Recently, the State of Louisiana joined a host of other states in suing the federal government over the President's executive action on immigration. In addition to subjecting thousands of Louisiana families to deportation, this lawsuit, if successful, would deny work permits to thousands of Louisiana immigrants and deprive our state of much-needed tax revenue. President Obama had to act on immigration after Republicans in Congress chose to do nothing. And despite the fact that President Obama's immigration action will benefit countless families in Louisiana and generate new taxes for the state, Gov. Bobby Jindal and Attorney General Buddy Caldwell are joining with their political partisans to block it. After Latinos handed a defeat to Mitt Romney in 2012, it looked like Gov. Jindal was ready to take his party on a modern path. But now that he’s joined this anti-immigrant lawsuit, it looks like Gov. Jindal is ready to repeat the same mistakes that cost Mitt Romney the election. We need Gov. Jindal and his administration to immediately end the lawsuit against President Obama and stop the attacks against immigrant workers and families living in Louisiana. They are part of our state and they deserve a way to become documented residents, not shunned and set up for deportation.

Recently, the State of Georgia joined a host of other states in suing the federal government over the President's executive action on immigration. In addition to subjecting thousands of Georgia families to deportation, this lawsuit, if successful, would deny work permits to thousands of Georgia immigrants and deprive our state of a massive $190 million in much-needed tax revenue over the next five years. President Obama had to act on immigration after Republicans in Congress chose to do nothing. And despite the fact that President Obama's immigration action will benefit countless families in Georgia and generate almost $200 million dollars in taxes for the state, Gov. Nathan Deal and Attorney General Sam Olens are joining with their political partisans to block it. It was bad enough when last year Gov. Deal wrongly assumed a Georgia college student was an undocumented immigrant simply based on the color of her skin. Now by taking part in this anti-immigrant lawsuit, he’s got his eyes set on millions of actual undocumented immigrants across the United States. We need Gov. Deal and his administration to immediately end the lawsuit against President Obama and stop the attacks against immigrant workers and families living in Georgia. They are part of our state and they deserve a way to become documented residents, not shunned and set up for deportation.

Those who suffer the devastation of mental illness, and their loved ones, quietly and in fearful isolation try to understand terrifying symptoms, find information and support, navigate the complicated path to accessing care and funding, come to terms with the loss of a planned and hoped for future, understand and accept a possible lifetime of medications (many with very difficult and serious side effects), and need for ongoing psychiatric care (a very altered new normal). We can no longer condone social stigma to further torture those who find themselves on this unbidden journey. We cannot continue to tolerate cruel jokes, careless, ignorant portrayals, and generalizations in the media of those who suffer with schizophrenia, bipolar and other affective illnesses, and psychotic symptoms of any origin. The mentally ill must be acknowledged as a minority class, be protected by anti-discrimination laws, and further protected by hate crime legislation. It is incumbent on our elected officials to educate themselves about this issue and address it with required legislation and vastly improved funding. It is incumbent on law enforcement agencies and medical professionals to understand Civil Commitment laws, and the unique needs of and how to recognize signs of mental illness, in order to appropriately and ethically respond to situations involving those afflicted and their loved ones. It is incumbent on every citizen to gain personal understanding via NAMI, or better yet, by initiating a conversation with a family member, friend, or acquaintance impacted by mental illness. Mental Illness is no respecter of persons, knows no social, racial, ethnic, gender, nor religious boundaries. It is the struggle and work of a lifetime for those afflicted, their loved ones, and every compassionate human being. Contact your elected officials and inform them that you are watching and demand that mental illness be addressed as a priority.

I am a Navy veteran who served honorably from 1958-1962. I have had numerous "compensation & pension" examinations where the examining individual did not fully examine me or listen to my complaints. Some did not even look at the "part" in question. I experienced one situation where a nurse practitioner rendered one decision in my presence and then called me a few days later to tell me that after reviewing biopsy reports from five years before, she was changing her opinion. This is just one of many ridiculous incidents. My appeals have been successful when I have sought out review by private physicians.

On the first day of the new Congress, Republicans quietly introduced a rules change that would force Social Security into a manufactured crisis. The new rule puts a new restriction on the routine transfer of funds between the Social Security trust fund and the Social Security disability program, an action so normal that Congress has approved it 11 times. Unless Congress approves new revenues (which they won't), disabled Americans or seniors will see huge benefit cuts as soon as 2016. The Republican Congress might want to spend their times playing games with our retirement. But as long as you are in the White House, President Obama, you have the power to veto bills that cut Social Security retirement benefits or disability insurance.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal currently being negotiated between the United States and 11 other countries in Asia and the Pacific. If finalized, it would be the largest trade deal in history. In a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, co-signed by Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Edward Markey, Elizabeth Warren warned that the deal could allow foreign companies to challenge United States financial regulations designed to prevent another financial crisis. They wrote: "Including such provisions in the TPP could expose American taxpayers to billions of dollars in losses and dissuade the government from establishing or enforcing financial rules that impact foreign banks. The consequence would be to strip our regulators of the tools they need to prevent the next crisis.” Warren has also spoken out forcefully against the secretive nature of the negotiations behind the deal being written by lobbyists from America’s biggest corporations and Wall Street’s biggest banks. Speaking at Public Citizen, Warren said, “From what I hear, Wall Street, pharmaceuticals, telecom, big polluters and outsourcers are all salivating at the chance to rig the deal in the upcoming trade talks. So the question is, ‘Why are the trade talks secret?’... I actually have had supporters of the deal say to me ‘They have to be secret, because if the American people knew what was actually in them, they would be opposed.’” Sources and more information: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/18/elizabeth-warren-trade-deal_n_6350312.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-other-democrats-raise-concerns-about-free-trade-pact-with-asia/2014/12/17/19de1c48-8632-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/12/18/senator-warren-takes-tpp http://www.warren.senate.gov/files/documents/TPP.pdf

Last year, North Carolina ranked second only to California in terms of solar capacity added. Our recent report, Star Power, showed that we can reach 20% solar by 2030 at a fifth of our current growth. Our challenge now is to keep the surge in solar power growing strong! We know that the cities with the most solar power aren’t just the ones with the most sunshine; they’re also the communities with smart pro-solar policies. That's why we're asking Raleigh to commit to a bold yet achievable goal of 15% solar by 2030!

The housing crisis is tough on all of us, but for low income elderly and disabled Californians it has become almost impossible to get by. In 2008, then-Governor Schwarzenegger used his line-item veto power to eliminate a small tax rebate, just up to $347.50 per household, for elderly, blind and disabled renters making less than $44,096. Nearly 500,000 households relied on the “Renter’s Rebate” to pay the rent, buy groceries and get crucial medical coverage. With rents skyrocketing all over the state, the lack of such basic assistance is an outrage. California has its first budget surplus since the program was cut. And Governor Brown and the California legislature can immediately restore the Renter’s Rebate by funding it in the new state budget. But they’ll only do it if you demand it. Elderly and disabled Californians have been suffering in this housing crisis. Senior and disabled tenants need this basic lifeline back. We need to act right now while the budget is being written and debated in Sacramento. Tell your state representatives and Governor Brown to restore the renters rebate and bring relief to struggling California renters today.

Through recently passed zoning and the imminent construction of a 384 unit condo project, this neighborhood could add over 500 new residential units in the coming years. The City of Poughkeepsie should not alienate Wheaton Park to sell it to a private developer. Do we really need 40+ more condo units, including private parking for them near our riverfront instead of Wheaton Park? We have plenty of empty housing, why keep building more at the price of a outdoor recreation? Parks are more, not less, needed than ever before. Wheaton Park's scenic vistas and premier gateway location next to the train station are a major community asset that should not be "for sale."

My name is Nathaniel Smith. I am 22 years old and I live in West Philadelphia. I work as a baggage handler for PrimeFlight Aviation Services, a contractor for US Airways at the Philadelphia International Airport. I make $7.25 an hour with no meaningful benefits. I don’t make close to enough to provide for my family the way I’d like to. I have a 3 year-old daughter and a son on the way. Like any parent, I want to buy my children the world but sometimes I can barely afford to get them toys or take them to lunch. I am constantly juggling bills and my phone has even been cut off. Most of the time, I make sacrifices that affect me, and not my children like working more hours or going without eating. There are many workers at the Philadelphia International Airport who are in the same boat as I am. My coworkers and I get little or no health care. Most of us don’t get paid holidays, vacation time or sick days. Some of us even experience unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. This is no way to live. We deserve human dignity and respect. For nearly three years we have been speaking out for better wages and conditions. Philadelphia voters have heard our cries for help and overwhelmingly supported a wage raise to $10.88. Yet eight months later, we have yet to see the raise in our paychecks. It seems that our dream is delayed. Dr. King died supporting Memphis sanitation workers who were working under deplorable conditions and making what would be $11.41 per hour today. 46 years after Dr, King’s death, most airport passenger service workers work under deplorable conditions and earn just $8 per hour with little or no benefits. Dr. King’s dream—our dream—of good jobs and equality for all should be delayed no more. That’s why it is more important than ever that we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy as we demand a better future for our families and for our city. We demand and declare that MLK Day 2015 will be a paid holiday for all airport workers. Join me and pledge to stand with PHL airport workers to make MLK Day 2015 a paid holiday. Thank you. Nathaniel Smith, PHL Airport Worker

I feel that our government officials have forgotten who they are. They feel that they have the right to make cuts to everyone besides themselves. If we didn't have to pay them their salary and medical benefits forever, they wouldn't need to cut Social Security or Medicare or retirement funds for those who need it the most.

Justin bieber does nothing but embarrass this country and causes problems for the locals in California. He spits on his fans and is a danger to other people when he is behind the wheel. We are not safe with him around.