4/13/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
Find senator’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/RLiotu
Find representative’s contact info here: https://goo.gl/5i7SXC
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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.
Despite
the president specifically saying earlier this week that he might fire Robert
Mueller, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is still insisting that there
is no need for legislation to protect the special prosecutor. http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/382512-mcconnell-legislation-to-protect-mueller-not-needed. Since Senator McConnell will ultimately
decide what can come to the Senate for a floor vote, we need to tell him that
this legislation is needed to prevent a constitutional crisis, and it's
necessary for his own party's integrity, as well as for the good of the
country. We can contact Senator McConnell at (202) 224-2541 or
via this contact form if his voicemail is full.
2.
As
Michael Pompeo begins his confirmation hearings for Secretary of State we need
to raise our concerns with our Senators about Pompeo’s ties with extremist
anti-Islamic groups. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/us/pompeo-bolton-muslims.html
Let’s make sure to remind our Senators that
the Secretary of State is the country’s highest level diplomat and it would be
immoral and dangerous for them to vote for someone who has already been on the
record for his virulent expressions of prejudice. We can use this 5calls
script.
3.
On
Wednesday, Republican strategist and political commentator Ana
Navarro tweeted, " Paul Ryan has 8 months as Speaker. He’s finally
free of political chains. Time to put country over Party. He should remove
Nunes from Intel Committee, have a vote on Dream Act, move legislation to
protect Mueller, and denounce Trump’s unpresidential actions & words at
every turn." Let's all share this advice with Rep. Ryan and our own MoCs.
4.
The
Department of State wants "to add several additional questions for
immigrant visa applicants. One question lists multiple social media platforms
and requires the applicant to provide any identifiers used by applicants for
those platforms during the five years preceding the date of application."
Why is this a bad thing? "The government doesn’t need to ask for people’s
social media handles in order to vet them...It’s [really] about cracking down
on free speech." https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/31/us-visa-social-media-tourism We can bet that people who were
thinking about visiting the US are reconsidering; international tourism to the
US is already in a "Trump slump." The good news is that this proposal
is open for public comment. Let's make sure to submit our objections,
here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/03/30/2018-06490/60-day-notice-of-proposed-information-collection-application-for-immigrant-visa-and-alien
5.
In the
19 years since the Columbine massacre, over 187,000 students have experienced a
mass shooting on their campuses: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/local/us-school-shootings-history/?utm_term=.75002edbd6f0). The 19th anniversary of that grim tragedy
is coming up next week, so let's remind our MoCs that we are still waiting for
commonsense gun control legislation at the federal level. There is also a
petition available here: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/gunreformnow
6.
It has
been almost four years since the FDA held a hearing which led to the conclusion that
electronic shock devices (ESDs) should be banned, and almost two years since
the official ban proposal. However, the ban never went into effect,
and the notoriously abusive Judge Rotenberg Center continues to use electronic
shock devices (Gradual Electronic Decelerators, or GEDs) on students with
disabilities: https://cbsn.ws/2GTjaBL (content warning: descriptions of
torture and abuse). As part of Autism Acceptance month, and in recognition of
the upcoming four-year anniversary since the FDA hearing, the Autistic
Self-Advocacy Network is asking that we contact FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb
today, April 13th, and again on April 24th, and tell him that we want
him to immediately impose the ban on electronic shock devices. We can find more
information, including a phone number, e-mail address, and call script here. Then, let's spread the word with our
friends and family and ask that they help #StopTheShock.
7.
Many
people like the notion of a balanced budget amendment, but most do not realize
that in order to make this a reality that balance part of it will come mostly
from cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, education, the environment,
to name a few. Corporate subsidies will not be touched, and neither will
business tax loopholes, or military, to name a few. The push for a Balanced
Budget Amendment to the Constitution, without adequate protection of our safety
net programs, is irresponsible at best. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/pelosi-says-balanced-budget-amendment-is-attack-on-social-safety-net-2018-04-11 Let's tell our legislators that we
want guaranteed protections for those of us who need it.
8.
The
administration has nominated David S. Morales to fill a federal judge
vacancy for the Southern District of Texas in Corpus Christi. In 2016
Morales' role in then-Attorney General Greg Abbott's Office gained attention
when he decided not to pursue a $5.4 million lawsuit against Trump and
Trump University without discussion with Abbott, now governor. Let's read more
at USA Today. Let's contact our own Senators now to
let them know that oppose Morales for federal judge.
9.
Justice
Department agents have raided the offices and residence of Trump's personal
attorney, and the investigation has moved closer to Trump than ever before, and
he grows ever more likely to try to fire Robert Mueller and/or Rod
Rosenstein (https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/09/politics/donald-trump-fbi-michael-cohen/index.html). A few Republicans in Congress have
promised to resist such a tyrannical abuse of power, but their paltry
support isn't nearly enough to save our democracy. The best way to stop
the firings is to prevent them from happening, and the only way to do that is
for Congress to issue a clear prohibition to the president. Let's tell our MoCs
that they must publicly announce their commitment to
(finally) hold Trump to account if he tries to interfere in the
investigation. http://act.democracyforamerica.com/call/call-congress-russia/
10. Wendy Vitter, one of Donald Trump’s judicial
nominees, was already marked with a long record of opposing women’s rights to
abortion and access to contraceptive care. Then at her Judiciary Committee hearing
on Wednesday, she was asked if Brown v. Board of Education was correctly
decided – and refused to answer the question (https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/12/politics/wendy-vitter-brown-v-board-of-education/index.html). A nominee with these views does not belong
on the federal bench. Let’s join progressive groups nationwide in calling our
senators and telling them Wendy Vitter is #UnfitToJudge.
11.
Speaker
of the House Paul Ryan announced that he will not seek re-election: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-ryan/house-speaker-ryan-to-quit-shaking-republicans-as-elections-near-idUSKBN1HI1TEWe can show support for the Democrat running
in Ryan’s district, Randy Bryce: https://www.randybryceforcongress.com
12. The ACLU is suggesting that the European
Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, while not perfect, would make a
good model for comprehensive privacy legislation in the US. Let’s read the
ACLU’s blog post, https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/internet-privacy/landmark-european-law-could-change-facebook-and-improve, and let’s forward it to our MoCs with a
message that we expect them to protect our privacy in this age of Facebook,
Google, Twitter, etc.
Election 2018 –
General
1.
There’s
another special election right around the corner, and this one is particularly
pressing. Flippable
pick Helen
Tai is running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
that’s up on May 15th, and she has a solid opportunity to pick up a
long-GOP held district and send a message to state Republicans that their
attacks on the judicial branch won’t be tolerated (http://www.theintell.com/news/20180115/solebury-supervisor-endorsed-for-178th-district-special-election). We can help her win by writing Postcards to Voters for her or making phone calls at this virtual
phone bank link. (We can direct questions to volunteers@helentai.com)
2.
The ACLU
has opened a 30-day window for people to nominate candidates in their upcoming
local elections. Nominees will be evaluated by the ACLU for their
commitment to important issues including civil rights, privacy rights, voting
and immigrant rights. The ACLU will then endorse candidates who exemplify
the best values of our country, but even more than that, it will also devote
its formidable resources to help them get elected, while actively working
to defeat those who oppose the advancement of civil liberties and justice.
Nominate your local candidate, good or bad, here: https://peoplepower.org/nominate
Election 2018 –
By State
Other Actions
1.
LINK
CORRECTION: “A Republican group defended special counsel Robert
Mueller against attacks by President Trump in an ad that
aired Wednesday morning during “Fox & Friends” — a show that Trump is
said to frequently watch.” Here is the 30-second piece by Republicans for the Rule of Law: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0AUus59QhE Let’s thank this group in comments on
their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/republicansfortheruleoflaw/
2.
From
People for the American Way: In the wake of the recent killings of Stephon
Clark in Sacramento and Shaheed Vasell in New York City the Black Caucus of the
network of Young Elected Officials has released a public call for a national
agenda to address police brutality. Some key ways we can help are by asking our
state
attorney general to
issue clear conduct guidelines and make sure our local prosecutors appoint
civil rights commissions to investigate police misconduct. We can also push
nationally for systemic investigations against departments accused of patterns
of racial violence and call for an end to “stop and frisk” police policies that
have been used disproportionately against people of color. We can find out more
here.
3.
“Social
Fixer” is a safe extension to our browsers that help us manage our experience
with Facebook. No, it won’t prevent Facebook from collecting our data. But it
can, among other things, hide ads so we don’t have to see stuff that Facebook’s
advertisers are aiming our way. Let’s learn more and consider
downloading: http://socialfixer.com
4.
A
teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who voluntarily carries a gun
under the new state legislation left a loaded Glock 9mm in the bathroom of a
Deerfield Beach Pier on Sunday. He went back for the gun, but a vagrant
had already found the gun and fired it. The teacher was arrested for failing to
safely store a firearm; the vagrant was arrested for shooting the gun. “On
Tuesday, the Broward County Public School board official decided not to arm
teachers following the $67 million state bill passed in February that would
allow it.” http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/382813-parkland-teacher-reportedly-left-a-loaded-gun-in-a-public If
you live in a state like Florida that allows teachers to carry guns, let your
school boards know you don’t want your teachers armed.
5.
Now that
the FCC has ended Net Neutrality, huge internet service providers like
Comcast and Verizon will soon be able to throttle or block what we can see
online and create "internet slow lanes" for everyone who won't pay
extra. We must fight back, and we can on several fronts, including through our
cities. Demand Progress tells us that Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York,
Ted Wheeler of Portland, and Steve Adler of Austin have created the Cities
Open Internet Pledge and called on other mayors to step up and
join. More than 75 mayors signed on in under a month, including big cities
like San Francisco, Baltimore, and San Antonio and small ones like North
Ridgeville, Ohio and Great Falls, Montana. They are close to their goal of
over 100 mayors signing on, and with our help, can reach it soon. We can click on Demand Progress’ link here to
see if our mayor has signed on, ask them to do so if they haven’t yet or thank
them if they have. Click here to email your mayor and ask them
to sign on to the Cities Open Internet Pledge – or you can thank them if
they've already joined!
6.
A new
study finds that knowledge of the Holocaust is significantly lacking in the US:
http://www.claimscon.org/study Knowledge of civil rights history
suffers similarly. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/04/03/mlks-legacy-in-the-classroom-truncated-and.html Let’s read Facing History, https://www.facinghistory.org/, and suggest to the teachers and
administrators in our public schools that they consider using their resources.
7.
A report
has been issued in Missouri (panel of 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats) that finds
the allegations against Governor Eric Greitens of forced sex credible:
http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/382782-shocking-report-finds-credible-allegations-of-sexual-assault-by-missouri Let’s let the Governor know that we
await his resignation: https://governor.mo.gov/get-involved/contact-the-governors-office
8.
The NFL
Players Association Player Camp, a nationwide program which supports free
summer youth camps, is teaming up with Spread the Vote this summer to register
voters and get them voter IDs. Let’s learn more and see how to help:
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
Tax March: This tax-day weekend, one year after
marches were held across the country demanding that the president release his
tax returns (which we still have not seen) hundreds of events have been
scheduled across the country demanding that Republicans repeal the giveaway tax
law and fund human needs. We can find out more at http://taxmarch.org and find an event
near us here.
2.
“U.S. progressive groups are gearing up for
nationwide protests if President Donald Trump fires the special counsel
investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, or replaces the
Justice Department official overseeing the probe.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-protests/nationwide-protests-planned-if-trump-fires-mueller-or-rosenstein-idUSKBN1HI2G3 Here’s where we can sign up to join in should
that happen: https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search/
States
1.
ID: Lambda Legal scored an important victory last month when
a federal court ruled that Idaho was constitutionally required to provide
accurate birth certificates to transgender people that reflect their gender
identity. Let's read more at Lambda Legal. Let's continue to support and keep an
eye on transgender rights' issues.
2.
MI: Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline, which runs
through the Great Lakes, has long been a concern. From the lack of protective coating to a history
of Line 5 oil spills,
and now with dents discovered in the pipeline, it is well past time to
decommission Line 5 https://detne.ws/2qqzXFq Rather than waiting for even more
damage to be done, grassroots environmental group Oil
& Water Don't Mix is
hosting Line 5 retirement parties throughout the state to commemorate the
pipeline's 65th anniversary, and increase the public pressure on our government
officials. Let's check to see where the nearest party is, then join our fellow
Michiganders in putting an end to this threat to our Great Lakes https://bit.ly/2JEqIdB
3.
OK: The Oklahoma legislature continues to push for Anti-LGBTQ child welfare
bill SB1140. The OK House Judiciary Committee
voted to advance SB 1140 with an amendment to the full House of Representatives
for consideration--one step closer to the governor's desk and becoming law. “SB
1140, if passed, would allow state-licensed child-placing agencies to disregard
the best interest of children and turn away qualified Oklahomans seeking to
care for a child in need,” said Cathryn Oakley, Human Rights Campaign's (HRC's)
State Legislative Director and Senior Counsel. Let's read more at HRC. Let's contact our state house representatives to let them know we oppose this
discriminatory bill.
4.
TX: One part of Texas statute Section 45.103 of the Texas Family Code prohibits a person with a felony
conviction from changing their name (and gender marker) for for two years
after the completion of all terms of their sentence. Project 103 is an advocacy group that is working to
show that Section 45.103 of the Texas Family Code is unconstitutional and
to Expand access to affirming name and gender corrections in Texas. We can
read more at In Justice Today. The statute is being challenged in court.
Let's consider supporting trans pride: Project 103.
Reading/Watching
1.
"L.A. County wants to help build guest houses in backyards — for
homeless people." Let's read about this creative potential
solution to some homelessness. Could it work in our own communities?
2.
We’ve seen the damage that Bannon and Cambridge
Analytics did to the 2016 election by targeting specific fake news to Facebook
readers. It’s becoming increasingly clear that, in Information
War, “weapons” are social media posts, memes and content designed to
program just such political reactions. Now, in this section of Joohn
Choe’s “The Information War Handbook” we can find out exactly how the
process works and what it achieves: https://medium.com/@joohnchoe/the-resistance-information-warfare-handbook-part-v-3f1f3b4a51b8
3.
“We
Cannot Stand By While the National Park Service Attacks Climate Science” -
https://www.npca.org/articles/1805-we-cannot-stand-by-while-the-national-park-service-attacks-climate-science
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