The Federal Reserve has announced that it would begin yet another round of quantitative easing, a maneuver that has caused the independent and nationally recognized statistical rating organization Egan-Jones to lower the U.S. government to “AA-“ from “AA.” Egan-Jones specifically cited the third round of quantitative easing from the Federal Reserve, indicating it would hurt the U.S. economy and the nation’s credit quality.

On Thursday, the city of New York became the first to ban super-sized sugary drinks in restaurants, a move that analysts contend will set the stage for a legal challenge by the beverage industry. Opponents of the ban contend it violates consumers’ rights to drink what they want to drink, regardless of the touted intent behind the law to improve consumer health.

Judge Katherine Forrest, a New York federal judge, struck down a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that allows Americans to be indefinitely detained just for being accused of supporting terrorist groups. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit brought by journalists and scholars who were concerned that the NDAA would allow them to be indefinitely detained for speaking their minds. Judge Forrest’s ruling reaffirms a ruling she issued back in May against the indefinite detention provision.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that the United States and Israel are engaged in talks about the best approach to Iran’s nuclear program. According to Netanyahu, those talks are focused on determining a “red line” for the nuclear program.

As the real unemployment rate hovers around 19 percent, with more Americans dropping out of the labor force and others being forced to take low-paying, part-time jobs, job creation continues to move at a painfully slow pace. And while a number of lawmakers have proposed a variety of approaches to stimulate job growth, most seem to ignore the fact that a major inhibiter to job growth is the abundance of federal regulations, which have increased dramatically under this administration. According to CNS News, the Code of Federal Regulations has increased by 11,327 pages in just the last three years.

While a record number of Americans are not currently in the labor force, according to the Department of Labor, unemployment for government workers drops to 5.1 percent, the lowest among all industries.

The Words uniquely portrays just how influential words may be. They can deliver news, or eternally capture a moment in time, whether it’s through songs, cards, or books. They can offer comfort or chasten the sinful. Just 26 letters have the capability of creating some of the most powerful moments in history. But the powerful nature of words can achieve both greatness and sorrow. Words, combined with irresistible temptation and powerful ambitions, can create major complications, and that very notion is portrayed well on the big screen in this intriguing and authentic film.

Despite assertions by the Obama administration that the Affordable Care Act will save money, the Congressional Budget Office has determined that large increases in Medicare and Medicaid outlays as a result of ObamaCare will cause healthcare spending to skyrocket — surpassing discretionary spending by 2016. The Tax Foundation has called this a “truly unprecedented and scary” scenario.

ObamaCare may not have passed in March of 2010 had it not been for several swing voters, such as former Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak, who lead the pro-life Democrats in efforts against the healthcare law virtually up until the time of the vote. Stupak’s vote was swayed by a last minute deal with President Obama that put Stupak’s fears of federally-funded abortions at ease. In order for President Obama to secure the much-needed pro-life Democrats’ votes that were required to pass the law, Obama agreed to sign an Executive Order that stated abortions would not be financed through ObamaCare.

Democrats have added a plank to the Democratic Party platform that calls for an international approach to greenhouse gas emissions. The platform is expected to be approved by the party at the national convention on September 4.