Good Day, Newsies! Well, what a start to the week yesterday! I’m going to have to ask you for your patience with today’s roundup. There were just so many dots to try to connect that I have written some longish sections. I tried to put into a few paragraphs the general consensus I had gathered from reading all the stories on the day’s events. I hope it makes some sense to you.
But first, a reminder about the power of each of us human beings, living in our communities, meeting people each day. As pr0gressivist wrote a few weeks ago, even one person can make a difference in how people look at an issue, and if there are just 25% in a given population that declares for something, they can sway the rest of the population to join them. Something to ponder whenever we are feeling alone:
Old Redneck posted yesterday about his experience at his church. People standing up (literally in one case!) and speaking out. Bolstering each other’s spirits, reminding each other that none of us is alone — we have allies even in unexpected, seemingly “deep red” areas — and perhaps even giving Republicans food for thought:
We had barely sat down before the outspoken Republican asked the Brits and Dutch why Trump had been treated so badly over the past few days. Silence. Then, the Brits and the Dutch unloaded on him with heavy artillery. Here is a summary of what they said -- this is only a summary -- you should have been there. Went on for 15 minutes, non-stop.
Both British and Dutch couples said:
“We were born in the last days of WW II. We grew up watching our towns, cities, roads, bridges, industries being rebuilt from the destruction brought on us by one man -- Adolf Hitler.”
“More than the physical recovery was the mental, emotional and political recovery. We asked ourselves for years and years -- and some of us still ask ourselves -- how was it possible for a man and a system that evil to come to power?”
Then the Dutch lady stood up.
"My father was a wealthy businessman who knew Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father. We Europeans study our history and we know how Hitler came to power. We are determined that it will not happen again. I'm a Republican but I did not vote for Trump and I will not vote for Trump because when I look at Trump and when I listen to Trump I see and hear Hitler. You want to know why Europeans don't like Trump? Because we were destroyed by Nazis and Trump is a Nazi. You Americans do not see what Trump is doing because you never lived through it. We lived through Hitler. Never, never again."
And she sat down.
By that time, many of us were almost in tears. The Republican's wife tugged at his sleeve, whispered in his ear, and they left.
As the conversation went on, people seated nearby became quiet and listened. After the Republican couple left . . . well, let's just say it was an emotional few minutes that ended in prayers for our nation. The pastor pronounced a benediction -- Amos 5:24:
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
A lot of us have been struggling with anxiety, not to mention the fear that rising national mental health challenges could start sapping us of the energy we need in the fight against theoligarchy (yep, just coined a nifty new word). While the danger of debilitating depression is real, there is another way of looking at the emotional and moral discomfort caused by the current administration and its complicit Republican congress: it is a sign of moral and emotional health to be disturbed and distressed by this disturbing, distressing situation, and if we can face into the truth of that and harness the emotional energy to take action, we can literally bring about the better world we long for. Read about it here: The Journey Back From Hades: Reclaiming America Through Positive Disintegration, Elizabeth Mika, Third Factor, June 27, 2018.
The disintegration we are experiencing now was not caused by Trump/ism, but revealed through it. At its core, as it is always the case, lies a clash of values: specifically, the clash of primitive, dehumanizing pursuits of power, money, and self-aggrandizement with higher universal human values, the importance of which—and their dearth in our lives—has been dramatically unveiled in this conflict. This clash has pierced our willful blindness, unearthing the rifts in our society which we pretended, for too long, did not exist.
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In times of social strife and upheaval, when the going gets tough because human values come under threat from conscienceless individuals and systems, psychoneurotics often find their mettle and proper role—and goals—in society. Thanks to their lived understanding of human values, they are capable of seeing both dangers of current events and often the correct ways of counteracting them. And so, for instance, people who may have lingered in a limbo of their own inner conflicts and doubts, spring to righteous action when confronted with the threat of encroaching tyranny, organizing and participating in a multifaceted resistance movement. We see this happening today on a large scale in America and the world.
So, my fellow Good Newsies, check out all the good news right after this relaxing...
Musical Interlude
Now that we’re feeling mellow as only JT can make us feel (me, anyway), let’s cast our calm, steely-spined gaze over how patriots are pushing back against this monstrous Republican administration.
Surrender Summit Showdown — Patriots vs Pathetic Pussygrabber
Helsinki. Well, that was a sh*tshow. There is no way to say it but plainly. Although there is a way to say it more forcefully and with no holds barred. Take it away, Director Brennan:
You, too, Steve Schmidt. Be my guest:
Strangely, I’m not totally horrified by Monday’s events because I think the Helsinki Sh*tshow will be the turning point in our national nightmare. Some other people — who also know a thing or two about malignant narcissism — think so, too.
Here’s the thing about malignant narcissists and their benighted, bewitched targets: narcissists have an uncanny ability to reel people in and keep them believing the narcissist’s nonsense, and they do it through incremental gaslighting and other malicious (one-way) bonding methods. Almost nothing can shake that cultlike belief in the narcissist. Almost nothing.
Apart from removal of the narcissist from the targets’ lives, going totally non-contact and then slowly recovering (impossible with a POTUS), there is one other way that the spell can be broken for at least some of the people in thrall to a malignant narcissist. If the narcissist does something so stunningly awful, something so unexpected that it turns his carefully constructed image on its head, then it is possible that his supporters may be literally shocked back to reality.
Monday’s almost unbelievable performance in Helsinki was, I think, one of those moments.
Following on several days of racist and anti-European behavior which horrified his detractors, but did not really sway his supporters, what was the difference on Monday? Two things, mainly: 1) the blatant anti-Americanism was probably shocking even to DT’s most ardent supporters, who pretend to be patriots and 2) in both his speech and his body language, DT was weak, submissive, even fearful with Putin. The spectacle of the so-called “strong, alpha” 45 — “hero of the forgotten American” — so obviously cowed and controlled by a foreign adversary turned his image upside down as the mask slipped and revealed the pathetic weakling underneath. That glimpse of the diminished, quisling tRump, more than anything he could do, may shock some of the MAGA crowd back to their senses.
But whether or not the “base” will come to its senses, it is clear that many Republicans in congress and elsewhere have. First there was a trickle of statements denouncing the *president’s behavior and then it grew to a flood. Members of Congress made statements to the press and/or tweeted out their shocked dismay. Republican pundits and party pols, both past and present, tweeted in shock, horror and outrage.
A few of the usual suspects bleated Republican platitudes — which no one is buying anymore:
But others seemed really serious:
And still others put their money where their mouths are:
So, Helsinki was a horror show, a national disgrace and humiliation — that cannot be denied. Yet, it also had a shocking effect on this country — and in particular on some of the supine Republicans who have been silent till now — which I believe will be a decisive turning point in this sorry chapter in our history. As awful as this *president has been to our allies, I believe they will forgive us for it if we act to correct the mistake of ever having allowed that poser near the White House. We’ve been friends and allies for over 70 years, and it will take more than a couple of years of mad king Donny to destroy alliances forged in shared challenges, shared sacrifices and shared aspirations.
Yes, Helsinki was awful, but it may have been a necessary shock that has woken the country to our peril. If so, then that is good news.
An Easy Win for Putin in Helsinki, Joshua Yaffa, the New Yorker, July 16, 2018.
Trump sides with Putin over US intelligence, Jeremy Diamond, CNN, July 16, 2018.
Republicans back U.S. intelligence, distance themselves from Trump on Russia, Emma Dumain and Lesley Clark, McClatchyNews, July 16, 2018.
Definitely time for another:
Musical Interlude
Mueller Time is Coming Here
G’Newsies, it’s been an incredible, unsettling and often scary summer so far, but (I kid you not!) Mueller Time is here. It may not look like it yet, and no doubt we are going to go through more shocks in the coming weeks. And YET, there are signs all around us that this conspiracy is being taken down on many levels even as we are buffeted by the terrible events that the MSM insists upon covering ad nauseum. There was huge news yesterday (which I will get to shortly) and also a couple of under-the-radar stories over the past couple of weeks which all point to Mueller Time. Let’s dive in:
On Friday, when DAG Rod Rosenstein announced the indictments of 12 Russian military persons, more than one message was being sent. The obvious one being that the SC had sufficient evidence to secure indictments, of course, but less obvious was the message being sent to the *president. By timing the announcement when they did, Rosenstein and Mueller were signalling to tRump that if he wished to be considered an unwitting co-conspirator, he still had a chance to stop the justice train barreling toward him.
The odd significance of the July 27 date in the indictment may have had more than one purpose, too. One is that the date could be hugely significant as a kind of “smoking gun” when tRump can be seen openly signaling to the Russians to green light a renewed hacking expedition (and to which the Russians replied with renewed hacking). But another purpose for that oddly pointed reference to tRump’s infamous signal may have been to give tRump the out he needed. He could send a message publicly, as he did on July 27, 2016, showing that he was prepared to “green light” a new cooperative stage in the Russia investigation.
Instead, he doubled and tripled down in a spiral of self-destructive and boorish aggressiveness — grossly disrespecting Queen Elizabeth ll just after the indictments were announced — flouting emoluments law at his Scottish money pit and then carrying on to Helsinki where he had the most obvious chance to send a clear and unequivocal message. And he did send a message. It was “FU Robert Mueller, FU America, I’m a proud traitor and I believe I will get away with it, (because anything I do for Trump cannot be wrong)”. That’s narcissistic self-delusion.
Anyway, that signal was received loud and clear by the Special Counsel and DAG, and they replied by setting into motion the next stage of justice rolling down:
Maria Butina, Russian gun-rights advocate who sought to build ties with NRA, charged with acting as a covert Russian agent, Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Jackman and Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, July 16, 2018.
The significance of this arrest is reverberating around panicked Republican, NRA and Evangelical places tonight. I’ll let Rachel explain the connections and save your eyes another wall of my text:
Interestingly, Dana Loesch — she of the “clenched fist of truth” — went very quiet on twitter tonight, and blocked anyone who asked about the arrest. Hmmm.
You can read the affadavit for the criminal complaint against Maria Butina here.
G’Newsies, this is the biggest jump forward yet in the “collusion” part of the Russia investigation. Butina is being held without bond — which is telling. The affadavit implicates 2 unnamed US citizens specifically and countless others generally in the paragraphs linking the defendant’s alleged criminal behavior to the NRA, the RNC and Evangelicals. It shows that there is evidence that these Republican-supporting groups knowingly colluded with the Russians. And since the NRA is known to have dropped 100 million dollars in support to Republican candidates in 2016, there is the faintest whiff of money-laundering suggested as well. Certainly, if anyone has laundered Russian money through their organization, this detailed affadavit is definitely making them nervous.
Special Counsel Mueller has put the treasonweasels on notice — in case last Friday’s message was not clear enough — that he knows everything, he has all the receipts, and the clock has just about run out on anyone still thinking about coming clean and cooperating.
Regarding the time it is taking: if Mueller knows all, what is taking so long? The answer to that seems to be that this is a complex, far-reaching international conspiracy. In order to proceed in a way which actually nets the most criminals, the Special Counsel and the US Intelligence and LE have to coordinate with their counterparts in other countries — not all with whom we have great relationships — so a prosecution plan has to be carefully executed.
So, it is encouraging to see international news relating to the investigation like the ongoing reporting of Carole Cadwalladr of the Guardian. She has been reporting on the Cambridge Analytica story from London and this weekend she had the first exciting news connecting the two investigations:
Annnddd, this just in:
The dominoes are toppling, and these stories are interrelated. Interesting times! And good news!
And finally, this little story flew kind of under-the-radar ten days ago. I slipped it into a file and forgot about it. I’m not sure what it means, but it definitely means something — apparently Manafort’s FARA attorney proffered to the Special Counsel on her own behalf, and Mueller has since protected her testimony from Manafort:
Bottom line after this bat-guano loco few days: Mueller Time is here. He has communicated that fact to the guilty parties through Friday’s detailed indictments and Monday’s detailed affadavit of criminal complaint against the accused Russian spy. The special counsel included carefully crafted details pointing to future prosecutions and unnamed persons who will surely be named later so that all those who have been complicit in this criminal activity have been left in no doubt that he is onto them and they will be prosecuted. The Republicans are really worried, and the crooks and traitors among them are about to push the panic button. Times may get hairy for awhile, but it is already too late for the traitors.
What We Know Mueller Knows — A Good Summary
For some excellent background: WineRev provided the link to this excellent summary of what we know the Mueller investigation already knows and also what we can deduce (through the SC lines of enquiry and indictments) he knows. Monday’s events mean it already could use an update (I will check it again late Monday night before posting this roundup to see if anything has been added), but the information in there is a really handy guide to what we can be looking out for in the coming months. It’s a terrific article and it is full of good news, so I highly recommend you go read the whole thing!
“The sheer volume of what Robert Mueller knows is staggering. Perusing his various court filings since last September makes clear he knew the individual changes Paul Manafort made in a specific Microsoft Word document; he knew that Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan was lying about what he did on behalf of Manafort and Gates; he knew the specific times Russia military intelligence officers were searching specific words way back in 2016; he knew the specific cryptocurrency transactions used to register the Russian intelligence agency accounts; he knows what the hired trolls at the Internet Research Agency were writing in emails to their family members in 2017; he knew the messages Manafort was sending on encrypted messaging services.
Even those who think they know turn out to be surprised by the scale and specificity of what Mueller knows. Last month, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, joked to donors, “If you get me one more glass of wine, I’ll tell you stuff only Bob Mueller and I know. If you think you’ve seen wild stuff so far, buckle up. It’s going to be a wild couple of months.” But after Friday’s indictment, Warner said—impressed—that the “vast amount of information” in Mueller’s latest documents were new to him and the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Mueller’s four buckets of indictments—stretching from the IRA’s information operations to the Russian intelligence active cyber attacks to the Kremlin-backed business deals of Paul Manafort to the 2016 Trump campaign contacts of George Papadopoulos and Michael Flynn—appear to outline the possible four corners of a conspiracy that stretches from the Kremlin to Trump Tower, one that involves Putin-friendly oligarchs, the Russian military, and senior level campaign and transition officials whose motives weren’t necessarily “America first.”
What lies in between those four corners is presumably what Mueller and Rosenstein know—and we can expect that the next round of indictments to begin to connect those dots, particularly in regard to the role of Americans who participated, wittingly or unwittingly, in the attacks. Rosenstein has been careful to point out that neither the the indictments aimed at the GRU—Russian’s main intellegence arm—nor the IRA allege the involvement of Americans, yet those words seem carefully chosen to stave off President Trump’s immediate outrage while preserving the possibility that future indictments will very much target Americans.” What Robert Mueller Knows — And 9 Areas He’ll Pursue Next, Garrett M. Graff, Wired, July 16, 2018.
Federal Judges Are Sick Of Your Sh*t, Republicans
On Friday, Judge Dana Sabraw called a filing by HHS — in which they tried to suggest that the deadlines the judge had set for family reunifications might “endanger” children — a “parade of horribles” presenting a skewed picture of his order and a ‘cover’ for its failings in reunification process. Not mincing his words, Judge Sabraw said that in his June 26 ruling, he had ordered officials to release children quickly and safely, which isn’t happening. “That is on the government,” Sabraw said, according to a transcript of his remarks. “And that’s a failure of the process and it is inconsistent with the court’s order.” Federal judge calls Friday filing by HHS ‘cover’ for its failings in reunification process, Maria Sacchetti, Washington Post, July 14, 2018.
Naturally, the racist, sadistic Republicans in government still effed around with the lives of children and families over the weekend, making it known that some parents have already been deported and that they would not agree not to swiftly deport families even after reunification, thus preventing them from being able to apply for asylum. So on Monday, in response to an ACLU filing, Judge Sabraw ordered a temporary stop to deportations. When the government protested that detention centers might not have enough space for all the detainees if they cannot deport families the judge replied shortly, "If space is an issue, the government will have to make space.”.
Judge Dana Sabraw is a GWBush appointee and he is standing up for what is moral and right.
This past week another federal judge — this time in Connecticut — joined Judge Sabraw in standing up for what is morally just. Judge Victor A. Bolden concluded that the forcible separation of families causes PTSD, which is a constitutional violation suffered by the case’s plaintiff children. Judge Bolden ordered that the parties, plaintiffs (separated children) and defendant (AG Jefferson Sessions) , present a plan for addressing the childrens’ PTSD not only up to and including family reunification, but also after. The mental health plan must be presented to the court by 11:00 AM, Wednesday, July 18. The psychological harm that the Sessions/Nielsen policy may be doing to the children (and their families) has been a grave concern for a lot of people, so this court order is relatively good news.
Human rights activists and the ACLU are sick of your sh*t, too: The Activist Effort to Find the Children the Government Took From Their Parents, Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, July 13, 2018.
“A plan among the advocates took shape by Saturday morning. There would be two subcommittees—one that focussed on gathering information from separated parents in D.H.S. custody, and another devoted to children in shelters run by O.R.R. Brané, at the Women’s Refugee Commission, became the point person for the first list, and Wendy Young, the president of Kids in Need of Defense, coördinated the second. A network of advocacy organizations—including the Vera Institute of Justice, Catholic Charities, raices, and the Florence Project—had access to parents and children in government custody. Each of these groups could share information about specific cases with the teams overseen by Brané and Young, which would then collate their findings. “We were doing what the government should have been doing all along,” Young told me. The goal by the end of the weekend was to send a unified spreadsheet to the A.C.L.U. so that its lawyers could better monitor the government in the course of the following week.”
Read the whole thing. It tells the story in detail about the activists’ desperate race against time last week and their plan going forward. Good people are doing good work and that is good news.
Public Service Announcement — Let’s Terminate Hate
Net Neutrality Foe Says What?
“Based on a thorough review of the record, I have serious concerns about the Sinclair/Tribune transaction. I have shared with my FCC colleagues a draft order that would designate issues involving certain proposed divestitures for a hearing in front of an administrative law judge.” Ajit Pai, FCC Chairman.
Incredible though it may sound, there is apparently a limit to the destruction of media neutrality and fairness that even Ajit Pai will not exceed.
Sinclair Broadcast Group had everything going for it when it announced its $3.9 billion purchase of Tribune Media in May 2017: close ties to the Trump administration, and a friendly Federal Communications Commission chairman who cleared a path for regulators to approve the mega-deal.
Sinclair, known for its “must-run” pro-Trump programming, was already the country’s biggest television broadcaster. The deal would make it even bigger, allowing it to reach nearly three-quarters of U.S. households — further positioning it to take on Fox in the battle for conservative eyeballs.
But 14 months later, Sinclair's deal is headed toward an almost-certain defeat, with that same FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, sending the merger on Monday into an administrative proceeding that is tantamount to a death sentence.
The story of how Sinclair's deal ran into trouble, despite its considerable sway in Republican-led Washington, is a tale of stunning hubris, according to officials inside and outside the FCC who watched the drama unfold. The broadcaster needed to sell stations to stay under federal media ownership limits, but instead it aggressively pushed proposals that would have left it in effective control of some of those spun-off outlets — raising alarms at an FCC that had already relaxed some ownership rules to the company's benefit.
Pai made clear Monday that the company had pushed the envelope too far, saying the proposed divestitures would "allow Sinclair to control those stations in practice, even if not in name, in violation of the law." How Sinclair lost Trump's FCC, Margaret Harding McGill, Politico, July 16, 2018.
There have been battles on many fronts in this culture war being waged by the extreme right, and it is very good news that — at least for now — one of the fronts in that war has been closed off.
⚡️Lightning Roundup ⚡️
⚡️First major speech since leaving office: Obama to deliver Mandela address in likely rebuke to Trump, Andrew Meldrum, AP News, July 17, 2018.
⚡️More outstanding writing from Michelle Goldberg: Trump Shows the World He’s Putin’s Lackey, Michelle Goldberg, New York Times, July 16, 2018.
⚡️For the +/- 17 Americans who still wonder; it’s the malignant narcissism: A Russian newspaper editor explains how Putin made Trump his puppet, Sean Illing, Vox, July 16, 2018.
⚡️GOP county chair, Chris Gagin resigns “as a matter of conscience”: Southeast Ohio Republican Party leader resigns over Trump-Putin meeting, Andrew J. Tobias, cleveland.com, July 16, 2018.
⚡️More trouble for Kushner, NYstate investigates: Jared Kushner’s family firm accused of pushing out tenants, Bernard Condon and Garance Burke, APNews, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Daughter of John Huntsman, former GOP pres candidate, former Ambassador to China (Obama) and current Ambassador to Russia, The Daughter Of The US Ambassador To Russia Said Trump Threw His Country “Under The Bus” For Putin, Ellie Hall, Buzzfeed, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Good riddance: CVS Has Fired The Two Managers Who Called Police On A Black Woman Trying To Use A Coupon, Brianna Sacks, Buzzfeed, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Running for the exits: Republicans Pan Trump’s ‘Bizarre’ Press Conference With Putin, Hayley Miller, Huffington Post, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Even Fox hosts know: Fox Hosts Offer Rare Criticism Of Trump After Russian Summit, Ryan Grenoble, Huffington Post, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Good for Chris Wallace: Fox News’s Chris Wallace gives Putin the grilling Trump won’t, Aaron Blake, Washington Post, July 16, 2018.
⚡️LOL Tells on himself every time; can’t help himself: Trump Tells Hannity: ‘We’re Doing Really Well With Russia As Of Today’, Nick Visser, Huffington Post, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Commentary: Conservatives turn on Trump after Putin presser, Michael Graham, CBS, July 16, 2018.
⚡️Complaint cites violations in senate elections in both 2014 and 2016: NRA Draws Formal FEC Complaint from Campaign Finance Watchdog, Mike Spies, The Trace, July 16, 2018.
Action Roundup
We are at a critical juncture in this effort and it is more important than ever to keep up the good work. As the wheels of justice begin to really roll over the next few months, there will be great relief and the challenge then will be to maintain our momentum leading up to the midterm elections. Lasting recovery for the country depends upon our electing a better congress this November. Remember to stay focused on that goal, no matter what else happens.
Donate to ActBlue
Donate to Swing Left
Send postcards to voters in other districts
Sign up to go door to door in your district
Sign up to drive people to the polls
Find your local Democratic Party and volunteer!
Plus! Check out Yosef 52’s diary, posted daily, chockerblock full of ideas and information.
And FreewayBlogger
Separated Families Crisis: What You Can Do To Help The Children And Their Families
Volunteer
- If you live near an ICE detention center (see map here) you can volunteer for the Freedom for Immigrants Visitation program. You would visit detained persons and interact with them directly. The organization also has other volunteer opportunities.
- If you live in a border area and have some legal training, The Texas Civil Rights Project and the Immigration Justice Campaign are looking for volunteers. TCRP is especially interested in people with paralegal or legal assistant training who speak Spanish, Mam, Q’eqchi’ or K’iche.
- The Northwest Immigrant Rights Organization works with those confined in the large detention facility near Sea-Tac. They need translators and interpreters.
- The Florence Project and Refugee Rights Project is seeking pro bono attorneys in Arizona.
- Catholic Charities of Fort Worth is housing some of the children taken from their families. If you live in that area, they could use volunteers.
- The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights needs child advocates for unaccompanied minors in Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Harlingen, Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.
- American Gateways is providing legal services for separated parents. They can use volunteer attorneys and non-attorneys.
- There are undoubtedly countless volunteer opportunities available in this effort. If you know of any, please supply them in the comments.
Become A Foster Parent
- If you’re really ready to go big, this may be a way you could help. It’s likely that many children will be separated from their families for some time, and, as horrifying as it is, record keeping has been so sloppy that it may be impossible to reunite some families. If you think you could provide a temporary home to one of these children, contact the US Conference of Catholic Bishops or Lutheran Immigrant and Refugee Services. This will require extensive training and licensing, but as a former foster parent I can tell you that it is a richly rewarding endeavor if you are able to do it.
Make Time to Rest and Recharge
It is vital that you maintain your health and strength, not just to stay in the fight, but more important, to enjoy the peace and progress after we win! Do the things that relax you and give you joy. Do them for a little while every day and longer whenever you start to feel like you’re burning out. Other will pick up your slack when you need a break and you can pick up the slack for them when they need the break. There are lots of us and we are in this together. Remember we are both candles and mirrors.
Donate
Financial assistance is still one of the best ways to help, and the good news is that there are dozens of organizations working to assist children and adults with immediate needs including legal care, as well as fighting to end the horrific caging of children. Here is a partial list of worthy organizations.
- Donate to the effort by RAICES to raise bond money for detained adults and provide legal services to adults and children. (This is a Facebook page). They have already raised over $15 million.
- Together Rising is currently providing legal assistance in Arizona for 60 children who were taken from their families and are in detention. You can donate here.
- The Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights supplies child advocates for young immigrants and is currently working on separation issues.
- Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is providing "immediate shelter and beds, medical services, counseling and therapy to help (children) deal with the trauma of family separation."
- Comfort Cases needs donations to provide backpacks to separated children. Each backpack contains items like blankets, toiletries, a book, a stuffed animal, etc.
- The Fronterizo Fianza Fund raises bond money for detained immigrants, and to provide small commissary and phone fund deposits for those in detention.
- Kids In Need Of Defense provides pro bono attorneys to immigrant children.
- The National Immigrant Justice Center also provides legal representation for separated immigrants and advises federal public defenders.
- If you would like your donation to be distributed among several organizations, including some on this list, go to ActBlue’s Support Kids At The Border page.
- The Casa Cornelia Law Center is also providing legal representation for separated immigrants
- Don’t forget the ACLU.
Keep Calling Your Senators And Representative
This probably goes without saying around here, but a little reminder never hurts. Congressional staffers have said that they are being flooded with more calls than they have received since the health care debate. We need to let them know that we’re not fooled by Trump’s phony Executive Order, and that we’re still watching them.
If you haven’t made a call before, or would like to help someone else with their first call, here's a handy guide to how it’s done.
Roundup Winddown
G’Newsies, the tide has turned. The Russian-Republican attempted coup d’etat will be exposed and defeated. There’s going to be a lot of desperate behavior and some shocking, scary times still in front of us. Be prepared: cornered rats are mean and trapped badgers are even meaner. We’ve got both kinds in this international conspiracy. The GOP, the Trump crime family and all of their mobbed up co-conspirators are not going to go down without a fight. But, the Resistance is ready for it — we not only have the strongest and smartest patriots on our side, but as every GNR writer has repeatedly affirmed — we are the majority. Keep up the activism — every one of us can do something. We will save our country from these criminals. Count on it.