When families expecting a child post to pregnancy websites like BabyCenter, they might not know that ICE is watching them. That’s because ICE contracts a data broker to scrape thousands of social media sites, gaming platforms, and even financial apps like CashApp. Why does ICE need to know when your baby is due, what video games you like to play, or where are you planning your next vacation? ICE doesn’t need this personal information about us, but because there’s a legal loophole, they can and do get access to a lot of our online activity. Congress must act now to close the Data Broker Loophole. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to close the Data Broker Loophole! ICE can reach into our personal online activity because they don’t do the spying themselves. Instead they contract out shady third party data brokers who do their spying for them and then give them wide access to everything they find. You’ve likely never heard of these companies, but they’ve probably already know a lot about you. For instance, ShadowDragon, the data broker ICE uses that scrapes data from BabyCenter. ShadowDragon doesn’t stop at pregnancy websites. According to their own internal videos and events, they scrape data from all the major social media platforms; gaming platforms like Fortnite, XBOX, and Playstation; review sites like Yelp and Tripadvisor; messaging apps like WhatsApp; even financial transaction apps like CashApp. The Fourth Amendment right against illegal government search and seizure needs to apply to the internet. That’s why Congress needs to act now to close the Data Broker Loophole. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to close the Data Broker Loophole! Sources: 1. 404 Media, “Inside ShadowDragon, The Tool That Lets ICE Monitor Pregnancy Tracking Sites and Fortnite Players,” September 18, 2023.

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.

Citizens have a right to have discourse with their representatives and to agree or disagree with those officials without fear of retaliation in any form. Citizens also expect public officials to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times and they expect their public officials to work on the behalf of the citizenry in a manner consistent with the United States Constitution. Mr. Blankenship has failed to be truthful to the citizens he represents and has failed to allow them an open public forum in which to address their thoughts, ideas, and grievances.

Jaahnavi Kandula is a daughter, a sister, a cousin, a friend and a human being, in addition to being Indian. Unlike what the officer said, Jaahnavi had VALUE, and an UNLIMITED VALUE. Let us stand and raise a voice against such abhorrent thinking, that Brown people have limited value. Despite the professional, social, and financial role played by Indians in the United States, we have not been able to escape racism and inequality many times, and our entire community has still quietly moved on. This event is the final straw and we demand fair treatment and for SPD to be held accountable for Jaahnavi's death. Please join us demanding justice for Jaahnavi Kandula.

Reality television is a booming industry due to low production costs and high profit margins. These corporations are making millions of dollars off of the exploitation of cast members, who are often misled regarding the mental health resources and support available to them before, during, and after the show. Entertainment should never come at the expense of the mental health or wellbeing of cast members, but right now it does. Demand that Kinetic Content—which produces popular reality shows like Love is Blind, The Ultimatum, and Married at First Sight—as well as other prominent reality tv show production companies and networks create and enforce policies to have independent mental health experts on set. And join us in demanding comprehensive mental health support before, during, and after shows are produced.

I would like for you to join to help change these rules to at least have a compromise in what should be.

This is important to the longevity of our community and to ensure a balanced and fair approach to the handling of city business, contracts, services, and resources that interface with the people in the city of Cordele. This move will allow us to bring needed oversight to the operation of our local government.

The political leaders who participated in the Insurrection—including the intimidation of election officials, the fake elector scheme, and the January 6, 2021 siege on the U.S. Capitol—must be held accountable and prevented from engaging in future attacks on our Democracy. The forces of political violence, disinformation, autocracy, and bigotry that drove the 1/6 Insurrection continue to pose grave threats to our country today. And while many of the rioters who stormed the Capitol have been held accountable, the vast majority of political leaders who actively undermined our Democracy and our Constitution have not. A large number of those individuals are current office holders or candidates for office. Barring or removing Insurrectionists from office is one important step toward preventing future attacks on our Constitution and laws. The U.S. Constitution is clear on this question: Section 3 of the 14th Amendment declares that anyone who previously held public office and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States is disqualified from holding future office unless two-thirds of Congress removes that bar. State and Federal officials have the power—indeed, the obligation—to uphold the 14th Amendment based on documented facts.

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

Black teachers have been shown to have a positive impact on all student academic and social outcomes. Having just one Black teacher increases students chances of going to college and reduces the numbers of suspension & expulsions. In Clark County only 7% of teachers are Black creating an ongoing crisis that disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable populations. SNBEI has declared the lack of Black teachers a state of emergency and has created the ABV Critical Mentorship Program to help retain Black teachers in Clark County School District. Among the program's standout achievements are the 15 ABV mentees who have successfully completed their mentorship journey and subsequently embraced licensed teaching positions within the Clark County School District. This accomplishment not only speaks to the effectiveness of the program but also underscores its pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of educators. The ABV Mentors program has also been established as a valuable mechanism for retaining both new licensed educators who serve as ABV mentees and veteran educators who serve as ABV mentors. This dual approach not only supports the growth and development of new educators but also leverages the experience and expertise of seasoned mentors However ABV Mentors are currently unable to earn CU's for their time and effort, while similar programs are able to earn credits. These credits translate to higher pay for mentors, which can increase retention and participation in the program. SNBEI is petitioning the district to allow ABV Mentors to earn credits equal to what other mentorship programs allow. Denial of credit is an equity issue that is discriminatory towards Black teachers.

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.