Democracy Happy Hour – September 18, 2024

Topic: Living Room Conversations: Connecting People Across Differences with Becca Kearl, Executive Director

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.‍

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Democracy Happy Hour, September 18, 2024 - Meeting Recordings

• Speaker View: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/uS2rzGOTRnCwlwd0MNdyN78r-onhngrM17w3fHylQDbg3ZwOkFagXeJLDutzA-Mnh7lrAwMFZeaA2UKs.8aGmJJbijaNgHs6f

• Gallery View: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/uS1_YaduDtmRxhjE94rVNBJXf-h9ML7AurwqMSneInl7e5jMFfKUqDa-SX733yIcidnDKFIBpBoRJlbX.mMpfadd9zS-JrbTA

• Chat file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/0kH2HLY8ov1Q6pUCRhnMI4IsPq2OLanVvv7is7TqxTief9huGZ2DV5bO-AVSYNfIS85LCFCz8yI1FqNi.c66ADAz9ZX_TMVFG

• Closed Caption file (will download directly to your computer): https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/sdownload/XtcOuSeTHHsJgB86jxa-k4ok3diaO9-fQNRh73mVd0WDb_ws0-P9PHy6VQYQDNVAmuNHQxVqSNtfLg.4BbyvsNSk3LaqLPj
  
  

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

• Sept 25 - When We All Vote with Amanda Hollowell, National Managing Director
• Oct 2 – Election Protection Coalition with Danny Navarro
• Oct 16 - Harnessing Our Power to End Political Violence (HOPE-PV) Project
• Oct 23 - SPECIAL EVENT for Media Literacy Week: Media Literacy in the Age of AI with NW Center for Media Literacy - How do we ensure we are getting accurate, reliable information? What should we be aware of when it comes to digital media? How do we maximize the benefits while minimizing risks of AI? Join our panel of educators and media literacy experts for a robust discussion on these topics, and more!
• Oct 30 - Combating Polarization & Extremism with Ryan Nakade, Ruminant Resolutions

Actions and events

• 3 Big Ways Democracy Vouchers Changed Seattle’s Elections - Jennifer A. Heerwig with Alan Durning – in Seattle on October 17^th @ 7:30 pm PT - https://townhallseattle.org/event/jennifer-a-heerwig/
• Civics 101: Branches of Government & Elected Office Positions – October 1^st @ 6 pm PT/9 pm ET - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctcO2pqz0pH9SSQByJ7BtuTPLrGMn6Koyh#/registration
• Democracy in the Park Picnics, Spokane WA
  
  • Manito Park in Spokane, Saturday, September 28th @ 12 pm https://bit.ly/Democracy-in-the-Park-Spokane
• Experts’ Guide to Free and Fair Elections - Sep. 19 @ 12 pm PT/ 3 pm ET - Virtual Event - https://brennan.swoogo.com/freeandfairelections
• Majority Rules – Screening & Panel Discussion - Sunday, October 13^th @ 4 pm PT/7 pm ET
  • Panelists: Jason Grenn, Former Executive Director for Alaskans for Better Elections & Alaska State Representative & Lisa Ayrault, FairVote WA Executive Director
  • RSVP here: https://bit.ly/majority-rules-screening
• Power the Polls - https://www.powerthepolls.org/fixdemocracyfirst
• Project 2025 is a Threat to Our Democracy - Write a letter to the editor to educate your community on the dangers of Project 2025 - https://act.newmode.net/action/voting-rights-now/project-2025-threat-our-democracy%C2%A0
• 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, deadline extended to October 6^th - https://www.whydoyou.vote/spark-the-vote-challenge

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Living Room Conversations: Connecting People Across Differences

Joan Blades, Co-founder

• Living Room Conversations - https://livingroomconversations.org/
• Trust in Elections - https://livingroomconversations.org/trust-in-elections-2/
• AllSides – Unbiased Balanced News - https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news

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Democracy in the News

Resources

• 5 Reasons To Pay Attention to Local School Board Elections - https://www.americanprogress.org/article/5-reasons-to-pay-attention-to-local-school-board-elections/
• Follow the Money: The problem of money in politics is about more than elections - https://www.proteusfund.org/follow-the-money-the-problem-of-money-in-politics-is-about-more-than-elections/
• Ranked Choice Voting
  • Bill would require ranked-choice voting for congressional elections - https://thefulcrum.us/electoral-reforms/ranked-choice-voting-2669201398
  • Ranked Choice Voting heading for its biggest year ever - https://democracysos.substack.com/p/ranked-choice-voting-heading-for
  • Raskin, Beyer, Welch Bill Would Bring Ranked Choice Voting to Congressional Elections Across America - https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases?ID=661D4BA9-494E-4A6E-8521-20F4968DD5FF
• The Global State of Democracy 2024 - https://www.idea.int/gsod/2024/
  • Full Report - https://cdn.sanity.io/files/2e5hi812/production-2024/0134f4cc56156db21ee23cf1072ab6d71704cd51.pdf

September

September 9

• What’s in a word? Why the WA GOP is pushing against ‘democracy’ - https://www.cascadepbs.org/politics/2024/09/whats-word-why-wa-gop-pushing-against-democracy

September 10

• What to know about Project 2025, as Harris hits Trump over the controversial plan - https://www.npr.org/2024/09/10/nx-s1-5107958/project-2025-fact-check-donald-trump-kamala-harris-debate-2024

September 11

• Feds increase security for Jan. 6 in effort to prevent Capitol attack repeat - https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2024/09/11/congress-january-6-security-repeat/
• Native Leaders Organize to Defend Alaska’s Ranked Choice Voting System - https://boltsmag.org/alaska-ranked-choice-voting-measure-native-organizers/
• Protections for minority voters are at the center of a Florida redistricting case - https://www.npr.org/2024/09/11/nx-s1-5106385/florida-redistricting-case-fair-districts
• Trial date set for lawsuit challenging two rules passed by Georgia State Election Board - https://www.11alive.com/article/news/politics/trial-date-democratic-party-lawsuit-georgia-state-election-board-rules/85-fbcbceb1-4b8a-4ae6-8275-5e616b41ddac

September 12

• Florida is disappearing from the national political map - https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/florida-disappearing-national-political-map-rcna168260
• Georgia Judge Tosses 3 More Charges in Trump Election Interference Case - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/12/us/trump-georgia-election-interference-case.html
• New York appeals court rejects two more attempts by Trump to lift gag order - https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/12/politics/new-york-appeals-court-rejects-two-more-attempts-by-trump-to-lift-gag-order/index.html
• Republican megadonor Leonard Leo tells allies it's time to "weaponize our conservative vision" - https://www.salon.com/2024/09/12/megadonor-leonard-leo-tells-allies-its-time-to-weaponize-our-conservative-vision/
• Sununu signs strict voter ID bill; law will take effect after November election - https://newhampshirebulletin.com/2024/09/12/sununu-definitely-leaning-towards-signing-voter-id-law/
• Trump campaign sues Nevada over alleged noncitizen voting - https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/trump-campaign-sues-nevada-over-alleged-noncitizen-voting
• Trump says he won’t debate Harris again before election - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/12/trump-harris-second-debate
• Trump’s D.C. trial may not begin until 2026 or later, legal experts say - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/09/12/trump-dc-trial-timing-immunity-delay-supreme-court/
• Youth Group Asks Supreme Court to Revive a Landmark Climate Lawsuit – https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/12/climate/juliana-lawsuit-supreme-court.html

September 13

• Harris or Trump? Once Again, Election Results Could Take Awhile. -https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/us/politics/election-night-results-timing.html
• Pennsylvania Court Throws Out Ruling Requiring Misdated Ballots to Count - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/13/us/pennsylvania-ballots-ruling.html
• Poll: Americans favor Supreme Court term limits, oppose more justices - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/13/supreme-court-term-limits-justices-poll/
• Taylor Swift Drove More Than 400,000 People to Vote.Gov After Endorsing Kamala Harris - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-voter-registration-site-harris-endorsement-1235102031
• Utah Legislature appeals decision blocking Amendment D from the ballot - https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/09/13/utah-legislature-appeals-decision-blocking-amendment-d-from-the-ballot/

September 14

• Alabama officials sued for allegedly suppressing new citizens' voting rights - https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/alabama-officials-sued-allegedly-suppressing-new-citizens-voting/story?id=113671195

September 15

• Elon Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC ramps up swing state operations - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/15/musk-trump-super-pac/

September 16

• Harris campaign elevates independent super PACs, others before final push - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/16/harris-campaign-elevates-independent-super-pacs-others-before-final-push/
• Here's everything we know about the apparent assassination attempt on Trump - https://www.npr.org/2024/09/16/nx-s1-5113917/trump-apparent-assassination-attempt-shooting-suspect
• Mark Meadows’s Arizona charges to stay in state court, federal judge rules - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/09/16/mark-meadows-arizona-federal-court/
• Ohio Supreme Court clears ballot language saying anti-gerrymandering measure calls for the opposite - https://apnews.com/article/redistricting-ohio-ballot-language-ruling-f77bce7d75cc8272bf2672301d7b8438

September 17

• Court may decide if Arizonans with missing citizenship records can vote in state races - https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/17/arizona-noncitizen-voters
• Election officials prepare for threats with panic buttons, bulletproof glass - https://apnews.com/article/election-workers-2024-threats-security-police-trump-kamala-biden-steal-c4f27414a5a90b67983b0349a370dd13
• Foreign hackers could target election litigation, federal judge warns - https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/17/foreign-hackers-election-2024-00179680
• Texas judge dismisses Paxton lawsuit targeting Democratic voter registration - https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4883830-texas-voter-registration-drive/
• Trump requests more time to reply to appeal of Florida case dismissal - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/09/17/trump-cannon-appeal-delay-classified-documents/

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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