Wednesday 8/8 Call to Action

Wednesday

1 Election Results
Ohio-Democratic House candidate Danny O’Connor was so close to winning in the Ohio CD12 special election last night! By the time I went to bed, the Republican candidate, Troy Balderson was only one percentage point ahead. While this is most likely a defeat for the Dems, (there are still absentee and provisional ballots to be counted), it is also pretty amazing that the race was as close as it was. This is a historically red, gerrymandered district that went for Trump by a huge margin in 2016. The big takeaway from this race is how very important it is that everybody votes. VOTE! https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/7b74fa0c-9994-11e8-8d5e-c6…
https://www.bloomberg.com/…/trump-backed-candidate-holds-na…

Women Leaders-Women came out in droves to run for the House in this midterm cycle. After yesterday’s elections, we can officially say that a record number of women have secured major party nominations for a seat in the House. That right there is pretty darn exciting. https://www.vox.com/2018/8/7/17662858/women-house-record

A Win for Unions- Missouri voters voted to strike down a law that prohibited employees from being forced to join a union or otherwise pay “fair share” fees (AKA, Right to Work), This is a big win for Missouri’s unions and hardworking men and women in the state. It also bodes well that people are starting to appreciate that importance of Unions again. Just another example of how important it is to VOTE. https://www.cnn.com/…/missouri-right-to-work-vote/index.html

Missouri District Attorney- Wesley Bell, a city council member defeated long time district attorney Robert McCulloch yesterday. McCulloch has served in this position since 1991!. McCulloch has been criticized for failing to file charges against the officer who shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, Bell has been a huge critic of Brown’s killing and has committed himself to changing the criminal justice system. Congratulations Missouri! Voting works people! https://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/wesley-bell-robert-mccullo…

2. While We Were Busy Looking Elsewhere
So much crazy stuff happens every day now it’s easy to miss important events. Here are some things you might like to notice.

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross- Don’t let his cartoon character name and face fool you, Wilbur Ross is a bad hombre. Former Bank of Cypress official and now Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, and his former private equity firm have allegedly been grifting hundreds of MILLIONS of dollars. In regular times, this would be a showstopping news. Today, not so much. Read more about it here: https://www.forbes.com/…/new-details-about-wilbur-rosss-bu…/

Mar-a-Lago Guests Are Running The VA- ProPublica has reported that three Mar-a-Lago members with no official government roles have been issuing guidance at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA employees have been instructed to treat these as orders. The ultimate example of pay to play. Read more here: https://www.propublica.org/…/ike-perlmutter-bruce-moskowitz…

Jason Lewis is Kissing up to Trump at The Border- Remember, hundreds of kids are still missing their parents at our southern border. Minnesota’s second congressional district’s own Rep. Jason Lewis was at the border in California yesterday. Was he there to use his power as a Congressman to reunite these kids with their families? No, he was there to schmooze with the border patrol and ogle border wall prototypes. If Lewis happens to represent you, today would be a good day to call and complain about his poor choice. Even though Trump is threatening to shut down Congress if we don’t fund this border wall (wasn’t Mexico supposed to pay for it?), the Government Accountability Office announced that the White House has not provided a full analysis of the costs and projected outcomes of the project. Jason Lewis touts himself as a fiscal hawk. Pushing for a border wall without knowing the cost or effectiveness seems pretty antithetical to his beliefs.
http://thehill.com/…/400564-gao-trump-admin-hasnt-conducted….
And we can make sure to add our opinion that a wall would waste our money and threaten our relationship with Mexico as cited here: https://www.independent.co.uk/…/mexico-president-trump-andr….

3. VOTE!!
Let’s be honest. The only real power we have to contain Trump and his collaborators and enablers is to VOTE in the upcoming midterm elections, and we are in the final three months before the big day. Now is the time for you to get to work, getting others to vote. https://www.newyorker.com/…/08/06/all-thats-left-is-the-vote

Every person needs to commit to helping increase voter turnout. Multiple studies have shown that personal contact with voters is the key to encouraging them to participate. NOW is the time to volunteer with a campaign to canvass. Push yourself out of your comfort zone these next three months. Share your enthusiasm for the DFL with others in Minnesota communities. You can rest easy at night knowing that you are doing your best to take back this country.

Check out these calendars for upcoming events near you.
https://cd2action.com/calendar/
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…

Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day (Saturday, November 3rd–Tuesday, November 6th). Volunteer here to be part of the last big push. https://thelastweekend.org/?source=MN02

#StandOnEveryCorner
Join your neighbors to stand up against Trump and his terrible administration. #StandOnEveryCorner encourages all of us to get out in our communities and speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. right now. It’s simple and easy. Grab a sign and find a participating corner near you. Better yet, create your own corner and encourage others to join you. Learn more from this article here: http://www.southwestjournal.com/…/honk-if-you-stand-with-s…/
Or here: http://www.startribune.com/new-hyperlocal-political-forc…/…/
This tweet lists some of the participating spots. There are many in the Twin Cities. https://twitter.com/BenyonMelissa/status/1023331029719773184

Attention Texters:
If we’re comfortable with technology and would like to help get Democrats elected by reaching out to voters via texting, let’s check out Build the Wave https://www.buildthewave.org/ Consider joining their Text the Vote team. https://www.textthevote.com

4. Primaries are August 14th
Don’t forget to vote in the primaries by August 14th. Check out this website for more information on who’s running in Minnesota. https://politicalcharge.org/…/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-…/

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/

YOUTUBE.COM

Grifters - Rats

From the album "Crappin' You Negative" (1994)

Tuesday 8/7 Call to Action

Tuesday
1. Rick Gates Testifies
Rick Gates, Trump’s former campaign chairman, testified in court yesterday that he committed a bunch of crimes with his former boss, Paul Manafort. Gates said that at Manafort’s direction, he didn’t report 15 foreign financial accounts they controlled to the US government, even though they knew that was illegal. He also testified that Manafort directed him to send millions in foreign cash as phony “loans” to his US companies, so he could avoid paying taxes on them. Gates also admitted that he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from those accounts without Manafort’s knowledge.

Sure seems like there was a lot of illegal activity happening around Trump.

Read more about it here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/898df9ce-99b0-11e8-8d5e-c6…
Or here: https://www.vox.com/…/manafort-trial-rick-gates-testimony-m…

In case you missed it from the post yesterday, Trump implicated his son, Don Jr., in a crime via tweet on Sunday: “Fake News reporting, a complete fabrication, that I am concerned about the meeting my wonderful son, Donald, had in Trump Tower. This was a meeting to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics - and it went nowhere. I did not know about it!”
https://splinternews.com/president-admits-trump-tower-meeti…
You know we are in deep when an admission like that causes barely a stir. Keep an eye on the news, but know that the only sure way to stop this nonsense if to vote.

2. Congress
The House is on recess for the rest of the month. This is a great time to visit their offices or meet them at a campaign rally near you. Because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants to shove Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh down our throats, the Senate will only be home for the following week, due to be back in session on August 15th. The Senate will also be considering other judicial nominations like,
A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr., of South Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit and the nomination of Julius Ness Richardson, of South Carolina, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar is on the Senate Judicial Committee. Let’s call her office and talk to her about these nominees.
https://www.afj.org/our-work/nominees/marvin-quattlebaum
https://www.afj.org/our-work/nominees/julius-richardson

Sens. Klobuchar and Smith have been vocal about their opposition to Kavanaugh. Let’s continue to encourage them to take any and all steps they can to prevent his nomination from going forward. Kavanaugh has a dicey past when it comes to torture. Read more about that here: https://www.nytimes.com/…/brett-kavanaugh-signing-statement…. Get a peek into Kavanaugh’s history to see how he would rule on a woman’s right to abortion: https://www.aclu.org/…/a…/brett-kavanaughs-one-abortion-case. And of course Trump’s favorite, Kavanaugh’s belief that sitting presidents are immune from indictment: https://www.politico.com/…/brett-kavanaugh-president-indict…

Activists across the country are coming together for a 50-state day of action against Kavanaugh’s nomination on August 26th. Unite for Justice has a list of events occurring across the U. S. Keep an eye out for an event here in Minnesota, or if you’re feeling feisty, make your own event and share it here. https://uniteforjustice2018.com/

3. Children Are Still Separated
Over 500 innocent children, separated form their parents while crossing our southern border, are still waiting to be reunited with their families. In light of the barrage of news we get each day, it’s easy to forget about these kids. Please don’t. Keep calling your members of Congress and remind then that these families belong together. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Trump has been planning this separation policy since a month after his inauguration. While we are on the phone with our MoCs we can request a special investigator to determine how this can be remedied, and hold responsible people accountable. Our legislators also need to set policies so this can never happen again.
https://www.politico.com/…/judge-trump-administration-locat…
http://www.chicagotribune.com/…/ct-immigrant-protection-ero…

4. VOTE!!
Let’s be honest. The only real power we have to contain Trump and his collaborators and enablers is to VOTE in the upcoming midterm elections, and we are in the final three months before the big day. Now is the time for you to get to work, getting others to vote. https://www.newyorker.com/…/08/06/all-thats-left-is-the-vote

Every person needs to commit to helping increase voter turnout. Multiple studies have shown that personal contact with voters is the key to encouraging them to participate. NOW is the time to volunteer with a campaign to canvass. Push yourself out of your comfort zone these next three months. Share your enthusiasm for the DFL with others in Minnesota communities. You can rest easy at night knowing that you are doing your best to take back this country.

Check out these calendars for upcoming events near you.
https://cd2action.com/calendar/
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…

Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day (Saturday, November 3rd–Tuesday, November 6th). Volunteer here to be part of the last big push. https://thelastweekend.org/?source=MN02

#StandOnEveryCorner
Join your neighbors to stand up against Trump and his terrible administration. #StandOnEveryCorner encourages all of us to get out in our communities and speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. right now. It’s simple and easy. Grab a sign and find a participating corner near you. Better yet, create your own corner and encourage others to join you. Learn more from this article here: http://www.southwestjournal.com/…/honk-if-you-stand-with-s…/
Or here: http://www.startribune.com/new-hyperlocal-political-forc…/…/
This tweet lists some of the participating spots. There are many in the Twin Cities. https://twitter.com/BenyonMelissa/status/1023331029719773184

Attention Texters:
If we’re comfortable with technology and would like to help get Democrats elected by reaching out to voters via texting, let’s check out Build the Wave https://www.buildthewave.org/ Consider joining their Text the Vote team. https://www.textthevote.com

4. Primaries are August 14th
Don’t forget to vote in the primaries by August 14th. Check out this website for more information on who’s running in Minnesota. https://politicalcharge.org/…/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-…/

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/

YOUTUBE.COM

Peter, Paul and Mary - Blowing in the Wind

Blowin' or Blowing in the Wind info: "Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962 and released on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan…

Monday 8/6 Call to Action

Normally, the president's Twitter feed isn't worth spreading.  But Sunday morning, Trump admitted the Trump Tower meeting was "to get information on an opponent, totally legal and done all the time in politics."  He also called called the press the enemy of the American people, and accused them of causing war.  Government speech like this has precipitated violence or arrests of the press in other countries.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-lashes-out-in-tweets-claims-ignorance-of-trump-tower-dirt-meeting

1. Send some texts for Danny O'Conner. 

Danny O'Conner is running for a special election House seat in Ohio.  He's closed in on his opponent.  Can you send some texts to help out?  There are two-hour slots Monday and Tuesday, morning until 6pm!

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/can-democrats-pull-off-one-more-big-special-election-upset-in-ohio

https://events.mobilizeamerica.io/buildthewave/event/8597/

2. From Rogan's List:

“A bipartisan group of senators is introducing legislation to impose "crushing" new financial penalties on Russia. The bill would slap new sanctions on Moscow, require two-thirds Senate approval if President Trump wanted to withdraw from NATO and force the State Department to determine if Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism.”  http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/400074-senators-introduce-bill-to-slap-crushing-new-sanctions-on-russia  The bill not yet numbered, but let’s let our senators know that this is the kind of action we expect from Congress and that we want them to co-sponsor and support this bill."

3. Protect our Votes is an organization that conducts “election, voting machine and ballot research on a state, county and precinct level.” Let’s check this out and see what we can learn and how we can help:https://www.protectourvotes.com/
The Final Stretch
This is it. We are in the final stretch before the midterm elections. It cannot be overstated how important it is that Democrats get elected in November. Every person needs to commit to helping increase voter turnout. Multiple studies have shown that personal contact with voters is the key to encouraging them to participate. Taking time to connect with someone fact to face (or almost as good-on the phone) can be enough to cause many people who never voted in the past to see themselves anew, as the sorts of people who regularly go to the polls on Election Day. In turn, voting even once can become habit forming, reinforcing self-identification as “a voter” long after the initial conversation with a canvasser. What is more, voter contacts have strong spillover effects within households, boosting participation by others as much as 60 percent. Largely regardless of the message, personal contact with reluctant voters — even once, but especially repeatedly — can shape the electorate dramatically. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/07/15/how-to-mobilize-reluctant-voters/
What’s the takeaway? Now is the time to volunteer with a campaign to canvass. Push yourself out of your comfort zone these next three months. Share your enthusiasm for the DFL with others in Minnesota communities. You can rest easy at night knowing that you are doing your best to take back this country.
Check out these calendars for upcoming events near you.
https://cd2action.com/calendar/
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ac5omvigbundbjhj2dbdna88hg%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America%2FChicago
Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day (Saturday, November 3rd–Tuesday, November 6th). Volunteer here to be part of the last big push. https://thelastweekend.org/?source=MN02
#StandOnEveryCorner
Join your neighbors to stand up against Trump and his terrible administration. #StandOnEveryCorner encourages all of us to get out in our communities and speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. right now. It’s simple and easy. Grab a sign and find a participating corner near you. Better yet, create your own corner and encourage others to join you. Learn more from this article here: http://www.startribune.com/new-hyperlocal-political-force-emerges-in-minnesota-and-across-u-s/488808521/
Or here: https://politicalcharge.org/2018/07/23/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-glance/
This tweet lists some of the participating spots. There are many in the Twin Cities. https://twitter.com/BenyonMelissa/status/1023331029719773184
Primaries are August 14th
Don’t forget to vote in the primaries by August 14th. Check out this website for more information on who’s running in Minnesota. https://politicalcharge.org/2018/07/23/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-glance/
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/

Friday 8/3 Call to Action

Friday
Election Security-America’s Anemic Response

Top national security officials vowed Thursday to defend American elections against what they called real threats from Russia only weeks after President Trump seemed to accept President Vladimir V. Putin’s denials of interference during a summit meeting in Finland. FBI director, Christopher Wray, director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, secretary of homeland security, Kirstjen Nielsen, national security adviser, John Bolton, and General Paul Nakasone, head of the National Security Agency were in attendance. The group sought to reassure voters that federal, state and local governments were taking steps to guard against Russia’s never-ending attempts to sow discord and affect our elections. With only ninety-something days left before the midterm election, this presentation seems way overdue. https://www.nytimes.com/…/russia-election-security-midterm.…

Senate Republicans shoot down extra funds for election security
Senate Republicans voted down a bid Wednesday to direct an extra $250 million toward election security in advance of the 2018 midterms, despite heightened warnings from intelligence officials that foreign governments will try to interfere in the contests and evidence that some lawmakers have already been targeted. https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/cac1750a-95a1-11e8-a679-b0…

The Secure Elections Act
Our very own Senator Amy Klobuchar along with Senator James Lankford have teamed up to create the Secure Elections Act. This bill would aim to get rid of paperless voting machines, incentivize states to perform post-election audits for most or even all elections, and finally expand information sharing regarding voting systems.
The bill is slated to be considered by the Senate Rules Committee later this month. In light of the GOP’s recent disinterest in even funding election security measures, the fate of this bill is unknown.
https://www.cnn.com/…/james-lankford-amy-klobuch…/index.html

Remember, Russians have already penetrated U.S. voter systems, top U.S. official says
U.S. cybersecurity official, Jeanette Manfra said in February that the Russians successfully penetrated the voter registration rolls of several U.S. states prior to the 2016 presidential election. It happened then and it’s bound to happen again in November. https://www.nbcnews.com/…/russians-penetrated-u-s-voter-sys…

Today, you could call Sen. Klobuchar and thank her for her continued efforts to keep Minnesota safe. Call Senator Tina Smith and encourage her to get vocal on this issue too. Luckily, Minnesota has some of the best voting practices in the United States. Let’s be sure we encourage everyone to get out and practice their right to vote in November.

Protect our Votes is an organization that conducts “election, voting machine and ballot research on a state, county and precinct level.” Let’s check this out and see what we can learn and how we can help:https://www.protectourvotes.com/

The Final Stretch
This is it. We are in the final stretch before the midterm elections. It cannot be overstated how important it is that Democrats get elected in November. Every person needs to commit to helping increase voter turnout. Multiple studies have shown that personal contact with voters is the key to encouraging them to participate. Taking time to connect with someone fact to face (or almost as good-on the phone) can be enough to cause many people who never voted in the past to see themselves anew, as the sorts of people who regularly go to the polls on Election Day. In turn, voting even once can become habit forming, reinforcing self-identification as “a voter” long after the initial conversation with a canvasser. What is more, voter contacts have strong spillover effects within households, boosting participation by others as much as 60 percent. Largely regardless of the message, personal contact with reluctant voters — even once, but especially repeatedly — can shape the electorate dramatically. https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/how-to-mobilize-reluctan…/…

What’s the takeaway? Now is the time to volunteer with a campaign to canvass. Push yourself out of your comfort zone these next three months. Share your enthusiasm for the DFL with others in Minnesota communities. You can rest easy at night knowing that you are doing your best to take back this country.

Check out these calendars for upcoming events near you.
https://cd2action.com/calendar/
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…

Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day (Saturday, November 3rd–Tuesday, November 6th). Volunteer here to be part of the last big push. https://thelastweekend.org/?source=MN02

#StandOnEveryCorner
Join your neighbors to stand up against Trump and his terrible administration. #StandOnEveryCorner encourages all of us to get out in our communities and speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. right now. It’s simple and easy. Grab a sign and find a participating corner near you. Better yet, create your own corner and encourage others to join you. Learn more from this article here: http://www.southwestjournal.com/…/honk-if-you-stand-with-s…/
Or here: http://www.startribune.com/new-hyperlocal-political-forc…/…/
This tweet lists some of the participating spots. There are many in the Twin Cities. https://twitter.com/BenyonMelissa/status/1023331029719773184

Primaries are August 14th
Don’t forget to vote in the primaries by August 14th. Check out this website for more information on who’s running in Minnesota. https://politicalcharge.org/…/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-…/

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/

YOUTUBE.COM

Alice Merton - Lash Out (Official Video)

Alice Merton new single "Lash Out" out now! http://smarturl.it/AliceMertonLashOut Follow Alice Merton ► on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/…

Thursday 8/2 Call to Action

Thursday 8/2

A lot is happening. Remember what is important in resisting. 

1. Black Lives Matter

This is such a difficult subject for me to bring up as I am a white female that has lived my entire life with white privilege, and yet I feel like we need to talk about it here. I’ve lived in my bubble most of my life thinking that our society had come far since the civil rights movement, because of what I read in history books, or because of what I watched on t.v. and how things were portrayed, and I’m waking up to the fact that we need to do better for people of color. 

I was in a meeting this last spring with parents who are sending their preschoolers off to kindergarten in the fall and everyone was talking about whether or not they would send their child on the bus. One of the mothers who happened to be a black woman had said that she would not be sending her daughter on the bus. I had said that I would send mine, because I rode the bus as a kid and it was a pleasant enough experience for me. Later that evening that conversation stuck with me. Of course she doesn’t feel comfortable sending her daughter on the bus. Her daughter may not have the same experience as mine would based on the color of their skin. How sad that in 2018 we still have these issues. A couple days later when we were at school dropping off kids I pulled that mother aside and let her know that conversation had stuck with me, that I recognized how her daughter and my daughter would have completely different experiences on the bus, that I recognized why she wanted to keep her daughter safe, and that I was sorry this still happens this day in age. 

There is a lot of ugliness in our country that is being brought into light, and for those of us that want the best for everyone and this country, now is the time to start understanding the changes that need to be made. Minnesota has real problems with racial profiling and police shootings of people of color. A study that was published in The Lancet showed that repeated shootings of unarmed black people weighs heavily on their mental health. 

“The report found that killings of unarmed black people by police officers damages the mental health of black Americans living in the state where the shooting occurred. Researchers reached that conclusion by analyzing data from the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System collected between 2013 and 2015, from which they determined that these shootings increase the number of poor mental health days black Americans experience. White Americans who were analyzed for the study reportedly showed that “mental health impacts were not observed.”

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/study-shows-police-shootings-are-hurting-black-peoples-mental-health?mbid=social_twitter

If we are taking on a President who is racist and has a racist base, then we need to look at where we live and make things better around us. 

“The defenders of segregation learned to speak their truths in code. Their demands for “local control” defended racial hierarchies that previous generations of policy and practice had baked into institutions, neighborhoods, and schools. Their language of “color-blindness” sought to neutralize historical accounting or reparation. Some, such as Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush advisor Lee Atwater, claimed that in trading overtly racist language for “forced busing, states rights, and all that stuff,” they were establishing a new, non-racial basis for their coalition—though Atwater’s deployment of the worst scare tactics of white supremacy in his 1988 “Willie Horton” ads showed that one did not need to use racial epithets to communicate openly racist messages. But for most aspiring political or civic figures, a degree of deniability seemed to become essential.”

http://bostonreview.net/race/stephen-kantrowitz-white-supremacy-has-always-been-mainstream#.W1ZGctpgGLt.twitter

What can we do to make things better? Let’s start by listening to black people. 

“Robin DiAngelo, a sociologist and the author of White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, says these videos make it much more difficult for white people to deny that profiling has occurred. “These incidents have always happened, but white people do not always believe it because it doesn’t happen to us,” DiAngelo told me. “The only real difference we have now is that we are able to record it in a way that makes it undeniable.””

“If the recent spate of incidents has sparked a conversation about why black people are met with so much suspicion in public, it’s important to ask why callers want police to respond to situations where they aren’t really needed.”

“That failure to acknowledge the depths and breadth of racism also makes it harder to acknowledge the ways that nonwhite groups are exposed to harm by actions like calling the police. In the short term, the problem highlighted by Living While Black can be solved by white people calling the police less. But addressing the underlying issues will require much more than that.”

https://www.vox.com/explainers/2018/8/1/17616528/racial-profiling-police-911-living-while-black

2. Trumpcare

Yesterday Trumpcare was rolled out and it is garbage, taking us back to pre-ACA days. 

““What’s insidious here is the administration is doing it knowing that confidence in the act is key to its success,” said Adam Grogg, senior counsel at Democracy Forward and the lead litigator on the case. The fewer Americans who enroll in the program the more volatile the market, he said.”

“Insurance companies are hiking rates in the individual market, citing decisions being made in Washington. And premiums are set to surge in 2019. Proposed hikes have been announced for 27 states, with 25 containing increases over and above the previous year.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-s-undermining-obamacare-violates-constitution-new-lawsuit-charges-n896626

Check out the thread from Andy Slavitt to get more information.

https://twitter.com/ASlavitt/status/1024789640283348995

3. Family separation

“Vox’s immigration reporter Dara Lind hosted a discussion in Vox’s Facebook group The Weeds, a space to discuss policy and politics, to talk about the latest developments in the lawsuit (filed by the ACLU in the Southern District of California) governing family reunification, how the administration is tracking where parents and children are, what factors determine whether parents can reunite with their children, and more.”

https://www.vox.com/2018/8/1/17631632/family-separation-border-policy-deadline-questions

“But many of the children released to their parents are exhibiting signs of anxiety, introversion, regression and other mental health issues, according to reports from lawyers, immigrant advocates and volunteers working with reunited families.”

“Decades of research have concluded that children traumatically separated from their parents have a high likelihood of developing emotional problems, cognitive delays and long-term trauma. More recent studies have found that separation can impair memory and normal production of cortisol, a hormone produced in response to stress.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/31/us/migrant-children-separation-anxiety.html#click=https://t.co/SJYnOBdvwG

Looking for a way to help?

https://www.gofundme.com/rebuild-lives-of-separated-families

4. Cyber security effort rejected

“The Senate fight over election security comes as lawmakers are signaling that they are increasingly concerned that Russia will try to interfere in the 2018 election.”

“Senators voted 50-47 against adding an amendment from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that would have provided the funding. Sixty votes were needed to include the proposal in the appropriations legislation under Senate rules.”

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/399885-senate-rejects-effort-to-beef-up-states-election-security-spending

5. The Final Stretch

This is it. We are in the final stretch before the midterm elections. It cannot be overstated how important it is that Democrats get elected in November. Every person needs to commit to helping increase voter turnout. Multiple studies have shown that personal contact with voters is the key to encouraging them to participate. Taking time to connect with someone fact to face (or almost as good-on the phone) can be enough to cause many people who never voted in the past to see themselves anew, as the sorts of people who regularly go to the polls on Election Day. In turn, voting even once can become habit forming, reinforcing self-identification as “a voter” long after the initial conversation with a canvasser. What is more, voter contacts have strong spillover effects within households, boosting participation by others as much as 60 percent. Largely regardless of the message, personal contact with reluctant voters — even once, but especially repeatedly — can shape the electorate dramatically. https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/how-to-mobilize-reluctant…/…

What’s the takeaway? Now is the time to volunteer with a campaign to canvass. Push yourself out of your comfort zone these next three months. Share your enthusiasm for the DFL with others in Minnesota communities. You can rest easy at night knowing that you are doing your best to take back this country.

Check out these calendars for upcoming events near you.

https://cd2action.com/calendar/

https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…

Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day (Saturday, November 3rd–Tuesday, November 6th). Volunteer here to be part of the last big push. https://thelastweekend.org/?source=MN02

#StandOnEveryCorner

Join your neighbors to stand up against Trump and his terrible administration. #StandOnEveryCorner encourages all of us to get out in our communities and speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. right now. It’s simple and easy. Grab a sign and find a participating corner near you. Better yet, create your own corner and encourage others to join you. Learn more from this article here: http://www.southwestjournal.com/…/honk-if-you-stand-with-s…/

Or here: http://www.startribune.com/new-hyperlocal-political-forc…/…/

This tweet lists some of the participating spots. There are many in the Twin Cities. https://twitter.com/BenyonMelissa/status/1023331029719773184

6. Primaries are August 14th

Don’t forget to vote in the primaries by August 14th. Check out this website for more information on who’s running in Minnesota. https://politicalcharge.org/…/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-…/

* New Podcast Alert *

The Weekly List.

The Weekly List is a podcast hosted by Amy Siskind, author of The List. It will supplement the popular Weekly List on our website, www.theweeklylist.org. The podcast will give greater context to the "not normal" news items from the previous week, and will highlight a few stories that you may have missed.

https://anchor.fm/the-weekly-list

Gaslit Nation

Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior go over hot topics. https://itunes.apple.com/…/2016-gaslit-year-p…/id1400926647…

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/

Wednesday 8/1 Call to Action

Wednesday

1.False Friends
The Russians are at it again. (Or did they never stop?)
Yesterday, news broke that Facebook had uncovered “sophisticated” efforts, possibly linked to Russia, to manipulate U.S. politics and by extension the upcoming midterm elections. 32 apparently fake accounts on Facebook and Instagram were removed because they involved “coordinated” and “inauthentic” political behavior. Nearly 300,00 people were following at least one of the newly banned accounts and thousands had RSVP’d to an event they promoted. The fake pages had names like, "Aztlan Warriors," ''Black Elevation," ''Mindful Being," and "Resisters"and were focused “exclusively at engaging and influencing the LEFT end of the American political spectrum”, according to Atlantic Council researchers.

An intelligence panel is scheduled to hold a hearing in early September with Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and an executive from Google to learn more. Keep an eye out for that.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/…/ct-facebook-election-interf…

Senator Klobuchar is working hard to pass the Honest Ads Act. https://www.warner.senate.gov/…/index.cfm/the-honest-ads-act Give her a call and thank her for her leadership.

2. Hackers Easily Hacked Our Voting Machines
Hackers from around the globe met in Los Vegas last week at a Defcon convention. The participants were given to opportunity to crack election-style voting machines. I am sorry to say that someone was able to successfully access a voting machine in only and hour and a half remotely via its Wi-Fi system. This news confirms that any state not using paper ballots is at risk in November. Thankfully, Minnesota is on board the paper ballot train. Congress should be working on preparing all states to have paper ballots, at least as a back up. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Congress is dragging its heels.
https://www.cbsnews.com/…/hackers-break-into-voting-machin…/

3. Our Electrical Grid Is Vulnerable Too
Intelligence officials have reported that Russian hackers are working hard to implant malicious software into the U. S. power grid. This puts us at risk for a catastrophic power failure that could disrupt our lives as we know it. The potential for a nationwide power failure on election day is clear.
Keep in mind that Republicans in the House voted against giving states funds to beef up their election security. The Trump administration has done nothing to address Russia’s interference from 2016 and in May, Trump eliminated the position of cybersecurity officer on the National Security Council. Despite their anemic words condemning the Russian attacks, the actions of Trump and Republicans in Congress are rolling out the red carpet for Russia to meddle in out midterm elections. http://thehill.com/…/399348-concerns-rise-about-russian-att…

Going forward, it is important that we are vigilant in sourcing our news to ensure it’s factual. Continue to contact your members of Congress and let them know that election safety is paramount. Most importantly, get out the vote. If Russia prevents us from casting our vote in November, out response will have to be overwhelming. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that but we must be prepared.

4. The Final Stretch
This is it. We are in the final stretch before the midterm elections. It cannot be overstated how important it is that Democrats get elected in November. Every person needs to commit to helping increase voter turnout. Multiple studies have shown that personal contact with voters is the key to encouraging them to participate. Taking time to connect with someone fact to face (or almost as good-on the phone) can be enough to cause many people who never voted in the past to see themselves anew, as the sorts of people who regularly go to the polls on Election Day. In turn, voting even once can become habit forming, reinforcing self-identification as “a voter” long after the initial conversation with a canvasser. What is more, voter contacts have strong spillover effects within households, boosting participation by others as much as 60 percent. Largely regardless of the message, personal contact with reluctant voters — even once, but especially repeatedly — can shape the electorate dramatically. https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/how-to-mobilize-reluctan…/…

What’s the takeaway? Now is the time to volunteer with a campaign to canvass. Push yourself out of your comfort zone these next three months. Share your enthusiasm for the DFL with others in Minnesota communities. You can rest easy at night knowing that you are doing your best to take back this country.

Check out these calendars for upcoming events near you.
https://cd2action.com/calendar/
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed…

Study after study shows that the most effective way to get people to vote is by having conversations with them in the four days before Election Day (Saturday, November 3rd–Tuesday, November 6th). Volunteer here to be part of the last big push. https://thelastweekend.org/?source=MN02

#StandOnEveryCorner
Join your neighbors to stand up against Trump and his terrible administration. #StandOnEveryCorner encourages all of us to get out in our communities and speak out about what’s happening in the U.S. right now. It’s simple and easy. Grab a sign and find a participating corner near you. Better yet, create your own corner and encourage others to join you. Learn more from this article here: http://www.southwestjournal.com/…/honk-if-you-stand-with-s…/
Or here: http://www.startribune.com/new-hyperlocal-political-forc…/…/
This tweet lists some of the participating spots. There are many in the Twin Cities. https://twitter.com/BenyonMelissa/status/1023331029719773184

4. Primaries are August 14th
Don’t forget to vote in the primaries by August 14th. Check out this website for more information on who’s running in Minnesota. https://politicalcharge.org/…/minnesota-8-14-primary-at-a-…/

* New Podcast Alert *

The Weekly List.
The Weekly List is a podcast hosted by Amy Siskind, author of The List. It will supplement the popular Weekly List on our website, www.theweeklylist.org. The podcast will give greater context to the "not normal" news items from the previous week, and will highlight a few stories that you may have missed.
https://anchor.fm/the-weekly-list

Gaslit Nation
Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior go over hot topics. https://itunes.apple.com/…/2016-gaslit-year-p…/id1400926647…

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/

YOUTUBE.COM

Tomorrow belongs to me Cabaret

A famous song from Cabaret movie (1972) with Liza Minelli, Joel Gray and Michael York. The rise of Nazi-party (NSDAP) in early 1930s in Germany is shown…