The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced a new tax filing software that went live for 12 states in 2024. This question-based software will allow people to send their returns electronically to the government for free! If broadly available, this software would allow Americans to avoid profit-hungry companies that act as middlemen when we e-file our taxes. But the tax preparation lobby strongly opposed IRS free direct filing software, and it was difficult to even get the 12 states we had in 2024 in a pilot—so we need your help to demonstrate overwhelming support for the program! Image Credit: Orange County Register

The People's Hearing is a vital part of this year’s Pennsylvania Climate Convergence, taking place as our climate clock rapidly counts down. By the time we convene on October 2, there will be just five years left to avert the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated. The impacts of climate change are not distant threats—they are here, affecting communities across our state. Pennsylvania's failure to take swift and aggressive action to transition away from fossil fuels perpetuates these problems. We urge you to act now, rejecting false climate solutions masquerading as progress. This hearing should not be necessary. If you had heeded the voices of countless Pennsylvanians who have called for climate action—those who have met with you, submitted comments to DEP dockets, testified at DEP public hearings, written letters, marched, rallied, protested, and even risked arrest—you would have already taken decisive climate action. Join us on October 2, 2023, and stand with the people of Pennsylvania in the fight against climate change.

Donald Trump is a twice-impeached former president, who has now been indicted by a jury of his peers in New York and in Miami. During Trump's two impeachment trials, GOP Senators who acted as the jury prevented Trump from being convicted and barred from future office because they were more interested in playing politics and holding onto power than in justice and accountability. Trump is facing very serious criminal charges—34 felony counts in New York, and seven federal felonies in Miami, reportedly including violations to the Espionage Act and Conspiracy. They could put him in prison for a long time. And we still are waiting for expected charges for attempting to sabotage the 2020 election and inciting insurrection. It is critical for the future of our democracy that Trump be held accountable for his actions. These juries cannot be allowed to treat him differently for the fact that he's rich, or a former president, or a contender to be our future president. He must be treated as if he is not above the law.

Censorship of publicly funded libraries is a violation of our First Amendment rights and limits freedom and individuality!

We believe that these changes will significantly reduce the financial burden on residents and workers while still ensuring that the town has sufficient resources during the peak tourist season. It is time to reclaim the spirit of "Public" in our Public Landing and reaffirm its role as a community space that is accessible and welcoming to all.

We’re breathing in dirty air right now which will decrease our life expectancy. We have a fundamental right to a healthy environment. With the current AQI levels in and around the state of PA, many of us are experiencing health issues because of the Canadian Wildfires. Scientists have expressed to us that events like this will continue to happen more frequently due to Climate Change inaction. We deserve a future and that is why we should all sign this.

It’s not just YouTube. The Social Media Monitoring team at Common Cause spends every Election Day tracking blatant attempts to convince people their votes don't count or that we can't trust election officials. But the response we’ve received hasn’t been enough. We, along with 120 other groups, called on social media platforms to make specific policy changes to help moderate election lies before the 2022 elections. Instead, these platforms continued allowing harmful content to spread—to say nothing of right-wing sites like Gab and Parler that are designed to spread disinformation. Social media platforms should not put profit over corporate responsibility and democracy itself. Extremist groups have exploited the corporate greed and reluctance by the platforms to moderate content allowing disinformation and hate speech to spread. This allows marginalized voices to be silenced while polarizing voices, and those advocating violence are amplified exponentially. We must send a clear message that consumers—and our democracy—deserve better from our social media platforms.

It's our right It's our private property We should be able to have gardens and chickens to take care of our families

We believe that ZPS can come up with a better scheduling solution for Professional Development time that does not include keeping students out of the classroom for so many hours every month. We ask that you join us by adding your name to request that the Zeeland Public School Admin reconsider their 2023/2024 school calendar and remove a large portion of the half days.

More than 350 executives, researchers, and engineers who work on artificial intelligence—including the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the infamous ChatGPT—signed a statement declaring that, "Mitigating the risk of extinction from A.I. should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks, such as pandemics and nuclear war." The statement was drafted in such a way that a broad range of experts signed on to identify the problem, but the many potential solutions are up to Congress. We know that Big Tech companies, including Microsoft and Google, spend a lot of money—bankrolling politicians, funding lobbyists, generating propaganda, and hiring armies of lawyers—blatantly trying to weaken regulations or prevent them from being enacted in the first place. The dangers of AI being exploited for identity theft, privacy violations, and disinformation campaigns are concerning—and so are the risks of massive job losses, abuse by authoritarians, and the unknown limits of this technology's ability to evolve beyond humans' ability to implement safety protocols. The rapid pace at which AI is evolving requires appropriate action from Congress. We need safeguards now while there is still time to embrace innovative technology while protecting the public.

Safety of competitors at the start of the Texas Water Safari

Recent scientific analysis shows that the Earth is at a critical tipping point and needs to make a quick shift to sustainable energy sources. Installing new fossil fuel equipment is the wrong decision for the planet -- and for Philadelphia. Our city is the 28th most polluted area in the country, according to the American Lung Association's 2023 State of Air report. Local entities, such as the National Park Service, need to demonstrate their concern for the health of Philadelphians living near their facilities. Currently, the Steam Loop, managed by Vicinity Energy, provides heat to the historic buildings and the station. Vicinity Energy has committed to moving toward sustainable energy in the near future. If the National Park Service would stay on with the Steam Loop, they would eventually go green without making additional investments. Other options, such as solar and geothermal, deserve consideration as well.