Right now, many of the wrongdoings that frequently occur inside the TDCJ and the BPP are shrouded in a veil of secrecy. This lack of transparency enables and perpetuates a broken system – which allows incarcerated individuals and their families alike to suffer. Regrettably, behind this veil of secrecy, inmates are subjected to deadly heat, non-working fans, guards denying access to cool areas when inmates are in medical distress, broken or contaminated water systems, bogus or frivolous disciplinary cases, assaults, harassment and retaliation at the hands of guards, and various other forms of cruel and unusual punishment. In similar respects, families who seek solutions, as well as the humane treatment and safety of their loved ones, suffer through the families’ inability to go beyond the red tape to get answers. Likewise, their frustrations are not alleviated by confrontations with TDCJ officials unwilling to correct a bad situation or wrongdoing instigated by one of its own. Undeniably, this clearly spells out a dire need for an independent, external oversight agency. Without such an independent agency, we are basically asking TDCJ to police itself, and to do what it historically has never done, that is, be totally truthful about its internal misbehavior. Further, it continues to place inmates, families and society at the mercy of the two prominent and failing internal TDCJ processes – which are the Ombudsman’s office and the TDCJ grievance system. Moreover, while both systems are too deeply rooted and connected within TDCJ to truly be effective and unbiased, the Ombudsman does not and will not investigate whether procedures are followed or ignored. Then, amplifying this injury, neither the grievance system or the Ombudsman are vehicles for inmates or their families to address any parole related misapplications of law, discrepancies, or misdeeds. And, since the BPP and inmates’ parole files are also cloaked in layers of secrecy, it’s commonplace for inmates to receive parole denials (set-offs) stipulated in vague, bureaucratic boilerplate language – which leaves the actual reason an unknown mystery. Thus, there has clearly never been a more urgent time than now for legislators to force both the TDCJ and the BPP into transparency and accountability by creating an independent oversight.

The United States harbors an enduring legacy of anti-Asian racism, from the murderous violence of the so-called "Yellow Peril" in the 19th and 20th centuries to the surge in hate crimes committed against Asian Americans in the wake of COVID-19. The continued use of "oriental" in the profession of East Asian Medicine in the US perpetuates this injustice. In 2016, the term was removed from all US federal regulations through a bill authored by New York State Representatives Grace Meng (D) and Hakeem Jeffries (D). It received unanimous, bipartisan congressional support and was signed into law by President Obama. The bill also struck the terms “Negro,” “Eskimo,” and “Spanish surname” (to honor Latinx folks), which are the associates of "oriental." Our profession is dangerously out of step with what progress has been made outside our community. We will fail in our institutional anti-racism efforts before they begin if we persist in using this racist, obsolete term.

We as Citizen should not have to stand by helplessly and watch another Citizen Beaten or Murdered right in front of US, just because the Murderer is wearing a police uniform.

For several weeks, the people of Chicago have stood resolute in the fight against systemic racism in policing. The implementation of this pilot program will contribute to racial injustice in law enforcement, by inspiring average citizens to operate as honorary ICE agents in our city's streets, utilizing racial profiling to target victims. Chicago demands an end to racialized policing, not an expansion incorporating private citizens. This petition is a demand for Senators Richard Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to stand by Chicago's immigrant communities, and prevent ICE from implementing the Citizens Academy pilot program in Chicago. Sources: ICE Press Release: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-offers-first-citizens-academy-public-learn-more-about-agencys-mission-chicago#wcm-survey-target-id Yahoo News Report: https://news.yahoo.com/ice-to-launch-citizens-academy-to-teach-civilians-about-targeted-arrests-172430342.html

Children are at higher risk for contracting the illness as well as every staff member in the school system leading to more and more illness and possible death with exposure of the virus and bringing home that exposure to each persons family. If one person is infected and they are in that classroom, now all the students in that classroom are exposed, as well as the teacher. If that student goes to another classroom or nurses office, now those students and those faculty members have been exposed and it will just keep spreading. Then our now exposed children come home to their family, that family member goes to work and now has exposed every person at their job. It is safer for our children to be home using a virtual classroom. They aren’t being exposed to any of the illness being home.

Blatant voter suppression efforts in states like Wisconsin and Georgia. Corporations pouring unlimited money into our elections through super PACs. Elected officials hiding behind weak disclosure laws. Our democracy is facing serious challenges -- and the American people need a president who is ready to face them head on. Joe Biden’s campaign teamed up with former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to assemble and collaborate with a collection of six “task forces.” These working groups are comprised of members of Congress and subject experts -- and they address crucial issues: health care, immigration, criminal justice reform, education, climate change, and the economy. Notably absent from this list? Democracy reform. Biden called democracy the “wellspring of our power.” He claims that if elected, he’ll fight to restore the Voting Rights Act, overturn Citizens United, and more. [1] But if democracy reform is really a priority for Biden and his campaign -- they must invest time, manpower, and resources into it. Just like he assembled strategists to develop the best environmental and economic policies, Biden must also consult a team of experts to form a plan to strengthen our democracy. After all -- we can’t make any progress on the issues we care about in a rigged democracy. If you agree that Biden must form a Democracy Reform Task Force, add your name now. 1) https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-erodes-america-s-foundation-fourth-july-i-pledge-rebuild-ncna1232887

President Trump has made it clear to the American people: he will always put himself -- and those who stay loyal to him -- above the law. Late on a Friday night, Trump used his presidential powers to commute the sentence of his longtime political confidant Roger Stone. So even though Stone lied multiple times to Congress about his efforts to find out what WikiLeaks had on the Clinton campaign in 2016 -- and threatened someone with death to cover it up -- he will serve no prison time. And this isn’t the first time Trump has abused his position to protect Stone. In February, federal prosecutors recommended Stone serve a 7-9 year prison sentence -- but Trump had his loyalist Attorney General William Barr override them and recommend a lighter sentence instead. Trump’s constant efforts to shield himself and his friends from any accountability put the foundation of our democracy at risk. And -- Trump’s action sends a disturbing message to his campaign staff and advisors: he will protect and reward those who facilitate foreign interference in the election. Congress has a responsibility to check abuses of power by the president. That’s why our representatives must launch an investigation to determine if Trump’s commutation of Stone’s sentence involves illegal obstruction of justice, witness tampering, or even bribery.

A policy proposal was recently published that calls for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to address racism through anti-racist reforms. You can read the full proposal here: https://www.slideshare.net/TimothyBerry8/an-anti-racist-west-point In response to this proposal, West Point’s Inspector General (IG) has started a “comprehensive review of all matters involving race at the Academy.” However, the results of this review are not publicly available. Additionally, many of the actions recommended in the proposal can be acted upon without waiting for the results of this investigation. We request that West Point: 1. Publicly acknowledge that the Academy faces challenges with racism that harms Cadets, that this does not align with Academy values, and that it will adopt changes to eliminate racism. 2. Immediately adopt the actions not under the IG purview. 3. Publicly share the IG report and ensure its recommendations are instituted by the end of 2020. If you agree that West Point must swiftly begin to take action in building towards an anti-racist West Point, you can express your support by signing this petition.

Right now, Platinum Equity Founder Tom Gores can help keep incarcerated people and their families connected -- when they’re facing more difficulties than ever before. The COVID-19 crisis has completely isolated some people in jails and prisons from their loved ones, putting their mental wellbeing and physical health at risk. In-person visits have been indefinitely halted -- and the inflated cost of phone calls and video chats are often prohibitive. And these nearly 2.3 million incarcerated people -- who are disproportionately Black and Latinx due to America’s racist mass incarceration system -- are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Over 72,000 incarcerated people and staff have contracted COVID-19 to date, which is more infections than in 36 states. Overcrowding and a lack of hygiene products in prisons put them at a higher risk of infection. And when communications are limited -- incarcerated people may be unable to tell anyone about the dangerous crowding or their lack of access to medical care. But there’s a simple solution: make it affordable for incarcerated people to keep in touch with their family, friends, and legal counsel by telephone or video visitation. Rates from prisons can run over $1/minute -- and on average, an in-state phone call from a jail costs three times as much as one from prison. These excessive rates pose significant barriers for many families -- and as more people lose their jobs due to the pandemic, they’re being forced to make an unthinkable choice: put food on the table, or have regular contact with their loved ones. That’s why we’re calling on Platinum Equity and its subsidiary Securus to provide free telephone and video calls to people in contracted facilities for a minimum of 60 days -- and waive all added fees associated with these calls. Several former FCC Commissioners have sent Gores a letter demanding action -- but Platinum Equity will only respond if thousands of everyday Americans follow up, making it clear that prison phone justice is critical to our democracy, civil rights, and public health. If you agree that everyone has a right to stay connected during this pandemic, add your name now.

We have seen false information presented in past debates, where issues turn into "he said, she said," and facts get turned into "opinions." This does not help the public to assess the candidates, nor their platforms. It is impossible for one candidate to hold the other accountable during a debate, as it is so easy to sidestep or attack. The moderators need to have clearly stated positions where they can simply note that questions have not been answered, and there is "30 seconds left to try again." If questions are still not answered, this needs to be simply stated. The pressure needs to be on the candidates to answer, not on the moderators to try to get them to answer.

Currently, contact tracing is not required in Palm Beach County for those who test positive. Contact tracing is essential to stopping Coronavirus. In South Korea, where contact tracing is prioritized, the curve is nearly flat and the economy has not majorly suffered.

Emergency Action Needed NOW! Please sign my petition and share it with your networks. But don't stop there. Call, tweet at, fax, and email PA state legislators to tell them to vote NO to HB732. Here's the background. Are you angry when you read the stories about corporations getting all the stimulus cash while the people struggle to put food on their tables and avoid eviction? A version of it is about to happen here in PA, but you can stop it. On Monday morning, the Senate will amend HB732 to include the provisions of a bill Wolf vetoed, HB1100. The provisions give HUGE subsidies to companies planning projects like the Shell Cracker plant. If you get any email blasts from environmental organizations, you read about HB1100 when it was making its way through the legislature. You probably also read about how the environmental community thanked Wolf for his veto. It was all theater. Wolf used his veto as a bargaining chip to get some changes added to the legislation. At the time, he said, PA needed “to promote job creation and to enact financial stimulus packages for the benefit of Pennsylvanians who are hurting as they struggle with the substantial economic fallout of COVID-19.” He said the bill was not “responsible use of the Commonwealth’s limited resources." Here's what was really happening. Even as Wolf was threatening to veto the bill, Dennis Davin at the Department of Community and Economic Development was signalling that Wolf was willing to negotiate. "DCED Secretary Dennis Davin said at a February budget hearing that he didn’t think the bill needed to be dumped entirely, just that 'it could be developed a little differently.'” All of the terrible provisions of HB1100 are in the amendment to HB732 that will be introduced, voted on, and sent to the House for a concurrence vote on Monday morning without putting any of those provisions through the legislative process. Funny how fast the legislature can move when they're shafting you. Wouldn't it be great if they could work that fast to help you through this economic crisis? You tell your legislators that you're watching them and will have this vote front of mind when you're in the voting booth.