Science for the Public Good: An Open Letter to the 119th Congress I am asking you to defend the science and scientists that keep Americans safe. The Trump administration's current agenda promises to eviscerate the protections that Americans count on and support: clean air and water; safe food and medicine; products that won't harm us; and protection from extreme weather and other damaging effects of climate change. Without strong federal science, people will suffer, and historically marginalized communities will continue to bear the burden of these harms. Independent science can inform strong public policy that puts the health, safety and welfare of Americans first. Protecting rigorous and independent science is a common-sense, nonpartisan goal. The reason behind the Trump administration's radical proposals to sideline science and scientists is crystal clear: science stands in the way of polluters and special interests unleashing unprecedented amounts of pollution that would put short-term profits over people, no matter the cost to current and future generations of Americans. The first 100 days of the Trump administration will be absolutely essential for taking action that can save science that saves lives. Science supporters in your district and state are mobilizing to fight back and prevent the politicization of science and firing of scientists who help protect our families and communities. As a constituent and supporter of the Union of Concerned Scientists, I am asking for you to take the First 100 Days Pledge for Science: • First, oppose anti-science nominees to any federal agency who do not agree on the record to follow and/or implement a scientific integrity policy in their agency. • Second, oppose the elimination of federal agencies or their staff directly or indirectly including through draconian budget cuts, reclassifying staff, or abruptly moving agency headquarters, all of which are a transparent and explicit effort to decimate scientific expertise and decision-making. • Third, defend the safeguards that protect the health and safety of people across the United States, especially those overburdened by pollution. This includes the nation's bedrock public health and environmental laws—such as the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act—that are and must continue to be based on the best available independent science. This is a critical time to show the administration that members of Congress of both parties are united in championing the science that helps protect the communities they represent. I am asking for your support.

We joined Polaris Pharmacy Services with the understanding that the previous PTO policy was a standout benefit that reflected the company's commitment to employee well-being. These changes contradict that expectation and have created frustration among employees. We respectfully request that Polaris Pharmacy Services revert to the previous PTO policy, with 23 days of flexible PTO, to better support employee satisfaction and uphold the company’s commitment to fostering a positive work-life balance. Thank you for taking the time to listen to the voices of your employees. We hope to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve this matter. Sincerely, The Employees of Polaris Pharmacy Services

THESE MATTERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO HOLD ACCOUNTABILITY. ESPECIALLY TO THESE BOARD MEMBERS AND MANAGEMENT COMPANIES. IT’S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES, WHERE THESE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS GET AWAY WITH TAKING THE PEOPLE’S MONEY AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE IN THE COMMUNITIES. THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE DOING WHATEVER THEY PLEASE TO DO.  IF THERE WAS AN AGENCY  SET UP WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP TRACK FUNDS AND TAKE COMPLAINTS OF HOMEOWNERS. THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN. IT WOULD CEASE. WE ARE ASKING AND PLEADING FOR HELP WITH THIS MATTER ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND ESPECIALLY IN THE SMALL TOWN OF FRESNO, TEXAS.  WE ARE ASKING EVERYONE TO SIGN THIS PETITION, IF YOUR HOME IS IN A HOA ASSOCIATION. AND ALSO IF YOU  LIVE IN  A MUD DISTRICT AND PAY TAXES.

Amazon is one of the largest private employers in the country. It delivers more parcels than UPS and soon will overtake USPS as well. It has 2,843 warehouses and delivery stations in the US, and employs 800,000 people as well as hundreds of thousands more ‘contractors’. That means if Amazon workers get a raise, it will literally change the livelihoods of millions around the country. Workers are already making their voices heard. This summer Amazon workers at the San Bernardino air hub staged a one-day unfair labor practice strike and workers in Kentucky went on strike part of a day, forcing planes to re-route. In response to this pressure the company increased pay by $1.50 an hour - but with billions in profits every single year CEO Andy Jassy can do much much better than that.  Add your name to stand with Amazon workers by signing the petition to give them a real raise – and demand better for the people behind the packages.

The proposed Fast Lane gas station and convenience store at 1510 Prospect Road is not a good fit for our community for several reasons: • Dangerous Health Hazards • Benzene, which is present in gasoline vapor, is a known carcinogen. • A peer reviewed study from 2023 showed that living within 250 meters of a gas station increased the risk of childhood leukemia by 2.4 times. (Malavolti et al, 2023) • A 2022 peer reviewed study showed that children living within 500 meters of a gas station were TWICE as likely to develop brain and spinal cord tumors. (Mazzei et al, 2022) • Negative Effect on Home Values • Several studies indicate anywhere from 9-30% lower home values in the areas surrounding gas stations. (Zhao et al, 2017) • Home value appreciation for homes within 800 feet of a gas station is HALF of that compared to homes farther away. (Locate Alpha, 2022) • Increased Crime • Gas stations and convenience stores account for the location of 5% of ALL violent crime and 14% of all robberies in the US. (FBI Crime Statistics, 2022) • Increased Traffic Congestion • Gas stations are very high traffic establishments, and it will cause traffic jams backing up Civic Center Drive and the Prospect / I-64 traffic circles

Elon Musk’s access to information poses a dangerous and unprecedented threat to national security. One expert said it all: ““It’s bad enough that Musk could be careless with classified data or expose himself to blackmail; it’s even more unsettling to imagine him undermining American security because of poor judgment, political grudges, and unwise foreign associations. Remember, this is a man who had to pay a $20 million fine for blabbing about taking Tesla private and had to agree to have some of his social-media posts overseen by a Tesla lawyer — and that’s not even close to classified information.”” Right now, Musk has incredible influence in the Trump transition, weighing in on its hiring decisions and even being offered a role in determining policy after years of using his platforms to spread misinformation and his immense wealth to help secure Trump's victory — and he’s doing it all while regularly chatting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and bragging about his “‘top-secret’ security clearance.” Federal guidelines outline several major disqualifying factors for security clearance, including three red flags prominently featured in Elon Musk's recent history: illegal drug use, questionable foreign ties, and financial problems. It’s a no brainer that his clearance should be reviewed and revoked immediately. By taking action now to revoke Musk's clearance, the Biden administration can create an immediate and crucial firewall against potential abuse of classified information today. But that’s not all: Once revoked, security clearances become significantly harder to reinstate — meaning we’ll make it harder for him to do his worst from either inside or outside the Trump administration next year. So sign now and tell the president to protect national security immediately by revoking Elon Musk's security clearance!

There is so much uncertainty ahead, but we know that getting through the next four years will rely on us coming together to support one another and doing everything we can to slow down Trump and his MAGA agenda in Congress and in our communities.  We will not stop fighting for our rights, and we will resist Trump's dangerous and regressive agenda at every turn. If the Senate reconfirms Lauren McFerran, Democrats can maintain a majority on the National Labor Relations Board and ensure labor and worker safety at a federal level at least until 2026. There should be no more delays: Confirm Lauren McFerran, the Democratic chair of the National Labor Relations Board NOW! 

The latest reports estimate this year’s Pentagon budget topline will be close to one TRILLION dollars. About half of that astronomical amount is slated to go straight to contractors, just like it has in years past. It’s meant BILLIONS for companies owned by Elon Musk — and there are BILLIONS yet to be made. Right now, U.S. tax dollars help fund the SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield satellites Musk created — and he’s turned those profits into the kind of enormous political and social power that include a role in the Trump administration. We all pay a steep price: In just the past year alone Elon Musk has used Starlink to disrupt Ukraine's military communications, leveraged Twitter to undermine democratic discourse across the globe, and created the America Pac, a political action committee where he and his cronies plowed unlimited amounts of money toward Donald Trump and MAGA Republican candidates. Next, Musk may very well be “regulating” the very governmental agencies who award lucrative government contracts to his companies It reeks of corruption — but we’ll need a groundswell of grassroots activism to break this feedback loop in its tracks. The Pentagon is accountable to Congress and the public. That’s why we’re working to send Defense Secretary Austin a message tens of thousands of people strong. Join us.

Senate Republicans have chosen Senator John Thune to lead them next Congress. And much like his predecessor, Senator Mitch McConnell, one main “qualification” for the job comes at all of our expense: raking in millions of dollars in Big Money donations. That’s right: the incoming Senate Majority Leader built his candidacy around raising $31 million for the GOP this cycle and setting a new record for the largest transfer of money from his personal campaign to other Senate Republicans.  But Thune hardly stands out – in order to be serious contenders, Thune and the other Senators running had to prove they could keep the campaign cash flowing from the fossil fuel industry, big banks, private health insurers, and other special interests. • A primary selling point for Senator John Cornyn was raising over $400 million for the GOP in his career, including $33 million this cycle.  • And Senator Rick Scott, who’s also independently rich after co-founding the nation's largest for-profit healthcare company, is a leading advocate for essentially ending Medicare and the Affordable Care Act – hardly a coincidence.  • They have big shoes to fill, as Senator Mitch McConnell raised over $1 billion for the GOP during his time as Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader.  The unfortunate truth is that no matter who got selected, Big Money is the real winner – which means the rest of us lose. Wealthy special interests shouldn’t have this big of a say in our democracy; that power belongs to the people. Common Cause knows this status quo must end – which is why we’re fighting to overturn Citizens United and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act.   These critical measures would help shine a light on secret political spending, get Big Money out of politics, and establish small-dollar citizen funded elections – giving ordinary Americans a stronger say in our democracy. Join us in calling on Congress to END the Citizens United era and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act!

This is more than just a lack of endorsement for VP Harris. This is about integrity, honesty and transparency with the American public. If the LA Times and The Washington Post had said in advance, a year ago, they would not endorse in the race, that would be cause for some disappointment. But that's not the case whatsoever. These articles came out within days of one another, with the same story. Is it a coincidence that billionaires are holding back key endorsements this close to the nation's Election Day on November 5? Especially after news dropped earlier this week that another influential billionaire, Twitter/X owner Elon Musk, was planning to hand out out huge payments in battleground states as part of a get-out-the-vote drive?  What is certain to us, is that these reports not only undermine the writers and staff who came together and took time to write these endorsements of Harris, but also have the potential to undermine and increase voter uncertainty in our democracy and in our publications. In a heightened time of misinformation and disinformation, this cannot be acceptable from publications that millions of people read and trust.  The latest reports have Harris and Trump neck-and-neck in key states across the country. What if the information from the endorsement of both of these publications signals to millions of readers that Harris is of the same standards as Donald Trump? Or even worse, encourages them not to vote at all if the outcome will be the same?   Sign the petition to call out this injustice for what it is and share with at least three friends. People across the country have already began to vote early, and we have less than a week and a half before November 5. There is still time to course correct.

This matter AFFECTS EVERYONE! People should join in on my campaign for change because this could help them live longer, healthier and happier lives. We could also be a little more carefree by potentially starting to have more trust in our government and other organizations that we are supposed to count on to protect us, when we are unable to protect ourselves.

The Justice Department’s election crimes manual states that “Paying voters for registering to vote, or for voting, in elections in which a federal candidate is on the ballot” is basis for federal prosecution. And as if giving away $1 million a day weren’t enough, Musk is also offering $100 to registered voters in Pennsylvania who sign his pro-Trump PAC petition, and he had previously offered $47 to any voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina who referred their friends to the petition. Let’s be clear: Elon Musk is using his billionaire status to manipulate this election in favor of Trump. This is a clear violation of election laws, and it is a federal crime. In 2017, Donald Trump and Republicans passed a law that would give the ultra wealthy a $2.3 TRILLION tax break. Now, America’s 748 billionaires are worth a collective $5 TRILLION, up 77% in just seven years. Make no mistake about it: Elon Musk knows that if Donald Trump wins, he and his billionaire buddies will continue to get richer at the expense of workers, with no accountability. This is why he has gone all in on Trump, attending Trump rallies, and even starting a pro-Trump Super PAC, a political action committee that can raise an unlimited amount of money with no restrictions on who donates. Trump himself has publicly shared that he would offer Musk a Cabinet position, and Elon’s already made it clear that he would accept and says he “can’t wait” to work for a Trump White House. Jacobin reports that if Trump wins and Elon Musk gets appointed to a Cabinet position, he “could reap one of the largest personalized tax breaks in American history.” Elon Musk is stopping at nothing to tip the scales in favor of Trump. He must be investigated for attempting to use his wealth to bribe voters and buy votes in swing states NOW!  Will you sign the petition and then send it to three friends to spread the word?