From the Green Party of the United States: The Green Party of the United States is calling for no new U.S. military action in Iraq, including on-the-ground troop deployment and airstrikes. Greens are urging President Obama to resist demands by belligerent politicians and pundits for a U.S. assault in Iraq against ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). "Those who want peace in the region should prepare to resume the protests that answered President Bush's drumbeat for war. Americans should resist propaganda claiming that U.S. military assaults lead to peace and liberation. The 2003 invasion caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, as well as 4,486 U.S. service members, and destruction of Iraqi society and infrastructure," said Cheri Honkala, the Green Party's 2012 nominee for Vice President. Read the complete statement here...

From the Green Party of the United States:  Green Party candidates and leaders said that President Obama's new EPA regulations on carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generating power plants represented no more than a modest step forward against global climate change. Greens reiterated the party's call for conversion to an economy based on clean renewable energy, with the added benefit of millions of new jobs. The president's plan also promotes more nuclear energy and natural gas extraction (fracking), which the Green Party opposes because of the danger they pose to public health and security. "Reducing carbon pollution from electric power plants is a good start, but the goal must be phasing out coal, oil, and natural gas as our energy sources," said Howie Hawkins, Green candidate for Governor of New York. "The EPA remains vulnerable to industry lobbies, with a negotiation process that will make enforcing emissions reduction difficult."  Greens joined environmentalists in criticizing the new plan's reliance on an inflated 2005 baseline for the 30% reduction, calling it far too modest and a capitulation to industry lobbies. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions only 7% between now and 2030 is extremely inadequate, given the current level of knowledge about the effects of climate change, which include the Arctic melt and increasing extreme weather events: "Relative to 2030 emissions projected from current trends, the drop in that year's U.S. CO2 emissions sought by the President is a painfully modest 355 million tonnes (metric tons). That equates to just 7% of total actual emissions from all sources last year (5313 million tonnes)... [A]s of last year, demand and supply steps by industry, household and government had already wrought a 15% reduction in U.S. power plant emissions from the president's 2005 base year (a drop of 361 million tonnes from 2414 million). By calling for only a second round of 15% cuts (355 million tonnes) from 2014 to 2030, the Obama plan in effect takes twice as long (16 years) to cut as much carbon pollution as the country just did (in 8 years, from 2005 to 2013)." (link) "The energy debate is too important to be left to Democrats, who prefer industry-friendly ideas, versus climate-change-denying Republicans. In comparison to the appalling irresponsibility of the GOP, President Obama's EPA rules are a godsend. In comparison to what we need to do, the new rules are a drop in the bucket," said Tim Willard, Green candidate for Montgomery County Council in Maryland. "We can't ignore the health and infrastructure costs related to these emissions - the costs of storm, drought, and flood damage caused by an increasingly destabilized climate. Instead of modest and ineffective regulations, Greens are offering smarter and more effective solutions than our industrial cash-dominated government is capable of," said Mr. Willard. Read the complete release here...

The Maryland Green Party Assembly will be held tomorrow, May 31, at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church, 310 Tulip Avenue, Takoma Park from 10 am to 4 pm.Complete details are available here.Registration will be open from 9:30-10am. We are suggesting a $20 donation to help cover the costs of the event but registration costs are on a sliding scale according to your income and no one will be turned away for inability to contribute.Morning sessions will include a business meeting and party officer elections from 10-10:30 and a panel of Green Party candidates running in this November's election from 10:30-11:30.You can bring a lunch or visit one of several options nearby in Takoma Park. Click here to read more about lunch options.In the afternoon we will have two panels.Confirmed panelists for our 1-2pm panel on party cooperation with labor unions include Nick McDaniels, a building rep for the Baltimore Teachers Union; Virginia Rodino, a communications specialist for the Service Employees International Union; and Darryl Moch, former director of the Labor Heritage Foundation and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. From 2-3pm, Sam Pizzigati will discuss solutions to income inequality in America. Sam is an Institute for Policy Studies associate fellow and the nation's chief proponent of the maximum wage concept. Sam edits the weekly newsletter Too Much. From 3-4pm we will conclude our assembly. We hope to see you in Takoma Park tomorrow!If you can't make it but still want to support our event, please make a contribution to help defray the cost. As our members are our sole source of funding, your financial support is critical to our success. 

From the Green Party of the United States: Candidates and activists in the Green Party of the United States are expressing strong opposition to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) as currently negotiated between the United States and European Union."Trade barriers between the U.S. and Europe are already low, but the TTIP would lower it even further by weakening labor, food safety, and environmental protections, enabling further privatization of public resources and services, and gutting corporate regulations," said Friedemann Buschbeck, co-coordinator of the Green Party of Tampa, Florida."The White House doesn't want us to talk about it. As with the TPP [TransPacific Partnership], the TTIP's U.S. negotiators have tried to keep the deal a secret from the public. We need public scrutiny and discussion, including hearings, on the effects of the TTIP," said Mr. Buschbeck.The Green Party of the U.S. has strongly opposed trade deals that establish secretive panel of pro-corporate experts sitting in a foreign court of arbitration with the power to nullify legislation passed in the U.S. and other signatory states. Greens support negotiation of TTIP and renegotiation of other agreements to strengthen labor, environmental, and consumer protections. Read the complete statement here...

Dear Friends, Thank you for your continued support of the Maryland Green Party. We're happy to be able to reach out to you at such an exciting time of year. We have several projects happening right now that you can get involved in today. We hope you will stay connected with us throughout the year on our new website. The first, and most important, project we are involved in is our continuing ballot access drive. Once again, state law requires us to submit 10,000 signatures of registered Maryland voters in order to maintain our status as a political party. We need you to get involved! Click here to download petitions and watch a video showcasing some of our most experienced petitioners.We are constantly seeking new volunteers to petition but we are also planning to hire professional signature gatherers to supplement our efforts.Please click here to make a contribution to help us stay on the ballot!We are holding our mail-in primary election for several 2014 candidates for local, state, and federal elections. Visit this page to see if you are eligible to participate in this year's Green Party primary vote. Our 2014 Annual Assembly will be held Saturday, May 31st in Takoma Park. Our program will begin at 10am at the Takoma Park Presbyterian Church. We will be meeting Green candidates for public office and holding panels on resolving economic inequality and strengthening our alliances with unions. Visit this page for more details. Of course, we need your help to fund all of these projects, help more candidates run for office, and promote our activities to voters and potential new members. We hope you will make a contribution today to support our mission. Click here to make a contribution today!Thank you, The Maryland Green Party