Saturday, April 1, 2017
Supreme Court Nominee Donor Support
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Sheldon
Whitehouse (D-RI) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) call for transparency
from outside groups funding ads in support of Neil Gorsuch’s nomination
to be justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
The segment was broadcast on March 29, 2017.
House Speaker Weekly Briefing
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) held his weekly press briefing. He talked
about the reversal of environmental protection rules, Republican plans
for health care, and a potential border wall between the U.S. and
Mexico.
The segment was broadcast on March 30, 2017.
The segment was broadcast on March 30, 2017.
Veterans' Issues and the Trump Administration
Got Your 6 Executive Director Bill Rausch discusses public policy issues
impacting veterans and the Trump administration’s approach.
The segment was broadcast on April 1, 2017.
The segment was broadcast on April 1, 2017.
A Discussion on the U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Proposal
Cato Institute immigration policy analyst David Bier discusses his piece in the May 2017 issue of Reason Magazine examining the challenges to building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Rise in Hate Crimes Spurs States to Enhance Protections
Propelled by a nationwide surge in hate
crimes, lawmakers in several states are working to deter potential
offenders with harsher punishments.
Bills in New York would, among other things,
make cemetery desecration a felony, and a Connecticut bill promises to
be the most comprehensive hate crime legislation to date by introducing a
sweeping collection of new statutes.
In Alabama, lawmakers have introduced
legislation to classify threats against houses of worship and schools as
acts of terrorism. In Illinois, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has
pledged to support Democratic-sponsored legislation that would eliminate coverage loopholes and introduce a civil component to hate crime cases.
Click here for the full article.
Friday, March 31, 2017
Mumia Abu Jamal to Begin Life-Saving Treatment
The following statement was submitted by
Noelle Hanrahan, a private investigator and the director of Prison Radio.
The Department of Corrections (DOC) told
Mumia today that they will provide him with the hepatitis C fast-acting
antiviral treatment beginning next week.
In court the DOC filed a status report
today declaring that they were going to treat Mumia. This treatment
consists of one pill per day for 12-24 weeks, and has over a 90% cure
rate.
Exactly two years ago yesterday, Mumia
was critically ill in renal failure at the Pennsylvania Schuylkilll Medical
Center. He and his family, friends, lawyers, and world-wide supporters
have been waging a heroic fight for hepatitis C treatment ever since.
For the last 53 days, the DOC, prison medical staff, and Legal Department have stood in contempt of court following the order to treat Mumia. The DOC in defiance of the Injunction filed a stay, hoping the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals would bail them out and block Mumia's treatment.
On Monday, the DOC lost their 3rd circuit appeal. In an order signed by Judge Ambrose, the United States 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals denied the DOC's request to withhold treatment from Mumia. The court upheld the preliminary injunction order, issued on 1/3/17, by District Judge Robert Mariani ordering the treatment. On two occasions, the 3rd Circuit Courts have ruled that the Pennsylvania DOC “protocol” for treating hep C is unconstitutional and violates the 8th Amendment.
Mumia's attorneys in Abu-Jamal vs.
Wetzel, Bret Grote and Robert Boyle, have not only succeeded in getting
Mumia the hepatitis C cure, but have also paved the way for over 200 people in
Pennsylvania prisons to receive hep C treatment this year! Thousands more
people who are at great risk from Hep C complications in prison will be able to
receive treatment because of this “first of its kind” federal court order
victory establishing a right to hep C treatment for prisoners.
The Power of the Pen: Bills Signed into Law
On Friday, March 31, 2017, the President signed into law:
H.J.Res. 42, which nullifies the Department of Labor's Federal-State
Unemployment Compensation Program; Middle Class Tax Relief and Job
Creation Act of 2012 Provision on Establishing Appropriate
Occupations for Drug Testing of Unemployment Compensation Applicants;
H.R.
1362, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs
community-based outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the
Faleomavaega Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin VA Clinic; and
S.J.Res.
1, which approves the location of a memorial to commemorate and honor
the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of
Operation Desert Storm or Operation
Desert Shield.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Assemblyman Blake: 'We Must Do Better as a Country'
Bronx, NY - On Friday, in response
to the Senate vote to allow states to restrict federal funding to Planned
Parenthood and other women’s health facilities, New York State Assembly member
and DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake released the following statement:
“Yet again, we find ourselves at a point
where women are being told that their health and well-being are not a priority
due to a reprehensible and disgusting vote by Vice President Pence and Senate
Republicans. Planned Parenthood and other women’s health facilities are
critical components of our way of life, overall healthcare system and we should
do everything to ensure women have the autonomy to make important decisions
regarding their health.
"The passage of this bill is shameful and
the fact that the Vice President had to cast the deciding vote because two
female members of his own party did not support it should be a wake up call to
all of us that Trump, Pence and most Congressional Republicans continue to
party over the people. As public servants, we must stand up and do the right
thing for our constituents, especially women given the continual disrespect
against Planned Parenthood and women across the world. It absolutely astounding
that a body of mostly men has the audacity to make these kinds of decisions. We
must do better as a country.
"I hope that all state legislatures and
Governors stand with Planned Parenthood and any women's health organization to
protect a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her body, health and her
life.”
RPR: One-on-One with NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer
A Rockaway Primetime Reporting Exclusive
By Jeffrey Williams-Maisonet
Rockaway Primetime Reporting recently sat down with New York City
Comptroller Scott Stringer to discuss several topics, including how
money is spent and controlled throughout New York City and the
Rockaways.
RPR: What is your most important role as Comptroller?
Stringer: “With the Comptroller’s job, you
have to be able to do two things at once. There’s a lot to this office.
The budget is $100 million a year and there are over 700 employees. I am
the fiduciary in charge of protecting a $160 billion dollar pension
fund that protects the retirement security of 70,000 people. I am also
the auditor for all city agencies. I am also the chief account of the
city.”
RPR: So, the city can’t function without you, right?
Stringer: “It is also about protecting the
people, especially when we have people out in the Rockaways that go to
work every day and play by the rules. They want to be safe. They want
better jobs, and they want a decent living for them and their families.
Our job is to make sure people’s voices are heard.”
RPR: Rockaway residents are concerned about the budget for
the Rockaways and want to know how the money is being spent. What are
you doing to make sure this community receives the right amount of
funding?
Stringer: “Well, I have to give a lot of credit
to Councilman Donovan Richards for his advocacy, as well as the other
elected officials. I think the city’s response to the Rockaways has not
been good. I have to continue to urge the city not to forget about the
Rockaways and help people to get back what they lost from Sandy.”
RPR: Speaking of Councilman Richards, he allocated $96 million dollars toward downtown Far Rockaway, an area that is projected to have the largest economic growth on the peninsula. What is the money going to be used for?
Stringer: “I think it’s important that when you
allocate money to a project, there has to be a community planning
component to everything. I have every confidence that Donovan,
Assemblywoman Stacey, Joe (Addabbo, Jr.) and Ulrich will work together
to get what’s needed. Again, I am the watchdog. I will continue to
monitor the situation to make sure it’s done right for the people of the
Rockaways.”
Click here for the full interview.
President Trump Makes an Announcement with the National Association of Manufacturers
Date of event: March 31, 2017
2017 Hillary Rodham Clinton Awards
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at an awards event at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Click here for video.
Poor NYers Get Lost In The State’s Broken Public Defense System
By
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls his state “the progressive capital of the nation,” but when it comes to public defense, New York is anything but.
The New York Civil Liberties Union released a video last week, calling on Gov. Cuomo and legislators to overhaul and properly fund the state’s failing public defense system. New York state leaves responsibility for public defense to its counties, creating an underfunded, patchwork, and unconstitutional system in which poor New Yorkers accused of crimes often do not receive adequate legal representation. Under the Sixth Amendment, every person is guaranteed an attorney regardless of their ability to pay. The new 60-second video, #LostInTheSystem, comes as the New York State legislature considers public defense within the state budget process, with a looming March 31 deadline.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The Huffington Post
Interfaith Service at Riverside Church Postponed
The following was submitted by Ross Adair, a National Action Network associate.
Due to ongoing
budget negotiations, the event scheduled for April 2 at Riverside Church has been postponed.
We will be sure to update you with a new date and time as it becomes
available.
Trailblazers in Black History: Mary Eliza Mahoney
Mary Eliza Mahoney was the first African-American to study and work as a professionally trained nurse in the United States, graduating in 1879.
Mahoney was one of the first
African-Americans to graduate from a nursing school, and she prospered
in a predominantly white society.
In 1908, Mahoney co-founded the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN) with Adah B. Thoms. This organization attempted to uplift the standards and everyday lives
of African-American registered nurses.
The NACGN had a significant
influence on eliminating racial discrimination in the registered nursing
profession. In 1951, the NACGN merged with the American Nurses Association.
Mahoney has received many honors and awards for her pioneering work.
She was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in
1976 and to the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993.
Additional information is available here.
Source: Wikipedia
Chicago Trauma: Counting Broken Bodies, But Not Broken Spirits
SOUTH SIDE, CHICAGO — We do a great job of counting the dead in places like this.
After long, bloody weekends, the media tallies
up the carnage and prints it in headlines and streams it across the
nightly news. The police fill out paperwork and criminologists turn
statistics into trends.
We note the age and manner of death. It's gunfire mostly. Sometimes a stabbing or a beating. But almost always gunfire.
We mark the location of the dead on color coded maps and watch the kaleidoscope grow with each shooting until we're dizzy.
We keep a tally of the murdered and maimed like a box score in the most inhumane spectator sport.
We note the time and location. The shootings
spike in summer or when it's unseasonably warm. Winter's chill sometimes
cools the violence.
And the later the hour the more violent, though many have died before noon.
Click here for the full article.
Tillerson Meets Wife of Jailed American Pastor in Turkey
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with the wife of a jailed
American pastor in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday night, a State
Department official said on Friday.
Pastor Andrew Brunson has been held in Turkey since October on charges of being part of a terrorist organization, according to news reports.
"Secretary of State Tillerson wanted to make
sure he met with Mrs. Brunson to share the most recent information he
had on Pastor Brunson's case," the official said.
Flynn and Nunes Fallout Over Russia Probe Grows Ominous for Trump White House
The fallout over Russian election
interference, which had already become a major distraction for a
flailing Trump White House, has grown more ominous.
First, a story the White House had embraced as
a shield — that House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes got
secret intelligence information from a "whistleblower" that "somewhat"
vindicated Donald Trump's discredited claim that his predecessor
wiretapped him — unraveled.
Then, a lawyer for Trump's fired national security adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, announced that he had "a story to tell." A Congressional official told NBC News Flynn was seeking criminal immunity to do so.
"You're finally getting the intersection
between the counterintelligence investigation and the cover up," said
MSNBC contributor Naveed Jamali, a reserve Navy intelligence officer who
went undercover for the FBI to help catch a Russian spy.
Click here for the full article.
Brooklyn Man Indicted Over Hate-Filled Threats to Have Mafia Lynch Two Black People
A white man was indicted on hate crime charges for threatening to have two black people rubbed out by the Mafia, the Daily News has learned.
Suspect Ian Rubin left New York after his fiancée died in the World
Trade Center terrorist attacks in 2001 and eventually settled in
Florida, he wrote on a fund-raising website in 2014.
While in the Sunshine State, Rubin’s criminal record, which included a
second-degree assault charge, began to pile up before he trekked back to
Brooklyn, according to Assistant District Attorney India Sneed.
On Feb. 19 and 20, Rubin allegedly “threatened two people with a knife,
saying he’s going to kill a n----r tonight,” Sneed said in Brooklyn
Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Click here for the full article.
Source: The New York Daily News (via The Empire Report)