A Texas company has proposed building a high speed rail line linking Dallas and Houston using no public funding, but opponents succeeded in adding a "rider" to the state budget which would prohibit the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) from even engaging in safety and engineering oversight of the project. That oversight is required, so the rider would effectively kill the high speed rail line. High speed rail will help take cars off the road, reducing pollution and traffic, and provide an alternative for travelers. The state should be expediting the project, not putting up barriers. The budget conference committee should remove the rider from the final budget and let plans for high speed rail proceed.

I had read an unbelievable message board post that trolled forty people. And then Jeff Rubin's response made me feel like I had just put sand in my mouth. Rubin needs his keyboard taken away.

Under current law, a California worker employed full time, year round, will earn $18,000 before taxes at the current rate of $9/hour. This is below the current poverty level and must be changed!

I am disabled and live in a rural area where public transportation is not available. Doing business online is often my only option.

The top priest at one of the country's oldest and largest Catholic universities has been fired for posting a "NO H8" photo on Facebook, opposing anti-gay discrimination. Father Warren Hall was the beloved director of campus ministry at Seton Hall University, a school run by the Archdiocese of Newark, until he was fired at the behest of the archbishop, John Myers. Seton Hall students are protesting and the firing is already becoming a national news story -- and therefore an opportunity to show that anti-gay leaders like Archbishop Myers have become a barrier to the church's ministry, especially among young people.

This letter will be presented to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to highlight to him and the DCC government that it is the earnest desire of many, many people in Solomon Islands and across the world, that multiple-citizenship be permitted in Solomon Islands. If you are directly affected by this issue or know someone who is; or if you are a Solomon Islander who supports the introduction of multiple-citizenship in Solomon Islands, then please sign this letter. Please sign with both your first and last name to lend credibility to your signature. Also feel free to explain your connection to this issue in the comment section. Please note that it is preferable for residents of Honiara to sign a hard copy. This can be done at Solosoft (NPF Plaza), Nice Bola (Heritage Park Hotel), LePharmacy (Town Ground), Doug & Moddie's Cafe (Kukum), Officeworks (Panatina Plaza); Lime Lounge (Pt Cruz) and Pasifiki (Hyuandi Mall). Thanks!

If we do not stop Gov. Jindal's Executive Order, we will be allowing Louisiana to become discriminatory against other human being and to take away key civil rights. Don't allow Louisiana to legalize discrimination. Sign now to make your voice count!

It's time that my state progresses into this century.

My first career was as a school teacher, trained in early childhood education. I saw how effective the techniques pioneered by Maria Montessori and Jean Piaget are in stimulating children's learning and creativity I want this opportunity for all of Minnesota's children. With the current surplus, our state can afford to invest in our students.

At Port Charlotte High School, three Algebra 2 Honors class, one Advanced Placement Statistics class, and one Trigonometry honors class filled with students from three grade levels were left for 4-5 months without a consistent and qualified teacher to prepare them for their exams, EOCs, or for their future courses. Although they were given substitutes as temporary replacements, these instructors were simply bodies within the room to take attendance while other teachers from the Math department would occasionally (meaning 3-5 different teachers showing students 3-5 different methods of completing their work which is inefficient) come in. As one of many sophomores that didn't have a consistent and qualified instructor to teach her/him the course material, I am now at a disadvantage against other students from different schools that were offered the learning experience I should have received and am still being required to take a final exam on material that's been simply handed to me through worksheets without adequate instruction.

I don't want to see people in this state go without a basic necessity like health care.

Despite Costco’s reputation as socially-responsible and worker-friendly, it continues to profit from selling products made by sweatshop manufacturer Reynolds and its subsidiary company, Pactiv Corp. Pactiv forced its women workers in Kearny, NJ, to work mandatory and excessive overtime of up to 84 hours per week (12 hours 7 days a week) for weeks on end. Overheated factory rooms, limited bathroom and water breaks, and multiple other violations on top of the fatigue, exhaustion and extensive repetitive actions from dangerous and destructive mandatory overtime hours all led to severe injury and sustained disability among the workers. When workers tried to speak out, they were laid off. By refusing to take Reynolds' products off their shelves, Costco is violating it’s own Supplier Code of Conduct which forbids suppliers to impose mandatory and excessive overtime. Costco is also supporting sweatshop labor. While affected workers are demanding that Pactiv and parent company Reynolds address sweatshop conditions, do away with mandatory overtime and reinstate workers, neither Pactiv nor Reynolds has complied. COSTCO, STOP SUPPORTING SWEATSHOP FACTORIES AND DO THE RIGHT THING - BREAK TIES WITH REYNOLDS AND PACTIV!