Comprehensive legislation on record-high gas prices was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and, among others, Sanders. He played a leading role in cobbling together the comprehensive package to address the gas price crisis. He also stressed the long-term need to develop alternatives to the fossil fuels that are causing climate change. Sanders put a spotlight on issues affecting senior citizens, inviting former Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly, a leading seniors advocate, to a series of town meetings in Vermont on Saturday. Health care, education, housing, taxes, the Iraq war and other issues got in-depth treatment, and a Bernie Sanders perspective, in a cover story in the National Journal. Sanders also appeared on a CNN investigative report about Florida farm workers held as slaves.

Gas Prices Sanders played a leading role in developing energy legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate that could help reduce the high price of gasoline. The bill would impose windfall profit taxes on oil companies, eliminate tax breaks for oil and gas companies, curb speculation in oil futures, authorize the Department of Justice to prosecute price gougers, and suspend shipments to the strategic petroleum reserve. The Senate could vote within days on suspending shipments to the petroleum reserve, Sanders said Friday on The Thom Hartmann Show on Air America Radio. In the long term, the senator emphasized, "We have to move toward sustainable fuels and energy efficiency." To watch excerpts from the press conference announcing the Consumer-First Energy Act, click here. To read more about the comprehensive energy package, click here. To read the bill, click here.

The Economy, By the Numbers In the latest indication that the economic slowdown has forced Americans to tighten their belts, demand for imports fell in March by the most since 2001, the Commerce Department reported on Friday. Automobile imports fell 9.3 percent and oil dropped 8.9 percent. Declines also were reported in an array of other consumer goods ranging from clothing to toys and furniture.

The Economy, the Real World Hundreds of people have sent emails to Bernie describing their experience coping with rising fuel and food prices at a time when working longer hours for lower wages is the new norm. One woman wrote: "Besides for college, my husband and I have lived in Vermont our whole lives we have two small children (a baby and a toddler) and felt fortunate to own our own house and land, but due to the increasing fuel prices we have at times had to choose between baby food/diapers and heating fuel, we've run out of heating fuel three times so far, and the baby has ended up in the hospital with pneumonia two of the times. We try to keep the kids warm with an electric space heater on those nights, but that just doesn't do the trick. My husband does what he can just to scrape enough money for car fuel each week and we've gone from three vehicles to one just to try and get by without going further into debt…We love Vermont…Please help." To read more of the emails from real people about their everyday lives, click here.

Farm Workers Low wages and terrible working conditions have plagued tomato farm workers in Immokalee, Florida for decades. Sanders visited the workers this year, has frequently spoken out in support of their efforts to secure the most basic benefits, and even chaired a Senate hearing on the situation. To watch the CNN investigative report, click here. To watch parts of the hearing, click here.

Seniors Barbara Kennelly, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, accepted Sanders' invitation to speak at Vermont town meetings in South Burlington, Montpelier and White River Junction about the federal programs that some say are threatened. The former member of Congress is passionate about what she says is her message and mission, Vermont Public Radio reported. To listen to her talk about seniors issues with VPR's Mitch Wertlieb, click here.

Left Turn? "Liberals in Congress believe that 2009 could be their best year since the New Deal," according to a cover story in the prestigious National Journal. "From rank-and-file freshmen to committee chairmen, the Left is forecasting big electoral wins followed by major legislative action in 2009. Some go as far to predict that the public policy changes could be the most significant since Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s. Sanders, the magazine said, admonished the Democratic Party to start "forgetting about their campaign contributors" and fight for national health care, tax increases on the wealthy, cuts in military spending, and an end to the Iraq war. "We need to galvanize the American people to demand radical changes in the way we do business." To read the article, click here.