On May 19, Los Angeles voted to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour – giving a raise to 800,000 people. New York is still stuck at $8.75. That’s not right. But right now we have a HUGE opportunity to win $15 in New York for fast food workers. Governor Andrew Cuomo just launched a wage board with the power to raise wages for the hundreds of thousands of fast food workers in the state – but will they agree to $15 an hour? Let’s send them a message loud and clear that it’s time to make New York the first state in the union with a $15 wage for fast food workers. Time is short – we need to deliver this petition to the wage board by June 22, before they make their decision. Sign today.

Shixin Lu is a 43-year-old asylum seeker and a mother of a 13-year-old daughter, Yuening Li. She is in danger of being imminently deported back to China, where she is almost certain to be detained and tortured by Chinese authorities solely because of her peaceful religious beliefs. Shixin and her husband, Austin, are practitioners of Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual practice outlawed in China since 1999. Tens of thousands of practitioners have since been detained and tortured. Shixin and Austin were both victims of this abuse in the early 2000’s, but following their detentions, they concealed their religious beliefs and built successful careers in China. In January 2014, Austin and their daughter traveled to the United States, joined by Shixin a few weeks later. Shixin was forced to return to China in February after receiving news that her father was ill. While in China, Shixin started to receive threats to her family’s well being. In a panic, Shixin returned to the United States, where she was detained in ICE custody before applying for asylum. Her asylum claim was wrongly denied, despite the substantial proof of warnings from Chinese authorities. Shixin has been detained in county jail like a criminal for more than one year in Calhoun County Jail although ICE has power to parole ( release her) as she is neither flight risk nor danger to public and has a legitimate asylum claim. ICE Field office should use proper discretion and free her now while asylum appeal is pending!

Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the country. As states move to legalize marijuana, it is time to at least reduce sentencing for non-violent marijuana arrests. Legalization would help reduce inmate populations, and help to raise much needed tax revenues.

Cheyney University has been the bridge to success for thousands of students. Because of its historic background, for many minority families, it is still the first higher education choice of first-time college-going students. Sadly, over the past 20 years, this university has suffered due to a lack of adequate state support; weak, state imposed leadership; and the systematic dismantling of its signature programs. It is time for the Commonwealth to acknowledge and respect the essential contributions to the general welfare and commercial strength of Pennsylvania and the United States that emanate from this historic, landmark institution; and to preserve, sustain, and revitalize this great institution.

United States Trade Representative Michael Froman is one of the key people negotiating details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal. But his dealings with the largest financial institutions that are lobbying for passage of the TPP demand more attention. Froman has a cozy relationship with big banks and other financial institutions. He helped Barack Obama raise money from Citigroup during his 2004 Senate and 2008 presidential campaigns. Froman remained on Citigroup’s payroll while working to load the executive branch with bank-friendly officials as co-chair of President Obama’s transition committee in 2008. And Froman received a $4-million golden parachute from Citigroup when he left to join the Obama Administration. Big banks may see Fast Track authority for the TPP and other trade deals as a backdoor opportunity to undermine financial regulations. The American people deserve to know what the U.S. trade representative is promising these institutions and asking of them in return.

Bee colony collapse is a danger to our food supply. Lowe's recently stopped selling plants treated with neonicotinoids. It's time for Home Depot to follow suit.

I am invested in Baltimore because it is my birthplace and my life's strong foundation. Thus, I come with authority that we cannot allow the Maryland General Assembly to continue to drag its feet when it comes to police reform, or people like Freddie Gray will continue to pay the price for their delays. Governor Larry Hogan recently signed a bill into law that created a commission to study the use of body cameras by police. Now you can also become a real part of the solution by signing this petition to demand that all Maryland police officers be mandated to wear body cameras.

Shixin Lu is a 43-year-old asylum seeker and a mother of a 13-year-old daughter, Yuening Li. She is in danger of being imminently deported back to China, where she is almost certain to be detained and tortured by Chinese authorities solely because of her peaceful religious beliefs. Shixin and her husband, Austin, are practitioners of Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual practice outlawed in China since 1999. Tens of thousands of practitioners have since been detained and tortured. Shixin and Austin were both victims of this abuse in the early 2000’s, but following their detentions, they concealed their religious beliefs and built successful careers in China. In January 2014, Austin and their daughter traveled to the United States, joined by Shixin a few weeks later. Shixin was forced to return to China in February after receiving news that her father was ill. While in China, Shixin started to receive threats to her family’s well-being. In a panic, Shixin returned to the United States, where she was detained in ICE custody before applying for asylum. Her asylum claim was wrongly denied, despite the substantial proof of warnings from Chinese authorities. Shixin has been detained in county jail like criminal for more than one year in Calhoun County Jail although ICE has the power to parole ( release her) as she is neither flight risk nor danger to public and has legitimate asylum claim. ICE Field office should use proper discretion and free her now while asylum appeal is pending!

I am starting this petition because I have family members who are veterans, friends who are veterans, and work for and with veterans who have received honorable and general discharges and wish they could get the same privileges of shopping on military installations due to their service to the United States of America. Some folks could not make it to retirement status due to disabilities, which they do not receive 100% compensation for and some may have had a family member that they needed to care for because their superiors would not grant a hardship for. Please take this petition and consider it. Veterans deserve to be treated equally and veterans who do not have dishonorable discharges deserve military installations privileges

The Wisconsin budget proposes a $300 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System. This cut will hurt communities across the state. Tell your state senator to stop the $300 million cut to the UW System.

I am a professor and see the huge amount of waste firsthand.

Across the nation, states are moving towards easing marijuana penalties to fight back against prison overcrowding and save taxpayer dollars. But, right now, possession of more than 4 ounces of marijuana is considered a felony in Arkansas, punishable by up to 6 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It's time to change this.