The US Department of Justice has decided to challenge anti-voting laws in Texas. Please sign this petition to encourage US-DOJ to take action in North Carolina, too! North Carolina’s new anti-voting monster law has many features that seem designed to make voting harder for certain groups [see www.democracy-nc.org]. For example, eliminating pre-registration for teenagers, ending Same-Day Registration, and refusing student IDs will push down voting by young people. Poor women will face new barriers since women are nearly two thirds of the voters who don’t have a NC photo ID, according to the State Board of Elections. African Americans are especially hit hard: They are 50% more likely than whites to register by using Same-Day Registration, to vote by using Straight Ticket Voting, and to not have a NC photo ID. In addition to requiring a photo ID, the new law ends SDR and STV! On the other hand, whites are 60% more likely to use mail-in absentee ballots – and the new law makes forms to get mail-in ballots easier to obtain! Even though a recent US Supreme Court decision undermines part of the Voting Rights Act, other sections remain in force. The Justice Department aims to use those sections to stop the discriminatory election changes in Texas. In taking the action, US Attorney General Eric Holder said, the Department is “determined to use every tool at our disposal to stand against discrimination wherever it is found.” Please sign the petition to urge Holder to take action in North Carolina - and then forward it to others. Thank you! Bob Hall Democracy North Carolina

Many men have committed suicide due to the severe symptoms of Post-Finasteride Syndrome. Countless others have lost their romantic partners and careers. Thousands of men who take Finasteride are at risk of developing this life-altering condition. The maker of Propecia, Merck, has an ethical responsibility to fund research into the Post Finasteride Syndrome.

PBS originally began as the source of information broadcasting for those un-represented in society. What has evolved over the decades is an empire that caters to the rich and educated. Hence, Koch seeks to keep his name and brand exposed to suit his needs. Those of us who don't care about rich donors demand instead that we be shown the truth and nothing but the whole truth.

The NY Times today announced that Chelsea Manning, the soldier formerly known as Bradley Manning, has indicated that she wishes to be referred to as Chelsea and with feminine pronouns. There is zero justification for continuing to use the male pronoun, and blatantly refusing to acknowledge the gender she identifies with. When someone makes the momentous and difficult decision to change their name and gender identity, the least you can do is change a simple pronoun.

In the wake of the Supreme Court’s horrendous Citizens United ruling, some tax-exempt special interest groups are exploiting an IRS rule to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into elections from undisclosed sources. Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS alone spent more than $70 million in “Dark Money” in the 2012 elections. These so-called “social welfare” organizations, which qualify as tax exempt under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code, give the super-rich and corporations a way to secretly spend unlimited amounts of money on campaign advertising. The victims of attack ads from these groups are hamstrung in fighting back, because they are unable to identify and publicize the vested interests that are attacking them. But here’s the thing: Federal law says that 501(c)(4) organizations must be devoted *exclusively* to social welfare. By permitting these groups to operate as tax exempt despite spending as much as half of their revenue influencing elections, the Internal Revenue Service is enabling — even encouraging — them to flout the law. If the IRS enforced the law that Congress enacted, 501(c)(4) organizations would not be permitted to engage in substantial election-related activities. Instead, people who wanted to contribute to influence elections would have to give money to political committees, which are set up for that purpose and which must disclose their donors. Reform advocates have filed a lawsuit to force the IRS to change its rules to comply with the law. But no lawsuit should be necessary. The IRS can and should correct its position on its own. Tell the IRS to enforce the law and end Dark Money election spending.

Cause I want to know why the Koch brothers want to buy and influence media everywhere/

The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill in June providing a roadmap to citizenship for many immigrants, increased border security and a way to fix the broken immigration system. However, since the bill passed the Senate in June, the House had not taken any action to pass a similar Comprehensive Immigration Bill. Speaker John Boehner has insisted since this Spring that the Senate's CIR bill would never make it to the House of Representatives and he and his colleagues have made good on this promise. However, the House could introduce a discharge petition, gain support from fellow members and force a floor vote on the legislation members of the House of Representatives to vote on the Senate's Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill on the floor. Unfortunately, while many House Democrats have voiced support for signing such a discharge petition, none have yet shown the leadership to actually introduce it. We need one brave soul to take the lead. A coalition of progressive and social justice groups including MoveOn.org, America's Voice, 18Million Rising, We Belong Together, and CREDO Action, have committed to mobilizing our combined 15 million members in support of a discharge petition on comprehensive immigration reform. We hope you will join us in urging Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to take the courage and leadership by introducing a discharge petition and making it possible to bring the Senate Immigration legislation to the House floor.

California is the only state that "legally" allows "Lane Splitting" by motorcycles. This practices is endorsed by the CHP as a life saving and traffic congestion saving practice. Utah's roadways are constantly expanding at great costs. Lane splitting would help to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. The guidelines for lane splitting are simple, but effective. Motorcycles can go between cars at a speed no more than 10 mph faster than the flow of traffic, not to exceed 30 mph for the flow of traffic. This will also allow police officers to split lanes, even if they are not in pursuit. ****** THIS BILL IS BEING PUT BEFORE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE'S COMMITTE FOR A VOTE in the next few days. It is being modeled after the recent endorsement by CHP Motorcop guidelines. http://www.chp.ca.gov/programs/lanesplitguide.html Contact your state Representative. http://le.utah.gov/house2/representatives.jsp House Bill #0281 Motorcycle Amendment Please sign the petition AND contact your House Rep. ASAP

The Passaic Valley Water Commission has awarded a $3.1 Million contract to an out-of-state engineering firm to draw up blueprints to drain our beautiful NJ reservoirs & replace them with gigantic concrete monstrosities in which to store our drinking water. Nowhere else in the nation has a State Legislature endorsed such a project! The NJ State Legislature must pass a regulation to require the Passaic Valley Water Commission to DELAY any and all action on this project until 2016.

I would like to start a petition and then have it sent to our State Legislature that would forbid any person who has been convicted of more than one alcohol related crime to be banned from purchasing alcohol from any establishment. I think this would be a good start to help keep drunk drivers off the road. This has become a growing problem and it seems the laws we have in place are not helping. I realize this is not a fix all solution but I do believe it is a good start.

North Carolina Republicans are taking unprecedented steps to reduce the number of students and minorities taking part in elections. They've cynically closed and consolidated voting sites along racial lines, taking a particular interest in polling places serving historically black colleges.

The Million Hoodies Movement for Justice - a multiracial alliance of concerned citizens, civil society organizations, and community leaders - hereby nominates Antoinette Tuff for The Presidential Medal of Freedom.