President Obama has officially released his fifth annual budget. Once again, the president has put forward a mix of infrastructure spending, investments in education and research, and a plan for additional deficit reduction. Unlike previous budget plans, however, this new proposal offers cuts to Social Security and Medicare, in an attempt to bring Republicans to the negotiating table.

Despite the fact that Americans want Medicare and Social Security protected, President Obama has once again included cuts to the vital programs as part of his new budget proposal. As he's done previously, the President has offered up a change to cost of living increases – called the chained CPI – which reduces benefits paid to seniors, veterans, and the disabled.

Republicans in North Carolina say their state can ignore the U.S. Constitution. That state's House Majority Leader Edgar Starnes, and ten of his Republican colleagues, have sponsored legislation which would establish a state religion, and they say it's not up to the federal government to determine whether or not it's constitutional.

Since the Newtown, Connecticut massacre, the gun-lobby has been squaring off with advocates for stronger gun regulations. And while Congress has barely managed to squeeze in an upcoming vote on modest restrictions, a bi-partisan group of Connecticut lawmakers have reached a deal to implement some of our nation's toughest gun laws.