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The United States of Resistance is a weekly industry newsletter sharing the top news from across the resistance. Please share with others! Sign up | Archived Newsletters
RUSSIA
We could not send out a digest without addressing the kremlin...cough...we mean, elephant in the room. To get you up to speed may take awhile, but a few key events from this week: (former) FBI Director James Comey was fired...Michael Flynn (former National Security Adviser) was subpoenaed by the Senate Intel Committee...Trump met with top Russian officials in the Oval office, and the Russian media attended, while the US media was blocked...Needless to say, it's been a busy week. Here's a few sources to check out: Trump Fired Comey Timeline, Five Things We Learned from Sally Yates testifying, The Events that Led up to Comey's Firing.
One thing continues to ring true. We won't get to the bottom of this while Trump and certain Republicans are at the helm. Some Republicans in the house and Senate are stepping up and calling for an independent investigation. Washington Post has the up-to-date list of Senators here, but so far Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Lisa Murkowski have stepped up. On the House side, Justin Amash of Michigan is the latest to speak out, saying he is looking into legislation to establish an independent commission.
Right now, we are hearing calls for independent prosecutors, independent commissions, special investigations, and more. Thanks to some terrific outlining by Vox and PBS, you can begin to understand the differences and nuances between these investigatory paths.
What you can do: Pick up the phone, call ALL of your members of Congress (both Representatives and Senators) and ask that they support and publicly call for an independent investigation into Russia that is non-political. Find your MOCs here.
TRUMP & REPUBLICANS TARGET DISMANTLING NET NEUTRALITY RULES
Let's start with the basics...what exactly is net neutrality?
Net neutrality equals internet freedom. It is what stops internet service providers (ISPs) like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, etc. from limiting what you can and cannot see online, as well as the speed at which you get it. In 2015, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted regulations that preserve net neutrality, i.e. your ability to freely access content on the internet. And for a good video clip, check out what John Oliver has to say about net neutrality. {source}
Why it matters to you: Net neutrality impacts everyone - individuals, small business owners, corporations, etc. With net neutrality, everyone has an equal space on the internet. Without net neutrality, internet companies will decide which websites, content or applications succeed.
So what's happening now? Trump's new head of the FCC, former Verizon lawyer Ajit Pai, wants to reverse net neutrality laws, allowing service providers to turn the internet into something like cable television where 'channels' and 'packages' are available. Pai put forth an initial proposal to do away with net neutrality, which will be voted on by the FCC at its May 18th meeting. In the meantime, the proposed rule is up for public comment until at least mid-July.
What you can do: Submit comments today asking the FCC to maintain net neutrality. Sample comments:
- “Don't kill net neutrality. We deserve a free and open Internet with strong Title II rules. This will ensure that the flow of data is determined by the interests of Internet users, not the narrow interests of Internet Service Providers." {Public Knowledge}
- Net Neutrality is not negotiable. It's essential to everything we need in our society and democracy — from educational and economic opportunities to political organizing and dissent. Millions of people fought for over a decade to secure lasting Net Neutrality protections. We will not accept anything less. We urge you to reject any attacks on real Net Neutrality. {Save the Internet}
THE ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE ARE UNDER ATTACK
Science Schmience says Trump. It was reported last week that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not be reappointing twelve members of its Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) who have served three-year terms. Instead, the EPA seeks to replace university researchers with more industry representatives. {source}
Save the EPA. We have just three days left to submit comments on EPA regulations. Please take two minutes to pledge your support to the EPA by submitting comments today.
ONLY 32 COMMENTS SUBMITTED TO HELP RENEW THE FORENSIC SCIENCE COMMISSION - COMMENT NOW
Last month, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the National Commission on Forensic Science (NCFS) would not be renewed for another two-year term once its current term expires on April 23, 2017.
The NCFS is key in addressing issues ranging from shortages of forensic pathologists in communities to enhancing expert witness pretrial discovery to creating a national code of professional responsibility for forensic scientists. Ensuring that forensic science is an evidence-based, ethical, and valid tool in obtaining convictions and ensuring innocent people are not convicted is an incredibly important role in our criminal justice system.Victims, prosecutors, and people accused of crimes all have an equal interest in ensuring that forensic science continues to be researched, analyzed, and reviewed by a variety of stakeholders, including scientists.
The Department of Justice is accepting public comments through June 9. To date, there are only 32 comments submitted. Please take a few minutes to comment today. Don't know what to say? Take a look at our website for suggestions.
THIS WEEK'S UNDER COVERED STORY - AND ONE CRITICAL TO THE FUTURE OF OUR DEMOCRACY
This week, John Thompson, head of the U.S. Census Bureau resigned amid frustrations over funding for the 2020 census. When you hear about gerrymandering, equal representation, redistricting...this all ties into the census, which is conducted every ten years.
The next census in 2020 will determine how political districts are drawn, how federal dollars are allocated and spent, and whether we have fair representation in future state and federal elections. Thompson's sudden departure is being spun by the current administration as simply an early retirement. What we know is that his departure was sudden, and is leaving a gaping hole in Census leadership.
Phil Sparks, the co-director of the Census Project, a nonprofit that advocates for a fair Census said, "The timing of Thompson's departure could not be worse...If you're not on schedule with field tests in 2018, it's just not going to go as planned."
We need to keep an eye on funding for the Census. According to TIME, "in April Congress allocated just $1.47 billion to the agency, roughly $150 million less than officials believe is necessary at this stage in the 10-year cycle. The President's proposed 2018 budget provides just a minor bump, with $1.5 billion next year." TIME also highlights fairness, legitimacy, and trust as huge issues that we need to watch now that politics may be playing a role in the upcoming Census. More to follow on what you can do. For now, make sure to read up and keep an eye on what's happening.
JOIN THE RESISTANCE - VOLUNTEER WITH RISE STRONGER!
Want to get more involved in the amazing work of Rise Stronger, but wondering how? Here's a great place to start! We have incredible teams of volunteers working on bringing new tools and initiatives to the Resistance movement, and are specifically looking for help in the following areas. Click on the link to learn more about these volunteer positions and how to join the team.
- United States of Resistance Mapping Project – Research and Data Entry
- The People's Calendar - Quality Control
- Communications - Graphic Designers
- Communications - Social Media Gurus
- Communications - Communication & Marketing Associates
- Policy - policy working group leads and support volunteers
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