Florida Gov. Rick Scott just wrongfully removed the first Black woman State's Attorney in Florida's history from a key case after she heroically pledged not to use the death penalty. Aramis Ayala ran on a daring platform committing to real change for our communities. Her bold move is a direct response to the voters who put her in office, and shows the kind of leadership we need to see from prosecutors across the country. And Gov. Scott is sending a scary and unfair message: the voters’ choice in who they elect to serve real justice does not matter.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently seemed to suggest that a pre-emptive U.S. bombing of North Korea was an option "on the table." [1] As the Los Angeles Times editorial board stated, such dangerous saber-rattling isn't the answer to our problems with North Korea. Yet while claiming that "all options are on the table," Tillerson seemed to be ruling out the only realistic option: negotiations. [2] As the Christian Science Monitor noted, China has made a plausible proposal to re-start negotiations: North Korea would suspend its nuclear and missile tests in return for the U.S. and South Korea halting their annual joint military exercises. Unfortunately, Washington dismissed the Chinese proposal out of hand. [3] Urge your representatives in Congress to speak up for realistic diplomacy with China and North Korea to de-escalate tensions in Korea by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-tillerson-asia-20170317-story.html 2. http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-tillerson-korea-20170317-story.html 3. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2017/0320/North-Korea-s-nuclear-threat-Where-do-the-US-and-China-go-from-here

Florida Gov. Rick Scott just wrongfully removed the first Black woman state attorney in Florida's history from a key case after she heroically pledged not to use the death penalty. Aramis Ayala ran on a daring platform committing to real change for our communities. Her bold move is a direct response to the voters who put her in office, and shows the kind of leadership we need to see from prosecutors across the country. And Gov. Scott is sending a scary and unfair message: the voters’ choice in who they elect to serve real justice does not matter.

I am a transgender woman who has faced workplace discrimination on many occasions over issues regarding the bathroom. I have been targeted for violence because I am transgender and I have been harassed and even raped throughout the course of my life. 100% of the rhetoric, bigotry, and ostrication toward transgender people , comes from "personal" belief rather than evidence, and only justifiable by"religious reasoning" this is why the hateful rhetoric toward the transgender bathroom issue was started in Houston, by five VERY RELIGIOUS pastors... long before north carolina. People have a right to believe whatever they want to believe. It's their civil and human right, as long as they obey the secular law of the land. However they do not have the right to take away the civil and human rights of others because of their belief. The responsibility of the government is to protect its citizens from real threats that there is evidence for not imagined ones that there is absolutely zero evidence for. And separation of church and state is tantamount which is why it's the very first amendment.

On March 20, 2017, FBI Director James Comey testified that there were no wiretaps on candidate Trump, either by the US or any other party. While reaffirming, it was neither necessary or cost-prohibitive. Instead of getting the answer directly, President Trump decided it was better to waste taxpayer dollars demanding an investigation into the fictitious story that he himself has promoted. We are here to tell President Trump that he needs to stop burdening his citizens with baseless accusations/distractions and instead focus on the job improving the well-being of all within the US. We demand he apologize, publicly, to former President Obama.

We are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Maryland residents who stand in support of the Maryland Trust Act, a policy that would promote safety for all Maryland residents. We are signing this petition because there is a small but vocal group of Asian Americans in Maryland who have been speaking out in opposition to the Maryland Trust Act. We write to say that they do not speak for all Maryland AAPIs.

'Access' to healthcare means nothing when you cannot afford it. Changes to our healthcare system over the years have helped some while hurting others, and the plans currently proposed to replace the ACA will just continue that cycle of inadequacy. Now is the time to push for a Medicare-for-All system which takes the economic burden of providing healthcare off of employers, gives employees the freedom to pursue career opportunities without losing their insurance, and ensures that every American will feel secure in the fact that they can get the medical care they need without facing the prospect of financial catastrophe.

Yesterday, FBI Director James Comey confirmed that the president of the United States and his associates are the subject of an active criminal investigation regarding "possible connections between President Trump’s campaign and Russia’s efforts to sabotage" November's election—to benefit Trump. These allegations are remarkably serious. So serious that earlier today Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stood on the floor of the U.S. Senate to call for a delay on confirmation of Trump's Supreme Court nominee until this issue has been fully investigated. How can Congress, in good conscience, agree to further Trump's agenda amid such serious allegations regarding possible illegal collusion with Russia? The answer is simple: It can't. There's no other way to characterize this breaking news: The legitimacy of Trump's presidency and his entire administration is in question. And with so much yet unknown, Congress cannot consider Trump's agenda, especially the lifetime appointment of Neil Gorsuch. That's why it's imperative that Congress halt every piece of the Trump agenda—and that the Senate heed Sen. Schumer's call to stop Supreme Court confirmation hearings—until a full and independent investigation has been conducted. Deliver a simple three-word message to Congress: Shut it down.

Meals on Wheels is under the knife. The program expects to be "significantly and negatively impacted" if Donald Trump's budget is enacted and it loses funding from the federal government. Trump's cruel and inhumane budget will be moving through Congress in the coming weeks and months. Meals on Wheels—which provides nutritious meals and a caring presence for millions of American seniors—needs to be protected.

The Columbia River is a breathtaking sight. It's a huge part of what makes Astoria such a wonderful place to live. Over 7 years have passed since the "completion" of the Riverfront Vision Plan yet many zones have not seen implementation of said plan- leaving them vulnerable to development that spites the very plan the city of Astoria and its residents worked so hard to agree upon. Over the past few years, more and more hotels (and their expansions) are popping up along the river- blocking the view from the hill, much of downtown, and the river walk. Currently, developers are buying up properties with plans to build more. We are at the risk of losing what little open space we have left. Astorians, let's make it clear to City of Astoria officials that locals want to see the RVP completed sooner, not later.

AMHP has been at the forefront of ensuring that Americans are aware of and connected to health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and this new proposal will undermine many of the gains made over these past four open enrollment cycles. An estimated 22 million Americans will lose their health care coverage. There will also be a reduction in coverage for our most vulnerable populations—including those suffering from addiction and mental illness. Promoting affordable and attainable healthcare coverage for all Americans has been a top priority for AMHP. As an organization that represents over 2,000 health professionals and students, we are committed to keeping the ACA's protections in place.

The idea that the people who knowingly kept a person inside a hot shower until said person died are not guilty of said person's death is preposterous and is not justice, and we the people have both the right and the responsibility to demand justice.