We are asking Facebook to adhere to their policy of trying to make as safe a community as possible, and not inadvertently help stalkers use Facebook rules as a way to ban some members for political or personal reasons. Please, Facebook, protect your members and do not help stalkers harm them. Facebook has been banning longtime members who have never been a problem, based on stalkers who repeatedly report years' old posts and comments. These posts plainly did not violate Facebook "community standards" or else they would have been removed immediately after they were first posted. Stalkers can clone a victim's page and suffer no consequences, as has been done to Bev Jo Von Dohre. She repeatedly has asked Facebook that whoever cloned her page and whoever is reporting her from years' old posts (which she likely already removed) be blocked from seeing her, but Facebook ignores her. We've been told that it is likely a hired team is targeting a number of Facebook members so that as soon as they return after a 30-day ban, they are again reported en masse and banned. (The stalker(s) could also be people who have been removed from moderated groups for making abusive or threatening comments, and so is on a vendetta, but it seems more systematic than that.) The reported posts are often years old. No matter how many hours of work has been spent removing anything possible, going back 6 years, nothing stops the reporting of what used to be acceptable. So, in my case, I am locked out almost permanently. Soon after I return, the stalker(s) report me again and I am locked out for another 30 days. Meanwhile, I've been unable to return friends' messages or comment when a friend has died (which happened a few days ago) or otherwise participate in the community. This is happening to a lot of targeted women. I have over 900 friends and am prevented from contact with them. It's terrible that friends often don't know and so think I am ignoring them. I moderate several groups, which are now suffering from not having moderation and those asking to join again are made to feel ignored. Last year, the rules said the reported posts had to be "recent," which would eliminate this kind of stalking, but that Facebook rule is being ignored now. I have asked repeatedly for Facebook to block the stalker(s) since they know who they are, but get no direct response. When there has been a response, it's like a form letter and never about what actually is happening. I even went to Facebook headquarters, was assured there would be help, which of course did not happen, and then the stalking and false reporting continued. This is will be increasingly happening to Facebook members since stalkers and harassers have found a way to use the rules against other members as a way to almost permanently ban them. Please ask Facebook to stop helping stalkers target and ban members for no legitimate reason. (Some members have even been banned for using their own chosen name for their identity.)

When will Wendell Weeks of Corning leave Trump's advisory council? Why does he want to be associated with a President who can't even properly denounce white supremacy and Nazis? Wendell, as a former Corning resident, and as someone who had a family member in an executive position at Corning, I implore to do the right thing and distance yourself from this administration. This is not the reputation you want for the company or city of Corning.

A free and open press is a constitutional guarantee that will be taken away from millions of people if this merger is allowed. I live in an area where 4 stations will be controlled by Sinclair, who is already requiring stations to be less independent and more controlled by running "required segments" with a particular political view.

On February 28, 2017, without due notice or due process, RadioAvenueRadio.World, previously broadcasting as KVRU Rainier Valley Radio, was forced out of their studio by South East Effective Development (S.E.E.D) where they had been broadcasting globally on KVRU.org. Attempts to resolve this breach of trust amicably and professionally have been rebuffed, ignored and denied. Additionally, S.E.E.D has not shared with the public that their FM license for 105.7 is in jeopardy.

If Sinclair Broadcasting Group's plan to buy Tribune Media, Co. is successful, the reach of its racist news coverage will be dramatically increased. This is about protecting freedom of the press and standing against corporate consolidation of our local news outlets. Sinclair has a blatant history of Islamophobia, allowing its newscasters to make racist statements everyday in its uniform "Terrorism Alert Desk," which has notably used Muslims as synonymous with terrorists in its reports. The Terrorism Alert Desk is a Sinclair "must-run" that is produced centrally by the company and airs every single day across Sinclair outlets, whether or not there is something to report on.

President Trump and Republicans want to slash Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security Disability Insurance to fund even more tax breaks for the super rich. The last thing we need is to make the tax code even more rigged in favor of billionaires and corporate insiders. We say: Not one penny in tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires and wealthy corporations.

Sonny Perdue is now the Secretary of Agriculture. That means the future of organic farming is in his hands. He has a long history of working with Big Ag and has deep ties to industry insiders. We need you to make sure he hears from the American people, not just his Big Ag friends. He needs to know his job is to protect and support organic farming. Tell Sonny Perdue: Protect organic food and farming!

Despite R. Kelly's decades-long documented coercion and sexual manipulation of young Black women, including countless civil suits and a trial for 14 counts of child pornography, he's never faced legal or financial consequences. In fact, RCA has relished in the publicity and intentionally popularized an image of R Kelly as a palatable sex symbol rather than the sexual predator he is. His well-documented pattern of grooming and abusing young girls didn't stop him from selling over 60 million albums and he's even currently on an extended national tour.

Thousands of Nissan auto workers in Canton, Mississippi—80 percent of whom are African-American—have had enough. They endure dangerous working conditions, bullying by management, punishing production demands, and long hours. That’s why Nissan workers will soon vote on whether to unionize, despite underhanded interference from management. The company is already waging an incredibly hostile campaign of intimidation and pressure against union supporters. Nissan has union representation at every one of its 45 manufacturing plants around the world, except for the three plants in the American South. Southern workers should not be denied the rights that all other Nissan workers around the globe can exercise. This campaign of intimidation and pressure from the company must end. Tell Nissan to stop standing in the way of its workers’ right to unionize!

I am outraged that the NRA would air a commercial that in a very unsubtle manner advocates violence toward protesters! How does this help a country that is already divided by racist, xenophobic, misogynistic beliefs advocated by our president who should be leading by example? Well, I am a peaceful protester and will continue to protest against all of the policies I believe are unethical. I will not be scared off by the NRA or our backward administration. The First Amendment protects peaceful protests. We should all stand up to those who would silence us!

On July 14, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to prohibit U.S. military participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen, when it passed the Davidson and Nolan amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA]. [1] So far the New York Times, the Washington Post, and NPR have failed to report this news. The Los Angeles Times reported in an editorial that "the House of Representatives passed several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that calls for greater congressional oversight on how U.S. weapons are being used in Yemen," but failed to note that the House passed two amendments that prohibit U.S. military participation in Saudi Arabia's Yemen war. [2] Current U.S. military participation includes refueling the Saudi and UAE warplanes that are bombing Yemen. [3] Urge the NYT, WaPo, and NPR not to censor the news that the House has voted against U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/41278-us-house-votes-to-block-us-participation-in-saudi-war-in-yemen 2. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ed-yemen-20170715-story.html 3. https://theintercept.com/2017/07/13/u-s-doubled-fuel-support-for-saudi-bombing-campaign-in-yemen-after-deadly-strike-on-funeral/

As a diverse group of concerned citizens representing various fields, both within and beyond the arts community, we are alarmed by the decision of Delta Airlines and Bank of America to withdraw financial support for The Public Theater's work after The Public's performance of its production of Julius Caesar. The arts play a vital role in opening public dialogue about fundamental issues shaping society, and allowing individuals to consider different perspectives on challenging—and sometimes frightening—subjects. For sponsors to withdraw funding from Julius Caesar under public pressure predicated on an incomplete understanding of the production risks chilling artistic expression far more broadly and deterring creative works that seek to engage with difficult subjects. Delta and Bank of America are private actors with the ability to decide which projects they will financially support. However, we are deeply concerned by the impact that the abrupt withdrawal of sponsorship from The Public Theater may have on the willingness of other producers of art to address controversial or political subjects that may result in targeted campaigns and could put their funding in jeopardy. The Public Theater is an institution known for its artistry, imagination, and fearlessness. We urge these and other corporations to stand by their artistic partners at this pivotal time of social and political tension and, in so doing, to affirm the core values that support for the arts must imply. 1. Andrew Solomon, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Columbia University 2. Autumn Dornfeld, Program Director, Action Group Network 3. Bill Bragin, Co-Director, globalFEST 4. Bill T. Jones, Artistic Director, New York Live Arts 5. Chip Rolley, Senior Director of Literary Programs, PEN America 6. Claude Grunitzky, Chairman, TRUE Africa 7. Daisy Wolf, Student 8. David Baile, CEO, ISPA 9. Elly Brinkley, PEN America 10. Ginny Suss, Okayplayer 11. Giulia D’Angolo Vallan, Writer/Curator 12. Heidi Sieck, CEO/Co-Founder, #VOTEPROCHOICE 13. Isabel Soffer, Co-Director, globalFEST 14. Janet Wong, Associate Artistic Director, New York Live Arts 15. Jenny Schlenzka, Executive Artistic Director, Performance Space 122 16. John Vanco, SVP/GM, IFC Center 17. Kim Cullen, Executive Director, New York Live Arts 18. Kyle Dacuyan, Writer/Curator 19. Laura Macomber, Project Manager, PEN America 20. Laura Michalchyshyn, Producer 21. Linda Brumbach, Director, Pomegranate Arts 22. Lisa Kron, Playwright 23. Lydia Dean Pilcher, Founder/CEO, Cine Mosaic 24. Mary Kaye Schilling, Culture Editor, Newsweek Magazine 25. May Zhee Lim, PEN America 26. Meredith Shepherd, Partner/Co-Founder, Canopy 27. Miriam Fogelson, Cultural Strategist 28. Nathalie Molina Niño, CEO, Brava Investments 29. Nicole Birmann Bloom, Arts Coordinator 30. Nicole Merritt, General Manager/Producer, globalFEST 31. Noah Bashevkin, Associate Programmer, THE OFFICE performing arts + film 32. Philip Himberg, Artistic Director, Sundance Institute Theatre Program 33. Rachel Chanoff, Director, THE OFFICE performing arts + film 34. Rebecca Stump, Senior Memberships Manager, PEN America 35. Sam Zelitch, Social Media Coordinator, PEN America 36. Shanta Thake, Co-Director, globalFEST 37. Susan Feldman, Founder/Artistic Director, St. Ann's Warehouse 38. Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director, PEN America 39. Tanya Selvaratnam, Producer/Writer 40. Yasmeen Hassan, Global Executive Director, Equality Now