Children are often abducted from their homes and later sold to cocoa farmers, potentially never to see their families and loved ones ever again. Most of the children are 12-16 years old, but reporters have found children as young as 5 years old, many of whom are forced to work up to 14 hours a day. And when children attempt to escape, they are beaten and tortured. It’s unacceptable. Children forced to work on cocoa farms often use machetes to cut cacao bean pods down from trees and then pack them into 100-pound sacks and when they’re full, they have to carry them. Aly Diabate, a former enslaved cocoa worker said, “Some of the bags were taller than me. It took two people to put the bag on my head. And when you didn’t hurry, you were beaten.” The chocolate industry has a revenue of over 254 BILLION dollars per year, yet, even though it is estimated to only cost the industry a little over 5 million dollars a year to trace cocoa beans to track where their cocoa is coming from, there has been little interest in the technology from any chocolate company. It’s shocking, but not surprising. Greedy corporations in the chocolate industry like Nestlé and Mars have enough money to pay workers a living wage AND ensure that they DO NOT use child slave labor. But instead, they are prioritizing their corporate profits. No more. Major chocolate companies have claimed to be concerned and to make efforts to end child slave labor, but they are a multi-billion dollar industry, but it’s been over two decades since they were exposed, and there is still child slavery in their supply chains. It’s wrong. Together, we can keep getting loud and pressuring chocolate industry companies like Nestle until they end child slave labor once and for all. Will you take action now and sign this urgent petition? Image credit: Duchesse layenah

We need to take a stand and help those who have been assaulted. They matter and we need to help make a safer community. So many do not speak up because its painful and justice does not prevail.

On January 21, 2010, SCOTUS in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission expanded the constitutional doctrine that corporations are persons, widening their constitutional right to buy elections and run our government. Since that ruling, 14 states that previously banned corporate contributions had their laws overturned by the courts. And subsequent rulings, following the precedent of Citizens United, paved the way for the creation of Super PACs and unlimited corporate spending in politics, flooding our elections with dark money.  Enough! Our democracy should reflect the will of the people, not greedy corporate entities. We can reverse Citizens United, end “corporate personhood,” and take our democracy back by introducing a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution: the We the People Amendment. “We, the People of the United States of America, reject the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United and other related cases and move to amend our Constitution to firmly establish that money is not speech and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.” The majority of Americans, when asked if they believe corporations should have the same rights as people, believe the Constitution should be amended to state that corporations do not have constitutional rights. Add your name to demand that Congress pass the We the People Amendment NOW!

Why was Congressman Trone so dismissive, insulting and ignorant in his interaction with Dr. Marsha Adebayo at a recent MLK event. She asked to talk to him about the Bethesda Road Moses African Cemetery and efforts to reclaim the land to memorialize the lives of enslaved and post-emancipated African Community. Instead of engaging, he dismissed her with a wave of his hand and a turn of his back saying" who cares about that little cemetery?" I care about that "little Cemetery," and I don't care to have a person with David Trone's historical ignorance and dismissiveness towards African American struggles influencing our community. The people in the "little cemetery were human beings and they deserve respect. Most of those buried in the "little" cemetery were children who were kidnapped, raped, murdered and worked to death in Bethesda, Maryland. Why are we still debating whether Black Lives Matter? We need the community to speak out against Congressman Trone's statement. David Mott - retired union organizer, Poor People's Campaign, Montgomery County Contact: bethesdaafricancemeterycoalition.net

Businesses, healthcare providers, non-profit organizations, and local government jobs may encounter workforce disruptions and challenges in maintaining missions when DACA recipients face delays in renewals. This can impact productivity, economic growth, and the provision of essential public services.

Ivan Cantu was convicted of killing his cousin, James Mosqueda, and Mosqueda’s fiancée, Amy Kitchen, in 2001. Prosecutors argued that Cantu killed Mosqueda, who was a drug dealer, and Kitchen while trying to steal cocaine, marijuana, and cash from Mosqueda’s home. However, Cantu has claimed that a rival drug dealer killed Mosqueda and that he was framed for the murders. Recent vigorous investigation into Ivan’s case has uncovered serious exculpatory evidence that was suppressed or manipulated at trial by state officials. Additionally, key state witnesses have recanted their testimony and, in light of these findings, three trial jurors have stated that had they known of these wrongdoings at trial, they very possibly would have rendered a different verdict. And according to a new filing just released before the TX Court of Criminal Appeals, the DA just disclosed that the state’s star witness in the original conviction case falsely testified and the lead detective knew she was lying. Ivan’s death date is fast approaching. We are calling on the Collin County District Attorney to request to withdraw the execution date. Everyone deserves a fair trial. We want the judicial system to scrutinize the new evidence in Ivan’s case that exposes fraudulent testimony and wrongdoing by state witnesses and law enforcement. The Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s office says that their mission is "not to convict, but to see that justice is done." Justice has yet to be delivered in Ivan's case. All we are asking is for the execution to be delayed and an inquiry into new evidence to be opened. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 196 former death-row prisoners have been exonerated of all charges related to the wrongful convictions that had put them on death row. To ensure that an innocent person is not executed, our legal and judicial systems must do their due diligence to examine all evidence in Ivan's case.

We, the rank-and-file nurses of California Nurses Association, National Nurses United, and National Nurses Organizing Committee, understand the power of collective action. Around the world, the Labor movement has fought for and with oppressed and marginalized communities for decades. Our Union brothers and sisters have stood hand in hand with oppressed and marginalized people in their fights for equality: from the U.S Civil Rights movement to ending Apartheid in South Africa. Since October 7th, 2023, the relentless bombing of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank has resulted in more than 22,000 people killed and more than 52,000 are injured, in addition to thousands who are missing and feared dead under the rubble, 305,000 residential homes have been destroyed or damaged, 339 educational facilities are damaged, 197 places of worship have been damaged, and 26 out of 35 hospitals are not functioning. More than 300 healthcare workers including doctors, nurses, and civil defense rescuers, have been killed as well leaving an already fractured medical infrastructure with less resources and healthcare professionals to assist in caring for critically injured civilians. We have seen the news of Israel using Artificial Intelligence to bomb the press where over 100 journalists have been killed along with many of their family members, to bomb mosques and churches, and historical monuments–to erase any history of the Palestinian people. We are witnessing a genocide unfolding in real-time. As nurses, we follow the nursing code of ethics. The ethics we live by have four main principles: autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. To call for the liberation of the Palestinian people, and to demand that the Union stand beside the Palestinian people, is deeply rooted in our nursing code of ethics. Palestine deserves to live free from this endless violence and displacement from their native land. We have committed our lives to these principles, and so long as we have a collective voice, we will demand a Free Palestine. Our call for Palestinian Liberation is an extension of our commitment to justice, and if we are silent, we are complicit in the genocide. We hope that CNA/NNU/NNOC stands with us in unwaveringly supporting the liberation of the Palestinian people, because doing so is imperative to our Union’s anti-imperialist, racial justice values that we claim to uphold. Check out these actions that you can take now.. Before you sign, please consider exploring these actions that you can take now. http://tinyurl.com/unfp1 In Unity, Union Nurses For Palestine

The IDF has a pattern of targeting and killing Palestinian journalists, according to media rights groups. Add your name to call for an independent investigation into the killing of journalists in Gaza. Media reports from Gaza are one of the few ways information comes out of the strip, with restrictions on media in place by the IDF and limited or no internet and phone access in Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinian journalists share that they are having to choose between dying with their loved ones or reporting the news from a human catastrophe unprecedented in modern history. Netanyahu’s siege of Gaza is already the deadliest period for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began collecting data in 1992. More than 79 journalists have been killed in Gaza, 72 of whom were Palestinian. By one estimate, 1 out of every 10 journalists in Gaza has been killed, making it the single-biggest death toll for journalists in a conflict zone in years. Media and human rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation into the targeting of journalists in Gaza. Reporters without Borders has filed multiple war crimes complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the deaths of journalists in Gaza. In a CPJ report, titled "Deadly Pattern," the media rights group concluded that a "routine sequence" occurs when a journalist is killed by the IDF. Despite all evidence, the CPJ reported that “no one has ever been charged or held accountable for these deaths.” Journalists must be protected. Their coverage and reporting from inaccessible and often ignored places are one of the only ways to reveal the truth in an otherwise contentious or controlled narrative.

These vulnerable citizens - the homeless - are our brothers, sisters, cousins and more. How we treat them is a reflection of who we are. How can anyone stand by and do nothing? More, if you want to see this growing population shrink. If you want the tent towns and dilapidated vehicles to go away...these people need somewhere to go. Providing permanent housing will reduce the 'unsightly' camps. More, it has been proven in multiple countries around the world that giving someone a permanent roof over their heads often leads to a reduction in addictive behaviors, increase in capable workers joining the work force and a return to a healthier lifestyle. If you want to fix the problem of homelessness, then provide homes. And the support needed to keep them under their own roofs.

The only way a change can happen is if we speak up and hold them accountable for what they continue to get away with.. It's our turn to make the change for our future as well as our children's future 🙏

Consequences of not reforming Proposition 22 based on the petition could include: 1. Continued Exploitation of Drivers: Without reform, drivers may remain classified as independent contractors, susceptible to inadequate compensation and denied traditional employee benefits. 2. Economic Inequity: The flawed compensation structure of Proposition 22 may persist, leading to drivers working excessively long hours for insufficient pay, exacerbating economic disparities within the gig economy. 3. High Competition and Diminished Earnings: The absence of measures to regulate the number of drivers on platforms may result in increased competition, diminishing earnings for experienced drivers and exploiting those with less experience. 4. Failure to Address Compensation Discrepancies: The proposed fair compensation structure may not be implemented, leaving drivers with reimbursement rates below IRS standards and hourly rates based on local minimum wage, contributing to financial hardships. 5. Overcrowding in Certain Areas: Without limits on the number of drivers, certain locations may face overcrowding, negatively impacting drivers' ability to earn a reasonable income. 6. Unequal Distribution of Rides: The lack of a priority system for full-time drivers may lead to an uneven distribution of rides, disadvantaging drivers and passengers in specific locations. 7. Inadequate Health Insurance Coverage: The health insurance coverage issues may persist, leaving drivers without proper benefits or alternative compensation for their active time. 8. Continued Lack of Autonomy: Drivers may continue to lack autonomy as independent contractors, with no reforms addressing the need for a balanced system that benefits both drivers and companies. In summary, not reforming Proposition 22 based on the outlined petition could perpetuate the existing problems in the gig economy, leaving drivers vulnerable to exploitation, economic hardships, and an imbalanced system.

We are reflecting the personality of our neighborhood, ensuring Inclusivity and Participation for All. Our mission is simple: 1. Observations/ Questions 2. Research topics 3. Hypothesis 4. Test with experiments 5. Analyze Data 6. Report Conclusions 7. Craft a data-driven framework that prioritizes people We are artists, residents, business owners, students, employees, and visitors. Ultimately, the new pilot parking program damages our collective community spirit. We urge Los Angeles city officials, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, ADLT Neighborhood Council, and Arts District Los Angeles Business Improvement District - BID to reconsider and introduce a Hybrid Preferential Parking District (PPD). There are other methods to manage traffic congestion or raise revenue without causing damage to students, local businesses, residents, and employees. The Downtown Los Angeles Arts District stakeholders would like to find inclusive community-based solutions that benefit all stakeholders equally.