Democracy Happy Hour – June 5, 2024

Democracy Happy Hour, June 5, 2024 - Meeting Recordings:

• Speaker View Recording:  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/X3jirELezad7kCD8hLWsE2Yv5Tz4lJQFlOShaX6wBvjFkh9QBXedjesGVK4URH1NZzc4kyI00ih2oGrq.qOMOIBKpXO2OEw8-
• Gallery View Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/cPWMa8v6HRxI5HuOcn2z-1Pq0N1OOJGBTiJBp-lqIPMXrBGmS8cUmg5EppDtooD4f8S2Uk-OVMcI8HVc.4G1eICck-HorXDKi
• Chat file (will download directly to your computer):  https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/GhsXFrovJ1yA5ZxQBBHcB7S8JgChmnD3Nl9WypzsGyutx2ILex5OOe4DUpzAm7EpUm4OldiuJesbBazS.bJ3niR5ixbXCDGMx

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:

• June 12 - Citizens United Overreach: Legal Risk in For-Profit Corporate Boards’ Political Spending with Tom Moore, Center for American Progress
• June 19 - Unite for Democracy: Democracy is US! with Peggy O'Neal
• June 26 & July 3 - CANCELED - No Democracy Happy Hours - Cindy is on vacation.  
• July 10 - U.S. Supreme Court Top Rulings & Recap of the 2023/2024 Session
• July 17 - John Lewis National Day of Commemoration & Action
• July 24 - Civic Language Perceptions Project: How Civic Language Unites, Divides, & Motivates American Voters with Amy McIsaac, PACE

ACTIONS & EVENTS:

• Why Do You Vote? - https://www.whydoyou.vote/
  • Coffee Chats – Tuesdays at 9 am PT/12 pm ET - https://www.whydoyou.vote/events
• Electoral Justice for Pierce County – June 6^th @ 4:30 pm PT – Tacoma, WA – More info & register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/electoral-justice-in-pierce-county-tickets-881569908327
• Kent for Districts – Ballot initiative in Kent, WA to create districts – They are looking for volunteers to help get this on the November ballot. - https://www.kentfordistricts.com/
• Power the Polls - https://www.powerthepolls.org/  

The Laboratories of Autocracy Playbook and How We Fight Back Links:

• David Pepper – Substack:  

https://davidpepper.substack.com/ or https://substack.com/@davidpepper

• BOOK: Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake-Up Call from Behind the Lines - https://www.amazon.com/Laboratories-Autocracy-Wake-Up-Behind-Lines/dp/1662919573
• BOOK: Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American - https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Democracy-Users-Manual-American/dp/1662938217
• David Pepper – X (Twitter) - https://x.com/DavidPepper
• David Pepper – Facebook – The Crisis in American Democracy https://www.facebook.com/davidpepperOH/

Democracy in the News Links:

Trump Guilty on All Counts in Hush-Money Case - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/30/nyregion/trump-trial-verdict

Will Trump go to jail? Can he be president? What’s next after guilty verdict? - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/30/trump-guilty-what-happens-next/

Trump warns of 'breaking point' for Americans if he's jailed - https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-if-he-is-jailed-that-could-be-breaking-point-americans-2024-06-02/

Revenge: analysis of Trump posts shows relentless focus on punishing enemies - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/02/trump-social-media-threats

‘No way out without bloodshed’: the right believe the US is under threat and are mobilizing - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/02/far-right-mobilizing-biden-presidency

Trump Asks Judge to Lift N.Y. Gag Order Following Conviction - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/nyregion/trump-trial-conviction-gag-order.html

Felons often can’t vote in Florida. But Trump likely can, thanks to a quirk of the law. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/31/will-trump-be-allowed-vote/

Trump appeal to remove Willis from Georgia election subversion case set for October, likely putting trial past Election Day - https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/03/politics/trump-appeal-fani-willis-georgia/index.html

Trump classified documents judge is target of more than 1,000 complaints, appeals court reveals - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/31/trump-classified-documents-aileen-cannon-complaints.html

DC attorney discipline board recommends Rudy Giuliani be disbarred for bogus 2020 election fraud claim - https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/31/politics/rudy-giuliani-election-fraud-disbarment/index.html

Trump launches effort to promote mail voting ahead of November - https://thehill.com/homenews/4702797-donald-trump-effort-promote-mail-voting/

Former NSA head feels ‘really good’ about election security come November - https://www.govexec.com/management/2024/06/former-nsa-head-feels-really-good-about-election-security-come-november/397079/

Alabama bill going into effect in October aims to protect election officials from violence, threats - https://whnt.com/news/alabama-news/alabama-bill-going-into-effect-in-october-aims-to-protect-election-officials-from-violence-threats/

U.S. Supreme Court revives Arkansas gerrymandering case, but plaintiffs face long odds - https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2024/06/03/u-s-supreme-court-revives-arkansas-gerrymandering-case-but-plaintiffs-face-long-odds

If voters adopt statewide ranked choice voting, Colorado may prevent it from taking effect - https://coloradosun.com/2024/05/30/colorado-ranked-choice-voting-legislature-ballot-measure/

Colorado Governor Signs Law Requiring Jails to Provide In-Person Voting - https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/colorado-governor-passes-law-requiring-jails-to-provide-in-person-voting/

CT Supreme Court finds public financing law restricts free speech - https://ctmirror.org/2024/05/20/ct-supreme-court-finds-public-financing-law-restricts-free-speech/

Florida’s Use of Unreliable Tool Could Wrongly Remove Numerous Voters from Rolls - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/floridas-use-unreliable-tool-could-wrongly-remove-numerous-voters-rolls

Kansas Constitution does not include a right to vote, state Supreme Court majority says - https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-kansas-supreme-court-0a0b5eea5c57cf54a9597d8a6f8a300e

Kansas Supreme Court finds law on impersonating election officials to be overbroad - https://www.courthousenews.com/kansas-supreme-court-finds-law-on-impersonating-election-officials-to-be-overbroad/

New MN law ends prison gerrymandering - https://spokesman-recorder.com/2024/05/30/minnesota-bans-prison-gerrymandering/

Already outlawed in Missouri, noncitizen voting ban will appear on statewide ballot - https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/04/already-outlawed-in-missouri-noncitizen-voting-ban-will-appear-on-statewide-ballot/

Trump campaign sues Nevada, alleges counting of non-postmarked mail ballots - https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/trump-campaign-sues-nevada-alleges-counting-of-non-postmarked-mail-ballots

Ohio Legislature Passes Bill Ensuring Biden’s Spot on the Ballot - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/us/politics/biden-ohio-ballot.html

Seven AGs pen amicus brief in case challenging Ohio voting restrictions - https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/06/04/seven-ags-pen-amicus-brief-in-case-challenging-ohio-voting-restrictions/

By hand or machine: Tabulator bans go to voters in three counties Tuesday - https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/06/02/by-hand-or-machine-tabulator-bans-go-to-voters-in-three-counties-tuesday/

Virginia Students Aid Election Cybersecurity Ahead of Fall Elections - https://engineering.virginia.edu/news-events/news/virginia-students-aid-election-cybersecurity-ahead-fall-elections

Former Trump aides charged in Wisconsin over 2020 elector plot - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/04/wisconsin-charges-2020-trump-electors/

The Supreme Court Just Made Gerrymandering Even Easier - https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-court-just-made-gerrymandering-even-easier

Abortion, guns and more: These are the Supreme Court’s remaining cases - https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/02/politics/supreme-court-what-to-watch-trump-immunity-abortion-guns/index.html

Trump wants the Supreme Court to toss out his conviction. Will they? - https://www.vox.com/scotus/353561/supreme-court-donald-trump-nullfy-conviction

Chief Justice Roberts declines to meet with Democrats on court ethics - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/30/chief-justice-roberts-alito-flag-supreme-court-ethics/

Republicans Vow to Block Future Biden Judicial Nominees - https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/republican-senators-vow-to-block-future-biden-judicial-nominees

Can State Supreme Courts Preserve—or Expand—Rights? - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/10/can-state-supreme-courts-preserve-or-expand-rights

Trump campaign raises record $34.8 million in donations after guilty verdict - https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/31/trump-campaign-donations-record.html

There’s a new dark money group supporting Trump - https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/31/trump-dark-money-group-00161122

The $64 million mystery: How a wave of anonymous donations is fueling the 2024 presidential campaign - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-64-million-mystery-anonymous-donations-2024-presidential-campaign/

Trump’s $1bn pitch to oil bosses ‘the definition of corruption’, top Democrat says - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/03/trump-big-oil-campaign-pitch-corruption

How a Drop in Small-Dollar Donations Is Shaking Up Both Parties - https://www.notus.org/2024-election/small-dollar-donations

DNC files third complaint against RFK Jr. super PAC, alleging shady fundraising practices and concealment - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rfk-jr-super-pac-dnc-complaint-shady-fundraising/

Claudia Sheinbaum elected Mexico’s first female president - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/02/mexico-president-election-sheinbaum-galvez/

How Mexico, bastion of machismo, got a female president before the U.S. - https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/03/first-female-president-mexico-claudia-sheinbaum

Support for Third U.S. Political Party Up to 63% - https://news.gallup.com/poll/512135/support-third-political-party.aspx

How to Register to Vote (Plus, Who’s Eligible to Register) - https://www.teenvogue.com/story/how-to-register-to-vote-us-election

GOOD NEWS Websites:

Politics & Government Good News - https://www.goodgoodgood.co/impact/democracy

Good News Network - https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/

Sunny Skyz - https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news

ABC Good News - https://abcnews.go.com/alerts/good-news

Daily Good - https://www.dailygood.org/

The Happy News - https://thehappynewspaper.com/