Inciting violence on a national stage is dangerous for America

Shortly following the appointment of Trump megadonor Louis DeJoy to Postmaster General, DeJoy began removing mail sorting machines and making a series of changes undermining the postal service's ability to process and deliver mail. DeJoy has donated millions to Donald Trump and still today holds interests in USPS competitors like Amazon and UPS, so crippling the post office aligns with not only his financial interests, but that of Trump who has openly admitted to hopes of suppressing mail-in-voting. Over the span of several months, DeJoy has removed and destroyed over 650 machines nationwide. That includes several processing machines in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina, which is why myself and other residents were compelled to take action! North Carolina postal workers have expressed concerns about the major restructuring, disconnecting essential machines, and other changes harming their ability to do their job in a safe and effective manner. During this pandemic, the state of North Carolina and its over 10 million residents, including those who live in rural parts and depend on USPS as their only provider, rely now more than ever on the postal service to deliver medications, Social Security checks, and other vital mail. The Chapel Hill community and surrounding triangle felt the significant delays. Instead of acknowledging the issue, Tillis refutes the lived experiences of North Carolinians and claims, “The Democrats are trying to politicize this. The post office is improving their on-time delivery, and DeJoy wants to. It’s been in debt. DeJoy wants to make sure it has the best delivery and the best apparatus available in the United States.” GOP attacks on the USPS during an election year are explicitly political, and harming the lives of North Carolinians. Instead of holding DeJoy accountable for damaging the postal service and calling on him to reverse changes, Senator Thom Tillis has accepted $36,000 in donations from him. Tillis has avoided answering questions about his connection to DeJoy and refuses to protect the postal service. Of course he refuses to act, he’s been paid off! Tillis chooses donor DeJoy over North Carolinians, over the integrity of his office, and puts our lives and our postal workers at risk. Thom Tillis must protect the postal service, hold DeJoy accountable, and return the donations that undermine his role as North Carolina Senator.

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley I had the honor to be surrounded by so many different types of people and it is this diversity that makes our city special. Woodland Hills, along with its neighboring cities, is on the western edge of the San Fernando Valley and is situated in the heart of Tongva, Fernandeno, and Chumash lands. Conquistadores came to these lands as part of the Spanish conquest and murdered, raped, and enslaved entire cultures of Native peoples. That is the brutal legacy of the Conquistadores. I am of Filipino ancestry, and Conquistadores also subjugated native Filipinos and their land in the name of conquest. In honor of all students and families with Native ancestry, and for all those who support a more just and equitable world for our children, please consider changing the name of our mascot from something that evokes violence and subjugation to something uplifting and powerful.

1) The management plan being considered for the Town Forest (and Fournier) lot specifies the majority (50 acres) of Town Forest land be used to "Crop Tree Release" - a term used to greenwash logging - versus 24 acres of reserve. Our Massachusetts forests are critical in mitigating climate change, preserving native wildlife and habitats, safeguarding soils, providing clean air and water, and offering public recreation. Logging our forests harms these values, while protecting our forests from cutting enhances them. Keeping our forests standing would allow them to absorb and store carbon at an increasing rate for centuries to come. This would complement the state’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. According to the plan, there is no citizen support for active logging. Let's create old growth forest in Conway in the Town Forest! All the much larger surrounding lands (Northampton Water Supply, Conway State Forest, Cowl's Lumber) are being actively logged. The MA DCR rejected citizen and Conway Consideration recommendation to make the Conway State Forest a reserve. Making the Town Forest as a reserve would make up for the lack of reserve in surrounding lands. Invasive species control and trail creation and maintenance should also be allowed. 2) Residents and users of the beautiful and historic Cricket Hill Road have endured years of logging with accompanying noise, disturbance, frequent oil spills, trucks, and rutted trails. The state is planning 10 years of logging in the Conway State Forest. The disastrous first Town Forest logging project had many serious oil spills at a landing located adjacent to a wetland. Subsequent logging projects are a constant strain and disturbance to the area and have also had oil spills. If private landowners or the state need landings, they should be located off another road. Cricket Hill residents and users need a break! Why was Cricket Hill designated as a sacrifice area by previous Selectboards without citizen input? We ask that the Conway Selectboard to rescind any permissions to locate logging landings on Cricket Hill Road and Cricket Hill Extension.

He condoned the shooting by 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who used a semi-automatic weapon used to shoot three protesters, two fatally.

Shortly following the appointment of Trump megadonor Louis DeJoy to Postmaster General, DeJoy began removing mail sorting machines and making a series of changes undermining the postal service's ability to process and deliver mail. DeJoy has donated millions to Donald Trump and still today hold interests in USPS competitors like Amazon and UPS, so crippling the post office aligns with not only his financial interests, but that of Trump who has openly admitted to hopes of suppressing mail-in-voting. Over the span of several months, DeJoy has removed and destroyed over 650 machines nationwide. That includes several processing machines here in Tucson, which is why myself and other residents were compelled to take action! Arizona postal workers have expressed concerns about the major restructuring, disconnecting machines, and other changes harming their ability to do their job in a safe and effective manner. During this pandemic, the state of Arizona and its over 7 million residents, including those who live in rural parts and depend on USPS as their only provider, rely now more than ever on the postal service to deliver medications, Social Security checks, and other vital mail. Not only has the Tucson community felt the significant delays, but according to one postal worker, the main processing center on Cherrybell is, “in the process of losing four mail processing machines that process between 10,000 and 30,000 pieces of mail per hour. With the reduction in those services, it’s going to affect your delivery times on everything from letters, flats to parcels to everything else. It’s an unprecedented type of move. I’ve worked for the post office for 16 years and never seen anything like it.” - Michael Moriconi, the president of the American Postal Workers Union local Tucson chapter. Instead of holding DeJoy accountable for damaging the postal service and calling on him to reverse changes, Senator Martha McSally has accepted more than $8,000 in donations from him, including DeJoy 'maxing out' for her current campaign. DeJoy has also donated $138,900 to the NRSC, which has poured millions into TV ads supporting McSally's 2020 campaign. McSally has avoided answering questions about her connection to DeJoy and refuses to protect the postal service. Now we know why she refuses to act, she’s been paid off! This is corrupt government. McSally chooses donor DeJoy over Arizonans, over the integrity of her office, and puts our lives and our postal workers at risk. Martha McSally must protect the postal service, hold DeJoy accountable, and return the donations that undermine her role as Arizona Senator.

UFW is working around the clock to assist farm workers already dealing with repercussions from the pandemic and a dangerous heat wave. Now with the recent wildfires, the danger is escalating. Cal/OSHA is supposed to be protecting the workers, but according to what we are hearing, many workers just aren’t protected. Legislation passed last year mandates the grower provide N95 or equivalent masks if the Air Quality Index is over 150. Sadly, we are hearing again and again of cases where this just isn’t happening. According to a poll of farm workers the UFW conducted three days ago, 84% of farm workers have not been given N95 masks from their employers. A KPIX story from earlier this week said, shared the story of Antonia, a Watsonville strawberry picker, who said her employers “do not provide any of the workers with masks, gloves or other protective equipment, which is a violation of California law, according to Cal/OSHA officials.” The UFW is reaching out to our union growers to ensure they are acting to protect union members—even if it means going above and beyond legal requirements. At contract companies, we are hearing reports of N95 masks being distributed or work being halted. We also regularly communicate with tens of thousands of farm workers, most of them non-union, and enlisting the help of workers and supporters to find and report the locations of violations. We’ve secured 50,000 N95 masks and will be distributing them -- through our organizers and local groups in fire-affected areas -- to the workers who need them most. We should NOT have to be doing this. It’s the employers’ obligation, and it’s OSHA’s job to make sure they do it. Cal/OSHA is publicizing what the law is -- but that’s not enough. They need to be proactively in the fields making sure that the necessary protective gear makes it to the workers. Cal/OSHA’s inaction is putting the workers in grave danger. Sign the petition TODAY. Tell Cal/OSHA they need to be in the fields right now to ensure the people who labor so hard to feed us are kept safe.

Kevin organized and convened a group called “Kenosha Guard” to terrorize the protesters in Kenosha. He recruited on 4chan and on InfoWars, outlets he knew would draw neo-nazi violent impressionable misanthropes. There is copious evidence of his facilitation of a terrorist group, facilitation in the crime, and his subsequent efforts to tamper with evidence and obstruct an investigation. Hold him accountable for the reckless and willful role he played in bringing together the elements for this criminal act.

Congress let federal unemployment benefits and other coronavirus relief aid expire, and they have no idea what they’re going to do to help millions of struggling families! How are we supposed to feed our kids or pay the bills?? Republicans blocked the extension–so they need to hear from millions of us. Will you sign my petition urging Congress to extend unemployment benefits for as long as the pandemic lasts? #ParentsAct

It’s back to school time, and most students are returning to remote learning. But for millions of kids who don’t have a device or internet access, remote learning is virtually impossible–especially for children who are already struggling because of low family income, language access, or racial barriers. *Every* kid deserves to have a chance at remote learning, and all school districts doing remote learning must make sure each student has a tablet or laptop with internet access.

The U.S. Director of National Intelligence is hiding information on an assassination. John Ratcliffe won't publicly reveal who his office thinks murdered Saudi dissident and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi -- even though Congress requires him to do so. And so now Ratcliffe and his office are being taken to court. The Open Society Justice Initiative is suing Ratcliffe and his team. In 2019, Congress passed a measure that requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to release unclassified reports on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. But the Office of the Director of National Intelligence still hasn't done so. And the 30-day deadline is long past. To put it simply: Trump appointee John Ratcliffe and his team are violating U.S. law and ignoring the will of the U.S. Congress. And in doing so, they’re bending over backwards to protect the ruthless Saudi dictatorship. The Washington Post frames the situation well: "Mr. Trump is willing to violate U.S. law rather than publicly confirm that a tyrannical Saudi ruler was involved in the murder of a permanent U.S. resident." Please join us and help push John Ratcliffe to comply with the orders of Congress and disclose information related to the identity of Khashoggi’s assassin. U.S. intelligence should not be protecting Saudi Arabia's dictator and his killers. Sources: "Justice Initiative Sues Office of the Director of National Intelligence for Khashoggi Report," Open Society Justice Initiative, August 19, 2020. https://www.justiceinitiative.org/newsroom/justice-initiative-sues-office-of-the-director-of-national-intelligence-for-khashoggi-report "Trump defies Congress — to shield MBS from accountability on Jamal Khashoggi," Opinion, Washington Post, August 21, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/trump-defies-congress--to-shield-mbs-from-accountability-on-jamal-khashoggi/2020/08/21/4cc19034-e3da-11ea-b69b-64f7b0477ed4_story.html

With the current changes to the USPS, there are concerns that ballots may not arrive in time if not mailed at least 1 week before (even earlier is better!). Historically, ballot drop sites were available during building hours of the city hall in smaller towns throughout Marion County. Due to COVID, those buildings are closed to the public to protect the health of city employees and the public. In May, many locations opened their doors to collect ballots, but since there is concern that the fall will bring an uptick in cases of COVID, this is concerning. No one should have to risk their life for others to safely turn in a ballot. Having permanent, 24/7 ballot drop sites in small towns increases the chances of folx turning in their ballots with the same amount of time that others have who do have the time and resources to find a ballot drop site if there is not one in their town. It’s imperative that everyone has fair, safe, and equal access to voting. Marion County Commissioners denied the request of County Clerk Bill Burgess to fund ten (10) new drop sites around Marion County before the November election. Refusing to fund those new drop sites and telling those towns and citizens that they should hold drop sites in their currently closed buildings creates barriers to those that need to wait to drop their ballots instead of mail, need to drop off at different hours than the building is open, and disproportionately affects folx that don’t have access to a permanent and reliable drop box. It’s imperative that these drop sites are created as soon as possible to ensure information about location is shared to the communities.