Even before the pandemic, 1 in 7 Nevadans did not have health insurance. Layoffs and business closures have made this problem worse. We must take action and pass the Nevada Public Option to ensure that every Nevadan has better access to affordable, quality healthcare. A public option would save Nevada families on their premiums and out-of-pocket costs by leveraging the state’s bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for healthcare services and prescription drugs. A public option will increase the amount of compensated care in rural Nevada, providing much needed funding for our state’s rural hospitals. The Nevada public option will lower insurance premiums and help more Nevadans get the critical care they need, when they need it.

To the All Creatures Animal Hospital (ACAH) community of pet parents, rescue organizations, and those who value the role of the local veterinarian in their community, We are veterinary support staff at ACAH. But we are also all pet parents and members of the community. When we walk through the door of our local veterinary hospital seeking care for our furry, feathered, and scaled family members, we also want to see familiar faces who we know we can trust. We feel relief knowing dedicated veterinary staff are only a phone call away when our pets are in need, no matter the species. We understand and appreciate that work requires skills and knowledge and we all want to be assured that the most qualified individuals are caring for our pets. The veterinary profession is rewarding and challenging. For many of us, this is our dream career. We are here because we love helping animals, and providing support to the people who love and care for them. Unfortunately, our profession has long been plagued with burn-out, compassion fatigue, and other systemic issues. The average length of time a veterinary support staff member stays in the field is only 3-5 years. These receptionists, kennel staff, veterinary assistants, and licensed veterinary technicians have valuable on-the-job training and/or traditional education. Many of these highly skilled and educated individuals are forced to choose between their own mental and physical health and doing the job they love. The ongoing loss of such knowledge, and the constant retraining of new staff, leads to a decline in the quality of patient care and a further increase in burn-out for those who remain. We are working to change this trend. We know that patient care is at its best when devoted and skilled individuals are at the forefront, and that can only happen when we are supported by industry leadership with the tools we need to be successful, including: - Fair pay and compensation - Decent and affordable healthcare - Adequate sick leave and paid time off to care for ourselves and our families - Mental health support - Assurances that our own beloved pets will receive quality care - Sustainable staffing and scheduling - Improved staff retention programs - Robust safety measures to protect staff from workplace hazards (including safe COVID protocols) Since the purchase of our beloved hospital, ACAH, by the Cara Corporation in May of 2020, these resources have been cut, threatened, or simply not provided at all. The corporation promised these things and more (most of which we had before the purchase, under our previous ownership). The intention was for ACAH to continue to provide high quality care to its patients as well as open opportunities for employee growth and even better patient care. We are devastated that this has become our reality instead. As the staff of ACAH, we are the bridge between the Cara Corporation and our patients. We are fighting for our rights and to continue our ability to give the high quality care you and your pets deserve. In addition to staff support, we were promised that the Cara Corporation shared the values that we hold dear. The staff and our patients were never supposed to become just numbers: those we serve were to remain the highest priority. After many attempts to discuss our concerns with the Cara Corporation were ignored, we have decided to partner with the National Veterinary Professionals Union and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to organize our hospital so that the Cara Corporation will be required to negotiate over these issues. Our goal in this fight is to retain our autonomy, to maintain our vision of animal healthcare, and to care for the health of our families. Unionizing will give us the right to be involved in policy, ensuring that conditions remain fair to all involved and that patient care - not just profit - is central to the hospital’s mission. Our goal is to feel safe and heard and to have a stable environment where we can give you - our clients and our patients - everything we have. We will protect our patients and their care from becoming the bottom line. We will retain our authenticity. We will stop the disintegration of our caring staff. The Cara Corporation rejected our request to voluntarily recognize our union and we will soon be holding a union election (with the National Labor Relations Board) secure our union and solidarity to fight for each other. The Cara Corporation is fighting our right to organize by hiring a notorious union-busting law firm, wasting valuable resources that could be spent ensuring the best care possible for your pets. These actions are disrespectful to us and our vision, and also to YOU, the pet parent. Please show the ACAH staff how important we are to you and to our community. Your signature will strengthen our resolve, giving us a strong foundation on which to stand and fight together for what is important. All Creatures Animal Hospital is not a place, it is its people, and the clients and patients we serve are our hearts. Thank you for your support.

Right now we are watching a devastating catastrophe unfold. India is in the midst of the worst wave of coronavirus infections we have ever seen. India is also one of the world's biggest vaccine manufacturers. But because of patent rules, they are unable to make their own versions of the vaccines that many Americans are now able to easily obtain. In October, India and South Africa proposed that the World Trade Organization (WTO) waive intellectual property laws for Covid vaccines through the end of the pandemic, which would allow generic pharmaceutical companies to make additional vaccine doses and sell them to middle- and lower-income countries at a lower cost. Nearly 100 of these countries supported this proposal, while the US, the UK, and the EU, among others, opposed it. The world’s wealthiest nations have administered 86% of all Covid-19 vaccines to date. Meanwhile, lower-income countries, which account for 80% of the world’s population, have only been at 0.1%. This is unacceptable. Will you tell President Biden to help end the pandemic by waiving vaccine patents and scaling up global vaccine production?

India is in the midst of the world's worst COVID outbreak. Hospitals in India are stretched beyond their breaking point. Mass crematoriums cannot keep pace with the constant stream of the dying. Helping India in its hour of crisis is the right thing to do morally – but it's also the right thing for America. None of us are safe until the entire world is rid of COVID.

For decades, California has underfunded mental health services. As a result, the criminal justice system often serves as the state’s default mental health provider, with jails and prisons filled with people suffering from mental illness. In addition, an estimated 10% of law enforcement agencies’ budgets – and 20% of staff time – are spent responding to individuals with mental illness. A direct consequence of our overreliance on law enforcement responses to mental health crises is that almost a quarter of all people killed in police-involved shootings since 2015 had a known mental illness, with black men dying at a disproportionate rate. Between when Derek Chauvin’s trial started and his conviction for the murder of George Floyd, 64 people died at the hands of police. More than a dozen of them had a known mental illness or were in the throes of a mental health crisis. In 2019, Miles Hall, a 23-year-old black man living in Walnut Creek, was in the midst of a schizophrenic mental health crisis when his family called 911 for help. Despite being familiar with Miles’ condition, the officers resorted to lethal force within a minute of their arrival. Law enforcement officers are not mental health experts and should not be expected to serve this role. A better system for Miles and all Californians is possible – one that leads with treatment, not law enforcement. Last year, the federal government established “988” as the new 3-digit alternative to 911 for mental health crises. Callers to 988 will be connected with around-the-clock support, including mobile crisis teams that can respond to the scene with trained mental health professionals and peers rather than law enforcement. If California does not act now, the state will lose critical federal support and funding. Please urge California lawmakers to pass, and Governor Gavin Newsom to sign, Assembly Bill 988 (Bauer-Kahan) – also known as the Miles Hall Lifeline Act – to implement the 988 system in California and take concrete steps to reduce shootings where mental health is involved. AB 988 will ensure that we respond to a health crisis with a health response.

In addition to threatening doctors with jail time for providing patients with the care they need, SB 1457 would lock into law ideological language defining when “life” begins and ban public education institutions from providing abortion counseling or referrals. Prioritizing this extreme ideological agenda does not align with Arizona values. Además de amenazar a médicos con penas de cárcel por proporcionar a pacientes la atención que necesitan, la SB 1457 pondira un lenguaje y ideológia permanente que define cuándo comienza la "vida" y prohibiría a las instituciones de educación pública proporcionar asesoramiento o referencias sobre abortos. Priorizar esta agenda ideológica extrema no se alinea con los valores de Arizona.

The evidence is clear and the message from the CDC, scientists worldwide and doctors is aligned and straightforward. Masks prevent transmission of COVID19 as well as other illnesses (like colds and flu). Children over 12 years old are recently able to access the vaccine but younger children are not. The universal masking policy should remain in place until all students have access to the vaccine and community spread is very low. The rampant spread of COVID variants in our community makes masking even MORE important, as the variants are more likely to cause illness, hospitalization and death. All masking policies must be enforced to ensure the safety of all on campuses and in our community at large. Without enforcement, any claims that the district has a mask policy are attempts to mislead parents, students and the community. An outbreak of COVID19 in our schools would be disruptive to our children's continued education, potentially deadly for adults and children alike and will spread COVID into the community.

Dr. Birx shared on CNN that in her estimation only 100,000 people should have died from this virus. If things had been mitigated properly 100s of thousands of lives could have been saved. The American People deserved to know the truth during the pandemic and STILL deserve to know the truth now. He caused unneeded hardship, emotional toll, debt and death to people unnecessarily.

Too many Coloradans are struggling to afford the health insurance and care they need. People shouldn't have to choose between taking care of their health and filing for bankruptcy or losing the roof overhead. The healthcare industry has not controlled runaway health care costs. Instead of taking accountability to lower costs, they spend millions of dollars to keep health care unaffordable and inaccessible. Colorado leaders are discussing the right solution for Colorado. They need to hear your story. CONTACT YOUR COLORADO STATE LEGISLATORS AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT THE COLORADO HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION This bill will make health insurance more affordable for individuals and small businesses while improving the available plans' value with health equity-focused standardized plans. It helps address health inequities created by systemic racism, which are unjust and costly for our healthcare system and our communities' health as a whole, by providing pre-deductible coverage for services that address conditions that disproportionately impact people of color. It is time to hold the healthcare industry accountable and offer a better, more affordable health care option.

I have been a type one diabetic for 22 years and have always struggled with getting the insulin or the supplies I need, for example, a CGM (Continous Glucose Monitoring System). My brother passed away on March 25th, 2019 due to diabetes complications. My brother had no medical insurance for years in the state of texas because they simply chose not to provide it. That is unacceptable and sadly is not an uncommon story. My brother was weeks away from his 29th, birthday and it is a pain I live with every day. We have a responsibility to keep people healthy and asking people to do without very basic supplies is a death sentence.

CPC's systematic use of scare tactics and misinformation will continue to jeopardize womens' safety if nothing is done. Sign this petition to preventing CPC's from receiving taxpayer funding. The state of Kansas currently uses YOUR tax dollars to fund CPC's that use lies and medical misinformation to keep women from obtaining safe abortion care. WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW: - Sign this petition - Contact your representatives directly and urge them to make a stand about this issue - If you are aware that a clinic is fake, write an appeal to google to remove it from the search for "abortion clinics" and spread the word about it through social media or local signage - Share this petition on social media

The media and many irresponsible politicians are completely failing to meet this moment in history by focusing on a symptom of a global economic and health crisis -- families and unaccompanied minors at the U.S./Mexico border -- rather than its root causes. Recently asked by President Biden to lead "the administration’s efforts to deter migration to the southwestern border by working to improve conditions in Central America," Vice President Kamala Harris can help turn things around by -- among other things -- prioritizing COVID-19 vaccine access for Central America and other countries immigrants are currently fleeing from in this time of a global health and economic crisis. No matter how many oversimplified anecdotes journalists collect, or public officials that say it, pretending that people risk their lives and leave everything they know just because a President in a different country is a "nice guy" has to be one of the most ridiculous stories our pandemic has produced yet. To suggest that either talking tough, more enforcement, or the further criminalization of immigrants is a solution to this crisis is not just irresponsible (we now have decades of data that prove the opposite) -- it is also dangerous. This is dangerous not just for immigrants and their countries of origin, who bear the brunt of this harmful thinking, but really for all of us in the U.S. and around the world when our best shot at a better future right now is directing every spare resource we have towards stamping out COVID-19. With VP Kamala Harris leading these latest efforts, she has a real opportunity to help send this message, to save lives, and to economically assist Central America and the world by prioritizing vaccine access for all. If enough of us sign-on and share this, we'll help give her the support she needs to do so. With dueling health, economic, and climate crises -- vaccine access isn't the only thing Central America and immigrants need right now -- but it could be the beginning of the spark needed to start moving towards a world where people migrate out of want, and not out of need. That's our only chance at ever stopping the negative effects associated with immigration. Until then, we need to take this moment in history as another reminder that we can't wall off our problems. Viruses know no borders. We either liberate ourselves together or not at all. Any journalist or public official that thinks otherwise is failing all of us.