Supreme Court upholds use of controversial execution drug

“Because capital punishment is constitutional, there must be a constitutional means of carrying it out,” read the beginning of the Court’s 5-4 ruling that the use of a controversial execution drug is not prohibited under the Eight Amendment’s cruel and unusual punishment clause.

Supreme Court upholds Obamacare subsidies in King v Burwell

The Supreme Court issued a 6-3 ruling in favor of the government on Thursday, closing yet another constitutional challenge to the President’s health care law.

The issue at hand was a few specific words in the Affordable Care Act: “an exchange established by the state”. The petitioners, four Virginia residents who didn’t want to purchase health insurance, interpreted this clause to mean that only people in states with their own health care exchanges were eligible for the tax credits provided by the ACA, leaving out 5 million people who signed up for coverage through the federal exchange (healthcare.gov).

Senate moves Fast-Track forward (60-37)

The Senate voted 60-37 on Tuesday morning to invoke cloture on Trade Promotion Authority, meaning a final vote will be held tomorrow with no further opportunities for debate or amendments. The upper chamber needed 60 votes to pass the measure, making the 13 affirmative democratic votes all the more crucial in advancing the President’s trade agenda.

What’s the deal with the TPP?

Many Americans have heard of this giant trade deal known as the TPP, or Trans-Pacific Partnership. Most don’t have a clue what the agreement actually contains or what effects it will have on our situation in America. All citizens should at least know what is being discussed; this pact will have enormous implications and the widespread ignorance of its’ provisions is by design. Let’s dive in.

TPP, TPA, TAA… Explaining the Status of the Trade Deal

The secretive, multinational trade agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is one of the most contentious issues facing American politics today. The deal has seen widespread opposition for reasons including its’ restrictive intellectual property provisions and complete lack of transparency in the negotiations themselves. Key legislation on the passage of fast-track authority for the TPP has been at issue in the past month and is soon coming to a head; here’s what you need to know.

Fleet of Government Aircraft Flying Secret Missions over U.S. Cities

The United States Department of Justice appears to be operating a fleet of at least 100 small aircraft and helicopters over cities nationwide. The aircraft have been registered to corporations that do not exist, and the purpose of the aerial operations is not known at this time. The flight patterns of the aircraft indicate they are most likely conducting surveillance, much like the controversial aircraft caught flying circles over the city of Baltimore which has seen many protests recently.