Well, it's been another full week of executive orders, resistance from said orders, and a plethora of news articles to read! Here they are, the best of the best, of all the articles I read this week.
Sorting out the Facts
Earlier this week, a rumor floated around social media that Trump had already filed for reelection and the reason being because if he did, non-profit organizations would be unable to legally speak out against him without losing their non-profit status. Snopes, as always, helps tell us exactly what he can and cannot do.
Here is a good list of Trump's latest alternative facts, and the real facts, so you can better tell which is which.
Liberals can be the victims and perpetuators of fake news too. We all need to be aware of fake news.
The Immigration Ban
Where it all stands right now. From bans to stays to firings.
More information on the firing of Acting AG Sally Yates.
The now infamous "Bowling Green Massacre" incident and how we need to be careful with anything this administration tells us.
The damage done already is far greater than first anticipated.
As of Wednesday, the legal actions taken against the immigration ban, and where they stand.
A good article about the halting of the immigration ban on Friday. This is definitely far from over...but it's a good start to ending it!
Supreme Court
A good article about Neil Gorsuch, explaining his positions on several issues, as well as his education and qualifications.
This is a difficult choice to make. To filibuster or not to filibuster, that is the question. Filibuster now, and the GOP will most likely take that right away. That means not using it the next time a Supreme Court justice needs to be chosen. Don't use it now and we can't fight this nomination. And the GOP could still take away the filibuster just because they can, so we lost our one chance at it. I don't envy the Dems in their strategizing for this. It's a gamble either way.
Miscellaneous
Information on the phone call last Saturday between Trump and Putin.
The GOP has changed the rules in order to move their platform forward. This will make it more difficult for Democrats to use resistance to keep nominees from being confirmed.
A reminder from last week's post, there is still time to comment on the pipeline issue. We have until February 20th. Now is the time to flood their in-boxes and phones with messages supporting Standing Rock.
A slight victory? At least until all the religious protections Trump apparently wants to set up take effect, of course...
Following up From Last Week's Question about Executive Orders
More information about Trump's executive orders and how likely they are to come to fruition.
More information on how executive orders work.
A bare bones explanation of the Wall Street-related executive orders signed on Friday.
A straight-forward explanation of the gun control repeal from this week.
Good News
A bill proposing the private sale of public lands in Utah has been withdrawn. This is a good example of speaking up and contacting your representatives having a very real affect.
South Dakota has withdrawn its transgender locker room bill. Hopefully this is a sign of more to come from other states.
While Trump is doing a lot of terrible things, there are little moments like these that, while they don't make it all worthwhile, gives me a tiny bit of hope that in this issue, maybe there is relief on the way. Will Trump be able to get drug companies to lower their prices? Only time will tell, of course.
The Boy Scouts of America have at long last changed their policy and will begin to allow transgender boys into their troops. This is a big moment of growth for them as an organization.
Opinion Pieces
Things are bad right now, and they'll get worse, but they won't last forever. Take heart, because, this too shall pass...
Is it time for Democrats to fight fire with fire? We've already seen the GOP changing the rules this week to work around Democrats who don't show up to hearings. Perhaps it would work, perhaps it wouldn't.
Our fighting back has only just begun and it isn't going anywhere, any time soon. This is a new way of life in America...
I know, I know, Howard Stern? I want you to willingly read something he said? Actually, in this instance, yes I do. As a friend of Trump's, he does have some interesting insight into how the man's mind works, and we can use that in our resistance. Knowledge is power, and we need as much of that as we can get.
This is an amazing piece everybody needs to stop and read right now. I'm serious. We have a long fight ahead of us, but perhaps the fight we need to be making isn't a fight at all, but finding connections with each other instead?
The haves and the have nots are increasing in this country, and growing farther apart. This does not bode well for bringing the nation together.
Seattle Divesting From Wells Fargo
Is Seattle just the start of a nationwide movement? How important is this in the fight for what is right?
A local article about the divesting and what happens next.
Question of the Week: Should Washington State Create Its Own State Bank?
After the news that the first step in divesting Seattle's $3billion debt out of Wells Fargo and into another institution began this week, the question a lot of people are having is, where will we put this money? Credit Unions can only take a maximum of $250,000, per state regulations, so it would have to be divided between a lot of credit unions, which might not make it worth the while in the long run. But another idea being floated around, is the idea of a state bank. At first glance, this might seem dubious, but the more you research it, the more you'll see the benefits that can come from this. Currently, North Dakota is the only state in the country that has a state bank, but they have been able to do some amazing things because of it, and even weathered the storm of the Great Recession with little trouble. The time has come for Washington to consider creating its own state bank.
Earlier this week, I emailed my city representative to ask him to vote in favor of divesting from Wells Fargo. The next day, I got a form email back. In it was a paragraph talking about this topic. It included some names, a bill number, and an email address of who to contact. I am going to put it here. If you live in Washington state and would like to have the state consider creating its own bank, I would encourage you to call or email the name listed in the paragraph, I already did!
"Right now, there is a bill being proposed to create a state bank for keeping taxpayer dollars in Washington and away from big banks like Wells Fargo. Senate Bill 5464, led by Senator Bob Hasegawa, is not yet scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. You can help right now. Tell the chair of the committee, Senator Jan Angel, that you want this bill to be heard. Her number is (360) 786-7650 and you can email her at Jan.Angel@leg.wa.gov."-Exerpt from a form email sent from Mike O'Brien, Seattle city councilman.
Here's a great article on what North Dakota does with their state bank and how it works.
Here is more information on exactly what a public bank is.
This article from 2012 talks about how the interest in state-owened banks has increased, particularly after the economic crash a few years ago.
Protest Updates
One of my friends requested that I try to include information on protests. I will do my best to keep track of at least the Seattle-based protests and if any big national-level ones come up, I'll try to include them as well.
Here is information about a proposed nation-wide general strike on February 17th and what exactly a general strike is. Keep your eyes and ears out for this one, and plan on joining in if you can!
For people interested in the protest schedule around the Puget Sound this weekend.
Civics 101
In this week's installment of the Declaration of Independence, right after we left off last Sunday:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Video of the Week
This video comes courtesy of my cousin Joanna, thanks Jo!
Because it isn't a You-Tube video, or one of my own videos, I can't insert it here. The link will take you to the page and then you can click on the video there.
I thought this was amazing that it was from 1947, yet sounds not only incredibly liberal, but also so relevant today. Too bad it's 70 years later and we still need to be taught this lesson...
Do One Thing
Did I do last week's one thing? Yes! Times two, actually. I got food from the Mongolian grill place in my apartment complex last Sunday and on Saturday I had lunch with my mom at a Chinese food place out on Aurora. Both were delicious!
This week's do one thing is...Go outside for a walk for at least 15 minutes and don't think about politics. Let your mind wander, take in the beauty of your surroundings, and forget the garbage for a while.
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