Sunday's land-grab of almost 1000 acres in the West Bank is illegal under international treaties that Israel has signed, and--as Israel's strongest ally and closest friend--the US needs to say so. President Obama, the subtle condemnations aren't working. It's time to make it plain to the Israeli government that continued settlement expansion isn't just an obstacle to peace, it's against American interests, American policy, and the Geneva Convention.

The Obama Administration has launched a new initiative protect bees and other pollinators and try to prevent the recent bee die-offs. It also provides funding to create new bee habitats in five states. But this effort falls far short of what's needed. The plan fails to take definitive action on neonicotinoid pesticides -- a key factor contributing to the bee die-offs and one they could do something about now. Tell President Obama he needs to take strong and immediate action to save bees and ban bee-killing pesticides now!

The Obama Administration has launched a new initiative protect bees and other pollinators and try to prevent the recent bee die-offs. It also provides funding to create new bee habitats in five states. But this effort falls far short of what's needed. The plan fails to take definitive action on neonicotinoid pesticides -- a key factor contributing to the bee die-offs and one they could do something about now. Tell President Obama he needs to take strong and immediate action to save bees and ban bee-killing pesticides now!

The Obama Administration has launched a new initiative protect bees and other pollinators and try to prevent the recent bee die-offs. It also provides funding to create new bee habitats in five states. But this effort falls far short of what's needed. The plan fails to take definitive action on neonicotinoid pesticides -- a key factor contributing to the bee die-offs and one they could do something about now. Tell President Obama he needs to take strong and immediate action to save bees and ban bee-killing pesticides now!

The Obama Administration has launched a new initiative protect bees and other pollinators and try to prevent the recent bee die-offs. It also provides funding to create new bee habitats in five states. But this effort falls far short of what's needed. The plan fails to take definitive action on neonicotinoid pesticides -- a key factor contributing to the bee die-offs and one they could do something about now. Tell President Obama he needs to take strong and immediate action to save bees and ban bee-killing pesticides now!

The Obama Administration has launched a new initiative protect bees and other pollinators and try to prevent the recent bee die-offs. It also provides funding to create new bee habitats in five states. But this effort falls far short of what's needed. The plan fails to take definitive action on neonicotinoid pesticides -- a key factor contributing to the bee die-offs and one they could do something about now. Tell President Obama he needs to take strong and immediate action to save bees and ban bee-killing pesticides now!

The Obama Administration has launched a new initiative protect bees and other pollinators and try to prevent the recent bee die-offs. It also provides funding to create new bee habitats in five states. But this effort falls far short of what's needed. The plan fails to take definitive action on neonicotinoid pesticides -- a key factor contributing to the bee die-offs and one they could do something about now. Tell President Obama he needs to take strong and immediate action to save bees and ban bee-killing pesticides now!

***UPDATE: Tesla has announced it has accepted $1.25 billion in subsidies from the state of Nevada. Taxpayers are still in the dark about what negotiations took place & why the state arrived at a $1.25 billion subsidy package.*** Tesla Motors is staging a public auction, brazenly setting the opening bid at half a billion dollars in taxpayer subsidies for its “Gigafactory.” But like Boeing's 22-state auction that will cost Washington taxpayers more than $8 billion, these "trophy deals" cause states to overspend. Usually such auctions are secret, so taxpayers have no chance to demand disclosure. But taxpayers deserve better when ≥$500 million is at stake--especially from a company that prides itself for innovation and openness. If one of the five states overspends, you know what the other four will want to do next time. We need sunshine-antiseptic! Elon Musk: open source your subsidy application files!

SB 270 will greatly reduce the harmful impacts caused by plastic bags. It's on Governor Brown's desk and awaiting his signature. -An estimated 10 billion single use bags are used annually in California alone; -Up to $107 million is spent annually to curb pollution associated with plastic bags; -Southern California cities spent more than $1.7 billion to meet Total Maximum Daily Load for trashed waterways; and -Plastic bags have adversely impacted California's $40 billion ocean industry, with grave impacts to over 267 critical species including birds and fish Plastic bags are wasteful, bad for the environment and bad for the economy.

The people of Illinois have a right to know that members of law enforcement are not racists. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 (union that serves Chicago Police Department) began fundraising for Darren Wilson, the cop who shot Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. See http://www.chicagofop.org/darren-wilson-defense-fund-donations/.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Chuck Hassebrook's opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline goes beyond concern for his state: primarily, he's worried about climate change. But Hassebrook's Republican challenger, Pete Ricketts, is all for the pipeline saying, it will help create jobs, and I think the fundamental question we're facing here in the state is how we grow Nebraska? Hassebrook, though, has a different plan for jobs in Nebraska. He wants to tap the state's vast potential for wind energy--which was ranked fourth in the nation. Nebraskans have a proud tradition of being good stewards of the land. Pete Ricketts' failure to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline in Nebraska stands in stark contrast to the legacies of Governors on both sides of the political aisle. In the home of Arbor Day, it is intellectually dishonest and intellectually indefensible not to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline in Nebraska.

Currently, there are no laws in place to guarantee how your child support money is allocated or provide your child with future funds to continue their educational pursuits (college, learning a trade, or workforce development). Many fathers have a very difficult time making ends meet while supporting their child and also trying to financially maintain their own household. In many instances, once the support period ends when the child turns 18 or later (if they continue their educational pursuits) the father is financially unable to contribute further towards their child’s future. Child support typically renders the father unable to save for the future. EKOL has started a petition that is intended to institute a clause/mandate in the child support orders from the court that requires the custodial parent to invest 20% of each monthly child support payment into a trust fund for each child receiving child support. These funds will be released to the child upon successful completion of high school and enrollment in college or towards a trade and/or workforce development program. Please sign the 20% FATHERHOOD PETITION - EKOL to help create a law in your respective state that guarantees that up to 20% of your child support payments will be allocated into an interest bearing “trust fund” for your child’s future. THANK YOU for doing your part to help sustain our families and communities.