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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.
Last evening the Senate passed a measure that
institutes mandatory sexual harassment training for senators and aides. https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/09/congress-sexual-harassment-training-senators-aides-244762
Let’s call to thank our senators for taking this stance, then contact our
representatives to tell them that we want this to pass on their side, too.
2.
Trump and some Republican U.S. representatives are
trying to sneak a repeal of Obamacare's individual insurance mandate into the
current House tax bill, but Ways & Means Committee chairperson Kevin Brady
has so far been reluctant to add it. Brady, who is on record supporting a
repeal of the individual mandate, cited recent failed Obamacare repeal efforts
in the Senate as a reason for his reluctance (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/03/tax-reform-plan-obamacare-repeal-244508). He fears that a tax bill including a
repeal might not get 50 Senate votes, so let's encourage Senators Lisa
Murkowski, Susan Collins, and John McCain to publicly oppose any stealth
healthcare policy measures in a bill that is properly about tax policy.
3.
United We Dream's We Are Here to Stay immigrant youth
organization held nationwide walkouts yesterday to support a clean DREAM
Act http://weareheretostay.org/walkouts/ To help support the cause and push for
a clean DREAM Act to protect DREAMers across the U.S., the organization is
asking that we tweet at House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell. We can follow the twitter links on the action page, which will
take us to a scripted tweet: http://weareheretostay.org/#action
4.
Senator Bob Corker has announced that a hearing will be
held next week on the authority of the president and congress to use nuclear
force http://bit.ly/2jcpSMe Let's keep our eyes on this, and in
the meantime, call our MoC to ensure that they support the Restricting First
Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017 (H.R. 669/S. 200).
5.
The news on the tax bill continues to support the
notion that out lower and middle-class citizens will not be helped much or for
long. http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2017/nov/06/drew-ferguson/georgia-congressman-says-gop-tax-bill-will-save-ty/ Let’s contact our MoCs to tell them that we
are against any tax reform plan that balloons our deficit, or makes cuts to
Medicare, Medicaid, environmental programs, SALT deductions, adoption credits,
mortgage deductions, or private activity bonds. The latter are critical, as
they have been huge in the creation and preservation of affordable
housing. (h/t to Chop Wood/Carry Water) We need them to correct the loopholes
that the wealthy and corporations to pay less than our country needs from
them. http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2017/nov/06/drew-ferguson/georgia-congressman-says-gop-tax-bill-will-save-ty/
6.
Nominee for Dept of Defense - Health Affairs Dr. Dean Winslow said during a hearing that he thinks
it’s "insane" that civilians can buy assault rifles in the United
States. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.) interjected, telling Winslow, "I don't think that's
in your area of responsibility or expertise." Read the full story at The Hill. Let's send emails and postcards of
support for Dr. Winslow for DoD - Health Affairs to our Senators.
7.
Officials in Puerto Rico have “acknowledged for the
first time that 472 more people died this September compared with the same
month last year.” But they insist that the official death toll from Hurricane
Maria is just 55. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/08/us/puerto-rico-deaths-fema.html We can’t let officials cover up the
death toll of their mismanagement. Let’s spread the truth on social media, and
press our MoC to conduct an inquiry into mechanisms employed to measure the
true impact of this administration’s ineffectual response to the
hurricane. Let’s tell them to help get
all our citizens electricity again, too.
8.
We've been told that corporations are people, but the
new tax bill does not really treat them as such. At Monday’s markup, Rep.
Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) quizzed a tax expert on this corporate exceptionalism: “Will
a teacher in my district who buys pens, pencils and paper for his students be
able to deduct these costs from his tax returns under this plan?” He will not. “Will a corporation that buys pens, pencils
and papers for its workers be able to deduct those costs from its tax returns?”
It will. “Will a firefighter in my
district be able to deduct the state and local sales taxes that she pays from
her tax return?” She will not. Will a
corporation be able to deduct sales taxes on business purchases?” It will. “If
a worker in my district had to move because his employer was forcing him to
relocate . . . can he deduct his moving expenses under this plan?” He cannot. “Can a corporation under this plan deduct
outsourcing expenses incurred in relocating a U.S. business outside the United
States?” It can.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/corporations-arent-people-under-the-republican-tax-plan-theyre-better/2017/11/06/3447b790-c344-11e7-aae0-cb18a8c29c65_story.html?utm_term=.558c1e42e382 Our
MoCs need to know that if corporations can get those perks, that we should,
too.
9.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved another
disastrous group of Trump’s judicial nominees yesterday, including extremist
conservatives Greg Katsas and Brett Talley
(https://www.courthousenews.com/gop-senators-push-divisive-judicial-nominees-toward-confirmation/). In addition to their reactionary,
Federalist Society views, Talley has been found to be unqualified by the American
Bar Association. Let’s contact our senators and tell them we want them to
oppose giving lifetime appointments to turn-back-the-clock conservatives and
people simply too inexperienced to be federal judges.
10. Since
late August, the military in Myanmar has driven more than 600,000 of the
Rohingya people out of the country, and refugees report that thousands more are
still trying to leave. The response from the Trump administration has been
muted at best (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/rohingya-row-to-bangladesh-as-myanmars-suu-kyi-runs-summit-gauntlet-idUSKBN1D918L). It’s time for the U.S. to take more
concrete action against these atrocities. Let’s contact our reps and urge them
to support the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2017, which would
authorize desperately needed humanitarian assistance for refugees and impose sanctions
on Burmese military officials who are playing key roles in the persecution of
the Rohingya.
11. Much
of our organizing is done online, but our ability to do so is grave danger from
FCC’s Chair, and former
Verizon lawyer, Ajit Pai's plan to end Net Neutrality. Pai is pushing for
a vote by November 22, the day before Thanksgiving to allow big cable
companies, like Verizon and Comcast, to block, censor or control what we see
and do online. Some MOC's are concerned
and want to slow down this power grab, but they need to hear from us before
they take a stand. https://www.torchonline.com/opinion/2017/10/25/why-you-should-care-about-net-neutrality/ Time is short, so we must act now, and
Demand Progress has a tool to help. We can click here to send an email to
Congress. After we send the email, we'll be connected to our MOC's phone, so we
can call as well.
https://savethenetfromtrump.com A free internet is vital to our free
society. Let's keep Net Neutrality alive!
12. Another
thing the tax bill will do is eliminates tax credit for electric vehicles:
"The tax plan proposed by House Republicans has hiding in it the repeal of
a $7,500 tax credit that has arguably been one of the main drivers of electric
vehicle purchases. Removing the credit would almost certainly adversely affect
sales of electric cars just as they are beginning to get affordable to the
general public...You can be sure that the car industry has dedicated some of
its immense resources to accomplishing this particular change." Read more
at TechCrunch. For those of us who are environmental
activists, this is a big deal. Let's tell our representatives: "Keep the
electric vehicle tax credit."
13. The
Trump/Pence administration is anti-birth control as we have seen. Generation Progress has given us a tool to
share our stories of our use of birth control that they will share with
Congress: http://action.genprogress.org/action/hands-my-birth-control
1.
VA: If you
cast a "provisional ballot" for Shelly Simonds (94th District) Joshua
Cole (28th district) Larry Barnett (dist 27) Donte Tanner (dist 40) or Dawn
Adams (68th) PLEASE go to your local registrar by Monday at noon to
verify your vote. We're only a few votes away from flipping the House! PLEASE
share this. ***It could mean control of the House of Delegates.***.
2.
Indivisible is “building electoral power for the
thousands of Indivisible groups in every one of the 435 congressional
districts. The Indivisible movement’s fight against the Trump agenda has shown
that there is a powerful progressive movement that reaches every corner of this
country, and the elections we’ve seen so far in 2017 have shown that this
movement has the energy to change elections and force candidates to reckon with
us. Indivisible 435 is an extension of that
movement energy, supporting and working alongside our local groups to continue
owning their constituent power in their turf and pushing the national
conversation back to the interest of the people.” Let’s check this out and sign up to help! https://indivisible435.org/
State Actions
1.
VA: If you
cast a "provisional ballot" for Shelly Simonds (94th District) Joshua
Cole (28th district) Larry Barnett (dist 27) Donte Tanner (dist 40) or Dawn
Adams (68th) PLEASE go to your local registrar by Monday at noon to
verify your vote. We're only a few votes away from flipping the House! PLEASE
share this. ***It could mean control of the House of Delegates.***.
2.
MI: SB 584, 585, and 586 passed, allowing individuals,
including sex offenders and domestic abusers, to carry concealed guns in
schools, daycare centers, bars, and other gun-free premises http://bit.ly/2Anf0i3 Loosening gun restrictions is the
opposite of what we need to be doing right now. Let's make sure to call our
state representatives and ask that they oppose Senate Bills 584, 585, and 586.
We can find our representatives here: http://house.michigan.gov/MHRPublic/frmFindARep.aspx We can also call Governor Snyder to
voice our opposition to these bills: 517-373-3400
3.
WI: "Children of any age could go hunting in
Wisconsin under a bill that passed the state Assembly [last week]. Its
backers argued that parents -- and not the government -- should
decide when children are ready to hunt while critics wondered
incredulously why children as young as toddlers should be allowed to carry
rifles through the woods. Under current law, a child as young as 10 can go on a
mentored hunt with an adult in Wisconsin. The Assembly bill would eliminate
that age restriction." Read more at Wisconsin Public Radio. Let's contact our Wisconsin state assembly representatives to let them know we oppose this bill.
4.
FL: This week," the Florida House Judiciary
Committee voted in favor (10-7) of anti-immigrant bill HB9, which aims to
legalize racial profiling while punishing local municipalities for protecting its
residents. Even though a similar bill approved in Texas earlier this year has
received national backlash and constitutional
concerns, Florida
legislators moved forward to threaten public safety and undermine local
democracy by bringing Trump’s anti-immigrant policies to our state. The bill,
which was intentionally assigned to only one committee, limiting the
opportunities for public comment, and sparking outrage in the community, can be
taken up for a final vote on the House floor as early as January
9th the first day of the 2018 Legislative session." If we are
Floridians, let's call, email, and write to our Florida state
representatives in
opposition to anti-immigrant HB9. If we can, let's go to their local offices to
discuss it. Our voices have the most power at the local level.
5.
NJ: From Action
Together New Jersey: "On November 14 at 7 p.m. at the UFCW Hall
464A in Little Falls, NJ, come hear a panel of experts share uplifting news
about advancements in renewable energy technology, work in reducing emissions,
and the potential of new and developing projects! Hear what’s new in wind and
solar power, how sustainability and efficiency are quickly becoming the new
lens through which we view energy sourcing, and how we can all help
#ActonClimate! Reserve your seat
today! http://atnj.org/CleanFuture! Hosted by Action Together New Jersey (www.atnj.org) and Jersey Renews (http://www.jerseyrenews.org), and co-sponsored by our friends at EDF Action (http://www.edfaction.org) and the NJ March for Science (www.njmarchforscience.com/action)! If
you would like your group included as a sponsor, please send an email to christinec@atnj.org."
Other Actions
1.
Our efforts to resist the Trump administration are one
year old now and the news on the level of engagement and commitment is good:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/09/resistance-trump-blossoming-movement-la-kaufmann As a way of honoring our efforts and
reinvigorating our commitment to liberty and justice for all, let’s take a
moment to thank someone who has helped keep our action and energy up over the
past year: a friend, a neighbor, a journalist, an activist.
2.
Now that Maine voted for Medicaid expansion, Governor
Paul LePage is refusing to implement it: http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/359387-lepage-refuses-medicaid-expansion-despite-ok-from-maine-voters Let’s let Gov. LePage know that it is
time for him to respect the will of the people: Office of the Governor, #1
State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0001 or http://www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/citizen_services/ideas-suggestions.shtml
3.
Here's an update from the LA
Times: "The University
of Notre Dame, in an abrupt reversal, says it will continue to allow its
employees access to contraception under their insurance policies. Only a week
ago, the university said it would cancel all birth control coverage for
students and employees next year. That includes contraception provided to those
recipients for free, under government auspices and at government expense.
We reported on Nov. 1 that the South Bend, Ind., university
had become the first and most important employer to take advantage publicly of
[this] administration’s Oct. 6 rollback of contraceptive coverage
under the Affordable
Care Act. The act requires
insurance plans to provide contraceptive services without charging a deduction
or co-pay. ..The university left unclear how it would manage contraceptive
access for students covered by its insurance policy, which was set to be
removed on Aug. 15." Our calls and emails of objection likely
contributed to the change of heart. Let's thank Notre Dame for letting
employees have an option for a plan with birth control coverage. Let's ask that
they give their students the same consideration. We can use the contact form on their webpage.
4.
Twitter has “verified” the account of Jason Kessler (@TheMadDimension), the white supremacist responsible for
organizing the march on Charlottesville in August that lead to the death of
Heather Heyer. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/10/04/jason-kessler-charlottesville-protest-organizer-indicted-for-perjury/ According to Twitter, verification is
worth having because it “lets people know that an account of public interest is
authentic…An account may be verified if it is determined to be an account of
public interest.” https://support.twitter.com/articles/119135 Twitter argues that verification
doesn’t mean endorsement
https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/928654369771356162 But that’s not good enough. By
verifying white supremacists, Twitter is helping white supremacists organize,
helping to connect potential followers to leadership. Let’s tell Twitter that
we object to them helping white supremacists spread their message by sending a
tweet to @TwitterSupport
5.
Let’s sign the card sending congratulations to the 30+ Emily’s
List women who won their elections this week:
https://secure.emilyslist.org/page/s/20171108_email_Congrats
Petitions
1.
According to a Washington Post investigation, Roy Moore
sexually assaulted young girls in his past.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html?utm_term=.ceba34dc3cc9 We
need to take these accusations seriously.
Let’s join in UltraViolet’s petition asking Roy Moore to drop out of the
Senate race in Alabama. We do not
approve of sexual predators in Congress.
https://act.weareultraviolet.org/sign/Roy-Moore-drop-out/
2.
“Billionaire Tom Steyer said Thursday that he is spending an additional $10
million on his impeachment campaign against President Donald Trump.” http://fortune.com/2017/11/09/tom-steyer-impeach-trump-petition-ads/ If
we have not yet signed this impeachment petition, we can do so here: https://www.needtoimpeach.com/
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
“On November 14th, communities across the country
will stand up as part of a Day of Action to demonstrate that state, local,
and tribal leaders; businesses, activists and "ordinary" citizens
alike are taking action on climate change.
This Day of Action is timed to coincide with COP23, the United Nations’
conference on climate change, in Germany. Our actions here at home will both
amplify the work being done at COP23, and energize the local activists stepping
up and taking action in the absence of presidential leadership. Now, we will
voice our support of the Paris Agreement louder than ever before”. Let’s check
this out to see if we can attend an event or host one: https://www.wearestillin.com/DayOfAction2017
Reading/Watching
1.
Excellent piece about the activation of women since the
2016 election:
2.
We've all heard about the so-called "Paradise
Papers." What are they? "A leak of more than 13 million
documents pertaining to wealth stored in offshore tax havens ...The
documents... were obtained by German newspaper Süddeutsche
Zeitung and shared with almost 100 media partners around the world by the
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), an international
consortium of journalists." http://time.com/5011000/paradise-papers-tax-havens-leak/ These
papers show what the mega-rich worldwide share: an overabundance of
power and a disregard of the law when it suits their financial interests. Scan
this article from The Guardian to understand how some of prominent U.S. figures,
including Trump advisers, are implicated in this massive leak: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/08/key-revelations-from-the-paradise-papers
3.
Will the Trump reversals on environmental regulations
eventually lead to this? The capital of India is buried in smog, thanks to
“heavy industry and car exhaust fumes, road dust, and agricultural field
torching in neighboring states…exacerbated by slow winds and cold
temperatures.” http://time.com/5014681/india-delhi-smog-pollution/
4.
An encouragingly positive assessment of the #resistance
of which we are a significant piece: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/09/resistance-trump-blossoming-movement-la-kaufmann
5.
To celebrate Rogan’s List first birthday, here’s a
little musical number by the Resistance Revival Chorus: https://www.facebook.com/ResistanceRevivalChorus/videos/294503567734546/
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