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Student loan default rates are a major problem for many students. In fact, according to a recent analysis from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), millions of Americans have fallen behind on their student loans. This data reveals that nearly 42.4 million people in the U.S. owed at least $1.3 trillion in federal student loans by the end of 2016. Since then, the average amount owed per borrower has increased by at least 17 percent. Under the previous administration, however, students were

The American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Republican party’s proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act, has received very mixed reviews, even from GOP members, some of whom have called it “Obamacare 2.0” and “Obamacare Light.” Hospital organizations and physician groups also weighed in on the bill, both expressing their opposition. Even insurance companies had reservations about the plan. ALSO READ: Rand Paul vs. GOP on Health Care: Who Will Win? All of this opposition, however, was base

At no time in history has the issue of “open v. closed primaries” been so prominent in the national discussion as it is today. This is, in large part, because Bernie Sanders made it a plank of his presidential campaign. But it is also a consequence of an important reality: independent voters are the fastest growing segment of the electorate, by far. Yet, the first and highly important stage of our election process most often serves the exclusive benefit of the voters who choose to join one of t

In a move likely to upset Democrats and Republicans at the national level, a federal court-panel has enjoined Wisconsin state officials from using existing district maps and ordered the state to redraw district lines by November 1, 2017. Wisconsin has indicated that it plans to appeal to the Supreme Court, which is required to take the case. This remedial order comes in response to a recent challenge to the 2011 redrawing of district lines, or Wisconsin’s Act 43. In Whitford v. Gill, 12 Democr

In an interview with NPR's David Greene, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said U.S. intelligence should investigate claims that Russia tried to insert itself into the 2016 presidential election. However, he added that voters didn't vote for Donald Trump because of propaganda or hacking -- they voted against the policies of the status quo. I can tell you in my state of Kentucky, 70 percent of eastern Kentucky voted for Donald Trump not because the Russians told them to but because they were upset

Keep up with the reform efforts building on the post-election momentum. Big change starts small, and these organizations have been hard at work to fix our broken system, little by little. With so much negativity in the media, it is nice to catch up on some of the encouraging efforts of hardworking Americans, fighting for reform. The following summaries have been provided by the organizations themselves: Open Primaries Open Primaries launched a new petition asking the incoming chairs of the R

In an appearance on CNN, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid suggested that FBI Director James Comey played an integral role in the election of Donald Trump, saying his actions handed the Republican nominee the election. Reid says the FBI and Comey had information on Donald Trump, and refused to release it to the public. "It's obvious he (Comey) was a partisan in all this," Reid said in the interview with CNN's Manu Raju. "There's information out there. He had it, I'm confident. And he ignored it

Here at IVN.us, the integrity of the voting process is very important, so any hint of foul play or voter fraud is something we take an earnest interest in understanding and reporting accurately and comprehensively. As a forum for independent and third-party voters, the writers and editors here have also been very gracious toward and inclusive of the presidential candidacy and issues raised by Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein. I know a lot of people here continue to applaud her e

Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is now beating President-elect Donald Trump in the popular vote by more than 2 million votes. This is by far the biggest deficit in popular votes by a winning candidate in the history of the country. But the discrepancy between electoral and popular votes shouldn’t make us question the legitimacy of the election -- the Electoral College is the law of the land. In the words of president-elect Donald Trump, abolishing the Electoral College would make for a “

The court ruling to end extreme political gerrymandering in Wisconsin may have reverberations in neighboring Illinois. As IVN previously reported, the Wisconsin Republican Party was free to draw districts which ensured the GOP would retain a majority of legislative seats. A 2-1 federal court decision overturned the precedent that it is permissible to dilute the power of voters based on political party. The Wisconsin attorney general has announced his intention to appeal the decision. The case