The writers of this season of America have really outdone themselves. Again. New plot twists at every point as we near the election in November. I know we are all exhausted by the relentless media cycle, but with this much at stake for our future, we need to keep going. And while there needs to be a balance between staying informed and staying sane, I am always up to my eyes in media anyways, so I am sharing some key stories, updates, information, and more to help others. Most importantly:
Make sure your voting registration is up to date —> Vote.org
Get involved in fundraising & door knocking —> VoteSaveAmerica
Donate to Kamala’s campaign —> ActBlue
Stay motivated —> Listen to Professor Heather Cox Richardson speak on her Hope for American Democracy and the PodSaveAmerica crew
What’s at Stake
Understand the danger of Project 2025 and anti-democratic Christian Nationalist agenda
Education department is in danger of being defunded by the GOP, not to mention their fondness for book banning and limiting history learning
Government workers are being threatened to be replaced by Trump loyalists
Women’s Rights continue to be in danger, after Roe was overturned in 2022, thought many states have fought to restore rights. Also, states that have the strictest reproductive laws have highest infant maternal and infant mortality rates - as an example see the Texas numbers and women suffering by being forced to wait for necessary treatment like here and here and here
Gay rights and marriage are also at risk from the GOP
Conservatives in the South are already testing the boundaries, like Louisiana mandating the 10 commandments be taught in schools, while Oklahoma is trying to mandate the Bible be taught in their schools. Both states are already at the bottom of US education and health ratings. (*And yes, we are supposed to have separation of Church and State in this country)
Potential Supreme Court seats are a major reason to vote (especially after Trump previously stacked the court with conservative judges - some openly corrupt). Some recent alarming Supreme Court decisions include the Chevron reversal that prioritizes corporations over experts, and unprecedented Presidential power
A reminder that increasingly when Americans are polled, they largely support both women’s reproductive rights AND stricter gun laws, yet their representatives are not pushing for those changes on their behalf
Candidate Updates
DNC Convention overview (*Coming in August)
RNC Convention overview
Kamala Harris has enough delegate backing to become Democratic nominee
The potential VP running mates for Harris
Biden’s patriotic decision to step aside and his speech on the matter
The failed assassination attempt and secret service mistakes
Trump’s full list of criminal cases, 34 felony counts, and ongoing trials
A reminder of just how bad Trump’s previous term was here and here
NY Times Editorial Board on Trump being unfit for a second term
The danger of JD Vance & his extreme views on women’s rights
American Voting Complications
For those not familiar with the complicated, outdated voting systems in the USA, here is some context on our ongoing challenges:
The problematic and outdated Electoral College voting system
Active voting suppression in multiple states (especially in the south)
Too much corporate money and dark money influencing elections/politicians
In recent elections, about two-thirds (66%) of the voting-eligible population turned out. This year, 41 million members of Gen Z will be eligible to vote in 2024 which could have a strong impact
A map from 2020 that better displays complex voting blocks, it’s not just red vs blue states, it is a mix in every state depending on district.
Lastly, let’s hope actress Maya Rudolph has cleared her calendar for the return of those SNL appearances ;)
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