Reports of a chemical weapon attack in Syria’s Aleppo Province last week provoked leaders and politicians to advocate more fiercely for the overthrow of the Assad regime, despite the vague details surrounding the attack. Current data seem to suggest, however, that it was not government forces behind the attack, but rebel forces.

America's involvement in covert warfare in Syria is becoming more apparent as the Associated Press, among other mainstream media, has begun reporting about U.S. training and arming of Syrian rebel fighters other than the leading Free Syrian Army rebel group. The AP notes that the CIA has been helping to facilitate the distribution of weapons to Syrian rebels for over a year.

After seeing a photo of an 11-year-old boy holding a rifle on Facebook, New Jersey police and Department of Children and Families officials raided the home of the boy’s father, Shawn Moore, a firearms instructor. Moore was not arrested or charged, but immediately sought the counsel of his lawyer.

After four years of operating without a federal budget, Senate Democrats unveiled a budget last week that ultimately calls for a $1 trillion increase in new taxes over the next 10 years, while simultaneously increasing spending. The Democrats’ budget has been heavily criticized because it is projected to raise the national debt by approximately $4 trillion. While the Democrats contend that their plan will include approximately $1.85 trillion in deficit reduction, further analysis of the budget reveals that the Democrats have double counted the savings in their proposed budget.

Since the implementation of sonogram laws in the state of Texas two years ago, Texas clinics have performed 10 percent to 15 percent fewer abortions. Researchers at Ibis Reproductive Health, the University of Texas, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted a study aimed at “improv[ing] women’s reproductive autonomy,” which shows a reduction in abortions since the state enacted strict requirements for women seeking abortions.

A leaked e-mail from the Agriculture Department has added substance to claims that President Obama’s political strategy is to make the sequestration as painful as possible to win public opinion against the Republicans.