Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Baltimore Activist Alert -- December 9 - 10, 2020

36] Hear the arguments in a whistleblower case -- Dec. 9

37] "Palestinians: Victims of Cancel Culture" – Dec. 9

38] Discuss the film RADIUM GIRLS -- Dec. 9

39] Help Georgia Elect Two US Senators to Save Our Climate – Dec. 9 – 10

40] Join Alyssa Milano to phonebank in Georgia election – Dec. 9  

41] MAKE CALLS TO GEORGIA VOTERS – Dec. 9 and 10

42] Safety through Solidarity Powerhour – Dec. 9

43] Join National Priorities Project for a virtual celebration – Dec. 9

44] Prepare to Drive Change in the New Congress – Dec. 9

45] Opportunities for the Palestinian rights movement – Dec. 9

46] Fund Health Care Not Warfare Forum – Dec. 9

47] Stop toxic tar sands pipeline -- Dec. 9

48] The war budget -- Dec. 9

49] U.S.-China Strategic Rivalry – Dec. 9

50] Virtual Workshops on misinformation Dec. 9

51] Living with Uranium – Dec. 10

52] Join Oil Change International – Dec. 10

53] Understanding Human Rights in Today’s World – Dec. 10

54] Jonathan Scott's Power Trip – Dec. 10

55] Puerto Rico Update -- Dec. 10

56] Global plastic pollution crisis – Dec. 10

57] Takoma Park celebrates its Nuclear Free Zone – Dec. 10

58] Hanukkah in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle – Dec. 10

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36] – On Wed., Dec. 9 at 9:30 AM ET, Whistleblower & Source Protection Program (WHISPeR) attorney Kathleen McClellan will be presenting arguments before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in Marcato v. USAID. You can follow the arguments on a livestream link posted to the court’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/USCourtsCADC.  The importance of this case is as a test for the All Circuit Review Act, a 2018 law allowing whistleblowers to have their cases considered in the Federal Appellate Court in their jurisdiction instead of exclusively at the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, a forum notoriously hostile toward whistleblowers. Marcato’s case is poised to break new ground at the D.C. Circuit as one of the few cases decided on the merits to be appealed outside the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. The D.C. Circuit is often referred to as the second most influential Court in the country behind the U.S. Supreme Court.

37] – Jim Zogby will be joined by Peter Beinart, Contributing Opinion Writer at the New York Times and Editor-at-Large at Jewish Currents, to discuss Zogby’s latest column on the myriad of ways Palestinians and advocates for Palestinian rights are silenced in the US. Here's a link to the column, "Palestinians: Victims of Cancel Culture:" https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/12/07/palestinians-victims-of-cancel-culture/?emci=7f0612d6-b238-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=995348f0-ba38-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=389907. Register to receive the dial-in information for the Zoom call on Wed., Dec. 9 from 2 to 2:30 PM ET sharp. After you register, you will automatically get the dial-in information for the call: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUufumgrT4iGtMdMlEadWtOyXgSgGZHc5Hs?emci=7f0612d6-b238-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=995348f0-ba38-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=389907

38] – There is panel discussion on Wed., Dec. 9 at 4 PM ET to discuss the film RADIUM GIRLS via Zoom. RSVP at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NVLIhYl1RMG5QTseXf8zmQ?emci=220f93f8-d438-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=230f93f8-d438-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=3107032. Hear State Senator Karen Keiser, New Mexico State Representative Angelico Rubio, Writer/Director Ginny Mohler and Producer/Director Lydia Dean Pilcher. As the U.S. celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we are reminded of the arduous path that follows for all women to gain equal rights, respect, and protection. The film illuminates the struggle of women in the early twentieth century to enter the workforce and the perseverance it took to stand up to a corporation that traded the lives of its employees for financial gain. In states across the country, workers are still fighting for protection from and compensation for radiation exposure, all amidst a systematic rollback of federal worker and consumer safety regulations and public health and environmental protection rules. 

Stream the film for $12 at https://watch.eventive.org/radiumgirls/play/5f970d461b48f30059ccb37a. Women's Action for New Directions receives a portion of the proceeds of the film. 

39] – Make Calls for Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.  The presidential election may be over (Donald Trump’s refusal to concede notwithstanding), but control of the US Senate hangs in the balance, pending the results of two runoff elections in Georgia, the nation’s newest battleground state. Early voting starts December 14, and Special Election Day is January 5, 2021. The Sierra Club will be making phone calls in support of Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, whose races could determine the fate of President-Elect Biden’s ambitious green agenda. Sign up to call Georgia voters at https://www.mobilize.us/sierraclubbattleground/event/272291/?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter. The available times are Wed., Dec. 9 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 9 PM EST and on Thurs., Dec. 10 from 3 to 6 PM and 6 to 9 PM EST.  The calls will continue through Tues., Jan. 5 from 6 to 9 PM EST.

40] – With the Georgia runoff election in less than a month, YOUR help is needed to make sure voters have a plan to vote. Join Alyssa Milano on Wed., Dec. 9 at 5 PM ET to phonebank for the upcoming Georgia election! Director Robert Greenwald will also be joining this event and will be showing clips from his new film Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote which documents deeply personal accounts from people of color in Georgia who experienced deliberate, widespread voter suppression. This phonebank event is important for the Georgia runoff election where outreach will be focused on communities that have historically been disenfranchised.  Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6816070333642/WN_bEmTpmr1QSeO-0axZWLPqQ.

41] – As Lindsey Graham and Senate Republicans seek to sabotage the elections in Georgia, we must rise above them and mobilize Georgia’s Democratic base to cast their ballots. Making calls to infrequent voters is one of the most effective means of base-building and increasing voter turnout. Sign up to make calls with Turnout2020: https://www.mobilize.us/dailykos_2/event/363620/?link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-firstname-default-friend-the-only-birthday-gift-i-want-is-for-us-to-win-in-georgia-action-needed-2&email_referrer=email_1002406&email_subject=rsvp-to-connect-with-infrequent-democratic-voters-in-georgia.

MAKE CALLS TO GEORGIA VOTERS this week-- starting on Wed., Dec. 9 from 5 to 7 PM and 7 to 9 PM EST, on Mon., Dec. 7 from 5 to 7 PM and 7 to 9 PM EST and Thurs., Dec. 10 from 5 to 7 PM and 7 to 9 PM EST.  The calls will continue through Jan. 5 from 5 to 7 PM and 7 to 9 PM EST.

42] – Join the Safety through Solidarity Powerhour, hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace.  Take action and skill up for the final fights of 2020 and beyond! The weekly event is a one-stop virtual gathering on Wednesdays through Dec. 16 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Take collective action, from the U.S. to Palestine. Learn skills for the fights ahead. Find political grounding & community. Sign up at https://act.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/a/2020-11-powerhour?sourceid=1001261&contactdata=aQpk8iw9qKrJY%2bVSEu6X7i0JvCWwDvQ0pRJ9RMoavCLPjSJdRIdpWX9P96H9qsQSBafT31c8aaaOMTP%2fTkGzUQcPrhZ6KXzMUQvYkdKoqbnt8JdVogzfMk8GzumHHneV%2bkn0RrmxsAP9pLIaoCm46kxTQxoAzU6ViWWyYmLA8%2bWoJ7bwiV9VIflk0fN7XtptEwMhIc%2f2x5lh4Yi31eF0Y94v%2b7izfkzuba2pB5vs3u3QQ1ZNbTqMXKFHWc6iok1rlu1%2biVw1JfVbG9Z6cCBUlg%3d%3d&emci=bc58f1d3-b529-eb11-9fb4-00155d03affc&emdi=c4f1a056-c429-eb11-9fb4-00155d03affc&ceid=237778. Look at See www.jvpaction.org.

43] – Join National Priorities Project on Wed., Dec. 9 from 6 to 7 PM for a virtual celebration of the community that keeps our work going! A registration is required: RSVP at this Zoom link at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z8w2yPldQSOPUkUQfvhfmA?emci=c785ec2a-8f39-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=d661232a-9139-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=4192461.  NPP's Lindsay Koshgarian, Ashik Siddique, and Lorah Steichen will lay out highlights from what's been keeping us busy this year, both inside Washington DC, and with movements organizing political power on the outside. Reps. Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan will organize more support in Congress than we've seen in decades for cutting Pentagon funding—a strong baseline for building for critical budget fights next year, especially with the progressive "Squad" now expanded in the House.

44] –‌ ‌ ‌ If you are fired up to advocate for peace and justice in 2021,  join FCNL for a virtual discussion on Wed., Dec. 9 at 7:30 PM.  “Prepare to Drive Change in the New Congress” will give you the knowledge and tools you need to hit the ground running in 2021. Gather with grassroots advocates from across the country for a briefing on new opportunities to influence legislation in the 117th Congress. Register at https://act.fcnl.org/event/quaker-welcome-center-events-watch-home/1931?akid=14943.152065.A8rpo4&rd=1&t=17&utm_campaign=event&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ak&utm_term=14943.152065.A8rpo4.

45] – In a few weeks, there will be the beginning of the 117th Congress and the opportunities for the Palestinian rights movement are huge. So are the threats.  Join Jewish Voice for Peace on Wed., Dec. 9 at 8 PM ET for the National Legislative Organizing Committee 2021 Kickoff Call! Long time anti-Palestinian representatives like Eliot Engel and Nita Lowey are out, and new progressive leaders like Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, and Marie Newman will be heading to D.C. Every year allies in Congress grow in number. Sandra Tamari, Executive Director of the Adalah Justice Project (AJP), will share her insights on grassroots organizing for Palestinian freedom in the U.S. and how we center Palestinians and Palestinian voices in Congressional advocacy. Sign up at https://act.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/a/2021-nloc-kickoff?emci=565f60c8-9b38-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=23221e66-a038-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=237778.

46] – The Fund Health Care Not Warfare Forum will happen on Wed., Dec. 9 at 8 PM ET.  Hear from Dr. Joia Mukherjee and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed.  Across the nation millions of health care workers and people are under great stress and direct danger, desperately in need of increased resources, investment and income. Hundreds of articles, interviews, webinars and broadcasts call attention to the nation’s failure to properly invest in the health care and public health systems. But silence on the diversion of trillions of taxpayers’ dollars to the war machine continues. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a former Health Director for the City of Detroit.  Dr. Joia Mukherjee has been involved in health care access and human rights issues since 1989, and she consults for the World Health Organization on the treatment of HIV and MDR-TB in developing countries. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJctceCsrDMoHtP5FHs2DwU-SXQKWfE30bge?emci=db38f364-d937-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=f939a0e6-e837-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=269591.

47] – Energy transportation giant Enbridge is planning to build a toxic tar sands pipeline across Indigenous lands and the fresh water lakes of northern Minnesota. Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline is being challenged fiercely every step of the way by Indigenous nations and leaders, grassroots organizations, youth, and environmental groups. The Line 3 so-called “replacement project” is the proposal for a new pipeline that would cover more than 1,000 miles from Hardisty, Alberta to Superior, Wisconsin, transporting an average of 760,000 barrels of tar sands crude oil from Alberta each day, with a maximum capacity of 844,000 barrels per day. If built, Line 3 would release as much greenhouse gas pollution as fifty new coal fired power plants. It would violate Ojibwe treaty rights and put the state’s water, ecosystems, and communities at risk.

Register to attend the digital rally on Wed., Dec. 9 at 8 PM at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NUlwH9r8TfuxoN4oRLMrcQ?_x_zm_rtaid=CTBlBjTlTHqqxCes8tUnEw.1607452262736.842b71db02df1e42f0e8943c58e4ae48&_x_zm_rhtaid=545&emci=801fa16e-8539-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=d0546cc3-8739-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=13143726.

48] – $23,000 a second is how much tax payers spend on the Pentagon budget. But where does that money actually go? Join CODEPINK’s Carley Towne and Heidi Peltier, Project Director of the Costs of War Project at Boston University for a facilitated dialogue about the true cost of war on Wed., Dec.  9 at 8 PM ET. RSVP for the Zoom link at https://www.codepink.org/12092020?utm_campaign=defund_the_pentagon&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink. The event will also be streamed on the CODEPINK YouTube Channel.  

49] – The GW Institute for Korean Studies [gwiks@gwu.edu] is hosting on Thurs., Dec. 9 from 9 to 11 AM a Roundtable Discussion: Prospects for U.S.-China Strategic Rivalry and U.S.-ROK Relations under the Biden Administration.  RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/korea-policy-forum-virtual-roundtable-discussion-tickets-131221490009. The intensifying strategic rivalry between the U.S. and China under the Trump administration has exposed the U.S.-ROK relationship to a greater deal of uncertainty. South Korea saw both challenges and opportunities in President Trump’s top-down approach toward addressing the North Korean nuclear issue. The prolonged stalemate over U.S.-ROK defense cost-sharing negotiations raised questions about the characteristics of the decades-old alliance. President-Elect Joseph Biden has signaled supporting shifts in how the U.S. conducts its relations with China and South Korea.

50] –   Consumer Reports is inviting you to two Virtual Workshops on misinformation. Talk with CR experts about the evolution of misinformation, and what you can do to spot, report, and avoid it on Wed., Dec. 9 at 3 PM ET or Thurs., Dec. 10 at 1 PM ET.  RSVP at https://action.consumerreports.org/upcoming_webinars?utm_campaign=20201207_webinar&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cr. 

51] – On Thurs., Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 PM, get with Living with Uranium: The Impact of Uranium Mining on Indigenous Communities [Online]. The Project on Managing the Atom will host a panel discussion on the impact of uranium mining on indigenous communities as part of its ongoing series on Diversity and Inclusion in the Nuclear Field.  The speakers are Second Lieutenant Governor Jeff Gaco, Pueblo of Laguna, NM; Teracita Keyanna, Red Water Pond Road Community Association; Johnnye Lewis, University of New Mexico; and Chris Shuey, Uranium Impact Assessment Program. Sign up at https://www.belfercenter.org/event/living-uranium-impact-uranium-mining-indigenous-communities.

52] – Join Oil Change International [info@priceofoil.org] on Thurs., Dec. 10 at 3 PM ET for a webinar about the biggest climate wins of 2020 and how to build on them in 2021. COVID-19 has revealed just how ill-prepared governments and social support systems around the world are to handle a global crisis. While governments struggle to respond to the pandemic, another crisis continues to loom large: the climate crisis. With time running out, we can’t afford to wait for governments to come to their senses — we need to keep fighting and we need to keep winning. Reserve your spot at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_D92CSF_oS76wuqi-nfVyAQ.

53] – Understanding Human Rights in Today’s World will be discussed on Thurs., Dec. 10 from 5 to 6 PM ET. December 10th is International Human Rights Day. The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. This document was revolutionary in mandating human rights protection throughout the world and empowered individual humans throughout the world. Alas, human rights continue to be a hot topic in our world today as they are still in jeopardy for many. Register at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMqce2tpzwjGNfZhLQX1CS2VKeqwWZqzhL1. Explore the history of how human rights came to be a topic of conversation in world politics after millenniums of oppression and hate bestowed upon other humans. This complex history amounts to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Here in the United States, we are often under the illusion that our nation upholds human rights to the highest degree, but the US has not fully ratified this declaration.

54] – In his new documentary, which recently premiered on PBS, Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott set out to learn about the barriers that keep people from going solar.  Join an online screening of Jonathan Scott's Power Trip: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jonathan-scotts-power-trip-a-screening-and-conversation-tickets-128890371571?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social%20post%20fb&utm_campaign=power-trip-2020 on Thurs., Dec. 10 at 7 PM ET.  Then, stick around for a Q&A session with the panelists.

55] – Check out on Thurs., Dec. 10 at 7 PM Puerto Rico Update: Colonial status is challenged; Political Significance.  While the presidential elections took place here in the US, local elections were also held in the US colony of Puerto Rico. There is little coverage of the elections and of the island in the mainstream media. Yet, it looks like these elections in the island were historical as feminist, pro- independence and leftist politicians won seats in the island’s senate and house. In the US, the political power of the Puerto Rican community is growing in significance as the recent US elections demonstrated.  The current COVID-19 pandemic is magnifying the island’s multilayered economic and social crisis, one that has been aggravated by the catastrophic hurricanes of September 2017 and earthquakes earlier in 2020. As a result, on an island that already had the highest poverty rate in the United States, at least 30% of the civilian labor force have filed unemployment claims linked to the pandemic. Puerto Rico has the “honor” of having the largest bankruptcy in the US as its economy continues to contract, a process that started in 2006. RSVP at https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckdOytqTojGNNZDIodp3Ky6qCGWSOPSJyRl.

56] – The global plastic pollution crisis is impacting wildlife, the oceans, the environment, and human health.  It disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color in the US and around the world.  For decades the public has been told that all of this plastic can be recycled, but now we know that this is not the case.  As the plastics industry gears up to increase production four-fold by 2050, it's now promoting "chemical recycling" (also referred to as "advanced recycling") as the solution to the plastic pollution problem, overcoming plastic recycling failures and creating a "circular economy" in plastic. However, the evidence to support these claims is scant.

Join a webinar with Dr. Neil Tangri, Director of Science and Policy at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), to talk about Chemical Recycling.  Dr. Tangri will explain why chemical recycling is not really recycling and doesn't close a loop for a circular economy in plastic. Specifically, he will cover the definition of chemical recycling, its impact on human health, its carbon and energy footprint, its economic viability, and where it is currently being practiced. Following the presentation, time will be left for at least 20 minutes of questions.

Chemical Recycling - False Solution to the Plastic Pollution Crisis will be discussed on Thurs., Dec 10 at 7 PM ET. This event is organized by the Sierra Club MD Zero Waste Team.  Sign up with Martha Ainsworth at martha.ainsworth@mdsierra.org or 301-262-8389.

57] –  Takoma Park is commemorating the 37th anniversary of its Nuclear Free Zone with a presentation on Takoma Cable TV at 8 PM on Thurs., Dec.10 of the documentary "The Nuns, the Priests and the Bomb."  The city's nuclear free zone ordinance, the strongest in the United States was passed on Dec.10, 1983 and forbids city purchases from any entity that makes nuclear weapons, delivery systems, components or tests those weapons. Contact Jay Levy at jjl27@juno.com.

58] – Jewish Voice for Peace indicated that this is a lie --Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had labeled anti-Zionism, BDS, and the organizations that support BDS as anti-Semitic.  The best way to resist this dangerous and ridiculous lie is to be even more ourselves – even more vibrantly Jewish, even more staunchly anti-Zionist – and to show up even harder for Palestinian liberation.  That’s why this Hanukkah, you are invited to eight nights of events as a way for everyone a way to get engaged, be in community, and be in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. See the full schedule and sign up at https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/hanukkah-5781/?emci=14e8f14c-7d36-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&emdi=daed12a9-d038-eb11-9fb4-00155d43b2cd&ceid=237778.  Sign a light on abolition: the movement of activists and scholars trying to think beyond prisons as a tool to solve society’s problems. Whether you want to learn about the connections between the abolition movement and the movement for Palestinian freedom, experience performances, have a stronger understanding of the Torah, be in community with other anti-Zionist Jewish people of color, or deepen your Jewish practice, this is your chance. For example, Night 1 the Health Advisory Council presents: Israeli State Violence and the Public Health Implications for Palestinian Citizens of Israel on Thurs., Dec. 10 at 8 PM ET. It will feature Al-Shabaka Policy Network member Osama Tanous, who will explore the structural violence and discrimination that has severe implications for Palestinian public health. This will continue through Thurs., Dec. 17.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, 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  

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