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The 114th Congress is now in session and the environment is decidedly Republican. The GOP took control of both chambers of Congress after the midterm elections, in which only 36 percent of voters participated. With the new makeup of Congress, here are 5 senators to keep an eye on this session. 1. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)Rand Paul is now widely considered a potential 2016 presidential candidate and all eyes are on the young, independent-minded Republican. His presidential ambitions though make him an

A 2014 Gallup survey showed that a majority of Americans – for the first time since Gallup started asking the question – believe their children’s lives and lifestyle will be worse off than their own. Gallup also reported this year that the United States Congress has the lowest approval ratings in the history of political polling. Coincidence? Or cause and effect? Deficits and debt, rising health care, housing and higher education costs, Social Security shortfalls, environmental and energy conc

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published state-level data from it's National Survey on Drug Use and Health this month. The data examines marijuana use in each state from the last two years. In a state-by-state comparison of marijuana use, Rhode Island topped the chart with 14.8 percent of residents age 12 and older consuming the substance monthly. A number of states that have recently passed legislation to legalize the drug for adults over 21 were also near the t

As expected of every election season, political gaffes were bound to happen. Gaffes have been associated with campaign exhaustion, an unsuccessful attempt at humor, or a lack of emotional discipline. Aside from acting as fodder for jokes or fuel for opponents, flubs made by political leaders and candidates alike can create a personal insight that their political image would not allow. Scott Walker Even after a successful 2014 reelection bid, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) still managed to la

In late October, Warner Bros. and two other studios premiered Interstellar, a blockbuster science-fiction film by award-winning director Christopher Nolan that chronicles the odyssey of a team of NASA astronauts in their search for a habitable planet as Earth succumbs to the death knells of crop blight, dust storms, and climate change. What some critics say is extraordinary about the film — which RottenTomatoes.com called “thought-provoking” and “visually resplendent,” even if a little dense —

K2, Spice, Bath Salts; In 2008, synthetic drugs by a variety of names began appearing on the streets in the United States. More specifically, these are the names of synthetic cannabinoids, man-made chemicals sprayed on to plants and used to achieve a "legal" high. What many may not know is that under DEA regulations, synthetic drugs are illegal, and more importantly, they can be incredibly deadly. One example of the consequences of using Spice is the story of Connor Reid, a 19-year-old who die

2008 was a historic year for young voters. After a steady increase in youth turnout between the 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential elections, the 2008 election was said to have one of the highest youth voter turnout rates in the history of the United States -- thereby ending a historical trend of persistently low youth turnout with the first majority turnout by youth voters since 1964. An estimated 22 million Americans under the age of 30 voted in the 2008 presidential election. With a 51 perce

For many advocates of marijuana legalization, 2014 was a banner year. With initiatives passing in Oregon, Alaska, and in Washington D.C., it seems that the United States may be just a few short years away from complete federal legalization. Now that advocates can point to the relative successes of marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado, the nation could see an increase in ballot measures in 2016. Here are the 5 states most likely to explore full legalization next: 1. California Th

Redistricting is a process that occurs once every ten years, where census data is utilized to redraw the boundaries of each congressional district, so as to keep the representational power of each district relatively even. The underlying rationale for redistricting is to ensure that the "one man, one vote" ethos stays meaningful. Yet a political party can redraw districts in a way that favors itself at the expense of the others. By packing voters from other parties in a small number of district

With the midterm elections barely over, potential presidential candidates are already emerging. One anticipated Republican candidate is intriguing, but may also face some opposition as the party becomes better acquainted with him. Former director of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Ben Carson, has never held office before and has been a favorite of conservative grassroots activists for nearly two years. Carson gained notoriety in February 2013 for a speech at the National Prayer Breakfa