Rogan's List

4/29/17 To-do List   

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Contact Government Officials

1. There seem to be a couple of reasons why the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is not moving as quickly on its efforts to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 1): Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., the chairman of the panel, has refused to cooperate with the information requests of Democrats on the committee. https://www.yahoo.com/news/senate-russia-probe-flounders-amid-partisan-bickering-130323166.html and 2): Reuters reports there are currently only 7 staffers working on the case, a number that pales with similar big-time probes of the recent past (there were 46 staffers on the Benghazi probe) http://www.politicususa.com/2017/04/24/senate-46-staffers-investigate-benghazi-7-trumprussia.html Why don't we call Sen. Burr at 1(202) 224-1700  and ask him a) why he won't sign his colleagues' letters requesting more information, and b) why his committee is so understaffed? 

2. When the US Chief Justice speaks out on the alarming nature of Trump’s immigration stance, we know something is amiss.  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-immigration-idUSKBN17S2GN In addition to the points in that article, like so many other impulsive initiatives in the Trump administration that are poorly thought out and executed, the database of targeted supposed criminal immigrants includes babies and children. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-children-in-immigration-database-20170426-story.html Let’s let our legislators know that we are counting on them to keep those in this country safe and treated by due process.

3. The House Oversight Committee now says that Flynn, Trump’s first national security advisor, may have violated federal law by failing to disclose his business dealings with Russia—and the White House is refusing the House Oversight Committee’s request to turn over documents on the matter. More info: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/25/us/politics/michael-flynn-white-house-documents-russia.html. Here’s a good refresher on why there is concern about Trump’s ties to Russia: https://swalwell.house.gov/issues/russia-trump-his-administration-s-ties Let’s contact our Members of Congress, even if we’ve done so many times before, and tell them that we care deeply about this issue and we want them to push, push, push for an independent investigation.

4. From Postcard for America:  Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) introduced legislation to build a 100 percent renewable energy economy by 2050. It calls for 50 percent of U.S. electricity to be produced by renewable energy sources like wind or solar by 2030, and 100 percent by 2050. It would require zero carbon emission vehicle standards and prohibit federal approval of oil and gas pipelines, among other measures.  There is not Bill number yet (I'll add it into the GoogleDoc when it appears) but it is called the "100 by 50" Act.  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CZpsMgDuwF-nsoychbhUBEQOb0v7_ISQUXQ9hqudi9U/edit

5. Scott Pruitt is planning to close the Midwest EPA office. This would have devastating effects for the health of our Great Lakes.http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/330521-lawmakers-push-back-against-reported-plan-to-close-regional-epa Let's write to Pruitt to let him know that we care about our Great Lakes and ask him to keep the Midwest EPA office open. EPA, Scott Pruitt, Mail code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington DC 20460

6. Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to “reconsider” the safety regulations on off-shore oil drilling put in place after the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the bans on drilling in the southeastern Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/us/politics/trump-offshore-drilling.html.  For the sake of the climate and the oil workers, let’s contact Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and let him know what we think at Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C Street N.W., Washington, DC 20240.

7. Even thought it has been delayed, let’s not fall asleep at the health care wheel: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/the-new-health-care-bill-may-be-little-more-than-an-exercise-in-blame-shifting/2017/04/27/4701ae48-2b52-11e7-b605-33413c691853_story.html Let’s please use this extra time to remind our MoCs that we all deserve quality healthcare.  Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.

8. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)is speaking out about Flynn: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oversight-committee-flynn-investigation-to-be-launched-by-dod-inspector-general/  Let’s say thanks to Cummings:  2163 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515

9. Sen. Shaheen (D-NH) has called attention to the concern that the Russia situation will become normalized: http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/330916-dem-senator-fears-russian-election-interference-could-be-normalized Please let’s say thanks to her and then reach out to your MoCs with this concern. https://www.shaheen.senate.gov

10. Columbine, University of Texas Tower, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Pulse Orlando.  The gun tragedies in our country continue.  Nevertheless, Trump addressed the NRA telling them that  "The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end." http://www.npr.org/2017/04/28/525930318/trump-to-be-first-sitting-president-since-reagan-to-address-nra  Let’s remind our legislators that we believe that the right to remain alive always supercedes  the right to own a gun.

Other Actions

1. On May 1, 1969 the now-beloved Fred Rogers testified before Congress in hopes of saving the newly created PBS from budget cuts.  It worked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXEuEUQIP3Q PBS and all of public media is now under the threat of even larger budget cuts.  Let’s join Protect my Public Media in their “Let’s Make the Most of This Beautiful Day” campaign to save this funding: .  Find your cardigan and take a selfie!  http://protectmypublicmedia.org/beautiful-day-upload/

2. “Facebook has publicly acknowledged that its platform has been exploited by governments seeking to manipulate public opinion in other countries – including during the presidential elections in the US and France – and pledged to clamp down on such “information operations”. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/apr/27/facebook-report-government-propaganda Let’s thank Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook for this important work.  Address: 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025.

3. While Trump briefed 100 senators on the possibilities of war with North Korea, a group of women leaders from 40 countries (including both North and South Korea) called Women Cross the DMZ sent a letter to Trump, Tilllerson, Matthis, and McMaster urging the use of diplomacy to end the nuclear crisis and the threat of war facing the Korean peninsula: https://www.womencrossdmz.org/web/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Trump-admin-letter-April25.pdf  The NY Times carried this report: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/world/asia/north-korea-trump-nuclear-war.html  We can show our support for peace by writing to christine@womencrossdmz.org

4. "Do You Know Who I Am?" is a performance scripted from monologues written by undocumented youth.  We have an opportunity to catch a trailer of this powerful play anytime we want (http://motustheater.org/projects-2/do-you-know-who-i-am) and to watch a special livestream performance on Sunday at 2pm MDT where law enforcement leaders assume the voices of undocumented Americans.  Watch it here:  https://www.facebook.com/motustheater/

5. Not all refugees are adults.  Some are unaccompanied minors who are placed in foster homes.  Some of us might want to check into this opportunity to help these kids:  https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/unaccompanied-children-frequently-asked-questions

Petitions to Sign

 

1. The deceptively named “Working Families Flexibility Act” (H.R. 1180 / S. 801) was just voted out of committee in Congress. Let’s join MomsRising.org in telling Congress to oppose it as it really does not help families.  http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Reject_HR1180/

2. Let’s join SumOfUs in asking Congress to save the Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act.  If the GOP has its way, all those protections will be eliminated.  https://actions.sumofus.org/a/tell-congress-save-dodd-frank

Learning

1. Although Trump touts “historic accomplishments’ in his first 100 days, a closer look says otherwise:  http://www.npr.org/2017/04/27/525753448/white-house-touts-historic-28-laws-signed-by-trump-but-what-are-they

2. People, who strive for a life in public service, know how hard it can be.  Trump did not.  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-100days-idUSKBN17U0CA

3. The United States of Resistance shares its 100 Days of “We the People” https://www.risestronger.org/newsroom/100-days-of-we-the-people-ebbea105-22cc-4e22-9bee-b7d4770932b0  

4. Thanks to Peace is Loud, here is this week’s Small Victories, the 100-day edition:  http://www.peaceisloud.org/blog/small-victories-issue-17

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