Tag Archives: Arizona

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Do faith leaders need to be conservatives


Dear MoveOn member,

If you’re glad that Obamacare is finally here—that millions of Americans are, at last, covered by health insurance—then you’ll love this podcast.

It tells the inside story of the final battle to pass the bill, in the final week before the final vote. But it’s not a story about politicians. It’s a story about an unlikely group of heroes who saved the day: Catholic nuns. And it will bring a smile to your face.

Click here to listen to the podcast on iTunes—and if you like it, subscribe and post a review!

The Good Fight with Ben Wikler

Or you can listen on our website here, or on Stitcher, or subscribe via RSS.

You may have seen the headlines about the Catholic nuns suing over contraception coverage in Obamacare. The case just reached the Supreme Court. And it would be easy to look at that story and conclude that nuns in general are opposing the most significant piece of progressive legislation in decades.

But that would be exactly the wrong conclusion.

Sister Simone Campbell—one of the most charming, utterly down-to-earth, and profoundly committed people I’ve ever met—explains why. And in the process, she tells her own fascinating story, from an anti-segregation sit-in where, as a teenager, she decided to take her vows, all the way to the present and her delight in the joyous tone set by Pope Francis.

You’ve got to hear her voice. Listen in to “The Good Fight” on iTunes, and be sure to subscribe if you want to hear more!

(Or check out the episode on our website.)

Sister Simone’s story is a piece of recent history that we’d do well to remember. It punctures the myth, so often pushed by Republicans, that faith leaders are necessarily conservative. In fact, for Sister Simone and so many others, a commitment to social justice is linked inextricably with faith.

Whatever happens to this Supreme Court case, I’ll always be thankful to America’s nuns for what they did on health care. And once you hear this story, you will be too.

Thanks for all you do.

Warmly,

–Ben

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

What you should know …


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Today’s Top News

2014 is already off to a running start. Here’s today’s news to know.

  • Supreme Court Stays Marriage Equality In Utah: Though today’s order will come as a disappointment to the many same-sex couples whose marriages are now in limbo until this case is finally resolved, it is not a particularly surprising order. Nor does it reveal much about how the justices view the merits of the case.
  • The 7 Worst Moments Of Liz Cheney’s Aborted Senate Campaign: Liz Cheney, a former George W. Bush administration state department official and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, announced Monday that she will end her primary challenge to Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), a third-term Senator who ranked as the eighth most conservative member of the Senate in 2012. Her less-than-five-month campaign was plagued by poor press and political missteps. Here’s a look back at the worst of them.
  • One Of The Steubenville Rapists Has Been Freed After 9 Months: Ma’lik Richmond, one of the two young football players who was found “delinquent” of having raped a young girl in Steubenville, OH, last year, has been freed from his sentence at a juvenile detention facility. Though the sentence was supposed to carry a minimum of one year in detention, Richmond got out early on good behavior. He served nine months.
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By The Numbers …


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Obamacare Numbers to Know

Yesterday was a big day for millions of Americans. The health coverage they received under the Affordable Care Act went into effect. For many of these millions, it may be the first time they’ve ever had the security of quality, affordable health coverage.

Here are some key numbers to know as we enter this new, exciting phase of Obamacare:

2,000,000….the record number of Americans who visited HealthCare.gov on December 23.

6,000,000+….the total number of Americans who have obtained health coverage through the state and federal health care marketplaces or Medicaid since October 1.

2,100,000+….the number of Americans who have obtained private health insurance through the state and federal health care marketplaces.

3,900,000….the number of Americans who were found to be eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program just during the months of October and November alone.

4,800,000….the number of low-income Americans who will not receive health coverage simply because Republican governors and legislatures in half the states are refusing to expand Medicaid.

10,000….the actual number of Americans nationwide who “would be unable to renew their cancelled policies, unable to receive subsidized coverage through the marketplace or Medicaid, and unable to enroll in catastrophic coverage,” which is a far cry from Republican claims that 5 million people would lose coverage because their substandard plans were cancelled by insurance companies.

BOTTOM LINE: Obamacare is working and millions of Americans have health coverage right now thanks to the Affordable Care Act — and millions more will get covered before open enrollment ends in March. Every Republican attempt to dismantle, disrupt, and destroy the law is now an attempt to take away coverage from these Americans and the tens of millions of others who have benefited from the law, including women, seniors, young people, and those with pre-existing conditions.

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Stop the massacres


                                Dear friends in the Avaaz Community,


Up to 15,000 dolphins are being killed every year in Peru’s waters — for bait to catch endangered sharks. A new report has forced the government to respond but they’re not taking enough action yet and meanwhile the dolphins and the sharks are being killed. We can stop the massacre by threatening Peru’s international reputation as a tourism destination. Sign now and share: 
SIGN THE PETITION

I just saw a report on the news in Peru showing how fishermen are slaughtering up to 15,000 dolphins every year — for bait to catch endangered sharks. The entire story made me sick — and now I’m fighting to end this nightmare. Will you join me?
My government is starting to react, but they’re not taking enough action yet. Dolphin hunting is already illegal and punishable with several years in prison, but authorities are turning a blind eye — allowing thousands of dolphins and sharks to be butchered. The government cares a lot about Peru’s international reputation, especially for tourism, and if we can make them feel embarrassed with a massive global campaign, I’m sure they’ll start taking action to end the massacre.
Once I deliver a million signatures from all over the world to the government of Peru, Avaaz will place ads in tourism magazines in countries where most of our tourists come from and the government won’t be able to ignore us! Help me stop the brutal slaughter by signing now:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/dolphin_hunt_peru/?biEWLbb&v=33625
When I saw this horrific hunt I realised I needed to do something about it before our dolphins and sharks are gone forever. So I decided to set up a petition and shared it with my friends and in less than 24 hours over 10,000 people had signed it!
Our oceans are under attack. Sharks and dolphins already face threats from pollution, climate change and entanglement in fishing gear. They play an important role as ocean predators and need to be protected — not butchered. Many marine ecosystems are on the verge of collapse from which they won’t recover and they will not wait while our politicians dither around making empty statements.
Tourism is Peru’s third largest industry, growing faster than any other South American country. Visitors are coming to see our pristine wilderness and eco-tourism is very important. We can create a serious threat by taking out hard-hitting ads in key countries where most visitors are coming from. Our government will realise people not only love our country because of the Machu Picchu and local gastronomy but also because they love our oceans and wildlife. Sign now and share this with everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/dolphin_hunt_peru/?biEWLbb&v=33625
As an Avaaz member I’ve been truly amazed at our ability to help protect our oceans. At first, I wanted to get 15,000 signatures to represent the 15,000 dolphins that are killed every year but together we can represent all the dolphins and the sharks that can be saved in Peru’s waters!
With hope and excitement,
Zoe — together with the Avaaz Community Petitions Team
This petition was started on the Avaaz Community Petitions Site. It’s quick and easy to start a petition on any issue you care about, click here: http://avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?30311
MORE INFORMATION:
Dolphins killed for shark bait in Peru (CNN) http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/22/world/americas/dolphins-killed-peru/
Dolphin Slaughter Fueled by Illegal Shark Trade (National Geographic) http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/24/dolphin-slaughter-fueled-by-illegal-shark-trade/
Revealed: brutal reality of world’s ‘biggest dolphin hunt’ (The Ecologist)  http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2122747/revealed_brutal_reality_of_worlds_biggest_dolphin_hunt

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Does Google support ALEC


Dear MoveOn member,

Stunning news: Google supports a right-wing front group that pushes anti-environment, anti-education and anti-worker policies. That’s why I started a petition on MoveOn.org to Google CEO Larry Page. The petition says:

The anti-environment, anti-education and anti-worker agenda of ALEC (the American Legislative Exchange Council) is the antithesis of what Google claims to stand for.Please end your support for ALEC and its extremist policies today!

Sign Marisol’s petition

I’m Marisol Garcia, a teacher and MoveOn member in Phoenix, Arizona. I’ve witnessed ALEC’s dangerous agenda firsthand.

ALEC has repeatedly tried to dismantle our public schools by rerouting taxpayer funds toward private and for-profit institutions, attacking the reduced price school lunch program and attempting an end-run around teachers’ unions. On top of that, ALEC has repeatedly pushed voter suppression efforts, discouraged policies that would expand alternative energy use, and promoted the dangerous “Stand Your Ground” law in states across America.

Google has a great reputation and I couldn’t be happier about the recent investments my school made to bring tools like Chrome and Google Docs to my students—but that makes Google’s involvement with ALEC even more disappointing. Please join me in asking Google to end its support for ALEC.

Click here to add your name to this petition, and then pass it along to your friends.

Thanks!

–Marisol Garcia