It's not total censorship, but big U.S. media have downplayed the threat of famine in Yemen, and especially have downplayed the U.S. role in the war that is pushing Yemen towards famine, with hundreds of thousands of children facing starvation. Writing for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, Adam Johnson notes: "A recent UN report on the ... near-famine conditions in Yemen ... has led to a rare instance of Western media taking notice of the war and its catastrophic effect. But missing from most of these reports is the role of the United States and its ally Saudi Arabia - whose two-year-long siege and bombing have left the country in ruins." [1] The White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 29 has become an annual ritual of celebrity-studded U.S. Big Media self-congratulation. [2] This is an opportunity for people of conscience to call out U.S. Big Media on its failure to report prominently, accurately, urgently, and persistently on the threat of famine in Yemen and the role of the U.S. and Saudi Arabia in pushing Yemen to the brink of famine. Urge Members of Congress and all people of conscience to boycott the White House Correspondents' Dinner by signing our petition. References: 1. http://fair.org/home/downplaying-us-contribution-to-potential-yemen-famine/ 2. http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/321666-media-divided-over-trump-skipping-correspondents-dinner

An important right that we have as Americans is the right to participate in our democracy by peaceful assembly. This right allows us to express our opinions and values. Republicans in Indiana have introduced legislation to deter peaceful protests. It us up to us, Indiana residents, to protect our right to peaceful assembly. We, residents of Indiana, ask that our governor and legislators reject legislation that restricts our right to peaceful assembly.

The media has begun to report these attacks on the Jewish community, almost on a daily basis. These attacks are not confined to one area but seem to be occurring all over the world.

This is a petition to protect the rights given to people who protest and assemble peacefully. I feel that this should be protected from people who try to violently silence them on needs that need to be brought up to attention. I am a peaceful protestor and my friends are peaceful protestors. All we are trying to do is utilize our first amendment rights of Freedom of Speech and Freedom to Protest.

The policies that Donald Trump and the Republicans are proposing frighten me and many of those who I love. The only push-back we have is in our right to peacefully assemble to make our fears known. Republicans in Indiana have introduced legislation to curb protest tactics, and it's up to us to protect our right to peaceful assembly.

A social media campaign called "Sleeping Giants" led more than 1,000 companies to stop advertising on the white nationalist website Breitbart.com. Virtually every major corporation worldwide has blocked their ads from appearing on Breitbart, but one glaring exception remains: Amazon. Breitbart is the white nationalist website formerly run by Trump adviser Steve Bannon. It's racist, sexist, and spreads hate against Muslims. Breitbart regularly has headlines like "Birth control makes women unattractive and crazy" and "The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage." It is way outside of the American mainstream, even in these polarizing times. It's well past time for Amazon to stop supporting hate. Please ask Amazon to remove their ads from Breitbart.com and adopt a policy to ban advertising on any website that promotes hate.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the principle that higher education in America should be considered a public good, rather than a private commodity. We believe that solutions should immediately be found to the growing crisis of over $1.4 Trillion of existing student debt. Higher education benefits society as a whole, not just individual students, and because it has proven to boost our economy, it is imperative that we ease the burden of student debt so that every hard-working American can afford college. Those solutions should include student loan forgiveness, expansion of existing federal repayment plans and expansion of consumer protection laws that protect borrowers. This looming crisis needs to be addressed - and it needs to be addressed now. We believe that we need to reform the ways in which higher education is paid for in America. Wall street continues to play too large a role in the financing of higher education, while states continue to play too small a role. It’s time that states reaffirm their commitment to funding higher education across the country by reinvesting in this all-too-important public good and getting Wall Street out of higher education. We believe that everybody, regardless of background, geography, or financial status, should have equal access to quality, affordable higher education. All too often, where you come from or how much your parents earn, determines whether you can obtain a higher education. In 2017 America, there has got to be a better way. We should obtain this goal through debt-free college for all immediately, eliminating these barriers to obtaining a higher education. We believe in protecting the rights of all Americans on college campuses, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. Equal rights means equal rights for ALL. We support the right of minorities to protest and to make their reasonable demands for equality heard. Whether we’re talking about protesting the Trump Administration’s recent immigration ban targeting people of the Muslim faith or the renewed focus on limiting the rights of transgendered people to use the bathroom of their choice, we believe that college campuses should be free spaces where everyone’s rights are protected and respected. We also believe that faculty have the right to speak out against these policies without fear of retribution. Finally, we believe in fair pay and a union voice for faculty, researchers and all staff. Access to quality, affordable higher education is wholly dependent on access to well-paid staff whose workplace rights are protected. We believe that this is what it means to be a progressive who supports higher education in America in 2017. We implore lawmakers to thoughtfully consider our demands and to legislate and regulate accordingly.

Companies like Bank of America is hiring H4 Visa holders as full time employees. Unlike H1 they dont need any sponsorship or minimum pay. All they need to be are spouses of H1 visa holders. US citizens demanding a better pay are being ignored.

The Republicans in the House of Representatives have sent nine bills to the floor that threaten our individual freedoms, the working class, and the environmental future of not only this country but the Planet. We need to take a stand to protect ourselves and the future of this country. Senators and representatives need to do the right thing and stand up for us. Vote NO on all these HR Bills.

What are your thoughts on this? Too many residents cannot afford to keep their older vehicles on the road when new car standards are applied to them. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, the research arm of Congress, issued a 2014 report saying it can find no definitive evidence that mandatory inspection programs reduce accidents, noting crash rates are about the same in states that have them as in those that do not.

Low wage workers are paying a hefty price for being injured at work. The Workers’ Compensation Law was enacted in the early 1900s as a no-fault system. Its fundamental purpose was to ensure that injured workers received adequate benefits for lost wages and medical care. However, for many injured workers, it falls short. The 2007 reform legislation tied the maximum weekly benefit to the state average weekly wage. Regrettably, it did not do so for the minimum benefit rate which has been increased in random amounts at random intervals. Low wage workers are more likely to be injured, yet they receive lower benefits. New York must act now to raise the wage for low-wage injured workers receiving workers’ compensation by increasing the minimum weekly benefit rate and, like high wage earners, indexing their benefits to the state average weekly wage. Discrimination and any form of retaliation against an injured worker is retaliation against the Law. §120 of the Workers Compensation Law finds it unlawful for any employer to threaten, retaliate or penalize against any employee for claiming benefits or about to institute a claim for compensation. Many employees have lost their jobs, had their hours reduced and mistreated for exercising their rights protected under this chapter. The penalties liable to an employer for violating this section should be increased to serve as a deterrent to violators. Denying injured workers language access is preventing them the access to be protected under the Workers Compensation Law. New York State is known for its diversity, and the Workers’ Compensation Board should provide comprehensive translation and interpretation for injured workers. Compromising the right to a hearing is compromising a basic right of an injured worker. Injured workers deserve to have a fair and legitimate hearing on their worker compensation claims. A lot of injured workers have to make long drives in order to gain access to a hearing which more often than not ends up adding salt to injury and causing a lot of inconvenience to the injured workers. The Workers Compensation Board should make it a priority to provide hearing centers that are readily accessible. If the Board files a hearing within a forty-five day period, this will speed up the whole process of determining benefits and would guarantee the legitimacy of the Workers Compensation Law. The Worker Protection Coalition aims to create a just Workers’ Compensation System in New York State. The Coalition is endorsed by partners across New York State, including: Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN), CSEA Local 1000, DC 37 AFSCME, Injured Workers Bar Association, Long Island Jobs with Justice, Make the Road New York, MFY Legal Services, National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, New York Communities for Change, NYCOSH, the New York Workers’ Compensation Alliance, NENYCOSH, the Organization of Staff Analysts, Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union, and WNYCOSH.

When my parents fled from communist Cuba to the US in the 90s, they depended on food stamps to feed my brother and me. I can’t imagine them having to decide between putting food on the table and staying in this country. It’s an impossible choice no parent should have to make. Donald Trump’s recently leaked draft executive order would cut off documented immigrant kids from essential benefits like food stamps and free and reduced lunch. In addition, it threatens families relying on these benefits with deportation. No child should go hungry based on where they or their parents are from. This executive order, targeting immigrants who entered the country legally, is racist, xenophobic and immoral. Trump’s characterization of immigrants as a drain on the country’s resources is categorically false. As parents, we must stand together to protect all kids from these attacks. The good news is that this executive order is still a draft. If millions of us speak out we can prevent it from ever becoming a reality. Please sign and share this petition today!