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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) had to know his endorsement of former MA Governor and presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney for president would upset many supporters of the Senator's father, TX Congressman and GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul. And sure enough, it has upset a lot of the Ron Paul supporters. But does the endorsement reveal a change of philosophy or of positions on the issues? Senator Paul says it does not. “My participating and saying that I will support the nominee doesn't change me  

A disturbing report from the University of Texas says groundwater depletion in Texas, California, and elsewhere is so pronounced  it now threatens our food security. These areas include some of our most fertile agricultural areas: the Central Valley in California and the High Plains stretching from northeast Texas to Wyoming and South Dakota. Together, these areas produce much of our vegetables, fruits, and grains. Groundwater levels have dropped precipitously in these areas due to decades of p

As the election nears, a disturbing phenomenon is spreading across American politics. State leaders are initiating last minute purges of voter rolls. To the unquestioning observer, it appears that these are attempts to purge ineligible voters. As details and statistics come to light, some have begun to question these supposed attempts to combat voter fraud. In the last two weeks, IVN has reported about the situation in Florida. First, the Republicans attempted to purge the voter rolls, citing t

The electrical grid in the U.S. needs upgrading, not just because it’s aging but also so it can handle increasing amounts of renewable energy. As a country we are transitioning away from coal and towards renewables, with natural gas temporarily filling the void left by coal plants that are shutting down. Nuclear energy can produce prodigious amounts of power. But more than a few nuclear power plants are way past their prime or experiencing serious problems. Where will our new energy come from? W

Just when Florida criminal justice policy and sentencing outcomes seem to have reached a zenith of ridiculousness, the Sunshine state continues to disappoint. The culprit once again is Florida’s 10-20-Life law, as highlighted by Families Against Mandatory Minimums: Ronald Thompson is a 100% disabled veteran who spent 14 years in the Army (1966-1980). After his service, Thompson remained active in veterans’ affairs. In addition to acting as a Deputy Representative for AMVETS, Thompson accumulate

According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study, over 1000 American counties have at least one in four “food-insecure” children. The findings coincide with summer recess for the nation's schools – a time of increased pressure on low-income families and food banks to fill the school lunch program void. Food insecurity is a phrase used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to describe lack of consistent access to adequate amounts of food for an active, healthy life and limited or uncertain

Update: Voter Turnout in L.A. County increases, finds preliminary sample7:05pm "If predictions of a historic low in California's voter turnout comes true today, then L.A. County might be bucking the trend." (Bob) Update: Republican Bill Berryhill Makes Over 10,000 Calls in Final Push 6:52pm Bill Berryhill, a Republican candidate running to represent State Senate District 5, has been hard at work with his campaign team. According to his campaign: We have made 10,000 calls to voters from our

While the mainstream media has Governor Mitt Romney’s nomination as a lock, Dr. Ron Paul continues to accumulate delegates at a healthy pace. So many delegates, in fact, the Republican parties in more than one state are trying to impose loyalty oaths in order to disenfranchise elected Paul delegates currently pledged to other candidates. The Boston Globe editorialized recently against these state Republican strategies, citing that “rules can’t be changed midway through the process just because t

Meet John Dennis, the 2010 Republican nominee in Rep. Nancy Pelosi's congressional district, and the House Minority Leader's likely general "run-off" election challenger in 2012 after Tuesday's novel top-two open primary. John Dennis is an antiwar Republican who supports gay marriage, legalizing marijuana, ending warrantless wiretaps, and withdrawing the military from Afghanistan and Iraq "as safely and quickly as possible". He has a fiercely independent streak, especially against the larger bac

Florida holds the dubious honor of wrongfully convicting the largest number of innocent people put on death row. Since 1973, the Sunshine State wrongfully incarcerated and released twenty-three people set for a state sanctioned killing. And nationwide, 140 people in twenty-six states have been exonerated of the crimes for which they were convicted and sent to death row. If this tells independent voters anything, it’s that the criminal justice system is in desperate need of reform, with capital p