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11/19/18 

Rogan’s List is taking the rest of the week off to
celebrate gratitude with our families and friends. 
We wish you a happy Thanksgiving, too!

Contact Federal Government Officials


Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Fax legislators for free: 

Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

Or use StampsLicked to have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators:  https://stampslicked.org/

 
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Many newspapers, including New York Times and Washington Post require subscriptions, but without one we can see a few articles each month.  We can also check with our local libraries to find out how to get online access through them.


1.       This week in Congress:  The House and Senate are both out of Washington DC for state work periods during the Thanksgiving holiday week and will be returning next week. (Sources: House calendarSenate calendar.)

2.      Under the authority of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Department of Education is proposing significant changes to Title IX, and the standards of evidence for sexual harassment and assault in the U.S. (https://bit.ly/2BflW4ehttps://n.pr/2PvNVW7). While DeVos is arguing that these new rules will protect the accused, survivors advocates make it clear that it will discourage victims from reporting, for a crime which is already significantly under-reported (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/four-five-acts-campus-sexual-assault-go-unreported-police). Before these changes go into effect, they will be subject to an open-comment period at the Federal Register for 60 days. We can sign up to receive an alert as soon as the proposed rule is published, and in the meantime, learn how to write an effective comment here.

3.      Unsurprisingly, Trump is dithering about the report of the CIA regarding the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and he is taking a tone similar to the one he had in Helsinki with Putin:  https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/417255-corker-everything-points-to-saudi-crown-prince-ordering-khashoggis-killing  Let’s let our MoC know that we have not forgotten about this brutal murder of this US resident and journalist and that we expect more clarity in the response from the United States.

4.      It is difficult to wrap our heads around the level of devastation in California from the wildfires. When Trump visited the fire sites on Saturday, he was asked about whether there has been an impact of the fires on his perspective on climate change: “No. I have a strong opinion. I want great climate and we’re going to have that and we’re going to have forests that are very safe.”: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-wildfires/teams-search-for-1000-missing-in-californias-deadliest-wildfire-idUSKCN1NM0DJ   Let’s be a clear voice to our MoC that they are going to have to be leaders about climate change since our president is incapable.

5.      Congresswoman-elect Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is already taking the lead in calling for swift action on climate change and was one of 200 activists protesting outside Nancy Pelosi’s office last week to call for a Green New Deal that would spearhead a transition to 100% renewable energy. http://time.com/5453510/ocasio-cortez-climate-change-activists-pelosi/. Now that the Democrats have taken the House, it’s time to hold their feet to the fire and let them know that we will not tolerate inaction on this very important issue. Let’s contact our House Reps. and urge them to join with Congresswoman Ocasio Cortez in making bold and progressive climate change legislation a strong focus of their agenda. According to a recent report from the United Nations, we are very close to climate catastrophe, and this warning must be taken seriously.

6.      Trump announced on Friday that he is planning to nominate former coal lobbyist and acting EPA Director Andrew Wheeler to be the new head of the EPA. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/417159-trump-to-nominate-acting-epa-chief-wheeler-for-senate-confirmation. As acting EPA administrator, Wheeler has continued the administration’s agenda of continued environmental policy rollbacks that have been predicted to lead to 80,000 deaths and increased respiratory issues for over one million people. While Mr. Wheeler has not faced accusations of unethical behavior like his predecessor, Scott Pruitt, his former background as a coal lobbyist, along with his anti-environment record, should raise significant questions on his ability to truly promote the mission of the EPA, which is environmental protection, NOT making life easier for fossil fuel companies. Let’s talk to our Senators now about opposing his nomination.

7.      “Hats have been banned from the House chamber of the Capitol for nearly two centuries — 181 years, to be exact. Under a new proposal from Democrats, the rule would be relaxed to allow religious headwear, like a hijab or kippah.”  With the election of Representative-elect Ilhan Omar, this is a reasonable move.  https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/hats-congress-religious-garb-exception  Let’s tell our reps that we want them to approve this change. 

8.     December 10 is the deadline for public comment on the draconian “public charge” rule change proposed by the Department of Homeland Security; under this new rule, US immigration officials could deny green cards to those who are poor, have a preexisting health condition, or have received public benefits.  The rule is explicit--low wages, being a child or a senior, having a number of children, not speaking English well, or having a medical problem would all be held against those seeking legal status.  The full rule and a way to comment are here: 

9.      We can find even more issues needing public comment here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K3Mx5mNJ6-lauvUY3t1Eyx_o0glP1__F/view

10.  On November 9th, Trump signed a proclamation intended to block asylum seekers who arrive in the U.S. anywhere other official ports of entry; since then, border agents have stopped asylum seekers from entering at these official ports of entry. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/08/trump-administration-blocks-asylum-claims-by-those-crossing-border-illegally   The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act states that any foreigner who arrives in the USA, "whether or not at a designated port of arrival," may apply for asylum; likewise, a UN treaty signed in 1951 by the United States says "refugees should not be penalized for their illegal entry" because extreme situations sometimes "require refugees to breach immigration rules."  We must let the White House and our congresspeople know that we object to this illegal and immoral policy.

11.   From Indivisible East Bay:  With votes still being counted and recounted in close races, Republican efforts to disenfranchise voters, especially black voters, also continue. Trump’s judicial nominee, Thomas Farr, worked to rig a system that subverted the will of the people and violated their civil rights. He has argued in support of unconstitutional racial gerrymandering and an illegal voter ID law which the court said targeted African-Americans “with almost surgical precision.” Farr has been the go-to lawyer for the North Carolina GOP in their efforts to gerrymander and suppress the black vote.  If confirmed, he could end up deciding who gets to vote and which votes are counted--something he clearly cannot be trusted to do in a fair and non-partisan way. McConnell’s cloture motion today means we are at most 2 workdays away from a final vote on Farr. Let’s call our senators and tell them to vote “no”.

Election/Voting

1.       Postcards to Voters' volunteers are on track to write to every Democrat in Mississippi for Campaign 137: Mike Espy for US Senate.  The President plans to appear in Mississippi later this month to shore up support for Espy's challenger Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, whose once-bulletproof bid for another two years in the chamber has become increasingly imperiled following comments involving a public hanging and voter suppression. (More at Politico.) If we have not yet written cards for Espy, let's request 5 addresses today to help finish the list and get out the vote for this important election. New volunteers can find out more information here.

2.      From one of our own: Disappointed by the outcome of Stacey Abrams' race in Georgia? Want to help stop voter suppression in GA? Help ensure the right to vote next time around? Help elect a GA Democratic Secretary of State--John Barrow. The runoff election is December 4th. You can help in GA or remotely. Sign up here to help.

Other Actions

1.       The students of the Judge Rotenberg Center continue to be subjected to electric shocks through the use of Graduated Electronic Devices (GED) (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/nov/16/judge-rotenberg-center-massachusetts-electric-shocks). We've joined ADAPT before in asking the commissioner of the FDA to ban these devices, whose open comment period ended more than two years ago, then asking the Health and Human Services Secretary to step in, and then calling on the governor of Massachusetts to appeal the court ruling which allowed these shocks to continue. Let's continue to support the rights of people with disabilities by joining Disability Rights International and contacting Dr. Paulo Abrao, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and asking that the Commission take measures to stop the Judge Rotenberg Center from utilizing electric shocks, restraints, and seclusion: Dr. Paulo Abrao Executive Secretary Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Organization of American States, 1889 F St NW Washington, D.C. 20006 

2.      Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth, Josh Groban, and other award-winning artists donated their time and talent to the new bilingual children’s album, “Singing You Home: Children’s Songs for Family Reunification.” Proceeds will be donated to RAICES and ASTEP, nonprofit organizations that help to reunite and support families at the border. Let’s consider purchasing this during this holiday season: https://www.ghostlightrecords.com/singing-you-home-childrens-songs-for-family-reunification.html

3.      Winning at the ballot box is important, but the ultimate measure of progress is the improvement we bring to people's lives. For the farm workers who produce the milk that we all use, many of whom are undocumented, isolated and vulnerable to unethical treatment by employers, law enforcement, or others in their community, life is often precarious. One organization we can support, the Milk with Dignity Standards Council, is sharply focused on building coalitions among all groups to ensure an ethical and prosperous environment for the production of our dairy goods: https://milkwithdignity.org/

4.      The 2019 Women's March is mid-January, but some local organizers are taking objection with the Women's March leadership to separate themselves from antisemitism, in particular with Louis Farrakhan.  
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/03/womens-march/555122/  Although the Women's March leadership came out with a public statement decrying antisemitism, they still defend" Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory, who have been accused of aligning themselves with Louis Farrakhan."  
https://www.jta.org/2018/11/12/news-opinion/womens-march-statement-condemns-anti-semitism-while-standing-with-leaders-linda-sarsour-and-tamika-mallory  Some local groups, such as Chicago Women’s March, are distancing themselves from Women's March.  Perhaps the leaders of the Women's March need to hear from us.  We can see the irony when we say that folks who are for Trump may not be racist, etc., but we know they support someone who is. Email:  info@womensmarch.com,  Twitter:  
@womensmarch   Let’s ask our local march organizers where they stand.  

5.      Jennifer Mendelsohn of Resistance Genealogy, inspired by the synagogue shooting tragedy in Pittsburgh on October 27, has started a fundraiser on her Facebook page for HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society). “HIAS works around the world to protect refugees who have been forced to flee their homelands because of who they are, including ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities. For more than 130 years, HIAS has been helping refugees rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.” https://www.hias.org She’s raised a good deal so far, but let’s push the total higher if we can. People should never be in danger for simply being who they are:  https://www.facebook.com/CleverTitleTK/posts/2125641234133478

6.      A Leavenworth County Commissioner in Kansas, Louis Klemp, used the term “master race” regarding his own race during an open hearing when talking with an African-American woman: 
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article221764735.html   Let’s take a moment to let the Board of County Commissioners know that it is time for Mr. Klemp to resign:   bocc@leavenworthcounty.org

7.      “. . . millions of Americans looking forward to their tax refunds are about to be disappointed, even upset. They will not see their expected refunds when they file their returns in 2019. Even worse, many will be required to pay extra taxes. Why the change? The Republicans’ push to sell their tax law to the American public is the culprit.” https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-the-tax-windfall-that-wasnt-20181101-story.html  Let’s check the IRS withholding calculator to make sure we’ll have enough taken out so that we’ll be set for the next tax year:   https://www.irs.gov/individuals/irs-withholding-calculator

8.     Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer ® is calling for the resignation of a white county official who made a comment about being part of the “master race.” Klemp, who was appointed by the Republican Party, made the comments, which were recorded on camera, as an African-American woman was presenting for a landscape and architectural firm.  https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/417299-kansas-governor-calls-for-resignation-of-county-official-who  We can thank the republican governor for calling him out and asking for the resignation of Klemp, a county commissioner.  Tweet him here. @GovJeffColyer  

9.      California is burning; the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that we have only 12 years in which to limit global warming to 1.5C (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report); Trump continues to nominate “climate change deniers” (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-ferc-mcnamee/trumps-ferc-nominee-to-seek-counsel-if-coal-bailout-plan-returns-idUSKCN1NK2Q3).  Now, before next month when governments from around the world meet to prepare to implement the Paris climate agreement, let’s show that people everywhere, especially in the U.S., support the People’s Demands for Climate Justice. We can sign these demands here:  https://www.peoplesdemands.org

10.  In deep red Oklahoma, Resistance Labs and the Oklahoma Democratic Party are recruiting Democrats just like us to run for school board, the first step toward taking back the heartland. It’s a bold move and we must act quickly since the deadline to file is Dec.5. For decades, Republicans have exploited every toehold to solidify their power and deny the rest of us a voice. They started decades ago at the local level and built their machine relentlessly. Democrats barely responded, so now we’re paying the price. But today we’re fighting back. Today, we can help to build the next wave by texting our fellow Democrats in Oklahoma and asking them to run for school boards. We can click this link to sign up and get started. With the Dec. 5 filing deadline in Oklahoma less than 3 weeks away and Thanksgiving around the corner, this is our last chance to reach these folks and get them in the game:  https://resistancelabs.com/volunteer/text/

State Actions

1.       MI: From the ACLU of Michigan- The ACLU of Michigan and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center are hosting a training that will enable attorneys to represent detained immigrants, who are entitled to a bond hearing in Immigration Court. This training will include procedural and practical advice to prepare you to take on a case pro-bono. Attorneys from all practice are welcome. No prior immigration experience is required. Please purchase your ticket for this training and lunch. We hope to see you there on Friday, Dec. 7! Please contact Abril Valdes with any questions:  avaldes@aclumich.org Facebook event: 

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.       If we are interested in Electoral Politics. Movement Technology. Grassroots Organizing. Digital Strategy. Capacity Building, we can check out Roots Camp, where all of these facets of our movement meet.  Held from November 27-December 2 in Baltimore MD, it’s a chance to be a part of an “unconference” where participants design all sessions and leaders from all parts of the movement – organizers, campaigners, data directors, have a dynamic exchange of ideas. This year, they’re looking at how to practice a more inclusive politics and thinking about ways that we can transform our democracy so that our people win and collectively thrive. They’re interested in expanding understandings of what justice looks like for all our people, and equipping our leaders with the skillsets, tools, and frameworks to take this on and thrive. We can learn from one another, dream up new ideas, make lasting connections, and strengthen our networks. The conference aims to be inclusive, and there are several ways to defray the cost of attending. If we would like to find out more, including information about travel stipends, or volunteering in exchange for admission costs, we can check it out here: https://www.wellstone.org/events/rootscamp-2018

2.      EmpowerandHelp and The Swell Collective have gotten planning underway for a wellness and community engagement retreat for community organizers in April of 2019, venue and location TBD.  The retreat will give those of us in need an opportunity for a weekend away to focus on resilience building activities, personal intention and goal setting, and “in real life” collaborative social networking with others in the movement. We can sign up here to stay in the loop or get involved:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScYVFWZy-t1N0OcKknDdwegFnUpt-RQWzE7jrNpL74Nuj0Wew/viewform


Reading/Watching

1.       For Our White Friends Desiring to Be Allies - https://sojo.net/articles/our-white-friends-desiring-be-allies

2.      Texas: Bishop refuses to allow border wall on church property – 

3.      The Midterms Were Brought to You By Women Who Busted Their Asses - https://www.kveller.com/the-midterms-were-brought-to-you-by-women-who-busted-their-asses/







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