Former U.S. President Barack Obama is coming to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on September 7, to receive an award for “ethics in government.” [1] Barack Obama’s career in government has a gruesome moral stain, for which he still has the opportunity to make restitution. In March 2015, as President of the United States, Barack Obama approved U.S. military intervention in Yemen on behalf of Saudi Arabia. The subsequent unnecessary and unjustified Saudi war and blockade in Yemen has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with millions of human beings pushed deliberately to the brink of starvation, a “famine” imposed by Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Britain akin to the British-imposed “Great Famine” in Ireland between 1845 and 1849. Obama’s unnecessary and unjustified military intervention on behalf of the Saudis in Yemen was and remains unconstitutional and illegal. It occurred and is ongoing without having been authorized by Congress, in flagrant violation of Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. “It’s not a radical idea” to speak out against this ongoing, illegal U.S.-enabled Saudi atrocity. Senator Bernie Sanders said on September 1: “We must end U.S. support for this disastrous war in Yemen. It is also long past time that we begin to take a very hard look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia.” [2] Barack Obama isn’t President of the United States anymore. But that doesn’t end his personal moral responsibility for the ongoing atrocities of the U.S.-backed Saudi famine-war in Yemen. The atrocities of the U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen continue today. Just last month the U.S. helped Saudi Arabia blow up a bus full of schoolchildren, which Saudi Arabia still claims was a “legitimate military target.” UN investigators say Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have killed thousands of civilians in Yemen in airstrikes, tortured detainees, raped civilians and used child soldiers as young as 8, actions which are likely war crimes. [3] Barack Obama is speaking out now about “American values.” He could speak out now about ending this war. Helping Saudi Arabia blow up buses full of schoolkids isn’t an “American value” that the majority of Americans would ever vote for, if they were ever allowed to vote on it. If Obama spoke out now for ending the biblically-catastrophic Saudi war in Yemen, it would pressure Democratic leaders in Congress push for a vote to end the war. Obama’s silence on the atrocities of the war helps to perpetuate those atrocities. After the Saudis bombed the bus full of kids, liberal foreign policy expert Micah Zenko wrote: “The only reason that I can guess why the United States continues to arm, train, and provide essential logistical support for the air campaign in Yemen, is that this support has occurred during both Democratic and Republican administrations; as we learned in Vietnam previously and Afghanistan every day, where poor strategic decisions are made and sustained by administrations of both major political parties, there is no political advantage for the party out of power to critique current policy.” [4] Obama could personally change this dynamic by speaking out now. Some Obama Administration officials have already admitted that it was a moral mistake for the Obama Administration to enable Saudi Arabia’s famine-war in Yemen. Samantha Power, who as Obama’s Ambassador to the UN defended the war, said last December, "The US is … wrong (as were we in last admin) to keep supporting Saudi-led coalition as it kills civilians w/ impunity & blocks medicine/food/fuel supplies in face of looming famine." [5] Urge Barack Obama to speak out in Urbana on September 7 for ending the biblically-catastrophic U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1. “Obama to speak Sept. 7 at UI,” Julie Wurth and Ben Zigterman, Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, 8/30/2018, http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-08-30/obama-speak-sept-7-ui.html 2. “We must end U.S. support for this disastrous war in Yemen,” Senator Bernie Sanders, 1 Sep 2018, https://twitter.com/BernieSanders/status/1036064182259593216 3. “War Crimes Report on Yemen Accuses Saudi Arabia and U.A.E.,” Nick Cumming-Bruce, New York Times, Aug. 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/world/middleeast/un-yemen-war-crimes.html 4. “America Is Committing War Crimes and Doesn’t Even Know Why,” Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy, August 15, 2018, https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/15/america-is-committing-awful-war-crimes-and-it-doesnt-even-know-why/ 5. “Power: Trump wrong to continue supporting Saudi-led coalition in Yemen,” Julia Manchester, The Hill, 12/17/17, http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/365316-power-trump-wrong-to-continue-supporting-saudi-led-coalition-in

UN investigators say Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have killed thousands of civilians in Yemen in airstrikes, tortured detainees, raped civilians and used child soldiers as young as 8, actions which are likely war crimes. Their report said Saudi and Emirati airstrikes had hit residential areas, markets, funerals, weddings, jails, boats and medical facilities. They accused Saudi-UAE of routinely having failed to consult their own “no-strike list” of civilian sites in Yemen, including refugee camps and hospitals. The chair of the experts panel that produced the report said “there is little evidence of any attempt” by Saudi-UAE to minimize civilian casualties. [1] The UN report on Saudi-UAE war crimes in Yemen makes a mockery of claims by Defense Secretary James Mattis that the Pentagon is helping Saudi Arabia and the UAE reduce civilian casualties. On the contrary: by arming Saudi Arabia and the UAE, by refueling their warplanes during their bombing runs, by providing targeting intelligence, and by providing diplomatic protection for their war at the UN, the Pentagon is complicit in Saudi-UAE war crimes. But incredibly, Mattis insists that “we have not seen any callous disregard by the people we're working with,” and so the Pentagon “will continue to work with them." [2] Congress can stop this crime. In violation of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, U.S. participation in Saudi Arabia’s Yemen war was never authorized by Congress. That means that under the War Powers Resolution, any Member of Congress can force a vote on ending the war, as Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy did in March. [3] Urge your Representative and Senators to force a vote on ending the war by signing our petition. References: 1. “War Crimes Report on Yemen Accuses Saudi Arabia and U.A.E.,” Nick Cumming-Bruce, New York Times, Aug. 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/28/world/middleeast/un-yemen-war-crimes.html 2. “US to Continue Backing Saudi Coalition in Yemen War,” Associated Press, Aug. 28, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/08/28/us/politics/ap-us-mattis.html 3. “Why Congress must vote on the United States’ role in Yemen,” Mike Lee, Bernie Sanders and Chris Murphy, Washington Post, February 28, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-congress-must-vote-on-the-united-states-role-in-yemen/2018/02/28/2ce853b4-1cc8-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html

Seth Frotman, the federal government’s top student loan consumer watchdog just resigned. His letter of resignation blames the Trump administration for abandoning students and student loan borrowers at a time when exploding college costs and corporate malfeasance are harming Americans more than ever. As Student Loan Ombudsman at the CFPB, he worked tirelessly to hold big banks and student loan companies accountable. He remained dedicated to the mission of advocating for America’s 45 million student loan borrowers. Students, student loan borrowers, and their families rely on an independent, government agency to protect them from financial crimes. Since its creation, the CFPB has played a vital role in not only defending America’s consumers but defending the American Dream itself. From defending military families to holding bad-acting student loan servicers accountable and returning millions of dollars to Americans who fell victim to for-profit colleges, the CFPB has been consumer's strongest advocate. However, the actions being taken by the current administration are hurting student loan borrowers in the following ways: Preventing the enforcement of consumer protection laws - Recently appointed leaders at the CFPB have abandoned the Bureau’s commitment to fairly enforce the law. They folded under political pressure and stopped CFPB oversight of the largest student loan companies. By doing so they have undermined their own mission to oversee the student loan industry and put millions of borrowers at risk of being defrauded. Undermining the CFPB’s political independence - The CFPB’s recent actions have shown that its current leaders have prioritized the goals of the Trump administration over the interests of consumers and student loan borrowers. Recently, the Bureau blocked efforts to call attention to ways that the Trump administration was hurting families taken-advantage of by for-profit colleges. Those in government whose job it is to stand up for student loan borrowers are being silenced by political appointees. Weaking efforts to hold bad actors accountable - The current leadership at the CFPB has completely abandoned students and borrowers. When the nation’s biggest banks were accused of scamming students on campus, the Bureau’s new leaders tried to bury the information. These actions put into question the future of the lawsuit against student loan servicer Navient. Students will be left vulnerable to predatory practices while the CFPB turns a blind eye. We demand that Congress put a stop to the undermining of the CFPB by restoring the Bureau’s original principles: protecting consumers and students from bad actors, remaining independent from any administration, and enforcing the laws that hold these values in place.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has proposed to rename the Russell Senate Office Building to the McCain Senate Office Building. There are more appropriate ways to remember John McCain. The Senate office buildings are for everyone. We can name other things for McCain, things that would be more appropriate than a Senate office building used by everyone, including Americans who oppose unconstitutional and endless wars. If Schumer’s proposal is adopted, that’s a legacy for decades. If we’re going to rename the Russell building, Paul Wellstone would be a more appropriate choice. Wellstone voted against the Iraq war, even though he was up for re-election and feared doing so could cost him the election, and Wellstone died in the line of duty, in a way, killed in a plane crash on his way to meet voters in rural Minnesota. On war and peace, McCain was a divisive figure. On some of the most important war and peace issues of our time, he advocated divisively for more war. He was an eager advocate of the Iraq war. [1] He sang and laughed about bombing Iran. [2] He championed the unauthorized, unconstitutional, biblically-catastrophic U.S.-Saudi war in Yemen. [3] He called Members of Congress “wacko” because they backed the filibuster of John Brennan as CIA director over the unconstitutional drone strike policy. [4] The Brennan filibuster was supported by the ACLU. The filibuster sought to enforce the War Powers Clause of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution: Congress, not the President, is supposed to decide when to use military force. Those are the people McCain derided as “wacko”: people who oppose unconstitutional and endless wars. McCain called people protesting Henry Kissinger’s role in war crimes “low life scum.” [5] Decades after the Vietnam War, John McCain insisted on referring to Vietnamese people as “gooks.” [6] Many Americans who lost friends and family members in U.S. wars, or who organized and protested against these wars, don’t see John McCain as representing our America. We don’t want to be at war everywhere all the time. We also pay taxes and vote. The Senate office buildings belong to us too. Senator Schumer should take us into account before naming a Senate office building for John McCain. References: 1. “McCain's record on Iraq: eager to attack,” Alexander Lane, PolitiFact, August 21st, 2008, https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/aug/21/barack-obama/mccains-record-on-iraq-eager-to-attack/ 2. “Jesting, McCain Sings: 'Bomb, Bomb, Bomb' Iran,” Don Gonyea, NPR, April 20, 2007, https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9688222 3.“Five Democrats Join John McCain to Arm Saudi Arabia’s War on Yemen,” Michael Sainato, The Observer, 6/14/17, http://observer.com/2017/06/democrats-trump-administration-arms-sale-saudi-arabia-yemen/ 4. “McCain calls Paul, Cruz, Amash ‘wacko birds’,” Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, March 8, 2013, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2013/03/08/mccain-calls-paul-cruz-amash-wacko-birds/ 5. “John McCain tells protesters at hearing: 'Get out of here, you lowlife scum',” Associated Press, January 29, 2015, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/29/john-mccain-henry-kissinger-protest-lowlife-scum 6.“John McCain Wasn’t a Hero,” Branko Marcetic, Jacobin, 8.27.2018, https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/08/john-mccain-was-not-hero-obituary-war-racism-sexism

Yemen's civil war has become the world's largest humanitarian crisis, and U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill. There's no clear stake for the United States in this conflict, but nonetheless we keep funneling millions to a conflict that has had dire consequences for civilians in Yemen.

Last year in Yemen, more than 60 children between the ages of 8 and 14 were hit by an airstrike led by the Saudi coalition with American bombs. [1] The students were on a field trip. Twenty-nine people—mostly children—were killed. [2] This type of callous disregard for human lives has been at the forefront of the Saudi-led, U.S.-supported war in Yemen. All while the Department of Defense and the Trump administration take Congress's silence as tacit approval to continue participating in a conflict that was never authorized by the House or Senate. [3] Not only has the fighting caused civilian casualties, these attacks are responsible for one of the worst humanitarian crises right now, according to the U.N. Millions of people in Yemen are on the brink of starvation because of ongoing attacks by Saudi Arabia and its allies. Our tax dollars and U.S. bombs are contributing to this unnecessary ongoing conflict. This can't continue to happen on our watch. Most recently, the Senate passed the Yemen War Powers resolution to bring this conflict to an end. It's time for the House to do the same. Tell them what you know: The U.S. is supporting a coalition that is bombing children in Yemen, and that support must end now. Children should have the ability to be children no matter where they are in the world. The reckless actions of our government and Saudi Arabia shouldn't take that away. Stop the war. Save the kids. Sources: 1. "Airstrike by U.S.-backed Saudi coalition on bus kills dozens of Yemeni children," The Washington Post, August 9, 2018 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/airstrike-by-us-ally-on-bus-carrying-yemeni-children-kills-and-wounds-scores/2018/08/09/c047e55e-bbc6-42ff-a5db-4bd2e629f0b6_story.html?utm_term=.4b7a9b57d331 2. "Saudi-led strike kills dozens of children on school field trip in Yemen," CNN, August 10, 2018 https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/09/middleeast/yemen-bus-intl/index.html 3. "Pentagon to Congress: You Can’t Stop Us from Fueling Saudi Arabia’s War in Yemen," Project on Government Oversight, March 9, 2018 http://www.pogo.org/blog/2018/03/pentagon-to-congress-you-cant-stop-us-from-fueling-saudi-arabias-war-in-yemen.html

After irrationally pulling out of the hard-fought Iran deal, Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran on Monday, August 6—essentially paving the path to war. [1] Trump has also threatened to punish businesses in Europe by imposing high tariffs on those who continue to work with Iran and uphold the Iran deal. Not only will tariffs on European companies ensure the Iran deal comes to a complete halt, it will alienate our closest allies and punish everyday Iranians by crippling their economy again. In May, Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the hard-fought Iran deal—shutting the doorway to diplomacy. Despite such a rash and dangerous action, the Iran deal is still working. [2] Our allies in Europe, who were original signers of the deal, have kept their commitments, and European countries continue to do business with Iran, while independent inspectors frequently confirm Iran is in compliance with the deal. [3] As Trump chooses August 6 to once again derail the Iran deal, he also attacks the memory of the more than 140,000 lives lost due to the U.S. nuclear attack against Hiroshima and undermines the decades-long battle by survivors of the attack to organize for a world without nuclear weapons. MoveOn members worked their hearts out to help secure this breakthrough for global peace and diplomacy. [4] We can't stand by as Donald Trump barrels toward another catastrophic war. Congress must step up to protect diplomacy and pass legislation to prevent sanctions on our allies that would hurt the Iran deal. Sources: 1. "The US has reimposed sanctions on Iran. Here’s what that means." Vox, August 6, 2018 https://www.vox.com/2018/8/6/17655470/iran-tehran-sanctions-trump-usa-nuclear-deal 2. "The Iran deal, explained in 9 graphics," Vox, May 8, 2018  https://www.vox.com/world/2018/5/8/17328858/iran-nuclear-deal-trump-announcement-chart 3. "U.S. set to unilaterally restore Iran sanctions as Europe fights back," Axios, August 6, 2018 https://www.axios.com/united-states-iran-sanctions-european-union-blocking-statute-1841e3c3-04a8-4ade-9433-65dfe38690b6.html 4. "Huge Win for Diplomacy Thanks to Massive Grassroots Mobilization," MoveOn, September 10, 2015  https://front.moveon.org/huge-win-for-diplomacy-thanks-to-massive-grassroots-mobilization-moveon-reaction/

Trump is forcing active-duty servicemembers to march down the streets of Washington, D.C. — on Veteran’s Day weekend — in a massive and dangerous tribute to his own ego. And Congress is not doing nearly enough to stop it. If we can raise a nonstop ruckus in the halls of Congress, we can spoil Trump’s ego parade by turning it into a big public embarrassment. Add your name to demand Congress step in and stop Trump’s dangerous parade.

Dear Congressman/Senator… We write to you today, as American citizens and American of Syrian origin, to draw your urgent attention to the recent media reports and congressional hearing about “a potential American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian occupied Golan”. We call upon you to consider the consequences and repercussions of such an act on the national security of the United States, as well as on its international status and credibility. In recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian occupied Golan, the United States is retreating from its long-standing political positions and commitment to the principle of the impermissibility of acquiring other’s territory by force. For a long time, the US has acted as a peaceful broker in the conflict between Arabs and Israelis, through negotiation and diplomatic means based on the “Land for Peace” Principle. We would like to remind you that on December 17, 1981, The United States voted in favor of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 497. This resolution decided that the Israeli Law to annex the Syrian occupied Golan, is "null and void and without international legal effect". Furthermore, this Resolution called on Israel to rescind this action. Our country, the United States of America, has been one of the major founders of the United Nations. We believe that the credibility and international status of the United States as a fair mediator will be greatly affected and damaged by such an act. Moreover, such a recognition by the United States would violate international law, because all resolutions adopted by the United Nations since 1967 have provided for the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and have asked Israel to withdraw from the territories it has occupied by force, including the occupied Syrian Golan. We, as American citizens, are proud that the Founding Fathers understood that if America does not have sovereignty, it does not have independence. The United States is an independent nation, governed by the American people, who adopted the Constitution and created the government. They elect their representatives and make their own laws. We all remember and respect the principle established by our Founding Fathers, which states “OURS IS A GOVERNMENT OF LAWS NOT OF MEN”. We, as American citizens and American of Syrian origin are presenting our plea, asking you to think carefully before taking any action concerning the rights of another sovereign state, which damages the image of the United States as a great nation that respects and adheres to the principles of the American Constitution and international law. We count on your wisdom not to provide terrorist groups with a new pretext to further fuel violent extremism. The national interests of the United States of America will be preserved as long as our Government abides by international law and the legal and moral principles on which this great country was founded. Respectfully, American Citizen and Syrian American Citizen

EVELYN ANITE PETITION The Common League of the Uganda Diaspora (CLOUD), a pressure group for the defense of human rights and promotion of democracy in Uganda by Uganda Diaspora activists, is pressuring the Fletcher School/Tufts University to discontinue Evelyn Anite, Uganda’s Minister of State for Investment and Privatization. Anite, an infamous Uganda dictatorial regime official and a Museveni sycophant par excellence, is attending one of the few residence course durations for this Master’s degree (GMAP), which is mostly accomplished in the candidate’s home country online. It is incomprehensible that a premier institute of international affairs in the free democratic world the Fletcher school is cam admit a poster girl of dictatorship from Uganda. International affairs in the free world postulate that democracies do not go to war with each other. Hence, it is critical that each country in the world is democratized so the world can enjoy a true democratic peace sufficient for development and human progress. Moreover, it is as well unthinkable that the Fletcher School can be so socio-politically insensitive in this era of institutional bottom line consideration. Ugandans in the Diaspora demand that Evelyn Anite be discontinued from the Fletcher School of Tufts University so that the agents of dictatorship in Uganda can take heed that there can be global consequences whenever they act against democracy in Uganda. We have no issues with Evelyn Anite as an individual but her reprehensible actions and utterances, which have emboldened dictatorship in Uganda. If she is left scot free then the university shall have undermined democratization in Uganda as well as global democratic peace. Please help sign this petition and pressure the Fletcher school to discontinue Evelyn Anite

I am abjectly horrified and deeply afraid for my country's ideals and the protection of our democracy after Trump's remarks and behavior at Helsinki. I feel we, as a country, are at a tipping point if not strong voices object to this visit. It's too much.

President Donald Trump has a proven track record of revealing United States intelligence to Russian officials and trying to circumvent US sanctions against Russia through secret communications with Russian oligarchs, officials, and Vladimir Putin. His unprecedented secret one-on-one meeting with Putin at Helsinki has resulted in Russian claims that he has made verbal agreements to actions that Congress and the American People have no knowledge of, nor gave him the authority to agree to. He has conducted himself recklessly and incompetently and has endangered the security, moral stature, and economic security of the Unites States and its Allies. The deadline for this Petition is July 31, 2018.