by People's Action | Sep 14, 2018 | Breakfast
Pro-GOP Bloc Swept Out In NY IDC and other New York legislative 2018 primary results. City&State: "Four years ago, a pair of Democratic challengers sought to knock out two state senators who were members of the Independent Democratic Conference to punish them for...
by Charlie Albanetti | Sep 14, 2018 | Blog
The center of power in New York government has shifted in a big way as six incumbent State Senators who were part of the Independent Democratic Conference - a group of Democrats who aligned with Republicans to keep a lock on the State Senate - lost Democratic primary...
by People's Action | Sep 13, 2018 | Breakfast
NY Heads To Primary Polls 7 New York Democratic primary races to watch. CNN: "On Thursday, Democratic primary voters in New York will decide whether to choose Andrew Cuomo for a third term in office, matching his father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo. In the other corner...
by Jake Jacobs | Sep 13, 2018 | Blog
The September 13 primary in New York could re-energize and redefine the Democratic party in the state. It also might mean drastic change for the charter school industry. Photo credit: Michael Johnson/Thomas Good Zephyr Teachout, left, promises to challenge school...
by People's Action | Sep 12, 2018 | Breakfast
Trump Took $10m From FEMA To Pay For ICE Trump administration took $10 million from FEMA's budget to support ICE. USA Today: "The Trump administration took nearly $10 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's budget this summer to help boost U.S....
by Laurel Wales | Sep 12, 2018 | Blog, Democracy, Election, Leigh Friedman, Politics
As 2018 primaries draw to a close, People's Action Deputy Director of Movement Politics Laurel Wales sits down with Leigh Friedman to talk about grassroots candidates we've supported and the importance of what she calls "the politics of joy." This is part one of two....
by People's Action | Sep 11, 2018 | Breakfast
Hurricane May Delay House Votes GOP faces deadline crunch as threat of losing House deepens. Politico: "Congressional Republicans, eager to hit the campaign trail to save their imperiled majorities, are starting to narrow their September legislative to-do list in...
by Cara deRose | Sep 11, 2018 | Blog
As the confirmation vote for Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh nears, Senator Susan Collins’ approval rating has fallen to a new low of 35 percent, according to a recent poll. Comments from some of the over 500 attendees at a Unite for Justice rally in...
by People's Action | Sep 10, 2018 | Breakfast
Walls Close In On WI's Walker Signs that the Wisconsin governor is ripe to be taken down are everywhere. Politico: " There’s every reason to believe this is the beginning of the end for Scott Walker. His presidential bid crashed and burned. He’s running for a third...
by Leo Gerard | Sep 10, 2018 | Blog
In his statement to Congress during confirmation hearings, Judge Brett Kavanaugh said his mother taught him judges must always stand in the shoes of others. Though hardly original or deeply inspirational, it’s not bad advice. The problem is that Kavanaugh never...
by People's Action | Sep 7, 2018 | Breakfast
Kavanaugh Refuses To Reject Race-Based Exclusion Nominee declines to condemn Trump’s attacks on judiciary, racial exclusion. WaPo: "Kavanaugh spent nearly 24 hours over two days answering questions, with many of the discussions on Thursday centering in some way or...
by Jeff Bryant | Sep 7, 2018 | Blog
Some of the most memorable education news stories from the 2017-18 school year were the photos spreading online virally showing Baltimore school children bundled up against the cold in unheated classrooms, the enormous outpourings of teachers walking out of schools...
by People's Action | Sep 6, 2018 | Breakfast
WH Staffers Voice Dissent Trump sees treason from within. CNN: "It's impossible to know in the moment when a presidency begins to dissolve. But after a devastating 48 hours, it's already clear that Donald Trump's will never be the same. Whatever your view of Trump,...
by Robert Borosage | Sep 6, 2018 | Blog
"Promises made, Promises Kept” will be Donald Trump’s slogan as he campaigns “six or seven days a week” for Republicans this fall. During the 2016 election, Trump promised workers “more jobs and better wages,” that he would bring jobs back from abroad. “Every policy...
by People's Action | Sep 5, 2018 | Breakfast
Protests Erupt In Kavanaugh Hearings Dems open contentious hearings with attack on ‘partisan’ Kavanaugh. NYT: "Senate Democrats tore into President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee on Tuesday, painting Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh as a narrow-minded partisan as the opening...
by Sam Pizzigati | Sep 5, 2018 | Blog
How can we tell when a democracy, or rule by the people, evolves into a plutocracy, the reign of the rich? Easy. We have a democracy when a political system can and does make a good-faith effort to address the problems average people face. In a plutocracy, on the...
by People's Action | Sep 4, 2018 | Breakfast
Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings Begin Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings begin. NPR: "The Senate Judiciary Committee begins confirmation hearings Tuesday on the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Republicans, who control the Senate, hope to...
by People's Action | Sep 3, 2018 | Breakfast
Trump "Bad For Workers," Says AFL-CIO's Trumka Labor leader hits Trump over lack of support for working class. Politico: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka came down hard on President Donald Trump on Sunday morning over what Trumka called a lack of progress in...
by Leo Gerard | Sep 3, 2018 | Blog
Labor Day recognizes the humanity of workers. It commemorates their year-long efforts with time off dedicated relaxation, family, friends, and barbeques. There’s no holiday for robots, raw materials, or the energy that animates the machines of manufacturing. Because,...
by Frank Clemente | Sep 3, 2018 | Blog
It was a promise that couldn’t have been clearer: when President Trump sold his tax scam to Congress and the American people, he said the average family would see a $4,000 pay raise from their employers. “I would expect to see an immediate jump in wage growth,” added...
by People's Action | Aug 31, 2018 | Breakfast
Trump Cancels Pay Raise For 2m Federal Workers Trump cancels pay raise for 2m Federal workers, after $1.5t tax cut. Politico: "President Donald Trump announced Thursday he was canceling across-the-board pay raises for civilian workers across the federal government,...
by Jeff Bryant | Aug 31, 2018 | Blog
Maybe from now on politicians will think twice before crossing public school teachers. That's likely what defeated candidates in at least one state, Oklahoma, are thinking after the results of this year's primary and runoff elections. After widespread statewide...
by People's Action | Aug 30, 2018 | Breakfast
Diverse Dems Challenge Trump Loyalists Democratic embrace of diverse candidates collides with barbed politics of Trump era. NYT: "Democratic nominees for governor include three African-Americans, two of them in the old Confederacy, a prospect that not long ago would...
by People's Action | Aug 30, 2018 | Blog, Breakfast
Victory is sweet, but celebration brief - for our struggle has only just begun. The progressive populist insurgency in the Democratic Party has tasted frequent victories this primary season: Tuesday featured more stunning upsets, highlighted by Andrew Gillum’s late...
by People's Action | Aug 29, 2018 | Breakfast
Progressive Andrew Gillum Wins Big In FL Upset Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum shocks Democratic rivals, wins nomination for governor. Miami Herald: "Democrat Andrew Gillum rode a surge of liberal support from young people and African Americans to a stunning primary...
by Alejandra Gomez | Aug 29, 2018 | Blog, Democracy, Election, Politics
Arizonans are standing up to say once and for all, ¡YA BASTA! It’s time we have the elected leaders we deserve, who will courageously fight for us at all levels of government. Tuesday’s primary victories are clear evidence that when we fight, we win. It’s been a long...
by People's Action | Aug 28, 2018 | Breakfast
Voters Head To Polls In AZ, FL, OK Primary elections in AZ & FL, OK runoff. Vox: "Tuesday brings some of the most anticipated primary elections of 2018 when Arizona and Florida go to the polls. Voters will also finally decide who the Republican nominee for...
by Jasmine Budnella | Aug 28, 2018 | Blog
Our country’s overdose crisis kills more people every day than gun violence, suicides, and traffic accidents. Even more shocking is that these lives could be saved – yet we fail to act. Our government’s failure to save lives, when it knows how, is the greatest...
by People's Action | Aug 27, 2018 | Breakfast
Judge Issues Rebuke To Trump On Federal Workers Trump’s power to fire federal workers curtailed by judge. NYT: "A federal district judge in Washington struck down most of the key provisions of three executive orders that President Trump signed in late May that would...
by Miles Mogulescu | Aug 27, 2018 | Blog
If the Republican-controlled Senate proceeds with hearings scheduled Sept. 4 to confirm Trump’s appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court, it will delegitimize the Supreme Court as an independent branch of government, and lead the nation...
by People's Action | Aug 24, 2018 | Breakfast
Georgia GOP Tries To Curtail Black Voting Majority-black Georgia county fires consultant who wants to close two-thirds of its polling places. WaPo: "Officials in Randolph County, Ga., have fired the consultant whose proposal to close two-thirds of the polling places...
by Sam Pizzigati | Aug 24, 2018 | Blog
Back in 1999, near the dizzying height of the dot-com boom, no executive in Corporate America personified the soaring pay packages of America’s CEOs more than Jack Welch, the chief exec at General Electric. Welch took home $75 million that year. What explained the...
by People's Action | Aug 23, 2018 | Breakfast
U.S. Escalates Trade War With China US and China escalate trade war as total sum levied reaches $100bn. The Guardian: "The US and China have escalated their ongoing trade war by implementing 25% tariffs on $16bn worth of imports on both sides, bringing the amount...
by Jeff Bryant | Aug 23, 2018 | Blog
For nearly three decades, education politics have been dominated by a conflict over inputs versus outcomes. Some say public schools and teachers need support and resources to adequately educate all students. Others argue measures of achievement and efficiency prove...
by People's Action | Aug 22, 2018 | Breakfast
Top Trump Advisors Are Now Felons The worst hour of Donald Trump's presidency just happened. CNN: "Two massive clouds that have been hanging over Donald Trump's presidency for months broke open almost simultaneously on Tuesday afternoon -- and poured rain all over the...
by Leo Gerard | Aug 22, 2018 | Blog
The stock market is bubbly. Unemployment is at record lows. On financial news shows, someone always seems to be singing, “Happy Days are Here Again.” But the chorus isn’t so cheery on factory floors. There are no Happy Days at the Harley Davidson plant to be shuttered...
by People's Action | Aug 21, 2018 | Breakfast
Prisoners Strike To Protest 'Modern-Day Slavery' Prisoners nationwide go on strike to protest 'modern-day slavery'. USA Today: "Prison inmates nationwide plan to put pressure on the country's penal system by going on a two-week strike beginning Tuesday. The strike is...
by People's Action | Aug 20, 2018 | Breakfast
WH Says We Don't Need To Save Energy Reversing decades of US policy, the Trump administration says conserving oil is no longer an economic imperative. AP: "Conserving oil is no longer an economic imperative for the US, the Trump administration declares in a major new...
by Erica Johnson | Aug 19, 2018 | Blog
There’s a phrase we use here in Iowa to say how people should treat one another: “Iowa Nice.” We think of ourselves as kind, generous, family friendly and closely-knit, and with a knack for finding common-sense solutions together. But “Iowa Nice” takes on a different...
by People's Action | Aug 17, 2018 | Breakfast
Sessions Fast-Tracks Deportations U.S. attorney general issues order to speed up immigrant deportations. Reuters: "U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday sought to speed up the deportation of illegal immigrants, telling immigration judges they should only...
