Adam Schiff: Proposed national emergency to fund wall an abuse of power
U.S. Rep. Adam Shiff (D-California) on Friday issued this statement concerning the ongoing partial government shutdown:
“President Trump used the Oval Office to push for his wall in a prime time national television speech replete with falsehoods and fear mongering, and walked out of negotiations with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi. Now he’s publicly weighing the declaration of an unprecedented “national emergency,” claiming it would give him the power to build his wall, no matter what Congress says.
Making matters worse, yesterday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a new effort to pass a bill to reopen the government in the Senate.
As a result, today, hundreds of thousands of federal workers are receiving paychecks in the amount of $0.00, and there’s no end in sight thanks to Trump and McConnell.
We need to keep up the pressure on the GOP to end this abusive shutdown, and put people back to work. And we must fight any assertion that the failure of the president to get Mexico to pay for his pet project is some kind of “national emergency.” If we don’t resist this abuse of power, we can expect more of the same. — From U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff
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AJC’s Rabbi Andrew Baker to represent OSCE in battle against anti-Semitism
For the 11th consecutive year, Rabbi Andrew Baker, The American Jewish Committee (AJC)’s director of International Jewish Affairs, will serve as Personal Representative on Combating Anti-Semitism for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
“I value your experience and expertise, which is why I am appointing you as my Personal Representative to Combat Anti-Semitism. I am counting on you to lead our efforts in this field,” said Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, who assumed the post of OSCE Chairperson-in-Office this month.
The OSCE created the significant, high-level position in 2005. Baker was first appointed to the post in 2009, and has been reappointed each year since then by the rotating chairmanship. The OSCE organization’s 57 members include the governments of all European and Eurasia countries, Canada, and the United States.
“The OSCE has made significant strides in combating anti-Semitism, but the challenge is great and continues to require constant monitoring and action,” said Baker. “I am grateful to Minister Lajcak for reappointing me to this critical position in order to continue to focus OSCE efforts on combating anti-Semitism.”
In announcing Baker’s reappointment, Lajcak also declared that Slovakia will soon organize in Bratislava a high-level conference on combating anti-Semitism. — From American Jewish Committee
“OSCE efforts are critical to combat persistent anti-Semitism, a cancer that continues to grow and threaten the fabric and fiber of member states, not just their Jewish communities,” said AJC CEO David Harris. “Rabbi Baker, my long-time and cherished colleague, plays a critical role interacting with the entire OSCE, individual member countries, civil societies, and Jewish communities in the urgent mission confronting what some have called the world’s oldest social pathology.”
For more than 20 years, Baker has worked intensively with governments and Jewish communities across Europe on programs and policies to confront anti-Semitism. He regularly visits European capitals to assess threats to Jewish communities and how to address them. He was intimately involved in a ground-breaking OSCE project to train law enforcement on monitoring and countering hate crimes.
AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization, with headquarters in the U.S., maintains offices and posts in several OSCE member states, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland in Europe. — From American Jewish Committee
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Vines at Coastal Roots Farm struck with Pierce’s Disease
Javier Guerrero, executive director of the Coastal Roots Farm at the Leichtag Ranch has issued the following statement:
“For nearly five years, we have cherished our vineyard as a community gift planted and cared for by a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for the support we received at all phases of this experimental project.
“The vineyard has brought us so much, including:
- Invaluable and deep connections to community members
- Opportunities to learn, celebrate and explore Jewish traditions in new ways
- Key lessons on viticulture and wine production
- Bottled Sangiovese Rose and Viognier wine through a partnership with Solterra Winery
“We recently learned that the vineyard is infected with Pierce’s Disease, a common bacteria that California winegrowers have dealt with for over a century. We have been advised to remove the vineyard and plant cover crops to heal the soil.
“As a team, we are always trying our best to farm according to best practice and to put measures in place that prevent disease and remedial action. We are disappointed about this outcome and are attempting to learn as much as possible to prevent this happening in the future, not only in the vineyard, but in all parts of the farm. We are also developing a strategy to be highly transparent in our learning so we can share this information with friends and community members who may want to experiment with vines themselves. As you no doubt know, trial and error are commonplace in farming and we are told by experienced grape growers and winemakers, that iterative learning and failure is especially prevalent in viticulture.
“So many wonderful friends, volunteers and neighbors took part in planting the vineyard and lovingly tending to it. Thank you so very much for all your efforts and support. We look forward to sharing our learning, keeping you posted on our progress, and farming side by side with you as we continue to plant, grow and nurture for the vulnerable of our community. — From Coastal Roots Farm
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Preceding items culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com