Tag Archives: Huffington Post

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Rashad Robinson, ColorOfChange.org

11/25/2013 Nativegrl77

WALMART

For Black Friday, speak out for striking Walmart workers.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper now: Join Us

Every week, it’s more bad news for Walmart. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), charged with protecting workers’ rights to organize and demand better working conditions, just announced it will prosecute Walmart for illegal firings and threats to workers in 13 states.¹ News of Walmart’s canned food drive for its own employees — who aren’t paid enough to afford Thanksgiving dinner — has gone viral.²

Walmart workers are leading a movement to end the systemic labor exploitation Walmart has made the norm.³ They’re standing up and saying no to part-time, temporary, poorly paid work that keeps our families struggling to put food on the table and holds our economy back. This week, as they engage in historic, nationwide strikes for the second Black Friday in a row, Walmart associates are putting their lives and livelihoods on the line for all of us — and they need our support.

Not everyone knows the risks Walmart associates are taking for workers everywhere this Black Friday, but there’s an easy way to fix that: Please take a moment to send a short letter to the editor of your local newspaper today showing your support for striking workers.

Despite raking in record-breaking billions in annual profits, Walmart recently got caught admitting that most of its employees make under $25,000 a year.⁴ And the company knows that it can afford to give workers a full 50% raise without harming its profitability — bringing take-home earnings up to $33,000 for cash-strapped associates who are now forced to depend on government, food banks and even each other to make ends meet.⁵

All workers are harmed by Walmart’s artificially low pay, wage theft, and aggressive reliance on intimidation tactics — up to and including illegal firings — to keep employees from speaking up for their most basic rights on the job. But as the single largest employer of Black workers in the country,⁶ Walmart has become a critical battleground in the fight to reverse the devastating shrinking of Black economic opportunity we’ve seen over the past few decades.⁷

Walmart won’t suddenly do what’s right on its own — it’s up to us to make the company pay a fair wage for a day’s work and treat its employees with basic respect. By sending a letter to the editor of your local paper — especially in communities with a Walmart store — you are providing exactly the kind of support a worker needs when making the difficult choice to leave work and stand up for all of us. It’s easy with our simple tool: click below to get talking points and writing tips, then submit your letter directly to your local paper online.

Keep Walmart’s bad behavior in the news by writing a letter to the editor of your daily paper: let your community know why you’re supporting striking workers this Black Friday.

Thanks and Peace,

–Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Aimée, Johnny, Kim and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team November 23rd, 2013

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. “National Labor Relations Board to Prosecute Walmart For Violating Workers’ Rights,” ThinkProgress, 11-18-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3087?t=9&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

2. “Walmart Store Holding Thanksgiving Food Drive For Its Own Workers,” Huffington Post, 11-18-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3091?t=11&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

3. “Josh Eidelson: Walmart Is a Pioneer in Unionbusting,” The Nation, 11-21-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3095?t=13&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

4. “Why Wal-Mart can afford to give its workers a 50% raise,” CNN Money, 11-12-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3089?t=15&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

5. “A Higher Wage Is Possible,” Demos, 11-19-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3090?t=17&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

6. “Will Black Friday Be Blue for Wal-Mart?” The Root, 10-13-12 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3094?t=19&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

7. “Black workers embody the new low-wage economy,” Al Jazeera America, 09-12-13 http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3096?t=21&akid=3188.1174326.mtLIG3

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Monsanto and Scott McAllister

10/10/2013 Nativegrl77

SierraRise -- Why stand apart, when we can rise together?

GMO mega-corporation Monsanto wants special treatment from Congress. Make sure they don’t get it!

Tell your senators: Protect our health — not Monsanto’s profits!
No corporation is above the law!
Take action today!

Scott McAllister lost everything — his farm, his home, his savings. The stress attacked his heart, on top of the Parkinson’s disease he already had. All because of one giant corporation: Monsanto.
Every year, Monsanto uses a team of 75 lawyers to attack food safety and small farmers like Scott.^[1] Most farmers’ only “crime”? Reusing seeds from the year before. And now this greedy corporation — the maker of Agent Orange, no less — is demanding Washington pass the Monsanto Protection Act. This bill would effectively block folks like you and me from suing them if their unregulated GMO foods make us sick.^[2]
Over 2 million people from across the globe have spoken out against genetically modified seeds (GMOs) and Monsanto’s dirty tactics.^[3] Will you join this powerful grassroots movement and tell our government to put our health and environment before Monsanto’s corporate profits?
Tell Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Murray that no corporation is above the law. Together, we can raise 50,000 SierraRise voices against the Monsanto Protection Act by Monday!
Monsanto is a ruthless company that will stop at nothing to stay on top, even if it means destroying family farmers and selling toxic chemicals. It’s little surprise, then, that they would get an anonymous congressman to introduce their bill for them, with no debate and no transparency.
Monsanto has a deadly history. They’re the producer of chemicals so toxic they are known by name alone: killers like Agent Orange, DDT, and PCBs. Now, Monsanto is looking to dominate our food system with genetically modified seeds — even though a study found their corn seeds caused cancer in lab rats.^[4]
Is this really a corporation we can trust with the food we give our families and put in school lunches?
Tell the Senate to put public health above Monsanto’s profits by stopping the Monsanto Protection Act today!
Our nation’s process for confirming the safety of GMO foods is already too weak — requiring little review and fraught with industry influence. If passed, the Monsanto Protection Act will only make things worse, temporarily stripping our courts of the power to stop Monsanto from selling GMO seeds recently found to be potentially dangerous. ^[5,6]
Monsanto is the biggest bully in agri-business. It is clear from their tactics that they value their corporate profit over the safety of our food, our environment, and our nation’s farmers.
It is time to take a stand against Monsanto and tell our leaders that the people come before corporate bottom lines.

Tell your senators to stop the Monsanto Protection Act now!
In it together,
Ashley Allison
SierraRise Senior Campaigner

References:
[1] Cesca, Bob (2010 March 8). “Monsanto watch: Targeting American farmers with lawyers, fear and money.” Daily Finance.
[2] Grim, Ryan (2013 September 11).”House Republicans Push To Include Monsanto Protection Act In New Spending Bill.” Huffington Post.
[3] AP staff (2013 May 26). “Up to 2 million march against Monsanto.” Salon.
[4] Goldstein, Katherine and Gazelle Emami (2010 March 18). “Monsanto’s GMO Corn Linked To Organ Failure, Study Reveals.” Huffington Post.
[5] Snopes staff (2013 September 13). “Monsanto Protection Act.” Snopes.
[6] Rivas, Anthony (2013 September 13). “Monsanto Protection Act’ Extended By House Republicans For Another 3 Months; Food Advocacy Groups Decry Legislation.” Medical Daily.

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Think Progress … and #ACA

10/04/2013 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

Yes, People Are Enrolling In Obamacare

Obamacare enrollment has been open for nearly three days now, and the initial interest has been staggering. Millions of people have checked out the health exchange websites, both for the federal exchange at healthcare.gov, and the state exchanges. And while it’s no surprise that opponents of the law are quick to claim that glitches and wait times associated with the demand indicate some kind of failure, the truth is plain: people want to learn more about the law, and people are signing up.

Over at Think Progress, Tara Culp-Ressler has a round-up of five people who have successfully signed up for Obamacare online:

Leslie Foster from California: 28-year-old Foster enrolled in California’s state-run exchange on Tuesday night, when traffic was a little slower and the site worked better. He told the Wall Street Journal that he settled on his choice on Wednesday morning. Foster is eligible for federal subsidies and will only end up paying about $62 each month for his new insurance plan. “It’s a great deal,” he said. He noted that people on other places have been experiencing more glitches, and said he’s glad that his state embraced health reform. “I’m grateful for being in California. They were definitely ahead of the ball,” he said.

Chad Henderson from Georgia: 21-year-old Henderson successfully enrolled in his state’s federally-run exchange early Tuesday morning. Hetold Wonkblog that he wanted to be one of the first people to sign up for Obamacare because he had read a few articles that said young people would be critical to the health law’s success, and “really just wanted to do my part to help out with the entire process.” He did experience delays with the HealthCare.gov site, and waited about three hours before he could create an account. But he said it was “pretty smooth sailing” from there, and enrolled in a plan with a $175 monthly premium.

Bill Henderson from Georgia: Chad Henderson’s father, Bill, also enrolled in Georgia’s exchange on Tuesday morning. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the younger Henderson said his dad has been uninsured for years, remarking, “I can’t remember a time when my dad has gone to the doctor. He’s just sucked it up.” The two enrolled in separate plans even though Obamacare allows Chad to remain on Bill’s plan until he turns 26. Chad said his father wanted him to take responsibility for his own insurance plan.

Kathy Kanak from Illinois: On Wednesday evening, Kanak tweeted that she had successfully enrolled in a plan on her state’s partnership exchange. Illinois worked with the federal government to set up its insurance marketplace, so Kanak used the federal HealthCare.gov site to enroll. “Success at Healthcare.gov! I’m enrolled!” she tweeted around6:50 pm on Wednesday, adding, “Just took patience. Works great once you are in. People at phone center answered right away and were so nice!”

Leslie Peters from Rhode Island: Peters, who has been uninsured for five years due to her pre-existing conditions, was one of the first people to enroll on Rhode Island’s state-run exchange. She said she was “chompin’ at the bit” to sign up, and was surprised at how easy it ended up being. Peters didn’t encounter website glitches and completed the process in about 15 minutes. “It feels great to know I will soon have insurance and not have to worry about this anymore,” she told Kaiser Health News. “Not having insurance is something I worried about all the time.”

BOTTOM LINE: Republicans fear the successful implementation of Obamacare so much that they are willing to shut down the government over it. But even the government shutdown can’t stop the enrollment process and can’t stop people from getting affordable health care coverage. Obamacare is here to stay.

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52 Clinics Closed

08/27/2013 Nativegrl77

Going Backwards on Women’s Equality Day

Today is Women’s Equality Day, which marks the anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. It’s now been 93 years and while much progress has been made, everyone’s right to vote is under attack and women are still far from equal.

Unfortunately, we also got fresh evidence today that the GOP’s war on women is taking a discernible toll on women’s reproductive rights. An analysis by the Huffington Post found that 52 clinics have closed since the recent record-breaking assault on abortion rights accelerated in 2010.

Check out their graphic to get a sense of the coast-to-coast assault on access to abortion:

2013_08_AbortionClosures-555x1019

Evening Brief: Important Stories That You Might’ve Missed

The latest on the GOP’s latest manufactured crisis.

Millionaire congressmen are giving up government-sponsored health coverage (and forcing their low-level staffers to do the same).

BP thinks it’s done enough following the worst offshore oil disaster in history and it’s not shy about saying so.

Video suggests hurricanes be named after politicians who deny climate change.

The Republican Party’s obsession with killing Obamacare is killing the Republican Party.

Latest news on insurance rates from the states shows that Obamacare is working.

The Tea Party is now covering news at the Washington Post.

GOP senator says food stamps are like slavery.

Justice Ginsburg calls the Roberts Corporate Court “one of the most activist in history.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the Franks bill is bad for D.C. women

05/09/2013 Nativegrl77

Does Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona think he rules D.C.?

Stand up to Trent Franks

Rep. Franks doesn’t speak for D.C. and shouldn’t get to ban abortion for women he doesn’t represent.

Help us stop Rep. Franks by taking action!

As we await the verdict in the trial of Kermit Gosnell, Rep. Trent Franks and his colleagues in the House are quietly pushing a bill that could ban abortion after 20 weeks for women in Washington, D.C. – even if the pregnancy puts a woman’s health or ability to have children in the future at risk.¹

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to connect the dots. A bill like this will block women in desperate circumstances from getting abortion care they need and could force women to seek help from dangerous, back-alley predators like Gosnell.

Rep. Franks pushed this bill before, and we managed to beat it. He already has the backing of scores of other anti-choice members of the House and the National Right to Life Committee.

pro-choice people like you need to make your voices heard if we’re going to block it again. Even if your lawmaker is anti-choice, we need you to speak out against this bill now.

I’m really concerned about what Rep. Franks’ bill could mean for low-income women in our city.

Congress bars D.C. from paying for low-income women’s access to abortion care – even for women who rely on the city for their health care. This means that low-income women must find a way to come up with the resources on their own, which is extremely difficult and too often delays them from getting an abortion early in pregnancy.

These women don’t even have a lawmaker who can vote to protect their interests. So it’s up to us. Tell your member of Congress that banning abortion at 20 weeks in D.C. is dangerous for women’s health.

Rep. Franks may say he is concerned about the conditions that would lead a woman to seek help from someone like Gosnell in the first place.

But we know his true motives. Rep. Franks wants to ban abortion. Period.

Franks’ bill contains no exceptions for situations where continuing a pregnancy will place a woman’s health or ability to have children in the future at risk. A woman would have to be on death’s door before a doctor could provide the abortion care she needs.

Making abortion harder for a woman to get doesn’t actually change a woman’s mind. It only makes it more likely that she’ll consider taking desperate measures.

I believe that we can convince enough members of Congress that abortion bans will drive more women to underground, dangerous abortion providers if enough of us speak up. Tell your lawmakers that the Franks bill is bad for D.C. women.

Thank you for making choice real for all women,

Ilyse Hogue