Trump's illegal war on Iran just entered its sixth month and shows no signs of slowing. A brief pause in the violence quickly collapsed, with strikes reported in Iran, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. At least seventeen U.S. servicemembers have died. At least 1,700 people in Iran have been killed. At least $100 billion has been wasted. Congress never authorized this war. More than that, Congress ordered Trump to end it through a historic war powers vote. But once again, Trump returned to the playbook he’s most familiar with — violence. Instead of demanding accountability, Republican leaders are moving forward toward a record-shattering $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget Trump can use to wage more war. They’d do it at the expense of social service programs — food assistance, healthcare, and more — that millions of people across the country rely on. It’s a dangerous moment, one that’s made it clear that you get what you pay for: Investing trillions of dollars in war over the last several decades has gotten us exactly that. It’s past time we turn the tables, which is why we’re demanding investments in people instead.

“We should invest in our hospitals, schools, affordable housing, and the real security American families need right now – not expensive wars and weapons that make us less safe.” — Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) We couldn’t agree more, which is why we’re urgently rallying support for Sen. Markey’s Slash the Pentagon Act — legislation to CUT Trump’s Pentagon budget request in HALF. While Trump threatens to bomb bridges, power plants, and other civilian infrastructure across Iran, which would amount to war crimes, Defense Secretary Hegseth struggles to defend the war and its mounting human and economic costs. The last thing Congress should be doing is greenlighting more violence by fulfilling their whopping $1.5 TRILLION Pentagon budget demand. The weapons lobby is digging in while Trump and Hegseth ramp up the pressure to pass their $1.5T plus-up. We say: No More. So we need to flood congressional offices with our demand in return: prioritize people over the Pentagon by slashing Trump’s war budget in half.

It is our duty as the public to speak for those who don’t have a voice. Long term reform is the goal and it can only happen when we pass on awareness and take action. 

Recovery isn’t just about getting sober – it’s about creating a new life. Many people emerging from treatment use a sober living home to transition from active addiction to becoming healthy, productive citizens. But not all sober living homes offer safe, supportive, and ethical environments. Without common standards and effective oversight, recovery home residents may face dangerous conditions, financial exploitation or feel pushed back into addiction. Why should you care? Every person working toward recovery deserves a chance to succeed. Residents are working hard to rebuild relationships, secure employment and create a sober future for themselves and their families. One place should not have the power to destroy the progress of years of hard work in just a few months. No recovering addict should have to worry if their recovery home has their best interest in mind or is solely focused on taking their money. When you stand with us, you can help hold homes accountable and ensure addiction-affected families have the safe environment they deserve. Safer licensing laws, increased inspections, and trained management will lead to better recovery outcomes, punish bad actors, and ensure recovery homes live up to their mission of helping people. Join us and together we can make recovery housing better for everyone.

Disabled veterans answered our nation's call without hesitation. They served, sacrificed, and returned home carrying the lasting physical and emotional effects of that service. Yet many Pennsylvania veterans are denied property tax relief because of outdated requirements that have little to do with their sacrifice. Under current law, a veteran can be service-connected disabled, honorably discharged, and still be denied assistance because they did not serve during a qualifying wartime period, do not meet a financial-need test, or are rated below 100% disabled. House Bill 1257 would modernize Pennsylvania's Disabled Veterans' Real Estate Tax Exemption by recognizing that service-connected disabilities affect veterans regardless of when they served or whether they meet an arbitrary income threshold. The bill would expand eligibility to veterans rated 50% or higher disabled, remove the wartime-service requirement, eliminate the financial-need requirement, and continue full relief for veterans rated 100% disabled or compensated at the 100% rate due to unemployability. For many veterans, this is not simply about taxes. It is about keeping the home they worked hard to build after serving their country. Rising property taxes have created financial pressure for disabled veterans living on fixed incomes, and many fear being priced out of the communities they fought to protect. Veterans across Pennsylvania have described HB 1257 as a meaningful step toward ensuring that those who sacrificed for our freedoms can remain in their homes with dignity. Pennsylvania's disabled veterans upheld their commitment to this Commonwealth and this nation. House Bill 1257 is an opportunity for Pennsylvania to uphold its commitment to them. TAKE ACTION TODAY Signing this petition is the first step. If you are a Pennsylvania resident, please take two additional minutes to contact your State Senator and ask them to support HB 1257. Find your State Senator here: https://www.palegis.us/find-my-legislator  Then send the message below: "I am a Pennsylvania resident and I urge you to support House Bill 1257. Disabled veterans should not be denied property tax relief because of an income cap or outdated eligibility requirements. HB 1257 passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support and deserves a vote in the Senate. Please support Pennsylvania's disabled veterans and move HB 1257 forward." One phone call or email may seem small, but when hundreds of veterans and supporters speak up together, legislators listen.

Children with special needs—specifically those who are autistic, nonverbal, or have significant developmental and physical delays—face a disproportionately high risk of mistreatment, neglect, or abuse. Because many of these children lack the verbal capacity or communication skills to advocate for themselves, report incidents, or articulate their daily experiences to parents and guardians, traditional reporting mechanisms are entirely insufficient.

Imagine your elderly parent is getting ready to vote on Election Day. They look up the address for their polling location. They know they need their voter ID, so they grab that. Since they have a disability that makes it hard to go inside the polls, they plan to use curbside voting. But when they show up to their polling location, they can't find any information on curbside voting. They want to ask a poll worker for help, but there aren't any outside. After driving around the parking lot for several minutes, they decide to give up and go home. They are extremely disappointed. Approximately 14% of Ohioans are living with a disability and about 17% of Ohioans are 65 or older. And they're not the only groups that benefit from accessible elections. A parent with a sleeping infant in the backseat can benefit from curbside voting; college students away from home can benefit from mail-in voting;  and polling locations that have plenty of room for wheelchairs also have room for strollers. Since everyone's needs are different, it's important that we make voting as accessible as possible for everyone.  This petition is open to all Ohio residents. The collected signatures will be shared with: • Frank LaRose (Ohio Secretary of State) • Brett Harbage (ADA Coordinator for the Ohio SOS' office)  Want to reach out to LaRose and Harbage directly? Frank LaRose Contact Information Brett Harbage contact information: [email protected] 614.387.6039 

People should join this petition because sibling bonds are some of the strongest and most important relationships a child can have, especially during difficult childhoods involving foster care, neglect, or family separation. Many older siblings step into parental roles by protecting, raising, feeding, and emotionally supporting their younger brothers and sisters when adults fail to do so. Yet after adoption, those same siblings can be completely cut off from the children they helped care for, causing heartbreak and emotional trauma on both sides. Supporting this petition means supporting children’s emotional well-being, mental health, and sense of identity. It is about giving family courts the ability to recognize when sibling relationships deserve protection and ensuring that adoption does not automatically erase the bonds between brothers and sisters who love each other. Change is needed so future families do not have to suffer the pain of losing contact with siblings simply because the system failed to keep them connected.

When Trump says it’s “not possible” for the federal government to fund Medicare, Medicaid, and child care, what he’s telling us is: There’s plenty of money to go around, just not for you. Now, a proposed $1.5 TRILLION Pentagon budget request presents a choice as clear as day — and it’s one Congress, not Trump, gets to decide. That means we, as their constituents, have a powerful say in what happens next. So you choose: Do you want our government to spend hundreds of billions more of our taxpayer dollars on bombs and bullets to sow violence across the world, OR put those funds toward expanding healthcare access, combating climate change, ending homelessness, and funding more priorities that we know will actually keep people safe? We say: Not another dime for war and bloodshed, for Pentagon waste and weapons contractor payouts. If you’re with us, the time to act is right now. As weapons lobbyists race to the Capitol to build support for this outrageous budget, we need to get louder than the war hawks by sending lawmakers an urgent, unmistakable message that $1.5 trillion is a nonstarter.

Increasing Atlanta's public transportation would be extremely important to help cut down on traffic throughout the city. Imagine how many people would not need a car to get to work or to the store because they could rely on a MARTA system that actually runs throughout the whole city. Many people in Atlanta may not be able to afford a car, or can barely afford a car. The service that ample bus routes or train stops could provide to those individuals would greatly improve their quality of life, allowing them to get to work, to the store, or just to a friends house, without the stress of automotive bills piling up day by day. Furthermore, individuals living in the surrounding suburbs would have an easier time getting to work everyday as traffic would be cut down on the highways and throughout the city. 

While sales continue, Caltrans is still able to proceed with suspicious pricing, aggressive contract negotiations, and a myriad of building code and health and safety code violations. Without intervention, these serious problems will be inherited by disadvantaged home buyers, and the costs and risks ultimately transferred to the cities and districts in which these homes are located.  Caltrans tenants feel that they are under duress. There is widespread confusion about the manner in which the law and the regulations are being applied by Caltrans and their real estate contractor, Veterans Realty Group. There is a lack of uniform, accurate information, and an immediate need for advocacy and legal aid. 

It protects children from harm and unnecessary separation Children need safety—but they also need love, stability, and connection to their family. When kids are removed without clear danger or placed with strangers instead of relatives, it can cause emotional trauma. This act makes sure removal only happens when truly necessary. 👨‍👩‍👧 It keeps families together when it’s safe By requiring kinship placement first, the act helps children stay with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or close family friends instead of entering foster care with strangers. That means less trauma and stronger emotional support. ⚖️ It gives parents basic fairness and rights Many parents feel shut out of the process. This act ensures they: • Know what they’re being accused of • Can see the evidence • Can attend hearings and defend themselves That’s not extra—it’s basic due process. 🎥 It brings transparency to the system With recordings and documentation, there is: • Less room for false claims or misunderstandings • More accountability for caseworkers • Clear evidence for courts When systems are transparent, they are more fair. 🏠 It makes foster care safer Not every foster placement is equal. This act strengthens: • Background checks • Drug screening • Mental health evaluations • Ongoing monitoring So children are placed in safe, stable homes. 🩺 It prevents unqualified decisions about children Decisions about a child’s mental or physical health can shape their entire future. This act ensures only licensed professionals can make those calls—protecting children from harmful or incorrect evaluations. 🔍 It holds the system accountable Without oversight, mistakes can go unchecked. This act creates independent review, so: • Complaints are investigated • Wrong decisions can be corrected • Families have a voice ❤️ It restores trust Right now, many families don’t trust the system meant to help them. This act sends a message: “The system should protect children and respect families—not work against them.”