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KENTUCKY -- Kentucky Hemp is coming back. Fiber, seed, fuel, oil, and artisan products are simmering in the recently revived hemp industry.  Hemp seed can be used whole as a food, or crushed for oil, protein powder, and protein meal. It is considered a super-food, high in omega-3's, balanced with omega-6's, and a complete protein.   Hemp oil has similar nutritional qualities to the whole hemp seed, including protein, as well as omega-3 and 6. It can be eaten as a salad oil. Other uses include so

NATIONAL -- At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll, Kentucky's Rand Paul emerged on top, followed closely by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush rounding out the top five. The conference discussions centered around a range of issues affecting the government, including immigration and funding the Department of Homeland Security. A new poll released Thursday by the Pew Research Ce

NATIONAL -- The term "career politician" has a negative connotation to it. It is often used on the campaign trail to cast a negative light on an incumbent. Sometimes, it works, and sometimes it doesn't. The accusation against lawmakers referred to as the "establishment" has reshaped Congress in a major way, and big names like former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor have lost their seats. However, Is being a career politician really a bad thing? The "establishment" is often composed of people

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Thursday approved new rules that will reclassify the Internet as a utility under Title II of the Telecommunications Act so "net neutrality" policies can survive judicial scrutiny. The vote fell along party lines, with the 3 Democratic commissioners voting in favor of the 332-page plan and the two Republican commissioners voting against it. While the new FCC rules are expected to fare better against legal challenges, the issue ha

CAPITOL HILL -- The Hill reported Wednesday that the U.S. Senate voted to open debate on a DHS funding bill, breaking the stalemate between members of the Republican and Democratic parties. The 98-2 vote came after both sides in the Senate agreed to debate a funding bill that does not include provisions that would reverse President Obama's executive actions on deferred deportations. Congress has until February 27 to pass a bill or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will partially shut do

NATIONAL -- There is no doubt that there are some IVN readers who support some form of proportional representation, often seen as a voting scheme that maximizes representation and makes every vote count. But the real question is, what would be the avenue to implement proportional representation nationwide? What are the roadblocks and potential legal challenges? To answer these questions, we have to examine the history of how we got to our current two-party voting system. History of Current V

Last week, U.S. Senator Rand Paul signaled his intention to bring back up one of his father's failed pet legislative issues: auditing the Federal Reserve System (the Fed). Paul may attach the latest version of his Audit the Fed legislation to the next debt ceiling increase, which may be before Congress as early as March. Is Paul's idea for auditing the Fed really necessary? Paul Doesn't Want an Audit; He Wants Greater Policy Oversight To be frank, the Fed's actions over the past several yea

As fighting continues in Ukraine despite a recently negotiated ceasefire, some American leaders are calling for the U.S. to arm Ukrainian forces. "The situation at the moment involves a ceasefire that isn't a full ceasefire," said Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington. "It isn't a freeze on violence; it's more like a slush." One vocal proponent of aggressive U.S. involvement has been U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Ho

A Texas voter went to his local polling location to vote in the most recent primary election. As he waited in line, he had a decision to make. He knew who he wanted to support in the first stage of the voting process; he read the voter guides from various local newspapers and educated himself on the candidates. However, the biggest decision he needed to make was, what races would he have the most meaningful participation in? Texas has an open partisan primary system. Voters do not have to decla

As of February 6, there have been 121 reported cases of the measles in 17 states and Washington, D.C., in 2015 alone. If the measles outbreak continues at this pace, the number of reported cases in 2015 will surpass 2014's record-setting numbers. Measles cases: Jan. 1 to Feb. 6, 2015. There are 121 cases reported in Washington, DC and 17 states (California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Texas, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, N