[mpen-dayton] Greater Miami Valley Local Events & News (Including National News)

FYI.   Best, Munsup

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 to protect my email servers.
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·        (July 8) FW: Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Access to Justice Awards.

·         (July 10) FW: Event for Gov. Strickland in Tipp City

·         FW: Call Rep. Turner to tackle gun violence now!

·         FW: Ombudsman Office Weekly Update 6-24-2016

·         FW: OHIO AFRICAN DIASPORA DIALOGUE

National Issues

·         FW: Your member of Congress needs to listen on #GunSafety!

·         FW: This: Sign ECU's card to John Lewis!

·         FW: Guns, Guns and more Guns

·         FW: "Abigail Fisher's Supreme Court loss: A massive blow to mediocre white people coasting on their racial privilege"

·         FW: Deep Thoughts...

·         FW: Sign the petition: Stop the Koch Brothers' attack on veterans

·         FW: Stronger Together?  Monmouth Poll Says Only Winning VP Pick Is Bernie

·         FW: Guess who just proposed raising the Medicare eligibility age (hint: it's Paul Ryan)

·         FW: Make America White Again" campaign signs removed - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports

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From: Karla Garrett Harshaw; Regional Director of Development, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.
Subject: FW: Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Access to Justice Awards.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2016 Access to Justice Awards.

Individuals, organizations and businesses will be recognized for providing extraordinary assistance to low-income and disadvantaged people in our community by helping them to gain access to justice and secure stability in their lives. Nominees may be an attorney or other advocate who has demonstrated concern and dedication to assisting individuals in need.

Honorees will be selected for the following: Lloyd O'Hara Public Interest Law Award that recognizes attorneys; Community Advocacy Award for activism; and Community Impact Award for long-term enhancements for low-income area residents. (All nominees must reside in the Miami Valley and may not be employed by ABLE, GDVLP or LAWO.)

The awards will be presented at the Access to Justice Awards Gala to be held Thursday, November 3 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sinclair Community College Ponitz Center. The event is presented by Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE), Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc. (GDVLP), and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO), organizations that provide free legal assistance to low-income individuals and families facing housing, domestic violence, elder abuse, disability, public benefits and consumer issues, education, and immigration concerns.

>> Submit a nomination form online at www.ablelaw.org/a2j-mv-2016

If the online form is not used, please include the following:
      

o   A cover page should include the nominee's name, address, telephone number, email address, and name of the award that is being pursued. Also, include the nominator's contact information.

o   Describe the reasons for your nomination. (Essay or list, 700 words or less.) Attachments may be included.

o   Lloyd O'Hara Award: Describe how the individual or firm has represented minority, disabled or disadvantaged clients; Describe how the nominee has made a significant or lasting benefit to clients represented; Describe the urgency, difficulty and impact of the work provided.

o   Community Advocacy Award: Describe the grassroots organizing, public education or community advocacy performed by the individual or organization you are nominating; How does this work benefit lowincome, disadvantaged people or communities?

o   Community Impact Award: Describe the types of improvements this individual, organization, business or government has made in the lives of low-income people; How has this work improved the economic, educational and/or living conditions and opportunities for low-income or minority communities?

Nominations not submitted using the online form, may be submitted by email to kharshaw@ablelaw.org or mailed to: Access to Justice Awards, 130 W. Second St., Suite 700, Dayton, OH 45402. The deadline for nominations is Friday, July 8, 2016.

A selection committee, comprised of community representatives, will choose the honorees. If you have questions regarding the nomination process, please contact Karla Garrett Harshaw at (937) 535-4432.

Honoring extraordinary service in the public interest by individuals and organizations in the Miami Valley.

 

 

From: Katie Hough; Strickland for Senate
Subject: Event for Gov. Strickland in Tipp City

I wanted to make sure you knew about an event that Dee and Kelly Gillis and Mark and Rachel Livengood are hosting in support of Ted Strickland's Senate campaign on July 10th at 1:30 pm at the Rusty Harden Art Studio (120 West Broadway, Tipp City, OH).  We'd love to have you there! You can RSVP here or call me on my cell at 412-398-5552.

 

 

From: Jo, Manny, Emily, Mark, and the rest of the MoveOn team, MoveOn.org Civic Action
Subject: Call Rep. Turner to tackle gun violence now!

Last week, House Democrats staged a historic sit-in for gun violence prevention. But House Republicans did everything in their power to thwart any meaningful progress to stem the epidemic of gun violence in America.

House Democrats won't back down in the face of outrageous GOP obstruction. They've vowed to return to Washington, D.C. after recess and resume the fight. So we have to put Republicans on notice that MoveOn members will fight alongside House Democrats until we win meaningful gun violence prevention legislation.

Wednesday morning, led by civil rights champion Congressman John Lewis, House Democrats refused to engage in business as usual. They called for the House to vote on solid gun violence prevention measures, such as a bill to mandate universal background checks on all gun sales, which the vast majority of Americans support.

But even though Democrats didn't prevail in last week's action, as they headed home for recess, their message was clear: We're coming back to Washington after recess, ready to resume the fight, because now is the time for real action on gun violence.

MoveOn members agree. In the wake of the tragic mass shooting at an LGBT club in Orlando, FL, nearly 600,000 MoveOn members signed a petition calling for a total ban on assault weapons. And as the Senate prepared to vote on universal background checks, MoveOn members made more than 15,000 calls, flooding Senate offices.

Can you pick up the phone and call Representative Michael R. Turner now? 

Here's where to call:
    

• Representative Michael R. Turner; Dayton, OH: 937-225-2843

You can say, "Enough is enough. Enough obstruction and inaction. Reinstate an assault weapons ban and pass universal background checks. Stand up for the safety of your constituents and stop doing the NRA's bidding."

Click here to report your call.

Want to support our work? MoveOn member contributions have powered our work together for more than 17 years. Hundreds of thousands of people chip in each year—which is why we're able to be fiercely independent, answering to no individual, corporation, politician, or political party. You can become a monthly donor by clicking here, or chip in a one-time gift here. Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

 

 

From: David K. Greer
Subject: FW: Ombudsman Office Weekly Update 6-24-2016

Dear Members of the Ombudsman Board of Directors, Elected Officials and Colleagues:
 
This week your Ombudsman Office opened 20 new cases on City of Dayton Engineering, City of Dayton Water, Disability Assistance, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Social Security, and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for households in Brookville, Dayton, Germantown, Kettering, Miamisburg, Riverside and Trotwood.  We provided brief assistance or referrals to an additional 35 households in Centerville, Dayton, Kettering, Moraine, Trotwood, Vandalia and West Carrollton about Dayton Municipal Court, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, the Department of Labor, GDPM, landlord-tenant concerns, the Attorney General's office, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and the Ohio Department of Insurance. 
 
We assisted a victim of domestic violence to obtain a state identification card, which was destroyed by her husband.  He had also destroyed all their tax documents and other significant documents needed to prove identify.  We were able to assist her in replacing or recreating the documents she needed for the id.
 
Our Long-Term Care Ombudsmen received complaints about 11 facilities this week concerning physical abuse, unresponsive staff, menu quality, temperature, cleanliness, billing, staff lack of respect, and odors.  We participated in 10 regulatory surveys of the Ohio Department of Health by providing the complaints we have verified in the facilities and the activities observed by volunteers and staff when visiting the facilities being surveyed.  We provided information about how to select a nursing home and information about residents' rights to another 12 persons.  We received the results of a discharge hearing from last week, and the resident was also to remain in the facility of her choice.
 
Unfortunately, we are investigating yet another case of possible financial exploitation by a Power of Attorney of an elderly couple's resources.  These come to our attention when the bills are not paid.
 
With regards,

Diane Welborn; Ombudsman

 

 

From: Migwe Kimemia; Program Director, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Subject: OHIO AFRICAN DIASPORA DIALOGUE

Greetings community members,

This is to inform you that the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a global peace and social justice organization that was founded in 1917. The AFSC Dayton program empowers African immigrants and refugees to lift up their voices and pursue their hopes and dreams for a better life in Ohio. The program also advocates for immigrant-friendly policies and programs, such as the Welcome Dayton Plan, and the New African Immigrants Commission in Ohio.

I am particularly pleased to inform you that AFSC plans to spearhead a campaign urging the State of Ohio Governor to appoint African immigrants to the "New African Immigrants Commission" that was passed  by Ohio General Assembly in 2009. Please read the roles and responsibilities of the commission in these links:

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4112.31
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4112.32
http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Portals/0/Boards%20and%20Commissions%20Application%20Final.pdf

Meanwhile, I will keep you informed about AFSC's campaign strategy and other relevant information on immigrant integration and leadership in Ohio.

 

 

From: Gloria, Kristin, Nina and the entire MomsRising team
Subject: Yourmember of Congress needs to listen on #GunSafety!

Welcome your U.S. Representative home with a #GunSafety message! Drop off MomsRising's "Welcome Home" gun safety packet to your U.S. Representative's local office! Take Action

The Orlando shooting happened just two weeks ago. It was the worst mass shooting in our history, but Congressional inaction continues. Without taking a single vote on gun safety, your member of Congress returned home to your state to take a break and to celebrate the 4^th of July with family, friends and constituents.  

Would you help remind your member of Congress that when it comes to the tragedy of American gun violence, there's no time left for breaks?

This week, leading up to the 4^th of July weekend, would you drop off MomsRising's "Welcome Home" gun safety packet to your U.S. Representative's local office?

Sign up to deliver the "Welcome Home" gun safety packet now. When you sign up, we'll give you everything you need to make the delivery at your convenience. 

Since the Newtown mass shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the U.S. House of Representatives has not held a single vote on gun safety policy. Not one. This is not right, and this is not acceptable, and we need your help to let your member of Congress know! Why? Because the current situation is simply not okay. More than 20,000 children are injured or killed by guns each year,[1] more than 33,000 people are killed by guns each year, [2] and just recently 49 people in #Orlando were gunned down in a LGBTQ+ safe space on Latinx night by a mass shooter using a military-style assault weapon with a high capacity magazine that has no legitimate civilian use.[4]

Elected leaders really sit up and take notice when they hear from their constituents at home. It shows you are paying attention and expect them to do their job. This week, members of Congress are home in their states, and it's the best opportunity for MomsRising members to really make a difference on gun safety by showing up IN PERSON! It's easy. All you need to do is drop off some materials.

This week, before the 4^th of July weekend, would you drop off MomsRising's "Welcome Home" gun safety packet to your U.S. Representative's local office?

Sign up to deliver the "Welcome Home" gun safety packet now.

The "Welcome Home" gun safety packet includes a coloring page of the Statue of Liberty (crying because of gun violence), and a gun safety message with information and stories that help you tell your member of Congress that you are looking to him or her to take action.

You can personalize the packet by giving the Statue of Liberty to your child to color or coloring it yourself (though if you don't have time, delivering it without coloring it is fine too!). And don't forget to sign the message!

Dropping off the "Welcome Home" gun safety packet is easy and will have an impact! Sign up, and we'll tell you exactly what to do!

Sign up to deliver the "Welcome Home" gun safety packet now.

Together, we will be a strong force for safer families and communities.

[1] "More Kids Suffer Firearm Injuries Than Researchers Previously Believed, Study Finds," ABCNews, Oct. 17, 2011.
[2] National Center for Health Statistics: All Injuries, CDC.
[3] "Orlando Gunman Attacks Gay Nightclub, Leaving 50 Dead," The New York Times, June 12, 2016.

---

Like what we're doing? Donate: We're a bootstrap, low overhead, mom run organization. Your donations make the work of MomsRising.org possible--and we deeply appreciate your support. Every little bit counts. Donate today on our secure website.

 

 

From: [SHARE] (via EndCitizensUnited.org)
Subject: FWD This: Sign ECU's card to John Lewis!

Thanks for signing our card thanking John Lewis for fighting back against the NRA.

Will you help build our momentum by forwarding this email and asking three friends to add their names too?

http://act.endcitizensunited.org/Thank-John-Lewis
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Sign the card: Thank Rep. John Lewis for FIGHTING BACK against the NRA >> Congressman John Lewis -- joined by 42 of our endorsed candidates -- recently led a heroic sit-in on the House floor to DEMAND action on gun violence. Let's show him we have his back. Sign your name to THANK John Lewis for fighting the NRA:    SIGN IMMEDIATELY → Friends -- Congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis stormed the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to DEMAND action on gun violence. Joined by 42 End Citizens United endorsed candidates, Rep. Lewis led a heroic sit-in to call attention to NRA-backed Republicans' cowardice: Even in the face of the tragedy of gun violence, we must find a new path forward. At ECU, we believe our role in this fight is to call out the undue and devastating influence of the gun lobby in America. We all know that money in politics corrupts our Democracy, and nowhere is this more clear than in the rejection of common-sense gun laws that could help our communities be safer. Sign our petition today to send a message that America will no longer tolerate the stranglehold the NRA has upon our Democracy: Our politics is broken. Our Democracy is broken. Thousands of Americans are needlessly dying. But John Lewis is leading the fight against the most powerful lobby in America -- and with your help, we'll overturn Citizens United, stop the NRA and end the gun violence epidemic destroying our communities. The time to act is now. We need to show John Lewis and the courageous Democrats on the House floor that we are with them until the end of this fight. Congressman Lewis won't give up until the big money gun lobby is defeated. Sign now to join him: http://act.endcitizensunited.org/Thank-John-Lewis This is too important to sit on the sidelines,

Paid for by End Citizens United and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee

 

 

From: albert baca
Subject: FW: Guns, Guns and more Guns

Must Read: Attached if you want to read it in word.

THE BUSINESS AND POLITICS OF SELLING GUNS

By Evan Osnos
The New Yorker; 26 June 2016

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/37672-focus-the-business-and-politics-of-selling-guns

 

 

From: Judy Burnette

Subject: FW: "Abigail Fisher's Supreme Court loss: A massive blow to mediocre white people coasting on their racial privilege"

http://www.salon.com/2016/06/23/abigail_fishers_supreme_court_loss_a_massive_blow_to_mediocre_white_people_coasting_on_their_racial_privilege/

 

 

From: Judy Burnette
Subject: Deep Thoughts...

This pretty well sums it all up ! ! ! !

 

 

 

From: Paul Hogarth; Daily Kos on behalf of Rick Hegdahl; Iraq War Veteran, VoteVets  
Subject: FW: Sign the petition: Stop the Koch Brothers' attack on veterans

Have you seen this? It is outrageous that the Koch Brothers and other right-wingers want to privatize health care for veterans.

Sign the petition by Daily Kos and VoteVets urging the V.A.'s "Commission on Care" to stop trying to privatize veterans' health care.

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There are over 8 million veterans enrolled to receive a wide range of services through the Veterans Administration. In 2013 alone, the VA accommodated almost 90 million outpatient visits; that's an average of almost 250,000 appointments every day.

Those numbers should help explain why for-profit hospitals and people like the Koch Brothers are fighting so hard to privatize veterans' health care.

I served two tours in Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and I get great care from the VA. And while we should always strive to decrease wait times, I am not alone. According to independent polls, over 90% of veterans approve of their inpatient and outpatient care through the VA.

In 2014 after the VA crisis, Congress passed a large veterans health care bill that authorized funds to hire more doctors and nurses to keep up with the influx of veterans recently returned from two new wars overseas. But the legislation also called for a commission to develop recommendations for improving veterans' health care (The Commission on Care). And I am sad to tell you, a number of members of the commission are trying to phase out all VA hospitals and clinics over the next two decades.

We can stop them.

Sign our petition calling on the "Commission on Care" to stop trying to privatize veterans health care and instead focus on improving access to a well-funded, properly staffed VA.

Privatizing the system would severely under-fund the department, leaving many veterans with service-connected injuries out in the cold. Often times, VA centers are equipped to deal with specialized care, amputations and traumatic brain injuries, in a way a local doctor or hospital may not be.

For veterans in need of specialized care, both physical and mental, they may not have a caregiver to turn to in their area.

But more to the point, as a RAND study recently indicated, "the quality of care provided by the VA health system generally was as good as or better than other health systems on most quality measures."

Sign our petition calling on the "Commission on Care" to stop trying to privatize veterans health care and instead focus on improving access to a well-funded, properly staffed VA.

This is not only a very real legislative issue, but it will also be an election issue. The Koch Brothers, who have an employee on the "Commission on Care," are going to spend untold millions on the presidential and senate races through their shell organization, Concerned Veterans for America.

That is why it is so important we stand together to make our voices heard.

Paid for by VoteVets

 

 

From: tbacane
Subject: Fw: Stronger Together? Monmouth Poll Says Only Winning VP Pick Is Bernie

We need to tell Hillary Clinton that her best and most certain chance to win the Presidency is with Senator as her Vice President!  He brings a lot to the table that is why the FRAUD named TRUMP is trying to drive a wedge between the Secretary and the Senator. With the Senator on the ticket that solidifies the Democrats and probably brings more Republicans to support the ticket because they can't stand the FRAUD named TRUMP no more than we can. Hillary can not afford to under estimate the FRAUD named TRUMP like his competitors did in their primary or she will lose. Why? Because there are a lot of scared people in our country and the FRAUD named TRUMP is playing to those fears with his racial bigotry and cloaked calls for violence and his hate filled rhetoric. He is the very essence of evil and we all must do whatever we can to prevent his obtaining the office of President. So please tell Hillary to select Senator Sanders as her VP to win in November!

-----Forwarded Message-----

From: The Pen
Subject: Stronger Together?  Monmouth Poll Says Only Winning VP Pick Is Bernie

Victory for us means actual progressive policy change. Some prefer one personality over another as a candidate. Some have strong aversions to one personality or another.

But as POLICY activists all we really care about is . . . DO WE GET THE POLICY CHANGE WE WANT?

And our clear-eyed perspective is that we get there by supporting, and by electing the best people we can on election day, and then by speaking out every other day as activists. For us it is not about lesser evils, it is about who we are likely to influence the most.

Monmouth University just did an exhaustive poll on the impact of various VP picks on the respective tickets, and one and only one positive result stood out on the Democratic side. Bernie Sanders as VP is +19 percentage points. Nobody else even came close. Even Elizabeth Warren, who also has strong progressive support, was only+3.

This result is so striking we will link again the action page we had already started, to call on Clinton to offer Bernie the VP slot.

Bernie for VP action page: https://www.utalk.us/?a=choose_bernie

Just so we're clear, Bernie's endorsement doesn't get this result, though he himself said today he would vote for Clinton over #TrumpTheFraud. Bernie's issues on the party platform, though he is still fighting for that, doesn't get this result. Only Bernie himself ON the ticket as VP gets this result. Some Clinton supporters will resist. Some Bernie supporters will grouse. But the numbers are what they are.

Yet, by all media accounts Clinton's people seem to have written off Bernie as a possible VP pick (though they are giving lip service to a Warren selection).

When a result is this clear you have to ask yourself, how desperately do they want to lose? Does Hillary Clinton really want to be the next president of the United States or like what?

Because even though #TrumpTheFraud has had a successive series of bad weeks, the swing states of OH, PA, FL and VA are still a virtual toss up even now. Anyone who thinks he can't suddenly come back to life like Jason or Freddie, based on one debate performance, the public perception of a nominating convention, or some surprise development in the next 5 months, is a fool.

The best news is that we will know the final composition of the Republican ticket one week before the Democrats have to commit to theirs.

But we actually heard one person, presented as a Democratic "strategist" on a national news show over the weekend, arguing that Clinton should pick the most bland, boring person possible as a running mate.

Is that supposed to be some kind of get out the vote strategy, to pick the most unexciting person you can find?

Let's say for argument's sake that Clinton still manages to win the presidency with a VP pick who adds NOTHING much to the national turnout, which is the case with basically everyone except Bernie. How do the Democrats win back the Senate and the House? Because if they don't, all she's really being elected to is the office of instant lame duck.

Ask President Obama about what that's like. MAYBE she'll get some lukewarm Supreme Court picks through, but that's about it.

If we actually want policy change, real policy change, we're not going to get bit of it without taking back both the House and the Senate. And we would suggest again that only Bernie on the ticket maximizes those prospects.

We'll like to think that someone with the Clinton campaign can add one and one together and arrive at the correct answer . . . two.

"Stronger together?" Hillary has now adopted it as her main campaign slogan if we are to judge by the placard on her podium and elsewhere in the audience. We'll just see.

We'll say it again. The best Bernie to turn out Bernie supporters is Bernie himself.

In the meantime, whatever else you do keep using the #TrumpTheFraud hashtag in your tweets, and you can request our hardhitting new bumper sticker in support of that counter-branding initiative here.

Trump the Fraud bumper sticker: https://www.utalk.us/?g=TTF

And if you are inspired to support our work so we can keep up these actions and these messages, you can use this page for that:

Donations page: https://www.utalk.us/?p=donate

You may forward this message to any friends who would find it important.

Contributions to The People's Email Network or ActBlue are not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.

If you would like to be added to our distribution list, go to http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htm

Or if don't want to receive our messages, just go to http://www.peaceteam.net/out.htm

 

 

From:  Michael Phelan, Social Security Works

Subject: Guess who just proposed raising the Medicare eligibility age (hint: it's Paul Ryan)

Speaker Paul Ryan made his name on ending Medicare as we know it. For years, he has introduced plan after plan that dismantled the guarantee of healthcare for Seniors who have paid into the program their whole lives.

This week, Speaker Ryan introduced a new plan to remake the Affordable Care Act – or Obamacare – and he tacked on a proposal to raise Medicare's eligibility age by two years!

Raising the Medicare age to 67 means that millions of Americans, many of them Social Security beneficiaries, would be forced to purchase expensive private insurance instead. That's a cut to our earned benefits. If we are doing anything to the Medicare age, we have to be lowering it, at least to 62.

Please sign our petition rejecting Paul Ryan's calls to cut Medicare benefits by raising the eligibility age.

Republicans like to claim that Americans are living longer – and use this as justification to cut our hard earned benefits. That may be true for upper-income earners, but it's not for the vast majority of Americans who are being forced to work well into their retirement years just to stay financially afloat. And if you want to save Medicare money, start by holding prescription drug corporations accountable for price-gouging.

At a time when Americans face an unprecedented $7.7 trillion retirement savings gap – meaning that for the first time in our country's history, current and future retirees are preparing for a lower standard of living in retirement than their parents – we should be expanding earned benefits, not cutting them.

We must fight back!

Sign our petition today rejecting Republican proposals to cut our earned benefits and raise the Medicare eligibility age to 67.

Together, we can achieve real retirement security for all Americans, not just the wealthy few.

PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY SOCIAL SECURITY WORKS

 

 

From: Thomas Scott
Subject: "Make America White Again" campaign signs removed

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/32277324/make-america-white-again-campaign-sign-causing-controversy-in-polk-co

				UPDATE: "Make America White Again" campaign signs ... The sign, located off Highway 411 near Benton, says "Make America White Again" and was put there by Rick Tyler, an independent candidate in the race for Tenness...
				View on www.wrcbtv.com	Preview by Yahoo

 

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[mpen-dayton] FW: "Hillary is headed to Cincinnati with Senator Warren" & "Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action ..." & "Social Security surplus is ..." and more

FYI.   Best, Munsup

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 to protect my email servers.
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·         FW: Hillary is headed to Cincinnati with Senator Warren

·         FW: POTUS & John Lewis (INSPIRING)

·         FW: Munsup, meet Dante

·         FW: Self-righteous anger imploded

·         FW: Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas

·         FW: Thank you, Bernie

·         FW: New bill to undo Citizens United! (need your name on this)

·         FW: I'm with her. I need you to be, too

·         FW: BREAKING: Social Security surplus is $2.8 trillion and growing

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From: Hillary for Ohio
Subject: Hillary is headed to Cincinnati with Senator Warren

Ohio has a big role to play in this election, and no one knows that better than Hillary.

She's coming to Cincinnati with Elizabeth Warren on Monday to talk about their shared commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top -- and you should be there.

RSVP now to be in the room:

WHAT: Join Hillary and Elizabeth Warren in Cincinnati!
WHEN: Monday, June 27th, 2016
Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal
1301 Western Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45203

We made history in the primary by putting a big crack in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America -- this November, we Ohioans can help Hillary break right through.

Let's show Hillary we have her back in Ohio -- RSVP now to join her and Elizabeth Warren on Monday:
  

Paid for by Hillary for America, a grassroots campaign of 1.3 million donors committed to electing Hillary Clinton (and keeping Donald Trump out of the White House). Contributions or gifts to Hillary for America are not tax deductible.

 

 

From: ALERT (via DCCC)
Subject: POTUS & John Lewis (INSPIRING)

WOAH -- this is INSPIRING! President Obama just stood in solidarity with John Lewis and Americans EVERYWHERE as they occupied the House floor. The President is right -- we NEED action on gun violence. And if the Republicans won't act -- WE. MUST. DEFEAT. THEM. We want to get 19,134 more gifts in the door. Will you pitch in $26? ALL GIFTS TRIPLE-MATCHED Chip in $26 immediately >> Chip in $35 immediately >> Chip in $53 immediately >> Chip in $88 immediately >> Chip in $210 immediately >> Or donate another amount >> Thank you, DCCC Paid for by the DCCC | 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 | (202) 863-1500 | www.dccc.org | Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions or gifts to the DCCC are not tax deductible.

 

From: Guy Cecil
Subject: Munsup, meet Dante

Dante is a seventeen year old Nevadan who at age one, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on his spine. He's spent his whole life fighting back, and his ability to overcome life's challenges is an inspiration to me. Dante wants our next president to be someone who inspires him -- not someone who makes fun of him.

Donald Trump's mocking of someone with a disability was a troubling look into what type of President he would be. The "Stop Hate" campaign is about standing up to bullies like Trump who mock the disabled, call women pigs, and try to divide us, one against another. Dante is absolutely right when he says we need a president who inspires us, and that's not Donald Trump.

We're proud to be launching our "Stop Hate" campaign with so many great partners in a coordinated effort to stop the spread of hate in our country and to #StopTrump from ever becoming our president.

Watch "Dante" here and be sure to forward to a friend who wants to help stop hate:

 

 

From: Eric Kramer
Subject: Self-righteous anger imploded

 

 

From: Norman Edwards
Subject: FW: Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas

Supreme Court Upholds
Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge to a race-conscious admissions program at the University of Texas at Austin, handing supporters of affirmative action a major victory.

The decision, Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 14-981, concerned an unusual program and contained a warning to other universities that not all affirmative action programs will pass constitutional muster. But the ruling's basic message was that admissions officials may continue to consider race as one factor among many in ensuring a diverse student body.

The decision, by a 4-to-3 vote, was unexpected. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the author of the majority opinion, has long been skeptical of race-sensitive programs and had never before voted to uphold an affirmative action plan. He dissented in the last major affirmative action case.

Supporters of affirmative action hailed the decision as a landmark.

"No decision since Brown v. Board of Education has been as important as Fisher will prove to be in the long history of racial inclusion and educational diversity," said Laurence H. Tribe, a law professor at Harvard, referring to the Supreme Court's 1954 decision striking down segregated public schools.

Roger Clegg, the president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, which supports colorblind policies, said the decision, though disappointing, was only a temporary setback.

"The court's decision leaves plenty of room for future challenges to racial preference policies at other schools," he said. "The struggle goes on."

President Obama hailed the decision. "I'm pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the basic notion that diversity is an important value in our society," he told reporters at the White House. "We are not a country that guarantees equal outcomes, but we do strive to provide an equal shot to everybody."

Justice Kennedy, writing for the majority, said courts must give universities substantial but not total leeway in designing their admissions programs.

"A university is in large part defined by those intangible 'qualities which are incapable of objective measurement but which make for greatness,'" Justice Kennedy wrote, quoting from a landmark desegregation case. "Considerable deference is owed to a university in defining those intangible characteristics, like student body diversity, that are central to its identity and educational mission."

"But still," Justice Kennedy added, "it remains an enduring challenge to our nation's education system to reconcile the pursuit of diversity with the constitutional promise of equal treatment and dignity."

Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor joined Justice Kennedy's majority opinion. Justice Elena Kagan, who would probably have voted with the majority, was recused from the case because she had worked on it as solicitor general.

In a lengthy and impassioned dissent delivered from the bench, a sign of deep disagreement, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. denounced the court's ruling, saying that the university had not demonstrated the need for race-based admissions and that the Texas program benefited advantaged students over impoverished ones.

"This is affirmative action gone berserk," Justice Alito told his colleagues, adding that what they had done in the case was "simply wrong."

Under the University of Texas' admissions program, most applicants from within the state are admitted under a part of the program that guarantees admission to top students in every high school in the state. This is often called the Top 10 Percent program, though the percentage cutoff can vary by year.

The Top 10 Percent program has produced significant racial and ethnic diversity. In 2011, for instance, 26 percent of freshmen who enrolled under the program were Hispanic, and 6 percent were black. The population of Texas is about 38 percent Hispanic and 12 percent black.

The case challenged a second part of the admissions program. Under it, remaining students from Texas and elsewhere are considered under standards that take into account academic achievement and other factors, including race and ethnicity. Many colleges and universities base all of their admissions decisions on such grounds.

In Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003, the Supreme Court endorsed such free-standing holistic admissions programs, saying it was permissible to consider race as one factor among many to achieve educational diversity. Writing for the majority in that case, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said she expected that "25 years from now," the "use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary."

Justice Kennedy's decision left Grutter intact.

Thursday's case was brought by Abigail Fisher, a white woman who said the university had denied her admission based on her race. She has since graduated from Louisiana State University.

"I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has ruled that students applying to the University of Texas can be treated differently because of their race or ethnicity," Ms. Fisher said in a statement on Thursday. "I hope that the nation will one day move beyond affirmative action."

When the court last considered Ms. Fisher's case in 2013, supporters of affirmative action were nervous. But the court deferred conclusive action in what appeared to be a compromise decision.

In his dissent on Thursday, Justice Alito said the court had reversed itself. "Something strange has happened since our prior decision in this case," he wrote.

When the second iteration of the case was argued in December, Justice Kennedy suggested that the court might again send it back to the appeals court. On Thursday, though, he said that would have been a waste of time.

"A remand would do nothing more than prolong a suit that has already persisted for eight years and cost the parties on both sides significant resources," he wrote. "Petitioner long since has graduated from another college, and the university's policy — and the data on which it first was based — may have evolved or changed in material ways."

Justice Kennedy then methodically rejected Ms. Fisher's arguments. He said the university's diversity goals were not amorphous but "concrete and precise," satisfying the constitutional requirement that government racial classifications advance a compelling interest.

Justice Alito described those goals — concerning "the destruction of stereotypes," promoting "cross-racial understanding" and preparing students "for an increasingly diverse work force and society" — as slippery and impervious to judicial scrutiny.

Justice Kennedy wrote that the university was justified in saying that the Top Ten Percent plan did not alone produce sufficient diversity, adding that the holistic part of the admissions program "had a meaningful, if still limited, effect on the diversity of the university's freshman class."

He said the Top Ten Percent program had built-in limits.

"An admissions policy that relies exclusively on class rank creates perverse incentives for applicants," he wrote. "Percentage plans 'encourage parents to keep their children in low-performing segregated schools, and discourage students from taking challenging classes that might lower their grade point averages,'" he added, quoting from an earlier dissent from Justice Ginsburg.

"Wherever the balance between percentage plans and holistic review should rest, an effective admissions policy cannot prescribe, realistically, the exclusive use of a percentage plan," Justice Kennedy wrote.

Justice Kennedy's majority opinion was 20 pages long. It elicited a furious 51-page dissent from Justice Alito, joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Clarence Thomas.

Justice Alito said the majority opinion helped affluent African-American students and hurt Asian-American ones.

"Even though U.T. has never provided any coherent explanation for its asserted need to discriminate on the basis of race, and even though U.T.'s position relies on a series of unsupported and noxious racial assumptions," he wrote, "the majority concludes that U.T. has met its heavy burden. This conclusion is remarkable — and remarkably wrong."

Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said the decision was gratifying.

"Universities all over the country are breathing a sigh of relief," she said. "The court very compellingly reaffirmed the importance of diversity.

 

 

From: Matt, Ilya, Iram, Emily, Mark, Victoria, and the rest of the MoveOn for Bernie team, MoveOn.org Political Action
Subject: Thank you, Bernie

The Bernie Sanders campaign has been truly extraordinary. It has upended the conventional wisdom about what's possible politically in America and has inspired millions of people to get involved in their communities.

Please take a minute today and check out the below infographic celebrating the incredible work MoveOn members have done these last 6 months.

We're also collecting stories and pictures from MoveOn members across the country thanking Bernie for his courageous campaign and we'll deliver them to Bernie later this summer. Click here to submit your picture and thank you message to Bernie.

Want to support our work? MoveOn member contributions have powered our work together for more than 17 years. Hundreds of thousands of people chip in each year—which is why we're able to be fiercely independent, answering to no individual, corporation, politician, or political party. You can become a monthly donor by clicking here, or chip in a one-time gift here.

PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

 

From: Rio Tazewell, Government By the People Campaign Manager; PFAW.org
Subject: New bill to undo Citizens United! (need your name on this)

Tell Congress to Support the WE THE PEOPLE ACT! Our democracy needs you now.

When the Senate this week defeated a set of incredibly popular bills aimed at sensible gun violence prevention, gun industry lobbyists and the NRA's millions of dollars in election spending thwarted the will of the American people.

It was just the latest example of the iron grip corporate special interests have on our politics as long as the status quo in election spending and influence peddling is allowed to remain intact.

We The People can do something about it, though. We The People can fight back.

To help us do it, allies in Congress have introduced the We The People Act to enact the democratic reforms that will restore true Government By the PEOPLE.

Sign the petition: Tell Congress you support the We The People Act now>>

The naked corruption we've seen on display as our democracy has morphed into oligarchy has been brought to you by the Supreme Court majority in Citizens United and the other decisions that have burst open the floodgates for unlimited big money in our elections…

It's being protected right now by the (overwhelmingly Republican) lawmakers who continue to resist any and all legislative remedies aimed at creating more transparency and empowering everyday voters and small-dollar donors over the wealthy and corporate elite.

The "We The People Act" would strengthen our democracy, with reforms such as:
   

• Amending the constitution to overturn disastrous Supreme Court rulings like Citizens United.
• Making government more accountable through campaign disclosure and transparency.
• Strengthening lobbying laws to limit special interest influence in Congress.
• Closing the revolving door between Wall Street banks and the government agencies that regulate them.

Tell Congress you SUPPORT these reforms and more -- urge them to PASS the We The People Act!>>

 

 

From: Elizabeth Warren
Subject: I'm with her. I need you to be, too

I haven't been in the Senate for long, but I've learned: If you don't fight, you can't win. And I'll be honest, when things get tough, too often our side just folds and gives up.

But not Hillary Clinton. For 25 years, she's been on the receiving end of attack after attack. She didn't whimper. She didn't whine. She's always fought back with grace and determination – and no matter how many punches she took, each time she came out fighting stronger.

This is one of reasons I'm with Hillary -- and if you're with her too, chip in to get your free sticker right now.

Hillary is a fighter. Throughout this campaign, she has said she'll hold Wall Street accountable, raise the minimum wage, protect and expand Social Security, and help students graduate from college without being buried in debt. She'll fight for women's rights and LGBT rights and immigrant rights and civil rights. That's Hillary's agenda, and it is a progressive agenda.

We need a candidate who fights for the right values -- and who isn't afraid to fight back against right-wing lunatics trying to undermine progress in our country. Because let's be honest, the Republicans have nominated the looniest of the right-wing lunatics to become our country's next Commander-in-Chief.

Donald Trump is a man who built his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia. A man who got rich while declaring bankruptcy, skipping out on what he owed to others, and scamming people. A man who is a small, insecure, moneygrubbing bully who doesn't care who gets hurt, so long as he makes a buck off it. A man who should never, ever be allowed to set foot in the White House.

So here's the deal: Hillary is smart as a whip, and she's a tough cookie. She can take Donald Trump's attacks and nasty name-calling. But if she's going to win in November – if we are going to win in November – then she cannot do it alone.

It's going to take all of us fighting hard to make sure Donald Trump gets NOWHERE near the White House. Hillary will fight her heart out to level the playing field for working families. That's why I'm with her -- and that's why we all need to be with her:

Hillary is a fighter Paid for by Hillary for America, a grassroots campaign of 1.3 million donors committed to electing Hillary Clinton (and keeping Donald Trump out of the White House). Contributions or gifts to Hillary for America are not tax deductible.

 

From: Alex Lawson, Social Security Works

Subject: BREAKING: Social Security surplus is $2.8 trillion and growing

Social Security's board of trustees just released its annual report on the health of the trust fund. The report shows that Social Security's surplus is $2.8 trillion and growing, and that less than one penny on every dollar is being spent on administrative costs.

Yet Wall Street billionaires and Republicans in Congress will distort today's report and renew their calls to dismantle our Social Security system brick by brick. They think Social Security's average annual benefit of just $14,375 is too generous.

Help us pre-empt the Wall Street attacks by donating to Social Security Works today.
   

Express Donate

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Over Social Security's 80 years, it has grown into the most successful social insurance program in our country's history. Seniors, veterans, disabled workers, children and surviving spouses rely on its modest benefits every single day.

And thanks to you, we have changed the national discussion around Social Security away from cuts and toward expansion. In fact, expanding Social Security has become the established position of the Democratic Party.

Wall Street sees this and they are running scared. They know their window to privatize and steal our Social Security benefits is closing.

Help slam the door shut on Wall Street's attempts to cut and privatize Social Security. Donate to Social Security Works today!

Together we can expand Social Security for millions of Americans and address the looming retirement income crisis and rising levels of income and wealth inequality.

 

End of MPEN e-Newsletter