It's time corporations start allowing their "partners" to have time with their families for the holidays. No more corporate greed!

As a sexual assault advocate, I believe we all have to work together to prevent sexual violence.

2015 has revealed serious problems with the presidential selection process for regional Federal Reserve Banks. First, Federal Reserve Banks rebuffed requests for transparency and public input. Then, vacancies at the Philadelphia and Dallas Federal Reserve Banks were both filled with individuals involved in their own selection. Now, with the Minneapolis Fed’s selection of Neel Kashkari, all three spots have been filled by former Goldman Sachs insiders, an outcome that undermines the Fed’s claim of independence from influence by major banks. Sign our petition now to demand Janet Yellen commit to reforming the presidential selection process by requiring that each regional Fed bank establish: 1. A public list of candidates being considered for the position of Reserve Bank president. 2. A town hall opportunity for the public to ask questions of the current Reserve Bank president and the chair of the board of directors that is leading the process. 3. A commitment to interviewing at least three candidates who are not Wall Street bankers for the position of Fed President.

Dear Friends and Allies, Building off the momentum from the success of the Soil Not Oil Conference, we are reaching out to invite you to support THE SOIL NOT OIL PLEDGE, as part of our ongoing campaign in defense of soils worldwide. (Please forward widely)

**Please add a comment when you sign in order to ensure that with every signature, a copy of our petition is delivered directly to our targets' inboxes! Most of us already know of the problems of Aramark in UChicago's dining halls: poor quality food, incorrect allergen labelings, shortages of dishes and failed health inspections. But the problems with Aramark extend far beyond our dining halls. Aramark is a massive corporation, with a revenue of almost $15 billion in 2014. And Aramark makes many of these profits from prisons, which means Aramark is a major beneficiary of the prison industrial complex. Aramark provides food in over 600 prisons and has been under fire for years for prisoner abuse: -In Ohio, Aramark failed to provide sufficient food and understaffed their kitchens. There were allegations of relationships between inmates and Aramark workers, and maggots in the food preparation area. -The state of Michigan canceled its contract with Aramark after food which had been thrown in the trash, partially eaten by rodents or allowed to rot was served in prisons. -In New Jersey, prisoners were underfed, causing persistent hunger, and Aramark gave them food which made them sick for days. -Aramark employees have been charged with delivering marijuana and cell phones to prisoners and having sex with prisoners. Dozens of Aramark staff have been banned from Michigan state prisons because of their actions. -And this barely scratches the surface; there are hundreds of documentations of misconduct by Aramark, the majority of these cases in prisons. -These conditions have lead to demonstrations, hunger strikes and protests by prisoners in Ohio, New Mexico, Kentucky and elsewhere. In 2011, Indiana’s ACLU filed a lawsuit against the Department of Corrections because of the substandard food Aramark provided. Mass incarceration exists because it is profitable. More people in prison means more money for companies that build prisons, operate prisons, produce products used in prisons, use prison labor or provide food in prisons—like Aramark, Sodexo, and Compass Group. As long as UChicago Dining contracts with any company that serves food in prisons, we are funding the prison industrial complex. Aramark makes hundreds of millions of dollars from prisons, and their problems aren’t just in prisons: -After the Chicago Public Schools outsourced their janitorial services to Aramark, there has been a lack of custodians, which leads to dirty classrooms and a lack of basic necessities like soap and toilet paper. -Aramark has been accused of withholding wages and underpaying workers. Joseph Neubauer, who spent three decades as the CEO and Board Chairman of Aramark, is the chair of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees. He is also the chair of the University’s $4.5 billion fundraising campaign. What are the other options? Other food service providers the University is considering, including Sodexo and Compass Group, also profit from prisons. In order to stop supporting mass incarceration and start supporting its workers more, UChicago Dining should self-operate its food service. Many colleges self-operate, meaning that they run their own dining programs without an outside contractor. In 2008, Yale switched from contracting with Aramark to self-operation. The University of Chicago could and should do the same because self-operation: -Ends the University’s support for prison privatization and prisoner abuse. -Makes dining hall staff full members of the University community. -Allows for direct student input in the University’s food service. -Enables the University to more effectively respond to students’ concerns. -Equips the University to provide food service that is on par with that of its peer institutions. The University of Chicago’s contract with Aramark is ending at the end of this academic year. We are calling on the University of Chicago to: 1. Commit to transitioning to self-operation of their dining service within three years. 2. Give 40% of the new dining contract to local South Side businesses in order to minimize UChicago's complicity with the prison industrial complex during the transition to self-operation. 3. Ensure that the dining hall workers’ current contract continues to be respected during any transition. 4. Provide transparency and seriously consider student input throughout the contract renegotiation process. Join us by signing the petition! -------- Sources: http://chicagomaroon.com/2015/10/16/cathey-dining-hall-hires-new-nutritionist/ http://chicagomaroon.com/2012/11/29/breaking-cathey-dining-commons-closed-until-further-notice/ http://www.aramark.com/about-us/News/aramark-general/fourth-quarter-full-year-2014-results http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/prison-maggots-food_n_5588439.html http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/07/michigan_cancels_aramark_contr.html http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/food_behind_bars_isnt_fit_for_your_dog_20131222 http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/28501-five-corporations-you-ve-never-heard-of-making-millions-from-mass-incarceration http://www.privateci.org/rap_aramark.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/prison-maggots-food_n_5588439.html http://inthesetimes.com/prison-complex/entry/16206/private_contractor_accused_of_skimping_on_prisoner_food http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/08/chicago-public-schools-dirty_n_5922982.html http://www.knowmore.org/wiki/index.php?title=Aramark http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/education/student-life-a-food-fight-over-private-prisons.html https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2015/dec/2/aramarks-correctional-food-services-meals-maggots-and-misconduct/

I was deeply saddened last weekend at the county fair by the sight of the two elephants that were forced to perform strange and unnatural acts for a cheering crowd. I saw sadness in their eyes and felt moved to do something about it.

Darden Restaurants owns and operates more than 1,500 restaurants -- including Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Yard House, and The Capital Grille. Through these restaurants, Darden employs more than 150,000 people and serves more than 320 million meals a year, in terms of revenue. As the nation’s largest casual-dining operator, Darden has a unique opportunity and responsibility to use its considerable purchasing power to improve food industry practices and support a healthier, fairer and more sustainable food system. Sign the petition now!

Comcast Quote "Our data plan trials are part of our ongoing effort to create a fair, technologically-sound policy in which customers who use more data pay more, and customers who use less pay less". As reported by theverge.com "If data caps don't improve network reliability or performance, why does Comcast now see the need to charge customers more for the same data they've been using for years? Since there's such scarce competition in the US cable industry, the answer is likely quite simple: because Comcast can." "http://www.theverge.com/smart-home/2015/11/7/9687976/comcast-data-caps-are-not-about-fixing-network-congestion" Comcast attempts to enforce Data Limits or "CAPS" to customers in areas without competitive options should be stopped. Fair options are pay per mg/usage or allow the millions that under utilize the service pay for the 1% of those that overuse the service.

Direct To Consumer advertising has done two pernicious things. It has created a nation of hypochondriacs with depression, bipolar disorder, GERD, restless legs, insomnia, seasonal allergies and assorted pain, mood and ‘risk’ conditions; and it has reduced doctors to order takers and gate keepers. Thanks to TV drug ads, patients tell doctors what is wrong with them and what pill they need, coupon in hand.

This petition is about the many slip-ups, and unprofessional actions and mishaps the art institute has created and expects the students to clean up, and to also correct the messes. Also for the important information the art institute failed to tell the students about.

With no competition for Comcast or Direct TV, the costs for services (Internet, Cable TV and Phone) are tremendously high. Time Warner can offer us the same or comparable services for almost HALF of the amount these other companies charge. Vermonters should have the right to this service, and TWC would love to provide it to us.

I live here in The City of St.Louis Missouri at Council Tower Senor Apartment, at 310 South Grand. We have roaches, mold and bedbugs throughout our building. I was invited on Vickie Darlene Newton's radio program in order to bring attention to the tens of thousand's of senior's who live in these inhumane conditions. We want the ownership to bring a civil action against these contractors in order to get the monies back otherwise, The American Taxpayer will pay! Sad!