a 2018 referendum approved by 62% of
the state’s voters that put a non-partisan demographer in charge of drawing
electoral districts, made partisan fairness his or her top priority, and was
designed to prevent excessive gerrymandering; MO Republicans want a new
referendum that would undo all these protections and would, furthermore, draw
the new district lines based not on total population, as has always been the
case, but only on those eligible to vote--a standard that would disadvantage
cities (more likely to include non-citizens in their populations), advantage
white rural areas, and satisfy a long-standing Republican aim. Those
of us in Missouri should tell our state legislators what we think of this
Republican ploy, and the rest of us should tell Gov. Michael Parson: P.O. Box
720. Jefferson City, MO 65102 or (573) 751-3222 or Fax: (573) 751-1495.
SD: INDIGENOUS RIGHTS: Governor Kristi Noem sent a letter to Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Sioux Tribe officials on Friday, warning them
to remove Covid-19 checkpoints within 48 hours, or face legal action (https://bit.ly/2SVejZ1). A
bipartisan group of South Dakota legislators have sent a letter to the Governor, arguing for tribal
jurisdiction over its own lands, and against Noem's threats. Let's join
the Indigenous People's Movement, Lakota leaders, and South
Dakota legislators in calling on Governor Noem to stand down and respect Lakota
sovereignty: Mailing Address: Office of the Governor, 500 East Capitol Avenue,
Pierre, S.D. 57501, Phone Number: (605) 773-3212, Fax Number: (605) 773-4711,
or Email here.
RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS
LEARN
TO FIGHT ONLINE DISINFORMATION: One of the best ways we can combat the spread of disinformation online
is by telling our personal stories in these online spaces and communities. Join
Democratic National Training Committee on May 12 from 2-3 PDT for
this virtual training and they’ll give us some best practices and explain how
we can best do this work! We can find out more and sign up here: https://events.democrats.org/event/272013
LEARN
HOW TO SPOT CONSPIRACY THEORIES: On Thursday,
May 14 at 12 noon MDT, we can join Vanessa Otero of AdFontes Media and the
creator of the Media Bias Chart, to learn more about recognizing conspiracy
theories. We need to register here
for the Zoom event: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqduisrDwjHNMUE9EnFaQ4FYOvgLcCACoK
ACLU
SMART JUSTICE CAMPAIGN WEBINAR: The ACLU Smart Justice campaign has decided
to host a digital day of action titled “Uniting for Pretrial Reform” in May. It
will be online, and it will be throughout the day on May 27th. Some of
the sessions include a Q&A with ACLU staff, a tele-townhall with multiple
legislators (on the topic of pretrial reform), a storytelling panel in the
afternoon, and throughout the day there will be multiples ways to engage our
elected officials. Here’s a registration
link to sign up! https://zoom.us/webinar/register/1415859446055/WN_Wb92iZkTRGmkTJlHepNcIg We want to make sure that people feel their
voices can be heard even during this new normal phase we currently we find
ourselves in and that we advocate for the most vulnerable of us.
MASS
POOR PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY & MORAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON: “The Mass
Poor People’s Assembly & Moral March on Washington is going digital! On
June 20th, we will hold the largest digital and social media gathering
of poor and low-wealth people, moral and religious leaders, advocates, and
people of conscience in this nation’s history. A global pandemic is exposing
even more the already existing crisis of systemic racism, poverty, ecological
devastation, the war economy and militarism, and the distorted moral narrative
of religious nationalism. On June 20, the 140 million poor and low-wealth
people across this nation will be heard!”
We can sign up here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/rsvp-for-june-20-2020-mass-poor-peoples-assembly-moral-march-on-washington
READING/WATCHING/LISTENING
65
Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice - https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234
Why
It's Important to Push Back on 'Plandemic' - And How to Do It - https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarahaelle/2020/05/08/why-its-important-to-push-back-on-plandemic-and-how-to-do-it
AP FACT
CHECK: Trump is not credible on virus death tolls - https://apnews.com/837fa9a762a1fe5b0b7e629d8191a3e0
US
blocks vote on UN's bid for global ceasefire over reference to WHO - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/08/un-ceasefire-resolution-us-blocks-who
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We can stay up
to date on Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes
a weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday)
as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates
their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule
