Tag Archives: United States

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On March 25 the Supreme Court will hear two cases


On March 25 the Supreme Court will hear two cases brought by for-profit companies that want to deny their employees coverage for birth control. The bosses at Hobby Lobby, a large chain of arts and craft stores, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, which manufactures cabinets, are arguing that their personal religious beliefs should trump the personal beliefs of their female employees, allowing them to evade the law and deny their employees birth control coverage.

Decisions about my birth control are not my boss’s business. If you agree, add your name to the big banner.

This Is Personal will be at the Supreme Court on the day of the hearings to rally in support of birth control coverage and to show America that every woman should have access to this benefit, regardless of her boss’s religious beliefs.

You can be there with us. Add your name to the banner that we’ll unfurl on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Already more than 27 million women have access to the birth control coverage benefit under the new health care law. Birth control, one of the most frequently used women’s preventive health services, is critical to women’s health and equality. Excluding it from insurance coverage for women while covering the full range of preventive care for men is discrimination—pure and simple.

If you agree — show it. You may not be able to be there in person, but you can still keep it personal. Add your name to the big banner.

Thanks for keeping it personal,

Thao Nguyen
Campaign Director
This Is Personal
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

It’s a New Day in New York City: Paid Sick Time Bill Signed Into Law


The Bill on the Mayor's Desk The Mayor Signs the Bill Into Law
  The Earned Sick Time Act on the Mayor’s Desk                          The Mayor Signing the Earned Sick Time Act Expansion
Dear Friend,
It’s a big day for hardworking New Yorkers. With spring in the air and crowds of excited supporters, A Better Balance stood with Mayor Bill de Blasio today as he signed into law a bill expanding the Earned Sick Time Act. Change has finally arrived for New York City workers who have had to risk losing a day’s pay—or even their jobs—just to care for themselves or family members when they are ill or injured. We couldn’t imagine a better way to celebrate the end of winter and the start of a new season!
At today’s pre-signing press conference, we were honored when the Mayor thanked the “A Better Balance coalition” and noted our organization’s commitment to passing a paid sick time law in New York City. The original sponsor of the Earned Sick Time Act, former City Council Member and current Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, also thanked ABB and told the crowd that Sherry Leiwant (ABB Co-President) and Jared Make (ABB Senior Staff Attorney) “probably went to 1,000 meetings” during the four-year paid sick time campaign. We extend our deepest thanks to Mayor de Blasio, Borough President Brewer, City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito, and City Council Member Chin for their commitment to providing paid sick time to working families in New York City.
We are especially grateful to all of our supporters and partners who have encouraged and stood by us as we worked to pass the original version of the bill last year, and then to  strengthen and expand it these past two months. When the law goes into effect on April 1, 2014, it will cover nearly 1.2 million workers who previously had no sick time and will ensure that 3.4 million workers in the private sector have a legal right to sick time.
As the warm weather rolls in, our work on paid sick time in New York City will also begin anew. We’ll be turning our focus to making the new law work for New Yorkers. We’ve created an outreach and education campaign for workers and businesses and will be assisting individual workers to help them enforce their rights. We need your help!
  • Read our  summary of the law and help us get the word out.
  • Check back on our  website in early April for new resources designed to help workers and employers, including a hotline that will provide free legal assistance to workers.
  • Call us at 212-430-5982 if you have questions.
Thank you for helping to make this great day happen,
Sherry, Dina, Phoebe, Jared, Elizabeth, Liz, Risha & Rachel
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Does Big Oil need Loopholes Washington State ?


Does Big Oil need a tax loophole? Sen. Rodney Tom thinks so.

Tom and the Senate Republicans did the most profitable companies on
Earth a huge favor by protecting their $59 million tax loophole. He
killed efforts to close the loophole and invest that money in our kids’
classrooms instead.

Now oil companies are returning the favor by helping bankroll Sen. Rodney Tom’s re–election campaign.
We can’t let them win if we want to retake the Senate. Joan McBride, a
real progressive and former Kirkland mayor, has stepped up to challenge
Tom. Our job is to make sure she defeats him on Election Day.

Fuse members have already chipped in $4,000 to retire Rodney Tom and retake the Senate in 2014.
But we need to raise $6,000 more to reach our goal for launching
organizers and outreach in Tom’s district to retake the Senate. Will you
chip in $5 to retire Rodney Tom right now?

Yes! I’ll help retire Rodney Tom.

Thanks for all that you do,

Erin and entire team at Fuse

*************************************************************

Dear Friend,
Does Big Oil need a tax loophole? Sen. Rodney Tom thinks so.Tom and the Senate Republicans did the most profitable companies on Earth a huge favor by protecting their $59 million tax loophole. He killed efforts to close the loophole and invest that money in our kids’ classrooms instead.Now oil companies are returning the favor by helping bankroll Sen. Rodney Tom’s re–election campaign.   We can’t let them win if we want to retake the Senate. Joan McBride, a real progressive and former Kirkland mayor, has stepped up to challenge Tom. Our job is to make sure she defeats him on Election Day.

Fuse members have already chipped in $4,000 to retire Rodney Tom and retake the Senate in 2014. But we need to raise $6,000 more to reach our goal for launching organizers and outreach in Tom’s district to retake the Senate. Will you chip in $5 to retire Rodney Tom right now?

Yes! I’ll help retire Rodney Tom.

Thanks for all that you do,

Erin and entire team at Fuse

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Aaron Ostrom, Fuse Votes <info@fusewashington.org>
Date: Tue, Mar 18, 2014 at 6:58 AM
Subject: Four more years of Rodney Tom?

          Sen. Rodney Tom and the Senate Republicans set new lows for partisanship and obstruction this legislative session. It’s clear we need a change in the state Senate.  Will you chip in $5 to defeat Sen. Tom?
Chip in!

Dear Friend,

We’re ready for a change in the state Senate.

Sen. Tom’s Republican caucus set new lows for partisanship and obstruction this legislative session.  Tom refused to allow a vote on the Reproductive Parity Act or paid sick leave for workers. He tried to kill a bipartisan bill that extended funding for homeless housing. Instead of funding education, they even protected all 650 of the state’s tax loopholes – including Big Oil’s – and created or extended 18 more.

We can defeat Tom and retake the Senate with a strong grassroots campaign – as long as we start now.

We held our first canvass against Tom on March 11 because we can’t wait until October to educate voters about his far–right record. Online and on the ground, we’re going to make sure every voter knows the issues at stake and the importance of retaking the Senate. But we can’t make it happen without you.

We’ve set up a dedicated fund to retire Rodney Tom and retake the Senate in 2014. One hundred percent of the money raised will be used for organizers and outreach to reclaim the Senate. We need to raise $10,000 to jumpstart our campaign this week. If we fall short, we’ll have to endure another four years of Tom in the Senate. Will you chip in $5 to retire Rodney Tom?

Yes! I’ll help retire Rodney Tom.

I want to support long–term progressive change by donating $10 per month!

Two years ago, Sen. Tom switched sides to form a new majority with the Senate Republicans. Their far–right Republican caucus has doomed any hope for progress on climate change, women’s health, gun safety, closing tax loopholes, and more. The Republicans aren’t even running a candidate against Sen. Tom because he’s the key to their power.

Now Sen. Tom is up for re–election and retaking his seat is critical to winning back the Senate. We’ve set up a “Retire Rodney Tom” fund at Fuse to make sure every voter in the 48th District knows about his dangerous record of obstruction in Olympia. Will you chip in $5 to kick off our campaign to retire Rodney Tom?

Yes! I’ll help retire Rodney Tom.

I want to support long–term progressive change by donating $10 per month!

Thanks for all that you do,

Aaron and the entire team at Fuse
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Join the Book Club


Union of Concerned Scientists

EVENT INVITATION March 27: Fukushima Online Book Club Discussion

Please join the authors of our new book, Fukushima: The Story of a Nuclear Disaster, in an online “book club” discussion on March 27. Praised as a “gripping, suspenseful page-turner,” the book is a definitive, scientific retelling of what happened at Fukushima three years ago—and an urgent reminder that U.S. nuclear power isn’t as safe as it could and should be.

Fukushima Online Book Club Date: Thursday, March 27 Time: 2:00-3:15 p.m. EST

RSVP for the Online Discussion Today

The book’s co-authors, UCS nuclear power safety experts, Dave Lochbaum and Edwin Lyman, and award-winning journalist, Susan Q. Stranahan, will discuss what the situation in Japan is three years later, what we have learned, and what more needs to be done to make nuclear power safer in the United States.

Visit our website to learn more about the book. If you have any questions about the book club or if you’d like to submit questions for the authors in advance, please email nuclearsafety@ucsusa.org.