Friday, we saw our president appear on national television and declare a state of emergency for an artificial border crisis. At the same time, he admitted himself that not only was it unnecessary, but that he knew it was an abuse of his power as he asked the supreme court to support his decision anyway. … Continue reading On National Emergencies and Abuse of Power
Calling for impeachment hearings now is certainly warranted, but is not politically strategic, which is why Democratic leaders aren't doing it. Yet. By Matt Scharfstein & Nick Knudsen Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on our border has prompted fresh calls for his removal from office. Rightfully so: the American people and their representatives … Continue reading How to Remove a Lawless President Through the Use of Institutional Power
The New Year has begun and, with that, a new Congress has been elected. Politically, the pendulum will swing to the left and to the right over and over again. While there is really no tri-fold brochure on how to politically navigate 2019, I will do my best to dispel a few myths that, if … Continue reading Common Myths: Watching for Blind Spots in 2019 & 2020
Every single day, we underappreciate the technology around us, yet we consume it without even batting an eyelash. From our iPhones to our laptops, to the gear shifts in cars and light bulbs. A typical day without the inventions from under-credited African Americans would leave many of us in the dark...literally. It should be quite … Continue reading Black History Month: Unsung Heroes & Their Inventions You Can’t Live Without
Millions have awakened to activism in these times. What is everyone else waiting for? Our adaptability to unjust conditions is simultaneously a sad commentary and a testament to human resilience. Photo by Ehimetalor Unuabona on Unsplash Growth is usually incremental, hard to discern, and easy to overlook. There are times, however, that are fueled with the kinetic energy … Continue reading Everything You Want Is On The Other Side Of Apathy
Ahead of Hillary Clinton, we had Shirley Chisholm trailblazing her way through Congress. So why don't more people know about her or commemorate her importance to the Democratic party and women in politics? Those of us who happen to be blessed enough to know Shirley Chisholm's role in American history, she is an icon and … Continue reading Unbought and Unbossed: Long Before Hillary, There was Shirley Chisholm
Democrats picked up more than 40 seats in the House, we only needed 23 to gain control of the chamber; While some of you might not remember that night, with all the news cycles since then. I remember it vividly. Democrats defended, fought and won in 10 seats that the President had favor in, 2 … Continue reading Apparently Howard Schultz Was Asleep During the Midterms!
While America fixates on the multi-car pileup that is the Trump Regime, it helps to see women making progress somewhere. I’ve just published a book – Ms. Nice Guy Lost – Here’s How Women Can Win – which chronicles the many ways in which Donald Trump and the GOP have rolled back rights and opportunities for … Continue reading US Women Could Use Some Good News. Here’s Some!
Saturday morning in Los Angeles possessed a quiet that belied the bustling streets and freeways so commonly associated with this sprawling western city. The January air was crisp. It wasn’t that long ago a blanket of smog hung each morning until the hot Southland sun burned it away. But on this morning, even the dimmed … Continue reading The Peaceful Weapons of Revolution: Takeaways from the 2019 Los Angeles Women’s March
"The Trump Effect" is the blow to the American attention span propagated by daily scandalous activities from the Trump Administration, which the media fall for every time - causing them to forego headlines about the REAL stories ... Trump's ties to Russia, how Putin interfered in our 2016 elections, and all of Trump's, his business', … Continue reading Battling Against “The Trump Effect”
When women march, we make our concerns visible, and for the past two years, the national Women’s March has provided an outlet to do that. But in 2019, Portland is doing something different. We didn’t march the weekend of Jan.19-20; we’re marching on March 3, 2019. Why the change in Portland? For one, the National … Continue reading Why Portland Rescheduled & Re-Envisioned its Womxn’s March
This piece was originally published in The Integrity Initiative The Russian-speaking diaspora abroad is quite numerous in many Western countries and is made up of many different waves of emigration – from descendants of White Russian émigrés to those who are arriving today. However, all these waves are characterized by a fairly high level of … Continue reading How Does the Kremlin Influence Russians Living Abroad?
As the government shutdown drags on, more evidence emerges that President Trump’s inner circle indeed collaborated with Russians, and attacks on our institutions and media have become commonplace - it’s no question democracy is being tested. The midterm elections offered a sigh of relief for many Americans, and a glimmer of hope that Congress will … Continue reading Beware the Pendulum Swinging Too Far Left: It’s What Our Adversaries Want
What does Trump's "State of Emergency" really mean for America? "A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to perform actions that it would normally not be permitted. A government can declare such state during a disaster, civil unrest, or armed conflict. Such declaration alerts citizens to change their normal … Continue reading With a “State of Emergency”, Trump is Playing with Fire
Updating constituents about the shutdown, the new House Rep in CA-25 moves quickly to connect and communicate. While most freshman House members stayed in Washington, D.C. for additional orientation and education sessions last weekend, CA-25’s newly-inaugurated Rep. Katie Hill caught a red-eye flight back to her Southern California district to brief constituents on the status … Continue reading On Her 4th Day in Office, Katie Hill Flies Home, Hosts a Town Hall
Katie Hill's open communication as Congressmember-elect has CA-25 constituents excited about her first term as their Representative.
Background on the five Dem Committee Chairs who are going to be all up in Trump's business.
Two explosive reports detail how Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to support Donald Trump.
Keener political hands than mine have noted that election night was cruel for Democrats in the Eastern Time Zone. Especially those of us who’d incautiously raised our hopes a bit high. Here in Ohio,we longed for redemption. In downtown Bowling Green “No Massacre Here,” dozens of volunteers, local committee members, and a few candidates gathered … Continue reading Swing State Saga: How We Fought on the Midterm Battleground
DemLabs' SeeSay experiment showed how we can crowdsource election integrity reporting.
Bernie Sanders is going to run. Unfortunately, he has pissed off the largest Democratic demographic...35+ Black Women, and we aren't having it!
The House impeaches, but the Senate convicts & removes a president - requiring a 2/3 majority. Twenty Republicans would have to vote against Trump. Don't hold your breath.
This piece was originally published in The Integrity Initiative There were famous religious dissidents in the former Soviet Union. New Christian opposition organizations have sprung up to continue their legacy, Kseniya Kirillova writes. A new Russian “socio-political club” called The New Orthodoxy was announced in Moscow in October. Its founders assert that the name originates … Continue reading New Dissident Movements in Russia have Christian Roots
The assault on voting rights in Wisconsin has been devastatingly effective. A rundown of what the GOP has done and how to mitigate the damage.
We are enabling our amoral, unboundaried, aspiring dictator of a President as we go about our daily lives, staying inside the lines, refraining from committing civil disobedience.
A good Speaker can make all the difference in the US House. Here are some critical variables that factor in to making the right pick.
Comments and actions by Hyde-Smith betray her faulty character and deeply racist attitudes. Mississippi should elect Mike Espy to the Senate on Tuesday.
The cultural gap between urban and rural Oregon is at the heart of political differences in the state, as is the case across the US.
It's time to support Nancy Pelosi - LOUDLY and PROUDLY.
Call your Senators and Representative and urge them to demand that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker recuse himself.
This Veterans Day, let's take a look at the current state of the largest health care system in the United States: The Department of Veteran Affairs.
The timing of Jeff Sessions' forced resignation is purposeful: we're tired. But now more than ever, we have to show Trump that our Resistance is relentless.As a highly engaged Blue Wave activist, I woke up the morning after Election Day looking forward to a slight smidgen of normalcy. Kiss the kids. Drink some coffee. Have … Continue reading No Rest for the Wave: Massive Nationwide Protests Thursday at 5pm
An Opinion on How to Save American Democracy In 4 Days #BallotsNOTBullets Let me start off by saying, that I'm not discrediting any other race here, I'm only stating what I know from personal experience, as a black woman in America. I'm 42 years old, I am educated with a degree from Franklin University in … Continue reading Think Like A Black Woman…Too
As its confrontation with the West grows, Russia's use of the elements of blackmail, both veiled and direct, in its diplomacy is increasing.
Can we multi-task? Yes we can. Just look at the last two years.
Daryl Boling, Democrat for PA District 152, describes how he wants to set a new standard for accessibility as a state representative.
As I move through America and share my stories with you as an openly gay man of color, I have the great fortune to learn and grow from the many reader comments I receive. It has been both cathartic and inspiring to see messages telling me that these chronicles are helping some people learn, while … Continue reading Chronicles of an Outsider: Volume 4
Knute is anti-vaccination. He's anti-immigrant. He earned an 'F' from the League of Conservation Voters. He won't share his complete tax returns. Just Say NO to Knute. Republican Knute Buehler, a physician and two-term state representative, is running against Oregon’s current Governor, Kate Brown. Brown and Buehler offer a stark contrast for Oregon’s future. Buehler … Continue reading The Top 10 Reasons to Just Say No to Knute Buehler for Oregon Governor
Contributor J.L. Whitehead ponders a scenario where Democrats lose this November.
Trump doesn't like protests outside the White House, so the admin is trying to impede our right to peaceably assemble. There are 3 days left to comment. Do it. While you still can.
Anita Hill. Murphy Brown. The "Year of the Woman". Is it 1992? It feels like it. But there are some important differences.
The Mercers & Steve Bannon formed Cambridge Analytica in June 2014, the exact same month that the Internet Research Agency changed their US influence campaign to include interfering in the US presidential election. In May 2014, Kremlin-backed troll farm, the Internet Research Agency, discussed efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and began … Continue reading The Mercers, Cambridge Analytica, and Putin’s Internet Research Agency: A Timeline
In the era of #MeToo, Brett Kavanaugh needs to submit to a lie detector test along with new Senate questioning. Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor at Palo Alto University, has mounted a damning accusation against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. She alleges that in the early 1980's, Nominee Kavanaugh pinned her to a bed … Continue reading With Kavanaugh, We Have a Chance to Learn from Our Mistakes
From coast to coast, Republicans are refusing to debate their Democratic opponents. A race-by-race rundown of the most egregious cases of debate-dodging.
Russia doesn't really have a distinct ideology, instead appealing to base human feelings and instincts to evoke an emotional reaction and control the masses. Sound familiar? This piece was originally published in The Kyiv Post When speaking about modern Russian ideology, most experts agree that it, as such, simply does not exist. I have already noted … Continue reading Putin’s Information Operations Spread Discordant Ideologies Abroad
Your Action Call your Senators and tell them to insist a vote on the Kavanaugh nomination by the Senate Judiciary Committee be postponed until the sexual assault allegation can be fully evaluated. Background Everyone knew Brent Kavanaugh was an extremely conservative judge when he was nominated, raising serious questions about the future of Roe v. … Continue reading Call Senators & Tell Them to Postpone the Kavanaugh Vote
With high-profile victories by African Americans in the Florida and Georgia Democratic gubernatorial primaries, and as the campaign season heats up – we grit our teeth with the knowledge that this could get ugly. Ron DeSantis and Brian Kemp are Republicans primed to run race-baiting campaigns against Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams. Hopefully the elections … Continue reading Black and White
In this Labor Day Op-Ed, CA-39 Democratic nominee Gil Cisneros lays out his priorities intended to lift up the American worker. “It is one of the characteristics of a free and democratic modern nation that it have free and independent labor unions. . . When union workers assemble with freedom and independence in a convention like this, … Continue reading How We Start Supporting Workers, Again
Analyzing Moscow's efforts to undermine Western democracies, we can identify its several main channels of influence. Among them are propaganda (both broadcasting their own media to foreign audiences and bribing the local media), bribing officials and politicians, building corrupt ties through business lobbies, and working with various segments of the population to exacerbate friction, dissatisfaction … Continue reading Why Russian “Soft Power” is Much More Dangerous Than Western “Soft Power”
After the 2016 election, my wife and I did a lot of soul-searching, as did many Americans. The election results reminded us of the unpredictability of life and warned us not to take the future for granted. We acted on that and decided to finally move our family to Massachusetts. We wanted our sons to … Continue reading Massachusetts: Vote Yes on 3 to Answer the Call of Equality and History
