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OCTOBER 2023
Reckless Republican Government Shutdown, Workers Rising, Races to Watch, Trump Crimes, Gun Violence Prevention!
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Reckless MAGA Republican Extremism to Shut Down Government and HARM Families – delaying Social Security, Medicare checks and IRS returns, harming service members, food safety, education funding and more. | |
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“We could be facing a government shutdown if Republicans in the House of Representatives don’t do their job. There’s no reason for us to be in this position. Just a few months ago, after a long negotiation between myself and the Republican Speaker of the House, we came to an agreement on spending levels for the government that will fund essential domestic, and national security priorities while still cutting the deficit over $1 trillion over the next decade. Now, there’s a small group of extreme House Republicans who don’t want to live up to that deal. So they’re determined to shut down the government – and it makes no sense.”
Senate leaders reveal bipartisan plan to avert shutdown for 7 weeks, hoping to pass a bill through both chambers of Congress within five days — and little room for error. The temporary spending bill, called a continuing resolution, would fund federal agencies at current levels through Nov. 17, setting up another government funding deadline before Thanksgiving rather than at midnight on Saturday.
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Solidarity with Striking Workers! The First Time a President has EVER Joined the Picket Line! | |
United Auto Workers: Since 2019: Inflation is up 18%. Autoworker pay is up 6%. Ford, GM, & Stellantis CEO pay is up 40%. The Big Three have made $250,000,000,000 in profits. 150,000 autoworkers’ contracts expired on September 14th. Workers need Cost-of-Living Adjustments now. President Biden became the first president to join the picket lines urging workers to “stick with it,” in an unparalleled show of support for organized labor. President Biden said, “The fact of the matter is that you guys, the UAW, you saved the automobile industry back in 2008 … you made a lot of sacrifices. You gave up a lot. And the companies were in trouble. Now they’re doing incredibly well and guess what? You should be doing incredibly well.” | |
UPS:Teamsters: Winning for their members and improving lives! The union representing more than 340,000 UPS employees announced that its members had ratified a new labor agreement with the shipping giant that includes wage gains of at least $7.50 an hour for current employees over its five-year term. It also raises the minimum pay for part-time workers to $21 an hour from under $17, and raises the top rate for full-time delivery drivers to about $49 from $42.
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 |  | SAG-AFTRA Writers/Actors: The Writers Guild of America reached a tentative deal with top entertainment companies on a new contract, ending one of Hollywood’s longest labor disputes and moving the industry closer to restarting. The Writers Guild was able to secure concessions on most of their demands from the studios, including increases in royalty payments for streaming content and guarantees that artificial intelligence will not encroach on writers’ credits and compensation. After 146 days on strike, the deal was reached after five consecutive days of negotiations. Various leadership boards of the Writers Guild are set to vote on whether to approve the contract on Tuesday. If it is approved, the 11,000 or so writers who are members of the guild will then vote to ratify the contract. Hollywood actors remain on strike with no talks yet on the horizon. SAG-AFTRA members voted unanimously on Monday to authorize a strike against the video game industry, citing concerns including “the exploitative uses of AI and lagging wages.”
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Fighting the Climate Crisis | |
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Key Races to Watch in 2023: OH, VA, PA, KY, MS, LA. | |
Critical races are on the horizon! Get informed and Get Out the Vote! Guides.Vote has nonpartisan guides now available for key fall races. Partners from Black Voters Matter, NAACP, and Center for Common Ground to groups engaging students say they’ve been extremely helpful to get reluctant and cynical voters to the polls. | |
Tommy Tuberville’s Blockade Against Troops and Women. | |
AP News: Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is waging an unprecedented campaign to try to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions, forcing less experienced leaders into top jobs and raising concerns at the Pentagon about military readiness. Senators in both parties — including Republican Leader Mitch McConnell — have pushed back on Tuberville’s blockade, but Tuberville is dug in. | |
Criminal Trump’s Attacks on America. | |
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Former President Donald Trump and 18 others were indicted by a grand jury in Georgia in connection with their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. A total of 41 charges were filed against 19 individuals, including Trump’s former White House chief of staff, a handful of his former lawyers, and several so-called false electors who have been accused of helping Trump seek to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 win in Georgia. They collectively face a gamut of different charges but are all being prosecuted under Georgia’s anti-racketeering law for conspiring to nullify the election. Recently, the judge granted DA Fani Willis’ request to keep the juror’s identity secret, further ordering they are identified only by their numbers in court filings while the trial is pending, and prohibited disclosing juror information that would reveal their identities, including names, addresses, telephone numbers or identifying employment information.
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The Department of Justice’s indictment marked the first time in history a former president has been charged by the Justice Department. Trump’s prosecution is the culmination of a nearly two-year-long effort by the U.S. government to recover records from his South Florida property, Mar-a-Lago, after his presidency ended in January 2021. Recently, Special counsel Jack Smith has asked the federal judge overseeing the case against Donald Trump for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election to limit what the former president can say publicly about the case, accusing him of making “inflammatory public statements” aimed at influencing potential jurors and intimidating witnesses. Trump is even calling on Republicans to shut down the government to block DOJ charges.
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A judge has ruled that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House. Judge Arthur Engoron found that the former president and his company deceived banks, insurers, and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing financing.
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A federal judge found Trump liable in 2nd E. Jean Carroll defamation suit.
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Tiffany Loftin shared a conversation with Heather Booth to discuss the power of movements and the impact of various movements and campaigns in shaping our society. They share their thoughts on freedom and the role of love in pursuing it. This episode is a profound exploration of freedom, love, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
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In this episode of, My Blunt Truth: Candi speaks with Denise Harrington (Advocacy Chair of the LWV-VA) and Heather Booth (Organizer of The JANE Movement) about women’s reproductive health. Listen here!
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When we organize, we can change the world. | | |
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We are so glad to be your partner in this movement for democracy and justice for all.
– Heather Booth and the Team
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Newsletter Designed by Cara Homick | | | | |
