Holidays & Hope: December 2020

Hi everyone! Happy Holidays and almost 2021!

We know we’ve been a little MIA. We apologize for that! We will be back on track with biweekly lists after the holidays and we can’t wait.
As we’ve said before, we are going to continue putting out lists and resources no matter who the president is. One of the benefits of having a Democratic president is that there’s more room for more specific debates about progressive policy, so we are having conversations on how we are going to navigate those discussions with our resources. 

Another important thing to look into this week too is this Overview of the the stimulus battle right now.

With that being said, let’s get into it!

What Went Down

​The Killing of Casey Goodson Jr.:
On December 4, police in Columbus, Ohio killed Casey Goodson Jr. as he was arriving home. The Columbus Police Dept. has said that officers were in the area looking for someone in an unrelated operation. The remaining details of the incident are in question: where Goodson was shot, why it happened, even the events leading up to the shooting itself. One of the details that is disputed is whether Goodson aimed a gun at the officer who killed him, Jason Meade: the officer’s lawyer says that Goodson did so, while Goodson’s family says that there was not a gun anywhere near him at the time. Part of the reason for this confusion is that the Columbus Police Department does not wear body cameras. 

Casey Goodson Jr.’s family described him as a kind and gentle person who was a protector to his family after the death of his grandfather (as per the New York Times). His murder is one in a long list of killings of Black people by police even just this year. Protests have erupted in Columbus and other cities around the country demanding action from the Columbus Police Dept. and other agencies.

Casey Goodson Jr. should not have been killed. It’s imperative that there is transparency in the details of his killing and bring those responsible to justice. An investigation is occurring through multiple channels, but we must keep the pressure on.

What You Can Do:

• If you’re in the Cleveland area, there is a rally on Sunday being organized by Black Liberation Movement Central Ohio: https://www.facebook.com/events/205491967857215
• Donate to Goodson’s family’s GoFundMe
• Folks in New York City can continue to look to Justice For George NYC for event updates
• Call Gov. Mike DeWine: 
  • (614-644-4357)
  • Hi, my name is ___ and I’m calling to demand that Jason Meade be arrested and charged for his murder of Casey Goodson. Meade murdered Casey Goodson publicly and ruthlessly and as an agent of the government. He must face consequences. Thank you. 
• Sign this petition

Cabinet Update: In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, President-elect Biden and Vice-President-Elect Harris have been announcing nominees for their cabinet and other members of their transition team. Here, we break down some of the nominees.  For all of them, if confirmed, we'll be paying attention to their choices and holding them accountable. (Sources: Politico, Settle for Biden, The New York Times)

Secretary of State: Antony Blinken
Began career in State Dept. under Clinton administration; expected to try to combine international partners into a new competition with China and calm both diplomats and leaders after Trump upended the stability of foreign affairs.
Where he stands: Blinken isn't a big progressive, but he will support important promises that the new administration has made around foreign policy, and is an obvious improvement on the variety of Secretaries of State that rolled through during the Trump admin. He is dedicated to immediately rejoining the Paris Accords and, in general, taking climate change seriously. Faiz Shakir, Bernie Sanders' former campaign manager, has called him "a solid choice."

Secretary of the Treasury: Janet Yellen
Former Federal Reserve Chairwoman; would be the first woman to hold the position. Unemployment rate fell 2.6% during her tenure as Fed Chair, while Dow Jones set over 100 record highs and inflation rates hovered around 2% target. She's extremely qualified and will be able to navigate through an unprecedented transition and (worst case scenario) a Republican Senate. While many hoped for a more progressive pick, she's very qualified for this job, and progressive economic policy can still be a major focus in the legislative branch, where there are lots of progressive bastions.

Secretary of Defense: Gen. Lloyd Austin
Former commander of the U.S. Military effort in Iraq; would be the first African-Ameircan to lead the Pentagon. His main expertise lies in the Middle East; key challenges today also lie in China, Russia, and technology/military modernization. Austin has gained respect for his work under the Obama administration, and is also extremely qualified for the heady logistical task of vaccine distribution when the time comes for the COVID-19 vaccines to become readily available. That being said, Austin is on the boards of Raytheon, a defense contractor, Tenet, a for-profit hospital company, and Nucor, a steel production company, all corporations that are connected to the military industrial complex. Because of this, we'll be keeping an extra eye out-- and pushing for anti-corruption legislation to make sure that public figures can't have stock (literal or figurative) in corporations like that. Read more experts weighing in here. 

Secretary of the Interior: Deb Haaland
Currently, a congresswoman from New Mexico and a citizen of the Laguna Pueblo. She has supported efforts at Standing Rock to preserve tribal sovereignty and protect natural resources threatened by the oil pipeline proposed in 2016.  If confirmed, would make history as first Indigenous person to hold a cabinet position. (The Secretary of the interior oversees  federal lands and waterways, in addition to plants, animals, and natural resources located there.) Haaland is an amazing progressive legislator and this position allows her to make changes for indigenous communities, protect national parks and other federal lands,  and work on other environmental policy.

Secretary of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack (red flag nominee)
Served in the position from 2009-2017. His nomination has garnered opposition from organizations representing Black people, progressive rural organizations, family farmers, and environmentalists, and is a slap in the face to all of those groups. Previously, he left his job at the USDA a week early to become a lobbyist, paid a million dollar salary to carry out the wishes of dairy monopolies. He also was heavily criticized in the Obama Dept. of Agriculture because he "distorted data which covered up decades of discrimination against Black farmers." In the pocket of corporate agribusiness, and bad for working people. NAACP President Derrick Johnson spoke to President-Elect Biden about Vilsack and advocated not nominating him.
We need a different nominee for this one. 
Call your Senators and tell them to oppose Vilsack's confirmation: 202-224-3121
Hi. My name is _____, I’m from  _____, and I’m calling because I want Senator ______ to vote AGAINST Tom Vilsack's confirmation for Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack's history with racial discrimination, ties to large corporations, and snubs to environmentalism make him unqualified to take up this position in a time that its responsibilities are extremely important. The Biden administration must nominate someone better and more focused on serving the people. I expect Senator ______ to protect their constituents by stopping Vilsack from becoming Secretary of Agriculture. Thank you.

Secretary of Health and Human Services: Xavier Becerra
The current Democratic attorney general of California and former California congressman. If confirmed, he’d be the first Latino to run the department. As AG, at the forefront of legal efforts to protect the ACA; vocal about fighting for women’s health. Will have the massive task of advising Biden in dealing with the pandemic. He's been loud about his support of Medicare for All and is fervently pro-choice. 

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Marcia Fudge
As chair of the House subcommittee responsible for oversight of the USDA, was campaigning to be Agriculture Secretary. She's rightfully criticized how cabinet positions are filled, saying “You know, it’s always ‘we want to put the Black person in Labor or HUD," which makes this a slightly bittersweet pick for those who hoped she might be nominated for a different position. That being said, she's extremely qualified and her commitment to public housing in the past is an amazing sign.  If confirmed, would have to maintain and operate 1.1 units of public housing; disburse housing vouchers and development subsidies through disparate programs; and much more. (The HUD is chronically underfunded, so it’s a very challenging job.)  

Secretary of Transportation: Pete Buttigieg
Remember that closed-door meeting that preceded former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg dropping out of the race? Well, this position is likely his pay-off. If confirmed, Buttigieg would oversee the Federal Highway administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, potentially having a huge impact on the auto industry. 

Secretary of Energy: Jennifer Granholm
Former Governor of Michigan and Former AG of Michigan. Granholm is a staunch supporter of renewable energy development and has been opposed to the building of pipelines like the Keystone and the Dakota Access. She also has auto industry experience. This position gives her a big budget to address the climate crisis in really important and tangible ways. 

Secretary of Education: Miguel Cardona
Chief of Connecticut schools. Cardona is a public school educator, already an improvement on Betsy DeVos, and attended public schools throughout his life.  Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers (national teachers' union) said that Cardona has "deep respect for educators and their unions." Cardona has served as an elementary school teacher, a principal, an assistant superintendent, an adjunct professor, and a commissioner of education. He has addressed systemic problems in the education system before, and will hopefully continue to do so.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Denis McDonough
Former Chief of Staff for Pres. Obama. McDonough's nomination goes against the traditional nomination of a veteran for this position. Biden picked him because of his previous commitment to military families, veterans, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He's also highly experienced in government and will know how to get aid for veterans through a convoluted system. However, there are plenty of people with similar experience who also have a stronger connection to the community, and when there's already a lack of trust towards the VA in some cases, that's not great.

Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas
Former Director of US Citizenship & Immigration Services and Former Deputy Sec. of Homeland Security. Mayorkas has previously led the implementation of DACA (read more here) and also led successful responses to Ebola and Zika virus under the Obama admin. He would be the first Latinx person to hold this position.

More cabinet-rank equivalents and White House staff (incl. National Security Advisor, UN ambassador, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator), can be found at a full list here.

Positions yet to be filled:
CIA Director, Secretary of Commerce, Small Business Administrator, Secretary of Labor, Attorney General.

Look out for cabinet battles after Biden’s inauguration! 

Other transition updates: Not sure if we need to include this part:
Department of Defense cancelled meetings with the Biden transition team, asserting that there was a “mutually agreed upon holiday pause”; Biden confirmed that there was not. Biden is still missing full access to key information—specifically, about massive cyberattacks on govt agencies/tech/accounting companies.

President Trump has still refused to concede, despite the Electoral College verifying Biden’s victory.

 GA Senate Update:
The two races are currently EXTREMELY CLOSE, according to FiveThirtyEight!! As of Dec. 23, Republican Sen. David Perdue is leading Democrat Jon Ossoff by .4 percentage points, 48.8% to 48.4%, in the normal election; in the special election, Democrat Raphael Warnock is leading Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler by .5 percentage points, 48.8% to 48.3%. 

Democrats are weaponizing Trump’s call for $2,000 stimulus checks on Tuesday night — throwing a wrench in weeks of drawn-out haggling in the Senate and a precariously reached compromise — to bash on GOP candidates in the race. In the final days before the Jan. 5th runoff, Trump has compromised Perdue and Loeffler’s ability to deliver much-needed relief to their constituents, presenting yet another reason that the Democrats might be the better choice for voters. 

What can you do?
Phonebank, textbank, donate, repeat!!
Sign up for daily Ossoff volunteering here; sign up for daily Warnock volunteering here. Donate to Ossoff here; donate to Warnoff here. 
Additionally, check out our last list to learn more about the candidates. 

​Holiday Giving: Here are just a few suggestions on wonderful places to direct money if you're looking to make some donations during the holiday season (or any time).
This list includes both non-profits and mutual aid groups. Mutual aid is a wonderful way to get involved in your community while offering financial support. Read more about what it is here and here.

Fair Fight: Fair Fight is an organization that was started by the incredible Stacey Abrams. its goal is to prevent voter suppression in Georgia and around the country. Voter suppression is an issue with a long history in the United States, and its effects can be devastating on marginalized communities (see more here). Especially right before the highly important Georgia Senate races, Fair Fight is a wonderful organization to support. 
Website: https://fairfight.com/

Openyrpurse: Openyrpurse is an Instagram account that shares crowdfunding efforts from marginalized people. They consistently post important fundraisers that need donations. Many of them are urgent, time-sensitive, and have no other source of funding besides the community. Check out the account at https://www.instagram.com/openyrpurse/.

For the Gworls: For the Gworls is a mutual aid group that helps Black trans people, one of the most marginalized groups in the country, pay for their rent and gender-affirming surgeries (if they'd like them). Black trans people are disproportionately affected by both poverty and hate crimes, especially Black trans women. For the Gworls plays a vital role in many people's lives.
Website: https://www.forthegworls.party/

Mutual Aid NYC: https://mutualaid.nyc/
Crown Heights Mutual Aid: https://crownheightsmutualaid.com/​

The Southern Poverty Law Center: The Southern Poverty Law Center is a fantastic organization that deals with racism and prejudice. It has three main branches. Fighting Hate deals with keeping hate groups across the US under control and releasing information that keeps Americans updated about extremist groups. They offer super informative resources like their Hate Map as well as articles that explain major hate groups, and they also train law enforcement to deal with hate crimes in better ways. Teaching Tolerance, another part of their program, creates curriculum for teachers and schools to use across the country that teach diverse history and important lessons to students who may not be receiving that otherwise. Lastly, through Seeking Justice, the SPLC champions important civil rights law cases. They are a group that does very necessary work.
Website: splcenter.org; How to support them: Donations or publicity in your community (check website for more)

The American Civil Liberties Union: Commonly know as the ACLU, this organization does incredible work to protect the individual and collective civil rights of Americans through community outreach & organizing and providing law work on important civil rights cases. Since Trump's election, they've been at the forefront of the resistance and have been involved in numerous cases to help people affected by discriminatory legislation, as well as trying to stop that legislation itself.
Website: aclu.org; How to support them: Donations or visit aclu.org/action for more incredible ways to speak out.

Planned Parenthood: You saw this coming, didn't you? Now over 101 years old, Planned Parenthood has been a leader of women's health for years. They provide prenatal, pregnancy and sexual healthcare and resources to anyone and everyone. Particularly, they provide these services to low income women healthcare services. They also provide birth control and contraceptive resources, cancer screenings, and yes, abortions in most cases. All while maintaining a welcoming and confidential environment. They are an incredibly important organization in this country, and they're also under fire right now. 
Website: plannedparenthood.org; How to support them: Donations, march on their behalf, call Congress to oppose defunding or through plannedparenthood.org/getinvolved

Make the Road NY: This is an incredible community-based organization that works to uplift low-income and Latinx communities through "multi-issue, multi-generational organizing," according to their website. They do legal work in helping make sure that the rights of immigrants are upheld and they also work with adult education, organizing and on-the-ground change making. They also protect students and Dreamers fiercely and are at the forefront of the immigration reform movement.
Website: maketheroadny.org; How to support them: Donations and visit maketheroadny.org/participate.php for more.

EMILY's List: EMILY's List is an organization that supports and encourages Democratic, pro-choice women to run for office. They (and we) believe that for government to do its best for America, it needs to represent our population and that if more women are elected to office, real change can be made. They fundraise for women candidates and train women to run for office, something we really do need. (Oh, and what does that acronym stand for? "Early Money Is Like Yeast"- it makes the dough rise.)
Website: emilyslist.org; How to support them: donate, attend trainings, sign their petitions and encourage others to run for office (or do so yourself!). For more, see emilyslist.org/pages/get-involved

NAACP's Legal Defense Fund: The LDF works on important civil rights cases and does pro-bono law work for people whose rights are being violated in situations where they are in a lesser position of power. 
Website: www.naacpldf.org; How to support them: donate or take action (petitions!, etc.) through naacpldf.org/take-action.

International Rescue Commission: The IRC responds to humanitarian crises to help people who are in danger or peril. They helped 26 million people in 2016. Not only that, but they work to make sure America is a welcoming place for these refugees, and to ensure they can come here at all.
Website: rescue.org; How to support them: donations are incredibly helpful, though they do have a few other ways to help at rescue.org/how-to-help.

Close Rikers: Close Rikers is a New York City grassroots effort to close Rikers Island. Rikers Island is a prison in New York City that has been the culprit of horrifying treatment for a long time. Detaining one person at Rikers costs NYC taxpayers 247,000 per year. 89% of the Rikers population are Black and Latinx. In many of these cases, these prisoners are at Rikers for tiny "broken windows" crimes or their inability to pay bail. In many cases, they have not committed the crimes. Rikers is a system that contributes to the problem of mass incarceration in this country and Close Rikers is trying to shut it down.
Website: closerikers.org; How to support them: donate, join the campaign, tweet @NYCMayor and attend events. More at closerikers.org/take-action.

Wishing everyone a lovely holiday season. See you next year!

This list was written by Kate Griem & Sonia Chajet Wides