MAJORITY OF AMERICANS EXPRESS DISSATISFACTION WITH DEMOCRACY, AND GERRYMANDERERS RACE TO THE BOTTOM Glen Altschuler, thehill.com Partisan political polarization is more entrenched, and the pillars of American democracy are less secure than they have been since the Civil War: 51 percent of Americans think it somewhat or very likely that within the next few years an election will be overturned because politicians are unhappy their party did not win. Despite an absence of evidence of widespread voter fraud, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming and Montana have restricted voter access since the election of 2020 by curtailing drop box usage, reducing the time to request and submit mail-in ballots, imposing new I.D. requirements, shortening early in-person voting, limiting the ability of third parties to return ballots, banning drive-through voting, and adding criminal penalties for individuals who assist voters. With the release of demographic data by the U.S. Census Bureau on Aug. 12, 2021, gerrymandering is taking center stage in the race to the bottom. Read more here. |
|
PANDORA PAPERS SHOW TAX CRACKDOWNS ARE NO MATCH FOR THE SUPERRICH Vivienne Walt, fortune.com Judging by the analysis of the mammoth Pandora Papers leak published across the world, it helps to be rich—immensely rich—if you want to hide your wealth from tax authorities. The documents show an almost endless amount of rampant tax avoidance by some of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people. The blizzard of accounting records, photos, and emails reveals how billionaires, presidents, prime ministers, royals, and hundreds of politicians have funneled fortunes into property and other assets that are sheltered from the prying eyes of tax collectors through use of shell companies and trusts in offshore havens—all with the help of high-priced financial consultants and law firms. More here. |
 |
JOURNALIST EXPLAINS IN 1 MINUTE WHAT’S IN THE “BUILD BACK BETTER” ACT The media has FAILED to explain what's actually in the Build Back Better Act. Mehdi Hasan just explained it in 60 seconds. Pass this on to spread the word. Watch here. |
| PANDORA PAPERS: MASSIVE LEAK EXPOSES HOW ELITE SHIELD THEIR WEALTH & AVOID TAXES IN COLONIAL LEGACY Democracy Now, freespeech.org “We’ve uncovered a system that benefits a few at the expense of the many,” says Ben Hallman, senior editor at the Intl. Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Watch here. |
OUR MOST VALUABLE LESSONS FROM THE PANDORA PAPERS Gary Kalman, thehill.com A consortium of journalists from dozens of countries have given us an even clearer picture of the architecture that props up a secretive and destructive financial system. The U.S. must act on this latest scandal to build on progress and put an end to the exploitation of offshore financial centers. More here. |
|
WOMEN FOR KANSAS Support our election work by making a donation of ANY amount to this 501(c)(4) nonprofit. You'll help with our continued effort to elect moderates to office in KS. This is our primary membership organization, providing support for our staff and advocacy activities. Our most flexible funding source, it is the best choice for donors. Donations are not tax deductible.
WOMEN FOR KANSAS EDUCATION FOUNDATION A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, W4KEF engages in non-partisan, non-political educational activities on behalf of our shared values. Donations are tax deductible. |
Mail your check to: Women for Kansas (or) Women for Kansas-EF PO Box 8774, Wichita, KS 67208
Pay online with PayPal: Women for Kansas Membership & Election support, click here. W4KEF click here. (You are not required to have a PayPal account ).
Visit womenforkansas.org for contact information and a calendar of events around Kansas. |
| "NEWS WE CAN USE," THE SAME BUT... DIFFERENT The change in our News We Can Use format—from 3 columns to 2—was unexpected, disappointing, and beyond our control. Simply put: our provider changed the template. We have no choice but to use the one they now provide. The good news: there will be no change in the information you have come to expect; only the look is different. With a couple of issues, the original format will just be a memory. |
W4K HAS VIDEOS Throughout the year, W4K hosts informative events featuring remarkable speakers and you can watch anytime! Visit the Women for Kansas Youtube Channel for videos from W4K and our friends! |
|
KOCH NETWORK LURKS BEHIND SCHOOL MASK BATTLES, DESPITE SOOTHING NEW TONE AT TOP Clay Wirestone, kansasreflector.com Beware old villains who claim to have turned over a new leaf. Few forces in modern politics have been more villainous than the Wichita-based Koch network, a vast web of right-wing organizations battling environmental progress and eroding American democracy. Koch knows that history poses public relations problems as voters grow curious about dark money in politics. So last year we were treated to the spectacle of 85-year-old Charles Koch, the surviving politically active brother, saying he regretted deepening partisan divides. This year, the Koch network said it opposed banning education about our country’s racial history. Here’s the secret: These public statements are hogwash. Read more here. |
 |
‘SCHOOL CHOICE’ DEVELOPED AS A WAY TO PROTECT SEGREGATION AND ABOLISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS Nancy MacLean, washingtonpost.com The year 2021 has proved a landmark for the “school choice” cause — a movement committed to the idea of providing public money for parents to use to pay for private schooling. The history behind vouchers reveals that the rhetoric of “choice” and “freedom” stands in stark contrast to the real goals sought by conservative and libertarian advocates. The system they dream of would produce staggering inequalities, far more severe than the disparities that already exist today. Read more here. |
| UNKOCH MY CAMPUS Our newest report, “The Koch Network and the Capture of K-12 Education,” demon-strates how the Koch network methodically works to capture and privatize public education for its own gain. More here. |
NATL FARM TO SCHOOL MONTH October is National Farm to School Month. You can celebrate by joining the KS State Dept. of Education and the Mountain and Plains Region for their Annual Crunch Off or learn more about how you can promote local foods in schools and your community! More information here. |
|
WHERE AMERICANS STAND ON ABORTION RESTRICTIONS AS SUPREME COURT TERM OPENS Chloe Jones, pbs.org The type of anti-abortion law enacted by the state of Texas is deeply unpopular with Americans, according to a new poll from the PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist. Around the nation, thousands of people, many of whom were motivated by the Texas law, joined a Women’s March on Saturday to protest abortion restrictions and urge the Supreme Court to uphold Roe v. Wade. “No matter where you live, no matter where you are, this moment is dark,” Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson told a crowd at the “Rally for Abortion Justice” event. More here. |
 |
HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN SWAPS SPEECH TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ABORTION LAW "We have spent our entire lives working towards our future. Without our input, or our consent, our control over that future has been stripped away from us. I am terrified that if my contraceptives fail... if I am raped... then my hopes and aspirations and dreams for my future will no longer matter. I hope you can feel how gut wrenching that is. I hope you can feel how dehumanizing it is to have the autonomy over your own body taken from you." Paxton Smith, 2021 Valedictorian, Lake Highlands High School. Watch here. |
| REP. DAVIDS: WHEN WOMEN ARE INCLUDED IN THE POLICY MAKING, THE OUTCOMES ARE BETTER Ali Velshi, msnbc.com Davids also discusses the importance of the House Select Committee’s Jan. 6th investigation and the intersectionality of Indigenous Peoples’ Day and National Coming Out day occurring at the same time Watch here. |
FEDERAL APPEALS COURT TEMPORARILY REINSTATES TEXAS’ 6-WEEK ABORTION BAN Ashley Lopez, npr.org The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a lower federal court ruling that temporarily blocked Texas from enforcing its ban on abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Read more here. |
|
THE TOP DOJ CIVIL RIGHTS OFFICIAL URGED SENATORS TO RESTORE VOTING RIGHTS ACT Juana Summers, npr.org A top Justice Department official described voting discrimination as "a current-day problem" and urged Congress to move quickly to strengthen a landmark civil rights-era voting law. "I am here today to sound an alarm. For the Justice Department, restoring and strengthening the Voting Rights Act is a matter of great urgency," said Kristen Clarke, the head of the Justice Department's civil rights division. Warnock said that he believed as Lewis did, that voting is "a sacred undertaking." Read more here. |
NATIVE AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS ACT SEEKS TO THWART SUPPRESSION EFFORTS The Cross Connection, msnbc.com The Native American Voting Rights Act appears to have bipartisan support. If passed, the bill would make it easier for Native Americans to cast their ballots, especially on tribal land. Congresswoman Sharice Davids and Jacqueline De León join Tiffany Cross to discuss. Watch here. |
| THE IMMINENT IMPACT OF REDISTRICTING: SHARPER PARTISAN ELBOWS, LESS COMPROMISE BY BOTH SIDES IN THE HOUSE Colby Itkowitz, washingtonpost.com Redistricting is just getting started, but the first maps released suggest a coming decade of even more deeply entrenched partisanship. “If you draw a district that’s safe, the party no longer cares about recruiting a broadly appealing candidate,” said David Wasserman. Read more here. |
|
KANSAS LAWMAKERS WANT TO CHALLENGE A COVID-19 VACCINE POLICY THAT DOESN’T EXIST YET Kansas News Service, kansaspublicradio.org Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation are also mounting several legislative challenges, and the state’s Republican attorney general has sworn he’ll challenge the policy. However, there’s one very large problem: the fine print of the policy mandating employers with more than 100 employees to require vaccinations or regular testing doesn’t exist yet. Read more here. |
HERE’S WHERE GIRL SCOUTS FROM KC AREA CREATED ARTWORK MEMORIALIZING COVID VICTIMS Beth Lipoff, kansascity.com You might be used to poppies for remembrance. Now a different scarlet flower is filling the windows of Crown Center’s atrium for the same purpose, courtesy of the Girl Scouts. “A lot of our Girl Scout families have been impacted by COVID. It’s a way to mourn and show they care,” said Tracy Hull, Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri. Read more here. |
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY CAN SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR GOVERNMENTS: TAKE CYBERSECURITY SERIOUSLY The Editorial Advisory Board, cjonline.com Did you know U.S. state and local government agencies, health care facilities and schools were impacted by cyberattacks in 2020? Some happened right here in Kansas. In the ever changing landscape of this ever more digital world, we need to think about how critical cybersecurity is. Read more here. |
| GOV. ACTED TO PROTECT KANSAS CHILDREN. KSLEG SHOULD WORK TO STRENGTHEN HER EXECUTIVE ORDER Natalie Zarate and Grey Endres, cjonline.com Strengthen Families Rebuild Hope applauds Gov. Kelly's executive action to create the Division of the Child Advocate. More here. |
KANSAS SENATOR “DOC” MARSHALL STRADDLES LINE BETWEEN MED., POLITICS Associated Press, kmuw.org Roger Marshall won't let people forget he's a doctor. But when he talks about COVID-19 vaccines, some doctors and experts say the KS Republican sounds far more like a politician than a physician. Read more here. |
Political moderates are not tied to a single ideology or ideological extremes in making public policy; they prefer making progress through incremental adjustments rather than radical change. Political moderates are willing to listen to diverse points of view and solve problems through compromise or finding middle ground. |
|
“BLAH, BLAH, BLAH”: YOUTH CLIMATE ACTIVISTS SLAM POLITICAL INACTION AT U.N. SUMMITED AHEAD OF COP26 Free Speech TV, freespeech.org Thousands of youth climate activists marched demanding world leaders meet their pledges to the Paris Climate Agreement and keep global temperatures from rising. “Historically, Africa is responsible for only 3% of global emissions,” said Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate. “And yet Africans are already suffering some of the most brutal impacts fueled by the climate crisis.” Swedish activist Greta Thunberg mocked the jargon politicians use to talk about climate and the environment. “Net zero, blah, blah, blah. Climate neutral, blah, blah, blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words — words that sound great but so far has led to no action,” said Thunberg. “Our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises.” Watch here. |
| LETTER TO THE EDITOR: CLIMATE CRISIS ACTION NEEDED Tony Schmidt, Lawrence; ljworld.com Consider taking an interest in the infrastructure bill and the accompanying reconciliation. Study them. More here. |
20 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT 20 YEARS OF KS WIND FARMING Brian Grimmett, KNS; lawrencekstimes.com From the total power KS wind generates to the county with the most turbines, here’s 20 interesting facts about Kansas wind. Read more here. |
|
GOODBYE, COLUMBUS? HERE’S WHAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY MEANS TO NATIVE AMERICANS Emma Bowman, npr.org This year marks the first time a U.S. president has officially recognized Indigenous Peoples' Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day advocates say the recognition helps correct a "whitewashed" American history that has glorified Europeans like Italian explorer Christopher Columbus who have committed violence against Indigenous communities. Native Americans have long criticized the inaccuracies and harmful narratives of Columbus' legacy that credited him with his "discovery" of the Americas. Read more here.
SAIL AWAY, COLUMBUS Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Facebook.com Full Frontal sits down with U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for a "painful but necessary discussion" of why we should replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day. Once again, we are reminding everyone that Columbus Day shouldn’t even be a thing. Warning: Some strong language. Watch here. |
 |
DEMOCRACY ON TAP: TRUST IN DEMOCRACY TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 5PM
Join us for this month’s Digital Democracy on Tap where we will be discussing voting practices, legislative involvement, redistricting, and oversight that are inherent to our democracy. Watch on Facebook Live or at engageict.org. |
HOW TO TALK ABOUT ABORTION AND FAITH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14 Virtual event
After the Rally For Abortion Justice, Women's March and Auburn Seminary are partnering to host a conversation about faith and abortion. We will be exploring two fundamental questions for our time: How do we tell a different story about abortion and faith? How do we talk to other people of faith about abortion? More here. |
PAYDAY LOAN REFORM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 7-8PM A Facebook Live Event
You're invited to a series of conversations on the most pressing social, economic, and climate justice issues facing Kansans. More dates:
- Mon, 10/25 - Racial Justice
- Thurs, 10/28 - Medicaid Expansion
- Thurs, 11/4 - Economic Justice
- Thurs, 11/11 - Voting Rights+
We hope you will join us and help us spread the word to put faith into action together. More info here. |
| DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SUMMIT THURS, OCT 14, 12PM Sponsors: Gilead Sciences, The Rockefeller Foundation
How are Americans prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels of society to build pathways to opportunity for younger generations? Reg. here. |
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH THROUGH FRI, OCT 15 #HispanicHeritageMonth is only for one month, we are grateful each and every day for those who have proudly chosen to serve our nation. Watch here. |
VISIONS OF A RESILIENT KANSAS: ENERGY JUSTICE FOR ALL OCTOBER 19, 6-8PM Join the celebration. Tickets available here. |
40TH ANNUAL WICHITA ASIAN FESTIVAL SAT, OCTOBER 23, 5PM Century II Performing Arts & Conv. Center, 225 W Douglas Ave., Wichita
The event is FREE and open to the public. More information here. |
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH US POLITICS WEDNESDAYS, THRU NOV 3, 4PM The Dole Institute and on Dole Institute YouTube channel. How will fake news, black women, Presidents 45 and 46, and protests affect politics in 2022? More information here. |
MIRACLE ON KANSAS AVENUE, WINTER WONDERLAND, WING FLING, ZOO LIGHTS AMONG TOPEKA’S ANNUAL EVENTS As we prepare for the holidays, we've been wondering about some of Topeka's well-known events and their status. This list includes upcoming fall and winter events, so you can attend them all. Read more here. |
|
Helping navigate the confusion of politics today, these 'clickable links' can help answer many of the questions you may have about voting, the legislature, AND the facts. |
|
|
