Rogan's List

5/17/17

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1. The story of the firing of James Comey looks more and more ominous every day. Yesterday, news broke that Trump suggested the FBI director shut down the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn. (http://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/16/comey-memo-says-trump-asked-him-to-shut-down-flynn-probe-nyt.html) Call your members of Congress and tell them enough is enough. We need a special prosecutor to investigate both Russian interference into the election and whether or not Trump’s firing of Comey was intended to obstruct justice.

2. So, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says we could do with a little less drama from the White House.  http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/16/trump-mitch-mcconnell-drama-white-house-238438 Let’s let him know we agree with him and remind that he can do something about it!  https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactForm   or comment on his Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/mitchmcconnell/  or on Twitter:  @SenateMajLdr

3. National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson are carrying water for Trump by denying the Washington Post report before Trump admitted to what is stipulated in the news: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/05/16/mcmaster-and-tillerson-are-complicit-in-trumps-dishonesty-so-must-they-resign/?utm_term=.57ee8002d67f  Let’s ask Lieutenant General McMaster and Secretary Tillerson to stand up for our country, not our president: (McMaster) The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500 and (Tillerson) U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20520

4. The American Library Association is warning us that federal funding for vital library services is in danger. May 19th is the deadline to send letters to support FY 2018 funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program. Contact both of your Senators and ask them to support federal funding for libraries by signing on to both the Reed/Collins LSTA and Reed/Grassley/Stabenow IAL Dear Appropriator letters. Many Senators will only sign if their constituents ask them to. Let them know why libraries are important to your community and ask them directly to show their support. Not sure if your Senators have signed?  https://airtable.com/shrbwBqmeYMWSYu2f/tblibE5jSCHVLvFmx/viw6jssU5hI83m3jY  If they haven't yet signed, give them a call and ask them to "please support federal library funding by signing both the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL)  Given the President’s proposal to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and virtually all other library funding sources, the support of both your Senators is more important than ever before. Five minutes of your time could help preserve over $210 million in library funding that’s at serious risk.

5. Meanwhile, our country maintains the worst rate of maternal death in the developed world.  And, it is rising.  http://www.npr.org/2017/05/12/528098789/u-s-has-the-worst-rate-of-maternal-deaths-in-the-developed-world  While Congress talks about healthcare, let’s remind them of this ugly fact and ask what they are doing about it.

6. A scientist speaks out after having been dismissed from and EPA board to be replaced by representatives from industry and questions the kind of objectivity such a representative can have. . http://www.bridgemi.com/guest-commentary/dismissed-epa-board-msu-economist-fears-agencys-and-planets-future  Let’s let our MoCs know that we want people of science who have our best interests at heart rather than business people who are more interested in profit-making.

7. Last summer, Rep. Paul Ryan tweeted about Clinton, “Individuals who are ‘extremely careless’ with classified information should be denied further access to such info.”  http://thehill.com/homenews/news/333504-paul-ryan-tweet-on-classified-info-resurfaces-after-bombshell-trump-report  On this rare occasion of agreeing with him, let’s contact him reminding him of his words.  His contact info is here:  https://paulryan.house.gov/contact/

8. From My Civic Workout:  “The administration is “reviewing the status” of 27 public lands designated as national monuments: this is their euphemism for seeking to allow drilling and other destructive activities on some of America’s most beautiful wild lands. These monuments also protect wildlife and support the economies of nearby towns by bringing in tourists. The administration is trying to shut out the public by having an absurdly short notice and comment period—only 15 days.”  Here’s what we need to know: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/04/trump-review-national-monuments-bears-ears-utah/  Here’s what we can do:  http://mailchi.mp/mycivicworkout/lean-green-resisting-machine-233891

9. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) spoke up about the latest Trump crisis and referred to the administration as being in a “downward spiral”: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/333507-gop-senator-white-house-in-downward-spiral  Let’s thank Sen. Corker for distinguishing himself among his party by speaking up clearly: 425 Dirksen SOB, Washington, DC 20510

10. As of February, 18 states had introduced or voted on legislation to curb mass protest. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/24/republican-lawmakers-introduce-bills-to-curb-protesting-in-at-least-17-states/  Now, the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) has found a way of targeting activists more subtly. He added a handwritten footnote to a fundraising letter sent, on his campaign stationery, to a board member of a NJ’s Lakeland Bank, warning him that a “ringleader” of NJ 11th for Change, a group formed after the presidential election, was employed by the bank.  A senior VP and assistant general counsel, Saily Avelena was not fired, but the letter, by her account, “did cause some issues at work that were difficult to overcome”; she resigned.  http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/  We have seen the damage done by these McCarthyist smear tactics in the past; let’s nip them in the bud. Frelinghuysen can be reached at 202-225-5034 in DC or at 973-984-0711 in NJ.

11. While we know that gun violence in our country is at historic proportions, Congress has successfully blocked the CDC from researching the subject.  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cdc-launched-comprehensive-gun-study-15-years/story?id=39873289  Accurate information is a great basis for public policy on guns. Let’s contact our MoCs and ask them to support HR1832/S834—a bill that will fund $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control to research gun violence prevention and firearm safety for the next five years. http://www.stophandgunviolence.org/sen-markey-bill-research/

12. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is a lot of talk but no action these days. He needs to step and be the statesman we all once thought he was.  Reports that Trump leaked information to Russia while the ambassador visited the Oval Office are all over the news. John McCain comments on the matter in Politico. "Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain said Tuesday the reports President Donald Trump shared classified intelligence with Russia are “deeply disturbing”. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/16/trump-intelligence-russia-john-mccain-react-238443  Worse though, Time Magazine in the linked article quotes McCain from AP as follows: "We certainly don't want any president to leak classified information, but the president does have the right to do that," McCain said earlier Monday evening, according to the Associated Press.  http://time.com/4780065/john-mccain-donald-trump-classified-intelligence/  John McCain continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth. Let's contact McCain and tell him to remember country first and get back to the role of statesman for the American People. We want an INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION NOW and he needs to sign on and lead that action for the American People. Let’s contact him here:  https://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/office-locations

13. Stop the global gag rule. “Trump’s global gag rule, which Republican presidents put into effect, means more unsafe abortions and suffering for women across the globe. And these are not “alternative facts.” We know the impact of similar policies that have been implemented.”  http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/the-administration/316930-trumps-global-gag-rule-on-abortion-hurts-the-worlds Let’s tell our acting surgeon general that he need needs to advise trump that this expansion can cause global repercussions for the spread of AIDS and other easily spread communicable disease. Contact:  RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams, Acting U.S. Surgeon General (Fax: 240-453-6141), Mailing address:  Tower Building, Plaza Level 1, Room 100, 1101 Wootton Parkway, Rockville MD 20852   Then, let's tell our reps that good world health helps our health standards and prevention saves medical costs. 

Other Actions

1. MomsRising has a great opportunity for us to get involved in our local schools and ensure that they are supporting the health and well-being of their students. We can sign up to be a Wellness Hero, and MomsRising will send us a toolkit to help us as we communicate with school administrations: http://action.momsrising.org/survey/school_wellness/

2. LGBT Pride parades will be held all over the country during the next month.  In NYC, there will be a Resistance contingent at the head of the parade: https://www.facebook.com/events/681446492063026/ Let’s make sure there is one at ALL the parades.

3. Let’s take our lead from Postcards from Kate and thank Lorne Michaels for creating Saturday Night Live in 1975.  Details here:  https://www.postcardsfromkate.org/archive/2017/5/15/thank-heavens-for-snl

4. MomsRising and the Root will be hosting a Facebook Live chat on Maternal Justice and Police Reform today (Wednesday, May 17th) from 12pm-1pm ET. This will be the first of MomsRising's four-part Maternal Justice series. Let's join the chat and take part in this great learning opportunity. https://www.facebook.com/events/1638823052813871/

5. March for Truth, a coalition of grassroots organizers and organizations that are united in our demand for an impartial investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and ties to Donald Trump and his associates, is scheduled for June 3 in Washington, D.C. Sister marches are starting to show up around the country and we can still organize more. Check them out on Facebook here:  https://www.facebook.com/marchfortruth/  and get more info here:  https://www.marchfortruth.info/

Petitions to Sign

 

1. Trump has appointed Kris Kobach to lead a voter fraud commission, officially named the Presidential Commission on Election Integrity. Kobach has a history of voter suppression and anti-immigrant stances. He has been successfully sued by the ACLU four times, and he has helped pass laws that encourage racial profiling https://www.splcenter.org/20161118/kris-kobach-lawyer-americas-nativist-movement  ACLU has a helpful Q&A which can help us take a look at what his appointment to the Voter Fraud Commission means, and gives us some insight into how we can help fight back http://bit.ly/2pvBpIS Let's also sign ACLU's petition to Vice President Pence, asking him to remove Kobach from the commission: http://bit.ly/2rmpKZw

2. The Trump administration has signaled a plan to not allow more than 50,000 Haitian immigrants to continue to have work authorization, putting them at risk for deportation to a country they barely know, and some have never seen. (http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/05/12/haitian-immigrants-temporary-protected-status) Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has until May 23 to decide whether or not to extend Haitians’ temporary protected status (TPS), and the National Immigration Law Center is reporting the decision will come soon. Let's join them in urging Secretary Kelly to do the right thing and renew their protected status: http://action.nilc.org/page/s/stand-with-haitians-and-save-tps.

3. The first vote on FCC Chair Ajit Pai’s plan to eliminate Title II net neutrality is this Thursday, May 18th.   A petition asking the House, Senate, and FCC  to protect the interests of internet users and keep the internet free and open is here--  https://petitions.signforgood.com/ProtectNetNeutrality  Or we can contact Mr. Pai directly at https://www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/ajit-pai

Learning

1. Let’s just take a moment and see what retribution can look like in the political world:  http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article150397682.html

2. 19 Ways to Practice Self-care While You Protest:  https://www.bustle.com/p/19-ways-to-practice-self-care-while-you-protest-56100

3. Here is the Brennan Center for Justice’s Voting Laws Roundup 2017 – do the laws in our state help or hinder voting?  https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/voting-laws-roundup-2017

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

         a loosely-federated group of organizations that, in the wake of the

2016 election, are sharing daily or weekly calls to action.

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