Rogan's List

4/20/17 To-do List   

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1. “A Russian government think tank controlled by Vladimir Putin developed a plan to swing the 2016 U.S. presidential election to Donald Trump and undermine voters’ faith in the American electoral system, three current and four former U.S. officials told Reuters.”  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-election-exclusive-idUSKBN17L2N3  Let’s keep the pressure on our MoCs that an independent investigation is needed to ferret out the whole truth.

2. The United States still has sanctions on Russia, but apparently all is well enough in place in the current administration that Exxon “has applied to the Treasury Department for a waiver from those sanctions on Russia in a bid to resume its joint venture with state oil giant PAO Rosneft, according to people familiar with the matter.”  https://www.wsj.com/articles/exxon-seeks-u-s-waiver-to-work-in-russia-despite-sanctions-1492620677 Let’s contact all our MoCs to tell them that until the Russia investigation is over, and maybe not even then, we do not support approval of this waiver request.

3. Candice Jackson, the new deputy assistant secretary and acting assistant secretary of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights once criticized liberals for placing too much emphasis on helping women and people of color. She also wrote that sexual harassment laws and policies ignore “the reality that unwanted sexual advances are difficult to define.”  http://www.teenvogue.com/story/betsy-devos-hired-candice-jackson-who-once-called-trumps-sexual-assault-accusers-fake-victims  Let’s contact our senators asking they not confirm this appointment. 

4. The healthcare fight is far from over and will likely resume when recess is over this week. It's time to pick up the phone and demand that your reps protect the Affordable Care Act.  Favorability of the ACA is at an all time high. The latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, conducted the week after House Republicans pulled the American Health Care Act (AHCA) from a vote, finds about two-thirds of the public (64 percent) says it is a “good thing” that Congress did not pass the bill. Let’s call our reps and urge them to #protectourcare and #rejectrepeal. More resources and talking points from Families USA https://www.risestronger.org/newsroom/protect-our-care-rejectrepeal-day-of-action-april-19

5. Warrantless digital searches at the border are on the rise, even for U.S. citizens, as reported here: http://www.npr.org/2017/04/11/523313829/more-travelers-are-being-asked-for-their-cellphones-and-passwords-entering-u-s. Let’s use this link from Electronic Frontier Foundation,  an international non-profit digital rights group, which will email our representatives to protest this practice. https://act.eff.org/action/demand-border-agents-get-a-warrant-before-digital-searches

6. The House Oversight Committee is not doing its job:  http://www.npr.org/2017/04/17/524354874/as-trump-inquiries-flood-ethics-office-director-looks-to-house-for-action Chairman Jason Chaffetz’s office says that the “line in the sand” for Chaffetz is illegal activity. If that’s going on, he’ll investigate. He relentlessly pursued Hillary on less evidence.  Let’s tell him that, because of his committee’s failure to seriously investigate the Trump administration’s mounting conflicts of interests, no matter where we live we’re donating to the campaign of his rival, Democratic candidate Kathryn Allen,https://www.crowdpac.com/campaigns/181376/the-us-congress-needs-a-caring-physician.  Even though Chaffetz announced yesterday that he will not be seeking re-election, until it is official, let’s remind him that one way or another, he will be gone. 

7. More Republicans are calling for Trump to release his tax returns:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/04/18/why-trumps-tax-returns-will-keep-causing-republicans-headaches/?utm_term=.de65ab527adc Let’s contact them and thank them for understanding conflict of interest is not a partisan issue: 1) Sen. Ernst in Iowa: http://www.ernst.senate.gov, 2) Rep. Sanford in South Carolina: http://sanford.house.gov, 3) Rep. Young in Iowa: https://davidyoung.house.gov, 4) Rep. Gaetz in Florida: https://gaetz.house.gov, 5) Rep. Jones in North Carolina:  https://jones.house.gov, 6) Rep. Yoho in Florida: http://yoho.house.gov, 7) Rep. Frelinghuysen in New Jersey: https://frelinghuysen.house.gov,  8) Rep. Amash in Michigan: https://amash.house.gov, and 9) Sen. Lankford in Oklahoma: https://www.lankford.senate.gov/

8. Jon Ossoff narrowly missed an outright win in the 6^th Georgia District special election on Tuesday: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/us/politics/georgia-special-election.html Let’s let Jon know that we support his efforts in the June runoff by contributing to his campaign: https://electjon.com

9. Trump's budget proposal would cut $300 million from global AIDS programs, refusing treatment on new patients. https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-28/white-house-proposes-large-cuts-to-nih-research-grants-this-year Let’s call our MoCs and let them know that this is dangerous and unacceptable. The 65 has a script available: http://thesixtyfive.org/theIssues

10. Florida State Senator Frank Artiles spoke very offensively to African-American colleagues: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article145327079.html  Let’s call on him to resign: https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s40

11. After so many senseless deaths by guns in the wrong hands, the last thing we need is more guns and gun availability.  HR 38, also known as “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017,” would create a federal right of reciprocity for holders of a state permit to carry a concealed firearm. This bill has over 180 co-sponsors.  https://morristowngreen.com/2017/04/11/gun-violence-prevention-groups-to-rally-in-morristown-against-concealed-carry-bill-april-12/ Let’s join Postcards for America and contact our reps to say we do not want more guns, we want fewer guns.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zp4XwlErTvtzYV38F6burxsW0NXeXHBNeVaDyST0KGE/edit

12. From one of our own:  In yet another move for transparency, some Democratic senators are considering suing Trump over his businesses.  http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/04/18/senate-democrats-consider-suing-trump-administration-over-businesses/ Let’s ask our senators to sign on to this effort. 

13. Remember, most of the time regulations should be interpreted as protections.  The EPA is seeking to  “rewrite Obama-era rules limiting water pollution from coal-fired power plants.”  “This rollback gives a blank check to the power companies, and it directly threatens drinking water supplies across the country.”  http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/environment-and-safety/epa-delays-rules-cutting-amounts-of-toxins-pumped-into-drinking-water-190789/  We all need to contact our MoCs asking them to make sure these protections continue because the health and well-being of our citizens trumps corporate profits.  Let’s tell Pruitt the same thing:  202-564-4700

Other Actions

1. If we are in or near Washington, D.C., The Woman's National Democratic Club is having an activist meeting on April 24th from 6 to 9 PM (with activist training from 6:30 to 8:30 PM)  to bring organizations working on GOTV issues together. We can RSVP here;  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAKnhqtudXYvxSJrSx7jfp-AWrlfAQkk5v8JB6817rv2dOGg/viewform

2. As someone quipped, “It looks as if O’Reilly has been Out-Foxed!”  Bill O’Reilly is out at Fox! https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/bill-oreilly-is-officially-out-at-fox-news/2017/04/19/74ebdc94-2476-11e7-a1b3-faff0034e2de_story.html?utm_term=.235be93b1616  Let’s send a note of thanks to Executive Chairman and CEO Lachlan and James Murdoch at the Fox News parent company, 21^st Century Fox, 1211 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036.  Or send an email to Fox:  yourcomments@foxnews.com .Then, let’s hope O’Reilly does not eventually become the White House press secretary.

3. Here is a link to a fundraiser for an amazing organization called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, which is associated with Everytown for Gun Safety. They are trying to raise $1000 by getting people to donate $5. This group does amazing work fighting back against the NRA’s agenda (and Trump’s). Well worth the price of a latte. Here’s the link: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/latteforgunsense

4. Let’s call Rolex, one of the sponsors of the USGA Golf tournament, and ask them to please move this celebrated event to a non-Trump owned course. Remind them that he is a sexual assaulter and a racist. Be polite. The # for their head of PR is 212-758-7700. ext. 1318.

5. Sleeping Giants has been making great progress, getting companies to withdraw advertising from Breitbart. Their current action item focuses specifically on Microsoft's PR agency, WE Communications, calling out ads on both The O'Reilly Factor and Breitbart. They have an e-mail template available to copy/send to WE Communications: http://bit.ly/2pgrOFj

6. There is no Planet B. We need a turnout for the 4/29 Climate March in Washington, DC, that rivals what we saw for the Women’s March. Learn more and sign up: https://peoplesclimate.org/ Can’t make it to DC? Find a climate march near you: https://peoplesclimate.org/sister-marches/

7. But, this Saturday is the Science March.  This is an international event that has scientists working together and even more citizens seeing the value of science in their lives.   https://www.theguardian.com/science/political-science/2017/apr/19/why-the-global-march-for-science-is-already-a-success?CMP=share_btn_tw  Let’s find a march in which we can participate: https://www.marchforscience.com/satellite-marches/

Petitions to Sign

1. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has joined with 29 other organizations to launch the "Fly Don't Spy" campaign. "Fly Don't Spy" calls on Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly to "reject any proposal to require visa applicants, refugees, or other foreign visitors to provide passwords for online accounts, including social media, in order to enter the United States." https://cpj.org/blog/2017/04/cpj-joins-fly-dont-spy-campaign-to-protect-journal.php  Let's join CPJ in standing up for human rights: https://flydontspy.com/

2. Since this is such a big issue, let’s sign this one also to Secretary Kelly of Homeland Security:  Reject any proposal to require visa applicants, refugees, or other foreign visitors to provide passwords for online accounts - including social media - in order to enter the United States.  Let’s join in this ACLU petition:  https://action.aclu.org/secure/FlyDontSpy 

Learning

1. “This may be an obvious point, but it really bears repeating and hammering home: The president's stunning ignorance makes him extraordinarily vulnerable to be played.”  http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/4/17/15304212/trump-ignorant 

2. “USAFacts is a new data-driven portrait of the American population, our government’s finances, and government’s impact on society. We are a non-partisan, not-for-profit civic initiative and have no political agenda or commercial motive. We provide this information as a free public service and are committed to maintaining and expanding it in the future.”  They offer an interesting look at where our money comes from and where it goes: https://www.usafacts.org/the-big-picture 

3. “How to Get Congress to do What you Want”:  http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/4/19/14949234/how-to-change-opinions-congress 

4. Here's a good article about people who have changed their minds about climate change and why. http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2017/04/changing-minds-on-a-changing-climate/

Rogan’s List is a participant in and strategic partner of the Action Alliance,

a federation of more than 70 #resistance sites located throughout the nation,

each with its own methods and approach.  Other member sites are listed here: https://www.actionalliance.co/  --scroll down and click through and you'll find many more opportunities to make a difference.

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Rogan’s List is also part of RISE Stronger’s United States of Resistance

https://risestronger.org/resist