Democracy Happy Hour – August 14, 2024

Fix Democracy First hosts a weekly Democracy Happy Hour on Wednesdays @ 5-6:30pm PT. Grab a drink and join us and learn about the latest democracy efforts, challenges, solutions, as well upcoming events and actions.

Topic: Better Together America: Supporting State & Local Democracy Roundtables & Hubs with Jacob Bornstein.

Democracy Happy Hour, August 14, 2024 - Meeting Recordings

• Speaker View:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/k6v5PYBVFWbdn1mQIh0CNuYgvwArjFZdmDRgSAmEa3US6cT1ubY3JciuPY0gjNtkHct_2RVHqfBiWvMi.k7KwsDRwZkRXq9Qg

• Gallery View:
  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/KO9CVYIZZnROO9QhchhbeB6EkIlmRbnQpuIu7PPFOyJsALV24GT1i6HVJa3_lPQGdNVbi-mlFgn1GF4n.NVt-Z8QM9jMknr7j

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/xsdrOg-k6cO30DyWmRFLvHNO_ly7wXwWqqlfZhGWXjPcgWjGnADKvlnpmE7mxn2khq158uDdiDyqKhkb.dRzWJ41OA6fvXmb5

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/LuJoaif6gXGBHkzhSzqcRp-ONe1dfRETsfNgugVTff5rKsRSYgTslWYsfD7szk7yxTNQPTKdofPTGPtd.WqEWYHO5O40KyfBT

FDF Links

• Fix Democracy First - https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/

• Donate to Fix Democracy First here: https://www.fixdemocracyfirst.org/donate

Democracy Happy Hour Upcoming Topics/Schedule

• Aug 21 - The American Schism in 2024 with Seth Radwell
• Aug 28 - Making Democracy Count: How Mathematics Improves Voting, Electoral Maps, and Representation with Ismar Volić
• Sept 4 – CANCELED – No Democracy Happy Hour this week
• Sept 11 – OpenSecrets: Tracking Money in Elections with Sarah Bryner, Director of Research and Strategy
• Sept 18 – Living Room Conversations: Connecting People Across Differences with Becca Kearl, Executive Director

Actions and events

• Democracy in the Park Picnics
  • Seattle, WA: Democracy in the Park Picnic, Magnolia Park in Seattle, Saturday, August 24th @ 12 pm
    https://bit.ly/Democracy-in-the-Park-Seattle
  • Spokane, WA: Democracy in the Park Picnic, Manito Park in Spokane, Saturday, September 28th @ 12 pm https://bit.ly/Democracy-in-the-Park-Spokane
• FairVote WA events to support Ranked Choice Voting: https://www.mobilize.us/fairvotewa/
• Power the Polls https://www.powerthepolls.org/fixdemocracyfirst
  • August 1^st is Poll Worker Recruitment Day!
• Project 2025 & Democracy Movement Call - Thursday, August 15th at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET - https://www.mobilize.us/dfadcoalition/event/663389/?utm_source=FixDemocracyFirst
• Why Do You Vote?  https://www.whydoyou.vote/
  • • Coffee Chats – Tuesdays at 9 am PT/12 pm ET
      https://www.whydoyou.vote/events
    • SPARK THE VOTE Social Media & Film Challenge, September 14^th - https://www.whydoyou.vote/spark-the-vote-challenge

• Petition – Please Sign: Pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Native American Voting Rights Act, and DC Statehood. - https://act.newmode.net/action/voting-rights-now/sign-petition-tell-congress

Better Together America: Supporting State & Local Democracy Roundtables & Hubs

Mediators Foundation - https://www.mediatorsfoundation.org/

• Better Together America - https://www.mediatorsfoundation.org/current-projects/better-together-america
• Inter-Movement Impact Project - https://www.mediatorsfoundation.org/current-projects/inter-movement-impact-project
• Other Current Projects - https://www.mediatorsfoundation.org/current-projects

Democracy in the News

Resources

• Inside Project 2025’s Secret Training Videos - https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-project-2025-secret-training-videos-trump-election

July

July 13

• Local View: Safe, accurate elections - County elections deploy tight security, League of Women Voters says - https://www.columbian.com/news/2024/jul/13/local-view-safe-accurate-elections

August

August 07

• Advocates Warn New Rules Could Upend Voting, Election Results in Georgia in Nov. - https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/2024-voting-rights-georgia/
• Arizona Secretary of State condemns judge’s ruling that blocks new voter, poll worker protections - https://ktar.com/story/5590470/adrian-fontes-condemns-judges-ruling-against-measures-to-block-voter-intimidation/
• Book With Project 2025 Ties and JD Vance Foreword Is Delayed Until After Election - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/07/us/politics/project-2025-book-jd-vance-delayed.html
• Minnesota Supreme Court upholds law restoring voting rights to felons upon release from incarceration - https://www.startribune.com/state-supreme-court-upholds-law-restoring-voting-rights-to-felons-upon-release-from-incarceration/600932955
• North Carolina investigating Elon Musk's new pro-Trump PAC - https://www.wral.com/story/north-carolina-investigating-elon-musk-s-new-pro-trump-pac/21561642/
• Trump took a private flight with Project 2025 leader in 2022 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/08/07/trump-heritage-project-2025-roberts

August 08

• Court rejects suit over Youngkin denying voting rights to former inmate - https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/08/08/virginia-youngkin-rights-felony-suit/
• Favorable views of Supreme Court remain near historic low - https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/08/favorable-views-of-supreme-court-remain-near-historic-low/
• Scoop: FEC won't act on AI in election ads this year - https://www.axios.com/pro/tech-policy/2024/08/08/fec-ai-election-advertising-no-action
• Special counsel requests delay in response to scheduling order in Trump Jan. 6 case - https://abcnews.go.com/US/special-counsel-requests-delay-response-scheduling-order-trump/story?id=112696384
• Supreme court immunity ruling to cause new delay in Trump 2020 election case - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/08/trump-2020-election-case-delay
• Trump and Harris agree to debate on ABC on September 10, network says - https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/08/politics/trump-debate-harris-september/index.html

August 09

• A Tsunami of Right-Wing Dark Money Is Barreling Toward Harris and Walz - https://newrepublic.com/article/184732/right-wing-dark-money-harris-walz
• Americans want to rein in Supreme Court justices, poll finds - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/09/supreme-court-reform-poll/74724236007/
• At Supreme Court, RNC pushes stricter voting laws for Arizona - https://www.courthousenews.com/at-supreme-court-rnc-pushes-stricter-voting-laws-for-arizona/
• Georgia Election Board wants ‘US Citizens Only’ signs posted at polls - https://www.ajc.com/politics/georgia-election-board-wants-us-citizens-only-signs-posted-at-polls/7C5LES6C5JCFRF5UVXJBBN4FH4/
• Iran is accelerating cyber activity that appears meant to influence the US election, Microsoft says - https://apnews.com/article/iran-russia-china-election-disinformation-hacking-ee65e29b866852b146e75c9f3312a1ae
• Koch network’s flagship super PAC pours big money into 2024 elections - https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2024/08/koch-network-flagship-super-pac-pours-big-money-into-2024-elections
• State Identification no Longer Required for Online Voter Registration in Washington State - https://www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com/local/state-identification-no-longer-required-for-online-voter-registration-in-washington-state/article_3e82cfaa-5655-11ef-8c7f-47986a489355.html
• Trump is putting mass deportations at the heart of his campaign. Some Republicans are worried - https://apnews.com/article/trump-mass-deportations-latino-voters-ec64f85e3633c9c7a8a247eaf9feb64f
• Unregulated money continues to corrode US politics. Reforms are needed - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/aug/09/unregulated-money-us-politics-reforms-needed

August 11

• ACLU brings lawsuit after pause on restoration of voting rights to Nebraska felons - https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/11/nebraska-aclu-sues-halt-voter-registration-convicted-felons/74590208007/
• Experts warn of election disruptions after Trump says campaign was hacked - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/11/trump-hack-iran-elections

August 12

• ‘A different level than 2020’: Trump’s plan to steal election is taking shape - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/12/trump-overturn-result-presidential-election-vote
• ‘AI’ crowds and unskewed polls: Trump prepares to reject another loss - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/12/ai-crowds-unskewed-polls-trump-prepares-reject-another-loss
• Election certification under threat - https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/election-certification-under-threat/
• FBI probing alleged Iran hack attempts targeting Trump, Biden camps - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/08/12/trump-hack-iran-fbi
• Former Pro-Trump County Clerk Is Found Guilty of Tampering With Voting Machines - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/12/us/politics/tina-peters-guilty-voting-machine-tampering.html
• Trump wants Justice Department to pay him $100 million for alleged damages from FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search - https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/12/politics/trump-mar-a-lago-search-claim/index.html

August 13

• Dozens of officials who have refused to certify elections since 2020 still in office – report - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/13/us-election-2020-certification-refuse
• Idaho Supreme Court rejects open primaries challenge - https://bonnercountydailybee.com/news/2024/aug/13/idaho-supreme-court-rejects-open-primaries-challen/
• New voter ID options approved in NC for college students, government workers - https://www.wral.com/story/new-voter-id-options-approved-in-nc-for-college-students-government-workers/21575763/
• Ohio's Secretary of State says circulators may have broken law with voter registrations, petitions - https://www.statenews.org/government-politics/2024-08-13/ohios-secretary-of-state-says-company-may-have-broken-law-with-voter-registrations-petitions
• Senate Democrats to DOJ: More Action Is Needed To Protect Election Workers - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/senate-democrats-to-doj-more-action-is-needed-to-protect-election-workers/
• This oil tycoon brings in millions for Trump, and may set his agenda - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/08/13/oil-donors-trump-pac-harold-hamm-election/

August 14

• A year later, sprawling Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump has stalled - https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-fani-willis-georgia-election-indictment-cd810f67a76dc4c64ec3ee64749bf897
• Judge rejects Donald Trump’s latest demand to step aside from hush money criminal case - https://apnews.com/article/trump-recusal-judge-merchan-hush-money-trial-a8b88acde31daf3bf71b7c1b3a3b010b

Good News Websites

• ABC Good News - https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/good-news
• Daily Good - https://www.dailygood.org/
• Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/
• Politics & Government Good News - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/impact/democracy
• Sunny Skyz - https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news
• The Happy News - https://thehappynewspaper.com/

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