Lawmakers in California are racing against the clock to finalize legislative matters before taking off for a month of summer recess starting this Friday. Here are some highlights:

Pension reform deal falls apart:

Our Founding Fathers disseminated and developed their views about government through a vibrant culture of pamphleteering, which preceded and helped precipitate the fight for independence. The most famous of these is Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Common Sense. Today a parallel can be drawn to the use of the Internet, blogs, websites, and social media to disseminate information about news and politics. What would our world be like without the Internet, and why are bills like SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA so controversial?

The following, very cool, animated infographic explains:

The Governor and the Legislature are locked in a last minute struggle over the California pension reform talks.  Its been made more complicated by an unrelated Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the State from requiring Charter Cities to use prevailing wage on municipal projects.

Traditionally, Americans celebrate the Fourth of July with parades, hotdogs, flags, and fireworks. This year, however, we've noticed some not-so-traditional celebrations planned for around the country and across our borders. Take a look at some of these non-conventional ways of celebrating below:

The Huffington Post reports the death of a folksy American TV icon:

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http://youtu.be/ww_Y10sVboU