With the departure of Jose Banda from the post of superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, we’ve seen the usual hand-wringing and recriminations over the future of the district. Banda’s departure led the Seattle Times to publish an article and an editorial decrying supposed meddling by the board in the operations of the district. The editorial […]
Monthly Archives: July 2014
House Republicans authorize John Boehner to file baseless lawsuit against President Obama
John Boehner and his caucus continued their political theatrics on a grand scale today by forcing the United States House of Representatives to vote on a resolution authorizing John Boehner to initiate litigation against Barack Obama for failing to properly discharge his duties as President of the United States of America. All but five Republicans […]
Republican Party trying to drive down support for Matt Isenhower with attack mailers targeting 45th’s Democratic voters
In an apparent attempt to make the high-profile contest between incumbent Republican Andy Hill and his Democratic challenger Matt Isenhower look less competitive, the Senate Republican caucus (of which Andy Hill is a member) has begun sending out attack mailers to Democratic voters in the 45th District, trying to discredit Matt Isenhower by claiming he […]
LIVE from Detroit: NSA Surveillance Reform: Pitfalls and Opportunities
Panel description: A recently launched campaign in Europe calls on individuals to “vote for [their] digital rights.” However, no such movement has caught on in the United States, despite the upcoming election cycle. Rallies and events—including the Rally to End Mass Surveillance and the Day We Fight Back—have demonstrated wide support for surveillance reform. By […]
LIVE from Detroit: Turn on the water! Panel addresses city’s unconscionable shutoffs
Peter Hammer, a law professor from Wayne State University opens the discussion. He began by introducing the concept of the “three R’s of Detroit” which include “Race, Regionalism, and Reconciliation.” He spoke most about “Spacial Racism” and demonstrated by showing a map of Detroit areas color coded to indicate varying level of economic opportunities. Areas […]
LIVE from Detroit: Keynote with Debbie Stabenow, Mark Schauer
Good Morning from Detroit! This is the last day of the conference and we are beginning the day with keynotes from Mark Schauer, candidate to replace Snyder as governor of Michigan, and Senator Debbie Stabenow. Lisa Brown is Schauer’s running-mate. Schauer promises to repeal “Right-To-Work-For-Less” and to support unions. Schauer promises equal pay for equal […]
Live from Detroit: Detroit, Rocked City: How the Bankruptcy Led to Retirement Attacks that Could Spread Nationwide
This panel is moderated by David Sirota. Panelists include Gwendolyn Beasley, Reesa Kossoff, and Diane Oakley. Public pension attacks are happening nationally and are being driven by the Koch Brothers. 401k plans have not proven to save tax payer money over a Defined Benefit plan, in fact there are cases where state liability has increased. […]
LIVE from Detroit: Why Net Neutrality is a Social Justice Issue
This panel is moderated by Marissa Valeri who is Common Cause’s digital strategies manager. Panelists include Kim Lehmkuhl, Lauren Wilson, and Andi Zeisler. From the panel description: Earlier this year, a court overturned the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) common sense net neutrality rules, which guaranteed the right of users to connect to the websites, blogs, […]
LIVE from Detroit: The Rise of Janet Yellen: Why the Fed Matters
The Federal Reserve wields great economic power; it is often said that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is the second most powerful person in America. In 2013, a ragtag coalition came together to fight for economic justice and work on an unprecedented campaign: to influence who would become the Chair of the Federal Reserve. […]
LIVE from Detroit: Netroots Nation 2015 will be in Phoenix, Arizona next July 16th — 19th
Continuing a tradition begun last year in San Jose, Netroots Nation executive director Raven Brooks has chosen to reveal the location of next year’s convention on opening night so that early-bird ticket sales can begin while this year’s convention is still underway. Netroots Nation 2015 will be held in Phoenix, Arizona, from July 16th — […]
LIVE from Detroit: Netroots Nation 2014’s opening night, in photos
Good evening from the Motor City, where the first day of Netroots Nation 2014 has just concluded! The team at NPI is unwinding after a long day of panels, trainings, and finally, keynotes, capped by an incredibly inspirational speech from Reverend Dr. William Barber II of North Carolina. When we have more time, we’ll be […]
LIVE from Detroit: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden addresses Netroots Nation 2014
Welcome to our continuing coverage of Netroots Nation 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. This afternoon, for the first time in the history of the convention (which began in 2006), the Vice President of the United States will be speaking to the thousands of activists who reunite every year to coordinate the building of a stronger progressive […]
LIVE from Detroit: Corporate Welfare and Tax Loopholes vs. Public Services: Who’s Winning?
This session is moderated by Mesha Williams, social media coordinator for the International Association of Fire Fighters. Panelist/speaker is Greg LeRoy from Good Jobs First. About $70 Billion is spent per year on subsidizing business development. Taxes amount to only about 2% of the cost of doing business on average, so tax breaks have minimal effect […]
LIVE from Detroit: Workers Organizing Online: What We’ve Learned and What We’re Learning
This session at Netroots Nation is led by Elana Levin who is Director of Online Organizing at Make the Road Action Fund. Kenzo Shibata began by speaking about the battle he led against Rahm Emanuel’s tactics in attempting to bust the teachers’ union in Chicago. Shibata created a video associating Emanuel with the Tea Party […]