I'm outraged by the profiteering and shameless promotion of excess consumption of drugs by pharmaceutical companies. Pfizer is a leading offender. Some doctors and hospitals are pushing back. We can help and encourage them: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/how-doctors-can-pressure-drug-companies-to-lower-prices-203011567.html

My Huffington Post article 'Bernie Sanders hints Elizabeth Warren as Vice President' has gone viral. In less than 24 hours it has gotten over 40 thousand likes and it is an extremely popular topic of discussion.

People should not have to live with a unfair and unjust conviction for their entire life. Wrongful convictions take away the American Dream for millions, and we must reverse this conduct.

In November 2014, President Obama said about immigration enforcement: "We’ll keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. That means felons, not families. That means criminals, not children. It means gang members, not moms who are trying to put food on the table for their kids.” [1] But now the Department of Homeland Security is raiding homes to find and deport hundreds of would-be refugees back to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, where they fled "shockingly high levels of gang and drug violence," as the New York Times put it. The Times has called on the Administration to ensure protection and due process for women and children from Central America who face a chaotic and confusing legal process without adequate legal representation. [2] A Guardian investigation found that some deported to Central America have been murdered within days of their return. [3] Senator Bernie Sanders has written to President Obama and homeland security officials, urging a halt to the deportation raids targeting families that fled violence in Central America. [4] “Raids are not the answer,” Sanders said. “We cannot continue to employ inhumane tactics involving rounding up and deporting tens of thousands of immigrant families to address a crisis that requires compassion and humane solutions.” Sanders suggested extending temporary protected status to the refugees, which would protect them from deportation. Urge President Obama to halt the deportations of women and children fleeing violence in Central America by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/11/21/remarks-president-immigration 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/08/opinion/a-shameful-round-up-of-refugees.html 3. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/12/obama-immigration-deportations-central-america 4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/07/sanders-writes-obama-urges-end-to-recently-started-deportation-raids/

Completely breaking the link between free speech and money is the only foundation on which we can base the necessary reforms to eliminate the abusive power of BIG $$$ Interests. Success in all other reforms from the environment to taxes to bribing our representatives... is almost impossible until we first achieve establish this basis. "We don't have free speech. We can't afford it."

President Obama announced a number of executive actions this week designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous people. While these are important measures much more needs to be done to stem the tide of gun violence in this country. Our legislators need to do their job and pass meaningful, commonsense gun laws to protect our communities. President Obama has pledged that "I will take every action I can as a citizen. I will not campaign for, vote for, or support any candidate, even in my own party, who does not support commonsense gun reform" and advises us that "all of us need to demand leaders brave enough to stand up to the gun lobby's lies. All of us need to stand up and protect our fellow citizens. All of us need to demand that governors, mayors and our representative in Congress do their part." We know the only way to change the epidemic of gun violence in this country is to make this a “single issue” during the next election, so I stand with President Obama to demonstrate that "the way Washington changes is when people vote."

As former students and concerned citizens of Mashpee we stand united and demand that the Mashpee School Committee take immediate action to terminate Brian Hyde. The public record has proven that Brian Hyde is unfit to serve in his current role as superintendent.

At a town hall forum on Maine's heroin epidemic on January 6, Gov. LePage said: "Now the traffickers ... These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty, these types of guys. They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, and they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave." These blatantly racist comments are unacceptable in today's political debate and do not represent the views of me or most Mainers.

At a town hall forum on Maine's heroin epidemic on January 6, Gov. LePage said: "Now the traffickers ... These are guys with the name D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty, these types of guys. They come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, and they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young, white girl before they leave." These blatantly racist comments are unacceptable in today's political debate. I urge Gov. LePage and the Maine GOP to apologize for and repudiate these deeply offensive comments. UPDATE (JAN. 8): The governor gave a news conference in which he blamed the media for covering his remarks and claimed they were a slip of the tongue. He also said he apologized to "Maine women," who he made a point of saying were virtually all white. It's not clear what he was apologizing to them for. Because of the fundamental insincerity of this statement, we're continuing to urge the governor to give a full and honest apology for his racist statements without blaming others for his actions.

Senate bill 571 that Snyder has signed prohibits local officials from publicly discussing ballot proposals or millage issues in the 60 days leading up to an election. It is essentially a gag order and is a violation of our free speech. He has willfully poisoned our citizens' drinking water in Flint for over a year, and is now infringing upon our right to free speech. Recall him now before he does more harm.

There has been a growing conflict on the San Mateo County Coast between families, hikers and off-leash dogs and their owners. These conflicts have resulted in injuries to children, adults and pets. The potential for violent confrontations between hikers and dog-owners are escalating. Our parks should be safe places for all our citizens to enjoy. We simply ask that our Rangers enforce existing law.

My name is Ana Sol Gutierrez and I am an immigrant from El Salvador. I was the first Hispanic elected public official in Maryland. I am a professional engineer and a long-serving, experienced public servant. I am now running to be the first Salvadoran-American in Congress, seeking to fix a broken and inhumane immigration system and to be a voice for the millions who have no voice in our current political system. I will not let Democrats stand idle to the xenophobia and the fear-mongering of Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, FOX news, and the Republican Party.