Three important Congressional initiatives are happening this week to support diplomacy to reduce violence in the Middle East. Reps. Conyers, Moulton, and Walz are circulating a letter to support the Administration's diplomatic efforts for a cease-fire in Syria's civil war and the restoration of international humanitarian aid in Syria. The letter also calls for the Administration to extend these efforts to restoring the cease-fire and the political talks with Houthi rebels in Yemen and to restoring the cease-fire and political talks between the Turkish government and Kurdish rebels in Turkey. Restoration of the peace process between the Turkish government and Kurdish rebels in Turkey, necessary to reduce needless suffering for civilians in Turkey, is also widely seen as necessary to help end the Syrian civil war, because the Turkish-Kurdish conflict in Turkey is now entangled with a Turkish-Kurdish conflict in Syria. Senators Murphy, Paul, Franken, and Lee have introduced a bill to disapprove the Saudi arms deal (SJ Res 39). Representatives Lieu and Mulvaney have introduced a companion bill in the House (HJ Res 98). Congressional support of these bills will put pressure on the Saudis to agree to restore the cease-fire and talks for a political and diplomatic resolution of the war between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels in Yemen. Urge your Representative and Senators to support these Congressional initiatives in support of diplomacy to reduce violence in the Middle East by signing our petition.

Terence Crutcher needed help. But instead, he got a bullet. On Friday night, Terence, a father of four, was on his way home from class at Tulsa Community College when his car stalled in the middle of the road. Someone called the police. And instead of helping him, officers jumped out of their vehicles with guns drawn while helicopters circled in the sky filming the entire incident. The officers in the helicopter can be heard on video saying, "That looks like a bad dude, too. Probably on something." Terence died because he was Black. There's no other reason for someone to be killed by police when they are unarmed, walking slowly away with their hands up. He posed absolutely no threat. To make matters worse, after Officer Betty Shelby killed him, Tulsa Police let Terence Crutcher bleed out on the street. He died in the hospital a few hours later. This kind of continued disregard for Black life is enraging. Officer Betty Shelby killed someone. She should not be on administrative leave, sitting at home collecting a paycheck. Terence Crutcher's family and local activists in Tulsa are calling for Officer Shelby to be arrested and criminally charged. Let's join them and make sure this officer is held accountable.

I feel the officers involved in killing this man, violated his rights to due process and this man didn't pose a threat to the officers who taised and shot him dead. I feel the officers involved shouldn't be paid when they were put on administrative leave.

All animals have a special place in my heart.

Embedded in the serious news stories that have occurred in the past 48 hours, US federal prosecutors have announced what we always knew to be true -- Governor Christie was aware of the political retribution taking place in Fort Lee, failed to stop high level members of his administration and then proceeded to cover it up through deceit. Our constitution allows for action. Urge the Assembly to initiate impeachment proceedings and hold Governor Christie accountable to his constituents! Source: 1. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/09/20/nyregion/bridgegate-trial.html

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has done immeasurable harm to the colleges it accredits. It has a corporate agenda that seeks to downsize public education, pushing immigrant, low-income and marginalized students out of higher education. It was the ACCJC that shut down Compton Community College which served a largely African-American population. Now they are trying to shut down City College of San Francisco despite the fact that CCSF’s academic performance placed it close to the top of California’s 113 community colleges. Their attempt to shutter CCSF is not about accreditation standards. Their political agenda must be stopped. The US Department of Education has denied the ACCJC its routine five-year re-authorization and put them on probation, to be reviewed this December. A major issue in their review with be their “acceptance” by the community. Please let the DOE know what you think! Sign this petition! For more information: www.saveccsf.org Rep. Nancy Pelosi urges U.S. Secretary of Education John King to deny the Accrediting Committee for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) its role as a recognized accreditor, saying it has shown no evidence of being a “quality, fair or reliable” in a letter also signed by Bay Area Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jackie Speier. http://politi.co/2cQi6Rd

Although his administration signed the UNCRC, President Bill Clinton never pushed the Senate for ratification. Nor did George W. Bush. At a debate on youth issues a month before the 2008 election, then candidate Obama said: “It’s embarrassing to find ourselves in the company of Somalia, a lawless land. I will review this and other treaties to ensure the United States resumes its global leadership in human rights.” (At the time there were only two countries that had not ratified because South Sudan was not yet an independent nation. These two nations have since ratified the treaty.) It is now 2025. Thirteen years have passed. Unfortunately, President Obama has not acted, despite this campaign pledge. President Trump has not acted, as well. The Convention outlines the basic human rights that children everywhere should enjoy, among them the rights to survival, to develop to the fullest and to protection from harmful influences, abuse and exploitation. How am I affected? I am a German citizen who is the father of two young children who are US citizens. Because of US immigration law, I must periodically return to my home country. While I was abroad, in 2014, I was neither able to write to my children or to talk to them via telephone or Skype for over nine months. I am back in Germany again, only to find myself in the same situation. No contact for three months now. Among many essential rights outlined in the convention, there are two articles who could help my girl and my boy since they emphasize the importance of frequent contact between children and their parents: Article 9 (Separation from parents): Children have the right to live with their fit parents. Children whose parents do not live together have the right to stay in contact with both parents, unless this might hurt the child. Article 10 (Family reunification): Families whose members live in different countries should be allowed to move between those countries so that parents and children can stay in contact, or get back together as a family. There is a troubling lack of awareness of and education on child protection issues. However, these issues do not receive any media attention in the U.S. Our leaders like to say the U.S. is the world leader on human rights. That claim is undermined by its failure to join the rest of the world in ratifying this convention. This needs to stop. We owe it to our children. President Obama, please ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child .. because it is the most successful human rights treaty in human history! https://www.facebook.com/UNCRCPetitionUS/ https://www.twitter.com/UN_CRC/

We as fans think that Kabron Ellison wasn't treated fairly, and needs to be back on the team.

Swimmers were killed by boat propellers in Lanikai (2016); Lana'i (2011); and Maui just to name a few recent deaths by props. Additionally a Kaua'i paddler was so badly injured we thought he would die and on Sept 17th a paddler was critically injured again. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. #propguards

Recently, along with millions of other New Yorkers, I received an emergency text message alert that left out any details of a suspect--other than name and age--asking for the public's help: WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-year-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen." As a New Yorker, I am deeply concerned for our public safety--and criminals threatening our immediate well-being must be caught. But by only providing a name and an age, I was left with the impression that any brown or Muslim man between 25-35 years old could be mistaken for the suspect. Will you join me in holding the federal government accountable for reinforcing dangerous profiling in the Wireless Emergency Alerts system? As a Muslim, I face my own personal dangers from profiling. And with one presidential candidate actually advocating for police to begin racially profiling Muslims living in the United States--sowing fear of all Muslim people into this election--I am compelled more than ever to put an end to this dangerous trend. The WEA system can be critical in giving the public a platform to help catch wanted suspects who may be an imminent threat to public safety, but the potential is there to create a dangerous situation for any person loosely matching a description. The government could build in training requirements for all certified "Alert Operators" of the WAE system--typically federal agencies, as well as state and local government authorities--to avoid language that would lead to dangerous racial profiling and to provide clearer guidelines for when and how the WEA can be used. Join me in holding the Federal Communications Commission, Department of Homeland Security, and Federal Emergency Management Agency accountable for risking dangerous profiling.

The Clean Water Act has been critical in cleaning up America’s waterways, but two Supreme Court decisions have left our small streams and wetlands vulnerable to toxic dumping. Fortunately, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Clean Water Rule restores important pollution protections to these waterways, which impact the drinking water of 1 in 3 Americans, support businesses and recreation, and provide homes for wildlife. But Big Polluters want to keep their free pass to pollute our waterways and are pushing their allies in Congress to block this important rule by any means necessary. Send a message today to your Members of Congress telling them to protect our water by opposing all attacks on the Clean Water Rule!

The Grand Canyon is an icon of our American heritage, known around the world for its beauty and magnificence. But right now, it’s facing serious risks from greedy corporations — including some who represent the Koch brothers who want to open up areas of the Grand Canyon to radioactive uranium mining. Arizona’s Native American tribes, small businesses, and conservation groups are all joining together to ask President Obama to permanently protect 1.7 million acres of the Grand Canyon. Can we count on your support too?