Inciting violence against anyone is unacceptable, regardless of differing political opinions. Rodney Garcia should step down as a state representative immediately.

I am a student, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I barely have my life together, let alone a plan for my future, but seeing the destruction around me only goes to show I may not have a future. Look at your children. Should they be forced to live in a world where the air is as toxic as breathing poison? Everywhere around us, we see people building for their futures, whether it be children in school or adults building a family. How dare we strip that future away from them? What gives us the right to burn fossil fuels and destroy the planet? What gives us the right to turn pastures into junkyards only to dump the burden on the next generation? What gives us the right to value objects like money and gasoline as more valuable than the lives of thousands of people. Sign this to support the Green New Deal being passed in Georgia. Sign this for Georgia to lead the nation into rebuilding. Sign this to be the generation to finally make a change for the better.

The POST Act addresses the long-unmet need for civilian oversight of NYPD surveillance practices, particularly the acquisition and deployment of novel, highly-invasive technologies. For years, the NYPD has built up an arsenal of spy tools on the public tab while trying to block public notice and debate. These tools not only include the so-called “gang database,”[1] but also items like facial recognition, IMSI catchers (so-called “stingrays”), and automated license plate readers that can monitor a vehicle’s location throughout the city.[2] These tools threaten all New Yorkers' privacy, but they pose a particularly potent threat to our immigrant communities and New Yorkers of color. Unchecked, the growing use of surveillance technology threatens to obscure and automate racial inequalities under the guise of unbiased computer systems. And too often, these systems create a risk of information sharing with federal agencies, including Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”). For example, the NYPD has contracted for years with the private firm Vigilant Solutions, which operates a national database of over 5 billion license plate data points. Shockingly, in recent years, we learned that Vigilant Solutions was not just contracting with local police departments, it was also contracting with ICE. This is the vendor that the NYPD uses to record countless New Yorkers’ license plates per day, and we do not have an accurate understanding of how the NYPD may be sharing license plate data with ICE. Even worse, the NYPD relies on Vigilant Solutions’ artificial intelligence to map out social networks, label New Yorkers as “criminal associates,” and create databases based on the company’s unproven algorithms. This is just one example of countless surveillance tools that requires a systematic solution. The POST Act is not just a comprehensive response, but also a modest one. The NYPD can continue using these tools by complying with limited protections against waste, discrimination, and misuse. In fact, the POST Act would be one of the most limited surveillance reform bills in the country, especially when viewed in comparison to San Francisco’s and Oakland’s oversight legislation, which also contain outright bans on facial recognition technology or to Massachusetts’s proposed state-wide moratorium on facial recognition. Additionally, many of the jurisdictions require legislators to approve each and every surveillance system their municipality buys, unlike the POST Act, which only requires public notice. The measure is not just widely supported by your City Council colleagues, it’s even endorsed by the New York Times.[3] The message is clear: civilian oversight of surveillance enhances the public’s trust in police departments and public safety. After a hearing before the Public Safety Committee in December, thirty-two City Council members and the Public Advocate have now signed on as POST Act cosponsors. The time is now for a vote of the full City Council. [1] https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2019/7/23/the-nypds-gang-database-a-new-age-of-stop-and-frisk [2] https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2019/9/26/domain-awareness-system [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/18/opinion/nypd-post-act-surveillance.html

The 2020 election has started. Do you want to make sure your vote counts when you go to the polls? Sign this petition and tell your Chief Election Official to ensure that elections are secure and accessible, registrations are processed, and your vote is counted. The chaos of voting in Iowa this week caused voters to be confused and doubt their votes would count. The voter suppression in 2018 in Georgia was an election robbed. That is no way to run a democracy. This is a warning to elections officials nationwide: turnout in the 2020 elections will be high and the world is watching. We can blame the Iowa caucus problem on bad technology. But the decision-makers who run elections in other states can avoid such a mess. Election officials must do everything in their power to make sure new tech is working and establish solid back up plans if it fails, well before the first voters head to the polls. 2020 is the election of our lifetime. Turnout will be high. Our democracy may hinge on a single principle: If polls aren't prepared, our voices aren't heard. We can act now to make sure every voter can cast a ballot that counts. This year, voters will be casting ballots on new voting machines for the first time. They'll be voting by mail for the first time. They'll be registering online for the first time. Election officials: don't wait. Act now to make sure those systems have solid backup plans, thorough testing, and paper backups so every voter is heard. Please join with us and demand that your Chief Election Official prepares for the 2020 election, so that every vote can make their voice heard.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is for people who have “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." Rush Limbaugh has only been a divisive media host.

The store is fantastic, and Summerville deserves great food at a fantastic price!

“Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would -- I fear -- expose my character to history’s rebuke and the censure of my own conscience.” - Senator Mitt Romney Before the Senate’s impeachment trial began, every senator took an oath to serve as an impartial juror -- and put the rule of law before any external political pressures. The majority of senators violated that oath the moment they voted to acquit President Trump -- giving him the green light to abuse his power as long as he remains in office. But some -- including Senator Romney of Utah, Senator Jones of Alabama, Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- took a courageous stand. By voting to convict Trump, they set aside political calculations and their own self-interest to do what’s right -- and defend the American values that we hold dear. Trump and his supporters are sure to launch vicious attacks against these senators for prioritizing their constitutional duty. That’s why they need to hear an outpouring of support from everyday Americans who applaud their commitment to ensuring no one is above the law. Add your name to tell Senator Romney, Senator Jones, Senator Sinema, and Senator Manchin: thank you for putting your country first and holding President Trump accountable.

As an Iowan, I have enjoyed the privilege of being the first test for presidential candidates. Now, it is time for a more diverse state to take on the challenge. The United States has become more diverse since Iowa became first in the nation in 1972, and the Democratic Party has hailed itself as the party of diversity. We must hold a nominating contest that embraces and reflects that diversity. Those who defend Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status argue that Iowans are educated voters who ask hard questions. They point out that candidates visit our rural communities, small businesses, and farms. But vetting candidates is not an innate talent; it is a skill. Farms and small businesses exist across the country. Inevitably, these same things would come to happen in Michigan or Pennsylvania if they went first. I am proud to have served as a precinct chair this year. The caucuses are a wonder to behold. Attendees can go in with a strong preference for one candidate and find themselves aligned with another after talking with their friends and neighbors. But the unfortunate reality is that caucuses are not accessible to everyone — particularly individuals with disabilities, shift workers, parents of young children, and the elderly. In Iowa, people of color are significantly more likely to encounter the obstacles to participation that make the caucuses so inaccessible. This means that our most marginalized communities are further marginalized by the voting process. We must move the first primary contest to a state where a more diverse set of people with diverging perspectives can vet the candidates.

The Senate has voted to acquit Donald Trump -- giving him and future presidents a green light to abuse their power and put themselves above the law. No new evidence admitted. No witnesses called. No due process. It’s clear that Senate Republicans never wanted all the facts -- because they knew those facts would show that Trump is guilty. Trump’s acquittal comes despite the damning testimony against him from multiple career public servants... despite his defenders’ repeatedly disproven lies... and despite 75% of Americans wanting to hear from additional witnesses before the Senate voted. Simply put: Trump’s enablers know he is guilty. And they know that their constituents still have unanswered questions. But they just don’t care. Americans nationwide are outraged, and we’re not backing down. We’ll keep fighting for a just democracy, even if these senators won’t -- and we’ll hold any representative who puts themselves above the law accountable. Add your name to condemn the Senate’s sham trial -- and to decry those Republican senators who have failed their constituents, their constitutional duty, and their country by voting to acquit President Trump.

It will take all of us to defeat Trump and the Republicans -- but it's clear for the good of the country and the world, we have to. A majority of Americans want him removed, now let's get out there to make sure they all vote on November 3.

He is a traitor to the great tribe of Cherokee Nation

No one likes stinky