Tag Archives: senate spot

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Today’s cute cat picture (from the Amazon)
Português | Español | Deutsch | [+]carmen –The jaguar, a mystical and magical creature, has long been a symbol of power and strength to many indigenous cultures. Today, jaguars face growing danger from deforestation and resource extraction; they are literally disappearing from our planet, with only 15,000 estimated to still roam the wild. But there is hope. Their last remaining stronghold is in the Amazon basin. That’s why it’s so important to protect this region. Please donate today to protect their home.The web of life on Earth depends upon biodiversity, and many animals in the Amazon depend upon the jaguar. The range and habitat requirements of a single jaguar is broad and thus when preserved, many other species are also protected. The survival of jaguars is critical to maintaining a delicate balance within the rainforest ecosystem.As jaguars and other creatures of the Amazon are interconnected, so is our work to protect them. One of the strongest populations of jaguars is currently found in Mato Grosso, Brazil – a region now at risk due to planned construction of mega-dams including the notorious Belo Monte Dam Complex. Another example, is the Yasuní National Park in Ecuador, where we continue to fight to prevent the government of Ecuador from drilling for oil which would put the jaguar – and all life – in danger in the Amazon.

Our ability to thrive as a species on Earth is dependent upon the peoples, plants and animals of the Amazon for the Amazon is a key component of our global life support system. With your support, we have increased our efforts each year to stop the expansion of massive dams, oil and gas development and roads – the primary cause of deforestation and the ultimate threat to the home of the jaguar. Join us now, support the jaguar, its children and our collective futures.

Thank you!


Leila Salazar-Lopez
Program Director
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

They’re smuggling pregnant women


 Dear friends,

Thousands of East Africans have been kidnapped by sadistic gangs, and tortured in Egypt’s Sinai until their families pay huge ransoms for their freedom. If we show Egypt’s leaders that this dirty secret is out and damaging the Sinai’s tourism reputation, we can force them to end the horror. Sign now:

SIGN THE PETITION

Nine months pregnant and in chains, Haben’s* torturers beat her ruthlessly demanding a $35,000 ransom from her husband. She gave birth in shackles, beside other terrified captives, with only rusty metal to cut the umbilical cord. It’s unbelievable that this is happening in 2014!
Amazingly Haben survived — but she is one of thousands of East Africans who have been abducted by criminal trafficking rings, and tortured in Egypt’s Sinai until their desperate families pay huge ransoms for their freedom. If we can show Egypt’s leaders that this dirty secret is out and damaging the Sinai’s tourism reputation as the ‘Red Sea Riviera’, they could break the trafficking rings, and free these slaves.
Every hour these men, women and children are in captivity is an hour too long. Sign the urgent petition now and forward it to everyone. When we reach 1 million signers, Avaaz will raise a massive media storm to pressure Egypt to act:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Interim_Egyptian_President_Adly_Mansour_Torture_camps_in_the_desert_stop_the_horror_2/?biEWLbb&v=35815
If we can stop human smuggling in the Sinai — one of the most notorious routes for human trafficking in the world — we can strike a blow against a trade that imprisons nearly one million people a year.
And it’s possible. The Egyptian government has the power and the local resources already deployed to shut the traffickers down for good. Here are a few of the ways we could help:

  • Join with elected officials from Egypt’s major donor countries to press Egypt to act;
  • Run hard-hitting ads targeting Egypt’s prized tourism industry;
  • Expose the names of the key traffickers in a series of national Avaaz campaigns in the region;
  • Help journalists get access to torture camps to investigate which officials are complicit.

Let’s start it all with a million person movement to end this horrific trade in human suffering. Sign now and share with others:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Interim_Egyptian_President_Adly_Mansour_Torture_camps_in_the_desert_stop_the_horror_2/?biEWLbb&v=35815
Our community has stepped in repeatedly to help those trapped in terrible conditions. Last year, we helped rescue migrant Indian labourers trapped in Bahrain. And we’ve helped provide food and medicine to those trapped in Syria. Now let’s help liberate those being tortured in Egypt.
With hope and determination, Ian, Nick, Ari, Bissan, Alice, Wissam, Ricken and the entire Avaaz team
*Haben is a pseudonym, but her story is real.
SOURCES
Egypt/Sudan: Traffickers Who Torture (Human Rights Watch)  http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/02/11/egyptsudan-traffickers-who-torture
Extortionists, smugglers preying on Eritrean refugees, report says (Globe and Mail) http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/extortionists-smugglers-preying-on-eritrean-refugees-report-…
Egypt/Sudan: Refugees face kidnapping for ransom, brutal treatment and human trafficking (Amnesty International) http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/egyptsudan-refugees-face-kidnapping-for-ransom-brutal-tre…
The Human Trafficking Cycle: Sinai and Beyond (EEPA Report) http://www.eepa.be/wcm/dmdocuments/Small_HumanTrafficking-Sinai2-web-3.pdf
Thousands of Eritreans ‘abducted to Sinai for ransom’ (BBC) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25222336
Egypt’s Sinai: Trafficking, torture and fear (Al Jazeera) http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/egypt-sinai-trafficking-torture-fear-201312682516380563.html
Human Trafficking Statistics (Polaris Project) http://www.cicatelli.org/titlex/downloadable/human%20trafficking%20statistics.pdf

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Pregnant and pink-slipp​ed?

1 Comment

NWLCHands-Circle-180Emily J. Martin, National Women’s Law CenterWe get calls all the time.

 
Calls from pregnant workers whose employers have given them an impossible choice: They can either lose their jobs or endanger their pregnancies.
Why is this still happening? Well, when it comes to pregnant workers, employers and courts are misunderstanding the law.
Enough is enough. Tell the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to issue strong and clear guidance on reasonable job accommodations for the pregnant workers who need them.
Without clear guidance, pregnant workers who need a temporary change on the job are often treated worse than employees with similar limitations arising out of disability or injury. For example, many workplaces give a worker with a back injury a temporary reprieve from having to lift heavy objects — but if a pregnant worker asks for the same accommodation, she could be fired.
The consequences for pregnant workers can be devastating. Here are just three examples of women featured in a new report issued today by NWLC and A Better Balance:

  • A pregnant fast-food worker in Washington, D.C., was fired after her employer refused to let her drink water on the job.
  • A pregnant cashier at a Dollar Tree store wasn’t allowed to sit on a stool, even though workers in other Dollar Tree stores did. Instead, she was required to stand for 8 to 10 hours at a stretch — which landed her in the emergency room.
  • When a pregnant truck driver in Maryland asked for help with occasional heavy lifting, she was forced onto unpaid leave — and she lost her health insurance.

These stories didn’t have to have a bad ending. These women just needed temporary adjustments to their jobs to continue working — the same sorts of adjustments their employers routinely provided to co-workers with disabilities or injuries.
Pregnant workers can’t wait. It’s time for the EEOC to issue strong and clear guidance on employers’ legal obligation to accommodate pregnant workers.
Send your message now.
Thanks again for all of your support.
Sincerely,
Emily J. Martin Emily J. Martin Vice President and General Counsel National Women’s Law Center    

P.S. Want to read more? Check out NWLC and A Better Balance’s new report featuring personal accounts of women who lost their jobs, health insurance and more — and women who had no choice but to keep working and risk their health.
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Charlie Birnbaum with Institute for Justice via Change.org ~~ Stop New Jersey


New Jersey is trying to bulldoze my family’s Atlantic City home as part of a development plan for an already bankrupt casino. I’m fighting back.
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Ali Lapp, House Majority PAC


Tuesday night was hard for Democrats to stomach. there were some big successes. Thanks to you were were able to win some of the closest races around. Of the races we invested in, we won sixteen races — two of those were pick-ups for Democrats. The Cook Political Report said it best when they talked about why Democrats were able to win these tight races:“As bad as Election Night seemed, it really could have been worse, and the DCCC and House Majority PAC deserve plenty of credit for shifting their resources to defense early and saving those who could be saved.” Bottom line iswecouldn’t of done it without you. So THANK YOU!!

Now we’re turning our focus to 2016. We’ve got a historic opportunity to roll back these giant Republican gains – and put an end to the GOP’s majority.

We can only keep making history with your support.

Can you click here to say you are in for 2016?

Thank you so much for all you did for us in 2014. Now let’s focus on the future and ensuring that all Americans have representatives that fight for them not the ultra-wealthy.

Ali

Ali Lapp | Executive Director
House Majority PAC

House Majority PAC is the only super PAC dedicated to electing a Democratic Majority. We’re fueled by you, and we’re the people’s PAC. Click here to chip in and help fuel our efforts.