Gerawan workers are asking your help again over the recent pesticide spraying by a neighboring farmer that occurred at the giant tree fruit company. More than 15,000 UFW supporters signed a petition urging Fresno County’s Agricultural Commissioner to quickly investigate the pesticide incident. The government agency’s reply? The investigation could take up to two years. Gerawan Worker Augustin Garcia tells us: “I’m frustrated. This is the second time I’ve seen workers poisoned with pesticides while working at Gerawan. My co-workers were clear that Gerawan did not try right away to protect me or my fellow workers. Because of this on March 15, I took part in a demonstration at the office of the Fresno County Ag Commissioner. We gave them a petition that was signed by over 15,000 people asking them to immediately investigate the poisoning. I was one of two workers who was allowed into the office to talk to them. I was very disappointed with the Ag Commissioner office’s answer. They told me they were already investigating, that Gerawan wasn’t the one who sprayed the pesticides. Worst of all, they told me that cases about pesticides can take up to two years to investigate. Two years? It’s like farm worker lives aren’t important to the officials who are supposed to protect us. What if this happens again? Next time, it could be me. This is wrong and we need to make them move faster. We need to be protected. It’s frustrating. I feel like we’re not important to them -- but if they don’t protect us, who will?” Nicholas Landa is also frustrated. He was one of the Gerawan workers exposed to pesticides on Feb. 22. Nicholas shared: “This is what happened to me: On Feb. 22, my crew and other Gerawan crews were pruning peaches. Then we were hit by pesticides when a neighboring farm began spraying right by where we were eating our lunch. Instead of moving us away or providing us an opportunity to wash our eyes or change our clothes, the supervisors at Gerawan sent us back into the fields to work again, as if nothing happened. We wanted to keep our jobs so we did as we were told to do. It wasn’t until an hour and a half later the foreman told us to leave the field because a car was going to take us to the office. Here we saw a doctor. I told him my head hurt, my eyes burned and I felt sick to my stomach. He checked my eyes, my mouth and my pulse and told me everything was fine since the pesticide that was sprayed was organic and wasn’t dangerous. Afterwards, we were taken back to the fields and returned to work. Nobody gave me the names of the pesticides. I asked Gerawan and it took days for me to find out we were sprayed with Regalia, BioLink Boron Fertilizer and Goemar MZ ‘O’. All three of these chemicals have warning labels warning people to get help right away if we breathe them in or our eyes are irritated after coming in contact with them. But Gerawan did not do this. Instead they sent us back into the fields to work.” Gerawan workers can’t wait two years for the investigation. As Augustin told us, “What if this happens again? Next time, it could be me.” Please help us tell the Agricultural Commissioner of Fresno County to stop the delays and protect Gerawan workers like they are supposed to.

There have been several pets killed by this dog food brand and their food is still on the shelves at our local stores. There have been multi class action law suits. We need an investigation on this company ASAP!

More than 400 pro-democracy protesters staging a sit-in against the influence of big money in politics and congressional inaction to reverse it, as well as against the erosion of federal protection of voting rights, were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol April 11, the first day of a week-long series of demonstrations. [1] Pro-democracy protesters are highlighting support for five pro-democracy bills: the Government by the People Act [2], the Fair Elections Now Act [3], the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 [4], the Voter Empowerment Act of 2015 [5], and the Democracy for All Amendment [6]. Urge Congress to support the #DemocracySpring pro-democracy bills by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/11/politics/democracy-spring-arrests-protests-washington/; http://www.nbcnews.com/video/-democracy-spring-stages-capitol-hill-protest-663564355890; http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/11/473874785/hundreds-protest-gerrymandering-campaign-finance-laws-on-capitols-steps; http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/04/11/us/politics/ap-us-capitol-protests.html 2. http://www.demos.org/publication/government-people-act 3. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/s1538/summary 4. http://vrafortoday.org/current-legislation/ 5. https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr12/summary 6. http://freespeechforpeople.org/the-amendment/democracy-for-all-amendment/

As a part of a school project I was encouraged to take global action on the topic of animal abuse. My goal is to get the US government to talk to other nations about animal rights and how animals should be treated. Specifically, my goal is to enact an international law that requires all pet stores to sell only animals that are in local animal shelters.

The idea of animal therapy has been laid on my heart since I was diagnosed with OCD. After being encouraged by my therapist to adopt a pet, I was able to save a local dog that had been subjected to the horrible conditions of a puppy mill. When I adopted my dog, I thought I was saving him, but in reality he saved me. Together we have worked to overcome my issues, and now, he has a forever home. If the government would institute a program that allowed local shelter dogs to be trained as therapy animals, then both animals and suffering people would be helped.

Q: When do WORLD CHAMPS get paid far less than LOSERS? A: When they're women playing World Cup Soccer. That's right, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team — which recently won the World Cup in a final that was the most watched soccer game in American TV history with approximately 23 million viewers — is paid far less than the men at nearly every level of competition, from playing "friendly” matches, to qualifying and playing in the World Cup. Now, several members of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team are taking action to level the playing and paying field by filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) because the U.S. Soccer Federation pays the reigning World Cup champions far less than their male counterparts. Equal pay matters on every field. Believe it or not, what happens on the sports playing field directly impacts corporate field. A new study found the correlation between women’s success on sports playing fields and success in the workplace is indisputable. "Girls who play sports have greater social and economic mobility, grow up healthy and confident, and perform better in school. In fact, 74% of executive women agreed that a background in sports can help accelerate a woman’s leadership and career potential.” - Fortune Magazine. So support the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team and all women, and sign on now!

I am a military spouse and mother of a child who is affected by Sensory Processing Disorder. As a family we struggle with everyday life tasks and we struggle to have her medical expenses covered because her primary care manager does not recognize sensory processing disorder. We struggle to have the school recognize that she is not just a bad child and that there is a real problem since it is difficult to get this placed in her medical record. This has been researched since the 1950's and 1960's and should no longer remain in the dark. Too many children, teens, and adults deal with this daily struggle of overloaded senses. Our federal law, Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 04), defines a specific learning disability as “a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations.” While SPD may affect the child’s auditory, visual, and motor skills and his/her ability to process and sequence information, it is not, at present, specifically identified as an eligible, qualifying disability. Thus, it does not necessarily make a child eligible for special education and related services, such as occupational, physical, or speech/language therapy. Help me spread the message and get health coverage for this disorder.

I am starting this petition to warn Justin Bieber about how Rep. Walker is using Bieber's coming presence to try to cloak the North Carolina anti-Trans law in a semblance of legitimacy.

I am starting this petition because Kaniela Ing brings a breath of fresh air into our local government. He continually uses his well-guided heart to make courageous, moral, conscious, and just decisions that serve the people of Maui. These stances sometime go against special interest. He is now under attack by the local establishment and special interests and we need the help of people from all around the world to fight back and say we love Kaniela! When we stand together we win! I stand with Kanieala Ing, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard!

Stand with OBXPridefest against the discrimination of LGBT North Carolinians and visitors. We ask Governor McCrory and the NC General Assembly to immediately repeal HB2.

I don't want to receive my Bachelors while some poor tenor is forced to sing the musical abomination that is "Shine on Forever". Change the lyrics or the tune to which it's set, I don't care. Had I known about this awful song before I accepted, I would not be attending CWRU. Please, for the love of all that is good music, fix this now!

The NYC Landmarks Commission is endangering historic houses by their current practice of summarily rejecting new applications so as not to increase their substantial backlog of cases (for which they have received a great deal of criticism in the press). Tell the LPC Chair that when the homeowner and the local community support designation of a historic home, as is the case with the Stone Gatehouse, that they should act to protect the property. If the LPC does not act, our historic treasures may one day fall victim to the wrecking ball!