No one should have to bury their loved ones because of someone else’s lack of concern.

Housing can be a particularly cruel method of racial oppression and Home Owner Associations (HOAs) are often the tool. Green Valley Ranch HOA -- and many other HOAs -- have far too much power over residents and are motivated entirely by profit, often on the backs of low income people of color looking for the American dream of owning their first home. HOAs should never restrict anybody's right to shelter. Nowhere is this more clear than in Denver at the Green Valley Ranch properties. We can stop Green Valley Ranch and other HOAs by joining together and making change on the local, state and national level. The Redress Movement works in deep partnership with local communities to repair the harm caused by intentional policies to segregate communities and we do our work by educating, mobilizing, shifting the narrative, and winning redress victories. Our starting point is housing but we work in solidarity with others who are facing the facts of history, redressing harms of the past, and healing our nation by dismantling the barriers that divide us.

This week, Live Nation announced it would stop taking merch cuts at some of its venues. While it’s a start, there are nearly 100 Live Nation venues this does not apply to and many, many more venues nationwide owned and operated by other companies. Every venue and promoter must follow suit. Venues and promoters—often one and the same, given Live Nation’s effective monopoly on the live music industry—do not design, manufacture, ship, transport, load, or unload, and in most cases sell an artist’s or band’s merchandise. Fans are already price-gouged by junk fees on ticket sales. Taking a cut of merchandise sales from artists not only drives up the cost of merchandise for fans, it also creates a situation for musicians where making ends meet is even more difficult in an already predatory industry. These cuts have such a negative impact on some artists, they are forced to consider leaving the industry altogether because they cannot afford to continue with their careers. The fans come to the venues for the artists, not for the venue owner or promoter. They buy merchandise to support the musicians they love, not because they’re fans of a corporation. Their money should go directly, and entirely, to the artists.

Our neighbors are losing their homes, and sometimes even their lives, to fires, floods, and extreme heat. Cities and states are spending billions to respond to non stop climate disasters and extreme weather events. But instead of paying their fair share for the damage they’ve caused, fossil fuel companies continue to rake in massive profits at our expense. It’s time to make polluters pay for the damage they’ve done. There’s now a growing global effort to use our legal process to hold Big Oil accountable for their climate disinformation and the damage they’re doing. Cases in South Africa, the Netherlands, the United States, and beyond are already making their way through the courts. Together, we can build a global movement that supports these lawsuits and other mechanisms to hold Big Oil accountable. These lawsuits aren’t a solution to the climate crisis – we need governments to do their part – but they’re a powerful tool for us to finally hold this industry accountable. Join us and sign the petition.

For many parents, making ends meet each month is already a tremendous challenge. The end of crucial pandemic relief has resulted in a cascade of difficulties, including rising grocery and gas prices, the resumption of student loan payments, and unexpected Medicaid disenrollments. Losing access to affordable and reliable childcare is a burden too heavy to bear. We cannot afford to let our childcare system collapse. It's not just about providing a safe space for our children; it's about ensuring the well-being of families and our economy. Sign the petition to protect our children's future, support working parents, and strengthen our communities. Congress, the time to act is now.

The right-wing Republicans driving the agenda of the House of Representatives are threatening to shut down the government. This means that essential services—from making sure our drinking water is clean to keeping our national parks open to ensuring Social Security checks go out on time—could be in jeopardy. There have been federal shutdowns in the past. They hurt the economy, they punish federal workers, and they take a toll on Americans across the country. Why would the so-called Freedom Caucus and the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene want this? To push their radical-right agenda with a wish list of demands they know there's no legislative mandate or popular support for. Their demands range from making our immigration system more abusive to stopping the government from holding Trump accountable for his attacks on our democracy to voting on an absurd impeachment of President Biden. Their goal is to prevent President Biden from being able to govern—and to demonstrate that they don't think the federal government should function. We know better. And we know how many services and programs we rely on. That's why we're asking all members of Congress to say no to a politicized, partisan, reckless agenda to shut down the government. Credit: CNS/Reuters

It starts with a handful of people and small businesses that the state government thinks it can cut out and run out of business, but where will it stop? They can not be allowed to get away with unfairly competing with small business in the state and causing more problems.

A fight over the future of Maui is coming. Opportunists are already seeking to capitalize on Lāhainā and Maui’s crisis to profit as Maui rebuilds. The Big Money special interests who have held back progress in our islands for too long and helped create the conditions for our current mess can not be the ones to profit or lead us on the way out. We know that as we rebuild, we need to return the power, and rights to our land and water, to the people who give life to Lāhainā. Government and developers need to empower us to decide what’s next, and if they don’t, we will rise up together to fight for what's ours. Image credit: Tiffany Kidder Winn | AP

Each year, more than 500 million plastic bags are discarded. Most people do not think about where this plastic goes, but the truth is, it never goes away. The amount of plastic on the planet is growing. It clogs up the rivers and oceans, chokes animals, enters the air, and contributes to pointless mass production. A simple 5 cent tax on single use plastic bags may seem like a small effort, but it would benefit the environment greatly. It would help people to only take what they really need, and stop over production ie double bagging, if there is a price involved.

The United States is in a housing crisis, leaving 7.3 million low-income renters nationwide without access to affordable housing, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. This crisis disproportionately affects marginalized communities of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx renters, as well as women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. Addressing this crisis is a matter of justice and equity. Why repurpose empty office buildings? It isn’t just about convenience, it’s also about sustainability. Construction accounts for 11% of global carbon emissions. By repurposing office buildings into affordable housing, we can ensure millions of Americans access the housing they need while reducing the strain construction puts on the environment. The power of change lies in legislative action! Cities and states can pass legislation to reduce the barriers to converting office buildings into affordable housing, including streamlining permitting processes, revising zoning laws, establishing tax exemptions and abatements, and creating funding and grants to drive and incentivize conversions.

In recent months we’ve seen record numbers of flight cancellations and skyrocketing ticket prices. The way the airlines mistreat passengers and workers alike makes clear: big airline corporations have too much power already. 
We’re tired of paying up for unexpected and hidden fees. While lower-income Americans are already struggling to pay bills, corporations (like Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines) are racking up and expecting record profits. 
 It's time to subtract junk fees from our lives! We've had enough. The time for us to finally tackle corporate greed is now, and this is just the beginning. If you're tired of corporations increasing their fees and lining corporate executives' pockets, sign the petition!

Allowing students to park on campus offers a myriad of benefits that enhance their overall college experience. First and foremost, convenient parking facilities alleviate the stress and time constraints that commuting students often face, or even UK's classified 'residential students' due to how large our campus is. By providing ample parking spaces, educational institutions create a more accessible and inclusive environment, enabling students to attend classes, participate in extracurricular activities, and engage with campus resources without the hassle of off-campus parking. Moreover, on-campus parking fosters a stronger sense of belonging and community, as students can easily connect with peers and engage in impromptu discussions or collaborative projects. It also contributes to campus safety, as students don't need to walk long distances in potentially unsafe areas or during unfavorable weather conditions. Allowing students to park on campus ultimately promotes student well-being, academic success, and campus vibrancy by facilitating seamless navigation and engagement within the university environment. Further, not all apartments, houses, townhouses, etc. around Lexington offer parking for their residents, let alone visitor parking. Lex park is no longer available around UK South campus, only closer to downtown. If students need to work, drive to class, go to the store, and other basic living necessities, where are they able to park their cars overnight without being towed, or ticketed by UK? Furthermore, what about our out-of-state student population that makes the commitment of high tuition but has no parking accommodation? What about our working students that need vehicle accessibility to pay towards their tuition and/or rent? How do these students efficiently commute to their place of work in order to sustain income for their education and living? Why are these students forced to struggle as UK transportation refuses to accommodate with any type of local parking availability on campus? Why is student parking not prioritized? Why are the STUDENTS that need to park NOT prioritized?