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News … White House

07/23/2014 Nativegrl77

President Obama Presents the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts

At a ceremony at the White House yesterday afternoon, President Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Ryan M. Pitts for his unwavering courage in one of the fiercest battles of the Afghanistan war.

In the East Room of the White House this morning, the President signed an Executive Order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Yesterday, President Obama made a statement on the current situation in Ukraine, in the wake of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 being shot down last week over territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine.

National Hot Dog Day …

07/23/2014 Nativegrl77

Celebrate National Hot Dog Day With These Recipes

It only comes once a year, so use this excuse to indulge in a delicious, all-American dog today. From bacon-wrapped to chili-smothered, we have 10 recipes that will leave you counting down to lunch. READ NOW

By Derrick Riches
Barbecues & Grilling Expert

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

anti-science

07/23/2014 Nativegrl77

Seth Fleetwood is running for State Senate in the 42nd District

Click here and say:
I’m with Seth!

Great news!

This fall, we have a strong chance to oust one of the biggest enemies of environmental progress in our State Senate — Doug Ericksen.

Doug Ericksen is Chair of the State Senate committee focused on the environment.

Ericksen is notorious for cozying up to corporate special interests and lobbyists — more than any other WA legislator according to a 2013 Associated Press investigation. 1

Many of the lobbyists Ericksen got meals and freebies from represented the oil industry. It might come as no surprise that Ericksen has used his position to push Big Oil’s agenda, even giving climate change deniers a platform to spew their anti-science rhetoric.

Seth Fleetwood is challenging Doug Ericksen. Will you sign our petition and show your support for Seth?

It’s time that Whatcom County had a Senator who worked for them, not the corporate lobbyists.

Seth Fleetwood has been representing the people of Whatcom for 12 years on the Bellingham City and Whatcom County Councils, and he’s ready to represent them in the State Senate.

He stands up for the people of Whatcom — supporting personal freedom, protecting the environment by preserving farmland and keeping Lake Whatcom clean, and building infrastructure that the economy needs to grow.

Seth has been endorsed by many different groups, including the Washington Conservation Voters, Washington State Labor Council, Planned Parenthood Votes and more.

Seth Fleetwood will work for the people of Whatcom, not corporate lobbyists. Wouldn’t that be nice for a change?

Join me. Add your name to show your support for Seth Fleetwood and help us take back the State Senate.

In solidarity,

Jaxon

1 http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Olympia-lobbyists-pamper-lawmakers-with-free-meals-209375761.html

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Re: Republican political suicide

07/23/2014 Nativegrl77

The Supreme Court decision striking down coverage for birth control shows how extreme and anti-woman the Republican Party has become. Now we need to hold them accountable with voters. Can you chip in $3?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

The Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision made me so angry. It’s just so wrong, and so disrespectful to women.

But recently I woke up with a different idea. It’s time to stop being mad. It’s time to get even.

Because the one good thing about this decision is that it shows for all the world that the Republican Party is flat-out, 100% against access to birth control. And that’s political suicide.

Consider this: 99% of women use contraception at some point in their lives.¹ Ninety-nine percent. Opposing birth control isn’t a fringe view. It’s the farthest fraying edge of the fringe.

So between now and November, we need to hold Republicans accountable by making sure that every female voter in every key state knows the Republican Party position on birth control. If they want to support legislation to overturn Hobby Lobby, great. But if not, we’ll make sure it costs them their seats in Congress. Will you chip in $3 to help make it happen?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to hold Republican politicians accountable for opposing access to birth control.

Remember 2012? Republicans lost the women’s vote by 12 points while talking about “legitimate rape”—the biggest gender gap in history.²

They thought they could fix it by coaching politicians on “messaging to women.”³ But here’s what the Republicans haven’t learned: It’s not just what they say—it’s their policies.

And no Republican position is more out of the mainstream than their opposition to access to contraception.

Republicans are on the verge of taking control of the Senate, and if they do, then they’ll have the power to block any Supreme Court nomination President Obama puts forward—locking in terrible decisions like Hobby Lobby for a generation or more.

But with your help, we can hang this decision like an albatross around the necks of Republican candidates all over the country. We’ll show up at public events and challenge candidates directly. We’ll run ads online. And any Republican who doesn’t support legislation to overturn Hobby Lobby will have to answer to voters.

I’m tired of being mad. Let’s fix this.

Click here to chip in $3 and help hold Republicans accountable for opposing access to birth control.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Alejandro, Justin, Rosy, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “Contraceptive Use in the United States,” Guttmacher Institute, June 2014

2. “Gender Gap in 2012 Vote Is Largest in Gallup’s History,” Gallup, November

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Refugee children …. Republican political footballs

07/23/2014 Nativegrl77

Children fleeing violence are seeking refuge in the United States in record numbers. Every child is entitled to an immigration hearing, but there is no guarantee these children—who may have experienced unspeakable trauma—will have legal support.The MoveOn community is raising funds for much-needed legal support for these children—donating every penny to Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), the leading organization providing legal representation to children entering the U.S. alone. Can you make a donation to KIND to ensure these children have the legal counsel and support they need when they face an immigration judge?

Chip in $3

Dear MoveOn member,

Thousands of children fleeing violence from their home countries have come to the United States—sometimes traveling long distances without their parents—seeking refuge. This humanitarian crisis has overwhelmed the existing support the United States provides for children who have been victimized by violence.

These children—some just barely older than toddlers—are crowded into temporary shelters, detention centers, and even facilities on military bases.

United States immigration law guarantees all children from certain Central American countries due process, including an asylum hearing in front of an immigration judge. These hearings are crucial to protecting refugee children. Sending some of these kids back could be, in the words of Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, “to send them back to certain death.“¹

During the hearings, an immigration judge hears from each child and determines if that child is eligible for refugee status or humanitarian protection. But these children aren’t guaranteed legal representation when they face the court and could find themselves alone in the hearing that will determine the rest of their lives.

That’s why we’re coming together as a MoveOn community to raise funds for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), an organization dedicated to providing legal support to children. We’ll give every penny of your contribution to KIND.

Can you chip in to make sure these refugee children get the legal counsel and representation they need?

Yes, I can contribute $3 to help a child seeking refuge from violence receive legal support.

Since 2012, the number of children seeking refuge in the United States has soared from three Central American countries: Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Stories of the violence these children are fleeing are chilling. This region, known as the Northern Triangle, has some of the highest murder rates in the world, and children may come to the United States having witnessed family members and friends hurt, raped, or killed in rampant outbreaks of gang violence.²

For many of these children, what happens during these immigration hearings could be the difference between life or death. No child should be forced to appear in court alone.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that nearly two-thirds of the children and families from Central America may be eligible for humanitarian protection under international guidelines³—but we are treating them like criminals.

Can you contribute $3 to make sure these children have legal representation when they appear before an immigration judge?

MoveOn members across the country have stepped up before to provide support for those impacted by major humanitarian crisis. When Hurricane Sandy left thousands without power, food, and shelter, MoveOn members opened their homes to help. And MoveOn members helped provide temporary housing for more than 30,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

By making a contribution now, you can help again, and make sure children looking to the United States for protection from deadly violence receive the chance they are legally guaranteed to share their stories and plead their cases.

Thanks for all you do.

–Anna, Stephen, Matt, Maria, and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. “O’Malley: U.S. shouldn’t send immigrant children back to ‘certain death,'” CNN, July 11, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299998&id=98878-17809870-QP8qysx&t=4

2. “Why are so many minors fleeing Central America for the U.S. border?” KSHB, July 16, 2014  
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299999&id=98878-17809870-QP8qysx&t=6

3. “Children on the Run,” United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, March 12, 2014  
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=300000&id=98878-17809870-QP8qysx&t=8