[Libs-Or] Civics for Adults Update - and workshops starting 8/17!

Sun Aug 11 14:28:52 PDT 2024

Civics for Adults Update August 9, 2024. 

Workshops

Misinformation and Propaganda - Telling Truth from Fiction.

Sat. August 17, 2024. Time 10:00 PST; 1:00 EST. New Britain Public Library
[CT]. Virtual. Register:
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4cP0FTR5odk8m5313-4o0LsLmkSSp3S_
rNu1wIRFNwhizXw/viewform>
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4cP0FTR5odk8m5313-4o0LsLmkSSp3S_r
Nu1wIRFNwhizXw/viewform

Tues. September 17, 2024. 6:30 EST 3:30 PST. Bloomfield Public Library [CT].
Virtual. Registration for non-patrons TBA

Thurs. October 10, 2024. Time TBA. Tigard Public Library [OR]. Hybrid
[virtual and in-person].

Sat. October 12, 2024. 2:00 PST Seaside Public Library [OR]. Virtual.
Registration for non-patrons TBA.

Citizen Activism 101-Making Change Happen 

Sat. September 28, 2024. Hillsboro Public [OR] Library. In-person. 

Sat. October 19, 2024. 2:00 PST. Woodburn [OR] Public Library. In-person.

Selected Civics for Adults Facebook posts:

I've written a useful one-pager: Tips for Making Voting Decisions. Although
it's geared to Portland's new City Council races in November, it is useful
for any election. Feel free to share. Find it here:
<https://www.civicthinker.info/resources>
https://www.civicthinker.info/resources 

**

I hope all our elections offices are paying attention to advice of the
Brennan Center. "potential artificial intelligence threats to elections have
grown increasingly dire" Here is helpful advice.

How Election Officials Can Identify, Prepare for, and Respond to AI Threats.
Harris et al. Brennan Center. May 8, 2024. 

<https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/how-election-offici
als-can-identify-prepare-and-respond-ai-threats?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjYsFleHRuA2F
lbQIxMAABHSroLRBIqa20pisDCjNmUT74u15nBPjQ-dfdsukndMHowgbKewsOzEhFIw_aem_ndp-
ZPq4XUj_Z8iuJyjgcg>
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/how-election-officia
ls-can-identify-prepare-and-respond-ai-threats?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjYsFleHRuA2Fl
bQIxMAABHSroLRBIqa20pisDCjNmUT74u15nBPjQ-dfdsukndMHowgbKewsOzEhFIw_aem_ndp-Z
Pq4XUj_Z8iuJyjgcg 

**

One of the strategies that I have heard for election offices, and that CISA
[Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (fed gov)] advises is:
"Communicate Early and Promote Transparency Around the Elections Process".
Hopefully, my own warnings in my upcoming Misinformation workshops will help
the public be prepared to resist election misinformation

SECURING ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST THE TACTICS OF FOREIGN MALIGN
INFLUENCE OPERATIONS. CISA. 4/2024.

<https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Securing_Election_Infrastr
ucture_Against_the_Tactics_of_Foreign_Malign_Influence_Operations_2024FINAL_
508c.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjYudleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRdX1zBz7bEdPE6NzPHQ71vqn2e63c
jtdYXXU756CrvyMPU3A32EyX1IXQ_aem_48M9MsgRDES8Fpb6wBmlVg>
https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2024-04/Securing_Election_Infrastru
cture_Against_the_Tactics_of_Foreign_Malign_Influence_Operations_2024FINAL_5
08c.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjYudleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHRdX1zBz7bEdPE6NzPHQ71vqn2e63cj
tdYXXU756CrvyMPU3A32EyX1IXQ_aem_48M9MsgRDES8Fpb6wBmlVg  

**

I like that this points out a key issue I bring up in the Misinformation
workshop - that our economic measures do not take into account certain
important factors, and we always need to use MEDIAN, not MEAN/AVERAGE when
discussing income and wealth data: "stagnation among America's working
middle is often hidden by economic reports that describe average worker or
household gains with unequal distribution; **the median lags the mean by a
wide margin.**"

Can employee ownership improve capitalism? Maureen Conway and Joseph Blasi
4/4/2024. Fast Company.

<https://www.fastcompany.com/91077152/can-employee-ownership-improve-capital
ism>
https://www.fastcompany.com/91077152/can-employee-ownership-improve-capitali
sm 

**

CBO [nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office] report showing increasing
immigration would reduce the debt [plus we need more workers to pay in to
Social Security!]. 

Effects of the Immigration Surge on the Federal Budget and the Economy. CBO.
July, 2024.  <https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60569>
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/60569 

How much do you know about public opinion polling? We talk about polling
language in my Misinformation workshop. Here is a fun little quiz from the
Pew Center on polling!

Quiz: Test your polling knowledge. Pew Center. July 1, 2024.

<https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/quiz/how-much-do-you-know-about-public-
opinion-polling/>
https://www.pewresearch.org/methods/quiz/how-much-do-you-know-about-public-o
pinion-polling/ 

**

Why does the United States incarcerate so many people? [Look up your own
state for comparison on this webpage.] States of Incarceration: The Global
Context 2024. Widra. Prison Policy Initiative. June, 2024.

<https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2024.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjZTVleHRuA2Fl
bQIxMAABHSuxyCfbcsLrXCROkvMRxIAOB8S530S9U7awiHukYHGIAwin1KP6kdgFMA_aem_vUwNJ
UgnWXLKCYj565uAmw>
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2024.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawEjZTVleHRuA2Flb
QIxMAABHSuxyCfbcsLrXCROkvMRxIAOB8S530S9U7awiHukYHGIAwin1KP6kdgFMA_aem_vUwNJU
gnWXLKCYj565uAmw 

Donna L Cohen, MLIS, MEd

Portland, Oregon

503-737-1425

dcoheninfo at comcast.net <mailto:dcoheninfo at comcast.net>  

Civics for Adults - and Others - Workshops: To Enhance Civic Knowledge and
Inspire Political Engagement

Webpage www.civicthinker.info <http://www.civicthinker.info/>  

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Civics-for-Adults-1490728887922036/

"My philosophy is very simple. When you see something that is not fair, not
right, not just - stand up, say something, speak up!" Rep. John Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6lzPpqc2WY 

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