Elena Kagan is rejecting claims by Republicans that when she was the dean of Harvard Law School, she set out to thwart the efforts of military recruiters. She says they had access
to Harvard Law students "every single day." But Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions responded that her comments were "unconnected to reality." The exchange came as the Supreme Court nominee faces questions from senators at her confirmation hearing.
We ask: Supreme Court Pick: Should Kagan Be Confirmed?

According to a 5-4 Supreme Court majority, Americans have the right to own a gun for self-defense anywhere they live. It's a further step aong a recent course taken by the
court to embrace gun rights. The City of Chicago banned hand guns 30 years ago. The justices ruled that the Constitution's "right to keep and bear arms" applies nationwide as a restraint on the ability of the federal, state and local governments to substantially limit its reach. New York City does not have a gun ban. The city does restrict who can have them.

We ask: Gun Ban Reversal: Will the Public Be More of Less Safe?

Senate Republicans defeated the Democrats' jobs bill which would hae provided $16 billion in new aid to states, preserving the jobs of thousands of state and local government workers - and according to the White House would have provided an insurance policy against a double-dip recession. The demise of the bill means unemployment benefits will phase out for more than 200,000 people a week. Governors who had been counting on federal aid will now have to consider a new round of budget cuts, tax hikes and layoffs of state workers.
We ask: GOP Blocks Unemployment: Tough Love or Slap in the Face?

An Arizona lawmaker wants to deny citizenship to kids of illegal immigrants born in the United States.
The 14th Amendment of the Constitution reads: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."
We ask: Should we deny citizenship to US born kids of illegal immigrants?

President Barack Obama says he has accepted the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. Obama is naming Gen. David Petraeus to succeed him. Speaking in the Rose Garden, Obama said McChrystal's biting comments about the president and his aides in a magazine article did not meet the standards of conduct for a commanding
general.
So, we ask: McChrystal Fired: Was the President Right?

A federal judge struck down the Obama administration's six-month ban on deepwater oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico as rash and heavy-handed Tuesday, saying the government simply assumed that because one rig exploded, the others pose an imminent danger, too.
The White House promised an immediate appeal.

We ask: Gulf Drilling: Should the Moratorium be Lifted?

An angry President Obama summoned his top commander in Afghanistan to Washington on Tuesday after an article in Rolling Stone Magazine portrayed the general and his staff as openly contemptuous of some senior members of the Obama administration.
The article shows General McChrystal or his aides talking in sharply derisive terms about Vice President Biden; Ambassador Karl Eikenberry; Richard C. Holbrooke, the special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan; and an unnamed minister in the French government. One of General McChrystal’s aides is quoted as referring to the national security adviser, James L. Jones, as a “clown.”
We ask: Should the General Be Fired?

Source: New York Times

New York Governor David Paterson is pushing for a $1.60 a pack hike in the cigarette tax, which would push the cost of a pack of cigarettes in New York State to $10. Lawmakers are expected to pass the proposal as early as today.
So, we ask: Should Smokers Pay the Price?

A new type of morning-after pill is a big step closer to going on sale in the United States. An FDA advisory panel voted unanimously this week that the pill -- called ELLA ONE -- is safe and effective. Right now, the emergency contraceptive 'Plan B' has to be taken within three days -- but ELLA gives a woman five days.
We ask: The New “Week After” Pill: Promoting Irresponsibility or Helping Women?

New York state took a step closer to entering the octagon on Wednesday after the state Senate narrowly approved a bill that would legalize the rough-and-tumble single combat of mixed martial arts.
Supporters say it would bring in tax revenues. Opponents call it barbaric. We ask:
Ultimate Fighting: Should it be Legalized in New York?

President Obama address the nation Tuesday night outlining how his administration is dealing with the Gulf Coast Disaster. However, many critics say the President has no actual plan. They say he's thrown out hopes and ideas, but no concrete plan moving forward.
So, we ask: Do You Believe Obama Has a Plan?

Seattle Police Officer Caught on Tape Punching Woman During Jaywalking Stop
Was it Excessive Force or Justified?

Take a look at the video here:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-cop-punches-teen-girl-10921057

President Obama addresses the nation Tuesday night at 8pm on the Gulf Coast crisis.
Will the Speech Make a Difference?
A majority of Americans disapprove of how the President has handled the spill.
52% disapprove, so we ask Will the Speech Make a Difference?

President Obama addresses the nation Tuesday night at 8pm on the Gulf Coast crisis.
Will the Speech Make a Difference?
A majority of Americans disapprove of how the President has handled the spill.
52% disapprove, so we ask Will the Speech Make a Difference?

Tuesday night President Obama addresses the nation from the Oval Office on the massive spill.
What Must the President Say To Reassure Americans?
The President is on the Gulf Coast today but has been criticized for not acting faster on the spill.
Wednesday, Mr. Obama meets with B-P officials.

A 16-year old California girl lost at sea, Abby Sunderland was trying to become the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world but her boat hit rough seas Thursday and she disappeared in the South Indian Ocean.

Miraculously, she was spotted by a plane, alive and well but her parents have come under scrutiny. So, we ask: Where should parents draw the line?

New York lawmakers have failed to pass a state budget. So, now they are threatening to shutdown the state government as soon as Monday, if another emergency budget is not passed.

Courtrooms, parks, highway rest stops and even the state terrorism hot line could all close.

Without the ability to pay workers or even guarantee their salaries in the future, officials said, they could be forced to close down state agencies immediately. Administration officials said they were still searching for a legal mechanism to continue financing essential public safety services, like prisons and the State Police.

Republicans charged that they had been shut out of negotiations, and Democrats insisted that the Republicans shoulder some responsibility for averting a shutdown.

New legislation in Albany would require, starting in 2012, that all new semiautomatic pistols sold in New York State be equipped with microstamping technology. It would allow police officers to quickly match empty bullet casings found at crime scenes to the weapons that fired them.
The gun lobby is pushing back hard saying it would be too expensive and steps on gun owner rights. So, we ask: Bullet Tracking: Helping Police or Hurting Gun Owners?

The latest jobs report shows job growth has stalled. Meanwhile, American companies continue outsourcing jobs to places like India and China, where workers are paid pennies an hour. Some Legislators want to add a penalty tax for American Outsourcers.

New York's Republican Party will gather in Manhattan starting today to choose candidates for the November election.
The top races are fractious, with a crowded field of would-be U.S. Senate candidates and four men contending for the nod to run for governor.
The candidates who emerge from the convention already know who most of their Democratic Party opponents will be: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has a strong lead in race for governor and Republicans face an uphill challenge against incumbent U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.