[mpen-dayton4] FW: "Medicaid Renewals" & "BREAKING: Bernie Sanders" & "#Asians4BlackLives: Support #BaltimoreUprising" & "The Warren Wall Street Agenda" & "Justice for Freddie Gray! " and more
FYI. Best, Munsup
P.S. "He who dares not offend cannot be honest" - Thomas Paine
P.P.S. Please reply back to me with 'unsubscribe' on the subject line if you no longer want to receive my e-Newsletters. The convenient link to unsubscribe is no longer available due to security reasons.
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· FW: Medicaid Renewals
· FW: BREAKING: Bernie Sanders
· FW: Tax Ben & Jerry - Please sign and share this petition
· FW: FOR THE GOP, IT'S THE BILLIONAIRES' PRIMARY
· FW: Right-wing billionaires <3 the GOP candidates. And you better believe the candidates <3 them back!
· FW: #Asians4BlackLives: Support #BaltimoreUprising
· FW: The Warren Wall Street Agenda
· FW: I'm 100% with Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown
· FW: Sign the petition: President Obama must release the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
· FW: Unions hate it. Enviros hate it. We hate it too.
· FW: Freddie Gray Severed His Own Spine Just Like Steve Biko Died of a 'Hunger Strike'
· FW: Justice for Freddie Gray!
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From: Cheryl Scroggins
Subject: FW: Medicaid Renewals by Redetermination
Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM)
Medicaid Redetermination
Important Change for Our Consumers
Both Medicaid and MyCare Ohio consumers are required to renew their eligibility for Medicaid benefits every 12 months. This process is known as Medicaid redetermination or Medicaid renewal. If consumers do not verify their household income with Job and Family Services (JFS) office, they may lose their Medicaid coverage.
As of January 2015, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) will send renewal forms to Medicaid consumers 45 days prior to the deadline to verify their income. Consumers can also choose passive verification, which will automatically verify eligibility every 12 months for up to five years. If consumers have already renewed their Medicaid benefits in the past 12 months, they do not need to verify their income again for another 12 months.
ODM could not perform eligibility redeterminations in the first three months of 2014 for people in the new Adult Extension group. After that, ODM was granted a nine-month waiver of redetermination while it implemented the new Ohio Benefits eligibility system. In total, Medicaid redetermination was not performed regularly for 12 months. Now that Ohio is required to restart the redetermination process, many Medicaid consumers may not be familiar with the Medicaid redetermination process, which could result in a loss of their insurance coverage.
To learn more about Medicaid redetermination, call the local CDJFS office.
From: DNC 2016
Subject: BREAKING: Bernie Sanders
Breaking 2016 news: Senator Bernie Sanders just announced that he is running for president.
We're more than a year away from the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia -- when we'll actually choose our Democratic nominee and the 45th President of the United States. But we know one thing for sure: Having a wide range of progressive views in this race is good for the dialogue of our party and for our country.
And Bernie Sanders is a progressive champion. He's represented the people of Vermont for years in the Senate after 16 years in the House of Representatives. Throughout his career, he's been a fierce advocate for working families and has a strong record of supporting equal pay for women, working to raise the minimum wage, taking action on climate change, and fighting for an economy that works for the middle class. We couldn't be more excited to hear him to say he's in.
So can you take a second to show you're in for 2016 as well?
http://my.democrats.org/Bernie-Sanders
No matter what, Democrats share a set of principles that will ensure that President Obama's progress is defended and advanced. America will be a better place with a Democrat in the Oval Office, and this is a critical time in the race to support our party.
So welcome, Sen. Sanders, and thank you for saying you're in for 2016!
We'll keep you updated.
P.S. -- We can't put a great Democrat in the White House unless we hit the ground running. Can you chip in $10 or more before midnight to help us hit our 50,000 grassroots donation goal for this month? https://my.democrats.org/April-Deadline
Paid for by the Democratic National Committee, 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington DC 20003 and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not tax deductible.
This email was sent to mseoh@siscom.net. If this isn't the best email address at which to reach you, update your contact information. Our email list is the best way we have of staying in regular contact with supporters like you across the country and letting you know about the work President Obama and other Democrats are doing. If you like staying in touch, but want to receive only the most important messages, click here. Click here to unsubscribe from our supporter list, but if you leave, it will be harder for you to stay involved in the organization that you've been such a critical part of. This organization is powered by you, and we'd love to hear your ideas. Send us any comments, criticisms, or feedback here, or just reply to this email! Thanks for supporting President Obama and other Democrats
From: MARGARET PETERS
Subject: Tax Ben & Jerry - Please sign and share this petition
Hi, I signed a petition to Senate Democrats which says: "If Senate and House Republicans have their way, they will eliminate the estate tax, which affects only the wealthiest 0.2% of taxpayers. Repealing the estate tax would hurt our economy and be fundamentally unfair. Senate Democrats: Stand with us—and stay united against the repeal.";
Will you sign this petition? Click here: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stand-with-ben-jerryby-1?source=s.em.mt&r_by=315978
From: albert baca
Subject: Fw: FOR THE GOP, IT'S THE BILLIONAIRES' PRIMARY
MUST READ FOR ALL POLITICAL JUNKIES
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0422-mcmanus-politics-megadonors-koch-20150422-column.html
FOR THE GOP, IT'S THE BILLIONAIRES' PRIMARY
Doyle McManus (doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com, Twitter: @doylemcmanus)
Los Angeles Times
The Republican race has devolved into a battle among headstrong billionaires, each with a pet candidate
The most important players in presidential politics aren't the candidates; they're the mega-donors
The news that delivered the biggest jolt to the 2016 presidential campaign this week wasn't anything the candidates said or did.
It was an offhand comment from a billionaire, David H. Koch, at a dinner of wealthy Republicans in New York. "Scott Walker is terrific," Koch told a reporter for the New York Observer. "He's a tremendous candidate."
The New York Times reported that Koch was essentially endorsing the Wisconsin governor as his favorite in the GOP race. It sounded as if the Koch primary, in which Republicans compete to unlock billions of dollars from a network of conservative donors, was over.
Until Koch walked it back, that is. "I am not endorsing or supporting any candidate for president at this point in time," he said. Koch says he and his brother, Charles G. Koch, still intend to remain neutral in the GOP primaries — although they do intend to summon candidates to a round of auditions this summer.
That's where the action is right now in the not-very-majestic process by which we are choosing our next president. The most important players aren't the candidates; they're the mega-donors. In American politics, money talks.
That's always been true, of course. But this year, we're reaching new lows: The Republican race has devolved into a battle among headstrong billionaires, each with a pet candidate.
David Koch, whose family made its money in coal, has Walker. (For all his protestations of neutrality, Koch sounded pretty smitten.) Norman Braman, who owns 23 car dealerships, has Marco Rubio. Robert Mercer, a New York hedge fund manager, has Ted Cruz. Foster Friess, an investment manager, has Rick Santorum.(Yes, Santorum is still in the running — thanks in large part to the generosity of Friess.)
The biggest mega-donor of them all, Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, is still playing hard to get. All the candidates, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, are courting him.
THERE'S SOMETHING GROTESQUE ABOUT A PROCESS THAT REQUIRES SERIOUS POLITICIANS TO HOVER ANXIOUSLY AROUND A FEW DONORS WHO CAN MAKE OR BREAK A CAMPAIGN AT WHIM.
The most important players aren't the candidates; they're the mega-donors.
And no, this isn't a rant about the Republican Party. I have no doubt that plenty of Democratic candidates would do pretty much the same thing. It just happens that there's not much of a contest yet on the Democratic side this year — but a wide-open race on the GOP side, and that has brought the .01% out to play.
The race for big money is bigger this year than in previous cycles for another reason: Campaigns are still discovering how they can exploit the freedom from regulation that the Supreme Court has granted since its Citizens United decision in 2010. - - Old Al: This is a very important point. Let's call it a lesson TO BE learned.
Most of the new money is being funneled through single-candidate "super PACs": fundraising committees set up to promote individual candidates. That was a new and experimental idea when President Obama and Mitt Romney first tried it in 2012, but now everybody has one. Cruz has four, each one directed by an individual mega-donor. Hillary Rodham Clinton has at least two.
On paper, a super PAC, which can take unlimited donations, can't coordinate what it does with a candidate's official campaign committee. In practice, there are plenty of ways around that rule. Bush, for example, just put his super PAC in the hands of Mark Murphy, who has worked for him in past elections; Murphy won't have much difficulty figuring out what his television commercials should say, even if he can't attend meetings at campaign headquarters.
But super PACs won't just help a candidate amplify his message; they'll also help determine who gets to be a candidate in the first place. A candidate with a billionaire in hand has a guaranteed place in early primaries even if he has neither grass-roots nor party support. (Think Newt Gingrich in 2012.) On the other hand, a candidate without billionaires may not be able to run a viable campaign at all. (Sen. Bernie Sanders, the independent Vermont socialist, said that problem is weighing on him as he considers whether to run.)
Campaign finance reform has historically been a low priority for most Americans. When the Pew Research Center asked voters in 2012 to rank their concerns, campaign finance was near the bottom.
This year could be different. Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg says public alarm is rising, and he's advised candidates to put reform on their list of promises (as Clinton did last week).
It's too late for significant changes this cycle. A constitutional amendment to reimpose contribution limits, which Clinton suggested she favors, would take years to pass. Democrats have proposed legislation to increase disclosure and provide federal matching funds for small donations, but their bills have stalled. Republicans have said they'd support more disclosure if all contribution limits were abolished, but that proposal isn't moving either.
If, however, voters demand change from the candidates, it's just possible that 2016 could be remembered as the year the tide of money crested, instead of just another campaign that saw the dollars rise. Meanwhile, maybe we should ask for an interim measure. INSTEAD OF DEBATES AMONG THE CANDIDATES, LET'S GO STRAIGHT TO THE TOP — AND ASK FOR DEBATES AMONG THEIR DONORS INSTEAD. Old Alseconds that notion.
Copyright © 2015, Los Angeles Times
From: StopTheRight@pfaw.org
Subject: Right-wing billionaires <3 the GOP candidates. And you better believe the candidates <3 them back!
A new message from your friends at People For the American 
Source:
LA Times: For the GOP, it's the billionaires' primary
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0422-mcmanus-politics-megadonors-koch-20150422-column.html
From: PaKou Her, 18MillionRising.org
Subject: #Asians4BlackLives: Support #BaltimoreUprising
This morning, my 6-year old daughter caught less than a minute of television news coverage about the wave of protests in the aftermath of Freddie Gray's death while he was in the custody of Baltimore police officers.1 She turned to me and said, "Mommy, I think the police hurt a Black person." I replied truthfully, saying, "Yes, I think they did."
As the nation's eyes turn toward Baltimore, it can be easy to feel hopeless, exhausted, and spent. As Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, it can be tempting to turn away and tell ourselves that while this is horrible, we are not Black America.
But if there's anything we've learned from Ferguson, it's that Black America's struggle against the long arm of police brutality is a struggle in which we're all intertwined.2 As AAPIs, we can choose to be silently complicit with the status quo, or we can pick up the mantle of #Asians4BlackLives.
At 18MR, we're doing the latter – and we want you join us.
No matter where you live, you can support the organizers and activists who are trying to make a difference in Baltimore. Here are 3 things you can do right now to help:
1. Donate to the #BaltimoreUprising legal defense fund to ensure that every person arrested during the rebellion in Baltimore has access to proper legal representation, regardless of the charges.
2. Follow and share the real stories of what's happening from people who are living and organizing in Baltimore. We suggest you start with these folks on Twitter. You can also Tweet and post status updates using the hashtags #BaltimoreUprising, #FreddieGray, #BlackLivesMatter, and #Asians4BlackLives.
3. Demand police accountability in the death of Freddie Gray. By adding your name to Color of Change's petition, you can help increase the pressure on Maryland's Governor Hogan to ensure he puts in place the necessary independent oversight required to bring Gray's killer to justice and overhaul the Baltimore police department.
Sadly, as AAPIs, we face yet another moment that demands our solidarity, support, and allyship. I urge you to join me and others at 18MR to make the right choice today by supporting those in Baltimore fighting for their dignity, humanity, and lives.
Help me tell my daughter that while it's true that the police are hurting – and killing – Black people, many of us are fighting to make it stop.
[1] The Mysterious Death of Freddie Gray The Atlantic, 4/22/2015
[2] Why Ferguson Matters to Asian Americans RaceFiles, 8/20/2014
From: AlterNet (Murshed Zaheed; Deputy Political Director, CREDO Action from Working Assets )
Subject: The Warren Wall Street Agenda
This message was sent to you by AlterNet on behalf of CREDO Action:
Tell Democratic leaders: Endorse the Warren Wall Street reform agenda
Petition to leaders of the Democratic party, including President Obama, Congressional leaders, and presidential candidates such as Secretary Hillary Clinton: "Publicly endorse Senator Elizabeth Warren's recently announced agenda to reform Wall Street, including ending slaps on the wrist for law-breaking and breaking up too-big-to-fail banks."
Add your name:
|
Senator Elizabeth Warren just laid out a Wall Street reform agenda that every single Democrat should get behind.
In a recent major speech, Senator Warren hammered regulators who have gone soft on Wall Street by providing slaps on the wrist instead of jail time for cheating their customers. She called for ending tax giveaways to large banks, and outlined why we need to finally break up the too-big-to-fail banks.1
Senator Warren's plan is simple, straightforward, and after the financial crash of 2007 and 2008, it should be common-sense. If a Democratic politician can't get behind this, that person probably shouldn't be leading other Democrats in the House, Senate, or in the White House.
At a time when the corporate shills in the Democratic party are increasingly voting with Republicans in Congress to gut the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, Senator Warren spoke the truth about what's really going on. "Republicans claim loudly and repeatedly that they support competitive markets," she said, "but their approach to financial regulation is pure crony capitalism that helps the rich and the powerful protect and expand their power and leaves everyone else behind."2
Most importantly, the senator from Massachusetts laid out a simple, no-nonsense agenda to complete the "unfinished business" of Wall Street reform3:
* Hold financial institutions and individuals accountable for cheating customers. Stop offering "deferred prosecution" get-out-of-jail-free cards and giving special status to companies that were already caught breaking the law. Impose mandatory fines equal to the profits from illegal conduct. Make the governors of the Federal Reserve personally approve all settlement deals, and close the loophole that prevents the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from protecting people buying a car.4
* Stop financial institutions from passing risk on to taxpayers. Cap the size of big banks and break them up if they grow too large. Restrict the Federal Reserve's emergency lending authority so banks know they won't get a bailout for bad behavior. Pass the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act to reinstate the barrier between commercial and investment banking that once prevented financial crises for decades.5
* Change tax policies that encourage excessive risk-taking and financial instability. Reduce risky and pointless speculation with a small sales tax on certain financial transactions, like the one proposed by Representative Keith Ellison and backed by more than 65,000 CREDO members.6 Force companies to rely less on debt by ending the tax-deductibility of interest payments, and close the loophole that allows big companies to write off billions in bonuses for top executives.7
* Create simple, structural rules for regulating the shadow banking sector. Companies that act just like banks but aren't regulated like banks pose a massive risk to the financial system, and it is time regulators took the threat seriously.8
"The fight over financial reform can't be over to back up a little or to back up a lot," Warren told reporters. "It has to be about finishing the job."9 She's right -- and so we need to demand that every Democrat get behind this agenda and commit to making it law.
Senator Warren also aimed her fire at regulators like the Justice Department, Federal Reserve, and Securities and Exchange Commission for fostering a culture where big banks and corporations can break the law and get away with settlements and slaps on the wrist, suffering no jail time or even real consequences. Her plan demands something from everyone -- from Congress, to the administration, to regulatory agencies -- and Wall Street will fight it tooth and nail.
This is an agenda that can win the support of Americans disillusioned with a rigged game, and end the crony capitalism that makes us all poorer. Hundreds of thousands of CREDO members have already demanded that Democrats protect Wall Street reform and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau -- now it is time to demand they set their sights on finishing the job. If Democratic leaders want to unequivocally show they stand with working people, not Wall Street bankers, they should immediately endorse Warren's "Unfinished Business" agenda.
Tell Democratic leaders: Endorse the Warren Wall Street reform agenda. Click below to sign the petition:
http://act.alternet.org/go/60469?t=7&akid=13053.1147171.AFKGg2
Add your name:
|
- "Elizabeth Warren Calls On Congress To Break Up The Big Banks, Change Tax Rules," Reuters, April 15, 2015.
- Senator Elizabeth Warren, "'The Unfinished Business of Financial Reform,' Remarks as Prepared for Delivery," Warren.Senate.gov/, April 15, 2015.
- "Unfinished Business Proposals One-Pager," Warren.Senate.gov, April 15, 2015.
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- "Tell Congress: Support the Robin Hood tax on Wall Street gambling," CREDO Action.
- "Unfinished Business Proposals One-Pager," April 15, 2015.
- Ian Talley, "IMF Warns (Again) of Growing Shadow-Banking Risks," Wall Street Journal, April 8, 2015.
- Zach Carter, "Elizabeth Warren Hammers The Endless Failures Of Wall Street Regulators," HuffingtonPost, April 15, 2015.
From: Ted Strickland (Former Ohio Governor)
Subject: I'm 100% with Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown
I'm ready to help lead in the U.S. Senate.
This weekend, Senators Sherrod Brown and Elizabeth Warren wrote a powerful letter to President Obama, and if I were in the U.S. Senate, I would stand with them 100%.
They call on President Obama to stop keeping secrets from the American people and to disclose details of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The bottom line: Our leaders must fight for everyday citizens -- not for corporations that make deals behind closed doors.
Yet, my opponent supports this devastating free-trade agreement that will ship millions of American jobs overseas, just like NAFTA did before. He happily rakes in cash from Wall Street and other corporate special interests, while Ohioans struggle to make ends meet.
But Wall Street doesn't own this Senate seat. This is our seat, our Senate, our fight.
I'm facing an important fundraising deadline at the end of this month. Will you contribute now to help our campaign reach our $10,000 fundraising goal before midnight April 30?
If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:
Express Donate: $10
Express Donate: $25
Express Donate: $100
Or, donate another amount.
We're fighting against big corporations who flood millions of dollars into our political system and drown any hope for hardworking Americans to reach the American dream.
I'm tired of it. Americans are tired of it. It's not good enough, and America needs to change.
We're all in this together, and together, we can make our government work for everyday Americans again. Chip in today, before the end-of-month deadline:
| Paid for by Strickland for Senate |
Contributions or gifts to Strickland for Senate are not tax deductible.
Strickland for Senate
545 East Town Street
Columbus OH 43215 United States
From: Monique Teal; Daily Kos
Subject: Sign the petition: President Obama must release the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Munsup, on Friday, President Obama lashed out at activists and elected representatives who have opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as the next NAFTA and a secret corporate giveaway, saying that "when you dig into the facts, they are wrong."
In response, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown, two of the leading opponents of TPP, said they agreed with President Obama that the American people should dig into the facts on the proposed deal. However, this would require the Obama administration to declassify the draft of the deal, because right now the public isn't even allowed to read it.
In a letter to the president, Sens. Warren and Brown wrote:
The American people should be allowed to weigh in on the facts of the TPP before Members of Congress are asked to voluntarily reduce our ability to amend, shape, or block any trade deal. The press and the public should be allowed to examine the details that corporate executives and lobbyists have already been allowed to influence for years. Members of Congress should be able to discuss the agreement with our constituents and to participate in a robust public debate instead of being muzzled by classification rules. Before Congress votes to facilitate the adoption of the TPP, the American public should be allowed to see for themselves whether it's good deal for them.
Sens. Warren and Brown are absolutely right. This secret "trade" deal would eviscerate broad swaths of regulations that protect consumers, workers, the environment and the soundness of our financial system. And it would set up a legal regime where corporate profits trump the policy priorities of sovereign governments–and that's just the stuff we know about.
The Obama administration should immediately release the TPP text to the public and Congress so we can have a spirited and informed public debate on the largest trade deal in our history.
Sign the petition from CREDO and Daily Kos standing with Sens. Warren and Brown by becoming a citizen co-sponsor of their letter to President Obama.
From: Rabbi Joseph Berman; Federal Policy Organizer, Jewish Voice for Peace
Subject: Unions hate it. Enviros hate it. We hate it too.
Say no to fast-track for TPP and TTIP
Email your Representative now
Have you heard about the massive pushback against the Fast-Track legislation? Some Congressional Representatives are trying to pass a bill to ram through huge trade deals -- without giving the American public a chance to read them.
Labor, green and pro-democracy groups are mobilizing to fight the secretive legislation because it threatens nearly everything we care about -- including our right to protest Israel's human rights violations.
Under the radar, AIPAC has placed an amendment that makes it official U.S. policy to punish countries that support the call to boycott Israel.
Unless we act now, Fast-Track legislation could cause real damage to the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to get Israel to abide by the law.
Email your Representative- tell them to vote no on Fast Track.
That's not all. This amendment also blurs the distinction between Israel's illegal settlements and Israel proper. It's a brazen attempt to pretend the Green Line simply isn't there.
Maybe we should be flattered. Shoving this amendment inside a huge trade bill shows that defenders of Israel's policies are running scared of the growing movement for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions.
Tell your representative: vote no on Fast Track.
We're standing with labor unions, green groups and others who oppose this legislation because it threatens jobs, the environment and democracy itself -- and because it was written behind closed doors with literally hundreds of private lobbyists, including AIPAC.
Whatever your reason for opposing Fast Track, tell your Representative to vote no.
We're not going to back down. I hope you won't either. 
From: CLG_News
Subject: Freddie Gray Severed His Own Spine Just Like Steve Biko Died of a 'Hunger Strike'
News Updates from CLG on 30 April 2015
http://www.legitgov.org/
All links are here: http://www.legitgov.org/#breaking_news
Previous edition: FBI agent's sniper rifle stolen at Salt Lake City hotel, days before President Obama's Utah visit
Freddie Gray Severed His Own Spine Just Like Steve Biko Died of a 'Hunger Strike' By Lori Price, www.legitgov.org | 30 April 2015 | On Wednesday we read: A prisoner sharing a police transport van with Freddie Gray told investigators that he could hear Gray "banging against the walls" of the vehicle and believed that he "was intentionally trying to injure himself," according to a police document obtained by The Washington Post. (See: Prisoner in van said Freddie Gray was 'banging against the walls' during ride 29 April 2015.) Are we to actually believe that while in police custody, 25-year-old African American Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord -- and crushed his own larynx, too? Recall a death decades earlier of South African anti-apartheid activist, Stephen Bantu Biko. The founder of the Black Consciousness Movement also died in police custody -- and the cause of his death was similarly reported as 'self-inflicted' -- due to an alleged hunger strike.
More than 100 arrested in clashes between cops and Freddie Gray protesters in New York as thousands take to the streets of six American cities on a third night of anger --Protests in the name of Freddie Gray were held in Baltimore, New York, Washington DC, Boston, Houston and Indianapolis Wednesday night | 29 April 2015 | Outrage over the unexplained death of a black man in Baltimore, Maryland prompted nationwide protests against police brutality on Wednesday from Houston to Boston. Baltimore has been the scene of near-nightly protests ever since the April 19 death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who is believed to have been fatally injured while in police custody. However, the most dramatic protests Wednesday night happened in New York City, where a group of activists started an illegal march resulting in the arrests of several protesters in scuffles with police officers trying to maintain order on the streets. More than 100 people were arrested by the New York Police Department, according to reports as up to 1,000 marchers blocked streets - including the entrance to the Holland Tunnel - a main passage under the Hudson River - and the West Side Highway.
Locked Out: Orioles Fans Booted From Ballgame Amid Unrest | 29 April 2105 | Baseball in Baltimore was closed to the public for one day. The only shutout in the final score Wednesday at Camden Yards came in the attendance total: Orioles 8, White Sox 2, Fans 0. MLB decided to play the game behind closed doors because of looting and rioting around Camden Yards that broke out amid tensions between residents and police. The turmoil prompting a citywide curfew came hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who sustained a fatal spinal cord injury while in police custody. The sounds of the game had been silenced.
Martial law is the plan: Baltimore enforces night-time curfew, 'essentially 24 hours per day' for youth | 29 April 2015 | Pepper spray has been deployed to enforce a citywide curfew in Baltimore, Maryland. While scheduled to be lifted at 5:00am, it will recur nightly for a week. Minors' movements will be restricted even further. Violating the restrictions is a misdemeanor. After the curfew kicked in in Baltimore at 10:00pm ET on Tuesday, few patches of protesters remained on the street with authorities warning that violators could face arrest.
2,000 National Guard troops fan out across Baltimore | 28 April 2015 | A force of 2,000 soldiers from the Maryland National Guard has activated to assist efforts by the Maryland State Police to prevent a repeat of last night's violence in Baltimore. Guard troops are posted at City Hall and throughout the city and various neighborhoods. The Maryland Guard's Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 175 Infantry Regiment, had set up in an area of operations including City Hall, Johns Hopkins Medial Center, and other parts of downtown under the leadership of 1st Lt. Sean Gramm and 1st Lt. Henry Hensley.
Baltimore police use flash bangs, pepper pellets to clear protesters after curfew | 28 April 2015 | Law enforcement officers in Baltimore used flash bangs and shot pepper pellets to disperse protesters who remained after a 10 p.m. curfew. Hundreds of officers created walls with shields to slowly push the remaining protesters from where they were gathered. Some plastic and glass bottles were thrown at police and at least one of the smoke bombs was thrown back toward officers. It's unclear how many protesters remained after curfew.
Hundreds gather in Chicago to protest police violence | 28 April 2015 | In the aftermath of riots in Baltimore, hundreds of protesters gathered Tuesday evening outside Chicago Police Headquarters on the South Side to voice displeasure with a number of shootings by police across the country. The peaceful protest became confrontational shortly after more than 200 people began marching east on 35th Street and King Drive. The crowd pushed back against a line of bicycle police as the protesters chanted "Whose streets? Our streets!"
Protests return in Ferguson for second night | 29 April 2015 | Protesters returned to Ferguson on Wednesday night, a day after looting, fires and gunfire broke out there during demonstrations over the death of a black man who died of spinal injuries after his arrest by Baltimore police. Several dozen people marched down West Florissant Avenue in the St. Louis suburb on Wednesday night, protesting the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray and calling for police reforms, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. They chanted "No justice; no peace. No racist police," and also referenced the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, by a white Ferguson police officer in August.
Gunfire wounds one amid protest near Brown shooting scene in Ferguson | 28 April 2015 | A man was shot as a group of about 50 protesters took to West Florissant Avenue near Canfield Drive Tuesday night. The man was carried to the safety of a restaurant by bystanders and a Post-Dispatch photographer at the scene. Police who were at the scene to monitor the protest quickly took a person into custody in the shooting and recovered a gun. It was unclear if the shooting was related to the protest.
Washington Post: Freddie Gray Severed His Own Spinal Cord --Prisoner in van said Freddie Gray was 'banging against the walls' during ride | 29 April 2105 | prisoner sharing a police transport van with Freddie Gray told investigators that he could hear Gray "banging against the walls" of the vehicle and believed that he "was intentionally trying to injure himself," according to a police document obtained by The Washington Post. The prisoner, who is currently in jail, was separated from Gray by a metal partition and could not see him...The Post was given the document under the condition that the prisoner not be named because the person who provided it feared for the inmate's safety. The document, written by a Baltimore police investigator [sic], offers the first glimpse of what might have happened inside the van. It is not clear whether any additional evidence backs up the prisoner's version, which is just one piece of a much larger probe.
Unarmed Teen Shot, Killed by Police, Cried for His Mother: 'Mommy, Mommy, Please Come' | 28 April 2105 | Lucia Morejon cannot escape the haunting memory she has of the final desperate words spoken to her by her teenage son after he was shot by police: "Mommy, Mommy, please come, please come." Hector Morejon, the youngest of five children, made that plea for help after he was shot by a Long Beach, California, police officer, who allegedly thought the 19-year-old was in possession of a firearm Thursday afternoon. The teen, who Lucia Morejon's attorney says was unarmed, directed the cries for help toward his mother when she saw him in an ambulance directly after the shooting. His final words to his mother came, the attorney alleges, after police denied Lucia Morejon access to her son before the ambulance drove away.
Explosion, gunshots, chemical exposure part of mock emergency in Barrie | 29 April 2015 | (Central Ontario, Canada) Barrie Police, firefighters and Simcoe County paramedics worked together this morning during a mock emergency. Set inside an abandoned house on Georgian Drive, emergency crews were told a story about a hostage situation, which turned into a volatile chemical threat, followed by an explosion and gunshots. A dozen volunteers spent the morning acting as victims, with some ending up as mock fatalities.
28 Months Later, Review of State Police Response to Sandy Hook Shooting Lags | 28 April 2015 | 28 months since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings [aka drill gone live], Connecticut state police have yet to issue an after-action report analyzing law enforcement response...Sources have said many state police radios did not work inside the school, making it difficult for officers to communicate, a potentially deadly situation with so many officers searching from different areas looking for the shooter. At one point, an officer had to go outside the school and use a cellphone to call headquarters and relay the gravity of the situation. There also were questions about the 911 calls going to the regional dispatch center in Litchfield rather than to the closest state police barracks in Southbury, and whether that affected the response times of troopers who were unfamiliar with the Newtown area.
What Happened to $1.3 Billion of Taxpayer Money Sent Directly to U.S. Military Officers in Afghanistan? Pentagon won't Say. | 27 April 2015 | The Department of Defense (DOD) refuses to detail what it did with 1.3 billion that was supposed to be used on urgent humanitarian and reconstruction projects. A report from Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko pointed out that 2.26 billion had been put into the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP)...The SIGAR report said "DOD could only provide financial information relating to the disbursement of funds for CERP projects totaling 890 million (40%) of the approximately 2.2 billion in obligated funds at that time." The other 1.3 billion of the CERP money that has been sent to Afghanistan has been spent on projects classified as "unknown" [aka protecting the CIA's opi-m pipeline].
Former commander of US nuclear force urges taking missiles off high alert, citing cyberthreats | 29 April 2015 | Taking U.S. and Russian missiles off high alert could keep a possible cyberattack from starting a nuclear war, a former commander of U.S. nuclear forces says, but neither country appears willing to increase the lead-time to prepare the weapons for launch. Retired Gen. James Cartwright said in an interview that "de-alerting" nuclear arsenals could foil hackers by reducing the chance of firing a weapon in response to a false warning of attack. Essentially adding a longer fuse can be done without eroding the weapons' deterrent value, said Cartwright, who headed Strategic Command from 2004 to 2007 and was vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before retiring in 2011.
Ukrainian Forces Open Fire on Russian Humanitarian Aid Convoy | 27 April 2015 | The Ukrainian Armed Forces [aka US-backed Nazis, terrorists, and sociopaths] have opened fire on a Russian humanitarian convoy. According to Gleb Kornilov, head of the Relief Fund and the New Russia Donbass, Ukrainian soldiers opened fire on a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Donbas, killing one person. All the people from the humanitarian convoy were taken prisoner; one of them was injured in the shooting.
Forest fires heading for Chernobyl nuclear plant - Ukraine Interior Ministry | 28 April 2015 | The Ukrainian National Guard has been put on high alert due to worsening forest fires around the crippled Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to Ukraine Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. "The forest fire situation around the Chernobyl power plant has worsened," a statement on Avakov's Fb page says. "The forest fire is heading in the direction of Chernobyl's installations. Treetop flames and strong gusts of wind have created a real danger of the fire spreading to an area within 20 kilometers of the power plant. There are about 400 hectares [988 acres] of forests in the endangered area."
Aid reaches quake-hit Nepal villagers as death toll passes 5,000 | 28 April 2015 | Hungry and desperate villagers rushed towards relief helicopters in remote areas of Nepal Tuesday, begging to be airlifted to safety, four days after a monster earthquake killed more than 5,000 people. In a televised address late Tuesday, Koirala declared three days of national mourning for the 5,057 people known to have perished in Nepal alone. Around 8,000 people had been injured while the United Nations estimated that eight million people had been affected.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: 'I am running for president' | 29 April 2015 | Promising to fight what he deems "obscene levels" of income disparity and a campaign finance system that is a "real disgrace," independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Wednesday he will run for president as a Democrat. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders confirmed his plans to formally join the race Thursday. The self-described "democratic socialist" enters the race as a robust liberal alternative to Hillary Rodham Clinton, and he pledged to do more than simply raise progressive issues or nudge the former secretary of state to the left in a campaign in which she is heavily favored.
With All Eyes on California, Vermont Forces Through Vaccine Bill | 27 April 2015 | With the public focused on the lobbyist-driven California Senate Bill 277 (SB-277), the Vermont Senate quietly eliminated vaccine exemptions Thursday with an 18-11 vote. Missing the starting gun, communities across America are now facing the political push to remove the barrier between their bodies and a private company's medical product. Attempting to squeeze every last drop of credibility from the "safe and effective" argument, senators across the U.S. appear to be ignoring the voices of their people in addition to over 3 billion of payouts in the U.S. alone from The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
United Express flight with engine fire forced to land in Philadelphia | 28 April 2015 | A plane with an engine on fire was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday at Philadelphia International Airport, where it landed safely, according to the airport and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The fire broke out in the No. 2 engine of United Airlines Express Flight No. 4882, bound for Newark, New Jersey, with 75 people on board, Philadelphia International Airport said on its Twitter feed.
Lynch Sworn In as U.S. Attorney General, Succeeding Holder | 27 April 2015 | [Rudy Giuliani-backed] Loretta Lynch was sworn in as U.S. attorney general on Monday, becoming the first black woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer. Lynch, who was confirmed by the Senate on April 23, replaces Eric Holder as head of the Justice Department. Her confirmation on a 56-43 vote ended a five-month wait after her nomination.
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From: MARGARET PETERS
Subject: Justice for Freddie Gray!
I just took action thanking Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby for pursuing criminal charges against the six officers involved in the killing of Freddie Gray. But this is just the first step and State's Attorney Mosby will need the support and resources necessary to fully prosecute and convict effectively without interference. As we continue the work to overhaul Baltimore law enforcement and the conditions, power imbalances and discrimination that led to Freddie Gray's killing, show your support for Mosby's definitive action and urge her to continue forward on the path to justice.
Will you join me? http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/thank-you-marilyn-mosby/?sp_ref=119118914.176.13569.e.0.2&referring_akid=4341.888422.zFhM2e&source=em_sp
End of MPEN e-Newsletter
posted by lucas at 7:29 PM
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