With the November general election a few months away and several primary and special elections ahead, the Presidential Commission on Election Administration released a report in January outlining several recommendations to shore up voting lines, increase voter participation and registration, and improve the voter experience.

Video embedded from BenSwann.com

When many people hear industrial hemp, the first thing that may come to mind in marijuana. After all, there is a close association between the two, but perhaps not as close as one might think. In fact, the biggest thing that ties hemp and marijuana together is they are both members of the plant genus, Cannabis. It's the old SAT logic question: all marijuana varieties are Cannabis plants, but not all Cannabis plants are marijuana.

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer is claiming that numerous state colleges and universities are poised to plant crops of industrial hemp now that President Obama has signed the new Farm Bill into law. The Farm Bill, which cleared Congress on February 4, permits pilot hemp-growing programs in states that have laws allowing its cultivation.

“What I have done is reached out to the universities that have expressed to me in wanting to do research on industrial hemp. We’re going to proceed and try to license as many farmers as we possibly can,” Comer avowed.

During his fifth State of the Union address, President Obama once again issued a plea to Congress to raise the federal minimum wage:

A recent Politico article by Byron Tau, analyzing the increasing impact of Super PACs on the ability of state political party organizations to raise money and hence control the candidate selection process, raises an interesting question: Could Super PACs actually help efforts to reform state and local elections?

balance, some say that any further cuts could cause more harm than good. And if pundits predictions come true, a shift in power in the Senate might cause some ripples in the pond.

By every objective measure, this is a good time to be really rich in America. The federal tax burden is at one of its lowest levels in history. The Supreme Court has invalidated nearly all limits on political contributions.

Former congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul has launched an online petition drive to pressure President Obama to grant clemency to Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who leaked classified information on NSA data collection and surveillance programs. Paul argues that Snowden is a legitimate whistle-blower who should be protected under the law and allowed to come home. Snowden is currently living in Russia, where he has been granted political asylum.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l79j_7gYKtk

Four days ago, on February 10, 2014, Dallas sports anchor Dan Hansen -- who works for WFAA Channel 8 -- spoke out in defense of Michael Sam, who may become the first openly gay player in the NFL if drafted. It was such a great rant for his segment, Hansen Unplugged, and the video has since gone viral on the Internet.