DEMOCRACY NOW! DAILY DIGEST STORIES:What Did He Know and When Did He Know It? Lies & Contradictions Abound as Trump Is Treated for COVID, After Recklessness, a Coronavirus Outbreak at the White House; Will Admin Cover Up or Contract Trace?, "Black Women's Lives Matter": Breonna Taylor's Family Demands a Special Prosecutor to Reopen Case, Trump Tests Positive for COVID-19 After Months of Downplaying Virus & Mocking Biden for Wearing Mask 5OKT20

 

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What Did He Know and When Did He Know It? Lies & Contradictions Abound as Trump Is Treated for COVID As the White House and President Trump's medical team issue conflicting statements on Trump's condition after he was hospitalized for COVID-19, and when he ... Read More →

After Recklessness, a Coronavirus Outbreak at the White House; Will Admin Cover Up or Contract Trace? As President Trump and a growing number of prominent Republicans are infected with COVID-19, we speak with Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University ... Read More →

"Black Women's Lives Matter": Breonna Taylor's Family Demands a Special Prosecutor to Reopen Case Breonna Taylor's family is calling on Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to appoint a new special prosecutor to reopen the case after they say newly released grand jury ... Read More →

Trump Tests Positive for COVID-19 After Months of Downplaying Virus & Mocking Biden for Wearing Mask Just days after mocking his presidential rival Joe Biden for regularly wearing masks, President Donald Trump has revealed that he and first lady Melania Trump have ... Read More →

(MUSIC VIDEO 'POOR MANS PAIN) KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE, NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, No Justice for Breonna Taylor: The Indictment Didn't Even #SayHerName (by Adam Russell Taylor), Celebrating the Days of Awe in the Year that Nothing Went to Plan (by Molly Conway), Equal Respect, Equal Opportunity: Ginsburg's Legacy Inspires the Work Ahead (by Paola Fuentes Gleghorn), U.S. Surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 Deaths (by the Web Editors ), Join the 30 Days of Courage Challenge!, Call your Senators to #SavetheUSPS 28SEP20

 KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE, NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE

Verse of the day In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. - Isaiah 42:4 (NIV)

Voice of the day There is not some separation between Jesus and justice; to be Christian is to be concerned with what’s going on in the world. - Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II

Prayer of the day Righteous God, may our faith always motivate and inform our pursuit of justice.

HERE is a lady who knows injustice and has worked in her community to for justice and peace with her amazing, powerful speaking and singing voices. This from NPR and Sojourners, be sure to listen to the story from NPR (click on the title below)....

Tiny Desk Contestant Danielle Ponder On Telling Stories That Matter Through Music

Danielle Ponder's song "Poor Man's Pain" was a standout Tiny Desk Contest entry this year.

Courtesy of the artist

September 5, 20207:59 AM ET

Heard on Weekend Edition Saturday

SCOTT SIMON

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JEFFREY PIERRE

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Singer Danielle Ponder knows that empathy is a powerful tool in songwriting. "I think in music, you're telling a story," she tells NPR's Weekend Edition, "and a good songwriter is telling a story in a way where the audience empathizes or can see themselves in that person's shoes."

It's really not that different, the Rochester, N.Y.-based musician says, from being a defense attorney. She should know; outside of her music career, Ponder also spent five years as a public defender.

Ponder entered her song "Poor Man's Pain" into this year's Tiny Desk Contest. Though she didn't win — that honor went to Brooklyn singer and songwriter Linda Diaz — her moving song and powerful voice impressed our panel of judges. (Her entry was even featured in an episode of our Tiny Desk Contest Top Shelf series.)

Danielle Ponder - "Poor Man's Pain" - Tiny Desk Contest 2020

*SEE MORE ON "POOR MAN'S PAIN" AT THE END OF THIS POST

Ponder says both her music and her career as a public defender have been, in part, inspired by her brother's experience with the criminal justice system. "My brother spent 20 years of his life in prison for a robbery," she says, "and that is something that has motivated me to do the work that I do, to write the songs that I write."

Ponder says she was thinking about her brother's experience when she wrote "Poor Man's Pain," as well as another story. "The one case that really broke my heart, to be frank," she says, "was the case of Willie Simmons, who stole $9 in 1982 and [is serving] a life sentence. He has exhausted all of his appeals and has pled and begged to be set free and has been denied that opportunity. His case really inspired me to write this song."

Though Ponder submitted the Tiny Desk Contest video in March, the song's relevance hasn't waned for her — especially with the recently renewed conversation about the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man from Ponder's home city who died after being injured during an arrest last March.

"I wrote ["Poor Man's Pain"] before all of this happened," she says. "But I guess with the track record of this country, I should have known that it would find its relevance again. It was Willie Simmons' story in March, and then it was George Floyd's story in May, and now it's Daniel Prude's story in September. So these songs, I think, are timeless, because we have not found a way to end the pain and suffering of Black people in this country."

Listen to the full aired story in the audio player above.

SOJOURNERS

Our Latest No Justice for Breonna Taylor: The Indictment Didn't Even #SayHerName (by Adam Russell Taylor) The decision exposes the value gap in our justice system that so often dismisses and degrades the value of Black life. Celebrating the Days of Awe in the Year that Nothing Went to Plan (by Molly Conway) In Jewish mythology, the turn of the year is a process, like turning over a field. Equal Respect, Equal Opportunity: Ginsburg's Legacy Inspires the Work Ahead (by Paola Fuentes Gleghorn) It is only by coming together in our collective power that the movement for justice has continued over generations and will continue even now. U.S. Surpasses 200,000 COVID-19 Deaths (by the Web Editors ) There's no national effort to memorialize a tragedy we're still experiencing and will be for quite some time.

Join the 30 Days of Courage Challenge! This FREE online event is for abuse survivors and advocates. The conference, October 1st-30th inside the Courage 365 Facebook group, includes daily motivational video messages and reflection questions; weekly keynotes by Johnathon Schaech, Lyvonne Proverbs, Jimmy Hinton, Sarah Ann Masse, Ashley Easter, Eboney Weathers; weekly empowerment challenges; epic prizes; and more! Call your Senators to #SavetheUSPS The United States Postal Service is vital so folks are able to get their prescription medications, businesses don’t suffer, and everyone who needs to is able to reliably vote by mail. Click to take action!

*Thankful to everyone who made this video happen : )

Recorded Live at Wicked Squid Studios Filmed by Krit Upra Avis Reese: Keyboard Ashley Ickes: Drums John Viviani: Guitar/Producer This song was inspired by Willie Simmons, who was sentenced to life in prison for stealing $9 in 1982, the people I've represented as a public defender and my brother who was sentenced to 20 years to life. Sign the Petition to end Alabama Habitual Offender Law here: https://action.aclu.org/petition/al-r...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellepon... Join my Patreon here for music and video : https://www.patreon.com/danielleponde... Lyrics By Danielle Ponder: Did the crime paid more than time, time and time, and time again Land of laws for the darker man Freedom comes too slow for me I could give up if my soul wasn't with me I could give up if the blood wasn't in me I'm pressing on one day I'll see the sun Yeah I'm calling out to the heart of the land Whose going to listen to a poor man's pain I am reaching out, reaching out again to anyone with the will to understand Lonely nights and longer days count them down but they never fade Hard to remember who I used to be I hold tight to what's left of me Cold is the place where nobody sees me Cold is the place where the world doesn't needs me Wont be long I' m coming home ooo Freedom wont you call out their names Im a man just like you, i bleed the blood that you do Freedom wont you call out my name. Freedom wont you call out my name

Big update about Breonna Taylor 14SEP20

KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE, NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE

 FINALLY Breonna Taylor's family might get justice for the police murder of Breonna almost six months after her death. Still pressure has to be maintained on the Kentucky criminal justice system to make sure they aggressively and effectively prosecute brett hankison, jonathan mattingly and myles cosgrove for the murder of Breonna Taylor. From UltraViolet.....

After six months, news outlets are reporting that Breonna Taylor's case could possibly go before a grand jury this week.¹

Attorney General Daniel Cameron has made the Louisville community and the country wait half a year for any movement in Breonna's case. But in that time, her community has achieved several things.

Community members successfully exposed the County Attorney's Office for trying to pin a crime on Breonna months after police officers killed her.² They exposed the Louisville Metro Police Department for trying to frame Breonna's partner, Kenneth Walker, for defending his and Breonna's home.³ They pressured officials so well that they banned "no-knock" warrants, fired the former LMPD chief, released the 911 call that proved Kenneth's innocence, and dropped the charges against him.⁴

None of these things could have happened without the movement behind Breonna and the movement for Black lives. We need to keep at it. Will you call the Attorney General's office to demand justice for Breonna Taylor?

• (502) 429-7134 - Louisville office of Attorney General Daniel Cameron

Click here to tell us how it went.

I (Craig Schwanke) called, Had to leave a message demanding the arrest, charging, and prosecution of brett hankison, jonathan mattingly, and myles cosgrove. I said these people should be convicted of murder if AG Daniel Cameron does his job and they should be sentenced to life in prison without parole. I also stated it is disgusting this has gone on this long without any action by AG Cameron and that Breonna and her family deserve justice.

Make a call for Breonna Taylor now, then tell us how it went here.

Thanks for speaking out!

--Black Lives Matter Louisville and the UltraViolet team

 

Sources:

1. Grand Jury Will Soon Hear Case On Breonna Taylor's Killing, Essence, September 10, 2020

2. Tweet, Roberto Aram Ferdman, August 31, 2020

3. LMPD officer investigating police conduct in Breonna Taylor case also testified in her boyfriend's grand jury hearing, WRDB, July 9, 2020

4. No-Knock Warrants Banned In Louisville In Law Named For Breonna Taylor, NPR, June 11, 2020

Prosecutor dismisses charges against Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, more investigation 'necessary', USA Today, May 22, 2020

911 call from Breonna Taylor's shooting death released: "Somebody kicked in the door and shot my girlfriend", CBS News, May 29, 2020

Louisville police chief fired after no body camera footage of shooting, WDRB.com, June 1, 2020