"The one word I have to use with respect to what he's been doing for the last several years is the word I would never have used before, never would have used with any of the four presidents I worked for: He lies. He lies about things, and he gets away with it because people will not hold him accountable." Colin Powell, former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Speaking of President Trump, on June 7, 2020 Finally, we are hearing a voice from the Republican Party, acknowledging that the Republian leadership in government and congress are major contributors to the disentangling of the democratic fabric of our county. While there has never been as divisive a President as Donald Trump, every American should realize that the problem is not just with a single leader but with an entire entrenched system that has come to depend on and embrace the manipulation, intimidation, and disinformation his every word and action exemplifies. We must take action against this oppressive regime and call on all who enable it to step aside now.

If these businesses remain closed, people in already corona ravaged communities will suffer further indignities and injustices. They will have to travel further to receive much needed medicine, food, or essential goods. Or they will have to wait longer for essentials to be delivered by an already strained postal system. We are all mutually dependent on one another: businesses on people, and people on businesses. Let's repair our communities and heal this NOW!

This is to save what is left of the United States. We as Americans have to do our part in making sure we save our country.

We talk a lot about equity and fairness on our campus it is time we walked the walk and not just talked a lot of empty talk.  Tell Chancellor Johnson to do the humane thing.

Many of us are suffering economically due to the COVID crisis.Sm businesses,frontline workers, individuals don't have enough for everyday expenses.The Heroes Act would help w/that!It's tax payer money, that has been deducted from our pay specifically for times like this.You act as if it's your money out of your pocket, & yet I doubt you've contributed much to it as the wealthy don't pay their share in taxes.

South Carolina has effectively bent the COVID19 curve by following a stay-at-home order for several weeks. Knowing that asymptomatic people can spread the virus, the only way to continue to control the epidemics while safely reopening the economy is to require people to wear a mask in public places and at work, in addition to appropriate social distancing. If I am fortunate enough to have a job that allows me to work from home and choose to only shop in retails where customers and employees are required to wear face protection, I am confident that extending this rule to every business would allow a lot more people to feel safer going out. Our economy would then restart much faster!

Let's show the President and his administration what 100,000 of something looks like. To date, finding 100,000 deaths in the US from COVID-19 during the past 4 months describes a ridiculously large number - a total exceeded (for example) only by the total US military deaths from either the 4+ years of WW II or the 4+ years American Civil War. Ranking 3rd on that list is not an achievement of which to be proud That the 100,000 deaths happened so swiftly, in so many locales, and with so little recognition of the actual spread of the virus speaks to the total lack of sincere concern for all those affected and in particular of the empty expressions of empathy to all the patients, their families and loved ones, as well as the medical and support staffs and organizations who ran toward the pandemic to help rather than retire to some more serene place of safety. 100,000 deaths and the corresponding muddled and ineffective efforts offered by the Executive leadership stands out as clearly as the pervasive absence of any continuing care or concern about the public at large. The mixed messages, fits and starts of policy or proclamation, and valuing of business results over peoples' health, lives, families, futures and contributions to society tells the shockingly dismissive story of what matters to the rich and powerful. We can inform our President and his associates of the real magnitude of concern by signing this petition in multiple hundreds of thousands so as to dwarf the sad effects of their feckless attempts to downplay the realities of the issues. Let's cap the many signatures with a tearful emoji from each signer!

During the Covid 19 pandemic the amount of plastic being used worldwide has increased significantly. The amount of plastic used in Amazon delivery envelopes and packaging is limitless. If Amazon makes this change it will set an example that will have immense impacts. As Bezos is propelled toward being Earth's first trillionaire, he, and his company, can give back to Earth by stopping unnecessary plastic use.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act promises an extra $600 per week to workers on unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and extends unemployment eligibility by up to 13 weeks. It also dramatically expands who qualifies for unemployment during the crisis. Alas in the state of Florida where we are the lowest paid in benefits in the entire country, are not getting anything but the run around from the Florida DEO and our Governor Ron Desantis, who blames those of us who have filed, for months. The working class in Florida are losing everything they ever worked for. The working class people of Florida deserve better.

H.R. 6666, otherwise known as the COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act, was introduced and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 5/1/2020. This bill is sponsored by Representative Bobby Rush (D) of Illinois District 1. The bill has 59 cosponsors, 58 Democrats and 1 Republican. Summary H.R. 6666 provides 100 billion dollars this year and unlimited federal funding in future years to create and operate a massive and likely unconstitutional surveillance, testing, and tracing enforcement system under the guise of “protecting” Americans against coronavirus. H.R. 6666 is a federal funding bill. It proposes to create a surveillance infrastructure that can be used by the federal government, as well as local and state governments and private businesses, to require medical testing and tracking of all citizens in violation of fundamental civil liberties as set forth in the Bill of Rights, which include the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution designed to protect individual rights and limit the power of the government. H.R. 6666 lacks safeguards and conditions related to funding of the proposed surveillance operation to prevent it from being applied to intrusive programs mandating testing and surveillance without an individual’s voluntary consent. If this legislation is passed by Congress and enacted into law, it could lead to denial of an individual’s right to appear in public spaces and travel; the right to employment and education or participation in government-funded services, and the right to receive care in a government funded hospital or other any other medical facility. H.R. 6666 specifically allows for funded entities to home quarantine a person against their will, even while they are healthy. Once a vaccine is available, the testing and tracing results potentially could be used to force individuals to be injected with a COVID-19 vaccine against their will. According to a Press Release from the sponsor Congressman Bobby L. Rush, “Reopening our economy and getting back to normal will be all but impossible if we do not step up our testing efforts and implement robust and widespread contact tracing,” said Rep. Rush. “Until we have a vaccine to defeat this dreaded disease, contact tracing in order to understand the full breadth and depth of the spread of this virus is the only way we will be able to get out from under this.” The Devil is in the Details H.R. 6666 would allow The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award federal grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals, and to support the quarantine of such contacts. Through the use of mobile health units, as necessary, individuals would be tested and provided with services related to testing and quarantine at their residences. The amount of money appropriated for fiscal year 2020 would be $100,000,000,000 (one hundred billion dollars) and more money may be appropriated by Congress as necessary for any subsequent fiscal year during which the emergency period continues. A grant recipient may use the federal grant funds, in support of the above referenced activities to hire, train, compensate, and pay the expenses of individuals; and to purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies. Priority will be given to applicants in “hot spots” and medically underserved communities and to entities that hire residents of the community where the activity will occur. Hot spots are defined as a geographic area where the rate of infection with the virus that causes COVID–19 exceeds the national average. Medically underserved communities are communities given that term in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p). Entities eligible for the grant money are defined as a federally qualified health center, school-based clinic, disproportionate share hospital, academic medical center, nonprofit organization, institute of higher education, high school, and any other type of entity as determined by the Secretary of HHS. H.R. 6666 Does Not Guarantee Privacy Section 2 (e) of H.R. 6666 is entitled “Federal Privacy Requirements”, but it does little to protect privacy. It states that “Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede any Federal privacy or confidentiality requirement, including the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191; 110 Stat. 2033) and section 543 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd–2). In actuality, H.R. 6666 offers few privacy protections for Americans who will be surveilled and tested without their consent under programs funded with this grant. In fact, Americans can expect their privacy to be violated under TRACE funded programs. That is because the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) 45 CFR 164.512(b)(1)(i) has always allowed disclosure of private health information to government officials and other government approved entities including foreign governments without the knowledge or consent of the individual for the purpose of conducting public health surveillance, investigations or interventions. Bill of Rights Cannot Be Suspended During A “Public Health Crisis” The Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution cannot be set aside by the federal government or state governments during pandemics or other public health emergencies. In The United States Statement of Interest in Support of Plaintiffs, filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a case last month in which church goers attending a drive-in sermon were issued citations for violating an executive order in Mississippi, the DOJ stated;

It is important to open tattoo establishments because we practice sanitation protocols between every single client every day, even before Covid-19. We have been patiently waiting since the middle of March for news and some have not been able to wait and have had to open to be able to provide for their household. Don’t put us in a position where we have to risk our license in order to be able to keep our businesses afloat. SIGN THIS PETITION TO GET REPUTABLE AND SAFE TATTOO ESTABLISHMENTS OPENED!

With six months to go until the November elections, the U.S. Senate has a waning opportunity to show our country what compassionate, bipartisan leadership looks like, and whether majority leader Mitch McConnell is capable of that leadership. His legacy will likely be defined by how the Senate meets this historic challenge. An obsessive focus on reshaping the federal judiciary will pale in comparison to an underwhelming and tepid response to the significant needs of our commonwealth and nation to meet the coronavirus crisis. Sen. McConnell's recent actions are deeply troubling. From stating, “Some of these governors, particularly the Democrat governors, it seems, enjoy this extra power over people’s lives, and ... the governors have been struck down, been overruled, for being sort of drunk with power at the opportunity to keep everybody locked up,” to recently saying that President Obama should "keep his mouth shut," and calling him "classless." This comes on the heels of his irresponsible suggestion that states should declare bankruptcy instead of expecting federal support. Please sign and share our petition to encourage Leader McConnell to make the most of the moment, and set a new, bipartisan direction for his leadership of the current Senate session.