Taylor Tara Radio

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to an unpredictable president, resigned on Thursday in protest of President Trump’s decision to withdraw 2,000 American troops from Syria. Mr. Trump announced Mr. Mattis’s resignation in two tweets Thursday evening, and said the retired four-star Marine general turned Pentagon chief will leave at the end of February. Officials said Mr. Mattis went to the White House on Thursday afternoon in a last attempt to convince Mr. Trump to keep American troops in Syria, where they have been fighting the Islamic State. He was rebuffed, and told the president that he was resigning as a result. Hours later, the Pentagon released Mr. Mattis’s resignation letter, in which he implicitly criticized his commander in chief. Mr. Mattis said in the letter that he believes that the president deserves a defense secretary who is more in tune with his worldview. Read More Here: https://nyti.ms/2QLHXkv

Judge Emmet G. Sullivan saw it coming. The veteran jurist presiding over Michael Flynn’s sentencing had seen the filing by President Trump’s former national security adviser alleging that he was essentially tricked into lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. No doubt, he had seen Trump’s false claim that the FBI concluded that Flynn “didn’t lie,” yet “tremendous pressure” was being put on him. And Sullivan likely had seen all the chatter in the Fox News echo chamber about the alleged “perjury trap” special counsel Robert S. Mueller III had set for Flynn — an attempt to discredit the entire investigation. If the judge accepted the recommendation from prosecutors not to sentence Flynn to prison time because of his cooperation, Flynn would be free to leave the courthouse and hold a news conference claiming he had been set up. Read More Here: https://wapo.st/2QCu3RA

A group of MSNBC political analysts feared President Donald Trump has become a “cornered badger” on political issues looming on the horizon. During a Sunday discussion about the “wall,” the panel recalled the president’s “pride” in shutting down the U.S. government to score his $5 billion. “So, what we’ve been hearing is rumors that maybe the president is going to accept to kick the can down the road and deal with the border wall funding in January,” claimed Victoria DeFrancesco, University of Texas professor. “The idea of a wall really isn’t necessary, in terms of quote/unquote fixing immigration. What’s needed is to rethink our asylum policy, how we can make it more efficient, how we did get more judges down there to hear the asylum cases, but the border wall is a waste of money. Trump knows it, but he also said he would do it. He’s going to have to find a way to wiggle out of it. If I were a betting woman, I would think he’ll kick it to January and keep kicking it down the road.” MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton noted that undocumented immigrants crossing the border is actually down, but “you wouldn’t know it from the hysteria” doled out by the president on Twitter. Democratic strategist Emily Tisch Sussman was in emphatic agreement. Read More Here: https://www.rawstory.com/2018/12/hes-thrashing-going-msnbc-analysts-blast-trump-tantrum-wall-funding/

The guilty plea Thursday of a woman accused of infiltrating the National Rifle Association on behalf of the Russian government has thrust the powerful conservative group into an uncomfortable spotlight as the organization appears to be facing declining donations and signs its fearsome political influence may be waning. Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of Russia, admitting that she worked for more than two years to forge relationships with conservative activists and leading Republicans in the United States. One of Butina’s main targets was the NRA — a group she identified in a 2015 memo as an organization that “had influence over” the Republican Party, according to court filings. Her relationships with the group, she wrote, could be used as the groundwork for an unofficial channel of communication to the next presidential administration. Read More Here: https://wapo.st/2LfFZmf

Cathleen London, MD received her medical degree from Yale University and did her residency in Family Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University. She received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and completed her pre-medical requirements at Stanford University. Prior to moving to Maine, she was an Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell School of Medicine in New York City for 5 years and before that had her own practice in Brookline, MA and was a Clinical Instructor for both Boston University and Tufts University schools of medicine. She has worked with Doctors for America serving as State Director. She is a member of PNHP. She currently owns and operates a medical practice in Milbridge, Maine where she treats over 1,000 patients. She has appeared on Fox News, MSNBC, HLN, NBC, local Fox, ABC as a medical contributor on numerous occasions and is currently the Women’s Delegate from Maine to the American Academy of Family Physicians. She is also on the Legislative Commission and Public Health Commission of the Maine Medical Association and serves on the Maine Democratic State Committee. Dr. London has two sons and four rescue dogs. She runs, bikes and swims in her free time.  Read More Here: https://www.doctorcatlondonforme.com/

When federal prosecutors recommended a substantial prison term for President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, they linked Mr. Trump to the crimes Mr. Cohen had committed in connection with the 2016 presidential campaign. What the prosecutors did not say in Mr. Cohen’s sentencing memorandum filed on Friday, however, is that they have continued to scrutinize what other executives in the president’s family business may have known about those crimes, which involved hush-money payments to two women who had said they had affairs with Mr. Trump. After Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty in August to breaking campaign finance laws and other crimes — he will be sentenced on Wednesday — the federal prosecutors in Manhattan shifted their attention to what role, if any, Trump Organization executives played in the campaign finance violations, according to people briefed on the matter. Mr. Cohen, Mr. Trump’s self-described fixer, has provided assistance in that inquiry, which is separate from the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Read More: https://nyti.ms/2L6QF6S

Democrat Dan McCready withdrew his concession Thursday in a North Carolina congressional race that has been roiled by accusations of fraud. In an interview with TV station WSOC, McCready also called on Republican rival Mark Harris “to tell the American people exactly what he knew and when he knew it.” North Carolina election officials are investigating whether an operative working on behalf of Harris illegally collected incomplete ballots from voters in the state’s 9th District. The state probe has delayed the certification of Harris’s race, and state officials could decide to call for a new election. Harris and McCready are separated by 905 votes, according to unofficial returns. McCready had conceded defeat Nov. 7, about 24 hours after the polls had closed and long after Harris had declared victory. Read More Here: https://wapo.st/2KZPPIU

Mueller is about to have his say -- in a big way (CNN)Throughout his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, special counsel Robert Mueller has imposed on his team an ironclad rule: nobody leaks and nobody speaks -- out of court, that is. But when it comes to official court filings -- indictments, plea agreements, sentencing memos -- Mueller has been loquacious and at times downright chatty, disclosing in compelling narrative fashion crucial details about his investigation and tantalizing clues about what might happen next. Read More Here: https://cnn.it/2KVR0Jc

WASHINGTON — Just weeks after a bitterly fought election swept Democrats into power in Congress, a Republican president known for reaching across the aisle passed away. Leaders of both parties paid tribute to his civility and bipartisanship, saying the country could use more of that. And then within days of the burial, they went back to their partisan wars. That was December 2006 and the president was Gerald R. Ford, but Washington seems almost certain to be repeating history now that George Bush has died. The political system has hit pause to honor a president of another era for being everything it no longer is. The truce that essentially took effect over the weekend only underscores how much Washington and the nation have changed since Mr. Bush’s days. The kind of compromises that Mr. Bush cut with a Democratic Congress on deficits, taxes, civil rights and the environment during his four years in office seem almost impossible to imagine in the era of President Trump and the “resistance.” Read More Here: https://nyti.ms/2KRjmnS

Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, admitted in court on Thursday that he had engaged in negotiations to build a tower in Moscow for Mr. Trump well into the 2016 presidential campaign, far later than previously known. Mr. Cohen said he discussed the status of the project with Mr. Trump on more than three occasions and briefed Mr. Trump’s family members about it. He also admitted he agreed to travel to Russia for meetings on the project. The revelations, which came as Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the project, were a startling turn in the special counsel’s investigation of Mr. Trump and his inner circle. Mr. Trump is referred to as “Individual 1” in the court documents. Mr. Cohen’s guilty plea comes at a particularly perilous time for Mr. Trump, whose presidency has been threatened by Mr. Cohen’s statements to investigators. Read More Here: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/nyregion/michael-cohen-trump-russia-mueller.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

As a BlogHer Voice of the Year and Women's Media Center Progressive Women's Voice of 2018, Adrienne Lawrence is a gamechanger.  The award-winning host and attorney appears across TV and digital platforms discussing legal issues, inciting thought-provoking conversations, and putting her stamp on the hot topics of the day.  Adrienne often speaks on issues impacting women in society and in the workplace, including sexual harassment. She contributes to the Ms. Magazine Blog as a writer and legal analyst, and has appeared on The Young Turks.  Also passionate about sports, Adrienne is the Madden NFL sideline reporter for EASports, where she shares intriguing stories about eSports' competitors and reaches millions of viewers via ESPN, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. In the sports arena, you may have seen her on ESPN's SportsCenter, ESPN2 and ESPNRadio shows entertaining and informing audiences, or read her articles for ESPN.com, ESPNW and The Undefeated on issues arising at the intersection of sports and law. Read More Here: https://www.adriennejlawrence.com/

Global warming is now affecting the United States more than ever, and the risks of future disasters — from flooding along the coasts to crop failures in the Midwest — could pose a profound threat to Americans’ well-being. That’s the gist of Volume Two of the latest National Climate Assessment, a 1,656-page report issued on Friday that explores both the current and future impacts of climate change. The scientific report, which comes out every four years as mandated by Congress, was produced by 13 federal agencies and released by the Trump administration. This year’s report contains many of the same findings cited in the previous National Climate Assessment, published in 2014. Temperatures are still going up, and the odds of dangers such as wildfires in the West continue to increase. But reflecting some of the impacts that have been felt across the country in the past four years, some of the report’s emphasis has changed. Read More: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/climate/highlights-climate-assessment.html

Twitter has sharply escalated its battle against fake and suspicious accounts, suspending more than 1 million a day in recent months, a major shift to lessen the flow of disinformation on the platform, according to data obtained by The Washington Post. The rate of account suspensions, which Twitter confirmed to The Post, has more than doubled since October, when the company revealed under congressional pressure how Russia used fake accounts to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. Twitter suspended more than 70 million accounts in May and June, and the pace has continued in July, according to the data. The aggressive removal of unwanted accounts may result in a rare decline in the number of monthly users in the second quarter, which ended June 30, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak. Twitter declined to comment on a possible decline in its user base. Twitter’s growing campaign against bots and trolls?—?coming despite the risk to the company’s user growth?—?is part of the continuing fallout from Russia’s disinformation offensive during the 2016 presidential campaign, when a St. Petersburg-based troll factory was able to use some of America’s most prominent technology platforms to deceive voters on a mass scale to exacerbate social and political tensions. The extent of account suspensions, which has not previously been reported, is one of several recent moves by Twitter to limit the influence of people it says are abusing its platform. The changes, which were the subject of internal debate, reflect a philosophical shift for Twitter. Its executives long resisted policing misbehavior more aggressively, for a time even referring to themselves as “the free speech wing of the free speech party.” Courtesy https://wapo.st/2LRpwDw

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in an unmistakable show of political strength Tuesday, cut a deal to sideline a potential challenger, won new confidence from her party’s resurgent left flank and earned high praise from her party’s most influential figure, former president Barack Obama. Together, the developments buoyed Pelosi as she fights to repel a small group of challengers inside the Democratic caucus who want to force a leadership shake-up after 16 years with the Californian at the helm. One of them was Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio), who left Washington last week planning to take the Thanksgiving holiday to ponder a run against Pelosi for speaker. But her dalliance ended Tuesday, when Fudge said she would support Pelosi after the minority leader agreed to make Fudge chairman of a resurrected subcommittee on elections and pledged that “the most loyal voting bloc in the Democratic Party, black women, will have a seat at the decision-making table.”

It’s been 30 years since American television viewers got their first look at? The Kids in the Hall. Now, a new authorized biography by Paul Myers, ?The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy,?offers an inside look at the crossdressing sketch comedians, chronicling their early years in the Toronto comedy scene, their trailblazing?TV series and subsequent reunions on film and stage. After the troupe’s self-titled pilot premiered on HBO in October 1988, Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson — five winsome Canadian guys who shared a devilish sense of humor — began a five-season run on the premium cable channel and CBS from 1989 to 1994.

For weeks this fall, an ebullient President Trump traveled relentlessly to hold raise-the-rafters campaign rallies — sometimes three a day — in states where his presence was likely to help Republicans on the ballot. But his mood apparently has changed as he has taken measure of the electoral backlash that voters delivered Nov. 6. With the certainty that the incoming Democratic House majority will go after his tax returns and investigate his actions, and the likelihood of additional indictments by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Trump has retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment, according to multiple administration sources. Behind the scenes, they say, the president has lashed out at several aides, from junior press assistants to senior officials. “He’s furious,” said one administration official. “Most staffers are trying to avoid him.” The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, painted a picture of a brooding president “trying to decide who to blame” for Republicans’ election losses, even as he publicly and implausibly continues to claim victory. Read More Here: http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-absent-20181113-story.html

Holly Figueroa O’Reilly was crowdsourcing before crowdsourcing was cool. In 1999, she founded Indiegrrl, an organization for women in the independent music industry. What began as a small mailing list became a monster organization. Indiegrrl supported nearly five thousand female musicians internationally; they booked tours, shared resources, and helped one another get ahead in the male-dominated music industry. Since then, Holly has performed over one thousand tour dates, was a national co-organizer for “March for Truth”, is an administrative member of CrowdRescueHQ, and has sued the President of the United States for blocking her on Twitter. And won. Asked why she founded BWCS, she replied, “I was having a hard time keeping all of the 2018 candidates I supported in my Twitter group DM’s, so I started a Slack workspace for candidates mostly for myself. I invited some other folks concerned about the same thing to join me there. Before we knew it, there were hundreds of volunteers, campaign staff, and candidates all working together to increase their social media reach. I always tell people that the Blue Wave isn’t something that just happens. It’s something we MAKE happen, and this is one of the ways we can help make it happen.” Holly lives in Seattle with her husband, 5 kids, and way too many guitars.

A forecast that includes several days of gusting Santa Ana winds has fire officials worried about the possible spread of the 83,000-acre Woolsey fire straddling Ventura and Los Angeles counties, officials said Sunday. The massive blaze, which has claimed two lives and forced more than 250,000 people to evacuate from Malibu to Thousand Oaks, was 10% contained as of Sunday morning. But expected wind gusts of 40 mph or stronger over the next several days have officials concerned the fire could spread in a quick and unprecedented fashion, and urged residents who were sheltering in place to evacuate immediately. “Maybe 10 or 20 years ago you stayed in your homes when there was a fire and you were able to protect them,” Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. “We’re entering a new normal. Things are not the way they were 10 years ago.” The fire had burned 83,275 acres as of Sunday morning, according to fire officials. A total of 177 buildings had been destroyed, and roughly 57,000 structures were threatened. The coming wind gusts could also severely reduce the effectiveness of aerial water and retardant drops, leaving firefighters to battle the flames solely from the ground, officials said. Several parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, Hidden Hills, and sections of West Hills, Monte Nido, Gated Oaks and Topanga, remained under evacuation order Sunday morning, officials said. Residents of Topanga Canyon who were sheltering in place were also advised to flee the area. Read More Here:http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-woolsey-fire-latest-20181111-story.html

The Democratic victories in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night have obvious policy consequences. But it could have lasting implications for the health of America’s democracy too. Democratic backsliding refers to the subtle, gradual deterioration of democratic institutions and practices, the erosion of elements like free and fair elections, freedom of speech and association, and the rule of law. The Trump administration and its Republican allies have contributed to backsliding, especially by undermining competitive elections and the rule of law. “The checks imposed in the government are much weaker than they were two years ago,” Aziz Huq, a University of Chicago law professor, told me, citing the failure of inspector generals to hold Cabinet officials to account, President Donald Trump’s partisan attacks on prosecutors, and the disinclination of congressional Republicans to meaningfully challenge the president. It’s natural, then, to wonder if the Democratic victory will provide a meaningful check on those trends. The Democratic House would, most obviously, curb Trump’s worst impulses through investigations. Read More Here: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/11/8/18072918/midterm-elections-2018-democracy-america

Whatever happens in the midterms, the aftermath will be ugly. But the elections are nonetheless a fork in the road. If we take one path, it will offer at least a chance for political redemption, for recovering America’s democratic values. If we take the other, we’ll be on the road to autocracy, with no obvious way to get off. And even if Democrats do climb that tilted slope, anyone expecting Republicans to accept the result with good grace hasn’t been paying attention. Remember, Donald Trump claimed — falsely, of course — that millions of immigrants voted illegally in an election he won. Imagine what he’ll say if he loses, and what his supporters will do in response. And if and when a Democratic House tries to exercise its powers, you can be sure it will be met with defiance, never mind what the Constitution says. Read More Here: Last Exit Off the Road to Autocracy

The Inaugural Taylor Tara Radio Pre-Election Day Extravaganza with, Jason Taylor and Tara Dublin.  Featuring Guests: Cheri Jacobus, David Jolly, Brian Karen and Dr. David Reiss.   The tumultuous 2018 midterm campaign, shaped by conflicts over race and identity and punctuated by tragedy, barreled through its final weekend as voters prepared to deliver a verdict on the first half of President Trump’s term, with Republicans bracing for losses in the House and state capitals but hopeful they would prevail in Senate races in areas where Mr. Trump is popular.    

Janice Lynn Park, the daughter of a Marine, grew up in Southern California within a mile of Disneyland. Her first of many union jobs was as telephone operator for Pacific Bell. As a young single mom of a four day old baby and a 4-year old, she began attending University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing to earn her BS; then attended Cal State Northridge in the Public health education graduate program. In 1992 she started a new life in Anchorage, Alaska, joining her future husband where he had found work doing water treatment on the North Slope. She took nine days pulling a trailer to drive the Alaska Highway—just herself, a small child and a cat.   Mike Siegel: My career has been in public service, as a school teacher, civil rights lawyer, and advocate for communities left out of the political process. I am running for Congress to make sure we have a safety net that protects every American, and to restore common decency to our federal government. I was born into a union household - my mother was a welder at a Caterpillar factory, a member of the machinists union, and was on strike against unsafe working conditions when I was in the womb. I have spent my life surrounded by working people, by people of all backgrounds, and by people willing to dedicate their lives to fighting for the greater good. Through my candidacy, I seek to unite the various communities of the 10th Congressional District who are thoroughly unrepresented by the current Congressman. From Austin to Houston, Bastrop to Prairie View, we all deserve to have our voices heard.

John Pavlovitz is a writer, pastor, and activist from Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the past four years his blog Stuff That Needs To Be Said has reached a diverse worldwide audience. A 20-year veteran in the trenches of local church ministry, John is committed to equality, diversity, and justice—both inside and outside faith communities. In 2017 he released his first book, A Bigger Table. His new book, Hope and Other Superpowers, arrives on November 6th.

The Patriot and Prosecutor Challenging Devin Nunes  Andrew Janz was raised in Visalia; the son of immigrants, he has committed his life to public service. Andrew returned home after law school and became a prosecutor for Fresno County, and is now running for Congress to continue serving the community. Andrew will fight for clean drinking water for residents and secure water delivery systems for our farmers who feed our nation. Andrew will be a champion for Central Valley small businesses and help bring good paying jobs to our region. It's time to put country over party and elect good people to government.   Tiffany Bond: Rural Maine is hard working, good folks, raising families. We don’t want a hand out but we need a voice. We can strengthen and diversify our economy. We can improve access to healthcare. We can do this together, the Maine way. Instead of being driven apart by political conflict, let’s use different opinions and life experiences to find solutions that are better than what any one of us can come up with alone. Let’s do it in a way where everyone has the same opportunity to be heard, with representation that isn’t sold to the highest bidder. You can hire an Independent US Representative for Maine’s Second Congressional District who isn’t distracted by the constant fundraising and just works for you.

Peter Joffrion is a lifelong resident of North Alabama and a dedicated public servant. His father, a pastor, and his mother, a teacher, instilled in him the value of hard work, integrity, and service. Shortly after graduating from law school at the University of Alabama, Peter returned home to Huntsville and began work in the City Attorney’s office. Over the course of a 22 year career as City Attorney, Peter oversaw every major economic development in Huntsville. He knows what it takes to produce good-paying jobs and economic well-being for everyone. His wife Kerry is an ordained minister and the founder and CEO of Turning Point Group, a company committed to the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of U.S. military veterans. Turning Point Group provides assistance to veterans as they adjust to life after war. They also host an annual 9/11 Honor Walk to remember first responders and active and fallen military members.   Read More Here: https://www.peterjoffrion.com/

Elena Christopoulos is an experienced political advisor and campaign strategist in the United States, Canada and Europe. She has been a key strategist for numerous successful campaigns. Elena has managed campaign staff and has organized fundraising campaigns. As a marketing and communications strategist, Elena has developed comprehensive campaigns drawing together global leaders, innovators, and grassroots networks within a community. Elena has close relationships with various levels of government and pertinent agencies in the United States, Canada, and Europe. In the U.S., Elena has collaborated with the Departments of State, Defense, Energy, Health & Human Services, and Transportation; the Environmental Protection Agency; numerous Senators and Congressmen as well as members of the Executive Branch. Areas of Expertise: Campaign ManagementBest practices advisorSustainability and clean energy platform advisorManagement for designing innovative and successful fundraising campaignsPublic relations and public affairs strategyTargeted constituent and leadership developmentSocial mediaVoter registration and education outreach

In moments of national crisis, presidents typically reach for unifying themes, as Bill Clinton did after the Oklahoma City bombing and George W. Bush did with the bullhorn on the wrecked fire truck after 9/11. President Trump on Thursday chose confrontation over conciliation. Upset that critics linked a spate of pipe bombs targeting his adversaries to his own angry messaging, Mr. Trump abandoned the scripted call for national solidarity he issued the day before and lashed out at perceived enemies for fomenting the toxic political environment they say he has encouraged. Even though investigators have not named a suspect, let alone a motive, the debate that erupted focused new attention on the contagion of divisive and at times violent language that starts with the president and filters down to other politicians and to partisan media. Demonization has become mainstream, and the events of the past few days seem almost like a predictable but dangerous outcome of the rage and resentment that dominate the United States’ political conversation. Read More

Kristin Beck is a retired United States Navy SEAL, who served for more than 20 years in the Special Operations Forces, as well as a civil rights advocate. Over the course of 13 deployments and seven combat deployments, she conducted special operations with small UAVs, HUMINT, and Direct Action missions. Now a civil rights activist, she gives speeches and lectures at various events around the country. Kristin was a key voice in the Congressional Bill to end discrimination toward the LGBT community. She continues her “new mission” fighting for equality for all Americans and a documentary story of her life, Lady Valor: The Kristin Beck Story, aired on CNN in 2014.   Josh McCall, Born in Franklin County, Josh has been helping our community his entire life. An educator and a Progressive Christian, Josh believes in an open table where all citizens come together in civil discussion to solve 9th District problems. Josh is committed to rediscovering our common ground and helping us work together to build a nation of compassion and cooperation. Together, if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Josh earned a B.A. in English and a Masters in English Education from the University of North Georgia. He also has a Masters in Classical Languages from the University of Georgia. He has taught high school since 2003, and has also been an instructor at the University of North Georgia. As a teacher, Josh has learned to appreciate the value of civility and servant leadership.    

Committed to strengthening Wisconsin, David has long advocated for its residents and communities. Since a teen, David has dedicated his life and career to improving the lives of those around him.  He has organized communities around many issues, including citizen engagement, police accountability, mass incarceration, employment and many others. David Crowley was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in November 2016.  He currently serves as the Chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Legislative Caucus and the Black and Latino Caucus.   David was born and raised on the north side of Milwaukee, WI. He is a proud graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools, and studied educational policy and community studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.   Jill Schiller: I am a mother, a former attorney, a founder of a successful nonprofit that focuses on children’s literacy, and a former Obama Administration staffer. I care deeply about the future of our Nation and the Ohio 2nd Congressional District, where I am raising my two precious children. Like most people in Ohio, I grew up in a home that valued education and hard work. My dad is a retired water worker and proud union member. My mom was an office manager. When I was 7, my mom was diagnosed with Lupus – a disease that occurs when your body’s immune system attacks your own tissues and organs. Without dad’s union benefits and healthcare, my family would have been forced into bankruptcy due to the cost of her treatment. I truly understand the importance of quality, affordable healthcare and the physical, financial, and emotional toll of being a caregiver.

Jimmy Stafford is an American musician-songwriter who was an original member of the Grammy Award winning band Train from its inception in 1994 until he parted ways with the band in 2016. His unique style of guitar playing helped give Train its distinctive sound.   Jimmy recorded eight albums with Train, selling more than 10 million copies and 30 million tracks. With Train, he was nominated for eight Grammy Awards (winning three, including best rock song for "Drops of Jupiter" in 2002), three American Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards (winning both top rock song for "Hey, Soul Sister" and top rock artist in 2011), an ASCAP Music Award (winning song of the year for "Hey, Soul Sister" in 2011), a CMT Music Award, a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award, and a Peoples Choice Award. He has toured the world many times over, performing for large audiences in North America, China, the Philippines, Dubai, Europe, Singapore, South America, Japan, and Australia, appearing on countless television and radio shows worldwide. In 2011 Train founded the Save Me San Francisco Wine Company which Jimmy was heavily involved in, from helping to choose the blends of their many varietals (all named after their hit songs or lyrics), to hosting events and tastings, to appearing at promotional bottle signings and meeting with local distributors in cities where Train was on tour. Read More about Jimmy here: https://jimmystaffordmusic.com/home

Chintan Desai is a teacher and educator from Helena, Arkansas. He was born in San Luis Obispo, California. His parents, Dipak and Daksha, immigrated from Mumbai, India in search of a better life. With little money and few friends, they built a new life for themselves and their son. ?Their journey to America was not without great cost. They left behind a community of family, friends, and loved ones. But they understood that America was a place of opportunity, where their hard work would be rewarded. And they worked hard. The day after graduating from college, Chintan moved to Helena, Arkansas, where he taught fifth grade social studies.   Jennie Lou Leeder, 7th generation Texan, is an educator, a businesswoman, a coach, and has served 10 years as County Chair for the Llano County Democrats (2007-2017).   Jennie Lou's family moved to Llano when she was 9 months old. She is a graduate of Llano High School. She graduated Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Agriculture Education and minor in Physical Education. She also graduated Ohio University with a Master of Science in Athletic Administration.  Growing up she was active in 4-H and received the Texas Gold Star Girl Award.  She is very proud that her family was awarded the Texas Century Farm Award in 1992.   During her tenure as Llano County Democratic Chair, Jennie Lou was a member of the Texas County Chairs Association and was on the Executive Board.  In 2014 she was elected Senate District 24 Committeewoman where she served one term and also sat on the Rural Subcommittee, Urban County Subcommittee, and  Legislative Committees.  She was a national delegate to the DNC in 2008 and 2016.

About Eric I'm running because the communities of the 27th Congressional District deserve better - a true public servant. I've been fighting for disenfranchised communities across the country and it's time to bring that fight home. I was born and raised in South Texas to a working-class Tejano family, and it's about time that the people are represented by someone who represents true South Texas values. I will stand alongside you every step of the way to make sure we can go beyond dreaming and start achieving. GET TO KNOW ME... My name is Eric Holguin. I was born and raised in a working class family in South Texas, and graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. My father is a respected teacher and championship winning football coach, and my mother is a caring nurse. I’m also very proud to come from a law enforcement family. My two brothers are Texas State Troopers, close relatives work in various levels of law enforcement, and my grandfather was a Justice of the Peace for many years in Jim Hogg County. My support system is mi familia, and they’ve always taught me to work for what I want and never ask for freebies. My late abuela, Maria, taught me to always stand up for those who can’t do so for themselves. She had to do so as a single mother raising my father and tio. Read More Here: http://www.ericforus.com/

Gina Calanni: is a native Texan, multi-published author, and working mother of three school-aged boys, who is running to serve Texas House District 132 in Austin. As a single mom whose kids attend Katy ISD schools, Gina is running to ensure quality public education and access to affordable healthcare for Texas families.    Gina understands firsthand the challenges facing everyday Texans. As an undergraduate at UT-Arlington, she had to withdraw just a semester before graduation after her father's death. After having her first son, she went back to school and graduated with honors from St. Edward's University, while working full-time as a paralegal for the Travis County Attorney's Office.   Jan McDowell:  I bring a background of varied experiences to this race. As a CPA, I have the understanding to study and analyze the financial issues that are so important to the responsible conduct of our government. Atypically, though, my degree was not in accounting, but rather in journalism/public relations. I am therefore a somewhat rare breed that can both “do numbers” and also communicate effectively. I have always had a positive and inclusive attitude toward life. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, my free time as a high school student was spent in a group called Sing-Out Dallas. That was a group of kids from all across the area that performed the music of Up With People! The chorus of their signature song includes this idea that is right on: “If more people were for people, all people everywhere…”

Victoria A. Brownworth is an award-winning journalist, editor and writer and the author and editor of nearly 30 books.   She has won the NLGJA and the Society of Professional Journalists awards, the Lambda Literary Award, the Keystone Award for Best Reporting, and in 2013 SPJ Award for Enterprise Reporting. Most recently, her newest novel, Ordinary Mayhem, won the IPPY Award for fiction and the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Mystery.  She has also been nominated for the Scripps-Howard Award, RFK Award and the Pulitzer Prize.   She is a senior politics reporter and contributing editor for Curve magazine, contributing editor for Lambda Literary Review and a columnist for San Francisco Bay Area Reporter.  She is also a regular contributor to The Advocate, a blogger for Hufffngton Post and A Room of Her Own,   She has been a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, Baltimore Sun, SPIN magazine and The Independent Voice.  Her reporting and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, Village Voice, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Nation, Ms Magazine, Diva and Slate. Read More Here: http://www.victoriabrownworth.com/

Renee is a native Missourian. As a child, her family moved to Warrensburg where her father attended what is now the University of Central Missouri after serving in the Army during Vietnam. The Kennedys then moved to Greenwood, a small town near Lee’s Summit.   At 18, Renee moved to Columbia to attend the University of Missouri where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She continues to make her home in Columbia.   Renee’s professional expertise is in small business marketing and development. After a career including work in radio, television and newspaper, Renee created Columbia Marketplace Magazine and Jefferson City Marketplace Magazine in 2003 and 2004, respectively. She created additional niche marketing products to contribute to the growth and success of small business owners.   Currently, she works on the magazine she created in Sedalia, Showcase Sedalia, which she started in 2011. Renee understands that business is ultimately people, people working hard to build something of value for others, create jobs and be successful.   Read More About Renee: http://reneehoagenson.com/

MEET SONIA I am a proud daughter of Indian immigrants. My parents have worked so hard to make sure my brother and I had a better life than they had in India. I don’t take their sacrifice for granted. I grew up with my parents telling me stories of how they helped people in this community through their every day jobs as insurance agents. I am always in awe of how much trust this community has placed in my family. And I don’t take that trust for granted. My whole life has been about giving back. Contributing to the betterment of my community. That’s why I studied community development and Regional Planning. And that’s why I followed in my parents’ footsteps. And now I get the honor of talking to people every day about the challenges they’re facing and how they can protect the life they’ve worked so hard to build. People talk to me when they’ve had something big happen in their lives: when they’ve had a baby, or purchased their first home, or they’re planning their retirement. And they depend on me to help guide them through that process. They trust me. I’m asking you to trust me to guide you through the next two years. I know we can do better in this community. I’ve seen it happen in communities all across this country. With fewer resources. We have no excuse. Our community deserves better infrastructure. Better jobs. A brighter future. And I’m the one to make that happen here. I’m Sonia Aery and I’m running to represent the 3rd District in the California Assembly.  TAYLOR TARA RADIO FUNDRAISER>http://www.gofundme.com/taylor-tara-radio-fundraiser

Brian J. Karem is an award-winning, highly acclaimed journalist and best-selling author. For the past 12 years he has served as the executive editor of The Sentinel Newspapers in Prince Georges and Montgomery County Maryland.   He is currently the White House correspondent for Playboy Magazine, and is also a political analyst for CNN.   The Montgomery County Sentinel, under his direction is the 2017, 2016 2015 and 2012, recipient of the “News Organization of The Year” award from the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Press Association.      A former producer and television correspondent for America’s Most Wanted, Karem has traveled the world, covering wars, international terrorism, natural disasters and other major events of the last 35 years. This includes the Gulf War, the refugee crisis in France, and the nation’s hunt for infamous drug king pin Pablo Escobar. Karem was the first Western journalist allowed inside Escobar’s prison outside of Bogota, Columbia following Escobar’s escape.   The Taylor Tara Radio Fundraiser: http://www.gofundme.com/taylor-tara-radio-fundraiser

Adam Parkhomenko is a Democratic political strategist and organizer who served as National Field Director for the Democratic National Committee in 2016. He was the co-founder and executive director of Ready for Hillary, a super PAC established to persuade Hillary Clinton to run for the presidency of the United States in 2016. In the 2017 party election, Parkhomenko was a candidate for Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Hillary Clinton has hired two political operatives from her 2016 presidential campaign to help manage Onward Together, the project she founded this spring with former governor Howard Dean to fund and support a coalition of Democratic groups led by activists and organizers. The new additions, Emmy Ruiz and Adam Parkhomenko, held central roles on Clinton’s campaign: Ruiz delivered key victories as state director in Nevada during the primary and in Colorado during the general election; Parkhomenko worked in headquarters as her director of grassroots engagement before moving to the Democratic National Committee. Both served on Clinton’s first presidential bid in 2008. Dean, the Onward Together co-founder, confirmed the recent hires on Friday. The two former campaign aides will be working on Onward Together as consultants. Read the entire article here: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rubycramer/hillary-clinton-hires-two-former-campaign-aides-for

In the weeks since Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings, not one, not two, but three women have stepped forward to accuse him of perpetrating or participating in sexual assault. The first charge was Doctor Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation of attempted rape. Ford accused Kavanaugh of holding her down, muffling her screams, and trying to take off her clothes. The second charge was Deborah Ramirez’s, who accused Kavanaugh of exposing his penis to her and laughing about it to his friends. The third charge, which emerged on Wednesday, came from Julie Swetnick. Swetnick accused Kavanaugh of running a “rape train,” getting girls drunk and participating in gang rapes. These are shocking accusations. But maybe we should have expected revelations about sexual misconduct from a Trump nominee. After all, as of last count, President Trump has more than 16 allegations of sexual misconduct against him. But it’s not just that the two have both amassed accusations of sexual crimes that makes them simpatico. For Kavanaugh is not just a Trump pick. He is the natural product of the worldview Trump espouses, what I like to call Trumpism. Put simply, Trumpism is all about empowering the empowered. Trumpism is about taking the cool kids, the rich white kids who have always got what they wanted, and making sure that they get even more. Read more: https://forward.com/opinion/411002/brett-kavanaugh-was-a-cool-kid-who-thought-he-owned-the-world-maybe-he/

For over 20 years, Dr. Enoch has been leading local efforts to drive change in local communities. Most recently, she has worked alongside state legislators and state court judges to ensure fairness within the criminal justice system and the jury selection process. Enoch is concerned that Ohio’s prisons are filled with individuals who are poor, mentally ill, and disproportionately from minority communities. Not only is this a social justice issue, but also has a direct impact on how taxpayers’ dollars are spent. Dr. Enoch holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Information Technology from Xavier University. Dr. Enoch is an MLK Scholar with a Ph.D. in Public Policy & Social Change from Union Institute & University. She earned the Eugene Ruehlmann Fellowship and several academic awards as a Ph.D. Student. http://enochforcongress.com/

Tamara Holder is an attorney, as well as a television commentator on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News on legal and progressive issues. The Chicago Sun-Times recognized Holder as “One of 50 people Who Make Chicago a Better Place.” Holder focuses her legal work on governors’ pardons, clemency, commutation of sentence, as well as workplace abuse, including sexual harassment and discrimination. For over a decade, Holder has successfully helped her clients seek clemency and governors’ pardons from Illinois Governors Rauner, Quinn, and Blagojevich. She also seeks pardons and clemency for clients in other states. She also seeks pardons and clemency for clients in other states. In 2005, she founded xpunged.com, a website providing legal advice to thousands seeking to expunge and seal their criminal records, including dismissed arrests, and both misdemeanor and felony convictions. Now, the Founder of The Pardon Group, Tamara Holder continues to help her clients receive governors’ pardons, clemency, and commutation of sentence. Holder herself is a survivor of workplace abuse – sexual assault. Determined to empower other victims of abuse, Holder shared her story through The New York Times, despite being told she would forever be labeled as “toxic” for speaking out. Within only a matter of months of this story, Holder helped a young woman settle a sexual harassment claim against an executive at a major restaurant chain. Through Holder’s legal work, her client obtained nearly 10 times the original amount offered. Contact an experienced Chicago governors’ pardons, workplace & labor lawyer today, we can help.

Tamara Holder is an attorney, as well as a television commentator on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News on legal and progressive issues. The Chicago Sun-Times recognized Holder as “One of 50 people Who Make Chicago a Better Place.” Holder focuses her legal work on governors’ pardons, clemency, commutation of sentence, as well as workplace abuse, including sexual harassment and discrimination. For over a decade, Holder has successfully helped her clients seek clemency and governors’ pardons from Illinois Governors Rauner, Quinn, and Blagojevich. She also seeks pardons and clemency for clients in other states. She also seeks pardons and clemency for clients in other states. In 2005, she founded xpunged.com, a website providing legal advice to thousands seeking to expunge and seal their criminal records, including dismissed arrests, and both misdemeanor and felony convictions. Now, the Founder of The Pardon Group, Tamara Holder continues to help her clients receive governors’ pardons, clemency, and commutation of sentence. Holder herself is a survivor of workplace abuse – sexual assault. Determined to empower other victims of abuse, Holder shared her story through The New York Times, despite being told she would forever be labeled as “toxic” for speaking out. Within only a matter of months of this story, Holder helped a young woman settle a sexual harassment claim against an executive at a major restaurant chain. Through Holder’s legal work, her client obtained nearly 10 times the original amount offered. Contact an experienced Chicago governors’ pardons, workplace & labor lawyer today, we can help.

Trump’s presidential victory sealed the fate of America. Seriously. The country has spiraled into massive chaos – it may look simple and beautiful on the outside, but the rotting carcass is truly evident. Well, what would you expect under the leadership of the greatest traitor to America? One path is evident now: Trump and GOP, the party of treason, should be unseated. The Last Men and Overmen aims to raise awareness about the political landscape in America. Mike Sax, a political influencer, and upcoming congressional candidate founded the blog/website in 2011. Through the years, Mike Sax explored the political direction of America and the ever-needed drive towards societal change. Now, his blog covers the policies, strategies, controversies, and the other shenanigans of the Trump administration. Mike Sax believes that he truly deserves a spot in Congress. With his political knowledge, he can definitely make decisions that will inspire thousands of people. Intent on bringing change to NY2 district, Mike Sax had been busy in making connections and raising awareness about the societal damages caused by Trump. Mike Sax also works full-time in boosting the Impeachment Train – the full initiative focused on ousting Trump. For any political parties who are really focused on change, the Last Men and Overmen is a remarkable starting point. http://lastmenandovermen.com/

Brian J. Karem is an award-winning, highly acclaimed journalist and best-selling author. For the past 12 years he has served as the executive editor of The Sentinel Newspapers in Prince Georges and Montgomery County Maryland.   He is currently the White House correspondent for Playboy Magazine, and is also a political analyst for CNN.   The Montgomery County Sentinel, under his direction is the 2017, 2016 2015 and 2012, recipient of the “News Organization of The Year” award from the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Press Association.      A former producer and television correspondent for America’s Most Wanted, Karem has traveled the world, covering wars, international terrorism, natural disasters and other major events of the last 35 years. This includes the Gulf War, the refugee crisis in France, and the nation’s hunt for infamous drug king pin Pablo Escobar. Karem was the first Western journalist allowed inside Escobar’s prison outside of Bogota, Columbia following Escobar’s escape.      He gained national notoriety in the 90s for an ethical stand for the first amendment and for a confrontation he had with President George Bush at a drug summit news conference in 1992. More recently he has been seen on a number of occasions pressing the Trump administration from the West Wing’s James Brady Briefing Room. Brian is a first amendment activist in his spare time and has testified before state legislatures in Maryland, Texas and Kentucky. http://www.justaskthequestion.com/

Charlotte Clymer, a military veteran based in Washington DC, has come out as trans in a lengthy series of tweets. We’re reprinting the text from the tweets below so you can read her entire story. She also has advice for others on a similar journey, or those who want to know more about trans issues. https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/936075166072950784 ‘Well, I’m not sure there’s a “right” time to announce something like this, but I’ve reached a point in my life where I finally feel comfortable, for various reasons, to be my true self, and were the world to end tomorrow, I don’t want that truth being buried with me. ‘I’m transgender, which means that although I was assigned “male” at birth based on anatomy, I’ve always felt that, at least on the inside, I’m female. Your “sex” is your designation at birth based on some biological factors; “gender” is how you express your identity. ‘I would love to live in a society that doesn’t have the concept of gender. Sounds like heaven. Be whoever you are, and that’s how people will acknowledge you. But we don’t. We’re given a binary: male or female, boy or girl, man or woman. It’s a system and chosen for you. ‘I want that system to change but in the meantime, for the purposes of navigating it with a sound heart + mind, I have arrived at a place where I can no longer attempt to bend myself into a pre-fabricated shape that looks nothing like who I really am. http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/military-veteran-trans-twitter/#gs.7r67aXc

Cheri Jacobus is a nationally-recognized political strategist, pundit and writer. She is a long-time and frequent guest on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, CBS.com, CNBC, FBN, HLN, C-Span and other media outlets, offering political opinion and analysis from the Republican perspective and is regularly quoted in national publications such as USA Today, The Washington Times, Daily Caller, Human Events and others. Meghan Scoggins grew up in the Houston area. Her husband, Jim Scoggins, is a safety and risk consultant in the oil and gas industry, who has also served as a volunteer firefighter for the last 18 years. Between them, they have 5 children. Meghan Scoggins is a Democrat running for Texas House- D28.    

Nancy Pelosi stopped caring about what people think of her a long time ago, so she has no qualms about eating ice cream for breakfast with a stranger. Dark chocolate, two scoops, waffle cone. It’s a freezing January morning in Baltimore’s Little Italy, where Pelosi grew up in the 1950s. “You know what’s good about ice cream in this weather?” she says. “It doesn’t melt down your arm while you’re eating it.” The 78-year-old former House Speaker knows what her critics say about her: that she’s too old, too “toxic,” too polarizing; that after three decades in Congress and 15 years leading her party’s caucus, she has had her turn and needs to get out of the way. But there’s a reason she sticks around. Had Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election, she says, “we’d have a woman at the head of the table.” When that didn’t happen, Pelosi realized that without her, there might not be a woman in the room at all. Pelosi is one of the most consequential political figures of her generation. It was her creativity, stamina, and willpower that drove the defining Democratic accomplishments of the past decade, from universal access to health coverage to saving the U.S. economy from collapse, from reforming Wall Street to allowing gay people to serve openly in the military. Her Republican successors’ ineptitude has thrown her skills into sharp relief. It’s not a stretch to say Pelosi is one of very few legislators in Washington who actually know what they’re doing. Courtesy @TIME 

Meet Lisa I’m Lisa Ring, your candidate to represent the 1st Congressional District of Georgia in Washington, D.C.  I am a mother of four, a military spouse, a military mom, and a former corrections officer... I am the new face of politics. We have all had enough of the partisan bickering and political egos dominating our public policies. Now is the time for us to stand up for the issues that impact our daily lives. We are tired of worrying if we will be able to afford health care, or if, after honorably serving our country, we will be employable. We are frustrated that we work full-time and still can’t pay our bills and that higher education is only within our reach if we indebt ourselves with crushing student loans. http://www.lisaringforcongress.com/ Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson's professional research interests are broad but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way.

Twitter has sharply escalated its battle against fake and suspicious accounts, suspending more than 1 million a day in recent months, a major shift to lessen the flow of disinformation on the platform, according to data obtained by The Washington Post. The rate of account suspensions, which Twitter confirmed to The Post, has more than doubled since October, when the company revealed under congressional pressure how Russia used fake accounts to interfere in the U.S. presidential election. Twitter suspended more than 70 million accounts in May and June, and the pace has continued in July, according to the data. The aggressive removal of unwanted accounts may result in a rare decline in the number of monthly users in the second quarter, which ended June 30, according to a person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to speak. Twitter declined to comment on a possible decline in its user base. Twitter’s growing campaign against bots and trolls?—?coming despite the risk to the company’s user growth?—?is part of the continuing fallout from Russia’s disinformation offensive during the 2016 presidential campaign, when a St. Petersburg-based troll factory was able to use some of America’s most prominent technology platforms to deceive voters on a mass scale to exacerbate social and political tensions. The extent of account suspensions, which has not previously been reported, is one of several recent moves by Twitter to limit the influence of people it says are abusing its platform. The changes, which were the subject of internal debate, reflect a philosophical shift for Twitter. Its executives long resisted policing misbehavior more aggressively, for a time even referring to themselves as “the free speech wing of the free speech party.” Courtesy https://wapo.st/2LRpwDw  

Adrienne Bell wants to be to be a voice for the people ignored in our current political climate. She is a second grade school teacher with Houston ISD, the largest school district in Texas. She has served as a Deputy Field Director with Battleground Texas, and on the Houston staff for the Obama 2012 election campaign.   Adrienne is a Houstonian who grew up in the South Park community. Her father, who had a 6th grade education, was a car attendant for the Houston Police Department. Her mother had a 10th grade education, and worked as a waitress and a maid. Adrienne grew up believing in the American dream, and has worked hard to fulfill its promise in her life. Adrienne believes healthcare is a human right, and vows to fight against the loss of protections for pre-existing conditions or coverage for mental illness by pursuing Medicare for All. She has plans for new investments through federal grants to revitalize the port cities, rebuild infrastructure, and create green jobs across the district. She will push legislation to secure equity in education, because she believes an education should not be based on a student's zip code. She believes in a woman's right to choose, and will fight for criminal justice reform. https://bell2018.com/

My name is Catherine Krantz and I am running for Congress because I think we can do better. Small towns in America are getting the short end of the stick. We are underfunded in almost everything: schools, roads, hospitals, and telecommunications. It is time to put people over politics and invest in our communities. I am a Progressive Democrat running for office in one of America’s most Conservative Republican districts but I will win because I know how frustrated we all are with low paying jobs, high cost of health care, lack of prosperity and opportunity in our communities. I know we have more in common with each other than with the career politicians who represent us and I know we all want what’s best for our communities. We need more jobs, better jobs that pay a living wage.  We need Direct Investment in Infrastructure, our internet and telecommunications infrastructure is barely 1st world.  Direct Investment in national broad band would lead to an economic boom all across rural America, it is worth it. We need Universal Health care, Americans shouldn’t have to worry about an accident or illness bankrupting their families. America can afford it, Americans deserve it. Our kids deserve a high quality education that prepares them for a successful life.  Texas is ranked one of the lowest funded states for public education, we can do better. http://catherinekrantzforcongress.com/ Tribit XFree Tune Bluetooth Headphones: The best headphones for gym, or home use. For under $50 bucks. I love them! Jason T. >https://amzn.to/2BNE8nH