Congresswoman Barbara Lee Warns Corker-Kaine AUMF Would Expand, Not Curb, Trump's Ability To Wage Endless War Joining others who have already made their opposition clear, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.)—who in 2001 was the sole member of Congress to vote against the original Authorization for Use of Military Force in the wake of the the 9/11 attacks—is raising her voice once more against a bi-partisan proposal introduced this week that she says would only strengthen, not curb, the "blank check for war" that Congress has bestowed on the president. Saying she has "grave concerns" about the bill introduced by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Lee on Tuesday warned it "would continue all current military operations, allow any president to unilaterally expand our wars, and effectively consent to endless war by omitting any sunset date or geographic constraints for our ongoing operations." According to Lee, the legislation actually "further limits Congress's role in warmaking by requiring a veto-proof majority to block military action from the president." Not only must the new AUMF be rejected, Amnesty International said, but the existing authorizations—the first from 2001 and then a second one passed in 2002—must also be repealed. The "seemingly limitless interpretation" of those AUMFs, the group said "has led to a widespread violation of human rights, from indefinite detention and torture to unlawful drone strikes. If Congress does not get this right, it will repeat the mistakes of the original authorization and bear responsibility for further abuses." And as Lee concluded, "Over the last sixteen years, we have witnessed the consequences of unfettered executive power in matters of war. Instead of further endorsing perpetual war, we need to insist on an AUMF that is narrow, clearly defined, and respects Congress's constitutional duty to debate and authorize military action." ( Read the entire Common Dreams article here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/18/congresswoman-barbara-lee-warns-corker-kaine-aumf-would-expand-not-curb-trumps)

As an institution which prides itself on it’s progressive and environmentally conscious ideology, it’s time for the University of Hawaii at Manoa to step up and eliminate single use plastic straws from campus. If 17,600 undergraduate and graduate students at University of Hawaii at Manoa, can publicly make this one simple change in their campus life, it will encourage other schools as well as small and large businesses to also make the change.

Listen to the people of Georgia! The LGBT community should be treated equally and this bill is discriminating and hateful. All these people want is to have the American dream... get married, buy a house, and have a family. Why should you be the one to deprive them of that??

The City of Takoma Park is planning to raise the property tax rate (again), add 5 new positions, and increase the total budget from +/- $30 million to $32.5 million on July 1, 2018. Property owners in the City are to provide most of that revenue and at a time when the economic future is indeed uncertain. We simply can't afford it.

Everyone in the State of New Jersey recognizes that Deer population has grown out of control. Not only does the high deer population adversely affect local farmers and agriculture, they also destroy landscaping, pose a health hazard with the growth of Lyme and other deer tick borne diseases as well as cause thousands of accidents on our roads every year. By moving the Division of Fish and Wildlife from the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Agriculture, ultimate control will be vested in a Department that understands the harm that the mismanagement of NewJersey Wildlife causes each year. Perhaps more importantly, this move will also put the ultimate control of the management of over 350,000 acres of open space in New Jersey into an agency that recognizes the importance of management of that open space for the benefit of all people, not just a limited number of hunters. Currently every year more and more farm land is taken out of active farming and allowed to grow up into brush and weeds by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Warden Neal of Indiana State Prison Michigan City, IN. and Assistant Warden George Payne need to resign immediately due to the continued conditions at the State Prison. One person was burned alive April 7, 2017, because no one would roll the doors under Warden Neal's watch. Many other men suffered serious smoke inhalation due to being left in the cell house for quite sometime following the death of the inmate, and most have not received medical treatment. Since the fire retaliation began. Cameras are now placed in the attorneys booths, all mail including legal mail is copied and the offender gets the copy while the original is maintained. These men have no means of getting outside help, because their mail is scrutinized. The grievance policy has went to the wayside. No more touching upon arrival at the prison between loved one's, nor when leaving. Inmates are forced to wear jump suits backwards which is not only extremely uncomfortable, but dangerous. If an inmate were to be attacked get near an electrical spark there is no way to get out of this heavy garment. Drugs and contraband are easily obtained from the guards. This place was built in the mid 1800's and is not fit for human habitation. If a family member calls the prison regarding their loved one, the loved one is usually shaken down with orders from Assistant Warden George Payne to the guards to not leave until there is some sort of infraction found. Please take a stand and sign and support.

We need to keep the foundations of music in our school. This has an impact on everyone, especially those who are in the classical BFA.

Inmates rights are violated due to misconduct of excessive force and abusive tactics, monopolizing the individual's rights from allowing them their legal right to be released from custody immediately.

Google wants to buy public land to build a new 20,000 employee mega-campus in downtown San Jose. Let's make sure the tech giant doesn't worsen inequality and displace the diverse communities that make San Jose great. We’re calling on Google to ensure our families can thrive as the company grows: - Partner with us to fight displacement, gentrification and homelessness - Ensure family-supporting jobs and a voice at work for local workers in construction and operations - Support local schools to promote education and career opportunities for all children - Broaden access to transit and mitigate traffic impacts - Provide community oversight of community benefits We need members of the public to sign our petition demanding accountability from Google so it knows the whole world is watching. It’s time to set a new direction for equitable tech growth. Sign the petition.

Steroids kill too many people

Almost all of the mail we receive is junk mail sent from marketers and mass mailings. This is a complete waste of energy and resources and we need to put an end to it. This was never what the Postal Service was intended for.

Climate change is the most important issue of our time. We have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions substantially. Divesting from fossil fuels is a critical tool in this effort. Oregon Saves is a tremendous opportunity for workers without employer-sponsored retirement programs to save for retirement. Oregon Saves impacts about 100,000 employers. We must have a fossil fuel-free investment option for those workers so their retirement funds aren’t working against the future of our planet. Please sign and share this petition to help give Oregon workers the opportunity for a retirement investment that complements our climate goals.