As Congress enters the so-called lame duck session, certain bills are likely to come up for a debate and vote while political repercussions are at their lowest. However, when it comes to one purportedly anti-surveillance bill, opposition may be fierce.

I remember watching an episode of “I Love Lucy” where Lucy was feeling depressed so Ricky hired a fake psychologist to examine his wife, but also to hit on her. The idea was that Lucy’s self-esteem would improve and the two start dancing while Ricky looks on. Ricky eventually gets jealous and tries to separate them, but the actor/psychologist simply says, “The treatment, Ricky; the treatment!” and Ricky stops himself. Needless to say, the plan went awry.

Across the Americas, marijuana is entering the mainstream. Along with a Republican victory in the November elections, various marijuana laws passed around the country in referendum measures. Similarly, marijuana legislation has passed in elected bodies around Latin America in recent years.

The nature of these laws, however, differ drastically. Here is a regional comparison to see the state of legalization and decriminalization around the Western hemisphere.

Alaska's 2014 gubernatorial race was neck and neck as polls closed on Tuesday, November 4. Incumbent Republican Governor Sean Parnell trailed independent Bill Walker 46.42 percent to 47.83 percent, with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

“As a Republican who works in the tech industry I can say that this statement shows you either have no idea what you are talking about or you are bought and paid for by the American Cable monopoly. This is an amazingly stupid statement and is disheartening.”        —One of thousands of comments on a Ted Cruz Facebook page by conservatives attacking his position on Net Neutrality

This week, the Islamic State announced that they will be minting coinage in gold, silver, and copper that will be "purely dedicated to Allah." Labeling modern currencies as a "tyrant's financial system," the move is designed to gain more control over the internal economy in the areas they control.

Americans are very mistaken when it comes to perceiving the reality of key social issues. An August 2014 survey conducted by Ipsos MORI, a leading UK research company, found U.S. citizens were the most likely to overestimate the prevalence teen pregnancy rates and underestimate the proportion of Christians in the population compared to the 13 other countries.

On Thursday, November 13, Rasmussen Reports published a new survey they say reveals that a majority of Americans object to net neutrality.

While the news is focusing on the newly-elected Republican Congress wrangling with whether or not to overturn Washington, D.C.'s decriminalization of marijuana, the "War on Drugs" continues to be lost on all fronts.

National Institute on Drug Abuse reports heroin use is on a dramatic rise since 2007,  with numbers reaching all-time highs. The cause of the problem: cheap street heroin due to a large market supply.

Registered nurses organized strikes across the country on Wednesday to protest care standards in the wake of the Ebola crisis, even as some hospitals wrangled with union members over their pensions, pay, and collective bargaining rights.

National Nurses United, the Maryland-based union responsible for organizing the demonstrations, laid claim to 100,000 nurses joining protests over prevention and care standards nationwide.