CHANTE L. JOHNSON HAS BEEN UNFAIRLY TREATED SINCE THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. HIS BOND WAS INCREASED FROM 100,000 TO 500,000, ADDITIONAL CHARGES FOUR (4) YEARS LATER WERE ADDED, OF THE THREE INVOLVED, TWO BLACKS AND ONE WHITE, THE WHITE HAS BEEN RELEASED, AND HE HAD A PREVIOUS RECORD AND WAS ON PROBATION. I UNDERSTAND JUDGE HYNES APOLOGIZED TO HIM. CHANTE HAS NO PREVIOUS RECORD. HIS NEXT COURT DATE IS NOVEMBER 12, 2015. HE HAS NEVER HAD A TRIAL, ALTHOUGH HE ASKED LAST YEAR. HE JUST CONTINUES TO GO BACK TO COURT EVERY MONTH OR EVERY TWO MONTHS. THEY ARE TOYING WITH HIM. CHARGING HIM WITH FELONY X. TELLING HIM HOW HE COULD GET A TOTAL OF 45 YEARS, AND SO ON BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO TAKE THE GUILTY PLEA. JUDGE HYNES IS KNOWN FOR HAVING RACIAL ISSUES IN AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY CHICAGO TRIBUNE.

The crisis in Syria and the suffering of the Syrian people shocks the conscience. While the crisis will not be solved tomorrow, the world can step up and help those who are fleeing violence and oppression. As President Obama said during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, “There are no easy answers to Syria…But so many families need help right now; they don’t have time.” To date, over four million Syrians have fled their country, nearly eight million are internally displaced, and over 220,000 civilians have been killed as a result of the ongoing conflict. Recently President Obama announced that the United States would resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year. While we appreciate the President’s effort, the United States can and should do more. That is why we are calling on the United States government to increase the number of Syrian refugees resettled in the United States. Please join us in signing this petition calling on the United States government to allow more Syrian refugees into our country.

We need a better mechanism for authentic public participation in the governance of the state-controlled School District of Philadelphia. Don't you agree? City Council is uniquely positioned to directly engage the School Reform Commission and administration of the School District of Philadelphia. It can solicit information and expect a response. Therefore it is uniquely positioned to provide a mechanism to create meaningful and robust public participation.

Florida lawmakers are considering giving gun owners with concealed carry permits the right to openly carry their firearms in public places, even allowing them to hold their guns in their hands as they walk around. With Disney World, Universal Studios, miles of pristine sand beaches, and world-class shopping and dining, Florida is the ultimate vacation destination for many families in the United States and around the world. But imagine going on vacation with kids and loved ones to a place where any stranger standing inches from you in line, or just passing by on the street, could be displaying or handling a deadly weapon. No, thank you. Tell the Florida tourism industry that families do not want to vacation in a state where people are openly carrying their weapons. MomsRising will deliver the message and your signature to the Florida Commission on Tourism, as well as to Disney World, Universal Studios, regional tourism boards, and other key members of the Florida tourism community. With more than 97 million people visiting the state, bringing more than $70 billion a year to the economy, the tourism sector is a powerful voice in Florida and can influence state policy on gun safety. The Florida Commission on Tourism and other leaders in the tourism industry will not like to hear that allowing the open carry of firearms may lead people to start looking elsewhere for that perfect family vacation. So sign on now!

Donald Trump is a bully. He doesn't belong in Iowa schools. However, he will be speaking at West High School in Sioux City, at 6:00pm, on Tuesday, October 27th. Parents and students in Sioux City believe that Sioux City Community School District should not promote bullying in their schools by allowing Donald Trump to hold an anti-immigrant and anti-Latino event on their facilities. Donald Trump's anti immigrant and anti Latino rhetoric is dangerous for immigrants and Latinos. Trump supporters in Ames and Dubuque accosted and attacked immigrants outside Trump events. We fear that his rhetoric will put Latino members of the Sioux City Community in risk of being attacked as well. Please join with us and demand that Dr. Paul Gausman and the Sioux City Community School District stop putting Latino students in danger.

There is a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 26th at 5:30, City Hall Room 416. If you can't attend, please sign the petition and let the Director of Public Works know you are opposed. We are outraged that these valued trees may be lost from our urban landscape! These two trees are part of a much longer buffer on the edge of USF and our neighborhood. They block out the ugly USF dormitories and baseball field from our neighborhood and they absorb cheers and the PA system sounds from the stadium. They are Significant Trees, not merely street trees! Thanks for your help!

We, the undersigned, together with Don’t Shoot Portland, the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs, SURJ Portland, and members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem's Social Justice Team, call upon Governor Kate Brown, Senate President Peter Courtney, House Speaker Tina Kotek, and every other state legislator to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter and to acknowledge the following: The Problem—The Mississippi state flag, prominently displaying the Confederate battle flag in its design, flies in “Walk of Flags” Park. The Confederate battle flag is problematic in the following ways: —As a symbol of terror, hate and racist ideology, now and in the past. The symbols on the Confederate battle flag have always been used in conjunction with white supremacy. —As a symbol of the fight to maintain institutional human slavery. Flying the flag conveys the message that “The South will rise again” which, to people of color, means a return to exploitation and the enacted belief that some people are inherently worth less than others. —As a symbol used recently in Oregon, for example, to protest President Obama’s visit supporting the families affected by the terrorist shooting in Roseburg. Racism has no place in Oregon. The symbology of hate and terror are not acceptable. The Impact—The impact of the State of Oregon flying the flag of the State of Mississippi is that Oregon symbolically supports the legacy of racism. People who live in Oregon both expect and deserve more, specifically expressions of government that aspire to equality and justice for all, rather than lifting up and affirming white supremacy, which does real harm in our state every day. Flying this flag says that Oregon is home for some, but not all, which is the wrong message for our state. The Solution—For too long, Oregonians have remained silent in the face of state-supported racism. This time, Oregonians will not remain silent and will begin to loosen the stranglehold that racism has on the state. The time to face this facet of the problem is now. The removal of Confederate flag symbol is a significant step towards racial equity and sends a clear signal to Mississippi and the rest of the nation that everyone must begin the real work needed to dismantle racism. As Oregon confronts the legacy of this flag, it must confront its own legacy of forming redlines, sundown towns, and other ways it continues to systematically marginalize and hurt people of color. The Action—Therefore, we call upon Oregon state lawmakers to take immediate action to remove the Mississippi flag from the “Walk of Flags” Park until such time as the citizens of Mississippi remove all racist symbology from their banner. January is not soon enough; the time to act is now.

My fiancé has been gainfully employed since he was 18 years old, has four children to support, and was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, which hit him out of nowhere and has left him unable to work in his previous field or any other as he has no energy, shakes horribly, cannot drive, write or walk unassisted most of the time. Despite all of this Disability has consistently denied him disability benefits. We are finally at the point that he gets a determination hearing in front of a judge, but disability has 414 days to schedule the hearing, which leaves us in a horrible bind for an additional year.

I am very concerned about how easily guns are accessed.

I am a citizen of Chicago and therefore deeply concerned about justice in our city. As Aristotle observed, a city without justice is no city at all.

As a candidate for Canadian Prime Minister, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau committed to scrapping any purchase of the costly Lockheed Martin F-35 jet. [1] Now that he is Prime Minister-designate following Canada’s election, we encourage him to follow through on his pledge, dismissing claims that this would make the US unhappy. Refusing to purchase the F-35 has been portrayed in some US media as a slap at the US. The New York Times even claimed that if the US didn’t approve the Keystone pipeline, Canada could retaliate by refusing to buy the F-35. [2] But US taxpayers have no interest in the Pentagon’s efforts to keep this costly program alive. [3] On the contrary, US taxpayers will be better off when the taxpayer-ripoff F-35 program is killed completely, and Trudeau’s fulfillment of his pledge will bring that happy day closer because the Pentagon’s plans to keep the boondoggle alive depend crucially on foreign purchases. Encourage Prime Minister-designate Trudeau to dismiss claims that canceling Canadian purchase of the F-35 is “anti-US” and fulfill his pledge by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/09/20/liberals-would-scrap-f-35-jet-purchase.html; http://www.defenseone.com/management/2015/10/what-if-canada-doesnt-buy-f-35/122976/ 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/business/energy-environment/obamas-keystone-pipeline-decision-risks-new-problems-either-way.html 3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/07/25/how-the-f-35-boondoggle-shows-that-deficit-hawkery-is-a-sham/; http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/07/14/pentagons-big-budget-f-35-fighter-cant-turn-cant-climb-cant-run/; http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/07/09/3458101/f35-boondoggle-fail/

On October 12th, Derral Hodgkins became the 26th person released from Florida's death row due to wrongful conviction. Florida has released more people from death row than any other state. Governor Scott has overseen 21 executions during his tenure. If he allows the next scheduled execution to occur on October 29th, he will have overseen more executions than any other Florida governor.