1. Op-ed says open primary would unlock voting for all Florida voters.

"In an open primary, all registered voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of their political affiliation or lack thereof. In a closed primary, voters may vote only for candidates of the party with which they are registered."

The author of the op-ed does confuse some terms, including open primary and a mixed primary system. For us to move forward with this discussion, we need to a) make sure we are using consistent and appropriate terminology and b) examine traditional terminology and whether or not it fits in the evolving political landscape in America.

2. The Charleston Gazette published an opinion piece countering its editorial that independent and minor-party candidates are 'spoiler candidates.'

"Historically, minor party candidates played an important role in the American two-party system, by championing new policies the major parties later adopted. These include the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, a progressive income tax, Social Security and the 40-hour work week, to name just a few."

The piece was written by Oliver Hall, who is not only the founder of the Center for Competitive Democracy, but represents Ralph Nader as a private attorney. Nader also published an opinion piece on the subject on Monday. Be sure to check out the article, Why Independent Candidates Are Not 'Spoilers,' written by regular IVN contributor Glenn Davis.

3. A federal judge ruled that independent South Dakota gubernatorial candidate Michael Myers can change his running mate for the general election.

"Myers original pick for lieutenant governor withdrew from the race, citing family health issues. Myers named Lora Hubbel as his new running mate - but the South Dakota Secretary of State refused Myers' request to change the name on the ballot. Secretary of State Jason Gant said state law didn't outline a procedure for replacing independent lieutenant governor candidates."

Hubbel lost his bid for the Republican nomination in the gubernatorial race, but will appear on the November ballot as Myers' running mate.

4. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says politicians should not use Ferguson for their own political agendas.

“Don’t try to capitalize on this tragedy with your own policy initiatives, don’t try to link some prejudged conclusion on what’s happening on the ground right now,” the Wisconsin Republican said on “Fox and Friends.” “We should take a deep breath, let’s have some sympathy for the family and the community … and let’s let the investigation take its course and hope that justice is served appropriately.”

It would certainly be refreshing to hear this more often as this is hardly the first tragedy that people have tried to use for their own political agendas. There are growing signs that Ryan is planning on entering the 2016 presidential race, and would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination.

What news stories have you been following?