Wear a Paperclip!!!

 A friend send me this meme about something that is gaining momentum.  So of course, I had to see what it was about.

Wearing a paperclip was a sign of resistance against Nazis in WWII Europe.  This article is great - The Paperclip Revolution: A Tiny Symbol with a Massive Punch Against Fascism.  It explains the history of the paper clip movement in a way that is detailed but not boring at all.  It also explains why this is such a good idea now, when the things we are fighting are unbearably similar.   

The Paperclip Resistance revived the resistance movement right after the election and it has gathered a following.    It's been steadily building and now, E. Jean Carroll, has given it a major push.  This is her article on the Paperclip Mutiny.  It's on Substack.  You will need to subscribe to her newsletter to see the article, but you can subscribe for free and she is definitely worth following.  Her article has lots of photos of people sporting their paper clips in different ways.

Another article, E. Jean Carroll Launches Campaign To Humiliate Trump is a fun read.  I love how it starts.  "If you thought E. Jean Carroll was done mopping the floor with Donald Trump, think again."  " and this time she’s armed with… a paper clip."  Carroll’s paper clip campaign is the perfect troll: it’s legal, it’s everywhere, and it’s impossible to ban without looking like a complete lunatic.

The article tells how to participate and I hope they don't mind me using their text -

How to Join the Mutiny (No NDA Required)

📎 Wear a paper clip. On your lapel, your bag, your hat, your Zoom call. 

📎 Hand them out. Give one to your friends, your family, your coworker who still thinks Trump is a “stable genius.”

📎 Post it. Snap a photo, tag #PaperClipMutiny, and watch the movement spread faster than Trump’s legal bills.

📎 Get creative. Leave paper clips in public places, on statues, at rallies, or anywhere a camera might catch them.

📎 Start a conversation. When someone asks, “What’s with the paper clip?” - tell them it’s the only thing in America that hasn’t been insulted by Trump. Yet.

 

The movement is being pushed even further recently thanks to this article from Joyce White Vance, who says - 

Friday, when I signed on to tape the #SistersInLaw Podcast, Jill Wine Banks had a clip delicately attached to the collar of her shirt. It made me smile. In that moment, I knew E. Jean was onto something. Our defiance can and must be loud and public at this point. But the quiet symbol of solidarity on someone’s collar when you walk into a crowded room? Genius. And much better than a red hat.

There are lots of ways to sport a paperclip.  It can be on the bill of a hat, clipped to a collar or sleeve.  You can clip one on or two or three to make sure they are noticed or you can use many to create a necklace.  They can be a standard silver clip or multi-colored.

I am looking forward to creating a multi-color paperclip necklace!

For those who want to get a little fancy, do a "paperclip necklace" search on Etsy.  The are a lot of necklaces that look like chains with large links (not paperclips), but mixed in the search results you will see some nice paperclip necklaces as well.

One more quickie and then I really will make myself quit reading about this - 

The Paperclip Movement (Reddit) - The more the president turns up the flames, the more we clip in. The more we clip in, the more we see that we are not alone. And the more we see we are not alone, the more each of us will be emboldened to take consequential action. This is the spark. This is the signal. We are ready. We love our country. And we know that power rests where it has always belonged—with We the People.

Well darn, just when I think I'm going to stop writing this post, I come across another good article - Grab Him by the Wallet.  This one is also from E. Jean Carroll.  At the end, she gives these tips, with a few extra points from the previous tips -

Look, this is a fight. The paper clip is not the action. The paper clip is the spark. It’s the signal that says “Resist Trump.” That says “We’re ready!” That says, “We control the money!”

If we grow the numbers big enough we can beat pretty much anything and anyone, so……

• Show it! Wear it on your collar, your bag, your lapel, your pant cuffs. Hang ‘em in your ears, around your wrist, across your shoes.
• Share it! Hand a clip to a friend. Make “the giving of a paper clip” feel like passing contraband, like an initiation. Many Conflabbians are giving away entire boxes of the things!
• Chain it! Link paperclips together and leave them in public places: women’s powder rooms, courthouse railings, café tables, subway poles. A growing chain becomes a public mark of resistance.
• Hashtag it! #PaperclipMutiny

Nexstar Media and FCC Chair Brendan Carr

Key Points (from Business Insider)

• Jimmy Kimmel's show was suspended by ABC following criticism by FCC chair Brendan Carr.
• The two biggest local TV operators also came out swinging against Kimmel before his show was pulled.
• The companies are both pursuing, or considering, M&A deals that would require FCC approval.

The Jimmy Kimmel Live ban continues even though Disney/ABC walked it back.  Nexstar Media  and Sinclair Broadcasting said they will not resume screening the show on their ABC stations, which are more than 25% of the roughly 250 ABC affiliates nationwide. The two companies reach about 23% of U.S. households. I wrote about Sinclair in the previous post and am focusing on Nexstar in this post.  Nexstar owns 23 ABC affiliates and has nine partner ABC affiliates.

Perry Sook, Chairman, President and CEO of Nexstar Broadcasting Group

Nexstar has grown substantially over the latest two decades, becoming the biggest operator of local TV stations in the U.S. Danilo Yanich, professor of public policy at the University of Delaware, says the company is the “biggest duplicator” of news content today — pointing to recent research he worked on that looked at how often local TV news used the exact same words in at least 50% on their broadcasts.  (See Sinclair video in previous post for how this works).

FCC (Federal Communications Commission) Chair Brendan Carr warned that local broadcasters who aired Kimmel could face fines or loss of licenses and said "it's time for them to step up."  Carr's comments were bad news for local TV operators who own ABC affiliate stations. These affiliate stations carry ABC programming under contract but aren't owned by Disney/ABC itself.  Carr has praised Nexstar and Sinclair for deciding to stop airing the show.  

FCC Chair Brendan Carr

Carr's threats have been comparing only half joking to mafia style threats.  

"This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr, a Trump appointee, had warned on Wednesday, in reaction to Kimmel's remarks. "These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

Speaking on his podcast, Ted Cruz said, "That's right out of Goodfellas. That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going 'Nice bar you have here. It'd be a shame if something happened to it.'"

The Proposed Merger

Nexstar owns 23 ABC affiliates and has nine partner ABC affiliates and needs FCC approval for a $6.2 billion merger with Tegna.  Nexstar oversees more than 200 owned and partner stations in 116 markets nationwide today and also runs networks like The CW and NewsNation. Meanwhile, Tegna owns 64 news stations across 51 markets.

Nexstar Media Group is buying broadcast rival Tegna for $6.2 billion.  Brendan Carr will need to give the transaction the green light.  On Aug. 7, the FCC announced that it would be repealing 98 broadcast rules and requirements that it identified as “obsolete, outdated, or unnecessary.”  In late July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit also vacated the FCC’s “top four” rule, which has long prohibited ownership of more than one of the top four stations in a single market.

In other words, Nexstar has good reason to keep Brendan Carr happy.

Carr needs to be stopped!

In 2022, a right-leaning think tank asked Mr. Carr to write the chapter on the F.C.C. for Project 2025.  Journalist Ahmed Baba, who has written extensively about Trump's alleged ties to Project 2025, wrote on X, "Trump picked Brendan Carr, the literal author of Project 2025's chapter on the FCC, to be Chairman of the FCC. Can't say we didn't warn you."

Critics have recently called Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, dangerous and a national censor.  His response? Bring it.

Mr. Carr has reopened complaints that accuse ABC, NBC and CBS of biased programming during the 2024 election — including investigating “Saturday Night Live” for a pre-election episode in which then-Vice President Kamala Harris was a guest. He is investigating PBS and NPR over accusations that the public news organizations violated rules that prevented them from airing commercials. He has also warned that he can block media mergers that may harm local stations’ independence.  He has suggested the F.C.C. should investigate ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” over its political content.

Note: He protects free speech for right wing media.  There has been no blow back from him over Brian Kilmeade of fox "news" suggesting homeless people should be euthanized.  

Contact Nexstar CORPORATE OFFICES

Perry Sook, Chairman, President and CEO of Nexstar Broadcasting Group

545 East John Carpenter Freeway
Suite 700
Irving, TX 75062

1301 Avenue of the Americas
7th Floor
New York, NY 10019

303 East Wacker Drive
17th & 18th Floors
Chicago, IL 60601

PHONE (972) 373-8800
FAX (972) 373-8888

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NexstarMediaGroup
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nexstarmediagroupinc/

Contact Brendan Carr

Federal Communications Commission

45 L Street NE

Washington, DC 20554

1-888-225-5322

Also Consider Contacting Senators and Representatives to call for firing Brendan Carr

This CONTACT PAGE has lots of addresses and links.

Sources:

Nexstar, Sinclair will not resume airing 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' ~ Reuters

Nexstar Media Group buying Tegna in deal worth $6.2 billion - AP News

A $6.2 billion deal looms over Jimmy Kimmel's suspension ~ Business Insider  

Ted Cruz Compares FCC Chair to Mafia Boss Over His Kimmel Warning ~ Newsweek

Brendan Carr Plans to Keep Going After the Media ~ New York Times

What Is The Real Reason Behind Jimmy Kimmel's Firing? Nexstar-Tegna Merger And FCC Threat Explained ~ Times Now World

What Brendan Carr, Trump’s FCC Pick, Wrote in ‘Project 2025’ Chapter - Newsweek

Sinclair Broadcast Group

I am soooo proud of what everyday Americans were able to accomplish by choosing to boycott Disney/ABC/Hulu etc.  This mass-unsubscribing event was set off when they chose to sideline Jimmy Kimmel over a very flimsy excuse to suit the whims of an administration that is trying to establish a fascist/tyrannical/authoritarian/dictatorship government. The firing was not just about Jimmy Kimmel.  It was an attack on the Freedom of Speech as spelled out in the First Amendment.  It was about controlling media.  It was about attacking anyone not being loyal to a madman.  The people stepped up and drew the line.  Disney backed down, though their reputation is in tatters and they'll have lots of work to do to win back those subscriptions.

However, the work is NOT over!

Sinclair Broadcast Group owns or operates 294? (numbers vary by source, but that was the most recent number I could find) television stations across the United States.  35+ are affiliated with ABC.  It's estimated, with their affiliations with ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC and more, Sinclair reaches about 40% of American households. 

"The Smith family founded and runs Sinclair Broadcast Group, the second-largest US TV station operator known for conservative-leaning news. Under David Smith’s leadership, Sinclair expanded rapidly and aligned closely with Trump, sparking criticism for political bias. Sinclair owns many ABC affiliates and has clashed publicly with figures like Jimmy Kimmel."  "Over the years, Sinclair has become known for inserting conservative commentary into its broadcasts, especially through “must-run” segments that stations are required to air. These segments have included national editorials often aligned with Republican talking points." - Times Now. (good article)

Sinclair decidedly leans right and supports trump. see Media Bias Check Fact Check

Speaking of their "must-run segments" there are viral videos showing how their newscasters are told to say the same things on all the stations.  Most of it is pushing right wing talking points, much like fox is known for doing. I saw a great recent mashup in the last couple of days and can't find it now, but the video below, even though it is old, is really telling and VERY INTERESTING.  Sinclair hasn't changed.  

Sinclair is saying they won't put on the Jimmy Kimmel Show on their ABC stations and will instead run a news show during that time slot.  At first, they announced they would air a tribute to Charlie Kirk instead, but they have backed off on that.

Sinclair - 

The Sinclairs have been using networks/stations across the country to promote their right-wing ideology. Tell them you are boycotting and urging your friends and social networks to boycott ALL Sinclair stations and their advertisers:

10706 Beaver Dam Road

Hunt Valley, Maryland 21030

(410) 568-1500

Online Contact Page

List of Stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting
* Note: None are in the Atlanta area, but I saw 4 stations in Georgia 

See also  Boycott Sinclair Broadcasting Group (MoveOn)

While researching this topic I came across ALEXANDRA SOKOLOFF's Substack account.  Here's her article on the whole Kimmel fiasco with an update specifically on Sinclair -

Freedom of Speech under direct attack. Join the Sinclair/ABC/Disney boycott.

It includes script suggestions to use when you contact Sinclair or one of their advertisers.  Note:  Her link about Sinclair advertisers was specific to Seattle.

Also this is a great script suggestion - https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO9kW_GEiG6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Keep an Eye on Nexstar!

"That leaves us with Nexstar, which owns a similar number of affiliates. They also told Disney they would pre-empt Kimmel's show, and together that adds up to about a third of all ABC network stations in the US. If Nexstar sticks with Sinclair, then ABC and Disney will lose millions of dollars in ad revenue before they can even get into court to force them to put Kimmel back on their stations." - Hot Air

I have a feeling I will have to post about them this week, too.  I guess it depends on what Jimmy Kimmel says on his show tonight.   Tonight's show will likely get lots of attention.  

Government Shutdown

Here's the brief explanation given by Search Assist:  

"The U.S. government is at risk of a shutdown on October 1, 2025, as Congress has not yet passed any of the necessary appropriations bills for the new fiscal year. Both parties have rejected proposals to keep the government funded, leaving the situation uncertain."

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC has suspended Jimmy Kimmel's late night show indefinitely.  This article from AP explains it.  Or this one from BBC.

This article from Newsweek is great and includes lots of pushback from others and a timeline of things happening. 

There are a lot of people to contact and a lot of subscriptions to cancel over this major attack on the First Amendment!  

Boycotting the Disney/ABC family is going to mean dropping a lot of brands and venues - Disney+, ABC, ESPN, Hulu, Marvel movies, FX Networks, A&E television, National Geographic, Winnie the Pooh, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Fubo and more.  See What Does Disney Own (Motley Fools) or the list from OceanFrogs.

Interesting:  When looking into how to cancel some of the subscriptions on this page, I frequently came across messages that started like this: "We are currently experiencing longer than normal wait times on chat and phone, but an advocate will assist you as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience."

Looks like LOTS of people are mad!!!

Protest Signs for a Rough Week

Update Thu, Sep 18 at 11:50am:  A little bit after I posted this, Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely cancelled.  I am still processing this and working on a new post.  I honestly don't know what my sign will say this weekend.  I still think this is a solid idea for certain times, but we may need something else this weekend.  You decide.

This past week has been hard.  One side is trying to escalate the hate and division.  The rest of us are feeling so many mixed emotions.  I have been on a rollercoaster.  I abhor violence and certainly didn't want the outcome that occurred.  On the other hand, seeing this person who made money off of hate turned into some sort of saint with flags at half staff, vigils, and honors is frankly disgusting.  It's gaslighting at its finest.  I could go on, but if you are reading this, I feel sure you likely know the background.  You know the people who should have been honored but never were.  You know the people who were violently attacked but never received much notice.  Enough of that.

But the fact is, we are sitting on a powder keg.  Certain media is repeating a false narrative over and over how the folks on the left are violent and radical and trying to destroy everything that's good.  They are using the old standards - tell the lie often enough and it will be believed and ingrained.  It's hard to fight when our media sphere has been reduced to streaming.

This parable spoke to me -

I'm thinking maybe this is a good time to show lots of signs at our protests that make it hard for any hate messaging to ring true.  We just need to show people who we are. We need to feed the wolf that is generous and kind.   

If people on the right see too many signs that are snarky and cut down their hero (who definitely deserves going after), it will bring out their anger.  But there are certain issues most of them would have a hard time disagreeing with.  Most Americans believe in veteran's rights, Social Security, and Medicare/Medicaid.   Signs about those concerns are winners.  One big topic that is still valuable, even if it's not all sunshiny, is RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES.  That message needs to keep going.

Tax the Rich is another that most people can get behind, with signs like these - 

• The Only Minority Destroying America are the Billionaires
• The Chaos Is To Distract Us While the Billionaires Take Our Money
• Billionaires Are Talking Our Country,  Fight Back
• Billionaires Are Stealing Our Government

WAVE THE FLAG - For too long, the right has waved the flag as if they are the only ones who are true Americans.  We are reclaiming our flag and hopefully every protest will have lots of those.

But, most of all, for the next few weeks, I hope there will be plenty of signs that represent the best of us.   I did a quick image search and found some sign ideas that get the idea across. Maybe this will give you some ideas.  

A Few More Ideas -

• Make America Kind
• Big Fan of Human Rights
• God Bless America
• Kindness - Equality - Inclusion - Diversity - Love
• In a World Where You Can Be Anything, Be Kind
• People Over Profit
• We Rise by Lifting Others
• Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

* I'm not saying every sign should be all sunshine and flowers, but having plenty of signs that lean in this direction might soften a few more hearts and ratchet down the hate.  I admit, I'm not feeling all love and kindness myself.  I am mad as spit and fed up.  I'm tired of being told people on the left have to be the ones to de-escalate while politicians and influencers and media personalities on the right work so hard to do just the opposite. There are truly lots of important issues I'd rather be pushing but while people are this worked up, I don't think signs about those issues would get through.  In order to get through this time with our country intact, we need to be smart.  I'm having a hard time with that but I'm trying.  I will be at the protest this weekend with a flag in one hand and a sunshiny sign in the other.  I will have a smile on my face and try my best to love my neighbors.

Fire Fox Host Brian Kilmeade

.

Brian Kilmeade, Fox host,  suggested giving lethal injections to homeless people.  He wasn't fired.  Four days later, he put out an apology which was more of an excuse than actual regret.  See this Rolling Stone article for more.

Meanwhile, folks on other corporate media stations are getting fired for telling the truth.  It's just not the truth that the zealots want to hear.  It's not the truth that stands up to trump's loyalty standards.  The hypocrisy is unreal.

One by one, journalists with actual standards are being pushed out of corporate media.  One by one, a separate media sphere is forming.  You can follow most of them on Substack, BlueSky,  and/or YouTube.  If you don't use those apps, I highly recommend you do so asap.  All of them.  Seriously.

CONTACT FOX NEWS... 

Tell them Brian Kilmeade must be fired!  Fox should follow the same standards they are insisting on for others.

MSNBC Fires Matthew Dowd

 MSNBC fired Matthew Dowd for his truthful words after the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Right after the shooting, he was on the air with Katy Tur.  At the time, the only thing known was shots were fired at a Kirk event and there was no reporting yet that Kirk was the target or had been shot at. Dowd first said that we needed to get the facts because we have no idea what this could be and it could easily be someone firing a gun in the air to celebrate the event. As they continued to talk about the environment in a which a shooting like this happens, here's what Dowd said regarding Kirk (again, not knowing Kirk had been shot) -

“He’s been one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that is the environment we are in. You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we are in.”

For this, he was fired.  

CONTACT MATTHEW DOWD

Email: Matthew.J.Dowd@law.gwu.edu

Message him on substack:  https://substack.com/@matthewdowd

CONTACT MSNBC

Call: 1-866-787-6228 

Email: msnbctvinfo@nbcuni.com

Address:

MSNBC 
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y.  10112

Netflix

Netflix isn't perfect, but they recently did two things that I'm very happy about.  Thank you notes are such fun!

CONTACT NETFLIX

100 Winchester Circle
Los Gatos, CA. 95032

I'll let quotes from the research explain - 

Netflix's Reed Hastings donated $2M to Newsom redistricting campaign

SNOPES SAYS IT'S TRUE!

“In late August 2025, social media posts claimed Reed Hastings, the co-founder and chairman of Netflix, had donated $2 million to support California Gov. Gavin Newsom's redistricting campaign aimed at boosting Democrats' prospects in the 2026 midterm elections.  The move came after Texas lawmakers approved their own redistricting plan that created five new districts favoring Republicans. California's redistricting effort was aimed at offsetting the Texas map with five new Democratic-leaning seats.”

“It is worth noting that this was a donation made by Hastings personally, not by Netflix as a company, as some people on social media suggested.”

How to get to Sesame Street? Kids can now head to Netflix as well as PBS

“Netflix called Sesame Street a "beloved cornerstone of children's media" and said the show's 56th season would have "fresh format changes and the return of fan-favorite segments like Elmo's World and Cookie Monster's Foodie Truck." The streamer will also run 90 hours of previous episodes from the iconic series' library.  Now PBS stations and PBS KIDS will air new episodes on the "same day-and-date" that they're streamed on Netflix, "bringing critical early learning to children throughout the country for free," according to the statement.

Iconic Series Gets Netflix Release Date After Tragically Losing Original Streaming Home

“As per Netflix, Sesame Street debuts season 56 on November 10. This will be a re-imagined take on the series with each episode focused on one story that will run for 11 minutes. 90 hours of previous episodes will also be available to view on release day. “

PBS, NPR stations struggle with Trump-fueled government funding cuts

When Congress decided this summer to eliminate $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting, it left some 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations, each with unique issues related to their communities and history, to figure out what that means.

Fox News Advertiser - Force Factor

I blame Fox for much of what we are dealing with now.  Without Fox, trump would not be in power.  They are the propaganda machine.  Instead of sending a postcard directly to them or calling them, it would likely be better to go after their advertisers and businesses that play Fox in their waiting rooms.  

It wasn't easy finding a list of advertisers and I definitely didn't want to actually watch Fox to see who had commercials there.  Finally, I found a site with a current list - WhoAdvertisesOn.  By the way, no matter what search terms I used on DuckDuckGo, they mostly wanted to send me to a Fox online page.  When I searched on my preferred search engine, Swiss Cows, I found a number of sites with the info I was looking for.  DuckDuckGo tends to have the same list as Google, but doesn't track you.  Swiss Cows doesn't track AND their hits are less biased and less corporate leaning.

I looked through the list of advertisers and decided to start with Force Factor.  I have been using their Total Beets for the last few months.  My Fox-watching parents had recommended them to me so I should have known they'd seen them on Fox.  Dang it.  Anyway, I won't be buying more.  I found several alternative brands including HumanN.  I won't miss Force Factor at all.  

CONTACT FOX

Contact Force Factor:

280 Summer St, 

Boston, Massachusetts 

02210

1-800-429-0415

ICE - Kristi Noem

 The trump administration is pitting ICE against Chicago and JD Prtizker.  Kristi Noem confirms there are plans to expand to other cities as well.

Kristi Noem, as usual, puts herself in front of the camera as if she is making the calls.  I'm convinced she's just the hired spokesmodel, but she really, really enjoys her job.  She's perfectly fine with cruelty and doing whatever it takes to gain power and fame.  Actually, she doesn't seem to care as much about the power, but playing dress up in front of the camera is her happy place.  She's an awful person doing awful things.

I would love to know how these people picture their end game.  How do they think our world will be if democracy is lost?  Especially the MAGA women - do they think they will play any major roles?  Does Noem think she will still be a player?  She will not.  Women will not have any major roles and even if they did, she is about to age out of what these guys see as eye candy.  And one more plastic surgery and her face will likely crack.  

Susan Collins - $2 Billion Vote

When the Big Ugly Bill was being ushered in, Collins cast a critical vote to advance the legislation.  Vance was brought in to break the tie.  When it came up for a vote, she voted against it, but at that point her vote didn't matter.  It turns out that "she cast that [critical vote to advance] just one day after private equity billionaire Steve Schwarzman, the chair of the Blackstone Group and a man who will personally reap huge rewards from the bill, kicked in $2 million toward her reelection effort."

There are lots of articles about it.  Here's one from Rolling Stone - SUSAN COLLINS RAKED IN WALL STREET CASH BEFORE ADVANCING TRUMP TAX BILL

CONTACT Susan Collins:

413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

(202) 224-2523

Marjorie Taylor Greene and More - Epstein Petition

 I never thought I'd be sending Marjorie Taylor Greene a thank you note, and yet, here I am.  As described in Friday's post, MTG, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace signed the petition to have the Epstein files released.  They did that despite the not-too-subtle threats from the White House.  That deserves thanks.

Note: I saw that Nancy Mace may be backtracking a bit.  Keep an eye on that one.  

However, I am still a bit skeptical.  Is there a subplot?  Are they doing it, feeling certain the petition will never get the votes, much like Susan Collins does?  Do they have special permission from The White House?  Is this just to make her base happy without any real threat to having those files released?  Probably.  

I have very mixed emotions about sending this card, but at least my message will be out there and maybe if these women get enough feedback, it will make them realize just how unpopular it is to protect the rich predators.

Contact Info:

Marjorie Taylor Greene

2201 Rayburn Building

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-5211

Lauren Boebert

1713 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

Phone: (202) 225-4761

Nancy Mace

1728 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

Phone: (202) 225-3176

GA ICE Raid - Hyundai

* Note - This story is ongoing and some of the details varied from source to source.  I've done the best I could to make sense of it.

On Thursday, Sep 4, there was a huge ICE raid at a construction site for an electric vehicle battery plant in rural Bryan County, GA.  The battery manufacturer, South Korea's LG Energy Solution, which co-owns the plant with Hyundai Motor Group, said in a statement that employees of both companies had been taken into custody.  But, Hyundai Motor Company said "As of today, it is our understanding that none of those detained are directly employed by Hyundai," it said.

Hyundai's production of electric vehicles at the 3000 acre site was not affected, Reuters reported. Its partner in the battery joint venture, LG Energy Solutions, had paused construction work at the site.

Georgia's Governor, Republican Brian Kemp, had touted Hyundai's new electric vehicle operation as the biggest economic development project in the state's history, employing 1,200 people.

The raid resulted in the arrest of 450+ people.  300 or so are reported to be Korean nationals. It was the largest-ever Homeland Security enforcement operation at a single location.    They were being held at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Folkston, Georgia, until the agency decides where to move them next.  Read more about Folkston here.  Apparently some legal immigrants were caught up in the raid as well.

A spokesperson for the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office says that agency had no role in the raid. 

Jongwon Lee, a Korean lawyer who works in Atlanta, said South Korean conglomerates are bringing huge investments into the United States, but there aren’t enough visas to sponsor trained workers to run these factories. The blame lies with the American visa system, he said. The United States “invited us to invest in the U.S., but they don’t give Koreans proper visas.”

South Korea expressed "concern and regret" over the operation and urged the US government to respect the rights of its citizens.  "The economic activities of Korean investment companies and the rights and interests of Korean citizens must not be unfairly infringed upon during US law enforcement operations," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.

What I don't understand about these raids at corporations... why is it the immigrants who are made out to be the bad guys? Why do we have to wage war against the people who are struggling the most just to get by? Immigrants are human beings! Why is ICE not carrying away the corporate big guys who are bringing them in and subjecting them to low wages and unsafe conditions? 

Claiming Responsibility

Tori Branum claims to be the person behind the raid and she's super proud of it.  As she tells it, one of the union workers told her about the immigrants and she tipped off ICE.   She is a MAGA Republican candidate for Georgia’s 12th congressional district.  She loves Trump and is proud of ICE.  Her district does not include the place where the raid took place - Ellabell, Ga., which is near Savannah.

This is Tori's cover photo on Facebook.

I thought about sending a postcard her way, but it doesn't seem worth it.  She's glorying in the attention and is using any negative comments to brag to her MAGA friends and for her campaign.  She seems to be a Kristi Noem Wannabe.

CONTACTS

Rick Allen

(GA Congressman, District 12)

462 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Phone: (202) 225-2823

Raphael Warnock

Georgia Senator

717 Hart Senate Office Building,

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3643

Jon Ossoff

Georgia Senator

317 Hart Senate Office Building,

Washington, DC 20510

Phone: (202) 224-3521

Brian Kemp

Governor of Georgia

206 Washington Street

Suite 203

State Capitol

Atlanta, GA 30334

Phone: (404) 656-1776

SOURCES

Republican Candidate Takes Credit for Trump Immigration Raid at Hyundai Plant ~ Rolling Stone via Yahoo News

South Koreans Are Swept Up in Immigration Raid at Hyundai Plant in Georgia ~ New York Times 

Examining Trump's post about Putin, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping conspiring against the US ~ Snopes

Hundreds of South Koreans detained in massive ICE raid at Hyundai plant ~ BBC