Tell Congress we need a stronger scientific workforce now. The Union of Concerned Scientists and Democrats.com

DAVID - Over the last four years, the federal government's ability to make science-based decisions deteriorated. Having an administration that ignored science led to widespread "brain drain" at agencies as staff left their positions and were not always replaced. Low-income communities and communities of color, who already face the disproportionate burden of health and environmental hazards, have been made even more unsafe as scientific capacity and enforcement of environmental regulations dwindled. We know that confronting our nation's most pressing problems, from the coronavirus pandemic to climate change, requires federal agencies operating at full capacity with the scientists they need to carry out their mission. As a science advocate, call on Congress to strengthen the scientific workforce in federal agencies. Congress should also act to help federal agencies diversify their workforce and revitalize the recruitment pipeline that brings scientists into federal science jobs. Tell your members of Congress to prioritize strengthening the scientific workforce at federal agencies. The safety of our communities and the health of our environment depend on it. Sincerely, Shea Kinser Program and Outreach Associate Center for Science and Democracy Union of Concerned Scientists As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Union of Concerned Scientists does not support any candidate for office. Paid for by the Union of Concerned Scientists Democrats.com is the original online community of progressive activists, with over 6 million supporters. We fight for jobs, justice, healthcare, education, the environment, and peace. We're supported by great progressive partners so we never ask for donations. Please join us at Democrats.com!

 

IS FACEBOOK STILL CONTROLLED BY TRUMP AND HIS FASCIST ALLIES, ALONG WITH THE RUSSIAN GRU?

 

FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS FACEBOOK HAS BEEN BLOCKING ANY MATERIAL THAT I ATTEMPTED TO PLACE ON ITS PAGES. VIRTUALLY ALL OF IT WAS CRITICISM OF TRUMP, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, HATE GROUPS, THE BOGUS RESULTS OF THE 2016 ELECTION etc. IT HAS GOTTEN TO THE POINT THAT EVEN ARTICLES FROM DEMOCRATIC POLITICIANS AND GROUPS, OR PURELY ACADEMIC SOURCES, SUCH AS THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION, WERE ALSO BEING BLOCKED. KEEP IN MIND THAT I HAVE ALSO POSTED SOME OF THESE SAME ARTICLES ON; TWITTER, TUMBLER, DIGG, GOOGLE+ (NO LONGER IN EXISTENCE), MIX, PINTEREST. NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THESE OTHER SITES HAS EVER BLOCKED ANY OF MY POSTS, OR EVEN EDITED FOR CONTENT. AS OF RIGHT NOW, HERE IS A SAMPLE OF ARTICLES THEY ARE STILL BLOCKING:

TO THE PEOPLE OF GEORGIA: CONGRATULATIONS FROM A "YANK."

THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG. PARTS 1-4. UPDATE.

AUDIO POST. WHY SHOULD WE STUDY LOGIC?

WILL THE REAL CHRISTIAN PLEASE STAND UP? FULL STORY.

WORTHWHILE OR WORTHLESS- A CONSUMER GUIDE TO AVOIDING SCAMS AND SCOUNDRELS. THE ADVERTORIAL- SELLING THE "NEWS?" #1.

WHEN DOES PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE OVERRIDE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW?. PT 1

YOU GET THE PICTURE. THEY WERE ALL BLOCKED, AND THE FOLLOWING APPEARED, AS IT HAS FOR A LONG TIME.

Your message couldn't be sent because it includes content that other people on Facebook have reported as abusive.

DO THEY SAY WHAT IS ABUSIVE? NO.

DO THEY SAY WHAT SHOULD BE EDITED OUT?NO.

DO THEY INDICATE WHAT GROUPS ARE OFFENDED? NO.

WELL, I DO USE:

CRITICAL THINKING AND THE RULES OF LOGIC.

PROPER RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.

THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD.

TRUMPIANS, RUSSIANS, AND FASCISTS HATE THESE THINGS. WHY? BECAUSE IT INDICATES,(OH NO), EDUCATION AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT.

WELL, MAYBE THIS EXPLAINS FACEBOOKS EXPLOSIVE GROWTH. I MEAN BACKED UP BY THE RUSSIAN GOVT. AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, CAREFUL EDITING COULD MEAN LOTS OF CASH FROM DEEP POCKETS.

NEW GAME SHOW- TREASON FOR DOLLARS.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY FACEBOOK, AND THE

NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY. 

WITH YOUR HOST DONALD TRUMP, AND GUEST

APPEARANCES BY- TED CRUZ, MITCH MCCONNELL,

LINDSAY GRAHAM, AND SPECIAL GUEST VLADIMIR PUTIN.

22 [or nearly two dozen] bills restricting voting rights have been introduced. U.S. SENATOR MARK KELLY.

 

David —

So far this year, 22 bills that would restrict voting have been introduced in the Arizona state legislature. Today, they’re considering a bill that would require an extra ID to vote absentee. We need your urgent help to fight back before it's too late.

After historic voter turnout in 2020 that secured a Democratic majority in the Senate, GOP state legislators are pushing new voter suppression bills in a coordinated effort to make it harder for Arizonans to vote in future elections.

These dishonest bills are designed for one purpose: to target and suppress the voices of voters.

They would add extra steps to voting by mail (forcing voters to list a driver’s license or voter registration number on absentee ballots), shorten the window for absentee voting, and even purge voters from the early vote enrollment list.

We’re doing everything we can to stop these attacks, but we need to know you're with us. That’s why we’re calling on 10,000 people to speak out now to condemn these attacks on our right to vote. Will you join us?

Will you join us today and add your name to condemn the GOP attacks on our right to vote?

ADD YOUR NAME

David, GOP state legislators have introduced 22 bills restricting voting rights since January.

And most of the legislation attempts to limit absentee voting, after roughly 80% of Arizonans voted with mail-in ballots in the 2020 election.

We can’t let them make it harder to vote in Arizona. Stand with us today and help us protect the right to vote — we can’t do it alone.

Thank you in advance for making your voice heard today.

Team Kelly

THE GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC. SERVE AMERICA.

David,

We have a gun violence epidemic in this country, and our lawmakers must do everything in their power to address it.

Serve America is proud to support comprehensive gun safety reform, including expanded background checks like those enumerated in H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, which was passed by a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives earlier this month.

Eighteen incumbents endorsed by Serve America joined in supporting H.R. 8 when it came to the floor. Many of those incumbents used and trained with firearms while serving in the military and intelligence communities, and every single one of them has a personal stake in putting an end to the gun violence plaguing every American community. Serve America is particularly proud of the leadership demonstrated by Congressman Joe Neguse, whose community of Boulder, Colorado was the latest stricken by senseless gun violence.

For those of us fortunate to have survived the past year, one of the most harrowing in living memory, we cannot afford for a return to so-called ‘normalcy’ to mean a return to the extraordinary levels of gun violence unique to the American experience.

We know expanded background checks, and other common-sense reforms like an assault weapons ban, are the only way to end the rampant gun violence terrorizing our nation. The House has done its part, the Senate must now do their duty and ensure that common-sense gun safety reforms become the law of the land.

Will you add your name to our petition calling on the Senate to act quickly and pass H.R. 8 and other common-sense reforms that will make America safer and stronger?

ADD MY NAME

Enough is enough. The overwhelming majority of Americans support basic, common-sense gun safety measures. Despite the political division in this country, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans are mostly united on this issue. We are demanding change.

Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard today.

-Serve America

 

DONATE

 

 

Happy Anniversary to the Affordable Care Act. SERVE AMERICA.

David,

We’re in the middle of arguably the worst pandemic in American history. The need for quality, affordable health care is at an all-time high. We’ve seen how unprepared our system is for a public health crisis like COVID-19, and we need to fix it.

Today marks the 11th anniversary of President Obama signing the Affordable Care Act into law. The landmark health care reform extended insurance coverage to millions of Americans of all walks of life, and provided new protections for tens of millions more with pre-existing conditions.

And despite 11 years of attacks on the ACA by Republican ideologues, it’s still standing strong.

But we know there’s clearly more work to be done. Will you add your name to our petition to support quality, affordable health care?

ADD MY NAME

Reliable and affordable health care provides the peace of mind that should be a standard expectation in American life. Nobody should have to worry about their financial well-being just because they get sick.

-Serve America

 

DONATE

Join us for Titletown Trivia Thursday, March 25th at 8:00PM. VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY.

 

Valdosta State University

ALUMNI RELATIONS

Valdosta State Alumni Relations is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.   Topic: Titletown Trivia Time: Mar 25, 2021 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)   Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82222593205?pwd=ZDVCcnltMUNrRm5pNmNKc2t4NTlFUT09     Meeting ID: 822 2259 3205 Passcode: goblazers One tap mobile +19292056099,,82222593205#,,,,*750434377# US (New York) +13017158592,,82222593205#,,,,*750434377# US (Washington DC)   Dial by your location         +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)         +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)         +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)         +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)         +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)         +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 822 2259 3205 Passcode: 750434377 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdkQtIqwY   GO BLAZERS!

BY DEFINITION: GUN CONTROL, AND THE 2ND AMENDMENT. PART 1.

Trying to cut through all the Hyperbole about the 2nd Amendment, and how Free or Restrictive Gun Ownership and/or Possession should be, is a daunting task. However, let's give it a try.

FIRST-  Here is the Actual Wording of the 2nd Amendment; "A WELL REGULATED MILITIA, BEING NECESSARY TO THE SECURITY OF A FREE STATE, THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED."

Before anything else of value can be done, the initial step must be to: DEFINE WORDS AND TERMS.

So, with that in mind, here are a few definitions that must be considered vital to understanding the meaning contained in the 2nd Amendment;

MILITIA-  Is the Military Arm of each Individual State, to be called upon by the Governor to protect the Peace and Security within its Proscribed Boarders.  Today, it is now called the NATIONAL GUARD.  It can also be Nationalized, which means it falls under the Authority of the President, to serve the needs of the Entire Country.

REGULATED-  In Martial Terms;  An Organized Group operating under a strict set of Rules and Guidelines: 

-  That is Derived from, and Subordinate to a Civilian Authority or Government. 

-  With a Well-Defined Mission Statement.

-  That Outlines the Duties and Expectations Governing Proper and Improper Behavior, and set Punishments for Violations.

-  That Establishes a Formal Command Structure, with set standards for Leadership roles, and provides for the Arming and Training of the rank and file.

STATE-  Could actually refer to either an individual state, or the U.S. as a whole,

depending on the circumstances or mission.

RIGHT-  A Protection an Individual has against possible Retribution by the Government, for engaging or participating in certain activities. 

PEOPLE-  CITIZEN(S).

ARMS-  Any Physical Object that would be easily recognized as a Tool of War, 

or is acknowledged to be part of an established Military Arsenal.  Usually, refers to any type of Firearm.  In modern terms, WEAPONS would be a more appropriate term for general usage. 

KEEP-  To Store, Control, or Maintain a Weapon under the control of a certain group or individual. 

BEAR-  To have Immediate Open Physical Possession of a Weapon, which is Legally Recognized.

SEE PART TWO.

100 DAYS. U.S. SENATOR MARK KELLY.

 David —

Last week, we marked 100 days since Mark was sworn into office. And from day one, he’s been working around the clock to provide relief and improve people’s lives.

On his first day, Mark said it was time to restore science, data, and facts to Congress and be the independent senator Arizona deserves.

And every day since he’s worked hard to live up to that promise. Here’s a snapshot of some of Mark’s accomplishments in his first 100 days:

1. Introduced 2 bipartisan pieces of legislation
2. Passed 2 COVID-19 relief packages

And those are just the highlights! Mark has been busy talking to Arizonans across the state — meeting with local leaders in all 15 counties as well as 52 mayors across the state.

Mark has wasted no time getting right to work for the people of Arizona and he’d like to keep going, but we have to make sure he holds this seat in the Senate.

Mark has had a productive first 100 days in office. And we are looking forward to what the next 100 days has in store. We hope you’ll join us and help keep in office where he will continue to put Arizona first.

Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do to support this team!

Team Kelly

DONATE NOW

House Renews Violence Against Women Act, But Senate Hurdles Remain. NPR.

 March 17, 20215:14 PM ET

SUSAN DAVIS

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., leads a 2019 press conference with fellow Democrats in support of the Violence Against Women Act.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Updated at 7:13 p.m. ET

The House approved with bipartisan support a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a popular 1994 law that protects and provides resources for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. The measure passed 244-172.

As a senator, President Biden played a lead role in passing the landmark law, which he recently called "one of my proudest legislative achievements."

The law was last reauthorized in 2013, but it lapsed at the end of 2018 after Congress failed to act due to partisan disputes over guns and transgender issues. The lapse has had little practical effect because Congress continues to fund related programs despite the lack of authorization.

The core legislation has broad support, but certain provisions added to the bill in the previous Congress exposed divisions among Republicans. In 2019, the House passed the measure with 33 Republicans voting with Democrats, but it was never brought up in the then-GOP-led Senate.

In a statement Wednesday evening, Biden said "writing and passing VAWA is one of the legislative accomplishments of which I'm most proud," and urged the Senate to follow suit.

"This should not be a Democratic or Republican issue — it's about standing up against the abuse of power and preventing violence," he said.

A number of Republican senators said this week they are working on finding a bipartisan compromise that can pass the now-Democratic-controlled chamber. "I think it's fair to say that there is a good strong interest in trying to advance VAWA," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

The most contentious issue in the House-passed bill is a provision that expands the criminal threshold to bar an individual from buying a gun to include misdemeanor convictions of domestic abuse or stalking. It would also close the so-called boyfriend loophole to expand the definition of who is affected by existing gun prohibitions to include dating partners. "This legislation makes it clear that Democrats consider gun ownership a second-class right," said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va.

POLITICS

House Passes Bills To Strengthen Gun Laws, Including Expanding Background Checks

In 2019, the National Rifle Association opposed the legislation for the first time, which put GOP lawmakers in a tough political position of voting against a popular law to support victims of domestic and sexual violence, or voting against the gun lobby. The NRA continues to oppose the legislation because of the gun provisions.

"The NRA did not score the legislation until last Congress because it never impacted Second Amendment rights," said Jason Ouimet, executive director of the NRA's lobbying arm. "However, Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and anti-gun lawmakers chose to insert gun control provisions into this bill in 2019 to pit pro-gun lawmakers against it so that they can falsely and maliciously claim these lawmakers don't care about women."

The House-passed bill would also strengthen existing protections for transgender women to access women's shelters and serve in prisons that match their gender identity.

VAWA advocates say the gun and transgender provisions are necessary to protect victims. "Everything that we advocate for in VAWA is based on the reality of what we know victims are being subjected to, and what we know survivors need to seek safety, accountability, healing," Jennifer Becker, deputy legal director of Legal Momentum, the oldest legal advocacy group for women in the country, told NPR. "These provisions are central to ensuring that people stay alive," she said.

POLITICS

Democrats Control Washington, But That Doesn't Mean Their Agenda Will Pass

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., the lead Republican sponsor of the legislation, echoed that sentiment and said the updated version of the law "addresses the challenges identified by survivors and by domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and other organizations that serve survivors."

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the House Rules Committee, supports the legislation but called the provisions "unnecessarily partisan" and said they could once again block its reauthorization. "The last time we adopted this course of action, frankly, the legislation was never enacted into law, and I am afraid we are running that risk again." Cole voted in favor of the bill because it provides critical assistance to the Native American communities in his state.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is taking the lead on crafting the Senate GOP's counterproposal to the House bill. "What we're hoping to show is that we have enough Republican support on our bill, and that we're willing to work with Democrats on this, and hopefully, by combining forces we can come up with the 60 votes needed, and pass a good modernized bill that will work for the Senate," she said Tuesday.

However, Ernst indicated the gun provisions would be a problem in the Senate. "That's a big one for a number of us, some stripping away of people's constitutional rights is not something that we should be doing," she said, "So why don't we just kind of backtrack a little bit and figure out where we can agree?"

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told reporters Tuesday that VAWA would get a vote in the Senate. "We're ready to move," he said.

Biden says Putin 'will pay a price' for Russian efforts to undermine the 2020 US election. CNN POLITICS.

 By Maegan Vazquez, CNN

Updated 1241 GMT (2041 HKT) March 17, 2021

Washington (CNN)President Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin "will pay a price" for his efforts to undermine the 2020 US election following a landmark American intelligence assessment which found that the Russian government meddled in the 2020 election with the aim of "denigrating" Biden's candidacy.

"He will pay a price," Biden said of Putin in an interview that aired Wednesday on ABC's "Good Morning America". "We had a long talk, he and I, and relatively well. And the conversation started -- 'I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, be prepared.'"

Biden held his first call with Putin in late January. The White House said at the time that Biden confronted the Russian president on a number of issues, including Moscow's interference in the 2020 US presidential elections, the massive Solarwinds cyberattack, the suspected poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and reports of Russian bounties on American troops serving in Afghanistan.

BIDEN'S FIRST 100 DAYS

• Border crisis stymies Congress as GOP bashes Biden and Democrats spar
• Biden says he supports bringing back the Senate's talking filibuster rule
• Harris uses UN speech to champion women's role in democracy

The President wouldn't provide more details to ABC on what "price" Putin will pay, but the Biden administration is expected to announce sanctions related to election interference as soon as next week, three US State Department officials have told CNN. The officials did not disclose any details related to the expected sanctions but said that they will target multiple countries including Russia, China and Iran.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released an assessment on Tuesday about foreign threats to the 2020 US federal elections. The assessment found that Russia pursued efforts aimed at "denigrating President Biden's candidacy and the Democratic Party, supporting former President Trump, undermining public confidence in the electoral process, and exacerbating sociopolitical divisions in the US.:

The report is the most comprehensive assessment of foreign threats to the 2020 elections to date, detailing extensive influence operations by US adversaries that sought to undermine confidence in the democratic process, in addition to targeting specific presidential candidates.

It also confirms what was largely assumed, and barely hidden, last year: former President Donald Trump and his closest allies publicly embraced Russia's disinformation campaign against Biden, met with Kremlin-linked figures who were part of the effort, and promoted their conspiracy theories.

During his interview with ABC, Biden was reminded of the 2011 exchange he said he had with Putin at the Kremlin.

Biden claims he told Putin he didn't think Putin had a soul. Putin's response, Biden recalls, was to say, "We understand one another."

"Look, most important thing dealing with foreign leaders, and I've dealt with a lot of them over my career, is just know the other guy," Biden told ABC.

When interviewer George Stephanopoulos asked Biden if he thought Putin was "a killer," the President said, "Mhmm. I do."

"The price he's going to pay, well, you'll see shortly," Biden continued. "There are places where it's in our mutual interest to work together. That's why I renewed the START agreement with him. That occurred while he's doing this, but that's overwhelmingly in the interest of humanity that we diminish the prospect of a nuclear exchange."

CNN's Zachary Cohen, Marshall Cohen and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this report.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

RUSSIA INTERFERING IN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? HMM, WHERE HAVE I HEARD ABOUT RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE IN A PREVIOUS U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION? MAYBE WE SHOULD ASK HILLARY CLINTON.

- DAVID

close dialog

The world is watching as the Biden administration takes office.

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