It's electric. All over the country, NFL players are taking a knee and linking arms. They're kneeling in opposition to police brutality. They're linking arms because Black Lives Matter. They're joining together in defiance of Donald Trump, who attacks People of Color but says white supremacists are “very fine people.” Trump has tried to turn the players and teams against each other, but his divisive, racist rhetoric isn't working. It's only strengthening their bonds, and unifying people against the politics of hate. Professional athletes courageously confronted Trump's bullying and bigotry yesterday, despite the fact that he has called on their employers to fire them, and even suggested a boycott of their league. Now, as a veteran, I'm joining them, along with thousands of veterans and military families. The NFL needs to know that Americans--all of us--support patriots like Colin Kaepernick, and all the other athletes who are peacefully protesting for racial justice. This isn’t about the flag, which I have personally taken an oath to defend. It’s about our basic values, like believing in the right to speak out, demand equality, and fight for justice. We need to live our values today--like these NFL teams are--by taking a knee and linking arms. When I was 19, I stood up and raised my right hand to enlist in the US Army, because I believe in our basic values of equality, justice, and free speech. The right to kneel and express oneself is exactly what I swore an oath to protect. And all of us at Common Defense--the organization of veterans and military families I co-founded--will continue our fight to uphold that. Will you join me and send a message to the NFL that we're with them?

My friend Scott Cannon is a videographer and pipeline fighter. He just contacted me to tell me the outrageous story of a dentist in Dallas, PA whose property Williams took by eminent domain to build its unnecessary Atlantic Sunrise pipeline. On the condemned portion of the property sits a 100-year old barn. Williams plans to destroy it. We all know pipeline companies have no respect for private property, but stories like this remind us that they have no respect for history either. If he can’t have his barn, then the landowner would like to donate the wood to a local nonprofit farm called Hillside Farms so that it can have a second life repairing buildings on that property. But, thanks to eminent domain, Williams technically owns the barn and won’t allow it. Scott has made a video about this outrageous situation. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvhn-NwIci8&feature=youtu.be Please sign my petition we’ll deliver to FERC and Williams to tell them to donate the wood to Hillside Farms for much-needed repairs.

Every American has the right know who is trying to influence our elections and public policy. That means new revelations that Russian agents covertly bought Facebook ads to influence the election should spark the passage of comprehensive and long overdue legislation requiring full disclosure of the people, businesses, and groups using online ads to influence our votes. Our laws already require disclosure of the people and groups behind some of the political ads we receive in the mail or over the internet, as well as those we see on television, hear on the radio, and read in our newspapers and magazines. Candidates must personally vouch on the air for TV and radio ads placed by their campaign committees. Unfortunately, however, there are plenty of gaps in the disclosure requirements. Conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity and liberal organizations like the House Majority PAC must put their names on the ads they sponsor, but the money that pays for the ads may be funneled to them through other nonprofit groups that are allowed to hide their donors. Facebook’s announcement that it’s changing the way it handles political advertising is good news, but no cause for celebration. Stung by stories about how the site sold political advertising to Russian interests last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has unveiled a self-regulation regimen that may quiet the social network’s critics and placate lawmakers alarmed about hidden foreign meddling in U.S. elections. But while Zuckerberg’s maneuver may be good for Facebook’s bottom line, it falls far short of what Americans need to protect our elections. Rather than placating Congress and the public, it should spark the passage of comprehensive and long overdue legislation requiring full disclosure of the people, businesses, and groups using online ads to influence our votes. Our elected leaders have an obligation to put country over party and strengthen the resiliency of our democracy. Please add your name today.

Because healthcare is a human right that everyone, not just the rich, should be entitled to.

Pres. Trump understands boycotts. Let his attack on privately owned US businesses and their employees be redressed with a boycott of his "athletic" properties.

Senator Gardner is not only voting for repeal of the ACA; he is leading the charge in the Senate. Threatening his fellow Repugnants with campaign finance... I don't know about you, but I want a Senator who will serve our interests in Congress, not the illegitimate unwarranted influences and interests of the Koch brothers, big oil, and pharmaceuticals... As this points out eloquently, Republican representatives do not govern in the best interest of their constituency. They are corrupted by fiscal special interests who drive their legislative agenda. Financially empowered lobbyists control on average 50 to 55% of Republican reelection campaign financing. Campaign finance reform is essential in order to restore representative legitimacy to our councils of government... "This just in from The New York Times about Colorado's Republican U.S. Senator, Cory Gardner, and his role in the debate over a new bill to repeal Obamacare: "As more than 40 subdued Republican senators lunched on Chik-fil-A at a closed-door session last week, Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado painted a dire picture for his colleagues. Campaign fund-raising was drying up, he said, because of the widespread disappointment among donors over the inability of the Republican Senate to repeal the Affordable Care Act or do much of anything else." The Times cites Gardner as being "in charge of his party’s midterm re-election push" and saying donors are furious. Then there's this: "Mr. Gardner told his colleagues that a major Colorado contributor who played a role in his own campaign says party donors are reluctant to give any more money until congressional Republicans demonstrate results." The donor is not named in the Times piece." Cory is driven by one thing, the lobbyists who represent the fiscal special interests who donate about 55% of his congressional reelection campaign funds. He serves the interests of the fiscal special interests and must be voted out of office. We should start a public petition to officially publicly reprimand Senator Gardner for dereliction of duty in support of legislation that would significantly harm and or kill members of his constituency... In kind, the complicit pawn Ken Buck should also be reprimanded for dereliction of duty and due diligence in considering legislation that would inflict significant harm and death upon members of his constituency. I believe that integrity and the public interests must once again cog the wheels of governance. I believe that a public official, written, and state-approved reprimand is more than appropriate. We the people must hold our representatives accountable as Congress currently lacks the ability to do so. Semper Fi Isaac Ian McCorkle Combat Wounded USMC RETIRED

I'm a loyal customer of Marriott who is dismayed to hear they are hosting an event for an anti-Muslim radical right hate group - Act for America. The Southern Poverty Law Center designates ACT for America an anti-Muslim hate group. I and other loyal customers will cancel our business with Marriott if they continue to host this type of event.

We are frightened by Trump's foolish bluster. The whole world is endangered. This is an emergency.

A federal judge is paid to act impartially and lawfully. Section 455(a) "requires a judge to recuse herself in any proceeding in which her impartiality might reasonably be questioned." It is important that the litigant not only actually receive justice, but that he believes that he has received justice." Judge Renee Bumb is breaking the law, violating Ms. Smalls' rights and refusing to recuse herself from the case. Everyone deserves a fair trial.

A federal judge is paid to act impartially and lawfully. Section 455(a) "requires a judge to recuse herself in any proceeding in which her impartiality might reasonably be questioned." It is important that the litigant not only actually receive justice, but that he believes that he has received justice." Judge Renee Bumb is breaking the law, violating Ms. Smalls' rights and refusing to recuse herself from the case. Everyone deserves a fair trial.

A federal judge is a federal judicial officer, paid by the federal government to act impartially and lawfully. Section 455(a) "requires a judge to recuse herself in any proceeding in which her impartiality might reasonably be questioned." It is important that the litigant not only actually receive justice, but that he believes that he has received justice."

There has been too many qualified Hurricane Harvey disaster victims being denied cash assistance with money that has been specifically donated to the Red Cross for Texans