Tuesday, May 2nd

(Adapted from Jen Hoffman's Action Checklist for Americans of Conscience)

Action You Can Take Today

Continue to advocate for a special commission to investigate 45-Russia ties.

Newly-confirmed Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein can approve a special prosecutor or commission, but has previously hedged on this action. (Read more.)

It's time to speak up.

• Call the Department of Justice comment line: 202-353-1555
  
  
• Send a postcard: Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, US Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530-0001

Script: I am among the 58% of Americans who want an independent commission to investigate Trump-Russia ties. Trust in the four current investigations is compromised, and the Attorney General’s credibility is tarnished. Only an independent commission or special prosecutor will restore confidence.  Thank you.

Sunday, April 30th

(Adapted from Rogan's List)


© Donkey Hotey, used by Creative Commons license.

There seem to be at least a couple of reasons why the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is not moving as quickly on its efforts to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

First, Senator Richard Burr, (R-NC) the chairman of the panel, has refused to cooperate with the information requests of Democrats on the committee (read more).

Second, Reuters reports there are currently only 7 staffers working on the case, a number that pales with similar big-time probes of the recent past (there were 46 staffers on the Benghazi probe) (read more).

Action You Can Take Today

Call Senator Burr's offices, send a fax, send a postcard, and ask him, "Why the slowdown?
Ask him why he won't sign his colleagues' letters requesting more information, and why his committee is so understaffed?  

You can also use Twitter or Facebook:

Twitter: @SenatorBurr · Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorRichardBurr

Office locations and contact information:

Washington, DC
217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-3154
Fax (202) 228-2981

Asheville
Federal Building 1
51 Patton Avenue, Suite 204
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: (828) 350-2437
Fax (828) 350-2439

Rocky Mount
100 Coast Line Street, Room 210
Rocky Mount, NC 27804
Phone: (252) 977-9522
Fax (252) 977-7902

Wilmington
201 North Front Street, Suite 809
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: (888) 848-1833
Phone: (910) 251-1058
Fax (910) 251-7975

Winston-Salem
2000 West First Street
Suite 508
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
Phone: (800) 685-8916
Phone: (336) 631-5125
Fax (336) 725-4493

Friday, April 28th

(Adapted from Rogan's List)

Grand Escalante Staircase Photo by Bureau of Land Management [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Our National Parks and Monuments belong to the people of the US, and are not commodities that Trump can distribute to his cronies.

As reported this week by Reuters, "U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to allow national monument designations to be rescinded or reduce the size of sites as the administration pushes to open up more federal land to drilling, mining and other development."

Trump and his Republican colleagues are making the predictable argument that states, not the federal government, should have the right to decide "which land is protected and which is open for development." (read more here: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-interior-monuments-idUSKBN17S1MH)

31 senators, led by Tom Udall (D-NM), have sent an open letter to Trump objecting to the Executive Order.  In an unusual move, the clothing retailer Patagonia, has harshly criticized this action and has promised to sue the Administration:

“A president does not have the authority to rescind a National Monument. An attempt to change the boundaries ignores the review process of cultural and historical characteristics and the public input,” Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario said in a statement. “We’re watching the Trump administration’s actions very closely and preparing to take every step necessary, including legal action, to defend our most treasured public landscapes from coast to coast.” (read more here: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/330788-patagonia-threatens-to-sue-trump-over-national-monuments)

Action You Can Take Today

• Join the 31 Senators and Patagonia in telling Trump "Americans care deeply about the National Monuments and their voices should be considered if you proceed with any potential changes to the monument designations." We can let 45 know by sending him an email or calling him:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact.

• On Twitter, you can use the hashtag associated with critique of this Executive Order: #MonumentsforAll.
  
  
• And let's thank Patagonia for taking a stand to preserve our public lands.  
  
  Send a postcard to CEO Rose Marcario, Patagonia, 259 W Santa Clara St., Ventura, CA 93001 or call the corporate offices at (805) 643-8616 or send a tweet to @patagonia or visit them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PATAGONIA/

Wednesday, April 26th

(Adapted from Rogan's List)

Trump has requested a special meeting with the entire Senate at the White House today.  All indications point to his looking for permission to go to war over North Korea. China is asking Washington for patience.  However, we know that Trump want to improve his ratings and needs to show that he is strong and decisive.  He thinks that making a show of force would help him do both.  Nothing Trump has done so far has been done in a careful, thoughtful manner.  With two leaders such as Trump and Kim who are so volatile, this is getting more dangerous.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/24/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-missile-program.html 

Action You Can Take Today

Contact our senators and tell them to oppose a war decision and to impress that diplomacy, while it may be slow, is ALWAYS the first choice. If you don't already have their info programmed into your phone, here are links for Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand.  If you don't live in NY, use this tool (courtesy of The Loyal Opposition).

Tuesday, April 25th

(Adapted from the March for Science)

Actions You Can Take Today

• Email your legislators to support science
  Academics for the Future of Science

  Take two minutes to use our user-friendly tool to ask your representatives to support US science during this critical time at save-science.org. We have a pre-filled message with professional language but encourage you to add your own personal reasons for supporting science if you wish.

• Send a “Science is Essential” postcard to your legislator
  American Geophysical Union

  You can print this postcard or make your own. Fill it out and send it to your legislators to let them know how important science is to you! Check out other wasy to be involved at www.agu.org.

• Join APA's action network
  American Psychological Association
  

  Use your voice to weigh in opposition to the skinny budget proposal which includes large cuts to science, education, and programs for the underserved at www.apa.org.

• Ask Congress to pass a 2017 budget that funds science
  Biophysical Society
  

  Lend your voice to the cause by visiting www.biophysics.org.

• Write your member of Congress about the importance of NIH funding for Endocrinology
  Endocrine Society
  

  Take a moment to write to your member of Congress about the importance of NIH funding for endocrine research and a host of other endocrine-related issues. Get involved at www.endocrine.org/advocacy. For other activities, check out www.endocrine.org/marchforscience.