Thursday, November 29, 2018

Trump is FREAKING OUT Robert Reich We Are Living through a slow-motion Saturday Night Massacre.

Robert Reich<moveon-help@list.moveon.org>
To  Alfred F Johnson  
Dear fellow MoveOn member,
We're living through a slow-motion Saturday Night Massacre.
Jeff Sessions recused himself from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, so Donald Trump fired him.
Assistant Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was next in line to replace Sessions, but Trump didn't think he'd shut down the Mueller investigation, either.
So, instead, Trump installed as acting attorney general an unqualified lackey named Matt Whitaker, who has already said on CNN how he would go about ending the Mueller investigation—by starving it of funds. Whitaker is well-known in the Justice Department as a "White House spy," who will feed information about the investigation directly to Trump.1 (Let's be clear: Not only is Whitaker a Trump loyalist opposed to the probe, he also has his own record of shady business dealings and a history of attacking the values of non-Christian Americans.)
Congress must act now to protect the rule of law by passing bipartisan legislation to protect the Mueller investigation during the lame-duck session of Congress. And then, when Democrats take over the House in January, they need to begin oversight hearings immediately.
Will you chip in $3 a week to help MoveOn mobilize the grassroots pressure we need to stop Whitaker and protect Mueller? 
Putting a stooge like Whitaker in charge of the Justice Department is shocking even by Trump standards. Whitaker tweeted out an article referring to the Mueller investigation as a "lynch mob."2 He's linked to a firm that scammed veterans out of their life savings.3 And the Justice Department won't even release his financial disclosure forms.4
But now that Trump has installed his lackey as acting attorney general, the next step is obvious: Trump will either order Whitaker to fire Mueller or simply allow Whitaker to implement his own plan of defunding the Mueller probe.
Either way, the very integrity of our democracy and rule of law are at stake.
That's why the American people are rising up against this grotesque abuse of power. MoveOn has a sharp campaign plan to keep the pressure on, including:
  • A media-grabbing "Guilty Pleas-ures" ice cream truck handing out free ice cream, with flavors like "Cocoa Conspirator" and "IndictMint Chip," and sharing real facts about the impact of the Russia probe. Everywhere it goes, the ice cream truck gets great press, and MoveOn has decided to keep it going (next week, the truck will be right outside the Watergate building in Washington, D.C.).
  • Organizing extended protests in Washington, D.C. and around the country, following up on the more than 1,000 events that MoveOn members pulled off in the days after the Sessions firing. 
  • Flooding Congress with calls to make sure Republicans know that they will be held accountable for Trump's abuses and to remind Democrats that their constituents expect them to fight.
  • Producing a raft of new shareable videos to explain in clear terms that people can understand what's at stake and why Trump's actions are so dangerous.
So much of this resistance is tied to the work that MoveOn members have been fueling for the past two years—and relies on MoveOn's continued investment, leadership, and mobilization.
MoveOn has proven time and again that its tactics are effective, but after a knock-down, drag-out midterm election, MoveOn needs our help to sustain this long-term fight.
Can you chip in $3 a week to help build and sustain the next stage of MoveOn's grassroots resistance?
Legal experts from both political parties say that Whitaker's appointment is illegal, and Democrats have filed a lawsuit to stop it.5 Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has threatened to add the Mueller protection bill to must-pass spending legislation to prevent a government shutdown.6
The reason that Democrats in Congress are standing strong is because they've heard our voices. Within hours of Trump firing Sessions, MoveOn members organized more than 1,000 rallies all over the country, which were attended by more than 100,000 people.
MoveOn members are ready to hit the streets again—and, in the meantime, have been hitting the phones, protesting at local events, getting TV coverage, and flooding social media every step of the way to defend the investigation and demand real accountability for Trump and the truth about Russia. It's now just as critical that MoveOn help protect Mueller's work, push Democrats in the House to use every tool at their disposal to hold Trump accountable, and force Whitaker to recuse—or, even better, have him removed from his unconstitutionally-appointed position.
We must keep up the pressure. This is perhaps the greatest threat to our democracy and rule of law that we've seen in a generation, and we need to demand that Republicans join Democrats in passing legislation to protect the Mueller investigation during the lame-duck session of Congress, and then make sure that Democrats begin investigations when they take over the House in January.
Will you chip in $3 a week so that MoveOn can answer this constitutional crisis with the intensity of public outrage that this moment demands?
Thanks for all you do.
–Robert Reich
Sources:
1. "Schumer calls for investigation of Whitaker's contacts with White House," The Hill, November 20, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61289?t=8&akid=220934%2E38417624%2E4YwZtw
2. "What Sessions's Resignation Means for Robert Mueller," The Atlantic, November 7, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61284?t=10&akid=220934%2E38417624%2E4YwZtw
3. "The many scandals of Trump's new acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, explained," Vox, November 14, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61285?t=12&akid=220934%2E38417624%2E4YwZtw
4. "Failure to turn over Whitaker's public financial disclosure forms angers critics," CNN, November 19, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61286?t=14&akid=220934%2E38417624%2E4YwZtw
5. "Senate Democrats are suing to try to stop Matthew Whitaker from serving as acting attorney general," Vox, November 19, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61287?t=16&akid=220934%2E38417624%2E4YwZtw
6. "Charles Schumer says Democrats might tie spending bill to Mueller protection," USA Today, November 11, 2018
https://act.moveon.org/go/61288?t=18&akid=220934%2E38417624%2E4YwZtw
Contributions to MoveOn.org Civic Action are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. This email was sent to Alfred Johnson on November 25th, 2018. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
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11/29 Decolonizing Puerto Rico’s Energy: The Renewable Revolution

Charlie Welch<cwelch@tecschange.org>
Via  Act-MA <act-ma-bounces@act-ma.org>
To  act-ma@act-ma.org  
As Puerto Rico seeks to recover from Hurricane Maria, major decisions
are being made about the island’s future. Will global corporations
impose the same old model or will grassroots sustainable alternatives
win the day? What are the implications elsewhere?


Following a showing of Naomi Klein’s short film, The Battle for
Paradise: Naomi Klein Reports from Puerto Rico, which lays out the
challenges Puerto Rico faces, Sajed Kamal will share ideas and examples
of successful efforts to make the shift to renewables. Dr. Kamal, who
has taught in the Sustainable International Development department at
Brandeis for 20 years, has developed exciting renewable energy projects
in the United States, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Armenia, El Salvador and
Zimbabwe.

His books include The Renewable Revolution: How We Can Fight Climate
Change, Prevent Energy Wars, Revitalize the Economy and Transition to a
Sustainable Future, which Bill McKibben endorsed as “Kamal is the
navigator we need to sail with confidence into this new century.”

Join us for this important discussion.

Light refreshments

Cambridge Public Library - Central Square Branch
<https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-Public-Library-Central-Square-Branch/795172037234241?eid=ARA4u0bJ0OyGHHjcxH1yHUJF2CWx-0IRAWOhqJF0WZg6EpjCX3UM3BgQ1OB-ztKRs7IjUUlC_l4T7303>

45 Pearl St, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

Thurs. Nov. 29th
6:30 to 8:30 PM

https://www.facebook.com/events/437277436808775/

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From The Archives-TUESDAY: Reese Erlich- What’s wrong with US policy in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen: A journalist’s first hand report

Cole Harrison<cole@masspeaceaction.org>
To  MAPA Middle East working group,    MAPA - Mideast   and 5 others
What’s wrong with US policy in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen: A journalist’s
first hand report
Tuesday, November 27 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm ~ First Church in Cambridge, 11
Garden St

Join the author Reese Erlich as he discusses U.S. relations with Iran,
Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Erlich’s latest book is *The Iran Agenda Today*
<https://www.routledge.com/authors/i18090-reese-erlich>: *The Real Story
Inside Iran and What’s Wrong with U.S. Policy.
<https://www.routledge.com/authors/i18090-reese-erlich>*

Erlich explores the turbulent recent history between the two countries and
reveals how it has led to a misguided showdown over nuclear technology. He
notes that all the major U.S. intelligence agencies agree Iran has not had
a nuclear weapons program since at least 2003. He explores why Washington
nonetheless continues with saber rattling and provides a detailed critique
of mainstream media coverage of Iran. The book further details the popular
protests that have rocked Tehran despite repression by the country’s Deep
State.

In addition to covering the political story, Erlich offers insights on
Iran’s domestic politics, popular culture, and diverse populations over
this recent era. His analysis draws on past interviews with high-ranking
Iranian officials, the former shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, and Iranian exiles
in Los Angeles, as well as the memory of his trip to Tehran with actor Sean
Penn.

Reese Erlich has been a freelance print and broadcast correspondent for
over 40 years. A Peabody Award-winning journalist, Erlich has authored five
books on foreign affairs. He taught journalism for ten years in the
California State University system and continues to lecture frequently on
college campuses throughout the country.

Recent articles:

Who is the bigger terrorist: Saudi Arabia or Iran?
<https://reeseerlich.com/2018/10/24/foreign-correspondent-who-is-the-bigger-terrorist-saudi-arabia-or-iran/>

What will Iran do now?
<https://reeseerlich.com/2018/05/22/what-will-iran-do-now/>

The Truth About Iran
<https://reeseerlich.com/2018/05/16/the-truth-about-iran/>

Additional Talks by Reese Erlich:

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 12:30pm, Harvard Center for Middle East Studies (CMES)
<https://cmes.fas.harvard.edu/event/journalist%E2%80%99s-firsthand-report-%E2%80%93-what%E2%80%99s-wrong-us-policy-iran>,
room 102, 38 Kirkland St, Cambridge.

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 7:00 pm, First Church in Cambridge, 11 Garden St.
Sponsored by Mass. Peace Action.

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 11am, Massachusetts State House. Host: Rep. Denise
Provost

Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2:30 pm, Lesley University, Cambridge

Monday, Dec. 3, 2:30 pm – Smith College, Northampton

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 7pm – University of Massachusetts, Amherst

More info:
http://masspeaceaction.org/event/reese-erlich-whats-wrong-with-us-policy-in-iran/

--
*Not one step back*

Cole Harrison
Executive Director
Massachusetts Peace Action - the Commonwealth's largest grassroots peace
organization
11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138
617-354-2169 w
617-466-9274 m
www.masspeaceaction.org
Facebook: facebook.com/masspeaceaction
<https://www.facebook.com/masspeaceaction>
Twitter: masspeaceaction <https://twitter.com/masspeaceaction>
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Latest edition of Space Alert! Global Network

Global Network<globalnet@mindspring.com>
To  Global Network  
 

Latest edition of Space Alert!

Our latest edition of Space Alert! is now at the printer and should be in the mail soon.

If you are not on our snail mail list and want a copy sent to you in the post just drop us a line with your street address at globalnet@mindspring.com  and we will send you one.

We are also happy to send you multiple copies in the mail to share with others.  All we ask is a donation of your choosing to help cover the postage. Let us know how many copies you could share.

You can also see the newsletter online at the link above....
 
Best wishes your way.
 
Bruce K. Gagnon
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org 
http://space4peace.blogspot.com  (blog)

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. - Henry David Thoreau 
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Apple wants a bite of the Veterans' Healthcare Market

VeteransPolicy.org<execdirector@veteranspolicy.org>
To   
Apple sees potential profit in Veterans Healthcare Data
Apple is looking at the Department of Veterans Affairs as its way into a larger healthcare information market. And unlike most private health providers, they’re not cloaking their intentions. Read more from The Verge:

This deal with Veterans Affairs would mark a significantly larger investment in the healthcare space for Apple, which has been using its Health app and Apple Watch wearable to try and break into the multi-trillion dollar market.

The Apple Watch measures a user’s heart rate and other fitness metrics, and the newest Series 4 model is capable of performing an electrocardiogram, or EKG, for which it successfully sought FDA approval. Apple has also been allowing patients to share info with specialized medical apps using its CareKit platform, and provides the ResearchKit platform for medical studies. Back in February, it was reported that Apple is launching its own medical clinics for employees and their families, under the AC Wellness brand.

Apple isn’t alone in its quest to become a tech-focused player in the healthcare market, which has resisted efforts from Silicon Valley to improve the availability of patient health records due to a number of technological and privacy hurdles.

‘Groundless’ Charges in Manchester VA 
From the New Hampshire Union Leader:

A Trump administration watchdog group concluded that most of the allegations whistleblowers at the Manchester VA Medical Center have made regarding the leadership style of upper management were groundless.

Dr. Michael Mayo-Smith, the VA’s regional network director who was forced into retirement due to fallout from the whistleblower scandal, said he had to hire a lawyer to get this 10-month-old, 25-page report from the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.

“It is somewhat embarrassing the VA took the rather abrupt action against the local and regional leadership only to find out that there was not a basis for it,” Mayo-Smith said during an interview.

A history of unreliable sources and groundless accusations...
From Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven’s piece Unreliable Sources – how political operatives and corporate funders influenced media coverage around veterans healthcare:

A similar story played out last summer at the VA hospital in Manchester, New Hampshire. Last July, the Boston Globe Spotlight Team reported on serious allegations at the Manchester hospital, from botched surgeries to a fly infestation. The investigation led to a string of embarrassing national headlines, the immediate dismissal of top Manchester managers, as well as pledged reforms from agency brass. Concerned Veterans for America highlighted the Manchester report on their “#VAFail” blog.

After the allegations surfaced, the former network director, Dr. Michael Mayo-Smith, penned a scathing op-ed in the Concord Monitor pushing back on the troubling allegations made by the Manchester whistleblowers, noting that the VA had found “no systematic breakdowns in patient care” and graded leadership as “engaged and responsive to problems.”

“Unsubstantiated allegations have come to be accepted as fact,” he wrote. “Careers and reputations have been damaged. Veterans have hesitated in seeking VA services. Individuals have used the allegations for personal and political gain.”

In an interview, Dr. Mayo-Smith poked holes in various allegations made in the Spotlight report, and accused the chief whistleblower, of being “largely driven by political and personal motivations.” A September report from the VA’s Inspector General report found no wrongdoing or neglect at the Manchester hospital.

Dr. Mayo-Smith noted that Manchester administrators were aware of the issues before the Globe report, and had actually submitted ten written reports to national VA leadership describing problems and plans for remediation. When Dr. Mayo-Smith and others looked to push back against the report, they were silenced by national VA press staff.

“The approach that was being taken at the national level was a philosophy of no response,” he said. “When you put this hospital under a microscope, things weren’t perfect. But to say there were serious breakdowns in care was not substantiated.” Read more on Unreliable Sources.

TONIGHT, Nov. 26: Join Suzanne Gordon at Phoenix Books in Burlington, Vermont at 7 p.m. for her latest stop in the Wounds of War Book Tour.
  • New York City on Nov. 27 at PNHP
  • New York City on Nov. 28 at Weill Cornell Medical School
  • New York City on Nov. 29 at Community Church
  • St. Paul / Minneapolis on Nov. 30
  • Oakland, California on Dec. 11
  • Half Moon Bay Brewing Co., California on Dec. 13
  • Click here to see all the tour details
A Life Turned Around
A Vietnam veteran living in Detroit struggled with homelessness and PTSD for years. After an intervention from his family, he found himself inside the Detroit VA community. Then he started caring for other veterans. From Crains Detroit Business:

Finally, in 2008, Spencer's sister Belinda and her husband rescued him from an abandoned home where he had lived the past seven years. "I didn't need any help. I didn't want any help. ... They put me in her car. I must have smelled like a ton of garbage.

"'Why you here doing this?' She said, 'You are coming with me.' She tricked me, telling me she had a hot meal. 'Come home with me.' She knew what I liked. Pork chops and rice and corn. I had the plate right in front of me. I dug into it. It took me an hour to eat. I forgot how to use forks and knives," Spencer said.

After a week at his sister's house, Spencer said he had another surprise: A visit to the Detroit VA, a place he didn't want to go because it had doctors. "I was afraid of white coats," he said.
Spencer objected, but dreamed up a plan. He would go to the VA, get a physical, then come home, take some money and leave for his abandoned house. "If they don't let me I would jump off the Belle Isle bridge," he said.

But at the VA, Spencer was surprised again. "I got down here and I was terrified, trembling, and the social worker named Irma (who has since passed away), told me, 'Welcome home, soldier.' I never heard that in my life. I cried. I tell others that now. I never had anybody treat me so nice. The officers were very gentle with me."

No So Automatic Benefits for ALS Veterans
Mishandled benefits claims led to dozens of veterans with Lou Gehrig’s disease without financial support. Read the story at The Washington Post.

Save the Date: November 29 at 10:30 a.m. ET
The House Veterans Affairs Committee will meet to discuss ‘VA’s Development and Implementation of Policy Initiatives.’ Click here for the HVAC post.

Quick Clicks:
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Melania Trump's Subversive GivingTuesday Call to Resist? Courage to Resist Jeff Paterson

Courage to Resist Jeff Paterson<jeff.paterson@couragetoresist.org>
To  
Courage to Resist
murder forest
Is Melania Trump's holiday "blood forest" a subversive call to resist war?
Hi Alfred. In the spirit of First Lady Melania Trump’s “Be Best” initiative to “focus on some of the major issues facing children today,” please consider a “Giving Tuesday” contribution to Courage to Resist.
be best resistGiven our government’s backing of Saudi bombing of children in Yemen, to the gassing of refugee children on the US border with Mexico last week, it is possible that Melania’s holiday decorations featuring blood-red trees is a call to resist war.
It may be a call for people to support the troops who refuse to fight—from the so-called “Global War on Terror” to her husband's “War on Immigrants and People of Color”.
“Be best. Resist!” is something that Ms. Trump has not yet said, to the best of our knowledge, but might say at some point in the future.
ps. We had a little fun with this. If you're looking for the latest news on resistance to Trump's fake war (with real casualties) along the southern border, please visit couragetoresist.org.
COURAGE TO RESIST ~ SUPPORT THE TROOPS WHO REFUSE TO FIGHT!
484 Lake Park Ave #41, Oakland, California 94610 ~ 510-488-3559
www.couragetoresist.org ~ facebook.com/couragetoresist
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