There are an estimated 724,000 transgender youth between the ages of 13 and 17 in the United States. Each one, together with their own parents and guardians, turn to medical professionals to make informed, evidence-based decisions.  Reputable, unbiased studies have demonstrated that the health care targeted by HHS is safe, effective, and supported by many major medical associations in the United States.  By contrast, HHS based its proposed rule on an internal review which is deeply flawed and has been meticulously criticized by reputable major U.S. medical groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  When it comes to rules about health care for youth, these professional associations are far more credible sources of scientific knowledge than an HHS report that misrepresents the medical consensus and the realities of pediatric care. Every child deserves access to the full range of health care they need, particularly when parents are involved in the decision making in collaboration with medical, psychological, and spiritual advisers. As family members of trans Americans—parents, grandparents, and loved ones who are all part of Families United for Trans Rights (FUTR), we've seen firsthand how important these informed conversations are and how essential access to health care is. Thousands took the time to offer thoughtful comments about these proposed rules. The vast weight of the comments demonstrates widespread opposition to HHS’s attempts to demonize transgender people and deny them access to the health care they need.  As people across a wide range of political, religious and moral views, we believe that health care decisions must be guided by accurate, well-founded medical and scientific information, not by ideology and bias.   All youth deserve health care that their providers recommend—and parents and professionals, not biased science, should make these decisions.  Don’t demonize trans youth and deny them the health care they need.

Bill Nye—Science Guy—here. I’m writing on behalf of Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) with an urgent request for you to take action to help keep science in policymaking in your state. It’s only been one year under our current administration, but they have already done more damage to science and democracy than perhaps any administration in modern history. They have shuttered entire agencies, frozen billions of dollars essential to research and public health funding, and fired or otherwise pushed out hundreds of thousands of dedicated civil servants. They’ve rolled back pollution standards, lied about climate science, and boosted fossil fuel profits at the expense of people, wildlife, and our environment. And they’ve made changes to hundreds of public health, safety, and environmental rules without public input—even when it’s required by law. Now, we need to be reaching out to our elected officials to ensure that they keep science in policymaking. You and I both know that what’s happening right now is not normal, and it is not okay.Like so many authoritarian leaderships, they want to be the sole source of truth—and know that independent science threatens that power. That’s why the work being done at UCS is more critical than ever. If we want to protect our communities, our democracy, and our planet, we must fight back against these attacks. Please join me by telling your elected state officials to keep science and transparency strong in your state. The scientific community and UCS supporters are and always have been stronger together. As UCS President and CEO Dr. Gretchen Goldman says in arecent article, co-authored in Science magazine:  ““The ability to tell the truth, even (or especially) when it does not suit any particularly partisan aims, is an essential prerequisite for a free society. Scientists can leverage their substantial social standing and trustworthiness to preserve this vital ingredient.”” It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment for protecting science and our democracy. Now is the time to join together and demand that elected leaders at all levels represent our communities and prioritize public safeguards informed by science, to ensure that our democracy remains and our voices are heard. We need your help holding these protections and holding the line against these attacks on science for the public good. The founders included Science in the Constitution. They knew its value for our quality of life and international competitiveness. Join me today in defending science and democracy. Sincerely, Bill Nye Science Educator and National Advisory Board Member for Union of Concerned Scientists

Because this is a direct attack on the people who keep our families safe. Schedule F would let politicians fire nonpartisan federal scientists, doctors, researchers, and policy experts simply for doing their jobs—following the evidence, speaking the truth, or disagreeing with political pressure. These are the public servants who track disease outbreaks, oversee drug safety, fund addiction treatment and mental health programs, protect clean air and water, and make sure taxpayer dollars support research that saves lives. If they can be replaced with political loyalists, science becomes optional—and politics takes over. That means delayed public health warnings. Suppressed research. Funding decisions based on ideology instead of need. Fewer experts willing to speak up when something is unsafe or ineffective. And when the next crisis hits—a pandemic, overdose surge, environmental disaster, or emerging threat—we’ll have fewer experienced professionals left to respond. We’ve seen what happens when science is sidelined: confusion, preventable deaths, and broken trust. Schedule F makes that chaos permanent. This isn’t abstract. It affects whether your community gets accurate health guidance, whether lifesaving research is funded, whether clean water standards are enforced, and whether government works for people—or for politics. A strong, independent civil service protects everyone, regardless of party. Weakening it puts all of us at risk. If you believe experts—not political operatives—should guide public health and safety, now is the time to act. Add your name. Speak out. Demand Congress reverse Schedule F and defend the scientists and public servants who defend us every day. Because once this independence is gone, it’s incredibly hard to get back.

Americans pay more for their medicine than any country on earth, and Virginians pay 36% more than the national average. 35% of Virginians chose not to fill a prescription in 2023, and 63% of voters are concerned about the cost of medication. Life-saving medications only work if you can afford them, and Virginians can't afford them anymore. Tell your legislators to support HB 483/SB 271 to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in Virginia. A Prescription Drug Affordability Board would:  • Be an independent state board with the authority to set an upper payment limit on a few of the highest-cost medications for Virginians.  • Save taxpayers money by reducing state and local government spending on prescription drugs.  • Help ensure affordable access to life-saving medicine for illnesses like cancer and diabetes.  • Mitigate out-of-control prices set by the big drug companies.

High out-of-pocket costs put lifesaving treatment out of reach for many Virginians, but you can change that! Make a difference today by asking your state legislators to support affordable access to life-saving treatment through a health insurance option with co-pays not co-insurance.  In these uncertain times, patients deserve the stability and peace of mind that comes from knowing their out-of-pocket costs will remain predictable and affordable. 

Why This Petition Matters Illinois Medicaid dental coverage often exists in name only. In many parts of the state, especially rural and southern Illinois, there are no dentists or oral surgeons who accept Medicaid, leaving patients without real access to care. Untreated dental problems become medical emergencies, increasing suffering and healthcare costs. This petition calls on Illinois to ensure Medicaid dental coverage provides real, timely, and geographically accessible care.

Human rights is a cornerstone of our democracy.  It's unconscionable that these conditions exist in our country today.  State inflicted inhumanity can not be tolerated.  Men, women and children are suffering these conditions today.  There's no time to wait.

 Amazon’s profit last year was $30,400,000,000. Their CEO was paid $29,200,000 for a single year’s work - at least 730 times the amount the lowest worker took home! But they refuse to take care of Pregnant and Disabled Employees. Amazon is hurting pregnant and disabled workers who need accommodations! I started this petition demanding amazon stop forcing employees to choose between their health and their jobs when they request legally required accommodations. As a Amazonian and disabled worker myself, who was denied accommodations, I know the reality of amazons mistreatment first hand. Please sign and help thousands of workers fighting for basic dignity and rights. 

  American citizens must demand that Congress address the pressing problems facing our nation and end the gridlock that is stagnating our legislative system, so our elected officials can get to work serving the people.    

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.