The dangers faced by many of America's diplomats are often underappreciated. Thank you to every diplomat who serves America, especially in countries with substantial security risks.

Today, we take a pause from our daily routine to remember the lives lost on September 11th, 2001. We also offer gratitude to our brave first responders and the men and women of our military, who sacrifice so much for our country.

Bret Olsen, an Acalanes High School graduate currently attending Cal Poly, went missing on Sunday while rafting on the Sacramento River in the Chico area. More information is available on this Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/436209829755246/.

If you are interested in joining one of our military's service academies, come join one of three upcoming service academy nights that my office is co-hosting with Rep. George Miller and Congressman Jerry McNerney. You can speak with representatives from the academies and learn about the experience. The first service academy night is this Tuesday the 11th in Pleasant Hill. More information here:

Thank you to our Travis Airmen for their remarkable service and sacrifice. From the Travis Air Force Base page, here are some pictures of "Team Travis" coming home from deployment:

Joined members of our community last night to pay tribute to California Highway Patrol officer Kenyon Youngstrom, who has passed away after being shot in the line of duty. It is important that we stand by the Youngstrom family not just today and tomorrow but in the years ahead. A description of last night's vigil from Suisun City Patch:

The clean energy sector is growing at 8.3% a year and employs 320,000 workers in California alone. As our economy transitions from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, we need to ensure that we manufacture that clean energy technology in America. Manufacturing Matters: Let’s Make it in America

My thoughts and prayers are with CHP officer Youngstrom and his family. City of Fairfield, CA - Government Walnut Creek Patch

Watch my interview on Medicare below. The AARP has warned that the 2012 Ryan Republican plan “is likely to simply increase costs for beneficiaries while removing Medicare’s promise of secure health coverage." More info on why current and future seniors would pay more under the Republican proposal: http://1.usa.gov/PZ70Xf & www.bit.ly/MediCoupon. AARP letter: http://1.usa.gov/PQ8mSG

Big win for the American people: The White House and the U.S. auto industry have agreed on fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. This action will save the average family $8,200 at the pump, reduce our reliance on foreign oil, prevent 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution, and help protect the air we breathe. Click below for more info.

Former Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher will join the Board of Governors for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory. I am confident she will serve the labs extraordinarily well.

Our veterans have bravely served our nation. When they come home, it is our turn to serve them. I am happy to hear about the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), aimed at helping unemployed Veterans improve their skill set and gain a competitive edge in the already competitive job market. For more information on VRAP and your eligibility, visit the VA’s website bit.ly/IokJGf

Our veterans have bravely served our nation. When they come home, it is our turn to serve them. I am happy to hear about the new Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP), aimed at helping unemployed Veterans improve their skill set and gain a competitive edge in the already competitive job market. For more information on VRAP and your eligibility, visit the VA’s website bit.ly/IokJGf