Hillary Clinton Encourages Early Voting in Iowa

On Friday, Hillary Clinton returned to Iowa where she stressed the importance of voting at events in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. During the event in Cedar Rapids, Clinton stressed the importance of the election saying that it is in the hands of voters to decide what type of country we want. She said, “The choice is yours as to what kind of country we will have.” Clinton attacked her Republican rival, Donald Trump, for his divisive campaign tactics and disrespectful comments about women, immigrants, and Muslims. She spoke about a number of her platform points focusing on women’s issues such as reproductive rights, equal pay, and paid family leave. She concluded by urging everyone to get out an vote on election day or to take advantage of early voting. A video from the event is below.

In Des Moines, Clinton spoke at Roosevelt High School about the importance of voting and taking advantage of early voting in Iowa. Clinton spoke about a number of platform points including her plans to grow the economy, create jobs by investing in infrastructure and clean energy, and making college more affordable for students, both past and future. She criticized the vision for America outlined by Trump and said that it is important that we continue the progress started by President Barack Obama. Watch a video of Clinton’s speech below.

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News Source: Quad-City Times, The Des Moines Register, Time, Patch, The Des Moines Register

President Obama Campaigns for Hillary in Orlando

On Friday, President Barack Obama campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Orlando, Florida. Speaking to a crowd of supporters on the campus of the University of Central Florida, Obama spoke about Hillary Clinton a number of her platform points including her plans to create jobs, make college more affordable, and continue working to ensure that Americans have health insurance. He said that while he has make a lot of progress in the last eight year, a lot of work still needs to be done and Clinton is the right person for the job. “All the progress we’ve made goes out the window if we don’t win this election,” Obama said. He urged voters to not only vote for Clinton on election day, but to also support down ballot Democrats such as U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Murphy. A video of the President’s speech is below.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: WESH, News 13

Tim Kaine Campaigns in Tallahassee

Tim Kaine rallied supporters in Tallahassee, Florida today as he stressed the importance of voting during a campaign stop on the campus of Florida State University. Campaigning with Mark Kelly and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Kaine spoke about Hillary Clinton’s plans to enact commonsense gun control, including mandatory background checks and closing a number of loopholes that allows people who should not own a firearm to obtain one. He said, “Second Amendment supports support background checks. Gun owners support background checks. NRA members support background checks. We just need a Congress that’s willing to listen.” Kaine said that Florida is an important state in the election and urged everyone to get out and vote on election day or vote early. A video from the event will be added when/if available.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: Tallahassee Democrat, Florida Politics

Bill Clinton Stresses Early Voting in Pennsylvania

Bill Clinton returned to Pennsylvania where he spoke at a series of event focused on early voting. At his first stop in Aliquippa, he spoke about a number of Hillary Clinton’s platform points including her plans to grow the economy and create new jobs. Bill spoke about a number of ways Hillary would create jobs including investing in infrastructure, focusing on growth in the manufacturing sector, and investing in clean energy. He admitted that there have been parts of the country left behind, and Hillary will focus on ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity. He concluded by encouraging everyone to vote on November 8th or to take advantage of early voting. A partial video from the event is below.

Bill then traveled to Duncansville where he continued to speak his wife’s blueprint for America and how her vision is starkly different from that of Republican Donald Trump’s. He spoke about a number of Hillary’s primary areas of focus including health care, making college affordable, and investing in rural communities. “Of all the federal development money for economics, should be devoted exclusively to small towns, rural areas, from Coal Country, to Indian Country to places in rural Pennsylvania, rural Arkansas, where nothing good has happened in a long time,” he said. Again, he concluded his speech by urging everyone to get out and vote. Watch a partial video from the event below.

Tonight, Bill was scheduled to speak at an event in Reading. Full coverage from the event will be posted tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in Austin, Texas, a fundraiser was held on behalf of Hillary for America. The event included a conversation with Chris Sacca, Founder and Chairman of Lowercase Capital and star of ABC’s Shark Tank.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, CentralPA

FBI Announces it is Reopening Clinton Email Investigation

Scroll down for updates.

On Friday, FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to a Congressional Judiciary Committee explaining that the FBI had decided to reopen the case investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State. The three page letter did not go into much detail which lead the Clinton campaign to respond. Campaign Chair John Podesta released a statement calling on Comey and the FBI to release more information surrounding their reasoning considering the election is less than two weeks away. The statement from Podesta is below.

“Upon completing this investigation more than three months ago, FBI Director Comey declared no reasonable prosecutor would move forward with a case like this and added that it was not even a close call. In the months since, Donald Trump and his Republican allies have been baselessly second-guessing the FBI and, in both public and private, browbeating the career officials there to revisit their conclusion in a desperate attempt to harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

FBI Director Comey should immediately provide the American public more information than is contained in the letter he sent to eight Republican committee chairmen. Already, we have seen characterizations that the FBI is ‘reopening’ an investigation but Comey’s words do not match that characterization. Director Comey’s letter refers to emails that have come to light in an unrelated case, but we have no idea what those emails are and the Director himself notes they may not even be significant.

It is extraordinary that we would see something like this just 11 days out from a presidential election.

The Director owes it to the American people to immediately provide the full details of what he is now examining. We are confident this will not produce any conclusions different from the one the FBI reached in July.”

The FBI did elaborate later in the day saying that additional evidence related to the Clinton investigation was discovered on a laptop seized during the investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner. FBI officials said that the bureau will investigate the newly discovered emails on the laptop and that it is possible that the emails could be duplicates of ones previously turned over by the Clinton camp. State Department officials said they have not been made aware of the FBI’s new evidence. More details are likely to be released in the coming weeks, but the news of a reopened investigation could affect Clinton at the polls.

Read the letter from Comey to Congress below (download the letter HERE).

View this document on Scribd

UPDATE (10/28): Following an event in Des Moines, Iowa, Hillary Clinton spoke at a press event and addressed the issues of the FBI reopening its investigation. Clinton said that the FBI needs to release additional details regarding its investigation with the election being less than two weeks away. “Voting is underway, so the American people deserve to get the full and complete facts immediately,” she said. She said that she was confident that nothing new would be found and that she did not know what new evidence the FBI might be referring to adding, “Right now, your guess is as good as mine, and I don’t think that’s good enough.” A video of Clinton’s statement is below.

UPDATE (10/29): The Washington Post obtained a copy of an internal memo sent by FBI director James Comey to FBI employees. In the letter, he briefly explains his reasoning for taking the early details of an investigation to Congress. Read the letter below:

To all:

This morning I sent a letter to Congress in connection with the Secretary Clinton email investigation.  Yesterday, the investigative team briefed me on their recommendation with respect to seeking access to emails that have recently been found in an unrelated case.  Because those emails appear to be pertinent to our investigation, I agreed that we should take appropriate steps to obtain and review them.

Of course, we don’t ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. I also think it would be misleading to the American people were we not to supplement the record.  At the same time, however, given that we don’t know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails, I don’t want to create a misleading impression.  In trying to strike that balance, in a brief letter and in the middle of an election season, there is significant risk of being misunderstood, but I wanted you to hear directly from me about it.

Jim Comey

UPDATE (10/29): Hillary for America responded to the news with several press releases and a post on Medium from campaign chair John Podesta.

UPDATE (10/30): The FBI announced that it obtained a warrant to search the emails found on a laptop belonging to former Congressman Anthony Weiner. While it is unclear how many emails on the laptop, if any, are relevant to the Hillary Clinton email investigation, an official revealed that there are over 650,000 emails on the computer. It is likely that the majority belong to the former Congressman, but his wife, Clinton aide Huma Abedin, also used the laptop. FBI officials also revealed today that several lower level investigators knew the emails existed weeks ago, but only recently brought them to the attend of Director James Comey. It is also unclear why a warrant was received after Comey briefed Congress of the investigation on Friday.

Hillary for America campaign chair John Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook have been on the defensive since the revelations were announced. The campaign released a video about the facts of the case and calling for more details to be released considering the timing. The video released by The Briefing is below.

UPDATE (10/31): Former Attorney General Eric Holder wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post in which he called FBI director James Comey “a good man,” but said that he made a mistake by telling Congress about evidence that may have nothing to do with the Hillary Clinton email case. In the editorial, Holder says, “The department has a practice of not commenting on ongoing investigations. Indeed, except in exceptional circumstances, the department will not even acknowledge the existence of an investigation. The department also has a policy of not taking unnecessary action close in time to Election Day that might influence an election’s outcome. These rules have been followed during Republican and Democratic administrations. They aren’t designed to help any particular individual or to serve any political interest. Instead, they are intended to ensure that every investigation proceeds fairly and judiciously; to maintain the public trust in the department’s ability to do its job free of political influence; and to prevent investigations from unfairly or unintentionally casting public suspicion on public officials who have done nothing wrong.” Read the full editorial HERE.

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News Source: The Washington Post, The New York Times, ABC News, Politico, CNN, MSNBC, Medium, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Washington Post

With Her Podcast: Episode 8: Marlon Marshall

On the eighth episode of the With Her podcast, host Max Linsky sat down with Hillary for America’s director of state campaigns, Marlon Marshall.  Marshall speaks about the importance of voting for Hillary Clinton on election day or taking advantage of early vote if you live in a state that offers it. Her and Linsky also discuss the importance of down-ballot elections and how local elections are just as important as presidential election. You can listed to the episodes HERE or subscribe to the Podcast on iTunes or your favorite Podcast app.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: Hillary for America

Bon Jovi Performs and Get Out the Vote Concert

Last night, recording artist Jon Bon Jovi held a free “Get Out the Vote” concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on behalf of Hillary Clinton. Bon Jovi performed a number of his hits for the packed crowd. During the concert, Bill Clinton appeared and spoke briefing about the election saying, “There’s a lot at stake in this election. We’re going to decide, not between a Republican and a Democrat, but we’re going to decide what America is going to be like in the future…We’re going determine whether you prefer anger and name-calling or answers and empowerment.” Throughout the event, the audience was encouraged to vote. A clip from the event is below.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HFA Statement on Third-Quarter GDP Growth

In response to new data showing that the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the third quarter of 2016, Hillary for America Senior Policy Advisor Jacob Leibenluft released the following statement:

“Today’s GDP release shows economic growth at its fastest pace in two years. With more than 15 million jobs created since early 2010 and real median incomes growing more than 5 percent last year, it’s clear we’ve made real progress coming back from the crisis. But Hillary Clinton believes there is still more we need to do to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. Independent experts agree her plan would create good-paying jobs through investments in infrastructure, innovation and education. Donald Trump, on the other hand, would take us backwards, with experts across the political spectrum warning his plans would risk another recession and cost jobs.”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

Hillary Clinton Announces Major Anti-Bullying Policy

Today, Hillary Clinton announced a major new plan to help children, families and educators confront the challenge of bullying and heal divisions in communities around the country. The initiative, Better Than Bullying, would provide $500 million in new funding to states that develop comprehensive anti-bullying plans, empowering communities to improve school climates and support our kids. Clinton believes that no child should face bullying or harassment, and she believes we all have a responsibility to our kids to find solutions to these challenges, to prioritize them and to implement them.

Hillary Clinton addressed the new plan during a rally today in North Carolina, saying:

“We all know that bullying is a real problem in our classrooms our playgrounds and online – and teachers have reported that this election has made it worse.  I want you to know, we’re going to launch a major new effort to help states and communities and schools and families end bullying wherever it takes place…  I can’t think of anything more important than making sure every single one of our children knows that they are loved just as they are. So ultimately, my friends, as Michelle reminds us, this election is about our kids – and in my case, my grandkids. Their lives and their futures, nothing is more important to me than that. I’ve been fighting for kids throughout my career. I will fight for them every single day of my Presidency.”

More About Better Than Bullying:

The federal government will provide flexible grants to states to tailor anti-bullying plans to their local communities, in keeping with the following national priorities:

• Developing comprehensive anti-bullying laws and policies that explicitly prohibit bullying on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.
• Making the Internet a safer space for kids by addressing cyberbullying.
• Supporting educators working to improve school climate.
• Providing support for students impacted by bullying and abuse.
• Expanding behavioral health programming — teaching young people to control their impulses, recognize the feelings of others, and manage stress and anxiety.

Read the Better Than Bullying Fact Sheet here.

Hillary for America also released a new television ad, “Bryce,” that tells the story of a young man with muscular dystrophy who has overcome bullying. Throughout the campaign, Clinton has talked about the need for more love and kindness in our culture, and she’s recognized that bullying is an urgent crisis that contributes to poor academic performance, increased incidence of depression, and in some extreme cases, suicide.

Hillary for America hosted a press call this morning to discuss the new policy and the dangerous effect of bullying that leaders are seeing through the country. Following the call, supportive statements rolled in from leaders in the education policy and civil rights communities:

Ann McQuade, a New Hampshire educator who teaches english to refugee and immigrant students from more than 30 countries: “We’re seeing a terrible trickle-down effect from the Trump effect into our public schools. And since Donald Trump officially became the republican nominee for president, many of my refugee and immigrant students have come to me to ask questions that revolve around, ‘What if?’ These honest conversations have been sobering and sad… These beautiful, hopeful kids, they come to this country to find a better life and we say to them: ‘Welcome to America,’ and then they watch television and are exposed to angry social media that sends a different message.”

Tony Coelho, former Congressman and architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act: “One of the things we are most concerned about in the disability community is getting rid of the stigma that has existed for years and years. We were making tremendous progress when it comes to that. My really strong belief is that Donald Trump has brought hate back… When you have a candidate who is a nominee for president of one of our legitimate parties who is openly mocking, openly stigmatizing those of us with disabilities, that is a huge setback. We, in our community, really appreciate what Hillary is trying to do to take it the other way and get back to the progress that we were making… She has been with us all these years, and now she is coming in on a major issue and defending us again.”

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers: “This election cycle—with candidates like Donald Trump using the currency of hate, fear and marginalization—has made combating bullying a more urgent issue. Trump is a bully’s bully, and the consequences of his actions will last far beyond Nov. 8. Hillary Clinton gets this, and her ‘Better than Bullying’ plan demonstrates her understanding of the need for comprehensive and long-term solutions. ‘Better than Bullying’ will give states the incentive to develop comprehensive anti-bullying plans, and it will provide parents, educators, school staff and communities with the resources and skills they need to prevent bullying and to support those who experience bullying… We appreciate that Hillary Clinton understands the importance of tackling bullying, and we look forward to partnering with the next president of the United States on an even more comprehensive approach to addressing bullying and other school climate issues.”

Lily Eskelsen García, president of the National Education Association: “Like our educators, Hillary Clinton understands that kindness, collaboration and cooperation are important in school and in life. The rise in vitriolic speech in classrooms and the anxiety created by Donald Trump illustrate that students need this support now more than ever. Educators are proud to have a partner in policies that help our children and look forward to working with Secretary Clinton to implement these proposals as president.”

Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign: “As Donald Trump’s rhetoric continues to foment violence and encourage division among Americans of all ages, Hillary Clinton is bringing real solutions to fight the bullying and abuse that so many LGBTQ youth face on a daily basis. We know from our own research and work in schools that growing up LGBTQ in America today is not easy. Hillary Clinton’s comprehensive anti-bullying plan is a crucial and welcome step toward improving the lives of our youngest, most vulnerable Americans.”

Deb Delisle, executive director and CEO of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: “Secretary Clinton’s proposal to take on bullying in schools couldn’t have come at a better time. Educators have long known that in order for kids to succeed, we must focus on the whole child, which starts with a safe and supportive learning environment. Our kids are counting on adults and especially our elected officials to make this a priority and to lead by example. Bullying has no place at school, in the workplace, or in politics.”

Pamela Cantor, M.D., president and CEO of Turnaround for Children: “Children will struggle to learn if they feel fear in their classrooms, lunch rooms and hallways. Bullying is a source of trauma and trauma sets off a stress response that impacts the learning centers of the developing brain, interfering with attention, working memory and organization. All children need to attend schools where they feel physically and emotionally safe in order to engage in learning. It is critically important to have national leadership on this issue so that many more children can succeed in school.”

Alice Johnson Cain, executive vice president of policy and partnerships for Teach Plus: “Children watch and learn from the adults in their lives every day. When the bar for what is acceptable behavior in political discourse is lowered — as Donald Trump has lowered it throughout the campaign — there is a ripple effect that has reached into our schools and classrooms. I applaud Secretary Clinton for, once again, stepping up to help kids. These smart and concrete steps, taken in partnership with educators, will make a tremendous difference in addressing this growing problem.”

Joan Lombardi, PhD, international expert on child development and social policy: “Stopping bullying before it starts is not only the right thing to do, but a smart thing to do to promote important  social skills among children.”

Kelsey Louie, CEO of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis: “The hateful rhetoric about the LGBT community heard on the campaign trail has been both horrifying and inexcusable. There can be no question that LGBT kids face a much higher risk of bullying, harassment and other forms of violence. And it is not just the LGBT community that has been targeted. Silence in the face of hatred, racism and homophobia is dangerous since it only foments bullying, harassment and violence. We at GMHC support this and all efforts to end the silence and combat bullying in order to advance our nation’s promise of equality for all.”

Michael Yudin, former Assistant Secretary of Special Education: “We must do everything we can to make sure all of our children have the opportunity to grow up free of fear, violence, and bullying. Bullying of children in our schools or on the internet cannot be tolerated, and Secretary Clinton’s comprehensive anti-bullying plan will empower States and local communities to make sure all of our children have the opportunity to learn and thrive.”

National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools: “We’re glad @HillaryClinton’s anti-bullying plan aligns w/our guidelines for positive learning environments for all! http://bit.ly/2dM8ZEF”

Erica L Smegielski, Gun Violence Prevention Advocate: “.@HillaryClinton takes cyberbullying seriously! Having lived with these attacks for years, I thank you for standing up to this serious issue”

Morgan Polikoff, associate professor of K-12 policy, USC Rossier School of Education: “I think there are some really excellent ideas in Hillary’s new anti-bullying plan.”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: The Briefing

HFA Statement On Trump’s Latest Insult To U.S. Military

Wednesday, Lt. Gen. John Castellaw released the following statement in response to Trump’s comment that he could ‘sit down and teach a couple things’ to former Army War College dean and retired Army Colonel, Jeff McCausland:

“Donald Trump’s disrespect for our military knows no bounds. This week, as brave American troops embarked on a crucial mission supporting anti-ISIS forces in Iraq, Trump was already declaring defeat. He called our leaders stupid for not following his uninformed advice. And now he’s personally insulting a military expert and retired Army Colonel who served for 30 years for knocking his ‘plan.’”

“A complex operation to take a major city – with hundreds of thousands of civilians, untold traps and IEDs, and the possibility of street-to-street fighting – requires careful planning and methodical execution, not a fly-by-night bum’s rush.”

“But sadly, none of this is surprising coming from Donald Trump. Over the course of this campaign, he has claimed to know more about military operations than our generals do. He has mocked U.S. prisoners of war. He has insulted Gold Star families. He has joked about how he always wanted a Purple Heart. He has never apologized for any of it. He calls our military a ‘disaster’ and then turns around and asks the country to make him our Commander-in-Chief. It’s a disgrace, and we can never let him assume that sacred role.”

Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, USMC (ret) led Marines around the world for 36 years while flying more than two dozen different types of aircraft.  Castellaw served with the UN during the Siege of Sarajevo, commanded the American force in the multi-national security and stability operation in East Timor, and as the chief of staff for the U.S. Central Command at the height of the war in Iraq.

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

News Source: ABC News