As a huge fan of the karaoke event, I suffered as my friends battled to get the opportunity to perform. This cast a cloud of suspicion over the whole event.

Networking with progressives should be easier and it's hard to remember everyone's names! We also need need organizers to let us add Twitter and Dkos user handles!

We urge our local and state partners to join us in opposing California Assembly Bill 1407. We believe that low-income consumers deserve the right to be protected through regulatory process to ensure affordability of utilities programs (Lifeline programs) that help them meet their basic living needs. See below for information about AB 1407

Remember what Reagan said! Walls are a symbol of a closed and fearful society. What do we fear that we are putting up this ugly 700-mile-long wall? Could it be that we KNOW that we are the cause of many of these peoples’ arduous and dangerous attempts to find work in the United States because of our trade policies, our racist drug wars, and our insatiable need for fossil fuels? And could it be, Senators Cornyn, Cruz, Rubio, Corker, and Hoeven, that you are obligated to line the pockets of your defense industry pals with contracts to militarize the border at the expense of the lives of our neighbors in Mexico and Central and South America, thereby destroying cultural & familial ties that have existed for decades? Tear down this ugly wall – better yet, don’t build it in the first place.

Last year, the Florida House rejected Medicaid expansion, leaving over one million Floridians uncertain about the future of their access to health care. As 2014 starts and Obamacare rolls into full swing, it's more important than ever for Florida to pass Medicaid expansion. El año pasado, la Cámara Legislativa de Florida votó en contra de la expansión de Medicaid, dejando a más de un millón de Floridanos sin saber si tendrían acceso a futuros servicios cuidado de salud. Cuando a principios de 2014 Obamacare entre en pleno funcionamiento, es más importante que nunca que el estado de Florida apruebe la expansión de Medicaid.

Last week, Republican legislators in Wisconsin voted on party lines to limit women's access to healthcare. Under the new legislation, if you are a woman seeking an abortion for any reason, you may be required to have an invasive, trans-vaginal ultrasound because Wisconsin Republicans want you to be "educated" about the pregnancy.

We spend more on weapons and war than the combined military budgets of the next 16 countries, including many U.S. allies and friends. But House Republicans want to fund an increase in Pentagon spending with more cuts to vital services – literally taking hot food from the mouths of vulnerable seniors and robbing children of education and a path to a brighter future. This outrageous plan and the right-wing obsession with cutting our nation to the core must be stopped. Tell Congress: Don’t cut vital programs to increase Pentagon spending. Slashing vital social safety net programs that serve millions of families makes absolutely no sense, which makes the GOP’s 2014 spending plan particularly cruel. They would add to the devastating sequester cuts to domestic spending in order to increase a Pentagon budget that already eats up 57% of the money Congress votes on. Well, it’s time for Congress to hear what the American people think about the GOP’s tea-party priorities. Tell Congress: Don’t cut vital social safety net programs to increase Pentagon spending. Some in Washington have completely lost touch with the everyday struggles of life – finding and keeping a good job, paying rent and bills on time, and taking care of our friends and family who’ve fallen behind through no fault of their own. As families and communities struggle just to get by, we need jobs and prosperity for all, not austerity. We have collapsing bridges in Washington, we have cancer patients going without treatment, and we have children being turned away from Head Start at a time when we should be investing in their future. It’s up to us to stop these cuts to our communities and speak out for prosperity for all. Join us as we call on Congress to do the right thing and defend our social safety net against these radical right-wing attacks.

On June 26 the Santa Fe city council will vote to ban large capacity ammunition feeding devices from the streets of our city. These devices are designed to enable shooting mass numbers of people quickly and efficiently without reloading. Such devices have been used in numerous mass shootings, including Tucson, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, Columbine and Newtown.

Effects of injecting trillions of gallons of fresh water and billions of gallons of toxic chemicals at a high pressure into the ground are unknown. Hence a moratorium on fracking is mandatory until its threats and mitigation are studied scientifically.

Stand with us to protect the Northern Cheyenne homelands. Minnesota Power is planning to purchase coal from Otter Creek, which is an area that historically has been used by Native American tribes including the Northern Cheyenne and Crow. This coalmine will have numerous impacts to the land, wildlife, water, and air, and ultimately, it will destroy sacred sites. The use of the coal would release 2.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. This petition was created by Honor the Earth. You can visit us online at: www.honorearth.org Miigwech (thank you)!

I helped to train the Iraqi Army during my second tour, and their concern is that many of the anti-Assad forces are the same terrorists they've fought before and who continue to target them. Plus, as Senator Tom Udall noted, once we introduce weapons, we have zero control over them. The United States "could turn over the weapons we're talking about and next day they end up in the hands of al-Qaida." Moreover, there is no winning scenario when we get involved in other nations' civil wars and proxy wars. On this point, Senator Chris Murphy said it best: "We have failed over and over again in our attempts to pull the strings of Middle Eastern politics." Sign our petition and stand with Senators Murphy and Udall today.

If Congress is mandated to have the same health care coverage we all do, I predict everyone's health would improve tremendously! Forget having your benefits cut every year and prices going up! We would all be headed to a more healthy, prosperous nation!