Posted on May 16, 2018
Victory: Ronny Jackson withdraws as VA Secretary nominee
Here’s a huge thank you to the more than 86,000 CREDO activists who took action demanding that the Senate reject the nomination of Adm. Ronny Jackson, Trump’s White House physician, to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.
After massive public pressure –- including by CREDO member and our allies –- Jackson removed himself from consideration from the position.
Trump fired former VA Secretary David Shulkin because Shulkin opposed Trump’s radical privatization plans. To replace him, Trump nominated Jackson – a man with zero experience in management who is most famous for his comically over-the-top praise of Trump’s physical condition.
We know Trump’s next pick to lead the VA could be another privatization advocate, so we hope you will join us again to oppose any nominee who plans to do our veterans a disservice by handing over their care to private industry.
Posted on May 16, 2018
It’s time to end Trump’s blank check for war
72 hours after the 9/11 attacks, every Member of Congress, save one, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), voted to give then-President Bush the authority to go to war against the perpetrators of those attacks. 17 years later, that authority is still being used as the basis for U.S. military action around the world.
Congresswoman Lee’s argument was simple: the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) was a blank check for war. Her opposition earned her death threats, requiring protective service. Nearly 17 years later, it is more clear than ever that Rep. Lee was right.
With 60 short words, the 2001 AUMF unleashed what would become the longest war in American history. It has been used to justify military force not just in Afghanistan to go after al Qaeda and the Taliban but in at least 14 total countries. Fulfilling those missions has cost the United States trillions of dollars and the lives of thousands of service members, and has killed countless civilians in the crossfire.
Those are staggering costs. And yet, what’s even more shocking is how much of a complete failure the entire endeavor has been. In the words of one congressionally mandated independent analysis conducted just last year, “Al-Qaeda today is larger, more agile, and more resilient than it was in 2001.” But today’s so-called “war on terror” has spiraled well beyond al Qaeda, with American forces fighting extremists from Niger to Yemen to Syria to Somalia, many in organizations that didn’t even exist in 2001.
This blank check for war has given us an endless war, just like Rep. Lee predicted. And the longer we keep fighting it, the more we and the people of the world keep losing.
We’ve tried big wars. We’ve tried small wars. We’ve tried arming and training local forces to do the fighting. We’ve even tried using a fleet of flying killer robots. And it’s all yielded the same result. Failure.
Yet astoundingly, some in the United States Congress have decided it’s time to double down and write a new — even bigger — blank check. Earlier this spring, Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a new war authorization with the stated intention of “reining in” the president’s ability to wage worldwide, endless war. But the problem is, their bill does no such thing. In fact, this new AUMF is an even more dangerous blank check for war. And if we don’t step in and stop it soon, it may just become law.
The Corker-Kaine war authorization would double down on our failed policies by codifying the use of force against everyone the United States is fighting already fighting under the auspices of the 2001 law (it names 8 groups in total.) Even scarier, the bill then turns the Constitution completely on its head by giving the president the authority to add to that list of organizations and countries with just an FYI to Congress. Congress can technically vote to reject that move — but only after two months (an eternity in modern warfare), and only by a huge margin. The fact is, once the president has single-handedly started a new war, it would be nearly impossible to slam on the brakes.
The two provisions designed to be “constraints” are: (1) a limit on the president making nation-states targets under the war authorization and (2) a requirement that Congress review the legislation every four years. However, upon closer examination, both become meaningless.
Take Iran, for example. It’s true that if the Corker-Kaine war authorization became law, Donald Trump could not claim it gives him license to go to war with Iran. But he could, in theory, use it to go to war against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps by claiming that they are affiliated with al Qaeda, an argument his own Secretary of State and National Security Advisor have spent considerable energy making over the years.
As for the congressional review, instead of a traditional sunset which would mean that if Congress didn’t agree to renew the war authorization it would automatically terminate, Corker-Kaine would once again flip this on its head. Inaction by Congress would lead to automatic re-authorization rather than repeal. Let me ask you which is more likely, Congressional action to repeal it or inaction to leave it in place? Exactly.
The reality is that Sens. Corker and Kaine have ignored the very reason that the Founders put the power to declare war firmly in Congress’ hands in the first place. In explaining themselves in the Federalist Papers, the Constitution’s authors made clear that, having seen countless European wars fought by kings and queens, often for petty personal grievances, they wanted it to be hard for the president to go to war. They didn’t want one person, any single president (and certainly not THIS president) to be able to take our nation to war by themselves. So they gave that power to the branch of government directly accountable to the people: Congress. They didn’t expect Congress to be functional or even to be able to agree. In fact, they were counting on that dysfunction and disagreement to make going to war extremely difficult. They wanted it to be hard. They wanted us to get a say.
And that’s what we have to do now. Senators are deciding whether they’re going to support the Corker-Kaine war authorization. They’re debating whether or not to double down on an endless, failing war on terrorism. And we have to be part of this debate. We have to make going to war hard.
It’s up to us to demand that our Senators learn the lessons of 17 years of failure. It’s up to us to demand that our Senators heed Representative Barbara Lee’s warning from 2001 that we must never give the President a blank check for war. And it’s up to us to tell the Senate to reject the Corker-Kaine blank check for endless war.
CREDO and Win Without War are mobilizing allies and activists together to end Trump’s blank check for war. If you’d like to take action, please click here.
Stephen Miles is the director of Win Without War, a powerful community working to build a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. They combine a diverse national coalition with people-powered campaigns and advocacy to drive a progressive, values-based U.S. foreign policy. CREDO members voted to donate over $57,000 to the Win Without War in 2017. To learn more about who we fund and how we distribute our donations, visit CREDOdonations.com.
Posted on May 15, 2018
Tuesday Tip: How to Watch Facebook Livestream and YouTube Live Video
For better or worse, the world is now full of live broadcasters. With a smartphone and an app, anyone – individuals, celebrities, politicians or businesses – can easily tap, shoot and share live streaming videos with the world.
You can watch Facebook livestream and YouTube live videos from any device – phone, tablet or computer. Here’s how to tune in on two of the busiest streaming platforms, Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
Facebook Livestream
Whenever your friends or people you follow start Facebook live video streaming, it appears in your News Feed, and you can watch it there.
To see all the Facebook livestream videos happening in your part of the world, click Live Video to the left of your News Feed on your computer and you’ll go to the Facebook Live Map. From there, you can jump into any one of thousands of live videos being streamed. If you don’t see the Live Video link, click See More to extend the pulldown menu. On your phone, tap the menu at upper right, scroll down and tap See More, then tap Live Videos.
Another option is to enter the hashtag #live in the Search field. This will show you a list of Facebook livestreams. You can narrow your search by topic if you enter #live then the topic you’re interested in.
While you’re watching a Facebook livestream, you can weigh in with comments, and the broadcaster and other viewers will see your thoughts in real time. You can also invite friends to watch the same stream or share it to them.
YouTube Live Video
Watching YouTube live video is even easier. Just go to youtube.com/live. This will show you a wide variety of streams, organized in categories including Featured Live Streams, Live Now – Sports and Live Now – Animals.
You can also enter live stream in the YouTube search field. Add a topic to narrow your search results to the subject you’re interested in.
Same as Facebook Live, you can comment on the stream you’re watching in real time.
Live streaming provides a fascinating look at the world around you as it happens. Check it out and be enlightened.
Posted on May 8, 2018
CREDO Tip: Wasted – How You Can Help Stop Food Waste
Wasted: How you can help stop food waste
What if you took nearly half the food you buy and threw it away?
That’s what we do as a nation every year. Around 40% of the food we produce is wasted—an average of 400 pounds per person annually. Globally, one-third of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, along with all the work, water, energy and land that goes into producing it.
In fact, the world cultivates enough food to nourish every person on the planet. And yet 1 out of 7 people in the world goes hungry—a number of people higher than the population of the U.S., Canada and the EU put together.
Annually, 9 million people die of hunger—more than die of malaria, AIDs and tuberculosis combined. That’s the population of New York City, dead every year because they can’t get enough to eat.
We can’t solve the problem of global hunger without changing the economic systems that condemn so many people around the world, including in the United States, to hunger and food insecurity while others the privilege to waste. But there are things you can do reduce food waste yourself. You’ll save resources— including your own. Wasted food costs the average U.S. household of four as much as $2,275 a year.
Shop smart.
Don’t buy more than you need. This sounds obvious. And yet we do it so often. To buy only what you’ll use, plan your meals and make a detailed shopping list. Check what you already have on your shelf before you go. While you’re shopping, think twice: do you really need that much? Don’t shop hungry (seriously, it works). And don’t buy food just because it’s on sale.
Cook smart.
Restaurants have for years been increasing their portion sizes to keep customers coming back. And the trend is seeping into our kitchens at home. Resist the urge to overcook. Use small plates to remind yourself what a reasonable portion is.
Eat your leftovers.
Here’s what a lot of people do when they have leftover food. They put it in the fridge to ease their conscience, ignore it, then toss it when it finally goes bad. The road to food waste is paved with good intentions. You’ll be more likely to actually eat your leftovers if you get good containers and label them with a date. Try a new routine at lunchtime and enjoy your leftovers in the fresh air rather than eating at a cafe.
Declutter your kitchen.
Too often we forget what food we have until it’s too late. Keep your food organized and visible. Follow the first-in-first-out strategy to keep food from spoiling.
Donate.
You can find local food banks at Feeding America and WhyHunger.
Compost.
If you have a garden, composting is a great way to use leftover food productively. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can compost in your apartment to keep your houseplants healthy. Read our blog on how to compost indoors.
With a little care and planning, we can all reduce the amount of food we waste and help make our planet a healthier place.
Posted on May 7, 2018
Red Alert for Net Neutrality this May 9th
Starting this May 9, CREDO and our allies fighting for a free and open internet are on “Red Alert” to raise awareness and pressure lawmakers to protect net neutrality.
Democrats in the Senate are planning to force a vote to restore net neutrality rules that Trump’s Federal Communications Commission repealed late last year, and we’re standing behind this massive, nation-wide push to restore these critical rules to protect all internet users.
CREDO has been a long-time advocate for a free and open internet, and we’re the only U.S.-based wireless company actively fighting for net neutrality. Our members have taken millions of actions in support of net neutrality, and our members played a big role in 2015 to convince the FCC to vote for strong net neutrality rules under Title II of the Communications Act. And CREDO Mobile has donated more than $2.6 million to progressive groups fighting for net neutrality.
In the days leading up to the Senate vote, please download our net neutrality posters below and share them with your friends on social media.
And on the 9th, join us in urging the Senate to vote in favor of restoring net neutrality rules. You can make a quick call by clicking here be connected to your Senators.
Download When We Are More Free (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download When We Are More Free (PDF) – 18×24 in.
Posted on May 1, 2018
Our April grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three incredible organizations. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund groups fighting for gun control, against Big Oil and for economic justice. In April, over 75,000 CREDO members voted to distribute our monthly donation to Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Oil Change International and People’s Action.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our April grant recipients thank you.
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
“You have made an excellent choice in saying #ENOUGH to gun violence! Thank you for your continued support and partnership to curb gun violence in America. CREDO members like you help make our communities safer and save lives.” To learn more, visit bradycenter.org.
Oil Change International
“Thank you for your support! Engaged, informed people like you help make it possible for Oil Change International to bring cutting-edge research and hard-hitting analysis to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and fight for our clean energy future.” To learn more, visit priceofoil.org.
People’s Action
“Thank you for your support! CREDO members like you are our best allies in the movement for social, economic, racial and gender justice. Let’s take back our democracy together and build an economy that works for everyone across the globe.” To learn more, visit peoplesaction.org.
Now check out the three causes we are funding in May, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
Posted on May 1, 2018
Vote for three great progressive groups this May
Every month, CREDO members have the opportunity to help fund three great progressive causes. This May, CREDO members have the opportunity to vote for how we distribute our donations between groups fighting for voting rights, civil rights and digital rights by voting for the Brennan Center for Justice, the Detention Watch Network and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Learn more about these groups below and click here to vote for one, two or all three groups today.
Brennan Center for Justice
The Brennan Center for Justice holds our political institutions and laws accountable to the ideals of democracy and equal justice. The organization fights for checks and balances, voting rights, fair courts, and an end to m ass incarceration.
In a time of unprecedented challenges for our democracy and for the rule of law, funding from CREDO members would allow the Brennan Center to strengthen and expand its litigation and hard-hitting studies and allow the organization to work at full capacity as it rises to respond flexibly and forcefully to the challenges ahead.
Detention Watch Network
The Detention Watch Network is a coalition of organizations and individuals working to expose and challenge the injustices of the cruel immigration detention and deportation system and advocating for profound change that promotes dignity, justice and liberation for all.
A grant from CREDO would help DWN bolster its legislative advocacy, continue its #DefundHate campaign, advocate for the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act in the Senate, work to prevent the expansion of detention and ultimately achieve its vision of a world without immigration.
Posted on May 1, 2018
Tuesday Tip: Twitter Basics for New Users
If you’re not a Twitter user yourself, you may know it mainly as the platform Donald Trump relies on to attack his enemies and share his unhinged rants with the world.
But if you try it yourself you may find it to be a very useful tool in your own daily life. It will feed you information on your favorite topics: politics, sports, music, competitive dog grooming—whatever. It will keep you in touch with public figures and other people you find interesting. It will broadcast to your friends what you’re doing, how you’re feeling and anything else you want to say.
Before you take off and start Tweeting, though, there are some Twitter basics you should know.
Here are a few Twitter basics:
Tweet
Tweets must be under 280 characters. They can also contain text, photos, GIFs, videos and links (which do not count against your 280 characters.).
Smartphone:
- Tap the Tweet Compose icon.
- Enter your message. Tap Tweet.
Computer:
- Enter your Tweet in the box at the top of your Home timeline or click the Tweet button in the top navigation bar. You can include up to 4 photos, a GIF or a video in your Tweet.
- Click the Tweet button to post the Tweet to your Twitter profile.
Retweet
A Retweet is a repost of a Tweet that you share publicly with your followers. You can Retweet your own Tweets or Tweets by someone else. Retweeting is a direct way to pass along news and discoveries you find on Twitter. You have the option to add your own comments before you Retweet.
Smartphone:
- From the Tweet you’d like to share, tap the Retweet icon
. - In the popup, tap Retweet OR to add a comment, tap Retweet with a Comment and add your thoughts.
- Tap Tweet and the Tweet will be shared with your followers as a Retweet.
Computer:
- Hover over the Tweet you’d like to share and click the Retweet button. A popup will show you the Tweet you’re about to Retweet. If you want to add a comment, do it now.
- Click the Retweet button (or, if you’ve added a comment, the Tweet button). The Tweet will be shared with your followers as a Retweet.
Follow
Follow accounts and never miss an update from the people who matter to you, whether family, friends or world figures.
Smartphone:
- Go to a Tweet sent by the account you’d like to follow.
- Tap the Dropdown icon [insert graphic] at the top of the Tweet.
- Tap Follow from the menu.
Computer:
- Go to a Tweet from the account you’d like to follow.
- Hover over the account name.
- Click the Follow button
.
You can also follow an account from the account’s profile page.
- Go to the profile page of the account you’d like to follow.
- Then tap the Follow icon
. - Or, on a computer, click the profile button.
Search
You can search for individual Tweets, specific accounts or ongoing conversations. There are several ways you can do this. You can search Tweets from yourself, friends, local businesses or anyone who’s on Twitter. You can also follow ongoing conversations by searching for topic keywords or hashtags (see below).
Smartphone:
- Tap the Explore tab
. - Enter your search query into the search box and tap Search. The results will be a combination of Tweets, photos, accounts and more.
- You can filter your results by tapping Top , Latest, People, Photos, Videos, News or Periscopes (located at the top of your search results). Tap the Filter icon
in the search bar to refine your results.
Computer:
- Enter your search query into the search box at the top of the page. Your results will show a combination of Tweets, photos, accounts and more.
- Filter your results by clicking Top, Latest, People, Photos, Videos, News or Broadcasts.
- Click the Search filters drop-down menu to filter your results.
Hashtag
One of the most popular Twitter basic features is a hashtag. A hashtag is a keyword or phrase preceded by a # symbol. Hashtags enable you to easily follow topics you’re interested in. Use a hashtag symbol (#) in your Tweets to categorize them by keyword or topic and help them show up more easily in Twitter searches.
Tapping or clicking on a hashtag in a Tweet you’re viewing will show you other Tweets that include the hashtag. Don’t add spaces or punctuation in your hashtags or they won’t work properly.
These are, as we mentioned, just the Twitter basics. For (a lot) more information, go to the Twitter help page.
Follow CREDO on Twitter and be always informed of progressive news and special offers.
Posted on April 24, 2018
Tuesday Tip: How to Update Phone Software and Become Harder and More Expensive to Hack
Not sure why you should update? Update your software for mobile phone security.
“Keep your software updated!” is the closest thing we have to mobile phone security advice that will work for everyone. But the reasoning behind it can be counter-intuitive, and even quick updates can feel inconvenient, slow down our devices, or intolerably interrupt people’s workflows.
No software is perfect. Programmers make mistakes, best practices get updated, and security problems are discovered over time.
Sometimes, amateur or professional security researchers, academics, or employees at the company itself discover such problems, and report them back to the developers to get fixed. When that’s the case, the company can release phone software updates (also known as “patches”) to correct the problem. If you update your phone software as soon as that pesky “Update!” notification pops up, you are staying current with the best available protections—you’ll no longer be a “target of opportunity” for cheap attacks that try to catch people running out-of-date software.
But what happens if you don’t update your software immediately? Once a company releases a security update to fix a bug, the bug is somewhat “old news.” It may be commonly known and understood in the security research community, or, over time, people will be able to reverse-engineer the security update to figure out the details of the bug. These bugs are easy to learn about and cheap—or free—to buy exploits for. They are often used in broad phishing and malware schemes to target people who have devices with out-of-date software on them.
“But the update might break my software or include new features that I don’t like!”
This is a valid concern. Although it’s a best practice to separate security updates from updates that include new features and other changes, not all vendors and companies do so consistently.
However, if your software needs a security update, it is already broken. A problem has been found, and the update is there to address it. Updating takes you from software that is definitely broken to software that has a lower likelihood of breaking.
By keeping your software up to date at all times, you’re staying on top of your mobile phone security one step ahead of all but the most advanced threats.
Not sure how to update your phone or where to find the update features?
To update your iPhone: this is found under your iPhone’s home screen, and tap the Settings app > General > Software Update. Then, tap Download, and tap Install.
To update your apps on your iPhone: Go to your iPhone’s home screen and tap the App Store app. Then, tap the Updates icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap the Update All button.
To update your Android device: this is often found under your Settings app > About Device > System Updates > Check for Update. Next, tap Download, then tap Install.
To automatically update your apps on your Android device: Go to your Android’s home screen, and open the Google Play Store app. Tap Menu > Settings > Auto-update apps. Then, choose to Auto update apps at any time.
Posted on April 21, 2018
Our favorite signs from the 2018 March for Science
Across the globe, advocates and activists turned out on April 14 for the 2018 March for Science to hold lawmakers accountable and advocate for better science-based policies.
CREDO staff and our members were on hand for the rally held in Oakland – one of approximately 230 events held around the world – and we were so impressed by the creativity of the signs people carried during the march.
Here are some of our favorite signs from the 2018 Bay Area March for Science:
