"Ghosting" - the practice of suddenly cutting off all contact with someone you've been communicating with, typically in the context of dating, has been in the news lately thanks to "West Elm Caleb," who has reportedly ghosted a remarkable number of women in New York City. What do you think of ghosting?

During the pandemic, many have filled the void by turning chatbots powered by artificial intelligence. This phenomenon isn't confined to single people. Married men and women have developed full-on relationships with completely computer generated boyfriends and girlfriends from services like Replika, which brings up a very interesting question... is this morally okay?

Voters in North Carolina are petitioning to bar GOP Rep, Madison Cawthorn from running for re-election on the grounds that his participation in the January 6 rally should restrict him from holding political office. What do you think?

This weekend, Twitter permanently banned Marjorie Taylor Greene from its platform citing repeated terms of the platform's COVID misinformation policy.

# ABOUT THIS PETITION Every year, more Democrats drop the National Prayer Breakfast (NPB) held in February. Why? As journalist Jeff Sharlet revealed in his books and Netflix documentary series, it’s run by a secretive, theocratic Christian organization known as The Family. The breakfast defies democratic accountability – the guest list is secret, as is who decides who gets to come. It also violates separation of church and state, endorsing not just religion, but prayer, and evangelical Christianity. Just last year, [TYT Investigates](https://tyt.com/stories/franchise/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA) revealed that anti-LGBTQ evangelist Franklin Graham is secretly bankrolling the event. Democratic participation in the breakfast gives it the impression of being a bipartisan, semi-official event – and that lets The Family use the event to empower and mainstream right-wing, anti-LGBTQ activists and leaders around the world. The handful of Democrats still willing to lend their name to the event say that it creates unity. But that’s not what the record shows: - After Pres. Biden spoke last year, Franklin Graham attacked him for his remarks; - When Pres. Trump spoke, the audience applauded his divisive, partisan attacks; - The Family used the breakfast to turn MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell into a religious and political extremist; - The Family lets anti-LGBTQ officials from other countries hand out tickets to build their networks; - The Family helped Russian political activist Maria Butina and Russian politician Alexander Torshin use the breakfast to network with right-wing Christians; - The breakfast guest list tilts overwhelmingly toward right-wing Protestantism; secular, progressive, black, and LGBTQ leaders are almost totally excluded; - The Family has used the breakfast to elevate and mainstream right-wing celebrities; - LGBTQ organizations have warned that giving prayer breakfasts the appearance of right-wing support helps them mainstream far-right networks and ideas; - The Family’s allies in other countries are almost exclusively about as far right as each country’s political discourse allows. Democrats who believe in transparency and accountability should not be aiding an organization that conceals its donors, leaders, personnel, and activities around the world. Democrats who believe in the separation of church and state should not lend their official-seeming endorsement to an event that violates this precept. Democrats who support LGBTQ rights should not aid anti-LGBTQ activists in expanding their influence. Democrats truly invested in harnessing prayer and faith for good can find or create alternative venues to do so. If you want to learn more about The Family and the National Prayer Breakfast, Sharlet’s work uncovered decades of global wrongdoing. More recently, the New Yorker, the New York Times, and others have revealed new details about the money behind the NPB. Last year, TYT Investigates obtained secret, internal Family documents that led to the launch of an ongoing investigative series, which you can find at [TYT.com/insidethefamily](https://tyt.com/stories/franchise/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn). Individual stories can be found here: 1. [Prayer Group in Russia Case Had Envoy to Eastern Europe in GOP Congressman](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/3pWnnmtrUsCK0u4yaGkwo8) 2. [Group in Russia Probe Sponsored Travel for Ukraine Meetings with Manafort Clients](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/4AypP7BHSgKuCaC44waquI) 3. [Clandestine U.S. Christian Org Linked to Anti-Semitic Leader](https://legacy.tyt.com/2018/07/25/clandestine-u-s-christian-org-linked-to-anti-semitic-leader/) 4. [GOP Missions in Eastern Europe Were Paid for by Butina-Linked Christian Group and Ukraine Ally](https://legacy.tyt.com/2018/07/19/gop-missions-in-eastern-europe-were-paid-for-by-butina-linked-christian-group-and-ukraine-ally/) 5. [National Prayer Breakfast Group Has New Leadership](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/5aR0uGwiWkcwKKQS86iSUk) 6. [Christian Group Reported Expenses for Having Russians at National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/UHYZXMUhGKUEsMAYcuQes) 7. [Coons Stays Silent as His Top Donor Tries to Crush a Union](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/5QucgYGQ7PzgssFMxKGNfw) 8. [Another Member of Congress Drops the National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/4x8w52PqoX0rfedk3kx7Ju) 9. [CIA Vet: Russian Ties to Prayer Breakfast Part of Influence Operations](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/40yVZncN5BceZNONtLQpd9) 10. [Under Scrutiny, Fellowship Foundation Issues New Rules for National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/7FlcwClI4CLSSMmy5vHLhH) 11. [At the Head of the National Prayer Breakfast, a GOP Megadonor](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/2GLNjOsfrtJHjIaaf9OH80) 12. [Coons Concerned About Perception of Partisanship at National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/2SS4Ar9ivKIMd7v8Xfan82) 13. [Klobuchar Drops National Prayer Breakfast Role](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/3jDgmOC9A1Wxzf0IliZIPU) 14. [Biden's Short List Has "Family" Ties](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/6QqNnOw1eSM1cgq1WPL1Q2) 15. [Prayer Breakfast Leaders Backed Trump's Election Lies](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/57vRnwgUr5SIYbd7Vc8kuZ) 16. [Democrats Support Prayer Breakfast After Its Leaders Backed Trump Lies](https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/2OcfGGI7CVq3xWRnyVvrBp) 17. [Franklin Graham Is Secretly Bankrolling the National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/2ilAKsTTggpu5d4wb7JYB4) 18. [LGTBI Group Warns Democrats About Prayer Breakfasts](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/5rpYhMd0xZCD7HBI5DmW9E) 19. [Democrats Invited Anti-LGBTQ Ukrainians to the National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/53iPD4UVruf1rJoZk9MmcZ) 20. [Fortenberry, a Family Insider, Indicted on Federal Charges](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/I61ALLKvqHG9n2i5LUFNm) 21. [Fortenberry Concealed The Family’s Role in Illegal Campaign Funding Scheme](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/2uM29Bn4rKsj7xTUCkGmPi) 22. [Secular Group Calls for Congress to Boycott National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/7bazbDpWmaqc7NwHYYbhWF) 23. [Did The Family Just Make a Play for Elon Musk?](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/5cd7GUdAm7TT8nqC1WGI5t) 24. [Chick-fil-A's Man Inside the National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/2cjTheVq12tE4ZOcN1LlXB) 25. [Maria Butina's National Prayer Breakfast Host Was a Chick-fil-A Executive](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/SNZ5EQVQrU7ZMiYHaz9Zk) 26. [Tim Kaine Drops the National Prayer Breakfast](https://tyt.com/stories/2E4lb3zIDV37rdUAwsh1zn/65C8TK4PvGQMzA0GqU5h6f)

The “Build Back Better Act,” also referred to as the reconciliation bill, is a critical step towards helping our country and our planet to begin healing. But, Sen. Joe Manchin (conservative Democrat from West Virginia) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (conservative Democrat from Arizona) have managed to take out almost all of our progressive priorities during the so-called negotiations. Negotiating for lower drug prices, which nearly 90% of Americans want, has been taken out to please drug companies. The most important climate provisions have been taken out to please fossil fuel companies. The billionaires tax has been taken out to please… billionaires. None of Trump’s tax cuts have been rolled back. Two years of free community college is out. And now to add insult to injury, paid family leave was taken out at the very end. Progressives, however, have a chance to stand strong and do what they went to DC to do – fight for our families. Democrats are now agreeing with Republicans that parents do not deserve to have paid time off work when they have a child, or need to care for a sick loved one. That’s a bridge too far. “Paid leave is literally the one piece of this package that could touch any household in America, at any of the most happy or scary times in their lives. The fact that it’s comprehensive means that it is usable by people across life circumstances, age, family types. It recognizes that giving and receiving care is a basic need, and it’s a uniting policy in a way that so few are these days.” -Vicki Shabo, senior fellow for paid leave policy and strategy at New America’s Better Life Lab Senator Bernie Sanders stated: “So, it seems to me, almost every sensible progressive revenue option that the president wants… that the American people want… that I want… seems to be sabotaged.” If Democrats agree to take paid family, medical leave out of the bill, we say: No Deal. **WATCH THE VIDEO** <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q2w5EztxRAc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

# **About this Petition** On September 20, 2021, Shantel Arnold was assaulted by a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana police officer right after being assaulted by a group of neighborhood boys. According to reports, Arnold was slammed to the ground by a group of boys, who then proceeded to strike her while she was on the ground and bystanders laughed. Her 71-year-old stepfather had to chase them away. A police officer, who remains unnamed, then saw her walking. He told her to stop and asked what happened. She explained the assault and that she just wanted to go home. Arnold continued to walk home and, according to witnesses, the officer stopped his car, grabbed her and threw her to the ground a couple of times so violently that he ripped out some of her braids. Arnold was treated for bruises, scratches, and a busted lip. She now has recurring headaches. The unidentified police officer is currently under investigation. We call on the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Sheriff, Joseph P. Lopinto, III, to fire the unnamed police officer. This brutal attack would never be allowed in any place of work. It most definitely should not be tolerated in our police departments. **WATCH THE ORIGINAL REPORT** <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TpV1iBis7iY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> **WATCH THE PETITION ANNOUNCEMENT** <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EiewhOZd_7o" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

There are currently two infrastructure bills making their way through Congress. One is a robust bill that invests in climate action, childcare, jobs, and other desperately-needed infrastructure, but is only supported by Democrats, so it will only pass on a strict party-line vote through reconciliation. The other is a watered-down sham described as the "Bipartisan bill" that can theoretically attract support from Republicans, but only because it offers an insultingly small fraction of the investment as the other bill. Corporate Democrats like Kyrsten Sinema are now pushing for a vote on the "Bipartisan Bill," but if that bill gets voted on first in the House, the more substantial, Democrat-only bill will be DOA and never pass. This is a trap. We can't allow that to happen. For that reason we, the undersigned, insist: NO HOUSE DEMOCRAT SHOULD VOTE FOR THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL UNTIL THEY VOTE ON THE DEMOCRATIC VERSION OF THE BILL.