I am a parent of two Denver Public Schools middle and high school students. My children’s health, happiness and social and academic successes are important to me as they are for all parents. Transitioning into the teenage years, their bodies naturally adjust to staying up later and sleeping in (when given the opportunity) yet they still need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.  The current early morning start times in DPS are detrimental to their success as students and threaten their overall health.   Quality and quantity of sleep matter at all ages, but sleep is especially critical for teens. Growth and development occur during sleep and adequate sleep leads to improved attention span, attitude and overall improved health and wellness. What’s more, lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can have detrimental effects on the immune system and are tied to higher levels of stress. According to sleep specialist Wendy Troxel, a behavioral and social scientist with Rand Corp., “Research consistently finds inadequate sleep in teens is associated with increased risk of mental and physical health problems, including depression, suicide and obesity. It also creates problems with their concentration, memory, and ability to learn.” I understand that transportation logistics propose a hurdle to making schedule changes. However, we know that several other large, metro-area districts, as well as large school districts across the country, have successfully transitioned to a later start time for teens. During this unprecedented time, we have the opportunity to work solve these logistical problems and to create transportation schedules that support later start times for our middle and high schools when they return in-person learning. This petition requests that DPS create a new schedule for middle and high school students by implementing later start times to begin in the 2021-2022 school year. The science and social benefits are well documented, but here some articles that highlight important aspects of changing to a later start time:     https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/schools-start-too-early.html https://www.rwjf.org/en/blog/2018/02/three-reasons-to-consider-later-school-start-times.html https://www.nationaljewish.org/conditions/health-information/multimedia/facebook-live/why-do-teens-sleep-later https://www.rand.org/blog/2019/08/im-a-sleep-specialist-heres-how-i-prepare-my-two-teenagers.html https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2015/10/among-teens-sleep-deprivation-an-epidemic.html Show your support to implement later start times by signing this petition!

I am a Entrepreneur and Business Broker. Since the pandemic began I have been witnessing the terrible impact on small businesses and it is devastating. Just recently I have witnessed the hope vanish in the eyes of many business owners that were trying desperately to stay afloat. The pandemic has impacted them drastically in the ability to operate. Businesses are getting strangled with the current restrictions, and if continued, they will eventually be forced to close. If they do manage to stay open, they struggle to find employees. The labor pool has been completely diminished.

I am a parent of a 1st grade and 2 pre-k students. Remote learning cannot replace the in-person learning experience for our youngest students, and it is hurting them academically and socially. On top of that, it has put an enormous burden on parents. We need to maximize the opportunity for live instruction and interaction with peers. Tell PS130 to include Fridays in the 2 cohort hybrid learning plan.

President-Elect Biden's inauguration is just over a month away. And while Biden's inaugural committee has rightly rejected money from fossil fuel corporations, they're still planning to accept up to $1 million from individual corporations -- even though Barack Obama rejected corporate contributions for his inauguration in 2009. This inauguration will be different due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Instead of gala inaugural balls and parties happening in person, most of it will happen online. That should mean it's even less important than ever before to raise money from corporate interests to fund it. If the Biden-Harris administration is serious about “building back better” in a way that remedies the longstanding ills of the country, Joe Biden should not let corporate interests have this kind of unnecessary influence. Rejecting their contributions to the inauguration fund is a key step this administration can take to signal where their allegiances lie.

This is a letter from his mother- My name is Montye Benjamin I am the mother of Jayvis LeDell Benjamin. Jayvis was UNARMED and killed by officer Lynn Thomas of the Avondale Estates Police Department in Dekalb county Georgia. I would like the opportunity to share with you my experience seeking justice for my son. As his mother I will continue to be his Advocate and voice that was silence by officer Thomas who sentencing Jayvis to a roadside execution, being the judge and jury on the street. My journey includes many barriers that was put in place attempting to force me to quit or having no hope for justice with limited resources, legal counseling and mainly with little to no support from my community. On the night that my son was killed, a false narrative was given that he stole a car and assaulted officer who commanded him to get back in a wrecked car. I did not find out the truth until I appeared before the Grand Jury that my son only ran a red light. On January 18, 2013, Jayvis ran a red-light losing control of the car he was driving running into a telephone pole head on. Officer Thomas witness Jayvis running the light then calling into dispatch stating, “that guy is going 120 miles an hour, I am going to go look for him”. Upon arriving officer Thomas exits his patrol car approaches Jayvis and begin to pat both his left and right side appearing to decide either to use his tazer or gun. Officer Thomas then release from the holster his gun pointing it directly at Jayvis, before Jayvis exit the car. Jayvis then proceed to exit the car brushing away the broken window on the driver side, once he exits he then raised his hand up stating “Do ya’ll see this $h1#. Do see ya’ll see what he trying to do to me” repeatedly and then officer Thomas shouting, “get back into the car”. At no time did officer Thomas access for injuries from the impact of the car hitting the telephone pole. You can see that Jayvis was engaging with the people in the community that began to come out of their home because the power was knock out and the loud noise of the impact hitting the telephone pole. On April 30, 2015 a Grand Jury hearing “Strongly Advised Indictment” of Officer Thomas. On May 1, 2015 DA James announced during a press conference that a warrant would be issued for Officer Thomas and he would appear before a criminal grand jury. Almost a year later the Former DA presented an altered clip of the dash cam video, only showing Jayvis and not officer Thomas exiting the patrol car. Former DA Robert James ruled the shooting justified stating that he did not agree with the jury decision and they needed to be trained to evaluate a police involve shooting. The case was in the appellate court process because the judge dismissed the case. This decision was made on the altered video that was entered to the court and not the same one that was shown during the grand jury hearing. Five months after DA James rule the shooting justified Officer Thomas was promoted to chief of his department. Several request by me and my attorney’s to get the original dash cam video and we are yet to received it or our request has ever been honored. Jayvis and I have been “Denied Due Process”. I am so glad that I was able to view the dash cam video during the grand jury hearing, had I not seen it I would have never known the TRUTH. Jayvis should’ve received a traffic citation and a day in court, not a death sentence. There was no police chase, stolen car report or fitting any description. It wasn’t until after Jayvis was DEAD, that thomas came up with the stolen car report. Also, a background check was done on Jayvis after he was murdered and conducted by the GBI and the DA office showing he did not have any altercations or a criminal record with the justice system. It was the GBI investigator that actually motivated me to look deeper into Jayvis case. When I spoke with him he said that he could not discuss Jayvis case because of the open investigation by the DA office, but that I needed to request all copies of each investigation. The GBI completed their investigation March 2013, and the DA did not completed his until April 2015. For the justice system to function the way it does today I know I may not see justice in my life time but at least I do know the truth and he was murdered by lynn thomas. The only purpose of his badge, gun and uniform is to protect himself with the support of the court system that expect the average citizen to respect the very laws they are paid to enforce. I am presently requesting that Jayvis case be reopened with a special prosecutor and investigator with true transparency. I have been fighting Justice for Jayvis, for the last 7 years. I will continue to do so with my last breathe. My son was racially profiled and murdered with no accountability or remorse for life lost due to thomas incompetence and negligence. Thomas holding the position of chief has really taunted the respect, integrity and honor of the title chief.

On May 16, 2016, Jabril Robinson and his gf were having an altercation outside his gf’s mothers house. The gf’s mother called police wanting police to help de-escalate the fight, but she was quoted as saying, “If I knew they was gonna kill that young man I would have never got them police involved. Never. I love that boy like a son. God! God this is crazy!” She just wanted their help. Both Robinson’s gf and gf’s mother kept being questioned if Robinson had a gun multiple times even though they kept saying that he didn’t. Officers told the mother and gf that they would look for him, talk to him, and bring him back. When Clayton County Police Officer Charlie McDaniel and Dwayne Parkin spotted Robinson, he ran and they chased him behind the house where they shot him multiple times in the back. When he struggled to get up, they shot him in the back of the head. They were called to de-escalate, so why did Jabril Robinson end up dead? Sounds like Charlie McDaniel and Dwayne Parkin, who are civil officers, decided to take the law into their own hands over an argument between two civilians that they are meant to protect.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been named Ambassador to Japan, but he hasn't yet been confirmed for the position. Emanuel had an absolutely disastrous record as mayor between 2011 and 2019. His decisions and policies had a disproportionate and racist impact on Black communities, and his agenda aided corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working Chicagoans. To aid his re-election campaign in 2015, he suppressed video footage of the 2014 murder of a 17-year-old Black child, Laquan McDonald, by Chicago police. He made history by closing 50 public schools across Chicago, primarily in the majority-Black South Side and West Side communities of the city—the most school closures at one time in any school districts in the nation. During his first year in office, his administration shut down half of the public mental health clinics across Chicago. Soon after taking office, he eliminated the city’s Department of Environment, and as a result, environmental regulation dropped considerably. Communities of color throughout Chicago have borne the brunt of this decision, and thousands of people (primarily Black and Latinx families) have been exposed to chemical hazards and irritants as a result. And while his administration was consistently slashing public services and utilities, the city funded the construction of a brand-new, $95-million police academy on Chicago’s West Side. As mayor of Chicago, in addition to closing 50 schools, Emanuel repeatedly attacked public unions by supporting legislation that would make it harder for teachers to strike, laid off hundreds of school staff, and threatened to lay off hundreds of city employees in order to privatize some city services. Emanuel served big business and corporate interests throughout his time as mayor, and his decisions disproportionately harmed working families and communities of color. There's no reason why he should be rewarded with a public office, especially one in which he is representing the United States on a global stage. We are asking that President Biden withdraws Emanuel's nomination—and we're also calling on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to vote to oppose it.

It’s so important for students to learn about the lgbtqia+ community. We aren’t going away so instead of ignoring the fact we need to educate young students about this topic, teach about it. There’s so many adolescents that are apart of this community and for them to learn more about the history aspect and learn more about same sex sex etc. they would feel so much safer in an environment that shows they care.

The Trump Administration and members of the House and Republican Senators have refused to speak truth to power and have enabled POTUS are enabling a culture of violence. This includes William Barr. -Steve Bannon Former top Trump aide - Steve Bannon’s podcast was permanently suspended by Twitter and had an episode yanked from YouTube when he " implied that FBI Director Christopher Wray and government infectious-diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci should be beheaded and have their heads put on pikes outside the White House."( Mangan, CNBC. ) - Bannon lost his Twitter and YouTube accounts as well as his lawyer. Why isn't he being prosecuted? - Gabriel Sterling from the Georgia , Secretary of State Elections office called out Potus, the Republican Senators in Washington ( as well as those running for their seats in Georgia in January for egging on the party's base. - Sterling said , " Someone's going to get Killed", the Secretary of State is getting death threats and his wife is receiving sexually explicit threats. A young technician involved in transferring some files was threatened with a call to be "hanged for treason"! -This is a culture that has been promoted by the Trump Administration and his enablers. -POTUS may "speak in code", but "Stand back and Stand by" is proof that Trump supports violence for his own political purposes. -The Attorney General, William Barr , has done nothing to help this situation as an enabler to the President. He came out on December 1 and said there was no fraud in the election uncovered that would have changed the outcome of the election. Big deal. - Action needs to be taken right now. DiGenova and Bannon should not be protected for these statements under the First Amendment. They are threats about individuals who have spoken truth to power during their official duties to our federal government. - If Barr is not willing to do this then perhaps he needs to be disbarred as well. - This is the United States of America, not an episode of "the Godfather".

The invention of plastic in 1907 is considerably recent. Since then, it has started to accumulate in the environment, our water, our blood, and we have only recently learned some of the biggest consequences of this material. Only about 9% of plastic is ever recycled and 12 billion metric tons (13.2 billion US tons) will enter landfills or the environment by 2050 if current trends continue. Chemicals leached from some plastics used in food/beverage storage are harmful to human health. Correlations have been shown between levels of some of these chemicals, and an increased risk of problems such as chromosomal and reproductive system abnormalities, impaired brain and neurological functions, cancer, cardiovascular system damage, adult-onset diabetes, early puberty, obesity and resistance to chemotherapy. Many plastics contain phthalates (DEHP) and the chemical BPA., these chemicals make their way into our food and into our bodies. Both chemicals are potentially harmful to human hormones, reproductive systems, and early childhood development. Dangerous chemicals such as BPA are found in more than 90% of the human population. We know huge concentrations of plastic debris cover large swaths of the ocean, what we don't know is if the Mississippi has dodged this plastic infestation? The plastic mass between California and Hawaii is the size of the state of Texas. Sea creatures eat or get ensnared in plastic debris and can be killed or maimed. Plastic that is consumed by marine organisms, as well as the toxins they absorb from the water, accumulate up the food chain making seafood potentially dangerous for humans as well. According to a study by Plymouth University, one third of the fish caught in the UK had plastic inside.Scientists predict that if nothing changes in our plastic consumption habits, by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish (by weight). Each year, more than a million marine creatures and other birds and animals die from plastic pollution in their habitats.

These fish help control populations of pan fish that are destroying other fish’s reproduction. Fish such as the white perch eat bass fry and deplete the population. Tiger musky are apex predators integral to keeping a balance in their waterways. These fish cohabitate with pike populations and bring anglers to the area as a very desired sport fish.

We need people who represent the hard working, ethical people of North Dakota. Civil rights should be important to the people who represent us. The constitution was written for all!