Amid an ongoing series of scandals in Albany, there is one easy step the New York Board of Elections can take right now to crack down on the culture of corruption. They can vote to close to the so-called "LLC loophole," which allows Wall Street bankers and real estate developers to evade contribution limits and funnel millions of dollars to the candidates of their choice.

After decades of promises from the biotech industry that genetically engineered (GE) food would feed the world, cure the sick, reduce agricultural dependence on toxic chemicals, and save countless crops from imminent collapse, USDA has just approved a product they think will solve a problem humans have struggled with for centuries… an apple that doesn’t brown when you slice it… Seriously; we couldn’t make this stuff up. While these GE apples are a waste of time and money, we don’t want to downplay the real concerns about them. Pre-sliced apples are actually a frequently recalled food product. Once the whole fruit is sliced, it has an increased risk of exposure to pathogens. Since browning is a sign that apples are no longer fresh, “masking” this natural signal could lead people to consume contaminated apples, which is why some folks are calling it the “botox apple.” Further, since FDA does no independent, pre-market safety testing of GE food there are several unanswered questions about the safety of GE apples. “Silencing” the genes that make apples turn brown when exposed to oxygen could have unintended consequences that will only be tested by hungry consumers. Although these “botox apples” are primarily targeted to the fresh-sliced apple market they could also find their way into non-GE juice, baby foods or apple sauce at the processing level, all products predominantly eaten by children and babies who are at increased risk for any adverse health effects. Like other GE products in the U.S., no mandatory labeling would be required. While Okanagan (the manufacturer) says they’ll require growers to label their whole apples as “Arctic variety,” the government has announced no plans to require labeling of these apples as GE. If approved, Okanagan’s non-browning “Arctic” apple would be first commercialized in Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties, with Fuji and Gala on the horizon. Even the apple industry has opposed this genetically engineered product. The U.S. Apple Association, Northwest Horticultural Council (which represents Washington apple growers, who grow over 60% of the apples in the U.S.), British Columbia Fruit Growers Association and other grower groups have already voiced their disapproval of these GE apples due to the negative impact they could have on farmers growing organic and non-GE apples through contamination, and to the image of the apple industry as a whole. McDonald’s, Wendy's, and Gerber have already indicated that they don’t plan to use these GE apples. If the apple industry doesn’t want GE apples, and consumers don’t want GE apples, who do these apples really benefit? As usual, this product only benefits the biotech industry and big food processing companies. Tell food companies parents do not want to feed their kids GE apples! We’ll send your signatures along with a letter to the top fast food restaurants, supermarkets, and food companies to secure commitments from them that they will not sell or use this risky new product.

Submit testimony here: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=GM&billnumber=820&year=2015 Time to call legislators. Take 5-10 mins tonight and just leave a voicemail: "Please oppose the Balfour nomination" Laura Thielen: 587-8388 Brickwood Galuteria 586-6740 Les Ihara 586-6250 Maile Shimabukuro 586-7793 Gil Riviere 586-7330 Sam Sloam 586-8420 Russell Ruderman 586-6890 Bill Balfour has voted on several key commission decisions that were later overturned by the Hawaii Supreme Court. No one else serving on the commission now has had their decisions overturned. Why bring back the failed views from the past?

There are now more horses confined to pens than running free on the ranges of public owned land. The cruel methods of helicopter roundups, penning wild horses all at taxpayer expense and controlling population by slaughter in Mexico must stop. There are other alternatives known and suggested to the BLM. Billionaire ranchers have received priority over PUBLIC LAND.

I am deeply concerned about the unrelenting use of pesticides on our food which now invades our water systems, including rain water. I want a planet, sky and ocean which hosts life rather than killing it for profit.

Navient is a major player in the student loan debt recovery industry, with hundreds of millions in government contracts and major investments by organizations like the AFL-CIO. But an increasing stream of bad stories about the company is appearing in the media. From the despicable overcharging of active-duty military personnel, for which the company paid a $97 million settlement, to a series of investigations into the company's practices that have been launched by state attorneys general and federal government agencies, there are serious questions about the way Navient is conducting its business. That’s why we’re asking the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to allow Navient shareholders to vote for more transparency into the company and its activities. Potentially bad practices jeopardize the investments made in Navient because they endanger the company’s reputation, which could lead to a loss of government contracts and the elimination of other opportunities. It’s important that we, as taxpayers and investors, get a greater understanding of Navient’s policies and practices.

Last year a web-show sponsored by AFV, The Undercurrent, broke a series of stories on the Koch brothers' donor conference at the St. Regis Monarch Bay Hotel in Dana Point, CA, which was attended by several Republican Senate candidates — Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Cory Gardner, and Mitch McConnell. The first three all disclosed the trip in their filings with the Federal Election Commission. From examining FEC and Senate Ethics reports, it appears as though McConnell did not. Mitch McConnell is the number one opponent of campaign finance reform, having fought against contribution limits and disclosure over the last 30 years in both the Senate and the Supreme Court, most recently with the disastrous McCutcheon decision, which eliminated the aggregate cap on individual contributions to federal candidates in one election cycle. Pre-McCutcheon the limit was $123,200. Now, there is no limit. In honor of the first anniversary of McCutcheon, Lauren Windsor, the executive producer of The Undercurrent and the executive director of AFV, filed a complaint with the FEC to compel the Majority Leader to explain who paid for his stay at the St. Regis last summer. And today, AFV asks you to sign our petition asking McConnell to disclose the information. Perhaps he broke the law, perhaps he did not. But either way, the American people — you — deserve to know who is paying his travel bills as required by the very campaign finance disclosure laws he disdains so much.

The RN's at IUH are attempting to organize a union so that they will have a voice in patient care. They would like to be able to stay home when sick, which is better for the patients. And have the supplies and supportive environment they need to provide their patients with the top-notch care they expect and deserve. IUH has launched a campaign of terror and the RN's have been harassed by management's anti union tactics which have included: 1. Management illegally asking RN's if they support a union, taking them away from providing patient care. 2. Termination of an RN for union activity which is both illegal and immoral. 3. Barring union representatives from talking to employees on hospital property, even in a public space. 4. Using taxpayer dollars to hire an outside consulting firm to "bust" the union.

When Credit Suisse pleaded guilty to criminal charges last May, many called it the end of "too big to jail" for Big Banks. But guess what: No bank executives actually went to jail. Instead, they paid a fine – $2.6 billion – to settle the charges. That may sound like a lot to you and me, but to a major financial institution, that's a cost of doing business. And it’s just one in a series of settlements by big banks​ after wrongdoing when none of the executives went to jail. That isn’t justice. It’s time we demand equal enforcement of the law. If we want big banks to respect the law, they should be held accountable when they break it. We’re calling on the Department of Justice to end the "too big to jail" scheme the big banks enjoy today. After all, just because you're the banker doesn't mean you should get out of jail free. Add your name and help us stand up to big bank abuses!

Representing more than 7,000 professional musicians in Los Angeles, the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 is dedicated to improving the lives of our hard-working members in L.A. and throughout California. Stand with the thousands of professional musicians and other workers in California whose livelihoods depend upon the vitality of the state's motion picture and television industry and support AB 1199 to amend the CA Film & TV Tax Credit Program.

Eating too much chocolate: common. Overexposure to heavy metals shouldn't be. Yet, a recent study conducted by the environmental group As You Sow found dangerous levels of heavy metals in over 60% of the common chocolate products tested from brands including Sees, Mars, Hershey’s, Lindt, Godiva, Whole Foods, and others [1]. All these contained unsafe levels of lead and/or cadmium in just one serving. Too much lead or cadmium can cause all kinds of health problems, including lowering children’s IQs, causing kidney damage, and bone loss. So, these heavy metals have no place in our treats. Chocolate should be decadent, not dangerous. These companies must keep toxic heavy metals out of their products. [1] http://www.asyousow.org/our-work/environmental-health/toxic-enforcement/lead-and-cadmium-in-food/?utm_content=kflorshoe%40yahoo.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Test%20results%20showed&utm_campaign=Is%20your%20chocolate%20toxic%3F#chocolate-tables

Clear the parents, and the students who attended the Art Institutes from 2003-2011, from their loan debts. These people are innocent to the fact that their money, intended for education, had been used to commit fraud.