Reports are coming out that Russia placed bounties on U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan during the peace talks between the U.S. and the Taliban. According to military intelligence, Russia has paid out on some of these bounties. President Trump was briefed on this in February at the very latest. Republican lawmakers confirm that briefings were made. Trump may have been informed of this as early as March of 2019 by John Bolton. These accusations are horrifying, and the response thus far from the Trump Administration has been shameful. We the people demand information.

Wyoming has 578,000 people, is 92% white, and has two US senators. Vermont has 624,000 people, is 94% white, and has two US senators. DC has 705,000 people, is 47% Black -- and has zero senators. As local advocacy group DC Vote notes: “With a majority Black and Brown population, the fight for DC Statehood cannot be separated from the fight for racial justice.” But right now, those living in our nation’s capital don’t get the fundamental rights that their fellow Americans enjoy -- like a meaningful vote, real representation, and a full voice in their government. That’s because the Constitution says that only states can be represented in Congress. And as a result, DC residents have no one to fight for them in the Senate -- and in the House, they only have a non-voting delegate. People in DC pay more in total federal income tax than those in 22 other states -- only to get no say in how those tax dollars are spent. (It’s the reason DC license plates say “Taxation Without Representation.”) And Washingtonians have fought and died in every war our country has been in -- yet those veterans are denied the very freedoms they risked their lives for. These Americans have been denied a seat at the table of our democracy for far too long. And the Washington, DC Admission Act -- which was passed by the House in June -- would bring an end to this long-standing injustice. If you believe that EVERY American deserves an equal say in our democracy, tell the Senate to make DC the 51st state.

Masks, when combined with other measures, have proven to be the best way to significantly stop the spread of the virus. Masks have been proven effective across the globe and in our state. Orleans Parish successfully reduced the devastating effects of the COVID-19 virus by continuing to make masks mandatory throughout the reopening process. By doing so, Orleans Parish went from an epicenter of the virus to a safe place to work and live. As of June 29th, 2020, Jefferson Parish is instituting the same restrictions in order to reduce their numbers that have been increased since Phase Two of reopening. Not only are St. Tammany Parish’s COVID-19 numbers increasing, but close proximity to parishes with increasing numbers such as Washington and Jefferson create even more of a risk to those who live and work in St. Tammany. It is not uncommon to live on the Northshore and work on the Southshore. This commute increases the likelihood of infection and bringing the virus further into our community. According to recent numbers, St. Tammany is the parish with the fifth-highest recorded COVID-19 cases. Parish President Cooper even said it himself “We can shape the size of the scar this pandemic leaves on our community.” If he is truly committed to the safety of our parish then making masks mandatory in public is the only option for success. __________________ Here is the link for the contact information of your Parish Council Representative as well as the Parish President. Email them the statement above and let them know you support a safer St. Tammany! Below I have included a phone script if you would like to call their offices directly. http://www.stpgov.org/government/parish-council http://www.stpgov.org/government/parish-president Script for telephone: Be prepared to have your zip code in hand. “Hello, my name is (your name) and I am a constituent of (your council members name). I am calling today to urge (Council Member X) to introduce a policy to make facial masks mandatory in St. Tammany Parish. Thank you.”

I am a physician scientist actively engaged in COVID-19 education, organizing, and advocacy within and beyond Harris County. The local response to containing the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to struggle against the irresponsible decisions being made by other parties. We live and die by those decisions. The Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas is world renowned. But my colleagues admit readily that the hospitals there are full, and they are fearful of what lies ahead. We are universally appalled that the most visible physicians' organization is supporting a very large gathering of people at a mask-optional event amid this crisis. We cannot in good conscience continue to support the TMA if it moves forward with participating in the Texas GOP convention on July 16-18. This is a pledge for Texas physicians to boycott the organization if it fails to withdraw.

Target has been positioning itself as a champion of its employees--getting public praise for supporting diversity and inclusion and increasing wages and benefits in response to the pandemic. But the truth is that those benefits leave out a shadow workforce of tens of thousands of people, many of whom are Black and Brown women, --who power Target's growing and profitable grocery delivery service, Shipt. Shipt has seen demand increase so much that the company has hired 100,000 people in the last few months to keep up, as the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed how people shop for groceries. Increasingly, consumers are relying on home delivery services, and home delivery service is a major reason that Target's revenue is up during the pandemic. But shoppers working for Shipt do not get the paid family and medical leave they need to care for a sick family member or recover from extended illness. Even for shoppers who get sick, Shipt only offers 50% sick pay for two weeks if they have a positive COVID-19 test or a mandatory quarantine order. Now, Shipt announced that they’re also cutting pay--in the middle of a pandemic. That’s why Shipt shoppers announced that on Wednesday, July 15, they’re going on strike. UltraViolet and PL+US (Paid Leave for the United States) are working together to demand that Target do better. If enough people speak up, we can pressure Target to ensure that Shipt shoppers get the same paid family and medical leave benefits that Target employees receive. Will you sign the petition?

It's not. In fact, it's one of the most frivolous ideas I've ever had. But it's 2020, and nothing has meaning anymore, so you might as well tip your hat to the late Bobby "Boris" Pickett and sell us Monster Mash cereal. You know we'll buy it.

The DAS extends police power to surveil nearly all New Yorkers 24/7. The system uses cameras, license plate readers, MTA trip data, and radiological sensors to create a real-time surveillance map of New York City. It also taps into private data feeds ranging from Wall Street banks’ security systems to private data brokers. Once the data is funneled into the DAS, it can be stored indefinitely. Even worse, NYC gets a sweet kickback commission from Microsoft any time another city or town buys the DAS technology. The DAS heightens the NYPD’s racist policing practice against BIPOC and immigrants. Not only can the DAS technology allow unconstitutional warrantless location tracking, it can also provide information for ICE to help deport people, too. We shouldn’t have to wait years for the Supreme Court to strike down the DAS. Microsoft should ditch it today. We’re calling on Microsoft to immediately end its partnership with the NYPD on the Domain Awareness System.

This is important because now is the time for change and monuments made to preserve nothing but white supremacy and its violent dominance over non-white culture from suppression to genocide need to be removed. The exploitation of Native American culture also needs to come to an end.

Unemployment levels for young Americans and minority workers are at levels unseen since the Great Depression. Furthermore, the economy is not rebounding fast enough to put millions of formerly-employed workers back to work before federal unemployment benefits end on July 31. Nevertheless, a necessary relief bill will not be enacted in Washington by July or even August. California already has the largest number of homeless workers in the U.S. Failure to provide economic relief will balloon this human disaster into a catastrophe.

San Francisco's Prayer Book Cross is a symbol that continues to glorify white supremacy. It whitewashes the narrative of colonizers, slave traders, rapists, and looters. It must be removed immediately. The maintenance of this religious symbol in a public park is a governmental endorsement of religion, which is illegal.

Bringing the Pioneer Amtrak route back, making stops in towns like Portland OR, Ontario OR, Boise ID, Twin Falls ID, Salt Lake City UT, and Denver Co would be a major uplifting to potentially 10's of thousands of people who would travel it frequently. Especially during poor weather, and other major events. Bringing the Pioneer back would be a monumental improvement to this region, but would also show that it is needed, by the demand it would have. It would likely be used more in the winter, as the area can see brutal storms. I know many families that would travel it to see other distant family members. Of course you will have a good amount of business people riding, but the real benefits will go to people who may not have the ability to drive. Seniors who don't like driving long distances, big families with small cars, and many more are possible with this line, and this route. And remember, travelling by train is environmentally friendly. Let's bring back the Pioneer!

The Abington School District mascot “The Galloping Ghost” represents a white supremacist symbol. The original illustrations of the mascot depict a member of the KKK, a racist hate group that has been targeting black americans since the 1800s. For a school district that practices No Place for Hate ideals, this is unacceptable. Some of you may think that just because the school changed the depiction it is perfectly fine, but the history of the KKK still lies in years of yearbooks.