Among adolescents, rates of drug use have been on the rise in recent years. This is especially true for high school students, where the problem has become increasingly prevalent. While the reasons for this trend are complex, one contributing factor is the pressure that students feel to succeed. The pressure to perform well in school can lead students to turn to drugs as a way to cope with stress and anxiety. The consequences of this trend are serious. Drug use can lead to academic problems, health issues, and even addiction. It is therefore crucial that schools take measures to address the issue of addiction in the classroom. By providing resources and support for students, we can help reduce the rates of drug use and help ensure that our students are healthy and successful. As drug use becomes more prevalent in society, it is also becoming more common in schools. This is a cause for concern for many parents, teachers, and school administrators. There are a number of reasons why drugs may be more prevalent in schools, and it is important to be aware of these reasons in order to address the problem. One reason why drugs may be more prevalent in schools is that they are more accessible to teenagers. With the internet, teenagers can easily order drugs online or find sources for illegal drugs in their community. Social media can also be a source of information about where to find drugs. Another reason for the increase in drug use in schools is the pressure that teens are under. They may feel pressure to use drugs in order to fit in with their peers or to cope with the stress of school. Additionally, some teens may turn to drugs as a way to self-medicate if they are dealing with mental health issues. There are a number of ways to address the problem of drug use in schools. One is to provide more education about the risks of drug use. This can be done through classroom presentations, assemblies, and parent-teacher meetings. It is also important to have a policy in place that clearly states the consequences for students who are caught using drugs. Schools should also work to create a positive and supportive environment. This can be done by fostering relationships between students and teachers and promoting extracurricular activities that provide a sense of community. The rise of drug use in schools is a cause for concern. However, there are steps that can be taken to address the problem. By providing education about the risks of drug use and creating a positive and supportive school environment, we can help prevent teenagers from turning to drugs.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is imprisoned for second degree murder when it was simply self defense. She is sitting in chillicothe correctional center in Missouri.She was simply fighting back for the years lost due to her abuser. Her own mother forced her to fake many illnesses such as leukemia,asthma, a seizure disorder,muscular dystrophy(forcing her to use a wheelchair) as well as seeing and hearing problems. Gypsy's mother “dee dee” also claimed she had mental illnesses such as the mental capacity of a 7 year old due to “brain damage as a result of premature birth”. not only that but deedee also forged gypsys birth certificate to make her seem younger tol receive benefits from charities. For such a long time that Gypsy was not aware of her true age for 15 years. Deedee forced Gypsy to take pills for all of these illnesses and many others not listed above. Investigators as well as many medical professionals found no sign of any disabilities in Gypsy, not mental or physical. Gypsy's mother has a history of violence. She poisoned her stepmother for confronting her about how she treats gypsy leading Deedee to change her last name. Deedee was also assumed to have intentionally let her own mother die by starving her in 1997. Deedee used extreme physical violence as well as psychological abuse to control Gypsy and force Gypsy to go along with everything mentioned above. Gypsy reached out online for help. She met a man online(Nicholas godejohn)who soon became her boyfriend. They talked for a while and met up in person. Gypsy was known to be just a teenager except she wasn't. She was an adult woman herself. They made a plan for him to come over and followed through. Gypsy hid in the bathroom as Nicholas killed her abuser. Although this may seem aggressive, this was the only way to get away from her mother. Her mother nearly killed Gypsy due to physical abuse multiple times as well as feeding her unneeded medication. Gypsy ran away and was found the next day and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. She is eligible for parole in 2024. Gypsy should be released without parole and released as soon as possible. Gypsy was a lost girl who was forced to lose her entire juvenile life to a woman who beat her, drugged her, and psychologically abused her. As well as losing an entire decade of her adult life to prison for saving her own life. Even after all of that, Gypsy still was not the one to murder her abuser,DeeDee(her mother). She was simply an accomplice sitting on a bathroom floor..hoping for some freedom. Hoping to have her life back and to never get beat or drugged again. The system failed this poor girl and she was forced to take things into her own hands. Gypsy is innocent in my eyes. This was self defense. She was saving her own life.DeeDee's biological mother, DeeDees stepmother, gypsy was likely next. Gypsy needs to be released and without parole. Gypsy rose is an icon. She is brave. She is not a criminal. I propose she be Let free without parole. I don't believe she should have even been imprisoned. She should have been sent to a hospital that can help her cope with her trauma for a little while. The system has failed her once again. Unfortunately, it's far too late for that. Help Free gypsy rose blanchard. It's the least the community can do to make up for this unfair imprisonment.

As a minority so called blacks deal with injustice everyday. Being that so called blacks are in poverty leads to them not being financially able to afford an attorney. Therefore, several so called black men are thrown away in the prison system while being innocent. There's power in numbers and if we stand up and fight through the injustice done to the minority groups change will be made. Mr Brown has children and if he isn't exonerated his children will grow up without a father. Please help bring Mr Brown home to his children.

1. Diversity of thought leadership is needed for the progress of our communities. 2. Commissioner Wale has been very resourceful to the community and his contribution towards the growth in DE & beyond is needed. 3. This violates the vision and mission of DACAC and is against the culture that the African Diaspora is trying to promote in a united front. 4. Bullying tactics will not be tolerated in the State of Delaware. 5. The community was not aware and was not notified about the attempts of his removal. 6. Commissioner Wale was one of the original founders in the attempt to unite and build the people.

Black Fund Manager Files Motion to Withdraw Plea in Securities Case after Government hides evidence of innocence Infinity Q Founder James Velissaris Seeks Trial (Atlanta, Ga)-On Friday, leading law firm Barnes & Thornburg filed a motion on behalf of Infinity Q founder James Velissaris to withdraw from a November plea deal regarding one count of alleged securities fraud. Velissaris, a graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering, was one of the leading African American fund managers in the country at the time his case began. After establishing himself as one of the highest performing managers on Wall Street, Velissaris founded his own firm, Infinity Q Capital Management, in 2014 and was backed by renowned investor David Bonderman. In 2021, Velissaris was falsely accused of overstating the value of his multibillion-dollar fund solely based on a discrepancy between his valuation calculations and that of the Bloomberg BVAL pricing tool. Velissaris believed, and repeatedly stated that the tool was not working properly and therefore the team had to augment with other known industry data points to arrive at more reasonable valuations. In January of this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) found that the Bloomberg tool did, in fact, miscalculate values and, as a result, fined Bloomberg $5 million dollars. In his request to withdraw his plea, Velissaris' filing states on page 23, "At the same time the government was claiming BVAL was an authoritative source in this case to show that Mr. Velissaris improperly valued Infinity Q securities, the SEC had an ongoing investigation into that very same valuation tool. A significant part of Mr. Velissaris’ defense includes the reasonableness of his adjustments to the BVAL inputs in order to reach fair value for Infinity Q securities because of the very deficiencies in the tool shown by the SEC settlement.” The Infinity Q investor disclosure documents clearly state that the team had discretion to use their expert judgement when pricing the portfolio. According to the SEC settlement, the Bloomberg BVAL tool was not producing reasonable values. Therefore, Infinity Q valuations should not be expected to match the values of the broken tool. Velissaris' legal team submitted five additional points in their request to withdraw the plea. The six point argument for withdrawal asserts that (1) Velissaris repeatedly disclosed in investment documents to investors that the funds would depart from BVAL valuation, (2) his valuation models were in line with market conditions, (3) he requested from his previous legal team almost immediately to request a withdrawal (4), the government is not harmed by allowing Velissaris to go to trial and (5) that he did not want to accept a plea and (6), as stated above, the government hid several pieces of exculpatory evidence including known deficiencies in the Bloomberg BVAL tool. Velissaris recently retained legal counsel from Barnes & Thornburg's Washington, DC office. The legal team is led by Michael Battle, a former US Attorney, judge and director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Billy Martin, a former federal prosecutor with over 40 years of experience and named as one of the country's '50 Most Influential Minority Attorneys'. Currently, the request to withdraw is pending.

It is 2026, yet slavery is still legal in the state of Virginia. With the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, a loophole legalized slavery “as punishment for a crime.” This loophole, also known as the ‘exception clause,’ has been exploited ever since, and is still in effect today, allowing for the forced labor of Virginia’s incarcerated population for merely 27 to 80 cents an hour. Slavery is a reprehensible practice that has no place in our modern world. It is a fundamental violation of human rights, and we must take a stand to tell legislators that it has no place in Virginia.  By signing this petition, you can help send a powerful message to our lawmakers that the people of Virginia demand an end to all forms of slavery, including as punishment for a crime. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that our state is a place where freedom and justice are truly upheld. Please take a moment to sign this petition and share it with your friends and family. We must act now to end slavery and involuntary servitude in Virginia and create a better future for all. Together, we can make history.

Educational, green spaces like The Strawberry Mansion-Blaine Elementary Environmental Center provide food, gathering, education, and social advocacy support community healing and encourage youth engagement. The environmental provides vital science, math, technology, art, and engineering education through an agricultural lens. Blaine students deserve access to environmental spaces that enhance their everyday learning and provide new avenues for study.

"This was a nefarious act. This was an evil act,"..."Somebody murdered Rasheem Carter, and we cannot let them get away with this.

For decades, the petrochemical industry has been an environmental and public health concern for communities in Texas, Louisiana and the Ohio River Valley, where many of these facilities are located. But the industry's expansion brings those concerns to the backyards of millions of Americans. After the most recent freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, officials are still releasing lists of carcinogenic chemicals that have tainted the community's air, making it difficult to breathe. Chemicals from the derailment have spilled into the Ohio River, affecting the water supply for 25 million people in the region. From the discovery of toxic chemicals in St. James Parish, Louisiana, to the cancer cluster discovered in Houston’s Fifth Ward, we’ve seen what happens when the government allows private corporations in the petrochemical industry to operate unchecked for the sake of profit. Time and time again, the EPA’s refusal to regulate this industry — or to place sanctions on the corporations that operate negligently — has led to countless ecological disasters, which often take their greatest toll on the health of Black and low-income communities. These communities then are left with few resources or recourse once their homes suddenly are made dangerous and unlivable, and even fewer options once the news cameras leave. That’s why we know that the lack of regulation that allowed a corporation to endanger the health of East Palestine’s residents is the same lack of regulation that will continue to lead to the loss of countless lives in vulnerable communities across the nation if we do not take action. We must make a commitment to halt the unnecessary expansion of the petrochemical industry now. The communities affected by the Norfolk Southern derailment deserve answers and accountability. No one from the petrochemical industry showed up at a recent town hall to address these community concerns in East Palestine, Ohio. And it remains unclear which corporation is responsible for the chemicals being transported by Norfolk Southern, the rail company responsible for the derailment. Residents hope to get some answers when environmental activist Erin Brockovich and civil litigator Mikal C. Watts address a town hall on Friday, Feb. 24, at East Palestine High School. We must stop the expansion of this industry and move beyond petrochemicals. Sign this petition and join our movement today.

A People United Will Never Be Defeated! Democracy belongs to the people. All of the people. As history has taught us, what happens in Mississippi has the power to influence what happens everywhere else in the world. This petition has been created to serve as the rallying cry of the people of Jackson and the greater Hinds County area. Hinds County is Mississippi’s most populous county, and Jackson is the state’s largest and most populous city. Both Hinds County and Jackson are majority Black and led by Black majorities. Should it be enacted into law, HB 1020 would: ●Require more than 18% of Jackson’s normal allocation of sales tax revenue be given to the Capitol Complex Improvement District, or CCID. ●Enlarge the CCID area and thrust it deep into the purely residential area of Northeast Jackson, miles from downtown, where the Capitol Police —who have shot or killed several Black people recently — have no right or reason to be. ●Strip from duly-elected judges in Hinds County the right to preside over ANY cases brought against the State of Mississippi and the CCID. Only judges appointed by Mississippi’s white chief justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court will have the power to hear and make decisions on cases against the Capitol Police (CCID police), the State of Mississippi and its agencies. ●Strip Hinds County residents of their right: ○ to have civil and criminal cases adjudged by their duly-elected Hinds County judges, the majority of whom are Black. ○ to be prosecuted according to the prosecutorial decisions of their duly-elected district attorney, who is Black. ●Replace the political voice and electoral power of hundreds of thousands of Hinds County residents, 70% of whom are Black, and give this voting and decision- making power to three white state-level officials. What is happening in Jackson, Mississippi, is ruthless. It is racist. It is dangerously anti-democratic. And it must stop!

Black communities will be especially harmed by the police expansion and militarization that Cop City represents . Studies have shown that police with more military equipment kill more civilians, prevent less crime, and make residents feel less safe., The fake urban village APF seeks to create will train officers to view Atlanta like a warzone and treat civilians like potential enemy combatants. Let’s not mince words: The Atlanta Police Foundation has a history of using corporate donations to fund the expansion of the police at the expense of the Black community in Atlanta. Universities are key funders for Cop City despite their public commitments towards racial justice. Emory, GSU, and Georgia Tech must pick a side. They cannot stand with us if they continue to fund Cop City. Clearly, Cop City is another attempt to bolster the AFT’s influence, militarize the police and increase their control over Black Atlantans. In 2020, dozens of Atlanta police officers staged a “sick-out” after prosecutors filed charges against their colleagues for killing Rayshard Brooks, a Black man who simply fell asleep in his vehicle. The APF awarded the Atlanta officers who stayed off the job with a $500 bonus even as advocates demanded justice for Brooks. At the same time, the APF has helped Atlanta become one of the most surveilled cities in the country: It helped pay for the network of 11,000 surveillance cameras stationed across the city. . Cop City also puts the environmental health of these same Black communities at risk. The South River is the fourth most endangered river in America. The chemical runoff from weapons testing at the militarized police facility will further pollute the South River and the surrounding communities.

Our founding fathers were imperfect! The Bill of Rights was not honored by those who enslaved people. Yet the purpose of creating a 'more perfect union' was noble. It is up to each of us to preserve our live, liberties, and the pursuits of happiness under the law. Tho' I don't agree with Liz Cheney's policies, I admire her honorable participation in the hearings. President Biden must enact NOW legislation with the help of the senate which protect our democracy, and all promised therein. He must also immediately put forth at least 4 more justices to serve on SCOTUS! My ancestors fled England and came to our shores to end the slave trade! One of my ancestors died as a captured union soldier during the Civil War! If we believe in 'a more perfect union' then we must do everything in our power to preserve, protect and enhance laws that serve to promote all that is good and honorable!