Is the economy coming back--or is our debt going to sink us? Are people who don't pay taxes this year just freeloading? Did Virginia's governor really forget that slavery was a big part of the Civil war? Who's fact-checking the news, and what about that WikiLeaks tape, anyway?

In the wake of health care reform, new attempts to restrict women's access to abortion services have surged. Nebraska has passed a new law that criminalizes abortions after 20 weeks of gestation on the basis of "fetal pain," and another that forces women to undergo mental health examination before obtaining an abortion at all.

In the wake of health care reform, new attempts to restrict women's access to abortion services have surged. Nebraska has passed a new law that criminalizes abortions after 20 weeks of gestation on the basis of "fetal pain," and another that forces women to undergo mental health examination before obtaining an abortion at all.

The latest in a spate of polls about the Tea Partiers comes from the New York Times and CBS and it raises some questions about just what's fueling the protests: is it all about taxes or something else?

The buzz is still heavy about Obama's next move regarding the second vacancy on the Supreme Court since his inauguration. Will his next appointment be someone who is capable of shaping the Court, pushing it in a more progressive direction?

The U.S. has agreed with Russia to lower the amount of nuclear weapons on hand, and work in common with other nations to lower the threat of nuclear attack. Cause for celebration? Not quite yet, says Bruce Gagnon of Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.

It's one of New York's best-kept secrets: its public schools are some of the most segregated public schools in the country. The schools have two tiers: one for affluent white families who pump private funds into THEIR kids classrooms, and another for largely minority, poor communities-- underfunded, underserved and overcrowded: 43% have severe space problems, and the recession ensures that no help is in sight.

Barack Obama and 47 world leaders have agreed lower the amount of nuclear weapons on hand, and work in common to lower the threat of nuclear attack. Cause for celebration? Not quite yet, says Bruce Gagnon of Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.

These days, there's a whole movement dedicated to grumbling about taxes full time -- I'm talking, of course, about the Right's latest incarnation -- tea partiers, who are gearing up for another round of protests.

As the community around the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia mourns its dead and papers report that miners are not being allowed to attend their friends' funerals, S&P Equity Research upgraded the company's stock from a "hold" to a "buy."