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Daily Dose of Democracy:

David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher, set to testify today on behalf of prosecution as Trump trial begins
Prosecutors are expected to call a host of witnesses as they lay out their case against the serially indicted cult leader, the first former US president to ever face a criminal trial. First up, one David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who oversaw the purchase and suppression of several potentially damaging stories about Trump during his 2016 campaign, a scheme known as "catch and kill." Prosecutors are set to question Pecker after opening statements and will reportedly dig into conversations he had with the disgraced ex-president regarding hush money doled out to bury salacious stories, of which there were likely many.

Take Action: Tell the Biden administration to ban deep sea mining now!

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Bombshell state Supreme Court ruling rocks 2024 election
The Nevada state Supreme Court just ruled that an abortion measure which would enshrine the right to reproductive healthcare in the state constitution is allowed to appear on the ballot this November, significantly boosting the stakes of the general election where Democrats are defending a blue Senate seat in one of the tightest battlegrounds in the nation. Democratic incumbent Jacky Rosen is facing off against Republican challenger Sam Brown, who has called enforcing draconian abortion bans "non-negotiable," putting him waaay out of step with the approximately 69% of Nevadans who believe in reproductive choice. With the ballot measure now in place, it's all going to come down to turnout. Let's get that ground game rolling, folks.

Take Action: Tell Trump Republicans: Hands off Social Security and Medicare!

Right-wing billionaires busted in shocking plot to gut EVERYTHING
Vote NO on 2117: The innocuous-sounding “Initiative 2117” in reality is nothing but an extremist plot to kill Washington’s historic climate bill and in doing so wipe out BILLIONS of tax dollars devoted to education, clean energy, transportation, and healthcare — everything we care about is under threat from the billionaire axe. It’s going to take a national movement to counter the oligarchs’ dark money war chests and we need your help. Will you chip in to foil these greedy billionaires and their destructive agenda?

Marjorie Taylor Greene calls on Mike Johnson to resign or be ousted
Another day, another fit pitched by the QAnon congresswoman from Georgia. Furious over a bipartisan international aid package that passed over the weekend, Greene doubled down on her desire to oust the GOP speaker, stating, "Mike Johnson’s leadership is over. He needs to do the right thing to resign and allow us to move forward in a controlled process. If he doesn't do so, he will be vacated." Greene went on to complain that Johnson "completely betrayed the Republican Party" by working with Democrats to advance aid for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan and threatened to invoke a "motion to vacate," the same tactic that triggered former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's downfall late last year.

Take Action: Tell Congress to pass clean energy laws ASAP!

Israeli military intelligence chief resigns over his role in failing to prevent Oct. 7 attack
The head of Israeli military intelligence resigned on Monday over the failures surrounding Hamas’ unprecedented Oct. 7 attack, the military said, becoming the first senior figure to step down over his role in the deadliest assault in Israel’s history. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva’s decision could set the stage for more resignations among Israel’s top security brass over Hamas’ attack, when militants blasted through Israel’s border defenses, rampaged through Israeli communities unchallenged for hours, and killed 1,200 people while taking roughly 250 hostages. That attack set off the brutal, unrelenting war against Hamas in Gaza, now in its seventh month.

Supreme Court weighs Oregon city's power to punish homelessness with huge implications for unhoused people across the country
The conservative-packed high court is set to weigh the constitutionality of municipal ordinances that punish unhoused people for camping on public property when they have nowhere else to go. Justices will review an earlier appeals court ruling that said several ordinances enacted by the small city of Grants Pass, Oregon, are prohibited under the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which bars cruel and unusual punishment. Exacerbated by lack of housing and the high cost of rent, homelessness has become a flashpoint in many communities across the country. At this critical juncture, criminalizing homelessness is exactly the wrong approach; punishing people for having nowhere else to go while doing nothing to address or alleviate the underlying issues that contribute to the problem is reductive and heartless, a Whac-A-Mole "solution" to a decades-old problem if there ever was one.

Take Action: Make college affordable again!

Columbia to hold classes virtually as Jewish leaders warn about safety amid tensions over pro-Palestinian protests
A growing number of leaders and organizations have called on Columbia University and its president to protect students amid reports of antisemitic and offensive statements and actions on and near its campus, which has been the site this week of a pro-Palestinian encampment and protest. Columbia President Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said classes would be held virtually Monday, and said school leaders would be coming together to discuss a way to bring an end to "this crisis." In a statement to the university community, Shafik said she was "saddened" by the events on campus, and denounced antisemitic language, and intimidating and harassing behavior. "The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas," she said. "We need a reset." Columbia Students for Justice issued a similar statement decrying outside agitators smearing peaceful protests with their bigotry. "We are frustrated by media distractions focusing on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us. We firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry and stand against non students attempting to disrupt our solidarity."

Trump finally meets his match as his campaign craters
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: There it is.

Pro-Israel US groups plan $100 million effort to unseat progressives over Gaza
Pro-Israel groups are pumping tens of millions of dollars into this year’s heated congressional races, singling out progressive Democrats who have voiced criticism of the Israeli government and its relentless campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 34,000 civilians in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks on October 7. AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups, such as Democratic Majority for Israel, have already identified some high-profile targets in this year’s congressional elections — including New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, who have been very vocal in their opposition to alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli military. Although AIPAC endorses prominent members of both parties, its extensive work specifically targeting progressive Democrats in primary campaigns has become a source of intense ire on the left.

Lindsey Graham torches JD Vance for denouncing Ukraine aid: "Quit talking about things you don’t know anything about!"
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, the South Carolina Republican ripped into his Senate colleague for criticizing a bipartisan international aid package — including $61 billion for Ukraine — that just passed the House and challenged Vance to actually visit the embattled nation currently fending off a brutal Russian invasion before opining further on the matter. We will hand Graham nothing, but he was on to something when he cried out, "Quit talking about things you don't know anything until you go!" If only Lindsey would take his own advice before casting vote after vote on matters he fundamentally knows next to nothing about...