"We can never allow this to happen again." That’s what Rep. Barbara Lee said of the 20-year long war in Afghanistan when it finally ended last month.1 Lee was the only member of Congress to vote against the Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) in the fall of 2001, rightly concerned that it would enable endless war. That authorization, and the one passed in 2002 allowing George W. Bush to launch an invasion of Iraq, are still on the books. It’s time for that to change. Congress must end the forever wars by repealing both the Authorization for Military Use of Force (AUMF) from 2001 and 2002. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal both the authorizations to use military force from 2001 and 2002! Every President since 2001 have used these authorizations to justify waging neverending war in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and far beyond. At least 300,000 civilians died as a result of these wars, a staggering death toll.2 Congress took a giant leap forward in ending forever wars and saving civilian lives when the House repealed the 2002 legislation that enabled George W. Bush to invade Iraq.3 But there’s still a long way to go. That same repeal vote needs to pass in the Senate -- and there’s still another military authorization, passed in 2001 to allow Bush to invade Afghanistan, that needs to be repealed too. The Biden administration is changing course away from 20 years of war and suffering, and that’s good! But to fully end our forever wars, and prevent a future president from using 20-year old votes to justify new military action, we need Congress to repeal both of these authorizations. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal both the 2001 and 2002 Congressional authorizations for military force! Sources: 1. Vanity Fair, ““We Can Never Allow This To Happen Again”: Rep. Barbara Lee On Afghanistan’s Spectacular Fall And The Futility Of “Forever Wars”,” August 18, 2021. 2. Independent, “Forgotten victims of 9/11: The 363,000 civilians killed during the War on Terror,” September 10, 2021. 3. NPR, “In Historic, Bipartisan Move, House Votes To Repeal 2002 Iraq War Powers Resolution,” June 17, 2021.

Every year, dictators and foreign governments spend hundreds of millions of dollars to manipulate American politics and bend U.S. foreign policy towards their interests. As America's largest arms customer, Saudi Arabia's monarchy spends vast sums in the U.S. every year to promote the idea that their dictatorship should be a U.S. ally. Meanwhile, the Saudi dictatorship does everything in its power to block freedom and reform at home. Saudi Arabia's rulers jail and kill peaceful critics, torture women's rights activists, bomb civilians in Yemen, and intervene against democracy across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's current dictator, Mohammed bin Salman, is no exception. Ed Newberry of the U.S. lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs is one of many unethical lobbyists who have worked as registered foreign agents for Saudi Arabia's dictatorship. But he and his firm are the only ones who still represent the very Saudi office that was directly involved with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Newberry's bloody contract began with a payment of $1.2 million via Saud Al-Qahtani, the head of the Saudi Center at the time. Al-Qahtani has been sanctioned by the US government for his role in murdering Khashoggi. His Saudi monarchy center was also named in a recent US intelligence report on Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi's murder in Turkey by Saudi agents, which stated: "The 15-member Saudi team that arrived in Istanbul on 2 October 2018 included officials who worked for, or were associated with, the Saudi Center for Studies and Media Affairs (CSMARC) at the Royal Court." Help take our country’s politics back from the brutal dictators who want to bend our fragile democracy to their will. Demand that Ed Newberry and Squire Patton Boggs stop working for Saudi Arabia's dictatorship. Urge Ed Newberry and Squire Patton Boggs to cancel their contracts with Saudi Arabia's dictatorship and the so-called Saudi Center for Studies and Media Affairs at the Saudi Royal Court (CSMARC). SOURCES: 1) "Edward J. Newberry, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs,” https://www.squirepattonboggs.com/en/professionals/n/newberry-edward-j 2) “Top Lobbying Firm Is Still on the Payroll of Saudi Center Implicated in Jamal Khashoggi’s Murder,” Mother Jones, March 3, 2021, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/03/top-lobbying-firm-is-still-on-the-payroll-of-saudi-center-implicated-in-jamal-khashoggis-murder/ 3) “Amendment to Registration Statement Pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended,” received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, March 1, 2021, https://efile.fara.gov/docs/2165-Amendment-20210301-140.pdf 4) “Short Form Registration Statement Pursuant to the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended,” received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit, U.S. Department of Justice, September 20, 2016, https://efile.fara.gov/docs/2165-Short-Form-20160920-634.pdf. 5) “Assessing the Saudi Government's Role in the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi,” Office Of The Director Of National Intelligence, February 11, 2021, https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/Assessment-Saudi-Gov-Role-in-JK-Death-20210226v2.pdf 6) Saud Al-Qahtani: Saud al-Qahtani Helped Kill Khashoggi, Tortured Prominent Activist https://dawnmena.org/saudi-arabia-saud-al-qahtani-helped-kill-khashoggi-tortured-prominent-activist/

We've seen what power the Supreme Court has over what happens in our country. The most outrageous example is the ruling on Texas and its basic ban of all abortions. This is just the beginning of Republicans taking control of the country state by state with the assistance of Trumps nominees. He did irreparable damage already while president and with the help of his Trump Republicans, is still moving our country toward religious control over not only women, but the LGBTQ+ community. How soon will it be before they have control over all aspects of how each and every person in this country lives? Do you want to wait until you are the next person or group they come after? We moved into the 21st century and people with a 19th century mindset is slowly taking over the country. How are we to compete in such a world? We'll lose the respect and backing of each and everyone of our allies. We are the country that's supposed to be representative of how the world should be. We are no better than the Taliban when it comes to the rights of our Mothers, Sisters, Aunts and Nieces. As a gay man, we have fought for equal rights, not more or better rights, just what everyone else has naturally. Am I as your friend, brother, uncle, nephew or son to be treated like I'm not human because of my sexual orientation? Am I to return to being denied human rights? In the 70's in Pittsburgh, PA, I witnessed first hand the not so perfect police protection for gays and lesbians that straight white men and women have. I personally witnessed two of Pittsburgh's finest come into a gay bar, go to the bar, get alcoholic drinks and handed an envelope with money in it. That was our protection. Protection not to be harrased or arrested. The owner, when I wanted to protest begged me not to do so. My mother, at the age of 91, walked myself and my husband down the isle. She was a devout Mormon and yet she loved me unconditionally. When the law passed she made this comment: Better hurry and do it before they changed their minds. Well, she wasn't far off. I believe this is where we are headed and without the support of the gay community and those who love us, we may just end up where we were in the 70's and before.

Hard working individuals and families across southeast Michigan have been adversely impacted by DTE Energy's continued failure as our sole electrical service provider for far too long. From frequent brownouts to complete power outages – citizens are left without much needed power and often significant financial loss resulting from damaged appliances and spoiled food with no compensation. DTE Energy continues to respond to outages with only promises made for improved infrastructure investment and maintenance that simply does not take place or produce lasting results. DTE Energy must be held accountable for the poor state of their system and make real financial investment to provide lasting and sustainable improvements that greatly reduce the frequency and duration of power outages.

The lives of Arkansas children and families are in jeopardy. We can not afford to not delay the start of our schools until these measures are in place.

We don’t have the luxury of hanging up on reality. There is so much at stake: Healthcare, poverty, racial equity, public safety, housing, social programs — the list goes on. We cannot let the Conservative party win and implement policies that sow hate and division and take away what we have worked so hard for. The party that embraces Trump and all that he stands for — xenophobia, racism, classism, white supremacy, extremism, snd so much more. Their top candidate is a Trump Republican who will unravel all that is good in our State, including the progress that we have made. The struggle for equity and dismantling of hate will be under attack. If you still aren’t feeling the pressure — remember that the power of a governor is immense. Imagine meaningful legislation that we have advocated for never being signed into law. Our hands will be tied. The poll results are in and show that if we don’t show up to vote, the recall will 100% happen. If you do nothing else in this stressful year, please make it voting and reaching out to others to VOTE NO on the recall. Please contact the author of this petition for details on how to GET INVOLVED and SPRED THE WORD. And vote. Vote. VOTE. Kimberly Adams roomforhope@yahoo.com 714-325-5303

In revealing that PFAS chemicals have been used in fracking here in PA, the Editorial Board of the Philadelphia Inquirer has done the work your state regulators have failed to do. This failure comes on the heels of so many others that a Grand Jury convened to look at the industry couldn't help but report a year ago on how badly our regulators have failed us. The Editorial Board describes DEP's attitude as "willful ignorance." That's putting it mildly. Time for an attitude adjustment at DEP for the good of all Pennsylvanians. Philadelphia Inquirer editorial - https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/editorials/fracking-pennsylvania-pfas-toxic-chemicals-water-20210805.html PFAS report by PSR - https://www.psr.org/blog/new-report-fracking-with-forever-chemicals/ Grand Jury report - https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/taking-action/press-releases/43rd-statewide-grand-jury-finds-pennsylvania-failed-to-protect-citizens-during-fracking-boom/

If FBI Director lied about this investigation...what else is he hiding?

Our fight for a clean environment and clean air, must be heard. Pollutants from the local waste transfer stations on Douglas Ave. have caused asthma, cancer, and other health ailments in our community, and enough is enough. We have been neglected too many years by our elected officials in exchange for them getting funding from these waste stations in Jamaica, Queens. Waste stations “fund our NYC parks” and “help the community” while they get passes to pollute our community. We must fight against this environmental racism.

Today the entire mainstream media is owned by only FIVE corporations, all of which are run by people who are invested in weapons and war. The result is a media that always starts with a pro-interventionist position and is staffed by former intelligence officials and generals that protect the government narrative instead of the truth. Additionally, it is extremely rare for mainstream media outlets to have on opposing viewpoints, especially from the left, to have debates and discussions. We need a return to fairness, truth and civil debate.

When one of the founding members of Cannabis Vision Partners discovered her mother had breast cancer there was no where she could take her mother to for a safe, knowledgeable and comfortable experience at a dispensary. This was 14 years ago. Today not much has changed. We now have "apple store" style dispensaries and not one but TWO MedMen dispensaries approved by LA city council to operate in Venice, but none of them cater to women's needs and none of them are owned by women and certainly not women of color. Women and particularly women of color are the most disadvantaged when it comes to healthcare and almost invisible when it comes to natural healing. The needs of women and women of color are not being met in health and in business. One of the fastest growing industries is cannabis and currently the community of Venice Beach is being dominated and monopolized by greedy male corporations- essentially keeping out any women and especially women of color. This is a healing industry and the need for women focused healing is being neglected and we need change. You can make a difference for all women of color who choose to heal themselves with natural medicine and not with addictive pharmaceuticals and for women who want to make a difference in their communities. It all starts with someone like you who cares about women's needs.

Join me because I know what it’s like to have your job at risk because you don’t have job protection for things out of your control. My daughter was in the NICU for 6 months and still needed nurse care when she came home. She had 2 doctor appointments per week plus physical therapy. When I ran out of vacation/personal time my job was at risk because I didn’t qualify for FMLA. Let’s help other parents who face these dangers get the lawful protection they need. Let’s change FMLA to protect NICU parents who have children that need additional support without the fear of losing their job.