Sadistic Immigration Policy Resistance; Democrats Circle Wagons; Post-Janus Organizing; Don’t Legitimize Dark Money; Faculty Group Supports Colleen Bradley; RIP Ben Tessler; Beach Beer; and, more!

Mass protests against Trump’s immigration policies swept the nation last Saturday. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is creating a new “denaturalization” task force. Occupy ICE camps expand across the U.S. calling for the end of the agency in the wake of Trump’s child separation policies. 19 ICE high-level ICE agents beg to get separated from the ICE Gestapo.

Democratic Party says “nothing to see here” about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s huge upset victory in the NY-14 last Tuesday, says Nancy Pelosi. But, DNC Chair, Tom Perez tells Bill Press that Ocasio-Cortez represents the future of the party. Shake up in the NY Democratic Machine with Julia Salazar’s run for State Senate. Bronx Dem machine has big meeting and doesn’t invite Ocasio-Cortez and State Senator Gustavo Rivera to the meeting. Tammy Duckworth says it’s just a Bronx thing. Will alienate Midwestern voters she said. Just a reminder: Bernie Sanders won the Democratic Party primaries in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas. Democratic Party leadership sounding similar to the line taken by donors and Wall Street lobbyists. Great episode of This American Life, “It’s My Party and I’ll Try if I Want to,” a couple weeks ago following the campaign of Jeff Beal in the NY 19th provided an interesting look into the DCCC.

An actual headline from Politico this week read: “Illinois Governor Breaks with Cruz over Nazi Candidate”  

In the wake of the Janus v. AFSCME ruling, Labor Notes releases a new organizing guide: “Rebuilding Power in Open Shop America.” Seems like required movement for the labor movement right about now.And, a little late to the game, Princeton economists find that unions had a historical role in helping address income inequality. “The rise in income inequality between skilled and unskilled workers since the 1970s might be due, at least in part, to a decline in union membership, Princeton University researchers have found,” they write. New York Gov. Cuomo signs an executive order banning the release of state workers personal”contact information in the wake of the Janus decision.

Goodbye Anthony Kennedy.  Monday, Trump - that is, the Federalist Society - is expected to announce his pick for the Supreme Court. Three judges lead the pack: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, and Raymond Kethledge.  Michigan judge rules that children do not, in fact, have a fundamental right to learn how to read and write.

A new tool from ProPublica allows you to see if your school, college, or university has been investigated for civil rights violations. And this just in...ProPublica outed a white nationalist who is a Ph.D. student at UCLA and who has U.S. government security clearance to work on sensitive research for the defense contractor, Northrop Grumman.

Daylin Leach goes onto Matt Brouillette's podcast and Democrats continue to give Brouillette clout within the party. Kevin Mahoney in Wilkes-Barre, Sean in Harrisburg, and Seth in Brooklyn for #FamiliesBelongTogether marches. Judy Schwank compares Berks Immigration Family Detention Center to her grandchild’s daycare facility, except for the fact that kids in daycare centers get to go home every night.

Senator McGarrigle, one of the prime sponsors of Libre’s Law - a bill that protects animals, rides an elephant in the Springfield 4th of July parade.  Animal rights activists are pissed. Lou Barletta had Nigel Farage, you know, the Brexit architect, as a special guest at a fundraiser this past week.

A group of faculty from PASSHE universities are raising money to file an amicus brief in support of Colleen Bradley’s case. Their GoFundMe site, “Help Us Ask the Supreme Court to Stand Up for the First Amendment” already has $550 towards their $1200 goal.

On a serious note, on today’s last call I want to send love to an old college friend and roommate of mine, Ben Tessler. Ben died unexpectedly this week. My thoughts are with his family and kids and with all my friends who were equally shocked when we heard the news. Ben, Rest in Peace.

Next week, I’ll be down the shore. I am hoping to stop by three breweries to stock the fridge: 7 Mile Brewery in Rio Grande, just outside of Wildwood, Cape May Brewing, and Cold Spring Brewery also in Cape May. Nice sour addition at Free Will - Kriek Nouveau - is out and round two is heading into the tank.