Fight Fake News! Stay Informed
Friday, February 24th
(Adapted from Jen Hofmann's Action Checklist for Americans of Conscience)
Action for Today:
You only think you won’t get taken by fake news. Here’s how to recognize it and combat it:
- Read "Why Students Can't Google Their Way To The Truth" from Education Week
- Read "Fighting Fake News: How Libraries Can Lead The Way On Media Literacy" from American Libraries Magazine, published by The American Library Association.
And have a look at this great infographic from the Harvard Library's Research Guides:
Source: http://guides.library.harvard.edu/fake
Demand Sessions recusal on #TrumpRussia / #FlynnGhazi
Thursday, February 23
(Adapted from The Loyal Opposition's Daily Call To Action)
Support Senator Chuck Schumer's call for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any investigations into Michael Flynn or the President & his campaign team’s interactions with Russia. This is clearly a case where recusal is appropriate, so much so that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for AG Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation related to the broader Russia investigation.
Despite Flynn’s initial denial to the FBI that he discussed sanctions with the Russian ambassador, the DOJ and FBI do not plan to indict Flynn on the premise that, when pressed in his FBI interview, Flynn said he could not remember for certain. Given the flimsy pretext for the FBI not pursuing the matter, there is significant concern that the decision to not prosecute was based on Attorney General Sessions’ long involvement with Flynn, Trump and the campaign. Furthermore, DOJ guidelines mandate that the AG recuse himself from an investigation or prosecution if he has a political relationship with any person involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or who would be directly affected by the outcome.
Action You Can Take Today:
Call Senator Schumer and thank him for calling for Sessions to recuse himself.
Call Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Maloney, and ask that they publicly call for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself from any investigations into Michael Flynn or the President and his campaign team's interactions with Russia. If either has already made a public call, please make sure to thank them.
*If you don’t already have their numbers in your phone, you can get them by entering your zip code in the Congressional Contact Info tool on the Loyal Opposition's website.
Subscribe to a political podcast and stay informed
Friday, February 17
Subscribe to a good political podcast to hear interviews and commentary on a wide variety of subjects and become more knowledgeable.
Some suggestions:
The Majority Report with Sam Seder - Sam can be enjoyable and funny too!
Our American States from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Current episode: The Security of American Elections.
Indivisible from WNYC and Minnesota Public Radio. National broadcast about 45's first 100 days in office.
Nerdcast from Politico. Self-described as geeking-out on 45 and the new politics of Washington.
Poliical Gabfest from Slate. Stephen Colbert says "Everybody should listen to the Slate Political Gabfest."
More great options at podbay.fm
Support Real News and Real Journalism
Thursday, February 16
(Adapted from Daily Acts of Resistance and emails by Bill Moyers)
We truly need an independent press right now.
Action You Can Take Today: Please consider subscribing to print and online news, and donating to organizations that support independent journalism.
Here are a few active subscription options, you could pick one, two, three or more, or you can always find others you prefer.
- The Washington Post, which played a big role in uncovering information leading to Michael Flynn's resignation.
- The New York Times, which is continuing to vigorously investigate 45's ties to Russia.
- The Guardian, which is always ahead of the rest with breaking news.
- The New Yorker, making us laugh every day thanks to the fearless Andy Borowitz.
Also consider donating to non-profit organizations that support real news:
- ProPublica — Founded 10 years ago by a former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, ProPublica is a nonprofit investigative news site based in New York City. In 2010 ProPublica was the first online publication to win a Pulitzer Prize and has earned two more since, as well as a long list of other prestigious awards.
- The Center for Public Integrity (CPI) — An early player in the nonprofit investigative space, CPI has been around for close to 30 years. Its reporters have won dozens of journalism awards, including a Pulitzer in 2014, for its investigations of money in politics, national security, health care reform, business and the environment.
- The Center For Investigative Reporting (CIR) — Founded 40 years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area, CIR is a nonprofit that has partnered for years with other outlets to reach a wide audience in print, on television, on radio and online. It collaborates with PRX Radio to produce Reveal, the investigative radio program and podcast. The Reveal website is now home to all of CIRs investigative content.
- Frontline — Launched more than 30 years ago, Frontline is television’s most consistent and respected investigative documentary program. Its documentaries are broadcast on PBS and are available online, along with original reporting.
- Mother Jones — Mother Jones, founded in 1976, is a reader-supported, nonprofit news organization headquartered in San Francisco with bureaus in Washington, DC and New York City. The site includes investigative reporting as well as general reporting on topics including politics, climate change and education.
- Real Clear Investigations — Real Clear Investigations, which launched last fall, is the new nonprofit, investigative arm of Real Clear Politics. It is mostly an aggregator of investigative reporting, but has also begun conducting original investigations.
- The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) — ICIJ is a nonprofit offshoot of the Center for Public Integrity that began 20 years ago. It is a global network of more than 190 investigative journalists in more than 65 countries who work together to investigate cross-border issues including crime, corruption and abuse of power.
- Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) — IRE is a grass-roots, nonprofit, membership organization that has been providing tips, training and conferences for investigative reporters since 1975. Its blog, Extra! Extra! showcases a wide variety of watchdog journalism.
Attend the Rules Committee Meeting of the Putnam Co Legislature
Wednesday, February 15 at 6:30 pm
Attend the February Meeting of the Rules Committee
of the Putnam County Legislature
Meeting is in Room 318 of the Putnam County Office Building, located at the intersection of Routes 301 and 6, in Carmel, NY
Agenda:

TweetSheetTuesdays: I Can See Russian Interference From My Porch
Tuesday, February 14
(Adapted from TweetSheetTuesdays and Daily Acts of Resistance)
Keep the pressure on Congress to investigate 45’s ties to Russia:
The overnight resignation of National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, highlighting his private discussion of U.S. sanctions against Russia with that country’s ambassador in the month before 45 took office, shows how important it is to continue to investigate 45’s ties to Russia.
US investigators have now corroborated some of the communications detailed in a dossier containing allegations that Russian operatives have compromising personal and financial information about 45.
Action you can take today
-
Tweet members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and tell them to investigate.
-
Thank NY Rep. Jerry Nadler for pushing for an investigation of Trump's conflicts of interest and ties to Russia.
- You can call him at: (202) 225-5635, (212) 367-7350, (718) 373-3198
Here's your script:
"Hi, my name is NAME and I'm calling from TOWN/CITY/STATE. I don't need a response, I just wanted to tell Rep. Nadler how grateful I am for the leadership he's showing in calling for an investigation into President Trump's conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia. Thank you so much."
- You can tweet him at https://twitter.com/RepJerryNadler
Sample tweet (via Eve Fox of Daily Acts of Resistance):
Thank you @RepJerryNadler for your leadership on this. Trump's conflicts threaten national security - there must be a thorough investigation https://t.co/SmdKVDMllO — Eve Fox (@evefox) February 10, 2017
- You can call him at: (202) 225-5635, (212) 367-7350, (718) 373-3198
-
Urge Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the chair of the House Judiciary committee to launch an investigation per Nadler's request.
- You can call him at: (202) 225-5431, (540) 432-2391, (434) 845-8306, (540) 857-2672, (540) 885-3861
Here's your script:
"Hi, my name is NAME and I'm calling to urge Rep. Goodlate committee to launch an investigation into President Trump's unprecedented conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia without further delay. This is not a partisan issue, it's a matter of dire national security that requires immediate attention. Thank you for taking the time to pass along my comments."
They'll probably ask where you're calling from - you can just say you're not a constituent but are calling with regards to the Representative's role as Chairman of the Judiciary committee.
- You can tweet him at https://twitter.com/repgoodlatte
Sample tweet (via Eve Fox of Daily Acts of Resistance):
@RepGoodlatte you MUST launch a full investigation into Trump's conflicts of interest & ties to Russia. It's a matter of national security. — Eve Fox (@evefox) February 10, 2017
- You can call him at: (202) 225-5431, (540) 432-2391, (434) 845-8306, (540) 857-2672, (540) 885-3861
-
Contact the House Judiciary Committee to urge the same.
- You can call them at: (202) 225-3951
Here's your script:
"Hi, my name is NAME and I'm calling from TOWN/CITY/STATE to urge the committee to launch an investigation into President Trump's unprecedented conflicts of interest and his ties to Russia without further delay. This is not a partisan issue, it's a matter of dire national security that requires immediate attention. I am very grateful to Rep. Nadler for his leadership on this topic and urge the committee to act ASAP. Thank you for taking the time to pass along my comments."
- You can tweet them at https://twitter.com/HouseJudiciary
(via Eve Fox of Daily Acts of Resistance):
@HouseJudiciary why aren't you investigating Trump's conflicts of interest & his ties to Russia? Please do so immediately. @RepJerryNadler — Eve Fox (@evefox) February 10, 2017
- You can call them at: (202) 225-3951
Tell the NYS DOT: No Oil Trains On The Hudson
Sunday, February 12

U.S. Department of Transportation is asking for feedback on proposed restrictions on trains that carry crude oil along its shore. Public comment period is open now and will continue through February 28th. Read about it in the Highlands Current.
The docket number for the proposed rulemaking is PHMSA-2016-0077, and the petition will be available at regulations.gov.
Trains are not the only delivery methods for crude which affect the Hudson Valley. Pipelines and oil barges also at issue. For an in-depth look, read David Heron's chapter on this topic, Transporting Oil to Refineries, from his ebook The Fossil Fuel Story.
(Thumbnail image credit: Wikipedia)
Take a Stand on the Dakota Access Pipeline
Saturday February 11
(Adapted from freepress.net #NoDAPL)
On Tuesday, the President said that he didn't think people cared much about the Dakota Access Pipeline, and that he "hadn't received one call about it".
Since we’re not sure the White House switchboard is back up and running but we are sure he checks Twitter all day, click here to tell Trump that the Dakota Access Pipeline isn’t just controversial: It’s unacceptable.
If you want to join a rally, they are going on all over the country, every day - find one on the #NoDAPL Action Hub.
Learn About Our Voting Rights
Thursday, February 9th
On this snowy day, take the opportunity to increase your knowledge of the importance of voting rights.
- Read Ari Berman's "Give Us The Ballot: The Modern Struggle For Voting Rights In America" (review here)
- Then try Michael Waldman's "The Fight To Vote" (review here).
- Join former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander's Let America Vote campaign, a newly launched national effort to address voter suppression.
- Read Governor Cuomo's proposal to modernize voting in New York.
- Congress is considering H.R. 634, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Termination Act, which would eliminate the EAC — the only federal agency charged with improving voting systems and helping states with other critical functions of election administration. Learn more about the EAC.
If we lose the ability to vote and have our votes counted accurately, we lose our ability to preserve our democracy.
Support Elizabeth Warren's History Lesson on Jeff Sessions
Wednesday, February 8
Support Senator Elizabeth Warren's History Lesson on Jeff Sessions
On Tuesday night, Senator Warren announced via Twitter that Senate Democrats would be speaking through the night in opposition to Senator Jeff Sessions' nomination for Attorney General.
As reported in The Washington Post, Senator Warren attempted to read this letter from Coretta Scott King into the record, and was stopped by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who "said that she had breached Senate rules by reading past statements against Sessions from figures such as the late senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and the late Coretta Scott King....The Senate voted, 49 to 43, strictly on party lines, to uphold the ruling that Warren violated Rule 19 of the Senate that says senators are not allowed to “directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.” Pursuant to that rule, Warren was ordered to sit down and forbidden from speaking during the remainder of the debate on the nomination of Sessions."
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Action You Can Take Today
Whether you've already called 25 times or not, please call our Senators, Chuck Schumer (office locations here) and Kirsten Gillibrand (office locations here), who are pledged to vote NO and tell them THANK YOU and tell them you support their action against Sessions' nomination. You could even ask them to attempt to read Mrs. King's letter into the record, if that's still possible by the time you call. Consider sending a copy of Mrs. King's letter to those GOP Senators who are supporting Sessions.
Read more