Right now, we're calling on Gov. Pat Quinn to step up and protect Illinois from this dirty gas drilling. But if state officials will not protect us from fracking, then we need Congress to close the loopholes exempting fracking from our nation’s bedrock environmental and public health laws, and we need to convince federal officials to keep Shawnee National Forest — and all of our treasured places — off limits to dirty drilling.

We must stand together and demand action!

Adopting the APS staff proposal to create a 1,300 seat neighborhood middle school at the Wilson School will address increased middle school crowding projected over the next five years. It will provide urgently needed capacity as rapidly and cost-effectively as possible, while avoiding moving additional students and programs, subjecting students and staff to construction, and sacrificing much-needed recreational space.

Chuck Todd has become the news rather than reporting it by claiming that Alison Lundergan Grimes refusal to answer a question that should not have been asked, and that she answered properly by giving no answer Todd said, "It just came across as you are trying to be a US senator, you want to cast tough votes? You can’t even answer that question? It borders on disqualification. To some voters they are going to sit there and say I can’t vote for you and I don’t want to vote for him. I don’t know what to do." This is an opinion stated as fact and that is quite wrong for several reasons. His presence on Meet the Press and other so-called news programs by NBC or MSNBC makes anything he says questionable and certain means it is not new.

Maui County is ground zero for GMO and associated pesticide experimentation and it is making people sick. Monsanto claims it is a farming ban although only 1% of farms use GMOs. They claim they'll lay off their workers although they have extensive nonGMO seed operations. They claim that GMOs are safe but they are afraid that the study will show they are not. They claim that backyard gardeners will be subject to arrest but the initiative only punishes DELIBERATE planting of GMOs. Any plant in the ground can go through harvest and be replanted with nonGMO. They claim it hurts farmers but they're the only ones growing GMOs except for a tiny number of coffee, squash and corn that is GMOs. In fact, THEY have harmed local farmers by their claims because now people are avoiding local nonOrganic produce because they are under the misapprehension that local produce is all GMO.

Anti-immigrant attacks from Republicans are old news these days, but we were dismayed to see a new ad from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is running for Senate in Kentucky against none other than minority leader, Mitch McConnell. Lundergan Grimes' radio ad hits a new low. Not only does she declare she’s against “amnesty,” but she promises to "fight [President Obama] in the Senate" when he finally acts on immigration. She even perpetuates the stereotype that immigrants are takers and uses the derogatory phrase, "illegal aliens." Lundergan Grimes has promised to be the first to fight President Obama on executive action. Well, this fight is personal for us and we won’t let her or anyone get in our way of winning protection for our families. Tell Alison Lundergan Grimes: Shame on you for attacking immigrants for political gain!

Removing political ideology from the question of state economies. Provide subsidized states currently have no incentive to improve their economies, this will provide an incentive.

Our children innocently attend school and many activities each day. We want the U.S. borders closed to keep the Ebola virus out of the United States.

Congress has cut funding for emergency health preparedness in half since 2001. This is part of the reason that a cure for Ebola has not already been found. Our world in interconnected; people in Africa are our brothers and sisters; we thrive together or we perish together. The U.S. is in a financial position to fund this effort

We cant afford 2 billion gallons of water wasted each day by the fracking industry. Our mountains are full of water that will be needed by future generations. We can live without gas but not water.

Republican politicians continue to play political games with our healthcare. They have had more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal Obamacare. They have refused to expand Medicaid in dozens of states across the nation. They have closed reproductive health clinics. They have cut budgets for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. (The NIH said that these cuts have delayed the development on an effective Ebola vaccine.) Now, these same GOP leaders are hypocritically calling for an “Ebola Czar.” Sen John McCain, a vocal opponent of appointing “czars,” is now leading the fight to appoint an Ebola Czar. The problem is that the federal government already has a position to lead the nation on healthcare issues like Ebola. It’s called the Surgeon General. Unfortunately, the position has been vacant for over a year. Obama's nominee for the position, Vivek Murthy, has had his appointment held up for months by Republicans in the Senate (mostly because of opposition from the NRA). Tell Congress to stop playing political games with our healthcare. Tell Congress that the leadership we need on Ebola is waiting for their vote. Confirm Vivek Murthy for Surgeon General now!

I was diagnosed with a fatal and incurable disease in 2006. I pushed myself until October 2013. I had to fight to get all of my Short Term Disability. I have been banned from driving, I have crippling arthritis, I am connected to Phillips Lifeline because I have trouble walking and much more. I am due LTD pay back to April 29, 2014 and I have exhausted all financial outlets. If my employer and the organization I am contracted to can spend millions to fight Ebola ~ it's time for them to STEP UP TO THE PLATE and pay me the 60% of my measly salary until my Social Security Disability is approved!