• Camp displacements can cause unhoused neighbors to lose vital survival items. If replacing these items is even possible, it takes resources away from more sustainable homeless response solutions. Neighbors can also lose vital records such as photo IDs and Social Security cards, which are required for employment and housing and take heavy time and monetary resources to replace.  • Camp displacement – and the fear of displacement – can cause and worsen mental health conditions. In addition to creating feelings of dehumanization and traumatization, sweeps disrupt routine and can cause neighbors to be removed from existing social connections, which can worsen mental health stability.  • Camp displacements can cut neighbors off from life-saving medicine and care. While being displaced, neighbors can lose vital and hard-to-replace medical care for HIV, diabetes, hypertension, substance use and mental health conditions, and other conditions, harm reduction supplies, as well as equipment such as wheelchairs. If outreach staff cannot find neighbors after a camp displacement, these neighbors may also lose their only existing connection to services.  • Camp displacement can put residents into more dangerous and isolated environments. Following displacements, residents may seek safety in more isolated locations. In addition to being more difficult for service providers to access, these locations may lack safe water, bathroom facilities, and escape from the elements. This is especially dangerous if a camp displacement causes a loss of survival equipment that allows them to be protected while living outside in extreme weather.  • Camp displacements cost communities thousands of dollars. This includes personnel costs, medication and medical equipment replacement costs, and vital document replacement costs. Outreach to locate and rebuild trust with displaced neighbors requires additional costs and time. Our communities rise when we work to lift up our most vulnerable citizens. Please help us stand with our neighbors surviving outside to demand better for our city. We're all in this together! 

**Pilots, we need your support!** As you may have heard over and over again, there’s been some concern about the future of our right to grow and maintain well-groomed beards now that Hawaiian Airlines has joined the Alaska Airlines ohana. I have written a letter to Alaska management regarding this issue, and am hoping you'll help me emphasize it to those who make the decisions regarding .  The petition is not a PWA issue, but rather an FOM one. It is not tied to union negotiations or giving anything up in our contracts—it's simply about informing Alaska management that we, as pilots, believe we deserve to have the freedom to wear a well-groomed beard if we choose to. We're asking everyone—especially our female colleagues and those who choose not to grow beards—to show solidarity in support of this important issue. A well-groomed beard is part of many pilots' identities, and maintaining this right will help preserve that sense of individuality and pride. And for the bald guys (like me) let’s be honest, it's all we've got to add some semblance of style and good looks.  If not for me, do it for my wife! Let’s stand together and make sure our voices are heard. **Sign the petition today!**

The latest reports estimate this year’s Pentagon budget topline will be close to one TRILLION dollars. About half of that astronomical amount is slated to go straight to contractors, just like it has in years past. It’s meant BILLIONS for companies owned by Elon Musk — and there are BILLIONS yet to be made. Right now, U.S. tax dollars help fund the SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield satellites Musk created — and he’s turned those profits into the kind of enormous political and social power that include a role in the Trump administration. We all pay a steep price: In just the past year alone Elon Musk has used Starlink to disrupt Ukraine's military communications, leveraged Twitter to undermine democratic discourse across the globe, and created the America Pac, a political action committee where he and his cronies plowed unlimited amounts of money toward Donald Trump and MAGA Republican candidates. Next, Musk may very well be “regulating” the very governmental agencies who award lucrative government contracts to his companies It reeks of corruption — but we’ll need a groundswell of grassroots activism to break this feedback loop in its tracks. The Pentagon is accountable to Congress and the public. That’s why we’re working to send Defense Secretary Austin a message tens of thousands of people strong. Join us.

Fellow Tulsa Public Schools Parents and Guardians, We need your support to ensure that our classrooms remain places of learning, inclusivity, and growth—not platforms for political agendas. We have created a petition urging Tulsa Public Schools leaders to reject this mandate. By signing, you can join us in demanding that political rhetoric stays out of our classrooms. Let’s ensure our children’s education remains focused on their growth and future, not the ambitions of elected officials.

What significance does Thrive House Shelter hold for both me and others? The Thrive House Shelter provides a supportive shelter serving as a vital safe haven for countless black and brown trans women who are survivors of violence.  This shelter is a crucial step in addressing the unique challenges faced by transgender individuals, particularly Black and Brown trans women who often encounter homelessness and violence. The Thrive House was founded by Sarah Pope and Maxine Tory aims to provide a safe, trauma-informed environment who have experienced homelessness as Sarah herself, emphasizes the need for a dedicated space where trans individuals can access temporary housing, meals, healthcare, and emergency support services. The shelter is designed to be a sanctuary where individuals can find not only physical safety but also the resources necessary for long-term stability and well-being. Sarah Pope's vision for Thrive House Safety is rooted in her personal experiences and a deep commitment to making a tangible difference. She explains, “So many people have talked about building a safe space and the lack of housing for black and Bbown trans women, but nobody has actually tried to make an effort to change this. I didn’t want to keep talking about it. Let’s actually do something about it.” “This place allows me to truly be myself without any constraints.” “This space holds a deep sense of sacredness for me and my sisters, allowing us to strengthen our bond and inspire one another. ” “This is a place I can always rely on. It’s a welcoming space where black and brown trans femmes can find solace, nourishment, and camaraderie. ” “Thrive House is the sanctuary where I truly thrive. ” “Thrive House opened their doors when I was homeless ” “There is no other shelter safe for trans women this is why Thrive House is so important ” .

Regardless of your politics and irrespective of how you voted, we must let Congress know we expect the nominees be vetted to protect this Nation!

Over the next four years, roughly 250 circuit and district court judges are, or will become, eligible for senior status. On top of the current and known future vacancies in states with two Republican senators, there is a very real chance that Trump will get to appoint another 200+ lower-court judges. Not to mention the fact that, depending on retirements at the highest level of our judicial system, he will also likely get to appoint at least two more Supreme Court justices.  The effects of this cannot be overstated. We’ve already seen the damage the current Trump justices and judges have unleashed on our civil rights. For instance:  • All three Trump Supreme Court justices were part of the majority in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. • Judge James Ho (5th Cir.) was part of the Fifth Circuit’s opinion that would have sharply curtailed access to mifepristone, the abortion pill. He also wrote a dissent in the case, where he would have gone even further than the majority opinion in some respects. • Trump’s circuit court judges have repeatedly authored or joined anti-worker opinions, including cases which made it harder to file discrimination claims.   There is a very real possibility in four years' time that a majority of the justices and roughly half of all active lower-court judges will be Trump appointees. This is our last chance to act to confirm judges who will help protect our fundamental rights and serve as the last line of defense to uphold our nation’s laws and the Constitution.

Senate Republicans have chosen Senator John Thune to lead them next Congress. And much like his predecessor, Senator Mitch McConnell, one main “qualification” for the job comes at all of our expense: raking in millions of dollars in Big Money donations. That’s right: the incoming Senate Majority Leader built his candidacy around raising $31 million for the GOP this cycle and setting a new record for the largest transfer of money from his personal campaign to other Senate Republicans.  But Thune hardly stands out – in order to be serious contenders, Thune and the other Senators running had to prove they could keep the campaign cash flowing from the fossil fuel industry, big banks, private health insurers, and other special interests. • A primary selling point for Senator John Cornyn was raising over $400 million for the GOP in his career, including $33 million this cycle.  • And Senator Rick Scott, who’s also independently rich after co-founding the nation's largest for-profit healthcare company, is a leading advocate for essentially ending Medicare and the Affordable Care Act – hardly a coincidence.  • They have big shoes to fill, as Senator Mitch McConnell raised over $1 billion for the GOP during his time as Senate Majority Leader and Minority Leader.  The unfortunate truth is that no matter who got selected, Big Money is the real winner – which means the rest of us lose. Wealthy special interests shouldn’t have this big of a say in our democracy; that power belongs to the people. Common Cause knows this status quo must end – which is why we’re fighting to overturn Citizens United and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act.   These critical measures would help shine a light on secret political spending, get Big Money out of politics, and establish small-dollar citizen funded elections – giving ordinary Americans a stronger say in our democracy. Join us in calling on Congress to END the Citizens United era and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the DISCLOSE Act!

President-elect Trump just announced on social media he is nominating election denier and far-right ideologue Rep. Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. If you’re familiar with Matt Gaetz, you already know he belongs nowhere near the Department of Justice, except as a defendant. Here’s what you need to know about Matt Gaetz, and why he simply cannot be allowed to be confirmed as Attorney General: • Rep. Gaetz was one of Donald Trump’s point men in Congress during the deadly January 6th attack – voting to overturn the 2020 election results from the wreckage later that day, and in the months that followed to shield Trump and the insurrectionists he led from accountability. • He’s also an anti-voter extremist – introducing bills to purge eligible voters and even threatening to shut down the government to pass his voter suppression agenda. That’s why he earned a “perfect” score of zero on our 2024 Democracy Scorecard.  • And, his words and actions prove he’s not up to the task of ensuring all Americans are treated equally – he called for violence against racial justice protestors in the summer of 2020, and openly promoted the white supremacist “Great Replacement Theory” the next year.  Attorney General of the United States is one of the executive branch’s most important roles – overseeing the Department of Justice, upholding the rule of law, and enforcing civil and voting rights protections. We already knew the Department of Justice was going to be on Trump’s target list – he swore revenge after they did their jobs and held him to the same laws every other American follows. But Matt Gaetz is, without exaggeration, one of the most extreme choices Trump could have made. We can’t let it stand. Here’s the good news: with a record as tarnished and controversial as Matt Gaetz’s, Senate confirmation is anything but a done deal. We need to speak out IMMEDIATELY to demand Senators put country before party and stop him. Can you add your name today?

Many of the problems faced by the African American, Black, Nubian citizens of America require economic solutions. Addressing and closing the racial wealth gap will allow these citizens to protect themselves from predatory lending and compete fairly in the global economy.  Policies of the federal state and local governments like discrimination in public assistance, redlining, higher interest rates based on race, and lower market value for goods and services have placed black American in a secondary and subordinate economic class.  It stands to reason that policy can undo these problems. #ReparationsNow 

President-elect Trump has repeatedly vowed to conduct the “largest deportation effort in American history” and plans to mobilize the military and National Guard to raid our communities. These plans are instilling fear in our immigrant neighbors and, if carried out, will traumatize families through cruel separation efforts. We must prepare NOW to protect our immigrant neighbors’ safety and rights in the face of mass deportation efforts. The election results are not a mandate for cruelty. Governors and local governments have the ability to take strong, proactive countermeasures to protect immigrant communities immediately. Together, we can make sure our local governments are prepared to mount a defense and blunt the worst of Trump’s white supremacist plans. Governors and local governments can immediately implement these crucial policies to protect our immigrant communities:  • Use sanctuary measures that prevent the use of state and local resources in ICE’s deportation and detention operations • Prepare a coordinated response to mass raids by convening a task force to communicate when and where deportations are taking place and funding emergency resources, such as legal clinics, for deportation defense • Expand and publicize state assistance programs, including medical care and food assistance, for mixed-status families and undocumented immigrants in the event Trump cuts basic services to noncitizens  It’s imperative that our local officials take Trump at his word and his record. His anti-immigrant agenda goes beyond mass deportations—it includes cutting constitutional rights like birthright citizenship and cutting critical public benefits for U.S. citizen children while ramping up the militarization needed to enforce his cruel policies. In the face of these devastating policies, our local governments must step into their power as the first line of defense in protecting our immigrant communities. Will you sign the petition to tell Democratic governors to take decisive action NOW to prevent mass deportations and protect immigrants? Photo: WEYE-TV

Eliminating brokers from the trucking industry is important to support the sustainability and fairness of the market for those who actually perform the job. Carriers, especially small and independent operators, are the backbone of the trucking industry, yet they face substantial challenges. Starting a carrier company requires a huge financial investment, adherence to strict safety regulations, and substantial ongoing operational costs. Brokers, on the other hand, enter the market with minimal investment, yet can take 30-50% of the total payment for a load, sometimes making more than the carrier who handles the transport. This puts carriers at a significant disadvantage, affecting their ability to sustain their businesses and, in many cases, driving them to bankruptcy. Without regulation on broker profit margins or transparency into broker payouts from shippers, carriers have no clear understanding of what the actual market rates are. When they try to get this information, they risk being blacklisted by brokers. This lack of transparency and control by brokers creates a system that is unfairly biased against the carrier. Moreover, brokers often have cost-cutting advantages by outsourcing work to call centers abroad, while recent regulations prevent U.S. carriers from hiring dispatchers outside the country. This disparity further erodes the competitiveness of actual carriers, who are already stretched thin due to high operational costs and market uncertainties. The removal of brokers would help restore market balance, allowing carriers to negotiate directly with shippers and ensure they receive fair compensation for their work. By reducing the need for middlemen, the industry could support the financial health of carriers, reduce unnecessary fees, and provide more stability. In a low-rate market, every dollar matters, and eliminating brokers would allow carriers to retain a fairer share of the earnings, ultimately fostering a stronger and more equitable trucking industry.