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 

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.

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.”

AI systems are already shaping how youth think, feel, and cope. Without regulation, they can contribute to anxiety, depression, addictive behaviors, and harmful advice. Leading health organizations warn that AI can negatively influence adolescent wellbeing without proper oversight, and research highlights the rapid rise in youth reliance on these tools. The Legislature acknowledges that algorithmic systems and (AI)-powered platforms  are increasingly influencing young people's online experiences, which can have a harmful effect on their mental health by contributing to anxiety and depression, which can result in addictive behaviors and suicidal thoughts. In order to prevent technology developments from jeopardizing the growth and safety of California's youth, this bill aims to strike a balance between these systems' ability and accountability. By addressing the increasing influence AI and digital technologies have on young people's mental health development, lawmakers seek to pass legislation to safeguard children's and adolescents' safety, wellbeing, and mental health in California. Add your name to the petition NOW!  References 1.  https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB1181/id/3367420 2. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB1181#99INT 3. https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-ai-adolescent-well-being  4. https://www.apa.org/topics/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/health-advisory-ai-adolescent-well-being  5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12621494/ (Adolescent Health and Generative AI—Risks and Benefits) 6. Revolutionizing Youth Mental Health with Ethical AI 7. AI and mental health: emerging clinical considerations  8. https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/more-teens-are-using-ai-what-parents-should-know  9. You, Daniel. “AI and Mental Health: Emerging Clinical Considerations.” Australasian Psychiatry : Bulletin of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists [England], February 2026, p. 10398562261423840, https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562261423840. 10. https://jedfoundation.org/artificial-intelligence-youth-mental-health-pov/ 

• Community Image: A town name should represent pride, not punchlines. • Economic Growth: First impressions matter for tourism, business investment, and branding. • Modern Relevance: Language shifts over time; names should evolve with it. • Local Voice: Residents deserve a say in how their town is represented.