Following Executive Order 14072, Strengthening the Nation's Forests, Communities, and Local Economies, we are calling on the Biden Administration to enact a strong, lasting rule across federal public lands that protects mature and old-growth trees and forests from logging, allowing the recovery of old-growth forests that have been lost. These forests are essential to removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere, safeguarding wildlife, and providing clean drinking water for our communities. We are working to build grassroots pressure across the United States to ensure strong, lasting protections for our climate forests — and we need your help! Moving forward, we need to convince the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to take the threat logging poses to climate change and wildlife loss seriously. We must ensure our climate solutions match the scale of the threats we face today, and conserving and recovering our mature and old-growth forests represents one of the simplest, most cost-effective actions we can take. Please join us in calling on the agencies to fulfill the promise of President Biden's Earth Day Executive Order on forests by beginning a rulemaking process immediately to ensure our climate forests remain standing for future generations.

We don’t know the impact of the toxic chemical explosions on people’s health yet, but residents have reported experiencing nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, and headaches. It’s also been confirmed that chemicals have spilled into the Ohio River, which covers 14 states and provides drinking water to more than 5 million people. This water basin also leads directly into the Mississippi River, a major water source in the United States. President Biden already called Gov. DeWine and said the administration would give him whatever he needed, so why hasn’t DeWine declared a state of emergency? It is critical that Gov. DeWine declare a state of emergency and formally request President Joe Biden for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid so residents affected by the explosion can get the help they deserve.

Residents in Ohio and Pennsylvania have been repeatedly told that they are “safe” after a Norfolk Southern train derailment caused a huge release of hazardous chemicals into the air, land, and water. Meanwhile, residents are continuing to report that they are experiencing health issues - from rashes to difficulty breathing - and are expected to navigate the emergency response and healthcare systems on their own. This needs to change. “Safe” means people can vacuum their homes without worrying about kicking up toxic pollution. “Safe” means having independent test results that examine every necessary parameter and indicate there’s no harm. “Safe” means being able to be in your home without the risk that health problems will develop months or years from now. State officials in Ohio and Pennsylvania must take transparent, proactive steps to ensure that residents are able to access the information and support that they need. We, the undersigned, call on them to immediately do the following: Provide medical monitoring. The states must monitor and track health concerns from this incident, and they must provide mobile clinics so that residents and first responders – anyone in the area who was exposed to the pollution – can access critical information about their health. Support independent environmental testing. The state must provide funds for independent environmental testing. Residents are understandably skeptical that tests being paid for by Norfolk Southern are reliable and trustworthy. Access to independent water and soil testing should not be limited to people who can afford to cover the high costs. Meet with residents regularly, in-person, on an ongoing basis. Information about this incident is complex, and more information comes out - whether accurate or not - by the hour. Residents deserve a space to have conversations with officials, to raise concerns, and to ask questions, and be given answers. Governors from both states must work immediately with the environmental and health agencies to facilitate these actions in coordination with key stakeholders within impacted communities. [This petition was originated by our allies at the People Over Petro Coalition (POPCO) and its partner organizations on the ground in Eastern OH and Western PA.] Photo credit: Ted Auch, Fractracker Alliance

“Shoot first and think later.” That’s how Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor describes the doctrine of qualified immunity. Qualified immunity is a rule that protects government officials (including police officers) from facing the consequences when they violate our constitutional rights. This doctrine allows police officers to escape accountability for their misconduct and signals to the public that cops are above the law. In any other job, individuals who cause harm are held accountable for their actions. Police cannot continue to be an exception, especially at the expense of Black lives. The police officers who brutally killed Tyre Nichols were dismissed from their jobs, but that won’t bring Tyre back to his family. And a single action against this group of officers won’t prevent police brutality against more Black and brown communities. Police officers remain unchecked, and will continue to wield their power against other people, as long as they’re seen as “above the law.” One way of taking away their unchecked power is ending qualified immunity.

ExxonMobil just crushed the record for the most profitable year in the history of the ENTIRE western oil industry. They netted $56 billion in profit in 2022!1 The fact that this happened the same year gas prices went through the roof makes it very clear what exactly was going on. The White House has now twice called out the oil industry for price gouging consumers2,3 and it’s time for Congress to respond by passing the Windfall Tax. Sign the petition: We need a Windfall Profits Tax! In 2022, ExxonMobil set a new record for the most profitable year in the history of the western oil industry. ExxonMobil isn’t the only one exploiting consumers, fossil fuel companies across the industry saw historically massive profit margins. The combined industry profit this year is almost $200 billion!4 Instead of investing these massive profits into lowering prices, corporations have been sending it to their shareholders in the form of stock buybacks. This is all a result of disgusting greed and exploitation. The oil industry took advantage of the war in Ukraine and public anxiety around inflation to jack up gas prices. CEOs at ExxonMobil and Shell are drenched in obscene profits while regular working people have been crushed by soaring prices. Congress must pass the Windfall Profits Tax. Sign the petition: We need the Windfall Profits Tax! Big oil corporations have price gouged and profiteered off the War in Ukraine and inflation anxiety. Now they are swimming in record-breaking profits. Windfall Profits Tax, NOW! Sources: 1. Reuters, “Exxon smashes Western oil majors' profits with $56 billion in 2022,” January 31, 2023. 2. The Guardian, “Biden accuses oil companies of ‘war profiteering’ and threatens windfall tax,” October 31, 2022. 3. Reuters, “White House blasts Exxon over historical $56 bln annual profit,” February 1, 2023. 4. Reuters, “Exxon smashes Western oil majors' profits with $56 billion in 2022,” January 31, 2023.

Railroad workers have warned people in power that a disaster of this magnitude could happen without stricter rules and safety measures on trains. We need the Department of Transportation to take this seriously and force companies to use braking technology that will save lives. Right now, most train companies, including the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Ohio, use braking technology from the Civil War (yes you read that correctly). The evacuation order was lifted last week and residents have been returning. But since then, there’s been a growing number of reports about people experiencing a burning sensation in their eyes, and animals rapidly falling ill in East Palestine. It could happen to any of us, as trains carrying these chemicals and freight ride past our communities and cities daily. We need to make the right investments to save human lives and protect workers. Photo Credit: MSNBC News

There is a history of racist images, names, and tropes around sports teams—and fortunately, team after team is recognizing that and changing its ways. Football's Washington Commanders and baseball's Cleveland Guardians are two recent examples of major sports teams listening to fans and Native people, finally recognizing that they needed to change their names, imagery, and culture—doing so successfully. It's time for Kansas City—with a team of stellar athletes heading to the Super Bowl—to do the same. Native people are not mascots, they are people and are still here. The Kansas City team knows it has a problem. Over recent years, it has adjusted its imagery, banned fans from donning war paint, and tried to stifle "war chants" in their stadium in their efforts to confront racist, misinformed, and offensive stereotypes. Yet these behaviors persist, amplifying the harm, oppression, and intergenerational trauma they cause. Leaders, historians, psychologists, and social scientists have concluded that “Native mascots are part of a much larger web of phenomena that contribute to oppression faced by Native Americans and thus it seems clear that these mascots should be eliminated.” That’s why it’s so important to consult Native leaders and organizations who have been at the forefront of these fights. Kansas City has a rich and diverse history—and now it has a nationally-recognized football team. Words have power. Symbols have power. All racist imagery—the team's name, logo, culture and rituals—must be changed to show respect for Native peoples. It's time to stop this racist cultural appropriation by sports teams.

For decades, the Hazara population has faced ethnic cleansing, systematic persecution, and unspeakable acts of violence in Afghanistan stemming from discriminatory beliefs against their religion and ethnicity. With such great risk to their lives and personal safety, large numbers of Hazaras are fleeing from Afghanistan with refugee status to seek security from these life-threatening dangers. As a refugee, the right to international protection is one they reserve. While measures have been taken to enforce this refugee status and their rights as refugees, further progress is necessary to ensure the safety of the Hazara community. Due to the nature of the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States, the US remains a key player responsible for defending the rights of Hazaras. The US has held diplomatic relations with Afghanistan for decades now. With the removal of US troops from Afghanistan in recent years, the Hazaras are at an extreme risk under the reinstated Taliban rule making it more imperative than ever to take steps toward ensuring protection to the Hazara population in the United States. This campaign is ultimately advocating for the increase of visas for Hazara refugees in the United States by lobbying for the classification of Hazaras as a vulnerable population. Limited access to visas are forcing Hazaras to undertake dangerous journeys to other countries, live in overcrowded refugee camps for years, or stay in Afghanistan where their right to a safe life is not protected. By upgrading the severity of refugee status for the Hazara population and raising awareness about the unjust treatment they have faced for years, Hazaras’ right to a safe life is better protected. This upgrade will require bipartisan Ohio government support stemming directly from the traction created by the signatures on this petition. This campaign is committed to protecting the basic human rights of the Hazara population and the advocacy for dignity regardless of background; thank you for your support.

Donald Trump and his associates planned, promoted, and paid for a criminal conspiracy that became the January 6 insurrection. According to the U.S. Constitution, that disqualifies him from ever holding office again. Section three of the Fourteenth Amendment, the “insurrection clause,” makes clear that anyone who engaged in attempting to violently overthrow the US government after swearing an oath to protect it is barred from being given that responsibility again. In 2022, a New Mexico county commissioner who was at the January 6 insurrection was kicked out of office when a state court ruled that the insurrection clause barred him from office. And other courts upheld that the insurrection clause was relevant to members of congress, including MAGA Republican Madison Cawthorn, who spoke at Trump's rally on January 6. It applies just as well to people seeking the Oval Office. We need to fight back even harder to hold Trump accountable for his actions to damage our democracy—actions that continue today and are focused on laying the groundwork for his next coup to place him in the White House in 2024 no matter the will of the voters. State elections officials already have the authority and responsibility to bar him from the ballot. And Congress can back them up by passing legislation barring Trump from office under the Fourteenth amendment. Will you sign the petition today to join the fight to disqualify Trump from holding public office and help disrupt plans by Trump and his allies for his next coup in 2024? See the 50 other petitions across the country here: https://sign.moveon.org/efforts/disqualify-trump Sources: 1. “The Jan. 6 Hearings Are Over. These 3 Things Must Happen Now.”, The New York Times, October 14, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/14/opinion/january-6-committee-trump.html 2. “How the 14th Amendment Could Disqualify Trump and His Allies,“ Democracy Docket, June 6, 2022 https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/how-the-14th-amendment-could-disqualify-trump-and-his-allies/ 3. "New Mexico removes, bars Couy Griffin from public office," KRQE News, September 6, 2022 https://www.krqe.com/news/politics-government/new-mexico-judge-removes-bars-couy-griffin-from-elected-office/

The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) is about to vote on an outrageous proposal to require all female high school athletes to report detailed information about their menstrual periods to their school administrators in order to play. Florida is home to an abortion ban and a law against transgender athletes playing on public school teams. Forcing girls to share detailed menstrual information puts them in danger, full stop. Four members of the FHSAA are appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis and his education commissioner, and just two of 16 members are women. We're calling on them to reject the mandatory period reporting rule for high school athletes.

Regardless of your political party, we have to unite against this extremism. These bills presented and pushed by these outsiders are hurting Kansans. The 802 Self Evident Truths: 1. Public education is key to an educated public. 2. Science is real. 3. Equal access to healthcare is vital to healthy communities. 4. Treaties shall be honored, and no human is illegal. 5. We will end gun violence. 6. Black Lives Matter. 7. Love is love, and pronouns will be respected. 8. All voices deserve to be heard.

Donald Trump’s handpicked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said the USPS would be “better off” without the Postal Regulatory Commission. That’s right – he’s not content with trying to destroy our United States Postal Service with rate hikes and service cuts. Now, he wants to destroy one of the last safeguards in place meant to stop schemes exactly like the one he is trying to carry out! It’s no wonder DeJoy hates oversight – he’s spent his tenure trying to GUT this longstanding public service by hiking postage prices, slowing down first-class mail delivery, and more. He’s got to go – and President Biden can make that happen today. Sign our petition: President Biden must act now and nominate members to the USPS Board of Governors who will oust DeJoy and save our Post Office.