The unemployment report is simply horrific. More than 20 million people lost their jobs in April, and the country's official unemployment rate is nearly 15%. That's worse than anything since the Great Depression. But it doesn't have to be this way. Rep. Pramila Jayapal has a proposal that would prevent mass unemployment by doing what many European countries have already done: have the government cover the payrolls of struggling businesses. The Paycheck Guarantee Act provides urgent relief to businesses and workers, while also helping make it easier for the economy to recover once public health has improved. Congress is debating the next stimulus bill and there's a chance this can be included, but only if we demand it. Will you speak up now?

In January, when the Donald Trump was receiving numerous warnings that the coronavirus would hit this country hard, the government turned down an offer by a Texas company to make nearly 2 million N95 masks a week. Even now, months into the crisis, that factory has production lines that could make 7 million masks a week -- but they're sitting idle, as are many others. Hospitals, cities, and states are struggling due to a lack of personal protective equipment, as well as the necessary test kits and contact tracing equipment needed to stop this pandemic and safely reopen our country. But Donald Trump won't make it happen. That's why Congress must step in and make him.

Donald Trump is considering several proposals that would wreck Social Security and Medicare -- and we need your help to stop him. Trump's advisors are considering a plan to allow people to get more economic stimulus cash, but you would have to accept cuts to your future Social Security benefits. It's a kind of payday loan that forces you to take money you need in your old age and use it to survive right now. Trump himself is also pushing a plan to slash payroll taxes as part of the economic stimulus. But payroll taxes are one of the main sources of revenue for Social Security and Medicare, and cutting them would cause a crisis. We need to make sure Congress rejects these horrifically destructive plans. Instead, now is a good time to expand Social Security and Medicare. Will you help?

Time is running out to stop McConnell from handing Bill Barr, fresh off his shocking attack on the rule of law by dropping the case against Michael Flynn, new spying powers. Some of the worst parts of the Patriot Act expired last month after we fought to make sure Congress couldn't renew them without major reforms. Now McConnell is trying to jam through not just a renewal of the Patriot Act, bad enough as it is -- he wants to create huge new powers that would let Trump's henchmen conduct more spying on all of us, and on their enemies, without needing a warrant. Meanwhile, civil libertarians are rallying behind a bipartisan amendment that would restrict the government's spying powers. This is a critical moment to stop the McConnell, Barr, and the rest of the Trump Administration from abusing their power. Will you add your name now?

This is important to me because the system is corrupted and removes children and husbands every day from their family, and this shouldn’t have happened to this family. The parents are really good parents; if you ever met them you would fall in love with them, and it warms my heart to see how they both interact with their children when they had them home.

Essential workers are putting their lives on the line every day during this crisis--they are providing healthcare, ensuring that workers have the ability to travel to their jobs, processing food and stocking grocery stores, collecting garbage and keeping our streets clean, delivering packages, energy and telecommunication services, and keeping our government functioning. Essential workers want to be safe and do their jobs with the dignity and respect that they deserve. This is as much about racial and gender justice as it is about economic justice: women, immigrants, and Black and Latinx workers are more likely to be essential workers. We must do more to protect the 2.2 million essential workers in New York in order to prevent more unnecessary deaths and a second surge of COVID-19 in already devastated communities. The federal government is refusing to protect workers and their communities from COVID-19 and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is not formally investigating any complaints from workers outside of the healthcare industry. For these reasons, we must turn to New York State to take action in order to protect essential workers and their communities from preventing a second wave of COVID19. Stand with essential workers to call for a New York Health and Essential Rights Order (NY H.E.R.O.) to protect the essential workforce and the communities they serve. The NY H.E.R.O. Executive Order will quickly improve the health and safety in workplaces across New York by implementing the following measures: HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements - Physical distancing requirements - Hand hygiene requirements - Disinfection and deep cleaning requirements - The requirement to provide notice when workers contract the virus - Quarantine housing for workers living in employer housing ENFORCEMENT & PROHIBITION ON RETALIATION - Workplaces should establish a facility pandemic safety committee that can raise concerns about health and safety conditions and notify the employer about worker complaints and concerns - No employer should take action against workers who raise any concern or information about workplace health and safety practices - Any worker has the right to refuse to do work under conditions where they feel at risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19

Ozone Therapy (OT) has been proven to CURE Covid-19 patients in Ibiza Spain and in Italy. OT has cured Ebola which is 15 times more deadly than Covid. OT will kill all mutations of Covid-19 and also cure the flu. With Dr. Robins guiding clinical trials, patients will be cured in a matter of days and it will become obvious that OT can save thousands of lives, protect us against Covid-19 and any new emerging virus and will save us from the nightmare that awaits us next Fall. Ozone Therapy will give us back our society.

The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately ravaged Black and brown communities compared to their white counterparts. The small business market is no different, as minority-owned small businesses have struggled to stay afloat during this global health crisis. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a loan program put forth by the Small Business Administration to give small businesses incentive to keep employees on payroll. However, 75% of the loan must go towards payroll — rent and utilities can only be paid with the other 25%. Minority and women-owned businesses on average have fewer employees compared to white, male-owned businesses. Many do not have employees at all. These businesses either didn’t qualify or the funds had been exhausted by the time their applications were processed. Another hurdle for minority business owners to overcome is the relationships banks already have with non-minority businesses. Banks participating in loan-forgiveness programs are more likely to issue loans to existing clients. Unfortunately, businesses owned by people of color are less likely to have commercial banking relationships. A reformed PPP should include demographic questions on loan applications to provide a better sense of who is receiving the loans and give business owners more leniency with how the loan is allocated. It is simply not enough for Congress to replenish the funds if these problems persist. Congress must take the corruption out of government relief programs and create an economy that truly works for everyone.

It is important that both Governors stop using fear mongering language directed at the beauty industry because they are making consumers unnecessarily afraid to return to their favourite salon or spa and preventing in home services where allowed. Governor Cuomo insists salon and barbershop professionals are non essential and Governor Newsom without any facts is spreading a lie that coronavirus started in a nail salon in California. It is irresponsible and damaging to an entire industry. Both Governors Cuomo and Newsom are preventing professionals from making an income indefinitely even though we have followed their shelter in place mandates. Many salon owners will lose their businesses through no fault of their own and never be able to reopen while leaving them in massive financial debt. This not only hurts them as a business owner but the people they employ and the communities they serve which is not limited to salons and spas. Licensed beauty professionals serve our senior communities by working in retirement and rehabilitation facility salons. We volunteer at city hospitals to bring services to patients that are not able to get to otherwise. We participate in charities, fundraisers and fashions shows. We provide services for the media and for entertainment. The disdain they have for the salon and beauty industry goes far beyond the four walls of any beauty or Barber shop and will inevitably effect every single person on both of their states if they don’t work with of instead of against us.

In the matter of the violent death of Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of Travis McMichael and his father Greg McMichael, and a supporting statement made by Glynn County Commissioner Allen Booker, to wit “The police at the scene went to her, saying they were ready to arrest both of them. These were the police at the scene who had done the investigation,” the Commissioner, who has spoken with Glynn County police, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “She shut them down to protect her friend McMichael.” If the facts as cited here prove to be true, then Ms. Johnson intervened in a criminal investigation and prevented follow-up action by the appropriate authorities, the Brunswick Police Department, and denied additional investigation, criminal charges to be filed or presentation to a Grand Jury for possible charges. Her actions to shield the McMichaels from criminal investigation and / or prosecution need to be investigated and, if confirmed, call for her to not only be formally removed from office, beyond the suspension, but also to be criminally prosecuted, if that is appropriate.

Tell Mayor Brown to publicly support 2020 Victory Gardens as an important way to stay safe & "grow" in this challenging time. It also supports local food, Northside Farmers Market, Kitchen Incubator, & Elm Virtual Local Food Court: Cultivate Café, Rev's Rib's, A Fair Wind, Gino's, Culture House Coffee, and local shops: Edward's Florist, Red Road Apothecary, Mel's Habitat.

The Covid-19 Pandemic is still going strong and scientists expect a second surge in the fall of 2020. With little testing and no vaccine in sight for Covid-19, voting in person will be risking your life. Already Wisconsin voters were forced to vote in person even though they asked for the election to be postponed until conditions were safer. Many then tested positive for the virus. We don't want that in South Carolina. Act now for the good of the entire state, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. We should not have to risk our lives to vote.