Hi, all, and happy Monday! I hope you had a restful and sweet weekend. I had both— the latter quite literally, as MJ and I devoted all of Saturday to baking vast quantities of Christmas cookies. (They did all of the decorating, if you couldn’t guess from the photo.)
Senator Merkley's bill is a potentially great Christmas gift to the American people. I wish you and family a blessed Christmas season. Enjoy every moment, Jessica!
I can’t thank you enough for including the information about contacting the FDA in support of NurCom. My husband died of ALS in October of 2020. Watching him lose his ability to use his arms, hands, then legs and finally his ability to swallow was agonizing. Adding COVID to that was unbearable. I cared for him at home and helped him participate in several studies via Zoom. When Glen died, we donated his brain and spine in the hopes of breakthroughs for future patients.
There is terrific research happening all over the world in new treatments for ALS and other equally deadly motor neuron diseases. As a surviving spouse, and on behalf of our daughters, thank you for getting the word out to your activists about this new and potentially powerful treatment. I’m beyond grateful for your help!
Hi Jessica, I loved the cookie photo - it glowed with good energy! And I'm right with you about taking a break from activism for some good and peaceful time with loved ones during this holiday season.
I want to call Senator Schumer, but I don't know what an accountability vote is and I want to before I call. I tried several different ways to google the phrase and I couldn't find it. If you have a moment, can you tell me what it is?
Thanks so much for all you do to keep us on track to defend and grow our democracy!
the cookies look great - tell MJ one fan is impressed with their skills- variety and attention to detail were most impressive! Happy you were able to share time an space and ideas with the Hubbles- big fan of them too.
I applaud the break and time for self and family- it has been a whirlwind to make an understatement and you have been one to lead the charge so I imagine you need the break even more than most! Enjoy every second and every cookie!
One thought for the return- I would love to know how to navigate more social media safely- just not on any of it but email and know I am way behind the times and know how it can be a huge way to contact people. - if not you -then maybe one of your intrepid followers would help a Senior get more comfortable with it🤷♀️🙏🤞thanks as always for being the guiding light! Have a wonderful holiday.
Hey Jess, Have you heard of ALEC? I got this from COMMON CAUSE. There are so many pleas from so many sources, I wondered if you wanted to vet this for all of us.... Here's the beginning of the email they sent me:
And one major threat is a group you may never have heard of: ALEC.
ALEC is the acronym for the innocent-sounding American Legislative Exchange Council. Except in reality... it’s anything but. Beneath the benign name lies an extremist group of lobbyists funded by the Kochs and big corporations, working to ram far-right legislation through state legislatures.
ALEC is responsible for some of the most extreme, ultra-conservative state laws passed in the last decade: disinformation-fueled voter suppression laws, “Stand Your Ground” gun legislation, handouts to polluting corporations, and blocking the Affordable Care Act at the state level, among others.
Senator Merkley's bill is a potentially great Christmas gift to the American people. I wish you and family a blessed Christmas season. Enjoy every moment, Jessica!
Great newsletter as always, but Aw - the cookies! They reminded me so much of the ones my daughters used to make with me. I miss those days. Enjoy!!
I can’t thank you enough for including the information about contacting the FDA in support of NurCom. My husband died of ALS in October of 2020. Watching him lose his ability to use his arms, hands, then legs and finally his ability to swallow was agonizing. Adding COVID to that was unbearable. I cared for him at home and helped him participate in several studies via Zoom. When Glen died, we donated his brain and spine in the hopes of breakthroughs for future patients.
There is terrific research happening all over the world in new treatments for ALS and other equally deadly motor neuron diseases. As a surviving spouse, and on behalf of our daughters, thank you for getting the word out to your activists about this new and potentially powerful treatment. I’m beyond grateful for your help!
Hi Jessica, I loved the cookie photo - it glowed with good energy! And I'm right with you about taking a break from activism for some good and peaceful time with loved ones during this holiday season.
I want to call Senator Schumer, but I don't know what an accountability vote is and I want to before I call. I tried several different ways to google the phrase and I couldn't find it. If you have a moment, can you tell me what it is?
Thanks so much for all you do to keep us on track to defend and grow our democracy!
the cookies look great - tell MJ one fan is impressed with their skills- variety and attention to detail were most impressive! Happy you were able to share time an space and ideas with the Hubbles- big fan of them too.
I applaud the break and time for self and family- it has been a whirlwind to make an understatement and you have been one to lead the charge so I imagine you need the break even more than most! Enjoy every second and every cookie!
One thought for the return- I would love to know how to navigate more social media safely- just not on any of it but email and know I am way behind the times and know how it can be a huge way to contact people. - if not you -then maybe one of your intrepid followers would help a Senior get more comfortable with it🤷♀️🙏🤞thanks as always for being the guiding light! Have a wonderful holiday.
Every vote matters: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/11/massachusetts-recount-flips-state-house-race-to-democrat-one-vote
Thank you, sweet Jessica, for the amazing job you've done for all of us!!
Happy Holidays! xx's
Hey Jess, Have you heard of ALEC? I got this from COMMON CAUSE. There are so many pleas from so many sources, I wondered if you wanted to vet this for all of us.... Here's the beginning of the email they sent me:
And one major threat is a group you may never have heard of: ALEC.
ALEC is the acronym for the innocent-sounding American Legislative Exchange Council. Except in reality... it’s anything but. Beneath the benign name lies an extremist group of lobbyists funded by the Kochs and big corporations, working to ram far-right legislation through state legislatures.
ALEC is responsible for some of the most extreme, ultra-conservative state laws passed in the last decade: disinformation-fueled voter suppression laws, “Stand Your Ground” gun legislation, handouts to polluting corporations, and blocking the Affordable Care Act at the state level, among others.