Events to Know

New Voting Suppression Laws. When it became apparent that no voter fraud evidence was forthcoming, a lot of states began a coordinated push to restrict voter access, and some of those toxic plans are starting to bear fetid fruit. At the time that I type this, over 250 voter suppression bills have been introduced in 45 different states. Though there have been a few earlier bills passed, we need to talk about the bill that passed in Georgia this week specifically, and there are a few different reasons for that: 1) It is particularly comprehensive, imposing limitations on early voting, runoff elections, dropoff boxes, voter transportation, and voter identification methods; 2) It is particularly onerous, including draconic provisions such as criminal consequences for giving voters food and water while they wait in line; and 3) A Black legislator was arrested for attempting to witness the bill’s signature.  Needless to say, there has also been a lot of pushback.  First Major League Baseball announced that it was taking its ball and leaving Atlanta, or at least, wouldn’t host its annual All Star Game there, and made it very clear that this was motivated by the new law. After facing boycotts as well as public statements from Black business leaders, several prominent Georgia-based companies also issued statements against the law, and by the time that I type this we’re up to almost 200 companies issuing statements in support of free elections. This is, of course, in addition to the three lawsuits that have already been filed against the Georgia law.

Key links:

1. ACLU – Amidst A Wave Of Voter Suppression Bills, Some States Expand Access To The Ballot
2. NBC – Georgia Governor Signs Sweeping Election Regulations Into Law. There Are Even Restrictions On Snacks
3. Mother Jones – Georgia State Rep. Arrested While Protesting A Restrictive Voting Law, Video Shows
4. Associated Press – Georgia Governor Vows A Fight After MLB Yanks All-star Game
5. New York Times – Black Executives Call On Corporations To Fight Restrictive Voting Laws
6. Reuters – Georgia Sued For Third Time Over Voting Restrictions As Delta, Coke Face Boycott Calls

Dismantling the Deportation Machine? President Biden made the decision this week to name former prosecutor Kamala Harris the point person at the border, noting that she will be working with Northern Triangle countries to address root causes of destabilization. I can’t say I’m thrilled about having a former prosecutor in charge of this, but he also authorized border agents to begin releasing detainees without court dates and moving unaccompanied minors out of CBP centers, so it remains pretty hard to see a pattern in this administration’s approach.

 Key links: 

1. Politico – Biden Makes Harris The Point Person On Immigration Issues Amid Border Surge
2. NBC – Amid Surge, Border Agents In Rio Grande Valley Are Releasing Migrants Without Court Dates
3. CNN – Pentagon Approves Hhs Request To House Migrant Children At 2 Military Bases

Confirmation Tango (Still). We had a few more interesting appointments this week. On the labor end of things, former Boston mayor Marty Walsh was confirmed as the next Secretary of Labor, which in this Bostonian’s opinion is mostly interesting because it cleared the way for Kim Janey to serve as Boston’s first-ever Black or female mayor. And Rachel Levine was confirmed as Assistant Health Secretary, making her the first openly transgender person to ever hold a Cabinet level position.

 Key links: 

1. NPR – Marty Walsh, Boston Mayor With Union Roots, Confirmed As Labor Secretary At Key Time
2. WBUR – Kim Janey Sworn In As First Woman, First Black Mayor Of Boston
3. CNN – Senate Confirms First Out Transgender Federal Official, Rachel Levine, As Assistant Health Secretary

Recent Resilience

Recent Racial Equity Resilience.  Though it was a bad week for transgender rights, we did see some promising racial equity developments.  In Illinois, a city named Evanston became the first city in the U.S. to offer reparations to its Black residents.  And a recent Supreme Court case expanded citizens‘ ability to sue police for use of excessive force, which has a lot of positive implications for moving away from qualified immunity doctrine in that context.  The timing is good, because we’re also witnessing Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd, which has proven re-traumatizing for many Americans.

Key links:

1. Associated Press – Illinois City 1st In US To Offer Black Residents Reparations
2. Reuters – U.S. Supreme Court Widens Ability To Sue Police For Excessive Force
3. New York Times – What To Know About The Trial Of Derek Chauvin

Recent Trans Equity Resilience.  We also saw some small progress in trans right this week.  During Trans Day of Visibility, President Biden announced he was rescinding a Trump era policy that banned transgender individuals from serving in the military.  And in a move I honestly did not see coming, an awful transgender discrimination bill in Arkansas–which would have banned access to gender-affirming care for all minors–was vetoed by Governor Hutchinson.  The bill could still be passed by override, but it’s nonetheless really noteworthy that the Governor refused to sign it.

Key links:

1. Washington Post – Arkansas governor vetoes bill banning medical treatments for transgender youths

Recent Medical Advances. In other “I can’t believe I’m typing this” news–of the good kind, not the Trump kind–an early study shows 97% effectiveness of a novel HIV vaccine. We definitely need to do more research, but it’s tentatively looking like breakthroughs that resulted in COVID vaccines may have implications for HIV infection as well.

Key links:

1. European Pharmaceutical Review — Novel HIV Vaccine Approach Shows Promise In “Landmark” First-in-human Trial

Things to Watch

State of the COVID-19.   COVID news has been a mixed bag of late.  On the one hand:  1) Infection rates are rising again, likely because we’re reopening too quickly and testing less despite most locations having less than 25% total vaccination rate, and experts disagree about what this means; 2) AstraZeneca was in the news for sketchiness regarding its efficacy study; 3) there was a manufacturing error in Maryland that ruined 15 million Johnson and Johnson doses, though the company says it’s still on track to produce 100 million doses by late May; 4) Dr. Deborah Binx let us know just how many deaths were preventable in the last year; and 5) The CDC has announced that vaccinated Americans are low-risk while traveling, which would be good except that discussion of “vaccine passports” that has already prompted backlash (and in Florida, an executive order banning them).  But on the other hand: 1) Studies are beginning to test vaccine efficacy in children, and some early research suggests that Pfizer may be effective for adolescents, though further study is still needed; 2) Moderna and Pfizer are both found 90% effective in real-life conditions; and 3) the Biden administration estimates that 200 million doses will become available by April 30; and 4) Experts are beginning to discuss travel and documentation protocols for vaccinated people.
Key links:

1. Politico – Internal CDC Data Shows Virus Regaining Foothold As Biden Urges States To Pause Reopening
2. Washington Post – AstraZeneca Used ‘Outdated And Potentially Misleading Data’ That Overstated The Effectiveness Of Its Vaccine, Independent Panel Says
3. CNN – Birx Shares Her Chilling Conclusion As America Arrives At A Moment Of Introspection On The Coronavirus
4. Stat – Pfizer And BioNTech To Begin Testing Covid-19 Vaccine In Children
5. Washington Post – Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines Are 90% Effective After Two Doses In Study Of Real-life Conditions, Cdc Confirms
6. Washington Post – More Americans To Become Eligible For Vaccines And FEMA Sites To Open

Gun Violence Updates. It truly pains me to say this, but gun violence remains highly relevant for yet another week.  There was yet another mass shooting in Boulder last Tuesday, which resulted in ten dead and occurred immediately on the heels of a judge tossing out responsible gun legislation in the state.  This was followed within four days by a mass shooting on Virginia Beach, which brings us to three mass shootings in a two-week period.  Then in Orange, California, an assailant fatally shot at least four people, including a nine-year old boy.  Finally, there was also a vehicular assault on Capitol Hill which has resulted in the death of yet another Capitol Police officer as well as fatal shooting of the assailant.  News articles are beginning to emerge about the Capitol Police struggling to maintain staffing during this period of unprecedented strain, and apparently two officers are suing over the January 6 riots.

Key links:

1. ABC – 10 Killed In Boulder Shooting: Victims Identified, Suspect Charged
2. Associated Press – Judge Rules Colorado Cities Unable To Enact Gun Restrictions
3. New York Times – The Shooting Occurred Less Than A Week After Eight People Were Killed In Atlanta.
4. Washington Post – Suspect In Southern California Shooting Had A Relationship With Victims, Police Say
5. CNBC – One Capitol Police Officer, Suspect Dead After Car Rammed Into Two Officers
6. New York Times – Two Capitol Police Officers Sue Trump Over January Riot

Infrastructure Updates.  Right now, the most important federal legislation to track is probably the comprehensive infrastructure package the Biden administration revealed this past week. The plan is extremely ambitious in scope, and includes a lot of things not traditionally considered infrastructure purview. On the more-traditional side, it would rebuild roads, expand train track infrastructure, repair bridges, eliminate lead pipes from our water supplies, and modernize the electric grid. But it would also make several less-traditional infrastructure changes, such as funding electric vehicle charging stations along highways, building new schools, and broadening access to broadband Internet. And, of course, there’s always the fact that the whole thing is funded by corporate tax increases. Unsurprisingly, this plan is less than popular with many Republicans, who have spent the last four years railing against things like “corporate tax increases” and “clean water” and “education.”

Key links:

1. New York Times – Biden Details $2 Trillion Plan To Rebuild Infrastructure And Reshape The Economy
2. Associated Press – Biden announces huge infrastructure plan to ‘win the future’
3. Washington Post – 5 Key Takeaways From Biden’s $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
4. New York Times – Biden Wants To Pay For Infrastructure Plan With 15 Years Of Corporate Taxes

Actions for Everyone

2020 did something to unravel time, right? The days are flying by. The spring thaw seems to have created even more action nation-wide. Suffice to say, there’s been a lot going on. Read on to learn more about some of it.

Celebrate Trans Day of Visibility: Though the week has come and gone, I hope everyone was able to celebrate! There are more people who are able to transition now than ever before, and although the legislative blow in Alabama happened a few weeks ago @thequeeradvocate posted so much helpful information that I want to share here. Click the link to learn about Trans

• Books
• Film, TV, Webseries
• Fictional Characters
• Organizations
• Instagrams

To dismantle the binary, it’s important to diversify your media and environment. In addition to uplifting the trans men, women, and people in your lives, diversify your books, podcasts, movies, TV shows and other art. Art and media help create shifts in your awareness and culture. Trans Awareness Month will be November 2021.

Derek Chauvin Trial: For those who haven’t been watching, this trial is incredibly painful to witness. Please consider this when sharing videos and images on your social media platforms that are traumatic. Violence against Black people being shared across the internet forces folks to relive that trauma over and over. Please be considerate of that. If you feel that you have to share information because it will be helpful for your followers, be sure to mark them with Content Warnings (CW) with a brief summary of what people will find if they keep watching.

The death anniversary of George Floyd’s death is coming soon, May 25th. What will you be doing in your community? I’ve heard that there are caravans driving to Minneapolis, MN to be there with the City. Mark the date now, and start making plans if you haven’t already.

End Voter Suppression: Voter suppression is active, everyday, everywhere. Our nation’s history and daily actions are riddled with oppression. During November election season, I got so frustrated hearing “That’s why you young people need to get out and vote!” Because it’s like, yeah, of course please do go vote, but also recognize how complicated that seemingly simple action is.

Stacy Abrams et. al. have their work cut out for them in Georgia. The voter suppression laws that passed there recently have been hit with their first lawsuit. What can you do about it? Be informed about State Senate hearings in your state – senators usually have hearings on bills before they pass. My state’s website is clunky and sterile and it’s hard to find information, so another thing you can do is go through the work of finding out when your State Senate hearings are, pull them out, and make a cool design to share on your socials. Also, do voter empowerment work around every election that works for your community.

Events to Know

Dismantling the Deportation Machine?  The Biden Administration has officially ended a Trump-era rule that penalized legal applicants for being low income, and they also will stop deporting people who step forward as sponsors for unaccompanied minors.  However, the administration is still struggling to meet the needs of unaccompanied minors, who are coming to the U.S. in unprecedented numbers, and is holding them longer than legally permissible. Outlets are reporting that the administration will begin housing unaccompanied boys in the Dallas convention center, and FEMA has been sent to the border to respond to the large number of people emigrating. They also made it clear that they are not ending family detention, and several application process issues remain as well.

Key links:

1. CNBC – Biden Justice Department Stops Defending Trump Rule That Limits Benefits For Immigrants
2. NBC – Biden Admin To End Trump Policy That Let DHS Deport Caregivers For Migrant Children
3. CNN –  Unaccompanied Migrant Children Staying In Border Patrol Facilities An Average Of 107 Hours, Internal Records Show
4. NPR – DHS Directs FEMA To Help With Surge Of Migrant Children At Southern Border
5. NBC – Despite Court Filings And Public Rhetoric, Official Says Biden Administration Is ‘Not Ending Family Detention’
6. Politico – Biden Yet To Act On Overturning Some Trump Immigration Policies

Congressional Updates. The biggest Congressional update of the week is the good news below, but we also saw some other interesting bills.  A group of bipartisan senators have proposed a bill called the Sunshine Protection Bill of 2021, which proposes permanent daylight saving time.  The Senate began deliberation on the For the People Act, which is very likely to ultimately force a showdown on changing the filibuster.  And the House passed new responsible gun ownership laws which restructure background checks to make them more comprehensive.

Key links: 

1. CBS – Group Of Bipartisan Senators Pushes For Permanent Daylight Saving Time
2. NPR – House Passes Bills To Strengthen Gun Laws, Including Expanding Background Checks

Insurrection Redux.  The Justice Department has signaled they are still planning to charge many more people, including many members of the militia-style organization known as the Oath Keepers organization, which has also slowed down their proceedings. In the meantime, however, they have charged two individuals who fatally assaulted a police officer with chemical weapons. And in related news, outlets began reporting new information about additional pressuring phone calls Trump placed to Georgia officials, trying to make them find voter fraud so that he could justify challenging the election results. Against this backdrop, it’s not really surprising that his acting Secretary of Defense publicly opined that Trump caused the insurrection, even if he wasn’t sure if Trump was aware of it.

Key links: 

1. ABC – At Least 100 More To Be Charged In Capitol Attack Investigation, DOJ Expects
2. NPR – U.S. Arrests 2 Men, Saying They Sprayed Sicknick And Others With Chemical At Capitol
3. CNN – Officials Located December Recording Of Trump Call In A Trash Folder On Georgia Investigator’s Device
4. Politico – Former Defense Secretary Miller Blames Trump’s Speech For Jan. 6 Insurrection

Recent Resilience

Recent Legislative Resilience. We finally have an American Rescue Act as I type this! The final version in the Senate passed last Saturday in a 51-50 vote entirely along party lines, and it passed in the House on Wednesday. Then it was signed into law by President Biden on Thursday afternoon. In addition to the much-covered provisions about stimulus payments, unemployment supports, small business supports, and education and child supports, the final version includes a provision expanding the Affordable Care Act market as well as some increased taxes for businesses.

Key links:

1. Washington Post – Senate Passes Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Bill After Voting Overnight On Amendments, Sends Measure Back To House
2. New York Times – With House Passage, Congress Clears The Nearly $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Plan For President Biden’s Signature.
3. CNN – Here’s What’s In The Covid Relief Package

Things to Watch

Confirmation Tango (cont).  This week, Michael Regan confirmed as new head of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Additionally, Deb Haaland was confirmed as the first Native American Secretary of Interior, and Xavier Becerra was confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services.  We’ll likely see some more confirmations in the next few weeks, although the Senate is currently prepping a showdown over the filibuster, so we may see other Congressional news first.
Key links:

1. Axios – Senate Confirms Michael Regan As EPA Administrator
2. NPR – Deb Haaland Confirmed As 1st Native American Interior Secretary
3. CNN – Mitch Mcconnell Warns Democrats That Overhauling Filibuster Rules Will Lead To ‘Completely Scorched Earth Senate’

State of the COVID-19. We have a surprising amount of positive COVID-related news this week. President Biden gave a prime-time address last Thursday to discuss his planning.  Some of the highlights: 1) Urging all states to make the vaccine available to all adults by May 1; 2) Aiming for July 4th celebrations in person; and 3) Streamlining vaccination processes in several different ways, including centralized registration, more vaccination sites, and expanding pharmacy vaccination.  He also announced plans for the U.S. to purchase another 100 million doses of the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which presumably will help achieve Thursday’s stated goals, and he noted this week that the U.S. is on track to surpass 100 million administered doses by Friday.  In related vaccine eligibility news, Alaska has made its doses available to adolescents age 16 and older, and teachers are now eligible in all 50 states.  Case numbers also continue to drop nationally.

Key links:

1. Politico – Texas, Mississippi To Lift Mask Mandates, Let All Businesses Reopen At Full Capacity
2. New York Times – Coronavirus In The U.S.: Latest Map And Case Count
3. Stat – Biden Promises Enough Covid-19 Vaccines To Inoculate All Adult Americans By The End Of May
4. Washington Post – Merck Will Help Make Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine As Rivals Team Up To Help Biden Accelerate Shots
5. CBS – Some Roman Catholic Leaders In U.S. Call Johnson & Johnson Vaccine “Morally Compromised”
6. New York Times – Vaccinated Americans May Gather Indoors In Small Groups But Should Still Wear Masks In Public, The C.D.C. Said.

Actions for Everyone

White supremacy, puritanism, and patriarchy keep hate crimes alive and well everyday. In parallel with #StopAsianHate we must also #EndWhiteSupremecy and say that #SexWorkIsWork, and also put in real work to make those hashtags happen.

#StopAsianHate: Anti-Asian hate crimes aren’t new, although there has been a rise since COVID19. There are amazing organizations working on uplifting, organizing, and protecting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, including Stop AAPI Hate. On their website, you can report a hate crime, learn more, and ACT. Here are a few organizations you should know about and support:

• https://caaav.org/
• https://apienc.org/
• http://apen4ej.org/
• https://www.apexforyouth.org/
• https://asianhealthservices.org/
• https://stopaapihate.org/
• https://www.aaldef.org/
• https://www.apiavote.org/

Like week’s past, I also want to reiterate that sex work, is work. Sex workers, are workers, and are not disposable because someone is “having a bad day.” Please read Open Society’s 10 Reasons to Decriminalize Sex Work, check out the International Union of Sex Workers, contact your elected officials calling for an end to criminal prosecution of sex work.

8CantWait: This week I was reading up on Wisconsin State Senate Bills having to do with policing and public safety, so I wanted to write and remind everyone about 8CantWait. Research shows more restrictive use of force policies can reduce killings by police and save lives. Tell your city to adopt all eight of these policies:

1. A ban on chokeholds and strangleholds.
2. Require de-escalation
3. Require warning before shooting
4. Require exhaust all alternatives before shooting
5. Ban shooting at moving vehicles
6. Duty to intervene
7. Require use of force continuum
8. Require comprehensive reporting

8CantWait has some great resources including a comprehensive use of force database. In Milwaukee, we really want to develop an app so people can police the police, or rather participate in holding them accountable for their actions. If you do app stuff, hit me up.

Work toward Arts Equity: It feels indisputable that the loss of art – galleries, films, concerts, etc – has been felt worldwide during the pandemic. If there was ever a question as to what art or artists are worth to us and to our culture, the answer is either priceless or bajillions of dollars because it keeps us living and keeps culture shifting. Thinking about equity within the arts is necessary, so I wanted to tag in an organization aptly called artEquity. The mission of artEquity is to provide tools, resources, and training at the intersection of art and activism. artEquity is building a broad base of individuals and organizations who are strategically poised to create and sustain a culture of equity, inclusion, and justice through arts and culture. If you’re an artist, and organizer, or an activist (which you probably are if you’re reading this) please check out their amazing resources and consider donating

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Events to Know

CPAC Machine. The Conservative Political Action Conference happened this past week, and it would have been a golden opportunity to distance the party from the January insurrection attempt–but since this is the modern GOP, the only golden thing to materialize was a literal Trump idol. Between a Nazi stage design, repeated messaging which insisted the election was stolen, and attendee refusals to wear masks, the single biggest takeaways appear to be that the GOP will change nothing about its broken and treasonous party, and Donald Trump is still in charge. A 2024 Trump election campaign remains a very credible threat, and officials are also concerned that there may be further insurrection planned at the Capitol building complex–so much so that the House is shifting its work schedule and the National Guard will remain in place for the next two months.

Key links:

1. The Guardian – Golden Trump Statue Turning Heads At CPAC Was Made In … Mexico
2. Daily Kos – The Nazi Stage At CPAC Is The Odal Rune
3. CNN – Fact Checking CPAC: Speakers Make False Claims About The Election, The Capitol Attack, Immigration, Covid, And The Muppets
4. Reuters – Trump Targets Disloyal Republicans, Repeats Election Lies And Hints At 2024 Run
5. Associated Press – Police uncover ‘possible plot’ by militia to breach Capitol
6. Politico – House scraps work schedule amid security threat

Confirmation Tango (Again). This was quite a week for Senate confirmation process. Early in the week, Tom Vilsack was confirmed again for a reprise of his role as Secretary of Agriculture; shortly after, Jennifer Granholm was confirmed as Secretary of Energy. Meanwhile, Xavier Becerra began his hearing for Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Deb Haaland began hers for Secretary of Interior. Voting on Neera Tanden for the Office of Management and Budget got postponed amid growing opposition and eventually her candidacy was withdrawn. Merrick Garland advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee after several days of hearing; he will face a floor vote early next week. Finally, Miguel Cardona was confirmed as Secretary of Education.

Key links: 

1. Washington Post – Tom Vilsack Confirmed For A Second Stint As Agriculture Secretary With Strong Republican Support
2. The Hill – Senate Confirms Former Michigan Governor Granholm As Energy Secretary
3. NBC – Biden Health Secretary Pick Xavier Becerra Faces Contentious Senate Hearings
4. The Hill – Haaland Courts Moderates During Tense Confirmation Hearing
5. Politico – Bipartisan Escape Hatch Emerges As Tanden Totters
6. CBS – Merrick Garland Assures Senators He’s “Not The President’s Lawyer” In Hearing To Lead Justice Department

Post Office Updates. In more positive news, President Biden nominated three people to the U.S.P.S. Board of Governors, several of whom are uniquely qualified for the role. The move comes as Postmaster General Dejoy faces questioning about mail delays and other systemic issues, which is an edifying juxtaposition as well as a hopeful sign.

Key links: 

1. Washington Post – Biden Nominates Three To USPS Board Of Governors As DeJoy Testifies On Mail Crises
2. New York Times – Biden Seeks More Control Over Postal Service With New Appointments
3. Washington Post – Biden administration is supplying emergency generators to Texas, White House says
4. Texas Mutual Aid Directory
5. Vanity Fair – Ted Cruz Blames Cancún Getaway On His Daughters

Recent Resilience

Recent State Resilience. We did see a smattering of positive state news from various places this week. New Jersey decriminalized marijuana, making it the fourteenth state in the country to adopt such regulations. A federal judge protected California’s net neutrality law, which clears the way for the state to begin implementing it in the near future. And the Manhattan District Attorney now officially has Trump’s tax returns, which will hopefully result in criminal charges further down the line.

Key links:

1. New York Times – Marijuana Is Legal In New Jersey, But Sales Are Months Away
2. Washington Post – Net Neutrality Law To Take Effect In California After Judge Deals Blow To Telecom Industry
3. Washington Post – Trump’s Tax Returns Have Been Turned Over To Manhattan District Attorney

Things to Watch

Congressional Updates.  Democrats continue to fight about the $15 minimum wage provision in the $1.9T stimulus package after the package itself passed in the House on Friday by a mere seven votes.  The Senate parliamentarian has decided that it cannot be included in the Senate version for procedural reasons, and in a move to keep the Democrats united enough to pass something, President Biden also limited who qualifies for the stimulus.  House Democrats also passed several other forms of promising legislation: 1) The Equality Act, which is an LGBT protections bill that was first passed by the House in 2019; 2) The For the People Act, which is a very comprehensive voting rights act bill; and 3) The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is a policing overhaul bill first passed in 2020.
Key links:

1. The Hill – Democrats In Standoff Over $15 Minimum Wage
2. NPR – Senate Can’t Vote On $15 Minimum Wage, Parliamentarian Rules
3. Washington Post – House Democrats pass sweeping elections bill as GOP legislatures push to restrict voting
4. New York Times – House Passes Sweeping Gay And Transgender Equality Legislation
5. NPR – House Approves Police Reform Bill Named After George Floyd

State of the COVID-19. As mentioned above, the House passed the $1.9T COVID relief package, though it has already seen some changes on its way through the senate.  Additionally, early studies of vaccination in the U.K. and Israel, two countries with a high per capita vaccination rate, are showing that hospitalizations drop dramatically as vaccinated populations rise.  Here in the United States, the CDC is recommending the Johnson and Johnson single-dose vaccination, which could be implemented as soon as this week–though its use may have health equity implications, as it’s slightly less effective than the dual-dose vaccines.  Speaking of health equity, Texas was also in the news for denying vaccination to undocumented populations and ending its mask mandate in the same week, both of which are counter to public health common sense.  We also saw a slowing of case drops nationally, and both New York and California are reporting new variants.

Key links:

1. New York Times – Vaccines Sharply Cut Coronavirus Hospitalization, U.K. Studies Show
2. CNBC – FDA Panel Unanimously Recommends Third Covid Vaccine As J&J Wins Key Vote In Path To Emergency Use
3. Washington Post – Texas Vaccination Site Turned Away Undocumented Immigrants Over Their Status, Against State Policy
4. Politico – Texas, Mississippi to lift mask mandates, let all businesses reopen at full capacity
5. New York Times – Coronavirus In The U.S.: Latest Map And Case Count

Dismantling the Deportation Machine? The administration did reverse several Trump-era policies which froze immigration visas and blamed it on the pandemic. Additionally, the administration announced it will permit families separated under the Zero Tolerance policy to reunite in the United States, and is converting family detention centers back into 72-hour processing facilities per their original legal purpose. But it also reopened tent city facilities where the Trump administration housed unaccompanied minors, which may be illegal under the Flores settlement agreement and definitely isn’t a best practice. This move was also compounded by another injunction on the 100-day deportation ban. All told, not a great week on the immigration front, but I’m hoping we’ll see more progress in the near future.

Key links:

1. NPR – Biden Reopens Gateway For Green Cards Reversing Trump COVID-19 Freeze
2. NBC- Biden Administration Will Let Migrant Families Separated Under Trump Reunite Inside U.S.
3. Politico – Biden To Allow Migrant Families Separated Under Trump To Reunite In The U.S.
4. Politico – Federal Judge Deals Biden Another Blow On 100-day Deportation Ban

Actions for Everyone

Maybe it’s the Women’s History Month, or perhaps the Mardi Gras in me, but this week’s issue is about stuff that’s stigmatized but needs to be normalized, and furthermore, needs infrastructural support from our society and government.

Decriminalize Sex Work: The pandemic has damaged so many industries, and the unemployment rate is climbing again, but can you imagine an industry more effected than sex work? Sex work is work. It’s up close and personal, and if in person and not virtual, it’s really dangerous in a pandemic. The odds are already stacked against the industry because paying for sex is illegal in the United States, and so, there are few safety standards for sex workers. On top of that, there is a virtual crack down on sex worker’s rights.

What can you do to further this conversation into action during this pandemic, so that when it’s safe for people to be close, we can have a safer sex work industry? Read up on Open Society’s 10 Reasons to Decriminalize Sex Work, check out the International Union of Sex Workers, contact your elected officials calling for an end to criminal prosecution of sex work.

Women’s History Month: Yo! International Women’s Day is Monday, March 8th. It has a storied history with the labor movement, and the suffrage movement. In 1917, an International Women’s Day March became revolutionary as the crowds in St. Petersburg marched to the Czar’s palace and sparked the Russian Revolution (there’s a lot more to that obvs, but also that really happened).

I’m co-facilitating an effort called #PortraitsOfFemme, which you can follow on social media. I also love She Shreds all the time, but especially during Black History Month and Women’s History Month as they share edu-taining music history.

What are you doing to uplift and celebrate women this month? Whatever it is, make sure it’s intersectional. Trans women are women, thems can be femmes, and you can and should still celebrate this month while not excluding or harming others. The women’s rights movement has a past (and present, remember those pink pussy hats?) of white supremacy and transphobia. So, please celebrate joyously and inclusively this Women’s History Month.

End ICE: The Biden Administration is making strides toward undoing the predecessor’s violent policies, but real talk, Immigration and Customs Enforcement still has a long way to go – reformation unto dismantling. Here are some of the more recent changes as of a few days ago. We have to keep putting pressure on a centrist administration to end ICE. Here are a few organization doing just that:

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) 
• National Immigration Justice Center
• Brennan Center For Justice 
• American Friends Service Committee

This week, take a look at one or more of these groups, and decide how to get involved. Join a newsletter? Donate? Making phone calls? Dealers choice, but we’ve got to put pressure on if we want to see progress.

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Events to Know

Executive Order Roll Call. Just like last week, there were a lot of additional executive orders this week, as Biden continues to roll out attempts to fix what Trump has broken. The first set was a set of racial equity orders, which included the end of private federal prison contracts and increased provisions against housing discrimination. Then came another round of climate change orders, mostly pertaining to halting oil and gas leases and conserving federal land and water. Next, he issued a set of healthcare-related orders, including reopening ACA enrollment and ending the antiabortion global gag rule.
Key links:

1. CNBC – Biden Orders DOJ To End Private Prison Contracts As Part Of Racial Equity Push
2. CNN – Biden Aims For Comprehensive Climate Approach As He Halts New Oil And Gas Leases On Federal Land
3. NBC – Biden Moves To Roll Back Trump Restrictions On Abortion, Obamacare

Bad Court Calls.  We saw some bad federal court calls this week, and I think we can expect a lot of that in the near future–though two branches of our government are righting themselves, the courts remain a total mess.  In Texas, a federal judge has already blocked President Biden’s order pausing immigration deportation, arguing that a one hundred day pause to sort out the previous administration’s horrorshow constituted a “threat of injury to Texas.”  (The injunction, thankfully, is only valid for two weeks.)  And on the SCOTUS end, emoluments cases that had been winding through the courts since 2017 were dismissed because SCOTUS declared them moot now that Trump is no longer President.  The SCOTUS decision is at least somewhat understandable, but hopefully will prompt legislative action on this issue.

Key links: 

1. NPR – Federal Judge Blocks Biden’s 100-Day Deportation Moratorium
2. New York Times – Supreme Court Ends Emoluments Suits Against Trump

State of the COVID-19.  COVID news is, to put it charitably, all over the place this week.  There was some really bad news:  The highly-contagious South African and Brazilian strains have now both been detected in the U.S.; we learned more about the previous administration’s misappropriation of COVID funds; the polar vortex is reminding us that winter storms create new challenges for a refrigeration-sensitive vaccine; it’s increasingly obvious that Black Americans are not receiving the vaccine at rates congruent with their increased infection risk–or indeed, even at the rate consistent with their percentage within the overall population; and the CDC predicts we may see 514K deaths by the end of the month.  But there is some promising news as well: Overall cases have notably dropped nationally in the last week, for the first time all pandemic; the Biden administration believes they may be able to get 300 million Americans vaccinated by the end of the summer, as they have purchased an additional 200M doses; and two more vaccine trials have shown promising results, with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine requiring only a single administration.

Key links: 

1. NPR – South Carolina Reports 1st Known U.S. Cases Of Variant From South Africa
2. Washington Post – Millions Earmarked For Public Health Emergencies Were Used To Pay For Unrelated Projects, Inspector General Says
3. Associated Press – Health Workers Stuck In Snow Give Other Drivers Vaccine
4. Guardian – Black Americans Receiving Covid Vaccines At Lower Rates Than Whites
5. The Hill – CDC Projects Us Could See Up To 514k Coronavirus Deaths By Feb. 20
6. New York Times – The Biden Administration Nears A Deal For Enough Shots To Vaccinate 300 Million Americans By The End Of Summer.

Recent Resilience

Probable Actual Trump Charges.  In news that makes me happy in my schadenfreude place, a judge in New York has ordered the Trump Organization to hand over documents to the New York Attorney General as part of the latter’s ongoing fraud case.  It’s the latest of several orders in the ongoing case, but has the unique distinction of being the first order since Trump has stepped down.  In other words, it’s the first order where there’s no immunity argument to speak of, and I’m here for this development.

Key links:

1. New York State – Legal Pressure On Trump Increases With Judge’s Order In Fraud Inquiry
2. CNN – NY Judge Orders Trump Organization’s Tax Firm To Hand Over More Documents To State Attorney General

Things to Watch

Freedom from Free Elections.  We have seen a rash of new proposed state legislation designed to limit people’s ability to vote, which is a novel and terrible form of election rejection we should probably be tracking.  It’s disturbing to realize that 28 states–more than half the country–have responded to 2020 by trying to make voting harder, but it’s certainly very traditional.  Of particular horrific note is a bill in Arizona which would allow the legislature to simply throw out election results they didn’t like, which, uh, kind of defeats the entire point of free elections.  That said, I also think it’s worth tracking a bill in Georgia requiring two different copies of ID for absentee voting, since it appears to be a direct response to the recent special elections.
Key links:

1. Brennan Center – Voting Laws Roundup 2021
2. NBC – Arizona GOP Lawmaker Introduces Bill To Give Legislature Power To Toss Out Election Results
3. The Hill – Georgia State Gop Lawmaker Introduces Bill Requiring Two Copies Of ID To Vote Absentee

Impeachment Update.  Impeachment news continues despite the pause in the Senate, and the main news of the week is that Trump is the world’s worst client.  By halfway through the week he was down two impeachment lawyers, and by the time that I type this he’s down all five.  Apparently, lawyers don’t like it when you try to claim that election fraud is an actual defense to attempted insurrection–go figure.  Meanwhile, House rep Joaquin Castro was selected to manage the impeachment trial, but the Senate is reportedly considering other means of censure due to concern that they might not have the votes to convict.  And the House asked Trump to testify, but his attorneys made it clear that this wasn’t going to happen.

Key links:

1. CNN – Trump’s Impeachment Defense Team Leaves Less Than Two Weeks Before Trial
2. Dallas Morning News – ‘Solemn Duty’: San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro To Help Manage Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial
3. Washington Post – Democrats Consider One-week Impeachment Trial, Censure Resolution After GOP Signals Likely Acquittal Of Trump

Stimulus Package Plans.  After a week of back-and-forth about the proposed stimulus bill, we have some clarity about the path forward from here.  Now that the Senate rules standoff has ended, we fast-tracked to a stimulus vote by using budget reconciliation to move the bill forward without GOP cooperation.  The House’s version moved forward on Wednesday at President Biden’s urging, and the Senate advanced its own bill early Friday morning.  We’ll want to keep an eye on this in the coming week.

Key links:

1. Washington Post – Democrats Turn To Quick Action On Biden Covid Relief Bill After Power-sharing Deal In Senate
2. Wall Street Journal – Democrats See Path To Biden’s Covid-19 Relief Bill Without Gop Help
3. NBC News – ‘We need to act fast’: Biden, Democrats move to speed up process to pass Covid relief package

Actions for Everyone

Happy Black History Month and also holy snow batman!

In Wisconsin, along Lake Michigan, I’ve been shoveling a LOT of snow. Imbolc was this week, which marks halfway between Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox. It feels great to be past the halfway point of all this shoveling. Now, excuse me while I find some yoga for shovelers and try to feel better.

Celebrate Black History Month: Black History begins January 1 and ends Dec 31 every year, but February is an annual month of recognition of Black History, aka American History. What are you doing this month?

If you don’t already have a practice of decolonizing your bookshelves, let this month inspire you to buy Black authors’ work from your local bookstores, or make sure your library card is active and check out Black authors’ work from your library. If you’re used to reading non-fiction, I challenge you to also find fiction, poetry, sci-fi, and check out your library’s film selection. I bought Sister Outsider on a strong recommendation by Cree Myles, who is someone you should follow on all the things. For that matter, if you don’t already go ahead and decolonize your podcasts, Instagram, TikTok, etc.

On February 1st, I starting Black History Month by tuning into America’s Black Holocaust Museum programming. If you haven’t already been to their website, check out all their digital content, donate, and know that someday soon, when it’s safe and right, they’ll open up their physical space, so get ready for a field trip. Feel free to write in with your Black History Month plans at activism@patrothfuss.com      

End Pipelines: I remember hearing an NPR interview a few weeks back explaining why the Keystone XL pipeline was a more environmentally friendly choice because Americans need oil and the KXL project would at least be carbon neutral. To me, that reasoning says “Sure, we’re content with the crumbs,” when really we want the whole, damn meal. Or deal, in the case of the Green New Deal.

The executive order signed on the first day of the Biden administration showed us a strong stance against the ancient art of resource depletion, however there’s still a big pipeline project underway we need to get involved in.

Line 3, a pipeline expansion to bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. A local resistance has been active since 2014, but they need our help! Take a look at their Take Action page to learn about ways that you can get involved – including divesting from allll the banks that fund this project and many others.

Believe Survivors (CW Sexual Assault):  Did you all catch that 90 min IG live that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made this week? Maybe you did because it got 5.6 million views. I’m blown away that in today’s day and age, there is a politician out there that can keep my focused attention for 90 whole minutes, but AOC does. I watched every minute of it. She shared her own account of January 6th with us, and made mention several times that her story is not the central story of what Jan 6th means to our country, but is her story which is important to remember so we don’t forget it, and so we don’t let the Republicans who are claiming it’s time to move on forget it.

Early on in the video, she shares that part of why what happened on Jan 6th was traumatic for her was that she is a survivor of sexual assault, and trauma often compounds on itself. She goes on to say that she hasn’t told many people because she’s been afraid of not being believed. I’d like to reiterate, specifically because AOC did several times, that her story is not the central story to what an insurrection against our democracy means, but I also want to highlight that whether people want to fact check her video or not, we know that every 73 seconds an American is sexually assaulted, so I believe survivors.

I want to share resources that we’ve written about in the past, but are as important and relevant as ever. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center and RAINN have help lines, statistics, ways to get involved, and are important resources to know about whether you are a survivor or not.

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Events to Know

Yet Another Election Plot. Incredibly, we somehow have news of yet another incredibly corrupt election-related plot this week, because the Trump administration specialized in packing scandals into clown cars for four years straight. Before he left office, Trump apparently considered a plan to oust his acting Attorney General so that a new replacement AG could force Georgia to overturn their election results by suing them in the Supreme Court. (I don’t mind telling you, I really hoped his departure from office would mark the end of typing sentences like this.) The Inspector General is now investigating this matter at Senator Schumer’s request, so we may see more news trickle out. Ideally, we will also see consequences.

Key links:

1. New York Times – Trump and Justice Dept. Lawyer Said to Have Plotted to Oust Acting Attorney General
2. Wall Street Journal – Trump Pressed Justice Department to Go Directly to Supreme Court to Overturn Election Results
3. The Hill – Schumer Calls For DOJ Watchdog To Probe Alleged Trump Effort To Oust Acting AG

Electoral Dysfunction.  Almost as soon as the three newest Senators were sworn in, the new Senate started having issues.  Though Mitch McConnell clearly has no lost love for Trump, he immediately started fighting new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on arrangements for operating rules, saying he wouldn’t agree to anything until Schumer promised not to touch the filibuster via “nuclear option.”  McConnell wanted this promise because, if they agreed, it would make it virtually impossible to pass any legislation in a 50-50 split Senate.  (I should note that this is a particularly bad-faith request because the most recent person to use a nuclear option was Mitch McConnell in 2017, in order to push forward Neil Gorsuch with only 51 votes.  So he was literally saying that nobody can do anything until Schumer promises not to do something that McConnell himself just did.)  He eventually relented on this demand when it became clear that at least two centrists might not go for the nuclear option anyway, but it was an exhausting few days. Republicans also made it a point to use the newfound functional process to force a vote on whether the impeachment trial should go forward–and five GOP Senators crossed the aisle, so it is indeed moving forward on a 55-45 vote. 

Key links: 

1. Daily Kos – McConnell’s Obstruction Of Biden’s Agenda Has Already Begun
2. NPR – McConnell Relents On Senate Filibuster Stalemate
3. Associated Press –  GOP Largely Sides Against Holding Trump Impeachment Trial

Confirmation Tango.  Despite the issues outlined above, the Senate did manage to confirm several of Biden’s appointments over the past week. On the national security front, Avril Haines, Biden’s pick for head of national intelligence, Avril Haines, was confirmed on Wednesday with broad bipartisan support.  Similarly, his pick for Secretary of Defense, retired general Lloyd Austin, was confirmed on Friday in an even more bipartisan vote.  Monday evening, his pick for Secretary of Treasury, former Fed chair Janet Yellen, was confirmed as well.  And on Tuesday evening, Antony Blinken was confirmed as Secretary of State. 

Key links: 

1. New York Times – Biden Kicks Off Term With Executive Orders and Prime-Time Celebration
2. US News – Lloyd Austin Confirmed as Biden’s Secretary of Defense
3. CNN – Janet Yellen Is Confirmed As The First Female Treasury Secretary In US History
4. Politico – Blinken Confirmed As Secretary Of State

Recent Resilience

And We’re Off! The Biden administration has been truly remarkable in immediately tackling policy abuses from basically their first moment in office, and I don’t mind admitting that I’ve been pretty pleased with many of their priorities. At the time that I type this on Tuesday evening, there have already been about 35 Presidential proclamations designed to undo or fix Trump-era abuses on a myriad of issues–everything from new COVID protections to additional nutritional and economic supports to fixing the census to countering workplace discriminations to acknowledging climate change to ending military enrollment discrimination to extending environmental protections to creating immigration supports to creating federal employment protections to extending eviction and loan moratoriums. There is a strong emphasis on equity as well as science, and this must have involved a great deal of planning.  In addition, President Biden has been cleaning house internally, giving several Trump political appointees a chance to resign and firing some that didn’t exercise that option. The White House also immediately resumed daily press conferences, which will include daily ASL interpreters. It’s a truly impressive amount of work in a one-week period, and a good start for undoing what will likely be a staggering amount of broken government.

Key links:

1. New York Times – Biden’s 17 Executive Orders And Other Directives In Detail
2. NPR – On Day 2, Biden Focuses On Covid-19 Strategy With 10 Executive Actions
3. Washington Post – Biden Is Firing Some Top Trump Holdovers, But In Some Cases, His Hands May Be Tied
4. New York Times – Biden Seeks To Define His Presidency By An Early Emphasis On Equity
5. NBC – Biden Puts The ‘Daily’ Back Into The Administration’s Intelligence Briefings
6. NPR – White House Enlists Asl Interpreters For Daily Press Briefings

Things to Watch

State of the COVID-19.   President Biden has passed several different executive orders regarding the COVID crisis, but he has inherited quite a mess, and he cautions that nothing will change the trajectory of the pandemic over the next several months. He also has limited travel to the U.S. in an attempt to keep ahead of a new strain in South Africa which has not yet been detected in the U.S and a strain in Brazil that has.  There are, however, some moderate silver linings; cases are declining by a modest amount as I type this, and studies suggest that existing vaccines will likely at least partially protect against the more contagious UK variant.  (Several companies are beginning work on developing further vaccines for the South American variant.)  This news comes as pharmaceutical company Merck announces it will focus on therapies instead of finalizing its own attempt at a vaccine.
Key links:

1. CNBC – Biden Says Nothing Can Change The Trajectory Of The Covid Pandemic Over The Next Several Months
2. The Hill – Biden Keeps Covid-19 Travel Restrictions For Europe And Brazil, Adds South Africa
3. New York Times – Coronavirus In The U.S.: Latest Map And Case Count
4. Barron’s – New Covid-19 Strains May Make Vaccines Less Effective, Fauci Warns
5. STAT – In A Major Setback, Merck To Stop Developing Its Two Covid-19 Vaccines And Focus On Therapies

Impeachment Update.   We also saw more developments on the impeachment front.  Nancy Pelosi formally delivered the article of impeachment over to the Senate on Monday, but the Senate has agreed to put off the trial until February 8th to focus on other preliminary matters.  (Of course, the Senate already has its own problems, as we discussed above.)  Both sides are lining up their representation now, though, so we might see a bit more news on this in the intervening couple of weeks.

Key links:

1. The Hill – Trump Impeachment Trial To Begin Week Of Feb. 8
2. New York Times – Divisions Harden In Senate As It Prepares To Receive Impeachment Article
3. CBS – Meet The Impeachment Managers Who Will Argue Democrats’ Case Against Trump

Actions for Everyone

We’ve lived through the first week of the Biden-Harris administration and a lot of good changes have come forth already. The Muslim Travel Ban has been terminated, trans folks can serve in the military as they wish, the Keystone Pipeline is not happening, federal mask mandates, we’re back in the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization and more. It’s refreshing to see things going well for once. Let’s keep riding this high! The future looks already a tad brighter.

What should we paying attention to?

Impeachment Vote in the Senate: The Senate will be back to vote on the (second) impeachment of Donald Trump on the 9th of February. We have two weeks to get 17 more republican senators to vote in favor of impeachment. Even though Trump is no longer in office, impeachment sends a message and also stops Trump from running again in 2024.

Call your senators! ESPECIALLY if they are republicans. Let them know you want them to be in the right side of history.

Covid vaccine nationwide! – It truly feels good to be writing about vaccine roll outs. Most states are already vaccinating senior citizens and frontline workers. You can see in which stage your state is in by clicking on this handy New York Times article.

This past week, on January 27th, the world observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this day, the world remembers the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi Persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Sadly, the echoes of extremism, nazism and white supremacy have become all too present in our country. What can we do?

Help organizations like:

Life After Hate – which focus on deprogramming people, specially young men, that have joined alt-right hate groups.

Free Radicals Project –  a global disengagement platform that aids individuals, and their families or communities, in exiting hateful and violence-based radicalization through non-aggressive, community-led methods of individual resiliency-building, reconnection, cross-cultural immersion, and making amends

And here are some :

Things That Made Me Smile!

The possibility of a cat living in the White House

This list of 50 things Biden has already made better

The existence of nudibranchs

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