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.

The current doctrine gives clear rights to sanctify murder against an intruder. It does not give rights to a fleeing offender or one that has surrendered to do no harm and is murdered anyway. The castle doctrine gives a shooter the right as the Judge, the Juror and the executioner. All constitutional rights as a defendant are bandished.

There are several reasons why counselors need the ability to get a national license, not one that ends at the state border. 1) Mental health needs are going to skyrocket in the aftermath of the pandemic. Creating an agile, responsive, national force of mental health workers that can respond to mental health criss "hot spots" will be important. 2) Clients, who have started seeing a counselor out of state during the COVID 19 exemptions, may have to start all over again with a new counselor when the exemptions run out if Congress doesn't act. 3) Counselors run into problems when clients who reside in one area temporarily move to another state (think of college students who go to college in one locale, then may go home to a different state). Current licensing laws don't adequately address current reality and our new telemental health capacities. 4) The pandemic has shown us how arbitrary state lines are when it comes to health emergencies. If these rules can be waived now, then surely we can find a more permanent workable solution. Please tell Congress we need a national solution to the problems created by state-by-state licensing for counselors. At the very least, we need a national approach to licensing telemental health providers so when crises arise, we can respond swiftly and in a unified way.

To let senior athletes get the senior year they havent gotten yet to actually see what a senior season is and make memories that last forever

Licensed and established Body Modification Businesses (Tattoo Studios, Piercing Studios etc) WILL NOT present any greater risk of COVID -19 transmission than a Salon, Barbershop or other Personal Care Service. Although we are licnesed under this category, we seem to have been omitted likely due to lack of understanding of our industry. As per our licensing requirements, we are trained in the prevention of disease transmission and are confident in our ability to operate safely. Washington Tattoo Studios were forced to cease operations when closures were mandated on 3/16/2020. Currently, if the phases open as scheduled, we will have been ordered closed for a total of 14 weeks. We should be able to open along side similar buinesses when phase 2 allows it. Our standards of care and sanitation are equal to or greater than those of most salons, barbers, nail shops, as well as retail, manufacturing, restaurants and other businesses already open, and allowed to reopen in phase 2. We just want to be seen and treated as equals and get back to work. Ours, along with other small businesses are suffering. Reopening in Phase 2 will gives us a chance to hopefully recover some of our losses from this long closure and move forward. We have families to care for and needs to be met just like everyone else. We make an honest living, contribute to our local economy and give to our communities, just like other hardworking business owners, contractors and employees. It would be a great disservice to segregate us from other small businesses like ours in plans for slowly reopening Washington. Thank you for your consideration and support.

We're in the midst of Earth's sixth mass extinction — one species vanishes nearly every hour. Opening national wildlife refuges to more hunting is exactly the kind of action that is fueling the wildlife extinction crisis. We should be working to protect animals, not making it easier for them to be gunned down. These wild animals deserve to be safe from hunting in the very places set aside to protect them.

During the Wisconsin primary this spring, thousands of voters risked their health and defied a stay-at-home order to exercise their right to vote. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only story of states not being prepared to hold safe and fair elections in the middle of a pandemic. Every American deserves the right to cast their ballot safely and without unnecessary risk. That’s why we support the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020, n. This bill would do the following: Expand Access to Vote-by-Mail: Vote-by-mail could be the only safe and secure option for some Americans. States must offer multiple options for requesting, receiving, and returning mail-in ballots while maintaining the security of our voting system. Expand Early In-Person Voting: While all Americans should have the choice to vote by mail, it is crucial that we recognize that many people will prefer to vote in-person. We must make in-person voting as safe and available as possible. Expanded early voting will allow voters to cast their ballot a few days or sometimes weeks before Election Day. Expand Online Voter Registration: We should not make voter registration complicated if we really want everyone to participate. Online voter registration is a safe, accessible and secure way for voters all across this country can sign up to participate in our democracy. It allows eligible voters to quickly and easily register to vote online from the comfort of their own home. We know that when we knock down barriers to casting their ballot and make voting more accessible no matter who you are, more people -- especially young people and people of color -- turn out to vote. And when we all vote, we create a stronger democracy. Please add your name if you agree our nation must do more to guarantee safe and fair elections in 2020. Stay tuned for more information on how you can get involved.

We need to feed our families.