DOGS ARE THE CURE TO THE WORLD. NOT ONLY WILL JACK BE SAVING THIS ANGEL FROM THE FOSTER SYSTEM, BUT HIS HOME WILL BE BLESSED WITH THE SWEETEST BUNDLE OF LOVE.

Absent peace in Ukraine, our countries face escalating confrontation, with grievous additional harm to its population and great risk to the world. Peace requires courageous mold breaking cooperation and reciprocity between Russia and the US in accord with the interests of the government and people of Ukraine. Nuclear plants, humanitarian corridors and safe zones must be secured immediately by UN peace keepers. Following a cease fire, President Putin must withdraw with dispatch all Russian forces from Ukraine. President Biden can create an atmosphere for peace by declaring that the US does not support Ukraine’s membership in NATO and stationing of weapons with offensive potential. Following the precedent of the global solution to the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Biden should end the US embargo and other regime change actions in Cuba just as President Putin abandons such pressure and aspirations for Ukraine. Russia should end its claim to the Donbas and the US should return the land of the Guantanamo base and prison to Cuba. Secretary of State Blinken’s worthy sentiments apply as much to the US with Cuba and Venezuela as they do to Russia with Ukraine and Georgia: "the principle that one country can’t dictate to another the choices that its citizens would make about their future; the principle that we’re past the time of spheres of influence where one country subjugates its neighbors to its will. *********************************** The Mariupole Theater pictured above is reported to have sheltered at least 500 civilians and been visibly marked "children". It was attacked on the 54th anniversary of the My Lai Massacre. Local authorities say over 300 people died in the theater; 504 were killed in My Lai. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/25/ukraine-russia-war-mariupol-theater-death-toll/ *********************************** Additional background on the Ukraine-Cuba link is here https://cubapeopletopeople.blogspot.com/2022/02/cuba-and-ukraine-personal-reflections.html

These policies and practices include: (1) Calvin University prohibits staff and faculty members from being in queer relationships through an unclear and dated rule. Calvin University sees “sexual relations” as only being permissible in the context of marriage which they define as only being between “a man and a woman”. A sexual relationship outside of this traditional marriage is not recognized by Calvin University as being a legitimate marriage. Therefore any staff or faculty members in queer relationships and/or marriages will be terminated on the grounds that they are committing “sexual misconduct”. (2) Calvin University consistently lacks adequate support for their LGBTQ+ students and is not transparent about a lack of supports when recruiting LGBTQ+ students to attend the school. Calvin University publicly brands themself as a Christian university that provides more support and safety for LGBTQ+ students in comparison to other, “more conservative” Christian universities. They do this by publicly advertising the supports the school offers for LGBTQ+ students such as a peer support group - Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA), a therapy group through Calvin’s Center for Counseling and Wellness - Without Shame, and a Sexuality Series Director, a position that has not been filled at a full-time capacity in several years, making it ill-equipped to support LGBTQ+ students and their needs. (3) Calvin University does not allow LGBTQ+ students to enter certain leadership positions at the university if they are in “same-sex relationships”. The positions include most notably being a resident assistant in university dorms, but this is not the only leadership position LGBTQ+ students are barred from. (4) Calvin University refuses to allow staff and faculty allies to publicly advocate for LGBTQ+ rights without repercussions and consequences to their careers at Calvin University (denying tenure, reappointment, etc.). Calvin University’s discriminatory policies and practices: (1) Create a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people in the Calvin University community, including LGBTQ+ faculty, staff, students, allies, and potential candidates for hire. (2) Directly harm LGBTQ+ people and their allies in the Calvin community by ending the careers of LGBTQ+ staff and faculty. (3) Jeopardize the careers of allies who affirm and seek justice for LGBTQ+ folks in the Calvin community and elsewhere. These policies fuel anxiety, a fear of speaking up, and uncertainty among Calvin faculty and staff. Some faculty and staff have seen their LGBTQ+ colleagues leave or be dismissed from the Calvin community, but they cannot speak up about it for fear of jeopardizing their careers. (4) Increase feelings of shame among LGBTQ+ people across the Calvin community. Calvin University’s partial affirmation of LGBTQ+ identities but not relationships, leaves many LGBTQ+ folks at Calvin feeling ashamed of themselves, isolated, lonely, and wrong. It furthermore may intensify mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. (5) Create a toxic culture where LGBTQ+ people and their rights are debated across campus – dehumanizing LGBTQ+ people into an issue and invalidating their worth as people. (6) Bar the majority of LGBTQ+ people, including Calvin alumni, from working at the university – effectively limiting any diversity in gender identity or sexual orientation in the staff/faculty makeup at the school. This lack of diversity limits the work and perspectives that Calvin University has. It also sends the message that no matter what gifts and great contributions a person has or may offer Calvin University, their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, bars any contribution to the institution. Calvin University must STOP their discriminatory policies now! They must stop harming, silencing, and traumatizing LGBTQ+ people and their allies. This petition was created by Calvin Alumni Lindsay Owens and Grace Swanson.

The FIRST robotics programs have long been a safe haven for students who don't fit anywhere else. They also seek to deliberately increase the diversity in the STEM workforce, believing that more voices lead to better and stronger technical solutions. This is a moment for FIRST to stand behind their Youth Protection Program and their Diversity and Inclusion policies to ensure that transgender youth in Texas or visiting Texas feel safe to participate in this valuable program.

To address the health hazards, and environmental concerns, social and environmental injustice to the Wai'anae community. To make right what has been wrong for so long for our Kupunas and future generations to come.

This is the petition we’ll deliver to our governor, legislators, regulators, the Attorney General, the Auditor General, and other elected and appointed officials during the Pennsylvania Climate Convergence in Harrisburg this June.

Over 3 million people have fled Ukraine in the month since Russia invaded, and experts estimate that number could double in the coming months.[1] So far, European nations have responded quickly to shelter the refugee population, but the US may soon need to welcome Ukrainians fleeing war. The US isn’t ready. That’s because Trump’s actions lowering the number of refugees the US accepts to the lowest level in history are still in place. Congress must act now so that the US is ready to welcome refugees fleeing danger in Ukraine — and all other parts of the world. Short term, that means designating specific refugee slots for Ukrainians. Long term, it means creating a humane immigration system by increasing the refugee cap, investing in resettlement programs, and demilitarizing the immigration system by defunding ICE and the border patrol. Congress must reverse the US’s history of hostility to refugees!

Most people think sending money to a friend or family member in need is a personal matter, but ICE disagrees. We just found out that ICE has been collecting personal financial data on millions of people who use money transfer services like Western Union.1 ICE can use this data to try to target immigrants who send money back to their families, and potentially deport them. The federal government should never be in the business of spying on people who are just trying to financially help their friends and family. Sign the petition: Tell Congress and President Biden to ban ICE surveillance of money orders and cash transfers! For millions of people in California, Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas, who recently used a money order service, like Western Union, their personal information and the personal information of the person they sent money to likely ended up in a database without them even knowing – a database that is shared with ICE and other law enforcement agencies. Since 2019, ICE used administrative subpoenas to money order and cash transfer companies like Western Union to collect sender and recipient names and addresses. This essentially criminalizes people for not having bank accounts, and specifically targets immigrant communities of all kinds for the commonplace practice of sending remittances back to family members. Once Senator Wyden started asking questions about the program, ICE shut it down.2 That’s because ICE has gotten so out of control that they don’t stop to question whether their actions are legal or not – they’re just out to hunt down, detain, and deport as many immigrants as they can. This has to stop. ICE has consistently proved that they will abuse any amount of power given to them. That’s why Congress and President Biden need to act now to specifically and permanently ban ICE from spying on people’s private financial data. Sign the petition: Tell Congress and President Biden to ban ICE surveillance of money orders and cash transfers! Sources: 1. Buzzfeed, “ICE Conducted Sweeping Surveillance Of Money Transfers Sent To And From The US, A Senator Says,” March 8, 2022. 2. Ibid.

Even as the price of gas per barrel is well below recent records, gas prices remain high.1 That’s because oil and gas companies are gouging consumers, and taking advantage of the war in Ukraine to rake in as much profit as possible. Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill that cuts to the heart of the problem: corporate profiteering. The Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax will stop price gouging at the pumps by forcing oil and gas companies to share their recording-breaking profits with consumers.2 This can’t wait, tell your elected officials to pass this bill and stop gas price gouging. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to tax oil and gas companies and stop price gouging at the pumps! Senator Elizabeth Warren’s bill would take on price gouging. The Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax would tax the big oil companies and also go a step further: by using that revenue to give Americans a rebate to offset how much soaring gas prices hit people’s pocketbooks. If oil and gas companies had their way, every major news event would trigger unnecessary gas price hikes at the pumps, and squeeze new record profits out of the hands of everyday Americans. We have to put a stop to this. Sign the petition: Tell Congress to tax oil and gas companies and stop price gouging at the pumps! Sources: 1. Newsweek, “Oil Prices Are Dropping — Will Gas Prices Go Down, Too?,” March 14, 2022. 2. Truthout, “Warren Says Democrats Are Working on a Bill to Tax Big Oil’s Windfall Profits,” March 9, 2022.

The United Farm Workers elected farm worker leadership requested to meet with Gov. Newsom on Cesar Chavez Day. The Governor has chosen to not meet with farm workers elected by their peers. Farm workers are speaking up. A worker delegation will go to Sacramento to meet with the state Latino Caucus on March 31. Support them by signing their petition today. Farm workers will make it clear to CA's Gov. Newsom that a living legacy to Cesar is not just proclamations and holidays. It's meeting with those most impacted when making public policy decisions. It's taking decisive steps to make real change. Last year Gov. Newsom vetoed their landmark bill which would have granted farm workers the same voting options California voters have enjoyed for years. These are the same voting choices that Governor Newsom used to defeat the Republican recall in 2021, including giving people the option of casting ballots in the comfort and security of their own homes. His veto came despite huge support for the bill in both state houses. The 50 billion dollar agricultural industry has strong opposition to the bill. Farm worker Francisco Naranjo organized support for the bill last year. He is committed to making this law happen saying, "Without this law farm workers don't have a fighting chance. Growers will continue to manipulate the process and intimidate us to take away our voice. Being allowed the privilege to vote offsite would allow farm workers to make their own decision and vote for a union with its benefits without supervisors' interference." Farm workers ask people to listen to them, to join in conversation, and to help their voices be heard by those in power. Sign the petition asking Governor Newsom to sign the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act.

This is a significant step to protect our health and our children.

The CannaJustice Coalition leading this work in VA is proudly partnering with Minorities for Medical Marijuana and Morring Law firm here in the Commonwealth to push this message forward. Legalization can be a way to dismantle the War on Drugs or re-activate it. As the number four reason for deportation and the reason why many are barred from housing, education and employment, we must legislate legalization that makes the public feel safe, and ensure police are not targeting them for a legal substance. As of August 31, 2021, the state is responsible for incarcerating 570 people for 599 marijuana-related offenses. There are 229 people incarcerated with a non-drug related Most Serious Offense (MSO), 331 people incarcerated with Drug Sales MSO and 10 people incarcerated with Drug Possession MSO with their families sooner. There are even more of our loved ones on community supervision due to marijuana that need to be set free from surveillance. Cannabis expert, Shaleen Title, explains that this a crucial and vulnerable moment for the future of the cannabis market. While states are making historic progress creating paths for small businesses and disenfranchised groups, larger companies are expanding, consolidating, and lobbying for licensing rules to create or maintain oligopolies. Federal legalization will only accelerate the power grab already happening with new, larger conglomerates openly expressing interest. Left unchecked, this scramble for market share threatens to undermine public health and safety and undo bold state-level efforts to build an equitable cannabis marketplace and reduce the impact of disproportionate policing. Virginia must recognize our role in protecting our people but also our place in the federal legalization conversation that stands up to exploitative businesses and demands an equitable return for those impacted by the racist War on Drugs.