$104,000,000,000.00

Robert L. Borosage, 05/17/12

President, Institute for America's Future

Before dealing with the "prairie fire" that threatens the nation, Romney and Republicans want to add fuel to the flames. Their first priority is spending more money on the military and collecting less money from the rich and the corporations.

Patrick O'Neal, 05/17/12

Sportscaster in Los Angeles for Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket

I'm sick of the low blows, the kidney punches, and the shots after the bell and on the breaks. I'm sick of all the trash talking. From Vanity Fair, The Today Show and The View just to name a few.

Laura Prudom, 05/17/12

Associate Television Editor, The Huffington Post

In my mind, there were two deserving competitors and two marketable competitors in the Top 3, and those pairs didn't necessarily contain the same finalists. I'll leave it to you to decide which of the three fit each category.

Jamie Oliver, 05/17/12

Celebrity Chef and Food Activist

The Food Revolution and Food Revolution Day is about empowering people through education or, frankly, just inspiring people to be more street-wise about food, where it comes from and how it affects their bodies.

Suzanne Guilette, 05/17/12

Writer, teacher and author, 'Much to Your Chagrin: A Memoir of Embarrassment'

I finally had a moment to digest this sad news. I'd been humming "On the Radio" all day long, half-expecting others to join in. The late day sun filtered down, and I could feel tears springing to my eyes.

Monique Ruffin, 05/17/12

Mother, author, blogger, and life coach

Black people have a large gay community, many of whom are less and less willing to hide and deny who they are. Their confidence is challenging the black community to embrace and acknowledge what has largely been swept under the rug.

Scott Atran, 05/17/12

Anthropologist; Author, 'Talking to the Enemy: Faith, Brotherhood, and the (Un)Making of Terrorists'

In an age where religious and sacred causes are resurgent, there is urgent need for joint scientific effort to understand them, to help identify and isolate the moral imperatives for decisions on war or peace.

Don Cheadle, 05/17/12

Academy Award-nominated actor, film producer, philanthropist, and author

Our political leaders have calculated that the American people are not interested in foreign policy in this election year. By walking, we're announcing to our leaders loudly and clearly that they are wrong.

Doug Kendall, 05/17/12

Founder and President, Constitutional Accountability Center

The conservative majority on the Roberts Court is weaponizing Brown vs. Board of Education to attack the very civil rights statutes that are essential for moving the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection toward fruition.

Hank Bordowitz, 05/17/12

Author

More than any other performer of the mid-70s through the 80s, Donna Summer's recordings pushed the envelope of dance music.

Robert Reich, 05/17/12

Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley; Author, 'Beyond Outrage'

I was in Bill Clinton's cabinet. I was in charge of Clinton's economic transition team even before he became president. I've known Bill Clinton since he was 22 years-old. Romney doesn't know what he's talking about.

Daphne Eviatar, 05/17/12

Senior Counsel, Human Rights First's Law and Security Program

The National Defense Authorization Act rightly outraged many on both the left and the right last year, and legislators from all over the political map are now responding. But while one of those responses is real -- i.e., it would actually fix the problem -- one is not, and by pretending to fix it would only make things worse.

Emma Gray, 05/17/12

Associate Editor, HuffPost Women

Yankee Candle Company has decided to follow the fragrance industry's formula of marketing to men: change the packaging color and name of your product, say it's manly and boom! -- dude customers galore.

Matthew Dowd, 05/17/12

Political strategist

Many folks criticize Palin for the fact that her history of helping candidates has succeeded only about half the time. In my view, this is an incredible record, since she almost always backs underdogs and candidates with seemingly no chance of success.

David Sloan Wilson, 05/17/12

Author, 'The Neighborhood Project: Using Evolution to Improve My City, One Block at a Time'; Editor-in-Chief, Evolution: This View of Life

What is the relationship between the New Atheism and Evolutionary Religious Studies? This question is surprisingly complex and needs to be answered in at least three steps.

Barbara Ehrenreich, 05/17/12

New York Times bestselling author

Lenders, including major credit companies as well as payday lenders, have taken over the traditional role of the street-corner loan shark, charging the poor insanely high rates of interest.

James Kwak, 05/17/12

Associate professor, University of Connecticut School of Law, and co-author, 'White House Burning'

It seems as if the Republicans are trying to turn the national debt back into a major political issue. Despite their abysmal record when it comes to fiscal responsibility, it could still turn out to be smart politics, for a few reasons.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, 05/17/12

U.S. Representative from Ohio's 10th District

This week, Congress is considering two pieces of legislation relating to Iran. The first undermines a diplomatic solution with Iran and lowers the bar for war. The second authorizes a war of choice against Iran and begins military preparations for it.

Marlo Thomas, 05/17/12

Award-winning actress, author, and activist

I'm all plugged in at this point. And now I'm constantly discovering new apps, gadgets and gizmos that I just love.

Howard Barbanel, 05/17/12

Editor and Publisher, The South Shore Standard

All she asked "is that you dance with me," and dance we did. Donna Summer, the voice of an era, gone at 63.

Judge H. Lee Sarokin, 05/17/12

Retired federal judge

Virginia's Republican-controlled House rejected the judicial nomination of a gay Richmond prosecutor on the grounds that his past "indicated that he would press an activist agenda from the bench."

R. Gil Kerlikowske, 05/17/12

Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy

The findings are clear evidence of the link between drugs and crime. It is imperative that we address our nation's drug problem not just as a criminal justice issue but as a public health issue. We cannot arrest our way out of the drug problem.

Bob Cesca, 05/16/12

Host of The Bob & Chez Show, Media Producer

Yes, there's a double-standard. And until there's full equality and the long slow process of racial healing is completed, the double-standard has to remain.

Dan Collins, 05/17/12

New York Editor-at-Large, The Huffington Post

The FBI and the NYPD: Where's the love? The New York police commissioner is irked because federal officials failed to brief him on the latest version of al-Qaeda's underwear bomb plot.