As of July 4th over 132,000 people in the US have lost their lives to COVID-19. Despite being six months into the pandemic, there are still many unanswered questions. However, what we do know for sure is that masking up is an effective way to prevent the spread of this virus. Wearing a mask prevents people with COVID-19 from spreading it to others. This is a crucial line of defense when combatting a virus that can be spread even if a person doesn't have symptoms. Governor Abbott knows these facts and agrees that we must all wear masks in public to keep Texas open. Governor Abbott states that he does not want to suppress Texas voters who may not have a mask. By not extending the mask order to polling locations he will, unintentionally, suppress voters who are, appropriately, fearful of contracting COVID-19. As an emergency room pediatrician I am gravely concerned that we will see increased cases related to this election. As a state we have all sacrificed so much, we cannot allow our elections to further fan the flames of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please, tell Governor Abbott to include election polling locations in the statewide mask mandate.

Recently, a variety of concerning issues have come to light that are directly associated with social organizations in AU Greek Life. Accusations of sexual assault and the lack of inclusivity associated with Greek Life, among a variety of other incidents, have taken a toll on our student body, so we think AU would be a better place without them. If AU claims to be the inclusive, diverse, and just place it brands itself as, it will stand with us in taking this crucial step.

It is important for all US Citizens to be allowed to vote! This was planned by Mitch McConnell to close all but one polling place in the Louisville area which has a resident base of 600,000 people. He didnt close them in the white districts!

The North East neighborhood of St. Cloud desperately needs more street lighting to keep our youth safe. Why is this important? The North East neighborhood of St. Cloud is very poorly lit, and this is cause for concern for youth safety. The streets that are particularly concerning are 3rd St NE and 4th St NE leading to the bus stop on Wilson Ave NE. Youth and adults deserve a well-lit neighborhood to stay safe when walking at night to access public transportation. Help us keep our community safe by illuminating the North East neighborhood of St. Cloud!

Imagine a scenario in which a domestic dispute occurred between you and a partner. Which professional would you feel more comfortable speaking with? Which professional do you feel would be more capable of providing you resources for next steps? An armed officer? Or a plains clothed, unarmed social worker? Sign this petition to enact social workers into non violent roles in the community. A calming, unarmed presence, aimed to reduce escalation can decrease brutality between police and citizens, and in addition, can save lives.

This is important because education is the foundation of society. If we're going to make real change in fighting racism, it needs to start in our public schools. This is important for all children, no matter their race. Children are open to learning from their beloved teachers. It's not enough for teachers not to be racist, they need to be anti-racist. They need to give in-depth lessons about America's shameful history and how systemic racism has lead to the current violence against black people we see today. Moreover, it's crucial that children see themselves in their teachers. More black and brown people need to be hired in Framingham schools to represent our diverse community but also to allow children to interact with a wide-range of backgrounds and experiences that those educators bring with them.

This is vitally important to the survival of our democracy. Four more years of a Trump administration will further erode the basic principles of our society and endorse the authoritarian character of his governing style.

The Town attempted to fly the Gay Pride Flag and DCR removed the flag and will not allow the Town of Nahant to fly the Gay Pride Flag during the month of June.

Our current flag is a painful reminder of a sordid past. We need to remove this symbol from our state and replace it with a flag that unifies our people and represents all of us.

Art critics can serve as reproducers of racist ideology or as agents of change. As Ibram X. Kendi's work suggests, there can be no such thing as a nonracist art critic. There are only racist art critics or anti-racist art critics. Some of AICA-USA's membership has deployed racist, hateful speech masquerading as a legitimate debate about the role of race in the discipline. AICA-USA must stop using its infrastructure to give voice to this thinly veiled white supremacist hate speech. It is time for AICA-USA to reimagine itself as an agent for equality, equity, and anti-racist change.

If we can afford 5 trillion dollars for the wealthiest thousand citizens and endless wars, we can afford college for lower to lower middle income families as an investment in our collective future. All of the things are and more are possible........Let’s do them!!!

Washington DC recently renamed a section of Lafayette Park in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement to show support for the movement that has been embraced by so many of our citizens. We request that the New York City Mayor and City Council do the same by renaming a block of Fifth Avenue in a similar fashion to honor the memory of those lost and encourage change for the better so no citizen will suffer at the hands of those sworn to "protect and serve."