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The big story this week was how Donald Trump, aka The Donald, pulled ahead of the crowded Republican field by taking the lead in the latest poll. POLITICO's headline read: Donald Trump leads GOP field in latest poll. He topped the Republican field with 17 percent. The establishment-favorite, Jeb Bush, was in second with 14 percent. From the Suffolk University/USA Today Poll: Among voters who identify either as Republicans or independents and who plan to vote in their states’ Republican primari

In December 2014 the Senate Intelligence Committee declassified its 500-page executive summary on the use of 'enhanced interrogation techniques' by the CIA during the Bush administration. The report was an extensive look at numerous instances where the use of practices like rectal feeding, water boarding, and sleep deprivation were used, but produced no relevant or actionable intelligence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVS9uHLee1c On Tuesday, the Senate voted on an amendment to the National

I must admit that my absence from IVN this week has been directly caused by one of the most horrible life events I have ever experienced -- the sudden worsening of my own grandmother's Alzheimer's dementia. She's almost 96 years old; it's to be expected. But it's still a rough life event to see the sudden downturn, then having to have meetings with lawyers, social workers, and health care professionals on how to improve her quality of life.My grandmother was a life-long voter. She voted in ever

A bipartisan team of legislators have passed amendments with a goal of retaining privacy protections presumably lost with the passage of the USA Freedom Act. Republican U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ted Poe of Texas, and Democrat Zoe Lofgren of California attached an amendment to an appropriations bill to prevent the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from cooperating with NSA surveillance. The bill was for appropriations that cover the departments of Commerce and

The power of celebrity in America cannot be overstated. When a well-known celebrity (or even a not-so-well-known one) does something like try to run over a paparazzo with an ATV or alters their personal appearance, the American people get to hear about it. The media firestorm this week over Caitlyn Jenner's new 'groove' is no exception. And it wasn't just the Perez Hiltons of the media world ogling her Vanity Fair cover photo. "Serious" journalists like Chris Hayes at MSNBC and Neil Cavuto at F

It is time for America to rethink its position on grass. While one notorious weed commands attention from the media, the government, and the public, another less assuming grass is quietly exacerbating some of America’s most pressing issues — without any partisan baggage.Since the advent of the suburbs, American homes have featured green, manicured lawns -- as much a staple in the imagery of the American Dream as white picket fences, mailboxes, and smiling children. But with drought, air pollut

Rarely do I heap any praise on a politician. I always keep a skeptical eye toward them and am not afraid to call them out when necessary. But today, that praise is necessary. U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky (who is also a 2016 presidential candidate) was a wrecking ball in the past couple of weeks when it came to allowing certain provisions in the Patriot Act to expire. The Patriot Act was passed by Congress out of fear in the days after the 9/11 attacks. The way it had been interpreted by t

A presidential candidate is calling for the release of 28 pages from the 9/11 Commission Report that could alter the race and the way Americans view the event. Kentucky U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, will introduce the Transparency for the Families of 9/11 Victims Act this week alongside Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Wyden has allied with the Kentucky Republican previously on privacy and government secrecy issues. The legislation would declassify 28 redacted pages of the rep

Kentucky U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced on his Facebook page and Twitter account that he has taken the Senate floor to begin his filibuster of renewing the PATRIOT Act, specifically provisions in Section 215 that are set to expire at the end of the month. Check out the live footage of Paul's filibuster here. https://twitter.com/RandPaul/status/601079082676318208 1:15 pm ET - Rand Paul takes the floor by saying, "There comes a time in the history of nations when fear and complacency allow pow

U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who garnered the nation's attention with his 13-hour filibuster of CIA Director John Brennan's nomination in 2013, may hold another epic filibuster if the Senate tries to extend authorities under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act. Roll Call reports: “We could do something extraordinary,” the Kentucky Republican said Thursday. In the event of an outright lapse in the authorization, Paul said, “I see no reason why we couldn’t use the Constitution for awhile.” [...] “