One of the many reasons I care about Internet freedom is because I worked as an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the oldest and most prestigious government consulting firms, to support implementation of the Obama administration's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The program gave out $9.7 billion in grants to help bridge the technological divide, create jobs, and improve education, health care, and public safety in communities across the country. When I heard about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposal to allow the corporations who control the infrastructure of the Internet to create fast and slow lanes for websites based on how much they're able to pay, I couldn't help but feel that the Obama administration was undoing a lot of the important work we did together investing in communities to make sure they got the access to the Internet that they needed. I supported President Obama in 2008 and 2012 in part because of his commitment to Internet freedom, which he's publicly declared multiple times. In 2007, then-candidate Obama specifically stated that Internet service providers like Comcast and Verizon should not be able to charge "different rates to different websites"—but that is exactly what the FCC Chairman President Obama appointed, Tom Wheeler, is proposing. Don't let Chairman Wheeler advance a proposal that breaks one of President Obama's campaign promises and brings an end to the Internet as we know it. Please tell President Obama to come out in support of reclassifying the Internet as public utility, like our water, electricity, and phone lines, so that all those communities we helped get Internet access can continue to enjoy a free and open Internet, along with everyone else in the world.

As a pet owner and father, I see so many articles of pets being shot in front of children for the misdemeanor of a dog off it's leash on his own family's property. This cruel and unusual punishment serves no one, instills a fear of law enforcement, creates a loss of life, and makes difficult questions for a parent to answer to a child. Non lethal rounds can serve as an effective way to enforce a leash law without killing a family member.

A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF A CRIME IS NOW SCHEDULED TO BE DEPORTED FOLLOWING HIS RELEASE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, WHEN HE HAS BEEN IN THE U.S. SINCE HIS EARLY LIFE AS A YOUNG BOY! HE WENT THROUGH ALL AMERICAN SCHOOLING AND EVEN GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH A DIPLOMA! WE NEED TO SAVE HIM

Many of our North Carolina Brothers and Sisters and their families have been impacted by the injustice of North Carolina Expungement Rules/Laws. People are being held back from moving forward in their lives and becoming productive citizens because of the residual affect of past criminal infractions, largely promoted by our governing body and those who represent the citizens of North Carolina.

Many of the Socom confrontation players are over 35. This game offered mature content in a lobby setting where relationships were built over many years. The move by Sony has left thousands of customers distraught and angry. We have forum posts and facebook pages and now we feel it is time to take control of our online destiny.

Karla Brada Mendez was one of these women. She met Eric Allen Earle in AA. Karla was there to seek help with alcohol and drug overuse; Earle was court-ordered to attend AA for the fourth time. He had already spent two years in prison and had six restraining orders against him. Court records clearly documented his relapses with alcohol and violent behavior towards those closest to him. According to his friends, Earle, age 40, trolled meetings for emotionally vulnerable women who would take him in. He had a string of girlfriends that he all met in AA, and Karla, age 31, would soon become one of them. After enduring months of escalating domestic violence, Karla was found strangled in her apartment in 2011. Earle now faces charges for her murder. Karla’s story is not the only one. AA has built a reputation among predators as a place to find victims. Sexual predators learn how to rise up the ranks of AA and use their power to target women with less than one year of sobriety, who they consider the most vulnerable. This phenomenon has become so common that members refer to it as ‘the 13th step.’ Meanwhile, the organization’s leadership has done little to implement safety measures at their meetings and judges continue sentencing violent offenders to meetings in droves. Every citizen and every AA member deserves the right to safe recovery. Please demand that the courts find somewhere else to send sex offenders and violent criminals. Lives depend on it. Sincerely, Monica Richardson, Safe Recovery Advocate & Director of The 13th Step Film Jaroslava Mendez, Safe Recovery Advocate & Karla's Mother

At the beginning of the year, Rhode Island lawmakers took up consideration of a bill to ban plastic shopping bags statewide. This should be a no-brainer: banning plastic bags would be a huge victory for Narragansett Bay and its wildlife by eliminating a major source of marine trash. That's why we can’t believe top state lawmakers haven’t yet scheduled this for a vote. Send a message showing Rhode Island’s top leaders, as well as your own state rep and senator, where you stand.

Expanding solar in Rhode Island will bring widespread benefits for our health, our economy, and the environment. State lawmakers are moving forward to quintuple Rhode Island's cornerstone renewable energy program with a bill sponsored by State Rep. Ruggiero (Jamestown) and State Sen. Sosnowski (S. Kingstown). But in the busiest time of year at the State House, we need to make sure this doesn’t fall by the wayside. Take action to send a message to your senator, your representative, and the governor.

Recently Denver Arts and Venues enacted a ban on exercise groups greater than 10 people at Red Rocks. They had no written complaints to base this ban on and they are still allowing other large groups, so they are simply discriminating against exercise groups...even completely free ones. Please help tell the City of Denver that what they are doing is unethical, bad policy and discriminatory.

I am deeply offended that MIT would glorify such destructive, sociopathic brothers as the Kochs. How can an institution that works to better the environment promote two men who are largely climate change deniers and responsible for environmental destruction.

Anonymous Delaware companies have been used to facilitate drug smuggling, arms trafficking, and anonymous campaign contributions; force foreclosures on ordinary Americans; and launder the proceeds of overseas corruption. As a corporate leader, we need to ensure our state is not being used by criminals for illicit purposes. The Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Act will require states to collect beneficial ownership information from companies (the real person profiting from the company), which will allow law enforcement to track illicit funds and activities more efficiently and effectively. The bill exempts publicly listed companies and would apply to all U.S. states, so does not create any competitive disadvantages for Delaware.

Cambridge has not had the chance to thoroughly discuss the new online high-stakes test called PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) as a replacement for MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) and what it will mean for our kids, teachers, and K-12 schools.