Monthly Archives: September 2015

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stop spying on Black activists! Brandi Collins … ColorOfChange.org


Help expose FBI surveillance of Black Lives Matter events!
The FBI and DHS are illegally monitoring and spying on our movements for justice. Hv

Chip in $15 to help expose FBI surveillance of Black Lives Matter events!

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Why do the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) think fighting for Black lives is a threat to national security?123

From protests to candlelight vigiles, the FBI and DHS are illegally monitoring and spying on our movements for justice.4 If you attended a protest or rally in the last two years- they may even have a file on you! This is a blatant assault on our First Amendment right to organize and speak out against injustice.

Enough is enough! We’re launching an investigation to uncover the FBI and DHS’s monitoring activities of Black Lives Matter protests. Help us fully expose the government’s discriminatory and dangerous spying.

Chip in $15 to help expose FBI surveillance of Black Lives Matter events!

Black and brown folks are dying in the streets daily while our federal government refuses to track police shootings and the group identified as the biggest terror threat to the United States: white extremists.5 Instead of addressing police brutality, the FBI is monitoring and trying to intimidate Black activists. Instead of working to prevent the next Dylann Roof, the DHS is monitoring and trying to block justice movements.

We have too many fights to win and too much on the line to let our movement come under attack!

Over the last few months, it’s been revealed that the FBI, DHS and local police departments have been monitoring the social media accounts of activists and have even tried to intimidate activists at public events.6 They’ve used that information to compile “threat assessments” and provide “situational awareness” — coded language used by law enforcement agencies to conduct surveillance of lawful, First Amendment-protected political speech.

This surveillance serves not only to keep tabs on activists, but also to deter them from pushing forward. Surveillance is a tool of fear. These techniques are designed to create a chilling effect on people’s organizing.

With your $15 donation, we can put in FOIA requests for Black Lives Matter protests from the past year plus and pull back the curtain on government spying.

The current surveillance strategy follows a history of domestic surveillance of social movements, including the civil rights movement in the 1960s.7 The FBI notoriously monitored the activities of social justice activists like Congressman John Lewis, Cesar Chavez and the Native American resistance movement through COINTELPRO (COunter INTELigenece PROgram). They subjected Dr. Martin Luther King jr. to extensive wiretapping and even tried to blackmail him into committing suicide.8

Instead of trying to protect Black Americans from actual terrorists and police brutality, they are trying to silence us. This is made all the more disturbing by the fact that these agencies are targeting activists of color with their counter-terrorism units.9 Peaceful protests, vigils, and community organizing should not be treated as national security threats by our government, and yet they are.

What we currently know is a small fraction of the state surveillance against the Black Lives Matter movement. We are going to do everything we can to expose radical and illegal surveillance tactics by the FBI and DHS.

Chip in $15 to help expose FBI surveillance of social justice activists!

Thanks and Peace,

–Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Evan, and the rest of the ColorOfChange team.
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way.

References:

1. “Emails Show Feds Have Monitored ‘Professional Protester’ DeRay Mckesson,” Vice News, 8-11-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5221?t=8&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

2. “EXCLUSIVE: FEDS REGULARLY MONITORED BLACK LIVES MATTER SINCE FERGUSON,” The Intercept, 7-24-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5222?t=10&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

3. “5 Examples of Our Government Treating BlackLivesMatter Movement Like a Terrorist Group,” Alternet 4-27-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5223?t=12&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

4. “EXCLUSIVE: FEDS REGULARLY MONITORED BLACK LIVES MATTER SINCE FERGUSON,” The Intercept, 7-24-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5222?t=14&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

5. “White Americans Are Biggest Terror Threat in U.S.: Study,” NBC News, 6-24-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5224?t=16&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

6. “At Last Night’s Solidarity March, the NYPD ‘Came Out Swinging’,” The Nation, 4-30-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5225?t=18&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

7. FBI Records: The Vault: Black Extremist, FBI
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5226?t=20&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

8. “The History of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the F.B.I.,” Huffington Post, 1-20-2014
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5227?t=22&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

9. “EXCLUSIVE: FEDS REGULARLY MONITORED BLACK LIVES MATTER SINCE FERGUSON,” The Intercept, 7-24-2015
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/5222?t=24&akid=4728.1174326.n-STiE

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

More from 1600 Penn


Alaska: The 49th State’s Place in History

While the President is en route to Alaska, check out this historical look at why Alaska is so important to protect.

READ MORE

Weekly Address: Meeting the Global Threat of Climate Change

In this week’s address, the President speaks about his trip to Alaska and highlights ways we can address the challenges of climate change — including the transition away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources like wind and solar, an effort in which America is already leading.

WATCH HERE

Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Last week, President Obama traveled to New Orleans to meet with the Mayor and residents who have rebuilt their lives since Hurricane Katrina.

READ MORE

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Fwd: Dear President Obama, say no to Arctic drilling


greenpeaceI wanted to make sure you saw this important update from last week on the fight to save the Arctic.

President Obama arrived in Alaska today to talk climate change, just weeks after granting Shell final approval to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea. That means — now more than ever — we have a chance to make sure he hears our message: the President can’t be a leader on climate change and give Shell the green light to drill in the Arctic Ocean. Will you write a letter to help make sure President Obama does the logical thing and ends oil drilling in the Alaskan Arctic?

President Obama hopes to use this Alaska trip to build a climate legacy, but opening the Arctic to a destructive company like Shell is hardly the leadership we need on climate change. We’ve created a new tool to help you send a more personal message to President Obama.

Tell President Obama why saving the Arctic and fighting climate change matter to you. Write your letter right now.

The President can still stop Shell from drilling for oil in Alaskan waters. Give him the wake up call he needs to protect Arctic communities and prevent runaway climate change.

For the Arctic,

April Glaser
Arctic Campaigner, Greenpeace USA

P.S. If you’ve already written a letter, that’s great! Be sure to share it on social media and consider joining Greenwire, our growing team of grassroots activists around the country fighting to save the Arctic.

——————————————————–

Speak your mind to save the Arctic.

Save the Arctic

Send your letter to President Obama today!

Next Monday, President Obama will visit Alaska to highlight the impacts of climate change on the region.

The President recently said, “Alaskans are on the frontlines of one of the greatest challenges we face this century: climate change.” Then just days later, he granted Shell final approval to drill for oil in the Chukchi Sea off the coast of Alaska.

Are you confused by that logic? So are we! Write a personal letter to President Obama and tell him you think he should protect the Arctic and our climate.

Activists have taken to the water in kayaks, hung from bridges, and rallied around the world to save the Arctic; more than 7 million people have signed the petition calling for the president to stop Shell. If you haven’t been able to join us in person yet, this is the perfect time to lend your voice. We’ve created a new tool to make it easy for you to speak personally about why you care about the Arctic.

Send a letter to President Obama telling him why you care about saving the Arctic.

It’s clear that with this trip, President Obama wants to secure his climate legacy. Unfortunately, he is also opening the Alaskan Arctic to what be a destructive oil rush — hardly climate leadership.

The fact that the President thinks he’s making real progress on climate change while allowing Shell to drill shows that he isn’t in tune with the demands from people around the country (and the world) to keep Arctic oil in the ground.

Tell President Obama why true climate leadership means stopping Shell from drilling in Alaska. Write your letter today.

We will deliver these letters to President Obama so that he can hear personally from individuals around the nation and the world who oppose Arctic drilling. The President can still revoke Shell’s permission to drill for oil in Alaskan waters. Doing so is essential to avoiding runaway climate change and potential devastation for Alaskan communities and wildlife.

It’s crucial that we show President Obama this fight’s not over.

For the Arctic,

April Glaser
Arctic Campaigner, Greenpeace USA

P.S. President Obama has said that the impacts of climate change in Alaska should be “our wake up call.” We think President Obama needs a wake up call on Arctic drilling. Will you help us send him one? Send your message to President Obama today.

~ FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety, ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

FDA/USDA ~~ Alerts & Safety ~ August 2015


USFDA_footer

08/31/2015 09:16 PM EDT

Bonduelle USA Inc. of Brockport, NY is recalling 9,335 cases of frozen corn because it has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Broken glass leads to bread recall of Sara Lee, other brands, in 11 states http://usat.ly/1JotTR5

The recall covers several Sara Lee products, Nature’s Harvest, Great Value brands, Kroger, L’Oven Fresh, and Bimbo brands. The “best buy” dates on the products range from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1, according to a Bimbo Bakeries USA statement. The recall impacts Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

USDA Expands Pork Recall Linked to 152 Confirmed Cases of Salmonella The original Aug. 13 recall of pork products from Kapowin Meats of Graham, WA, was for approximately 116,262 pounds of whole hogs that may be contaminated with Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-. Now, in an Aug. 27 expansion of that earlier recall, approximately 523,380 pounds of pork are being recalled in: varying weights of boxed and bagged…

Bimbo Bakeries Voluntary Regional Recall of Certain Limited Breads Produced Under the Sara Lee, Great Value, Kroger, Bimbo, Nature’s Harvest and L’Oven Fresh Brands

Cascadian Farm frozen green beans recalled due to listeria

Listeria can cause fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms and even death.

 

037-2015, Oscar’s Hickory House Recalls Beef Jerky Product Due To Processing Deviation (Mar 1, 2015) | List

  • 063-2015, Frozen Food Recalls Beef and Chicken Products Due to Misbranding and an Undeclared Allergen (Apr 17, 2015) | List
  • 064-2015, B & R Meat Processing Recalls Pork Products Due to Possible Processing Deviation and Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Contamination (Apr 18, 2015) | List
  • 070-2015, Skyline Provisions, Inc., Recalls Beef Products Due To E. Coli O157:H7 Contamination (Apr 27, 2015) | List

 

08/26/2015 02:06 PM EDT

Sam Mills USA LLC is voluntarily recalling approximately 11,083 cases of – 4.4 ounce boxes of Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola Bars because of a risk of cross contamination with Dairy. The recall is being initiated because the Sam Mills Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Granola Bar packaging states that this is a Dairy free product and in fact it should be labeled that in “May contain Traces of Dairy”.

08/26/2015 12:45 PM EDT
Sid Wainer and Son of New Bedford, MA is voluntarily recalling Jansal Valley brand Raw Macadamia Nuts, because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
08/26/2015 04:49 PM EDT

General Mills today announced a voluntary Class I recall of a limited quantity of frozen Cascadian Farm Cut Green Beans produced over two days in March 2014. The recall is being issued as a precaution after one package of finished product tested positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

08/21/2015 09:38 AM EDT
Chetak New York L.L.C. of Edison, NJ is recalling 300 jars of 14.1oz “Deep Coriander Powder”, Lot# LE15152, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Updated information is now available. A list of retail consignees has been posted for recall 110-2015, Kapowsin Meats Recalls Pork Product Due To Possible Salmonella Contamination (Aug 13, 2015).

08/13/2015 04:16 PM EDT

Kapowsin Meats, a Graham, Wash. establishment, is recalling approximately 116,262 pounds of whole hogs that may be contaminated with Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:-.

08/11/2015 01:33 PM EDT

Good Seed Inc. of Springfield, VA is voluntarily recalling all packages of soybean sprouts and mung bean sprouts because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections to individuals with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

08/10/2015 05:50 PM EDT  Northwest Farm Food Cooperative of Burlington, WA, is voluntarily recalling frozen raw Cat Food with the code Jul12015B due to their potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products.
08/08/2015 08:06 PM EDT Real Foods of Seattle, LLC of Kent, WA is recalling 29 cases of Harvest Slaw Kit and 13 cases of Broccoli Salad Kit because it may contain undeclared peanut ingredients. No other products are impacted by this recall. This recall is being conducted in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.
08/07/2015 12:18 PM EDT
Blue Square Market Inc. of North Huntingdon, PA, is recalling “Kaboom Actions Strip 12 Pack” and LiDa DaiDaiHua to the user level after FDA analysis revealed the products contain undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients. Kaboom was found to contain sulfoaildenafil and LiDa DaiDaiHua was found to contain sibutramine and phenolphthalein. Sibutramine is an appetite suppressant that was withdrawn from the U.S. market in October 2010 due to increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Phenolphthalein is an ingredient previously used in over-the-counter laxatives, but because of concerns of carcinogenicity, it is not currently approved for marketing in the United States.
08/05/2015 10:42 PM EDT
Mahina Mele Farms is recalling the following products after FDA testing found Salmonella in macadamia nuts. Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
08/05/2015 12:27 PM EDT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Aug 4, 2015 – A Thousand Virgins Corp. in Miami (City of Industry), FL is recalling all lots of tattoo Inks described below due to microbiological contamination. A Thousand Virgins grey wash inks; G1, G2 and G3, that are labeled with Lot#129, and bearing the expiration date: 1/16, revealed contamination with Mycobacterium chelonae, Microbacterium organisms, and the molds Cryptococcus albidus and members of the Penicillium genus.

Kroger Spice Recall (s)

07/31/2015 10:15 PM EDT

Good Food Made Simple, a Wellesley, Mass., distributor, is recalling approximately 3,574 pounds of previously exported turkey sausage breakfast burritos and pork strips and turkey sausage breakfast bowls that were returned from Canada and were not presented for U.S. returned export inspection.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert due to concerns about illnesses caused by Salmonella that may be associated with pork products, specifically whole pigs used for pig roasts.