Tag Archives: California

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On this day in history …

07/18/2015 Nativegrl77

On this day in 1940, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who first took office in 1933 as America’s 32nd president, is nominated for an unprecedented third term. Roosevelt, a Democrat, would eventually be elected to a record four terms in office, the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms… read more »

Twenty-one people are shot to death at McDonald’s » 1984

Incident on Chappaquiddick Island » 1969

Soviet Union agrees to grant Hanoi economic aid » 1955

Truman signs second Presidential Succession Act » 1947

Spanish Civil War breaks out » 1936

Allies begin major counter-offensive in Second Battle of the Marne » 1918 WW1

http://www.history.com

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Please sign this letter… VoteVets

07/15/2015 Nativegrl77

VoteVets.org Here’s the letter we’re submitting the Environmental Protection Agency to stop the big oil giveaway currently being considered by the agency.

Read it, and co-sign the letter before we submit it. You can do that here: http://action.votevets.org/epa-letter

To: Environmental Protection Agency
Docket ID Number: EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0111

Please preserve a strong Renewable Fuel Standard — one that puts our national security, our environment, and American consumers ahead of the interests of Big Oil.

As veterans, military families, and VoteVets supporters, we know the cost of our dependence on foreign oil. The Renewable Fuel Standard has fostered a homegrown fuel industry that lessens our dependence on oil — the rising prices of which pay for weapons used against our men and women in uniform.

More than that, investing in cheaper, cleaner-burning renewable fuels has strengthened our economy — creating new jobs inside our borders, and saving Americans money with every fill-up.

Don’t allow oil industry lobbyists to put their interests ahead of the nation’s. Save the Renewable Fuel Standard, and keep our country on the road to a transportation future that depends less on the Middle East, and more on the Midwest.

Thank you,

[[Your Name]]

Sign the Letter here:
http://action.votevets.org/epa-letter

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NY State Laws get an Upgrade–Know Your New Rights!

07/15/2015 Nativegrl77

Women’s Equality Advances in New York

On July 8th, A Better Balance hosted a webinar, along with our colleagues at the New York Civil Liberties Union, to discuss major changes to the laws of New York to advance women’s equality.

Just this session, the legislature acted on measures to strengthen equal pay, family status, and sexual harassment protections in the workplace, guarantee reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers, assist victims of domestic violence filing temporary restraining orders, combat human trafficking and campus sexual assault, and more.

Click here to watch the full webinar and here to access the slide presentation.

A Better Balance also has a new resource available to help women in New York understand their new workplace rights. Our know-your-rights booklet is available for f ree download on our website.

Please help us get the word out about these important new protections available in New York!

Tag us on Twitter: @abetterbalance & @NYCLU
Share the image at the right on Facebook
Tweet about our webinar so others can watch:

–Learn more about new state laws to strengthen #equalpay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74teIH7nXA via @ABetterBalance & @NYCLU

–Protect #pregnant workers and other new state laws to help women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74teIH7nXA via @ABetterBalance & @NYCLU

–NY laws now combat human trafficking, help domestic violence victims & more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q74teIH7nXA via @ABetterBalance & @NYCLU

Thanks so much for your support!

The ABB Team

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Days to save whales

07/12/2015 Nativegrl77

Icelandic whalers are about to start harpooning over 150 endangered fin whales. But if we can get a tiny Caribbean nation to remove their flag from a ship that’s carrying millions of dollars worth of fin whale meat to Japan, we can hit them where it hurts. Stopping this sale could turn the tide. The ship could leave in six days. Add your voice and share this urgently:

Sign the petition

Dear friends,The Icelandic whaling fleet is about to leave port to hunt and kill 150 endangered fin whales. We’ve come close to shutting down this barbaric operation before and now we have a chance to end it for good.

As the whalers sharpen their harpoons for this year’s hunt, their boss is trying to ship last year’s whale meat to Japan right now. Over 1,700 tonnes are about to be sent through the icy passage between Russia and the North Pole. But if the tiny Caribbean nation of St. Kitts and Nevis simply removes their flag from the vessel it can’t leave port! Tourism is the main pillar of their country’s economy and we can put their reputation on the line by throwing them into our giant global spotlight.

We have just six days before the boat could set sail.

Our community already helped push European countries to shun this shameful trade. Let’s now get St. Kitts to stop helping the whalers! Sign now and share with everyone urgently — Avaaz will deliver our voices straight to the new Prime Minister, and if he doesn’t respond quickly, Avaaz’ll target his biggest tourist market – the US – and show how St. Kitts is supporting the slaughter of these majestic beings:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

Iceland’s entire fin whaling industry is run by one man, Kristjan Loftsson, but his business is barely breaking even, so if we stop the whale meat from reaching Japan we can sink his profits! Other nations have removed their flag from vessels in response to public pressure over other environmental concerns so we know this can work for the whales. All we need to do is create a scandal and get a delay to make the crossing to Japan impossible.

Japanese whalers plan to resume “scientific” whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary despite widespread opposition, and St. Kitts and Nevis votes in support of Japan’s “research” at the International Whaling Commission. If we take them out of the equation now we can strike a deadly blow to both Icelandic and Japanese whaling at the same time!

Pressure has been mounting globally and nationally to stop the Icelandic whalers. This could be a turning point for the whales. Together we have the power to turn the International Whaling Commission into the International Whale Conservation Commission. And we can get started by stopping this year’s harpooning and this whale meat shipment! Sign the urgent petition now:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/days_to_save_whales_loc/?biEWLbb&v=61050

We know our voices work! Following our 1 million strong petition in 2013, the Dutch government blocked Iceland’s whale meat shipments docking in the Netherlands. And together with Greenpeace, our community managed to get fin whale meat sent back to Iceland from Germany. Since then major shipping companies announced they would never ship whale meat again. We’re making it harder and harder for this industry to make a profit. Let’s shut it down for good!With hope,

Lisa, Danny, Alice, Ricken, Mel, Nick, Rewan and the whole Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

Iceland sends shipment of 1,700 tonnes of whale meat to Japan (The Guardian)
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/05/iceland-sends-shipment-of-1700-tonnes-of-whale-meat-to-japan.

Desperate whalers go north (Greenpeace)
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/whale-meat-iceland/blog/53241/

The Winter Bay (Vessel Fider – shows where the ship carrying the whale meat is and which country is registering it)
https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/WINTER-BAY-IMO-8601680-MMSI-341433000

Japan to resume whaling hunt despite IWC warning (AFP)
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/japan-resume-whaling-hunt-despite-iwc-warning-105354478.html#ohHmAJ1

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

President Obama on Health Reform

07/07/2015 Nativegrl77

President Barack Obama greets audience members after delivering remarks on health care reform during the Catholic Health Association Conference at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C., June 9, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Yesterday, at the Catholic Health Association’s annual assembly, President Obama outlined the state of health care in America, now that the Affordable Care Act has become part of the fabric of our health care system.

“Everything we’ve done these past six and a half years to rebuild our economy on a new foundation… has been in pursuit of that one goal, creating opportunity for all people,” the President said. “And health reform was a critical part of that effort.”

Watch the President’s full remarks, and learn more about the history of health care reform in our country.

My Day One: From the Streets of Lahore to the Heart of Texas

June is Immigrant Heritage Month, and people across the country are sharing their American stories. Manar Waheed — the Deputy Policy Director for Immigration here at the White House — shared her own story this morning.

Last night, the First Lady delivered her final commencement address of the season at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Preparatory High School (King College Prep) in Chicago. This spring, Mrs. Obama also celebrated the graduates at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL, and Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH as a way to shine a spotlight on students who have gone above and beyond to reach higher, and help others do the same.

This weekend, the President traveled to Krun, Germany — a small village in the Bavarian Alps — to meet with the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7). The G7 is an organization of world leaders, finance ministers, and heads of state from seven of the largest economies in the world — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. — as well as the European Council, EU Commission, and International Monetary Fund.

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