We’re proud to announce a $100 million investment to give people a stronger voice in local democracy, one of the largest investments in civic tech to date. Most of the decisions that shape our lives are made there, yet only 15% of Americans believe elected officials care what they think. People across the political spectrum come to Change.org to weigh in on those decisions. This investment is about making sure they're heard. Read more from our CEO, Ben Rattray, by clicking below: linkedin.com/pulse/changeorg…

(Content warning: Animal cruelty) A boater discovered a dog dead underwater in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood, tied to cinder blocks. Miami police are investigating the circumstances of the dog’s death. Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for authorities to identify whoever was responsible, pursue the strongest animal cruelty charges allowed by law and seek a lifetime ban on owning animals. Police have not established how the dog died or who was responsible for leaving it in the water. Petition link: c.org/f5tNRsym #Miami #AnimalWelfare

Today we’re excited to share two leadership announcements: Steve Dziedzic is our new President, and Michelle Rittenhouse is our new Chief Product Officer! Steve, our CPO for the past two years, will now lead growth and operations. Michelle, our VP of Product, steps into the CPO role. Founder @brattray will remain closely involved while leading the Change .org Foundation, which over the past year has provided early funding to new, nonpartisan civic tech efforts. Steve sat down with Fast Company to talk about what’s next. Read more by clicking below. #Tech #CivicTech #Democracy fastcompany.com/91628341/cha…

Mass Effect fans are petitioning to save the video game franchise after Electronic Arts announced it is shutting down developer BioWare and canceling the next game. Known for its galaxy-spanning adventures, memorable characters and stories shaped by players’ choices, Mass Effect has built a devoted following. The #SaveMassEffect petition urges EA to provide the funding, staff and time needed to continue making the games, or license the franchise to another studio. Do you want to see another Mass Effect game? #MassEffect Click below to read or sign. change.org/p/savemasseffect?…

The City Council passed Romanch’s Law, which will: Stop the city from issuing new horse-drawn carriage licenses. Create a transition program to help carriage drivers and other affected workers find new jobs. End horse-drawn carriage rides on June 1, 2028. The bill is named for Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist who died after being thrown from a runaway carriage in Central Park in June. The vote follows decades of advocacy over animal welfare and public safety. A change.org petition signed by thousands of people was among the many calls to end the practice. The drivers’ union has opposed the bill, arguing its worker protections are insufficient. The legislation now goes to the mayor for action. #NYC #horses Click below to read or sign. change.org/p/it-s-2026-horse… Change.org

(Content warning: child death) In October 1994, the country spent nine days searching for 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander Smith after their mother, Susan Smith, told investigators a stranger had taken her car with the boys inside. She later confessed to driving the car into John D. Long Lake with her sons strapped in their seats. She was convicted of murder in 1995 and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. Smith was denied parole at her first hearing in 2024 and can now be reconsidered every two years. Ahead of her next hearing on Nov. 19, a petition with nearly 9,000 signatures is urging the South Carolina parole board to keep her in prison. The boys' father, David Smith, has publicly opposed her release. The petition says it is not affiliated with him or his family. Petition link: c.org/zsFtdqZ8 #SusanSmith #SouthCarolina #TrueCrime

Should Airbnb guests have to wash their own dishes? Somer Adkins, a supporter of a Change.org petition challenging Airbnb’s new limits on guest chores, shares her perspective in this video. Starting Nov. 20, Airbnb will generally bar hosts from asking guests to wash and put away dishes, strip beds or take trash off-site. The company says tasks requiring significant time or effort, or typically handled by a cleaner, shouldn’t fall to guests. The petition supports limits on excessive cleaning demands but argues that washing used dishes and putting trash in designated bins are reasonable responsibilities. It calls on Airbnb to preserve those expectations and consult hosts before making changes. Where would you draw the line on checkout chores? Petition link: c.org/ddZXMYPp #Airbnb #Travel

On what would have been Stephanie Minter’s 42nd birthday, her mother is sharing her story. Stephanie was fatally stabbed at a bus shelter in Fairfax County, Virginia, in February. Her mother, Cheryl, started a Change.org petition calling for the removal of Fairfax County prosecutor Steve Descano. She argues that his office’s handling of prior charges against the man accused of killing Stephanie left him free to commit the attack. You can read her petition at c.org/q5QTH62t In an op-ed published today in The Daily Wire, Cheryl writes about her daughter and explains what she’s asking officials to do: dailywire.com/news/an-illega…

Six-year-old Cole Adrian and 35-year-old Nicholas Schafer were killed when a pickup truck drove onto a soccer field during a youth game at Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas, on Oct. 17. Ten others were injured, including five children, according to police. The 34-year-old driver was released without charges after police said they did not have probable cause to arrest her. She is cooperating with investigators, who are still determining what caused the crash. No final decision has been made about criminal charges. Brandon Swart, whose son plays at the complex, started a petition calling for bollards, protective posts designed to block vehicle access, around the fields. He is also requesting an independent safety review and a publicly available plan for permanent protection. Click below to read or sign. ABC Affiliate KAKE/Reuters #Wichita #Kansas change.org/p/add-bollards-to…

A 2-year-old put a loaded gun in their mouth at Thrive Learning Center East in Richmond, Virginia, after taking it from administrator Martha Evans’ unzipped fanny pack, according to state records obtained by WTVR. Staff intervened after about 15 seconds. Staff told investigators Evans regularly brought the loaded gun to daycare, calling it a “normal routine.” The Sept. 25 incident went unreported to regulators for four days, despite a 24-hour deadline. Evans faces firearm charges. A petition calls for suspending the center’s license, penalties for reporting failures and enforcement of firearm safety rules. The daycare has been closed since Oct. 1, and the state intends to permanently suspend its license, though administrative proceedings are still underway. #Virginia #Guns #children Click below to read or sign. change.org/p/suspend-thrive-…

A new petition calls for an independent investigation into how Jalen Hurts’ blood clot and medical clearance were handled. Hurts sought calf treatment before flying to London, reporting that he had been struck by a cleat. An ultrasound there on Oct. 10 found a superficial blood clot. Eagles medical staff and London doctors said he could safely play, noting that activity and mobility were important. He played against Jacksonville the next day. Further testing after his return to the U.S. revealed deep vein thrombosis and clots in both lungs. He cannot play contact football while receiving blood thinners. His team and agent expect a full recovery. Fans have questioned the decisions to let him fly to London, play and fly home. Eagles fan Max S.’s petition seeks an independent review and stronger international travel safeguards. An anonymous league source told The Athletic that the NFL will not punish the Eagles, saying the clearance process “was handled appropriately.” It has not been established that playing or flying worsened his condition. Click below to read or sign. #Eagles #JalenHurts change.org/p/demand-accounta…

“Dancing with the Stars” dancer Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended for one week after a social media remark about judge Carrie Ann Inaba. A petition is calling for his removal. After Inaba flagged a prohibited lift in his wife Jenna Johnson’s routine, Chmerkovskiy wrote on TikTok: “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The remark appeared to reference Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. The petition describes Val’s actions as “indicative of an immature, aggressive attitude that is not suitable for any professional environment.” Producers called the remark inappropriate. Chmerkovskiy apologized to Inaba, saying he had intended to defend his wife without considering what the reference could imply. Was a one-week suspension appropriate, or should he have faced stronger consequences? #DWTS #DancingWithTheStars Click below to read or sign. change.org/p/remove-val-chme…

(Content warning: School shooting, deaths of children) Kaylub Giamanco followed a gunman into his daughters’ elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and fatally shot him on Oct. 15, according to police. A petition is calling for him to receive Bend’s Key to the City and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Three children and a teacher were killed in the attack at Silver Rail Elementary School. Another child and a teacher were injured. Police also credited a teacher who tackled and fought the gunman with helping prevent further bloodshed. #Bend #Oregon Click below to read or sign. change.org/p/honor-hero-dad-…

Watching the game with your kids, then a horror movie trailer comes on. Jessica Chappell, a mother of four, says those commercial breaks have made watching live sports difficult for her family. Her petition asks broadcasters to stop airing horror trailers during live games and move them after 9 p.m. or to programming aimed at adults. She argues that families shouldn’t have to choose between watching sports live and exposing young children to frightening scenes. Should broadcasters change when these trailers air? Petition link: c.org/GfBrfZMt #Sports #Parenting

(Content warning: child deaths) Susan Smith, who was sentenced to life in prison for killing her two sons in 1994, is scheduled for another parole hearing on Nov. 19, 2026. The footage shown here is from her previous hearing on Nov. 20, 2024. Smith expressed remorse, while her ex-husband David Smith, the boys’ father, urged the board to keep her incarcerated. At that hearing, the board unanimously denied parole. Ahead of her next hearing, a petition urges South Carolina’s parole board to deny her release again, citing the seriousness of the crimes and their lasting impact on Michael and Alexander’s loved ones. "We ask that the seriousness of these crimes, the devastating loss of two young lives, and the lasting impact on their loved ones receive full consideration," the petition reads. The petition is independently organized and is not an official campaign from David Smith or his family. Petition link: c.org/VGqG44WX #SusanSmith #SouthCarolina

California has passed a law banning marriage before age 18 without exceptions. The ban takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Thirty-two states have not enacted a complete ban. In Kansas, a judge can approve marriage at 15 after investigating and determining it is in the teenager’s best interest. Illinois allows 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent. Mississippi allows girls to marry at 15 and boys at 17 with parental consent, and a judge can waive those ages under specified conditions. Donna Simmons married at 16. She says she couldn’t lease an apartment in her own name and was turned away from a domestic violence shelter because she was a minor, making it difficult to leave her abusive husband. This year, she started a petition asking lawmakers to set the minimum marriage age at 18 nationwide, without exceptions. #ChildMarriage #California Click below to read or sign. change.org/p/300-000-childre…

A petition is calling on Iowa State University to disband its Delta Tau Delta chapter amid sexual assault allegations involving fraternity members, as reported by the Iowa State Daily. The allegations have prompted student protests outside the chapter house. The petition asks the university to permanently remove the chapter from campus and review its fraternity and sorority system to strengthen oversight and accountability. The chapter did not respond to the Iowa State Daily’s request for comment. Petition link: c.org/mbqYWsr9 #IowaState #college