After 40 days, Ramon Mendoza Pascual and Jesus Cipriano Rios are the two remaining hunger strikers at the ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Ramon and Jesus have decided not to stop the hunger strike, even though they have told Ramon that his kidneys may fail if he continues. The GEO Group has systematically attempted to silence these two brave individual's efforts. Instead of listening to the protesters, the GEO Group has threatened to force-feed them, and sentenced participants to solitary confinement. At this time information provided by Maru Mora Villalpando from Latino Advocacy reports: Both are receiving milk with vitamins and are in medical isolation and segregation (but Ramon was released after his 20 day sentence, and now it seems he has been placed in “administrative segregation” which means also isolation). Jesus has about 8 more days to go in solitary confinement but we are afraid he will be placed in “administrative segregation” as well when his sentence is over. Ramon was told his kidneys can fail at this point (close to 40 days of hunger strike now all together). Cipriano has been told he is still doing ok." No one should have to starve themselves to be heard. Especially for demands like these: – Improved food quality – Improved treatment (including medical treatment) – Increased pay for work in the facility (the current pay is $1.00/day) – An end to exorbitant commissary prices – Fundamental fairness and justice Stand up to the GEO Group, don't allow them to silence the brave efforts of Ramon, Jesus, and all the detainees at the ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. Help put an end to the use of For Profit Prisons! For more information about the hunger striker's demands and news articles covering the strike, you can find some here: http://www.notonemoredeportation.com/2014/03/17/breaking-hunger-strikes-spread-to-texas-detention-center/ http://www.thenewstribune.com/2014/03/19/3105791/hunger-strike-down-to-2-detainees.html http://truth-out.org/news/item/22586-from-tacoma-to-texas-hunger-strikers-challenge-private-immigration-detention-centers-federal-deportation-policy In Solidarity, Renee Hamilton

The recent hunger strike by 750 of the 1,300 people being held in the Tacoma ICE Detention Center made it clear that the GEO Group is continuing their history of abuse and corruption in Tacoma. For-profit prisons create a demand for prisoners that the GEO Group helps create by lobbying for more onerous laws that put more people in prison. This is wrong and needs to be stopped.

For-profit prisons have quotas, they don't want to end recidivism, they want a captive population. We have family members in ICE to meet quotas. We have more mentally ill family members in for-profit prisons than in mental health institutions. We have more prisoners than China, which has one billion more people than the USA does. We don't want to pay for these prisons-for-profit anymore. Put that money into mental health care, advocates, health services and affordable housing. Our communities need more support and services, not more prisons.

To have The Africa Union to step up to resolve the situation in CAR.

More than 100 women leaders from government, business, and the non-profit world have all signed a letter to Governor Cuomo and leaders in Albany demanding that they raise the wage in New York. Click here to see the letter. Across this state, nearly 3 million low-wage workers are hardly being paid enough to get by, and they're disproportionately women. To add insult to injury, not only is there a stark gap between what women and men get paid, but it's a divide that grows even wider if you're a woman of color. Will you co-sign our letter by signing on to this petition to Governor Cuomo and leaders in Albany calling on them to raise the wage in New York?

Companies should not be allowed to terminate an employee at will. This is a huge cause of our outstanding unemployment statistics. Congress should pass a bill that protects folks from loosing there jobs because of the following reasons: -budgetary cuts -loosing business -discrimination Just like folks have insurance for cars, insurance to save folks job when a business is failing should be mandatory for every business. This would definitely lower the unemployment rate stats. Also, only a judge should be able to terminate a person's job. Afterall, without a job folks are unable to live. The reasons business provide for terminating a persons job is actually criminal. Companies have too much authority in this area.

A BILL TO STOP St. George, Louisiana IN HOUSE COMMITTEE THURSDAY (APRIL 10th) AFTERNOON. HB 768 by Rep. Ed Price will be heard in the House Committee on Municipal & Parochial Affairs when the House adjourns Thursday afternoon. The bill would limit incorporation petition drives to 180 days and put other restrictions on incorporation. The St. George drive has already exceeded that time limit. Apparently, the bill would apply to petition drives in progress. This is a liberal committee with 11 Democrats and 5 Republicans, an anomaly in the Louisiana House, which is majority Republican. The public is invited to appear and testify. The committee will meet in Room 6. For a copy of the bill: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=879566 To view the committee agenda: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Agenda.aspx?m=15528 To view the members of the Municipal & Parochial Affairs Committee: http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_CMTE_MP.asp

SOMALIS IN KENYA HAVE FLED THEIR HOMELAND FROM CIVIL WAR AND FAMINE. THEY CAME TO KENYA SEEKING PROTECTION AND STABILITY NOT DETENTION AND HUMILIATION. WE DEMAND AN IMMEDIATE HALT OF THE DETENTION AND DEPORTATION TO THE SOMALIS IN KENYA.

As citizens we must compel politicians to fight on our behalf. Concerned citizens need to step up and be the change they want to see in the world.

Republicans propose cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicare benefits – all while lowering taxes on millionaires and giant corporations. The Congressional Progressive Caucus budget would instead invest in education and jobs -- paid for by asking millionaires and giant corporations to pay their fair share. Ahead of Tax Day, can you join Kelly Westlund and other progressive candidates across the nation in challenging their opponents to join them in supporting the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget?

Gustavo Panesso is a New Yorker who was denied a job because of information in his credit report. He has decided to speak out against this unfair practice. Here is Gustavo’s story: “A few years ago, I received a job as a sales associate at an upscale national clothing retailer in Manhattan. I was on my way to orientation when a supervisor called to tell me the orientation was canceled because of a ‘problem' in my credit report. I was shocked because I’ve always paid my bills on time. It turned out that a credit card I co-signed for my sister many years before was in default; after being laid off from her job, my sister could no longer make payments. Ironically, this entry on my credit report ended up costing me several retail jobs – despite my many years of experience, positive references from past employers, and successful interviews. Credit reports say nothing about someone’s integrity, honesty or ability to perform a job. Employment credit checks have increased because the multi-billion dollar credit bureaus want to make huge profits from selling our credit information to an ever greater number of employers, lenders and businesses. Please join me and members of the NYC Coalition to Stop Credit Checks in Employment in calling on the Mayor of New York City and NYC Council to put an end to this harmful practice. For more information, and to watch short videos of me and other New Yorkers sharing our stories, visit www.creditcatch22.org."

More than one in three women will experience rape, domestic abuse, or some other form of gender-based violence. Regardless of of where a woman or girl lives, no one should live in fear because they are born a woman and nowhere should we accept violence against women and girls.