The Building for Women in Downtown Duluth has been open since 1981 and providing services including reproductive health care, advocacy for sexual assault victim-survivors, programs for young mothers and young women, and much more. While all of these services are important and necessary, we recognize those accessing the building aren't just women. Folks of all genders access resources through the services provided in this building. The building name is currently a barrier and exclusive to those who are not female identifying. It should represent all of those it serves, not just a portion of them.

Many are excluded from the voting process- whether they're too young, incarcerated or suppressed. Regardless, your vote impacts their future too. Vote4Me is amplifying the voice of those who can't vote because they deserve a say in their lives. Take a pledge to vote for those in your own life who can't vote, and encourage others to do the same! For those who can't vote, we're hear to support and amplify. Challenge those around you who can vote & say, "This is why you should vote 4 me."

Michael McGrath — president of the Somerville, Massachusetts police union, and VP of a Massachusetts coalition of police unions — was just charged with assault and battery for pepper spraying a handcuffed man. It’s been a year since the assault, and the police unions he leads have taken no action against him. When bodycam video of the assault was released recently, they tried to ignore questions from the media. Somerville’s mayor said he and the police chief both believe McGrath’s actions are “unacceptable” and they “will not tolerate any unnecessary use of force” — but they could fire him, and they haven’t. McGrath leads the Somerville Police Employees Association, and is a Vice President of the Massachusetts Municipal Police Coalition. Police unions like these help violent police officers get away with brutality all the time. Right now, they’re hoping that attention to this case fades and they can get away with doing nothing. But we can force them to make a choice: take action against McGrath, or be known for supporting police brutality, and face the consequences. Police unions like to act tough. But when it comes time to negotiate their next pay raise, block popular police reform measures, or shield an officer from accountability, their reputation and political standing matters. By confronting these police unions publicly, we can make sure they pay a price for standing by a union leader who is being prosecuted for assaulting someone who posed no threat. We can also make it easier for the mayor, police chief, and other officials to stand up to them — in this case, in other cases of police misconduct, and when it’s time to fight for systemic change. Join us in calling on Somerville’s mayor and police chief to stand up to the police unions and take action to hold Mike McGrath accountable.

The fact that several parked cars have been hit, we are lucky that no one was in the cars, between the cars, or even launched into someone's house. This has turned into a safety issue and it's only a matter or time before someone is seriously hurt or killed.

“The city has defaulted the handling of almost all social ills in the city to the police department, especially those dealing with the homeless population. Through the focus groups conducted with the department’s supervisors and line-level personnel, it was obvious there is a high level of frustration among all employees regarding the responsibilities of dealing with the homelessness issue.” -Santa Cruz Police Department Operations Analysis 2018 Report Many of the calls police currently respond to here in Santa Cruz could be better handled by a program like CAHOOTS. In the city of Santa Cruz, 21.9% of calls to the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) in 2017 were classified as welfare checks, which programs like CAHOOTS are specifically designed to handle. (Less than 16% of calls to SCPD were classified as crime-related.) For the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), 43-56% of calls each month in 2020 have been welfare checks. The annual Santa Cruz Police Department budget is $30 million. SCPD responds to 100,000 calls a year, at an average cost of about $300 per response--over 3 times the cost of mobile crisis units. The cost per response from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office appears to be much higher; SCSO’s budget for “police protection” is over $45 million, and according to the office’s published crime statistics, they handled 17,199 calls last year (an average of over $2600 per response). By contrast, in 2019, CAHOOTS responded to more than 24,000 calls on a budget of $2 million (an average of $83 per response). “I recently spoke with a sergeant about defunding. He said, ‘If someone could take the homeless issues entirely from us and stop us from responding to mental health calls—please, take the money!’ The sad reality is that no one else has stepped up as the first responder to these issues.” -SCPD Chief Mills’ blog, 6/16/20 The 2020 Grand Jury Report on Homelessness recommended establishing a program in Santa Cruz County modeled after the CAHOOTS program and “would be beneficial to those receiving its services, as well as the County’s law enforcement and medical personnel. The BOS should work with City and the County law enforcement agencies to identify funding in their budgets, and launch a program similar to CAHOOTS to reduce the overall costs of homelessness to the County.” We call on elected officials to heed the Grand Jury’s recommendation and establish a CAHOOTS-type crisis response service here in Santa Cruz County. A program like this would better serve our county’s needs, while saving public money by diverting calls from police and emergency medical services. Email [email protected] to get involved or for more info! Sources: https://whitebirdclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CAHOOTS-Media.pdf (pages 1,2, & 5) https://www.cityofsantacruz.com/home/showdocument?id=70001 (page 2 & 120) https://santacruzsheriff.org/about-us/crime-stats https://chiefmills.com/2020/06/16/de-fund-the-police/ http://www.co.santa-cruz.ca.us/Portals/0/County/GrandJury/GJ2020_final/MicroHomes_Report.pdf (page 23)

1: Dual Office Holding - The State of Louisiana prohibits a person holding incompatible roles. See LA Revised Statue 42:64 (A)(1),(A)(4) and LA R.S. 42:62(A)(6) -Voting on matters as a Commissioner concerning his personnel issues, insurance settlements, and compensation ie (yearly budget). 2: Mismanagement of Public Funds - Overspending (≈$1.7M yearly budget). - 3M loan/bond without public ballot/vote. - Excessive spending on legal fees. 3: Overreach of Power - General disregard for State and Local laws (see point number one). - Ethics board violations. -Open meetings law violations.

Indian Village is an affluent neighborhood on the East side of the city of Detroit. It is a subdivision that was created from a farm owned by the Cook family. The name of the neighborhood was not chosen to lift up or empower people, it was not chosen out of honor or respect. Instead, according to the Detroit Historical Society, it was chosen to “give the neighborhood character” helping to sell the lots and homes. There were many settlements in the area and there is a long history of people living in the area before colonization. However, local Tribal historians, the Detroit Historical Society, and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office have all confirmed that there was not a Native settlement at the location. The name is offensive to the local Indigenous people, historically inaccurate, and misleading. It is not acceptable to appropriate people or culture to sell products. Indian Village is another example of the appropriation of the Indigenous people of North America being used by others. These practices must come to an end and we are calling on the neighborhood residents and the City of Detroit to rename this neighborhood to “The Village.”

October 14, 2020: Today the United Farm Workers (UFW) and UFW Foundation (UFWF) filed a lawsuit against Trump's Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. On September 30th, the Department of Agriculture took an unprecedented step toward reducing farm worker wages. They announced the unilateral decision to eliminate the data collection that is the only national source of information that allows the Department of Labor to determine and set guest worker wages. Without this information, the wages of all domestic farm workers could be adversely impacted. You can stand with farm workers by signing their petition to USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue. For over 100 years USDA has consistently used this method to collect data about farm labor and wages. The federal Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR), determines the minimum rate that must be paid H–2A workers to avoid undercutting the wages of domestic farm workers. The AEWR rate is higher than the minimum wage in all 50 states -- often significantly. To put it in perspective, in states like Utah and Wisconsin, wages could fall by as much as $7 per hour. Even in California, workers stand to lose almost $2 an hour. The USDA gave no rationale for this change and did not make it available for public comment. In addition, they did not consider the incredible harm this move would have on farm worker wages and did not explain why they chose to eliminate it even though many states and federal entities rely on this information. This lawsuit is critical. The wage loss could amount to thousands of dollars to workers who are barely making both ends meet. These wage decreases will create a ripple effect, ultimately resulting in many US farm workers being paid less. And the fact that they are trying to cut the wages of these essential workers in the middle of a pandemic is outrageous. Stand with us in stopping this travesty. THE UFW & UFWF filed a lawsuit against Sonny Perdue today, but let's also show him that Americans care about the people who put food on our tables and will not accept this change. Sign our petition to Sonny Perdue now.

Let's be frank. These days, everyone needs more places to play outside. The reality of the 2020 pandemic has shown us, as residents of Delaware County, that our outdoor space could be better utilized. This rings particularly true for school-age kids who have outgrown the playground or don't play organized sports. Skateboarding is a great outlet for those kids. This will also have a positive impact on our community. Skateparks are incredibly popular. They are used by skateboarders, inline skaters, roller skaters and often scooters and stunt bikers. Visit any public skatepark and you will see an incredibly high use of public land per square foot. A skatepark will increase the use of our public, tax-funded park. It will also provide an outlet for the ever-growing sport of skateboarding and showcase Delco as a place where the community comes together to support this great sport.

We have always relied on overworked and underpaid state and local election officials to successfully oversee the electoral contests that keep our democracy ticking. Thousands of public servants across 50 states, 3,141 counties, and 14 sovereign territories have a long, proud history of doing their job to ensure our voices are heard. This year, they need our support. They need to know that the vast majority of Americans trust them to run smooth and secure elections, and that we all agree on a specific set of fundamental nonpartisan principles. The conspiracy theories about "voter fraud" and a "rigged election" are an insult to the people who keep our elections free and fair. Protect Our Election is working to repair the damage done by building a grassroots movement to support the dedicated election administrators who are working so hard this election season. We need to let these public servants know that we have their back - that Americans still believe in democracy and still trust them to do their jobs the way they always have. They need to know we outnumber the angry mob. Take action today by sending a message of support to your state election officials. Let them know you are doing your part as a citizen, that you appreciate how difficult their job is, and that you reject the idea that this election will be compromised.

We successfully completed our college run and received our NC State degrees. We deserve nothing but recognition and thanks. NC State wouldn't be where it is without our class, and vice versa. As new alumni, it is so important for us to know how much our alma mater cares about us; especially because we have yet to feel much concern. On September 16, 2020, NC State raised $23,223,425 on Giving Day. As quoted by NC State, Giving Day is meant for the community to "come together to support our students and the strength of our community." There are 5,990 spring 2020 graduates. That means that, with Giving Day funds alone, each graduate could receive $3,877. All we are asking is the Chancellor, and board, show their support towards the spring class. A $250 gift card for lifetime Wolfpack memorabilia is truly a small way to show our class that NC State cares.

More than 215,000 Americans have died in 2020 from the coronavirus and 40,000 to 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each day in the United States. Millions of Americans are suffering and struggling to get by. Dr. Anthony Fauci says that we currently face a "difficult situation" with rising positive cases as we head into Winter. The Senate must prioritize coronavirus relief over filling a seat on the Supreme Court.