Top Trump official calls for Christianity mandate nationwide

Today's Top Stories:

Former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn calls for one religion in America
Flynn, who recently talked about his faith in an effort to refute QAnon claims that he worships Satan, called for Christianity to become the singular religion of the United States.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Jen Psaki knocks asinine question out of the park
The White House press secretary was actually asked what the president could be doing to appease legions of right-wingers who have recently popularized a stand-in phrase for "f*ck Joe Biden." Seriously.

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Democrats FINALLY score massive win
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: New extremists in Congress are taking their districts for granted while delivering nothing for them. United Rural Democrats are organizing on the ground to shock Republicans by winning back Middle America. But they need your help!

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Nations reach climate change agreement in Glasgow but follow-through in doubt
The final agreement, which came following contentious negotiations, arrived more than 24 hours after the conference officially ended. But it did not go as far as many in the scientific community have said is necessary to keep the world from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius rise over pre-industrial levels, which was the main goal of the conference itself.

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Video: Mark Meadows lambasted DOJ official in 2018 for "stonewalling" subpoenas from GOP Congress
MSNBC unearthed a video clip of then-Rep. Mark Meadows attacking an official he accused of "stonewalling" congressional subpoenas — issued during Trump’s administration. On Friday, Meadows ignored a subpoena to appear before the House select committee investigating the Capitol riot. Oops.

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Oklahoma National Guard rejects Pentagon's coronavirus vaccine mandate
Brig. Gen. Thomas Mancino, appointed this week by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt as adjutant of the state's 10,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen, notified those under his command that they are not required to receive the vaccine and won't be punished if they decline it.

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US military hid airstrikes that killed dozens of civilians in Syria
The US military covered up 2019 airstrikes in Syria that killed up to 64 women and children, a possible war crime, during the battle against Islamic State, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene, Madison Cawthorn, and Lauren Boebert's extremism costing them support from their voters
United Rural Democrats: New extremists in Congress are taking their districts for granted while delivering nothing for them. United Rural Democrats are organizing on the ground to shock Republicans by winning back Middle America. But they need your help!

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Trump is calling on people to challenge a laundry list of Republicans who voted for Biden's infrastructure bill
The disgraced ex-president said he'd back anyone who challenged a number of Republican lawmakers in the next election, all of which either voted in favor of President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill or supported an indictment for Steve Bannon.

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Trump's ex-communications director thinks Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, and Mike Pompeo will run against Trump in 2024
This should be interesting.

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Retiring GOP House rep says he hopes the indictment of Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress "sends a chilling message"
Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he hopes that the indictment of Trump's former chief strategist reaffirms that individuals asked to speak before the House panel "cannot ignore Congress."

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South Carolina governor calls for LGBTQ book to be banned in schools
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster urged his state Department of Education this week to remove a book (he undoubtedly has not read) about gender identity from school shelves, calling it "obscene and pornographic," and to "investigate" similar content.

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Seriously?

Southwest Airlines employee hospitalized after passenger attack in Dallas

Former 'Apprentice' contestant abruptly ends suit against Trump

Hackers sent spam emails... from internal FBI accounts

Disgraced coach sues NFL for leaking emails that led to resignation

Yes. Seriously.

Off-duty Baltimore cop getting haircut ends gunman's killing spree

Austria putting millions of unvaccinated on nationwide lockdown

New Delhi schools close for one week due to severe air pollution

500 National Guard troops called up for Rittenhouse verdict

100 lawsuits filed over AstroWorld catastrophe

Hope...

GoodGoodGood: Afghan girls are bypassing the Taliban through underground coding classes

Longest partial lunar eclipse of the century just days away

94-year-old Polish Nazi resister to rightwing extremist: 'Shut up, you lousy bastard'

    North Carolina man wrongly imprisoned for 24 years pardoned

Sunday Funnies

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GOP rep admits Republican "cancer" plaguing America

 

Today’s Action: Phone bank in Virginia TODAY to keep the state blue!

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Today's Top Stories:

Adam Kinzinger vows to fight Trump "cancer" after leaving Congress
The retiring GOP lawmaker from Illinois lambasted his own party for championing lies, conspiracy, and dishonesty in its ongoing, unwavering fealty to all things Trump.

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VIDEO OF THE DAY: Chris Wallace calls out Republican senator during interview for being a hypocrite
Republicans like Florida Sen. Rick Scott miraculously rediscover the concept of fiscal responsibility... every time Democrats are in charge. Funny how that works.

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Adam Schiff on Trump finally testifying for Jan. 6 Committee
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: About time.

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Supreme Court to hear arguments today on the Texas abortion ban
The high court fast-tracked two challenges to the law that effectively bans most abortions.

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White House press secretary Jen Psaki tests positive for COVID
Psaki said in a statement that the last time she saw President Biden was on Tuesday, when they sat outside more than six feet apart, and wore masks.

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"Alarming finding": 30 percent of Republicans say violence may be needed to "save" US, poll shows
Only 30 percent, huh?

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House Democrats eye Tuesday vote on infrastructure and safety net bills
A LOT is on the line with these coming votes, including President Biden's first-term legacy.

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Steve Bannon defied subpoena and almost every Republican in Congress is defending him
United Rural Democrats: The House voted to hold the Trump crony in criminal contempt for DEFYING a subpoena for the deadly MAGA insurrection at the Capitol, and nearly every House Republican in the House is defending Bannon's lawlessness. Check out URD's ingenious plan to make sure they pay a price and how you can help before the critical deadline.

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Adam Schiff says the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the Republican Party are "legitimately nuts"
"They're not stupid," the California Democrat said. "They know exactly what they're doing."

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Sen. Marco Rubio pushing for party rebrand, will urge GOP-big business divorce
Rubio's speech, entitled "We Need Corporate Patriotism to Defeat American Marxism," reportedly makes no mention of the millions in corporate donations his campaign has raked in over the years.

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Apple’s app-tracking policy reportedly cost social media platforms nearly $10 billion
Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube lost around $9.85 billion in revenue following Apple’s unveiling of its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy that requires apps to ask permission to track users’ data.

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Prince Charles to call for "war-like footing" in climate fight as world leaders gather
Facing diminished hopes ahead of what many see as world leaders’ last chance to combat the climate crisis, Britain’s Prince Charles is set to to call for a "war-like" effort as he opens a key UN climate summit on Monday.

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Shocking!

Gun-worshipping church building alliances with far-right figures

Some US-trained Afghans joining Islamic State

NYC firefighters stage mass 'sick out' over vaccine mandate

Poll shows Herschel Walker far ahead in Georgia GOP primary

Not shocking.

Global COVID deaths surpass 5 million

Two dead, 12 injured in Halloween party shooting in Illinois

Texarkana, Texas Halloween party shooting leaves 1 dead, 9 injured

Houston Halloween party shooting kills 18-year-old, injures others

Hope...

GoodGoodGood: Engineers hatch plan to restore Egyptian desert into lush forest

NASA spacecraft photographs Jupiter moon Europa for 1st time

US reaches deal with EU over steel and aluminum tariffs

POLITICO NIGHTLY: Biden hoping climate talks > Congress talks

 

BY TYLER WEYANT The Scottish Events Centre and the Finnieston Crane at dusk as delegates from across the world begin to arrive for COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images HE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS — Sure, President Joe Biden faces some troubles at home, with legacy-defining legislation delayed, or worse, by an intraparty fight. But he’s about to dive into an equally mysterious matter after he lands in Scotland Sunday night for next week’s COP26 meeting with global leaders: Can the climate be saved at a conference? Whether any global progress will be made to fight worsening weather, rising sea levels and a heating planet remains unclear. Nightly talked with sustainability reporter Catherine Boudreau today about what leaders hope to accomplish, and what really needs to be done to avoid the most dire predictions. Do you think any concrete developments on climate and sustainability will emerge from COP26? The U.K., which is hosting the summit, says countries should come together and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius — a key threshold scientists say would ward off the worst effects of climate change. But there really is almost no chance that COP26 will put the world on that trajectory. That doesn't mean there won't be any progress, though. I'll be on the lookout for pledges by wealthy nations to give more money to poorer ones to help with their clean energy transitions. Also any new promises to phase out coal production (China is still building new plants), a deal for a global carbon market, and initiatives to help end deforestation. According to climate scientists and advocates, what would need to be done at an event like this to actually make a difference? Divisions over climate finance are definitely looming large over the talks. Wealthy countries in the initial Paris Agreement pledged $100 billion a year by 2020. They missed that target, although the U.N. said it could be met by 2023. Developing countries, from small island states like Antigua to larger ones like India, are holding off on setting more ambitious plans to slash emissions until they see more cash. So progress on that front could make a difference. But ultimately, the plans countries have submitted to the U.N. so far are falling short of the Paris Agreement goals. Some hoped China would bolster its previous pledge to peak emissions by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2060. But China in an official communication this week didn't budge. And some key leaders won't be at COP26, including Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro. The country's climate diplomat said Brazil would set new targets, but that's against the backdrop of increasing deforestation in the Amazon. How damaging is it for Biden’s leadership on this issue without the legislation that is stalled in Congress right now? And how are climate activists feeling about the Biden presidency overall? The Biden administration is downplaying the impact of Congress not passing major climate legislation yet and asserts the U.S. can still achieve the president's goal to slash emissions in half this decade without it. Many are skeptical, especially because Democrats backed off of their most ambitious proposal to slash the use of oil, natural gas and coal — the Clean Energy Payment Program. Plus, executive orders and regulations can easily be rolled back by the next administration, as we saw under the Trump era. So I think Biden has lost some leverage in Glasgow. Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Have a safe and fun Halloween this weekend. If you’re still looking for a costume idea out of Nightly, why not go as “Tyler As Dan Marino”? Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author at tweyant@politico.com or on Twitter at @tweyant.   JOIN TUESDAY FOR A TALK ON THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE AIR TRAVEL: As delegates descend on Glasgow for the COP26 global climate summit, reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector will play a critical role in the progress of fighting climate change. Join POLITICO for a deep-dive conversation that will explore the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel, better performance aircraft, and other breakthroughs in to cut greenhouse gas emissions and meet broader sustainability goals. REGISTER HERE.     WHAT'D I MISS? — FDA authorizes first Covid vaccine for kids 5 to 11: The decision will allow roughly 28 million American children to be vaccinated against the coronavirus , with shots rolling out just as flu season starts and with major holidays looming. In its announcement, the agency noted that the vaccine — given to 5-11-year-olds as two shots, each one-third the size of each adult shot — provoked an immune response comparable to that seen in young adults. FDA added that “no serious side effects” had been observed in Pfizer and BioNTech's ongoing clinical trial in younger children. — Kinzinger retiring from Congress, vows ‘broader fight nationwide’ against Trumpism: Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, one of the most prominent critics of former President Donald Trump in the House Republican Conference, announced today he won’t seek reelection next year. Kinzinger is one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach the then-president in January after the riot at the Capitol. His announcement marks the second member of that group to say he will retire from Congress, joining Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio. — U.S. hits Iran with sanctions ahead of potential nuke talks: The United States hit Iran with a fresh set of sanctions today as Biden prepares for a key weekend meeting with European leaders to discuss the possible resumption of nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic. The Treasury Department announced the new penalties against two senior members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and two affiliated companies for supplying lethal drones and related material to insurgent groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Ethiopia. New York Attorney General Tish James | David Dee Delgado/Getty Images — Tish James is running for New York governor: New York Attorney General Tish James announced today she will run for governor in 2022 , putting an end to months of speculation about her political ambitions and opening the floodgates for what could be the most contested Democratic primary for governor in a decade. James, whose sweeping investigation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo led to his resignation in August, declared her long-awaited candidacy in a video that emphasized her Brooklyn roots, her record standing up to powerful companies and her 76 challenges to the Donald Trump administration. “But who’s counting?” she quipped with a shrug. — Poll: Youngkin, McAuliffe still tied in Virginia governor’s race: Virginia gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin remain deadlocked as they enter the final weekend before Election Day , according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll released today. McAuliffe, the Democratic former governor who is seeking a return to the commonwealth's top job, leads the Republican Youngkin 49 percent to 48 percent among likely voters polled, well within the survey’s margin of error of plus-or-minus 4 percentage points. — Mayorkas issues memo repealing Trump's ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas today released the Biden administration’s latest attempt to nix the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy. The policy, formally known as Migrant Protection Protocols, requires many asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while they wait for hearings to adjudicate their requests for safe haven in the U.S.   BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.     AROUND THE WORLD THE AMERICAN APOLOGY TO FRANCE OVER AUSTRALIA IN ITALY — Biden acknowledged in a meeting today with French President Emmanuel Macron that his administration had been “clumsy” in rolling out an Indo-Pacific security pact last month that enraged Paris. Appearing alongside Macron at Villa Bonaparte, the French Embassy to the Holy See, Biden lamented the handling of the September announcement of a trilateral security and technology-sharing agreement among Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. “The answer is — I think what happened was to use an English phrase … clumsy,” Biden said, according to a White House pool report, adding that “it was not done with a lot of grace.” Under the terms of the so-called AUKUS agreement, Australia reneged on a multi-billion dollar submarine supply deal with France to enter into the new pact with the United Kingdom and the United States, which will include the construction of American nuclear-powered submarines. NIGHTLY NUMBER 261 million The number of the promised 1.8 billion Covid-19 vaccine doses G-20 members have delivered to poorer countries. G-20 leaders will meet in Rome this weekend. (h/t Global Insider) PUNCHLINES CHIP OFF THE HERBLOCK — In the latest Punchlines, Matt Wuerker talks with the 2020/2021 Herblock Prize winners for political cartoons, Michael DeAdder and Rob Rogers, about cartooning in today’s political landscape and reflects on their careers as cartoonists. PARTING WORDS CRITICAL MASS — Biden said today that Pope Francis told him he should continue to be allowed to receive communion, a sacrament some Catholic leaders in the U.S. have said the president should be denied over his support for abortion rights. Biden, a practicing Catholic, met with the pope Friday at the Vatican to discuss a broad set of topics, including climate change, global poverty and the distribution of vaccines to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Biden is only the second Catholic president in U.S. history. Following their meeting, Biden told reporters that the topic of abortion did not come up in their conversation. “We just talked about the fact that he was happy that I was a good Catholic and I should keep receiving communion,” Biden said, according to pool reports. Asked specifically whether Francis said that Biden should keep receiving communion, Biden responded “yes.”   Follow us on Twitter Chris Suellentrop @suellentrop Tyler Weyant @tweyant Renuka Rayasam @renurayasam Myah Ward @myahward   FOLLOW US

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Biden strikes back against Texas abortion ban

 

Today’s Action: Demand Congress pass legislation protecting abortions in all 50 states!

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Today's Top Stories:

Biden Justice Department vows to protect women seeking abortions in Texas
The DoJ said it would not tolerate violence against those seeking abortion services in the state and that officials were exploring ways to challenge the assault on women's health.

Take Action: Add your name to repeal the Hyde Amendment and make abortion safe, legal, and affordable!

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Climate change is the greatest threat to public health, top medical journals warn
Ahem. Do we have our attention yet?!

Take Action: Demand Big Oil execs testify before Congress about their WILLFUL destruction of the planet!

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Texas Republicans pull horrific stunt
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen: Disgusting.

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Miami Herald shreds Ron DeSantis over latest vaccine claim: "Profile in selfishness"
DeSantis claimed last week — as his state continued to experience a deadly surge in the highly contagious delta variant ― that receiving the shot is "about your health and whether you want that protection or not" and "doesn’t impact me or anyone else."

Take Action: Hold Florida Governor Ron DeSantis liable for his criminally negligent response to the pandemic!

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Jim Jordan flunks basic US history, receives impromptu vaccine lesson on Twitter
The wrestling-coach-turned-mouthpiece-for-the-proudly-uninformed received a history lesson on Twitter after making a laughably incorrect claim about vaccines in the United States.

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Lindsey Graham's Afghanistan prediction leaves interviewer stunned
During a sit-down interview with the BBC, the Trump lackey casually predicted, "We will be going back into Afghanistan, as we went back into Iraq and Syria."

Take Action: Tell President Biden to tax the wealthy to fund the $3.5 trillion infrastructure plan!

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Texas abortion snitching site pulled offline for second time
Snitches get glitches.

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Army veteran and Democratic star Richard Ojeda makes clear: The media got Afghanistan wrong
No Dem Left Behind: Major Ojeda stops the finger pointers in their tracks.

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Top official at nation's largest LGBTQ group fired over ties to Cuomo
Unlike today's wagon-circling Republicans, progressives WILL hold their own accountable for their actions, because principles matter.

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GOP shouldn't have House majority if pushing conspiracies and lies, Republican rep says
"I think if we're going to be in charge and pushing conspiracy and pushing division and pushing lies, then the Republican Party should not have the majority," Rep. Adam Kinzinger said.

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Judge says Ohio hospital cannot be forced to use ivermectin to treat COVID, reversing earlier decision
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Michael Oster Jr. said the drug — which is primarily used to deworm horses but has been promoted by some doctors, some Republicans and the popular podcast host Joe Rogan to combat the coronavirus — "is not an effective treatment for COVID-19."

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Proud Boys leader turns himself in, begins serving 5-month sentence in DC jail
Henry "Enrique" Tarrio, chairman of the Proud Boys, spent the final hours before his surrender pleading for online donations for his family from far-right sympathizers.

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Seriously?

Anti-vaxxers pelt Justin Trudeau with gravel on campaign stop

Planes chartered to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan remain grounded

US Coast Guard investigating nearly 350 oil spill reports after Ida

Yes. Seriously.

Vietnamese man jailed for five years for spreading coronavirus

Taliban 'lock women in bank basement' after thousands march

New Orleans officials investigating senior homes where 5 bodies found

Hope...

GoodGoodGood: Black women finally credited for starting nail art trend

Virginia removing 12-ton Robert E. Lee statue in state capital this week

Mexico City swapping Columbus statue with monument honoring indigenous women

Talking duck says 'you blood fool,' fascinates scientists

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Today’s Action: Demand Congress pass legislation protecting abortions in all 50 states!

Pro-choice activists are still struggling against Greg Abbott’s draconian "heartbeat ban" that went into effect last week, which blocks the majority of abortions — at six weeks — before most women even know they’re pregnant. Even worse, there’s zero exceptions for rape or incest. 

The law came into effect just days after the Supreme Court decided to take on Mississippi’s extremist abortion law, which bans the procedure at 15 weeks. With a 6-3 right-wing supermajority, we may be looking at the end of a woman’s right to choose as we have known for the past 50 years. 

Support for Roe v. Wade is both strong and bipartisan, with 60-70% of Americans in favor. And more importantly, regardless of polling, no similar issue regarding men’s health is subject to the whims of popular vote. 

Call (202-224-3121) or write your representatives and demand they pass federal abortion protection laws that enshrine Roe v. Wade into law!

Texas’ new law sets a dangerous precedent for state governments across America, with emboldened anti-abortion groups threatening to implement "heartbeat bans" elsewhere. Recent Supreme Court decisions only empower them even more. Our leaders need to move quickly to ensure that the right to choose is protected at the federal level, before we lose decades of progress.

For any woman, having a child is a monumental event. It should absolutely be a choice to do so. 

Call (202-224-3121) or write your representatives and tell them to pass federal protections for abortion access before the Supreme Court further guts Roe v. Wade! 

PS — Please don't forget to sign the petition rejecting Republicans’ assault on women’s rights, and be sure to follow OD Action on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.