The fight for women's rights in Afghanistan is a long and ongoing battle that has taken a huge step backwards with recent Taliban control. Despite immense danger and sacrifice, the Afghan women's soccer team is working to prove progress is possible. By breaking down cultural barriers and taking the field, they are not only challenging societal norms, but they are also providing a source of hope and inspiration. The problem? FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, refuses to recognize the team. This failure means the women cannot represent their country, compete in professional matches, or receive the funding they need to pay players and staff. But that can change. After months of player protests and widespread criticism over its human rights abuses in Doha, FIFA is eager to rehabilitate its image. And with the Women's World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand this July, FIFA will once again be center stage — and sensitive to public pressure and protest.  Right now, FIFA’s PR machine is closely watching and listening. That means we have a crucial opportunity to call on them to use their power for good. Can you join us to support women’s rights and diplomacy by signing our petition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino?

In the last three years, nearly 1.1 million Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 100 million more have become ill. This huge, unnecessary price increase for the Moderna vaccine would have devastating impacts and will cause needless deaths and severe, long-term health challenges for so many due to millions of Americans not being able to afford the vaccine. It will make the vaccine unavailable and inaccessible for many millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans (especially low-income people, people with disabilities, and communities of color) who won’t be able to afford it. How many people will die from COVID-19 as a result of limited access to these life-saving vaccines? In the midst of a deadly pandemic, restricting access to this much-needed vaccine is unconscionable. The COVID-19 vaccines were jointly developed in partnership with scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a U.S. government agency that is funded by U.S. taxpayers, and the federal government, who directly provided $1.7 billion to Moderna for research and development. If Moderna more than quadrupled the price of the vaccine, it would make it unaffordable to the very residents of this country who made the production of the vaccine possible, not to mention the fact that this decision will make the vaccine inaccessible to countries across the world. That is not acceptable. It will also have a significantly negative impact on the budgets of Medicaid, Medicare, and other government programs that will continue covering the vaccine without cost-sharing for patients. It will cost taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars, and the outrageous price boost will increase private health insurance premiums. And in the midst of the worst public health crisis in the U.S. over the last two years, Moderna made over $19 billion in profits and used those profits to provide incredibly extravagant compensation packages to the CEO and other top officials at the company. The Moderna CEO even became a multi-billionaire as a direct result of Moderna’s COVID vaccine, and several Moderna chairmen, co-founders, and investors are now billionaires, too. Let’s be clear: The purpose of the recent taxpayer investment in Moderna was to protect our health and lives, not to turn a handful of corporate executives and investors into multi-billionaires. This is why we are urgently calling for Moderna to NOT increase the price of the people-funded COVID-19 vaccine!

Between 30 and 60 million Americans work in jobs where they are forced to sign "noncompetes"—clauses in their contract that limit where they can work if they leave or are let go from their employment.[1] This compels many workers to stay in jobs despite low wages, limited benefits, abusive management, coercive scheduling or other poor working conditions for fear they could not take their skills to new employment. It deprives them of the ability to seek exiting and remunerative opportunities for fear their employers will bring legal action against them. And it limits their ability for entrepreneurial pursuits such as leaving to start their own businesses. Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) under the leadership of Biden appointee Lina Khan, a fierce advocate for workers and consumers, is issuing a new rule to bar noncompetes from most contracts. Large lobbyists representing the most powerful corporations are sure to try to vilify and strike down this rule before it is enforced—which is why we need to support it during the "public comment" period now,. As Chair Khan said, "The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy ... Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand." [2] She's right. It is imperative our government act to balance the playing field rather than giving corporations all the power over workers and consumers. We need the FTC to act and for members of Congress to back up the FTC's efforts. Under the Biden Administration, the FTC has shown it is willing to pick big, important fights. We need to show the public will be with them on this fight and other fights to come. Especially as Congress seems destined for two years of Republican dysfunction and obstruction, it's more important than ever that President Biden's agencies are empowered to govern in ways that serve us all. Sources: 1. https://www.epi.org/publication/noncompete-agreements/ 2. https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/3800485-ftc-unveils-proposal-to-ban-noncompete-clauses/

Facebook is preparing to make a decision on whether or not to reinstate Donald Trump's Facebook account. For the risk Trump poses to our public safety and democracy, we must keep Trump off Facebook. Join us in urging Meta to keep Trump off Facebook.

Why is this important? It seems that communities are being led to believe that fracking will be a golden goose while the real economic, human, and environmental impacts are being downplayed using tactics similar to the tobacco industry. Consider who would be impacted by the immediate and long-term adverse effects. We are concerned for our health, our reservoir, and our community and refuse to be the next Hinkley, Dimock, or Flint. We want clean water. We want clean air.

It seems that communities are being led to believe that fracking will be a golden goose while the real economic, human, and environmental impacts are being downplayed using tactics similar to the tobacco industry. Consider who would be impacted by the immediate and long-term adverse effects. We are concerned for our health, our reservoir, and our community and refuse to be the next Hinkley, Dimock, or Flint. We want clean water. We want clean air.

Recently, Kroger and Albertsons announced plans to merge. Together, Kroger and Albertsons own dozens of chains, including Safeway, Vons, Harris Teeter and Fred Meyer and reach a combined 85 million households. The new mega-deal would have a huge impact on grocery shopping in America and almost certainly put more rural towns and Black and Latino neighborhoods in cities at risk of becoming ‘food deserts’ as more local grocers are driven out of business. The National Grocers Association, which represents small retailers and wholesalers, said the merger would put smaller competitors at an “unfair disadvantage” and increase “anticompetitive buyer power over grocery suppliers.” Please join us in demanding that the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division block the Kroger and Albertsons $25 billion merger.

Corporations love to make big sweeping public announcements about “going green” and then taking victory laps in the press without making real, concrete changes to address climate change. Take General Motors for example. Last year they unveiled their plan to become carbon neutral by 2040. Which sounds good on paper until you realize the process to make aluminum for cars generates about 1.1 billion tons of CO2 emissions.1 And with the rising adoption of electric vehicles, demand for aluminum is expected to explode in the coming decades.2 Tell General Motors CEO to walk the walk when it comes to climate change and commit to sourcing only carbon-free aluminum! Sign the petition! Right now China is the biggest aluminum producer and they use coal-powered electricity to drive the process. This generates a massive carbon footprint for a country that is already the world leader in greenhouse gas emissions.3 But it doesn’t have to be this way. Suppliers can make aluminum using renewable energy-powered electricity and stop relying on coal. They can also use recycled aluminum which generates only 5% of the carbon emissions.4 Not only are the current aluminum supply chains dirty from a climate perspective, they’re also dirty from a human rights perspective. Early this year, General Motors was found to have ties with Chinese aluminum suppliers in the Xinjang region, known to use forced labor from Uyghur muslims.5 Just as bad, the bauxite needed to make aluminum has created a strip mining industry that has devastated the health and livelihoods of Indigenous communities across Africa, Asia and Australia.6 General Motors is a world leader in the automotive industry. If they demand their suppliers to decarbonize, the industry will follow. And when it comes to climate, we can’t afford to wait for corporations to just decide to do the right thing. We have to push them. Tell General Motors CEO to walk the walk when it comes to climate change and commit to sourcing only carbon-free aluminum! Sign the petition! Sources: 1. Center for Strategic & International Studies, “Decarbonizing Aluminum: Rolling Out a More Sustainable Sector,” February 25, 2022. 2. Ibid. 3. BBC, “Report: China emissions exceed all developed nations combined,” May 7, 2021. 4. BloombergNEF, “Green Aluminum is Competitive Today. It’s Time to Start Transforming,” June 16, 2021. 5. Washington Post, “Automaker suppliers linked to controversial labor programs in Chinese aluminum industry, report says,” April 8, 2022. 6. Human Rights Watch, “Aluminum: The Car Industry’s Blind Spot,” July 22, 2021.

This isn’t only affecting me but people all over dealing with this. People are being taken advantage of and peoples health can be affected. This is not right that companies like this can take over, overcharge, give you a disconnect notice no sooner you get your bill, and you have zero right to choose. I even know someone who has been gone not using their power in a couple of months but yet still over a two hundred dollar bill! They been overcharging me and other people! When they do their off with the power they don’t care if you have a medical issue. This has gotten beyond out of hand.

This issue is affecting everyone from tourist to communities to families to business owners and overall the economy. This problem has given me the opportunity to understand how to handle the issue effectively and efficiently everyone has voice and nothing will change if no one isn’t listening on how to create solutions that will not mask the problem but remove it. I've heard and seen the frustration and this has allowed me to be able to understand how to make the correct choices for the homeless community and the business owners we are all crying out for something to be done this is a change for good it will allow us to get back what Covid-19 has taken away from our communities and rebuild our economy.

We all believe we are under paid for our positions

Amazon wishes it could bury this headline: Their warehouses are being investigated by OSHA for workplace injuries.1 That’s because Amazon’s productivity quotas push workers past the limits of their bodies and their health. While this OSHA investigation could reveal damning evidence about how dangerous Amazon warehouse jobs are, Congress can act now to protect Amazon warehouse workers. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass legislation to protect Amazon warehouse workers from abusive productivity quotas! Workplace accidents and even deaths have been a problem at Amazon warehouses for years. So much so that in 2019 the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health named Amazon warehouses as one of the most dangerous jobs in America.2 Amazon’s obsession with placing speed above safety leads to 80% more serious workplace injuries at Amazon warehouses than non-Amazon warehouses.3 They use productivity algorithms called “Rate” and “ToT” (Time off Task) to keep a constant eye on their warehouse workers’ every movement, pushing them to go faster and faster, and even punishing them for taking bathroom breaks. This could be just the tip of the iceberg. The OSHA investigation into workplace injuries could reveal an even clearer picture of how Amazon abuses its workers for the sake of speedy delivery. But we don’t have to wait for an OSHA report to do something to protect Amazon warehouse workers. We can pressure Congress to act now and pass legislation to get rid of abusive productivity quotas at Amazon warehouses. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to pass legislation to protect Amazon warehouse workers from abusive productivity quotas! Sources: 1. CNBC, “Amazon faces probe by federal prosecutors and OSHA into warehouse safety,” July 18, 2022. 2. National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, “Dirty Dozen 2019,” April 22, 2019. 3. CNBC, “Amazon warehouse workers injured at higher rates than those at rival companies, study finds,” June 1, 2021.