News you can share: Obamacare haters, transgender policies, and more

Diane, you're one of the best messengers we've got in this movement. Here's some recommended reading that's easy to share. Obamacare Haters Still Not Giving Up, Still Totally Wrong NY Magazine // Jonathan Chait The Affordable Care Act has insured 20 million more Americans and come in so far under budget that Washington is spending less on health care now than it was expected to spend before Obamacare passed into law. And yet the ranks of Obamacare haters trudge on nonetheless, carrying the flame for a core tenet of the conservative credo that faithful adherents dare not abandon. Transgender policies across the country: Where do they stand? CNN // Holly Yan A flurry of policies affecting transgender people has swept the country in recent weeks, leading to widespread protests, economic losses and a growing debate about equality and privacy. Feds expand Medicaid coverage to most of those in halfway houses USA Today // Jayne O'Donnell "This is a positive step toward restoring faith in the notion that a previous bad act does not make a person irredeemable," says Adrienne Wheeler, director of the Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana. The federal action "forges a path toward healing communities that may be plagued by substance abuse, poverty, and a lack of access to justice." Mayors: Flint Could Happen to Us Politico Magazine // Ben Wofford Mayors of all political stripes say they've been placed in an untenable financial bind because of severely limited infrastructure dollars that once flowed freely from state and federal coffers. Full court pressure Reuters Graphics // Travis Hartman and Joan Biskupic How long do Supreme Court nominees usually wait? In past confirmation battles, nominees sometimes have been subject to months of controversy, close votes and outright rejection. But in this case the Senate has simply refused to act on a president's choice. Many More Republicans Now Believe in Climate Change Scientific American // Evan Lehmann The number of conservative voters who believe in climate change has almost doubled in the past two years, according to a new poll that attributes the rise in part to a lessening hostility toward the issue by Republican leaders. Forty-seven percent of conservatives now say the climate is changing, a leap of 19 points since the midterm elections of 2014, according to the survey released yesterday by Yale and George Mason universities. An Update on What We're Doing to Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands White House Blog // Valerie Jarrett Every single year, more than 30,000 Americans have their lives cut short by guns. ... That's why in January, President Obama outlined a number of new, commonsense steps that his Administration is taking to protect our children and communities from gun violence. Today, we are announcing important progress in implementing those steps. If you're not interested in receiving these Truth Team updates, just let us know.

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We are leading the way

https://my.barackobama.com/More-Work-To-Do

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Second chances

Diane -- It's National Reentry Week, a time when we shed a light on the resources needed to help those who were formerly incarcerated get another shot to join their communities in a positive way. In America, we believe in second chances -- that even if you make a mistake that lands you in jail, if you serve your time, you can still earn a second chance at the American Dream. At least, that's the way it's supposed to work. But our criminal justice system is broken. Every year, more than 600,000 Americans get released from prison ready to make a new start, only to be met with often insurmountable obstacles. Getting a job, finding affordable housing, and getting access to both health care and education are all significantly harder. For too many, the system is rigged to fail. Add your name to the fight to reform America's broken criminal justice system. Our system is not supposed to make it easier to revert back to criminal behavior than to become a productive member of society, but it often does. Preventing relapses into crime is one of the most fundamental priorities of criminal justice, but with the system set up as it is today, too many Americans end up trapped in a cruel cycle of poverty and crime that weakens our communities. That's why President Obama's administration has consistently taken steps to make our system fairer, smarter, less expensive, and more effective. From reducing barriers to employment, to increasing access to education for formerly-incarcerated individuals, the President continues to do what he can, where he can. But that's not going to be enough. Some members of Congress have already been working on the issue, but if we're going to break down the very real barriers that stand in the way of citizens returning to society to become positive members of their communities, we need more of their colleagues to come to the table and pass a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill. Join OFA supporters all over the country to call for a criminal justice system that lives up to our values. Add your name to be a part of this fight: https://my.barackobama.com/Stand-For-Criminal-Justice-Reform Thank you for your continued support, Sara Sara El-Amine Executive Director Organizing for Action

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Fwd: My vote for president

Diane, we know what our values are -- now we just need to make sure we're ready to fight for them. Answer President Obama's call. Say you're in before our deadline on Saturday: http://my.democrats.org/Elect-Democrats -------- Forwarded message -------- From: Barack Obama Date: Tue, Apr 26, 2016 Subject: My vote for president Friend -- In a few months, I'll be heading into the voting booth to cast my vote for the next President of the United States. And, like so many of you, I've spent this primary observing the candidates and the parties, and what they represent. And I have to say, this has been a difficult period for the Republicans. They're trying to figure out what they're standing for -- whether they will be the party of building walls and surveilling neighborhoods, whether they will be the party that enshrines discrimination in our laws. But the good news for Democrats is that we know what we believe. We believe that climate change is real and that we must do something about it. We believe in raising the minimum wage, and that women should be paid the same as men for doing the same job. We believe that our laws should reflect our heritage as a nation of immigrants. We believe that all people should be treated with dignity and respect, no matter their race or religion, gender or sexual orientation. We have two fine Democratic candidates who, no matter their differences, share this same set of core beliefs that defines our party. And in November, we're going to make sure that one of them becomes our next president. But first -- right now -- I need to know that you're in: http://my.democrats.org/Elect-Democrats Thanks, Barack Obama

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What are they afraid of?

Diane -- It's been 41 days since President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court, fulfilling his constitutional duty. Over the past several weeks, Judge Garland has personally met with dozens of senators, and -- just as they have since the day the vacancy opened -- Republican senators are refusing to do their jobs and give the President's nominee a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote. Senators have a key constitutional role to play in the nomination process, scrutinizing every nominee and preserving the integrity of the court. But their role also comes with the perfect forum to address whatever concerns they might have about Judge Garland's qualifications: public hearings. So if these senators have legitimate questions about his fitness for the Supreme Court, why not hold hearings and voice them? Some of them have taken to arguing that "the people should decide" -- but that's exactly what they did when they elected President Obama. So why won't these senators hold a vote? Say that Senate leaders should stop hiding behind excuses and give Judge Garland a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote. They're skipping out on their jobs for a reason. I think Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, and their allies are afraid. I think they're afraid the American people can see through their partisan political games. They're afraid that the American people will find out that Judge Garland is an experienced and reasonable judge who will fairly interpret the law. And they're afraid because they know that we don't want our leaders to resort to this take-my-ball-and-go-home brand of politics. If they have a legitimate concern about this nomination, they should hold a hearing and ask some questions on the people's behalf. That's their job. And if they don't have any legitimate concerns, they should hold a vote -- that's their job too. Raise your voice -- stand up for a fair hearing for Judge Garland: https://my.barackobama.com/A-Fair-Hearing-For-Judge-Merrick-Garland Thanks, Jack Jack Shapiro Director of Policy and Campaigns Organizing for Action

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News you can share: an OFA announcement, expanding health care, and more

Diane, you're one of the best messengers we've got in this movement. Here's some recommended reading that's easy to share. Katie Hogan new chief of Chicago-based Organizing for Action The Chicago Sun-Times // Lynn Sweet Katie Hogan, a long serving member of the Obama team, will become the new chief of Organizing for Action, the Chicago-based offshoot of the Obama presidential campaigns which will likely have a role in his post-presidency. Out Of The Horror In Oklahoma City, Merrick Garland Forged The Way Forward NPR // Nina Totenberg "We promised that we would find the perpetrators, that we would bring them to justice, and that we would do it in a way that honored the Constitution," Garland said, his voice cracking. To examine Garland's role, NPR spoke to key players involved in Oklahoma City and got special access to an oral history he made in 2013 for the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. Democrats are winning the Supreme Court fight over Merrick Garland. Big time. The Washington Post // Chris Cillizza Initially, public opinion was deeply divided -- largely along partisan lines, with Democrats on the side of a confirmation vote held before the end of the year and Republicans content with leaving the seat open until a new president took office. In March, opinion was moving toward the "vote this year" option. Watch a Powerful Short Film That Takes Viewers to Everyday Places Changed Forever By Mass Shootings The Trace // Olivia Li "Speaking is Difficult" combines recent footage of 25 mass shooting locations -- a community college in Roseburg, Oregon; a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado; a parking lot in Tucson, Arizona, among others -- with audio of police scanners and 911 calls made during the attacks. Immigrants, the Poor and Minorities Gain Sharply Under Affordable Care Act New York Times // Sabrina Tavernise & Robert Gebeloff The first full year of the Affordable Care Act brought historic increases in coverage for low-wage workers and others who have long been left out of the health care system, a New York Times analysis has found. Immigrants of all backgrounds -- including more than a million legal residents who are not citizens -- had the sharpest rise in coverage rates. Study: Medicaid Expansion Encourages More Poor Adults To Get Health Care Kaiser Health News // Phil Galewitz "The results provide compelling evidence that states that expanded Medicaid did a very, very good thing for their citizens, because those who got coverage are now more likely to get medically necessary care when they need it," said Vernon Smith, a Medicaid expert and principal with consulting firm Health Management Associates. In March, Earth's temperature deviated more from normal than any previous month Washington Post // Jason Samenow The planet had its 11th straight record warm month in March, but this month deviated from normal more than any that came before it, NOAA reported today. March's average global temperature was an unrivaled 2.20 degrees above the 20th-century average and 0.58 degrees warmer than March 2015, the previous warmest March. If you're not interested in receiving these Truth Team updates, just let us know.

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Support a global agreement on climate change this Earth Day

Diane -- Happy Earth Day -- and what a year it's been in the fight against climate change. Last fall, President Obama's leadership played a major role in negotiating an international agreement to limit carbon pollution -- an agreement the U.S. just formally signed, along with more than 170 other countries. The Paris Agreement lays out ambitious goals, and it marks a global step forward in efforts to tackle climate change. Climate change isn't a far-off problem. We're seeing its effects in communities across the country and around the world. The science is clear -- if we don't act, it will continue to pose even more serious threats to our families, our economy, and our health. It's already contributing to longer allergy seasons, dangerous heat waves, bigger storms and more frequent and severe flooding. This Earth Day, say you support these kinds of big steps forward in the fight against climate change. We aren't waiting around: The Paris Agreement is just one example of the progress we've made just this year. A few months before negotiations began in Paris, the Obama administration finalized the Clean Power Plan. By 2030, it will have helped reduce premature deaths from power plant pollution by nearly 90 percent. New limits on methane pollution will help reduce another major contributor to climate change. The President has also made strong investments in our clean energy future. Since he took office, wind power has tripled, and more than 208,000 people now work in the solar sector, helping make it one of the fastest growing industries in the country. Progress like that depends on people like you speaking up and saying that we can't afford the excuses of climate change deniers. OFA supporters helped change the conversation on climate change -- and helped make the Paris Agreement possible. We've come a long way, and if we keep up the momentum, we're going to win this fight. Add your name in support of climate action: https://my.barackobama.com/Support-Climate-Progress Thanks, Jack Jack Shapiro Director of Policy and Campaigns Organizing for Action

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Unacceptable

https://my.barackobama.com/Senate-Refusal-Is-Unacceptable

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