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Image by Circa 78
Your weekly songspiration!
1. It’s hard to predict what will happen, but some legal experts think James Comey’s testimony could set the stage for a case against Trump for obstruction of justice.
2. The UK results are in, and Theresa May’s election gamble to ease her Brexit negotiations backfired big time, thanks to Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s inspiring vision for a better Britain. While Labour was unable to flip enough seats to land themselves a Parliamentary majority, they made enormous gains, galvanized young voters, and changed the political landscape for the better. #forthemany
3. Good news keeps growing for the environment:
? EU and Chinese leaders met and confirmed that they will continue to implement the Paris agreement.
? More than 1,000 governors, mayors, businesses, and colleges and universities co-signed “We Are Still In,” an open letter declaring their commitment to reaching the Paris agreement goals.
? Pittsburgh plans to transition to 100% renewable energy, as part of a larger effort in more than 80 cities across the country.
? Even a Republican governor pledged to uphold the Paris agreement.
? Bloomberg Philanthropies will donate up to $15 million to cover America’s share of the Paris agreement funding, if necessary.
4. Illinois became the second state to ban “gay panic” and “trans panic” defenses in court. (Thanks, Kate!) That’s two states down, 48 to go.
One small way you can help: Spread the word about #TransLawHelp, who are collecting and sharing trans-positive legal resources—and still looking for lawyers in a whole bunch of states.
5. With broad bipartisan support, the Kansas state legislature voted to raise taxes by $1.2 billion, essentially undoing Governor Sam Brownback’s disastrous tax cuts. Take note, Paul Ryan.
6. Providence, R.I. adopted comprehensive police reform, prohibiting racial profiling and strengthening protections for immigrants, people of color, youth, and transgender people. This victory was achieved thanks to local organizers from the Step Up Network, who spent years fighting for this legislation. (Thanks, Sarah, for letting us know!)
7. New York City became the first city in the country to divest its workers’ pensions from private prisons! (To learn more about why this is so important, check out Enlace’s Prison Divestment Campaign.) As Comptroller Scott Stringer aptly observed:
“Morally, the industry wants (to) turn back the clock on years of progress on criminal justice, and we can’t sit idly by and watch that happen. Divesting is simply the right thing to do — financially and morally.”
8. The New York State Assembly unanimously passed a bill banning child marriage, and when signed into law, it will offer the strongest protections against child marriage in the country.
9. Thousands of people in 135 cities across the country marched for truth, calling for greater transparency from the Trump administration and an independent investigation into his campaign’s relationship with Russia.
✊ Virginia ✊ Illinois ✊ Washington D.C. ✊ Pennsylvania ✊ New York ✊ California
10. A Democrat won a special election in Connecticut, flipping a local board from Republican to Democratic control.
11. Wonder Woman owned the weekend box office, breaking records left and right. And to think the studio almost cut the most memorable scene from the film—it’s a good thing director Patty Jenkins persisted. ? ?
12. A coalition of groups, including local Women’s March and Indivisible chapters, collaborated to support LGBTQIA+ youth being harassed in Minnesota.
13. Breitbart lost nearly 90% of its advertisers, in a victory for Sleeping Giants.
14. Chile convicted more than 100 former intelligence agents in dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime of human rights abuses committed. #endimpunity #venceremos
15. In 72 hours, the Well-Read Black Girl Writer’s Conference and Festival exceeded its Kickstarter goal—it will become a reality this September.
This weekend, we’ll leave you with an article about the Ellis Island of the South. And don’t forget to drop us a line!
P.S. We give this homework an A+. And in other school-related news, these little guys may not have past the safety test, but they sure do pass the cuteness test. #pupprotectors #adoptdontshop
P.P.S. Congrats to the new parents!
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