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!

As a lobbying group working at the local, state, and federal levels on issues affecting aging Americans, retired Americans need AARP’s political influence to assist in repealing the GPO and WEP.

In 2020 the homeless population in America was almost 581,000 people. It is estimated to be much worse in 2023. These people are ALL US citizens which means this is really a bad problem. Some areas are worse than others and the quantity of people who are able bodied and willing to work is diminishing because of systemic issues like malnutrition and psychological damage equivalent to PTSD. These concentrations actually work out well for creating programs that are focused in the areas that need it the most. We have the technology and resources today to build self-sufficient systems that operate just like other small businesses and quite literally solve the homelessness problem for our country. What seems like an impossible problem is within our grasp if we just choose to address it and have an intention to make our world better with this action.

Because my daughter and so many others who defended themselves are behind bars.

In August, the Biden administration announced an historic student debt cancellation policy, which would transform the lives of tens of millions of borrowers across the country. Despite President Biden possessing the authority to cancel student debt as per the HEROES Act, passed by Congress in 2003, right-wing MAGA Republicans have filed numerous lawsuits challenging the legality of student debt cancellation. Now, a Trump-appointed federal judge has officially blocked the cancellation program, and the Biden administration has been forced to stop accepting cancellation applications. While the case is currently being appealed to a higher court, student loan debt cancellation appears to be in jeopardy. In trying to kill this program, Republicans and their right-wing minions are trying to deny critical relief for tens of millions of families that have suffered under the crushing weight of student loan debt. This is absolutely unfathomable, and that’s why we’re demanding that they drop all litigation regarding student debt cancellation.

On any given day a school social worker can help a child who is engaged in NSSI (non-suicidal self-injury) receive wrap around services, assist a child experiencing homelessness with transportation to school, clothes and free meals, give a child with anxiety tools for managing a panic attack, and help a child find their voice to combat bullying. In one school week, and even in one day, all of these situations can arise, alongside countless other complicated situations that need immediate attention. Unfortunately many school districts don't provide schools with a social worker, or they may require a social worker to work at multiple schools. Understaffing means social workers have extremely high case loads and are not able to effectively support student's needs. The TEA reported there were approximately 5,308 Texas students for every one school social worker employed in our state during the 2019-2020 school year. We need a social worker at every school and funds specifically allocated to school districts to provide mental health services. Therefore, we need an amendment to the Texas Education Code to include social work services and the Texas Education Commission to directly distribute funds to school districts for mental health services.

So, what’s the problem?  Though 43.2% of Pueblo’s residents are Hispanic or Latino and 17.8% are living in poverty, there are little to no affordable and accessible treatment services in Spanish without Servicios  48% of avoidable costs in RAE come from substance misuse  RAE 4 got a D grade in its outpatient treatment planning score per a recent audit  Community waits months to be seen. Servicios see everyone in 14 days or less.  Latinos are the second highest utilizers of illegal substances in Colorado. In some neighborhoods, drugs are easier to find than healthy meals.  Latino Coloradoans were the second highest utilizers of mental health services in the State representing 25.8% of all those seeking treatment Root causes to these health inequities include lack of access to bilingual therapists; strong corporate marketing to target poor and BIPOC communities; fear of institutions; lack of resources for immigrant/migrant and refugee communities; lack of transportation; language barriers; retention challenges due to experiencing homelessness; barriers to treatment specific to COVID-19; and stigma. What happens now: Servicios is funded to continue services in Pueblo until 4/30/2023. Health Colorado Inc went from funding us with almost $.5M in Cycle 1 to $0 in Cycle 2. Seeing the massive need for the very services that we expertly provide, we want to know how HCI intends to fill this critical gap in services, and in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner? What can you do: Speak up. La raza! Méjicano! Españo! Latino! Chicano! Or whatever we call ourselves, WE MATTER! When it comes to caring for community, money talks. When resources are taken away, it sends a clear message that our needs and our people just don’t matter and are not valued. Call Christina Brown, the Director of Community Engagement and Transformation at Health Colorado Inc and share your thoughts: (719) 621-8785. Our loved ones are dying and we cannot “wait on time” and expect things to get better by themselves.

this has effected many of the AP students, further pushing the weight of stress of the AP classes, Bringing the Stream back would help many of our students, it would also be really funny.

Before Hurricane Fiona hit, Puerto Ricans were being subjected to nearly daily power outages that were burning out generators, leaving hospital patients at risk, and forcing children to do their homework under flashlights. For this state of misery under the LUMA Energy consortium, households and businesses were issued SEVEN rate hikes—in one year alone. This abuse is unconscionable. After more than 100 organizations sent letters to the Commonwealth and Federal governments, and to Congress, and after attempts by legislators in the Island to withhold funding from LUMA Energy were blocked by a Congressionally-imposed fiscal control board, Puerto Ricans en masse took to the streets. Their demand that went unheeded: Cancel the LUMA contract. Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, we echo the call of the people being harmed by this bad contract and incompetent service provider. Do right by the people by canceling this contract before Nov. 30th. Otherwise LUMA will be locked in for 15 years. In fact, all you have to do is not sign any renewal contract. To President Biden and Congress, we say Puerto Rico MUST have a sustainable and clean, renewable energy grid that is reliable, hurricane or not. The federal government should take immediate steps so that what should have been done after Hurricane Maria is accomplished. Federal reconstruction funding to rebuild the electricity grid should be required to be used for only sustainable and clean, renewable energy projects, not dirty, polluting fossil fuels. FEMA should reprogram the tens of billions already available in disaster funding to municipalities and NGOs. As energy experts advise, Congress should move to cancel all or a substantial portion of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s debt. FEMA officials recently testified that out of $13 billion available in US grid reconstruction funds, only $40 million had been disbursed, FIVE years after Hurricane Maria. Enough is enough! Please join the demands of the people of Puerto Rico: #CancelLUMA, #CleanGrid4PR #CommunityDrivenRecovery

Physicians perpetrating violence against women, co-workers, and intimate partners need to be held accountable by the institutions created to do so. We cannot continue to condone domestic violence within our own licensing practices. The Texas Medical Board must act! For additional updates, engagement and access to the recent media coverage, please go to the "Do No Harm" website at: https://www.theuncooperative.org or follow RESPOND Against Violence on Instagram. Consider showing additional support on January 18th, as we support Domestic Violence Awareness by wearing Purple! If you or someone you know may be experiencing domestic violence, please know the resources. The Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224. and the website includes valuable resources: https://www.thehotline.org

Police in schools have served as the main bridge for students of color, poor students, students with disabilities and trans and queer students to enter the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a path where our public schools become a place where students are nurtured and provided with the resources that help us grow to be healthy adults. We want to end the long history of systematically criminalizing Black, Indigenous and other students of color, specially those living with behavioral and physical disabilities as well as trans and queer students that attend Salem Keizer Public Schools. Even though in 2021, Superintendent Christy Perry decided NOT to renew the School Resource Officers program, which took about 1 million dollars from our education funding, far right groups who do not represent students are attacking this student-led victory. We need the full and permanent reinvestment of SRO funds into non-punitive education programing/staff and we want our school district to make a commitment to end the school to prison and deportation pipeline.

Families, including children, were transported across state lines under false pretenses. This was a premeditated effort targeting persons by national origin. It’s shameful that instead of treating asylum seekers with the love, dignity and care they deserve, Republican Governors like Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott are exploiting them and using them as political pawns. Families, including children, are being transported across state lines under false pretenses. Immigrants are being treated inhumanely. These are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate actions relentlessly carried out by anti-immigrant Republicans/politicians. It’s completely unacceptable and it needs to end now. Republicans want to divide us by demonizing immigrants. But no one is illegal on stolen land. And immigrants deserve to be welcomed and treated with dignity, love, and care. Together, we can keep fighting for immigration justice including a pathway to citizenship for undocumented folks.