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.

The entire live event industry has been shut down plunging everyone working in it into unemployment with no end in sight. People like me who have invested 38 years of my life to be at the top of my game working on Broadway. The extra $2400 monthly has allowed me to have a grain of hope that I can hold on long enough living in one of the most expensive areas in the country. If I lose it, I will need to sell my place and move away from NYC. Hundreds of thousands more are in the same position all over the country. We are ready to work but work is not ready for us.

Parents, in times such as these, we become the voice of reason for our children. We are their protectors; the individuals they rely on to prioritize their education, health, and well-being. With the rise of COVID-19 in Florida and the Pensacola area recently being placed into the top 10 epicenters for contracting the disease, our children with health issues, such as the immunocompromised and asthmatics, need us to be their voices more than ever before. The options the Santa Rosa County School system have put in place are not structured to create an environment to educate our children due to the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, they highlight education options which were already in place prior to the breakout of the virus. This has caused thousands of families in the district to choose between their children’s mental health, physical health, and education—a decision a parent should never be asked to make. Thus, this petition has been created to highlight the lack of reasonable options for Santa Rosa County Children and the their parents and to urge the district not to make decisions based off of a survey created in the middle of the summer with out-of-date statistics, but to rework the way the 2020-2021 year will be managed based on current concerns by the district’s families and teachers. The Santa Rosa County School district has given three options; Full-Time Brick and Mortar Schooling with COVID-19 restrictions (which does not include the prioritization of masks), online schooling though Santa Rosa Online (which does not connect students to their brick and mortar teachers, rather, provides different teachers through a more rigorous program that admittedly is not designed for students who need more assistance), and homeschooling. Other school districts have shown that there are, indeed, more options available besides the three that Santa Rosa School District has offered parents. Two that we would like to bring up to the district are below: 1) Distance Learning: Allowing children to learn from home exclusively with the teacher’s assistance from the brick and mortar school they would have originally attended. This will allow students with IEP’s and/or health issues to learn safely from home while getting the education they deserve, the comfort of a face they recognize, and an environment that will not risk their health. 2) Hybrid Learning: Allowing students through logistical planning to spend certain days at their brick and mortar school while splitting the other half of their week into distance learning. This will allow teachers to better control the environment of their classrooms with smaller class sizes, but also allow children and teachers to have face-to-face contact with their students. This would greatly reduce the spread but allow students to have a sense of normalcy—necessary for a child’s mental health. Parents, through this petition, are asking to be heard to discuss other options, such as those listed above. Together, we can create an environment where we do not have to choose between our children’s mental and physical health and education. We owe it to the children of Santa Rosa County.

Rot is a Laotian-Cambodian refugee who escaped from the Cambodian genocide as a child. His family resettled in Long Beach, CA and most of his family still currently resides there. Growing up during the resettlement period, his family encountered cultural, financial, and emotional challenges adjusting to the new country. As a result, his home life was turbulent. Rot sought acceptance and belonging through his friends. His friend group became his chosen family and his gang. At sixteen years old, Rot and his friends were trying to fix their car. Confronted by another man from the neighborhood, the man told his group to leave immediately. The situation escalated as Rot felt challenged and threatened by this. He retrieved his gun and decided to shoot the man. As a seventeen year old, Rot was tried as an adult and was charged with a felony conviction. At the time, Rot only knew how to respond to situations with violence and aggression. Ultimately, Rot accepted his responsibility. He served 29 years in prison and has spent all of his adult life incarcerated. His partner at the time was pregnant with their daughter, Ashley. He dedicated himself to self-help programs to turn his life around, in hopes of reuniting with his family upon his release from prison. He participated in AA Alcohol Anonymous, anger management, substance abuse prevention, Buddhist meditation groups, alternative violence program (AVP), criminal and gang Anonymous (CGA), center for counsel, PACA - Prisoners Against Child Abuse, New Life Canine Dog Program and so much more. All of these programs helped him address factors that led to his incarceration. As a reflection of his growth, Rot was granted parole by the CA State Parole Board in February 2020. However, instead of coming home to his family on his release date, he was immediately transferred to an immigrant prison at the Adelanto detention center. This was all due to the conviction he committed at 16 years old. With Rot’s medical history and conditions, he is at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Rot is a cancer survivor, who is living with chronic respiratory conditions and Hepatitis B. ICE facilities are incapable of practicing social distancing and providing the medical attention that Rot needs and deserves as a human being. His family and community are ready to support his parole now, by providing him COVID testing, housing, and transitional support. Rot is a father, grandfather, mentor, advocate, and active community member. As a father and grandfather, Rot strives to lead the younger generation in a different path that he was once in. As a community, we are urging the immigration judge to grant his bond release so that Rot is immediately released back to his family and community. Currently, he is at risk of being deported to Cambodia, a country he has not returned back to since he fled as a child. By deporting Rot, he would be left in an isolated country, where he does not speak the language, nor have access to the transitional resources, medical resources, and community support. He deserves a chance to be reunited with his daughter Ashley and his three grandchildren. Join the Sanctuary Long Beach Coalition in supporting Rot by signing and sharing the #ReleaseRot petition. Please see our Campaign Website for the social media toolkit.

On campuses across the country—Maryland, Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, Kansas State, and more—dozens of student-athletes are testing positive for coronavirus as they begin training for Fall sports. It's becoming clear that in order to protect students and staff, Fall sports must be postponed. More and more college conferences and schools are postponing all Fall sports, and the NCAA needs to provide leadership to protect their students during this pandemic, instead of letting money drive their decision. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) generated $867 million in 2019, but it can't put profits ahead of the safety of their student-athletes. The major conferences that make up the NCAA are making plans to get football players and other student-athletes back on the field to make sure money from its lucrative television and marketing deals isn't lost. This is dangerous to the players who will have to come in close contact with their teammates and opponents at a time when American professional sports are struggling to start-up. Two teams from Major League Soccer had to drop out due to COVID outbreaks among players and paid professional players are deciding to opt-out of NBA and MLB seasons because of concern for catching the coronavirus. The National Junior College Athletic Association is expected to move its Fall sports to the Spring this week, and last week, The Ivy League canceled Fall sports. Colleges like Morehouse have done the same, canceling Fall sports to protect their students. It's clear that postponing Fall sports is the only responsible decision to make. As the U.S. continues to grapple with a pandemic that doesn't respect city or state borders, the NCAA needs to do what's right and make sure college athletes aren't put at risk so that NCAA and their partners can make millions. SOURCES: "National Junior College Athletic Association expected to move football season to spring," July 12, 2020, ESPN espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29452386/national-junior-college-athletic-association-expected-move-football-season-spring "Ivy League Places All Sports on Hold Until January," July 8, 2020, The New York Times nytimes.com/2020/07/08/sports/ncaafootball/ivy-league-fall-sports-football-coronavirus.html

Facebook has repeatedly refused to hold Donald Trump to any sort of standard on its platform. And as a result -- the company has given him a green light to sow discord with advertisements that contain deceptive, false, or misleading information. Trump is once again taking advantage of Facebook’s leniency. This time, he’s spreading harmful disinformation about voting. Trump’s re-election campaign has purchased over 500 Facebook ads that spread disproven claims about voter fraud. Facebook exempts politicians' ads, including Trump's, from any fact-checking. Even though Facebook claims it bans political ads that discourage people from voting, the platform has done nothing to stop the Trump campaign from publishing its harmful ads. Facebook profits off of these deliberately misleading ads, and we need to leverage the federal government to change their business model and protect our democracy. We must demand real accountability. Add your name to urge key oversight bodies to investigate Facebook -- and stop the company from profiting off of vote-suppressing ads.

This modification now requires in-person class attendance to remain in the United States and continue in academic programs. These modifications are illogical as universities are providing online instruction in response to the medical reality of airborne transmission of the COVID-19 virus. The Trump administration’s use of international students to force universities to provide in-person classes is cruel, reckless, and shortsighted. International students should not have to suffer the uncertainty of their educational future and residence within the U.S., due to a politically-motivated gambit centered upon economic goals that support President Trump’s re-election. International students enrich the learning experiences of fellow students with their intellect, the sharing of personal experiences, and the richness of varied viewpoints. They live and work in our communities helping local economies thrive, and they often return to their countries using the skills and knowledge they have gained to improve the lives of those around them. Through the relationships and professional networks they build, international students are a force for global diplomacy