We have just a few days to tell the Supreme Court loud and clear that We the People deserve fair maps… The Supreme Court has officially announced that the justices will hear Rucho v. Common Cause -- our potentially landmark lawsuit against gerrymandering in North Carolina -- on Tuesday, March 26th. If we win, we'll set a nationwide precedent to end partisan gerrymandering -- launching a domino effect to strike down rigged maps not just in North Carolina, but in all 50 states. Just imagine: in one fell swoop, we could revolutionize how our government represents us. This would be one of the biggest shifts of power from political insiders to the American people in a generation -- but we need your voice to secure a victory. Let's show the Court that Americans nationwide are ready to take a stand against this undemocratic process. Add your name to demand an end to partisan gerrymandering.

In two of the past five presidential elections, the candidate who won the popular vote lost the election. And in every presidential race, candidates are forced to focus their attention on only a handful of competitive swing states -- ignoring the vast majority of voters nationwide. Our winner-take-all Electoral College system is responsible for these anti-democracy outcomes. But right now, we have the opportunity to make presidential elections more inclusive and competitive with the National Popular Vote Compact. Here’s how it works: states have the right to decide how they award their electoral votes -- so if enough states require their electors to vote for the winner of the nationwide popular vote (rather than the state’s popular vote), it would fix the problems of the Electoral College without needing to amend the Constitution. National Popular Vote won’t take effect until enough states have joined in, but we’re closer to that than you might think -- 12 states and the District of Columbia have signed on already, totaling 181 electoral votes of the needed 270. New Mexico and Delaware are also set to join the compact soon. Every state should follow suit and join the National Popular Vote Compact. We deserve a president who is chosen by the will of the people -- and presidential races that encourage candidates to engage with voters in all 50 states.

This is a gut check moment for every lawmaker who says they care about the rule of law. When President Trump failed to get his border wall built through the democratic process, he decided to undermine the checks and balances that have protected our nation for centuries -- declaring a phony “national emergency” to pay for it. In response to this brazen attack on the rule of law, the House and the Senate passed a resolution with strong bipartisan support to block the president’s declaration. But as expected, Trump once again put his own interests first -- and used his first presidential veto to dismiss Congress’ bipartisan resolution. Now, it’s up to Congress to override the veto. Our elected officials must put the good of the country before the good of the party and check this power grab by President Trump -- with a 2/3 vote in each house. We cannot let our president blatantly ignore our democratic system to fund his anti-immigrant agenda. Add your name and demand our representatives take a stand for the rule of law.

I am a junior at Northside High school and every day I see friends and teachers tired and stressed. Not to mention funds for JROTC store and other clubs are low. My suggestion for four-day school weeks will fix that.

The United States is the only country in the world not to have ratified The Convention of The Rights of The Child. The CRC is the strongest international legal instrument and statement of equanimity between the civil, political, economic, social, health, and cultural rights of children with adults. Neglecting to ratify the Convention has already resulted in serious detriment to the lives of children in the US. It is time the US join the rest of the world, and ratify.

The customers of New York American Water (NYAW) have been paying rates 500% more than other water companies across Long island. NYAW has admitted to falsifying tax filings to receive further rate increases. They bill customers for capital improvements yet they received millions in federal funds for this purpose.

I am sick and tired of being blinded by the lights, and I'm sure many other people are, too! They cause so much glare, and prevent you from seeing the road, or possible pedestrians. I was just out for a walk, and it's hard to see the sidewalk when being blinded by oncoming traffic.

If you are a current NYU student, faculty, employee, alumnus/a, donor, or other affiliate, we are asking for your support in this. Recent reporting has provided evidence that the Sackler family, owners of Perdue Pharma, knowingly and purposefully deceived doctors and the public regarding the potential risk for abuse and overdose-related death of Oxycontin. The Sackler's have donated massive amounts of their multi-billion dollar fortune to multiple institutions and in exchange have their name plastered on some of the world's most renowned institutions, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Smithsonian, the Tate Gallery and the Louvre, Harvard, Oxford, Columbia, Tufts, NYU, University of Edinburgh, and Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. In response to learning 59 individuals died due to overdose in a single state, then Perdue Pharma president Richard Sackler sadistically replied “This is not too bad. It could have been far worse.” The family's behaviors are unforgivable, and we must not be complicit in their corruption by continuing to advertise their brand.

I have lived here a month and still cannot get my mail after waiting three weeks for keys that don't work. I have heard many people say their key doesn't work or they can't get their mailbox open. Several people have resulted to flagging the mailman down like an ice cream truck just to get their mail in person. That shouldn't be necessary. These are not owned by our property management company, therefore he can't help us. If we all petition for new mailboxes, we should get them.

I don't know a single person who hasn't been affected by the problem of an erroneous credit report. Trying to correct even blatant issues is all but impossible, since the agencies give companies the last word in any dispute. This is important to all of us, because these agencies unilaterally generate a number that can translate into costlier car/home insurance, utilities, and mortgages. A lower credit score can even prevent a buyer from qualifying for a home or auto loan. We were recently affected by the Equifax data breach, since they sell our information, as well. I firmly believe that these problems need to be addressed by legislation that provides strict oversight for these companies. This includes a mechanism for resolving disputed debts, provisions for correcting erroneous reports, consumer control over their ability to market our personal data, and a concrete plan to limit the overarching power of these agencies. Thank you.

When multiple presidencies are won in less than a score of years by one party, the same party which has a long history of setting up gerrymandering situations in numerous states, by notably less than the majority of US voters, the system cries for change. There is no valid reason why 6 million votes should be ignored by an arbitrary entity, (literally) giving the election to a person who would not even campaign in every state. If the President is to represent ALL of the United States, then it is incumbent upon him/her to speak to ALL of the population and adhere to the popular will of the people. The Electoral College, by design, precludes that in many cases. Because it can do so, it should no longer be considered viable and should be eliminated.

While commemorating World DNA Day, we should ask, at what point does the world accept the science that there is no such thing as racial superiority and inferiority? For those who are still struggling with that fact, it could be because the science was not explained to them. Instead of arguing with them, let us refer them to the human genome project, which mapped the human genes and confirmed that the human species is 99.9% the same. That was almost twenty-six years ago, in April 1993 and sequencing was completed in 2003 confirming that humans are 99.5% genetically identical. We have known all along that blood transfusions, organ and tissue transplantations could only be done within species. Race and ethnicity are not science but social constructs. What then is the problem? Maybe understanding genetic science is the problem. The role of our governments, educators and jurists is also to educate, which is why this petition goes to the United Nations, federal and local governments of all nations, federal and local courts of all nations and schools to settle the arguments, based on science, once and for all that there is no inferior or superior race. This is to say that all living things in the same category belong to the same species. Almost 8 billion of us belong the human species. We also know that not two humans, except identical twins, are alike. What does that mean and how do we know this? We know this with the help of the double-helix structure deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In 1953, Nobel Laureates, Doctors Watson and Crick of Cambridge University, United Kingdom, showed us that the human DNA proves our uniqueness. In 1984, Dr. Jeffreys of the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, linked that uniqueness to help solve the first crime with the help of DNA testing, a.k.a. genetic fingerprinting. The human genome project that started in 1990 and was completed in 1993, which involved 1,000 scientists from 6 continents, 20 institutions and cost less than 3 billion USD to map the entire human genes. Although we are still finding many more uses of DNA, it is now used routinely to solve crimes (convict or exonerate), prove paternity, identify human remains, diagnose diseases, treat patients and in medical research and food science. Not only human DNA but also plant DNA has been used to solve crimes, which means the uniqueness that applies to the human species also applies to all living things (zoology and botany). For those interested, there are seven taxonomic hierarchies within species that are common to all living things, plants and animals: species, genus, order, class, phylum, kingdom, and domain. Let us cut to the chase. Have there been blood transfusions and organ transplantations among the races and would someone who assumes superiority accept blood from those he/she considers inferior? Would they even know the donors? Let you be the judge. Imagine a world where everybody looks alike, like identical twins. That is not the case and even within a family, we find differences. It is a long story but the color of ones’ skin was determined by evolution. Those differences give us our unique characters and our individuality but do not make us superior or inferior, period! Wherever you are, on 25 April 2019, join the UN and the National Human Genome Research Institute of NIH to celebrate the human DNA. It is a big deal! For more information: https://www.genome.gov/10506367/national-dna-day/ https://www.adl.org/racism https://www.genome.gov/12011238/an-overview-of-the-human-genome-project/ https://www.un.org Thank you, Enku Kebede-Francis, PhD, MS, MEd