Save lives, allow first-degree family members to request a hold for an emergency mental health evaluation and/or treatment if schizophrenia is known or suspected.

As dedicated, hard-working Northeastern PhD students, we demand equal stipend rates for all. Therefore, we urge the College of Social Sciences and Humanities to equalize current students’ stipends to those of the new incoming class.

I urge our supervisors to address the unprecedented funding crisis in our county libraries and provide $1.2 million (just 9%) of the current record budget surplus to restore Monday hours. Our wealthy county has seen library hours slashed from 70 per week in 1981 to 52 in 2011, then down to just 40 hours a week this year. It is inconsistent with the values of our education-loving citizens to deprive our community of this vital public service.

On the morning of Monday, June 21, 2021, after parents waved good-bye to their children as they were happily greeted by their teachers, PIH informed the families and staff of PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital Childcare Center (“The Center”) that “after much consideration” a decision was made for us (not with us, or by us) to permanently close The Center on August 20, 2021. During a time when daycare is essential, families and staff alike are in shock, disbelief, and under incredible stress from PIH’s bewildering decision. The COVID-19 Pandemic halted our economy with extraordinary volumes of layoffs, leaving families with little to no income and depleted savings. Essential workers and parents working from home who were fortunate to still be employed had the added responsibility of taking care of their children during work hours as the COVID-19 “stay-at-home” guidelines set by the state and county governments forced many schools and childcare centers to close their doors. However, the PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital (PIH-GSH) Childcare Center was one of the few centers that continued to provide a critical service for the families who have needed daycare, including PIH’s own nurses, doctors and hospital employees. We call on the Board of Directors of PIH Good Samaritan Hospital and the Board of Directors of PIH Health Properties to strongly reconsider the closure of a community benefit and keep the GSH Childcare Center open. We ask that they: (1) Allow The Center to remain open until the end of the year to attempt to increase enrollment numbers comparable or exceeding that of pre-pandemic enrollment numbers. (2) Allow The Center to hire more staff to accommodate maximum enrollment (3) Continue the efforts of past directors to complete the national accreditation of The Center (https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation) Should the decision to close the GSH Daycare remain, we ask that they: (1) Pay The Center staff all their accrued time off (vacation, etc.) and guarantee a comprehensive severance package (2) Provide workforce training for teachers and staff to support them in transitioning to other roles in the hospital. (3) Guarantee that any new development project includes a childcare center for PIH staff and the surrounding community (4) Extend the closure date to December 31, 2021 to allow parents enough time to find alternative care (5) Provide a stipend to PIH employees whose children will be displaced to cover registration fees and 2 months tuition.

We are calling on Chipotle to stop putting profits before the safety of its workers and customers. Now is the time to provide sufficient pay and protective equipment to keep everyone in your stores safe.

Dear Honorable State Legislators, CRISIS: is any event that is, or is expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community, or whole society. Our MITO Community is being told that we must prove mitochondrial disease is a crisis before our legislators will listen to us, take our unmet needs and struggles seriously, and help us. We are also being told our MITO population numbers aren’t significant enough, and the healthcare system simply can’t afford to help us. None of these reasons/excuses justify inaction for, or exclusion of, our MITO Community. Isn’t it a crisis when the lives and wellbeing of those living with mitochondrial disease don’t matter, and are repeatedly ignored by those who have it within their power to help us? Isn’t it a crisis when nobody recognizes mitochondrial disease for the serious, debilitating and life-threatening condition it is; denying us the same level of care and services those affected by equally devastating diseases (such as cancer or Aids) have? ISN’T THIS THE TRUE CRISIS! It’s not a matter of if our MITO Community is in a state of crisis, but that it has been in a state of crisis and nobody has been willing to do anything about it! Is it not crisis enough to stand by and watch our loved ones struggle day in and day out, slowly deteriorating before our eyes, from this terrible life altering and incurable disease? Is it not enough of a crisis already when we lose our loved ones to this horrific disease? Is it not crisis enough to lose all financial stability, to have to go without medications and services, go through bankruptcy, live in fear of losing our homes, and never have enough money to make ends meet without reaching out to family members and our communities? Is it not crisis enough to go without adequate appropriate medical care and support services regularly, needing to travel out of state to see numerous specialists, repeatedly being hospitalized for one problem after another stemming from mitochondrial disease? Is it not enough of a crisis for mitochondrial diseases to be so poorly understood, and for there to be so few doctors trained and capable of caring for MITO patients that the majority of MITO patients and their families are inconceivably underserved? All too often we are abandoned and/or mistreated by healthcare providers, left all alone to deal with this chronic and complex disease the best way we can. In addition, often times we are accused of Medical Abuse /Munchausen’s by proxy or of everything being in our head when seeking medical care. These situations can, at times, reach criminal levels, but nobody stands up for our rights! These traumatic experiences scar us and hurt us deeply, causing many to stop seeking help. Is it not crisis enough to watch this terrible disease destroy our families? By nature, mitochondrial diseases cast overwhelming despair, uncertainty and instability on the whole family. Mitochondrial disease and the multitude of unique often unexplainable problems associated with it, in of itself, is crisis enough to deal with! Many families, including my own, have multiple members affected compounding this crisis! What kind of a world do we live in that doesn’t consider MITO a CRISIS? I hope that you will agree with me that MITO IS A CRISIS and the time to act is now!!! Catherine LaFond-Evans Founder of MITO HOPE and HELP but most importantly, I am a mother who has already lost one child to MITO. I am forced to watch as another deteriorates and suffers in pain 24/7 lacking adequate, appropriate medical care and support services.

Dear Secretary Millar and Assistant Secretary Rubstello: I am writing to ask you to change Washington State Ferries’ practice around preferential loading to include human and animal emergencies without a medical form certified by a physician, and without a call from a physician or veterinarian. Ferry staff must have additional discretion when a vehicle occupant, whether human or animal, is clearly in medical distress. I live on Vashon Island. The ferry is our only means of transportation off of the island. On Thursday, November 18, my partner raced to the boat with our beloved dog Renton who was experiencing a life threatening medical emergency. We were rushing him to the ER veterinarian in Seattle with little time to spare. As there was a long line for the boat, she used the medical practice of driving to the front of the line with her lights flashing. She explained the situation through sobs, and also offered to show ferry terminal staff an email from the ER vet stating that he needed urgent medical care. Not only was she denied access to the boat, both a ferry worker and a supervisor were incredibly rude and callous to her. She was made to go to the end of the line and wait another hour with our dog quite literally dying the back seat of our car. In my view, this is unforgivable. In the days since Renton’s passing, we have been talking with other Vashonites. Over 225 people in a 24 hour period have indicated that they would be in favor of allowing a human or animal emergency to load on the boat in front of them, even if it inconvenienced them. I have been stunned to learn that several women in labor have been denied access to the ferry because they did not have the medical form certified by a physician. With the lack of readily available medical care on the island, especially outside of business hours, ferry workers must have discretion to allow true emergencies on the boat without going through arduous approval processes—sometimes, a medical situation does not require an aid car or a medivac, but waiting an hour can make a big difference. This is especially true with the recent cutbacks in ferry service to a two-boat schedule. I have been given the advice of getting a physician or our vet to call ahead. I have been given the advice to stop at the fire department, and they can call ahead to the boat. Often, there is no time in order to not miss the next boat and incur a wait. And how is the average islander expected to know any of this?!? Where is the phone number we are supposed to call, especially outside of business hours?? We certainly didn’t, and we have lived here for over two years. I will be pursuing a change to RCW 486-300-700 to require these changes. However, Washington State Law already allows ferry terminal staff discretion: “However, when that vehicle occupant has not submitted the proper medical form, preferential loading will be permissible based upon appropriate terminal staff determination.” My understanding is that terminal staff do not currently allowed discretion in these situations. I urge you to change this Washington State Ferries practice, and train your staff to make thoughtful determinations about priority loading for human and animal medical emergencies. I look forward to hearing from you.

We, the undersigned, urge Congress to reject the White House’s proposal to eliminate funding for the Federal TRIO Programs in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. These programs have opened doors for millions of hardworking Americans—providing access to higher education, opportunity for advancement, and the tools to build a better future. TRIO programs serve over 800,000 Americans each year. From rural towns to urban centers, TRIO creates pathways to college and careers for students who work hard and deserve a shot at success. TRIO is a proven, strategic investment in America. These eight (8) federal programs help students from working-class families, veterans, and those with limited resources reach their educational goals and contribute fully to our nation’s economy and workforce: 1. Upward Bound (UB) 2. Upward Bound Math-Science (UBMS) 3. Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) 4. Talent Search (ETS) 5. Student Support Services (SSS) 6. Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) 7. Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program (McNair) 8. Training Program for Federal TRIO Staff For over 50 years, TRIO has earned bipartisan support in Congress because it delivers results for American families, communities, and the economy. The results speak for themselves: • Upward Bound students are more than twice as likely to earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24 than peers in the lowest income quartile. • Student Support Services participants are 47% more likely to complete a two-year degree or transfer, and 18% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than similar nonparticipants. • Talent Search students are 33% more likely to enroll in college than others from similar backgrounds. • Veterans Upward Bound participants are 42% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree within six years. • McNair Scholars are 78% more likely to enroll in graduate school than similarly situated low-income college graduates. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, students from the highest-income families are four times more likely to earn a college degree than their lowest-income peers. TRIO helps close that gap through practical, results-driven support—not theory. Beyond individual success stories, TRIO yields economic benefits through increased earnings, reduced dependency on public programs, and stronger participation in the workforce. It’s not just effective—it’s smart economic policy. But now, these life-changing programs are at risk. Congress is finalizing the FY26 federal budget now. If we don’t act, these opportunities may disappear for hundreds of thousands of students. If TRIO is eliminated: • Students will lose vital academic, financial, and career support. • Families across America will lose one of the few reliable pathways to higher education. • Our nation will lose out on talent, innovation, and hard work that fuels our future. We call on Congress to fully fund the Federal TRIO Programs in FY26. TRIO opens doors. It builds futures. It drives American success. What can you do? • Sign this petition and make your voice heard. • Call or email your members of Congress and demand full support and funding for TRIO. • Share this with your networks—your classmates, colleagues, community leaders, and alumni. Whether you’re a student, parent, educator, veteran, policymaker, or proud supporter of opportunity—this fight belongs to all of us. TRIO is an investment in Americans—and in America. Support access. Create opportunity. Invest in America. #TRIOWorks #DefendTRIO #InvestInAmerica #OpportunityForAll

To the University of New Mexico Board of Regents and President Garnett Stokes: We, the undersigned students, faculty, alumni, staff, and community members, urgently call on you to take clear, immediate, and effective action to address the rapidly worsening climate crisis to confront its impacts on our university, our state, and our future. The evidence is undeniable. New Mexico is already living through the consequences of climate chaos—historic drought, deadly wildfires, extreme heat, and vanishing water supplies. These impacts aren’t distant projections–they are disrupting lives, threatening public health, and deepening inequalities across our communities. We are calling for accountability as UNM released its first Climate Action Plan in 2009, with a goal of reducing 80% of 2006-level emissions by 2030. However, recent inventories show only an 11% reduction, demonstrating that UNM is not on track to meeting its original goal. The UNM Sustainability Strategic Plan launched in 2025 has an updated goal of a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030. The university must stay on track or surpass this goal to contribute to climate targets of limiting warming on Earth at 1.5°C or well below 2°C, as to avoid the most severe and irreversible impacts of the climate crisis. Therefore, we urge you to:         1. Successfully execute the Sustainability Strategic Plan and achieve at minimum, a 45% reduction in campus emissions by 2030. As outlined in the plan, this will be achieved primarily through a transition of the campus operations to renewable energy. We emphasize the importance of prioritizing energy sources with the least extractive impacts to Indigenous and frontline communities and lands.         2. Create a formal plan and timeline to achieve Carbon Neutrality, no later than 2050, including yearly progress reports from the Office of Sustainability. Within this plan, we expect you to include the full divestment of the University's holdings in the fossil fuel industry. Additionally, in mitigating remaining emissions, we encourage you to invest into maintaining and expanding local carbon sinks (campus arboretums, Rio Grande Bosque, etc.) rather than relying on market-based mechanisms, such as carbon credits.         3. Establish and maintain a permanent Sustainability Advisory Council and Sustainability Corps by Fall 2026 that ensures involvement of students, community members, staff, faculty, alumni, and experts in climate-related decision making processes and advocacy work.         4. Protect and Uplift Student Organizing and Free Speech, including the members of UNM Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight (LEAF), the Sustainable Design Collective (SDC), Lobo Gardens Club, UNM for Justice in Palestine (UNM4JP), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), Kiva Club, Students Demand Action, and other student activist groups as an essential component of UNM’s climate response. As a first step, we urge you to preemptively reject the Trump administration’s Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, and any future attempts that would limit student organizing and free speech on campus.  We recognize that decarbonizing an institution as large as UNM requires resources, coordination, and long-term planning while paying close attention to environmental justice issues in the process.  However, we believe as the flagship public university in New Mexico, UNM has a profound responsibility—not only to educate but to lead. The actions you take will define whether our institution is a beacon of justice and sustainability or a bystander in the face of crisis. This is a pivotal moment. The decisions you make today will shape the world we inherit tomorrow. We do not have the luxury of delay.  The climate emergency is here—and so are we. With hope and urgency, The undersigned students, faculty, alumni, and community members

President Obama must issue an executive order to halt implementation of a harmful new Medicaid rule that limits coverage for addiction treatment to a mere 15 days.