Not based in the U.S.? Sign the petition here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-bravo-cancel-real-housewives-of-dubai/ Andy Cohen announced that the first international city of the Real Housewives franchise will be Dubai, the heart of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is an oppressive monarchy that criminalizes being gay, requires male guardianship permission to marry, and permits marital rape. Sign our petition today and tell Bravo: Cancel Real Housewives of Dubai and demand that Dubai’s dictators end their violations of women’s rights. This is urgent: filming is expected to start soon. Bravo TV and Andy Cohen are providing cover to a UAE dictatorship that hides its brutal reality behind an international image of luxury and glamour. Cohen and Bravo are packaging a nightmare as a fantasy: Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum repeatedly organized the abduction and holding captivity of his adult daughters. And, he consistently threatens his former wife, Princess Haya, who fled from Dubai and was granted refuge in the UK. Dubai’s rulers need to see accountability for their mistreatment of women and LGBTQI+ persons, not a TV show projecting a fantasized image while vulnerable communities in the United Arab Emirates are living a nightmare.

Saudi Arabia already bought billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons when Trump was President. The bombs hollowing out Yemeni towns and throwing over half the Yemeni population into starvation were manufactured here in the US. The war in Yemen won’t end if we keep fueling the fire with US weapons. Thankfully, Bernie Sanders and other senators are trying to block the weapons sale in the Senate. But they need your help and there’s not a lot of time. If you act now and tell your Senate to block the sale, there’s a chance we can stop this $650 million weapons sale in its tracks!

Yesterday, 11/8, on the PBS Evening Newshour, we saw in Kabul's main children's hospital, 2½-year-old Guldana sitting up in her bed, too exhausted to even open her eyes. Her tiny body wrapped in a blanket, only her emaciated face showing. She is, probably was by the time you read this, just one of many infants in Afghanistan's hospitals, laying, two to four to a bed, starving to death, while helpless mothers watch them die. T he United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has warned that 22.8 million Afghans - that is more than half the country's population - now face hunger – including starvation. On Yesterday's NewsHour the WFP's Executive Director, David Beasley, reported that such suffering is occurring not just because Afghanistan has suffered severe drought for the last four years, but because “more than $9 million of the country's foreign assets have been frozen by the U.S. Government to prevent the Taliban from accessing them.... This is morally wrong, he said. “Don't politicize food....All I am ...saying, is please you must understand that people are dying. More people are going to die. If you don't unfreeze those funds — unfreeze them in such a way they go directly to the people through organizations like us. The Taliban have told us: We will stay out of your way. We will support anything you need to reach the people you need to reach.” PBS NewsHour, 11/8/21 Please sign the petition . And of course, you may go to the WFP and Doctors Without Borders' websites to support their incredible work to alleviate human suffering. …

While the Biden administration has promised to take bold steps to reduce the United States’ carbon footprint and invest in clean energy, there’s one BIG piece of the puzzle that’s always missing from the conversation — the Pentagon. Here’s the thing: the Pentagon is one of the world’s BIGGEST polluters, churning out more greenhouse gas emissions than 140 countries combined. It’s only gotten worse since the start of the “War on Terror” — military activities in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria alone weigh in at over 400 MILLION metric tons of CO2. If we truly want to combat climate change we’ve got to shrink the U.S. war machine. But while infrastructure funding and a Build Back Better agenda that would invest in clean energy sit on the chopping block, a few powerful Senators are ready to ram through an astronomical $778 BILLION budget to fund *more* weapons and war. We need your help to make sure ALL our Senators hear our call: Focus on Build Back Better, not spending more on the Pentagon!

Afghanistan is facing an existential economic crisis that’s shuttering banks, leaving civil servants without pay and increasing prices of basic food items like cooking oil and flour for Afghan families. UN officials are warning that food in the country could run out this month and millions could starve this winter. One million Afghan children could die of malnutrition in this man-made disaster. Doctors have not been paid for months and hospitals across the country are on the verge of total collapse. With no access to the Afghan people’s own money or financial capital, more Afghans are on the brink of a devastating economic crisis that will only further increase an already deepening humanitarian crisis.

Texas recently enacted the most restrictive anti-abortion law in the country, outlawing all abortions after 6 weeks with no exceptions. Mississippi is taking their own anti-abortion law to the Supreme Court — a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade and put dozens of new anti-reproductive healthcare laws on the map. And while it may not surprise you that racism and misogyny have run rampant within the United States for decades, you might not realize we’ve been exporting it too. For nearly 50 years, the Helms Amendment has blocked people around the world from having control over their own reproductive healthcare. It’s the worst of a paternalistic U.S. foreign policy at work: spreading harmful ideology under the guise of humanitarian assistance. But that could change soon. For the first time since 1973, the House passed an appropriations bill that DOESN’T include the Helms Amendment. And IF it passes the Senate, we can make 2021 the year we finally wipe this outdated, imperialist policy from our books and build a world where people can create their families — and build their futures — in the ways that work for them. Add your name to tell the Senate: It’s time to #RepealHelms

Right now the Biden administration is in the middle of the “Nuclear Posture Review,” where they’ll assess and evaluate current [read: Trump’s] U.S. nuclear weapons policy. They hope to complete it by early next year, and that means right now we’ve got a narrow window to impact their findings. And although this president has long supported nonproliferation efforts, there are worrying signs that hawks inside the administration might succeed in keeping the dangerous status quo. That’s why we’re calling on activists like you. Together, let’s remind the Biden administration of the widespread public support to end nuclear weapons use and remove these deadly devices from the world. Add your name to Tell President Biden: We want a world free from nuclear weapons!

Why This Matters    In a nation built on the ideals of equality and shared freedom, Día de los Muertos offers an opportunity to emphasize unity in our shared fate. It serves as a reminder that no matter who we are, where we come from, or how we live, we all face the same human experience.    By officially recognizing this holiday, the U.S. would:    • Honor the legacy of diverse communities, especially those of Hispanic and Latin American descent, whose traditions enrich our nation.  • Create a space for all Americans to reflect on the fragility of life, the importance of remembrance, and the need for compassion and equality.  • Promote healing and unity, helping us look beyond our differences and focus on our shared existence.    The message of Día de los Muertos is particularly poignant in these times of division. It reminds us that, in the end, we are all bound by the same human experience, an experience that calls for unity, understanding, and mutual respect.  Call to Action    We, the undersigned, urge Congress and the President to formally recognize Día de los Muertos as a national holiday to be observed annually on November 2nd. By doing so, we will create a day for all Americans to honor their ancestors and reflect on the values of equality, family, and our shared humanity.    On November 2nd, 2024, we will gather at the National Mall to celebrate Día de los Muertos with cultural performances, live music, art, activities, speeches, and more, all emphasizing the importance of unity in life and death. Joined by advocates, community leaders, and citizens from across the nation, this event will serve as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and the values of remembrance and togetherness.     This petition serves as a call for all Americans to embrace the values of Día de los Muertos, recognizing that in death we are all the same, and that in life, we must strive for the same equality, respect, and compassion for all.     By establishing Día de los Muertos as a national holiday, we honor not just a tradition, but the universal human experience. We affirm that our shared mortality should lead to shared humanity in life, an understanding that transcends divisions and brings us closer together.    Last year, we were proud to receive the official "Celebration of the Day" from the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs in Washington, D.C.  This year, we have made history by receiving the "Proclamation of the Day"  from DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser, herself.  These acknowledgments mark significant milestones in celebrating the cultural and spiritual importance of the holiday within the nation's capital. The support from local government not only highlights the growing influence of the Latino community but also demonstrates a collective commitment to honoring traditions that bring people together in unity and remembrance. This recognition has further inspired us to advocate for making Día de los Muertos a national holiday, so its message of shared humanity can resonate across the country.    The time has come for us to recognize this day, not only as a cultural celebration but as a reminder of our common destiny and the dignity we all share. Let us take this opportunity to embrace our shared past, present, and future.    Sincerely,  La Familia DDLMDC      Please sign this petition to support the recognition of Día de los Muertos as a national holiday and to honor our shared mortality, humanity, and community.  #DDLM4ALL

This country cannot move forward while Blue and Red continue infighting. Something must be done. Republican Senate leaders have been known to say they will not vote for anything just because the Democrats put it forth. This, coming from a man as old as Mitch McConnell, and being agreed to by the others in the same party, is ludicrous. We did not elect them to play games. The censuring of senators for not voting the way they want them to (for having minds of their own) is also a very telling indicator that the Republican party is more concerned that their members play "follow the leader" than think for themselves. The people who voted for each senator did so for the purpose of looking out for their interest... Not so they can sit around, smoking cigars, drinking whiskey, and thinking about how they can get back at the unpopular members of their group, or play tit-for-tat with the Dems. Pointing fingers, blaming each other, and threatening "if you do that, we'll do this" makes every single one of you look like a playground bully!

No proof Biden left Taliban $80B in weapons, or that he wants Americans’ pistols. No proof he had anything to with what the immigrants from went through recently. Are they going to blame him for the hurricanes that devastated the gulf coast & the north east earlier this summer. The Republicans are a bunch of tax collecting and spending money on nonsense instead of worrying about COVID-19 or anything but this BS TIT FOR TAT trying to get an elected President impeached on trivial crazy nonsensical statements and accusations. Challenging Joe & Kamala is a mistake the Republicans of Trump will never do. The Dems have the House, the Senate, and The White House- they’ll never get this done in the Joe Cool Era.

After this story published, Gaetz sent a letter to the Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan requesting a meeting with him to discuss Novak’s communications with Adams. The allegation that a foreign official may be involved in a shakedown scheme of a U.S. congressman — a highly unusual development in its own right — could help provide a fuller picture of a scandal that has captivated the nation’s capital but where many pieces are still unknown. The allegations have been largely overlooked by most media outlets. The Novak incident is one of the many twists and turns in the Gaetz case, replete with reports of drug-fueled orgies organized by a former local tax collector in Florida, Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to a host of crimes, including sex-trafficking a minor who later became a porn star. He’s cooperating with federal authorities to bring a case against Gaetz in return for leniency. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 18. The Gaetz case has jumped from straight news headlines to entertainment. A Gaetz-like congressman is to be featured Thursday in a Law & Order season-premier. And Gaetz was also invoked in a lawsuit against the online “sugar daddy”website not to be mentioned. OK IT’S CALLED Seeking Arrangements.com or something. This is a Representative of the United States of America & he has a fiancée he is a cad, a two faced, flip flopping, silver tongue devil. I myself believe he isn’t acting like a Christian.

The reality is that the days after 9/11 were fraught and emotional — some communities came together and others were viciously scapegoated, even though they were hurting too. There was a spike in hate crimes against Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Sikh people, and too much of that unchecked racist rhetoric ultimately helped launch endless wars and lay the foundation for the Muslim ban. Twenty years later, it’s time that we address that truth. Reps. Jayapal, Omar, Tlaib, and Chu just introduced a new bill to recognize the harm that these communities have suffered since 9/11. With your help we can get it the support it needs. As activists who oppose war and seek to build a better future, it’s our responsibility to push those in power to understand the lessons of the past so that we can redefine what security looks like in the future — for all of us.