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Congressman Geoff Davis, a Republican serving Kentucky's 4th congressional district, announced in 2011 that he was retiring from office at the end of his term, but in the summer of 2012, Davis resigned his seat immediately. With a resignation so late in his term and hoping to save the cost of a replacement election on another date, this created an unusual scenario: a special election and general election on the same day. Thomas Massie, the judge-executive of Lewis County and the winner of the M

WikiMediaCommons In 2010, Michigan was one of the many states to go red in the mid-term elections. This 96th Congress of Michigan was a hotbed of disagreement that created a plethora of national spotlight worthy laws: the "Right-to-Work" legislation that emerged during the lame duck session, the Emergency Financial Manager program, and the 4-year welfare limit, just to name a few. Following these controversies, the state has felt more divided than ever. In the November elections, the Republica

Photo: Maxim Shemetov Last week President Vladimir Putin signed into law a ban on adoptions of Russian children by American citizens. The law sought to retaliate for the recently enacted American Magnitsky law, which banned the Russian officials deemed responsible for Sergei Magnitsky’s death from entering the United States or owning property and other assets in the country. The Russian ban on adoptions has created a firestorm of diplomatic ruptures internationally and a web of devastated famil

Friday, Michigan's Internet Privacy Protection Act was signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder, aimed to increase protections for employees and students in the social media realm. The Internet Privacy Protection Act, or House Bill 5523, "prohibit employers and educational institutions from requiring certain individuals to grant access to, allow observation of, or disclose information that allows access to or observation of personal Internet accounts." In a time where cooperation is lacking from

Friday, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law House Bill 5711, imposing new restrictions on abortion clinics and doctors which further tighten abortion regulation in the state. The bill requires clinics that perform more than 120 abortions a year be licensed and screening patients to ensure they aren't being forced into the abortion. The bill also includes an outline for the disposal of fetal remains and prohibits "telemedicine," such as a webcam consultation with another doctor. While

data source: princeton.edu On the heels of last week’s Supreme Court denial to hear claims that the filibuster presents an unconstitutional practice on the part of the minority in the Senate, competing filibuster reform propositions have sprung up recently. The first was proposed earlier this month by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and the other was introduced Friday by Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and Carl Levin (D-Michigan). Although they both would require a simple majority vote in the

(Credit: BBC) On Friday, President Barack Obama officially nominated Massachusetts US Senator John Kerry to become the next secretary of state. With UN ambassador Susan Rice rescinding her name from consideration, the Bay State's senior senator became the favorite to succeed the outgoing Hillary Clinton. The next big cabinet appointment will likely be for secretary of defense. Although he has not officially been nominated, former US Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska, is said to b

Credit: devonnewscentre.info Last Monday was the 64th International Human Rights Day, celebrating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR). Each year, the United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights picks a theme for the anniversary. This year, the spotlight centered on the rights of all peoples—women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and the poor and marginalized—to make their voices heard in public life and in the decision making

Capitol Building in Lansing, Michigan // credit: wikipedia.org Governor Rick Snyder (R-Michigan) signed HB 4003 and SB 116 on Tuesday. Known as ‘Freedom/Right-to-Work’ legislation, the bills will severely reduce the effectiveness and membership of unions by no longer requiring union workers to pay dues as a condition of employment. The new laws also prohibit requiring union membership upon hiring. Proponents of the bills, like Snyder, argue that it will improve economic conditions in Michigan:

The Supreme Court decided it will address the issue of same-sex marriage on Friday and will make a decision on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage in California. While this will certainly be an issue to watch in the future, the court will not hear cases until March. However, there are other important things to watch this week: Michigan Right-to-Work Bill Right-to-work legislation in Michigan, which received more support in the Michiga