The police have been beating my sister in jail, she suffers from Schizoaffective bipolar disorder. Recently an officer kicked her so hard which resulted in a dislocated kneecap for the cop. My sister is facing charges for the cops wrongdoings in criminal court instead of mental health court. I’m asking everyone to please pray for my sister and for protection while she is in jail. My sister is a young black woman from Solano County and is being denied her rights under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a black woman with mental disabilities. My sister is facing 7 years and the officers excuse for kicking her is that my sister was “moving to slow” coming from the jail elevator. Someone with a mental disability should not be handled with aggressive impatient treatment. My sisters life matters #blacklivesmatter This is Hevenly her life matters. Black women need protection now more than ever especially those who suffer from things out of their control. Her hearing is at 8:30am on October 16 in Solano County Crimal Court she is being charged unjustly from charges related to this event. If anybody out there has any referral resources or that hears this message & is willing to share in hopes of helping our family in this tragic situation please do! Even if it’s with words of encouragement. I know we aren’t the only family from Solano County that suffers from police brutality and from officers who strategically target those that are mentally disabled, black, and poor. #Blacklivesmatter 🖤🖤🖤

At the end of September 2020 in Chicago 3,210 people have been shot and 551 have lost their lives to gun violence and we don't want to lose one more person but especially our children. Please use your voice to let city council that they need to prioritize saving lives and investing in healing. We can't wait for another 3 years before substantive change happens. The time to act is now and we have to pass the Peace Book ordinance. The Peace Book is the opposite of the Gang Book. The Peace Book is a regularly-published book (as well as a website and an app) that provides a resource directory identifying wraparound services and job opportunities with the purpose of reducing youth incarceration. The Peace Book suggests diversion programs and ways to further implement restorative justice practices inside schools, courts, and juvenile detention centers. It documents the inequality that contributes to intergenerational poverty and trauma and proposes solutions. It describes models and instructions regarding how to curate neighborhood-based peace treaties. It identifies Peace Keepers in each ward who have the experience and relationships required to conduct peace negotiation and violence interruption. And it proposes remedies to gun violence, including but not limited to free drug treatment centers, trauma centers, trauma-informed schools, mental health care clinics, standby psychiatrists or therapists, restorative justice, community centers, transformative justice, fair housing, food justice and economic justice.

Corporate America is one of the largest supporters of anti-choice, anti-women politicians -- even those who claim they are pro-woman. Some of the worst offenders champion anti-choice candidates at the local, state, and federal level, empowering an extremist agenda that is not only anti-abortion and anti-women but antithetical to equality and justice.  As consumers, we have the power to hold corporations accountable and demand they actually stand for the values they sell in PR statements and advertisements. This is why UltraViolet is collecting the receipts and launching a major campaign calling out six of the biggest companies in America to stop supporting the dangerous anti-women, anti-justice political agenda. But we need your help to show that consumers care about reproductive rights and will not stand for corporations funding extremist politicians like Senator Ted Cruz. Earlier this month, Sen. Cruz attempted to pressure the Food and Drug Administration to continue its restrictions on medication abortion. Cruz stated, “Pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness,” despite the rising maternal mortality rate in the country, especially for women of color.  Can you join our campaign? Here are the receipts: Company giving to anti-choice candidates or their associated PACs/committees AT&T: $1,956,953 Coca-Cola: $1,028,838 Disney: $203,350 Nike: $99,000 Procter & Gamble: $144,000 Uber: $148,000 The total? Over $3.6 million. The actual total and cost for women around the country? Incalculable. The reality of the impact of these political donations goes beyond the raw numbers. Hundreds of bans and restrictions. Several lawsuits. Clinics closed. Lives disrupted. Futures denied. These corporate titans are complicit in the denial of our rights through their political giving and make these extremist views acceptable and even “normal.” But these views are not normal or acceptable. They are at odds with the majority of Americans who support legal abortion, and the millions of people who need accessible reproductive healthcare. Many of these companies have bragged about their social justice cred to consumers in the face of Black Lives Matter and the racial pandemic. But what about the Black, Brown, Indigenous, queer, rural, and young people who bear the brunt of the impact of anti-choice policy? Oftentimes, anti-choice views are a sign of a larger framework that is also opposed to racial justice efforts and to science-backed responses to the pandemic. Many of the candidates these contributions support are not just anti-women, they are anti-justice and have harmed our nation’s journey toward progress. Let’s call on these companies and demand they stand by the values they espouse where they can have real impact: their political giving. All of these corporations claim to support women in their workplaces and, sometimes, in their products or where they will do business. But you can’t say you are for women in the workplace or racial justice but stay silent on reproductive rights. Women live intersectional lives and it is time corporations center intersectional policies. As consumers, we have the power to change this narrative. Corporations know that increasingly consumers care about the social impact of corporate power and demand more from corporations than one-time donations or PR statements. Corporations have changed their policies in response to consumer pressure. Just last year, UV members organized to force Netflix to denounce the 6-week abortion ban in Georgia. This year, we made tech platforms change their moderation policies. There is a fierce urgency now. With our rights and lives on the line this election, we need to push on all fronts to ensure reproductive justice now and in the future. Can you join our #ReproReceipts campaign? Sign the petition and tell these companies enough is enough. Stop the anti-choice political giving!

Due to COVID-19, 194,000 people have died in the US and other 6.5 million people have become ill with the virus, without knowing the long-term consequences of the disease. Following misleading information from the Federal Government, the disdain of many made of the pandemic a political flag, and little or no resources were offered, especially in minority communities. As usual, inequality takes its toll in our “hermanas” y “hermanos.” “For low-paid employees whose work is rarely if ever glorified — the people who clean the floors, do the laundry, serve fast food, pick the crops, work in the meat plants — having the jobs that keep America running has come with a heavy price. By the odd calculus wrought by the viral outbreak, they have been deemed “essential.” And that means being a target. Along with blacks, Latinos have borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic in California and other parts of the United States, becoming infected and dying at disproportionately high rates relative to their share of the population. Health experts say one of the main reasons Latinos are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 is because many work in low-paying jobs that require them to leave home and interact with the public,” said the LATimes.

The University's inaction in the face of ResStaff’s explicit concerns and action items over the last few weeks has made it clear that public health is not the priority. The University has repeatedly referred to the Wolverine Culture of Care, but has not extended this same care to us. If U of M administrators do not want to live up to the Michigan Difference, we will be the difference ourselves. Health comes first. ResStaff will not stand for anything less than policies and adequate resources that reflect this priority. As of Tuesday 9/8/2020 at 9PM, University of Michigan ResStaff have decided to strike on the basis of these demands: A. Regular access to testing for all of ResStaff (not only symptomatic individuals) B. Providing sufficient, effective PPE to ResStaff and Students C. Enforcement of social distancing and face coverings inside and outside of residence halls and dining halls D. Enforcement of currently unenforceable guest policy by non-student employees that can be seen by future employers or academic institutions E. Hiring and staffing to normal capacity for all facilities and housing teams F. More specific public and ResStaff communication and transparency G. Hazard pay for ResStaff H. A formal statement of no retaliation from Housing Administration should a ResStaff Union be formed A more detailed list with sub-items, as well as other resources, can be found on linktr.ee/umichresstaffreform. Tell University Housing to stop prioritizing its wealth, and start prioritizing the health of its students.

Now is the time to have paid sick leave for all Michigan workers! The COVID crisis has magnified just how vital paid sick leave is, and how unprepared we were when the pandemic hit. Paid sick leave has been proven to be an effective policy to reduce the spread of the virus. Paid sick leave for all workers is critical as we re-open, is the best way for businesses to stay open and would help get the nation working again while supporting public health. While Congress passed emergency paid leave for many, it was temporary and limited, omitting as many as 106 million workers nationally and 1.7 million working Michiganders, many of them essential workers and on the front lines risking their lives and further exposure. Many of these workers are disproportionately people of color, women, and low-wage workers. Michigan Paid Leave for All (MiPaidLeave4All) is a coalition of individuals, businesses, community groups and nonprofit organizations that have committed to organize and fight for the right of EVERY worker in Michigan to have access to paid sick time to take care of themselves and their loved ones when illness strikes. The coalition is composed of civil rights, economic justice, faith-based, and women’s rights organizations. Together, we are united in a long-term fight in Michigan for establishing Paid Leave for All. Combined, these organizations have decades of experience strategizing, organizing, and mobilizing on behalf of racial, economic and gender justice in policy making. We firmly believe that no singular group can bring about this change. Together, however, through a coalition built on trust, we will be able to fight for and amplify policies that enable workers to have the ability to care for the families they work to support and sustain without losing their jobs, incomes, or livelihoods. As a coalition of your collective constituents, we expect our goal of achieving a public health policy that affords paid leave for all Michigan workers to be heard, listened to, and supported by you. We know that working individuals, their families and the state are strongest with time to heal from illness or injury, to welcome a new child, to help a loved one recover, or to ease their passing. We believe that everyone should be able to take time to care for themselves or a loved one without risking their job or paycheck. Being there for family is what matters—no exceptions. Right now the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave for members of its workforce. Current laws have failed to keep up with the needs of our workers, families, or our businesses in the 21st century. Having widespread access to paid leave would also give workers the confidence in their employers to abate their fears and concerns about getting exposed to COVID-19 (and other likely communicable illnesses) while on the job. Despite existing protections from retaliation for workers who are exposed or who may need to take time off to quarantine because they or a close contact has been exposed, many workers are still concerned that without adequate paid leave policies, they will have to choose between risking their physical health and their financial health. It’s a zero-sum situation and lose-lose situation for our workforce and the power to rectify that is at our collective fingertips. This is a workers’ rights issue, an economic justice issue, a racial justice issue, and a gender equity issue. And as a matter of equity, it’s time for paid sick leave for all of Michigan workers, not just those who already are lucky enough to have access to it. Because of dedicated community organizing Michigan has a Paid Sick Leave law; however, the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated that it is inadequate. We must update and expand it in the very short term in order to cover every working person, to provide paid leave for a longer period of time than the current law provides, and include health pandemics, as SB 961 sponsored by Sen. Erika Geiss does. We urge you to support SB 961 so that Michigan is never caught unprepared again, whether the crisis is national or personal.

The funding for Lyme disease is one of the lowest even though it is the fastest spreading Tick-Borne disease. Scientific research appears to be ignored or suppressed that could help patients, and conflicts of interest are present that can influence research, testing, and treatment. It is time that these things were addressed and for change to happen.

Lyme disease affects 300,000+ people however only a little over 30,000 cases are officially reported. Many of these individuals have long term effects even after treatment. The Lyme community has called for more effective testing and treatment over the past 30 years, but that request has fallen on deaf ears. They are told that testing and treatment is effective even though research indicates otherwise. Change needs to happen, lives are depending on it. Sign this open letter and make a difference.

America is failing in our fight to stop the Coronavirus pandemic. That’s because Donald Trump is a dangerous and narcissistic president who surrounds himself with people who tell him what he wants to hear. As a consequence, the U.S. Coronavirus death toll is far higher than it could have been. Many thousands of people have died because of Trump’s bogus claims and war against science. Scott Atlas is not an epidemiologist nor an infectious disease expert. But he does appear a lot on Fox News. Atlas even told notorious Fox News host Tucker Carlson, “There's no real good science on [the] general population, widespread in all circumstances, wearing masks.” This kind of bogus analysis is killing thousands of people across the United States. Atlas is a fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford. The Hoover Institution is funded by right-wing foundations and donors who have an anti-government agenda. The Hoover Institute's director is former Bush adviser Condoleeza Rice. We must stop right-wing fringe voices like Scott Atlas and push for a rational public health strategy that stops the pandemic and protects the lives of people across our country. SOURCES: "A New Coronavirus Adviser Roils the White House With Unorthodox Ideas,” The New York Times, Sept. 2, 2020, authors Noah Weiland, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Michael D. Shear and Jim Tankersley. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/us/politics/trump-scott-atlas-coronavirus.html "Dr. Atlas on COVID mask message: 'Massive amount of fear, bordering on hysteria,'" Fox News, August 12, 2020. “Condoleezza Rice Begins Work As Hoover Institution Director,” Hoover Institution, Stanford University, September 1, 2020. https://www.hoover.org/news/condoleezza-rice-begins-work-hoover-institution-director Screenshot of Dr. Scott Atlas from Fox “News” used under Fair Use Doctrine.

Specifically, this legislation will: ● Require adequate transparency and approval around voting changes, including any attempts to deny voting rights or impose overtly stringent requirements for voters. ● Strengthen federal oversight and accountability around proposed changes to election procedures, particularly around specific measures and in specific jurisdictions that have a record of voter suppression. ● Grant the Attorney General authority to request federal observers be placed where racist threats to voting are prevalent. ● Ensure that “racial minority groups, language minority groups, or minority groups on Indian land” are not prevented from voting due to practices such as changing boundaries, voting locations or voter registration rolls. A recent Intersections of Our Lives poll shows that women of color voted at historic levels in the 2018 midterm election. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said the stakes were too high not to vote. Yet, 25 percent of Black, Latina, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women voters said they did not think their vote was counted accurately. Our democracy and our ability to influence decision-making that impacts our bodies, lives and families is fundamentally threatened when we are not all able to participate in the democratic process. #ProtectTheVote by signing this petition to show your support for voting rights. Urge Congress to take action to stop voter suppression. Call or email your Congressional leaders today, and let them know that you support the passing of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act!

Privatized ICE detention exacerbates the mass incarceration crisis created by the U.S. prison-industrial complex. Mass incarceration allows those in power to continue to exploit, forcibly displace, abuse and profit from people who are marginalized, disenfranchised, criminalized, and silenced. As one particularly brutal wing of this privatized system, ICA-Farmville has a history of failing inspections, failing to prevent and contain disease outbreaks, and failing to treat our immigrant friends, family, and neighbors with basic human dignity. Their profit-focused management has resulted in maggot-infested food, mumps and COVID outbreaks, and repeated inappropriate and unnecessary uses of force. Join our call to tell the investors who made this operation possible that profit from pain is inhumane.

There is much confusion among parents and teachers regarding Mon County’s re-entry plan for the 2020-2021 school year. The official release posted on 8/14 states that remote is no longer an option. But in emails sent 8/15, the board president states that remote is still an option, and The Dominion Post indicates that remote learning is one of the three plans sent to the governor on 8/14. How can both be true? The new plan (every-other-day instruction, with no remote option) was not an option on the Mon County parent survey but appears now to be the only plan available for families who want their students to be taught by local teachers. Additionally, the burden is placed on teachers, even those with families themselves, to bear the brunt of both remote and in-person classes. As a result, many families (including those of teachers) are reeling, contemplating leaving jobs and jeopardizing their livelihoods in order to provide the assistance their children will need in any of the remaining options, including every-other-day instruction, virtual, or homeschooling.