Why This Matters    In a nation built on the ideals of equality and shared freedom, Día de los Muertos offers an opportunity to emphasize unity in our shared fate. It serves as a reminder that no matter who we are, where we come from, or how we live, we all face the same human experience.    By officially recognizing this holiday, the U.S. would:    • Honor the legacy of diverse communities, especially those of Hispanic and Latin American descent, whose traditions enrich our nation.  • Create a space for all Americans to reflect on the fragility of life, the importance of remembrance, and the need for compassion and equality.  • Promote healing and unity, helping us look beyond our differences and focus on our shared existence.    The message of Día de los Muertos is particularly poignant in these times of division. It reminds us that, in the end, we are all bound by the same human experience, an experience that calls for unity, understanding, and mutual respect.  Call to Action    We, the undersigned, urge Congress and the President to formally recognize Día de los Muertos as a national holiday to be observed annually on November 2nd. By doing so, we will create a day for all Americans to honor their ancestors and reflect on the values of equality, family, and our shared humanity.    On November 2nd, 2024, we will gather at the National Mall to celebrate Día de los Muertos with cultural performances, live music, art, activities, speeches, and more, all emphasizing the importance of unity in life and death. Joined by advocates, community leaders, and citizens from across the nation, this event will serve as a powerful reminder of our shared humanity and the values of remembrance and togetherness.     This petition serves as a call for all Americans to embrace the values of Día de los Muertos, recognizing that in death we are all the same, and that in life, we must strive for the same equality, respect, and compassion for all.     By establishing Día de los Muertos as a national holiday, we honor not just a tradition, but the universal human experience. We affirm that our shared mortality should lead to shared humanity in life, an understanding that transcends divisions and brings us closer together.    Last year, we were proud to receive the official "Celebration of the Day" from the Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs in Washington, D.C.  This year, we have made history by receiving the "Proclamation of the Day"  from DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser, herself.  These acknowledgments mark significant milestones in celebrating the cultural and spiritual importance of the holiday within the nation's capital. The support from local government not only highlights the growing influence of the Latino community but also demonstrates a collective commitment to honoring traditions that bring people together in unity and remembrance. This recognition has further inspired us to advocate for making Día de los Muertos a national holiday, so its message of shared humanity can resonate across the country.    The time has come for us to recognize this day, not only as a cultural celebration but as a reminder of our common destiny and the dignity we all share. Let us take this opportunity to embrace our shared past, present, and future.    Sincerely,  La Familia DDLMDC      Please sign this petition to support the recognition of Día de los Muertos as a national holiday and to honor our shared mortality, humanity, and community.  #DDLM4ALL

This country cannot move forward while Blue and Red continue infighting. Something must be done. Republican Senate leaders have been known to say they will not vote for anything just because the Democrats put it forth. This, coming from a man as old as Mitch McConnell, and being agreed to by the others in the same party, is ludicrous. We did not elect them to play games. The censuring of senators for not voting the way they want them to (for having minds of their own) is also a very telling indicator that the Republican party is more concerned that their members play "follow the leader" than think for themselves. The people who voted for each senator did so for the purpose of looking out for their interest... Not so they can sit around, smoking cigars, drinking whiskey, and thinking about how they can get back at the unpopular members of their group, or play tit-for-tat with the Dems. Pointing fingers, blaming each other, and threatening "if you do that, we'll do this" makes every single one of you look like a playground bully!

We need our future generation to be healthy. The obesity rates right now are sky-rocketing. The United States consumes the most fast food in the world. The life expectancy rate has gone way down due to obesity. 16% of young adults aged 18 to 24 eat out at least once weekly. Children see about 13 advertisements every single day while teens see about 16. Only 1 out of 10 food advertisements are about fruits or vegetables. Children who are exposed to advertisements for unhealthy food have a 30% higher likelihood of eating unhealthy food. To eat healthily, be sure to have vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, and a variety of foods with protein. Dr.Mimi Tatlow-Golden, a Senior Lecturer in Developmental Psychology and Childhood, on the Safefood Podcast she said this about children and young people, "not only do they eat more after viewing ads immediately or in general in their lives, but they don’t compensate for that eating later on in the day, so they don’t sort of have an extra snack, and then eat less at dinner, they just eat a little bit more." References: https://supplements101.net/fast-food-statistic/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31329232 https://uconnruddcenter.org/research/food-marketing/#, https://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/food-marketing-to-children-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/, https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/topics/health-conditions/diabetes/eat-healthy,https://www.safefood.net/Professional/Nutrition/Nutrition-podcasts/Marketing-of-unhealthy-food-to-children/Transcript-Marketing-unhealthy-food-to-children

Women and anyone with a uterus deserve the right over their own bodies as much as any man. Human Equality doesn’t stop at equal pay, equal voting and equal treatment, but extends into our homes, doctor’s offices and our own minds. * * * Mujeres y cualquier persona con un útero merece el derecho sobre su propio cuerpo al igual que cualquier hombre. La igualdad humana no se limita a la igualdad de remuneración, la igualdad de voto y la igualdad de trato, sino que se extiende a nuestros hogares, consultorios médicos y nuestras propias mentes.

WHAT IF YOU NEEDED POWER TO LIVE AND YOUR POWER WAS DISCONNECTED OVER $79. Then your utility distributor refused to restore service unless you paid an additional $75 in reconnect fees (while knowing you need power to live)! We are NOT asking not to pay. We are only asking for adequate reasonable accommodations or protections to Griffin Utilities policies and procedures so customers who need power to live are NOT AT RISK of disconnection; or Risk LOSS OF LIFE DUE TO DISCONNECTIONS. THE RESOLUTION ADA Reasonable Accommodations and/or Protections to Griffin Utilities Policies & Procedures to Protect Power-dependent Patients (PPP). A. Payment Extensions - Consider offering Payment Extensions prior to an account becoming delinquent for power-dependent individual customers. B. Grace Period - there are NO grace periods. Consider establishing a delinquent payment grace period. Provide this delinquent account Grace Period prior to sending a disconnect notice or warning of disconnection to power-dependent individual customers. C. Late Fees - Waive Late Fees or allow fees to be distributed over time without fear of disconnection for power-dependent individual customers. D. Reconnect Fees - Waive Reconnect Fees or allow fees to be distributed over time without fear of disconnection for power-dependent individual customers. E. Budget Billing - Consider the establishment of Budget Billing for power-dependent individual customers. F. Advance Notice of Disconnection - Provide a 24 to 72 hour advance notice of disconnection. G. Priority List - Maintain separate data or a Priority List of Griffin Utilities power-dependent individual customers. Consider adding Power-Dependent Individual Services to the current Priority List; and at a heightened state such as major medical facilities, nursing homes, and hospices. H. Scheduled Outages - Advance notice of scheduled outages/rolling blackouts for power-dependent individual customers. Help us advocate to PPP (PROTECT POWER-DEPENDENT PATIENTS); for some of the most vulnerable on local and state levels. Please sign this Petition.

The mask policies are working to limit the spread. In Ohio school districts where masks are optional, case rates are higher than in districts that require some masking, and we see better week-to-week trends in schools where everyone wears a mask. Most importantly, there have been fewer quarantines in schools where everyone wears a mask, helping us towards meeting the goal of keeping Ohio children in the classroom.

New state laws restricting voter access, and gerrymandered districts both suppress voting and threaten democracy. Overly restrictive abortion laws make access to abortions unjustifiably difficult, threatening women’s right of choice. Overpriced drugs and medications and the inability to reduce their prices through government negotiations, together with other medical services, maintain a severe financial burden for millions of Americans. Tax loopholes and havens inaccessible to all but the very rich allow the wealthy to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. This places an unfair burden and financial hardship on the poor and middle classes as they are forced to pay in taxes what the rich should be paying.

CVS Health is a Fortune 4 Company and integrated into every aspect of the US Healthcare System. CVS Health is the parent company of CVS Pharmacy, Aetna, Caremark and many others according to their SEC filings. https://twitter.com/BATransAdvocate https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/558610-cvs-att-comcast-and-others-donated-to-anti-lgbtq https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/14/corporations-anti-lgbtq-politicians-donations-study https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2021/04/02/the-pro-lgbtq-companies-that-helped-elect-arkansas-anti-trans-bill-sponsors/ https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2021/04/16/businesses-and-trade-groups-bankrolled-sponsors-of-texas-cruel-anti-trans-bill/ https://upriseri.com/the-women-project-v-cvs/

Dear Storm Lake Community School District Board and Superintendent: We, the concerned community members, teachers, and parents of Storm Lake Community School District urge the SLCSD school board to mandate masks for ALL people in Storm Lake Community School District buildings and crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status for the following reasons: -The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend UNIVERSAL masking in schools.(1) (2) -Since Iowa is a place of high coronavirus spread, as identified by the CDC (3), it is actually recommended that ALL people wear masks, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor public settings as well as crowded outdoor settings. So, everyone should be masking, not just those at schools. -There are teachers who are unvaccinated AND refusing to wear a mask. These teachers are endangering up to hundreds of students daily, as well as the family members of those students. If you ask everyone to mask, it is much easier for people to know if someone is not complying. -Vaccinated people can get sick with Covid-19, and they can spread coronavirus at the same rate as unvaccinated people at the beginning of their illness according to the CDC: “For people infected with the Delta variant, similar amounts of viral genetic material have been found among both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people. However, like prior variants, the amount of viral genetic material may go down faster in fully vaccinated people when compared to unvaccinated people. This means fully vaccinated people will likely spread the virus for less time than unvaccinated people.” (4) -Some staff, especially the vaccinated, are getting minor symptoms of illness consistent with the symptoms of Covid-19, but believe it is “just a cold”, so they are not getting tested. They continue to go to work, potentially infecting people with Covid-19. -Our district has been asking unvaccinated people to wear masks all school year, which means all children under the age of 12 should be masking. This is not what we are seeing; very few children are masking. We need more children masking to get this under control and to make school a safe place for all. Simply asking is not working. A mandate is what we need. -This month we have had two reported Covid-19 deaths in our county, the first reported deaths in BV County since April. (5) -Our healthcare providers in Storm Lake are urging children to wear masks in school. In an interview with local media, two local doctors noted that although we have beds at BVRMC, other ICUs are full enough that sometimes people have to wait to be transported for a higher level of care. If we mandate universal masking at our schools, that is a very real way to lessen the burden for our healthcare providers. (6) Furthermore, we request that the school district follow the other recommendations as outlined in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2021 school guidelines, including mental health support, and testing resources. We should be spreading the word that BV County Public Health has free tests through Test Iowa. We understand that many people have pandemic fatigue, and that some people would be upset by a mask mandate, but the board has said it stands by science. The board is doing a great job of supporting the cause to vaccinate. Public health officials are also recommending masking. We ask that the board would listen to science in all aspects of the pandemic, rather than picking and choosing. In the August board meeting, the school board said their hands were tied due to the mask mandate ban. Well, the board’s hands have been at least momentarily untied. Please do what is BEST, not what is easiest, for our community, and mandate masks for all people at Storm Lake Community School District. After a federal judge blocked the mask mandate ban on Monday, September 13th, the district sent out an email stating they were seeking legal council, leading us to believe there will not be a timely decision. Two Iowa school districts have already announced they will be enforcing a mask mandate starting Wednesday, September 15th. If they can do it, so can we. We ask for a mask mandate vote to be made at the regular school board meeting on Wednesday, September 15th. Taking additional time to make this decision could cost us more lives in our community. We don’t want to live the rest of our lives in masks. Somewhat soon, we are hopeful that vaccines will be available for children under 12, and hopefully then (or maybe even before then!) we will see cases decrease dramatically in our county, state, and country, and we can all move on with our lives! But, as long as we are legally able, and until deaths and hospitalizations of Covid-19 are no more common than those of influenza in a usual year, we ask that the Storm Lake Community School District mandate masks for all people in schools and outside where distancing of 6 feet is not being practiced. Sincerely, and with great concern, The people of Storm Lake Community School District 1. https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2021/american-academy-of-pediatrics-updates-recommendations-for-opening-schools-in-fall-2021/ 2. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html 3. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view 4. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/delta-variant.html 5. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/buena-vista-iowa-covid-cases.html 6. https://www.stormlakepilottribune.com/story/2902601.html

We urge President Joe Biden to cancel all federal student loan debt for all nurses and nursing students. In doing so, he can help solve the nursing shortage as more people will be inspired to go into nursing as a profession.

As Catholics, we know that religious leaders cannot separate us from the love of God, and we will not let them abuse their power to score political points with the right wing.

UPDATE: The Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization strikes down the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, and with it, the federal protection of the right to abortion. Right now, extreme and cruel anti-abortion laws passed by GOP lawmakers in various states are going into effect because of this decision. We need Congress to act. Congress must immediately pass the Women's Health Protection Act. The Women’s Health Protection Act would stop the Republican onslaught of anti-abortion and abortion-restrictive legislation coming out of state legislatures across the country. It would block states from creating barriers to care and would protect health service providers' ability to offer abortion care. It passed the House in 2021 without a single Republican vote but failed to pass the Senate. Sign our petition now and tell the Senate to protect an individual’s right to choose—and eliminate the filibuster to allow this popular, bipartisan bill to pass.