Nearly $2 billion of US taxpayers’ money has been committed to the New Alliance, which was supposed to inject much-needed money into rural communities in Africa. But the New Alliance is threatening communities’ land rights. Right now, up to 1,300 people are set to lose their land and livelihoods in Tanzania, where an area of land the size of Washington D.C. is being grabbed for a plantation to produce sugar for biofuels. Unless it’s stopped, the New Alliance will continue to push poor farmers off their land so big agribusinesses can take their place. That’s why we need your help to put pressure on the Obama Administration to scrap the New Alliance in the run up to the G8 Summit in June. The Obama administration should be funding initiatives that help poor farmers in Africa, not ones that take away their land and livelihood!

Already, 37 states allow Same Sex Marriage. Any ban on the subject is one of pure discrimination, with no logical reasoning behind it. Being one of many affected by this matter, knowing my freedoms and rights are restricted because of something I have no say in, makes me feel as if I did something to deserve this, when instead I should be proud of who I am. When the day comes, I want to have the choice of marriage. I have friends and family who want this same choice, and why not? If Michigan wishes to grow, we have to realize our mistakes, with this banning being one of them. The marriage between any two people is of no concern to anyone but those two, and the only reason people have denied us this right is because they fear it will hinder the integrity of all marriages. This point of view is based on nothing but blind hate. It's time we progressed and march on as a state. Let all citizens be given the same rights, no matter the race, gender, national origin, religious views, or sexuality.

to stop all the world's media calling Al-Hashed Al Shaabi Militia, and stop accusing them of disrespecting human rights, they are the most loyal fighters to their country, and they respect human rights.

The governor's decision to pause executions is the right decision for our state. In 2011, the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Resolution No. 6, “Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan task force and an advisory committee to conduct a study of capital punishment in this Commonwealth and to report their findings and recommendations.” The results of the study will be presented to the legislature and the governor. It is only right to pause executions while awaiting this report. In a series of articles published in December 2014, the Reading Eagle found that Pennsylvania taxpayers have spent over $350 million on the death penalty over a period in which the state has carried out just three executions. All three executions involved inmates who had dropped their appeals. Our system is clearly costly and broken, the governor is right to take a closer look. Read HR 143: http://openstates.org/pa/bills/2015-2016/HR143/

Help Local Small Businesses: The city and the airport need to stop showing preferential treatment to the large companies and give all companies the same access to the airport and potential customers. The access needs either to be rotated monthly or be on a first come, first serve basis.

After hearing numerous complaints from drivers and the current owner of the property, we would like the bright sign removed.

Last week, Republicans unveiled budgets in the House and Senate that are devastating to American families. The cuts to student aid programs are especially vicious, with a proposed $150 billion in cuts to the Pell Grant, subsidized loan program, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and income-based repayment. This is easily the biggest attack on student aid in the 21st century. The US Student Association believes that public higher education should be free! And this budget is clearly headed in the opposite direction. We need individual members of Congressional leadership to reject the drastic cuts to student aid included in this year's budget. Sign here to send an email to Senate Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Reid, House Speaker Boehner, and Minority Leader Pelosi.

I go to the beaches of NC during the summer with my family, and I want to preserve the NC coast's beauty and marine life. The whales are precious to me, and 8 of the 10 "Great Whale" species migrate off of our coast.

Right now, Shell is trying to get approval from the US government to start Arctic drilling off the remote coast of Alaska this summer. But President Obama has the power to stop the drills - and Shell. With his recent Keystone XL pipeline veto, it’s clear Obama wants to use his last term in office to leave behind a strong climate legacy. Tell Obama to make the Alaskan Arctic off limits to oil drilling now!

We need to take care of our infrastructure so that human beings can get to their jobs, spend time with their families, travel without risk. I do not understand why legislative bodies cannot grapple with this basic fact. I commute from New Jersey into Manhattan for work and for fun. I know Mr. Christie couldn't give a darn about me and my liberal ways, but every single lateness on my train is caused by Amtrak switches being broken, bridges not closing right, wires subject to high winds. These things cost NJ millions in worker revenues. Why cannot the transit, whether it be roads, bridges, dams, tracks, whatever, why can't that be funded adequately to keep people safe? Even if Amtrak is a losing Congressional proposition, surely we in NJ, who have so much Amtrak rail, could chip in to bring it into the 21st century to save NJ lives? And worker headaches? Surely?

The apartment building in which I live just increased my rent by 13 percent after a 6 month lease. My family could barely afford to pay the original amount. This is extortion and something needs to be done to stop these people.

Governors of New York, Washington, and Minnesota have all pledges to stop AIDS in their state by 2020. Pennsylvania has the resources and the science to make this a reality in our state too -- all it will take is strong leadership from the governor.