On May 27, Haaretz reported [1] that the Israeli military would free imprisoned astrophysicist Imad Barghouthi, apparently detained for posts on Facebook, following an international campaign of scientists and an Israeli military appeals court ruling that Barghouthi posed no danger and should be released. But the military appeals court decision has now apparently been overturned by the Israeli military. [2] Urge Members of Congress to press the State Department to express concern about the imprisonment of astrophysicist Imad Barghouthi by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.721885 2. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.722298

In August of 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) came out with a recommendation that high schools and middle schools start no earlier than 8:30 am. Decades of sleep research has shown that sleep cycles shift when students enter adolescence and that their very biology dictates that they stay up later and sleep later. As a result, many teens are operating on a sleep deficit when school start times are too early. Early school start times for teens have been shown to have a negative impact on safety, health, and well-being: • Increased risk of sports injuries • Increased risk of obesity and diabetes • Negative impact on stress, depression, and other mental health concerns • Increased risk of car crashes • Increase in risky behavior and impaired judgement School districts around the country that have changed to a later start time for middle school and high school have seen positive outcomes: • Reduced tardiness • Fewer absences • Higher test scores on national achievement tests • Fewer car crashes • Better overall health and less depression • Reduced use of caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances. In addition to the AAP, this recommendation for healthy school start times has been supported by the Centers for Disease Control, the National Education Association, the National Sleep Foundation, the National Association of School Nurses, the Society of Pediatric Nurses, the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, the Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania, and many other health and educational organizations. Changing school start times is feasible. Hundreds of school communities in 44 states have found ways to make this happen by prioritizing health and learning. http://www.startschoollater.net/success-stories.html By signing this petition, you are not endorsing any particular solution to this problem. All you are doing is asking the school boards and administrators of schools in Bucks County, PA to begin the process of investigating a way to implement healthy and safe school start times for all students.

The Everglades and Big Cypress are beautiful landmarks – and if you’ve been there, you know why it’s so important to protect them. Big Cypress is also the home to a rich biodiversity, including nine endangered species. That’s why in 1974, it became one of the first national preserves in the country. But rather than protecting Florida’s wilderness and wildlife, the National Park Service has approved a plan by a Texas company to explore oil and gas deposits within Big Cypress. This decision is completely irresponsible and threatens irreparable damage to our ecosystems. Paving the way for drilling in Big Cypress goes against the very purpose of the National Park Service.

Business tax cuts in the state of Kansas have resulted in dramatic budget shortfalls, cuts to critical services and agencies, and widespread insecurity among the residents of the state. I am asking that taxation of my business and others in Kansas be reinstated.

These military demonstration teams draw tens of thousands of visitors to an already overcrowded city during the annual Cherry Festival. The planes emit tons of CO2, violate the city noise ordinance, disturb the young, old and those with PTSD and they cost taxpayers over $100 million per year. Further, the crowds overextend our first responders and overtax our limited infrastructure. Stand with me in asking the city commission to restore a measure of purity to our town.

The Hispanic and Latino community are a huge clientele and work force of Home Depot, affording Home Depot in reaching the pinnacle of a successful corporation. For one of the co-founders, Bernie Marcus, to support a xenophobic, misogynistic, racist bigot like Donald Trump and stand by his divisive, hateful rhetoric is beyond acceptable and appalling. We will stand up and speak up, hitting Home Depot where it hurts the most: in their stock value, reputation, and pocket book. Si se puede!

This petition is meant to demonstrate public interest in the book to potential agents and/or publishers.

California needs open primaries and this is first step. California should lead the way for the whole country, to enact open primaries going forward.

On May 28th, my friend, Chase Lackey, took his dog ,Dharma, to a local groomers, Mona's Pet Crossing, after a casual check up at the vet's office. Upon his picking her up, he picked up a traumatized, bleeding, and terrified dog home that was far from the family member he had dropped off. Her injuries were so bad that he had to make a visit to the Veterinarian ER to have her examined and taken care of the following day. No handler should have to be worried about a pet's well-being when dropped off at a groomer. Kentucky has no law against businesses abusing animals in such a way and there is no way for charges to be pressed against Mona's Pet Crossing for the cruelty they've committed against Dharma and many other animals who have been 'taken care of' by this place. Animals are family members and this is far more than just abuse!

Over 100,000 Puerto Ricans left the island in 2015, the majority coming to Central Florida. With vulture funds and greedy Wall Street banks spending millions of dollars to lobby for a federal fiscal control board in Puerto Rico, the humanitarian crisis on the island continues to deteriorate. Politicians from the federal government will decide Puerto Rico’s future in the coming weeks, with many calling for the implementation of a control board with powers over the laws and finances of Puerto Rico including more austerity cuts against the people suffering on the island. A FEDERAL CONTROL BOARD WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO: Cut minimum wage for workers to $4.25 an hour Return to Vieques to conduct military tests and suspend environmental laws Sell land across the island to more private investors and developers THE CONTROL BOARD WOULD MAKE MORE CUTS TO: Public schools, with more than 40% on the island already closed Personal pensions promised and saved after many years of hard work Health programs and even electricity to hospitals Here in Florida we are a force of over 1 million Puerto Ricans with the power to help our families and friends on the island. By uniting to help Puerto Rico move forward, we can demand government officials do more to help the families living the crisis on the island instead of making more cuts to essential public services like healthcare and education. Mas de 100,000 Puertorriqueños se mudaron de la isla en el 2015, la mayoría llegando aquí a áreas de la Florida Central. Con fondos buitres y bancos avaros de Wall Street gastando millones de dolares abogando por una junta fiscal federal en Puerto Rico, la crisis humanitaria en la isla sigue deteriorando. Políticos del gobierno federal decidirán el futuro de Puerto Rico en las proximas semanas, con muchos llamando por la implementación de una junta con poder sobre las leyes y finanzas de Puerto Rico y más cortes de austeridad en contra del pueblo sufriendo en la isla. UNA JUNTA FEDERAL TENDRIA EL PODER DE: Cortar el salario mínimo a $4.25 la hora para trabajadores Regresar a Vieques para experimentos militares y suspender leyes ambientales Vender tierras a través de la isla para más desarrollo de empresa privada LA JUNTA HARIA MAS CORTES A: Las escuelas públicas, con mas de 40% en la isla ya cerradas Pensiones personales prometidas y ahorradas a través de muchos años de trabajo Programas de salud y hasta la electricidad en hospitales Aquí en Florida somos una fuerza de mas de 1 millón de Puertorriqueños con el poder de ayudar a nuestras familias y amistades en la isla. Uniendonos para echar Puerto Rico hacia adelante, podemos demandar que elegidos del gobierno hagan más para ayudar a las familias viviendo la crisis en Puerto Rico en vez de hacer más cortes a servicios de salud o educación.

Trump. Clinton. Sanders. On January 20, 2017, one of them will become the 45th President of the United States. When that person walks into the Oval Office, they will become the Commander in Chief of a nation with soldiers in combat in at least three countries, and potentially more. The only question is if they will bring our troops home or if they will embark on four more years of endless war. Demand that the Presidential candidates commit to bring our troops home from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan within their first 100 days in office. The hard truth is that American troops will not bring peace to the Middle East. In Iraq, America has spent the past 25 years trying to bomb our way to peace, but we have only managed to fuel the violence. The situation is no better in Afghanistan or Syria, where ongoing conflicts have cost hundreds of thousands of lives and fueled historic instability. The longer we keep trying to win peace through war, the longer we will simply continue to pour gas on a fire that the U.S. military simply cannot put out. Demand that the next President bring all U.S. troops home from the Middle East in 2017. There are stark differences between the three remaining candidates for President, but, no matter who wins in November, he or she will have to decide on their first day in office the future of America's wars. As Commander in Chief, it is ultimately the President's decision whether to continue or to end decades of futile wars in the Middle East. All three candidates have at times noted the mistakes of the past, but none have committed fully to not repeat them in the future. That is why we need to demand they do so right now. Together we have helped hold President Obama accountable and pushed back against those who wanted to dramatically expand our wars in the Middle East. We first came together to try to stop George Bush's invasion of Iraq in 2003. Now, we have to come together once more and demand that the next President finally end our endless wars, not expand them. We know it won't be easy to finally bring our troops home, and that's precisely why we're starting eight months before the next President even takes office. Join us and let's make a call for peace so loud that the 45th President of the United States cannot ignore it. Ask Sanders, Clinton, and Trump to pledge to finally end endless war in 2017.

Members of the Democratic Platform Committee have an opportunity this year to show support for Israeli security AND Palestinian rights. As J Street notes: "Support for the two-state solution has been a staple of the party's platform for years. It's time to add language noting concern about the relentless expansion of settlements, which entrench the occupation and endanger peace." [1] As J Street's President Jeremy Ben-Ami notes at Huffington Post, the current Democratic platform mentions neither settlement expansion nor the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people. [2] Reps. Keith Ellison, Luis Gutierrez, and Barbara Lee are members of the Democratic Platform Committee; Rep. Elijah Cummings is its chair. DNC chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz appointed four members of the committee, including Rep. Lee and Rep. Cummings. [3] Wasserman Schultz's Democratic primary opponent, Tim Canova, should know that adding support for Palestinian rights to the Democratic platform has widespread Democratic support. Urge these Democrats to support adding opposition to settlement expansion to the Democratic Platform by signing our petition. References: 1. http://act.jstreet.org/sign/2016-democratic-platform 2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeremy-benami/the-platform-fight-over-is_b_10225632.html 3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-scores-platform-concessions-from-democratic-national-committee/2016/05/23/e9ee8330-20fc-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html