With the signing of the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, changes will affect how the military handles cases of military sexual trauma. While 2013 saw a number of stories that blew the lid off of the ongoing sexual assault crisis within the military, the problem is nothing new and even though these changes are good news, more still needs to be done according to experts and defense department brass.

Talk about your new year’s resolutions!

I’ve written here previously asking if we, the People, should be subsidizing obesity? In response, it seems a super majority (84%) believe we should not. However, many people may not know that the U.S. subsidizes sugar and high fructose corn syrup manufacturers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UDranKZROs

Michael Bloomberg is about to leave office after 3 terms as mayor of New York City. His mayorship was not without controversy and many civil libertarians, conservatives, and Republicans have criticized him for several policies that were enacted under his leadership.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQj0NmjrCOU

Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, went on the record Monday with his top priorities for 2014. In his video, "Plant Your Flag," Sen. Sanders outlined the issues he wants to push heading into the new year. His pitch was critical of both Republicans and Democrats, but landed most of the blame for a dysfunctional Washington on the 'extreme right-wing of the Republican party.'

The progressive agenda Sanders describes encompasses 5 issues: the economy, health care, global warming, education and election reform.

The Fix, a Republican political consultant has predicted that Dan Schnur, a No Party Preference candidate running for California's secretary of state, will become the first independent candidate to win a statewide race.

Since President Obama's digitally driven victory in the 2008 presidential election, politicians nationwide have been signing on to social media accounts in order to increase their following. They have integrated Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus into their campaign strategies and have continued to connect with their constituents on social media well after winning -- or losing -- elections.

Capitol Hill publication, The Hill, named freshman U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) 'Person of the Year.' Cruz, one of the runner-ups for TIME Person of the Year, arguably made the biggest impact in Congress and has not even served a full year of his first term.

According to a report by the Associated Press, the number of sexual assaults reported in 2013 increased dramatically by 50 percent compared to 2012. The report highlights a serious problem in the military that has gone mostly under-reported in the mainstream media even though there were serious scandals and new legislation passed in Congress to protect the rights of victims and strip commanders of the authority to overturn jury convictions.

Although the NSA assures citizens that the actual contents of phone calls are not recorded, the opinion states that, "since May 2006, has collected this information for substantially every telephone call in the United States."

Here's the nuts and bolts of why this is important: