An Antivaxxer for Surgeon General? (2/26/26)
Yeah, we don't think so. Plus getting politicians off Palantir's payroll, shutting it down for May Day, a Prairieland defendants phone zap and more
💲 At least two students are facing felony charges after being assaulted by a police chief during anti-ICE protests in Quakertown, Pennsylvania - read more via K. Starling and donate to support their legal defense here 💲
TOO LONG, DIDN’T READ
Senate should reject an antivax surgeon general in the face of measles outbreaks, and we should join organizers fighting for children’s health
Demand better conditions in confinement for anti-ICE protesters on trial
Pols are starting to give into pressure to pull away from Palantir donations, join in office visits on the holdouts
No work, no school, no commerce as we shut it down this May Day - take the pledge, read the agenda, and learn more in a national call 3/4
Get engaged with a new kind of voter contact program in Swing Left’s Ground Truth
If you have questions, comments, and especially submissions for actions, please email us at roganslisttips@gmail.com!
DR. CASEY MEANS SAYS: MAKE MEASLES GREAT AGAIN
Under the leadership of Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the United States is on the verge of un-eliminating the measles. Almost 1,000 people have fallen ill in a South Carolina outbreak, the largest in decades – nearly all of them unvaccinated. And MMGA is trying to install yet another antivaxxer at the top of our public health system. In her confirmation hearings yesterday, surgeon general nominee Casey Means said she would not encourage parents to vaccinate their kids against measles, the whooping cough or the flu. Scattered Senate Republicans have shown signs of regret for pushing RFK Jr. forward as he’s continually proven our concerns were right. This is their chance to prove they’re serious about it. 🔊 Let’s reach out to our senators using this language from 5Calls and encourage them to vote no on Means. And let’s take further action to fight against the rise of preventable child deaths by: 🔊
🔊 Asking our governors and legislators to work to ensure vaccine access and continued coverage by insurers 🔊
🔊 Reaching out to our attorneys general to thank them if they’re among those who filed suit against HHS over Trump and RFK Jr’s anti-scientific screwing with the childhood vaccine schedule or express our outrage if they’re not 🔊
✊🏿 Connect with folks who are organizing against the antivaxxers, such as Grandparents for Vaccines and American Families for Vaccines ✊🏻
PRAIRIELAND DEFENDANTS IN SOLITARY
Witness testimony has begun in the trial of the Prairieland defendants, where Trump’s DoJ is attempting to imprison anti-ICE protesters for “domestic terrorism” over a shooting they had nothing to do with. But while their fate is determined, the Prairieland 9 are being held in Tarrant County Jail, which has notoriously terrible conditions and where more than 70 people have died since 2017, and they’re enduring dehumanizing treatment. They’re being held in solitary confinement, and Autumn Hill, a trans woman, has reportedly been denied hormone therapy replacement medication for more than two weeks. 🗣️ The DFW Support Committee is asking us to call Judge Mark Pittman and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s office to demand this change. We can find scripts and numbers here. 🗣️
WE’RE PUSHING POLS TO PURGE PALANTIR
The tech giant Palantir has secured nearly a billion dollars in government contracts last year as they expand their crucial role in powering ICE terror. They’re turning some of that money right around to buy more politicians.
Mijente and the Purge Palantir campaign put out a new tool a few weeks ago to shine a spotlight on folks from both parties on the Palantir payroll and organize us to demand they give the surveillance titan the boot. It’s been a success, with Pat Ryan, John Hickenlooper, Jason Crow and Ro Khanna all announcing they are swearing off Palantir cash. Now we’re doubling down, visiting the offices of more lawmakers on the payroll starting this weekend and urging them to pledge to reject future donations. ✊🏿 We can find actions near us to join here or sign up to host one of our own (toolkit here). We can also all use this email tool or talking points at the end of this doc to push them to take the pledge. ✊🏻
NO SCHOOL, NO WORK, NO SHOPPING: THIS MAY DAY IS GOING TO BE BIG
Already wondering what comes next after No Kings 3? We’re stepping up for a day of collective action on May Day. May Day Strong organizers are calling for us to reject business as usual this International Worker’s Day, committing to a full national shutdown: no work, no school, no commerce. And we’re going beyond rejecting Trump’s oligarchic project to propose one of our own: a real affordability agenda with detailed policy proposals to build multiracial democracy, change the economic rules in our country and put the good life within everyone’s reach.
This won’t come together overnight, and the work to make a May Day shutdown a success is under way. ✊🏿 Let’s join May Day Strong for a national call on March 4th at 8PM ET to talk through our plans, what’s in the affordability agenda, and how we can get plugged in to do our part for the movement. We can sign up here. We can also take the pledge to strike on May Day here and learn what’s involved in hosting an action here. ✊🏻
LISTEN, LEARN AND CREATE LASTING CHANGE WITH GROUND TRUTH
We’ve learned the hard way that flipping a congressional chamber by a few seats is just the beginning. If we want real change, we need to help progressives win a large, durable majority.
Swing Left is building long-term infrastructure that lasts beyond one wave. Their innovative voter contact program, Ground Truth, is starting earlier than ever, reaching every voter in our target swing districts… not just likely Democrats. Ground Truth isn’t traditional canvassing - it’s built around listening first, then persuading. Using new technology and better scripts, volunteers have open-ended conversations with voters, capturing what people are actually experiencing in their everyday lives. Those insights are shared directly with Democratic campaigns so they can shape their messaging well before Election Day. ✋ We can learn more about Ground Truth here and find a role that works for us here. ✋
👀 KEEPING AN EYE ON… 👀
We’re on the clock in Georgia - help Democrats compete in special elections in Marjorie Taylor Greene territory with phonebank TONIGHT at 5:30PMET
An attack on Iran no one wants is still looming, keep calling and emailing our MoCs to oppose another Middle Eastern war
13 days of shutdown and the fight to stop ICE terror continues - call, email Congress to demand real restraints, encourage folks in key states to do the same
Demand MoCs join the calls to remove Epstein associate Howard Lutnick from the Cabinet
We’re aiming for 10 million people coming out for No Kings 3 on March 28, plus we’re plus we’re holding a day of action against ICE detention centers February 28th, rallying to take back science March 7th, get Citizens Bank to drop private prisons March 7th and joining direct action for International Women’s Day March 8th