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Top Stories for May 15:
GOP congressional staffer outed as devout neo-Nazi
You will be shocked — SHOCKED — to learn US Rep. and collector of many white hoods Paul Gosar has a devout neo-Nazi on the taxpayer-funded payroll. In one particularly enlightening social media post, Gosar’s digital director, Wade Searle — who uses the online handle “Chikken” (seriously) — swore his undying allegiance to Nick Fuentes’ white supremacist movement and the white race writ large. Neat! [RETWEET THAT!]
Take Action: Kick Fox News off the air for glorifying Trump’s insurrection!
GOP state lawmakers restricting ballot initiatives to thwart abortion protections, will of the people
Devoid of actual policy ideas that might actually help their constituents and stinging from repeated statewide ballot-initiative losses targeting abortion rights, Republicans across the country are resorting to doing what they do best — chicanery and cheating — to exact further pain and suffering on the American people.
Take Action: Tell the Biden team to use ALL emergency powers to protect the abortion pill!
CNN suffers ultimate humiliation after Trump town hall
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: Beyond embarrassing.
Ron DeSantis signs new laws, changes rules so he can run for president without resigning from office
The real-life Disney villain and fledgling White House hopeful is using the final weeks before he launches a widely expected presidential campaign to modify Florida law to allow him to run while serving as governor and conveniently reduce transparency over political spending and his travel. Nothing conveys executive-level confidence like hedging your bets on the world’s biggest stage.
Take Action: Tell Republicans NO cuts to Social Security or raising retirement age!
Florida teacher under investigation for showing PG Disney movie to 5th-grade class
Jenna Barbee, a 5th-grade teacher in Hernando County, Florida, drew the ire of one very furious mom and was subsequently reported to Florida’s state education department for “indoctrination” for the very serious crime of… showing a PG-rated movie — Strange World — to her 10- and 11-year-old students after an exam. The offense? One of the characters in the animated movie is apparently gay. When Republicans made “Don’t Say Gay” official state policy, their aim was clear — to normalize discrimination and equip right-wing zealots with the legal tools to scrub the LGBTQ community from public society, one nightmarish stunt at a time. [RETWEET THAT!]
Take Action: Stop McConnell’s undemocratic court blockade!
Kenya doomsday cult death toll surpasses 200, more than 600 people reported missing
Hundreds of bodies have been dug up from dozens of mass graves spread across end-times pastor Paul Mackenzie’s 800-acre property. Mackenzie, who is in police custody, reportedly ordered his congregants to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus. Autopsies conducted on more than 100 bodies last week showed the victims died of starvation, strangulation, suffocation, and injuries sustained from blunt objects.
Rick Perry teases presidential bid, declines to support Trump campaign
Uh, oops.
Millions of Americans just lost their healthcare
Health Access CA: The expiration of pandemic emergency measures means countless people no longer have health insurance, and states are spending millions more to try to kick more people off. Healthcare is a human right, and every American deserves to be able to go to the doctor when they need to. Will you add your name to demand Congress ensure affordable, accessible healthcare for all?
NYC converts hotels to shelters as pressure mounts to accommodate asylum seekers
New York City officials will use area hotels — including the historic Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan — in a compassionate effort to provide thousands of rooms for migrants who are expected to arrive in the coming weeks following the expiration of pandemic-era Title 42 rules, which had previously allowed federal officials to turn away asylum seekers from the US border with Mexico.
Nikki Haley dodges abortion question, claims federal ban is unrealistic
Erstwhile Trump enabler and longshot presidential hopeful Nikki Haley sidestepped questions about a federal abortion ban, calling such action unrealistic, given the current makeup of the US Senate. Unrealistic? Sure. Deeply unpopular? You betcha. The stalwart centerpiece of the Republican Party’s misogynistic, Bible-thumping, browbeating platform? 100%. No amount of dodging or equivocating will change the truth — a federal ban on abortion IS the GOP’s goal.
Trump vows role for Michael Flynn in a second White House term
Disgraced ex-general turned disgraced ex-National Security Advisor turned coup plotter turned QAnon preacher Mike Flynn has been pinpointed by Trump for yet another role in a potential Trump White House, reminding us all that we as a nation cannot, CANNOT, go through this idiocy again.
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Required Reading for the Resistance. Actions that make a difference.
Today’s Action: Support the Writers Guild of America strike!
The writers of all our favorite TV and streaming shows are currently on strike, and for very good reason. While the advent of streaming has unleashed a torrent of wonderful, high-quality entertainment, it has proven financially calamitous for writers, who have found themselves working for less and less pay year after year. Adjusted for inflation, writer pay has dropped 14% over the past five years! On top of that, their jobs (and the future quality of our favorite shows) are being threatened by the looming specter of AI-generated content and the hunger of big corporations to cut every single job they possibly can to maximize profits.
The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union work force, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing, the Writers Guild of America said in a statement.
CEO compensation last year averaged roughly $32 million at the industry’s 12 major media companies. It’s obvious these juggernauts can afford to properly compensate their writers. If they won’t, then writers should continue to strike until they receive a fair contract.
Support striking WGA writers by donating your time and/or finances! You can write letters of support, donate to the Snacklist (which delivers food and coffee to striking writers), share their demands using the WGA social media toolkit (#WGAstrong, #WGAstrike), or — if you’re in LA or New York City — join them on the frontlines!
PS — Please don’t forget to sign the petition to fire all the cops, soldiers, and politicians named in the Oath Keepers member list, and be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.