Many of us fear trace amounts of pesticides in our food, but sit on sofas every day that contain pounds of toxic flame retardants. These chemicals migrate out of our sofas and other household products and are released into the air in our homes. As a result, 97 percent of U.S. residents have measurable quantities of toxic flame retardants in their blood. Take action today to urge the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to protect the public from toxic flame retardants. These chemicals have been associated with reproductive impairment; neurological impacts, including learning deficits and decreased IQ in children; endocrine disruption; cancer; and immune disorders. Children’s products in particular are likely to contain flame retardant chemicals, putting kids at risk during critical periods of rapid growth and brain development. And for reasons that are not fully understood, low-income communities and communities of color bear a higher body burden of these chemicals than others. To make matters worse, household products containing toxic flame retardants can still burn, and when they do, they tend to produce more smoke, soot, toxic gases, and carcinogenic combustion products. This puts building residents, firefighters, and other first responders at greater risk of harm in the event of a fire. Earthjustice and Consumer Federation of America, representing a broad coalition of organizations, just submitted a legal petition to the CPSC, asking it to protect the public by prohibiting the sale of any children’s product, piece of furniture, or mattress if it contains a toxic flame retardant, and any electronic product with toxic flame retardants in the plastic enclosure. Please let the CPSC know that you stand with the firefighters, pediatricians, consumer advocates, and scientists in asking for household products free of toxic flame retardants!

Currently, the limits on the number of Atlantic herring that can be caught are benefiting industrial fishing operations but threatening the Northeast’s ocean ecosystem. We need you to come to the rescue by taking urgent action now. The New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) is in the early stages of developing a policy to change the way catch limits are set for Atlantic herring, a keystone species in the marine ecosystem and an important food source for whales, seabirds, and bigger fish, such tuna and cod. The Council needs to hear from people who care about the ocean ecosystem, not just from the herring fishing industry. Earthjustice has been fighting for more than a decade to protect our oceans from irresponsible fishing practices, pollution, and habitat destruction. Today, we need your help. Act now: Tell New England fisheries managers that Atlantic herring are critically important to the ocean, not just to the fishing industry’s bottom line. Other councils have recognized that forage fish need to be managed differently than other fish. Many marine species that depend on herring for food are struggling after long periods of overfishing and ecosystem disruption. New England managers must ensure that enough herring are left in the ocean—at the right time and in the right locations—to give these herring predators enough to eat and sustain their populations. Herring predators aren’t just ecologically important; they also have economic value. Tuna fishing, commercial and recreational fishing for cod and striped bass, whale and seabird watching—all these activities contribute to the Northeast’s economy. The NEFMC should consider this economic value and recognize that these activities depend on an abundant source of Atlantic herring. Take action: Urge the New England Council to protect herring for the long-term health of the ecosystem and the Northeast economy!

The death penalty is a crime against humanity.

I am the third victim of a sociopath who systematically "chose" me to financially and emotionally use me towards his end. I now know that there are very few, if any, advocacy groups to help fight these monsters, but there are tens of thousands of victims. There are no warning signs, so there needs to be protection in the aftermath.

I have known Matthew Eledge for many years and he is a good person who does not deserve this. It is wrong to discriminate against people because of who they love. Love is love and it is disgusting to see what Skutt is doing here. Also see --> Proverbs 10:12 More from a message that is floating around the Internet: Mr. Matthew Eledge has been an English teacher and speech coach at Skutt Catholic since 2010. Since then, he has created a legacy. Not only has he changed students’ lives in the classroom, but he has also made Skutt a premier school for speech competition. Under his leadership, the students have won five consecutive conference and district titles and capped another successful year with its fourth straight state championship this past March. Unfortunately, this legacy will be coming to an end. Mr. Eledge is being fired from Skutt Catholic for being in a gay relationship. In December of 2014, Matt and his partner, Elliot Dougherty, made the decision to get engaged. He went to the administration to let them know, and they told him he would not be invited to teach next year. Furthermore, if he told students, he would be fired immediately. A living example of what it means to be a SkyHawk, Mr. Eledge has spent hundreds of hours striving to make sure that the students at Skutt have an incredible high school experience. He soars above the rest in accolades, talent, and character for Skutt Catholic. After months of contemplation, Mr. Eledge discussed the idea of postponing the wedding so he could come back to Skutt Catholic. He was then informed that he must end his relationship with Elliot. A core belief at Skutt Catholic is to inspire “moral and ethical leadership by not only educating, but also requiring students to provide service to, embrace diversity within, and seek justice for their communities and the marginalized in our society”. As parents, former teachers, alumni, and individuals who support the Skutt Catholic community: we demand the administration embrace diversity and stand up for justice by not discriminating against a teacher that has inspired hundreds of students and future leaders in the community. When Mr. Eledge, or any other teacher, becomes engaged, what they do in their private life is between themselves and God. Not for us to assume or judge. Furthermore, if they fire Mr. Eledge for engaging in a same-sex relationship, they must avoid discrimination. They will need to fire any single teacher who is living with their partner or engaging in sexual activity, any divorced person who has remarried without an annulment, or any married couple using contraceptives. We believe Mr. Eledge should not be fired because of his sexual orientation. We must take action and demand equality for a great teacher, a successful coach, and an even better human being.

This pledge states that you do not agree with the perpetration of sexual violence, and that you will work with those of us at The Project to educate others as well as do your best to stop the crime of sexual violence.

Please give serious consideration to the health and education of Missouri's children. Any financial cuts in Medicaid and/or education can only have an extremely negative effect on the quality of life (and, possibly death) of your constituents and have a profoundly negative future for children who might receive substandard educational and medical services.

-The project underway is short-sighted & irresponsible in its actions to purposely, abruptly destroy & remove valuable & irreplaceable wildlife habitat. Exemplified by the cutting of scores of 100 year old heritage trees thereby Permanently Destroying Existing Habitat & creating Fire Hazards by the dry slash left mounded on the ground. -The broad spraying of Herbicides including Roundup & Garlon 4 is dangerous to the health of Humans, Pets, Wildlife, Land & Water. -Lake Hodges is a Wildlife Refuge-a Natural Island amidst Urban Sprawl-the Concentration of Living Beasts Dependent on its existence is even greater now due to surrounding Habitats Lost to recent Fires & declining Habitat Vitality resulting from Ongoing Drought Conditions.

The death penalty should be repealed in ALL cases. It is costly, it is not a deterrent to crime, it kills people who are innocent of the crime, it is unfairly applied to African Americans and other people of color, it prolongs the grief and suffering of the victims' family. The U.S. takes a spot behind China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia for the most executions in the world last year, sitting ahead of Yemen and the Sudan. All other Western countries have abolished the death penalty. The passed Senate Bill would replace the death penalty with life sentences without parole.

With all the trouble in the world, there is our great Americana music to make things right. We should honor the late Levon Helm of The Band with a U.S. postage stamp.

A federal judge ordered California's corrections department to provide a transgender inmate with sex change surgery. U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco ruled that denying sex reassignment surgery to 51-year-old Michelle-Lael Norsworthy , who's birth name is Jeffery Bryan Norsworthy, violates his constitutional rights. Corrections officials, in previous court filings, argued that Norsworthy has received proper medical and mental health care for more than 15 years and is in no immediate medical danger if the surgery is not performed. His care included counseling, mental health treatment and hormone therapy that the department said "has changed his physical appearance and voice to that of a woman" while helping him find his gender identity. That care is consistent with what other judges nationwide have found to be appropriate for transgender inmates, the department said. Norsworthy has been in prison since 1987, serving a life sentence for second-degree murder and has a history of domestic violence. He has twice delayed his scheduled parole hearings in recent months while awaiting a ruling on his gender reassignment surgery. This elective surgery could cost the already heavily burdened tax payers up to $100,000. Norsworthy is a convicted murderer who has been a tax burden on the people for nearly 30 years. As a prisoner, he already receives superior medical care when compared to many honest and hard working citizens. Why should we the people front the bill for this non life saving surgery for a violent criminal when most law abiding citizens could not afford the same surgery? If this ruling is upheld, it could lay the case law foundation for many repeat occurrences. Norsworthy has delayed his parole hearings twice which leads to speculation that he is willingly keeping himself incarcerated solely to receive this elective surgery on the tax payers dime. Do we really want to lay the groundwork for future abuse of the system where people commit crimes with the intent of being sent to prison and forcing the tax payer to fund their elective and cosmetic surgeries? It's time to take a stand. Let our government officials know that the people of the United States of America will not sit idly by and watch our tax dollars wasted. Thank you for your support.

Allow a person of legal voting age to submit an application for addition to the checklist to the presiding officer at the polling place of the town in which the person seeks to register during the hours of voting.