The numbers keep increasing.

They are small amounts, usually overlooked by most customers and, according to recent Federal Communications Commission estimates, affect 15 million to 20 million American households.

As someone with decades of experience working in and around anti-poverty programs, I have witnessed firsthand the important role that government can play in helping families that are literally living from paycheck to paycheck.

Over the long holiday weekend, children gathered in towns and cities around the country ooh-ing and aah-ing over fireworks, marching in parades, proud of their heritage and proudly waving the American flag. Most of them still believe in the promise of America-a promise reflected in so many of the values and ideals that underlie the founding documents of our nation and the Pledge of Allegiance so many of us learned as children and repeated each morning in school.

It is not often that a $39 billion corporate merger stirs comment all the way down to street level.

The first day of summer usually brings up thoughts of cold drinks, beach attire and vacations.

The last day of school for some public school students is Friday. Some at private and other schools are already out for the summer. And on the minds of some elected officials, community organizations, the police and others, is not simply what the students will do over summer vacation. Instead, they are working, planning and coordinating to help ensure that they live through summer vacation.

Toyota has made and sold cars and trucks in the United States for almost 60 years, and the company states that two tenets guide all of its business practices, “continuous improvement and respect for people and all consumers equally.”

Now that Republicans have found out that too many people have been voting contrary to their views, they are on a mission to make it much more difficult for those people to vote.

Last week President Obama gave a major address on the Middle East, laying out some of the parameters necessary for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.