Relationships and Going Places
Jo Freeman: There’s Plenty To Do at the RNC – If You Have the Right Credentials
by Jo Freeman
Every national nominating convention has plenty of auxiliary events, some authorized, some not. Getting space can be a challenge; getting the word out even more so. But they do it nonetheless. Press were given a RNC 2024 Master Event Calendar, which was updated a few days later. Events began on Sunday and ended on Thursday. The actual convention sessions were just one item on the list. The calendar said if an event was Open or Closed to press, and also whom to contact to register. I’m going to describe some of the events, including a couple I went to, and a couple I was turned away from.
Since my focus is on women, I obviously wanted to go to those events – if I could.
The National Federation of Republican Women is the largest grassroots Republican women's organization in the country with hundreds of clubs. Founded in 1938, its members made the phone calls and knocked on the doors that elected Republican candidates for decades. It’s Tuesday luncheon featured Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders. The Master Calendar said it was SOLD OUT and they wouldn’t let me in. I was able to get into their lounge at the Fiserv Forum Wednesday evening, where I was repeatedly asked if I was a member, and if not, would I join. “I’m press,” I said. “I can’t join anything partisan.” I then said: “What brings you here?” On hearing that, finding anyone willing to chat with me was like pulling teeth.
Moms for Liberty met in a concert hall that afternoon. I had pre-registered, and I got in. From high in a balcony seat I listened to several people talk about the evils of transgenderism. It’s webpage says WE BELIEVE Power Belongs to the People. Sound Familiar? With a focus is on parental rights, it wants to “STOP WOKE indoctrination.”
Tuesday I went to “The New Mavericks” reception co-hosted by the Black Republican Mayors Association and the Georgia Republican Party. They honored Sen. Tim Scott, four Congressmen and two Georgia delegates – all male. There was only one mayor on stage, from Aurora, IL. The chair of the Georgia Republican Party was the one white man on the stage. At that event, women served; they didn’t speak. The RNC reported that 55 delegates to the 2024 convention are Black, up from 18 in 2016.
I missed the Independent Women’s Forum toast to “Women Who Make Our Country Great” because I went to Convention Fest: The Official Delegate Experience, which was held in the streets outside the Fiserve Forum and Baird Hall as well as some space inside Baird. To get to that one you not only needed a credential of some sort, but a USSS pass (which I have).
Concerned Women for America parked its pink bus across from the Baird Center the week before the RNC. No one was home. When Convention Fest opened on Tuesday afternoon, they set up a pink tent, from which its leaders preached to whomever passed by. It calls itself “the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization” but its focus is evangelical Christian. The slogan on the side of its pink bus captures this emphasis: “She Prays, She Votes.” A prayer precedes each sermon.
2024 Tax Filing Season Set for January 29; IRS Continues to Make Improvements to Help Taxpayers
Here you'll find items of current interest — new programs, recent guidance or timely reminders.Tax Updates and News From the IRS: Taxpayers face a number of issues due to critical tax law changes that took place in 2022 and ongoing challenges related to the pandemic. The IRS announced a major policy change that will end unannounced visits to taxpayers by agency revenue officers to reduce public confusion and increase overall safety. The change reverses a decades-long practice by IRS Revenue Officers, the unarmed agency employees whose duties included visiting households and businesses to collect unpaid taxes. Effective immediately, the unscheduled visits will end except in a few unique circumstances. more »
A Proclamation on National Stalking Awareness Month, 2024 From Joseph R. Biden Jr.
From President Biden: "One of my proudest achievements in life was writing and championing the landmark Violence Against Women Act some 30 years ago in the United States Senate. It began to change our culture, bringing these crimes out of the shadows and getting survivors the services and support they needed. Over the years, I worked with courageous advocates to keep expanding protections and boosting access to healing and justice. In 2022, I was proud to sign a reauthorization of the law, increasing investment in prosecution, prevention, and support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking." BRIEFING ROOM more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Shifting Seasons: We Need to Remember That We Are Strong Underneath, That Things Change and That the World is Flexible.
Ferida's Backyard: "As our communities become more urbanized, the natural features around us tend to get pushed into the background and often go unnoticed. In “Ferida’s Backyard,” I look at the details of nature locally, from a neighborhood perspective, frequently from a backyard vantage point. It excites me to share what I see. An awareness of the natural connection can beautifully enhance our lives. "I was moved when I looked at the leafless tree. It seemed to be reaching up to embrace the sky. It will be like that through the winter months, allowing us to see its inner strength before it covers its bareness with beautiful greenery in Spring." more »
Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; CDC Continues to Track the Growth of JN.1 December 22, 2023
"JN.1 continues to increase in proportion. CDC has been tracking JN.1 for months, since it first split from its parent, BA.2.86. JN.1 is similar to BA.2.86 but has an additional mutation (L455S) in the spike protein. JN.1 continues to cause an increasing share of infections and is now the most widely circulating variant in the United States. For the two weeks ending on December 23, 2023, JN.1 is expected to account for 39-50% of all SARS-CoV-2 variants. That’s an increase from the projected prevalence two weeks ago of 15-29%. We’re also seeing an increasing share of infections caused by JN.1 in travelers, wastewater, and most regions around the globe. Help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Improving your indoor air is one of the best ways to prevent spread. This can be as simple as using a portable air cleaner or opening windows (for those with pleasant winter weather). And if your home thermostat offers a FAN option, turn it from AUTO to ON when you have visitors to keep air running continuously. Learn more about other ways to help reduce spread, including testing for COVID-19, wearing masks, and increasing space and distancing."
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