This is not a drill. Trump is weaponizing ICE and Homeland Security to arrest and disappear people, including students, fathers, academics, among other everyday people, in yet another power grab demonstrating his complete disregard for our rights and freedoms. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was accidentally deported due to "administrative error,” remains stuck in legal limbo in an El Salvador prison, forcibly separated by thousands of miles from his wife and 5-year-old child, who is autistic and intellectually disabled. Marco Rubio’s State Department recently revoked the visa of Óscar Arias Sánchez, the former leader of Costa Rica and a Nobel laureate, for no reason other than being a vocal critic of Trump and his administration. Andry José Hernández Romero, a makeup artist from Venezuela, was deported to a prison in El Salvador after being accused of being a gang member because of his tattoos. He was deported before his lawyers could present evidence against the administration’s accusations. Student activists are also having their rights and legal protections being stripped. Mahmoud Khalil, Yunseo Chung, and Momodou Taal are just some of the many students who have had their legal status ripped away for speaking out for Palestinian rights on campus.  These civil rights violations are a dangerous and slippery slope. It’s terrifying to think that everyday people could be seized without due process, disappeared by the Trump administration under the false guise of safety.  Trump’s revoking legal status, threatening deportation, and weaponizing federal agencies against protesters and those who disagree with him is a dictatorial move. This is a coordinated effort to intimidate, punish, and silence Trump’s critics. This won’t stop with immigrants, and this isn’t just about our right to dissent. This is about whether we allow one man to turn the power of government against the people it’s supposed to serve. Add your name now to protect our communities and our right to protest without persecution!  Photo source: USA Today

This decision to close its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices and discontinue the DEI 2.0 Strategic Plan should concern not just University of Michigan students, faculty, and alumni, but anyone who values higher education, diversity, and academic freedom. Here’s why:  1. It Sets a Dangerous Precedent – If a leading public university like Michigan backs down under federal pressure, other institutions may follow, leading to a nationwide rollback of DEI initiatives. This weakens higher education's ability to support historically marginalized groups. 2. It Empowers Authoritarian Tactics – By complying with political intimidation, Michigan signals that academic institutions can be bullied into abandoning their core values. This emboldens those who want to dismantle equity efforts, making it easier for future attacks on universities, faculty, and students. 3. It Hurts Students and Faculty – DEI programs provide crucial resources, mentorship, and protections for underrepresented students and faculty. Removing them makes campuses less inclusive and more hostile for many communities. 4. It Undermines Academic Freedom – Universities should be spaces for critical thought, debate, and progress. Allowing government overreach to dictate educational policy threatens the independence of institutions dedicated to truth and scholarship. 5. It Echoes Historical Patterns of Suppression – Historically, authoritarian regimes have targeted universities first, recognizing their role in shaping society and challenging oppressive ideologies. This decision mirrors past moments where institutions either resisted or enabled such takeovers. People should be paying attention because what happens at Michigan could happen elsewhere—and the consequences extend far beyond one campus.

The removal of these protections isn’t just a major setback for the civil rights enshrined into law by Lyndon B. Johnson—it’s also a fundamental attack on our democracy. While the Civil Rights Act of 1964 still prohibits segregation, this rollback signals the government’s disinterest in ensuring that workplaces are free from discrimination. This escalation could lead to the erosion of workplace standards nationwide and could embolden employers to ignore laws intended to protect workers from discrimination.  We can’t backslide on segregation. Add your voice to demand that the Trump administration reverse this dangerous decision and protect the rights of all workers, regardless of race. 

During World War II, Jackie Robinson was court martialed, and later acquitted, for refusing to sit in the back of a segregated Army bus. He was a trailblazer for civil rights in the military, and eventually on the baseball field as the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball. By deleting the webpage honoring him, the Department of Defense is sending a clear signal that it’s not interested in protecting strides made in the Civil Rights Movement or honoring the sacrifices of its military service members who come from diverse backgrounds.  Just recently, the federal government said it would no longer prohibit federal contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms, and drinking fountains—a dangerous escalation that could lead to unchecked discrimination.  Removing these webpages is an affront to all soldiers and veterans of color who have sacrificed for our country. And as civil rights lawyer Ben Crump said, "This isn't history being forgotten; it's history being erased!" Add your name to tell the federal government we won’t let them erase history—restore Jackie Robinson's webpage now.

A group of parents are organizing to push our NPCSD to create real actionable policies and practices to support our school community from being targeted by gender based discrimination.  This means pushing the administration to make policies that ensure trans students are referred to by their correct pronoun, to protect teachers who teach gender inclusion from harassment from intolerant families, to post signage on bathrooms ensuring that everyone is welcome to use the facilities that align with their identity, and to provide support and curriculae to all teachers K-12 to include pronouns, trans inclusion, and gender equity in their instruction. These are the first immediate steps that we must take, and we must build an ongoing working group to continue to address these issues going forward. Recently, there have been harmful incidents on these very issues at our schools. Our little town is not immune to the larger wave of bigotry. The time to push our administration to move beyond lip service “inclusion” to actual policies is now. As parents and community members, we must make sure the district is giving the students, faculty, and staff the support they need in this time of increased intolerance.

A petition is being delivered to the Secretaries of Defense and the Army to make it clear that history cannot be rewritten—whether about the 442nd or any other distinguished service group. While the Army may have reinstated the webpage, this never should have happened in the first place. Moving forward, vigilance is essential to ensure it never happens again. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was not just the most decorated military unit in U.S. history for its size and length of service—they were family. Many had grandfathers, uncles, and relatives who served in the 442nd, the 100th Battalion, and the Military Intelligence Service (MIS). Their heroism, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty to this country are deeply personal, standing as a testament to the highest ideals of military service and American values. The removal of the 442nd’s webpage from the U.S. Army’s website, following an executive order that ended so-called “radical” diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, was deeply disturbing and unacceptable. This decision dishonored the extraordinary sacrifices of the 442nd and attempted to erase a crucial chapter of U.S. military history—one that must be preserved and taught for generations to come. Were the brave members of the 442nd radical? Absolutely. They were radically courageous, radically selfless, and radically loyal to a country that had unjustly imprisoned their families, stripping them of freedom and democracy. And still, despite all of that, they fought with unparalleled bravery across Europe, including the legendary rescue of the “Lost Battalion” in France. Their actions were not just a testament to their valor—they were a direct challenge to the racial prejudice they endured. To see their contributions erased from official military history once again is shameful. As descendants of soldiers and internees, there is an obligation to ensure that their honor and legacy are never erased. While the Army has put the webpage back up, that is not enough. This was never just about a webpage—it is about ensuring that the sacrifices of these brave men are never erased again. The U.S. military must remain true to its history and values. This is a moment to “Go For Broke” once again—not just to restore what was lost, but to ensure it never happens again. There must be safeguards in place so that the history of the 442nd, and all distinguished service groups, is never erased or diminished in the future.

Iowa recently passed legislation to undo protections for trans people by removing gender identity from the state civil rights code—making it the first time a state has removed a protected class from a state law prohibiting discrimination. These changes will weaken legal safeguards against discrimination and affect the rights of transgender people at every turn—from hiring practices to health care access. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans are targeting sanctuary cities like Boston and Chicago for the civil rights protections they guarantee to immigrants, attempting to force city governments to comply with Trump's mass deportation agenda, including ICE raids in workplaces, schools, and hospitals. Make no mistake, these attacks don’t just affect targeted communities—they represent a dangerous erosion of our civil liberties and undermine the rights of ALL Americans. Sign the petition to tell elected officials that they must safeguard our civil rights from Trump’s attacks.

We have a responsibility as flight crew to foster a safe and comfortable environment for all; this includes passengers and our fellow crew members. We do not feel some of our coworkers understand this responsibility. 

While republicans may be receiving "marching orders" to avoid town halls, it is up to us, the people, to demand them and to ensure members of congress who support the current administration answer to their actions and the impact it will have on individuals and community alike.

The current situation in Gaza and the West Bank calls for immediate and decisive international action to stop the ethnic cleansing and the genocide of millions of Palestinian civilians. This film, made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective, shines a light on the destruction of homes and communities by the Israeli military and the determination of Palestinian people to rebuild their homeland.

This help protect any child of any sexual abuse allegations in school. The students may feel safer to disclose to schools, it may also help the student who is being accused come forward to any abuse he/ she is facing outside of school. Teaching kids young that sexual abuse has consequences. We need to help protect our children. 

On Sept 11th, 2022, at 12:45 am, my 26yr old daughter, Hanahn Mystique Benitez, was struck and killed by a driver who just said he " saw nothing" and was not charged with anything. Not even a ticket. My daughter was almost seven months pregnant with a baby girl that she was naming Winter. She was struck on the eastbound side of 347 & Terryville Rd. She was wearing a bright yellow hoodie and was a few feet from the crosswalk. She had already passed almost all the way across the two lanes from a very lit up area coming off the sidewalk from a car dealership corner when the driver struck her from his front left side of his vehicle, and he said he "saw nothing! The driver that killed them made it a point to tell the officers that he is a head nurse at Stony Brook hospital. He hit her so hard that the impact flew her over the metal divider and threw her to the westbound side traffic and she was then hit by two other cars *as per the witness’s statement whose car was facing west and was waiting at the left turn lane. The witness saw everything even though he was facing the opposite direction. How did the killer see "nothing". Was he distracted by something in his car? The police failed to inform me of the driver’s actions before and at the time of impact. The driver was not given a breathalyzer, asked to take a toxicology test, his phone was not looked at (that I know of because it’s not in the incident report), his speed was not documented, and he was NOT made accountable for his actions. When the detectives came to my house that morning to inform me that my daughter and granddaughter had passed, one detective simply stated that it was an accident. How could they come to that conclusion without a thorough investigation yet? It sounded more like it was a vehicular manslaughter. He walked away and she didn’t. This tragedy has devastated her family, her twin brother, and friends.