Railroad workers have warned people in power that a disaster of this magnitude could happen without stricter rules and safety measures on trains. We need the Department of Transportation to take this seriously and force companies to use braking technology that will save lives. Right now, most train companies, including the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in Ohio, use braking technology from the Civil War (yes you read that correctly). The evacuation order was lifted last week and residents have been returning. But since then, there’s been a growing number of reports about people experiencing a burning sensation in their eyes, and animals rapidly falling ill in East Palestine. It could happen to any of us, as trains carrying these chemicals and freight ride past our communities and cities daily. We need to make the right investments to save human lives and protect workers. Photo Credit: MSNBC News

Insulin is a life-saving medication that millions of Americans depend on. But because of Republicans giving into corporate greed, this medication is unaffordable for too many people. Too often, this results in people rationing their usage at the expense of their health. Nearly one million of all people who need insulin spend almost half of their income on this medication. And almost 80% of all insulin users have gone into debt to pay for it. No one should have to shoulder this extreme financial burden, especially for something that costs so little to actually produce. Democrats tried to pass universal insulin price caps through the Inflation Reduction Act last year but Republicans blocked this from becoming a reality. The policy was scaled back to cap insulin at $35 a month for people on Medicare, which was an important step but not enough. During the 2023 State of the Union address, President Biden called for Congress to finish the job and pass universal insulin price caps for all Americans. It’s time for Congress to side with working people and make insulin affordable for everyone who uses it. Photo credit: https://twitter.com/CoriBush/status/1634199566974087173/photo/1

The fight for women's rights in Afghanistan is a long and ongoing battle that has taken a huge step backwards with recent Taliban control. Despite immense danger and sacrifice, the Afghan women's soccer team is working to prove progress is possible. By breaking down cultural barriers and taking the field, they are not only challenging societal norms, but they are also providing a source of hope and inspiration. The problem? FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, refuses to recognize the team. This failure means the women cannot represent their country, compete in professional matches, or receive the funding they need to pay players and staff. But that can change. After months of player protests and widespread criticism over its human rights abuses in Doha, FIFA is eager to rehabilitate its image. And with the Women's World Cup taking place in Australia and New Zealand this July, FIFA will once again be center stage — and sensitive to public pressure and protest.  Right now, FIFA’s PR machine is closely watching and listening. That means we have a crucial opportunity to call on them to use their power for good. Can you join us to support women’s rights and diplomacy by signing our petition to FIFA President Gianni Infantino?

In the last three years, nearly 1.1 million Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 100 million more have become ill. This huge, unnecessary price increase for the Moderna vaccine would have devastating impacts and will cause needless deaths and severe, long-term health challenges for so many due to millions of Americans not being able to afford the vaccine. It will make the vaccine unavailable and inaccessible for many millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans (especially low-income people, people with disabilities, and communities of color) who won’t be able to afford it. How many people will die from COVID-19 as a result of limited access to these life-saving vaccines? In the midst of a deadly pandemic, restricting access to this much-needed vaccine is unconscionable. The COVID-19 vaccines were jointly developed in partnership with scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a U.S. government agency that is funded by U.S. taxpayers, and the federal government, who directly provided $1.7 billion to Moderna for research and development. If Moderna more than quadrupled the price of the vaccine, it would make it unaffordable to the very residents of this country who made the production of the vaccine possible, not to mention the fact that this decision will make the vaccine inaccessible to countries across the world. That is not acceptable. It will also have a significantly negative impact on the budgets of Medicaid, Medicare, and other government programs that will continue covering the vaccine without cost-sharing for patients. It will cost taxpayers BILLIONS of dollars, and the outrageous price boost will increase private health insurance premiums. And in the midst of the worst public health crisis in the U.S. over the last two years, Moderna made over $19 billion in profits and used those profits to provide incredibly extravagant compensation packages to the CEO and other top officials at the company. The Moderna CEO even became a multi-billionaire as a direct result of Moderna’s COVID vaccine, and several Moderna chairmen, co-founders, and investors are now billionaires, too. Let’s be clear: The purpose of the recent taxpayer investment in Moderna was to protect our health and lives, not to turn a handful of corporate executives and investors into multi-billionaires. This is why we are urgently calling for Moderna to NOT increase the price of the people-funded COVID-19 vaccine!

Facebook is preparing to make a decision on whether or not to reinstate Donald Trump's Facebook account. For the risk Trump poses to our public safety and democracy, we must keep Trump off Facebook. Join us in urging Meta to keep Trump off Facebook.

Why is this important? It seems that communities are being led to believe that fracking will be a golden goose while the real economic, human, and environmental impacts are being downplayed using tactics similar to the tobacco industry. Consider who would be impacted by the immediate and long-term adverse effects. We are concerned for our health, our reservoir, and our community and refuse to be the next Hinkley, Dimock, or Flint. We want clean water. We want clean air.

It seems that communities are being led to believe that fracking will be a golden goose while the real economic, human, and environmental impacts are being downplayed using tactics similar to the tobacco industry. Consider who would be impacted by the immediate and long-term adverse effects. We are concerned for our health, our reservoir, and our community and refuse to be the next Hinkley, Dimock, or Flint. We want clean water. We want clean air.

Recently, Kroger and Albertsons announced plans to merge. Together, Kroger and Albertsons own dozens of chains, including Safeway, Vons, Harris Teeter and Fred Meyer and reach a combined 85 million households. The new mega-deal would have a huge impact on grocery shopping in America and almost certainly put more rural towns and Black and Latino neighborhoods in cities at risk of becoming ‘food deserts’ as more local grocers are driven out of business. The National Grocers Association, which represents small retailers and wholesalers, said the merger would put smaller competitors at an “unfair disadvantage” and increase “anticompetitive buyer power over grocery suppliers.” Please join us in demanding that the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division block the Kroger and Albertsons $25 billion merger.

Corporations love to make big sweeping public announcements about “going green” and then taking victory laps in the press without making real, concrete changes to address climate change. Take General Motors for example. Last year they unveiled their plan to become carbon neutral by 2040. Which sounds good on paper until you realize the process to make aluminum for cars generates about 1.1 billion tons of CO2 emissions.1 And with the rising adoption of electric vehicles, demand for aluminum is expected to explode in the coming decades.2 Tell General Motors CEO to walk the walk when it comes to climate change and commit to sourcing only carbon-free aluminum! Sign the petition! Right now China is the biggest aluminum producer and they use coal-powered electricity to drive the process. This generates a massive carbon footprint for a country that is already the world leader in greenhouse gas emissions.3 But it doesn’t have to be this way. Suppliers can make aluminum using renewable energy-powered electricity and stop relying on coal. They can also use recycled aluminum which generates only 5% of the carbon emissions.4 Not only are the current aluminum supply chains dirty from a climate perspective, they’re also dirty from a human rights perspective. Early this year, General Motors was found to have ties with Chinese aluminum suppliers in the Xinjang region, known to use forced labor from Uyghur muslims.5 Just as bad, the bauxite needed to make aluminum has created a strip mining industry that has devastated the health and livelihoods of Indigenous communities across Africa, Asia and Australia.6 General Motors is a world leader in the automotive industry. If they demand their suppliers to decarbonize, the industry will follow. And when it comes to climate, we can’t afford to wait for corporations to just decide to do the right thing. We have to push them. Tell General Motors CEO to walk the walk when it comes to climate change and commit to sourcing only carbon-free aluminum! Sign the petition! Sources: 1. Center for Strategic & International Studies, “Decarbonizing Aluminum: Rolling Out a More Sustainable Sector,” February 25, 2022. 2. Ibid. 3. BBC, “Report: China emissions exceed all developed nations combined,” May 7, 2021. 4. BloombergNEF, “Green Aluminum is Competitive Today. It’s Time to Start Transforming,” June 16, 2021. 5. Washington Post, “Automaker suppliers linked to controversial labor programs in Chinese aluminum industry, report says,” April 8, 2022. 6. Human Rights Watch, “Aluminum: The Car Industry’s Blind Spot,” July 22, 2021.

This isn’t only affecting me but people all over dealing with this. People are being taken advantage of and peoples health can be affected. This is not right that companies like this can take over, overcharge, give you a disconnect notice no sooner you get your bill, and you have zero right to choose. I even know someone who has been gone not using their power in a couple of months but yet still over a two hundred dollar bill! They been overcharging me and other people! When they do their off with the power they don’t care if you have a medical issue. This has gotten beyond out of hand.

This issue is affecting everyone from tourist to communities to families to business owners and overall the economy. This problem has given me the opportunity to understand how to handle the issue effectively and efficiently everyone has voice and nothing will change if no one isn’t listening on how to create solutions that will not mask the problem but remove it. I've heard and seen the frustration and this has allowed me to be able to understand how to make the correct choices for the homeless community and the business owners we are all crying out for something to be done this is a change for good it will allow us to get back what Covid-19 has taken away from our communities and rebuild our economy.

We all believe we are under paid for our positions