Rogan's List

6/1/17

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1. LINK CORRECTION:  Another reminder that Congress is on recess this week! This means that our MoCs are not required to be in D.C. They should be in their home states working, and hopefully holding town halls. Check if yours have scheduled any at  https://townhallproject.com/ . A good number of GOP MoCs are avoiding holding in-person town halls. Don't let them get away with it: let's make sure they know we want to meet with them! They work for us, after all.

2. In a decision that upends the Trump administration’s actions, “The Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a transgender student has the right to use the bathroom that corresponds with his gender identity under federal law.”  http://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/335675-appeals-court-sides-with-transgender-student-in-bathroom-fight

3. Only two countries--Syria, because it is in the midst of civil war, and Nicaragua, which didn’t regard the accords as going far enough--refused to sign the Paris climate accords.  The U.S. may be about to join these two: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/paris-climate-agreement-withdrawal  Whether Trump withdraws us from the Paris agreement only or has his eye on the UNFCCC, the U.N.’s climate change treaty matters, but in either case, we must insist on Senate approval of—and accountability for--Trump’s action.  Let’s tell our senators we don’t approve!

4. Someone was bound to die fleeing north to escape Trump’s draconian immigration and asylum policies, and now a Ghanaian woman has:
   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/31/canada-asylum-seeker-dead-us-border The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/laws-policy/menu-safethird.asp) prohibits most people who have already sought asylum in the U.S. from making a refugee claim in Canada, driving asylum-seekers to cross the Canadian border illegally. Let’s join Canadians who are trying to amend this agreement so that refugees have a safe port of entry from what is no longer, under Trump, a “safe third country.” Write to PM Justin Trudeau, FAX # 613-941-6900 or Office of the Prime Minister, 80 Wellington St., Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2

5. Asha Deliverance, the mother of Portland stabbing victim Taliesin Namkai-Meche, has written a moving letter to Trump:http://www.cbsnews.com/news/portland-stabbing-victims-mom-calls-on-president-trump-to-take-action/  Let’s send the letter to Trump with our own comments: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500

6. The Illinois State Legislature has passed automatic voter registration:  http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/335555-illinois-legislature-passes-automatic-voter-registration Let's find out where our own state stands on automatic voter registration, then make sure we're contacting our State MoC, telling them we support these measures:  https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/automatic-voter-registration

7. Congressional lobbying about exorbitant U.S. drug prices has reached a fever pitch, with lobbyists for independent pharmacies flooding Congress, the lobbying budget for the pharmaceutical and health products industry up by 14% for this quarter of 2017 over the same period last year, and the cannily named generic drug trade group, the Association for Accessible Medicines, on the move: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/29/health/drug-lobbyists-battle-cry-over-prices-blame-the-others.html  While these groups trade the blame for the unconscionable rise in drug prices, legislation to lower drug costs have been introduced in 30 states. We need to tell Tom Price, Trump’s industry-friendly head of Health & Human Services, and Scott Gottlieb, a former Pharma consultant and now head of the Food & Drug  Administration, that we demand that they rein in the drug industry:  Tom Price (202-690-7000 or Secretary@HHS.gov) and Scott Gottleib (888-463-6332)

8. UltraViolet has created a  May 2017 recess guide to help us focus on women’s healthcare.  Let’s get working!   https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.weareultraviolet.com/images/20170522-UV-recess-toolkit-web-v3.pdf

9. This Saturday, June 3rd, will be the national March for Truth. In addition to calling our MoC to demand that an independent commission investigate collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia ( https://5calls.org/issue/recywt9vEUNwAsZOo ) , we can also participate in our local March for Truth to gain publicity and put pressure on the White House. Let's join in this Saturday! https://www.marchfortruth.info/

10. The quest for renewable energy continues with or without the Paris Agreement.  In the Virginia legislature, state senator Ben Chafin has introduced a bill to convert old unused coal mines to hydro power facilities.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-05-24/old-coal-mines-have-a-place-in-the-future-of-clean-energy  If we live in states with abandoned coal mines, let's contact our own state legislators and governors to ask them to study this solution.  We can thank Ben Chafin for his efforts at: Senator A. Benton Chafin, Jr., PO Box 396, Richmond VA 23218.

11. A new study shows that our perception that the U.S. is becoming more prejudiced is not far from wrong. “I don’t think Trump created new prejudices in people — not that quickly and not that broadly. What he did do is change people’s perceptions about what is okay and what is not okay,” University of Kansas psychologist Chris Crandall told me in March. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/5/31/15714002/america-becoming-more-prejudiced-psychology  Let’s let the White House and our MoCs know that we know the difference between what is okay and what is not.  Three white supremacist attacks last week alone that left some dead and some injured is NOT okay. 

12. Since Trump believes in business/industry more than science, we need to pressure the companies that want us to stay in the Paris Agreement to convince trump into signing back on to the Paris Climate Agreement. "One of the biggest concerns that I have around climate change is the unpredictability in which governments will go about it," van Beurden says. "If we have a very clear understanding that governments, successive governments, will continue to act consistently with a certain policy set that we believe in, I have no issue with it." The USA needs a seat at this table, if we pull out, we don't have a voice. Let's contact the following energy company officials who want to us to sign onto the Paris Climate Agreement to continue to pressure trump to do so.http://www.npr.org/2017/05/18/528998592/energy-companies-urge-trump-to-remain-in-paris-climate-agreement  Contacts:  1) Exxon CEO Darren Woods: darren.w.woods@exxonmobil.com, 2) BP Bob Dudley GCE: robert.dudley@bp.com, 3) Chevron John Watson CEO: jwatson@chevron.com, and 4) Ben van Beurden is the CEO of Shell: tweet him @VanBuerdenShell 

13. If Trump chooses to remove us from the Paris Agreement, it will not be for economic or environmental reasons, “Trump’s pullout from the international accord would be a political act — one that signals solidarity with his climate-change denial, right-wing base that revels in scientific illiteracy.”  https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/05/31/paris-pullout-threat-isnt-about-the-environment-or-the-economy/?utm_term=.e5442b7d5ba0  Yesterday, Trump tweeted concern for his 11-year-old son, let’s ask him to stay in the Paris Agreement for his son and for all our children. 

Other Actions

1. From RISE Stronger:  What if all of the #resistance groups, new and established, came together? Our collective impact would be monumental. This is why we have launched the United States of Resistance, an interactive directory that, once completed with your help, will connect all resistance groups across the nation. The United States of Resistance will help groups connect, and enable us all to share best practices and resources, distribute policy and electoral information, and increase efficiency so that our footprint is that much greater.  Check it out at https://www.risestronger.org/groups, add your group, spread the word, and help us build a single, United States of Resistance.  #USofResistance  Questions?  Ask here:  accounts@risestronger.org

2. “In the last few months, Meta Peace Team, a nonprofit organization that trains ordinary people in violence de-escalation skills, has been inundated with requests for workshops and skills trainings.’  http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/d45b9c_a99aceaf06e845f3807a5f7bddc7995f.pdf Consider becoming trained as a peace team member:  http://www.metapeaceteam.org/

3. Over the weekend, someone shot out the windows of the building of the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper in Kentucky: http://www.newsweek.com/kentucky-newspaper-shooting-lexington-herald-leader-press-freedom-617708 Let’s thank the team there for continuing to do their vital work in difficult times: Lexington Herald-Leader, 100 Midland Ave, Lexington, KY, 40508-1999

4. Progressive leader and writer David Yankovich has decided to run against Speaker Paul Ryan: https://davidyankovich.comLet’s consider donating to his campaign.

5. With the Georgia special election coming up in a few weeks, there are still plenty of ways we can help Jon Ossoff's campaign. For those of us in Georgia who would like to help canvas, Swing Left has a sign up sheet: http://bit.ly/2qG3HvZ If we are not able to canvas, we can still help by hosting a "Call Your Ossoff!" house party, where we can focus our efforts on phone banking: https://swingleft.org/special-election-house-parties

6. Part of garnering support for our science community, as well as funding for research and development, is in community outreach. Skype a Scientist is a tool which engages young learners and allows them to communicate directly with scientists around the world. Let's encourage the teachers in our local schools to sign up for this great program: https://www.skypeascientist.com/

7. We don't need to be in the Paris Agreement to make individual commitments to environmental actions.  Let's start with this calculator we can use to learn what our own carbon footprints are and what affects them.  http://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm?ref=www.nature.org   The site also has suggestions for actions we can take. 

8. A cool act of resistance as school ends is to call your local school and pay the late lunch bills for some students.  It is not a young child’s fault for lack of lunch money, but often it is the child who bares the brunt of the ridicule and shame. Some of these kids will be food compromised all summer long.  http://www.today.com/parents/tweet-inspires-thousands-pay-school-lunch-debt-t107730 Let’s make some calls and pay some of those lunch bills.  Let’s not have kids come back in the fall to those bills and problems.

Petitions to Sign

1. We’ve all seen what big money, unchecked, does to government.  Let’s sign this asking Congress to overturn Citizens United:  http://act.endcitizensunited.org/page/s/Co-Sponsor-Amendment

2. Even Freedom Caucus member Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) knows that the arms deal with Saudi Arabia is wrong.  Let’s sign his petition to stop it:  http://www.justinamash.com/stop_weapons_to_saudi_arabia

3. Someone from the March for Science created a White House petition to support staying in the Paris Climate agreement.  Let’s all sign:  https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/remain-paris-climate-agreement

Learning

1. Nicholas Kristof has written a powerful op-ed in the New York Times, On a Portland Train, the Battlefield of American Values:  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/30/opinion/portland-train-attack-muslim.html?_r=0

2. Steve Bannon’s dream of “the deconstruction of the administrative state” is happening before our eyes:  from the cabinet picks, the people chosen to head departments, to the rollback of protections, to the proposed budget full of cuts, to the cooling relationships with our allies, using unsecured phones, etc.  Thankfully, Amy Siskind has been keeping track of the changes for us all:  https://medium.com/@Amy_Siskind

3.     “Republicans used to claim to favor the rule of law.”  http://www.businessinsider.com/gianforte-body-slam-republicans-montana-vote-2017-5

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