The Congressional Budget Office just said that the Senate immigration bill will save the federal government $897 billion over the next 20 years. Now, it's on the Senate to lower the costs of applying for legal status. No one should be left out because they can't afford the $4,000 in fees and fines to apply for legal status in the current bill.

A direct quote from Serena Williams about the Steubenville, Ohio events: "Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don’t know. I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don’t take drinks from other people. She’s 16 - why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously, I don’t know - maybe she wasn’t a virgin. But she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something. Then that’s different."

The New York Times regularly reports budget numbers with zero context. They write that a program "costs $700 billion over 10 years" or "saves $150 million" without indicating what percentage of the total that is or giving a meaningful comparison. Since most people don't have any idea that the federal government will spend $50 trillion over the next decade, these are just giant numbers--indistinguishable from one another--to most people. It's gotten so bad that the Times misreported the cost of food stamps by a factor of 10--they wrote $760 billion, but meant $75 billion--and neither the reporter nor the editors noticed; they had to issue a correction. (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/18/us/politics/fraud-used-to-frame-farm-bill-debate.html)

I moved to New Hampshire from densely populated urban centers around Boston and New York, especially to get away from crowded, dirty cities and urban sprawl. Although am a devout environmentalist, my first view of a 400-foot wind turbine in the woods did not make me happy – it made me sick. We have very little wilderness left – we don’t need industrial wind parks in the forest.

Military Sexual Trauma, I was affected by this issue when I served in the US Army. There are veterans besides myself at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center who relive our trauma everyday.

The Portland Press Herald has recently revealed how former corporate lobbyists in positions of power in the LePage administration, including DEP Commissioner Patricia Aho, have systematically used staff intimidation, lack of enforcement and delayed implementation of environmental and public health initiatives to benefit multi-million dollar corporations including pharmaceutical, chemical, and energy companies that were recently their clients. You can read more here: http://www.pressherald.com/special/Lobbyist_in_the_henhouse_DEP_series.html

Now more than ever, the United States needs a policy for genetically engineered food labeling: there are genetically engineered ingredients in up to 70 percent of the foods on grocery store shelves, the USDA is considering approving a genetically engineered apple this spring, and the FDA is nearing its approval of a genetically engineered salmon. The labeling of genetically engineered foods should be mandatory. The public has the right to make an informed choice about the food they buy for their families. Without mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods, consumers are left in the dark. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) have sponsored new federal labeling legislation, the Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act (S. 809 and H.R. 1699), in the Senate and House. Take action and tell your senators and representative to support the genetically engineered food labeling bill.

On May 16, 2013, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb went on a rant regarding those who do not "look" disabled and use accommodations in airports. What started as a comment on the recent phenomenon of "renting" a disabled person to use his or her disabled pass at Disneyland, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee took their comments to the extreme.

Connecticut has the second highest electricity rates in the country, and United Illuminating has the highest electricity rates in state. But now they are asking the state to let them raise their rates 12% over the next 2 years. The rate hikes would net United Illuminating $95 million over two years, which would cover the company's plan to increase its profits and would raise electric bills for its 325,000 customers. Tell United Illuminating its wrong to raise rates so they can increase their profits!

The President is using Al Shabab, reverting to tribalism, breaking the laws of the Constitution, and also causing large- scale disorder by killing people in Jubaland. This causes wide spread panic and fear across Somalia and among the diasporic Somalis, who have been through this before. Also, we would like to ask the American Government, ngo's, and other influential organisations and groups to withhold their support and resources until the President of Somalia stops the re-ignited genocide. That is not my fear. That is what is happening right now.

Various factors contribute to highly competent teachers’ unemployment. New teachers are laid off go for budgetary or other factors. Conversely, there are examples of very knowledgeable and skilled professional status (tenured) educators like myself who are out of work. Students and families can use these educators’ talents. Please put these educators back to work in the fall!

This is to make all residents of Florida aware that in a custody case children have no voice. There best interests are not taken into consideration. We can change this by demanding that all children have legal representation through the Guardian Ad Litem Foundation. Every other state has law Guardian's for children involved in a custody case.