~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

help save Troy’s life


It’s not often that you could literally save a life by signing a petition. This is one of those times.

Last week we told you about Troy Davis, who could be put to death as soon as next month — despite overwhelming evidence that raises serious, unanswered questions about his guilt.

Please read more about the Troy Davis case below, then sign our petition asking the Georgia Pardon Board to spare Troy’s life. It takes just a moment, and it could be the most important action you take this year.

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/troy/

— James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team

April 27th, 2011

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In 1991, Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a white police officer. Though there’s major evidence that Davis didn’t commit the crime, Georgia is prepared to put him to death. We have a good chance of stopping this — but only if we speak up now.

The fact is, no physical evidence connected Davis to the murder. Seven of the original nine witnesses have recanted, with many saying their testimony was a result of law enforcement pressure. Of the remaining witnesses, one is highly suspect and the other could be the actual culprit in the officer’s murder.

Now, despite these and other facts, the state of Georgia has taken the first steps toward Davis’ execution — and only the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole stands between Davis and the lethal injection chamber.

Georgia may be about to kill an innocent man. That’s not justice. Please ask the Georgia Parole Board to spare Troy Davis’ life, before it’s too late — and it’s critical that you ask others to do the same:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/troy/

Since Troy Davis’ 1991 conviction, numerous facts have emerged that introduce significant doubt as to his guilt. These facts include:

All but two of the original witnesses against Troy Davis have signed affidavits recanting their earlier testimony. Most claim that their testimony was coerced by police officers.1

Multiple witnesses say that another man — one of the original witnesses against Davis — has claimed to have slain the fallen officer.2

The weapon used in the murder was never found. The only physical evidence connecting Davis to the crime was indirect, circumstantial — and new testimony disputes Davis’s connection to that evidence.3

In light of this evidence, the Supreme Court granted Davis another chance. But instead of an actual new trial before a jury, which would mean the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is on the prosecutor, he got an evidentiary hearing before a single federal judge where Davis’ lawyers had the burden to meet an impossibly high and undefined legal standard.

In light of this, it was sad — but no surprise — when the judge rejected the new evidence and cleared the way for Davis’ execution. However, even he acknowledged lingering doubt, noting that the case against Davis was not “ironclad.”

But “ironclad” is exactly what the evidence should be in order to put someone to death. If the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole doesn’t act to stop Davis’ execution, they’ll run a serious risk of putting an innocent man to death. That is not acceptable.

Please join us, along with our partners at Amnesty International and the NAACP, in asking the Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole to save Troy Davis’ life by commuting his sentence to life in prison. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/troy/

Thanks and Peace,

— James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team

April 20, 2011

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. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

References:

1. “Troy Davis – Finality over Fairness,” Amnesty International USA

http://act.colorofchange.org/go/808?akid=1959.1174326.F8eCrN&t=8

2. See Reference 1

3. See Reference 1

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Twenty-five years ago today the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded


Twenty-five years ago today the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded — sending plumes of radiation around the planet and devastating the area surrounding the plant to this day. The world learned firsthand then about the dangers of nuclear energy. Unfortunately, as the recent events in Fukushima have showed us, we didn’t take the lesson to heart.

Greenpeace has been confronting nuclear dangers since we launched our first campaign protesting U.S. nuclear testing back in 1971. And we aren’t going to stop until we’ve realized our dream of a future free of nuclear disasters.

That’s why we are launching a new, ambitious campaign to fight dangerous nuclear power in this country. But we can’t do it without your support.

Please sign-up today to become a monthly Greenpeace donor and support our work here in the United States to make sure the next nuclear disaster never happens.

Together, we’ve already organized hundreds of vigils for Japan and sent 50,000 messages to Congress opposing nuclear giveaways in the budget. Meanwhile, our independent radiation monitoring crew continues their work in Japan and the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is on its way to conduct contamination tests on seawater and marine life in the area. In the U.S. we’re just getting started.

Many nuclear reactors in the U.S., some of which are the very same design as those that exploded and melted down in Japan, are seeking government approval to run for 20 more years. This is not a risk we need to take.

We want to make sure that many of these plants aren’t re-licensed. We’ll also oppose the construction of new nuclear reactors and urge members of Congress to cut the $36 billion in nuclear subsidies from President Obama’s proposed budget.

Just last year, we won a historic vote in the Vermont legislature to close down the aging Vermont Yankee reactor. We know our campaigns work. This isn’t going to be easy. But as the situation in Japan reminds us every day, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Your monthly support is needed to make this new work possible. Please help us realize a clean energy future free of nuclear disasters and make a monthly gift to Greenpeace today. When we look back at Fukushima 25 years from now, let’s be able to say that we took the lesson to heart this time.

Thank you for your support,

Philip Radford

Executive Director, Greenpeace USA

P.S. A monthly gift is the best way to support Greenpeace. It allows us to plan into the future and run campaigns that win. Please support our work by becoming a monthly donor today.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

288 reasons to fight


First they tried to shut down the government to defund women’s health.

Then two weeks ago they passed a budget that demolishes Medicare.

And all the while, GOP leaders in both houses are still pushing to give more huge tax cuts to big corporations that ship American jobs overseas — including handouts to Big Oil even before the first anniversary of BP’s Gulf Coast disaster.

There are reasons we need to keep fighting. In fact, 288 Republican members of the House and Senate mean we have 288 reasons. And if we aren’t strong enough or committed enough to stop their agenda, we will lose our country as we know it.

Your support is crucial as we challenge the Republican Party for the future of our nation. Help us fight their agenda by contributing $10, $20, $35, or more right now.

My biggest focus as I lead the Senate majority is helping families across the country weather this recession. There still are obstacles. College costs are rising faster than paychecks, too many Nevadans are still out of work, and not even our veterans are immune to falling on hard times — and just one homeless veteran is one too many.

These challenges tell us that we must do better. But we can’t reach the kind of success America is known for so long as Republicans in the House and Senate continue to line the pockets of their corporate buddies while letting their Tea Party wing lead an agenda of partisan wedge issues.

Our opposition is strong. There are 288 of them. They’re well-financed, and they have the resources to wreak havoc on our nation’s future if we don’t succeed in stopping them.

I know there’s still fight left in us. Chip in $10 today because there are 288 reasons we can’t stop standing up for what we know is important.

Thanks for everything,

Harry Reid

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Bankrate.com


Credit card interest rates for April 28, 2011 | 2011-04-28

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/national-credit-card-rates-for-april-28-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110428

Here are the average credit card rates from Bankrate‘s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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National mortgage rates for April 28, 2011 | 2011-04-28

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/interest-rate-roundup-for-april-28-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110428

See rates from our survey of CDs, mortgages, home equity products, auto loans and credit cards.

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CD rates for April 28, 2011 | 2011-04-28

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/cd/national-cd-rates-for-april-28-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110428

Here are the average CD rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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Home equity loan rates for April 28, 2011 | 2011-04-28

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/home-equity/national-home-equity-loan-rates-for-april-28-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110428

Here are the average home equity rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

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Auto loan rates for April 28, 2011 | 2011-04-28

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/national-auto-loan-rates-for-april-28-2011.aspx?ec_id=brmint_newsalert_20110428

Here are the average auto loan rates from Bankrate’s weekly survey of large banks and thrifts.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Wisconsin Recall Update …Ben Betz, People For the American Way


Today, Democrats in Wisconsin are submitting the petition signatures to have the SIXTH Republican state senator, Sen. Robert Cowles, put on the ballot for a recall election.

That’s six — Dan Kapanke, Randy Hopper, Luther Olsen, Sheila Harsdorf, Alberta Darling and now Robert Cowles — of the eight GOP senators eligible for recall, and it covers all of the senators who are considered most vulnerable. A net gain of only three seats is needed for the Democrats to take control of the Wisconsin Senate.

Things are heating up! If things go as planned, we expect the first recall elections to be held in early July. That gives us just over two months to stage a targeted and strategic mobilization effort and send as many of Gov. Scott Walker’s cronies in the state senate packing as we can.

Republicans have filed recall petitions against three of the 14 Democratic senators who stood in solidarity against Gov. Walker’s attacks on Wisconsin’s working families — Sens. Dave Hansen, Jim Holperin and Robert Wirch. So we have to play defense as well as offense.

People For has organized a presence for our Wisconsin members at rallies and other events across the state — including Sarah Palin’s recent speech to hers and Gov. Walker’s Tea Party supporters in Madison. We’ve been directing volunteers to help with the recall petition effort. And now, as we move into the election phase, we’re holding meetings this week to determine our advertising and communications strategy for the campaigns.

If you can, please help support our Wisconsin campaign with an urgent donation today.

Wisconsin is vitally important for the entire country because it is the front lines of a national right-wing attack not just on workers’ rights, but on the middle class as a whole.

•The petition effort to undo a similar attack on workers’ rights in Ohio is under way and we’re fighting the demonization of public employees and legislative attacks on workers in a growing number of states.

•Republicans in Washington recently voted to pull the plug on Medicare and Medicaid and remain hell bent on paying for more tax cuts for corporations and billionaires with deep cuts to vital services.

•Just this week it was reported that one of the country’s leading unions, the International Association of Fire Fighters, is so strained by fighting off anti-union attacks in the states that its PAC won’t be participating in federal elections next year — playing directly into the Right’s plan to weaken progressives by attacking any institution that offers them political support.

We need to send a message in Wisconsin and we need to do it with these recall elections. Help us let the GOP know that their attacks on the middle class come with a serious cost … and with Gov. Scott Walker eligible for recall in 2012, let him know that we’re coming for him next.

Support our campaign with a contribution now if you can.

Thank you for all your support. Keep it coming and this is a fight we’ll win!

— Ben Betz, Online Strategy Manager

politics,pollution,petitions,pop culture & purses