Volkswagen repeatedly and intentionally cheated the Clean Air Act for the last 6 years. The company’s “clean diesel” cars included software VW installed on nearly 500,000 cars sold in the U.S. to cheat on emissions tests. When researchers discovered that VW cars circumvented emissions regulations in 2014, the company told the EPA they fixed the problem. But we now know the problem persisted for half a million vehicles. And the real-world results are astounding: VW cars could be emitting 15-35 times more smog-forming pollution while on the road than was showing up on their emissions tests. And while we aren’t sure why VW cheated, we have a pretty good guess. Experts have suggested these emission controls impacted performance, making the cars less fun to drive. When engineers couldn’t solve the problem, they decide to install a little bit of code to cheat the Clean Air Act and consumers. One thing is clear. We’re suffering. Pennsylvania has been named the second smoggiest state in the nation by a recent report from the American Lung Association. Another recent study found that diesel vehicles a major source of Pittsburgh’s air pollution problems. What the consequences look like for VW isn’t final. With fines reaching $36,000 per a vehicle, they could be astronomical. But, it’s important that the EPA comes down hard on VW—to protect our health and to make it clearing this kind of cheating isn’t tolerated.

America hears the Republican candidates, but not our voices!

Recently, Turing Pharmaceuticals announced that it had raised the price of the drug Daraprim from $13.50 per pill to a staggering $750 per pill, representing a nearly 5,556% increase in price. Daraprim is used to treat toxoplasmosis, a medical condition that can be fatal for people with AIDS and developing fetuses. Turing Pharamceuticals's owner is hedge fund manager Martin Shkreli. After being rightfully criticized over Turing's decision to increase the price of Daraprim, Shkreli has taken to social media and openly attacked progressives and other critics of the Daraprim price increase. According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, Shkreli donated $33,400 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), an organization that provides financial and other types of support to Democratic candidates running for U.S. Senate seats. The DSCC, which is chaired by Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), should do the right thing and donate $33,400 to a charity, preferably one that supports research to find a cure for AIDS.

Along Acme Street (between Kroger and intersection of Acme and Phillips Street) there are no street lights which makes it very hard for pedestrians (those walking, riding bikes or using a wheelchair) to see at night. This cause for concern brings safety issues as well especially because of the animals (deer, fox, koons, coyotes, etc) and broken/uneven sidewalks. There are existing poles located along the road that could serve as a potential post for the street light, for example the post in front of Preston’s Beauty Academy or Riverview Credit Union. This road is NOW a state route which means more traffic, larger vehicles on the road and a higher speed limit. Recently, an elected official told me that in a meeting held by City officials, this “situation” was brought up. Many responses were and I quote, “Why should we change something for one person.” Of course I am upset because obviously my life or any other lives mean nothing to the City of Marietta. I am pretty sure that one life lost is too many so why play with mine or my daughters.

American prisons systems are corrupt. They do very little to help the individual inmates prepare for life once released. Conditions are so bad for prisoners, most leave the system with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from wide spread victimization, abuse and even torture. Our nation is less safe from criminals who get released from this corrupt system Recidivism is too high, proving the system is totally corrupt and incompetent. With the advent of prison for proffitt we can expect even worse conditions. We can expect more people being imprisoned. Now is the time to stand up and fight against this dangerous road our nation is heading towards. Arrest and convictions don't just happen to "other people"

Campaign finance reform is the preeminent issue of our time. Until we fix this problem, the tiniest percent of people will continue to use their money to drive policy and true reform on any other issue -- gun safety, climate change, defense spending -- will be impossible . Fixing democracy can’t wait. #LetLessigDebate #FixDemocracyFirst

Calvon Reid was an unarmed man experiencing agitation and distress and in need of medical attention in February 2015. Police called to the scene tased Mr. Reid repeatedly; he died two days later. The Broward County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide in May 2015 yet the Attorney General's office states the case is still "under review."

We need exposure to ALL candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination! I like @HillaryClinton very much but do not appreciate the corporate media choosing her as the inevitable candidate! @BernieSanders has excellent policies but is getting a fraction of media coverage that Secretary Clinton is! The same is true with Lawrence @Lessig @LincolnChafee @MartinOMalley @JimWebbUSA. The American people deserve a discussion about the truth and valid solutions from which to choose. We DEMAND equal media coverage!

I also need to edit the top paragraph second sentence it's APD's job to let us know what our children are up to when we are not looking and thEy see them at a place where they should not be. On 3/2/16 I just want to add that all of these kids need some form of punishment for whatever they did and to learn now that if you do something against the law, you will be punished for what THEY did, but if our children have to pay, should not these adults pushing our children pay as well instead of run around these streets looking like heroes with money and nice cars instead of what they really are? I think so, and they should be given a harsher penalty for willfully destroying so many young lives to the extent that they lose the options of education or a good living. My beautiful son is turning 25 in Goose Creek this month because he has become one of the many to lose their lives to the adults in uniform and the adults in criminal form. They think our children can do their time while they roam free, already living a life of decisions when these youthful men and women have just begun theirs. They say my son has black hair and brown eyes, 2APSIN ID #, 5 different DL #, and was pulled over 34 plus times in 3 years. The lawyers told me yes, they chase the kids around the streets, but pay me $25,000 and I can get your son off. They also told me they cannot pick him out of a line-up, but he's guilty and going to do time. The lawyer also told me that the judge and jury will never see this evidence because he was not going to present it to them, and smiled at me when he said it. They also say my son has black hair and brown eyes and is 6 feet tall, but he has blond hair, blue eyes and is barely 5'5 . This is Justice? Why have we as a community that was once very close-knit allowed this kind of behavior right under our noses to grow such a tremendous amount that it has affected our immediate future and the growth of families, which is the bedrock of our lives. I'm asking everyone to sign this petition and stop the needless sacrifice of such smart minds to the criminal element, and to take responsibility for the guidance of all the youth around us and build back our city to the beauty that brought us here in the first place. Stop chasing our kids and go after the adults that made their decision to live the way they do. Give our youth a chance at a life with support and strength to succeed. Give our communities the chance they deserve to be strong and build a future for our grandchildren to be proud of. Felons are in and out of the system because they can't get a job with a felony, homeless cause they can't rent a house because of a felony, but they can be a criminal with a felony. Adults harassing our youth - and you know who you are - STOP; we love our children and want them back. If you find where the problem began, you can solve the problem. Become part of the solution or be part of the problem. Kids can deal with other kids, but what do you do when the adult we tell them to respect is the bully chasing them around these streets?

The Pope preaches global tolerance and he's been fighting corruption from day one at the Vatican. Kutesa, President of the United Nations General Assembly and a senior official in a government that promoted an anti-LGBT law does not exemplify the values of Pope Francis or the ideals of the United Nations -- fighting corruption and ensuring human rights for all regardless of race, religion, national origin, and sexual orientation.

The actions of these organizations have been extensively documented in peer reviewed academic research (Brulle, 2013) and in recent books including: Doubt is their Product (Michaels, 2008), Climate Cover-Up (Hoggan & Littlemore, 2009), Merchants of Doubt (Oreskes & Conway, 2010), The Climate War (Pooley, 2010), and in The Climate Deception Dossiers (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015). Successful prosecution of the tobacco industry under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act) is a valid example of the power and effect of this act. It's high time to apply it to the fossil fuel industry it's CEOs and it's paid propagandists.

A prime reason for the wave of refugees washing into Europe is the deterioration of the conditions Syrians face in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, a worsening largely caused by sharp falls in international funding, the New York Times reports. [1] The UN Syria Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan had by the end of August received just 37% of the $4.5 billion appeal for needed funds this year. It would cost less than a billion dollars to close the U.S. share of this shortfall, and increased U.S. contributions would encourage other countries to step up. A billion dollars might seem like a lot of money, but compared to U.S. military spending and tax breaks for the super-rich, it’s small change. The Treasury Department says closing the “carried interest loophole” that allows super-rich hedge fund managers to pay a lower tax rate would alone save $18 billion over 10 years [2]; one expert says the number is far higher [3]. In June, the Washington Post reported that the CIA was spending $1 billion this year in military aid to Syrian rebels that both Democrats and Republicans said wasn’t working [4]. That’s different from the Pentagon’s program to aid Syrian rebels, which Democrats and Republicans said this week is also not working. Congress appropriated half a billion for the Pentagon program in 2015 and the Pentagon is asking for even more money next year. [5] Urge the Administration and Congress to fully fund UN efforts to aid Syrian refugees in the Middle East by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/world/un-funding-shortfalls-and-cuts-in-refugee-aid-fuel-exodus-to-europe.html 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/business/with-trump-as-foe-carried-interest-tax-loophole-is-vulnerable.html 3. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/business/dealbook/how-a-carried-interest-tax-could-raise-180-billion.html 4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/lawmakers-move-to-curb-1-billion-cia-program-to-train-syrian-rebels/2015/06/12/b0f45a9e-1114-11e5-adec-e82f8395c032_story.html 5. http://thehill.com/policy/defense/253816-general-only-four-of-five-us-trained-rebels-in-syria