General Assembly Republicans have proposed that the notorious extremist and former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, be placed on the Virginia Supreme Court. After forcing an unquestionably qualified jurist off the bench, they are engaged in a shameful last-minute ploy to install a radical conservative activist. We cannot allow this to happen. Contact our Delegate and Senator now and tell them Ken Cuccinelli cannot serve on the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Defending human rights in Honduras has become a life-threatening activity for Indigenous leaders. In an effort to stop them from defending their ancestral land they are harassed, kidnapped, seriously injured or killed. We need the Honduran government to hold the criminals accountable and to protect the Human Rights Activists that are in immanent danger. The Garifuna Nation is an international Garifuna organization with Representatives from the countries of: Saint Vincent & The Grenadines, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and the United States of America. The main purpose of this organization is to preserve and promote our culture, monitor human rights violations, look after the social, political, economic and cultural interest of Garifuna people in the countries previously mentioned and to take appropriate actions to resolve any problems that our people are facing. Ms. Berta Caceres was an environmental activist and indigenous leader of the Lenca people, She was co-founder and coordinator of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). In 2006, a group of indigenous Lenca people from Río Blanco were informed of a joint venture project between a Chinese company Sinohydro, the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, and Honduran company Desarrollos Energéticos (also known as DESA). They planned to construct a series of four dams on the Gualcarque River. This was a breach of international law which required that any and all projects concerning the land of the Lenca people were to be consulted and approved by them. Cáceres worked together with the community to mount a protest campaign. She organized legal actions and community meetings against the project, and took the case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Cáceres led COPINH and the local community in a year-long protest at the construction site to prevent the companies from accessing the land. In doing so she, the members of her organization and the community regularly received death threats and harassment. In May 2014, two separate attacks were carried out against the members of COPINH resulting in the deaths of two of the members. As a result, dozens of regional and international organizations called upon the Honduran government to stop criminalizing the defense of human rights, to protect the trailblazers of the Indigenous Human Rights Activists and to investigate threats against them. On February 20, 2016, over 100 protesters were detained by security while protesting, and threats against the organization began to increase. Despite the fact that the Honduran government was responsible for ensuring her safety, on Thursday March 3rd, 2016 Ms. Berta Caceres was assassinated in her home by unknown assailants during what the Honduran government deemed to be a “home invasion” and “robbery”. Due to the lack of evidence that would support a “home invasion” or a robbery”, said explanation is rejected by the members of her family, the people in her community and several other reputable human rights organizations in Honduras and abroad. As a result we ask that you join us in demanding the following from Honduran government: A full investigation on the assassination Human Rights Activist Ms. Berta Caceres. That the result of the investigation be released directly to the United Nations, OAS, US Secretary of State, Amnesty International providing access to the public; The immediate security and protection of other Honduran Indigenous Leaders and members of their organizations including our own Garifuna Leader Miriam Miranda, the President of OFRANEH; Your signing this petition will give a powerful voice to the indigenous organizations and human rights activists. It will show that you stand with us in the fight against the continued abuse and corruption of the Honduran Government. The President of Honduras swore to execute and uphold the Laws of the country on behalf of all of its citizens and we hope, pray and demand that he live by this oath. Attention: President of Honduras, Orlando Hernandez, United Nations Human Rights Commission, OAS Commission on Human Rights, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Amnesty International other International Human Rights Agencies, OFRANEH, AAGANIC, NGC, ONEGUA and all Garinagu Organizations.

The Obama Administration has announced that it will make the drone strike ("targeted killing") program more transparent, including by publishing an annual report on casualties from U.S. drone strikes. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, praised the announcement and said Congress should pass legislation to make sure the policy lasts beyond the Obama administration. "A public, annual report on the number of combatants and noncombatants killed will provide an important measure of transparency regarding targeted, lethal strikes," Schiff said. "Despite our best efforts to ensure to a near-certainty that no civilians will be killed or injured, sometimes strikes do result in civilian casualties - and it is important that we acknowledge those accidents and learn from them." [1] The ACLU has also called for reforms to be enacted before the next President takes office: "as this election season has underscored, powers this far-reaching should not rest solely on the character of the president and his advisers. In a democracy, the ability to use lethal force must be subject to clear and narrow limits, and the public must be able to evaluate whether those limits are being respected." [2] Urge Congress to enact the President's promised transparency reforms of the drone strike program into law by signing our petition. References: 1. http://thehill.com/policy/defense/272049-white-house-to-disclose-casualty-figures-for-us-drone-strikes 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/opinion/limit-the-next-presidents-power-to-wage-drone-warfare.html

It is a food service industry norm that employees (fast food, restaurants, or cafeterias) receive a daily meal for each shift worked. For many years now UCSD Health Nutrition Services Employees have been denied a daily meal allowance (which is $5/day) in the CX Unit (cashiers, call center and other department administrative employees). Other UC food services workers receive a daily food allowance for each shift worked. UC wanted to trade this daily allowance for a reduction in the hourly wage for UC CX unit represented workers many years ago. Teamsters Local 2010 members (cashiers and other food services administrative employees) want fairness with their coworker that receive the daily meal allowance. It is time to give back the daily meal allowance to all Teamster represented employees in Nutrition Services so they can also enjoy the products delivered or produced by their Teamsters sisters and brothers. Patty Maysent (UCSD Health CEO), As a UC employee, patient, student, volunteer, or supporter I stand with the UC Health Cashiers (all CX Unit employees) and demand that they receive the daily $5 meal allowance today.

In the United States alone, approximately 50 billion animals including fish and other sea animals are killed annually to be eaten (approximately 100,000 every minute). Animals who are killed for their flesh endure intense psychological and physical trauma, and undercover investigations have found that they are routinely eviscerated while still conscious. Over 75% of Americans believe animals should be protected from "all suffering and harm." One in 3 believes animals should have "the same rights as people." It's time for progressive politicians to live up to their reputation for justice and stop the most violent industry on the planet!

Stop extremist political terrorism. I believe Dr. King would tell all of us: "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people. There comes a time when silence is betrayal." We must protest or we are part of the problem. Silence is not an option. Like in the time of MLK with hatred against Blacks, many Trump rallies have led to students, youth, and people of color being violently attacked with encouragement by Donald Trump. St. Louis should not be a host to such brainwashing extremist political terrorism that is no different than that used by the extremist leaders who brainwash people to join ISIS. We must stop Donald Trump from adding fuel to the fire. Please cancel this event as it is going against the foundations of the United States of America and our fight against extremism in the world.

Young adults have grown up in a society and been brain-washed to achieve the "unattainable " perfection.

Encouraged by Donald Trump's fearmongering on the campaign trail, Arizona legislators are trying to pass the harshest wave of anti-immigrant bills we have seen in five years. The state should have learned its lesson in the terrible aftermath of SB1070, but immigrant communities are again under attack from the right wing. In SB1377 and HB2451, Senator Smith and Rep. Darin Mitchell, are following in recalled Senator Russel Pearce’s footsteps, by going against the movement to reduce incarceration by aiming to fill up Arizona’s jails with immigrants. Senator Kavanagh, among others, have introduced bills to stop the forward-looking solutions of cities like Phoenix to offer municipal ID's to all its residents. If made into law, they'll be disastrous for Arizona. Tell Governor Ducey to reject the Trump effect in our state. Veto the new SB1070's coming out of the statehouse. #UnitedAgainstHate!

The Medicare Telehealth Parity Act will remove geographic barriers and expand the list of health care providers eligible to provide reimbursable services for underserved communities in both rural and urban areas. Respiratory therapists will be able to apply best practices already being used in their hospitals to improve patient care and disease management, minimize wasteful and costly interventions and reduce hospital readmission rates via telehealth medicine.

Trade unionists in Honduras have faced death threats and other forms of intimidation. Concern about the safety of trade unionists in Honduras is even more urgent following the assassination of Berta Cáceres, co-founder of the Council of Indigenous Peoples of Honduras (Copinh), barely a week after she was threatened again. Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Hank Johnson are circulating a letter to Secretary of State Kerry, urging Kerry to press the Honduran government for urgent protection for Nelson Geovanni Nuñez Chavez, Technical Advisor for the Federation of Unions of Agro-Industrial Workers (FESTAGRO) and his colleague Tomás Membreño; urging Kerry to publicly and privately press the Honduran government to denounce attacks and threats against trade unionists; and urging Kerry to press the government of Honduras to promptly create a nationwide system of protection for labor, campesino, Indigenous and Afro-Indigenous activists, LGBTI and other human rights defenders. Ask your Representative to sign the Kaptur-Johnson letter for protection of trade unionists in Honduras by signing our petition.

Many people who cannot afford it -- more than anything else -- simply want a place where they can grow organic food and homestead their own property -- to have a place where they can be part of the solution and not have to cause environmental degradation by the way they are living. Rather than having over 18 million houses either rot OR simply be purchased and rented out or sold back to the American people, let's get right to the solutions-- making sure people have food and housing and control over their own lives and destinies. Statistics: *** There are approximately 3.5 million homeless people.[1] *** Approximately 50,000 veterans are homeless[2], and about ~1.4 million veterans considered "at risk of homelessness" due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.[3] *** Since 2007, banks have foreclosed around eight million homes. *** There are 18.5 million abandoned properties just "sitting there" throughout towns and cities of all sizes. 1 in 2 Americans have fallen into poverty or are struggling to live on low incomes. *** The National Economic and Social Rights Initiative along with Amnesty International are asking the U.S. to step up its efforts to address the foreclosure crisis, including by giving serious consideration to the growing call for a foreclosure moratorium and other forms of relief for those at risk, and establishing a housing finance system that fulfills human rights obligations.[4] How "The Homestead Subsidization Act" Will Help People Domestically And Abroad: *** Immediately end homelessness with houses to spare. To create independence for people rather than dependence. *** Greatly reduce peoples' grocery bills. *** Greatly reduce the incessant filling of landfills AND the filling of oceans with plastic waste because "gardens aren't wrapped in garbage". *** Greatly reduce humanity's carbon footprint (less hauling of food great distances, reduce dependence on resource-intensive animal agriculture, and so on). *** Greatly reduce peoples' dependence upon food stamps (aka SNAP or EBT), thus saving tax dollars. *** Help create a healthy and ecologically sustainable food supply to help replace the GMO and animal agriculture-based food supply we currently have in place, thus creating a healthier Citizenry. *** To create a diverse organic agricultural economy with unique micro-economies. *** Alleviate strain on communities trying to keep up with poverty in their areas. *** Relieves people from what will become unnecessary excess labor: trucking and other forms of commercial hauling, garbage collecting and waste management, and so on) in a way which is "more beneficial to all people than the current paradigm is to anyone". [1]: National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, 2007: http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/How_Many.html [2]: National Alliance to End Homelessness. The State of Homelessness in America. 2015: http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/fact-sheet-veteran-homelessness [3]: National Coalition of Homeless Veterans: http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/ National Economic and Social Rights Initiative Home Page: https://www.nesri.org/ Amnesty International Home Page: https://www.amnesty.org/en/ [4]: Article by The Mind Unleashed, “18,600,000 vacant homes in the United States. Enough for every homeless person to have six!”: http://themindunleashed.org/2014/02/18600000-vacant-homes-united-states-enough-every-homeless-person-six.html

The proposed 20 week ban is another in a line of discriminatory legislation from lawmakers who think they know better than the people of South Dakota.