Medical and Public Health Imperatives Winter Storm Byron has further destabilized already catastrophic living conditions for displaced civilians in Gaza. Heavy rains, flooding, water-soaked encampments, and plummeting nighttime temperatures expose vulnerable populations to hypothermia, pneumonia, diarrheal disease, and other life-threatening conditions. Infants and children sleeping on wet ground without insulation or heat face particularly high risk of preventable death. These are not theoretical risks but acute clinical emergencies. Perspectives From International Medical and Humanitarian Organizations Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has reported treating children with exposure-related illness and has warned that the lack of winterized shelter, heating fuel, and blankets places infants and young children at imminent risk of hypothermia. Amnesty International has documented that displaced families lack insulated tents, warm clothing, and blankets, warning that the denial of these essentials during winter conditions may amount to inhuman and degrading treatment. United Nations agencies operating in Gaza have repeatedly underscored the urgent need for winterized shelters, fuel, blankets, and uninterrupted humanitarian access. UN officials have warned that children sleeping in cold, flooded conditions face heightened risk of hypothermia, pneumonia, and preventable death, constituting a grave humanitarian emergency. Specific Findings From Israeli Human Rights and Medical Organizations B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, has reported that approximately  6,500 aid trucks carrying humanitarian supplies, including winterized tents, blankets, clothing, food, and medical necessities, have been blocked from entering Gaza, despite the onset of winter storms and mass civilian displacement. According to B’Tselem, the obstruction of this aid has directly contributed to civilians, including children, being left without shelter, warmth, or basic protection from the elements. Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI) has similarly warned blocking or delaying humanitarian aid, fuel, and shelter materials during winter conditions directly endangers civilian lives and violates core obligations under medical ethics and international humanitarian law.  

The Trump administration originally planned to use taxpayers dollars to burn the contraceptives—largely intrauterine devices (IUDs)—currently stored in warehouses in Belgium. In fact, earlier this summer, U.S. officials said the contraceptives were already destroyed, which was a lie. Belgian laws ban the destruction of usable medical supplies without special approval. So instead, the Trump administration is just trying to run down the clock until the birth control is unusable.  Recent reports suggest that some of the contraceptives have already expired, but others are not set to expire until 2027, 2028, or 2029.  We still have time to force the Trump administration to release the birth control to another country or nonprofit organization so they can distribute it as planned. Add your name to the petition now!

1. Protecting Veterans and Staff: The Phoenix VA Police Department is responsible for security at a facility serving veterans. When the internal environment is toxic, discriminatory, and focused on retaliation, the officers' ability to perform their duty—protecting veterans, staff, and the facility—is severely compromised. 2. Upholding Federal Law: The petition directly addresses the finding that PVAPD created a racially hostile work environment in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a mandatory legal and ethical obligation to ensure its workplaces comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. 3. Exposing a Cover-Up: The most critical element is the allegation of Leadership Deception and Denial. When leadership actively denies substantiated federal findings, it represents a profound failure of accountability, suggesting that the misconduct is being enabled and protected from the top down. This destroys internal morale and external trust. 4. Stopping Retaliation: The document highlights the tactic of labeling truth-tellers as "disgruntled employees." If employees are punished for reporting illegal activity, misconduct becomes normalized, and the systems meant to ensure fairness (like EEO) become useless. 5. Demanding Systemic Change: The petition is not asking for a small fix; it demands Federal Intervention, an Independent Investigation, and External Oversight. This signifies that the problem is systemic and requires intervention from the highest levels of the VA and federal government to be resolved.

Every generation faces a moment when silence is betrayal — this is ours. No Kings is a declaration that the people are the power. Can you take 1 (one) minute to sign on to our message to Leader Thune and Speaker Johnson: 👑 Our communities deserve more than fear, silence, and billion-dollar bailouts for the powerful. We deserve safety, dignity, and to be heard. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.  When we rise together, no king, no tyrant, and no dictator can silence us.

The Israeli government and Hamas have reportedly agreed to phase one of a ceasefire plan that would allow for the release of hostages and detainees, and withdrawal of Israeli military forces from parts of Gaza. After more than two years of pain and suffering, we, along with all those who value peace and justice, welcome news of a pause in the violence and the chance for families to be reunited. Crucially, this means the influx of urgently-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, and a respite from incredible violence and terror for millions of people across an entire region. Yet in this hopeful moment, too many lives remain at incredible risk, and a Trump administration policy would leave them to suffer unnecessarily. Earlier this year, Trump’s State Department stopped issuing temporary medical-humanitarian visas to people in Gaza — reversing a long-standing policy that allowed a small number of people, many of them children, to access life-saving medical care in the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the pause may be temporary, but that was months ago — and it’s time we made the political costs of this choice too hard to bear. Let’s take advantage of every second of this break in the violence and ensure everyone at State hears overwhelming support to reinstate this policy and help people access the life-saving medical care they need. 

Trump’s reckless tariff threats would make birth control more expensive and harder to access for millions of Americans. For low-income families and people already struggling with rising costs of living, this surge in the price of contraceptives could be devastating. And with limited domestic production, tariffs on imports could disrupt supply chains and put contraception out of reach for those who need it most. Lawmakers in Congress have the power to act by passing legislation to exempt contraceptives from Trump’s reckless tariffs and ensure access to affordable birth control is protected. Sign the petition demanding Congress exempt birth control and other essential medication from Trump’s tariffs and defend reproductive health care.

Ohio families deserve protection from preventable disease and dangerous misinformation. The current administration is undermining vaccines and spreading rhetoric that puts women, children, and vulnerable populations at risk. By joining the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, Ohio can stand with our neighbors to strengthen disease prevention, share lifesaving information, and ensure access to proven medical protections. Signing this petition tells Governor DeWine that Ohioans value health and the safety of our communities above politics. 

Now is a moment the Dems can leverage their position to make real change. We cannot continue to weakly complain while the Republicans burn our country to the ground. We must urge our Democratic Senators to be strong and stand up to the authoritarian, fascist regime that is tearing our country apart.  Call your Senator and tell them to stand firm against the current vote to fund the government.  FIND YOUR SENATOR HERE: https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm Call today. We don't have a lot of time. Please share. 

South Fulton’s seniors and residents of all abilities deserve a voice in how our City plans for the future. Too often, decisions are made without considering the daily challenges of aging like safe transportation, affordable housing, access to healthcare, and digital inclusion. By joining this Initiative, you are helping create the Senior Aging & Inclusion Commission, a group that will soley advise City leaders on these issues, publish an annual Senior & Inclusion Well-Being Index for transparency, and push for safer, healthier, and more connected neighborhoods. When you sign, you are standing up for your family, your neighbors, and the future of South Fulton showing City Hall that our community is united in supporting seniors and residents of all abilities. City leaders can only make the best decisions when they hear directly from the people those decisions affect. Seniors and residents of all abilities know firsthand the daily challenges of transportation, housing, healthcare, and staying connected. When these voices are organized and lifted through the Senior Aging & Inclusion Commission, it not only guides local policies but also strengthens our partnerships with county, state, and federal agencies.  At a time when federal resources are limited and requirements are constantly shifting, it is more important than ever that South Fulton hears directly from its community so we can advocate effectively, align our policies, and secure the right resources for our residents.

Since he was confirmed in February 2025, RFK Jr. has put the health of Americans at risk. Under his direction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director, Dr. Susan Monarez, was fired—leading to the mass exodus of other top CDC officials.  Secretary Kennedy also fired every single member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and, in their place, appointed a panel of vaccine skeptics, including individuals who opposed mRNA vaccines, spread misinformation on COVID-19 and measles, and espoused debunked theories on vaccines and autism.  Under Secretary Kennedy, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rescinded its emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines and has approved the latest version of the vaccine only for people 65 or older or who have unspecified high-risk medical conditions—against the recommendations of most major medical organizations. He has stripped funding for mRNA vaccine research, spread misinformation, and undermined the CDC by calling it a “cesspool of corruption.” It’s not just COVID-19 that’s on the line. Secretary Kennedy is coming for hepatitis B vaccine—an effective vaccine given to newborns that has reduced infection rates by 99% over the past two decades. And recommendations for a combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and chickenpox vaccine could also be on the line.  ACIP recommendations are often adopted by the CDC and used to inform state vaccination mandates, insurance coverage, and liability. By appointing extremist vaccine skeptics, Secretary Kennedy is wreaking havoc to our vaccine infrastructure and undermining Americans' trust in our health leaders.  Instead of putting science and health above all else, Secretary Kennedy is prioritizing partisanship and putting lives at risk. We are not exaggerating: People will die because of RFK Jr.'s reckless, ill-informed, and dangerous leadership. He must be removed now before he completely erodes our health infrastructure. 

Their futures remain uncertain due to the lack of permanent legal status. Many live in constant fear of deportation and are unable to fully contribute to the country they call home. I urge you to advocate for and implement a permanent legislative solution that grants Dreamers a path to citizenship—not just protection from removal, but full participation in the civic life of our nation. Thousands of eligible young people have been left in limbo, unable to apply for protection due to administrative or legal roadblocks. Restoring this essential program will allow more individuals to come out of the shadows and contribute openly to society. This is not just a political issue—it is a moral one. Dreamers and other undocumented individuals are nurses, teachers, entrepreneurs, and service members. They deserve a chance to live without fear and to pursue the American Dream that has inspired generations.

Costco has announced that its pharmacies will NOT dispense mifepristone—a safe, FDA-approved abortion pill used in the majority of abortions nationwide. This dangerous decision is a concession to anti-abortion extremists, not a reflection of what customers or patients need. Mifepristone is an overwhelmingly safe medication—even safer than other commonly prescribed low-risk drugs like penicillin and Viagra. Millions of patients have used it, and it remains a cornerstone of reproductive health care. By refusing to get certified to sell mifepristone, Costco is caving to political pressure from far-right extremists and prioritizing their demands over the needs of customers and patients. This decision sets a dangerous precedent where corporations can make decisions about what legal medications people are allowed to access. Patients deserve safe, affordable, and accessible health care. Add your name to the petition demanding that Costco follow industry leaders CVS and Walgreens, stand up for its members, and dispense mifepristone in its pharmacies now.