|
May 2023
“There is nothing we cannot do, if we do it TOGETHER.”
—Joe Biden
Celebrate International Worker’s Day, Mother’s Day and Fight the threat of default on our commitments. Fight for our Freedom, Social Security, Veteran’s benefits, and more!
| |
|
President Joe Biden Announces Re-Election Bid
“The question we are facing is will we have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer. This is not a time to be complacent. To fight for our democracy. This shouldn’t be a red or blue issue. To protect our rights. To make sure that everyone in this country is treated equally. And that everyone is given a fair shot at making it. But, you know, around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take on those bedrock freedoms.”
| |
MAGA Default on Commitments | |
|
May Day: Celebrate by Fighting for Unions & Better Wages! Solidarity! | |
|
International Workers’ Day, also known as Labor Day in most countries and often referred to as May Day, is a celebration of working people that is promoted by the international labor movement and occurs every year on May Day (May 1).
Biden’s 12.6m jobs is 6 times as many jobs as were created in the 16 years of the last 3 Republican Presidencies, combined. “Wall Street didn’t build this country. The middle class built this country. And unions build the middle class.” – President Biden
Workers are rising up across the country to unionize and demand better wages and rights – like Amazon workers, LA Teachers, Starbucks workers, railroad workers, Iowa Tyson meatpacker workers, and many more across the country.
| |
Clarence Thomas Must Resign. | |
When a justice brazenly violates the law, he cannot be trusted to uphold that law. Supreme Court Justice Thomas has abused the power of his office for personal gain and given the American people more than reasonable apprehensions about whether he can be impartial on matters of the greatest public importance. Justice Thomas should resign. | |
“More than one in every five adults is a family caregiver. This order recognizes the labor of love and makes sure family caregivers are involved and informed when a hospital discharges the one they love, that the caregivers know about the Medicare benefits their loved one qualifies for, that caregivers of veterans have access to mental health support.” – President Biden | | Caregiving in this country has been historically undervalued and underpaid, because of who it’s been associated with – women in our families, and Black women and women of color who represent the majority of the care workforce today. Biden’s executive order is the most comprehensive set of actions on care EVER and will create a roadmap for federal agencies to drastically improve care programs for parents, family caregivers, disabled people, aging adults, veterans, direct care workers, child care workers, and Indigenous communities. This will make childcare and aging more affordable, improve access to care for veterans, and ensure care jobs are good jobs. | |
|
Donald Trump appeared for a deposition on April 6 in a New York civil lawsuit alleging fraud in past business practices, the latest legal imbroglio for the recently indicted ex-president. New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Trump and his family-run business for fraud, alleging that they overvalued property holdings in order to obtain favorable bank loans. The lawsuit seeks $250 million in damages and other sanctions that could shutter the former president’s namesake business, the Trump Organization.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is suing House Republicans to prevent them from subpoenaing a former assistant DA who has criticized aspects of Bragg’s investigation into former President Donald Trump. The subpoena is an extraordinary escalation of the clash between the House Judiciary Committee and Bragg’s office, which is prosecuting the former president for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money scheme.
A special grand jury that investigated election interference by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies in Georgia recommended indictments for multiple people on a range of charges in its final report, most of which remains sealed. The investigation in Atlanta has been seen as one of the most significant legal threats to Mr. Trump as he begins another run for the presidency. The investigation in Atlanta has been seen as one of the most significant legal threats to Mr. Trump as he begins another run for the presidency.
| |
Defend Our Bodies and Our Freedom. | |
|
“It’s a horrific situation right now. People will be harmed, some may even die. The actions of anti-abortion activists, who have been accused of judge-shopping to get the decisions they want, is an unprecedented attack on democracy meant to undermine the will of the vast majority of Americans who want this pill — mifepristone — to remain legal and available. his is a further weaponization of the courts to brazenly advance the end goal of banning abortion entirely,” – Heather Booth
Full Article Here
| |
|
In the Texas case, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al, the plaintiffs asked the court to order the FDA to rescind its approval of mifepristone from more than 20 years ago, in order to remove it from the market – which is the most commonly used pill in medication abortion. This case was deliberately filed in the Amarillo division of the Northern District of Texas, a single-judge division where the cases are automatically assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk.
On April 21st, the Supreme Court of the United States granted the stay requested by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Danco in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al. allowing mifepristone’s FDA approval to remain unchanged as the case proceeds through the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
The consequences of this case could be incredibly far-reaching — and go as far as taking mifepristone entirely off the market nationwide — even in states where abortion is accessible and protected.
| | |
We Need Humane Immigration Policies. | |
|
The Fairness to Freedom Act of 2023, introduced by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker and Reps. Norma Torres, Pramila Jayapal and Grace Meng and co-sponsored by Sens. Alex Padilla, Ed Markey, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, would establish the right to federally funded, full-scope legal representation, require the government to facilitate access to counsel for people in its custody, and establish the Office of Immigration Representation to oversee a new national system of representation and work with existing state and locally funded removal defense programs. Please reach out to your Congressional members and ask them to cosponsor the Fairness to Freedom Act using this template email language. Here is a Social Media Toolkit to help amplify messaging on this as well.
| President Biden is announcing a plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients. If finalized, the rule will make DACA recipients eligible for these programs for the first time ever. | |
Mother’s Day. May 14, 2023. | |
A precursor to Mother’s Day came from the abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe, who is best known for writing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”. In 1870 Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace. In 1873 Howe campaigned for a “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. | |
Organize with Love at the Center. | |
We Remember Harry Belafonte, Civil Rights Activist. | |
Harry Belafonte, the singer, actor and activist who broke one barrier after another in his tireless fight for equality and civil rights, died on April 25. He actively supported SNCC and so many other freedom struggles. More here. | |
Heather at 18 playing guitar for Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer and two of her friends in Ruleville, MS.
Photo by Wallace I. Roberts/Courtesy Roberts family
| |
When we organize, we can change the world. | | |
|
|
We are so glad to be your partner in this movement for democracy and justice for all.
– Heather Booth and the Team
| |
Newsletter Designed by Cara Homick | | | | |
