Acting at the behest of the FBI, a federal court has ordered Apple to develop technology to help the FBI break the security on an iPhone. Apple has resisted the FBI's demand and is expected to appeal the order. Privacy advocates fear that the FBI is trying to set a precedent in court that will make it easier not just for the U.S. government but also for foreign governments to demand that technology companies comply automatically with broad government requests for citizens' private information. If the FBI has its way, this precedent would be set without a debate and vote by Congress, bypassing the shift in public attitudes on government surveillance following Edward Snowden's revelations. The ACLU and Amnesty International back Apple's legal fight against the court order. The ACLU said: “The Constitution does not permit the government to force companies to hack into their customers' devices...The government's request also risks setting a dangerous precedent. If the FBI can force Apple to hack into its customers' devices, then so too can every repressive regime in the rest of the world.” [1] Amnesty said: "Apple is right to fight back in this case: the FBI's request ... would set a very dangerous precedent. Such backdoors undermine everyone's security and threaten our right to privacy. Undermining mobile security ... threatens privacy and freedom of expression at a time when [it] is a clear lack of checks and balances that prevent[s] authorities from abusing surveillance powers." [2] Urge Congress to debate and vote on the government's power to break encryption and to push the FBI to step back in the meantime by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-comment-fbi-effort-force-apple-unlock-iphone 2. http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/18/11044642/apple-fbi-encryption-eff-aclu-amnesty-snowden

How many of you have children with asthma, eczema, allergies, autism, an auto-immune disease, cancer, etc.? We do too. Pesticide use is linked to all of these things. We are extremely concerned about the spraying of pesticides in our cities, especially our public areas, and we want it to stop!

Mayor de Blasio has his own special interest group, the Campaign for One New York - and it is setting a dangerous precedent. As a non-profit organization, One New York collects millions of dollars in large checks from businesses and individuals directly doing business with the City. Using this cash flow, One New York then hires expensive political and PR consultants to promote the mayor’s policies and initiatives. This cycle makes a mockery of our campaign finance laws - which are designed to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest. The good government group Common Cause New York has filed an official complaint letter with the city's Campaign Finance Board and Conflict of Interest Board. Tell Mayor de Blasio that NYC residents find this unacceptable – we need to end to One New York now!

Mayor de Blasio has his own special interest group, the Campaign for One New York - and it is setting a dangerous precedent. As a non-profit organization, One New York collects millions of dollars in large checks from businesses and individuals directly doing business with the City. Using this cash flow, One New York then hires expensive political and PR consultants to promote the mayor’s policies and initiatives. This cycle makes a mockery of our campaign finance laws - which are designed to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest. The good government group Common Cause New York has filed an official complaint letter with the city's Campaign Finance Board and Conflict of Interest Board. Tell Mayor de Blasio that NYC residents find this unacceptable – we need to end to One New York now!

I believe Bernie Sanders has not been given a level playing field in the primary elections.

He's a hateful, fear mongering jerk. He's banned from half the world's countries, he's nothing but a corrupt business owner. Let's stop the next Hitler, let's stop trump from ruining this country.

8.5 million Americans are left without representation in Washington. Countries such as Italy send delegates abroad to represent their citizens. These delegates then go back to the respective countries to state their needs. We should have the same.

Union member fired for defending his co-workers and their contract. This is an attack on public employees and union members everywhere. It is an example of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's anti-worker policies that hurt teachers, public workers, CTA workers, and working families throughout Chicago.

Because this election cycle has been a sham, and every thing the establishment, media, and DNC has done has been to block Sanders. Bernie Sanders deserves just as much vocal opportunity as Clinton.

Do not allow yourselves to be bullied by the NRA's potential support for continuing the Gun Range. The Park District has allowed operation for over fifty years of an outdoor Gun Range in Anthony Chabot Regional Park—which is otherwise made up of over five square miles of hills and streams, open space and wildlife habitat, trails and campsites. The park provides an experience of nature to the masses of people living near San Francisco Bay—except for the thousands of gunshots each week which shatter the peace and quiet. And the park is prime watershed for drinking water from Lake Chabot, except for lead pollution in the runoff water from the gun range, which far exceeds current standards. Dramatic population growth in the San Francisco area in the last fifty years and the central location of this regional park have led thousands of people to it, seeking an experience of nature. They are often cheated out of that experience by the explosive sound of constant gunfire. The Gun Club has known for several years that the tolerance for their lead pollution in the stormwater runoff has been reduced, yet they only attempted to come up with a plan a few weeks ago, after Park District Directors made it perfectly clear that they weren’t going to get a secret, sweetheart deal from their cronies on Park District staff. The Gun Club has refused to come to grips with their noise pollution’s effect on other would-be users of the park, many of whom can’t use the park’s trails and campground because the gunshots remind them of war and killing, and the effect on the park’s neighbors, who can’t use their yards because they sound like a war zone, especially on weekends. Live up to the Park District’s Mission Statement, which says you will provide open space, parks, trails, safe and healthful recreation and environmental education. Let the 15-plus other gun ranges in the San Francisco area meet the need for gun training and practice. Restore this park to the thousands of hikers, horse and bicycle riders, campers and other nature lovers, who need it as a place to experience nature, to maintain their quality of life and their sanity–end the Gun Range operation. Park lovers, come to the hearing before the Park District’s Board of Directors starting at 2:00 pm sharp on Tuesday, March 1, 2016, in the meeting room at Redwood Canyon Golf Course (formerly Willow Park Golf Course), 17007 Redwood Road, Castro Valley, 2.6 miles north of Castro Valley BART station and the I-580 freeway. Speak up, or not -– just showing up makes a statement. Come early–-we know there are more of you than there are gun lovers (who will be there by the dozen), but it’s showdown time–we’ve got to show up, so the Directors know we’ve got their backs if the NRA comes after them.

Last month, the AAP published research showing that common medical procedures carried out on newborn babies are very painful, and that the effects of the pain can last many years. The procedures mentioned included heel sticks, insertion of IV needles, and circumcision. The AAP report also found that commonly used pain relievers are neither effective nor safe. Infant circumcision differs from the other procedures discussed in the report in that it is an invasive surgery that neither tests, treats any, nor prevents illness, and permanently removes a natural and valuable part of a boy’s sexual anatomy — the foreskin. The pain from circumcision is intense and continues for days or weeks after the surgery. Because circumcision is NOT medically necessary, and because the pain it causes is unmanageable and harmful over the long term, Intact America demands that the American Academy of Pediatrics tell its doctors to end the pain and stop circumcising baby boys. Sign our petition NOW.

This election is a fight for the soul of the Democratic party. Are we going to make real change and hold our leaders accountable or not?