U.S. health-care system: Still bad Despite a lot for progress from health insurance reform, we still have a long way to go. Unemployment, not budget practices, to blame for state woes Contrary to conservative claims, state budget problems are not from mismanagement in most cases, just the recession. The...

In case you haven’t heard the recent news about Afghanistan I’ll bring you up to date. Massive ore deposits of valuable metals, worth an estimated one trillion US dollars, were found under the impoverished country. This might seem at first to be a good thing for a country with so little to gain newfound...

By Andrew Hedlund In wake of the Gulf Coast oil spill, much has been made of the future of the energy industry and the need to address our nation’s energy sources. The movement is receiving renewed support by President Barack Obama who, in his address to the nation regarding the oil spill, advocated...

Election-year deficit fears stall Obama stimulus plan Deficit fears are proving to be an obstacle to helping the economy. Worst-of-both-worlds fiscal policy How the our long term fears about the are stopping bills to fix the economy but it won’t lead to fixing the deficit. Leonhardt on the High...

By Andrew Hedlund Politically, last August was memorable because it tarnished the reputation of Democrats. Town hall meetings took place all over the country and were filled with partisan rancor – almost every event escalated into a media circus. As a result, Congressional Democrats have been hosting...

By Andrew Hedlund Remembering our nation’s veterans is perhaps the most important act an American can do to help his or her country. Our brave men and women who are overseas putting themselves in harm’s way deserve our full support. With the passing of Memorial Day, we can show we appreciate their...

16 candidates face a challenge to their petitions A long list of candidates are being challenged in Arizona races. Immigrants Cleaning Up The BP Oil Spill Is Nothing New Nice reminder about how much we depend on immigrants. Anti-incumbent, pro-party primaries Looking at the primaries that happened on...

Excluding the benefits Learn how the benefits of climate change legislation are often over looked in official reports. Is prison gerrymandering the new three-fifths compromise? A very interesting practice by the people who manage redistriciting. SB1070 Update: Law allows racial profiling Just in case...

By Andrew Hedlund Amid the debate over the new health care law, financial regulatory reform and President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, some important legislation can fall through the cracks. One such bill is the Employee Non-Discrimination Act. This bill is notable because if passed...