The attacks on books and on the freedom to learn are calculated to render our histories, our communities, and our families invisible. Through book challenges and bans, the far right is attempting to erase LGBTQ+ people and people of color—and we will not let them succeed. Together, we can make a difference. Will you join us and add your name to the petition? Here is the list of the celebrities and activists who have signed onto the letter so far: https://d1tdltywu8qogs.cloudfront.net/images/09-27-23-Name_List_Petition_Image-05.jpg

The Boundary Waters region in northeast Minnesota is a vast wildland refuge critical to people and the planet. The Boundary Waters Wilderness is a rare treasure: a million acres of pristine lakes and forests, unmarred by roads, development, and most motorized use. Yet uniquely accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities - making it the most visited Wilderness in the entire U.S. and the backbone of the sustainable regional economy. Anishinaabe people (also known in this region as Chippewa or Ojibwe) have lived in the area for countless generations and have a deep relationship to these lands and waters. Indigenous people continue to harvest wild rice in the Boundary Waters region and maintain treaty rights to hunt, fish and gather. As sovereign nations, tribes play a central role in protecting the Boundary Waters. This wild and beautiful place is threatened by copper mining, but we can protect it forever if people take action and “speak loudly for this quiet place.” Visit www.SavetheBoundaryWaters.org to learn more.

https://ruskcounty.org/supervisors https://youtu.be/9MZ3Lk1Hz5Q (Watch from about 9 minutes to 24:15) https://fb.watch/mkC5U7xVz2/?mibextid=Nif5oz

To the Hernando county community members it is our right to be able to enjoy our machines on unpaved roads in this community per Florida law. Taking away our rights to ride behind our backs was not only wrong but disrespectful and unconstitutional. They want to blame budget cost on us for damaged roads but we share these roads with other vehicles as well. They have no business using budget cost as an excuse when they have spent 20million dollars on a bicycle bridge nobody wanted in the first place. That is a huge waste of our money! Money that could fix our roads, fund our schools, build a splash pad for our kids, and improved our parks. As far as the individuals that break the laws on these machines are concerned they are the ones that should be held accountable and lose their privileges to ride and should be forced to pay for any damages they cause when operating their machines as they are the responsible party. Law abiding Citizens should never be held accountable for other individuals bad choices. With that said I hope to have your support with your signatures on this form and look forward to seeing our community members riding on the unpaved roads again!

The city of Yonkers has a rich musical history with many talented musicians, producers, and industry professionals having called this city their home. The Yonkers Music Hall of Fame would be an excellent way to celebrate the achievements of these individuals and honor their contributions to the community. Additionally, creating a Yonkers Music Hall of Fame and Earl "D.M.X." Simmons Performing Arts Center would be a way to showcase the city's unique culture and heritage, and it would be a fantastic tourist attraction that would draw visitors from all over the country. It would also provide opportunities for future generations to appreciate and learn about music in Yonkers. As a resident of Yonkers, you can play a significant role in making this project a success by joining the campaign to create the Yonkers Music Hall of Fame, and and Earl "D.M.X." Simmons Performing Arts Center support will be instrumental in creating a space that honors the city's illustrious musical heritage and ensures that it is accessible to all. By joining the campaign and signing the petition, you are showing your commitment to preserving Yonkers' cultural identity and helping to make it an even better place to live, work, and visit.

Right now, over a quarter of U.S. oil, gas, and coal production comes from federal lands and waters. But as Senator Jeff Merkley, co-sponsor of the Keep It in the Ground Act, reminds us, “Our public lands and waters belong to all of us—not to fossil fuel executives who want to exploit our health and our kids’ future to get rich." Burning fossil fuels release greenhouse gasses, a known major driver of climate change, into the atmosphere. Over the past 20 years, nearly three-fourths of human-caused emissions came from the burning of fossil fuels. This planet-killing energy source is incompatible with our futures and must be halted. Keeping fossil fuels in the ground is critical for our planet’s future—and therefore all of our futures. We can no longer put off making sensible solutions and prioritizing the fossil fuel industry above the rest of us. Demand Congress take action now and pass the Keep It in the Ground Act!

Congress needs to push for climate action that will shift our country to stop relying on greenhouse gasses and invest in 100% renewable energy. This includes supporting working-class people and creating green jobs and infrastructure that will boost our economy, invests in working people, and create a more sustainable future. Photo credit: Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Under the fairness doctrine, any news organization was required to provide content on political issues from both parties (or if there was a third party, their viewpoint as well). If you are a Gen Xer, you remember the show Point, Counterpoint on PBS. Instead of making a blanket statement or series of statements on a buzzword issue, evidence was required to back your position, and more importantly, all news organizations were required to allow the opposing viewpoint an equal amount of time - hence the word "fairness" - on their news segment. The Fairness Doctrine also required that news media report errors in their reporting, and to provide corrections to anything that was potentially misleading whether in print or on the air. The Fairness Doctrine was enacted shortly after WWII and it was designed to combat three things. The prevalence of "yellow journalism" where papers would print wild and crazy stories only to incite emotions off of half truths, or frankly just falsehoods with the altruistic goal of simply selling more importantly sell newspapers. These newspapers were printed on cheap paper, that yellowed, which is where we get the term "yellow journalism". The second was to combat the monopoly newly formed television and radio networks had on the news, and their potential to abuse that monopoly to skew information that was provided to the masses to a narrative that the media companies wanted to present to the masses. This law was designed to ensure the media could not use their power to persuade their audience to behave the way they wanted. The third was that in the wake of WWII, we realized the power of news media when we looked at what happened to the German people prior to and during WWII. The Germans were nationalized by Hitler’s media machine that spewed hate, lies and propaganda that allowed the Third Reich to exist and thrive; the people of Germany, because of the propaganda allowed the atrocities of the Third Reich to happen. We passed the Fairness Doctrine to ensure that the news media in this country would not be able to do the same to our people. We wanted our people to make informed decisions, not decisions based upon emotion, or fear about issues that were insignificant, or easily rebuked. The Fairness Doctrine was repealed by President Reagan, and the once mundane news networks became exciting. The first household name that benefited from the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine was a man named Rush Limbaugh. Using the removal of this law, he was able to present news, and information in a one-sided and biased format, without providing information about why his viewpoint may be biased, or even completely incorrect. He used this to his advantage and amassed a massive following and a fortune spreading his one-sided viewpoints. Some of his stories were credible, others were completely misleading. I use Limbaugh only because he was a household name. Both parties benefited from the repeal of this legislation. Likewise, even though Reagan's administration repealed the Fairness Doctrine, it was not party based, and both parties benefited from this law's repeal, as they could use the media to push their own agendas. Think about watching Fox News for a day and then watching MSBNC. They push stories and commentary that is one sided, a lot of which would completely fall apart if they had to present a counterpoint. The media companies, and this is perhaps the real reason the Fairness Doctrine was repealed wanted this as well. They could sell fear on stories and issues that again sounded very scary when you presented one side, but when the other side was presented, the story would fall flat. They could sensationalize the news, and well, make more money. Reagan’s repeal of the Fairness Doctrine likely had more to do with his former acting career and his Hollywood influence more than anything to do with political parties. The Fairness Doctrine prevented misinformation from being spread by actual news organizations. It prevented the spread of nationalistic ideology, and more importantly it required that the news media accurately report on stories that they covered, present facts that were verifiable, and provide an opportunity to discuss an alternative viewpoint. We need to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine to hold our news media accountable. This will stop sensationalizing the news and give the common voter in this country access to honest, reliable information.

Donald Trump and his cronies spread endless lies and misinformation following the 2020 election, which led to the deadly insurrection on January 6. Trump stopped at nothing to try to overturn the 2020 election results and overthrow our government. He is dangerous. He will keep lying to hold on to power, which is why it is important that we, the public, get the transparency that we deserve. Sign this petition to call on the Judicial Conference to approve televising the trials of Donald Trump. Doing so will give all of us the opportunity to see how justice works in our country and can go a long way toward combating the rampant rumors and conspiracy theories that would otherwise be flooding the airwaves and internet. Donald Trump and his allies will attempt to call these trials politically motivated or an abuse of power, but the American people deserve to hear the truth in court themselves. Once again, we urge you to approve televising these historic trials.

As women who fly and are on the go all the time, exposed to hundreds of people , tired and exhausted, when we get to a place we need to crash it is important to have a peace of mind when we rest. Critical components of rest and sleep requires a sense of saftey and comfort. These cameras inside the home we crash at has caused stress and worry of our privacy. And will lead to further complication that could follow into our workplace.

The climate crisis is here and every day we face reminders of the dangers that it poses to humanity. The Green New Deal meets our grave climate challenges with equitable solutions to build a sustainable future for generations to come. While the impacts of climate change are being felt and seen by everyone, it's indisputable that Black, brown, and low income communities are hit first, and the hardest. The Green New Deal is a holistic vision and solution for the crisis we face. We must demand investments in our communities, divestment from the fossil fuel industry, and action now! Add your name now to tell Congress it's time to pass the Green New Deal. Source for image: Molly Crabapple. From the Green New Deal Arts: Signs of the Times project by 350.org

As a community we should expect that our local police department will have an active role in our area. As of yet we have not seen the presence to justify the $21 charge. This charge is not only unjustified but it is a burden for families that are forced to pay the fee when the cost of uninvolved police presence could be paying for other critical needs such as utilities, food, or pleasure. Join me in signing this position to bring our voices together to stop this unjustified and unnecessary fee.