MORNING MESSAGE
What Progressives Should Demand From the FBI
Donald
Trump will nominate the next FBI director. But that doesn’t mean the rest of us
are powerless. We have the power to imagine a nation run on principles of
economic and social justice. We can create a vision so compelling that it brings
new people into politics, encourages more activism, and compels our political
leaders to fight for it. That vision can, and should, include the FBI and its
new leader.
Leaking Poison
Trump
shared highly classified threat file with Russians. WaPo: “Trump revealed
highly classified information to senior Russian officials at a meeting last
week, putting a source of intelligence about the Islamic State extremist group
at risk… The Post, citing current and former U.S. officials, says Trump shared
details about an Islamic State terror threat related to the use of laptop
computers on aircraft with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian
Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak.”
Farmworkers
poisoned by toxic Dow pesticide approved by Trump EPA. Mother Jones: “On May
5, more than 50 farmworkers outside of Bakersfield, California, were exposed to
a highly toxic pesticide that apparently drifted from a nearby field… in March,
the EPA abruptly changed its stance on chlorpyrifos, greenlighting it instead of
banning it. The decision, among the first major ones made by Scott Pruitt in his
tenure as EPA chief, caused outrage in public health circles. Dow AgroSciences
applauded the decision.”
Our Leaders
Supreme
Court leaves in place ruling that struck down N.C. voter ID law.
Politico: “The Supreme Court is leaving in place a ruling that struck down
North Carolina’s voter identification law as unconstitutional because it was
intended to suppress the votes of African Americans. Chief Justice John Roberts
issued an unusual statement Monday saying the high court’s decision not to wade
into the case should not be taken as an indication of the justices’ views on the
broader issues at stake.”
Young
black Democrats prepare to run in key races nationwide in 2018. NYT: “In
states from Massachusetts to Florida, a phalanx of young black leaders in the
Democratic Party is striding into some of the biggest elections of 2018, staking
early claims on governorships and channeling the outcry of rank-and-file
Democrats who favor all-out battle with Mr. Trump… they are willing to defy the
conventional strategic thinking of the national party establishment, which has
tended to recruit moderate, white candidates for difficult races and largely
failed to help blacks advance to high office.”
Trump’s
expected pick for top USDA scientist is talk-show host, not scientist.
ProPublica: “Clovis has never taken a graduate course in science and is
openly skeptical of climate change. While he has a doctorate in public
administration and was a tenured professor of business and public policy at
Morningside College for 10 years, he has published almost no academic work.
Clovis is better known for hosting a conservative talk radio show in his native
Iowa and, after mounting an unsuccessful run for Senate in 2014, becoming a
fiery pro-Trump advocate on television.”
More from OurFuture.org:
Kris
Kobach Can Irreparably Harm Our Democracy. Miles Mogulescu: “Donald Trump’s
choice of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to co-chair his new commission
on “election integrity” is like asking Vito Corleone to crack down on police
corruption or Vladimir Putin to defend human rights.And with Kobach now
empowered to scrutinize the non-issue of “voter fraud” nationwide, the
Republicans are gearing up to steal the 2018 and 2020 elections, unless we stop
them.”
What
Kind of FBI Do We Want After Comey? Richard Eskow: The firing of James Comey
as Director of the FBI gives the nation more evidence of Donald Trump’s lack of
fitness for the presidency. But it’s also important to reflect right now on some
of the more fundamental issues raised by Comey’s firing. Why do we have a
federal police agency? How should its mission be defined? And, what kind of
person should run it?
Progressive
Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to
activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's
Action. more
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