Adjacent to the Malcolm X Library is the Elementary Institute of Science. Both locations serve hundreds of school age youth throughout the week and on Saturdays. During the school year, EIS programs serve all 4th and 5th grade students from the surrounding 11 Lincoln Cluster community schools and after-school and summer programs serve children 2nd through 8th grades. In short, EIS is open year-round for young students in the community. The proposed site at the Malcolm X Library is set to be activated as an overnight Safe Parking site with 120 spaces available. This is more than other safe parking sites that have 60-84 parking spots, thus creating a site almost twice the size of any other in San Diego. Combined with the newly built Live Well Center across the street, traffic will greatly increase. This will include people seeking County benefits and the influx of new employees along with library traffic, and student drop off and pick up at EIS. Thus, creating major congestion issues at the intersection of Euclid and Market. The southeast community is sympathetic to the enormous housing crisis in San Diego and all the people and entities impacted by it. EIS works very hard to provide a safe learning environment for the students. Illegal dumping, human waste, needles, trespassing, and vandalism are already common occurrences in the area and it costs EIS thousands of dollars annually to clean the surrounding area. We know from experience that parents value their children's safety first and foremost, more than literacy and science enrichment. If the corner where the library and Live Well Center sits turns into a hub of unhoused people, they will not bring their children to the library or to EIS for educational opportunities. Please encourage the City of San Diego to be part of the solution to the problem of homelessness...not a problem to the community.

A fight over the future of Maui is coming. Opportunists are already seeking to capitalize on Lāhainā and Maui’s crisis to profit as Maui rebuilds. The Big Money special interests who have held back progress in our islands for too long and helped create the conditions for our current mess can not be the ones to profit or lead us on the way out. We know that as we rebuild, we need to return the power, and rights to our land and water, to the people who give life to Lāhainā. Government and developers need to empower us to decide what’s next, and if they don’t, we will rise up together to fight for what's ours. Image credit: Tiffany Kidder Winn | AP

Black teachers have been shown to have a positive impact on all student academic and social outcomes. Having just one Black teacher increases students chances of going to college and reduces the numbers of suspension & expulsions. In Clark County only 7% of teachers are Black creating an ongoing crisis that disproportionately impacts our most vulnerable populations. SNBEI has declared the lack of Black teachers a state of emergency and has created the ABV Critical Mentorship Program to help retain Black teachers in Clark County School District. Among the program's standout achievements are the 15 ABV mentees who have successfully completed their mentorship journey and subsequently embraced licensed teaching positions within the Clark County School District. This accomplishment not only speaks to the effectiveness of the program but also underscores its pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of educators. The ABV Mentors program has also been established as a valuable mechanism for retaining both new licensed educators who serve as ABV mentees and veteran educators who serve as ABV mentors. This dual approach not only supports the growth and development of new educators but also leverages the experience and expertise of seasoned mentors However ABV Mentors are currently unable to earn CU's for their time and effort, while similar programs are able to earn credits. These credits translate to higher pay for mentors, which can increase retention and participation in the program. SNBEI is petitioning the district to allow ABV Mentors to earn credits equal to what other mentorship programs allow. Denial of credit is an equity issue that is discriminatory towards Black teachers.

Each year, more than 500 million plastic bags are discarded. Most people do not think about where this plastic goes, but the truth is, it never goes away. The amount of plastic on the planet is growing. It clogs up the rivers and oceans, chokes animals, enters the air, and contributes to pointless mass production. A simple 5 cent tax on single use plastic bags may seem like a small effort, but it would benefit the environment greatly. It would help people to only take what they really need, and stop over production ie double bagging, if there is a price involved.

The United States is in a housing crisis, leaving 7.3 million low-income renters nationwide without access to affordable housing, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. This crisis disproportionately affects marginalized communities of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx renters, as well as women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. Addressing this crisis is a matter of justice and equity. Why repurpose empty office buildings? It isn’t just about convenience, it’s also about sustainability. Construction accounts for 11% of global carbon emissions. By repurposing office buildings into affordable housing, we can ensure millions of Americans access the housing they need while reducing the strain construction puts on the environment. The power of change lies in legislative action! Cities and states can pass legislation to reduce the barriers to converting office buildings into affordable housing, including streamlining permitting processes, revising zoning laws, establishing tax exemptions and abatements, and creating funding and grants to drive and incentivize conversions.

Just this year, Republicans, led by Governor DeSantis in Florida, have passed horrifying legislation that targets, attacks, and undermines the rights of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities as well as immigrants, queer people, trans and nonbinary people, and women. Florida is no longer safe for many of these communities. Last year, DeSantis used over $600,000 in taxpayer dollars to lure 50 Venezuelan asylum seekers onto a flight to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Families, including children, were transported across state lines under false pretenses. DeSantis signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill into law and extended it through 12th grade. He blocked an African American studies AP course for students. He signed violent anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans legislation into law. And most recently, Florida’s Board of Education approved new guidelines that claim that Black people benefited from slavery. It is absolutely repugnant, and unsurprisingly, when there was backlash, Ron DeSantis doubled down and defended those guidelines. DeSantis has abandoned Floridians, focused on his own political gain at the expense of the people he vowed to govern. Under his so-called leadership, Floridians have struggled through an ongoing health care crisis, soaring rent prices, and rising costs of everyday necessities like groceries and utilities. And instead of focusing on providing relief for individuals and families, DeSantis’s priority has been to pass racist, homophobic, and transphobic legislation. There must be consequences for all of the havoc that DeSantis has caused, but instead, the Orlando Magic is fueling his hatred and bigotry, and is bankrolling his campaign at the expense of our most vulnerable communities. If we come together, we can put an end to this and demand that the Orlando Magic commit to not giving DeSantis’s campaign another dollar to advance his dangerous agenda.

Junk fees are squeezing the middle class, taking money out of their pockets and putting it in the hands of predatory landlords And these are not small nuisance fees attached to luxury items — Americans are being overrun by junk fees in critical sectors, like housing. Consumers deserve live without the fear of unexpected or unexplained fees surprising them around every corner. It's time to eliminate bogus junk fees! Add your name to demand our government put consumers first.

Junk fees are squeezing the middle class, taking money out of their pockets and putting it in the hands of big businesses. And these are not small nuisance fees attached to luxury items — Americans are being overrun by junk fees in critical sectors, like banking. Consumers deserve the freedom to bank without the fear of unexpected or unexplained fees surprising them around every corner. It's time to eliminate bogus junk fees! Add your name to demand our government put consumers before corporations.

In recent months we’ve seen record numbers of flight cancellations and skyrocketing ticket prices. The way the airlines mistreat passengers and workers alike makes clear: big airline corporations have too much power already. 
We’re tired of paying up for unexpected and hidden fees. While lower-income Americans are already struggling to pay bills, corporations (like Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines) are racking up and expecting record profits. 
 It's time to subtract junk fees from our lives! We've had enough. The time for us to finally tackle corporate greed is now, and this is just the beginning. If you're tired of corporations increasing their fees and lining corporate executives' pockets, sign the petition!

Trump has been indicted four times—twice by the Department of Justice, once by state of New York, and once by state of Georgia. A grand jury of everyday Americans in each of these cases reviewed the evidence and came to the conclusion that Trump must be charged for these crimes. These are critical steps toward holding Trump accountable. However, Trump has not explicitly been charged for inciting an insurrection on January 6, 2021. Trump summoned a group of white supremacist, extremist supporters to Washington, D.C., to interrupt the certification of the 2020 election results, encouraging violence and mayhem. It’s imperative that the Department of Justice open a new investigation into these crimes. The January 6 investigation committee in the House of Representatives already made a criminal referral to the DOJ recommending that Trump be charged for the January 6 insurrection. He's been impeached. Now, the DOJ must finish the job and charge him for insurrection, too. Our democracy depends on it. Photo by Jim Bourg/REUTERS

Not only the accessibility of a groundbreaking medication for postpartum depression at stake but also the fundamental principle that healthcare should be a right, not a luxury. The estimated exorbitant price of Zurzuvae threatens to deny countless parents the relief they desperately need during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. By signing this petition, we are sending a strong message to pharmaceutical companies that the well-being of individuals should never be compromised for profit margins. This is a pivotal moment to demand a change in the pharmaceutical industry's practices, to ensure that essential medical advancements are accessible to all, regardless of their financial status.

Allowing students to park on campus offers a myriad of benefits that enhance their overall college experience. First and foremost, convenient parking facilities alleviate the stress and time constraints that commuting students often face, or even UK's classified 'residential students' due to how large our campus is. By providing ample parking spaces, educational institutions create a more accessible and inclusive environment, enabling students to attend classes, participate in extracurricular activities, and engage with campus resources without the hassle of off-campus parking. Moreover, on-campus parking fosters a stronger sense of belonging and community, as students can easily connect with peers and engage in impromptu discussions or collaborative projects. It also contributes to campus safety, as students don't need to walk long distances in potentially unsafe areas or during unfavorable weather conditions. Allowing students to park on campus ultimately promotes student well-being, academic success, and campus vibrancy by facilitating seamless navigation and engagement within the university environment. Further, not all apartments, houses, townhouses, etc. around Lexington offer parking for their residents, let alone visitor parking. Lex park is no longer available around UK South campus, only closer to downtown. If students need to work, drive to class, go to the store, and other basic living necessities, where are they able to park their cars overnight without being towed, or ticketed by UK? Furthermore, what about our out-of-state student population that makes the commitment of high tuition but has no parking accommodation? What about our working students that need vehicle accessibility to pay towards their tuition and/or rent? How do these students efficiently commute to their place of work in order to sustain income for their education and living? Why are these students forced to struggle as UK transportation refuses to accommodate with any type of local parking availability on campus? Why is student parking not prioritized? Why are the STUDENTS that need to park NOT prioritized?