Federal officials recently discovered that the U.S. government was the target of one of the largest cyberattacks in history. The list is long: Treasury, Federal Reserve, Defense, State, Homeland Security, and Energy (which oversees nuclear weapons) have ALL been breached. The implications are staggering.  There’s one thing we know for sure: the incoming Biden administration MUST have the information about this hack and its potential effects if they are going to be able to face this and other challenges on Day 1.  But within days of announcing the breach, Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller ordered a Pentagon-wide halt to cooperation with the Biden transition team, hamstringing their ability to understand and address a dangerous situation with far-reaching national security implications. This goes beyond politics and is simply unacceptable.  Sign now to demand that Acting Secretary Miller restart national security briefings with the Biden transition team immediately.

The City of Philadelphia is experiencing a gun violence public health crisis. -There has been a 53% increase in gun violence since 2019 -There are over 2,100 shooting victims so far in 2020 -Nearly half of those victims are under the age of 25 -Gun violence is traumatizing Black and Brown communities We’re talking about children, teens, and adults dying in the streets of Philadelphia at an unprecedented rate, young people turning to violence due to their communities being stripped of resources, and Philadelphia’s leadership not approaching this issue with the urgency it deserves. Neighborhoods in Philadelphia are under siege. Philadelphia must stand together, no matter which neighborhood you live in, because we all deserve to live in neighborhoods supported by life sustaining resources, where well-being and safety are the record-breaking outcomes. View the full resolution: https://phila.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4638891&GUID=01D1971F-207F-4DDB-A581-8EB8C1F2EF0E&Options=ID%7CText%7C&Search=200447

The American people are in a dire economic situation as a result of the coronavirus. Millions of people have lost their jobs, health care, and housing. People are hungry.

The January 6 Committee recently revealed explosive text messages from Senator Ron Johnson’s staff to former Vice President Mike Pence’s staff saying that Johnson was going to deliver fake elector votes to Pence from Wisconsin and Michigan. This is completely unacceptable. It’s highly unlikely that Johnson’s staff would’ve just initiated this conversation without his explicit approval. Sen. Ron Johnson should be ashamed and needs to be removed immediately. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Johnson continued to perpetuate the idea that the 2020 Presidential election was fraudulent and that President Biden wasn't the President for many months after the fact. His views go directly against, and even devalue, the votes of his constituents. He does not represent the citizens of Wisconsin, and continues to perpetuate the idea that the 2020 Presidential election was fraudulent. This devalues his constituents votes and their voices to be heard. His motives are dangerous to our Democracy as a whole, and disgraceful to the citizens of Wisconsin.

The Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population is the world's most imperiled, with as few as 900 individuals. The Arctic Refuge's coastal plain is vital to its survival. Oil and gas development there could eradicate polar bears from the region. This refuge is America's largest remaining stretch of pristine wilderness. If industry is allowed to turn the Arctic Refuge into an oilfield, exacerbating the climate crisis and wildlife extinction crisis, this rare and wild landscape will be forever scarred. The high cost to polar bears and the sensitive Arctic Refuge ecosystem just isn't worth it. The federal government must not allow harm to come to polar bears while looking for oil that Americans don't want the oil industry drilling for anyway. Stand up for the Arctic Refuge, polar bears and our climate by signing the petition to oppose oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

I am a student in the USA and because of the current Coronavirus pandemic, many schools have been forced to shut down. I am not saying in any way I disagree with the schools shutting down, as I, in particular, think it is the safest option. But that isn't what I'm arguing. As the winter goes on, it is sure to snow at some point. And when it snows on a school day snow days happen. The couple of days that children get a little amount of time to just relax unexpectedly. The strain that school puts on children every day is huge and has only increased during the pandemic. I think these days should just be those unexpected things that children look forward to no matter the state in the outside world.

Even before the current moratorium on inside dining, restaurant workers were experiencing an extreme cut in wages; during what is supposed to be the busiest time of the year. Kitchen staff are seeing their hours cut and front-of-house staff has seen a drastic reduction in tips. 10% of the Pennsylvania workforce is restaurant staff. 10% of lawmakers constituents, who work, vote, and pay taxes, are restaurant staff. These elected officials, who were elected by us to represent our best interests are currently not doing their job. With the moratorium on eviction expiring at the end of this month, we are on the precipice of facing a homelessness pandemic that towers over the one that currently plagues America today. And the following months are just going to get colder and more daunting. Unless Pennsylvania lawmakers, representing us in Harrisburg, and our great state in Washington, want a crisis that would rival The Great Depression, they need to hear our voice and bail us out.

56.4 million children and their families have been suffering without in-person school for almost a year. The fastest way to end that suffering is to get teachers vaccinated quickly. Teachers are essential workers and giving them high priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in phase 1B is the only way to ensure that all of our schools can reopen safely and quickly. The loss of in-person school has already impacted the mental health and growth of this generation of students. Most American kids are showing some signs of mental health problems and millions are significantly behind in academic and social development. Other kids face significant hunger and food insecurity due to the loss of school meals. Parents also rely on teachers and schools to provide child care when they need to work during the day. Without this resource, families have been forced to reduce their work hours or leave their jobs, losing income they need to pay their bills. Students need to return to school as fast as possible, but we cannot achieve that goal without making sure that teachers and support staff are given the protection they need to return to the classroom.

Proctorio and other online proctoring tools have a history of racial bias and violating students’ privacy. Writing for the MIT Technology Review, a librarian at UC Denver shared the following story: “A Black woman at my university once told me that whenever she used Proctorio's test proctoring software, it always prompted her to shine more light on her face. The software couldn’t validate her identity and she was denied access to tests so often that she had to go to her professor to make other arrangements. Her white peers never had this problem.” As has been amplified by the racial justice uprisings, and addressed by the City of Portland’s Director of Equity and Human Rights Dr. Markisha Smith: “Being antiracist means understanding through the use of root cause analysis that the history of surveillance in this country is rooted in slavery, with the earliest examples of controlling the movement of enslaved people being the ‘slave pass’. Being antiracist means ensuring the safety of BIPOC communities first.” Automated proctoring is also a direct and abhorrent violation of our children’s privacy. Proctorio and other companies get access to personal data from our children, including their personal computers, private rooms in their homes, and other data. It is unacceptable that our children must surrender their civil rights, especially while attending a public institution, to complete their education.

This is important because people are suffering. There so many Americans struggling to survive. There are those who are homeless or about to be, there are those that are struggling to pay bills, there are those that can’t afford to go see a doctor, those who can’t find a job. There are those who can not work that are struggling, there are seniors getting sick from hunger, there are children going to bed without a meal. There frontline workers putting their lives on the line everyday for very little hazard pay, there are politicians who would rather argue over taxpayer money then spending on the taxpayer. I have a very simple bill that I’ve tweeted out multiple times which has not been looked at so here’s my bill: Imapact recovery Act To the United States Congress Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) California G. O. P. Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R) Part One: individuals and families A: individuals making $75,000 gross annual income or less shall receive $1,200 per individual B. All couples (those who filed jointly) making $150,000 gross annual income shall receive $2,400 per couple C. All dependents of filers shall receive $500 per dependent D. The individuals on Social Security, SSI, SSDI, SSA, Veterans and Railroad benefits shall receive $1,200 per individual Those not eligible are individuals who are currently incarcerated and there are deceased E. All unemployed individuals shall receive $400 per week retroactive from August 2020 until February 2021 F. All renters shall not be evicted from their dwellings until the pandemic is over or they find employment. G. All homeowners are allowed to stay in their homes until the pandemic is over however if they find employment this section is void Part two: state and local governments A: All 50 states and Washington DC shall receive $100 billion dollars to run their state until February 2021 B. There will be no PPP funds this round of stimulus until February 2021 C. There will be no EIDL grants this round of stimulus until February 2021 D. All student loan debt payments will be written off as a loss up to $15,000 Part Three: federal government spending A: All government workers shall receive 25% increase in pay retroactive from March 2020 B. USPS shall receive $25 billion to restructuring projects and pay for workers C. Food Assistance program shall receive $50 billion dollars until February 2021 D. Utilities assistance programs shall receive $25 billion dollars until February 2021 E. Rental Assistance programs shall receive $25 billion dollars until February 2021 F. Employer protection program insurance This is what should be in the bill because these are essential. Big businesses and corporations are not essential. They will survive until February 2021 we can not. Thank you Sincerely The American People

The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and creates lasting health effects for more. 1.) Children can’t be expected to maintain sufficient social distancing to keep this pandemic from spreading. They are social creatures. Allowing them back in a physical school setting will cause a new spike in cases. Teachers and staff cannot be expected to carry the responsibility of ensuring everyone is following social distancing guidelines, while teaching and worrying about their own health. Every staff member or student could carry the virus home, even if they are asymptomatic. 2.) Social isolation is very hard. It is wearing on all of us. However, continued spread also means continued isolation. Not to mention the lasting effects of Covid, which will limit one’s ability to go about normal activities the remainder of their lives. This can be a hard teachable moment in life. Talk to your children, have an open dialogue of what this pandemic means and that keeping them healthy is a priority. 3.) Mental health is absolutely a concern; however, it should ALWAYS be a concern. Now is a time parents/guardians must take time to connect with their children and become more in tune with their children's feelings. Help their children work on strategies and coping mechanisms needed for the curveballs life throws at us. Schools cannot be expected to also fix the mental health of our nation. 4.) The economic impact on families is real and it’s difficult, whether schools are open or not. Covid has rippling effects on everyone. However, it is not a school's job to save the economy. It is a school's job to teach our children, which is being done virtually. To put teachers and students health at risk because families need a babysitter is unreasonable and not grounds for schools to open during a very active pandemic. 5.) Deforest has gone above and beyond what most districts have, in means of educating our children. They have been consistent and provided all the resources needed. As in life, there are days adults are adrift in the workplace, just like there are days students are not focused in a school setting. Education interruption will occur if schools open and then need to close repeatedly due to infection spread. And if one becomes gravely ill, there will be an even larger interruption. 6.) Parent's concern for lack of physical activity is also not a reason to open schools. This is a time for parents to be creative. If you don't want them in front of the screen take it away! Have them go outside, go for a walk, play a family game, teach them how to cook, ride a bike, go sledding – get outside or be active indoors if the weather doesn’t cooperate. 7.) Deforest should not be pressured to open. The staff is doing a great job educating students. Teachers have poured their hearts into educating the students they miss dearly, all while under the stress and scrutiny of everyone. We should be supporting our schools and educators, not making them feel unappreciated for their dedication. 8.) Understand that if students go back to in person learning, they will be sitting in a chair, with a mask on all day, working from the same computer they do at home. They will not be together at lunch, they will not be playing or interacting with their friends or even able to collaborate any differently than they do now. This is not in anyone’s best interest, it’s is the exact opposite. At home students can get up and move around, talk to friends on the phone at lunch and even get outside. The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and created lasting health effects for even more. Let’s not be the reason more lives are lost or altered. Let’s be the reason we all survive and can return to normal sooner rather than later. Please sign this petition to keep the Deforest schools virtual until it is safe to return. Our kids and teachers deserve it!

This country is in desperate need of a fair, impartial, and effective Attorney General. For years, William Barr has abused the role -- and put President Trump’s needs ahead of the American people’s. He went after officials that tried to hold Trump accountable.. protected Trump allies like Michael Flynn, who was convicted of lying to the FBI… misled the public about Robert Mueller’s findings… and even ordered an attack on protesters in DC to make way for Trump’s photo shoot. But now, President-elect Biden has an opportunity to undo the damage that Barr has done. He will soon announce his pick for Attorney General -- and we must make sure his chosen candidate will prioritize repairing our democratic institutions. We’re calling on Biden to nominate an Attorney General who will: - Aggressively protect voters’ rights and make voting accessible, secure, and convenient. - Enforce campaign finance, voting rights, and ethics laws that protect our democracy. - Act fairly and impart equal justice to all, no matter the political pressures. - Commit to transforming the criminal legal system, reimagining public safety, and reversing the course of mass incarceration in America. By selecting a candidate whose track record reflects these crucial priorities, Biden can once again restore integrity to the role of Attorney General -- and make sure our rights and freedoms are protected. If you believe that Biden’s Attorney General should be ready to defend our democracy and serve the American people, add your name now.