Politics
Brennan Center: One in Three Election Officials Report Feeling Unsafe Because of Their Job
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and the Bipartisan Policy Center today published a report on the state of the election official profession and the toll of the unprecedented attacks on these officials’ authority, credibility, and personal safety that surged in the run-up to the 2020 election and have not stopped. The report features a survey finding that one in three election officials report feeling unsafe because of their job, and one in six reported having been threatened due to their job. The authors provide solutions for the various problems facing election officials, with calls to action for local, state, and federal governments as well as social media companies and other institutions. more »
Jo Freeman Reviews Elizabeth Warren's New Book: Persist ("I have a plan for that")
Jo Freeman writes: If you enjoyed listening to Elizabeth Warren during the 2019/20 Presidential debates or if you applauded her on the campaign trail, you will love this book. It’s one very long campaign speech. In six chapters she entertains readers with stories of her youth, her family, her dog, her plans, her policy proposals, and a few insights... Not until the final chapter on being “A Woman” does she begin to tie her experiences together. She ran into a lot of glass ceilings and broke some of them, but never escaped the “discrimination that lasts a lifetime.” She talks about care giving and abortion, as well as the consequences of unequal pay and limited job opportunities for women... As her final story, Warren writes about a little girl she met on the selfie line in St. Paul Minnesota, in 2019. That girl told her “You better win... I’ve been waiting for a girl president since.... since... since kindergarten.” more »
Security, Planning, and Response Failures: Senators Peters, Portman, Klobuchar, Blunt Release Bipartisan Report Investigating January 6th Capitol Attack
U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rob Portman (R-OH), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Rules and Administration, released a bipartisan report on the security, planning, and response failures related to the violent and unprecedented attack on January 6th. The report also includes a series of recommendations for the Capitol Police Board, United States Capitol Police (USCP), federal intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense (DOD), and other Capital region law enforcement agencies. more »
Statement by Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on National Indigenous History Month
“This month is an opportunity for us to participate in virtual activities to engage with, and deepen our understanding of, Indigenous peoples’ distinct histories, customs, spiritualities, and languages. Doing so is essential to promoting a society based on mutual respect, understanding, and fairness. We all need to play a role in amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples, dismantling systemic racism, inequalities, and discrimination, and walking the path of reconciliation together. The recent, distressing news of the remains of 215 children found near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School is a painful reminder that the impacts of residential schools are still felt today. Sadly, this heartbreaking discovery in Kamloops is not an exception or isolated incident. Over decades, thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families and communities, and everything was stolen from them. We must all unreservedly acknowledge this truth and address these historical and ongoing wrongs, so we can build a better future." more »