More than 350 executives, researchers, and engineers who work on artificial intelligence—including the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the infamous ChatGPT—signed a statement declaring that, "Mitigating the risk of extinction from A.I. should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks, such as pandemics and nuclear war." The statement was drafted in such a way that a broad range of experts signed on to identify the problem, but the many potential solutions are up to Congress. We know that Big Tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, spend a lot of money—bankrolling politicians, funding lobbyists, generating propaganda, and hiring armies of lawyers—blatantly trying to weaken regulations or prevent them from being enacted in the first place. The dangers of AI being exploited for identity theft, privacy violations, and disinformation campaigns are concerning—and so are the risks of massive job losses, abuse by authoritarians, and the unknown limits of this technology's ability to evolve beyond humans' ability to implement safety protocols. The rapid pace at which AI is evolving requires appropriate action from Congress. We need safeguards now while there is still time to embrace innovative technology while protecting the public.

Safety of competitors at the start of the Texas Water Safari

Multiple reports this year alone make it clear that social media's impacts can be detrimental to the health and well- being of children. And, just recently, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned that social media can be a "profound risk" to youth. The harmful effects of social media are directly linked to the design of the products themselves—Big Tech makes a decision to create products that have addictive and dangerous features. A survey we did with YouGov found that half of American teenagers report losing sleep because they feel 'stuck' on social media, and more than one third say they do not get as much homework done as they want to because they get stuck on social media. Pew Research Center found that almost half of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 experienced cyberbullying, with teenage girls more likely face abuse. Pew's findings also point to a significant racial component for children experiencing online harms—seven-in-ten Black teens and 62% of Hispanic teens say online harassment and bullying are a major problem for people their age compared with 46% of white teens. Yet, with each passing moment, Big Tech uses its almost limitless capacity and resources to out-maneuver and out-lobby efforts to make digital environments safer. State legislators, inspired by concerned families nationwide, are fighting to pass rules which keep the benefits of social media without the harmful effects of Big Tech's toxic business model. Yet, with each passing moment, Big Tech uses its almost limitless capacity and resources to out-maneuver and out-lobby efforts to make digital environments safer—their business model leverages personal data for profit while people pay the cost. Many of these corporations hide behind their membership in a trade association called TechNet, which lobbies against legislation to protect children. While Apple, Etsy, Samsung, Salesforce, and others constantly promote privacy, safety and security—TechNet fights against those principles. Add your name to demand that Big Tech companies stand up for kids' safety online by withdrawing from TechNet and committing to designing products that are not addictive and harmful to families.

On Sunday May 28, I was involved in a three car accident on the intersection of New York State Route 23 and Five Mile Woods Road...Honestly one of the scariest days of my life. Approaching the intersection, a black BMW drove up next to me in the left lane and before I knew it, I was being completely ran off the road and basically thrown into the tree line. The BMW hit the driver side front of my car and pushed me right off the road. I took out a giant street sign and my car landed down the embankment and in the wood line. I am very luck that I didn't hit the guard cables, had that happened the accident would have been much worse. I honestly didn't know that there was a third vehicle in the crash untill after I was able to get out of my car. The third car that was involved was coming out of Five Mile Woods Road and going straight through the intersection. They did not have the right away but claimed they didn't see anyone coming. The BMW to the left of me hit the car crossing the intersection and then ran me off the road. Thankfully everyone involved in the accident was okay. I honestly feel that that intersection needs a traffic light. It would provide a more safer route when traveling in any direction within that intersection.

My family is among those caregiving families that have been heavily impacted by the loss of SNAP food benefits. My spouse, Jon, is profoundly disabled with ALS and several other serious medical conditions. He requires continual care which precludes any outside employment by myself. We have struggled to make ends meet solely on Jon’s monthly disability payment. In January, we were notified that our monthly SNAP benefit would be reduced from $516 to $13. This cut in benefits represents a 97.5% reduction in SNAP benefits and is nearly 30% of our monthly income! This severe benefit cut dramatically increases the risks to my ability to continue to care for Jon at home. To avoid Jon's forced return to institutionalized care, we have been forced to depend upon a GoFundMe campaign to replace our lost food benefits. While our story is deeply personal, it is also illustrative of the injury being inflicted upon the many families caring for disabled loved ones nationwide. (To learn more about this issue, our personal story, and our GoFundMe effort; please see the excellent recent video and print article that appeared on Scripps News via the following link: https://scrippsnews.com/stories/families-are-struggling-with-reduced-snap-benefits/ ) I have started this petition out of a deep conviction that no family already struggling under the strain of providing care to a seriously ill or injured loved one should ever have the additional worry about how to put food on the table! Please join me in telling President Biden to take immediate action to make this crucial change in SNAP benefit rules to to end this cruel food insecurity and support low-income disabled persons and their caregiving families. Thank you so very much for your support of this petition! (and please share it on your social media platforms.)

With this movement, we are being actively, methodically, and intentionally eradicated. We’re getting a front seat to how a society divides itself and turns against those that are different. The leaders of these movements are not just trying to eradicate the existence of transgender individuals; they are eradicating anything that does not support the continued dominance of what this country was founded on. This means it will not stop at transgender issues; it will continue to expand and spread and will redirect to the next segment of society that poses the next risk to their position. And while it might seem that the concurrent attacks on reproductive rights, religious freedom, books, African-American history, and science are disparate, we know the truth. They are coordinated and intentionally designed to whittle away our power. Let’s call it what it is: political warfare. Political violence. Now is the time for us to band together across differences across cultural or societal norms, or societal norms and stand in the gap for trans people, not only in this country but all of the rest of the world. Because America's power has implications for others. And the world is watching. We've got to unite urgently and show our PRIDE. This is not something the BLACK transgender community can fight without additional support. Even if people are not trans or a member of the LGBTQ+ community, they can relate to the experience of being hidden, unseen, and afraid. We need to unite around that commonality and build solidarity around our unity. We must speak out against these anti-trans bills and work to oppose them at every turn. We call on lawmakers at every level of government to reject these harmful and discriminatory measures and to instead support policies that promote equity, collaboration, reparations, and justice for the people these policies have always minimized. These bills, including those that target trans youth and seek to limit their access to healthcare and athletics, are being promoted by politicians who are using fear and misinformation to advance their own political agendas. We must hold these elected officials accountable for their attacks on our community, and we must work together to resist and oppose these regressive and harmful policies. We urge you to join us in taking action to protect the rights of BLACK transgender people and all members of the trans community by honoring these demands: 1. Commitment to the protection and safety of BLACK trans people 2. Increase access to gender-affirming healthcare 3. Autonomy for trans youth, adults, and their families 4. End legislative violence against trans people By signing this petition, you are standing up to the hateful rhetoric and harmful policies that seek to erase us and deny us our basic human rights. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that all people, regardless of gender identity, are treated with dignity, respect, and equality under the law. We are grateful for your support and advocacy on behalf of this critical issue.

My name is Ruth. I’m a single mother in New Jersey, and I am writing to ask for your support as Republicans in Congress try to slash the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly called food stamps, which is a lifeline for myself and my three children. A member survey by ParentsTogether Action found that 44% of parents can’t afford enough food for their families, and 37% of parents reported skipping meals so their kids could eat. More than half of those surveyed said that they now rely on food banks or similar services. It’s frustrating to hear Republicans say they’ll let the US default on our debt and stop paying bills unless Democrats agree to their budget cuts that will slash away at lifesaving programs, when I know corporations and billionaires are not paying their fair share. Rather than CUTTING essential benefits right now, Congress must strengthen SNAP (food stamps) benefits and stop the political attacks against this life-saving program. It’s unconscionable to cut funding and increase barriers to access, but Republican proposals would impose work requirements and time limits that would take away food assistance from millions of families —including some children and older workers. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities points out that “Justifications for work requirements rest on the false assumptions that people who receive benefits do not work and must be compelled to do so. These assumptions are rooted in stereotypes based on race, gender, disability status, and class. They ignore the realities of the low-paid labor market, the lack of child care and paid sick and family leave, how health and disability issues and the need to care for family members affect people’s lives, and ongoing labor market discrimination.” Food is necessary for survival. It shouldn’t be used as a political tool. Our families are counting on Congress to make sure no one is forced to go to bed hungry.

If President Biden doesn’t step in, many Native American tribes are set to lose their sacred land, and more than 40 million Americans’ access to clean water will be in jeopardy. Despite a 20-year uranium mining moratorium near the Grand Canyon, Donald Trump’s administration took bold steps towards restarting operations at dormant uranium mines outside the Grand Canyon.1 Right now, MAGA Republicans in Congress are pushing to increase uranium mining on the millions of acres of land near the Grand Canyon. We have to act now to show President Biden this is an unacceptable attack on local tribes and access to clean drinking water. Sign the petition: Call on President Biden to save the Grand Canyon from uranium mining now! The Grand Canyon is the largest canyon in the world and has massive historical importance for local tribes. Though the Canyon is visited by millions to witness its beauty and grandeur, it’s also an essential resource for the communities around it. The rivers at the bottom of the canyon carry half a million tons of silt every day and provide clean water to 7 states.2 Many tribes are set to be affected by the mining if President Biden doesn’t act. The Hopi, the Hualapai, the Kaibab,the Las Vegas, the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, the Navajo Nation, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, the Yavapai-Apache Nation, the Pueblo of Zuni, the Havasupai Tribe, and many more tribes have strong connection to the Grand Canyon and still call it home to this day. In fact, this wouldn’t be the first time local tribal communities have been damaged by uranium mining. Since the 1950s, when at least 22 uranium mills were active in areas surrounding the Grand Canyon, more than 500 mines have been abandoned, leaving a toxic legacy in the communities.3 In the southwest, women and newborn babies show higher levels of uranium in their bodies than people in other parts of the country.4 We must take action and demand that President Biden protect the sacred land of indigenous communities and preserve clean drinking water for 40 million people. We’ve partnered with a coalition of Tribal leaders to call on President Biden to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to establish a monument — totaling 1.1 million acres — to protect the cultural, archeological, and sacred places of ancestral importance to Indigenous peoples and Tribes. Add your name: President Biden must save the Grand Canyon and protect people's rights to their sacred land and clean water. Sources: Grand Canyon Trust, "Protecting the Grand Canyon Once and for All,” 2021. Colorado Water Conservation Board, “Colorado River Basin,” 2023. Grand Canyon Trust, "Uranium Mining in the Grand Canyon Region,” 2019. AP News, “US official: Research finds uranium in Navajo women, babies,” October 7, 2019.

Even more SCOTUS ethics scandals are being revealed, yet the man that leads the highest Court in the nation, Chief Justice John Roberts, REFUSES to testify in front of the Senate. In the last few weeks, we’ve learned of Clarence Thomas’ luxury vacations with billionaire GOP mega-donor Harlan Crow.1 Roberts himself is involved with a scandal around his wife making $10 million from law firms with cases in front of the Court — Roberts NEVER disclosed this money or recused himself from these cases.2 This is unconscionable on the most powerful court in the county. Chief Justice Roberts needs to testify before the Senate on the state of the Court and the rampant ethics scandals. Senator Dick Durbin can make it happen. Sign the petition: Call on Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin to subpoena Chief Justice Roberts about Supreme Court ethics violations. All of the conservative justices have been at the center of ethics issues. Millions of dollars undisclosed. Conflicts of interests. Trips to Rome funded by right-wing organizations. Superyacht vacations. Spouses involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The list goes on and on. When we talk about some of these SCOTUS ethics issues, we’re not talking about minor, isolated incidents. To describe Thomas’s string of behaviors that likely broke the law, experts and retired judges have used words like INCOMPREHENSIBLE, HIDING, VIOLATION, and CORRODES PUBLIC TRUST.3,4 Over half of Americans believe Supreme Court justices base rulings on personal politics, instead of the law.5 Confidence in the Court is at an all-time low thanks to extreme right-wing rulings out of step with the American people and a slew of ethics scandals surrounding the conservative justices. And yet, for more than four years, the Supreme Court has failed to adopt an ethics code and enforce ethical norms despite a series of serious controversies.6 Elected and appointed officials across the government have high standards of ethics applied to their actions. The Supreme Court shouldn’t be an exception. Congress must act now, and that starts with Senator Dick Durbin ensuring that Roberts has no choice but to testify on these scandals. Urge Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin to subpoena Chief Justice Roberts to testify about Supreme Court ethics scandals now. Sources: Pro Publica, "Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire,” April 6, 2023. Business Insider, "Jane Roberts, who is married to Chief Justice John Roberts, made $10.3 million in commissions from elite law firms, whistleblower documents show,” April 28, 2023. Pro Publica, "Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire,” April 6, 2023. Pro Publica, "Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal,” April 13, 2023. ABC News, "More say politics, not the law, drive Supreme Court decisions: POLL,” May 9, 2023. Forbes, "Supreme Court Justices Reportedly Can’t Figure Out How To Adopt Ethics Code Amid Controversies,” February 9, 2023.

It’s important to listen to how we feel even though we are just kids, it affects our daily lives and our overall mood. I hear students talking about it every minute of everyday.

SB2593 would not improve community safety, it would disproportionately harm marginalized and vulnerable people and destroy Texas families. In the interest of justice and community safety, the undersigned Texans call on the Texas House of Representatives and the Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence in particular to BLOCK SB2593 from advancing toward law.

Наша мова - наш голас: зробім так, каб беларускую мову пачулі! Пішу, каб звярнуць увагу на праблему беларускай мовы, на якой сёння не размаўляе большасць беларускага насельніцтва ў паўсядзённым жыцці, а ЮНЭСКА аднесла яе да спісу "Уразлівых" (альбо тых, што знаходзяцца пад пагрозай) некалькі гадоў таму. Нягледзячы на ​​сваю гістарычную і культурную значнасць, мова сутыкалася і сутыкаецца з праблемамі з-за дамінавання рускай мовы ў рэгіёне. Беларуская мова адыгрывала важную ролю ў Вялікім Княстве Літоўскім, якое было адной з найбуйнейшых і магутных дзяржаў Еўропы сярэднявечча і ранняга Новага часу. На сваім росквіце Вялікае Княства Літоўскае ахоплівала вялікую тэрыторыю, якая ўключала частку сучасных Літвы, Беларусі, Украіны, Латвіі, Эстоніі і Расіі. Адным з найважнейшых юрыдычных дакументаў Вялікага Княства Літоўскага, напісаных на старабеларускай мове, быў Трэці Статут, які ўяўляў сабой прававы кодэкс, які дзейнічаў у Вялікім Княстве з сярэдзіны XVI да канца XVIII стагоддзя і ахопліваў шырокі спектр прававых пытанняў і садзейнічаў стварэнню прававой базы Вялікага Княства Літоўскага. Ці можаце вы паверыць, што зараз мова знаходзіцца пад пагрозай знікнення? Але гэта сапраўды так. Сёння як ніколі важна падтрымліваць і даць магчымасць беларускаму народу размаўляць на роднай мове: Я лічу, што развіццё мовы неабходна для захавання мовы для будучых пакаленняў, калі мы не здолеем яе захаваць сёння - мы не здолеем выратаваць Нацыю заўтра. Апошнім часам назіраецца гістарычны ўсплёск жадання беларусаў размаўляць на роднай мове і глыбей вывучаць яе. І я бачу магчымасць падтрымаць беларусаў у гэтым пачынанні. Як носьбіт мовы, каторая знаходзіцца пад пагрозай знікнення, прашу падтрымаць мяне ў прасоўванні гэтага допісу, каб яго ўбачыла як мага больш людзей. Our language - our voice: let's make the Belarusian language heard! Belarusian language is currently not spoken in the day-to-day life of the majority of the Belarusian population, and the spoken language has been assigned to 'Vulnerable' by UNESCO a few years ago. Despite its historical and cultural significance, the language has faced and is still facing challenges due to the dominance of Russian in the region. The Belarusian language played an important role in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was one of the largest and most powerful states in Europe during the medieval and early modern period. At its height, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania encompassed a large territory that included parts of modern-day Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia. One of the most important legal documents in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania written in Old Belarusian was the Third Statute of Lithuania, which was a legal code that governed the Grand Duchy from the mid-16th to the late 18th century, that covered a wide range of legal issues and helped to establish the legal framework of the Grand Duchy. Can you believe that now the language is at risk of extinction? Yes, it is. Nowadays, it's as important as ever to support & empower the Belarusian Nation to speak our Native language: I believe, the development of the language is essential for preserving the language for future generations, if we fail to save it today - we will fail to save the Nation tomorrow. Recently, we can observe a historical spike in the willingness of Belarusians to speak Native and learn our native language deeper. And I see the opportunity how to support the Belarusians in this endeavor. As a speaker of the endangered language, I want to ask you to support me in promoting this post, so that as many people as possible could see it.