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One of the enduring oddities of the American political landscape remains the electoral college, the antiquated system that makes selective states disproportionately important to the election process of our Commander-in-Chief. Do you live in one of the 12 swing states seen as integral to victory in this year's presidential election cycle? If so, expect a flood of political ads, battling voter registration drives, and campaign visits in the coming months. A new USA Today/Gallup poll out this week

When the nation's farmers started experiencing labor shortages last year they didn't know what to expect for the future; for many, the situation was without precedent. Early indicators for the 2012 season don't bode well for the nation's specialty crop growers who rely mainly on human labor instead of power-driven machines to bring their produce to market. No one is hitting the panic button just yet, but the situation is a bit scary. According to Seattle NPR affiliate KPLU, growers in Washingto

In the last decade, the United States has seen a massive increase in prescription drug usage and abuse, the cause of which can be traced to irresponsible advertising and lobbying by pharmaceutical companies, collectively known as Big Pharma. Big Pharma includes some of the largest corporations in America, and is the largest lobbying group. They spend billions of dollars a year on advertising directly to consumers (“ask your doctor if ____ is right for you”) and have made their pills household n

Today, the House voted 215 to 195 to pass a GOP proposed bill to extend the current student loan interest rate of 3.4%, instead of permitting the rate to double on July 1 to 6.8%. Backed by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the proposed bill (H.R. 4628) would cover the estimated $6 billion cost of extending the 3.4% interest rate by pulling funds from Obama's Prevention and Public Health Fund. In a White House issued Statement of Administration Policy, the Office of Management and Budget in

The current approval rate for Congress hovers at an all-time low and the political makeup of the Senate chamber is a critically important aspect to this year's election cycle. Dissatisfaction over the performance of incumbents currently serving will place significant attention on the independents vying for their seats. Here is a brief introduction to a handful of independent candidates running for Senate seats across the country in 2012. Jon Ross Barrie-“I am NOT a politician and I have never b

It is possible – even likely – that the fracking process to extract natural gas and oil from underground rock formations causes earthquakes. The facts are clear: in the geographical part of the country where fracking (technically known as hydraulic fracturing) is active, earthquakes of level 3.0 and above have increased six times their 20th century average since 2009, according to a Reuters article. Nathan Alley, a staff attorney for the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) in Santa Barbara told

Former Gov. Mitt Romney won handily in Wisconsin, Maryland and DC primaries on Tuesday. There are a couple conclusions born out of results in Wisconsin, in particular. As the primary race drags on, challenges for each of the presidential hopefuls remain. The next test will come in Pennsylvania, seen as a must-win for home son Sen. Santorum if he intends on surviving as a viable GOP competitor. For the remaining candidates, Republican nomination rules work in their favor to hang on for the nation

A new USA Today/Gallup poll shows President Obama has a solid lead among independent voters in key swing states over presumptive Republican presidential candidate former Gov. Mitt Romney. He now polling at a 48% to 39% advantage over Gov. Romney. In January, a same poll found the two were tied. President Obama's share of the vote has increased 8% among independent voters in crucial states since last year. The poll gauged independent voter interest in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, New Hamp

[Update - US Department of Health and Human Services website is now healthcare.gov] The Affordable Care Act, before the Supreme Court this week, includes partial elimination for “gender rating”, a practice that costs women $1 billion a year. According to statistics, women between the ages of 19 to 55 tend to use more health care services than men of the same age. They are more likely to visit doctors for regular checkups, have certain chronic illnesses and take prescription drugs. Because of t

The US Supreme Court will hold hearings this week on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Obama’s health care plan. The lawsuit was filed by twenty six states, four small business owners, and the proudly ferocious National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB.)  The lawsuit contends the federal government does not have the authority to order people and businesses to buy health insurance (and face fines if they don’t.)  The hearings will surely be closely watched. Indeed, the future