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Upcoming JAC Events
|  | September 23rd
Talking Points HP
with Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10)
Watch your inbox for details.
Michigan
Membership Meeting
Details to follow.
Want to host an event in your area? Contact the JAC office. |
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Upcoming Candidate Events
| | July 29th
Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
Meet & Greet in Chicago, IL
Details
August 14th
Democratic Leader
Nancy Pelosi
Frontline Luncheon in Chicago, IL
September 27th
Women's Senate Network Luncheon
Chicago, IL
Want to host an event in your area? Contact the JAC office. |
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On Our Radar
|  | Federal Legislation we are watching:
* Voting Rights Act
* Federal 20-week
abortion ban
* Employment
NonDiscrimination
Act (ENDA)
* Sexual Assault in
the Military
* Farm Bill - food
aid (SNAP)
* HR 1565 - Public
Safety & 2nd
Amendment
Rights Act
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Thank Secretary Kerry for working to restart the Peace Talks.
Sign JAC's letter commending John Kerry on his efforts to bring the Israelis and Palestinians back to the table.
Your voice DOES make a difference.
Stay informed, share your knowledge
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See JAC's Action Alerts here.
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Why It Matters:
Immigration Reform
There are 11 million undocumented people living in the U.S. This includes skilled and unskilled workers, adults and children. We need a thoughtful and comprehensive immigration policy that will create a pathway to citizenship for those already here, and will allow children who were brought here to go to school to better their lives.
We commend the Gang of Eight in the Senate who wrote a bi-partisan bill and hope that the Congress will do the same.
As a Jewish community, we understand the need to welcome the stranger.
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JACBLOG!
Remember to check out our blog to keep up with current issues and opinion and to sort fact from fiction on the Internet. Be sure to read Presidential Ponderings, thoughts and observations from JACPAC President Janna Berk.
for comments, opinions, essays, and more from JAC members.
Have something you want to say -
submit it to Open Mic today!
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This week's issue highlights these key developments here and in the Middle East:
This week's EZ Read brings you these stories and some that may have slipped past your news feed.
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Seasoned Hand in Mideast May Shepherd Peace Talks
Secretary of State John Kerry is fielding a new team to manage the new Israel-Palestinian peace talks, and Martin Indyk, the former American ambassador to Israel, has emerged as a leading candidate to head up that effort, diplomats said Sunday.
 Setting the Stage for New Peace Talks, David Makovsky Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/11/4287441/israel-hasnt-given-up-on-persuading.html#storylink=cpy
The various calculations and concessions that brought Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table are mostly encouraging, but the tough decisions all lie ahead.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/11/4287441/israel-hasnt-given-up-on-persuading.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/06/11/4287441/israel-hasnt-given-up-on-persuading.html#storylink=cpy
Read Full Article Israel's premier fast-tracking bill allowing for referendum on peace deal with Palestinians
Israel's premier announced Monday he is fast-tracking legislation that would allow him to put any peace deal with the Palestinians to a national referendum - an apparent attempt to silence hard-liners in his party and coalition government.
Read Full Article Strangling Hamas
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
With Middle East peace talks coming and the Muslim Brotherhood on the rocks, now's the time to bankrupt Gaza's Islamists.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
Read Full Article
U.S. court: Americans born in Jerusalem not from 'Israel'
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
A federal court upheld the State Department's refusal to list "Israel" as the country of birth for Americans born in Jerusalem.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
Read Full Article
Israel's U.S. Envoy Shares Thoughts as He Prepares for a New Chapter
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
Michael B. Oren was a novel choice for Israel's ambassador to the United States, when he took up his post in May 2009. An American-born academic who held Israeli and American passports, Mr. Oren was best known for his landmark book on the 1967 Middle East war.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
Read Full Article
European Union Adds Military Wing of Hezbollah to List of Terrorist Organizations
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
A federal court upheld the State Department's refusal to list "Israel" as the country of birth for Americans born in Jerusalem.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/09/4031477/islamic-cleric-in-gaza-rejects.htmlstorylink=cpy
Read Full Article
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Marco Rubio wants to be lead sponsor on anti-abortion bill
Sen. Marco Rubio said unequivocally Wednesday that he hopes to be the lead sponsor of a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks.
The Ten Dumbest Things Ever Said About Abortion and Women's Rights
U.S. Rep. Todd Akin's comments on 'legitimate rape' are just one of the dumbest things ever said about abortion.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
A guide to where abortion laws are being rewritten, state-by-state
With so many abortion bills being enacted on the state level this year - 50 so far, according to the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute - it's hard to keep track of where the law stands across the country. Graphic artist Kennedy Elliott and producer Masuma Ahuja have created this amazing interactive graphic that allows you to see what sort of legislation has been introduced, passed, signed and in some cases, blocked in state or federal court.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
State Abortion Laws Differ From Doctors In Defining 20 Weeks
Texas last week became the 12th state to ban most abortions after 20 weeks. But most of the state laws don't define 20 weeks the same way doctors do.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
Read Full Article
North Dakota Law Banning Abortion Drug Ruled Unconstitutional
A 2011 North Dakota law that outlaws one of two drugs used in nonsurgical abortions violates the state and U.S. constitutions, a state judge ruled Monday.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
Read Full Article
Stigma on Steroids: On Kansas Banning Abortion Providers From Schools
'No school district shall permit any person or entity to offer, sponsor or otherwise furnish in any manner any course materials or instruction relating to human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases if such person or entity is an abortion services provider, or an employee, agent or volunteer of an abortion services provider.' The above provision is contained in a nearly 50-page bill that recently went into effect in Kansas.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/03/20/4133089/kansas-abortion-bill-is-cruel.html#storylink=cpy
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Separation of Religion & State
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Anonymous hacks Christian extremists, fights for church state separation
Fighting for the separation of church and state, Anonymous hacks a Christian extremist website working towards an American theocracy.
Read Full ArticleResidents, pastors celebrate 'In God We Trust' signs on Anderson County Courthouse
In a ceremony that featured pastors, prayers, and patriotic songs, a group of about 150 people watched Tuesday morning as the first of four signs emblazoned with the national motto "In God We Trust" was unveiled at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. Read Full ArticleBall State won't release review of divisive course
Ball State University has refused to release a faculty review of a professor's honors course on the origins of the universe that an atheist organization says is actually an attempt to portray the Bible as science. Read Full Article
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For the Umpteenth Time, Senate Caves on Filibuster Reform With Good Deal for Majority Party
After Republicans realized that Democrats had the votes to end filibusters on executive branch nominees, and after a three-and-a-half-hour airing-of-greivances meeting last night, Democrats finally handed them a deal. In a sentence: total victory for Democrats with some face-saving for Republicans.
Read Full Article
North Carolina Senate race 2014: Kay Hagan widens lead over GOP
Sen. Kay Hagan is up by double digits over all of her potential Republican challengers in 2014, when she will seek a second term in the Senate, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
Four Dakota senators rally around Weiland in S.D. Senate race
Four current and former Democratic senators from the Dakotas are set to raise money for Rick Weiland's campaign - a strong indication of Weiland's institutional support in his uphill campaign.
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Inside Groundswell: Read the Memos of the New Right-Wing Strategy Group Planning a "30 Front War"
Believing they are losing the messaging war with progressives, a group of prominent conservatives in Washington-including the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and journalists from Breitbart News and the Washington Examiner-has been meeting privately since early this year to concoct talking points, coordinate messaging, and hatch plans for "a 30 front war seeking to fundamentally transform the nation," according to documents obtained by Mother Jones.
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Justice Department to challenge states' voting rights laws
The Justice Department is preparing to take fresh legal action in a string of voting rights cases across the nation, U.S. officials said, part of a new attempt to blunt the impact of a Supreme Court ruling that the Obama administration has warned will imperil minority representation.
Read Full Article
North Carolina Omnibus Election Bill Is Not Just Bad Policy, It's Mean-Spirited
The North Carolina State Senate has introduced House Bill 589 to be heard today at 2pm in the Senate Rules Committee. The 40-page omnibus elections bill is a wide-ranging piece of legislation that includes numerous voting restrictions. However, some of these voting provisions appear to be not only bad policy, but are particularly burdensome to voters.
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John McCain: "Stand Your Ground" laws should be reviewed
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said that Arizona and other states should review "Stand Your Ground" laws in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting. "I am confident that the members of the Arizona Legislature will, because it's very controversial legislation," he said.
Read Full Article
Standing Our Ground, by Charles Blow
This is not the time for evanescent anger, which is America's wont. This is not the time for a few marches that soon dissipate as we drift back into the fog of faineance - watching fake reality television as our actual realities become ever more grim, gawking at the sexting life of Carlos Danger as our own lives become more dangerous, fawning over royal British babies as our own children are gunned down.
N.C. lawmakers pass sweeping changes to gun laws
North Carolina lawmakers have approved a bill greatly expanding where concealed handguns are legally allowed.
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Guess Who's Valedictorian at Israel's Top Medical School?
Guess who graduated first in this year's medical school class at the Technion, Israel's version of M.I.T.? The answer will surprise you. It's a 27-year-old stereotype-buster: a charming, feminist, smart, open-minded and observant Islamic woman named Mais Ali-Saleh who grew up in a small village outside of Nazareth, in Israel's Galilee.
Read Full Article Manipulating International Law as Part of Anti-Israel "Lawfare"
Israel's record of compliance with international law is remarkably strong. In a long series of decisions, the Israeli High Court has ordered the Israeli government, army, and security services to change policies that, in the court's view, were in violation of customary international law. The court has even intervened in actual combat situations. - See more at: http://jcpa.org/article/manipulating-international-law-as-part-of-anti-israeli-lawfare/#sthash.g1m31GqM.dpuf
Israel's record of compliance with international law is remarkably strong. In a long series of decisions, the Israeli High Court has ordered the Israeli government, army, and security services to change policies that, in the court's view, were in violation of customary international law. The court has even intervened in actual combat situations..
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Our members count on JACPAC to provide information on current events, candidates, and elections. JACPAC depends on membership support to make this possible. If you have not renewed your membership, please consider doing so today, to help us pursue a strong US-Israel relationship, reproductive rights, and separation of religion and state. Together we can make this a better world! Sincerely,
Janna Berk, President
Marcia Balonick, Executive Director
Joy Malkus, Research Director |
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