In 2008, an Albany county legislator tried to pass a resolution in opposition to the Iraq War. It led to an hours long debate on the floor, and what came of it was that Albany county decided that Resolutions would be used to codify things into law, while Proclamations which are not voted on, but legislators sign on to if they would like, can be used as an honorary/symbolic gesture of support. Recently, the Albany County legislature has decided they want to codify the policy around proclamations, more specifically they don't want to issue proclamations for controversial issues, or for issues that urge another body to take action. However, they have drafted a policy that doesn't outright exclude such proclamations from being issued. This is problematic because it gives rise for the policy to be applied in a potentially discriminatory manner.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor for Americans who have made exemplary contributions to the United States. Ruby Bridges has been fighting her entire life to fight back against racism, especially for children. She's an inspiration and role model to children and adults across the country, and she deserves to be honored as such. Books telling Ruby's story of racially integrating public schools in the south—including a book she wrote about her experiences—have been disputed or banned in schools across the country. It's the duty of our education system to teach kids the truth about our world while inspiring them to change it for the better. That mission is what Ruby Bridges embodied when at just 6 years old, escorted by U.S. Marshals through a crowd of violent protesters, she integrated an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1960. When Ruby took her first step into her new school she helped to usher in a new era of progress for America—one that Republicans are now trying to reverse. Republicans have launched an all-out assault on the free expression of minority voices and integral parts of American history. In a disturbing display of censorship, 2023 saw an unprecedented purge of nearly 2,000 books from school libraries across the country. These books primarily represented characters who are people of color or LGBTQ+, or tackled significant themes such as racism. These book bans are a blatant attempt to distort historical truths and silence the diverse narratives that are critical to understanding the full American experience. Tell President Biden: Ensure Ruby's story of bravery and triumph over racism is never forgotten. Sign the petition to award Ruby Bridges with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Since this conflict initiated, nearly 40,000 Palestinians (according to other sources, this number could reach close to 200,000, see information below) have been killed, over 90,000 wounded, and more than 1.7 million have been displaced from their homes, out of which numbers and for all categories above, nearly 50% are children including those under the rubble, and together 70% are women and children. The number of Palestinian children killed during this conflict since October 7th has been greater than the number of children killed in conflicts around the globe from 2019 to 2022 and it stands alongside the currently ongoing war in Sudan which began in April 2023, as it is also reminiscent of the killing rate since Rwanda in 1994 when comparing the total number of killed and injured civilians per day since the conflict began. The attack on children and women of this conflict is atrocious. It should not be allowed at this time of our human history and must be stopped immediately. On Wednesday 24th of July as Netanyahu prepared to address Congress, thousands of people gathered to protest his visit. Please read below: >"Over 130 Representatives and Senators decided not to attend Netanyahu’s address to Congress, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the likely Democratic nominee for President, Vice President Kamala Harris — far exceeding the 58 members of Congress who skipped his speech in 2015. As Netanyahu attempted to justify the slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, asking Congress for bipartisan support to “finish the job,” the lone Palestinian American representative in Congress, Rashida Tlaib, defiantly held up a sign that read “Guilty of genocide.” https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2024/07/25/thousands-shut-down-the-capitol-to-protest-israels-genocide/?sourceid=1001761&emci=500e7860-a04a-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&emdi=ea3eed58-a74a-ef11-86c3-6045bdd9e096&ceid=905615  From PalestinianSolidarityCC: • Based on Ministry of Health data, 351 martyrs and 893 injured arrived at hospitals from July 18-24. The Lancet estimates that roughly 186,000 Gazans have died due to the ongoing genocide since Oct. 7. Resistance News Network The Lancet • The virus which causes polio has been detected in six wastewater samples collected in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. (ScienceInsider) • Poliovirus is highly infectious and has a 15-30% fatality rate. Putting thousands of Gazans living in crowded displacement camps at-risk amidst an overwhelmed and destroyed health system. (Resistance News Network) • The Israeli military is building infrastructure along the “Philadelphi Corridor” which indicates plans for a long-term occupation of the Rafah crossing. (The Cradle) • Monday morning, Israel launched a new massacre in Khan Younis killing at least 70 and injuring more than 200. • The attack by tanks, aircraft and artillery came minutes after the IOF ordered an evacuation of the area.  Hundreds of thousands were forced to flee with nowhere to go. (Aljazeera), (The Cradle) https://www.instagram.com/palestinesolidarity.cc/?hl=en

There's strength in numbers! Let's come together and urge our elected officials to do the right thing. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have a comfortable place to live owe it to those of us who are less fortunate. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the homeless situation in our beautiful county. If we allow their encampments to be torn down, where will they go? Please sign this petition so our county can give them a place to call home.

The Mayor has changed the locks, and only gave a 2 hour notice of the city's intent to ban the Club from use of this building. Also it has been hinted that the Garden Club pay a use fee for this building. Monies generated from Garden Club events always go towards improving the appearance of the City of Springfield, such as planting trees, cleaning up and planting in city garden. It is important to take pride in our town. We are growing in population, and a few of the abandoned store fronts are being renovated and filled by new businesses. The Garden Club wants to help this growth with our spirit, energy, pride, and esthetic improvements.

University administrators must take steps to protect students exercising their right to peacefully protest. Calling the police or the National Guard to attack them is unacceptable. Leaders across the nation should be working to de-escalate tensions and engage with student demands in good faith, rather than attempting to shut them down with violence. Antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, or Islamophobic language and actions have no place at these protests or anywhere else on campuses or in society. And we condemn them in the strongest terms possible. All people deserve to feel safe in their communities, and police shooting rubber bullets and arresting students and faculty while targeting peaceful protesters with riot gear isn’t a safe environment for anyone and harkens back to some of the darkest parts of our history. We all have a constitutional right to peacefully protest and organize without fear of retribution or violence.

If California doubles it’s PD rate we will be roughly half as bad as Texas. California business interests can congratulate themselves on successfully lobbying for a workers’ compensation system that provides among the worst PD rates in the country. It is now time to take care of our working class and provide them with the benefits that they deserve. Message your local representative and demand a change for all injured workers in California!

This could be deadly to those who ARE photosensitive. It furthers the idea that bullying is okay and our disability (epilepsy) is something to laugh about. We have faced stigma since ancient times, but if the world is so inclusive these days, why is there an entire community that is able to be targeted and attacked?

Short term rentals offer a unique way for visitors to experience our beautiful town, supporting local businesses such as restaurants, shops, and attractions. They also provide homeowners with supplemental income that helps them afford their homes and stay in the community they love. We recognize the importance of maintaining the character and integrity of our neighborhoods. However, we believe that with proper regulations and responsible hosting, short term rentals can coexist harmoniously with long term residents. We urge local authorities to consider alternative solutions that balance the needs of all stakeholders involved. Instead of imposing blanket bans or severe restrictions, we encourage the development of fair and reasonable guidelines that address any legitimate concerns while preserving the rights of property owners and the benefits of short term rentals. By signing this petition, we express our support for the continuation of short term rentals in Excelsior, MN, and call upon decision-makers to protect this vital aspect of our community. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Ron DeSantis, Florida Republicans, and Vertol Systems didn’t stop with the Martha’s Vineyard flight. In June, 36 Latin American migrants were deceived and promised work, housing, and food if they agreed to be flown to California on a chartered flight organized by Vertol Systems. And just last month, DeSantis floated the idea of flying Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Enough is enough! We have to stop these flights before it’s too late. The migrants who were trafficked to Martha’s Vineyard have since sued Vertol Systems, and a federal judge has allowed the lawsuit to proceed and said that there was evidence to support that the migrants were targeted because they were Latinx. The federal judge recognized these sham flights as a political stunt asserting that DeSantis was exploiting migrants "in a scheme to boost the national profile of Defendant DeSantis and manipulate them for political ends,” and ruled that the treatment of these migrants was "extreme, outrageous, uncivilized, intolerable, and stunning.” It’s shameful that instead of treating asylum-seekers with the due process, dignity and care they deserve, Vertol Systems and Republican governors like Ron DeSantis are exploiting them and using them as political pawns. These are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate actions relentlessly carried out by anti-immigrant Republicans. It’s completely unacceptable, and there is no excuse for Vertol Systems to continue profiting off of deceived migrants. They must stop organizing the flights NOW. Will you take action and sign the petition?

More than 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. And according to the U.N. and world humanitarian organizations, this catastrophe is going to rapidly become a man-made famine because the Israeli government continues to block critical humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. The United Nations’ World Food Program estimates that at least 300 trucks are needed to enter Gaza every single day here on out to be distribute food to meet the most basic of needs for civilians. and distribute food to meet only the basic hunger needs. Organizations have been trying to enter Gaza for months to meet the needs of civilians and have been blocked at every step of the way. Recently the Israeli security cabinet approved the opening of the Erez crossing with the Gaza strip for the first time since the October 7 attack, but that’s not nearly enough to account for the mass devastation that has already happened to more than 33,000 civilians in Gaza. We acknowledge that humanitarian aid will be life-changing for people on-the-ground, but a lack of security and instability will still consume the region and the civilians. The humanitarian needs should be met first, followed by an immediate ceasefire to create and sustain peace for all.

Protecting and expanding our freedom to vote. Drawing congressional districts to ensure fair representation for all. Reducing the influence of Big Money in politics. Combatting partisan election subversion. By advancing policies like these in the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, we will be able to achieve rapid progress on the issues we care about most. It is what will give us the power to organize for better workplace rights, restore and expand abortion access across the country, pass laws to stop oil and gas companies from polluting the Earth for profit, force pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs, finally put an end to the NRA's control of gun laws while kids are killed in schools, and more. These policies will ensure our elected officials and elections work for the people, not just the wealthy, well-connected few and big corporations. We all deserve a say in the decisions that impact our lives and futures. It is time to end the dominance of big corporations and Big Money in our politics, rid our communities of partisan-gerrymandered maps, and dismantle barriers erected to keep Black, Indigenous, young, and new Americans from voting. We must come together to demand that Congress pass the Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to make the promise of democracy real for all of us. PHOTO BY ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES