Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd. That’s just 2 months away. 60 days, to be exact. We don’t need to tell you that everything is riding on this election, but we will anyway. It can’t be said enough: Everything is riding on this election. Everything.

To help make sure every one of the next 60 days count, today we’re launching our 2020 Election Action Guide which we’re calling “Voting Is Not Enough.” Because…it’s just not.

From now until election day, every episode of the show will highlight a different way you can be spending time and/or money to support a free and fair election, as well as Democrats down the ballot and all the way up to the Biden-Harris ticket. All of this information can be accessed from the “Voting is Not Enough” tab at BestoftheLeft.com, or directly at BestoftheLeft.com/2020 Action.

So, let’s dive in.

This past Tuesday was National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. Due to the pandemic, the country is facing a record shortage of poll workers which already devastated primaries in certain states. Why? Well, as with a lot of civic jobs, poll workers tend to be older Americans, making them high risk if they contract COVID-19. To put it in perspective, in 2018, 58 percent of poll workers were age 61 or older. As these older poll workers bow out to protect their health thanks to Trump’s negligence, thousands are needed to take their place.

If you’re younger, and do not have existing health issues that make you high risk for COVID-19, consider signing up to be a poll worker. If you’re employed with benefits, this does mean sacrificing some of your precious few vacation hours, but saving democracy is worth it. If you’re unemployed, this is a great way to take part in civic action and likely be paid for your time. Keep in mind that there will be trainings and they may need you for early voting too, so it could be more than just a one day job.

When it comes to pay and shift organizing and minimum age cut offs, every state is different. The best way to find out how your state is organized and where to apply is to visit workelections.com. There, you’ll find an accessible, centralized information hub where you can simply enter your state and be led to the specific websites and information you need.

We can't let COVID-19 get in the way of voting. Here's why we need to make sure every polling place is staffed on Election Day: pic.twitter.com/6k4R65jdyB

— The Poll Workers Project (@PollProject) August 13, 2020

Typically, local election officials don’t have the resources to do wide recruitment efforts, so they rely on their existing volunteer rosters. This year, multiple independent campaigns are now underway to reach younger, multi-lingual, computer proficient candidates, such as Power the Polls,The Poll Workers Project, and The Poll Hero Project.

The stakes are extremely high. Even when there are enough poll workers, Republicans try to suppress the vote by shutting down polling places in Black and brown and immigrant neighborhoods. When there aren’t enough poll workers, the first polling places to get shut down will be in those neighborhoods. To counter this, More Than A Vote, the organization launched this month by a group of Black athletes and artists led by LeBron James, is working with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to specifically recruit poll workers in heavily Black districts across the country.

If these recruitment campaigns are successful, their work in 2020 will positively impact election days for years to come.

So, if ensuring we have enough poll workers for the most important election of our lifetime is important to you, be sure to spread the word about Becoming a Poll Worker to Save Poling Places via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

TAKE ACTION!

Become a Poll Worker: WorkElections.com

Spread the word/join the recruitment campaigns: 

Power the Polls (@powerthepolls): Help recruit the next generation of poll workers to power the November Election.

The Poll Workers Project (@PollProject): Volunteer to be a poll worker and become part of the movement to help everyone vote this November

The Poll Hero Project (@pollheroproject): Recruiting thousands of college and high school students to be paid poll workers to make the 2020 election a success!

More Than A Vote (@morethanavote): Fighting against voter suppression. Recruiting poll workers in heavily Black districts across the country. 

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

States scramble to recruit thousands of poll workers amid pandemic shortage (CNN)

Coronavirus creates election worker shortage ahead of November (Politico)

Wanted: Young People To Work The Polls This November (NPR)

The Poll Workers Project is seeking younger generation to work at the polling precincts (The State News)

NBA star LeBron James' group plans effort to recruit poll workers for November (NBC News)

Poll Worker Shortages and Potential Solutions (Canvass from NCSL)

Florida Hit by Poll Worker Shortage (WFLA)

Want to Help Our Community Vote This Year? Be a Poll Worker (HRC, Advocate)

From 47 Primaries, 4 Warning Signs About the 2020 Vote (NY Times)

Posted September 5, 2020; Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1364: Fundamentalist-Driven Sectarian Violence (And I am Not Talking About a Foreign Country)

The Defund the Police movement is a national movement requiring hyperlocal action.

To help, Indivisible has created a tool that allows you to call your local and state officials quickly and easily, and often, to demand they defund the police and invest in Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color – often referred to as BIPOC communities. If Indivisible doesn’t have your officials’ information, they link to a tool from Common Cause that helps you find what you need.

Visit Indivisible.org/defund-police-and-invest-black-communities

At the federal level, the BREATHE Act is a project by The Movement for Black Lives unveiled in early July. This bill that aims to realign America’s moral compass by reallocating its massive investments in racist injustice systems, prisons and war toward incentives for decarceration, community-led approaches to public safety, and environmental, economic, health, education and housing justice. It’s basically “Defund the Police” on a national scale and an effort to acknowledge and right many of the wrongs committed over centuries. It is being called a visionary Civil Rights bill for the modern era.

Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan have signed on to bring the bill to the Congressional floor. Check out breatheact.org for more information and call your members of Congress today to urge them to commit to supporting this bill.

Finally, there are primaries still coming up in Hawaii, Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Alaska, Florida, Wyoming, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Delaware, Rhode Island and Louisiana. Find the candidates at all levels supporting Defund the Police efforts and donate or volunteer to help them win. And, of course, keep your eyes on November. We’ll have more for you on that soon.

So, if ending systemic racism to create a more just and moral society is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about Defunding the Police Locally and The Breathe Act via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

In many marginalized communities, police represent harm and terror—not safety. When we defund police, we can invest in Black community-led education, health, and safety programs.

Fill out this form to be connected with your local city council: https://t.co/wRC8XtTBi8

— Indivisible Guide (@IndivisibleTeam) August 6, 2020

Today, we unveil the BREATHE Act, a visionary Civil Rights legislation. Join us live at 11AM ET with @RepPressley and @RepRashida and a special performance by @JohnLegendhttps://t.co/OQ8aQxVdAB #BREATHEAct pic.twitter.com/K9G0iZzTFB

— Movement 4 Black Lives (@Mvmnt4BlkLives) July 7, 2020

TAKE ACTION

LOCAL: DEFUND THE POLICE

Call on Local Officials to #DefundthePolice via Indivisible

Indivisible Black Lives Solidarity Action 

NATIONAL: PASS THE BREATHE ACT

Learn about and support the BREATHE Act

Spread the word about the BREATHE Act

Sign on as Community Sponsor of the BREATHE Act

ELECTORAL: SUPPORT PROGRESSIVE RACIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES

Upcoming State Primaries

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

The Movement for Black Lives Introduces the BREATHE Act (Colorlines)

What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Mag,)

What Does It Mean to Invest in Black Communities? (The Nation)

How to Defund the Police (The New Yorker)

How to Make Defunding the Police a Reality (The Nation)

The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police (Bloomberg)

Defunding the Police Will Actually Make Us Safer (ACLU)

The Black Lives Matter Protests Are Working. Here’s Proof. (HuffPost)

Why We’re Demanding No Cops for Veep (The Nation)

Posted August 8, 2020; Researched and written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1360: Redefine, Unburden and #DefundThePolice

There is something different about this moment. In just a few weeks, the organic uprisings across the country and the globe are seeing results that would have seemed unfathomable only a month before.

This momentum cannot be lost, which is why The Movement for Black Lives has organized SixNineteen. Kicking off on Juneteenth, that’s this Friday, June 19th, the SixNineteen rallies will be held in communities all over the country, in front of the White House in DC and even virtually throughout the weekend.

The SixNineteen mobilization has three demands. The first is…

Defund the Police: This means the reallocation of bloated and outsized police budgets back to critical community resources such as public education, houselessness, and mental health. It’s time to rethink the role of police and center health, safety and well-being. Use-of-force regulations are important, but they are “insufficient as a solution to the problem of police violence, either incrementally or as a tool of transformation.”

The second demand is to Invest in Black Communities: The economic crisis we are experiencing now comes at the tail end of decades of divestment in Black communities and Black people. Divert wasteful spending on police militarization and invest in community based programs like healthcare, education and housing.

And the third and final demand is Call for the Resignation of Donald Trump: This one doesn’t need much explanation, but Trump has a long, well-documented history of racism and weaponizing hate. The protests have only further exposed his authoritarian, violent tendencies. It’s time for him to resign.

To join this mobilization, go to SixNineteen.com to learn more, find an event near you, or register an event you’re hosting.

Text DEFEND to 90975 to get updates on the SixNineteen action from Juneteenth and beyond. You can also follow the Movement for Black Lives on Twitter for the latest and use the hashtags #DefendBlackLives , #SixNineteen , #BlackLivesMatter , & #DefundthePolice on Twitter to engage.

So, if Black lives matter to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about Join the #SixNineteen (#Juneteenth) Rallies 6/19-21 Virtually, Locally or in DC via @Mvmnt4BlkLives via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

It’s time. We must lay the path to freedom for future generations NOW.

Join the #SixNineteen
mobilization on Juneteenth weekend, June 19–21, 2020. #DefendBlackLives https://t.co/YuRrz965XR pic.twitter.com/cKCgqQWzLS

— Movement 4 Black Lives (@Mvmnt4BlkLives) June 17, 2020

TAKE ACTION

Join the The Movement for Black Lives' SixNineteen mobilization: 6/19 (Juneteenth) through 6/21

Visit SixNineteen.com to find events near you, participate virtually, join the D.C. action, or register your own event

Text DEFEND to 90975 to get updates on #SixNineteen and future actions

Follow @Mvmnt4BlkLives and use #DefendBlackLives , #SixNineteen , #BlackLivesMatter ,& #DefundthePolice on Twitter

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

#SIXNINETEEN: Movement For Black Lives Calls For Juneteenth Actions (Essence)

An American Uprising (The New Yorker)

Black Lives Matter Chapters

What Exactly Does It Mean to Defund the Police? (The Cut, NY Magazine)

America, This is Your Chance (NY Times Op-Ed, Michelle Alexander)

Police Erupt in Violence Nationwide (Slate)

Freedom to Thrive: Reimagining Safety & Security in Our Communities (Popular Democracy)

Resources for White People to Learn and Talk About Race and Racism (Fractured Atlas)

A Letter to White People Engaged in Conversations Around the Phrase “Defund The Police” (Medium)

Louisville police release the Breonna Taylor incident report. It's virtually blank (Louisville Courier Journal)

This Is How Hard It Is to Invest in Black Neighborhoods (Bloomberg CityLabs)

Right now, hundreds of thousands of people in America are languishing in jail and immigrant detention centers – during a pandemic - because they are too poor to pay bail.

As of 2015, the median felony bail bond amount was $10,000 – the equivalent of 8 month’s income for a typical defendant, according to Prison Policy Initiative. It can take months, sometimes years, to have a trial and those in poverty spend that time in prison – not only experiencing the trauma of incarceration, but also losing any job they had outside and being torn away from children and loved ones who depend on them.

And now there is one more threat to face on the inside – the novel coronavirus. At the notorious Rikers Island prison in New York, at least 273 detainees have tested positive for the virus. An immigrant detention center in San Diego has 10 cases confirmed, with others experiencing symptoms but not being tested. Though the virus may have forced ICE to scale back its attacks on immigrant neighborhoods, thousands sit in prisons and detention camps because they lack the means to pay bail.

While Governors who have immense power to do something sit on their hands or make things worse, you can actually help set people free – possibly saving their lives - from the comfort of your home.

Make a donation of any amount today to The National Bail Fund Network, a listing of over sixty community bail and bond funds across the country. These community bail funds are freeing people by paying bail and bond and are also fighting to abolish the money bail system and pretrial detention.

Go to bit.ly/localbailfunds. There, you can donate directly to their COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund, or find specific pretrial and immigration bail funds by state in their directory. Your next step should be sharing this link as far and wide as you can. Check out the hashtag #FreeThemAll on Twitter for more information on how to help.

So, if helping the most vulnerable among us during this pandemic is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about The National Bail Fund Network via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

RECENT DIRECT ACTION:

.@OCAD_CHI kicks off today's Solidarity Caravan in Chicago demanding a #MassReleaseNow by circling ICE HQ & the federal jail in downtown Chicago. You can hear people inside the MCC banging on the windows along with us! #FreeThemAll! pic.twitter.com/BLEgy3NRVO

— Chicago Community Bond Fund (@ChiBondFund) April 7, 2020

RIGHT NOW! Hundreds of cars circling La Palma Correctional Center in AZ demanding ICE #FreeThemAll.

There have already been 3 confirmed cases of #COVID19 here. It’s now a matter of life or death.

We may be quarantined, but we will not be silent. #AZLiberenatodxs pic.twitter.com/LTEPOzQDXx

— Maxie Adler (@maxie_adler) April 11, 2020

BREAKING: A rising movement from inside Mesa Verde Detention Center has spread, leadings to a massive hunger strike and sit-in at two different cells! The demands are clear: in response to COVID-19, all migrants detained at Mesa Verde Detention Center! #FreeThemAll pic.twitter.com/mlXzyacUWB

— CA Immigrant Youth (@CIYJA) April 10, 2020

We demand Mass Release at Cook County Juvenile Center #FreeThemAll #MassRelease pic.twitter.com/8XkFxcfT8d

— BLMChicago (@BLMChi) April 7, 2020

Hundreds of cars outside of Cook County jail today demanding #MassReleaseNow ! #FreeThemAll pic.twitter.com/p1QOJx5amN

— asha rosa (@ashapoesis) April 7, 2020

We support the action and here are more photos from the sit in at Mesa Verde #FreeThemAllMesaVerde #FreeThemAll pic.twitter.com/xnGCoC8mTI

— Kern Youth Abolitionists (@kyabolitionists) April 10, 2020

Cook County Jail. #FreeThemAll #bailreform Prisoners ARE PEOPLE.
This breaks my heart. pic.twitter.com/6SaHldDCjq

— shewhomustnotbenamed (@jewinthesun) April 11, 2020

TAKE ACTION

Donate to The National Bail Fund Network's COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund

Find other ways to help and get involved through the hashtag #FreeThemAll 

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2020 (Prison Policy Initiative)

Detaining the Poor (Prison Policy Initiative)

Rikers Reports Its First COVID-Related Prisoner Death (NY Mag: Intelligencer)

Andrew Cuomo Has Learned Nothing From the Coronavirus Catastrophe at Rikers (NY Mag: Intelligencer)

Fear Among Immigrant Detainees Spreads As Coronavirus Outbreaks Hit ICE Detention Centers (Buzzfeed News)

Immigrant detainees in Massachusetts are fighting to be released in the pandemic (Vox)

'Terrified of dying': Immigrants beg to be released from immigration detention as coronavirus spreads (USA Today)

Posted April 12, 2020; Researched and written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1347: Locked in a Petri Dish (Mass Pandemic Incarceration)

Nearly a year after the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, the Government Accountability Office released a report on the lack of a comprehensive federal privacy law governing private companies’ collection, use or sale of user data. Its big conclusion was that...yea, it’d be a good idea to have a federal law that protects people. Who would’ve thought?

Luckily, a framework already exists as a road map to creating this desperately needed federal law. It’s known as the Fair Information Practices, or FIPs for short. FIPs includes eight, thorough recommendations to create comprehensive privacy protection and digital rights in the United States, including establishing fair and just data practices and accountability to counter bias and discrimination. It also goes after inequality with a provision to prohibit “Take it or leave it” terms of service. These terms require individuals with less means to waive their privacy rights in order to get a quality good or service for less or for free. The Electronic Privacy Information Center, known as EPIC, in addition to 15 other consumer, privacy and social justice organizations, have signed on to the FIPs framework.

And in February, EPIC, along with 40 civil rights, civil liberties and consumer groups, wrote a letter to Congress to specifically address data-driven discrimination. The letter outlined the critical importance for any privacy legislation created to be consistent with the “Civil Rights Principles for the Era of Big Data.” These five principles are: ending high-tech profiling, ensuring fairness in automated decisions, preserving constitutional principles, enhancing individual control of personal information, and protecting people from inaccurate data.

You can help demand the end of algorithmic bias and discrimination. Call your members of Congress to demand that FIPs and the 5 Civil Rights Principles are included in the creation of future U.S. privacy law.

Learn more about this issue by going to EPIC.org and searching for “Algorithmic Transparency” under their Privacy Campaigns. You can also go to The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights site at civilrights.org and visit the "Media & Tech" page under the “Our Work” tab. On social media, check out the hashtag #DataDiscrimination and search for the term or hashtag “algorithmic bias.”

So, if making our technological world safer, transparent and discrimination-free is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about Turning Two Frameworks for Fair and Just Data Practices into Federal Privacy Law via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

A comprehensive national standard for #privacy is needed - but it should be a baseline that gives states the room to innovate, as has historically been the case in federal privacy laws. #RealPrivacy #Privacy4All #DigitalRights4All https://t.co/QE0j1iJbKX pic.twitter.com/962DO8yL39

— EPIC (@EPICprivacy) February 26, 2019

Five years ago, along with partners like @ColorOfChange, we spoke out about the importance of privacy and big data for communities of color, women, and other historically disadvantaged groups. Read our civil rights principles for the era of big data here: https://t.co/fluXsGer0I https://t.co/VIrB9nximQ

— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) February 26, 2019

TAKE ACTION!

Tell Congress to Create a Federal Privacy Law using:

• Fair Information Practices (FIPs) | (Retweet it)
• Civil Rights Principles for the Era of Big Data | (Retweet it)

Learn more:

• EPIC's "Algorithmic Transparency" campaign
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights' "Media & Tech" page
• Read the coalition letter to Congress

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

AI can be sexist and racist — it’s time to make it fair (Nature)

Discriminating algorithms: 5 times AI showed prejudice (NewScientist)

Yes, artificial intelligence can be racist (Vox)

Even Kids Can Understand That Algorithms Can Be Biased (Scientific American, Roots of Unity Blog)

Artificial Intelligence Has a Problem With Gender and Racial Bias. Here’s How to Solve It (Time)

A.I. Could Worsen Health Disparities (NY Times)

What Women Know About the Internet (NY Times)

Posted April 19, 2018; Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1266: Writing human bias into the code that runs our lives (Algorithms)

Three critical bills currently making their way through Congress would help curb and correct the immoral and dismally insufficient response to the crisis impacting indigenous communities across the country.

The Savanna’s Act was first introduced in 2017 by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp. Named for a 22 year-old North Dakota woman of the Spirit Lake Nation who was abducted and brutally murdered, the bill aims to “increase coordination among all levels of law enforcement, improve data collection and information sharing, and empower tribal governments with the resources they need in cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls wherever they occur.”

Although the Savanna’s Act actually passed the Senate unanimously in 2018, now retired Republican Rep. Goodlatte killed it in the House by eliminating the teeth meant to ensure law enforcement agencies followed the guidelines. He also ran out the clock and the bill expired. Since Heitkamp lost re-election, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska took up the charge and re-introduced the bill in January. Thankfully, Murkowski kept the stipulations Goodlatte took out. The bill is now on its way to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs with 16 cosponsors - 10 Democrats and 6 Republicans.

Around the same time, the SURVIVE Act was reintroduced by Senator Jon Tester of Montana and it unanimously passed Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The SURVIVE Act would expand critical victims services by allocating 5% of the Crime Victims Fund, or 150 million dollars, to Indian Tribes to help survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

And finally, since 2013 the Violence Against Women Act has included a statute “which allowed Indigenous communities to have an inherent right to exercise criminal jurisdiction over certain non-Native Americans who committed domestic or dating violence against Native American victims on tribal land.” The NRA is fighting hard against reauthorization of the VAWA because they desperately want stalkers and dating partners who’ve been convicted of assault to own guns.

You can help make these bills law by telling everyone you know about their importance and, of course, by calling and writing your members of congress to tell them you support passage of the Savanna’s Act, the SURVIVE Act, and re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

You can learn more about this issue by visiting MontanaMMIW.com, and by exploring the #MMIW, which stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and the #MMIWG, which stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

So, if forcing the U.S. government to do something that actually helps Native people is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about Telling Congress to Take Legislative Action to Protect Indigenous Women and Girls via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

TAKE ACTION!

Tell Congress to Pass/Reauthorize:

• Savanna's Act
• SURVIVE Act
• Violence Against Women Act

Learn more at MontanaMMIW.com & on Twitter: #MMIW #MMIWG

EDUCATE YOURSELF & SHARE

A missing sweater tells the story of missing Indigenous women (Indian Country Today)

Savanna's Act is Back (Splinter)

States weigh bills addressing Native deaths, disappearances (AP)

House Passes Bill Protecting Domestic Abuse Victims; GOP Split Over Gun Restrictions (NPR)

Montana Senate Betrays Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Splinter)

Tester reintroduces “Securing Urgent Resources Vital to Indian Victim Empowerment” Act (KRTV)

Lisa Murkowski Revives Bill Targeting Missing And Murdered Native Women (Huffington Post)

Posted April 16, 2019; Researched & written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1265: Moving beyond tragedy by surviving and adapting (Native Peoples)

In a reversal of an Obama-era decision, the federal government ruled in September that the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts does not qualify for a reservation. This decision has the power to take 321 acres of tribal land out of federal trust, effectively disestablishing the tribe’s reservation and eliminating their self-governance.

With this ruling, the Trump administration is unearthing a disgusting tactic the United States government has used to destroy tribes in the past. The only way to protect the tribal land now is for Congress to pass the bipartisan Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act.

If the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe sounds particularly familiar, it may be because this is the Native American tribe of Thanksgiving origin story lore. The Tribe says their ancestors have occupied the land in southeastern Massachusetts since before human memory.

Here are some of the tribal voices of the movement fighting to protect their legal right to their land: https://vimeo.com/293866929

You can help the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe reinstate their federal trust by calling your members of Congress, in the House and Senate, today to tell them to pass the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act. Visit mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov to learn more and find out other ways to support the tribe in this fight. You can also help amplify this action by using the hashtag #StandwithMashpee on social media.

So, if making sure Native Americans can legally own at least a fraction of the land we stole is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about Telling Congress to Pass the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

TAKE ACTION!

Tell your members of Congress to support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act (H.R. 5244 / S. 2628)

Learn more and find out how to support the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe 

Share the tribe’s video on social media

Amplify the #StandwithMashpee hashtag

EDUCATE YOURSELF

The true story of the first Thanksgiving and what it meant (Opinion | Boston Globe)

Mashpee Wampanoag Confront 'Loss Of Self-Governance' After Interior Department Reversal (WBUR, Here & Now)

This Thanksgiving, The Trump Administration Is Taking Land From The Tribe That Welcomed The Pilgrims (Huffington Post)

The Grisly Murder Case That Could Turn Half of Oklahoma Back Into Tribal Lands (The New Republic)

Posted October 26th, 2018; Researched & Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1230: Thanksgiving and cultural heritage

This is our final installment of The Midterms Minute. We hope you’ve found value in these segments, even if hearing/reading them simply kept the 2018 Midterms at the top of your mind for the last four months.

There are just a few more days to go before the election. You may be thinking that there isn’t much you can do at this point to make a difference, but…you’d be wrong. There’s still plenty of time to donate, phone bank, volunteer, and talk to your friends and family about voting and getting engaged. Check out our previous segment for a list of “4 things you can do to make a difference” and links to resources.

This week, the DCCC announced it’s 6 “red alert” House races that need a big final show of support to finish strong. Four of these races are currently rated as toss ups by Cook Political Report.

FL-15: Kristen Carlson is running in Florida’s 15th district,which encompasses two incredibly expensive media markets. This race is down to a 1-point, toss up race.

IL-06: Sean Casten is running in Illinois’ 6th district and is tied in a head-to-head contest despite a $2 million dollar effort by Paul Ryan’s Super PAC and even more from the Koch brothers to drag him down.

IL-12: Brendan Kelly is running in Illinois’ 12th district, which is a traditional swing district where Obama and Tammy Duckworth both won, but the race is leaning Republican at the moment.

NJ-03: Andy Kim is running in New Jersey’s 3rd district against the wealthiest member of the New Jersey delegation who is injecting massive personal money into his campaign to try to win this toss up race.

TX-07: Lizzie Pannill Fletcher is running in Texas’ 7th district,where the NRCC and Paul Ryan’s Super PAC have already spent over $1 million for her opponent in the one of the top ten most expensive media markets in the country. This is a toss up race.

TX-32: Colin Allred is running in Texas’ 32nd district,where more Republican money has been spent than almost every other House race this year. It’s still a toss up.

You can donate or learn other ways to help these candidates by going to Red to Blue dot DCCC dot org. Of course, information for ALL of the battleground races and ways to get involved can be found at The Midterms Minute H.Q..

And to close out our last Midterms Minute of 2018, we’re leaving you with a passage from progressive pastor John Pavlovitz’ article entitled “You Can’t Change Hatred—But You Can Outvote It.”

“If their consciences and compassion and reason have not been accessed and unearthed by now, I’m concerned those things will never be forthcoming.

And since these people will not be moved, the rest of us need to move together.

Democrat, Republican, and Independent, the deeply devout and the passionately irreligious, people of every pigmentation and persuasion—we need to move in concert, to affirm our shared regard for one another, and to vote to restore balance in something we all love that is teetering wildly.

This isn’t a battle to change the minds of the few who refuse to be changed. That horse is dead.

It also isn’t a test to see if we can manufacture the same hatred and vitriol for them as they dispense toward us.

This is a golden moment for the vast, sprawling army of good people who believe in the beauty of diversity and in a fully accessible America to speak unequivocally—on our social media profiles, at family gatherings, in our church meetings—and most of all, in the voting booth.

We don’t need to convince or coddle or win over hatred, and we don’t need to outdo it either.

We need to outnumber it.
We need to outlast it.
We need to outlove it.
We need to outvote it.”

THE MIDTERMS MINUTE - FINAL PUSH!

All Battleground Info/Resources: THE MIDTERMS MINUTE H.Q.

"RED ALERT" HOUSE RACES:

FL-15: Kristen Carlson 

IL-06: Sean Casten

IL-12: Brendan Kelly 

NJ-03: Andy Kim 

TX-07: Lizzie Pannill Fletcher

TX-32: Colin Allred 

4 THINGS YOU CAN DO BEFORE NOV. 6TH

1. Donate

House: DCCC Red to Blue Program

Senate: DSCC.org

Toss ups/Battlegrounds: The Midterms Minute H.Q.

2. Virtual Phone Banking

Indivisible Phone Banking (Sen/House/Gov)

Swing Left Phone Banking (House)

Resources for newbies / Hosting a Phone Bank Night

3. Volunteer to GOTV

National Indivisible Chapters Events List

DNC State Parties

Candidates websites: Visit The Midterms Minute H.Q.

4. Talk to Friends & Family (and text people)

Talk, invite them to volunteer with you, etc.

Use OutVote to text friends and encourage them to vote

Passage: "You Can't Change Hate, But You Can Outvote It" (By John Pavlovitz)

Posted November 2, 2018; Researched & Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1224: Fixing the underlying mechanism of our democracy (Election Integrity)

The Midterms Minute is a look at the candidates and races in battleground districts that you need to know about, shout about and support to make the biggest impact possible in the election on November 6th. (Quick links at bottom of page)

As of the release date of episode #1223, we are exactly 1 week out from election day.

So, let’s do a little visualization exercise for a moment: Imagine that it’s next Tuesday night and the election returns are coming in. Now imagine that Democrats don’t pick up enough seats to take control of the Senate or lose seats they had. Now imagine that Democrats don’t pick up enough seats to take control of the House. Now imagine waking up the next morning to Trump proclaiming ultimate victory and an unequivocal mandate for his horrific, hate-filled agenda that most Republicans support.

Now, how do you feel? Do you feel like you did enough? Do you wish you had done more? How do you think the most vulnerable and disenfranchised among us will be feeling at that moment? Remember those feelings and keep them with you in this final week because this is quite literally the last chance to make a difference before election day.

And because of that, today we’re going to tell you four things that you can do to make that difference over the next seven days.

Don’t forget to scroll down for info and links for the ten toss up gubernatorial races across the country - six of which are open seat races previously held by Republicans. Of course, information for ALL of the battleground races and ways to get involved can be found at The Midterms Minute H.Q..

And now, without further ado, here are the top four things you can do this week to make a difference on election day.

1: Donate. This last week is going to require many, many hours of campaign workers’ time and those people need to be paid….and given lots of coffee and pizza. Ads need to be run. Signs need to be printed. Canvassing and phone banking materials need to be at the ready. Volunteers need to be trained and managed. Your donations can help candidates run a strong get out the vote effort in these final days. If you don’t know where to start, check out the DCCC Red to Blue Program and donate to a few candidates or easily support all candidates listed with one donation. To help Senate candidates, visit DSCC.org and contribute. If you’re only interested in donating to toss up races, check out the links in our previous segments which can be found at The Midterms Minute H.Q..

2: Phone Bank. If you have even an hour to give, virtual phone banking is for you. Both Indivisible and Swing Left have selected races where candidates can benefit the most from phone banking and you can sign up for a shift and get started in seconds. Indivisible is hosting phone banking for a mix of House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates, so if that’s what you’re looking for go to Indivisible Phone Banking to get started. If you’re interested in focusing on tight races for the House, go to Swing Left Phone Banking. Never phone banked before? No problem. Swing Left offers plenty of resources for newbies.

3: Volunteer. Yes, this requires more of your time, but it is so impactful and it can even be fun. Grab a friend and sign up to canvass a neighborhood for a candidate near you. Or go to a phone banking event organized by the local DNC party office, a candidate’s campaign or a political action group. When you see other people actively engaged, you’re going to feel better and you might meet some new friends along the way. One way to quickly find an event near you is by going to National Indivisible Chapters Events List for a national list of local Indivisible group volunteer events. Otherwise, check out your local DNC website or specific candidate’s websites for more volunteer opportunities.

4: Talk to your friends and family. The current political climate has strained many a relationship, but if you know someone who is undecided or someone who will vote but isn’t engaged, talk to them.…in person. Have a discussion about civic action and all the personal reasons you have for getting involved. Lead them to resources invite them to volunteer with you. These conversations can be game changers for those who may feel disillusioned or don’t feel like politics really affects them. Additionally, you can use the OutVote app to find and send text messages to people in your network that may need some extra encouragement. 

TOSS UP GUBERNATORIAL RACES:

Connecticut (Open Seat (D))

Ned Lamont (D) (vs. Bob Stefanowski (R))

Georgia (Open Seat (R))

State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D) (vs. GA Sec of State Brian Kemp (R))

Iowa (R Incumbent)

Fred Hubbell (D) (vs. Incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds (R))

Maine (Open Seat (R))

State Attorney General Janet Mills (D) (vs. Shawn Moody (R))

Nevada (Open Seat (R))

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak (D) (vs. NV Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R))

Ohio (Open Seat (R))

Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray (D) (vs. OH Attorney General Mike DeWine (R))

Oregon (D incumbent)

Incumbent Gov. Kate Brown (D) (vs. OR Rep. Knute Buehler (R))

South Dakota (Open Seat (R))

SD Sen. Billie Sutton (D) (vs. Rep. Kristi Noem (R))

Wisconsin (R incumbent)

WI Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) (vs. Incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R))

Kansas (Open Seat (R))

KS Sen. Laura Kelly (D) (vs. KS Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R))

As a reminder, voter purging is happening across the country so we urge you to confirm your voter registration ASAP. Visit HeadCount.org to quickly be directed to your state’s specific website to confirm your voter registration. If there is a problem, contact 866-OUR-VOTE to report the problem and get guidance ASAP. If your registration is okay, help someone else confirm theirs or obtain the necessary ID they need to ensure there are no surprise problems on election day.

So, if making the Blue Wave a reality in November is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about supporting Democrats in battleground races across the country via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

THE MIDTERMS MINUTE (Quick links)

4 THINGS YOU CAN DO BEFORE NOV. 6TH

1. Donate

House: DCCC Red to Blue Program

Senate: DSCC.org

Toss ups/Battlegrounds: The Midterms Minute H.Q.

2. Virtual Phone Banking

Indivisible Phone Banking (Sen/House/Gov)

Swing Left Phone Banking (House)

Resources for newbies / Hosting a Phone Bank Night

3. Volunteer 

National Indivisible Chapters Events List

DNC State Parties

Candidates websites: Visit The Midterms Minute H.Q.

4. Talk to Friends & Family (and text people)

Talk, invite them to volunteer with you, etc.

Use OutVote to text friends and encourage them to vote

TOSS UP GUBERNATORIAL RACES!

Connecticut (Open Seat (D))

Ned Lamont (D) (vs. Bob Stefanowski (R))

Georgia (Open Seat (R))

State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D) (vs. GA Sec of State Brian Kemp (R))

Iowa (R Incumbent)

Fred Hubbell (D) (vs. Incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds (R))

Maine (Open Seat (R))

State Attorney General Janet Mills (D) (vs. Shawn Moody (R))

Nevada (Open Seat (R))

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak (D) (vs. NV Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R))

Ohio (Open Seat (R))

Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray (D) (vs. OH Attorney General Mike DeWine (R))

Oregon (D incumbent)

Incumbent Gov. Kate Brown (D) (vs. OR Rep. Knute Buehler (R))

South Dakota (Open Seat (R))

SD Sen. Billie Sutton (D) (vs. Rep. Kristi Noem (R))

Wisconsin (R incumbent)

WI Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) (vs. Incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R))

Kansas (Open Seat (R))

KS Sen. Laura Kelly (D) (vs. KS Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R))

Posted October 30th, 2018; Researched & Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1223: How and why conspiracy theories infiltrate our politics

The Midterms Minute is a look at the candidates and races in battleground districts that you need to know about, shout about and support to make the biggest impact possible in the election on November 6th.

As of the release date of episode #1222, we are exactly 12 days out from election day. Time is running out to make a difference. No one wants to wake up on November 7th wishing they had done more, so, do it for yourselves, do it for your family, do it for the most vulnerable among us. Get out there and canvas, get out the vote, email and text friends, donate - whatever you can do, do it. These elections will effect us, and the world, for decades to come. According to the latest early voting reports, Republicans are outpacing Democratic voters in key states. Do not take the “blue wave” hype for granted.

Early voting is now open many states, so check out all early voting information by state, including the three vote by mail states. Information for ALL of the battleground races and how to get involved can be found at The Midterms Minute H.Q..

Today we’re wrapping up the toss up battleground races for the House that we haven’t covered yet. As a reminder, to take the House, Democrats must flip 24 Republican seats.

Let’s dive in….

OH-01: In Ohio’s first district, Democratic attorney Aftab Pureval is challenging Republican incumbent Steve Chabot. Chabot lost this seat to a Democrat in 2008, but got it back in 2010 and has held it since. Trump won here by 6 points, but it was his narrowest margin of victory in Ohio’s congressional districts. Chabot was one of those no-shows when constituents demanded a town hall on healthcare last year and then voted for Trumpcare. Healthcare is at the core of Pureval’s campaign, along with protecting social security, but he is currently behind in the polls.

UT-04: In Utah’s 4th district, Democratic Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams is challenging Republican incumbent Mia Love, the only Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus. This district was only created in 2010, but was held by a Democrat until Love took the open seat in 2014. The latest polls have the candidates tied at 46 percent each with 8 percent undecided. Love is following the GOP playbook by trying to align McAdams with the Clintons and Nancy Pelosi. McAdams has said he won’t support Pelosi as Speaker and has expressed support for anti-corruption legislation to restrict the influence of lobbyists.

WA-08: And finally, Washington’s 8th district is another open seat race. Democratic pediatrician with a degree in Astrophysics Kim Schrier is challenging Republican former state senator Dino Rossi. The last incumbent won reelection by 20 points, but the district has voted Democratic in the last three presidential elections by 2 to 5 points. Rossi calls himself a “fiscal conservative with a social conscience,” but his record doesn’t back that up. Schrier is calling for a Medicare buy in on a sliding scale, pointing to the outrageous overheads of private insurance and the minuscule overheads of Medicare. Rossi has lost his campaign for governor and both campaigns for U.S. Senate. He got to the state house by appointment.

As a reminder, voter purging is happening across the country so we urge you to confirm your voter registration ASAP. Visit HeadCount.org to quickly be directed to your state’s specific website to confirm your voter registration. If there is a problem, contact 866-OUR-VOTE to report the problem and get guidance ASAP. If your registration is okay, help someone else confirm theirs or obtain the necessary ID they need to ensure there are no surprise problems on election day.

So, if making the Blue Wave a reality in November is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about supporting Democrats in battleground races across the country via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

THE MIDTERMS MINUTE (Quick Links)

REGISTER TO VOTE: RocktheVote.org/register-to-vote/

CONFIRM VOTER REGISTRATION: HeadCount.org/verify-voter-registration/

CHECK VOTING DATES & POLICIES: RocktheVote.org/voting-information/

VOTER ID INFO/HELP: VoteRiders & 866ourvote.org

All Battleground Info/Resources: THE MIDTERMS MINUTE H.Q.

Early Voting Information by State

TOSS UP BATTLEGROUND HOUSE SEATS (part 3)

Ohio

OH-01: Aftab Pureval

Red to Blue OH-01

Utah

UT-04: Ben McAdams

Red to Blue UT-04

Washington

WA-08: Kim Schrier

Red to Blue WA-08

Posted October 26th, 2018; Researched & Written by Best of the Left Communications Director, Amanda Hoffman

Hear the segment in the context of Best of the Left Edition #1222: A crisis of illegitimacy of our institutions ​