Anyone can vote for who they like, but they need to be told the truth in order to make choices based on fact. We need a fair playing field to challenge these people. Since we have an election year, we have a local guy that will do anything to promote the Republican agenda. I have called many times to challenge him on things he says that or half truths or total lies. If anyone calls and says. for example, "Trump is scary or racist," he will spend at least 5 minutes trying to explain how that's not true. They have him on 3 times a day. There were a couple of last straws for me. The first" a woman called in and said she no longer watches the news, just him. He was pleased with that and encouraged it. The second time was when a woman called in and said that the president was Muslim and his daughters were adopted because Michelle was a transvestite. This woman honestly believed that(no joke). He shouldn't have even played the call but he did. This woman was serious and he said nothing to correct her. I think it is despicable to purposely mislead people so you can sway them to your agenda. This is not fair or balanced. It's propaganda.

Recent events show that increased measures are necessary to combat radical acts of terror. We need to do more about this misguided hatred.

Following the horrific attack in Orlando, and following scores of equally horrifying attacks throughout the nation, caused by easy access to assault weapons, ineffective background check regulations, and unrestricted access to weapons for suspected terrorists, it is time to ACT. If Congress finds itself under the control of NRA lobbyists, it is time for the American People to have a voice in this matter through common-sense ballot measures.

PR voters reject PROMESA: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/puerto-rican-voters-send-message-to-washington-no-promesa-300280072.html http://www.4-traders.com/PROMESA-LIMITED-10357040/news/Promesa-Bondholders-coalition-calls-on-Congress-to-reject-updated-Puerto-Rico-legislation-22397828/ Bernie Sanders letter to Senate Democrats on PROMESA: http://www.sanders.senate.gov/download/we-must-stop-treating-puerto-rico-like-a-colony?inline=file HR 5278 sponser with Wall Street ties: Meet the Banking Caucus, Wall Street's secret weapon in Washington https://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/04/24/14595/meet-banking-caucus-wall-streets-secret-weapon-washington “In addition to Hensarling and Garrett, the banking caucus includes … Sean Duffy, R-Wis….”

This project was stagnant awaiting funding for 16 years. Earlier in February of this year, Governor Hogan and County Executive Kittleman announced that not only were the two going to fund the project, but that it would start the following summer. 16 years earlier a sound study done revealed that the sound levels were too high for residents, yet in the plan put forth recently, there is no money, no plan, no concern whatsoever for sound mitigation for the residents along the highway. In a previous project to expand MD 216 to four lanes, sound mitigation was put in place from the very beginning; MD 216 carries on a daily average less traffic than MD 32. The State should not be allowed to proceed without a solid plan and requirement for sound mitigation.

There are more mass shootings in the U.S. than in any other country in the world. It is reported that U.S. is home to nearly a third of world’s mass shootings.[1] There is a culture of violence in our country and it is resulting in numerous innocent lives lost. As of December 23, 2015 a total of 12,942 people had been killed in the United States in 2015 in a gun homicide, unintentional shooting, or murder/suicide. Mass shootings — as measured by four or more people shot, regardless of total fatalities — have taken place in nearly 100 metro areas over the past 12 months.[2] Mass shootings account for less than 2% of annual gun deaths. However, the recent Orlando attack is being used by islamophobes to misdirect it towards Islam and Muslims because the shooter this time happened to be Muslim. It is important to realize that most mass shooters in the U.S. are non-Muslims. There have been 26 mass shootings since the last deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history in 2007 on the campus of Virginia Tech. Only four of these shootings were done by Muslims. Total number of innocent victims killed were 277. Number of victims killed by Muslim mass shooters is 82 and 195 by non-Muslims.[3] The main factor which connects all of these mass shootings is easy access to guns. It is not about religion, rather, gun control. There is strong evidence to indicate that gun control can work, but it needs to be intelligently designed, effectively implemented and responsive to ongoing changes in criminal activity.[4] Canada and Australia both introduced strong gun control laws after mass shooting massacres in their countries which have been successful. It is interesting to note that “Canada’s efforts are rather undermined by the lax gun laws of its neighbor to the south. An overwhelming number of criminal handguns intercepted by the police in Canada are illegally sourced from the US.”[5] In many cases, the weapon of choice for these mass shooters is an assault rifle. It is now time for Congress to ban assault rifles. These instruments of death are available to be purchased on-line, at trade shows, and at gun brokers around our country. We also need to have tougher background checks and close loopholes that allow people to purchase guns without background checks. We must also ban convicted domestic abusers and stalkers from buying guns. Let us disarm the hate and stop the blame game. Please sign this petition and let Congress know that we as Americans demand the following to make America safe for all of us: · Ban assault rifles completely from our society · Make tougher background checks and close loopholes that allow people to purchase guns without background checks · Ban convicted domestic abusers and stalkers from buying guns · Enact other aspects of common sense gun reform [1] http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/health/mass-shootings-in-america-in-charts-and-graphs-trnd/ [2] https://www.thetrace.org/2015/12/gun-violence-stats-2015/ [3] http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/mass-shootings-timeline.html [4] https://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-does-gun-control-work-18374 [5] Ibid

Whether it’s mass shootings fueled by racism, rage against women, homophobia, extremist ideologies, or mental illness, I shudder to think about what it says about us as a nation if we don’t even attempt to make a good faith effort to end this carnage. That is why yesterday morning, at around 11 a.m., I decided to stand on the Senate floor and talk about the need to prevent gun violence for as long as I could. And I am proud to announce that after nearly 15 hours of holding the floor, we will have a vote to expand background checks for gun purchases. This is an idea supported by more than 90 percent of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, Independents, gun owners and even NRA members. Orlando is the worst mass shooting in American history.…Having personally seen the devastating impact mass shootings can have on entire communities, I’ve had enough. Add your name if you have, as well.

I've never been more proud to be a constituent of CT than today, watching my Senators Murphy and Blumenthal live on the Senate floor, filibustering the Senate to take action on common-sense gun safety measures that most Americans support. I live next door to Sandy Hook, CT and am committed to garnering the collective will to empower systemic action in the wake of mass deadly shootings in public sanctuaries that we hope our families, neighbors, and friends could gather and associate freely in civil safety once more.

The consequences of climate change are escalating, and momentum is building across the nation for meaningful action. In order to swiftly reduce carbon pollution, we call for a national price on carbon that returns the revenue as regular checks to benefit American households. Experts agree that we need a price on carbon to stabilize the climate. Carbon pricing is the most straightforward way to ensure that the true cost of dirty energy is reflected in the marketplace. As taxpayers, we are forced to pay the costs of climate change when hit by extreme weather, droughts, wildfires, food shortages, and more. A price on carbon shifts the burden of these unfair costs to those who are responsible for--and can reduce--greenhouse gas pollution. A strong price on carbon levels the playing field for low-carbon, sustainable energy like wind and solar, and it promotes investments in emission reduction technologies. It unleashes American innovation and stimulates new, low-carbon drivers of economic growth. Finally, a carbon price that returns revenue back to households in the form of a dividend will protect low and middle-income families, bring together both sides of the political aisle, and build voter support over time to ensure a solution that is built to last.

This filibuster is just getting underway. It is important that the good Senator from Connecticut know of our support and gratitude.

Until equality is constitutionally guaranteed for women, it is outrageous to require women to register for the draft. Fix that, then proceed.

Beekeepers lost an average of 44 percent of their colonies last year—even more than the year prior. Other research out this year indicates that native bees are declining, too. Why are the bees still dying? Largely thanks to bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides! Bees are responsible for every one in three bites of food we eat, so we can’t afford to keep losing them. The EPA has the power to help bring back bee populations by restricting the use of bee-toxic pesticides. This June, beekeepers, farmers, and people like you are coming together for the “Keep the Hives Alive Tour.” We’re driving around the country with a truck full of dead bees in order to raise awareness about the plight of pollinators and how toxic pesticides contribute to their decline. The tour will end in Washington, DC on June 22nd with a large demonstration in front of EPA to urge the agency to take action on toxic pesticides and support sustainable agriculture. We must ramp up pressure on the EPA to act NOW. We’re aiming to reach 2 million petition signatures by June 22nd, but we need your help to reach our goal! What’s stopping the EPA from taking action? The pesticide industry. The pesticide industry is doing everything it can to protect its profits. We know the EPA is hearing from Bayer, Syngenta, and other major agro-chemical companies that spend millions of dollars on PR campaigns to shift the blame away from pesticides—despite a wealth of research linking pesticides to bee declines. We need YOUR help to tell EPA to stop dragging its feet and take strong action on bee-killing pesticides. We need to turn up the heat to make sure the harmful effects from these pesticides are eliminated once and for all. The EPA needs to hear from you—not just Bayer and other companies massively profiting from these toxic pesticides. This June we have the ability to do just that – help us make your voices heard! Tell the EPA it needs to do its job and protect bees, the planet, and all of us from pollinator-killing pesticides NOW!