Ten Democratic Senate Committee chairs recently wrote to Senate Majority Leader Reid in strong opposition to the Menendez bill that would impose new sanctions on Iran. The Obama Administration has warned that passage of the Menendez bill would blow up U.S. diplomacy with Iran and set the U.S. on a path towards war. But Parry Murray, Maria Cantwell, and Bernie Sanders did not sign the letter, although they are also committee chairs. Urge Murray, Cantwell, and Sanders to stand up for diplomacy and prevent war. References: Letter of the 10 Democratic committee chairs: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/19/iran-sanctions_n_4475204.html Obama Administration's warning to Democratic Senators on the Menendez bill: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/12/19/white-house-to-senate-dems-your-iran-sanctions-bill-makes-war-more-likely/

Our Democracy has been bought by Dark Money Trolls that hobble our government at a time of great threats and spiraling wealth disparity. Hobbled government enables runaway climate change fossil fuel pollution, voter suppression, denial of women's health rights and clinics, cuts to food and education for poor children, public employee pension theft, hate speech in public forums and a host of bad laws intentionally passed to troll society. Our government is hobbled by TROLLS. End GBT - Government By Troll and elect our future, empowering the People, from the neighborhood up. Think People. To learn more, visit: http://www.stopthestupidnow.com/

My daughter is a student in the Farmingdale School District. Over the last few years, I have watched her well-rounded education transform into one that focuses primarily on test-prep. This misguided focus has resulted in curriculum changes that are developmentally inappropriate and limit critical thinking skills. This petition is the first step for our community to tell NYSED that their policies are hurting our children and schools. Our children are more than test scores, and their education should not be standardized!

I have been unemployed for 10 months, and will soon face exhaustion of benefits. I have been working odd jobs to try and supplement my income, but cannot find a permanent, living-wage job. If I don't find a job in the next 2 months, I will become homeless. I am already behind on all of my bills, including rent. I suppose the next thing I will have to endure is eviction. I have nowhere to go, and all of the surrounding housing authorities have closed waiting lists.

I am starting this because I am one of the honest ones actually looking very hard for a job to support me and my kids. I will be in big trouble if I lose this money. I just passed the nj civil service exam with an 85% to work in a court but I'm 246 on the list. That will never get me a good job. I'm so hurt and scared and frustrated. I just want a good job so me and my babies can live without struggling. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. Melissa Brophy

The Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) program ended on December 28 for 1.3 million jobless Americans. Unemployment benefits will be cut from as much as 73 weeks to 26 weeks. Democrats fought to include UI in the year-end budget plan. But the GOP war on workers knows no shame — three days after Christmas, in the middle of winter, 1.3 million families just lost a critical lifeline. The Senate will vote to renew UI in less than two weeks, but it won’t pass unless we make our voices heard. Demand that Congress renews unemployment insurance now.

I have found the perfect med after 21 years of hell on pills one weed cures all of my afflictions.

As anti-racist feminists and members and allies of the black rights movement, we are asking you, Ani Difranco as well as Righteous Babe Records, PR/Marketing department (Anna Kapechuk) and Booking/Scheduling (Karla Rice), to change the location of your retreat or otherwise cancel the event and make an apology.

Colton Brothers Mrs. Collins ENG 101-A006 31 October 2013 Definition Argument MLA Format Tired of being broke? America does not have the answer to everything for a bright future. After all, it continuously ignores one of its most valuable cash crops. Marijuana is a valuable cash crop because it contains components used in a variety of industries, including modern food and medical science; it provides a great possibility for revenue; and it has potential for innovative uses for manufacturing parts in the transportation cabinet. Marijuana is starting to become a major cash crop throughout the United States. The manipulation of its chemicals is used to establish so called herbal foods, and other uses to the restaurant and companies of the modern day industries. However, marijuana is not only used in food for satisfaction of the customers within the states that have legalized it for medical purposes. A poll conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine on May 30, 2013 indicated that 1,446 doctors from 72 different countries and 56 different states and provinces in North America, saying, “Marijuana should be legal” (Adler and Colbert). It provides medical use to numerous illnesses, consisting of leukemia, sclerosis, AIDS, depression, and chronic pain; it is also distributed to people with bipolar mood disorder. Curious, doctors continue to unravel the secrets behind the herbal substance. According to The Huffington Post, recent studies show Dr. Wai Liu, an oncologist attending the University of London’s St. George School of Medicine, says, “Marijuana compounds can kill some cancer cells” (Ferner). Furthermore, the “Cannabinoids have a complex action; it hits a number of important methods that cancers need to survive” (Ferner). With all the possibilities for marijuana to treat diseases and the pharmaceutical industry generating a lot of money, Marijuana would provide widely stretched uses, becoming a valuable cash crop. Not only is marijuana a valuable cash crop because of its genetic components that can be used in many industries, but it also has a great potential for generating high revenue. Some states are already embracing marijuana as a cash crop. According to Niraj Chokshi of The Washington Post, studies show Washington and Colorado’s approaches toward marijuana are different between the two states, but both are profiting. Washington has a more restrictive policy, including a limited number of licensed sellers, banished personal cultivation, and limited advertisement up to 1,600 feet. Elsewhere, Colorado has started accepting license without cap and legalizing cultivation, with stores available as soon as January (Chokshi). According to Harry Bradford of the Huffington Post, the two states are expected to bring in $550 million dollars, combined with 300 economists estimating they will save up to $14 billion dollars a year. The Daily Iowan Editorial Board announced that the Iowan government lacks $600 million dollars. Marijuana is being discussed for legalization, regulation, and taxation to generate revenue for that state. Furthermore, the politicians are advocating for the development of green jobs. On October 22, 2013 a Gallup poll was reviewed, stating, “Americans support the recreational usage of Marijuana” (Swift). If Americans accept it for recreational usage, why is it so hard to establish it as a valuable cash crop? Potentiality with the valuable cash crop has improved over the years and continues to provide different innovative uses. According to “Henry Ford: 1863 – 1947,” in 1925, Henry Ford introduced ethyl alcohol, “the fuel of the future.” Expressing his opinion amongst the automotive industries, Ford was aware that “hemp could produce vast economic resources if widely cultivated” (“Henry Ford”). The idea of ethyl alcohol powered vehicles was an idea Ford had brought to the attention of the nation. Until the 20th century, gasoline powered engines skyrocketed as the dominant transportation fuel. Gasoline made the operation of “present time engines” easier than ethyl alcohol. The government also claimed that the “new fuel” had lower octane than petroleum, which made ethyl alcohol more toxic to the ecosystem than gasoline. This made gasoline, a more reasonable choice than ethyl (“Henry Ford”). According to Amanda Onion of ABC News, scientists have discovered that the long, thin fibers, which Marijuana consist of, are currently being discussed for cheaper manufacturing of automobile parts. Because of Fords prediction for the use of marijuana and manufacturing, marijuana can be innovated for other opportunities in other industries, providing a better liquidity due to reduced cost. Due to the “2013 government shutdown,” legalizing marijuana would not only provide the economy with more job opportunities, but that it would save America more money, instead of harboring fugitives for irrational crimes and punishment. Marijuana has also been proven to be comparable to the liquidity of alcohol, in that it also could be used to help America struggling with the nation’s burdens of debt by creating jobs and taxation. Just like corn and tobacco, marijuana can also be used for multiple industries, provide great revenue, and establish innovative opportunities for advancement. America cannot deny the value of revenue from consistent cash crops such as corn and tobacco. Marijuana can also be distributed as a consistent cash crop. Although marijuana is classified as “Illegal,” the newer generation is convinced that Marijuana is a good benefit to the nation. More Americans are becoming accustomed to marijuana as a “money making process,” despite the fact that it has been classified as a drug. Marijuana is not only used for personal recreation; much like corn is not used for eating, and tobacco is not only used for smoking. Therefore, due to recent discoveries, the so called “drug” should be reclassified. Some of the elder generation argues that we’ve gone this long without it,...

To end the suffering, abuse and torture of these unfortunate homeless dogs.

I was laid off from my previous job almost a year ago. Since then I have been applying for city, county and different government jobs that suited my background and experience. I was excited at first, since I thought if I passed the written examinations with high scores and interviews, I would have the chance to find a job in the system. Little did I know that it is not about WHAT you know, rather about WHO you know in the system. Unfortunately I have no inside connection. LA County DHR is posting bogus jobs on their website, invite people to apply, spend thousands of dollars on written examinations, and all this for a show only. They do this to simply show that they abide by the law. Nonsense! They never announce how many positions they have open. I asked one time and I was told only one position was open, and yet, there were more than 3000 applicants full of hope to find a job. In addition to this, the county system is full of grandfathered employees who barely know how to use a computer, yet, the young people with more potential and energy are jobless. I met several employees in the county who could barely talk clearly, and yet, I am here with my UI benefits being threatened by a cut (since CA does not have a budget for that!!!). If someone may ask how does CA spend her budget? When was the last time the board of supervisors reviewed or updated the policies of DHR and how the department operates? I think it is time to get someone's attention to this fact of concern to me and thousand other Californians. After you go through the entire stressful process of examination and interview, you get a letter that your name is in the eligible list of candidates and that list is active from 6-12 months only. What the hell is that? After 6-12 months, the entire process will be put on show again with different candidates. I tried to contact DHR and ask them why is the list life so short? All they did, emailed me the link to the civil codes governing DHR. Great! Who is in charge of updating or revising these codes based on today's economy and life??? One time I had to go through 6 stressful phases for one position, and at the end, after I inquired about it, the list life my name was on, was only for 6 months...If they have one position open at a time, the hell, I will get a job within 6 months...Ridiculous...Someone, please help me understand the reasoning behind this, please...Who is the mastermind behind this unreasonable codes?

FOR TOO LONG THE ROSE SUPPER CLUB, NOW NAMED CENTENNIAL BAR AND GRILL HAS BEEN THE SITE OF NUMEROUS SHOOTINGS IN MONTGOMERY, AL. MOST RECENTLY AROUND 1:30AM CT THIS MORNING DECEMBER 28, 2013. THE DEATHS OF GLEEN THOMAS AKA DOE B, 22, A LOCAL RAPPER RECENTLY SIGNED TO T.I.’S GRAND HUSTLE IMPRINT AND KIM JOHNSON, 21, A YOUNG WOMAN CELEBRATING HER 21st BIRTHDAY HAVE BECOME THE NORM FOR “THE ROSE”. I CAME TO MONTGOMERY TO ATTEND COLLEGE IN 2000 AND SINCE THE AGE OF 18 I HAVE PERSONALLY KNOWN THE ROSE BEING KNOWN FOR THE VIOLENCE THAT TAKES PLACE THERE. PLEASE SPREAD THIS PETITION AND SPREAD THE WORD. PLEASE TAKE A PLEDGE TO BOYCOTT THE ROSE. WITH OR WITHOUT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS I BELIEVE HITTING A BUSINESS IN THE POCKET WILL FORCE IT TO 1.CHANGE ITS PRACTICES OR 2.CLOSE IT DOWN. THIS IS MONTGOMERY, AL AND WE KNOW HOW STRONG A BOYCOTT CAN BE! THE ROSE HAS BEEN A WELL KNOWN STAPLE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS BUT IT’S TIME FOR ITS DOORS TO CLOSE PERMANENTLY. ALTHOUGH THIS WILL NOT STOP ALL THE VIOLENCE IN MONTGOMERY OR ELSEWHERE IT WILL BE A SHOW OF GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THAT THIS TYPE OF ONGOING VIOLENCE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. TO THE FAMILIES OF DOE B AND KIM JOHNSON WE OFFER OUR HONEST CONDOLENCES AND PRAYERS. THIS IS ONLY A SMALL STEP AT CURVING VIOLENCE WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BUT A STEP NONETHELESS. THANK YOU, SANKOFA