Sen. Kamala Harris on Being 'Momala'

When I met Doug, the man who would become my husband, I also met a man who was a divorced father of two children, Cole and Ella, named after John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald. As a child of divorce, I knew how hard it could be when your parents start to date other people. And I was determined not to insert myself in their lives until Doug and I had established we were in this for the long haul. Children need consistency; I didn’t want to insert myself into their lives as a temporary fixture because I didn’t want to disappoint them. There’s nothing worse than disappointing a child.

So, we took it slow, and Doug and I put a lot of thought into when and how I would first meet the kids. And that meant waiting. As we waited, anticipation grew. When the day finally came, I had butterflies in my stomach. The plan was to go to a seafood hut off the Pacific Coast Highway called the Reel Inn, a favorite of the kids.

On my way to meet Doug, I picked up a tin of cookies and tied a ribbon in a bow around them. I took a few deep breaths. I was excited, and I was nervous. I rehearsed what I would say. Would the kids think the cookies were really nice or really weird? Was the ribbon too much? (The ribbon was probably a little extra, but over the years Cole and Ella have spared me by not telling me that.)

Elle

SEPTEMBER 13, 1994

President Clinton signs VAWA, which authorizes the creation of the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Today

The Hotline® is the only 24/7 center in the nation that has access to service providers and shelters across the U.S. Today, The Hotline continues to grow and explore new avenues of service.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

WHAT IS THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT?

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a landmark piece of legislation that sought to improve criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the United States.

The passage of VAWA in 1994 and its reauthorization in 2000, 2005 and 2013, has changed the landscape for victims who once suffered in silence. Victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking have been able to access services, and a new generation of families and justice system professionals has come to understand that domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking are crimes that our society will not tolerate.

Below, our advocates share their opinions on why the recent reauthorization of VAWA was critically important:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Office on Violence Against Women

The mission of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), a component of the U.S. Department of Justice, is to provide federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Through the administration of the Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking on Campus and the Technical Assistance Programs, OVW supports the development of effective culturally-relevant campus-based programming that builds upon strong campus and community partnerships with the goals of strengthening services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking and promoting multifaceted prevention strategies within the campus community.

Center For Changing Our Campus Culture

Both the National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Office on Violence Against Women came about from the implementation of the Violence Against Women's Act.

The Violence Against Women Act is one of Joe Biden's signature pieces of legislation.

https://projects.propublica.org/trump-town/organizations/donald-j-trump-for-president-inc

My apologies if there is an issue with the site I am linking to. I’m not familiar with it but the information at the page I’ve linked to seems to be accurate. Nothing but a shitload of people who shouldn’t be holding the positions they are. At all. I came across the link when doing a little research into Donald J Trump for President, Inc.

About Vice President Biden's Efforts to End Violence Against Women

On June 20, 1990, then-Senator Joe Biden introduced the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the United States Congress. This act was a landmark piece of legislation that changed the way our country responded to domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA changed law enforcement practices, improved the criminal justice system, and created a network of services for victims. The bill established new federal crimes of interstate domestic violence and stalking, doubled penalties for repeat sex offenders, and sparked the passage of laws at the state level to protect victims. Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, rates of domestic violence have decreased by over 50%.

As Vice President, Joe Biden has continued to advocate on behalf of women. Upon entering office, the Vice President appointed the first ever White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Lynn Rosenthal. In this role, Ms. Rosenthal advises the Vice President on the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault, serves as a liaison to the domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy community and promotes collaboration across federal agencies. This interagency approach to reducing violence against women has resulted in an unprecedented level of coordination among federal agencies.

Vice President Biden has focused specifically on strengthening efforts to reduce dating violence against students, teens, and young women ages 16-24. Young women in this age group face the highest rates of dating violence and sexual assault. Nearly one in five college women will be the victim of a sexual assault, and one in ten teens will be hurt by someone they are dating. Men are also survivors of this violence. Because even one incident is too many, in September 2011, the Vice President launched the 1is2many initiative. 1is2many uses technology and outreach to get the message out and to help reduce dating violence and sexual assault among students, teens and young adults. The Vice President is also working hard to improve the response to sexual assault and dating violence on college campuses, ensuring that students can pursue their education free from violence.

On January 22, 2014, the Vice President joined President Obama when he created the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. The Office of the Vice President currently co-chairs the interagency taskforce along with the White House Council on Women and Girls. President Barack Obama has charged the task force with sharing best practices along with increasing transparency, enforcement, and public awareness to protect and support survivors. The Office of the Vice President and the White House Council on Women and Girls also published a report on sexual violence entitled, “Rape and Sexual Assault: A Renewed Call to Action.” The Vice President and the Task Force are working hard to partner across government, education, academia, and communities everywhere to ensure that all students feel safe, secure, and in position to thrive when they head to school, and out into the world.

Obama White House Archives

The President and Vice President Speak on Preventing Sexual Assault



Vice President Biden Visits the National Domestic Violence Hotline

Summary: Vice President Biden created the National Domestic Violence Hotline in the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 (VAWA) and has long championed the cause of ending domestic violence.

Obama White House Archives

No One Should Have to Live in Fear of Violence

Summary: Thanks to the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act, which President Obama signed today, thousands of women and men across the country who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking will be able to access resources they need in their communities to help heal from their trauma

Obama White House Archives

The national organization wants someone to run an independent expenditure arm in support of his candidacy.

Upping its involvement in the 2020 primary, the Democratic Socialists of America are bringing on board a campaign manager to help run political operations in support of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

The group has posted a job listing, obtained by The Daily Beast, for an individual to run an independent expenditure arm on behalf of the Vermont Independent Democratic Socialist. The hire would “report to the Organizing Director and work closely with other staff to develop and strengthen Democratic Socialists of America’s campaign work to elect Bernie Sanders President,” the listing reads.

Known historically as a left-wing institution on the outer edges of the ideological spectrum, DSA has become a more potent political force as its ranks have grown. The organization now boasts more than 56,000 members, and its creation of a Sanders-specific political post reflects its increasing comfort in wading into national elections. The campaign manager, according to the listing, is expected to visit chapters an average of one week per month, oversee organizational efforts alongside the Bernie 2020 committee and manage at least one campaign organizer.

DSA has already endorsed Sanders’ campaign despite some pushback from some members due to the senator’s prior comments on reparations, which he refused to explicitly endorse. An IE arm would not be legally allowed to coordinate with the senator’s team. But it would allow DSA to spend additional resources that it could not do through its political action committee, which can only place $5,000 behind a federal candidate. According to an internal document sent to chapter leaders explaining their decision, the low limit combined with the desire to move the group’s agenda in more aggressive ways is why the organization went this route.

The Daily Beast

EL PORTAL, Calif. — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has announced his first major policy initiative, a $5 trillion plan to combat climate change that he says will keep the Earth from sliding past the point of no return in less than a generation.

The former Texas congressman unveiled his proposal on Monday before a tour of California’s Yosemite National Park, a dramatic backdrop for a move he hopes can jumpstart a campaign that began to much national fanfare but has seen some of that luster fade in recent weeks.

The plan calls for increasing taxes on “corporations and the wealthiest among us” and “ending the tens of billions of dollars of tax breaks currently given to fossil fuel companies” while offering federal grants to encourage innovative improvements in housing and transportation. It seeks to spend $5 trillion over 10 years to improve aging infrastructure nationwide and to take “significant actions to defend communities” preparing for intensified floods, droughts, hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters fueled by a changing climate.

Like others in the packed field of Democrats seeking the White House, O’Rourke promised to sign climate change-fighting executive orders on the first day of his presidency — including rejoining the 2016 Paris Agreement, from which President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S.

PBS

Kamala Harris: I'll help low-income Iowans afford their rent

Over the last few weeks in Iowa, an important conversation came up that echoes conversations I’ve heard across the country. The cost of living is rising, and with skyrocketing rents, too many families are struggling each month to keep a roof over their head.

In 99 percent of counties in America, a minimum wage worker, working 40 hours a week, can’t afford a one-bedroom apartment at market rate. State senators like Claire Celsi, Zach Wahls, and Kevin Kinney know first hand what this crisis means to the Iowans they represent.

In Sen. Wahls’ district, mobile home residents, many of them on low and fixed incomes, recently found out that in 60 days, their rent will go up 58 percent. Since then, he’s been working diligently with Sen. Kinney to prevent this from happening again. Sen. Celsi spoke out about the crisis, rightfully pointing out that in Iowa, just like many states, there is not enough of a commitment to providing affordable housing.

Desmoines Register

“This is America.” That is the last line in the video former Vice President Joe Biden launched this morning in his long-anticipated 2020 Democratic presidential primary candidate announcement.
The video was incredibly compelling as it spoke to a moment in our history that rocked the soul and conscience of the country — the march of white nationalists in Charlottesville that pit neo-Nazis against counter-protesters who marched against hate and racism.

The horrible conflict was followed by Trump's deplorable comments equating the two groups, saying, “There were fine people on both sides."

As an immigrant Latina who's raising bilingual Latino children and whose heart has been broken, along with countless other Americans at what this president is doing to the fabric of our country, Joe Biden’s words moved me and his message shook me to my core.

His speech made me feel like there was help on the way from someone who truly understood just how much of an existential threat Donald Trump is to America.

The Hill

(CNN)On Tuesday night, former Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor was elected mayor of Florida's third-largest city. Castor's victory was national news because she's the first lesbian elected mayor in Florida -- and the first in the broader southeast as well.

In search of more info about Castor and the broader political landscape that elected her, I reached out to Tampa Bay Times reporter Kirby Wilson. Our conversation, conducted via email and lightly edited for flow, is below.

CNN

Washington(CNN) He's the Democratic candidate President Donald Trump has long worried would emerge as his general election rival. Now, with the entry of former Vice President Joe Biden into a crowded primary field, a race that once seemed to Trump like abstract chatter has sharpened into a concrete proving ground that will challenge his hold on the nation's political spotlight.

Already, Trump has noticed with unpleasant surprise that the Democratic field is occupying more and more airtime and print inches -- space he has enjoyed largely to himself for the past two years. He's worked to counter the tide, returning to his practice of conducting phone interviews with friendly television hosts and increasing his angry output on Twitter.

CNN