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Defend Democracy …

05/06/2011 Nativegrl77

As a legislator in Montana, I’m proud that my state has defeated several bills aimed at suppressing the vote.

Unfortunately Montana is one of only a few success stories in efforts to combat a concerted Republican campaign to make it much more difficult to vote in dozens of states across the country.

In a New York Times editorial last week, the Advancement Project, a civil rights advocacy group, described this rash of Republican-sponsored legislation as “the largest legislative effort to scale back voting rights in a century.”

That’s why two organizations dedicated to preserving our rights have teamed up to take a stand against this outright assault on the fundamental democratic right to vote. Click here to join us today.

As a long-time Democracy for America Member and activist, I’m excited to partner with the Young Democrats of America, where I serve as Vice President along with a talented and dynamic group of young leaders. Both DFA and YDA are committed to a more progressive future — and standing up for what’s right.

A democracy depends on the people choosing their elected officials — not the politicians choosing their voters — and for that reason, DFA and YDA are launching a national campaign to defend democracy and defeat the Koch-funded attacks on voting rights.

Join us in defending democracy right now. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/716?akid=746.1480546.su7zOV&t=1

In addition to this national statement in support of voting rights, YDA and DFA will be working together on a state by state basis to defeat the individual bills aimed at suppressing the votes of young people, working families, people with disabilities, the elderly and minorities. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/716?akid=746.1480546.su7zOV&t=1

There is little else more precious than our ability to participate in our democracy. Join me today in standing up for voting rights. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/go/716?akid=746.1480546.su7zOV&t=1

Together, we can make sure all our voices are heard. Thanks for everything you do.

– Ellie

Representative Ellie Boldman Hill

Democrat

Missoula, Montana

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Congress: -the Republican led House -the Senate

05/06/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

The Senate will not be in session on Friday, May 6.

The Senate Convenes at 2:00pmET May 9, 2011

At 2:00pm, Senator-designee Dean Heller will be sworn in as Senator from Nevada.

Following any leader remarks, there will be a period of morning business until 4:00pm with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

At 4:30pm, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of James Cole, to be Deputy Attorney General.

At approximately 5:30pm, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Cole nomination.

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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MAY 6, 2011

112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

12:03 P.M. – The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on May 10, 2011.

12:02 P.M. – The House received a message from the Senate. The Clerk notified the House that she had received a message from the Secretary of the Senate on May 5, 2011 at 5:20 p.m.: Appointment to: Board of Visitors of the United States Coast Guard Academy; and the Congressional-Executive Commission on the People’s Requblic of China.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

12:01 P.M. – The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

12:00 P.M. – Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Mark Farr, The Faith and Politics Institute, Washington, DC.

The Speaker designated the Honorable Michael K. Simpson to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

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Republicans continue to choose -Anti-Choice Legislation

05/05/2011 Nativegrl77

Last night House Republicans voted in favor of an appalling piece of anti-choice legislation that could force victims or rape and incest to relive their trauma during an IRS audit and deny millions of American women access to life-saving reproductive health care.

http://www.dccc.org/page/m/1d63cab1/1b9dd8ab/4a3ad271/4e0ce84b/3136141357/VEsE/

Their assault on women has nothing to do with saving money and everything to do with forcing extremist beliefs into the tax code of the United States of America.

And they didn’t stop there. They used the occasion to sneak in a provision restricting the definition of rape to deny victims access to reproductive health care — even after they claimed to have removed the language in the face of overwhelming public opposition.

We must take immediate, decisive action against this attack on women’s health and reproductive freedom.

Help us hold House Republicans accountable: Contribute $3 or more right now so we can get hard-hitting Rapid Response ads up holding Republican extremists in Congress accountable for their radical assault on women’s health care and reproductive freedom.

Republicans’ H.R. 3 bill would drastically restrict women’s options for reproductive services by imposing burdensome new regulations on public and private insurance coverage. If made law, women would be denied using money from their personal health savings accounts to pay for abortion services.

I know how important it is for all women to have access to reproductive health care and it is unconscionable that one party would hold women’s health hostage and use the tax code as a moral club to force their religious beliefs on every American.

We are just $27,215 short of our emergency Rapid Response goal of $100,000 by Midnight Tonight to fight this Republican extremism.

http://www.dccc.org/page/m/1d63cab1/1b9dd8ab/4a3ad271/4e0ce84b/3136141357/VEsE/

With your help, we will stand up to this extremism and protect women’s reproductive freedom.

Thank you.

Rep. Jackie Speier

P.S. House Republicans will stop at nothing to appease their extremist anti-choice Tea Party backers. Please contribute right now so Democrats can get hard-hitting Rapid Response ads up to hold the extremists in Congress accountable for their radical assault on women’s health care and reproductive freedom.

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Bankrate.com

05/05/2011 Nativegrl77

Auto loan rates for May 5, 2011 | 2011-05-05

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/national-auto-loan-rates-for-may-5-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110505

Here are the average auto loan rates from Bankrate‘s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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CD rates for May 5, 2011 | 2011-05-05

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/cd/national-cd-rates-for-may-5-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110505

Here are the average CD rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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Credit card interest rates for May 5, 2011 | 2011-05-05

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/national-credit-card-rates-for-may-5-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110505

Here are the average credit card rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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Home equity loan rates for May 5, 2011 | 2011-05-05

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/home-equity/national-home-equity-loan-rates-for-may-5-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110505

Here are the average home equity rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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National mortgage rates for May 5, 2011 | 2011-05-05

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/interest-rate-roundup-for-may-5-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110505

See rates from our survey of CDs, mortgages, home equity products, auto loans and credit cards.

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Official Google blog

05/04/2011 Nativegrl77

The polls are open—vote for your favorite doodle! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/MKuf/~3/SVQwdy-QHzk/polls-are-openvote-for-your-favorite.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

Today, we’re thrilled to introduce the 40 Regional Finalists for this year’s U.S. Doodle 4 Google contest. This year we had a record number of submissions—more than 107,000 from talented student artists from every state across the country. We were amazed and delighted by not only the quantity of submissions but the caliber of this year’s entries.

For the second year in a row, we’re celebrating these winners in their very own schools. From Stilwell, Okla. to Woodinville, Wash., today Googlers are visiting the schools of our Regional Finalists to celebrate their incredible artwork along with thousands of their teachers, friends and classmates.

Our doodle team, volunteer Googlers and incredibly talented Guest Judges helped us determine the 40 Regional Finalists. Whoopi Goldberg, Evan Lysacek, Michael Phelps and Jim Davis (just to name a few) lent a hand to help find the cream of the artistic crop. Now comes one of the most exciting parts of the contest—your votes! From now until May 13 at 11:59 p.m. PDT, you can cast your online votes for your favorite Regional Finalist’s doodle (one vote for each of the four grade groups). On May 19, we’ll announce the national winner at our awards ceremony in New York City. The national winner will receive a $15,000 college scholarship and $25,000 towards a new computer lab for his or her school, and the winning design will appear on google.com on Friday, May 20. All of the top 40 Regional Finalists will also have their work publicly displayed at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and at SFMOMA in San Francisco.

Our top 40 Regional Finalists weren’t the only winners today—we’d also like to congratulate the 400 State Finalists. Last but not least, we’d like to take the time to thank the teachers, parents and administrators who encouraged their students to dream big and put those ambitions on paper. Without you, this contest wouldn’t have been possible.

Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP, Product Management