Under the fairness doctrine, any news organization was required to provide content on political issues from both parties (or if there was a third party, their viewpoint as well). If you are a Gen Xer, you remember the show Point, Counterpoint on PBS. Instead of making a blanket statement or series of statements on a buzzword issue, evidence was required to back your position, and more importantly, all news organizations were required to allow the opposing viewpoint an equal amount of time - hence the word "fairness" - on their news segment. The Fairness Doctrine also required that news media report errors in their reporting, and to provide corrections to anything that was potentially misleading whether in print or on the air. The Fairness Doctrine was enacted shortly after WWII and it was designed to combat three things. The prevalence of "yellow journalism" where papers would print wild and crazy stories only to incite emotions off of half truths, or frankly just falsehoods with the altruistic goal of simply selling more importantly sell newspapers. These newspapers were printed on cheap paper, that yellowed, which is where we get the term "yellow journalism". The second was to combat the monopoly newly formed television and radio networks had on the news, and their potential to abuse that monopoly to skew information that was provided to the masses to a narrative that the media companies wanted to present to the masses. This law was designed to ensure the media could not use their power to persuade their audience to behave the way they wanted. The third was that in the wake of WWII, we realized the power of news media when we looked at what happened to the German people prior to and during WWII. The Germans were nationalized by Hitler’s media machine that spewed hate, lies and propaganda that allowed the Third Reich to exist and thrive; the people of Germany, because of the propaganda allowed the atrocities of the Third Reich to happen. We passed the Fairness Doctrine to ensure that the news media in this country would not be able to do the same to our people. We wanted our people to make informed decisions, not decisions based upon emotion, or fear about issues that were insignificant, or easily rebuked. The Fairness Doctrine was repealed by President Reagan, and the once mundane news networks became exciting. The first household name that benefited from the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine was a man named Rush Limbaugh. Using the removal of this law, he was able to present news, and information in a one-sided and biased format, without providing information about why his viewpoint may be biased, or even completely incorrect. He used this to his advantage and amassed a massive following and a fortune spreading his one-sided viewpoints. Some of his stories were credible, others were completely misleading. I use Limbaugh only because he was a household name. Both parties benefited from the repeal of this legislation. Likewise, even though Reagan's administration repealed the Fairness Doctrine, it was not party based, and both parties benefited from this law's repeal, as they could use the media to push their own agendas. Think about watching Fox News for a day and then watching MSBNC. They push stories and commentary that is one sided, a lot of which would completely fall apart if they had to present a counterpoint. The media companies, and this is perhaps the real reason the Fairness Doctrine was repealed wanted this as well. They could sell fear on stories and issues that again sounded very scary when you presented one side, but when the other side was presented, the story would fall flat. They could sensationalize the news, and well, make more money. Reagan’s repeal of the Fairness Doctrine likely had more to do with his former acting career and his Hollywood influence more than anything to do with political parties. The Fairness Doctrine prevented misinformation from being spread by actual news organizations. It prevented the spread of nationalistic ideology, and more importantly it required that the news media accurately report on stories that they covered, present facts that were verifiable, and provide an opportunity to discuss an alternative viewpoint. We need to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine to hold our news media accountable. This will stop sensationalizing the news and give the common voter in this country access to honest, reliable information.

The Green New Deal for Cities would provide local governments the funding to create good-paying, union jobs repairing their infrastructure, improving water quality, reducing air pollution, cleaning up our nation's parks, creating new green spaces We need to give our local communities the funding and support to act to prevent even further environmental collapse. The Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act is a great start, but the scale of the the climate crisis and the threats that it poses to the health, safety, and livelihoods of our communities demand that we go further to rapidly de-transition from fossil fuels to a green economy. Source for image: Growing Together by James McInvale (left), Breathing New Life Into America by Caitlin Alexander (center), The Green New Deal by Jordan Johnson (right). From the Green New Deal poster series by Creative Action Network.

Marjorie Taylor Greene has been associated with several conspiracy theories in the past. It's important to note that she has distanced herself from some of these theories or claimed that her views have evolved. Here are a few examples: 1. QAnon: Greene has expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, which alleges a secret plot against President Trump by a deep state of pedophiles and Satan-worshipping elites. She has since distanced herself from QAnon and stated that she no longer believes in it. 2. 9/11 Conspiracy Theories: In social media posts, Greene has suggested that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job and that evidence supports controlled demolitions of the World Trade Center buildings. 3. False Flag Shootings: Greene has commented that mass shootings, such as the Parkland school shooting and the Las Vegas shooting, were staged or false flag operations. 4. Jewish Space Laser: In a Facebook post, Greene endorsed a conspiracy theory that blamed wildfires in California on a Jewish-controlled space laser. She has since disputed this theory and called it a mistake. 5. Pizzagate: Greene has liked and shared social media posts about the Pizzagate conspiracy theory, falsely claiming that high-ranking Democrats were involved in a child sex trafficking ring operating out of a Washington, D.C. pizzeria. 6. Deep State: Greene has frequently used the term "deep state" to refer to a secret network of government officials and bureaucrats working to undermine President Trump and his administration. 7. COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories: Greene has expressed skepticism about the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, questioned the effectiveness of masks, and suggested that the virus may have been intentionally released. 8. Recorded Revenge Impeachments motions. It's important to note that experts and mainstream media outlets have widely debunked these conspiracy theories. Greene's association with these theories has drawn criticism and controversy.

This petition is to help keep our children, elderly, and property safe from by mindless and/or reckless drivers/motorists.

While parents across the country are struggling to keep the lights on and put food on the table, most lawmakers in Congress make $174,000 — nearly double the average household income. But, now that isn't enough for House Republicans, who are trying to give themselves an $8,000 pay raise, even after blocking a $3,600 pay raise to parents. For all their finger-pointing and yelling about rising costs, House Republicans seem to have little concern about real solutions to help working families make ends meet. Instead of restarting the expanded Child Tax Credit and lowering the cost of living, House Republicans are lining their own pockets with taxpayer dollars. That's why we're standing up to say NO PAY RAISE FOR CONGRESS until House Republicans give parents a pay raise, too.

Members of the community should sign the petition to protect our library because it is a vital resource that promotes education, fosters a sense of community, and enhances the quality of life for everyone. Signing the petition sends a strong message to the Village Board, urging them to prioritize the preservation of our library, its services, and the values it represents. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that future generations have access to a thriving library in our community.

Time and time again, the majority of the Supreme Court puts special interests and politics ahead of people and above delivering justice under the law. But we will not be silenced. Millions have had to wait in economic limbo —we will not accept a return to the failed status quo. It’s up to President Biden and his administration to ensure we finally receive promised relief another way. Student debt fuels economic, gender, and racial inequality. Our persistent racial wealth gap means that students of color, especially those who are Black and brown, are more likely to have student debt, borrow in higher quantities, and face more struggles in repayment. A higher education should be the key to a better future, instead of a lifetime debt sentence that limits borrowers’ ability to buy homes, start small businesses, and save for retirement, cutting into opportunities for wealth-building over their lifetimes. This is why student loan cancellation is so important.  Together, we can keep getting loud to show the President Biden that he has the power to to give millions of Americans the student loan relief they need and deserve. President Biden must cancel student debt via executive order before Trump and Republicans gain control over all three branches of our federal government.  Will you sign the petition?

You can visit our website for more information, at www.4APDF.org. Please support HB 5373 to protect pain patients and their doctors. It was passed in the House, but we need your help for the Senate! Sign this petition to help get this bill passed! The CDC’s data puts the rate of substance use disorders among the chronic pain community at .23%. The DEA admitted it’s less than 1%. When compared to 88-90% of fatal “overdoses,” which are in reality, poisonings from illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF), coupled with the fact that the last 12-month period has set a record for overdose (or poisoning) deaths, it’s clear that depriving chronic pain patients of their medication only exacerbates the problem. The overdose/poisoning rate has more than doubled from 2012, when pain medicine prescriptions peaked. This crisis is not about chronic pain medicine.

It will help ease suffering to many families, provide more research opportunities, and give newborns / kids a chance to thrive even with a rare illness or genetic disorder

The availability of public restrooms will create a significant change in the patterns of use of our park. While public restrooms are an amenity for those that need them, they also attract a well-known range of problems from substantially increased park usage and noise, graffiti, odors and cleanliness, loitering, potential drug use, and increases in nearby homeless encampments. There are many improvements needed in Carmel Knolls Park that are eligible for the millions of dollars of funds allocated for this purpose. We need to make sure these funds are spent wisely and where they will provide the most comprehensive community benefits for our neighborhood.

Trader Joe's is a company that carefully cultivates a progressive reputation. But over the past few years, we have seen the company culture shift from a workplace with incredible pay, benefits, and atmosphere, to a company with increasing turnover, declining benefits, and stagnating wages. The pandemic put those changes into stark relief as “essential” workers everywhere were asked to risk their health in order to keep the economy going. These two factors—the company’s internal changes and the pandemic—made it clear that we needed to have a say in our workplace, and that a union was the only answer to that need. A union could also bring Trader Joe’s back into alignment with its own core values, the values that had made it a great place to work and shop in the first place. Even though we have won elections in four stores, Trader Joe’s continues to union bust and refuse to bargain in good faith. Recently, Trader Joe’s fired Steve Andrade, one of the crew members in Hadley, MA for completely frivolous reasons. In his termination paperwork, management claimed that a power tool belonged to Steve, and its presence in the store created a safety issue serious enough to warrant firing him. The catch? This tool didn’t even belong to Steve. In fact, the tool was at the store long before Steve started working in Hadley nine years ago. Since we won our first union election, we’ve heard from hundreds of crew members across the country eager to unionize their stores, and we are helping many of them organize right now. But instead of allowing the free and fair elections they promised their workers, or bargaining in good faith, Trader Joe’s has hired a union-busting law firm and is fighting us every step of the way. Trader Joe’s has fired union supporters, threatened and coerced workers, and continues to drag their feet at the bargaining table. We can only win when we stand together in solidarity. Can you take a moment to sign our petition to demand that Trader Joe’s stop union-busting and reinstate workers fired for organizing?

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.)