Dear John,

We’re writing this email while official Washington and the entire Democratic Party base are on pins and needles waiting to see who prevails: Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who want to cut/shrink/reduce the Build Back Better bill, or the vast majority of Democrats, who want to pass it. This might be the most consequential week for significantly moving the national agenda in a more progressive direction.

Receiving huge amounts of money from corporate interests, Manchin and Sinema are now understood to be corrupt obstructionists. Yet they’re getting away with a lot of destructive shenanigans, because of how much Democrats depend on their votes to pass anything.

If Build Back Better passes with climate-provisions stripped out, Congress will have fast-tracked untold misery for residents of the United States and every other part of the world.

Some of Progressive Hub’s Highlighted Stories in Recent Days:

Chicago Groups Send Message To U.S. Senate: Reject Rahm Emanuel
Asserting that former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s role in covering up the police murder of Laquan McDonald disqualifies him from consideration as U.S. ambassador to Japan, a coalition of activists held a Tuesday press conference condemning his nomination ahead of a scheduled Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday—the seventh anniversary of the Black teen’s death.

#Striketober Is Bringing Labor Strikes Back Into Popular Consciousness
The list of striking or on-the-verge of striking workers includes: whiskey makers, coal miners, steel workers, bus drivers, and grad students. By withholding their labor power, workers around the country are pressuring their employees to offer them a better deal for their work.

ICBMs Must Be Eliminated, Not 'Modernized'
The single best option for reducing the risk of nuclear war is hidden in plain sight. News outlets don’t mention it. Pundits ignore it. Even progressive and peace-oriented members of Congress tiptoe around it. And yet, for many years, experts have been calling for this act of sanity that could save humanity: Shutting down all of the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Did You Hear About The 655 Climate Protesters Arrested in DC?
A total of 655 people were arrested in Washington, D.C., last week as they protested fossil fuel projects and demanded that President Joe Biden declare a climate emergency. Demonstrators began blocking the fence outside the White House on Monday, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, chanting and waving signs. On Thursday, Indigenous leaders sat on the floor of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, linking arms -- and activists sprayed fake oil on the steps of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, sending pink and blue smoke plumes into the air. On Friday, youth activists formed a blockade in the road leading to the Capitol.

Black Children Were Jailed For A Crime That Doesn't Exist
The police were at Hobgood Elementary School because of that video. But they hadn’t come for the boys who threw punches. They were here for the children who looked on. The police in Murfreesboro, a fast-growing city about 30 miles southeast of Nashville, had secured juvenile petitions for 10 children in all who were accused of failing to stop the fight. Officers were now rounding up kids, even though the department couldn’t identify a single one in the video, which was posted with a filter that made faces fuzzy.

Cori Bush Fights Back Against Use of Tear Gas on Civilians
Following a call by Rep. Cori Bush to investigate the use of tear gas on civilians by law enforcement, the House Oversight Committee on Thursday released a memo showing that the federal government has never determined the unregulated chemical to be safe for use on humans—despite the fact that manufacturers earn millions of dollars per year providing tear gas to police departments across the country.

You can check out all these stories and more at Progressive Hub. And remember: on the same page you can immediately take quick action in response to almost every article we post. If you see stories that you think we should cover or amplify -- please tell us by replying to this email.

Sincerely,
The Progressive Hub Team at RootsAction

www.RootsAction.org