I am starting this petition because I am afraid of the adverse effects that the corrosive water may have upon the people of Flint. Although the media has generated attention to this matter, the actions that have been performed thus far seem only to serve as a short-term solution to a catastrophic problem. The people of Flint will continue to live out the adverse effects of this crisis for many years to come, and someone must stand with them in advocating for real solutions.

The Flint water crisis has once again drawn this law's fatal flaw into the spotlight. What good is a Freedom of Information act if the very arms of government that often need investigating the most are protected from any form of legitimate recourse to find out "who knew it, and when did they know it?" A CEO I knew once said, 'if a policy is stupid, send me a memo with the subject line of "this is stupid." Well, let's send both the governor and our legislature a "this is stupid" memo that will resound through the halls of Lansing so loudly, they'll have no choice but to change it.

Puerto Rico's $72 billion public debt crisis has forced congressional leaders to pay attention to a U.S. territory that's usually on the sidelines of American politics. The island has been mired in economic stagnation for nearly a decade. The governor now says Puerto Rico's debt is unpayable and needs restructuring. The White House and Democrats in Congress say the United States needs to change the law to allow the territory to declare bankruptcy. Republicans say they want to fix the symptoms of the problem first. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla says that if Congress doesn't act soon, Puerto Rico is headed toward a "humanitarian crisis under the United States flag. Like all U.S. states and territories, Puerto Rico cannot declare bankruptcy under federal law. Mainland municipalities and their utilities can; municipalities and utilities in Puerto Rico cannot. The island's public utilities are heavily indebted, and Garcia's administration is pushing Congress to allow them to declare bankruptcy. If the island isn't able to restructure its debt, officials have said they will have to start laying off police officers, firefighters, medical professionals and other public employees. Garcia has said that could lead to a humanitarian crisis. [From the Associated Press]

We are asking for your support in an appeal to the Gwinnett Board of Eduction. If SAFETY and EFFICIENCY are truly considered with the Board's stated criteria and goals we are positive this should result in a unanimous decision for at least one of our requests.

Ending any act of child abuse: physical, mental and sexual abuse. I have lived in a household where abuse has happened. Although it wasn't a regular occurrence, it has happened on more than one occasion. I believe our state (Texas) needs to reconsider their laws and help protect innocent children in abusive households. When will people realize it's happening? When a child is so brutally beaten in a hospital bed? Or when they are in their casket at their funeral? When will our society take a stand to end child abuse? No child deserves a life of physical, mental or sexual hurt. No one does. Although the physical scars don't always stay, the mental ones do. These kids will always have those memories for the rest of their lives. Police aren't acting and CPS isn't always the strongest point of safety. We need laws passed. We need people taking a stand!

Marijuana and its cannabinoids are listed as Schedule 1 under the outdated Controlled Substances Act of 1970, defining it as having a high probability for addiction and having no medical value. The Department of Health & Human Services was awarded US Patent #6630507 in 2003, stating that cannabinoids are antioxidants and neuroprotectants capable of treating cancers and neurological illnesses. Although Section 7606 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 allowed for hemp— defined as Cannabis Sativa L. with <0.3 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—to be grown for research only, the permits the DEA issues for the research plots still regulate hemp as "marijuana" under federal law, further adding to the confusion. To grow this plant as a resource is a human right. If alcohol & tobacco aren't on the list of controlled substances, then cannabis as "marijuana" shouldn't be either. The Drug War has failed and the United Nations drug treaties establishing global prohibition were passed prior to the scientific discovery of the Endocannabinoid System in the 1990s. It is time.

We need to look past the angry outbursts at the debates and elect someone who can be an excellent leader.

Federal lands belong to all citizens of the United States and not just to those who threaten violence. If their illegal activity is rewarded with no consequences then all federal lands will be vulnerable to such actions by any group with a cause and guns.

equal opportunity at all hollywood award shows &programs! For black, latinos, and asain people.No more cosmetic diversity, real DIVERSITY!

As we approach the peak of the presidential season, far too little focus has centered on the issues concerning one of the strongest voting blocs: Black women. Despite outperforming every other demographic in the last two elections, the conditions of Black women and their families continues to remain ignored, entering national dialogue usually upon tragedy or violence. Even with national platforms intended to focus on violence against women, the significant disparities faced by millions of Black women and girls in the workplace, schools, and streets are, at best, underprioritized. Heirs of the tangled oppression of slavery, sexism, classism, and invisibility, equity in America will never truly be actualized until Black women and girls can exist as full citizens of America--in fact, policy and by law. What is the status of Black women and girls today? Black women constitute 13% of the population of US women, yet 30% of all incarcerated women. Nearly 4.1 million families are headed by Black women--37% of which live below the poverty level. Student debt takes up 111 percent of Black women’s income. The closing of facilities that provide general care for women impacts millions of low-income women who count on these local institutions as their primary source of care. 300 girls in the Atlanta area are lured into sex trafficking each month--the average age being 14. Black girls are suspended six times more often than white girls. Every year, 1, 722 Black women die from breast cancer--an average of five Black women a day! The maternal mortality rate of Black women in America is more than 10 times that of women in most industrialized nations. And as we witnessed with the case of Sandra Bland, no aspect of the American Dream--her college degree, new job, affiliation in a historically Black Greek-lettered organization, or zip code--could provide Sandra security. We can no longer be silent about our realities and that of our sisters, mothers, partners and friends. Who’s Got US? #SheWoke Committee: Sharon Cooper, Wife and Mother, Advocate, corporate professional, Sister of Sandra Bland Ifeoma Ike, Writer, Dreamer, Co-Creator of BlackandBrownPeopleVote Nakisha M. Lewis, Philanthropic Strategist, Writer, Activist Tiffany D. Hightower, Organizer, Writer, & Orator Shambulia Gadsden Sams, Activist & Organizer Sharisse Stancil-Ashford, Artist & Activist Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, Founder of Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women

TO GET AMERICAN TO UNDERSTAND THE JEWISH CULTURE

In 2015 the US Forest Service decided to review and revise their original project plan (the Forsythe 1 Project) for the cutting treatments in the Magnolia area partly in response to our last petition. The USFS has now returned with an almost identical plan. The new Forsythe II Project is still based on imposing the conditions of a Lower Montane forest zone upon an Upper Montane zone. Not only is this destined to fail, it is likely to do the opposite of what is intended by increasing wildfire risk, destroying wildlife habitat, increasing the risk of flooding, and destroying a scenic and recreational asset. The wildfire hazard will be increased by replacing healthy, mature forests with new growth of ground and ladder fuels, and by leaving countless piles of slash on the ground for years. The Forsythe ll plan also does not treat the area as a scenic and wildlife management area, as prescribed by the 1997 Arapaho Roosevelt Forest Plan. Despite these inaccuracies the USFS intends to begin implementing this plan and cutting once again THIS JULY after completing their brief process of evaluation, and the formalities of accepting comments. Let's take an active interest in what happens to the National Forests in our backyards before they're changed for the rest of our lives!