Julián Castro Confirmed by the Senate as the Next HUD Secretary

This afternoon, the Senate overwhelmingly approved San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro to be the next Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The vote was 71-26.

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States Lead on Minimum Wage. Is Congress Listening?

Congress is back in session this week, and if members have been listening to their constituents, they will move quickly to raise the federal minimum wage, which has lost 20 percent of its purchasing power since the 1980s. But absent action from Capitol Hill, states are taking up the slack.

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Here’s What You Missed: Fourth of July at the White House

It was a busy Fourth of July at the White House. The President began the day by speaking at a naturalization ceremony for active-duty service members and civilians. Later, he and the First Lady hosted military heroes and their families to the White House for a special Independence Day event, including a USO program featuring Grammy award-winning recording artist Pitbull. And it all culminated with a spectacular fireworks display on the National Mall.

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This questionnaire is the first step toward figuring out who we’re going to support during the 2014 election as part of our Gun Sense Voter mobilization effort.

Unlike the NRA, we’re making our questionnaire available to the public. And we’re asking supporters like you to take the questionnaire yourself so you know just how easy it is for candidates to make their positions clear.

Here’s a sample of what we’re asking our leaders to tell us before the August 15 deadline:

• Do you support requiring background checks for all gun sales?
• Do you support prohibiting people from having guns after they are convicted of violent misdemeanor crimes?
• Do you support a law that would close the ‘terror gap’ and block people listed on the federal government’s terror watch lists from buying guns?

These laws — and all of the laws we ask about in our Gun Sense Voter Questionnaire — would reduce gun violence and save lives.

Click here to take the questionnaire and see what we’re asking:

http://gunsensevoter.org/questionnaire/

Thanks for helping out on this,

Richard Martinez

Shell is building a wall of LEGOs to hide the dirty truth of its plans to drill in the Arctic.

LEGO is loved by children everywhere, and that’s why it’s shameful that the dirty oil giant is using LEGO’s goodwill by partnering up with the beloved toy company.

Don’t let Shell sneak its way into our children’s toyboxes. Ask LEGO to stop its partnership with Shell TODAY.

Shell’s drilling plans put the Arctic at risk. This remote habitat is home to unique and beautiful animals like polar bears, narwhals, and beluga whales, and just one misstep by Shell could doom all of them to a disastrous oil spill.

LEGO wouldn’t put an oil spill in its Arctic Play Set — so why should it give Shell its support?

Shell is using LEGO to build a happy, carefree image, but behind the scenes it is mobilizing giant oil rigs to drill in the Arctic — putting the lives of polar bears, beluga whales, and more at risk of deadly oil spills.

Children don’t want to see their beloved polar bears drowning in oil, and I don’t think LEGO does either. It’s up to you to speak up and tell the toymakers that Arctic destruction is not a game.

By allowing Shell to nestle itself into our children’s toyboxes, LEGO is legitimizing the destruction of the Arctic to children and families. We know LEGO can do better.

Dedicated activists like you have helped delay Shell’s plans in the Arctic and opened up the public’s eyes to their dirty plans. Shell is desperately trying to rebuild its reputation by partnering with beloved brands like LEGO — but LEGO doesn’t have to play along.