The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), California's giant pension fund, owns a major chunk of Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the fracked-oil Dakota Access Pipeline through the Standing Rock Sioux sacred lands in North Dakota. As of December 8, CalPERS owns 1,064,034 shares worth $36.8 million. In addition, CalSTRS, the schoolteachers' retirement fund, owns debt securities (bonds) worth $28.7 million. They used to own a lot of coal stock, too, until I wrote a resolution that ultimately became law (SB 185, 2015) requiring them to divest from coal. Now I've started a petition to CalPERS and CalSTRS to divest from Energy Transfer Partners. California retirees shouldn't be investing in this pipeline--investing in the destruction of their children's future. The pipeline is intended to carry fracked crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken shalefields through North and South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. In the process of construction, Energy Transfer Partners has already damaged numerous sacred sites and would drill under the Missouri River, the sole drinking water source of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit to drill under the Missouri, but we expect the incoming Trump administration to ram the project through--if investors like CalPERS and CalSTRS keep backing this foolhardy project. If CalPERS and CalSTRS don't voluntarily divest, the California legislature will consider a bill, AB20, to require divestiture by 2018. So the smart money is on getting out of a climate-destroying project early. These pension funds are overseen by boards that include union and public officials, including California Treasurer John Chiang and Controller Betty Yee. They are directly accountable to the people of California and have a responsibility to all people to make ethical and responsible investments. I'm prepared to take on this fight again. But I need your help.

Donald Trump's Twitter following keeps increasing, and the days until he takes office as POTUS are dwindling. The president-elect uses his Twitter platform to incite abuse and threaten the safety of individuals who criticize his dangerous rhetoric. His Twitter is a potential (if not existing) threat to national security and the safety of individuals, groups, and organizations he targets. Taking away his Twitter platform (a social media channel he is known to use wrecklessly) will force him away from some of the spotlight he craves, and help protect those he targets.

Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Keith Ellison is campaigning to become the next leader of the Democratic Party. Keith's candidacy represents the idea that while we must never yield an inch in defending the promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights for all of our fellow Americans - regardless of the color of their skin, or where they were born, or how they pray, or whom they love - when we go to fight elections, our economic justice agenda must be front and center. Unfortunately, bad-faith actors have unleashed a scurrilous smear campaign against Keith, which some fear may derail his candidacy. Show your support for Keith's candidacy and your condemnation of the smear campaign against him by signing our petition. References: Key Keith documents: Keith platform: https://keithfordnc.org/platform/ Keith endorsements: https://keithfordnc.org/endorsements Keith statement on Medium: https://medium.com/@ellisonforcongress/listening-more-talking-less-2bb36e171dca Keith open letter to the ADL: https://twitter.com/keithellison/status/804452986110013440 Important pushback against the smear campaign: J Street: http://jstreet.org/press-releases/continuing-attacks-congressman-ellison-seek-silence-legitimate-positions-israel/ Americans for Peace Now https://peacenow.org/entry.php?id=21512 Bend the Arc: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/bendthearc/ellison JVP: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/jvp/ellison R. Marc Schneier: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/jta/ellison Emily Hauser https://twitter.com/emilylhauser/status/805500893332439041 Chuck Schumer: https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/804460430785650689 Bernie Sanders: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/bernie-sanders-support-keith-ellison-231185 http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/keith-ellison-dnc-resistance-231575 Randi Weingarten: https://www.facebook.com/randi.weingarten.9/posts/10154757721829524 JJ Goldberg: http://forward.com/opinion/355950/no-the-keith-ellison-tape-isnt-anti-israel-and-shouldnt-torpedo-his-democra/ Jay Michaelson: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/12/02/squabble-over-keith-ellison-reveals-dilemma-for-democrats-on-israel.html Ilya Sheyman: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/1707 Gene Sperling: https://twitter.com/genebsperling/status/804532939912609792 Glenn Greenwald: https://theintercept.com/2016/12/04/the-smear-campaign-against-keith-ellison-is-repugnant-but-reveals-much-about-washington/

Because time is of the essence, and President Obama can make reparations to Native Americans and change the course of history before he leaves office.

To protest the divisive and destructive cabinet picks of Steve Bannon and Jeff Sessions by Donald Trump. Although white supremacy and racial discrimination pose dangers that are unique to specific segments of the citizenry, the 2016 presidential election demonstrated that they present a combined threat to American democracy and stability and therefore endanger all citizens.

I am extremely alarmed that the violation of human rights at Standing Rock may set a precedent for the future. President Obama's silence is hard to believe. He should take a stand against these violations as a way of representing the voice of Americans who find the treatment of Standing Rock protesters to be a shameful episode in our history.

Inspired by statements by Senators Bernie Sanders, Tom Udall, Al Franken, Cory Booker, and Martin Heinrich, among a few others, I wrote this petition for this reason alone: under the coming administration, we must prevent continued inexcusable brutality, violence, tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray, high frequency sound waves, and attack dogs from further injuring the Sioux, other Native Americans, and their supporters encamped at Standing Rock, several key United States Senators have spoken out already. This petition is directed to them. These Senators include incoming California's incoming Kamala Harris and North Dakota's Democrat Senator Heidi Breitkamp, plus Senator Durbin, Senator Schumer, and Senator Patty Murray, the 3 Senate Democrats in leadership positions. We ask them to enlarge their roles by going beyond speeches, and to personally visit Standing Rock, meet with the opposition, including law enforcement and the corporations involved to make reasonable progress, and to reach a workable non-violent resolution that respects the wishes of the Standing Rock Sioux.

The Standing Rock Sioux and native peoples of North America have suffered enough under colonization and its time we support them in general and especially in their efforts to combat the climate change causing pollution problem danger to the world that is the Dakota Access Pipeline.

UPDATE: Ace Hardware has issued a statement saying that all their stores are now selling propane and other supplies to all shoppers, including the water protectors at Standing Rock and those supporting and supplying them! ***** Ace Hardware stores near the Standing Rock DAPL protest in North Dakota are refusing to sell supplies to the water protector camp, or to anyone who is planning to help support or supply the camp. Ace says the Morton County Sheriff's department has asked (not ordered) them not to sell supplies, and they are complying with the request. This is immoral and indefensible, cutting off peaceful protesters who are working to protect their sacred lands and waters from the supplies, including propane, that they need in order to survive the winter. The water protectors' camp includes Elders and children, and they are at terrible risk of injury and death without the ability to get the supplies for heating and shelter that they need. Ace MUST do the right thing and continue to sell supplies to the water protectors and those who are helping to support and supply them.

I stand with the water protectors at Standing Rock. They need to be able to cook dinner and keep warm. It's wrong for ACE Hardware to interfere in a protest and harm activists.

Major Corporations should not be allowed to abuse peaceful demonstrators who are concerned about the enviroment. Private Corporations should not be allowed to use military action against any group or persons. We cannot allow big oil to use and abuse what belongs to all of us.

To let Shiyé Bidzííl document and post events happening at the Standing Rock - NODAPL protest.