Blog Archives - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

Review the Covid 19 toolkit - What You Can Do Now

1/31/2023

Covid 19 toolkit

Health Care Reform Forum

You can learn a lot about Covid on this informational link provided by the U.S. government.

Scroll through some tips below before clicking on the link: https://www.covid.gov

Put in your county to find out if the Covid levels are low, medium, or high. (As of Jan 23rd, Scott Co, IA and Rock Island Co, IL were low.) Low, medium and high Covid ratings are based on hospitalizations, cases, and patients in hospital beds. If your county is in the medium range, the local health system is starting to feel the strain.

They post a “Covid-19 Toolkit” with links to resources to keep yourself and others safe:
1. find masks
2. vaccines or boosters
3. test-to-treat locations
4. order free tests from the federal government.

There are two phone numbers listed if you need to speak to someone about your status. Watch for an informational link on “Long Covid,” the long terms effects some people can experience after having the Covid virus.

Don’t stop scrolling; at the bottom you will find more resources:
1. Symptoms and care for the immunocompromised
2. Travel
3. At-home testing
4. Air ventilation
5. Long COVID Study

Frank Samuelson

February 2023 Green Drinks - Insects in Art

1/31/2023

February Green Drinks - Insects in Art during an Age of Environmental Turmoil
Tuesday, February 7th at 5:00 pm

El Patron Mexican Restaurant
1806, 2nd Avenue
Rock Island, IL (map)

Environmental Forum

Scientists have been sharing data for over 50 years, warning of the negative impact humans are having on the biodiversity and the climate of our plane. But there has not been an adequate response to mitigate the damage being caused by human activity. As a result of this environmental destruction, there are recent reports of large-scale insect declines.

Dr. Tierney Brosius from Augustana College will discuss what the scientific community knows about insect declines, her research connected with insect conservation, and how scientists and artists are starting to find opportunities for collaboration to find new ways to communicate about the declining state of the environment.

To make sure that we have enough space for our meeting, we like to give El Patron a head count prior to the meeting.

Please R.S.V.P. at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

Susan Leuthauser

Immigration paperwork takes too long! - No Hate In Our States

1/21/2023

USCIS taking longer than ever to review applications

Boundless Immigration

Boundless, an immigration law firm based in Seattle, Washington, offers an interesting email called bit by Boundless. Sign up for the newsletter here. The article below is from January 13, 2023:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is taking longer to review applications than ever before.

According to recent government data, 82% of forms now take longer for USCIS adjudicators to review. These longer review times are significantly contributing to USCIS’ massive application backlog — the forms that now take longer to review account for 86% of the current backlog.

One explanation for slower review times is that USCIS forms have significantly increased in length over time. More than 90% of forms have grown in length since their introduction, with page totals jumping from fewer than 200 pages in 2003 to more than 700 pages in 2023.

USCIS’ recent efforts to digitize the immigration process and encourage more online form filings are also counterintuitively making the application review process slower. For many adjudicators who are trained to review lengthy paper forms, it can be cumbersome to review those same forms and supporting documents digitally.

The consequences of USCIS’ review time inefficiencies are staggering. Estimates show that it will take nearly 10 million man-hours to work through the existing visa backlog — 3.3. million more hours than if adjudicators were reviewing at their previous speeds.

Read the entire newsletter here.

PACG Webmaster

"A Brief But Spectacular Take" on immigration podcast - No Hate In Our States

1/14/2023

A Brief But Spectacular Take on embracing immigration podcast

Online

Civil Rights Forum

From PBS Newshour: Devashish Basnet is a Rhodes Scholar studying refugee and migration patterns. A refugee himself, he left Nepal as a child when his family sought asylum in the United States. Basnet shares his Brief But Spectacular take on embracing immigration. Listen to this well-spoken expert here.

PACG Webmaster

Encourage business to eliminate single-use bags - What You Can Do Now

1/12/2023

Walmart eliminating single-use bags in some states (but not others)

Environmental Forum

Continue to (respectfully) pressure your legislators and local stores to go plastic-free. It's working!

From CNN: Walmart will eliminate single-use paper and plastic carryout bags at the register from stores in New York, Connecticut and Colorado this month.

The company previously stopped giving out single-use plastic bags in New York and Connecticut and in some areas in Colorado. Walmart offers reusable shopping bags starting at 74 cents for customers without their own bags.

Walmart is trying to get ahead of legislation in some states that are cracking down on plastics. Many customers are also demanding change, and Walmart has outlined corporate environmental goals to achieve zero waste in its US operations by 2025...

...Plastic bags entered supermarkets and retail chains during the 1970s and 1980s. Before then, customers used paper bags to bring groceries and other merchandise back home from stores. Retailers switched to plastic bags because they were cheaper...

...The US plastic industry’s impact on climate change is on track to exceed that of coal-fired power in this country by 2030, the organization projects.

Read the complete article here.

Susan Leuthauser

Listen to the "Ultra" podcast - No Hate In Our States

1/6/2023

Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra podcast

Charles Lindbergh addresses the America First Committee in October, 1941

Civil Rights Forum

From the Ultra podcast website: Sitting members of Congress aiding and abetting a plot to overthrow the government. Insurrectionists criminally charged with plotting to end American democracy for good. Justice Department prosecutors under crushing political pressure. Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra is the all-but-forgotten true story of good, old-fashioned American extremism getting supercharged by proximity to power. When extremist elected officials get caught plotting against America with the violent ultra right, this is the story of the lengths they will go to… to cover their tracks.

Ultra is a wild and jaw-dropping look at a crazy part of US history that I bet you have never heard of. The 8-part podcast is as engaging as it is relevant. In addition to the verbal history, their website shares extra bonuses and documents like the image above. It's available where you get your podcasts or online here.

We must learn from the past to correct the injustices of today.

PACG Webmaster

Free Covid tests available again - What You Can Do Now

1/6/2023

Free Covid tests available again

Health Care Reform Forum

The Biden administration has decided to once again offer free Covid tests for households. From CNBC: The relaunch of the free at-home test program is part of the Biden administration’s preparedness plan for Covid this winter. Covid infections are increasing again as hospital emergency departments are already battling a surge of patients sick with the flu and respiratory syncytial virus.

There is a limit of one order per household, which includes a total of four tests. Check this webpage for a link to participate in this offer.

Frank Samuelson

"Healthy Eating 2023" Community Event - NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Committee

1/1/2023

Healthy Eating 2023 presentation
Saturday, January 7th from 1:30 to 3:00 pm

MLK Interpretive Center
501 N Brady ST
Davenport, IA (map)

Davenport NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Committee

Please join us this Saturday for our Second Healthy Eating/Exercise workshop. See the flyer below.

We have also created a calendar with all of our meetings for the year. We meet the first Monday of the month from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. We would love to have your participation.

January Green Drinks - NAACP Climate Justice Committee

1/1/2023

Green Drinks - NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Committee
Tuesday, January 10th at 5:00 pm (in-person)

El Patron Mexican Restaurant
1806 2nd AV
Rock Island, IL (map)

Environmental Forum

Our speaker this month, Glenda Guster, is the PACG President and has led the NAACP Environmental Climate Justice Committee since January of 2021. The group educated and benefited the underserved community. For two years, they have given out potted tomato plants. In October of this year, Glenda and her husband, Mike, drove a truck full of donated bottled water to Jackson, Mississippi for those who were still without clean water due to the severe storms. Glenda will share the committee's past accomplishments and plans for this coming year.

This will be our first in-person Green Drinks meeting since COVID. We have an exciting year planned. Come and get re-acquainted with like-minded folks.

Although this is an in-person meeting, we ask that you use our Zoom account to RSVP so that we may give the restaurant an attendee count. Please click this link to RSVP and select the meeting on January 10th:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

Susan Leuthauser