Summer is finally here! If you’re looking to shield yourself from the sun – and from wackadoodle Republican policies at the same time – then boy, do I have good news for you.

Donald Trump made a different hat famous, but I think this one is a much better fit (and not just because of the adjustable strap!). His agenda – the one Republicans are now racing to get behind – is risky, reckless and wrong for our country.

We can do better than sad slogans and shortsighted policies that will destroy the Democratic values we believe in and, frankly, have worked really hard for.

Instead we’ve got to keep standing up for campus safety, voting rights, women’s health and a better future for every American.

I know more of us believe in building a bright future than repeating past mistakes. Now let’s really show it. Get your hat now to help defend our Democratic values – and look great doing it.

For decades now, victims of racially motivated crimes and families of those murdered during the Civil Rights era have been knocking on the door of justice. But the door just doesn’t budge without a fight – and countless cases remain unsolved.

For this McCaskill Mailer, I want to dive into how we’ve been fighting to push that door wide open and bring long-overdue justice for victims of these despicable crimes: through legislation I fought for in 2007 called the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act.

Named for the infamous 1955 trial where Emmett Till’s white murderers went free, this bill has allowed the FBI and the Department of Justice to review more than 100 cold cases predating 1970.

They’ve brought prosecutions where possible. But even in cases where prosecutions weren’t possible, new findings or updates, especially in circumstances involving death or statutes of limitations, bring much-needed solace to surviving families who have been left in the dark for far too long.

But here’s the thing: This bill’s provisions are about to expire, and there are countless more cases – and families – that need our help.

That’s why I’m leading legislation to renew the bill, strengthen its requirements and broaden its scope to the present day. Because heinous, racially motivated crimes must be prosecuted no matter when they occurred.

And as a former prosecutor, I’m 100% committed to making sure Congress renews this important bill for the families and communities still waiting on justice.

I’ll reach out with updates on the renewal process soon, but in the meantime, take a moment to read more here.

You may have heard already that I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Finding myself here, now, is a little scary, but my prognosis is good, and I expect a full recovery.

It’s easy to forget in the throes of a tough election year that, first and foremost, we have to look out for each other.

So for you ladies: Please, please, please don’t forget to get your annual mammogram. And remind your sisters, moms and friends to do the same.

For everyone: I know we can do better than the petty and hateful bullying that’s dominating this election cycle. Let’s keep standing up together against the loud voices calling to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal the Affordable Care Act. We need to be making it easier, not harder, for people to access truly lifesaving care.

In the middle of all this crazy, I’ve been blown away by kindness. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the warm wishes and outpouring of support. I’m ready to #fightlikeagirl.

There’s a lot of nonsense out there.

I want to make sure you’re getting the information you need so we can put our heads together and work toward commonsense solutions.

That’s where my new McCaskill Mailer comes in. I’ll be posting these periodically to break down some of the more complex issues we’re facing. Today, we’re starting with prescription drug price gouging, as brought to light by infamous “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli:

Drug goes from $13.50 a tablet to $750, Overnight. If you’ve seen the headlines recently, you’ll know there’s a stir over pharmaceutical “price gouging”:

Price gouging is a pejorative term referring to when a seller spikes the prices of goods, services or commodities to a level much higher than is considered reasonable or fair, and is considered exploitive, potentially to an unethical extent.

OK … But what does that really mean, why do we care, and how are we going to fix it?

To get right to it: Some pharmaceutical companies are hiking up prices for prescription drugs – taking advantage of our dependency on some of these lifesaving medicines to turn a huge profit for themselves.

And we’re not talking small increases here: One company increased the price of a drug by 5,500%, literally overnight.

It’s manipulative, unethical and, often, harmful – to name just a few – and it’s costing everyday Americans. That’s why we launched a bipartisan Senate investigation to demand some answers.

I hope you’ll read more about our efforts here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/09/doctors-hospitals-condemn-out-of-control-drug-prices-as-senate-investigation-begins/

Thanks for taking a second to zero in on this issue with me. I’ll keep pushing for answers here in Washington.

Friend –

A credit report can quite literally change a person’s life – and an error can derail it.

We’re all at risk: Credit reports can be THE deciding factor for pivotal moments such as buying a home or car, applying for a student loan or being hired for a new job. Yet one in every five consumers has had an error on at least one credit report, and the errors can be devastating and nearly impossible to correct.

We must make it easier to fix errors on credit reports. That’s why I’m supporting the SECURE Act: to hold companies accountable and to make errors easier to correct. Will you help me protect consumers by supporting the Act today?

Click here to add your name and tell Congress to pass the SECURE Act to protect consumers from credit report errors!

http://signforgood.com/stopcreditreporterrors/?code=mccaskill&email=&zip=

I’ve spoken with too many Missourians who have spent tens of thousands of dollars and years of their lives contesting obvious credit report errors, who are eventually forced to bring their cases to trial. No one – and I really mean no one – should ever have to do that.

The SECURE Act will make it imperative that credit reports are accurate. If they aren’t, consumers will be able to easily and effectively fix errors and keep their lives on track. Join me in urging Congress to protect consumers by adding your name now:

Click here to add your name and tell Congress: Pass the SECURE Act to protect American consumers!

http://signforgood.com/stopcreditreporterrors/?code=mccaskill&email=&zip=

Thanks for standing with me today,

Claire

Contribute - https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/clairemccaskill_email?refcode=20150813-creditreports-ja&amounts=250,500,1000,2700,5400