Baltimore Activist Alert -- August 11 -15, 2021

25] Speak out against evictions – Aug. 11

26] Coffee and a Column – Aug. 11

27] Conversation with Secretary Jennifer Granholm – Aug. 11

28] Biden’s counterterrorism strategy – Aug. 11

29] Emergency climate action call – Aug. 11

30] For the People Act – Aug. 11 – 15

31] Economics for a Post-Covid World – Aug. 11

32] Sunshine Hub Meeting – Aug. 11

33] Hear from Ray McGovern – Aug. 11

34] Storytelling in Activism – Aug. 11

35] Stop Line 3 -- Aug. 11

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25] – Over 25,000 Baltimore City Renter households (about 21% of all renters) are behind on rent and facing eviction, and the City has only spent 18% of eviction prevention funds. Furthermore, the statewide eviction protections are set to expire on August 15th, and the CDC’s new eviction order only applies to half of Maryland Counties. Our public officials must act urgently to prevent mass displacement. The Baltimore Renters United (BRU) coalition partners are calling on Governor Hogan to extend the eviction order and to issue a new executive order that requires landlords to utilize emergency rental assistance before they can evict a renter. BRU is also asking Mayor Scott to commit $21 million over the next four years for full implementation of right to counsel, which he has promised to fully fund.

Baltimore Renters United is hosting a "Speak Out" on Wed., Aug. 11 at 10 AM at the War Memorial Plaza, near City Hall on Gay St. and we need a large turnout to emphasize how critical this moment is. Sign up at https://jufj.org/prevent-eviction/?sourceid=1020679&utm_campaign=bmore&utm_medium=ea&utm_source=standalone&emci=5b6dc921-e8f9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=e508e22f-0dfa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=3403859#action.

26] – James J Zogby [jzogby@aaiusa.org] wants you to join him on Wed., Aug. 11 at 2 PM for Coffee and a Column to discuss the troubling role of dark money in elections. Specifically, he will discuss the role it played in last week's special congressional election in Ohio's 11th district.  Dark money came after Nina Turner. You can read the column here, The Troubling Role of “Dark Money” in Elections, at https://jameszogby.com/washingtonwatch2021s/the-troubling-role-of-dark-money-in-elections?emci=14ccb24d-23f9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=e850ae41-02fa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=389907. Please register here https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlfuisqzkjEtQc2g-4j-2ZFIB0xAqO2NrL?emci=14ccb24d-23f9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=e850ae41-02fa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=389907 to receive the dial-in information for the Zoom call. After you register, you will automatically get the dial-in information for the call.

27] – Tiernan Sittenfeld [feedback@lcv.org] is inviting you to a League of Conservation Voters conversation with Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Wed., Aug. 11 at 2 PM ET.   Register at https://lcv.swoogo.com/cleanenergy/begin?reg_type_id=192073.  Acting on climate change and investing in our clean energy future presents one of the biggest opportunities for job growth in generations. Energy Secretary Granholm is helping lead that progress, and the conversation will focus on clean energy jobs and justice.

The IPCC report on the climate crisis reiterated the dire situation that our planet is facing. We need urgent action from Congress and the Biden administration to act on climate at the scale that science and justice require. Also on the call will be Alyssa Quityne from The Alaska Center, Gilbert Campbell from Volt Energy, and Frank Hawk from Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters.

28] – Cody at Defending Rights & Dissent [info@rightsanddissent.org] wants your participation on Wed.,  Aug. 11 at 3 PM ET in its lunchtime series focused on Biden’s counterterrorism strategy and what it means for dissent.  Speculative counterterrorism too-often conflates behaviors associated with disability with red flags for terrorism. Being labeled as ‘dangerous’ then haunts students through their academic and professional lives. Threat assessment dovetails ableism with racism, with predictably grim consequences for students, especially students of color with disabilities. It’s long past time to extricate disability from the school-to-prison pipeline. Reforming counterterrorism is part of that. Moderator Cody Bloomfield will be joined by disability justice advocate Dara Baldwin for a conversation about how counterterrorism criminalizes disability. Visit https://www.rightsanddissent.org/live/new-name-same-flaws-pt-5-criminalizing-disability/?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=474ef35f-903b-4dac-9e08-105963625a97. Baldwin is the director of National Policy for the Center for Disability Rights.

29] – NRDC Action Fund [actionfund@nrdc.org] wants you to attend on Wed., Aug. 11 at 3 PM ET an emergency activist video call for climate action. Get the inside scoop on the biggest grassroots campaign ever to push Congress to pass bold legislation to invest in our infrastructure and tackle the climate crisis, and learn what you can do to help. Our health, our climate, and our future depend on YOU.  RSVP for the NRDC Action Fund Summer Activist Webinar at https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=reg20.jsp&partnerref=actst&eventid=3354448&sessionid=1&key=B920114782EA13E62DF69EDAE0CFB2B5&regTag=&V2=false&sourcepage=register.

30] –Join activists around the country at a virtual phonebank to urge voters in key states to demand their senators’ support of the For the People Act! The August deadline for 2022 is fast approaching! Our democracy is in crisis: with redistricting around the corner and hundreds of voter suppression laws being introduced in states across the country, we do not have time to wait. Every day we’re getting closer to a very real deadline to take action to pass the For the People Act (S.1): If the Senate does not overcome the filibuster and pass S. 1 by late August, states will not have enough time to implement the legislation’s regulations before the 2022 midterm elections! Join activists around the country at a virtual phonebank to urge voters in key states to demand their senators’ support of S. 1! RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/pfaw/event/376178/?utm_source=PFAW to call on Wed., Aug. 11 from 4 to 6 PM ET, Thurs., Aug. 12 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 8 PM ET or Fri., Aug. 13 from 4 to 6 PM ET and Sat., Aug. 14 noon to 2 PM ET and 4 to 6 PM or Sun., Aug. 15 from 6 to 8 PM ET.

31] -- The Henry George School of Social Science [noreply@campaign.eventbrite.com] is inviting you to take a five-week course on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 PM ET. The second week is on Aug. 11 -- Economics for a Post-Covid World – and the course runs through Aug 18.  The global health pandemic has laid bare the flaws of neoliberal economics. Is it time for a new paradigm? Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/economics-for-a-post-covid-world-tickets-160638115929?ref=enivtefor001&invite=MjA1ODEwMzEvbW9idXN6ZXdza2kyMDAxQGNvbWNhc3QubmV0LzA%3D%0A&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inviteformalv2&utm_term=attend.

The instructor, Alanna Hartzok is co-founder and co-director of Earth Rights Institute. She is the author of The Earth Belongs to Everyone, winner of the 2008 Radical Middle Book Award. She has given many lectures and seminars on how to structure public finance and tax policy to address issues of wealth distribution, the environment, infrastructure, education and peace.

32] – Amy at Sunrise Movement Baltimore [general@sunrisemovementbaltimore.org] is letting us know that the IPCC report is scary. Join Sunrise on Wed., Aug. 11 at 7 PM ET to process and take action together. Even if we act now and implement the boldest possible measures to curb this crisis, there will still be devastating, irreversible damage to our planet.  Our elected officials need to realize that half measures aren’t enough to stop this emergency — and act accordingly. Join the hub and hold space together. Join in at https://www.mobilize.us/sunrisemovement/event/406673/?emci=88885ab4-29fa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=2b6d7b53-2afa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=177631.

33] – Join in on Wed., Aug. 11 at 7 PM EDT for a conversation with Ray McGovern, an activist who was previously a CIA analyst for 27 years. Part of his job was to prepare the President’s Daily Brief. Ray is also the co-founder of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).  When Ray retired from the CIA in 1990, he received the Intelligence Commendation Medal “especially meritorious service.” He returned the medal in 2006 saying, “I do not want to be associated, however remotely, with an agency engaged in torture.”  Ray will discuss the military industrial complex, US foreign policy, and his time at the CIA. This talk is sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action and others.  Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcuqpqTMsHdNUiosQMXjXSMM207uEy0MC?emci=15712fea-daf9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=bb81f7e4-e0f9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=266010.

34] –The AOTL Team [allontheline@redistrictingaction.org] on Wed., Aug. 11 from 7:30 to 8:30 PM ET is offering a training – Storytelling in Activism.  Register at https://www.mobilize.us/allontheline/event/397340/?utm_campaign=20210717_AOTL_O_resend_RUcalendar_ActivesXopeners&emci=5211a10c-5fe6-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=be8d0a56-ebe6-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=4818037.

35] – Rising Tide North America [diablorisingtide@riseup.net] wants you to get trained to join the fight to Stop Line 3 on Wed., Aug. 11 at 8 PM ET.  The escalation of violence against Stop Line 3 water protectors is getting worse. The police have used chemical weapons and rubber bullets against peaceful protestors. They also continue to harass and surveil activists on the roads. As well as continuing to use escalated charges and bails to stifle dissent.  RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtce6ppj4oGdUaU1TwzTNVWDVqkWbFZmd2?link_id=0&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-get-trained-join-the-fight-to-stop-line-3&email_referrer=email_1256766&email_subject=get-trained-join-the-fight-to-stop-line-3. Line 3 is a proposed pipeline to bring nearly a million barrels of toxic tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin-- through sacred wild rice beds, and the headwaters of the Mississippi.

To be continued.

 Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs