Public Citizen · [email protected]

July 15, 2020 at 6:48 PM

Ivanka Trump has some advice for you

“Find something new.” That’s the slogan of a new White House campaign launched yesterday by Donald Trump’s favorite daughter, Ivanka. The coronavirus — and Ivanka’s father’s disastrous handling of it — has left literally tens of millions of Americans out of work and devastated countless small…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

July 14, 2020 at 6:29 PM

cut the Pentagon budget

The United States spends more than $700 billion a year on the military. For every $1,000 we give the Pentagon, how much do you think we give the CDC to target new infectious diseases like COVID-19? One dollar. So here we are, utterly unprepared for one of the gravest national security threa…

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July 13, 2020 at 1:32 PM

Koch Brother(s) up to old tricks

You remember the Koch Brothers, right — the billionaire ideologues behind right-wing plots to privatize and deregulate just about every part of our society? Well, Charles Koch (brother David died about a year ago) is making headlines again as new reporting shows that for 50 years he has been on…

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July 11, 2020 at 1:31 PM

another Trump goon evades justice

Late Friday evening, Donald Trump commuted the sentence of longtime Republican Party operative Roger Stone. Stone was convicted of making false statements, obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and witness tampering. Stone’s actions amounted to a crime against democracy. Trump understood …

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July 10, 2020 at 7:23 PM

the oil baron who wants to kill the Post Office

You remember the Koch Brothers, right — the billionaire ideologues behind right-wing plots to privatize and deregulate just about every part of our society? Well, Charles Koch (brother David died about a year ago) is making headlines again as new reporting shows that for 50 years he has been on…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

July 9, 2020 at 9:40 PM

sacrificing children

We’ve become accustomed to crazy in the Trump era, but yesterday was ... well, the words I want to use are not appropriate for this message. Donald Trump confessed that he is willing — eager, actually — to risk the lives of our nation’s nearly 60 million elementary and secondary school students…

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July 8, 2020 at 12:31 PM

an ambitious, far-reaching agenda

The United States makes up 4% of the world’s population. That’s just 1 out of every 25 people on Earth. But the United States accounts for 1 out of every 4 reported cases of coronavirus on the entire planet. What the hell are we doing? People are dying by the tens of thousands — and our eco…

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July 7, 2020 at 8:22 PM

what the hell are we doing

The United States makes up 4% of the world’s population. That’s just 1 out of every 25 people on Earth. But the United States accounts for 1 out of every 4 reported cases of coronavirus on the entire planet. What the hell are we doing? People are dying by the tens of thousands — and our eco…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

July 6, 2020 at 8:11 PM

I hope you didn't watch

I hope you didn’t watch Donald Trump’s appalling speech in South Dakota Friday night. I did. It was a frightening and disgusting display by a president who knows his popularity is plummeting and who feels cornered. Trump broadcast his intention to respond with overt racism and not-so-subtle a…

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July 4, 2020 at 12:02 PM

Trump's allegiance to traitors

As part of its annual legislation to set the Pentagon’s budget, Congress is considering a proposal that would require the renaming of military facilities and equipment currently named after figures from the Confederacy. The proposal was already approved by the Senate’s Republican-controlled Arm…

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  Aquene, Public Citizen · [email protected]

July 1, 2020 at 9:21 PM

fw: your health, your vote – in your state

On May 23rd, join us for a nation-wide day of action.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  If you haven’t sent an email to the decision-maker in your state telling them that we will not stand for the voter suppression we’re seeing this year, good news - there…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

July 1, 2020 at 12:18 AM

our coronavirus plan

Support Public Citizen I wanted to make sure you had a chance to see my earlier message about the work you and Public Citizen are doing together as the coronavirus emergency goes on. That message is copied below in case you missed it. But first, the DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCHING OFFER I’ve been t…

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  Robert · [email protected]

June 30, 2020 at 8:37 PM

we've been attacked by Trump supporters

Support Public Citizen This morning, I shared some foul comments from Trump supporters attacking the work you and Public Citizen are doing together. My thanks to everyone who responded to share how appalled and outraged they were by these hateful remarks. In case you missed it, I’ve copied my …

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  Robert Weissman, Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 30, 2020 at 5:28 PM

shattered the fantastical thinking

Support Public Citizen The U.S. and global surge in COVID-19 cases has shattered the fantastical thinking about the coronavirus that, for a moment, ruled the day. At Public Citizen, we never had any illusions. From the very start of the pandemic, we recognized that the coronavirus would be the…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 30, 2020 at 1:02 PM

hate mail

Support Public Citizen We get a lot of hate mail at Public Citizen. Here is just a fraction of what we’ve seen recently (with the expletives edited out): “You are killers and criminals. F*** you.” “I can’t wait to see you crying in November after Trump is reelected. F*** off and die!” “TRY…

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  Robert Weissman, Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 29, 2020 at 11:14 PM

I do need you to know this

Support Public Citizen We all have so much — too much — to think about these days. The ins and outs of running a nonprofit organization like Public Citizen are not near the top of many people’s to-do lists. But I do need you to know this: Public Citizen — like many nonprofits and other small…

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  Robert · [email protected]

June 29, 2020 at 6:40 PM

a teacher, a plumber and a piano tuner walk into a bar ...

Support Public Citizen A retired math teacher in the Bay Area. A plumber in Baton Rouge. A piano tuner in a suburb of Milwaukee. From all walks of life and every corner of America, more than 6,000 people have donated online so far this year to support the work you and Public Citizen are doin…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 29, 2020 at 2:07 PM

help

Support Public Citizen Does it seem like time is playing tricks with us lately? Something that happened last week can feel like ancient history. Something that took place months ago can feel like it happened yesterday. It’s three and a half years of the alternately surreal and all-too-real “…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 26, 2020 at 7:24 PM

will we get through this?

It has been just over five months since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States. Doesn’t it feel like more than that? All along, there have been voices trying to downplay the severity of the ongoing crisis — none more recklessly than Donald Trump himself. And with all we’v…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 25, 2020 at 6:28 PM

worst day yet

38,115. That’s the number of new coronavirus cases reported yesterday in the United States. And it’s a new record. Let me say that again, because there are forces trying to downplay the severity of the ongoing crisis and because a numbness to the reality of this era may be setting in: The…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 24, 2020 at 8:29 PM

Barr should be impeached

Attorney General William Barr is failing to uphold his duty to defend the Constitution. He is undermining the independence and integrity of the United States Department of Justice. And he is failing to enforce the nation’s laws with an even hand. Attorney General William Barr should be impe…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 23, 2020 at 11:30 PM

will Mitch McConnell ever do the right thing?

Today, voters in Kentucky are choosing who they want to run against Mitch McConnell for the United States Senate this fall. By and large, the Bluegrass State seems to have avoided the kinds of meltdowns we’ve seen in Wisconsin, Georgia and elsewhere over the past few months. How? Because st…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 20, 2020 at 7:34 PM

did you see it?

It was such a wonderful event. If you weren’t able to tune in to our virtual benefit show Thursday evening — or if you’d just like to see it again — you can watch a recording on Public Citizen’s YouTube channel or Facebook page. Representative Pramila Jayapal and Senator Elizabeth Warren shar…

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  Bret, Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 19, 2020 at 4:21 PM

Unconscionable, jaw-dropping corruption

end coronavirus secrets ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 18, 2020 at 11:41 PM

our Virtual Gala starts NOW and you're invited!

Elizabeth Warren, Ray Romano, Sarah Silverman, Steve Earle and other comedy legends and musical guests are waiting for you! Public Citizen’s 2020 Virtual Benefit starts in just a few minutes, at 8:00 p.m. EDT. And it’s free! Join on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or YouTube. This star-studded e…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 18, 2020 at 12:02 PM

party tonight

For so many of us, the past few months have been unlike anything we’ve experienced in our entire lives up to this point. And the past few weeks have been even more intense as we’ve all reacted to the killing of George Floyd and the unprecedented uprising for racial justice his murder touched of…

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  Aquene, Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 16, 2020 at 9:49 PM

your health, your vote – in your state

On May 23rd, join us for a nation-wide day of action.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  Friend,​ Our democracy is in crisis, but with your help, we can make a difference.   Throughout America’s history, black communities and communities of color have h…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 15, 2020 at 1:32 PM

is Elizabeth Warren coming to your house?

For so many of us, the past few months have been unlike anything we’ve experienced in our entire lives up to this point. And the past few weeks have been even more intense as we’ve all reacted to the killing of George Floyd and the unprecedented uprising for racial justice his murder touched of…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 14, 2020 at 12:13 AM

Ronald Reagan, Donald Trump, racism

In August 1980, Ronald Reagan launched his campaign as the Republican nominee for president with a rally outside of Philadelphia, Mississippi — where the Freedom Summer workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner were murdered by the KKK in 1964. In his speech, Reagan announced h…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 12, 2020 at 7:02 PM

this statement is unusual in a couple of ways

One man just did two things you rarely see. Yesterday, General Mark Milley — who, as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is our nation’s highest-ranking military officer and a key adviser to the president — apologized for taking part in Donald Trump’s sacrilegious photo-op last week at a chu…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 11, 2020 at 7:08 PM

pass police reform now

Americans are rising up in a way we haven’t seen for at least a generation. We are rising up to lament the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many more of our fellow citizens. We are rising up to call out the ongoing injustices of systemic racism. We are rising up …

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  Bret, Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 11, 2020 at 12:18 AM

lob·by: a group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue. (noun)

No more corporate lobbyists in the military | Friend,​ In Donald Trump's America, a former weapons lobbyist is our Secretary of Defense.  Even worse, Defense Secretary Mark Esper refuses to commit to not returning to Raytheon, where he made more th…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 9, 2020 at 7:02 PM

voting in person may be impossible

We’re not going to be able to hold the presidential election in November 2020. Not in a way that looks like previous presidential elections. The coronavirus is going to make in-person voting impossible or unsafe throughout much of the country. Happily, there’s an easy solution: voting by ma…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 8, 2020 at 7:41 PM

no more immunity for police

As we have witnessed again and again — including in the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis — too many law enforcement personnel in our country are too willing to ignore the civil rights of the people they are supposed to protect. One reason for this — along with severe problems in …

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  Robert, Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 7, 2020 at 2:42 AM

just back from the protest

Sometimes, demonstrations hit a sweet spot where they express rage over injustice and, simultaneously, make you feel optimistic about the prospect for change. I’m just back from marching with my wife and two boys, and I can tell you that’s what happened today in Washington, D.C. Protests and …

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 6, 2020 at 1:17 PM

the protests are working

Notes of solidarity and encouragement have been pouring in from Public Citizen supporters all across America in reaction to the messages I sent yesterday and earlier in the week. Thank you. By request, both messages — the initial one from late Monday night followed by yesterday’s update — are…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 5, 2020 at 2:01 PM

emotions have been so raw

The past week has felt like a year — so much has happened and emotions have been so raw. I wanted to share three observations, following up on my note to you earlier this week. First, the protests are working. The police officers responsible for the murder of George Floyd have now all been …

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 4, 2020 at 12:32 PM

former defense secretary denounces Trump

Yesterday, former Marine general and Secretary of Defense James Mattis condemned Donald Trump’s threat to send American troops into battle against their fellow citizens — who are rising up throughout the country to collectively lament the killing of George Floyd and demand an end to police racism…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 3, 2020 at 6:33 PM

war has been declared

Right now, millions of Americans are rising up — online and in the streets — as we collectively lament the killing of George Floyd and demand an end to police racism and violence. In response, Donald Trump has threatened to invoke a 213-year-old law, the Insurrection Act, and send American troo…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 2, 2020 at 4:31 PM

there are so many things that need to be said

After Donald Trump announced last night that he may well order the military into cities throughout the country to “dominate” American citizens who are peacefully protesting, I sent you an email. But it was rather late in the day, so I’ve copied my note below in case you missed it. Please take…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

June 2, 2020 at 4:02 AM

as I write, helicopters are flying overhead

At this moment when it feels like the country is plummeting into a kind of deranged chaos, there are so many things that need to be said, so many feelings that need to be expressed to make sense of what’s happening and to think sensibly about what we can do about it. Here are a few thoughts abo…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 30, 2020 at 1:32 PM

killed by police

Yesterday, Donald Trump said this about how people in Minnesota and throughout America are reacting to the death of George Floyd: “Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the …

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 29, 2020 at 7:10 PM

George Floyd

On Monday, a man named George Floyd died after being apprehended by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The entire incident was caught on video by a passerby. In broad daylight. From just a few feet away. George Floyd was face down on the bare asphalt of a city street as an officer’s k…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 28, 2020 at 8:19 PM

it did not have to be this bad

The first reported coronavirus-related fatality in the United States was on February 29. Not even three full months later, our country has surpassed 100,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths. That’s far more than in any other country on the planet. And — because of factors like limited testing, rep…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 23, 2020 at 12:31 PM

Jeff Bezos' shameless profiteering

While most of us are suffering through a global emergency unlike anything humanity has faced for at least a century, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has seen his net worth go up by $30 billion in just the past two months. But even as countless millions of people rely on Amazon to get the things they need…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 22, 2020 at 2:02 PM

Attorney General William Barr must resign

“Lawyers holding public office assume legal responsibilities going beyond those of other citizens. A lawyer’s abuse of public office can suggest an inability to fulfill the professional role of lawyers.” That’s from Rule 8.4 — “Maintaining The Integrity Of The Profession” — of the American Bar …

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  Bret, Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 21, 2020 at 8:31 PM

Sacrifice your rights to Big Business

an opportunity for powerful corporations to take more power | Friend,​ In the face of this historic crisis, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a plan: Sacrifice your rights to help Big Business. We’ve already lost many critical levers to lim…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 20, 2020 at 6:14 PM

Trump might blame Martians for coronavirus

Donald Trump is threatening to permanently end U.S. funding to the essential World Health Organization (WHO). Trump claims that the WHO went too easy on China in the early stages of the global coronavirus pandemic. So let’s look at just two examples of what Trump was saying (on Twitter, of co…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 19, 2020 at 6:03 PM

Donald Trump admits taking dangerous medication

Yesterday, Donald Trump announced that he has been taking hydroxychloroquine because he thinks it will protect him from being infected with the coronavirus. To be absolutely clear: Hydroxychloroquine has not been shown to be effective in preventing or treating COVID-19, the disease caused by t…

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  Public Citizen · [email protected]

May 18, 2020 at 8:01 PM

Bezos, Jeff Bezos

You really have to wonder if Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is plotting his next move from a secret mountain hideout while stroking some exotic cat, like the supervillain in a James Bond film. He is the richest person on earth. In fact — while most of us are suffering through a global emergency unlike…

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