Climate change for us is an existential crisis! We have no time to lose to take action and save us and our planet. Reforming the way agriculture is done, rethinking the process, and inspiring others can help reverse climate change and set us up for a bright future!

I am a parent, friend, volunteer, and taxpayer like many of you. Our school's needs are our community's needs. Our teachers, students, and staff deserve better and USD 497 can do better. Join the community to do what we need to get things done.

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/

The children are not the only ones being affected in this long line of sickness. It’s a “life sentence” to some because they are sick until death. Theirs no way a child can focus knowing family members or teachers or friends have died from this. They are doing more hoping and praying not to get it that all focus of learning is gone.

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

Errors, omissions and inconsistencies riddle Amazon's developers plan. As objectors testify under oath the full picture becomes clear and it is not what the Council members were presented when they agreed to consider this proposal. The lack of transparency does not allow for any informed decision. The proposal and objections are on public view at the Churchill, PA Borough website. If you agree this is the wrong business approach; if you care for the environment; if you want have clean water and air for the future generations you will sign this petition.

Fifty percent of all sexual assaults on campus occur between August and Thanksgiving break. That's why we can't wait until May for the Department to start the long process of changing the Title IX rule. The current 2020 Title IX regulation requires survivors to undergo uniquely burdensome procedures when their schools investigate their sexual harassment complaints--procedures that aren’t required for school investigations of any other type of student or staff misconduct-- and that’s blatantly discriminatory. If the Biden administration waits to propose changes to the DeVos Title IX rule until next May, survivors could continue to be harmed under the rule for two more years, or even more. Students can’t wait that long to undo this harmful policy. Students are going back to school and they are at risk now. They don’t have the luxury of waiting for slow change.

To help end poverty, and increase workers income to increase wellbeing for citizens and taxpayees.

To save democracy in Pennsylvania

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.

"We can never allow this to happen again." That’s what Rep. Barbara Lee said of the 20-year long war in Afghanistan when it finally ended last month.1 Lee was the only member of Congress to vote against the Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) in the fall of 2001, rightly concerned that it would enable endless war. That authorization, and the one passed in 2002 allowing George W. Bush to launch an invasion of Iraq, are still on the books. It’s time for that to change. Congress must end the forever wars by repealing both the Authorization for Military Use of Force (AUMF) from 2001 and 2002. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal both the authorizations to use military force from 2001 and 2002! Every President since 2001 have used these authorizations to justify waging neverending war in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and far beyond. At least 300,000 civilians died as a result of these wars, a staggering death toll.2 Congress took a giant leap forward in ending forever wars and saving civilian lives when the House repealed the 2002 legislation that enabled George W. Bush to invade Iraq.3 But there’s still a long way to go. That same repeal vote needs to pass in the Senate -- and there’s still another military authorization, passed in 2001 to allow Bush to invade Afghanistan, that needs to be repealed too. The Biden administration is changing course away from 20 years of war and suffering, and that’s good! But to fully end our forever wars, and prevent a future president from using 20-year old votes to justify new military action, we need Congress to repeal both of these authorizations. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to repeal both the 2001 and 2002 Congressional authorizations for military force! Sources: 1. Vanity Fair, ““We Can Never Allow This To Happen Again”: Rep. Barbara Lee On Afghanistan’s Spectacular Fall And The Futility Of “Forever Wars”,” August 18, 2021. 2. Independent, “Forgotten victims of 9/11: The 363,000 civilians killed during the War on Terror,” September 10, 2021. 3. NPR, “In Historic, Bipartisan Move, House Votes To Repeal 2002 Iraq War Powers Resolution,” June 17, 2021.

51 of 204 School Districts in Oregon have outsourced their substitute teachers to staffing agencies. This also includes classified staff like bus drivers, janitors, instructional assistants and kitchen staff. When these substitutes work the required number of hours in the school they are NOT eligible for retirement benefits because the staffing agency is NOT considered the employer. The staffing agency does not provide the jobs and does not manage the work of these teachers and support staff. All the staffing agency does is perform a payroll function. Thousands of school staff licensed and non-licensed have lost retirement credits because of outsourcing. The staff agency fee paid by school districts more than pays for the retirement benefits. Also school districts have not accounted for the fact that most substitute teachers do not work enough hours to qualify for retirement benefits, yet they still pay the anywhere from 24-26% staffing fee on the base wage of the outsourced substitute teacher. In some cases the School District pre-pay the staffing agencies fee based on previous use of substitute teachers. This money paid is also leaving the State, as these staffing agencies are not local to Oregon. ORS 342.610 is the fundamental pay statute for all substitute teachers state-wide. Those substitute teachers working in Districts without outsourcing are eligible for retirement benefits. This has gone on too long. See also HB3130 during the regular 2021 Legislative Session. HB3130 v2.0 is in the works. Help Teachers, Help Outsourced Substitute Teachers, Help Outsourced Support Staff.