Category Archives: ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Matthew Wrote, and the President Responded:

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

The President has always made it a habit to read 10 letters from the American public a day. Matthew was one of these letter-writers, and he got a response.

A varsity basketball player from South Central Los Angeles, Matthew and his teammates noticed that neighboring schools had far more school supplies, nicer buildings, and even technology such as iPads in classrooms. Matthew asked the President to give all students a chance to succeed — promising that he and his peers would do their part in school.

The President wrote back, letting Matthew know that his generation deserves an education system that lets them dream as big as they can, and told him he’s fighting for the necessary investments every day.

Read both letters and learn how President Obama is working to help all of America’s students succeed.

The First Lady’s Travel Journal: A Journey That Began Decades Ago

The First Lady departs the White House today en route to Japan and Cambodia for a week-long trip centered around her new Let Girls Learn initiative. For the First Lady, this visit is part of a journey that began decades ago — a journey focused on education, equality, and empowerment. Join the First Lady’s trip by using social media and learn more about how Let Girls Learn will help the 62 million girls worldwide who are not in school.

Voices from across the country — and from across the aisle — have expressed support for President Obama’s trade deal. His trade proposal gives us the greatest opportunity to level the playing field for American businesses and their employees, ensures the rights of workers around the world, protects endangered species and the environment, preserves a free and open Internet, and would hold our trading partners accountable.

On Friday, President Obama traveled to Gilbert, AZ to pay a surprise visit to the new home of Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg. This was the final stop in the President’s day-long trip, which began with a visit to the Phoenix VA medical facility and a roundtable discussion to hear about the progress we’ve made to improve the VA’s ability to serve our veterans.

READ MORE

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Paid Family Leave is Getting Closer in NY, but We Need Your Help!

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

Paid Family Leave is Getting Closer in NY, but We Need Your Help!

For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a week, New Yorkers could receive paid family leave

Dear Friend:

Spring is finally in the air in New York, and with it, we hope, some long overdue change for New York families.

After years of inaction, Republican and Democratic leaders are both talking about paid family leave in New York. And it’s not just talk. Later today, the State Assembly is expected to once again pass a paid family leave bill that ABB helped to draft. In the State Senate, Republican leaders have included paid family leave in their budget proposal and plan to hold a hearing on the issue next week.

Despite this momentum, Governor Cuomo recently said that he doesn’t think Albany has the “appetite” for paid family leave. But New Yorkers across the state are proving him wrong! Women leaders in New York State (including ABB’s Co-Presidents, Sherry and Dina) and across the country sent powerful letters to the Governor in support of paid family leave. And more than 12,000 New Yorkers have signed our petition to Governor Cuomo. Here’s what they are saying:

Katelyn from Ronkonkoma wrote, “I just had a baby and now I’m back at work. I had to use all of my sick days to pay our bills during my ‘maternity leave’ so now if my son or I get sick, I can’t stay home or I will lose a day’s pay. I also need to save them up for the next time I have a baby.”
And Jamie from Brooklyn wrote, “This would come in handy for me as I type. Have been in Florida for the past 3 weeks to be with my severely ill father who is in critical care. Not getting paid for 3 weeks + having sick father in ICU = unbearably tragic.”

The media is starting to take notice. Karen Benites, an ABB legal hotline caller, was featured in the New York Times yesterday, showing just how hungry New Yorkers are for the right to stay home with a new child or seriously ill loved one.

You can help! Please take 2 minutes to sign and share our paid family leave petition. Together, we can make this spring a bountiful one for New York’s families.

Thanks for all that you do.

The ABB Team,
Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Elizabeth, Risha, Morenike, Rachel, Jake, Molly & Lynn

P.S. In more Albany action, the first of several Women’s Equality Act proposals is getting a vote in the Assembly this week! We continue to advocate for these provisions, specifically those that outlaw family status discrimination in employment, require reasonable accommodation for pregnant workers, and demand equal pay for equal work.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Nick Zamora via Change.org

03/18/2015 Nativegrl77

I was a Boy Scout for eight years before my moms were told they were no longer welcome because they’re gay. Please help end the Boy Scouts’ ban on gay adults like my moms.