The Power of Many - Minnesota

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Wednesday 3/21 Call to Action

Wednesday

1. Omnibus Bill
Government funding is due to run out by Friday and Congress needs to pass an omnibus spending bill to avoid another shutdown. This bill will mark the biggest increase in federal spending in years. Let’s call our members of Congress today and encourage them to make this bill a good one. http://thehill.com/…/378862-congress-races-to-finish-12-tri…

Health Care:
The omnibus bill may include measures to stabilize the Affordable Care Act (good!) but Republicans want to attach a rule called the Hyde Amendment to it (bad!). The Hyde Amendment restricts federal money from being used to fund abortion. The GOP wants to expand that to prevent the government from providing money to any insurance plan that offers abortion coverage at all.
Republican also want to include a conscience protection clause that would protect health-care workers that have religious or moral objections to abortion.

Trump’s Border Wall:
The omnibus bill includes $21.5 BILLION in funding for Trump’s wall. It also finances 500 more Border Agents and 1000 more ICE agents.

Immigration:
The omnibus bill is an opportunity for Congress to finally find a solution for Dreamers. Read more here: https://docs.google.com/…/1yHE2OwGVapQLFQyyQzAG0DTa_Mo…/edit

Gun Safety:
Democrats have called for a repeal of the Dickey Amendment. This amendment passed in 1996, prevents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from studying gun violence. This amendment needs to go!

Russian Interference:
Democrats are looking for an extra $300 million for the FBI to combat Russian interference in out upcoming elections.

Puerto Rico Aid:
Did you know there are still Puerto Ricans living without electricity? Nuts! The omnibus bill would provide much needed disaster relief for the island.
Read more here:https://www.rollcall.com/…/pol…/omnibus-spending-bill-riders
Indivisible has a calling script for you: https://www.indivisible.org/r…/watch-march-23-spending-bill/

2. Protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The pressure on Trump is growing. If he makes a move to fire or block Special Counsel Robert Mueller, we must be ready to act. If you haven’t done so already, join MoveOn.org ‘s Nobody is Above the Law. We will march in the streets to let our government officials know we will not stand for this behavior. Sign up here: https://act.moveon.org/…/mueller-firing-rapid-respo…/search/

Call your members of Congress today and tell them to support the
Special Counsel Independence Protection Act
S1735 https://www.congress.gov/bi…/115th-congress/senate-bill/1735
HR 3654 https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3654
and The Special Counsel Integrity Act
S1741 https://www.congress.gov/bi…/115th-congress/senate-bill/1741
HR 3771 https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/3771

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.

Dates to Remember
March 24th March for Our Lives http://rallybus.net/march-for-our-lives/
Find an event in your area https://event.marchforourlives.com/…/march-our-live…/search/
April 20th #NationalSchoolWalkout
Find an event in your area http://act.indivisible.org/event/national-school-walkout/

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/

Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam

YOUTUBE.COM

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.

Catch up here: https://www.nytimes.com/…/cambridge-analytica-trump-campaig…
Or here: https://www.nytimes.com/…/cambridge-analytica-facebook-priv…

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…/

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message (Official Video)

Download The Message on iTunes - http://hyperurl.co/sgur7n…

YOUTUBE.COM

Monday, March 19, 2018

Monday 3/19 Call to Action

Monday

There was a whole bunch of news over the weekend about the Russia investigation.

Staff claim Cambridge Analytica ignored US ban on foreigners working on elections

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-non-american-employees-political?CMP=share_btn_fb

Russian-born businessman Felix Sater has confirmed a bombshell detail in the Russia investigation

http://www.businessinsider.com/felix-sater-confirms-trump-pursued-deal-with-sanctioned-russian-bank-2018-3

FBI Deputy Director fired.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/mccabe-trump-wants-destroy-me-stop-mueller-probe-n857501

A couple things from Rogan's list today.

1. Unless Congress acts soon, the government will once again face a shutdown this Friday. While there are efforts being made on an omnibus spending bill that would take us through the fiscal year instead of these weeks-long spending bills we’ve been seeing, there is much dissention about what should or should not be in the bill. Since the House Freedom Caucus is probably not going to support this bill, Democratic votes are needed, and we should insist that an amendment supporting Mueller's investigation be added.

2. The Senate will convene at 3pm on Monday to consider the motion to proceed to H.R.1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017. This bill has already passed in the House. Let's recall that HR1865 has opposition from support groups and workers in this industry as we can read here. If we have concerns about this bill, now is the time to tell our Senators.

https://reason.com/blog/2018/02/28/fosta

3. It's spring! Get ready for some (March) marches.

Dates to Remember
March 24th March for Our Lives http://rallybus.net/march-for-our-lives/
Find an event in your area https://event.marchforourlives.com/event/march-our-lives-events/search/?source=ggnp_mfl_b&utm_source=gg_mfl_b_&utm_medium=_p&utm_campaign=mfl_b
April 20th #NationalSchoolWalkout
Find an event in your area http://act.indivisible.org/event/national-school-walkout/

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, March 16, 2018

Friday 3/16 Call to Action

Friday
This has been a heavy week. I will keep today’s call to action simple.

With maturity beyond their years, kids all over America were shining examples of peaceful resistance against gun violence. http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-joins-national-scho…/…/

Now it’s our turn to help out. Let’s support kids in their efforts to make positive change. 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 a grand march 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.

You know what will give us the power to make positive change in our communities? Voting for leaders who want to serve their constituents. There is a wave of change happening. Let’s harness that wave by getting out the vote. Check out this post from CD2 Action and Postcards for USA Minnesota that lists four organizations you can join to help register voters and get them to the polls in November. We have to take back our government!https://cd2action.com/1533-2/

Why are we fighting? So no more families have to suffer the senseless loss of a loved one from gun violence. Read this interview of the Schentrup family who lost their daughter/sister, Carmen. https://www.npr.org/…/after-daughters-unimaginable-death-pa…

The Times They Are A Changin' Lyrics

I am not the artist of this song, just a fan.

YOUTUBE.COM

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Thursday 3/15 Call to Action

Thursday 3/15

1. DISARM Act

Congress needs to pass legislation to enforce existing sanctions and hold Russia accountable for its attack on our democracy. Since the poisoning of the former Russian spy in the UK, Prime Minister May has taken action and set out measures to strengthen their defenses against Russia. Meanwhile Trump has chosen to be mostly silent on this matter. Congress cannot ignore this threat even though Trump chooses to. Let’s tell Congress to pass the DISARM Act.

https://dennyheck.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-us-representatives-call-for-trump-administration-to

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/14/europe/theresa-may-reprisals-for-russian-spy-poisoning-intl/index.html

2. Pruitt for AG?

Something to stick a pin in. If Trump fires Jeff Sessions and appoints Scott Pruitt for Attorney General, he would need to go through a second Senate confirmation hearing because he would be moving to a different department. If he is confirmed he’d be able to fire Mueller since he is not recused from the Russia investigation.

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-may-fire-jeff-sessions-jeopardize-mueller-probe-2018-3

3. Local

Check out what is happening today in the Minnesota State Legislature today. Mostly bad but something that could use support.

https://mailchi.mp/e569cea7fcfa/watchyourrepsmn-action-alert-thursday-mar-15-update

4. Governor Dayton

Minnesota has soared under Governor Dayton’s leadership. If you didn’t get a chance to watch his final State of State Address you can watch it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUKfmMeZIbI#action=share

5. #NationalWalkoutDay

I am blown away by the activism by all the students across this country and their determination to stand up to the NRA and the lawmakers that are complicit. The kids are all right!

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/973949286357590018

6. Act of Terrorism

“Gov. Mark Dayton called out the Bloomington mosque bombing as an “act of terrorism” when he visited the site last August. The charges strongly suggest this is an accurate summation. This was not an “inside job” intended to create sympathy for Muslims, as some commentators claimed. Nor was it an act of patriotism, a delusion that the suspects harbored.

Instead, court documents suggest that the perpetrators were homegrown terrorists apparently radicalized in the tiny hamlet of Clarence, Ill. The proliferation of white-nationalist websites is frightening evidence that there are others out there with similar extreme beliefs. National security strategies must aggressively encompass this internal threat.

Reassurance is sorely needed from Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen that domestic terrorism is taken seriously and adequate resources are available to thwart it. A good first step: Trump doing what he hasn’t so far — condemning the Bloomington mosque bombing in the same way as Dayton, as an “act of terrorism.””

http://www.startribune.com/charges-make-clear-that-bloomington-mosque-bombing-was-an-act-of-terrorism/476879053/

March 24th March for Our Lives http://rallybus.net/march-for-our-lives/

Find an event in your area https://event.marchforourlives.com/…/march-our-live…/search/

April 20th #NationalSchoolWalkout

Find an event in your area http://act.indivisible.org/event/national-school-walkout/

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, March 14, 2018

Wedesday 3/14 Call to Action

Wednesday
Holy buckets! The news is coming at us fast.

1. Yesterday, Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson via tweet. No one is sure exactly why, but rumors are flying that it’s because Tillerson spoke publicly against Russia. (https://www.cnbc.com/…/tillerson-poison-used-on-ex-spy-came…) Tillerson was Secretary of State for a little over a year, but in that time he slashed the State Department considerably. 60 percent of the State’s top-ranking diplomats resigned and new applications to join the foreign service fell by half. This will have an effect on the State Department for years to come.
https://www.vox.com/…/…/rex-tillerson-fired-state-department

Even so, Trump’s named replacement, CIA Director Mike Pompeo, may be far worse than Tillerson. Pompeo is hyper-partisan, and has a fishy background with the Benghazi investigation and torture. Minnesota’s own Congresswomen Betty McCollum put out a statement yesterday about Pompeo.
“I served in the House with Mike Pompeo and I can think of few people more ill-suited to be Secretary of State.
“Mr. Pompeo has opposed international engagement, undermined the Iran nuclear agreement, and advocated for torture. He was a ringleader wasting millions of dollars on the Benghazi witch hunt and he has shown his ultimate loyalty is to President Trump by downplaying his own Intelligence Community’s findings that Russia attacked our democracy to help then-candidate Trump.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/…/who-mike-pompeo-donald-trump-s-pi…

Pompeo will need to be confirmed by the Senate, so today would be a great day to start calling our senators and let them know that Pompeo is a bad choice for Secretary of State.

If Pompeo is confirmed as Secretary of State, Trump will nominate Gina Haspel as the new CIA director. She would become the first woman to lead the CIA, but Haspel has a storied past.
According to the ACLU, Haspel ran a prison in Thailand notorious for torture. She oversaw the mistreatment of prisoners including waterboarding. Allegedly, she also destroyed videotapes that revealed torture crimes. Yuck!
https://www.politico.com/…/2018/03/13/gina-haspel-cia-458726

Ms. Haspel will also need to be confirmed by the Senate. While your on the phone about Pompeo, you can tell Senators Klobuchar and Smith to vote no on Haspel.

More people got fired or quit yesterday too! It’s a revolving door at the White House.
http://thehill.com/…/378078-trumps-personal-assistant-john-…

http://thehill.com/…/378281-maddow-expands-wall-of-trump-ad…

2. Pennsylvania Special Election
Did you hear? In the special election for Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district, the Democrat, Conor Lamb, is the probable winner! Lamb’s lead right now is razor thin, so the addition of absentee ballots and a possible recount may change the outcome. In a district that went to Trump by 20 points in 2016, this is a huge accomplishment.
https://www.nytimes.com/…/pennsylvania-congressional-race-c…

The results of this election bode well for Democrats in the midterms this November. Now is not the time to get complacent, however. We can only change our government if we get out the vote. Make a commitment today to help with a local campaign. All hands on deck!
https://www.vox.com/…/pennsylvania-2018-special-election-re…

3. Guns in America
Students in schools all over the United States are planning to walk out of their classrooms today at 10 a.m. to protest gun violence. The protest will last 17 minutes to honor the lives lost in last month’s Florida school shooting.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/…/students-have-just-had-e…/…

Do you have time to join them? Check out this website and see if there is a school participating near you. March 14th Join the Women’s March Youth Empower Groups, #ENOUGH National School Walkout https://www.womensmarch.com/enough

In honor of the countless lives lost to gun violence, give your state and federal members of Congress a call and ask them what steps they are taking to curb deaths by gun violence.

Four Minnesota state senators have proposed a bill that would require universal background checks for gun sales and transfers. The bill would also make it mandatory to report lost of stolen firearms. Read more here: http://www.startribune.com/state-senators-proposal-unive…/…/

Read about Fred Guttenberg, father of one of the children killed in the Florida high shooting, fighting for change. https://www.theguardian.com/…/after-losing-his-daughter-flo…

Need an argument against arming teachers in schools? A teacher, who is also a reserve police officer, accidentally discharged a gun in school, injuring one student.
https://www.cbsnews.com/…/teacher-reserve-cop-accidentally…/

-0:27

8,699 Views

Keith Ellison

15 hrs

7,000 shoes on the Capitol lawn today to memorialize 7,000 children killed since Sandy Hook. Republican leadership still behaves as if gunmakers' profits are more important than human lives. I hope Avaaz's protest helps them understand the cost of their inaction.