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For the 46.5 million Americans living below the poverty line, 16 million of which are children, life has become a consistent struggle. This struggle does not simply begin and end with monetary concerns, but in fact surrounds both a physical and mental exertion of the individual.Using the national U.S. census and NCCP, researchers found that in 2013, the poverty line rested at $11,490, a number which equates an individual working full time while only making $5.00 – far below the national minimum

The hits just keep coming for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. For weeks, stories of the deplorable policies and procedures in place at VA Medical Centers across the country have continued to surface and have stirred outrage among service members, veterans, and Americans at large. As these accounts continue to emerge, an increasing number of Americans are calling for justice, but justice doesn't seem to be forthcoming. Earlier this month, more accounts of "secret wait lists" emerged in

The 2016 presidential election is more than two years away, yet the Republican National Committee (RNC) is already setting the stage for the party's primary debates. In documents and emails reported by the Washington Times, RNC Chair Reince Priebus indicated that a committee had been formed to craft new, more exclusionary rules that would determine who could and couldn't participate in the 2016 primary debates. Another organization, Open Debates 2016, is pursuing a different path to determine h

The way we elect the president and vice president in the U.S. is quite unique compared to the way we elect every other elected office. We don't elect them directly. Instead, we vote for electors who then cast votes for a presidential ticket. Electors from each state are supposed to cast their votes for whichever candidate won that state's popular vote -- "winner takes all."  However, every once in awhile there is a rogue elector who casts a different vote as "winner takes all" is not required b

After months of debate, the Federal Election Commission unanimously approved the use of bitcoins for political contributions. The decision also allows political committees to purchase digital currency as an investment. The decision came in the form of guidance to the Make Your Laws PAC and is not considered an official rule or regulation. However, the decision paves the way to the use of bitcoins by any federal political committee. The FEC is the latest federal agency to issue guidelines on the

A national discussion regarding the state of civil rights in the U.S. exploded after racial comments made by Clippers owner Donald Sterling were made public, followed by news that he has been banned for life from the NBA.However, another story broke on the same day NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held his press conference that might be even more important for the future of civil rights in the country: a federal court struck down Wisconsin’s voter ID law. The law first passed in 2011, as a measure

May 1 is the National Day of Prayer, created in 1952 by a Joint Resolution from Congress and the signature of President Harry Truman. It is a day, according to the website promoting it, that “represents a Judeo Christian expression of the national observance, based on our understanding that this country was birthed in prayer and in reverence for the God of the Bible.” And it is a bad idea. National Days of Prayer have been around for a long time. George Washington had them. So did John Adams. B

Presidential politics are all about numbers, from campaign spending, third party interest funding, and electoral votes (EV). Battleground states, by definition, shift the winning side every 4 years or so, hence they are where both Democrats and Republicans fight the hardest for each vote. Florida has nearly as many registered Democrats as Republicans, a diverse Latino population, and pockets of densely populated urban areas. It is expensive to run a campaign in the Sunshine State and with 29 el

Not to sound cliché, but it’s that time of year again. The Tax Man is coming to take a portion of your hard-earned money and put it toward improving the nation. Taxes are inextricably linked to the size of government and what the federal power brokers hope to accomplish in the following fiscal year. These are just a few of the major proposals to simplify the tax code. It may not ever be as simple as allowing Americans to “fill out taxes on postcard,” as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has proposed

It seemed like history was repeating itself on April 2 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas when once again a soldier-turned-gunman opened fire on his fellow soldiers, killing 3 and injuring 16 more before turning the gun on himself. The incident opened up mental and emotional wounds left by the first shooting incident in 2009, leaving survivors re-traumatized and the rest of America shocked, saddened, and full of questions. While the investigation is ongoing, many are wondering just why it is that A