7/26/18
Contact Federal Government Officials
********************************
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, a group of GOP representatives introduced articles of impeachment against
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who oversees the Mueller
investigation. http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/398902-gop-lawmakers-introduce-impeachment-resolution-against-rosenstein This could give way to Trump firing
Rosenstein, replacing him, and calling off the Muller investigation. Mueller has to be able to finish his
work. If Rosenstein or Mueller are
fired, we march. Let’s make sure we are
signed up here: https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search/
2.
As
criticism mounts on the administration’s dealings with Putin and tariff
policies, the president is resorting to Orwellian tactics, claiming “What you
are seeing and what you are reading is not what is happening.” https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-speaks-to-vfw-in-kansas-city-missouri-live-updates/. We need to keep our wits about us, keep
defending the free press, and keep speaking out to our MoCs, because what we
are seeing is exactly what is happening, and the administration is doing its
best to hide things it does not want us to see, such as switching the story to
the outrageous claim that Russia is now interfering to help Democrats. Let’s make sure to heed the advice of
reputed journalist Dan
Rather,
who stated, “I think most Americans can and will see through the propaganda.
Hopefully they will vote accordingly. And one thing is certain: a free and
independent press remains vital to the cause!” We can increase our subscription
support for reputable publications and share relevant stories about what
actually IS happening widely with our networks. And if we need to refresh
ourselves on how authoritarians gain power by deception, let’s consider
re-reading Orwell’s 1984 or watching Wag
the Dog.
3.
Today is
the second court-ordered reunification deadline, “The Trump administration has
told a federal judge that it has reunited more than 1,000 parents with their
children after the families were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border, but it
has lost track of hundreds more parents.” “The judge described the government's
failure to keep track of split families a "deeply troubling reality"
of a policy that separated people "without forethought."” https://www.npr.org/2018/07/24/632146079/government-unable-to-track-hundreds-of-parents-who-were-separated-from-their-chi
Clearly, this separation policy did not have a basis in humane
treatment. Where was the oversight, the accountability? We need to ask our MoCs what they can do
about this now and what they can legislate so that it never happens again.
4.
After a
court-ordered release of internal e-mails and documents from Secretary of
Commerce Wilbur Ross, it is clear that the motivation for including a
citizenship question on the 2020 census is racially-motivated, and originated
from Ross himself, Steve Bannon, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, not
the Justice Department (https://www.npr.org/2018/07/24/631537992/commerce-secretary-grew-impatient-over-census-citizenship-question-emails-reveal). The e-mails further show how the Commerce
Department and Justice Department worked together to push the Census Bureau to
include the question on citizenship. Let's contact these agencies and tell them
that we want to see this question removed from the 2020 Census. Secretary of
Commerce Wilbur Ross: email: WLRoss@doc.gov Mailing Address: U.S. Department of
Commerce 1401 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20230 Department of
Justice: Comment line: 202-353-1555 Mailing address: U.S. Department of
Justice 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20530-0001 Census
Bureau mailing address: U.S. Census Bureau 4600 Silver Hill Road
Washington, DC 20233. Let’s also let our
MoCs know how we feel, too.
5.
“Oil
drillers, miners, land developers and others will no longer be required to pay
the federal government to offset damage to wildlife and habitats on public
land, the Trump administration plans to announce Tuesday.” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-24/trump-to-stop-seeking-compensation-for-damage-to-public-lands We
know that not every company will take advantage of this, but our MoCs need to
know that protection and restitution are essential to our natural environment
and now apparently requires legislation to see that it is saved.
6.
While
Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Devin Nunes (R-CA) continues to do
everything he can to discredit the Russia investigation, Chair of the Senate
Intelligence Committee, Richard Burr (R-NC) stated that there were sound
reasons for judges to approve a FISA warrant on Carter Page, a Trump campaign
adviser who is alleged to be working for the Kremlin. https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/24/politics/richard-burr-devin-nunes-sound-reasons-for-judges-to-approve-fisa-warrant/index.html. Let’s thank Senator Burr (202-224-3154) for
doing his job to pursue the truth of the matter. And while we are on the phone,
we can express our concerns about the dangers of approving a Supreme Court
Justice who believes that Presidents should be immune from “civil suits, criminal prosecution and even
being interviewed as part of a criminal investigation.”
7.
The
resignation letter from former Congressman Elizabeth Holtzman (on Homeland
Security Advisory Council) to Department of Homeland Security Secretary
Kirstjen Nielsen has been circulating widely on social media due to how
powerfully Ms. Holtzman phrased her perspective. The letter is true and Ms.
Holtzman’s mailing address can be found on the letter: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/elizabeth-holtzman-homeland-security-letter/ Let’s send a note of gratitude as
she is surely hearing from the other side. Let’s also echo her words and renew
our call for Nielsen’s resignation: https://www.dhs.gov/contact-us
8.
Attorney
General Jeff Session joined in the chanting “lock her up” lunacy at a
conservative conference with high schoolers: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/24/jeff-sessions-lock-her-up-chant-trump-clinton This is beyond the pale for the
US Attorney General, whose role is to uphold the law without bias, to sink so
low and join in cries of punishment for political enemies. Let’s share our
thoughts with AG Sessions: https://www.justice.gov/contact-us
9.
Senators
Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) want a vote on a bill, S2785, called "DETER", that would impose
new sanctions if U.S. intelligence officials determine Russia meddled in U.S.
elections. The DETER Act would make sanctions more automatic and aim to punish
Russia’s finance, energy, defense and other sectors. Let's read more at Reuters. Let's tell our own senators that we want the DETER Act brought to
the Senate floor for a vote and that we support it. We can also tell
Senators Rubio and Graham that we support them on this.
10. From Chop
Wood/Carry Water:
[We] “want a Farm Bill that protects and strengthens SNAP, not one that guts
it. People's lives depend on food stamps, and SNAP is the nation's first line
of defense against hunger in America. I want the Senator to filibuster any
final version of the Farm Bill that cuts it.”
Most Americans are pro SNAP and do not want cuts: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-07-survey-two-thirds-americans-oppose-snap.html Let’s tell our MoCs to filibuster to keep
feeding kids and families.
Election 2018 –
General
An election guide
from Postcards
for America: In this Google doc (updated
regularly), each State shows ALL Democratic Candidates running for Congress,
Governor, Lt Gov, Attorney General, Secretary of State (if applicable) with
links to their websites and Twitter. Each has a link to a Twitter Thread, a
Shareable Facebook Post and a Document. For most States, there are also Info
& Links for Voter Registrations, Absentee Ballots, Early Voting & Voter
ID, Age Requirements and being a Poll Worker. Let’s check
this out and use and share it:
1.
Let's
watch out for voter purges! Nine states with a history of racial discrimination
are more aggressively removing registered voters from their rolls than other
states, according to a report released Friday by the nonpartisan
Brennan Center for Justice. We can read more at NBCNews. Let's check our own
voter-registration status at Headcount.org. Headcount redirects us to our states'
sites. Some sites, such as Florida's, give us an opportunity to sign up for
vote-by-mail. Let's do that if we have the option. Let's encourage our friends
and family to check their voter-registration status as well.
2.
From one
of our own: To voters concerned about
election security! Pls send the postcard linked here (changing the signature) or something
similar to our US senators demanding they investigate our voting machine
vendors' use of REMOTE ACCESS SOFTWARE & CELLULAR MODEMS! Sample message: Dear Senator, I’m concerned about the report
in Motherboard that voting machine vendor ES&S has
admitted that it “installed remote-access software on election management systems…” but won’t identify where it did this. I’m also alarmed that ES&S has upgraded
its DS200 scanners to include cellular modems.
Please investigate and subpoena ES&S and other vendors, like
Dominion, who are believed to have installed remote-access software. Thank you.
Election 2018 –
By State
1.
Upcoming
voting dates and deadlines:
|
July 28
|
Tennessee
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
July 30
|
Arizona
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
July 30
|
Florida
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
July 30
|
Arkansas
|
Early Voting begins
|
State Senate Dist 8
|
|
July 30
|
Hawaii
|
Early Voting begins
|
Primary
|
|
July 31
|
Kansas
|
Early Voting begins
|
Primary
|
|
August 1
|
Arizona
|
Early Voting begins
|
Primary
|
|
August 2
|
Oklahoma
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Runoffs
|
|
August 2
|
Tennessee
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 6
|
Wyoming
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary (postmark)
|
|
August 6
|
Alaska
|
Early Voting Begins
|
Primary
|
|
August 6
|
Kansas
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 6
|
Ohio
|
In person absentee voting ends
|
Special-12th congressional district
|
|
August 7
|
Kansas
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 7
|
Michigan
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 7
|
Missouri
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 7
|
Ohio
|
Election date
|
Special-12th congressional district
|
|
August 7
|
Washington
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
|
August 9
|
Connecticut
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 9
|
Hawaii
|
Early Voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 10
|
Wisconsin
|
In person absentee voting ends
|
Primary
|
|
August 10
|
Wisconsin
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 11
|
Delaware
|
Voter Registration Deadline
|
Primary
|
|
August 11
|
Hawaii
|
Election date
|
Primary
|
(source: by date:
https://goo.gl/gjFv2u by
state: https://goo.gl/7gTzvE)
2.
CA - Elections. A measure, CA
AB216,
that cleared the state Senate would require return ballot envelopes to have
prepaid postage. Currently, some counties pay for return postage while
others don’t. The state Assembly has already approved the plan but must
sign off on changes made in the Senate before the bill goes to Gov. Jerry
Brown. Let's read more at Orange County Register. Let's tell our state
Assembly members and Gov.
Brown that
we support AB216.
9.
NH- Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has signed a controversial
measure, NH HB1264, that will limit the number of college
students and military personnel who can vote in state elections. The bill will
require registered voters be permanent residents of New Hampshire, obtain a
state driver’s license within 60 days of voting and register their
vehicles in New Hampshire. This could cost hundreds of dollars for those
affected. The new law will take effect in 2019. Let's read more
at The Hill. Although this will not affect the 2018
elections, let's make sure New Hampshire-based college students and military
personnel that we know are aware of the upcoming changes and can start
preparing now.
Other Actions
1. From Sleeping Giants:
"We're looking for an immediate apology from VP Global Policy Monika
Bickert and a commitment from her to remove Infowars from Facebook ASAP. The
parents of Noah Pozner, Sandy Hook shooting victim have detailed their
experience with Alex Jones and his Infowars goons
in The Guardian today. It's harrowing. They've endured online, telephone, and
in-person harassment, abuse, and death threats. They have had to move several
times. They've had their home address doxxed and videos of their house posted
online. They are now in hiding. For its part, Facebook has been out
defending...Infowars. They have ignored Sandy Hook survivors and they
definitely haven't done anything to protect them. That changes today. Here's
Monika's email: Monika Bickert, VP Global Policy Management: m.bickert@fb.com"
We can find a sample e-mail here.
2. Trump’s
cruel zero tolerance policy immigration has and will indefinitely continue to
cause thousands of mothers, fathers, and children to be arrested and detained.
Making a bad situation worse, the US government is either unable or unwilling
to provide for basic needs of detainees - sufficient water, food, hygiene
products, blankets and warm clothes. There is hope for many of these detainees,
as Hope Frye, immigration and human rights attorney who has first-hand
experience with detainees, and Dona Kim Murphey, a physician who has worked
extensively with the immigrant community, have stepped up to set these needs.
Together, they have founded Project Lifeline, a human rights organization
formed to provide humanitarian aid to victims of this crisis. Project
Lifeline is declaring the crisis and taking first action to help where our
government has fallen short. On Tuesday,
August 21, Project Lifeline will hold an event. If we would like to help
out, here’s what we can do: A) Bear witness to the aid provided to
relieve the suffering by committing to join us on Facebook Live to watch on the
day of the event. More details to come.
B) Join us in person as a newly minted disaster relief volunteer in
convoys of trucks and cars filled with relief items. (If we would like to help
lead this relief effort, we can contact projectlifeline2018@gmail.com.)
C)
Donate supplies from our Amazon wishlist. More details to come. For more information, we can check out Project Lifeline’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/201578690513600/?ti=icl
3. Earlier
this week in Oakland, a white man attacked two black teenagers with a knife,
killing 18-year-old Nia Wilson and injuring her sister Latifah Wilson. http://abc7news.com/bart-stabbing-victim-recalls-horrific-attack-loss-of-sister/3811505/.
At a vigil the following day, two members of Proud Boys, a white supremacist
group, were detained for attempting to disrupt the crowd. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Two-Men-Detained-After-Dispute-During-March-Remembering-BART-Stabbing-Victim-489000881.html.
While police claim that the perpetrator’s motives are still unknown, prominent
members of the Black Lives Matter movement have expressed concern that the
story was not widely covered, black people would never disrupt a vigil mourning
a white person, the arrest of the murderer was conducted in a civil non-violent
matter (which not often the case when black people are arrested), and the chosen photograph
of the victim made it look like she was holding a gun
(which was actually a cellphone case.) https://www.facebook.com/shaunking/posts/1909639775741598.
The incident was not well covered, so let’s make sure to share Nia’s story
widely, and continue taking actions to fight white supremacy. We can also
contribute to a gofundme page
set up for her family.
4. Here’s
a little energy boost for the resistance with gratitude to #GrabYourWallet –
small actions do add up over time: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/24/ivanka-trump-company-shut-down-close-nordstrom-line-poor-performance and
here’s a great example of the difference that one person can make:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/25/swedish-student-plane-protest-stops-mans-deportation-afghanistan Let’s keep making the differences we can
make.
5. From
one of our own: this came from one of my
postcarders. I think it's an interesting idea--contacting our service providers
and asking that Fox News be removed from our lineups because we object to Fox
benefiting from our forced patronage. -- Just sent this to Tom Karinshak,
Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Comcast. Dear Tom:
I would very much appreciate it if you could remove Fox News from my
lineup. I am willing to pay to make that happen if necessary. I find the idea
that Fox may be benefiting from my custom offensive. Their brand of neofascism lite is providing
an echo chamber to our darkest angels and should have no place on Comcast.
Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to
attend/organize
1.
Let’s help Vangie Williams bring the Blue
Wave to the Virginia’s 1rst District. After a long career solving problems for
the government, including creating the TSA, Strategic Planner Vangie Williams
is stepping up to serve her country in Congress. If she wins her election, she will be the
first African American woman from Virginia elected to Congress. We can help
spread the word about Vangie’s campaign by joining this Action Together Network
twitter-storm, TODAY, Thursday, July 26 from 8-9pm Eastern Time. To join
in, we can click here for more information and access to prewritten tweets we
can send out with just a few clicks: https://www.facebook.com/events/2051027094942758/
2.
This coming weekend marks #100DaysOut from the
midterm elections in November, and Indivisible is commemorating it with a
weekend of action:
https://www.indivisible.org/blog/100daysout/ During the weekend, we'll be out canvassing,
phone banking, and registering voters. Let's find an event nearby (filter by selecting "2018
Elections"), or if there isn't one yet, create one and let's get to work!
3.
“As the Trump Administration drags its heels on
reuniting thousands of separated children with their parents, it's time we once
again take action and demand a solution to this crisis and dignity for all
immigrants. On July 28, we're stepping up to say Families Belong
Together: We Demand Justice!” Let’s
find an event to attend or create our own:
https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/families-belong-together-we-demand-justice
4.
The immigrant-led activist group Cosecha is calling for us to take the next step, with
a national day of action to end cooperation with ICE on July 31st,
demanding cities, counties, companies and all institutions stop working with
them. Let's get involved. We can learn more here: http://www.lahuelga.com/abolishice#copy-of-call-to-action and we can check out the #WeWillNotBeComplicit
Action Guide at this link.
5.
On August 4, March for Our Lives, Road To
Change, and National Organization for Change are marching on the NRA. The main march will be in Fairfax, VA at NRA
headquarters. We can find more
information here: https://www.marchonnra.org/ and we can find an even here: https://www.marchonnra.org/findmymarch If none are
near us, we can register an event here: https://www.marchonnra.org/regevent
States
1.
MANY: Maine voters approved a Medicaid expansion
referendum by 59% in 2017, it was the first time voters anywhere got to decide
this issue; ignoring this binding vote, outgoing Gov. Paul LePage has refused
to expand the program, blasting it as a needless, budget-busting form of welfare.
The Republican running to succeed him promises to follow suit: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/04/23/maine-governor-defies-medicaid-ballot-initiative-547474 or https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/health/maine-medicaid-expansion-lepage.html As
health care advocates work to follow Maine’s example and get Medicaid expansion
on the ballot, expansion is emerging as an issue in gubernatorial and
congressional races in FL, GA, KS as well as other red states. Let’s
support these local ballot efforts and let LePage know what we think of his
illegal obstructionism: email at:
https://www.maine.gov/governor/lepage/contact/email.html or Office of
the Governor, #1 State House Station, Augusta, ME, 04333-0001 or 207-287-3531.
2.
MI: “Emails have
emerged in a federal lawsuit that suggest Republicans gerrymandered
congressional districts in Michigan in 2011 to maintain an advantage over
Democrats, despite years of claims the lines are drawn without political bias.” https://www.bridgemi.com/public-sector/emails-suggest-republicans-gerrymandered-michigan-weaken-dem-garbage Let’s keep out eye on this League of Women of
Michigan federal court case.
Reading/Watching
1.
With school starting up again soon, let’s
revisit ”Here's How To Prevent The Next School Shooting, Experts Say” - https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/03/07/590877717/experts-say-here-s-how-to-prevent-the-next-school-shooting
2.
A Sociologist Examines the “White Fragility”
That Prevents White Americans from Confronting Racism - https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/a-sociologist-examines-the-white-fragility-that-prevents-white-americans-from-confronting-racism
3.
Nathan Heller may be wrong, but his article,
which among other things, reviews the recent books on protest history in the
US, is worth our reading:
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