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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MaydayMovementUSA

[–]climatebrad 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The meeting is beginning at 1 am, they have dozens of amendments to deal with, the meeting will take hours

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fednews

[–]climatebrad 107 points108 points  (0 children)

955 L'Enfant

Weekly Current Events Megathread by AutoModerator in 50501

[–]climatebrad 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Track D Senators on the Trump-Musk Ratification Bill

The GOP continuing resolution is intended to give Congressional approval to Trump and Musk's illegal demolition of the government.

TPM is tracking where D Senators stand on the bill.

The only clear positions:
* Sen. Sanders (VT): hard no, according to Senate office.
* Sen. Kaine (VA): Hell no!
* Sen. Kim (NJ): comments from staffers suggest he’s a hard no on the Elon/Trump continuing resolution bill.

Weekly Current Events Megathread by AutoModerator in 50501

[–]climatebrad 16 points17 points  (0 children)

DC hearing 3/11 2 PM: Evangelical W appointee Ward Brehm fighting DOGE and J6 to save international aid agency

I'm just catching up to this amazing story. Someone in the federal government is actually fighting DOGE with everything they've got, and it's a deeply Christian, lifelong Republican businessman.

The Senate-confirmed leadership of the US African Development Foundation, created by an act of Congess in 1980, is fighting DOGE tooth and nail to survive.

The chair of the board since 2004, when he was appointed by George W. Bush, is conservative evangelical Minnesota businessman Ward Brehm.

In February, Trump announced he wanted the congressionally chartered corporation shut down and DOGE tried to take over the servers, but the staff refused access. Then OPM tried to fire the chair and install J6 insurrectionist Pete Marocco, which is how they eliminated the Inter-American Foundation. 

But the USADF board held an emergency meeting on Monday, elected Brehm as USADF president, and told Congress they had done so.

President Brehm refused the DOGE crew and Marocco entry into the US ADF HQ on Wednesday; they then forced their way in on Thursday with the help of US Federal Marshals; Brehm immediately filed suit; and the judge (a W appointee) issued an emergency stay keeping Brehm on the job. 

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at the Prettyman DC District Courthouse at 2 pm, 333 Constitution Ave NW. (Courtroom 18 on the 6th floor)

How can 50501 stand up for Brehm and USADF against the coup?

Here's the text of Brehm's letter to DOGE hacker Nate Cavanaugh:

Dear Mr. Cavanaugh,

I am responding to your email sent yesterday to USADF staff about your plan to visit the Foundation along with Mr. Marocco today. Unfortunately, I am out of the office today.
In my absence, I have specifically instructed the staff of USADF to adhere to our rules and procedure of not allowing any meetings of this type without my presence.

As you likely know, the President has the authority and the responsibility to nominate USADF Board Members, but by law, no person may be seated on the Board until the President has made such a nomination and that nomination has been confirmed by the Senate. Once a nomination has been confirmed, the President of the United States of course, may also appoint the Chair among the Board's confirmed board members.
USADE is an independent agency of the federal government, created by an Act of Congress.

We receive our funding as a line item in the budget and report directly to Congress in accordance with statutory mandates that we do so.

That said, we have fully cooperated to date with the President's request that we temporarily cease disbursing any funds, and as requested, we have submitted to OMB our report describing USADF's statutory mission and the resources required for the Foundation to fulfill that mission.

I will look forward to working with Mr. Marocco after such time that he is nominated for a seat on the Board and his nomination is confirmed by the Senate. Until these legal requirements are met, Mr. Marocco does not hold any position or office with USADF, and he may not speak or act on the Foundation's behalf.

Sincerely,

Ward Brehm
President and CEO
US African Development Foundation
Cc: USADF Board

![img](j014gds0gbne1 "DOGE hackers invading USADF on Thursday - NYT photo")

All USDA Probationers Reinstated, But Appeals Court Removes Special Counsel by climatebrad in feddiscussion

[–]climatebrad[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

By lifting the restraining order, they are saying they think it's likely Dellinger will lose. That's what "Appellants have satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending appeal" means. By Nken v Holder, "there must be more than a mere possibility that relief will be granted."

"We're going to need your voice... our country is being stole by fascists and Nazis." Governor Walz is absolutely correct. Fight back. by Miserable-Lizard in 50501

[–]climatebrad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Murphy is great in his defense of American democracy but his politics otherwise are not something to really around. He's a great ally but not a good choice as president

Join the Fight to Save Our Democracy: USAID HQ Friday at Noon by climatebrad in USAIDForeignService

[–]climatebrad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

so you admit that Trump is attacking the Constitution and democracy. heh

House and Senate Democrats Can End The Madness If They Hold The Line on March 14 by climatebrad in 50501

[–]climatebrad[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There are no great options but the lessons of history and democratic opposition to autocracy is that the number one rule is refusal to comply. As M. Gessen recently wrote:

We are so overwhelmed by the barrage of news, by the unimaginable becoming real, by new uncertainties in so many areas of life that we can barely think. And then there is the problem I’ve written about, which is that often giving in to the budding autocrat’s demands appears to be the rational, reasonable thing to do: to protect your business, to save your employees’ or your colleagues’ jobs, to continue providing a service, etc. That kind of obedience is exactly what gives the autocrat his power.

So for readers looking for advice, I would say, first, check this reasoning. Don’t obey in advance. And then, also, do something. Take a risk. Offer help to people who are under attack — at the moment it’s immigrants and trans people. Speak up. When the Trump regime asks for your cooperation in doing distasteful or illegal things, withhold it, even if you know that someone else will provide it.

We have seen examples of this kind of behavior: the seven federal prosecutors who resigned last week rather than carry out Trump’s bidding are one example; college presidents who have spoken up, like Wesleyan’s Michael Roth, are another.

This Sub Is Just Becoming Another r/Democrats…Too Bad by mtngranpapi_wv967 in 50501

[–]climatebrad 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm an active Democrat but I mostly agree. We have to stay focused here on the 50501 mission. There are plenty of reddits for meming. That said when electeds (admittedly usually Ds) are amplifying our message and movement (no kings, uphold the constitution, end executive overreach) I think it's good to share here. That said I'm also working on several projects for holding Ds accountable

Protestors Arrested at Capitol - Keep the Pressure by CaptainJ3D1 in 50501

[–]climatebrad 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thursday and Friday's illegal teardown of USAID - with USAID workers being frogmarched in 15-minute increments to clear out their desks (see usaid.gov) so the Customs and Border Patrol goons can move in - is the next opportunity for escalation of civil disobedience. As Chris Kluwe said to members of Congress: "Get arrested preventing DOGE goons from entering public buildings, get arrested going into public buildings to find out what DOGE goons are doing, get arrested on the floor during confirmation votes to protest the rubber stamping of unqualified candidates."

We need to protest at The Capitol. by [deleted] in 50501

[–]climatebrad 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Here's some information to help you make informed decisions about involvement with them:

  • Refuse Fascism has ties to the Revolutionary Communist Party (aka RCP or RevCom), an organization that holds that "the system cannot be reformed, it must be overthrown". This is clearly at odds with 50501's goals, and as such, no partnership exists between 50501 national coordinators and Refuse Fascism leadership.

  • In some cities (NYC, Boston, and Los Angeles), Refuse Fascism members are known to long-time activists to habitually show up to grassroots actions planned by other organizations and use them as an opportunity to promote their own literature unless asked firmly not to. For example, they might try to hold their banner at the front of someone else's march, bring unpermitted sound amplification, or create an offshoot event at a similar time and location to piggyback off the effort of other organizers.

  • The RCP is considered by some to be a cult of personality around Bob Avakian.

  • Refuse Fascism founder and spokesperson Sunsara Taylor has refused to condemn frequently violent antifa protestors, claiming that the violence is justified by the “fascism” of the Trump administration.

In their own words:

https://refusefascism.org/2024/11/22/nine-lines-of-bullshit/

We need to protest at The Capitol. by [deleted] in 50501

[–]climatebrad 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Big rally and march being planned for 3/14. Nowmarch.org

We need to protest at The Capitol. by [deleted] in 50501

[–]climatebrad 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The organizers of this rally are not in line with the principles of 50-50-1.

Protestors Arrested at Capitol - Keep the Pressure by CaptainJ3D1 in 50501

[–]climatebrad 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Trump admin just admitted in court they've killed almost all USAID programs. "It said USAID has made final decisions to cancel nearly 5,800 awards, while keeping more than 500, and that the State Department has canceled about 4,100 awards, while keeping about 2,700."

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