None of us have ever seen anything like the coronavirus crisis. The whole world, all at once, has been brought to its knees, is shut down, and individual governments are working, sometimes together, to defeat the global pandemic. Most of the news right now is soul crushing, but it’s also heartening to see so many people doing things big and small to try and make it through this. Because the truth is, it’s going to take all of us, everywhere, doing our part. That’s what every doctor, every scientist, and every public health official is telling us. Yet in far too many corners of the world, some of us are still trying to kill one another on the battlefield. And we are seeing before how the military-first approach responds to global health crises — it deprioritizes human needs. So let’s do something BIG. Add your name NOW and join the chorus for peace and tell U.S. leaders that YOU support a global ceasefire!

Joe and the zoo are an important part of society

People are out of work and are waiting for the Federal Government to pass legislation that would put a limited amount of money in their pockets even less for those with lower incomes. I recently overdrew my account due to extra expenses for preparing for NY/CT "Stay at home" order and having started a new job. Chase charged two overdraft fees for $68.00. In this time of unprecedented crisis Chase bank must do their part to ease the financial strain of this pandemic for their customers. They were bailed out in 2008 from taxpayers pockets and again will reap the reward of the 2+ trillion dollar stimulus package which favors banks and large corporations. Senator Porter, in a congressional hearing with Jaime Diamond showed a chart of what the average teller makes at Chase if she were a single mother with a child. With her salary she still fell $564.00 dollars short of her monthly expenses. When asked what Mr. Diamond would do about, he said "I will have to look into that". Chase bank can absorb the financial loss of suspending overdraft fees until the economy rebounds.

Abortion is a time-sensitive procedure that cannot be delayed without serious consequences. Denying safe abortion access places financial and emotional burdens on patients, their families, and on the health care system. Mississippi is one of the most hostile states for abortion rights and due to their only being one clinic in the state, people already have to wait days, sometimes weeks, and travel long distances to access safe, legal abortion care. Banning abortions in Mississippi does nothing but force people to travel out of the state to access the care they need, and during a pandemic, it increases their risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

This is extremely important because we are gambling with people's lives, people who are scheduled to go home at some point, so this is just forcing it to be a lot sooner than anticipated. This pandemic has caused a lot of things to change in our lives and this is one of them. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to sit and think about it; we need to act NOW ..... Letting them go home early OR make them sit there and play Russian roulette with their lives??

TO BE CLEAR: No decision has been made. The signed believe that this would be the right way to go and want to show support for this direction to Mayor Gilbert. As of March 25, North Carolina has 504 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with the highest number in Wake County, and we just had the first patients die of the disease. Our hospitals are being overwhelmed by patients asking for tests, and they have a lack of the proper equipment--including masks and gloves--to treat those infected by the virus. Cases of coronavirus in Wake County have grown exponentially in a week alone, and we don't have the tests necessary to see the true extent of the pandemic. The situation is so dire that health officials are telling people with mild symptoms to stay home. If left unmitigated, the coronavirus could kill millions of Americans. Epidemiologists agree that the only way to significantly stem the pandemic is to stay home, especially in areas that are experiencing community spread as Wake County is. That is why Wake County has issued the stay-at-home order, but it can only get compliance in Apex if Mayor Gilbert signs on. The order is not a prison sentence--we will still be able to get necessities and exercise outdoors. Rather, it provides businesses and families with the guidance we need to know how to act in these trying times. It's the responsible way to let our health system do its job. Apex is a strong, compassionate community, and we can do the right thing with your leadership, Mayor Gilbert. We want you to know that we have your back. Sign on to the Wake County stay-at-home order now. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/coronavirus/article241491911.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/19/the-coronavirus-could-kill-millions-of-americans-cdc-advisor-says.html

In an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, New York Gov. Cuomo is exploiting the forced labor of incarcerated people to make hand sanitizer but is doing nothing to protect them. In his proud announcement that Corcraft, a state-run corporation operating in state prisons, is manufacturing hand sanitizer scented like a "very nice floral bouquet," he casually left out the fact that the people work for Corcraft are paid less than one dollar per day. And to add insult, people in prison may not even be able to use the hand sanitizer themselves because, according to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, anything with alcohol content is contraband.  The virus has already made its way into jails and prisons across the state and is wreaking havoc. Riker's Island has at least 40+ cases, an employee at Sing Sing prison tested positive, and the first incarcerated person to test positive is at Long Island county jail. And these are just the cases we know of. Incarcerated people need protection, not exploitation! People locked in prisons deserve safety and wellness just as much as every other New Yorker. Yet, instead of ensuring that, Cuomo has been doing everything to treat incarcerated people with complete disdain -- undeserving of basic rights and human dignity. He has refused to take up the vast majority of clemency petitions and expand parole and medical release for elderly incarcerated people personally blocked the passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, allowed New York State to continue to operate under a Jim Crow-era voting law that prohibits incarcerated people from voting, and is currently championing rollbacks to recently enacted bail reforms that would expand the jail population.  Prisons and jails are places where a vulnerable population is forced into close quarters, healthcare is poor, and access to soap, sanitizer, toilet paper is limited at best. Inside a prison or jail, it is near impossible to contain an outbreak of infectious disease. This puts both incarcerated people and the people who work in jails at health risk.  We need your support to make sure Cuomo hears this message loud and clear. People locked in prisons and jails are extremely vulnerable in times like this--but with the power of people like you, we can ensure that they aren't forgotten nor exploited. Sign the petition.

No-one can be sure they are safe from this virus. Countless American lives are at stake.

Governor Greg Abbott just ordered a stop to all "surgeries and procedures that are not immediately necessary" in Texas. Abortion is essential healthcare, but the Governor's office is trying to apply the order to abortion clinics. Anti-abortion extremists are exploiting the coronavirus crisis to end abortion access as we know it. We need to raise the alarm right now and flood Abbott's office with petitions demanding that he include abortion as essential healthcare and lift current restrictions that endanger the lives of Texans. Add your name to demand Texas keep abortion clinics open.

We are tenants, workers, poor and marginalized people, young and old. We applaud the efforts and initiative taken thus far by Governor Dunleavy, the Alaska Legislature, the Municipality of Anchorage, the Alaska Judiciary, and various utility companies to mitigate the economic and public health impacts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we believe further measures must be taken to properly address the severity of the crisis we are in. With COVID-19, we are already seeing unprecedented economic impacts around the world and here in Alaska. People are being laid off or experiencing loss of hours or wages as we are being asked to self-isolate during this time, and all schools and non-essential businesses are closing for the safety of our community. If we hope to contain the virus and flatten the curve, no one should lose their home during this crisis. Everyone must have access to food, shelter, electricity, heat, information, and clean water throughout this pandemic. While COVID-19 created this growing humanitarian crisis, the reality is that many of us have been living in crisis even before this pandemic. Multitudes of tenants are already incapable of paying next month’s rent and bills, and inaction from our elected officials will exacerbate these circumstances. If our government fails to act on the solutions proposed, we call on all tenants to resist evictions, and organize to withhold their rent payments for the entirety of the crisis and use their limited resources on the necessities—such as groceries, prescriptions, diapers, and mental health services—to maintain the well-being of themselves and their communities. We are committed to protecting everyone’s right to stay in their homes and not face evictions as we collectively take on the impacts of this crisis.

Well over half of all employees' hours have been cut or completely gutted during the pandemic. Many have openly cited concerns regarding paying monthly rent and bills, working through rigorous protocols in at-risk conditions, and lack of efficiency and communication from YMCA-CW administration. Receiving hazard pay and paid leave are the only equitable solutions right now. Paid-Time Leave for all employees who are not being scheduled: Due to COVID-19, employees have lost work hours and are not given paid-time leave. Our licensing has changed protocol and has resulted in very few employees being scheduled. We are being forced to use our PTO when many of us have little or no PTO to use. The YMCA is refusing to support their employees with paid-time leave in this uncertain time. Many of us have built relationships with our co-workers, program families, and other peers at our sites. We should be able to feel secure that we will not be put in a position that can potentially affect us in our return to work. We are being expected to wait until the pandemic plays out with no pay. Although we are highly trained and experienced, we simply cannot afford to continue with the YMCA unless we receive a living wage. Hazard Pay for all employees that are working regardless of position or location: In order to keep everyone safe, there are additional and significantly more rigorous protocols employees must now take to protect the health of everyone in the program. Not only are we caring for the children, but we’re also rigorously cleaning and sanitizing. While we are happy to help the families of first responders, emergency workers, healthcare professionals, and other families - this is still a large and uncertain risk and is putting the lives of employees, their loved ones, and everyone they come in contact with in danger while risking their health and overall well-being. It is our job to care for these families, and we want to do it the best we can with extra support. The YMCA has 5 core values: caring, honesty, respect, inclusion, and responsibility. Please help YMCA employees urge CEOs Tyler Wright and Kevin Washington to publicly support this petition and give their staff Paid-time leave and Hazard Pay. YMCA employees dedicate their physical and emotional labor caring for the well being of others. If we are not financially stable or physically in good health, it will be more difficult to do so. We deserve stability and good livelihood, not marginalization. Many companies have taken care of their employees during this hard time, and YMCA is a very well known nonprofit alongside these businesses (Starbucks, Willamette Dental, New Seasons, Home Forward, Vision Works, and Target to name a few). We are ready to see YMCA on this list. It's time to live up to the core values and show their employees that they care and will support their employees. Are you with us? -Simrat Mann, Maria Vu, Tullia Fusco, Faith Lao, Daniel A. Zepeda, Mike White, and Nayantara A. Johnson.

Veterinary professionals across the country — from veterinary technicians and veterinarians to other staff critical to animal hospital operations — are on the frontline in helping our communities and pets feel safe and supported as we all grapple with the effects of COVID-19. These essential professionals deserve to be safe on the job and adequately compensated for their efforts to keep our pets safe and healthy during this pandemic. In this time of crisis, too many of our essential workers have been subject to unsafe and unsanitary working conditions, inadequate pay, and inflexible leave policies that put their personal health and safety, as well as the health and safety of the greater community at risk. When veterinary staff are put in harm’s way, so are our country’s pets. --- Hazard pay of at least 20 percent over base hourly wage to compensate for the increased risks these workers face due to COVID-19 --- Adequate safety protections, including necessary equipment such as masks, gloves, and sanitizer to keep both workers and clients safe and minimize community transmission --- Safety subcommittees at all hospitals that can quickly adjust hospital policies and protocols to match current CDC-recommended practices. These committees should be made up of representatives of both workers and management. --- At least two weeks of additional paid leave to ensure that workers can appropriately respond to the COVID-19 risk to themselves and their families. Workers should not be forced to use already allocated PTO. In this time of uncertainty and stress, our veterinary workers continue to show up at work every day and care for our country’s pets. All essential workers deserve to be adequately compensated for helping to keep our communities safe, and veterinary professionals are no different. #essentialpetcare #thereforpets