THe LuLac Edition #4, 997, September 15th, 2023

SPECIAL COUNSEL ASKS FOR 'NARROW' GAG ORDER FOR TRUMP IN ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE

 

Citing threats against individuals former President Donald Trump has targeted, special counsel Jack Smith is asking a federal judge for a narrowly tailored gag order that restricts the 2024 presidential candidate from making certain extrajudicial statements about the election interference case brought against him.

A redacted copy of a government filing — released Friday, after an order from U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan — comes in connection with the election interference case, one of four criminal cases the former president is facing, two of which are federal.

“The defendant has an established practice of issuing inflammatory public statements targeted at individuals or institutions that present an obstacle or challenge to him,” the special counsel's office wrote.

The government said Trump "made clear his intent to issue public attacks related to this case when, the day after his arraignment, he posted a threatening message on Truth Social."

Trump's Aug. 4 post read: "IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I'M COMING AFTER YOU!"

Trump, the office wrote, "has made good on his threat," spreading "disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses."

This was a wise move. Trump and his lawyers shouldn't even be invited for one on one interviews because their answers are based in non facts. Proven lies. Network execs have to realize this is not a game show. There should be TRUTH and lies should have CONSEQUENCES.  Hopefully this will help but I'm not optimistic. (aolnews, Lulac)

U.S. REPS. CARTWRIGHT AND WILLIAMS REINTRODUCE THE TIME OFF TO VOTE ACT

LEGISLATORS SEEKING TO REQUIRE EMPLOYERS TO PROVIDE EMPLOYEES AT LEAST TWO HOURS OF PAID LEAVE TO VOTE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives)

S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (GA-05) have reintroduced the Time Off to Vote Act, which would require employers to provide their employees at least two hours of paid leave to vote in a federal election.

During each election, many wage earners choose not to go to the polls because they simply cannot afford to take time off from work. The Time Off to Vote Act would establish a minimum national standard to give workers time to vote without creating a financial burden.

“Voting should not be a luxury that only the well-off can afford,” said Rep. Cartwright. “This bill reaffirms our commitment to making voting more accessible to all by ensuring that American workers do not have to choose between casting their ballots or receiving a full paycheck.”

“As a working mom, I know how tough it is to carve out time to vote in between our daily demands,” said Rep. Williams, Co-Chair of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus and the Task Force for Strengthening Democracy. “That’s why I am proud to reintroduce the Time Off to Vote Act because no one should be forced to choose between earning their full paycheck or participating in our democracy. This legislation will make it easier for working people to exercise their sacred right to vote. Everyone deserves free and fair access to the ballot box, regardless of where they work or their flexibility while on the clock.”

This legislation has received the support of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE); Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; Brennan Center for Justice; Common Cause; End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund; GALEO Impact Fund; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; League of Conservation Voters; NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; National Association of Social Workers (NASW); National Education Association (NEA); Service Employees International Union (SEIU); The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; UNITE HERE; Vote.org; Voters of Tomorrow.

“All Americans deserve to have their voices heard and votes counted. Especially as some states pass discriminatory voter suppression laws, the Time Off to Vote Act is needed more than ever,” said Sylvia Albert, Director of Voting and Elections at Common Cause.  to Require Employers to Provide Employees at Least Two Hours of Paid Leave to Vote in a Federal Election“We commend Representative Cartwright for his leadership to protect and strengthen the freedom to vote so that ‘We the People’ can continue to have our voices heard.”

“The American public should be able to exercise the right to vote without the obstacle of missing a paycheck to do so. Many face this very choice, and we applaud Representative Matt Cartwright for working to correct this injustice,” said Everett Kelly, American Federation of Government Employees National President. “AFGE represents thousands of employees serving, caring for, and protecting the American public while also working long hours on late-night or odd shifts. Some are front-line workers on shifts around the clock, and even more work far from home and endure commutes that make it difficult to take time off to vote. The Time Off to Vote Act will help American workers including AFGE members exercise their right to vote by delivering them paid leave, which allows flexibility for workers with difficult schedules to access the polls on election day. We support the Time Off to Vote Act and look forward to its passage so that federal employees may more fully participate in our democracy.”

“Black and Brown working people shouldn’t have to choose between making their voices heard at the ballot box and providing for their families,” said Alex Ault, Policy Counsel, Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The Lawyers’ Committee is proud to once again endorse the Time Off to Vote Act, a necessary piece of legislation to combat the burdens of long lines and ease the hard choices Black and Brown voters too often confront.”

“The ability to participate in the democratic process is one of our greatest rights in this country. No American should be prevented from making their voice heard at the ballot box because they can’t get time off work to do it. We applaud Congressman Cartwright for his continued leadership in expanding the freedom to vote––and we fully support his Time Off to Vote Act,” said Tiffany Muller, President, End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund.

This legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Becca Balint (VT-At Large); Nanette Barragán (CA-44); Earl Blumenauer (OR-03); Jamaal Bowman (NY-16); Brendan Boyle (PA-02); Shontel Brown (OH-11); André Carson (IN-07); Troy Carter (LA-02); Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20); Yvette Clarke (NY-09); Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05); Steve Cohen (TN-09); Jasmine Crockett (TX-30); Danny K. Davis (IL-07); Chris Deluzio (PA-17); Lloyd Doggett (TX-37); Adriano Espaillat (NY-13); Dwight Evans (PA-03); Ruben Gallego (AZ-03); Al Green (TX-09); Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07); Jonathan Jackson (IL-01); Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18); Sara Jacobs (CA-51); Hank Johnson (GA-04); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08); Barbara Lee (CA-12); Jennifer McClellan (VA-04); Betty McCollum (MN-04); Gregory Meeks (NY-05); Gwen Moore (WI-04); Seth Moulton (MA-06); Kevin Mullin (CA-15); Grace Napolitano (CA-31); Wiley Nickel (NC-13); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large); Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10); Mark Pocan (WI-02); Katie Porter (CA-47); Ayanna Pressley (MA-07); Jamie Raskin (MD-08); C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02); Andrea Salinas (OR-06); Linda Sánchez (CA-38); John Sarbanes (MD-03); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); Jan Schakowsky (IL-09); Adam Schiff (CA-30); Terri Sewell (AL-07); Eric Swalwell (CA-14); Bennie Thompson (MS-02); Dina Titus (NV-01); Rashida Tlaib (MI-12); David Trone (MD-06); Juan Vargas (CA-52); Nydia Velázquez (NY-07); Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25); Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12); Nikema Williams (GA-05); Frederica Wilson (FL-24)

 

 CASEY INTRODUCES BILL TO EXPAND SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

CURRENTLY, WIDOWS, WIDOWERS, AND SURVIVING DIVORCED SPOUSES FACE
DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH RATES OF POVERTY AND UNNECESSARY AND BURDENSOME HURDLES TO ACCESS SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment (SWIFT) Act, which would fix outdated and arbitrary restrictions on Social Security benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses. Currently, despite facing disproportionately high rates of poverty, widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses often must overcome unnecessary and burdensome hurdles to access Social Security benefits and are prevented from maximizing their benefits. The SWIFT Act would fix this problem by eliminating or providing more flexibility around these barriers, which often harm women. The bill would ultimately increase Social Security benefits for more than one million Americans.

“Social Security is a lifeline for many older adults and people with disabilities,” said Chairman Casey. “Yet because of outdated rules that disproportionately affect women, many of those who rely on Social Security the most are not receiving all the benefits they need and deserve. The SWIFT Act will modernize Social Security and help the program keep its promise of a financially secure retirement for all Americans.”

Official poverty rates of widow(er)s receiving Social Security benefits are nearly twice as high as those of retired workers and spouses, and widow(er)s caring for children and widow(er)s with disabilities have among the highest poverty rates of all Social Security recipients. Despite this, under current law, widow(er)s who develop a disability after their spouse dies are not allowed to claim survivor benefits until they reach age 50, and the value of these benefits is severely reduced if they claim them before reaching full retirement age. Additionally, more than one-third of widow(er)s also have their benefits limited by an obscure provision known as the “widow(er)’s limit,” which prevents beneficiaries from maximizing their benefits by permanently reducing widow(er)s’ survivor benefits if their deceased spouse claimed retirement benefits before reaching full retirement age.

The SWIFT Act would remove these barriers and modernize Social Security by:

Allowing widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses with disabilities to receive 100% of the survivor benefit they are entitled to regardless of their age.

Giving widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses the ability to increase the value of their survivor benefits beyond current arbitrary cap.

Enabling widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses caring for children to receive child-in-care benefits until their children are age 18 or 19 if still in school.

Requiring the federal government to proactively provide information to widow(er)s and surviving divorced spouses about benefits they are eligible for, claiming options and important deadlines.

The SWIFT Act is cosponsored by Senators Blumenthal (D-CT), Klobuchar (D-MN), Stabenow (D-MI), Murray (D-WA), and Sanders (I-VT). It has been endorsed by the National Committee To Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, the National Association of Disability Representatives, the Alliance for Retired Americans, Justice in Aging, the Arc of the United States, the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, AFSCME, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Reps, AFL-CIO, and AFGE.

The SWIFT Act would fix these outdated and arbitrary restrictions, ultimately increasing Social Security benefits for more than one million Americans. 

MOODY’S UPGRADES PENNSYLVANIA’S RATING OUTLOOK TO “POSITIVE” THANKS TO THE COMMONWEALTH’S RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING AND STRONG ECONOMY

THE CREDIT RATING AGENCY HAS UPGRADED PENNSYLVANIA’S RATING OUTLOOK TO POSITIVE FROM STABLE AND REAFFIRMED THE AA3 ISSUER RATING, IN A TESTAMENT TO THE COMMONWEALTH’S SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT UNDER THE SHAPIRO ADMINISTRATION

Governor Josh Shapiro (Photo: LuLac archives)

Moody’s reaffirmed Pennsylvania’s Aa3 issuer credit rating and has upgraded the Commonwealth’s rating outlook to positive from stable, affirming that Pennsylvania’s economy and budgeting practices are strong and setting the Commonwealth up for long-term success. Governor Shapiro has a track record of fiscally responsible management, and today’s announcement is a further demonstration of the Commonwealth’s strong financial position and the importance of making commonsense investments to grow our economy and help Pennsylvania families.

Pennsylvania’s rating outlook was upgraded to positive as a result of significant increase in budget reserves over the past three fiscal years and Moody’s assessment that core rainy day reserves will remain near current levels “due to sound budget management and continued steady revenue growth.” While this assessment is only one of many metrics of Pennsylvania’s economy and fiscal stability, it is an important measurement of the Commonwealth’s financial outlook.

“Today’s rating reaffirms that our Commonwealth is on sound financial footing – and that with the commonsense investments we are making, Pennsylvania is on a path for continued economic growth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “Together with leaders in both parties, we passed a bipartisan, commonsense budget that makes historic investments in Pennsylvania schools and businesses, supports our law enforcement and first responders, and makes our families healthier. I’m proud that Pennsylvania has been recognized for our sound financial management – and my Administration will keep working to grow our economy and ensure the Commonwealth’s fiscal outlook remains strong.”

“Sound financial management makes a difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians every day – and this rating and upgraded outlook affirms that the Shapiro Administration is making responsible decisions to ensure fiscal stability for our Commonwealth,” said Secretary of the Budget Uri Monson.

Governor Shapiro also announced that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the Annual Budget for fiscal year 2023-24 and the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting – the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting – from the Government Finance Officers Association.

The press release issued by Moody’s Investors Services can be found here and a chart of Pennsylvania’s ratings’ history can be found here.

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV 

Pictured are Educators Matt Engel, me, first row, 

Layla Josie, Happy Jack and Liana.

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM 

 This week's guests are Beth Pantano and Jane Brennan from Caring Hearts, discussing an upcoming senior services fair.  You'll hear the program Sunday morning at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 am on 1400 The Mothership; and at 7:30 on 105 The River

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

1954

Our 1954 logo.

English composer Benjamin Britten's chamber opera version of The Turn of the Screw receives its world premiere, at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Italy………. Black Wednesday in air travel: severe delays to flights, due to bad weather, occur along the East Coast of the United States………

William Golding's allegorical dystopian novel Lord of the Flies is published in London. Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel by the Nobel laureate British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves. Themes include the tension between groupthink and individuality, between rational and emotional reactions, and between morality and immorality. The novel, which was Golding's debut, was generally well received. It was named in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels, reaching number 41 on the editor's list, and 25 on the reader's list. In 2003, it was listed at number 70 on the BBC's The Big Read poll, and in 2005 Time magazine named it as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005, and included it in its list of the 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time. Popular reading in schools, especially in the English-speaking world, Lord of the Flies was ranked third in the nation's favourite books from school in a 2016 UK poll and this week in 1954 the number one song in LuLac land and America was Eddie Fisher’s “Count Your Blessings”.