For the second year in a row, Walmart employees have had to launch a food drive for themselves. That comes as Walmart’s most profitable day of the year, Black Friday (now Thanksgiving, too) is only days away. The Walton family is the richest family in the world, and their company, Walmart, remains immensely profitable. But at the same time, they were paid $2.6 billion a year in stock buybacks from Walmart stock. A recent Demos report shows that not only do they deny that $2.6 billion to their own workers, but they use it to lobby against the interest of all workers, spending $7.3 million since 2000 to further their opposition to minimum wage increases, paid sick days, and workplace protections. Walmart pioneered the low-wage, no-benefit model that is wrecking our economic system. But that model is short-sighted. Were Walmart to invest in its workforce, it would actually benefit its own bottom line and the economy overall. The go-it-alone, self-interested growth model the Walton family pioneered isn’t working for anyone in our economy, least of all their employees. Rather than use their money to deny other workers decent benefits, demand the Waltons use their unprecedented fortune so their workers receive the $15 and full-time schedules the workers are asking for.

On Thursday, the president announced a long-awaited executive action that will take steps towards fixing our broken immigration system. Eligibility for the executive action is limited to immigrants with roots and family ties to the United States -- specifically, undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for at least the past five years and also are parents or spouses of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. This action is a step in the right direction, and it's critical that the media takes a fair and balanced approach in their coverage. Showing inflammatory footage that perpetuates harmful stereotypes and portrays immigrants as criminals will do nothing to advance the current story, and will only feed right-wing fear-mongering on the issue. That's why it's critical that the major television networks take a fair and balanced approach to covering this issue by featuring real stories of those most impacted.

I receive approximately 4 to 500 Bed Bug Hotline calls a month from people all over the US. Many of these people just moved into a dwelling that has established bed bug infestations. Make property owners be held responsible and demand for inspection for bed bugs by having appropriate documentation and disclosure on any bed bug problems issued by a professional pest management company to protect the innocent.

We are coming up on the holiday season. As we all know, the holidays are about giving, and in the process of us giving to our loved ones, retailers and big box stores make millions of dollars over a single weekend. So with 1 in 6 Americans facing hunger, and 1 in 4 children living in a food unstable home (meaning they are not guaranteed to be able to eat three meals a day), I'm asking those companies that make millions to do something. I'm asking each and every retailer and big box store, those like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Macy's, Belk's, JC Penny, Target, K-Mart, Amazon.com and many others to take the One Penny Promise. The One Penny Promise is a pledge that for every dollar they make during the biggest shopping days of the year--Black Friday thru Cyber Monday--they will donate one penny to poverty/hunger-ending charities. Charities like KIDS, and Concern Worldwide US, and others.

Why are the airlines so special? Why are they allowed to hold our money for flights not taken? We pay interests on our credits cards while they collect interest holding our money. It's not right and they should be held to the same rules regulating all other businesses.

I saw this message on PC Richards & Son who decided not to follow the lead of every other retailer but to respect that Family should be first. I give all respect to all the stores such as DSW, Pc Richard and Costco who decided to put family first. We should come together and tell these stores who are forcing their employees to work on Thanksgiving that we will not shop on thanksgiving. JC Penney, Walmart, Target, malls in NJ and all over the country.Your employees should be able to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Please help us fight to have these stores close their doors on Thanksgiving and keep family first.

The soccer stadium proposal appears designed to further enrich a megamillionaire and a billionaire - developer John Akridge and DC United majority owner Erick Thorir - at District residents' expense. The Washington Post editorial board agrees, proposing to "separate the transactions in a way that ensures fair market value for both properties and dispels any suggestion of a sweetheart deal." Even if the bill is amended along these lines, the lack of substantial public input remains a major concern. If building a soccer stadium in Washington D.C. is as popular as its proponents insist, taxpayer funds for that use should be approved in the full light of day.

The top 1% of the wealthy Americans account for 40% of its wealth, the top 1% are worth more than the bottom 90% combined and 95% of economic gain goes to the top 1%! The wealthy and powerful seek to maintain the status quo and practice avoidance to deal with the issue. They defend the "Trickle down Theory", scream "Socialism!" and employ scare tactics concerning a decline in job creation if anyone dares to question or implement policies that would alter the control of wealth and power. In the economic reality we live in things can only get worse for the poor and middle class. The playing field needs to be leveled. Wealth begets wealth so while the cash piles up exponentially for the rich as the stock market goes up, the middle class loses hope and the poor are left in the dust! The Supreme Court's "Citizens United" decision allows huge campaign contributions to flow from the wealthy to the candidates which gives certain people influence over election results and future policy decisions. Common sense dictates that the "Citizens United" decision puts elections up for sale and there will be an inherent indebtedness on the part of the elected toward the big money contributors.

Underprivileged children in need. The Angel Tree has been removed from Regency Square Mall in Florence, Alabama. The Corporate Headquarters has stated that no non-profit business may set up in the mall. They state that is "Solicition". This is profit for the store inside the mall so how is that not a profit for them. It pays their rent. No one is being told or made to shop for these children. They have been doing the Angel Tree for 20 years. Why all the sudden have they changed their minds? Please sign the petition and let them know we mean business.

AARP, whose own "R.I.G.H.T Ethical Decision-Making Model" demands that they "hold their decisions up to the mirror" must do so with it's current business partnership with Walmart, who is selling the AARP RealPad Tablet and whose labor practices are infamously poor, unethical, immoral, unjust and unfair. As recently as January of 2014 the National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Walmart, asserting that it had broken U.S. labor laws during the Black Friday strikes of 2012 and 2013. AARP should stop doing business through and with Walmart and remove the AARP RealPad from Walmart shelves and it's online catalog.

This money was stolen from taxpayers by Medicare fraud. An honest individual with morals would give it back to the taxpayers.

This highly inaccurate and misleading story fosters stereotypes and misconceptions about communities in the Twin Cities. Moreover, members of the media have an obligation to ensure that they are reporting accurate information, not just hype and speculation. What they report affects the thoughts and perceptions of the community at large.