Progressive News, Opinion, and Analysis
Rhode Island Congressman David Cicilline tells RI Future about his trip to Cuba, the lack of a free press and other human rights abuses under the Castro regime, how the Cuban economy works, and how it doesn’t work – and whether or not Congress is serious about lifting the embargo.
A bird landed on Bernie Sanders’ campaign podium. Then quicker than a scream destroyed the last Vermonter’s chance of being president, the most leftist elected official in Washington swept three western states by incredibly large margins and now trails war-supporting, Wall Street Democrat Hillary Clinton by only 268 delegates.
It’s all of a sudden a legit barn-burner for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party that either side can win.
Clinton and the status quo Democrats still have a solid lead. But Bernie’s political revolution, the fruits of seed planted by Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter, enjoy all the momentum. And momentum is the most valuable commodity in politics – more valuable than maybe even money, as the 2016 primary season seems to be proving.
Hillary’s delegate advantage is like a nine point lead with two minutes to play in college basketball. It sounds a lot safer than it really is. If Bernie can win New York, which is totally possible, it’s a one possession game – and Bernie gets the last look at the basket. Meanwhile, Camp Clinton is attacking Donald Trump as if they’ve already reached the finals. This is a textbook scenario for a March Madness upset of epic proportions, even if it the results aren’t final until April, May or even June.
And what better than a little bird on a podium in Portland, Oregon to serve as the key play in the game when the momentum shifted from the hands of the conservative wing of the Democratic Party back to the progressives.
Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence) and Sen. Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence) will host Andrew Freedman, Director of the Governor’s Office of Marijuana Coordination in Colorado, for a presentation and question and answer session on Colorado’s implementation and oversight of the state’s marijuana laws on Tuesday, March 29 at 3 p.m. in Room 101 of the State House.
Mr. Freedman will be discussing the outcomes, challenges and opportunities that regulating marijuana has presented in Colorado. Representative Slater and Senator Miller have both introduced legislation (2016-H 7752 / 2016-S 2420) that would remove the state’s prohibition on adults using, possessing, and cultivating marijuana for personal use. Their legislation also establishes a system of regulated marijuana retail distribution to adults 21 and older and imposes taxes at both the wholesale and retail level.
[From a RI State House press release]
FANG (Fighting Against Natural Gas) will be holding Nonviolent Direct Action Trainings in Providence next week at the First Unitarian Church of Providence. The organizers write:
This Spring, FANG will continue to nonviolently escalate our efforts to stop Invenergy‘s fracked-gas power plant that’s proposed for Burrillville, stop Spectra‘s continued pipeline expansion schemes and confront other forms of injustice.
“In December 100 people marched in Burrillville and eight people were arrested as part of a nonviolent direct action. Now it’s time to go bigger and stop these fracked-gas projects once and for all. Plug into the resistance and into future actions by attending one this nonviolent direct action workshop!
“We’ll cover the history of nonviolent direct action, different types of action tactics, how to carry out an action and much more. These trainings are meant to immediately help people plug into actions that will happen this Spring.”
Four trainings are planned in all, two in Providence and two in Worcester:
You can register for the trainings here.
