1/ Let's be clear - Trump had a goal last night to get his right wing, white supremacists to organize an election day intimidation effort. He succeeded. Recruitment by Proud Boys and others is underway. Here's why this is especially worrying this year - and what you can do.
2/ In 2018 a federal judge ended a three decade long court order on the Republican National Committee that placed restrictions on the RNC's "ballot security" measures and Election Day activities at the polls. Why were these restrictions in place?
3/ In 1982, Republicans used illegal harassment and voter intimidation to discourage Black Americans from voting. They sent targeted mailings warning about the consequences of voter fraud & posted armed guards at polls in minority neighborhoods. Thus, the court intervened.
4/ So if AR-15 wielding white supremacists are at the polls this year, there are fewer legal remedies to remove them. Trump knows this, which is why he is pushing so hard.
But you can do something about it. Volunteer here to help protect the election. protectthevote.net
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The Kimmel suspension is a much bigger deal than you know.
It's really about a growing alliance between Trump and the companies that own America's local TV stations - like Nexstar - to turn local TV into Trump propaganda.
1/ Let me tell you the short story. It's chilling.
2/ In August, Nexstar announced they wanted to buy another TV station company, Tegna.
But that's illegal - because it would give Nexstar control of stations in nearly half the country. FCC rules prohibit ONE company from having THAT much control over local TV content.
3/ Why? Because one company shouldn't control local speech in half the country.
Also, we want our local TV stations to be run by local actors to preserve local identity and prevent our culture from becoming soullessly flattened - which Nexstar was already doing!
The murder of Charlie Kirk could have united Americans to confront political violence. Instead, Trump and his anti-democratic radicals look to be readying a campaign to destroy dissent.
2/ Leaders across the political spectrum have spoken out about the need to depoliticize our fight against violence. GOP Governor Spencer Cox has led the way.
3/ Here is the latest post from Laura Loomer, who clearly has the ear of President Trump, calling on Trump to use dictatorial powers to destroy his political opposition. This kind of rhetoric is gaining traction in MAGA world, and Trump is now echoing it.
1/ The beating heart of a free society is the ability for citizens to engage in political life with no fear of violence. Once we lose this freedom, few will step forward, and our entire democratic experiment unwinds into chaos and recrimination.
2/ Political violence in America is spiraling - January 6th, the attempting assassination of President Trump, the beating of Paul Pelosi, the murder of the Minnesota legislators, the shooting of Brian Thompson, and now the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
3/ We can spend today arguing who is at risk more - the right or the left. Or we can decide that our entire democratic enterprise is at risk if we don't draw a line in the sand today. What does that exercise look like?
1/ Republicans think they are going to hide all the hospital and clinic closures due to throwing 17M off their health care to pay for their billionaire tax cuts.
We won't let them.
I'm starting an effort to track all the closures - @HospitalsCrisis. We launched it this week.
2/ My organization, American Mobilization Project, is funding and working with @ProtectOurCare to build this tool tool that tracks the damage done to health care centers in real time.
Every time a hospital closes or is at risk of closing because of the GOP bill, we'll know.
3/ When your local hospital eliminates its maternity delivery unit, or your parent’s nursing home closes, you should know why.
It's the direct result of a choice that Republicans and Trump made to choose tax cuts for the rich over health care for normal Americans.
Private equity looted 3 Connecticut hospitals. Services cut, nurses buying their own supplies etc. They will do it to your hospital if we don't stop this trend right now.
1/ Today I'm releasing a report on the truth about private equity in health care. tinyurl.com/adangerouspros…
2/ In 2016, private equity backed Prospect Medical Holdings bought three cash-strapped hospitals in Connecticut with the promise they'd invest in upgrades.
The plan was to shore up the hospitals so they could offer better care for patients. It was sold as a win-win. They lied.
3/ Instead, private equity deployed the “buy, strip, flip” playbook. It’s exactly as destructive as it sounds.
Buy a vulnerable hospital.
Strip it of staff, services and assets - scam and squeeze every dollar possible out of patients.
2/ This meeting essentially accepts Russia back into the club of legitimate major nations. And that's unacceptable, because Putin is committing war crimes in Ukraine - purposely murdering innocent people and kidnapping young children.
The photo op alone is a disaster for peace.
3/ How could the meeting become an even bigger disaster? Easy.
If there is no ceasefire (and there can't be, because Ukraine isn't even attending!), and Trump doesn't immediately announce sanctions AND new weapons for Ukraine.