Rogan's List

11/14/18 

Contact Federal Government Officials

Find elected officials: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Fax legislators for free: 

Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php

Senate:  https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php 

Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/

Or use StampsLicked to have messages hand-delivered to our own legislators:  https://stampslicked.org/

White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

 

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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.    Wildfires have been raging in California for several days, and yet it took the president until today to declare a national emergency and send in disaster aid. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/california-fires-camp-woolsey-containment-evacuations-death-toll-2018-11-13-live-updates/. Previously, he stated that poor forest management was to blame and that he would not provide federal aid, a remark that was slammed by firefighters who are doing their best to address this catastrophe that has already resulted in the loss of 44 lives. Let’s ask the White House and our MoCs to increase disaster aid by as much as necessary, perhaps by sending the 15,000 troops currently on the U.S-Mexico border, to California, where they are much more needed to truly protect Americans’ safety and security.

2.   This Veteran’s Day weekend, the president claimed there was no need to count votes that were mailed in by active duty service members. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/11/12/trump-is-telling-florida-ignore-military-ballots-happy-veterans-day/?utm_term=.9a2abc965c58. Let’s ask our MoCs to publicly call out the president for dishonoring veterans and trying to subvert our democracy by spreading lies about non-existent voter fraud and publicly calling for mail-in ballots not to be counted.

3.   In yet another show of disrespect for our military, for months, veterans have not been receiving GI benefit payments because of tech glitches. It’s so bad that some are facing homelessness.  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/veterans-haven-t-receive-gi-bill-benefits-months-due-ongoing-n934696 Let’s tell our MoCs to fix this now.

4.   Just before he left, departing attorney-general Jeff Sessions adopted a policy to limit the Justice Department’s (DOJ) ability to oversee abusive police departments. That same policy could also hamper the department’s role in environmental, voting-rights, and other cases. A former official said. “This memo is just a clear signal to the whole world that these DOJ lawyers have no power, and they won’t be allowed to do anything meaningful." Let's read more at ProPublica. Let's contact the DOJ to ask that they rescind Session's policy memo.

5.   We got our blue wave on Nov. 6, but Trumpsters got harder, meaner, and more fanatical. The federal government, like our country, just got more divided, so gridlock is all but inevitable.   http://time.com/5448815/midterms-2018/  Let’s make sure our senators and reps know that what we want most from them is to 1) block the GOP's unethical legislative agenda, and 2) uncover the truth about the dirty dealings of Trump and his party. Introducing our own bills will be important for defining our progressive identity and showing the nation what we WILL do when we get the chance, but now is not the time to compromise anything in exchange for empty promises of bipartisanship

6.   The “Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace” was signed this week by 51 countries, over 130 companies, and 90 universities and nongovernmental groups; like the Geneva Convention, which prohibits attacks on civilians, the Paris call would prohibit “indiscriminate or systemic harm to individuals and critical infrastructure,” such as shutting down an electric grid.  To no one’s surprise given Trump’s insistence on “nationalism” and consistent rejection of international agreements, the U.S. joined Russia and China in refusing to sign this non-binding international call: https://www.axios.com/cybersecurity-paris-call-for-trust-france-21e434df-8a59-48bc-8cde-cd1c1f43dfd0.html or https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2018/11/12/us-russia-china-refuse-back-french-cybersecurity-initiative/  However vague its wording and difficult its enforcement, any effort to restrain cyberattacks on civilians and digital meddling in elections is one we should join.  Let’s tell Trump!

7.   Perhaps Trump (@realDonaldTrump) and his minions who continue to insist that armed guards will protect schools, temples, and clubs (like the one in Thousand Oaks, CA, where a deputy sheriff died confronting the gunman) from mass shooters should receive many tweets of this opening line from Thursday’s NY Times: “A black security guard at a bar in the Chicago suburbs was killed by the police as he apparently tried to detain a man he believed to be involved in a shooting, the authorities said Monday”: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/us/police-officer-shoots-security-guard-chicago.html or https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/11/12/black-security-guard-shot-police-suburban-chicago/1985148002/ 

8.  Noting that they will needlessly miss Thanksgiving with their families, ““Deploying troops to our own border for no national security reason is one of the biggest scandals of this Presidency,” Schatz [D-HI] said in a tweet on Sunday, referring to the deployment being carried out in anticipation of the arrival of several caravans of Central American migrants heading toward the U.S. border.”  https://www.newsweek.com/let-them-go-home-trump-forcing-border-troops-miss-thanksgiving-scandal-1211221  This is an unnecessary show of force.  This is not where our troops are needed.  Let’s tell Trump and our MoCs that not only do these soldiers need to be sent back, but we feel it is a waste of our money to use them in this way.

Election/Voting

1.    In Georgia, Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams is continuing to make sure that every vote is counted in the gubernatorial election:  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/us/georgia-governor-election.html, https://staceyabrams.com/count-every-vote/ A federal judge has ordered all provisional ballots be counted. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/13/georgia-governor-federal-judge-provisional-ballots-brian-kemp-stacey-abrams/1986415002/  Because of the numerous legal issues that voters faced while trying to vote, and the legal cases that are proceeding from the handling of the election, the Abrams campaign is asking for lawyers to offer their assistance. For the lawyers among us, we can add our name and experience here, and the campaign will contact us if/when needed.

2.   Florida Democrats are looking for 15,000 people to help with the election recount. Let’s see if we are able to help and sign up here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhf_MAIIMw-dWdV_DhUxz5qAN3TGuec1E19AVSFDXW4hRiCQ/viewform

3.   We all thought the midterms are over. But they’re not! “We have two confirmed races from the midterms that are going to a runoff election and they are both really important.”  A)  The Mississippi Senate runoff: November 27, and B) Georgia Secretary of State runoff: December 4.  Political Charge has rounded up all the info we need to volunteer/donate locally or remotely for both campaigns, here:  https://politicalcharge.org/2018/11/11/the-midterms-continue-2-critical-runoff-races/  Let’s make these positions go blue!

4.   A video of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., who faces a runoff on Nov.27 against African-American Democrat Mike Espy, joking about attending "a public hanging" went viral Sunday as she insisted there was nothing negative about her remark. Let's read more at NBCNews. If we have not yet written 5 postcards to get-out-the-vote for Mike Espy, or if we're looking for a reason to write 5 more, now is a good time. Let's check out Postcards To Voters' Campaign 137: Mike Espy for US Senate. We can also contact Sen. Hyde-Smith with our feedback.

Other Actions

1.    The American Civil Liberties Union wants to know what we'd like from our new Congress! "There's a lot our 116th Congress will have on its plate. To keep up the fight for civil rights and liberties, we'll need your help. Tell us what you envision for our new Congress." Fill out their questionnaire, here; there's also room for narrative comments. It's good to think positive. https://action.aclu.org/webform/tell-us-what-you-want-our-new-congress

2.   Since March of 2017, our friends at Postcards to Voters have continued to grow, enabling grassroots activists across the country to participate in democracy by writing postcards to their fellow voters. With this growth comes added costs to keep the organization running. For those of us with the means, let's consider sending a gift of financial support to Postcards to Voters. We can find more details on the different ways we can donate here. 

3.   A position paper from the American College of Physicians titled “Reducing Firearm Injuries and Deaths in the United States” was posted in late October by the Annals of Internal Medicine; it recommended  “a public health approach to firearms-related violence” and the “appropriate regulation of the purchase of legal firearms”: 

      http://annals.org/aim/fullarticle/2709820/reducing-firearm-injuries-deaths-united-states-position-paper-from-american  The NRA was apoplectic, first publishing an editorial--https://www.nraila.org/articles/20181102/surprise-physician-group-rehashes-same-tired-gun-control-policies –and then tweeting that “anti-gun” doctors should “stay in their lane”--https://twitter.com/NRA/status/1060256567914909702  Physicians, especially those who treat trauma, have responded with outrage--https://www.npr.org/2018/11/11/666762890/after-nra-mocks-doctors-physicians-reply-this-is-our-lane.  We should too: NRA, 800-672-3888 or 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030.

4.   Convenience store company 7-Eleven has been battling its store owners for years but now it seems to have found a new tool: U.S. immigration authorities (ICE). We can read more at Bloomberg. We can contact 7-Eleven to express our objections over their actions.

5.   “Multiple people, including Democratic state Sen. Nikema Williams, were arrested Tuesday during a protest at Georgia's Capitol building in Atlanta, where chants of "count every vote" broke out among demonstrators, law enforcement said.”  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/protesters-demanding-count-every-vote-arrested-georgia-governor-s-race-n935871   The importance of all votes being counted should not be an issue, but in Georgia right now it is.  The group Southerners on New Ground, is seeking bail for these protests and could use our help:  https://database.southernersonnewground.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=16

6.   California’s teacher pension fund is pulling its investments out of two private prison companies that have contracts to house immigrants detained at the Mexican border. The retirement board’s 6-5 vote Wednesday to divest from the companies followed intense activism from teachers and left-leaning organizations that wanted the $229 billion pension fund to dissociate itself from private prisons.  https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article221440730.html  If we are teachers, or know any, let’s get the word out that teachers all across the country should be asking their own pension fund managers if they are invested in private’s prisons profiting from the incarceration of immigrates to pull those investments immediately.  Investments choices can wield power for good decisions. 

7.   No doubt family and friend gatherings will be happening again soon as the holidays approach.  Let’s take some time to work on these 14 skills designed to help us through social and political situations:  http://coffeepartyusa.com/2018/11/13/fourteen-skills-to-survive-holiday-seasons-social-and-political-interactions/  Then, let’s remember to carry them into the new year, too.

8.   Being able to discern a fact from an opinion is very beneficial to all of us.  Let’s take this short quiz on telling the difference, then see how we stack up to others on this skill:  http://www.pewresearch.org/quiz/news-statements-quiz/

9.   After the stress and strain of the elections, it’s time for some rest, renewal and recharging.  A)  To start off, we can check out the Facebook group Revolutionary Self Care to find ways to “build sustainable wellbeing practices including physical self-care, [including] building routines, integrating more creativity and play into our days, mindfulness, meaningful connections, gratitude, setting boundaries and much more.” Each day will feature a focus/ challenge and then give us some resources to meet it:  https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionarySelfCare/,  B) We can also explore two seasons of the Self Care Sundays Podcast, founded in 2017 by Aditi Juneja, who states,” we firmly believe self-care is a political act, especially for people of color. We do not believe self-care is a selfish act or a luxury. In fact, we believe it is a necessary part of a healthy, daily routine to navigate competing obligations.” Aditi talks about ways to establish self-care, also interviewing a variety of speakers from underrepresented groups for more ideas and insights:   https://www.selfcaresundayspodcast.com , and C) The SwellCenter, also on Facebook, is a virtual wellness center for change agents with helpful resources and a community of care. We can check it out for ideas and actions. The Center is also looking to grow, so if we are healers, wellness practitioners, life coaches or other such professionals, we are invited to a zoom meeting to collaborate and cross-pollinate. We can send Emily Gonzalez Escalante our email address to connect.  She can be reached at emily@swellcollective.org 

State Actions

Marches/events/webinars/Tweetstorms to attend/organize

1.    While lauding new pro-science representatives elected and initiatives passed on Tuesday, the Union of Concerned Scientists is already planning its next move, a telephone briefing tomorrow, Thursday, November 15 from 7:00–8:00 p.m. ET/4:00–5:00 p.m. PT to propose ways we can defend science and advance science-based safeguards that protect our health, safety, and environment.  To register, go to:  https://secure.ucsusa.org/onlineactions/zP2gqsOXT0CL91pw1J_5dw2 

2.   January 19, 2019 is the date of the third Women’s March with the main event to be held in Washington, D.C. with sister marches all over the country.  Let’s find more information here:  https://www.womensmarch.com/2019

Reading/Watching

1.    Last week. the US elected nine new scientists to Congress, including an ocean expert, a nurse, and a biochemist. We can read about each of them at Business Insider. Let's make a note of who these legislators are, especially if they represent our own districts. We can reach out to these legislators as science and environmental bills make their way through Congress.

2.   “I See Him as a Modern-Day Pablo Escobar”:  Inside Bill Browder’s War Against Putin - https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/11/bill-browder-war-against-putin

3.   In Michigan, the Best Candidates Just Happened to Be Women - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/opinion/election-michigan-women-stabenow-whitmer.html