The U.S. Capitol should not be a home to symbols of white supremacy and slavery. Unfortunately, there are multiple statues in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall that do exactly that. These statues represent the faces of the Confederacy, and they must be moved out of the U.S. Capitol building and into a museum. It is time for Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to take a stand against symbols of white supremacy and slavery. They must back the removal of Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol Building. U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has called for these statues to be removed. U.S. Senator Cory Booker has introduced a resolution calling for the same. When will Congress take action?

I like working at Starbucks on Saturday mornings. That’s when the families come in with their little ones in tow after soccer practice or dance rehearsals or a fun day in the park. But seeing parents with their kids while I’m on shift sometimes makes me incredibly sad. I want to start a family of my own one day, but as a gay man, Starbucks doesn’t believe I should be included in its paid parental leave policy. In a little more than a month, the company I love will begin discriminating against people like me, who will be adopting children to start our families, by omitting us completely from their paid parental leave policy. Tell Starbucks to stop discriminating against dads, gay families, adoptive parents and hourly employees through its unequal paid parental policy. Just two years ago, Starbucks was proud to stand up for the rights of LGBTQ+ people to marry the people they love. But today, they’re planning to implement a parental leave policy that disproportionately leaves LGBTQ+ people out. When Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson assumed his new position this spring, he said, “We’re in the business of doing things that are based on our principles….and things that we think make our partners proud and that help us with our business.” This is a moment for him to live up to that promise. When I decide to have a family, I want to be able to be there for my child for those first critical months, but Starbucks’ policy leaves me out. I’m not the only one. Under the new parental leave policy, Starbucks will give corporate moms 3x more maternity leave than baristas — and while corporate office dads and adoptive parents will have 12 weeks, those of us in the stores get no time at all. And because the vast majority of Starbucks’ employees of color work in stores, thousands of us will be left out. Join me in asking CEO Kevin Johnson to live up to his word and include everyone in paid parental leave at Starbucks — before the company launches its discriminatory policy on October 1. Let’s win this!  — Ryan Cervantes Barista, Los Angeles

The victims of Hurricane Harvey urgently need federal assistance. But instead of pledging to give Texas the help it needs outright, Donald Trump is still threatening to veto funding bills that don't include money for his wall. And if Congress waits too long, Trump might shut down the government before the relief effort is funded. We can't afford to have Congress fold to Trump. Our representatives need to pass an emergency relief bill -- without money for the wall -- to ensure that help gets to those suffering from Hurricane Harvey. Sign our emergency petition to Democrats and Republicans in Congress: Pass a clean bill to fund relief and rebuilding in Texas and the Gulf Coast -- with no border wall.

There will be a forum featuring 5 Democratic candidates for the 13th Congressional District seat at 6 pm Tuesday 9/5 in Noyes Lab Room 100 at the UIUC campus. The forum will feature candidates Jon Ebel, Ben Webb, Betsy Londrigan, Erik Jones and David Gill. All 5 intend to be candidates in the Democratic primary in March, to run against Rep. Rodney Davis. [1] The Saudi-UAE war and blockade in Yemen has pushed Yemen to the brink of famine and ignited the worst cholera outbreak on record, with a million malnourished children at risk from cholera. [2] According to UNICEF, every 10 minutes at least one child in Yemen dies of preventable causes like malnutrition and diarrhea. [3] In addition to supplying weapons Saudi Arabia and the UAE are using in Yemen, the U.S. is a direct participant in the Saudi-UAE war by providing targeting information and by refueling Saudi and UAE warplanes bombing Yemen. [4] The Saudi-UAE warplanes can't conduct their bombing runs without U.S. refueling. [5] UNICEF director Anthony Lake was clear when asked by AP about how to end the disaster: "Stop the war." [6] Congress never authorized U.S. participation in the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen against the Houthi-Saleh alliance, as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Bob Corker has acknowledged. [7] Whatever one thinks of the U.S. war on Al Qaeda and ISIS, the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen against the Houthi-Saleh alliance is indisputably not part of that; on the contrary, the Saudis and the UAE are allied with Al Qaeda in Yemen against the Houthi-Saleh alliance [8], and the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen has strengthened Al Qaeda in Yemen, [9] as the State Department acknowledged in a July 2017 report on terrorism. [10] Urge the five Democratic candidates to oppose U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen and to challenge Rodney Davis to oppose it by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/illini-sports/baseball/2017-08-30/tom-kacich-war-chant-rooted-theme-song-1950s-cartoon.html 2. http://www.npr.org/2017/08/02/541181026/one-million-malnourished-children-at-risk-of-cholera-in-yemen 3. https://www.unicef.org/yemen/reallives_12051.html 4. https://theintercept.com/2017/07/13/u-s-doubled-fuel-support-for-saudi-bombing-campaign-in-yemen-after-deadly-strike-on-funeral/ 5. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/06/24/534236954/yemen-now-faces-the-worst-cholera-outbreak-in-the-world-u-n-says 6. http://www.npr.org/2017/08/02/541181026/one-million-malnourished-children-at-risk-of-cholera-in-yemen 7. http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/03/congress-raise-alarm-us-confrontation-yemen-houthis.html 8. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/al-qaeda-group-leader-claims-fighting-alongside-us-backed-coalition-forces-yemen-a7713321.html 9. http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/yemen-aqap/ 10. https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/272488.pdf

ABC News anchor, Tom Llamas, in Houston to report on Hurricane Harvey, spotted Texans who had recently lost everything entering a grocery store. Instead of reporting on the desperate circumstances with compassion, he actually diverted first responder resources that could be used to save stranded families--and called the police.

We The "People", need to KNOW that the president is NOT.... indebted to "ANY" foreign or domestic interests!!!

With Trump and Betsy DeVos doing their best to try to destroy public education, New York state should be leading the resistance by ensuring a quality public education for every student. But that won’t happen if the hedge funders supporting privatization of our public schools have their way. Newly proposed rules in Albany would let charter school networks, including the Success Academy chain run by Eva Moskowitz and chaired by the now-infamous Dan Loeb, bypass New York’s standards and permanently hire unqualified teachers with as little as 30 hours of classroom instruction under their belt -- with no additional training. That's just wrong. The deadline for public comment on this proposal is September 9th. Add your name here and we will make sure your voice is heard!

The fracking industry is targeting Monroeville for seismic testing - the first step to oil and gas drilling. This process involves setting off explosives in deep holes on the ground, or using “thumper” trucks to drop a weighted plate to the ground. Both methods create tremors that can damage property and buried infrastructure. Seismic testing is not safe for our community, and could potentially open the door for fracking in Monroeville. On August 8th, Monroeville Council introduced legislation to protect residents by regulating this seismic testing. Please sign to urge the Monroeville Council to pass the legislation.

“Friday, May 5th was one of the scariest days ever ... I think it’s unfortunate that workers weren’t told what to do with their soiled clothes. I hope nobody brought their clothes inside or hugged their children or loved ones when they got home wearing their same work clothes.” -- Aylin California officials just announced steps to address the threat of brain-harming insecticide, chlorpyrifos. Instead of being a leader, CA is failing by following the Trump line of more studies are needed. California’s plan doesn’t protect those most directly impacted by exposure to chlorpyrifos — children and farmworkers. Their plan calls for a public comment period, more studies, additional risk assessments and basically more delaying tactics. In addition, these types of studies don't consider the already proven brain-harming effects on children’s developing brains. This re-assessment may conclude in December of 2018. Action is needed now. Farm workers and their children must not keep on inadvertently being exposed to this neurotoxic chemical. Make your voice heard on the Department of Pesticide Regulations’ (DPR) 45 day public comment period. Tell California officials to stop delaying. More delaying tactics can mean more cases like those we just witnessed. There have been two cases since May where chlorpyrifos drift is being investigated. Aylin (story above) was one of 48 cabbage workers who were exposed to chlorpyrifos. The pesticides drifted a half-mile from where they were applied - more than 26 times the limit set by current rules aimed at protecting field workers. Scientists have known for many years that chlorpyrifos damages children’s developing brains — reducing IQs, changing brain architecture and increasing risk of learning disabilities and disorders. That’s why it was banned for home use in 2001 and why we need it banned in the fields so Aylin, her co-workers and their families will not keep being test subjects. As the largest agricultural producer and a huge user of chlorpyrifos, what CA does affects the nation. California has an opportunity to be a national leader on this issue. Sign on to the public comment period today and say, “California must follow the science and take action to protect communities across the state.”

the left and liberals continue to stay quiet when it comes to these wussy little thugs. its time for a major crackdown on their ridiculous violence and FACISM (IRONIC I KNOW) its time for the government to label these idiots terrorists and protect people with different viewpoints from their disgusting behavior.

Reports indicate that dogs have been left chained to poles, or stuck in cages, as the floodwaters rise around them. Families have been torn apart in the past, as emergency rescue operations have required guardians to leave their beloved dogs or cats behind. We're asking the head of the federal emergency rescue operations, William Long, to issue a policy requiring that all rescue personnel include dogs, cats, and other animals in their efforts to save lives.

Reports indicate that dogs have been left behind while chained to trees, or stuck in cages, as the flood waters rise around them. Families have been torn apart in the past, as emergency rescue operations have required guardians to leave their beloved dogs or cats behind. We're asking that head of the Federal Emergency Rescue operations, William Long, require that all rescue personnel include dogs, cats, and other animals in their efforts to save lives.