The Supreme Court said corporations were people and thus entitled to First Amendment protections on most forms of "political speech" -- but the Supreme Court has also ruled that unions must allow its members to opt in to a union's political spending. And, frankly, that's how it should be! Problem is, corporations don't have to allow their members to opt in to its political spending, as Rep. Capuano's proposed bills from Congress's last session would have mandated if they'd passed. In fact, corporations don't have to tell their shareholders much of anything, and we need to change that. So Daily Kos helps you tell Sen. Reid to introduce legislation mandating that corporations allow their shareholders to opt in to political contributions. Meaning, of course, that if they don't opt in, the corporation can't use their money. Why Harry Reid? Because, as Senate Majority Leader, he can get legislation through more quickly. That doesn't mean he will, but there's no harm in trying.
Meanwhile, Oxitec wants to release genetically-modified mosquitoes in Key West, Florida. They've made these mosquitoes so they can't spread Dengue Fever, which infects more than 50 million people in more than 100 countries every year and which can, if untreated, cause deadly blood diseases. But Key West hasn't had a Dengue fever problem since 2010, so why release the GM-mosquitoes there? Oxitec claims their Dengue control method costs less, but that's tough to prove when the problem's already under control. Possibly Oxitec wants to test critics' plaints that GM-modified mosquitoes can breed with non-GM mosquitoes, or that GM-modified mosquitoes can find enough tetracycline in the environment to survive (which, given that 80 percent of all antibiotics goes to animals destined for the dinner table, isn't as unlikely as Oxitec thinks). And that's not a good enough reason to let them out where they won't do anyone any good and might even cause harm. Change.org helps you tell government officials to quash Oxitec's planned experiment in Key West.
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