Black Lake's Kenneydell Beach has already experienced a temporary closure due to levels of fecal coliform bacteria 5x above safe levels. The County has been aware that stormwater runoff and failing septics have been degrading the water in the Lake for years, but still has done nothing to address these root causes. The County does not test beyond Kenneydell Beach and there has never been an environmental review of the entire Lake ecosystem which connects to the strategic groundwater reservation, Puget Sound and the Black River. If you're concerned about the deterioration of our water resources and natural areas, please urge the County Commissioners to take charge and take action.

Recently, a haunting image made its way around the Internet and shocked the world: thanks to an underwater pipeline that had burst, the Gulf of Mexico was actually on fire. This devastating event was a reminder to all of us that if our democracy can’t respond to the climate crisis -- we are sure to face horrific consequences. Nearly two-thirds of Americans agree with scientists that protecting the environment should be a top priority for the president and Congress. [1] And yet year after year, our elected officials fail to pass dozens of popular, common-sense reforms to combat the climate crisis. Why? Because those who prefer the status quo -- those who are willing to endanger our planet to protect their profits -- have an outsize say in our political process. That’s right: voter suppression tactics, campaign finance loopholes, and weak ethics laws ensure that politicians and their polluting corporate backers get to make the rules, not the American people. We all pay the price for that -- but especially communities of color, which not only are the primary target for anti-voter laws, but also face a disproportionate burden from the climate crisis. That’s not how our democracy should work. We’re calling on the Senate to pass the For the People Act -- a bill that’d strengthen disclosure laws so we know which candidates rely on fossil fuel money, make it possible to run for office without selling out to polluters, and give those communities targeted by environmental racism a meaningful voice in politics. But Mitch McConnell and his GOP allies have mounted a partisan blockade against the For the People Act, filibustering the bill in June. In this high-stakes moment, we must urge the Senate to abolish the filibuster -- and protect our planet by passing the For the People Act. 1) https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/21/how-americans-see-climate-change-and-the-environment-in-7-charts/

After 20 years and BILLIONS of dollars it still has NINE deficiencies so serious they could “cause death, severe injury, or severe occupational illness” to the pilots flying them. ENOUGH. From Los Angeles, CA to Burlington, VT, too many of us are struggling to recover and rebuild from the worst of the pandemic. Classrooms have no heat or AC, families go hungry to pay for prescription medicines, a massive climate crisis is coming straight for all of us because lawmakers say the solutions are too expensive — because lawmakers say the solutions are too expensive. One way we could save BILLIONS every year is obvious: Add your name to tell Congress to cancel the F-35 Failed Fighter Jet!

Let’s put our Earth where our mouth is!

Benny the Hydrant is doing his best to bring fire safety and awareness to the community. However, Benny is not functional and needs YOUR help to be replaced with a working hydrant. In the coming months, the City of Oakland and EBMUD are upgrading the water line down Benevides Avenue, however, they didn't add a provision for a fire hydrant. Adding one at this time would be extremely cost effective, would bring additional fire safety assets to the Oakland Fire Department, and would help reduce the risk of a dangerous fire spreading in the park and through a neighborhood on a dead-end street. In the event of a fire emergency, every second is critical to contain the fire as quickly as possible. Adding a hydrant would bring the area closer to being in compliance with the current Fire Safety Building Codes (A hydrant is required within 200 feet of the dead end street per 2019 CFC Appendix C, Table C102.1). Park-goers and residents deserve to have this critical infrastructure kept up with the current fire codes to keep us all safe and to protect our beautiful parks and trees. Add your name to the petition to protect our parks and trees, to bring additional fire safety assets to the neighborhood, and to help reduce the risk of a wildfire spreading through the canyon.

The prison system is so messed up and we should take a stand to try and make things better. There are a lot of inmates dying behind prison walls and no one seems to really care about this issue. There are so many inmates that suffer from medical illnesses and they are being overlooked just because they are locked up. No one should have to go through this. A change needs to happen soon.

As a candidate, Joe Biden promised that he would take “real action” on police reform. But now, as President, he is consulting with police unions, arguably the biggest enemies of police accountability, reform, and justice. Even worse, the Biden administration is actually touting police unions’ support for their approach to police reform, welcoming police unions into the conversation, and reinforcing the false idea that police unions are reasonable actors who deserve a voice in conversations about police accountability. It’s dangerous and it needs to be called out—if the Biden administration is serious about change, they can’t afford to give police unions an opportunity to sabotage reform. Biden, in his first address as President-elect, said this: "The African American community stood up again for me. You’ve always had my back, and I’ll have yours." As millions of protesting Americans—especially Black Americans—have shown, police accountability is an incredibly urgent issue, one that will remain a top priority until real reform is passed. But as long as police unions are taken seriously in any policymaking, any such reform will stay impossible. Police unions are a dangerous obstacle to achieving even the most basic progress. We’re urging the Biden administration to do the right thing: publicly denounce the role that police unions have played in stifling efforts for accountability and commit to not giving them a seat at the table as the issue of police reform is negotiated and pursued.

Sha’Carri Richardson is one of the fastest athletes in the world—and would have a real chance of winning the 100-meter sprint in the Summer Olympics this month. However, due to an outdated and arbitrarily enforced rule around marijuana, she's now going to be kept from competing on the world stage. In no world is marijuana a performance-enhancing drug for runners, and in more places in the United States and around the world, marijuana use is legal. The United States Anti-Doping Agency should drop their penalty and allow Richardson to compete! There are many reasons to have rules against performance-enhancing drugs, but this one is absurd. The imposition of a penalty against a world-class Black, queer, woman athlete is powerfully and infuriatingly reminiscent of the way drug laws are regularly applied in the United States. Recreational marijuana use has been de facto legal for upper-middle-class white people for years—something more states are recognizing as they legalize marijuana for all people and consider how to repair the damage done to Black and brown communities by decades of the "war on drugs." The world is coming together for a Summer Olympics postponed by a global pandemic, and we deserve to see the best athletes in fair, open competition. That includes Sha'Carri Richardson, whose one-month penalty is excessively punitive for an irrational, outdated rule. Let Sha'Carri run!

The fate of the open internet is in the hands of two Trump appointees -- unless Joe Biden acts now. Ajit Pai, who as Federal Communications Commission chair under Donald Trump led the repeal of net neutrality, resigned from the FCC when Joe Biden became president. Nearly half a year later, the fifth FCC seat remains empty. Meanwhile, two of Trump's appointees are still on the FCC. With a 2-2 deadlock, they can continue to block key priorities until the vacancy is filled. In order to reinstate net neutrality and protect internet users from corporate control, we need President Biden to fill the fifth seat.

We can combat climate change, curb extreme weather, and spur the economy at the same time. Tell Congress ‘No climate, no deal’ and sign the petition today to show your support!

My name is ReVonda Bowen and I am sharing my story as one out of over 20 million Americans who lost their jobs because of selfish corporations putting profits over people during the pandemic, and then struggled to survive because of broken unemployment systems. I was so heartbroken and upset when I heard that Governors in 25 states across the country are ending federal unemployment benefits early for no reason, leaving 4 million workers like me with no support. Ending federal unemployment benefits programs will be devastating for families across the nation. Many will suffer, go hungry, or lose their homes as a result of these terrible decisions. These cuts are an attack on workers of color and Black workers especially: Because of racism in the job market, Black workers are the last to be hired when the economy picks up. That means Black workers are more likely to be on UI right now. These cuts are unacceptable, especially during a time where the ultra-rich in this country, who have profited off of the backs of working people, have gotten over $1 trillion richer during the pandemic that has taken the lives of almost 600,000 Americans and led to record unemployment, hunger, and starvation, has overworked health care workers, and has sacrificed essential workers to maintain the status quo. Instead of focusing on addressing the real problems that harm working people and businesses every day, such as starvation wages, poor benefits that limit access to health care, and union-busting by large corporations, Republicans are trying to take unemployment benefits—that are already low to begin with—away from the people who need them. We can’t keep ignoring the real issue, which is that workers should not be forced to go back to a status quo that was hurting them. This is where the federal government can create economic guardrails for Americans. The unemployment insurance system should be reliable, fair, and support everyone who needs help, no matter where we live. We urge President Biden and Secretary Walsh to step in and support the continuation of unemployment benefits for struggling Americans. The truth is that employers need to start paying workers a living wage, provide benefits like health care and paid sick leave, allow workers to unionize their workplaces, and much, much more. Now, the right wing GOP is blaming working people for demanding decent jobs that allow us to earn a living wage and be there for our families. They say that unemployed people are lazy and that emergency unemployment benefits are just an incentive for them to stay home, when, in reality, our economy is still down 10 million jobs. People are desperately looking for work and unemployment benefits are helping families survive until the economy fully recovers. It’s insulting. Governors are listening to the Chamber of Commerce and the Restaurant Industry, lobbying groups who represent corporations. Those corporations want to force us to take jobs with low pay and no security. These jobs require 24/7 availability but don’t guarantee full-time hours, and are often unsafe. This is why we’re asking you to take action to urge the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Labor to take action in support of workers and against states trying to end federal unemployment benefits early! We need President Biden to fight for continued benefits for all working people, and to overhaul the unemployment insurance system so we can all count on it during a crisis, no matter where we live.

Hunter’s family and community have been denied this transparency. Hunter was 17-years-old. Hunter was a son. He was a brother. A nephew. An uncle. And a friend. Hunter was young, innocent and full of life before his life was cut short by this unjustified use of deadly force that is not captured on body mounted camera footage. This is unacceptable and must change.