Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Tueaday 3/20 Call to Action

Tuesday
1. Cambridge Analytica
Yesterday, you read the report that a Russian studying at Cambridge University in England created a Facebook personality quiz that enabled him to gather data on approximately 50 million Americans. This information was sold to Cambridge Analytica, the company the Trump campaign hired to help them during 2016 presidential campaign. Why can Facebook do this? Apparently, the United States currently lacks restrictions on second or third-hand use of data.
We’ve had hints about this for a while now. Remember, BBC did an interview with the head of Project Alamo, the digital arm of the Trump campaign. In the interview, a former Project Alamo employee stated that Cambridge Analytica got “white glove” treatment from the executives of Facebook and they worked together to create algorithms to target voters. Watch it here: https://twitter.com/bbcstories/status/896752720522100742
What is Cambridge Analytica? Journalists from Channel 4 in the United Kingdom had the same question, and they bravely went undercover to find out. Executives from Cambridge Analycita were caught on tape explaining how they use bribes, sex, and digital manipulation to entrap politicians and sway elections all around the world. If you have 20 minutes to watch this clip, I encourage you to do so. It is galling to learn what this company does. https://www.channel4.com/…/cambridge-analytica-revealed-tru…
Keep your eyes peeled for a second report from Channel 4 today.
Britian’s Information Commissioner’s Office is planning to seek a warrant to search the offices of Cambridge Analycia. They are taking this news seriously. Our elected officials in the United States need to do so as well. https://www.reuters.com/…/uk-authorities-seek-warrant-to-se…
Thankfully our own Senator Amy Klobuchar, is on the case. She has requested that Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s chief executive, appear before a Senate Judiciary panel to explain what the company knew of this misuse of data. Watch her in the interview on The Rachel Maddow Show https://www.msnbc.com/…/democrats-seek-tech-company-probe-a… via @msnbc
Give Sen. Klobuchar a call today to thank her and encourage her to keep fighting for us.
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Attorneys General are also on the case looking to find out how Cambridge Analytica was allowed to have the personal data of so many unsuspecting Americans.
Read more here: https://www.npr.org/…/pa-attorney-general-investigating-how…
Or here: http://thehill.com/…/378940-massachusetts-launches-investig…
Today, lets call our own Attorney General Lori Swanson and encourage her to investigate this as well.
Office of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson
Tel: (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area) or (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities)
TTY: (651) 297-7206 or (800) 366-4812
2. Sensible Gun Laws in Minnesota
MN Representative Dave Pinto is fighting for sensible gun laws again. This morning, he will be making a motion to bring the Criminal Background Check bill (HF1669), and the Gun Violence Protective Order bill (HF1605),forward for a House vote. Is your representative on the Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee? Then call them ASAP. The rest of us can call the committee chair, Rep. Brian Johnson
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp…
Need some inspiration to call and take actions? Check out these high schoolers from Maple Grove who visited their senator, Warren Limmer yesterday and asked him to schedule hearings on gun safety bills. Unfortunately, Senator Limmer shut them down. Senator Limmer told the kids that the Senate was going to focus on school security improvements and not gun restrictions.
What a missed opportunity. Read more about these fantastic kids here: https://blogs.mprnews.org/…/students-press-mn-lawmaker-for…/
Or watch a student from Apple Valley speaking on the Senate floor: https://www.facebook.com/theuptake/videos/10156157377994344/ Think of the guts it took to speak in front of all these legislators. Wow!
In honor of these kids, let’s do our part and make some noise. CD2Action has a great overview of the gun bills in play in Minnesota Congress.
https://cd2action.com/contact-legislators-combat-gun-viole…/
3. Tax Day Rally at the Capitol,
On Sunday, April 15th join fellow Minnesotans in protesting tax laws that benefit the richest Americans at the expense of the poor and working classes. Let’s get together and tell our government that we want them make laws the benefit the majority, not just their pocketbooks and election campaigns.
Look here for more information: https://www.taxrallymn2018.org/
RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/200520967348623/
4. March for Our Lives
March 24th will be March for Our Lives. There will be a huge march in Washington DC. https://marchforourlives.com/, but there will also be grand marches here in Minnesota. If you have the time, consider going to support our children in their fight to be safe at school.
Check out the website: https://marchforourlivesmsp.weebly.com/
Consider becoming a marshal so the kids can safely focus on spreading their message. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0944adae2eaaf85-minnesota1
Buy some merchandise or donate money to help cover expenses. If you go, take pictures and share them on social media.
Klobuchar-202-224-3244
Smith (202) 224-5641
House of Representative switchboard: (202) 224-3121
MN Legislators: https://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legislators
Resistbot: https://resistbot.io/
Governor Dayton- https://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/
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