“Aid and Comfort” to an enemy of democracy – there is now a list.

Latest Updates: (MT) Johnson & Johnson, Decathlon Halt Business in Russia.

“All American companies must leave their market immediately because it is flooded with our blood.” – President Volodymyr Zelensky

“There isn’t a both-sides anymore.” – Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Yale School of Management.

Ominous words from Putin about a “natural and necessary cleansing of the nation” to “spit out like flies” all representatives of a fifth column and “traitors” who do not back the Kremlin line. No wonder thousands are leaving the country in fear. pic.twitter.com/66LGpo12p3
— Matthew Luxmoore (@mjluxmoore) March 16, 2022

This CBS video is a good introduction to Yale Professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and his list of U.S. corporations and their relationship to Russia.

Pulling the economic chair out from under Putin will take more than seizing yachts. Although Tucker-flavored propaganda and threats are still convincing to many Russians, fights over empty shelves in grocery stores are cracks in Kremlin control. Although Putin assures them that “we will solve all these problems while working in a calm fashion,” impromptu violence over shortages are warnings of larger-scale revolts which could engulf and distract Putin from his plans for a brutal “self-cleansing.” And the faster he runs out of money for soldiers and guns, the more people might survive in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, in shades of the Holocaust, there are news reports of assassination lists, the forceable deportation of thousands of Ukrainians “refugees” to Russia and according to Komsomolskaya Pravda, Putin’s plans to saw Ukraine up into four powerless states: Crimea, New Russia, Little Russia, and West Ukraine.

UPDATE: Anonymous has entered the field, targeting companies that haven’t left Russia yet. Nestle, whose only apparent concession was to stop selling KitKat and Nesquik, has had a data breach of more than 50k business customers.

We have two missions:

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There are a lot of great options for federal judges. Jennifer Rearden isn’t one of them.

Action #1: Seriously. What the hell?
Action #2: Extra Credit – “Dear Joe…” Write to Biden to pardon Steven Donziger and withdraw his support of Rearden.

(Graphic source and story link here)

Action #1: Seriously. What the hell?

BREAKING: Aside from helping @Chevron attack me and Amazon Indigenous peoples, Biden judicial nominee Jennifer Rearden has done almost no pro bono work in a 25-year corporate legal career. She cites only 3 cases — and one was to "help" charter schools.

What was Joe thinking? pic.twitter.com/F4GwTD1wlR
— Steven Donziger (@SDonziger) January 24, 2022

Truly, we have not missed writing negative reviews for ~~fascist~~ Federalist judical nominations. So we’re disappointed that this handmaiden for the oligarchy, originally nominated by Trump for the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, is a nominee now. Rearden has personally litigated cases defending housing discrimination, overturning worker protections, and challenging improved access to transportation for wheelchair users. She fought for Chevron to criminalize the lawyer who won a $9.5 billion suit against them for Ecuadoran farmers.

Her equally toxic firm, Gibson Dunn, has defended corporations for lying about climate science, obstructed measures to address systemic racism, opposed vital protections for workers, and violated human rights both here and abroad. In no way does she “represent the best of America” that Biden promised for his judicial nominees.

Minimal script: I’m calling from [zip code] to ask Senator [Feinstein, Padilla], as members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to stop Jennifer Rearden from advancing further. It’s obvious why Trump nominated her – she’s worked against the interests of workers, the disabled, and the environment. Her law firm represents Big Oil and Gas, and has a history of suing environmental nonprofits and engaging in “legal thuggery.” It’s disappointing that Biden hasn’t removed her.

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“Don’t tell me what you value.* Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value.*” – Joe Biden

*Note: The GOP does not value the same things we do.

The GOP does not value public education and is actively trying to “drown it in a bathtub.” Same for Medicaid, Social Security, affordable health care, consumer, workplace and environmental protections, civil rights, voting access and anything else that inconveniences corporations or helps people they consider unworthy. If we want this, we need to be loud.

Action #1: – Call and email your legislators. It’s time that students got some relief.
Action #2: – Tell Joe the same damn thing.
Action #3: – Stop a future debt nightmare at its source. Pass H.R. 2730/S.1288 – College for All Act of 2021

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Emergency Action! – Stop PG&E’s decimation of our trees to line their shareholders’ pockets!

Action #1: CALL & EMAIL TODAY! The vote on SB-396 is now on Wednesday, 3/16. We have little time to stop this!

Apologies for the late notice, but it took experts time to understand the implications of SB-396 Forestry: electrical transmission or distribution lines: clearances: notice and opportunity to be heard. Call your assemblymember first thing on Monday and email his/her/their inboxes OVER THE WEEKEND! Your email can use the script here, or borrow some or all of the Indivisible CA Green Team’s letter below.

Minimal call script: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want Assemblymember [___] to vote “NO” on SB-396, another PG&E profit-grab for their shareholders at the expense of the people, wildlife and habitat threatened by fire and our dangerously warming climate.

Contact:

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Gaslighted…federal, state and local actions against our most toxic industry.

Quote: Svitlana Krakovska, Ukraine’s leading climate scientist

Action #1 – FEDERAL: Tell Biden and your federal legislators to declare a CLIMATE EMERGENCY – we need to untangle ourselves from a fossil fuel addiction that keeps us hostage to dictators and greedy, unscrupulous corporations.
Action #2 – LOCAL: Help Ventura County residents ensure safe drinking water for all with “YES on A&B!”
ACTION #3 – STATE: DIVEST billions of fossil fuel investment from CalPERS and CalSTRS with SB-1173.

Gaslighted – our grim addiction to an amoral industry.

They are an expensive habit – Governments pay fossil fuel companies billions of dollars in subsidies a year – almost $5 TRILLION from 2010-2020, money that could have been invested in renewable energy resources.
They take with both hands – In the US, “dozens of special tax loopholes save the oil and gas industry BILLIONS every year on the backs of taxpayers while putting …communities and nature at risk from pollution and climate change,” with some paying NO FEDERAL TAXES AT ALL. Meanwhile, “they use our roads and our electrical grid and our police protection locally and our military protection globally ($1Tn a year for US to keep that up to protect Exxon’s interests overseas) We educate their employees and we fund their retirement….”

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The GOP exported their own brand of violence against women around the world – the #GlobalGagRule. Time to stop it.

Action #1: Remove the global gag rule permanently through legislation!

Biden’s action to rescind the #GlobalGagRule was important, but it’s a temporary fix. The laws to permanently repeal it are H.R.556/S.142 – Global HER Act and H.R.1670 – Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act. This legislation would protect access to sexual and reproductive health care across the globe from the whims of future U.S. presidents. But we don’t have endless time to do this. GOP legislators have already proposed misogynistic legislation of their own to make the gag rule permanent.

Minimum script for our representatives: I’m calling from [zip code] and I want to thank Rep. [___] for supporting the health and lives of women worldwide by cosponsoring the H.R.556 – Global HER Act and H.R.1670 – Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act. Please get these bills passed now!

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Biden put in a temporary fix to stop this international human rights violation that kills women. Now we need to pass some laws.

Action #1: Remove the “Global Gag Rule” permanently through legislation!
Action #2: Quantify the damage. Pass H.R.3576/S.1864 – Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act.

Action #1: Remove the global gag rule permanently through legislation!

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UPDATE: Call your legislators! “Yes” to actions on local, state and federal gun legislation.

Watching a war unfold in front of us, it’s easy to forget the seeds of violence here. Now is the time to create urgency, both in the CA legislature and in Congress, for these bills to be passed. Even if you’ve called on them before, call again. Remind your legislators that these are the bills that save lives!

UPDATE: Action #1: LOCAL – AB-1769 prohibits gun shows at the Ventura County Fair and Event Center.
UPDATE Action #2: STATE – SB.915 prohibits gun shows at all CA state-owned property.
Action #3: FEDERAL – Pass national background check laws and close the “Charleston Loophole.“
Action #4: FEDERAL – For those who didn’t come home from school that Valentine’s Day, and all those before and since…it’s time to pass H.R.1808/S.736 – Assault Weapons Ban of 2021

UPDATE: Action #1: LOCAL – AB-1769 prohibits gun shows at the Ventura County Fair and Event Center – This bill will be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee March 8th, at 9am.

Minimal script for Asm. Steve Bennett: I’m calling from [zip code] and I would like to thank Assemblymember [Steve Bennett] for introducing AB-1769 – Firearms: Prohibited places and to communicate our support to Public Safety Committee members for their meeting on Tuesday.

Minimal script for other assemblymembers: I’m calling from [zip code] and I would like Assemblymember [____] to communicate with Public Safety Committee members your constituent’s support for AB-1769 – Firearms: Prohibited places.

Contact:

State Assemblymember Steve Bennett (CA-37): email, SAC (916) 319-2037, SB (805) 564-1649, VTA (805) 641-3700
State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (CA-44): email, SAC (916) 319-2044, CAM (805) 482-1904, OX (805) 483-4488
Not your people? Don’t know?: findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov

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(2) California actions! Divest from Russia and expand access to justice here!

Action #1: Tell our state legislators to pass the bill divesting our public pension funds from Russia.
Action #2: Tell CA legislators that the CA Immigration Legal Fellowship is a critical service for immigrants in rural communities!

Action #1: Tell our state legislators to pass the bill divesting our public pension funds from Russia.

Companies are divesting from Russia, including BP, Shell, Maersk, Visa and Mastercard, and WarnerMedia (they’re withholding “The Batman” movie from Russia this weekend). So how about the California’s public pension funds, the two largest in the nation?

How large?

State Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire said Monday he planned to introduce a bill that would require the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CALPERS) and California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CALSTRS) to disentangle themselves from investments tied to Russia. The two systems have recently held more than $1.7 billion combined in such assets, according to Reuters.

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What we can and should be doing now. – Update for Sunday 3/6

Action #1: Help strengthen democracy here. UPDATE: Join DEMCAST’s Team to fight Russian disinformation!
Action #2: Ask Biden to protect Ukrainians currently in the U.S. and prepare for Ukrainian refugees.
Action #3: Ask FOX the question…”Seriously, why are you allowing your employees to give “aid and comfort” to an enemy of the United States?”
Action #4: Here’s a list of organizations AND actions to help.

#1: Help strengthen democracy here.

On Sunday, Swap Meet Justice volunteers headed out in the early morning to set up our monthly citizenship fair at Oxnard College. We did this so good, hardworking people can gain a voice in our country. We did it because the road to becoming an citizen is difficult, racist and unfair. And we did it in the name of our own forebears who left behind everything they knew to escape poverty, famine, brutal repression and yes, war. And now war will again force traumatized people from their homes.

As we watch the Ukraine tragedy unfold, it is disheartening to see our own countrymen, including a former president, giving “aid and comfort” to a war criminal who has attacked orphanages and kindergartens and is now threatening the world with nuclear weapons. However, what we can do right now is concentrate on strenthening what Putin, and his GOP gaslighters (excellent article here) fear most – democracy itself. Join in – here are a few options (Do not be afraid that you’ve never done these kinds of activities before. There is training for you, and questions are always welcomed.):

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The vote over whether all women retain control of their wombs starts on Monday, Feb. 28th. FLOOD your senators’ phones now!

(Photo credit, quote)

Action #1: Tell your senator to pass S.1975 – Women’s Health Protection Act NOW!
Action #2: Demand that SCOTUS Justice Amy Coney Barrett and other Catholic justices “recuse” themselves on abortion cases.
Action #3: Share information on how to find abortion pills, how to use them safely and to make the information common knowledge.