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Who Watches The Watchmen: How The NSA Gets Around Oversight

Whistle-blowers like

Bill Binny, Thomas Drake, and Edward Snowden, along with

New York Governor Pushes Highest State Minimum Wage in U.S.

New York Governor

Andrew Cuomo (D) proposed raising the state's minimum wage on Wednesday during his 2015 State of the State address.

4 Important Regions That Did Not Make Obama's Foreign Policy Agenda

President Barack Obama addressed an array of foreign policy issues in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, including the ISIL threat, a resurgent Russia, and his policy changes toward Cuba. However, in a sprawling speech to lay out his policy agenda for the next two years, he also did not address some of the most pressing issues of the past year. Here are some of the most striking ones about the U.S.’s role on the international scene.

The Republican SOTU Response That Wasn't A Response

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOLqVIkUqPY

Newly-elected U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) gave a rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday that sounded more like a primary campaign video than an attempt to refute the president's agenda and platform for the coming year.

Foreign Policy and Privacy Continue to Get Little Attention from Obama, Congress

With precisely two years remaining in his tenure, President

Barack Obama delivered a State of the Union address that mainly focused on domestic affairs from free community college education to touting the health care law. When the president did delve into national security, foreign policy, and privacy, he left more questions than answers.

In SOTU, Obama Fails to Address State of the National Debt

Issues and priorities change in Washington with the wind. Each president faces criticism and has to paint an optimistic veneer on his speeches to point out that work is still getting done.

Remember the Solyndra, Fast and Furious, IRS, NSA, and VA scandals? The point is that there is a lot to work through before something gets accomplished and that requires the president and Congress to work together. However, the national debt is something the wind has yet to blow away.

Third Circuit to Hear Oral Argument Challenging Closed Primaries

Oral argument in the case

Balsam, et al. v. Guadagno is set for March 17, 2015, before the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. At issue in the case is whether the fundamental right to vote applies to the primary stage of the public election process.

7 Key Topics To Pay Attention to During the 2015 State of the Union

President

Barack Obama will deliver his sixth State of the Union on Tuesday, January 20, and has made this article a great deal easier to write by laying out his plan in advance – covering such issues as higher education, cyber security, and trade.

Kansas SOS Kris Kobach Proposes Reforms to Strengthen Parties, Not Elections

Kansas Secretary of State

Kris Kobach has submitted two new election reforms to the Kansas Legislature that are a direct response to the 2014 U.S. Senate race, where Republican incumbent Pat Roberts was almost defeated by independent Greg Orman.

Political Landscape Opens Door for Independent in 2016 Calif. Senate Race

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer’s (D-Calif.) decision not to run for re-election in 2016 was kept under wraps until she decided to announce her intentions in early January in a

YouTube message sent out to supporters. Even her good friend, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), expressed her shock and emotion over the announcement when she found out during a press conference.