from The New York Times by Mikayla Bouchard The special counsel is investigating events that span years and cross international borders. The basics Russia carried out a campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 American presidential election, denigrating Hillary Clinton and boosting Donald J. Trump, according to American intelligence …
Last week, we had a moment to exhale as the Senate announced that they would go back to the drawing board in their push to pass a new healthcare policy. However, there is a possibility that the Senate may vote as early as this week on a repeal-only option. As we get more information, we will reach out about any urgent action updates.
As the healthcare debate has shown us, informed civic engagement has the power to effect tremendous change. We encourage you to visit both our core issues pages and our news section, where we will continue to provide resources that can help you stay informed and engaged.
The more we know about core issues, the more involved we can become in shaping legislation.
Ways to take action this week:
Learn about the new sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea proposed by Congress
This week, Congress is expected to vote on legislation that would impose sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Learn more about the proposed sanctions, their impact, and what happens once Congress votes on their bill.
Make sure you never miss a local election
Did you know that only 57% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the 2016 elections? Chicago-based political organization NewFounders recently launched EveryElection, an app that wants to help more people get to the polls. Available for iPhones (with Android and web-based versions in development) EveryElection will keep you updated on local, state, and national elections and will help you get to your nearest polling place. Download it today.
The FBI is planning to take a big step backward for government transparency. As of March 1, the agency will no longer accept Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests via email. Anyone seeking public records from the bureau will have to use a new online portal — or send requests via fax or snail mail.
Online FOIA portals may seem like a good idea in theory, but in reality, government agencies make them difficult and cumbersome to use and they include unnecessary hurdles.
The Freedom of Information Act gives us a legal right to request public records, which allow journalists and watchdogs to hold the government accountable.
Sign this online petition link, and tell the FBI to keep its FOIA email up and running and to drop the arbitrary restrictions.
