State after state has accepted the funding provided in the Affordable Care Act and those states have reported huge health and economic benefits. 100,000 Nebraskans have waited long enough, have suffered long enough. No more gridlock politics at the expense of those most vulnerable. No more hollow, Trumpism excuses.

At a time when millions of Americans are facing poverty and homelessness, the City of Oakland is labeling hundreds of shopping cart recyclers as "addicts" and "thieves" and shutting down Alliance Metals, a recycling center that serves as a lifeline for Oakland's underclass. Join us, the ACLU, the NAACP and filmmaker Oliver Stone. Demand that Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf find a compassionate solution, one that dignifies the labor and protects the economic livelihood of Oakland's most vulnerable residents.

Donald Trump just called on "Second Amendment people" to act if Hillary Clinton appoints a Supreme Court Judge. This veiled threat is not just unpresidential—it's dangerous. As the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump will soon be given access to highly sensitive intelligence briefings about national security. Because Donald Trump has never held a position of public service—such as being a state representative, governor, or public official—he has never been vetted for a security clearance. Giving someone like Trump access to this sensitive information is unprecedented and dangerous. Even national security officials have expressed concern about Trump's misunderstandings of the military and foreign policy. In April, CIA Chief John Brennan condemned Trump's position on waterboarding and torture, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford condemned water boarding, calling it "unAmerican." And just last week, more than 50 Republican security officials just warned that Donald Trump would put America's security "at risk." Trump has proven himself unstable and untrustworthy already—using incorrect and exaggerated information to stoke fear among his supporters throughout his campaign. Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact reports that only 4% of his statements can be verified as "true." We must continue to stand up to Donald Trump. Tell Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to block Trump's access to national security intelligence now.

As educators and parents in this community, we know that parents and students don't have enough options when it comes to choosing a middle or high school. We will build for you a state of the art, new middle/high school that offers a full Project Lead The Way design and competitive sports programs to help our students achieve academic and athletic success!

USAToday reported: Michelle Obama delivered a powerful speech during the Democratic National Convention on Monday, as the first lady shed light on the historical significance of her family's eight years at the White House as its first African-American family. "I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves," Mrs. Obama said in her keynote address. "I watch my daughters — two beautiful, intelligent, black young women — playing with their dogs on the White House lawn." As it turned out, one person was not entirely amused and went so far as to "fact check" the first lady's comments. FOX News personality and political lightning rod Bill O'Reilly defended the working conditions slaves faced while building the White House by offering the following explanation during The O'Reilly Factor on Tuesday: "Slaves that worked there were well-fed and had decent lodgings provided by the government, which stopped hiring slave labor in 1802. However, the feds did not forbid subcontractors from using slave labor. So, Michelle Obama is essentially correct in citing slaves as builders of the White House, but there were others working as well. Got it all? There will be a quiz." How dare O'Reilly defend the practice of slavery!? He must be fired and/or resign for saying something so ignorant.

Last week, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey took a very bold step by announcing that she will be stepping up enforcement of her state's long-standing assault weapons ban. Massachusetts is one of just seven states with such a ban, but for many years, the gun industry has been defying the ban by manufacturing copycat assault weapons that are nearly indistinguishable from the weapons used in Orlando, Newtown, San Bernardino, Aurora, and other mass shootings. There were 10,000 of them sold in Massachusetts last year alone. The NRA and its local affiliate are fighting back hard against Attorney General Healey. They've activated their national network of supporters to draft petitions and organize rallies. And they're flooding the phones of state legislators and Republican Governor Charlie Baker, who initially supported the AG's action but is now starting to cave to NRA pressure. In Attorney General Healey, we have a law enforcement leader who is willing to stick her neck out and stand up to the NRA. It's incredibly important that we stand with her. We encourage you to join this letter/petition.

I'm concerned for my country, concerned about Donald Trump's motives, and concerned for our national security. Donald Trump has now repeatedly encouraged the Russian government to commit espionage and hack U.S. computers, while refusing to provide any documentation showing he does not have financial obligations or ties to Russia. Given Donald Trump will not release his tax returns or otherwise prove his independence, the FBI should launch an investigation to ensure that the Republican nominee for President is not compromised by financial or other obligations to the Russian government.

Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine oppose the corporate power-enhancing, democracy-undermining Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement [TPP]. [1] But even Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, longtime best friend to the Clintons and speaker at the Democratic National Convention, didn't get the memo. When Politico asked whether Clinton would turn around and support the trade deal she opposed during the heat of the primary fight against Bernie Sanders, McAuliffe said: “Yes." After Politico's article appeared, McAuliffe "walked it back" and said that was only what McAuliffe hoped Clinton would do, not what he knew she would do. [2] The same Politico article said Kaine "vocally supports the Obama-backed trade deal" [3] even though three days earlier, Politico reported that Kaine was against the TPP. [4] Urge Senate Democrats to press Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine to clarify and amplify their opposition to the TPP, including from the podium at the DNC, by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/kaine-comes-out-against-trans-pacific-partnership-deal-226064 2. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/terry-mcauliffe-hillary-clinton-tpp-trade-226253 3. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/terry-mcauliffe-hillary-clinton-tpp-trade-226253 4. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/kaine-comes-out-against-trans-pacific-partnership-deal-226064

Let it be clear that this is not an attack on the GOP or the Republican Party. Mr. Trump has made statements I feel are hateful, but to try to take away his Right to Free Speech would equally take away my right to say I disagree. Donald J. Trump on the morning of July 27, 2016, used his Right, but abused that right and broke a strict and well-defined law that should result in his incarceration for a minimum of 5 years, and make him ineligible for any public office in the country of The United States of America indefinitely. Mr. Trump encouraged and gave comfort to Russia to pursue finding emails by a cyber attack. This is not a joke or quip, but breaks the law of our great country! Donald Trump should be held accountable, and I would say the same to anyone who would say such a statement. With Mr. Trump's surge in popularism, we cannot let that jade ourselves in holding him accountable. This is not the case of emails detained in the United States on servers that people question the security of years later. Let us be clear; he did not call on American hackers, of which there are some of the best who hold positions in top companies and having inside information on preventions and backdoors. Instead, he called on a foreign country that he had 15 seconds before called, "disgusting" and "disgraceful" for their alleged actions of hacking, "..another Government's emails of a major political party..." Instead, Mr. Trump aligned and allied himself with the Russian Government and requested they continue a cyber "war" on his country, the United States. That is baffling and repulsive, and that is not what a real American would ever say. Nor a Russian the opposite. He made it crystal clear that he condones and adheres to Russia's unlawful attack. It is inciting and encouraging Cyber-War from another country targeting his own country, and mine, the United States of America. By the Title 18 of the U.S. Code § 2381 - Treason is defined as, "Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148.)" Donald J. Trump has levied and encouraged a cyber-war or cyber attack from a foreign country. He has adhered, defined as the "commitment" or "acceptance of doctrine," to Russia's disgraceful attempt at inciting chaos in a countries main political party. And he has given them direct comfort by stating they would be paid heavily for doing so. As a Proud and Strong American, I use my Constitutional Right to call on the U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, and President Barack Obama to bring the charge of "Treason against the United States" against Donald J. Trump. (1) For his aligning and condoning to Russian agendas and illegal activity, and (2) giving comfort abroad by stating they, the hackers believed to be paid by the Russian government, would be rewarded if they succeed in the bounty he placed on the emails of a former United States Secretary of State. Putting the information within those emails would be detrimental and bring repercussions within many other countries, but first and foremost to and against the United States both at home and abroad. Sincerely, Matt Steadman

I have a child in the Birmingham City Schools and I have high expectations of the school district and our community leaders.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is holding its annual policy conference in Indiana this week. But their shadowy lobbying practices shouldn't receive a warm welcome -- sign our petition to Indiana-based Eli Lilly to dump ALEC today! ALEC works behind closed doors to help big corporations like Exxon Mobil, Comcast, Pfizer, & Koch Industries secretly lobby politicians for favorable treatment. They work in secret, shutting voters out of the process, but giving corporate members the same vote as legislators and other elected officials who are elected to do the public's business. Even worse, those corporations get a tax write-off on their contributions, because ALEC claims that it is a "charity." Lobbyists from those corporations and politicians sit behind closed doors to adopt "model" bills that affect everything from the water you drink and air you breathe, the schools your children attend, the size of your paycheck, and your ability to access affordable healthcare and medicine. Public outcry has led over 100 companies, including Ford, Google, Facebook, and more, to cut ties with ALEC. Now, it's time for Eli Lilly to do the same. Eli Lilly touts its corporate commitment to laudable goals like "Improving Global Health" and "Strengthening Communities" -- now it's time to back up their words with action. Sign our petition and tell Eli Lilly to drop out of ALEC today.

Voters in the United States have a right to see how Presidential Candidates have run their personal finances and see if there are conflicts of interest, performance failures or foreign connections to their finances. This is particularly important this election year with a Russian financial connection being hinted at.