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10/10/17                                                          http://roganslist.blogspot.com/


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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.      As the Trump administration prepares to issue an executive order undercutting the Affordable Care Act, we should remember that the great principle behind every insurance system is, in essence, “we’re all in this together.” The young and healthy might not need health coverage now, but they will someday, and that puts all of us in the same boat that our Divider-in-Chief is trying to scuttle by separating us by our current health status. https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/10/8/16439492/trump-obamacare-association-health-plans   Let’s make sure our MoCs know that we oppose this pending executive order and any attempt to weaken the ACA, our best collective defense against medically-related financial catastrophe.

2.      While Congress is steadfastly protecting gun rights, it is simultaneously denying reasonable access to quality health care to those who are victims of gun violence.  Take the Las Vegas tragedy as an example, many of the people who were injured will be dealt another blow when medical bills arrive.  Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak has set up a GoFundMe account to help the victims.  No other country handles health care this way.  https://theintercept.com/2017/10/02/las-vegas-shooting-gofundme-health-care/ Let’s thank Sisolak:  http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/county-commissioners/districta/pages/contact-us.aspx  Then, let’s tell our legislators that we want them to work across the aisle and fix healthcare in the USA and while they are at it, work on some common sense gun safety.  Most Americans want both.

3.      Over the weekend, Trump’s war of Tweets with Sen. Bob Corker continued with Corker saying, among other things, “He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation.”  http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/354486-corker-trump-is-setting-up-the-country-for-world-war-iii The Atlantic has a strong op-ed about what his next moves need to be:  https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/corker-trump/542385/ Let’s be in touch with Senator Corker to thank him for speaking up and putting country in front of party and ask him to keep going forward to action: 

4.      We might have guessed that Trump’s DACA “deal” with Schumer and Pelosi would have strings attached – in this case, border wall funding and crackdown on unaccompanied minors: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-exclusive/trump-seeks-border-wall-crackdown-on-unaccompanied-minors-for-dreamer-deal-idUSKBN1CD10LSchumer and Pelosi have responded with a hard no:
https://twitter.com/benwikler/status/917213774695845891 Let’s keep up the drumbeat with our MoC about the need for a clean version of the DREAM Act.  The DREAMers should not have to pay for the wall.

5.      Vice President Pence’s stunt of walking out of an NFL game costs taxpayers an estimated quarter million dollars: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/10/08/politics/pence-indianapolis-flights-cost/index.html The NFL Players Union is standing by their players thankfully: 
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/354489-nfl-players-association-backs-players-constitutional-rights?ampBut, as of Monday morning, Pence and Trump still seem more focused on peaceful protest of NFL players than the tiki-torch wielding white supremacists in Charlottesville. Let’s take a look at this cartoon on the subject: 
https://twitter.com/deray/status/917381192386793473 and then write directly to Pence to express our views on his affinity for both white supremacists and abuse of taxpayer funds: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20500 or on Twitter @VP

6.      In July, Senators Kamala Harris and Rand Paul introduced bipartisan legislation that would work to end the money bail system and decrease mass incarceration. The bill, S. 1593: Pretrial Integrity and Safety Act, would provide grants to states so that they can move away from utilizing money bail  http://bit.ly/2vI5404 Let's contact our senators and ask that they cosponsor and support S. 1593. We can also sign Color of Change's petition:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/sen-kamala-harris-money-bail-reform For those of us with the means, we can also support the work at No More Money Bail: 

7.      Since 2015, the United States has been supporting the war in Yemen through weaponry and intelligence. The war has fueled a cholera outbreak, and a humanitarian crisis in which young girls are being sold into childhood marriage http://nyti.ms/2fX1olt http://bit.ly/2xowRYX Congresswoman Ro Khanna has introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressmen Thomas Massie, Mark Pocan, and Walter B. Jones, Jr., which would force a vote on the United States' continued involvement in the war in Yemen http://bit.ly/2xsMVcf It's time for Congress to have a say, and for the U.S. to withdraw support from the war. Let's call our reps and ask that they support H.Con.Res. 81:  http://bit.ly/2z7TVbv

8.      "The Trump administration announced Monday that it would take formal steps to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature policy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, setting up a bitter fight over the future of America’s efforts to tackle global warming. Coal- and natural-gas-fired power plants are responsible for about one-third of America’s carbon dioxide emissions. When the Clean Power Plan was unveiled in 2015, it was expected to cut power sector emissions 32 percent by 2030, relative to 2005. While many states are already shifting away from coal power for economic reasons, experts say scrapping the rule could slow that transition. Environmental groups and several states plan to challenge the repeal proposal in federal courts, arguing against Mr. Pruitt’s move on both scientific and economic grounds. Mr. Pruitt’s proposal for repeal will now have to go through a formal public-comment period before being finalized, a process that could take months. Mr. Pruitt will also ask the public for comment on what a replacement rule should look like, but the E.P.A. has not offered a timeline. Environmental groups and Democratic-controlled states are expected to challenge these moves on multiple fronts. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/09/climate/clean-power-plan.html   Let's keep an eye on this issue so we can comment during the public comment period

9.      As predicted over the past weekend, EPA Administrator and climate change denier Scott Pruitt, has announced that he will sign the repeal of the Clean Power Plan on October 10th, thus beginning, in the words of Obama’s EPA administrator, “a wholesale retreat from EPA’s legal, scientific and moral obligation to address the threats of climate change.”  Environmental groups and several states plan to challenge the repeal proposal in federal courts, arguing against Mr. Pruitt’s move on both scientific and economic grounds.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-epa-clean-power-plan-20171009-story.html The EPA is required to gather public comment on this change, so until the formal opportunity is announced, we can tweet or write Pruitt and tell him we want to keep our clean air policies:  @EPAScottPruitt or Environmental Protection Agency, Mail Code 1101A, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20460.  We can remind our MoCs as well that they should weigh in on this issue for clean air for all of us. 

10.  Last week, the Interior Department rejected 25 endangered species petitions, including one for the Pacific Walrus.  Fish and Wildlife "has declined to list the Pacific walrus as endangered after deciding that the huge tusked mammals may be able to adapt to the loss of the sea ice that they currently depend upon." We can read the full article about the Pacific Walrus at the Guardian.  Here are two additional stories we can read on the entire list of 25 rejected species: 1)  Washington Post [subscription]  2) Article from Jessica Corbett at Common Dreams. Corbett points out 5 bills that are being considered that would gut the Endangered Species Act: Let's check out the 5 bills with their links to Countable.us: 1) HR717 Listing Reform Act   2) HR1274 State, Tribal, and Local Species Transparency and Recovery Act 3) HR3131 Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act , 4)HR2603, the "SAVES" Act, would delist all nonnative species from the Endangered Species Act, meaning that animals which don’t naturally have a habitat in the U.S. wouldn’t be considered endangered or threatened and 5) HR424 Gray Wolf State Management Act. Let's contact all of our Members of Congress to find out where they stand on the Endangered Species Act. Let's tell our representatives to oppose HR717, HR1274, HR3131, HR2603, HR424. 

11.  Trump EPA nominee Michael Dourson refuses to recuse himself from cases involving chemical companies he worked for. Dourson worked for the EPA as a staff scientist until 1994 when he left "to found the Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA), a group that has produced reports minimizing concerns about the safety of chemicals produced by companies like DuPont, Dow, and Boeing. As head of the EPA’s chemical and pesticides office, he would oversee the agency’s regulation of industrial chemicals and pesticides — the same products manufactured by companies that funded much of Dourson’s private-sector work." (source:Think Progress.)  USA Today's article about Dourson  "EPA nominee Michael Dourson endorsed weak standard for chemical linked to tumors in industry-funded research" provides us additional information. “If Mike Dourson is confirmed, the environmental health of every child in the country will be tossed aside,” [says] Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a research and policy organization that pushes for tougher environmental protections." Let's tell our Senators to protect our children and oppose Dourson for EPA.

12.  House Democrats introduced resolution H.Res.555 demanding more transparency in the Interior department's national monument review.  The resolution, if passed, would require the Trump administration to provide a final monument review and underlying documents per this article in the Salt Lake Tribune. Let's check the list of co-sponsors for this bill.  Let's thank our representative if they are already a co-sponsor.  If they are not, let's tell them to support H.Res.555.  We deserve transparency on the national monument review.

13.  It is interesting to look at the way in which people are using ICE's Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) hotline to report on neighbors and family members. A report shows how citizens can be used to become informants, aiding the government in locating individuals who are suspected of illegally residing in the United States. It further discusses how ICE had the contact information for those informants publicly available until just recently.  http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news/ice-doxxed-philly-residents-who-called-new-snitching-hotline/article_e576c0be-aa18-11e7-8b92-7b4dbcffba4c.html   Let's contact Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke, and tell her that it is time for Homeland Security to de-activate the VOICE hotline. DHS comment line: 202-282-8495 Mailing address: The Honorable Elaine C. Duke, Secretary of Homeland Security Washington, D.C.  20528

14.  On Sunday, Trump’s extension of the Jones Act, which allowed foreign ships to dock with supplies for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, ended.  Nonetheless the country is still in dire need of supplies.  There were also Jones Act extensions for Florida and Texas which have also expired, but those locations can receive aid and supplies by land as well.  Puerto Rico, an island, cannot.  Senators McClain (R-AZ) and Lee (R-UT) have introduced legislation to permanently exclude Puerto Rico from the Jones Act.  http://thehill.com/latino/354561-white-house-lets-jones-act-waiver-expire-for-puerto-rico  Let’s let our senators know that we support this legislation because it makes sense for our citizens who live there, but in the meantime, Puerto Rico needs an extension now.

15.  Time and again, the Trump-Pruitt EPA has let us down and shirked their responsibility to protect our welfare, including failing to act to protect farm workers, their kids and rural families from the brain-damaging pesticide chlorpyrifos (https://ww2.kqed.org/futureofyou/2017/10/09/farmworkers-want-common-pesticide-banned-in-calif-after-trump-epa-refuses/). But Democrats in Congress are stepping up where Polluting Pruitt has failed to act, introducing HR 3380 and S 1624 to ban this poison. Let’s join the United Farm Workers in contacting our reps and asking them to co-sponsor this legislation at this link: http://action.ufw.org/page/speakout/chlorpyrifos1017.

16.  The NRA and their corporate backers are responding to the recent mass shooting in Las Vegas in horrifying but predictable fashion by calling for Congress to make it easier for people to carry concealed weapons in public – undermining effective state gun control laws (http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2017/10/08/schumer-concealed-carry-reciprocity/). Let’s contact our reps and tell them we want stronger gun control measures and we will oppose anyone who tries to weaken them instead. (We can also sign this petition with the same goal from Americans for Responsible Solutions.)

State Actions

1.      VA: The deadline to register to vote is October 16, 2017, for the November 7, 2017, general election. There’s a lot riding on this election: Governor (elect Ralph Northam), Lt. Governor (elect Justin Fairfax), Attorney General (elect Mark Herring) and the entire House of Delegates (elect Democrats). If we’re in Virginia, let’s register here: 

2.      WI: On its face, this new policy might not look bad: "University of Wisconsin System leaders approved a policy Friday that calls for suspending and expelling students who disrupt campus speeches and presentations, saying students need to listen to all sides of issues and arguments." But those of us who have been paying attention to the attacks on the university by right-wing Republican governor Scott Walker, as well as the increase of right-wing hate speech on campuses across America, know better. One potential outcome, put succinctly: “Who’s going to show up to a protest if they think they could be potentially expelled?” Democratic state Rep. Chris Taylor, whose district includes the flagship Madison campus, said during a Thursday news conference on the policy." But since "the policy won’t take effect until the system writes administrative rules implementing it and Walker and lawmakers sign off on them," which could take months, let's use this window of opportunity to let the University Board of Regents, who made the decision, that we are not amused. https://apnews.com/866eec6efb9841088157838281339db8. Contact them here to let them know that this authoritarian policy is unwise and will suppress free speech on campus:  Office of the Board of Regents, 1860 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706 or 608.262.2324 or  board@uwsa.edu

3.      OH - Columbus: Progressive candidates are running for office in Ohio this year.  Let's read about some of the candidates in Columbus at The Intercept.  If we are Ohioans, let's make a plan to vote on election day. 

4.      VA:  Do you work outside your county? Do you anticipate working and commuting 11 of the 13 hours polls are open on election day? Will you be traveling on November 7th? If so, you can ALREADY vote in this year’s election. In-Person Absentee voting is currently available at the Arlington Government Center (Courthouse Plaza – 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320). The polls are open8am – 5pm every weekday between now and November 3rd, and there will be special Saturday voting on October 21st, 28th, and November 4th. For a full schedule and greater detail on eligibility requirements follow this link: https://vote.arlingtonva.us/absentee/  Now, you may be wondering why the Arlington County Democratic Committee (ACDC) is so focused on Absentee In-Person voting. It’s simple, every person who votes TODAY, is a person who doesn’t need to receive a door knock, a phone call, a mailing, an email, or a text message TOMORROW. And the sooner they can be removed from the “target voter universe,” the sooner resources can be shifted to folks who need to be persuaded or reminded to vote.  In short, voting absentee is a force multiplier for the campaigns.

5.      CO:  Huge budget cuts crippled outreach that lets people know when, how and where to sign up for the ACA, so Indivisible ACA Signup Project is spreading the word through social media. They have only 8 days to get 82 more supporters   Help them reach their goal by October 17 to set off a Thunderclap, a social media flash mob message blast. Please click, add your social media support on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.  THEN cut, paste and share - thanks!  https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/62795-aca-insurance-signup-reminder

6.      WA:  Huge budget cuts crippled outreach that lets people know when, how and where to sign up for the ACA, so Indivisible ACA Signup Project is spreading the word through social media.  They have only 3'days to get 50 more supporters.  Help them reach their goal by October 17 to set off a Thunderclap, a social media flash mob message blast. Please click, add your social media support on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.  THEN cut, paste and share - thanks!  https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/62554-open-enrollment-begins-nov-1

Other Actions

1.      The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Meanwhile, Trump is threatening to decertify the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and employing dangerous rhetoric that, according to Republican Senator Bob Corker, is setting us “on the path to WWIII” with North Korea.  https://www.democracynow.org/2017/10/6/nuclear_ban_group_ican_wins_nobel andhttp://www.cnn.com/2017/10/09/politics/corker-world-war-iii-donald-trump-white-house/index.html Let’s sign-up with ICAN and use their resources to do what we can to fight for a ban on all nuclear weapons: http://www.icanw.org/

2.      IKEA has announced that it will be recycling all of its used mattresses, as part of its People and Planet Positive Sustainability strategy http://read.bi/2xe3bIV It has also created a community donation program, 5,000 Dreams, to help support newly-arrived refugee families. Let's send IKEA a "thank you" for their work. We can reach them by phone or e-mail here: 

3.      Over the weekend, the skincare product Dove launched a Facebook ad suggesting that their product could turn a brown-skinned woman white. This is not the only advertisement where Dove has suggested that their product ensures a transformation like this. Some of their product packaging is even labeled for “Normal to dark skin,” implying that there’s something abnormal about having dark skin. http://www.businessinsider.com/doves-racist-ad-10-9-2017-10   Dove has apologized for the most recent ad, but this pattern demonstrates a deep underlying problem. Let’s ask Dove to take concrete steps to address this issue, making sure that Dove understands that an apology isn’t enough. Online: 
https://www.dove.com/us/en/secure/contactus.html or phone: 1-800-761-3683 (8:30 am – 6 pm Eastern time, Mon-Fri) or mail: Unilever US, 700 Sylvan Ave, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632.

4.      This week is Emergency Nurses Week, and Wednesday October 11 is Emergency Nurses Day®. Let’s check out the Emergency Nurses Association’s tips and show the emergency nurses in our community just how much they’re appreciated: https://www.ena.org/docs/default-source/en-week-2017/en-week-2017-planning-guide_web.pdf

5.      Salt Lake City authorities have decided not to pursue a murder charge against police officers who killed Patrick Harmon, a black man, shooting him in the back as he fled the scene of an altercation. Community organizers are now calling for the resignation of Sim Gill, the Salt Lake City District Attorney responsible for dropping the case.  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/patrick-harmon-death-utah-police-shooting-captured-on-camera/    While we continue to pressure our legislators to resist the increasing militarization of the police, we can take steps on the ground. Let’s check out the NAACP’s tools for strengthening our community’s relationship with our local police force: http://www.naacp.org/issues/criminal-justice/. By working together with the police, we can foster the trust necessary for ensuring the safety of our community and those protecting it.

6.      If we are looking for some downloadable postcards that we can print ourselves to change things up a bit, Postcards from the People has a cool and growing selection.  Let’s check them out here:  http://www.postcardsfromthepeople.com/

7.      On October 23rd, ninety-two of the world's largest banks will meet in São Paolo, Brazil to discuss policies on the climate and on Indigenous People's rights to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC). These banks include financiers like JPMorgan Chase--the #1 Wall Street funder of tar sands.  As we painfully learned from Standing Rock, “Indigenous peoples are the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to climate change.”   Mazaska Talks, an indigenous-led divestiture coalition, is asking allies around the world to host  Divest the Globe actions in our communities between October 23rd and 25th.  Since our government is not interested in protecting any of us from the effects of climate change, let’s join Mazaska Talks and pressure the banks that are funding climate disaster.  Here’s the information:  https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/divest-the-globe

Petitions

1.      Let’s sign Sen. Maggie Hassan’s (D-NH) petition calling to protect birth control access:  http://act.maggiehassan.com/page/s/20171005_ProtectBirthControl

2.      Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) wants us to sign on her petition to keep CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) fully funded:  https://stabenow.bsd.net/page/s/keep-chip-fully-funded-2

Marches/events/teleconferences to attend/organize

1.      Building Coalitions: People, Process, and PowerAre you interested in learning how to sustain this new wave of activism? Join us as we discuss how grassroots organizations can build, grow and sustain coalitions across the country. Register for the Thursday, October 12 at 7pm EDT webinar at http://bit.ly/noegonoturf  Presenters include RISE StrongerAction Together NetworkThe Swell CollectiveTogether We Will USAReal Talk: WOC & Allies for Racial Justice and Anti-Oppression.

2.      “On October 18th, the latest iteration of the Ban goes into effect. This is an important moment for us to organize a strong, loud, mass mobilization that sends a clear message to this Administration: Muslim communities are organized, and our allies have our back. We will not be silent and we will stand up for our communities in the face of any and all discriminatory policies.”  If we are able, let’s attend the #NoMuslimBanEver March Wednesday, October 18 at 11:30 AM - 4 PM at Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C. We can find more information here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1142753212491355/

3.      Reclaiming Our Time: The Women’s Convention is being held in Detroit, October 27-29.  For more information and to register, let’s click here:  http://www.womensconvention.com/

4.      Volunteers are being sought for the Women’s Convention in Detroit, October 27-29. We get free admission for the day on which we volunteer. Sign up here:  https://liveunitedsem.galaxydigital.com/aem/corp/event/?doc_id=4485&key=a07caa6d6d98caa618d4da204d16ef09

Reading/Watching


2.      A helpful primer about Trump’s efforts to “decertify” the Iran nuclear deal:http://thehill.com/policy/defense/354330-5-things-to-know-about-trump-and-the-iran-deal

3.      Propaganda watch: Read about how the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency intentionally generates fake news about apprehended undocumented immigrants to depict them dangerous, hardened criminals. https://theintercept.com/2017/10/04/ice-raids-trump-immigration-deportation/


Rogan’s List is a participant in and strategic part ner 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






2 comments:

  1. Thank you for this list. To all who contribute, you have changed my life. I read your list every day. I do what I can every day. Resist. Persist. Repeat. There’s no going back. You are superheroes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so very much for the kind words, Jan! It is people like you who keep this team going!

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