11/5/20

 

With this edition, Rogan’s List ends.  We’ve done this ever since two day after the 2016 election.  We wanted to help people sort through the barrage of news and focus on some least-biased sources for information.  We wanted people to know that there were actions they could take to address what they were seeing. 

 

Please continue to be on the lookout for issues that concern you.  Do a bit of research on the topic making sure to stay within the upper green rectangle of this Media Bias Chart from AdFontes Media for the least biased sources: 

 

 

 

Then, if you are moved to contact MoCs, use these ways to do so:

 

Contact all Federal Members of Congress (includes contact info and links to social media) https://www.contactingcongress.org/   Fax legislators for free: Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php Senate:  https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php   Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/   Purchase stamps, postcards, and other mailing supplies:  https://store.usps.com/store/   White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

 

If you’d like to continue following activists for guidance, I unabashedly respect and recommend the following:

 Americans of Conscience Checklist:  https://americansofconscience.com/

Chop Wood Carry Water:  https://us16.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=0f8a9a917f9d55433678aefcb&id=ec5a9bd9d8

 Political Charge: https://politicalcharge.org/

 Small Deeds Done Weekly Pep Talk:  https://smalldeedsdone.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2c28f1469f6b98ae998f10866&id=25c1c96ac7

 And, if you are not already doing so, please follow Heather Cox Richardson’s nightly Letters from an American (https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/) for a historian’s take on what is happening in our country.  Always eye-opening!  You can also follow her on Facebook.

 I want to take this opportunity to thank our team members Jen Kingsbury, Melek Ortabasi, Kelly McCutcheon Adams, Robin Faraday, Jeri Zeder, Amy Lang, Kathleen Smith, Joe Katz, Clif Ng, Lou Rosenberg, Dina Friedman, and Martha Evans.   I truly could not have done this without them. 

 I also want to thank Deepak Puri, of Dem Labs, for his generosity hosting our email distribution   and for his “ongoing technology and creative innovation that serves campaigns and organizations at the national, state, and local levels.”  Sign up for his updates to see the good he does:  https://thedemlabs.org/

 Mostly, I want to thank you, our followers, for getting involved and making big differences throughout the country. Thank you if you’ve been with us since the beginning and thank you if you recently joined in.  What started out as #resistance evolved into regular civic engagement.  Let’s keep it going!

 That being said, there is chance that Rogan’s List might be revived in a slightly different way at some point.  For that purpose, I am saving subscriber email addresses to use only for that purpose.

 Gratefully,

Susan Rogan

 

 

 

 

 

 

11/3/20 

We are in a battle for the soul of this nation — and it’s a battle we can and must win. 

                                                                                                  – Joe Biden

 

 

If we have not already done so, 

this is the day to

 

  

VOTE!

Make sure to offer help to others so 

they can vote, too!

If we are turned away at the polls- our verbatim response is: “Give me a provisional ballot with a receipt as required by law.”  We can find more info here:  https://ballotpedia.org/State_by_State_Provisional_Ballot_Laws

  

If we see anything suspicious at our polling place, let’s make sure to fill out this form to document it:  https://seesay2020.com/

 

If we have any questions, concerns, or face intimidation about voting or while voting, we can call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) and speak with a live person.  More info and other languages here:  https://866ourvote.org

 

 

We need to remember, like many other things in 2020 that this election will be different from those we’ve seen in the past.  Due to the increased number of absentee/mail-in ballots, we will most likely not know the election results tonight.  Let’s let the system work and know that it may be days or even weeks until the votes are certified and we have the final result.  These may help us: 

 

A safe, sane way to navigate election night — and beyond - https://www.axios.com/election-night-how-to-watch-4731bd76-e0b8-4b4a-ba6f-324062e44de5.html

 

When To Expect Election Results In Every State - https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/election-results-timing/

 Organizing to Protect the Results of the 2020 Election - https://protecttheresults.com/

 

 And, let’s not ever forget this:  Wide Awake:  The past four years have birthed a progressive movement so extraordinary it just might survive the forces that threaten its extinction - https://www.thecut.com/2020/10/progressive-protest-movement-under-trump.html

 

 

 

 10/29/20

Talk is cheap, voting is free; take it to the polls. - Nanette L. Avery

NATIONAL ISSUES

 EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: As we wind down towards a handful of days until November 3rd and with uncertainty about what will follow, let's pause to take a moment to say thanks to those who have walked with us over the past four years: an organizer, a friend, a journalist, a politician, a neighbor. An email, a text, a postcard, a tweet - let's express some gratitude.  

Contact all Federal Members of Congress (includes contact info and links to social media) https://www.contactingcongress.org/   Fax legislators for free: Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php Senate:  https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php   Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/   Purchase stamps, postcards, and other mailing supplies:  https://store.usps.com/store/   White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

 COURT REFORM: With the support of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a large portion of the Senate, Trump has appointed three justices to the Supreme Court and over 200 federal judges in lower level courts (https://n.pr/3jBOrvV, https://bit.ly/2TKcgap). This will have a decades-long effect on our judiciary system in the U.S. and it serves as a reminder that our activism needs to take on all branches of government. For those of us who are unfamiliar with what activism looks like in the courts, let's read through the Center for American Progress's Structural Reforms to the Federal Judiciary. This is a long, but essential read to get us prepared for the work ahead. Then, let's check out Demand Justice's four key court reforms, and use their action tool to email our senators and tell them that we want to see legislative efforts to reform our courts.

 TORTURE IN ICE FACILITY:  Cameroonians in the Adams County Correctional Center, a CoreCivic concentration camp, are being tortured by ICE officers, forcing them to either sign or fingerprint deportation orders (https://bit.ly/2TKjaMR). These asylum seekers have escaped a country which tortures its own citizens and is so abusive that even the Trump administration cut trade benefits to the country. Let's contact our MoC and tell them that we expect them to take action to stop torture in these concentration camps, and let's demand that they take action to #AbolishIce and protect human rights for all immigrants being held in the U.S. 

 SHUT DOWN IRWIN COUNTY DETENTION CENTER AND STOP HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES: Last week, “The Squad” Reps. Pressley (D-MA); Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); Omar (D-MN) and Tlaib (D-MI) sent a letter to the UN Commission on Human Rights asking them to launch an independent investigation of the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Abuses at the Irwin County Detention Center, where immigrant women were being sterilized against their will. https://tlaib.house.gov/media/press-releases/tlaib-ocasio-cortez-omar-pressley-lead-call-international-investigation-0. The letter was signed by several other Congresspeople and a large list of legal and human rights advocacy organizations. Project South has put together a toolkit that frames this action as part of a larger campaign to shut down the Irwin County Detention Center as a first step toward abolishing ICE. Let’s check out this resource and also ask our MoCs to support a full investigation into the medical neglect & human right abuses, to shut down the Irwin County Detention Center, and release all immigrants detained there. 

 RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT CONDITIONS IN REFUGEE CAMP IN MATAMOROS AND END MPP (WAIT IN MEXICO) PROGRAM: Oh Mercy, a short documentary film scheduled to be released later this fall, depicts the deteriorating and desolate conditions of the refugee camp in Matamoros, Mexico, where months have morphed into years as asylum seekers wait to have their cases heard across the border in Texas. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, these families have no choice--if they go back to their countries (which is what our government wants them to do) they will be killed. https://www.valleycentral.com/news/oh-mercy-short-film-sheds-light-on-plight-of-migrants-at-matamoros-tent-encampment/. Let’s watch the three-minute trailer for this documentary, and then let’s send the link to the Biden campaign and to all our MoCs, asking Biden to make ending MPP a priority if he wins the election, and demanding that our MoCs do something immediately to end this cruel assault on immigrant justice.

CONTINUING POST OFFICE PROBLEMS: “Empty mailboxes, uncounted ballots, late medication, missed rent payments – those are among the real-world impacts of the struggles of the U.S. Postal Service.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/20/usps-complaints-mail-delivery-predate-furor-over-cost-cutting/5606887002/ We know that DeJoy and the Board of Governors are part of the problem and we have already reached out to them for assistance.  If we have, or know of, specific postal issues, let’s send a complaint to the USPS Office of Inspector General:  https://www.uspsoig.gov/form/file-online-complaint

 TRUMP CONTINUES ATTACK ON CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE:  Erik Noble, a former White House campaign data analyst and climate change skeptic, who was recently appointed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) chief of staff, removed Craig McLean from his post as NOAA's acting chief scientist:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/27/climate/trump-election-climate-noaa.html or  http://nasawatch.com/archives/2020/10/former-nasa-chi.html  A critic of Trump’s false reporting about Hurricane Dorian in the fall of 2019, McLean had had the audacity to ask the new Trump-appointed staff to endorse NOAA’s scientific integrity policy, according to which fabrication, falsification, and the political manipulation of research data is prohibited;  McLean was immediately replaced as chief scientist by Ryan Maue, a well-known climate change skeptic, who has challenged connections between climate change and extreme weather events, most recently the California wildfires: https://distincttoday.net/2020/10/28/trump-administration-fires-top-noaa-scientist/  Trump’s attacks on science will not end with the election, whatever its outcome.  We must continue to protest NOAA’s repudiation of climate change science: 828-271-4800 or 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Room 5128, Washington, DC 20230.

 OTHER

 30 DAYS OF THANKS:  In November, Americans of Conscience Checklist (AoCC) is doing 30 Days of Thanks to express gratitude and suggest donations to the numerous organizations we've been amplifying the last four years. We're doing this to focus our energy while we wait for election results to come in.  If we want to thank these groups, too, be sure to follow AoCC on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) to give them the recognition they deserve.  Let’s learn more and sign up:  https://americansofconscience.com/

 ELECTION/VOTING

 ELECTION - GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV)

 AT THIS LATE DATE, USE DROP BOXES OR VOTE IN PERSON:  For millions of voters who considered using the U.S. Postal Service to cast their ballot for the Nov. 3 election, it’s time to find a backup plan, election administration and postal experts say. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign internally switched its language to voters this week, encouraging them to submit ballots in person or at a secure drop box, according to campaign officials, rather than through the mail.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/10/27/usps-delays-election-day/ and https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/27/mail-in-ballot-voting-432913  If our plan was to mail our ballot and you haven’t yet, here’s the new plan: get your gear on and vote in person or drop your ballot in a secure drop off box. Mail delays make it too late to use the postal service for your ballot return. Get out and VOTE. 

 PHONE AND TEXT BANKING TO GET OUT THE VOTE: There’s just a week left before the election, and while poll numbers look good, we want to make sure the margin of victory is so big that there is no way Republicans can steal the election or claim voter fraud. Let’s check into GOTV opportunities with Swing Left, Indivisible, Togetherfor2020, ACLU’s People Power, Vote Save America,  Open Progress, People’s Action, Texas Democratic Party, and Back To Blue PA and make some last minute texts and phone calls. 

 DISABLED VOTERS:  We should all, disabled or not, memorize this number: 866-OUR-VOTE is the Election Protection hotline from the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, created explicitly to ensure all Americans, including the disabled, have an equal opportunity to vote.  During the 2016 election, 83% of polling places posed at least one impediment for voters with disabilities; hopefully, 2020 will be better.  But those of us with disabilities, or friends or family members with disabilities, would do well to check this guide from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2020/10/28/928607616/heading-to-the-polls-if-you-have-a-disability-heres-what-to-know

 WRONG BALLOTS SENT TO PA VOTERS. HELP THEM SEND IN RIGHT ONES: Almost 30,000 voters in Allegheny County, PA received the wrong ballots. The right ones are on the way, but these voters need to be told that new ones are coming and will have to be returned promptly. We can help out by signing up to call them here: https://urj.tfaforms.net/462  We will then receive a script and a list of voters to contact. Every vote counts, so let’s get busy!

 WEST WING GOTV SPECIAL NOW FREE: “With only one week left until Election Day, HBO Max is reminding everyone of the power of their vote by making A WEST WING SPECIAL TO BENEFIT WHEN WE ALL VOTE available for free viewing for non-HBO Max subscribers at https://www.hbomax.com/watch-free/west-wing-special The special is available to watch for free now until the end of the year.”  https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/HBO-Max-Offering-Free-Viewing-of-A-WEST-WING-SPECIAL-20201027  Let’s watch and share: https://www.hbomax.com/watch-free/west-wing-special

 IT’S JUST A STEP TO THE LEFT:  Musician/actor Jack Black and his band, Tenacious D got into the GOTV scene, too with Rock-y the Vote in support of voting blue. The effort enlists a number of other famous folks from the entertainment and political worlds. https://variety.com/2020/music/news/tenacious-d-time-warp-elizabeth-warren-mayor-pete-rocky-horror-vote-video-1234816507/  Let’s watch and share:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aZPJBjutY0

 ELECTION – SUPPORT CANDIDATES

 TWITTER STORM FOR BIDEN/HARRIS: On November 1, The Blue Wave Report is hosting a Twitter campaign to amplify #BidenHarris2020. We can Reply, Retweet, and Tweet the tweets below in your own words. Please use the hashtag #BidenHarris2020. The Twitter Storm begins at 8:00 p.m. EST. This is a collaborative effort that will help us to trend and campaign for the Biden-Harris ticket using social media. https://www.facebook.com/events/1075140529590401/ Here is a link to a tweet sheet with pre-designed tweets: https://tinyurl.com/y3apemjb  Let’s tweet! 

 ELECTION - REGISTERING VOTERS

 TOO LATE TO REGISTER?  If we, or someone we know, has not yet registered to vote, it might not be too late, depending where we live.  Let’s check here and register if it is not too late:  https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

 ELECTION - OTHER

 DOCUMENT THE POLL TAPES: Volunteers NEEDED! Choose whichever group suits you - they're all great! (Some have training, some have Apps, some ask for uploads.)  *This is a very important project - the photos taken are able to be used as evidence in Court should there be elections questions. (You know, like when Stacey Abrams & Jon Ossoff totally won their races, but the evidence was conveniently disappeared…) Let’s choose one:  

1)     PhotoFinish, a project from Protect Our Votes working with Jenny Cohn (@jennycohn1).   Volunteers can take action to detect potential hacking & voting equipment problems. Photographer volunteers take photos of precinct poll tapes & then screenshot to uploader. We can sign up here:  https://www.protectourvotes.com/photo-finish-volunteer-sign-up-form/  

2)   SeeSay2020 by DemLabs.  Volunteers can expose voter suppression, election interference, machine problems, intimidation, etc. by using cell phones to report.  Goal is a central ‘citizen owned' database to help ensure fair voting & vote counts. Here are real examples so far: https://thedemlabs.org/2020/10/20/dirty-tricks-abound-what-voter-suppression-looks-like-in-2020/   Let’s learn more here: http://seesay2020.com  

3)    Scrutineers and Reclaim Our Vote have another option for documenting poll tapes. We can sign up for next (Oct 23) training here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-quick-election-protection-action-nearly-everyone-can-and-must-do-tickets-125761212171  

4)    Count the Vote project from SMART Elections is working to protect and verify the election results.  Co-Sponsors include DemCastUSA and Democracy Counts who did an explanation video here: https://youtu.be/vsUi10giixo & a Free App! We can sign up for Wednesday trainings here: https://www.mobilize.us/smartelections/event/353962/   

5)   ValidateTheVoteUSA.org  is seeking volunteers in the 10 swing states and 4 senate states to photograph the poll tapes on the evening of Nov. 3, to make sure the vote count is accurate. So the election is not stolen.  We are targeting the 10 swing states: FL NC SC TX WI MI GA PA OH TN, and the 4 senate states: Montana Maine AZ CO.  They need volunteers in these states for just one hour after voting closes. It’s easy and there is a short training. We can sign up here:  https://validatethevoteusa.org/register-to-volunteer  

LAWYERS NEEDED:  “We The Action was founded on the fundamental premise that lawyers have the power to do good. None of us can change the world alone. But if each of us gives an hour here or there, we can do some pretty extraordinary things together.” https://wetheaction.org/our_vision We the Action is seeking lawyers who can get involved and protect the vote.  We can share this with our lawyer friends and, if we are a lawyer, we can sign up here:  https://wetheaction.org/2020  (h/t)

 PROTECT THE RESULTS:  What if Trump refuses to accept the results of the election?  Protect the Results is a large coalition of groups including Indivisible, Common Cause, Greenpeace, ProgressNow Colorado, MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, Women’s March, and many others, working to mobilize on Nov. 4 if necessary.  Let’s visit the Protect the Results campaign site and register to mobilize at https://protecttheresults.com/.

 BE PREPARED TO STOP A COUP: As Election Day approaches, it’s important to prepare for a scenario where Biden wins and Trump refuses to recognize the results of the election and continues with his enablers to grab power. Choosedemocracy.us has a number of important resources and tactics every one of us can take to stop a coup. These include signing a pledge, writing now to election officials in our town to make sure that they pledge to count every vote, and attending an action on November 4 to protect the results of the election. We can also sign up for a Zoom training, and/or read 10 things we need to know to stop a coup. Let’s check out these important resources and a make a plan to take action if Trump tries to hold onto power illegitimately. 

 DECIDE ON LAST MINITE DONATIONS WITH DECISION MATRIX TOOL: As Election Day draws near, last minute requests for funding increase. If we are having difficulty deciding where to donate, we can check out this online tool. Answering a few simple questions can help us give where it matters most to us: https://idlewords.com/panic_decision_matrix.htm   

STATE/LOCAL ISSUES

 VOTING RULES & DEADLINES:  All of the voting rules and deadlines for all states are listed in one convenient place, thanks to NPR’s special series “2020 Election: Secure Your Vote”:  https://www.npr.org/2020/09/14/909338758/map-mail-in-voting-rules-by-state  If we have any doubts ourselves or if we need to make sure others know the rules, we can easily check or forward this information.

 BALLOT TRACKING:  Most states have a way we can track our ballot to make sure it was accepted and will be counted.  Three states do not:  Mississippi, Missouri, and Wyoming. If we are in those states, we need to contact our local election office and inquire.  The rest of us can use this to check online:  https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-track-your-absentee-ballot-by-state   

 BALLOT CURING:  If we learn that our absentee ballot has not been accepted, if we live in one of 28 states, we have the opportunity to “cure” our ballot.  https://www.vice.com/en/article/3azxe8/help-voters-fix-rejected-ballot-curing-volunteer  Let’s make sure to follow up so, if needed, we can “cure” our ballot in time to count. 

 LOCAL & STATE ELECTIONS ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT: It is vitally important that we vote in every election, every year, not just every four years when the president is on the ballot. This is especially true as we face federal courts that are increasingly hostile to causes we hold dear. State and local elected and appointed officials will increasingly be the places we turn to as we work over the years for a federal judiciary that prioritizes democracy. Let’s never miss another election. Let’s sign up for election reminders at: https://turbovote.org  

RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS

 HOW TO BEAT AN ELECTION-RELATED POWER GRAB:  Choose Democracy is sponsoring a series of workshops with activist, sociologist George Lakey.  “There’s a chance that a desperate Trump will respond to a narrow victory by Biden by declaring the election fraudulent, urging his base to support his continued Presidency. This training will share the most important things to know and practice in order to be ready for that possibility.”  We can sign up here:  https://choosedemocracy.us/trainings/#.X5mrO4hKiyJ

 WHAT IF TRUMP LOSES AND REFUSES TO CONCEDE? Journalist Van Jones clearly lays out the problem, the procedures, and what we, the people, can do if Trump loses the election and refuses to concede. Let’s watch his TED talk, share it, and get involved with the organizations he mentions in his video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZWRhLW7Y8w  

READING/WATCHING/LISTENING

 The Plot to Kidnap Me - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/plot-kidnap-me/616866/

 Barrett’s Confirmation is NOT the End - https://politicalcharge.org/2020/10/27/barretts-confirmation-is-not-the-end/

 Voters' Guide To Election Security In The 2020 Presidential Campaign - https://www.npr.org/2020/10/27/927807674/voters-guide-to-election-security-in-the-2020-presidential-campaign

 Amy Coney Barrett’s Judicial Philosophy Doesn’t Hold Up to Scrutiny - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/10/originalism-barrett/616844/

$80 million dark money group tied to Trump Supreme Court advisor, Leonard Leo - https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/80-million-dark-money-group-tied-to-trump-supreme-court-advisor-leonard-leo/

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 We can stay up to date on Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes a weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday) as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule

 

 

 

 10/27/20

 There’s no such thing as a vote that doesn’t matter. ― Barack Obama

 NATIONAL ISSUES  

Contact all Federal Members of Congress (includes contact info and links to social media) https://www.contactingcongress.org/   Fax legislators for free: Reps:  https://faxzero.com/fax_congress.php Senate:  https://faxzero.com/fax_senate.php   Or use Resistbot:  https://resist.bot/   Purchase stamps, postcards, and other mailing supplies:  https://store.usps.com/store/   White House contact:  https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/white-house

 STOP TRUMP FROM GUTTING THE CIVIL SERVICE: We must remain alert not only to the “big” stories, like McConnell’s frantic effort to confirm Amy Coney Barrett, but also to the smaller but perhaps no less consequential ones; invoking “performance standards,” Trump claims it necessary to create “an exception to the competitive hiring rules and examinations for career positions in the Federal service of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character” and signed an Executive Order to that effect last week: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-creating-schedule-f-excepted-service/  The merit-based civil service system, in place since 1883, provided one of the few routes to upward mobility for many; the creation of new “Schedule F” employees allows the easy appointment of loyal political cronies (and the easy firing of the “disloyal”) and, importantly, shields political appointees from an incoming administration by protecting them from firing on the basis of political affiliation: https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/522339-trump-order-strips-workplace-protections-from-civil-servants and https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-federal-civil-service/2020/10/23/02fbf05c-1549-11eb-ba42-ec6a580836ed_story.html and https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump-executive-order-civil-service-biden-election-schedule-f-b1255692.html  Whatever the outcome of November’s election, Trump will remain in power until January and will, undoubtedly, do as much damage as he can; we must monitor what he does in this interregnum.  Let’s raise this issue with our MoCs and ask what they can do to stop this latest assault on our democracy. To protest this change in the civil service, let’s contact the Office of Personnel Management: 1-800-877-8339 or 1900 E St, NW, Washington DC 20415.

 USPS BOARD REJECTS REPORT ON DEJOY: Last week, at the behest of Congress, an inspector general at the United States Postal Service issued a report examining the effects of Trump loyalist and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s changes to the postal service; the report concluded that these changes had resulted in “significant negative service impacts across the country,”: https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/document-library-files/2020/20-292-R21.pdf  Undaunted, the USPS Board of Governors, composed of Trump appointees, rejected the report’s conclusions: https://billmoyers.com/story/scramble-at-the-white-house/  DeJoy has committed to halt these changes but only until after the election.  Looks like we need, once again, to contact the USPS Board of Governors and demand a permanent end to DeJoy’s effort to destroy the postal service: USPS Board of Governors Robert Duncan: mduncan@inezdepositbank.com; John Barger: barger.jm@gmail.com; Ron Bloom: ron.bloom@brookfield.com; Roman Martinez: roman@rmiv.com; Donald Moak: lee.moak@moakgroup.com; Wiliam Zollers: directoraccessmailbox@cigna.com

 CALL OUT MIKE PENCE FOR PUTTING THE NATION’S HEALTH AT RISK BY REFUSING TO OBSERVE CDC PROTOCOLS: “At least five people in Vice President Mike Pence's orbit have tested positive for coronavirus in recent days, including chief of staff Marc Short, close aide Zach Bauer and outside adviser Marty Obst, sources told CNN. There are concerns that more people within Pence's inner circle will test positive in the coming days, a source said. "They're scared," the source said of staffers in the vice president's office”  https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/10/24/politics/mac-short-coronavirus-positive-test/index.html  Pence, the head of the Covid team has at least 5 of his team sick yet he is still on the campaign trail.  They have done a terrible job of keeping themselves and us well. Let’s publicly call out Pence for putting his own political gain ahead of the nation’s health by commenting on his Twitter (@Mike_Pence) and Facebook pages.  Let’s also encourage all our friends to wear a mask, wash hands, social distance and VOTE THEM OUT. 

 DARK MONEY AND THE FEDERAL COURTS: In these videos, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) explains how dark money is influencing which judges get appointed to our federal courts and the Supreme Court, and also how they rule:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjcXVKg43qY and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5-Snk_thAs . This is corruption, pure and simple. In this law review article,  https://harvardjol.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2020/05/Sen.-Whitehouse_Dark-Money.pdf, Senator Whitehouse explains the problem further and offers legislative and policy remedies. Let’s share his article with our Senators, with the Chair of the Committee on Codes of Conduct for the federal courts, and with Chief Justice Roberts. Let’s tell them all that we expect impartial judges and basic fairness in our federal courts, including the Supreme Court, and we want them to implement Senator Whitehouse’s commonsense policies:  1) Supreme Court (Chief Justice Roberts): https://www.supremecourt.gov/contact/contactus.aspx, 2) our US Senators, and 3) Federal Courts: Chair, Committee on Codes of Conduct, c/o General Counsel, Administrative Office of the United States Court, Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, One Columbus Circle, NE, Washington, DC 20544

 MOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC: As COVID cases rise, stress among healthcare workers is rising as well. The Emotional PPE Project offers free mental health assistance to healthcare workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Experienced, licensed therapists are volunteering their time and expertise.  Let’s look into this for ourselves and others who may need it:  https://emotionalppe.org/

 FIGHT BACK AGAINST GOP COURT STACKING: As Amy Barrett’s confirmation is rushed through the Senate, cementing a conservative Supreme Court majority, Mc Connell boasts we “won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come”.  https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/gop-bets-democrats-won-t-expand-supreme-court-progressives-say-n1244721 We still have a chance to prove him wrong by restructuring our judicial systems and institutions to more fairly reflect the will of the people. In “Off-Balance: Five Strategies for a Judiciary that Supports Democracy”, Roosevelt Fellow Todd N. Tucker explores a menu of options for policymakers, including: 1) Adding justices to the bench through Court expansion; 2) Removing justices through impeachment; 3) Changing the jurisdiction of the Court; 4) Ignoring or overriding Court decisions; and 5) Rewriting the Constitution to allow term limits, elect justices, or eliminate judicial review. We can find the highlights of this judicial reform strategy here: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1320781530764136449.html and read the full report here: https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/off-balance-strategies-for-judiciary-that-supports-democracy/ then demand our MoCs make judicial reform a priority in the next session of Congress.

 TEXTILE CRAFTERS:  Tiny Pricks is a public art project created and curated by Diana Weymar. Contributors from around the world are stitching Donald Trump’s words into textiles, creating the material record of his presidency and of the movement against it. It is not too late for us to create a piece and take part:  https://www.tinypricksproject.com/participate/

 POSTCARDING OPPORTUNITIES:  From one of our own:  Here are this week's postcarding write-ups. Please use/share/distribute widely! Keep speaking out and holding those in power accountable—and make sure that you, and those around you who can, VOTE!  Let’s check this out:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ke2J18eH2_sJdY0bcJ0eMugtNfRxz0h93gmWlkMuQHc/edit?usp=sharing

 ELECTION/VOTING

 ELECTION - GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV)

 POSTCARDERS: LAST CALL! If we volunteer to write postcards to get out the vote, Wednesday is the last day we can mail them and hope for their arrival before Election Day. Let's count up our remaining postcards and stamps and request that number of addresses from  Postcards To Voters right now.

 CALL/TEXT VOTERS. We still have opportunities to reach voters via phone and text. We can check with our state and local campaigns to see if they need our help. Additionally we can check: a) Southern Poverty Law Center; and b) Sister District Project. Let's work together to reach as many voters as we can.

 MOBILIZE THE LATINO VOTE: "There are only nine days until Election Day, and we still need to mobilize millions of Latinx voters all across the country. With your help we’ve registered more than 560,000 voters this election cycle -- thank you!" To help Voto Latino reach their goal of mobilizing 3.7 million Latino voters, we can donate here: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/vl-millions

 NATIONAL VOTER ASSISTANCE HOTLINE IS SEEKING NON-ENGLISH-SPEAKING VOLUNTEERS:  If we, or someone we know, speaks fluent Apache, Arabic, Cantonese, Creole, French, Hindi, Hmong, Korean, Mandarin, Navajo, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese, the Biden campaign is asking for our help assisting voters.  We can sign up here:  https://go.joebiden.com/page/s/Voter-Protection-National-Hotline

 VOTER PROTECTION PHONE BANK:  The NC Dems Voter Protection Team is phone banking to make critical voter protection calls twice a day every day.  We can learn more and join them here:  https://www.mobilize.us/nc2020victory/event/314753/

 SWING LEFT PHONE BANKING:  Swing Left is still making calls and we can join them.  We can find more info here:  https://swingleft.org/p/phone-bank 

 PHONEBANKING WITH CHICAGO INDIVISIBLE:  Indivisible Chicago is offering one last "Phonebanking 101" class (Wednesday, October 28, 2020 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM CT) for folks who need to be walked through the WHOLE process. It's a step-by-step tutorial for the well-intentioned but introverted and/or not politically active. It will be followed by a working phone bank.  We can sign up here.  (h/t)

 TEXT WITH THE POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN:  The Poor People’s Campaign is hosting We Must Do M.O.R.E text bank training to learn how to text poor and low-income infrequent voters in key states where their vote can have the greatest impact.   Let’s click her to sign up:  https://vote.poorpeoplescampaign.org/#phone_bank

 RIDES FOR NAVAHO VOTERS:  Navajo voters in the southwest have been tragically underserved by our federal government. Many Navajo voters live 50 miles or more from their polling places. Vote America is organizing rides to the polls for Navajo voters. To do this, we need to raise $26,000 to pay for transportation, food & water.  Let’s help if we are able:  https://secure.actblue.com/donate/voteamerica-2020-twitterrezrideap10.25.20

 HELP BOOST LOW FLORIDA TURNOUT: Florida is a key state this election, but turnout in both Broward and Miami Dade counties is NOT where we need it to be. We can join with Swing Left Greater Boston to turn things around when we sign up for their two efforts 1) FL GOTV & BALLOT CHASE PHONE BANKS - We will call Dems who haven’t returned their ballots yet. We can check out this calendar for the most up-to-date English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole phone banks: https://swingleftboston.org/calendar/category/activity-type/phone-calls/month/?tribe-bar-search=Florida  and 2) FL BALLOT CURE - We can help Dem voters fix their rejected ballots and get their vote counted. Spanish and Haitian Creole-speaking volunteers are especially needed! We can sign up here: Mondays, 5-8 pm,  https://www.mobilize.us/swingleftboston/event/327645/, Tuesdays, 5-8 pm,  https://www.mobilize.us/swingleftboston/event/318422/, and Thursdays, 5-8 pm,  https://www.mobilize.us/swingleftboston/event/311083

 ELECTION – SUPPORT CANDIDATES

 POSTCARDS TO VOTERS: At press time, Postcards To Voters continues to write for great campaigns like Jaime Harrison for Senate in SC, Hillary Scholten for Congress in MI (Justin Amash' seat), and Abby Finkenauer for Congress in IA (postcardstovoters.org) Let's push as hard as we can in these last few days of being able to write and mail postcards for the November 3rd election. If our post office is out of pre-stamped postcards, we can cut cardstock into 4x6 cards and can use whatever postage we have that adds up to at least 35 cents per card.

 READY-MADE TWEETS FOR ALL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES:  Postcards for America have created ready-made Tweets & Facebook Posts to share for every single Democratic Candidate!  Each includes a Postcard w/ their photo, website link, Twitter & where to donate.  Let’s check this out and use it:  https://www.postcardsforamerica.com/all-dem-candidates-postcards-tweets--posts.html

 DEFEAT SUSAN COLLINS AND TRUMP BY GETTING OUT THE MAINE VOTE: As we look for the best places to put our final efforts, we can consider Maine. First, Sen. Susan Collins could have swayed the vote on two unqualified extremist Supreme Court Justices. It is time for her to go. Also, Maine may give Biden to Electoral College votes he needs to wins. We can check out Swing Left Boston for several ways we can help turn Maine Blue, and defeat Collins and Trump together: https://swingleftboston.org/calendar/category/super_state/maine-events/ and https://swingleftboston.org/calendar/online-middlesex-and-worcester-district-virtual-phone-bank-11/

 ELECTION - REGISTERING VOTERS

 VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES:  Voting guidelines vary by state. In many states the deadline to register to vote has passed, but not all.  Let’s check here to see if we can still register and help others register, too:  https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/

 ELECTION - OTHER

 ATTENTION OVERSEAS VOTERS: "If you voted in the 2020 General Election, Democrats Abroad would like to hear from you about your voting experience. Please participate in this quick survey as it will help us understand voting issues and trends we need to work on for you." We can fill out the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfi24-16JmPXL1nqBlX_-kAjyC7L4vV3oHTmgfOTaNSGLzzZA/viewform

 TAKE OR ANALYZE PHOTOS OF PRECINCT RESULTS TO PROTECT THE VOTE: With so much at stake in the next election, many of our votes need protection from hacking and interference with voting equipment. If we are looking for ways to help defend election integrity, we can check out the Protect Our Votes (POV) https://www.protectourvotes.com/ Photo Finish project, which will publish and compare election night precinct tallies with the final results. At the end of election days, precincts print their results on poll tapes and post them on doors or windows for all to see. To help preserve the integrity of these results, we can take their photos, then post them on POV website. If we don’t take photos, we can still help by comparing these pictures with the final counts. POV will publish this info and any significant differences on their Photo Finish Results page. This kind of transparency will help shine a bright light on possible tampering. We can sign up to photograph poll tapes or to compare them to the final results here, then share this information with our friends on social media: https://www.protectourvotes.com/photo-finish/

 LEARN TO SAFELY INTERVENE WHEN VOTERS ARE HARASSED AT THE POLLS: As Trump stirs up his followers to intimidate voters on Election Day, there is something we can do to help make sure that people can vote safely. Hollaback has resources to help us intervene safely and effectively when we witness harassment at the polls. We can check out their materials and then, if we choose, signup for their free online Bystander Intervention Training Workshop, to show us how to safely intervene when we see voter harassment at the polls. We’ll learn about voter rights, the 5 C’s of bystander intervention: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct, and staying safe while intervening. After that, we will get time to practice. If we cannot attend the workshop, we can learn more about these strategies.  We can learn more, find additional resources for voter protection, and sign up here:  https://www.ihollaback.org/bystander-intervention-to-stop-voter-harassment-at-the-polls

 STATE/LOCAL ISSUES

 FL:  PROBLEM BALLOTS: Florida is voting by mail for the first time due to COVID. It is being reported that Miami Dade County may have up to 23% of early ballots being REJECTED for missing signatures! Other counties are experiencing similar problems.  Let’s click here to check on our ballot and fix it if was rejected:  http://miamidadedems.org/cure

 NY:  NYC VOTER SUPPRESSION?:  The NY Times has published the latest appalling account of nepotism, patronage, and incompetence at the NYC Board of Elections, a last vestige of the City’s machine politics: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/26/nyregion/nyc-voting-election-board.html  In 2018, the Board "mistakenly" purged hundred of thousands of Brooklyn voters; in September, we saw the Board send out 100,000 unusable, inaccurate ballots, printed by an upstate graphics firm with a no-bid contract—and apparently, a no-oversight one as well: https://www.npr.org/2020/09/29/918382378/nyc-to-send-new-ballots-to-nearly-100-000-voters-after-printing-error  The Daily News points out that the  “Board of Elections is fighting nepotism with a memo,” which the Board apparently sees as a sufficient response:  https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/city-board-elections-fights-nepotism-note-workers-article-1.1974768?barcprox=true&cid=bitly  Those of us who live in NYC need to tell our City Councilors that we have had it with an inefficient and corrupt Board of Elections: https://council.nyc.gov/districts/

 RALLIES/GATHERINGS/TRAININGS/GROUP ACTIONS/TWEETSTORMS

 READING/WATCHING/LISTENING

 U.S. sees highest number of new COVID-19 cases in past two days - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-idUSKBN27A0JK

 Don't even think about intimidating voters. State laws and penalties - https://thedemlabs.org/2020/10/26/dont-even-think-about-intimidating-voters-laws-and-penalties-by-state/

 Fairytale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QGat1WxC14

 The Love - Black Eyed Peas and Jennifer Hudson - https://youtu.be/Jk7LPpY8pXM

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 We can stay up to date on Congress by checking out their schedules. a) The House publishes a weekly schedule at The Weekly Leader (published and dated Friday) as well as daily schedules at The Daily Leader. b) The Senate updates their schedule daily at the Senate Floor Schedule