Background: Trains transporting LNG have been approved to travel through Philadelphia neighborhoods in the coming months. The Trump Administration granted a Special Permit for this hazardous, flammable, and potentially explosive cargo to travel approximately 200 miles from Wyalusing, PA through communities to Gibbstown NJ. Up until now, transporting LNG by rail car was banned to protect public safety. The rail tank cars are substandard and have never been used to transport LNG. A release of LNG from a derailment or other incident in Philadelphia would impact all of the city with the most intense and inescapable harm in black and brown and low income communities bordering the tracks. This injustice cannot be tolerated. New Fortress Energy and Delaware River Partners want to expand a deepwater port terminal on the Delaware River to export the LNG overseas for sale. Shale gas would be extracted from fracking wells in PA and piped to a liquefaction plant being built in Bradford County, then carried by rail and tank trucks (up to two 100-car trains daily) through populated areas to Gibbstown, just 3 miles downriver from Philadelphia. From there, huge shipping vessels would transport it down the river, passing Delaware and NJ and through the Bay to ports proposed by New Fortress in Ireland, Puerto Rico, and beyond. There has been no environmental impact study of the LNG export project or the rail route. If there were to be a release of LNG, catastrophic impacts could include a fire that cannot be extinguished, a frigid vapor cloud that can kill instantly, and bomb-like explosions that destroy everything in its path. If such a disaster were to happen it is unlikely that New Fortress Energy would be held fully accountable for damages to life and property, risking them walking away with just a slap on the wrist. LNG is liquefied methane, which is a greenhouse gas 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in heating the atmosphere on a 20-year time scale and 104 times more powerful over a 10-year period, the periods of time when scientists say we must reduce GHG emissions to address the climate crisis. Over the past decade, oil and gas infrastructure has been the primary source of methane releases. To produce LNG, more gas wells would be fracked, polluting Pennsylvania communities, and methane will be leaked or vented at every stage, exacerbating climate change. PHMSA issued a federal rule on July 24, 2020, after the Special Permit for the Wyalusing to Gibbstown rail transport. The federal rule authorized the bulk transportation of LNG by rail tank car for carriers nationwide. In June 2021, the Biden Administration listed two rulemaking actions in its upcoming regulatory agenda – one would suspend the Trump Administration’s federal rulemaking for the transport of LNG by rail and the other would propose a new rule addressing LNG by rail. We urge the Biden Administration to pull back the federal rule and reinstate the ban on LNG transport by rail tank car to protect public safety. The federal rule endangers the nation, just as the Special Permit endangers our communities. We call for your Administration to rescind the Special Permit and the federal rule authorizing LNG to be transported by rail. All our communities must be protected!

There exists unreasonably high luxury taxes on menstrual products. Luxury taxes are taxes placed on items that are considered non-essential. People who menstruate do not have control over their periods, and therefore pads, tampons, panty-liners, and diva cups are absolutely essential. They are not luxuries. The price increase in these products has created a phenomenon of menstrual inequity among homeless and low-income women, we call this “period poverty”. In California, women pay $20 million in taxes on menstrual products annually. USA Today estimates that women have to spend anywhere between $150 to $300 annually on period products.This is a detrimental price for low income and homeless women, who often have to choose between essentials like food and clothes, or having menstrual products. Period poverty is especially relevant to Los Angeles, where 20,671 women are currently experiencing homeless, a disproportionate amount being women of color. To put this into perspective, a box of tampons cost $7 at a common retailer; this often means homeless menstruators are forced to choose between their next meal or these products. Additionally, many homeless shelters in Los Angeles are constantly in need of sufficient menstrual products to distribute to the people there. This is due to the stigma around periods that makes people potentially uncomfortable when donating these products, which just proves the need for greater financial accessibility to period products.

Working in veterinary medicine is an incredibly stressful and often thankless job. For credentialed Veterinary Technicians, Veterinary Assistants, Customer Service Representatives, and all veterinary support staff there are added issues of low wages and substandard benefits. When these stresses are paired with incompetent and/or uncaring leadership, the result is both tragic and unsurprising. From a study published in 2019 by Dr. Witte, et al. (https://tinyurl.com/vetstaffsuicide) we know that veterinary support staff members have a 2.3 - 5 times higher risk of suicide when compared to the general population. Vanessa’s situation will occur again and again until something in the veterinary industry changes, and the importance of mental health is paid more than lip service for PR purposes.

McDonald’s advertises heavily to Black and brown communities and relies on them to make billions. McDonald's makes deals with Black and brown celebrities and tweets about standing with Black lives. They try to co-opt Black and brown cultures and movements to sell burgers, but it's clear what the company says in private. McDonald's: if you really want to stand with Black and brown communities, prove it. Not with words or slogans, but by taking action to lift up Black and brown workers and our communities. McDonald’s Black and brown workers have been speaking out about racial discrimination at the company’s stores nationwide. They say that they have been called “ghetto,” “lazy,” “smelly,” and told they “shouldn’t even exist.” They claim that they have faced targeted retaliation for raising the alarm about racism in the workplace. They have long been paid starvation wages and dismissed in their demands for $15/hr. McDonald’s could be a leader by paying living wages and working with communities to end violence, poverty, and despair. Instead, they just try to shift blame.

Facebook’s longstanding track record of unethical and potentially illegal behavior deserves criminal sanction. It's important for federal law enforcement to demonstrate that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law.

The Rolling Stone article points out that Lauren Boebert and/or her staff were involved in the planning conversations, according to key witnesses, of the January 6th insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol. The reason it is important for individuals who believe in Democracy to sign our petition to demand that GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert is that by sending a message that the citizens of our country will not stand by and let far right extremists like Lauren Boebert destroy our nation and precious Democracy.

May 1st used to be just another day in the years and life of our family. May 1st is now cemented forever as a death date for our daughter, granddaughter, niece, son, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend. The events of May 1st have forever changed the course of our family’s lives, hearts, souls and existence as whole individuals. Losing such bright, creative, clever and intelligent people with so much promise and so many gifts to offer this world, at such a young age, instills daily hurt in our hearts and aches in our stomachs. Flashes of Lendon and Kalen’s face and scenes of that last day come and go in and out of our minds uncontrolled and without our permission. Witnessing the despair and emptiness within Lendon and Kalen’s parents is a constant gut wrenching reminder that many lives, as we knew them are gone. Instead of looking forward to limitless possibilities of the coming years, we now are subjected to endless anxiety, heartbreak, and grief. Help us with our campaign to receive #justiceforlendonandkalen!!

It's estimated that 47% of ALL U.S. homes have visible dampness and mold. People spend 90% of their time indoors, yet a lack of emphasis is put on indoor air quality and how that affects our health every day. The recent peer-reviewed medical journal “A Comprehensive Review of Mold Research Literature From 2011 – 2018” published in Internal Medicine Review concluded that 112 of 114 (98.2%) of epidemiological articles published between 2011 and 2018 supported the proposition that inhaled mold, mold fragments, toxins and various pathogenic inflammagen, or other components of the air in water-damaged buildings (WDB), cause single and multi-system illness in humans. Symptoms include chronic and daily manifestations of fatigue, pain, nonrestorative sleep, cognitive deficits, neuropathic pains, gastrointestinal issues, musculoskeletal compromise, post-exertional malaise, dermatological, ophthalmic, endocrine, and other chronic multisystem symptoms for those suffering. These studies included 273,000 subjects from over 30 countries and 5 continents! The time for adequate funding for research and awareness on this overlooked public health issue is long overdue.

Active or Proposed Barging Sites along the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers: Monongahela River Mile 96.7, Star City near Morgantown, WV River Mile 43.5, Speers, near Belle Vernon, PA; Allegheny River Mile 29.6, Freeport, PA; Ohio River Mile 93.5, Comtech Industries Terminal at Bellaire, OH; River Mile 123.1, Hannibal, OH and offloading at River Mile 160, Enlink Midstream/Belles Run Terminal, Newport, OH and River Mile 173, Deep Rock Disposal Terminal, Marietta, OH. These sites would put the public's drinking water at risk of toxic fracking wastewater contamination. The exact composition of the wastewater is extremely difficult to obtain due to the fractured permitting process that allows the fracking industry to claim their chemical slurry as proprietary making it is near impossible to assess the full extent of the risks of barging the fracking wastewaters. Nevertheless, we do know some of the wastewater’s composition, including highly toxic metals, such as arsenic and barium, and volatile compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide and benzene. These components are known to cause serious health problems, including cancers and death. Moreover, these wastewaters often contain toxic levels of salt and the radioactive human carcinogen radium. In fact, some samples from the Marcellus Shale show levels of radium 3,600 times higher than EPA’s drinking water standard. Because of the known and unknown elements of the fracking wastewater, the primary concern of transporting produced water by barges are spills - both periodic spills that are likely to occur and catastrophic spills that could potentially occur. Spills can occur directly from the barges as well as at the loading and unloading facilities. Spills can occur due to inadequate equipment, human error, and uncontrollable external forces, such as extreme weather conditions. According to a PSE report released in August 2021, rising water levels during high rainfall or snowmelt events obscures riverbanks and disturbs or moves river sediments, altering the riverbed and challenging the river’s navigability. Furthermore, the report found that these events can create water currents that can pull vessels off course and/or throw debris into the vessel’s path, further increasing the risk of a toxic spill into the drinking water for millions of people, many of which are already facing inequitable living conditions, risking their long-term health and life expectancy. The USACE estimates that up to 50% more water could flow through the Ohio River watershed within this century due to climate change. PSE’s report also examined the USCG’s database on inland accidents and found that serious accidents are on the rise. The USCG defines serious accidents as incidents involving death or serious injury, excessive property damage, or a discharge of hazardous materials. In 2010, about 8% of incidents were serious. By 2018, serious incidents accounted for 12% of all accidents. Furthermore, when a spill does occur, it is unclear who is responsible for accident management and spill mitigation—especially since the contents of each barge are not disclosed. Fracking wastewater carried on barges is considered a hazardous material by the USCG even though it is exempted as a hazardous material by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Because this contradicts hazardous designation along with the undisclosed nature of the produced wastewater, holding polluters accountable will be challenging and at the costs of the local residents - from their taxpaying pockets and their long-term health. We do not want ANY oil and gas waste being transported along the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers. Our towns and cities along these rivers get our drinking water from aquifers that are highly susceptible to river contamination, and we want to assure safe drinking water for current and future generations. We urge the United States Coast Guard and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to deny any authorizations. We ask you to deny and revoke any and all authorizations that might allow the transport of any fracking waste on our waters. To do otherwise demonstrates a callous disregard for protecting the public’s health and safety — a duty which you’ve solemnly sworn to uphold. In doing so, we thank you for protecting the health and safety of the residents that depend on these three rivers for their drinking water and recreation. For a full report on the known and expected impacts of barging fracking wastewater, see Rossi and Dominic DiGiulio (2021) https://bit.ly/3z8elyP.

Throughout the recent electoral redistricting process undertaken by the Montgomery County Redistricting Committee, the Derwood community repeatedly told the Redistricting Commission that it was vitally important that our community not be split across multiple districts. When the initial three maps were released on October 13th, we were pleased to note that two of the three maps kept Derwood intact and placed us in districts which shared many common issues with our community. This is important because it helps ensure equal representation of all communities within a district. We were optimistic that our concerns were being addressed and going forward our community would be fairly represented by its Councilmember. This optimism crashed to earth on October 20th when the Redistricting Commission approved a map which splits Derwood. A portion of Derwood, west of Shady Grove Road and north of Muncaster/Muncaster Mill, has been included in the Upcounty/Midcounty district. A district which shares a lot of commonalities with the Derwood community. The remainder of our community, however, has been appended to a district which includes Aspen Hill and Glenmont and extends to Wheaton and Forest Glen! One only needs to look at Google maps to see that this portion of Derwood is separated from the rest of the proposed Wheaton district by Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Bernard Frank, and Lake Needwood and shares a lot of commonalities with the proposed Upcounty/Midcounty district while sharing little to none with the proposed Wheaton district. We have no idea whatsoever why this portion of Derwood has been included in the proposed Wheaton district except to increase the population of this proposed district which even with the inclusion of this portion of Derwood is undersized. If this proposed map is implemented, Derwood would reside in the forgotten periphery of this district. The Councilmember representing this proposed district will be more concerned with the majority, its interests will drive the agenda of the Councilmember, and Derwood will be marginalized. During the Redistricting Commission’s October 20th meeting Commissioner Stein, author of this map, stated that "We should not be drawing maps to advantage one part of the county and disadvantage another part of the county", however, Commissioner Stein has done just that to Derwood. This portion of Derwood is truly in another part of the county when compared to the remainder of the proposed Wheaton district. We should never seek to enfranchise one part of the county while disenfranchising another. For reference, the web site of the Redistricting Committee is here: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/BCC/redistricting/index.html

We all deserve the basic right of being able to survive with our wage, of being able to afford to feed our families, pay the roof over our heads, and be able to eat, like every other working professional. We are professionals who should be compensated fairly.

Trump was banned by Facebook and Twitter for a reason. He is dangerous, and we have seen that his use of social media incited the deadly white supremacist-led insurrection on our Capitol on January 6, 2021. He also proved negligent in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, using lies to promote anti-vaccine and anti-mask sentiments. Apple should not give Trump a platform which will give further voice to his harmful ways. Apple must do the right thing immediately. As a longtime consumer of Apple products, I must say that my faith in your company is weakened knowing that you support this app currently. I can't imagine that Apple is OK with the negative association and public reception of Trump's nefarious ways. Since other tech companies have done the right thing and stopped him from spreading disinformation, Apple must follow suit. Do not be his outlet for racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, anti-vax, or any other form of hate. We are watching you, Apple.