27.5 million people in the United States (8.5% of the US population) do not have health insurance. Among the 91.5% who do have health insurance, 67.3% have private insurance while 34.4% have government-provided coverage through programs such as Medicaid or Medicare. Employer-based health insurance is the most common type of coverage, applying to 55.1% of the US population. The United States is the only nation among the 37 OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations that does not have universal health care either in practice or by constitutional right.

In 1970, the US Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act because they considered it to have “no accepted medical use.” Since then, 33 of 50 US states and DC have legalized the medical use of marijuana.

Proponents of medical marijuana argue that it can be a safe and effective treatment for the symptoms of cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, pain, glaucoma, epilepsy, and other conditions. They cite dozens of peer-reviewed studies, prominent medical organizations, major government reports, and the use of marijuana as medicine throughout world history.

Con
Noah Berlatsky, MA, contributing writer for The Atlantic in an Aug. 15, 2017 article for qz.com titled “The Case Against Free Speech for Fascists,” wrote:

Pro
Douglas Lee, JD, Legal Correspondent for the Freedom Forum First Amendment, in his Oct. 30, 1998 article for the Freedom Forum website, titled “Criminalizing Hate Shackles Everyone’s Rights,” wrote:

“Under the existing hate-crime law, the federal government can prosecute and seek enhanced penalties for state crimes that are motivated by the victim’s race, color, religion and national origin…

In July 2019, the U.S. Attorney General announced that the federal government would “resume capital punishment” by scheduling the execution of five federal prisoners on death row. While the executions were originally scheduled for December 2019 and January 2020, a legal battle delayed the execution process. These long litigation periods are quite common, with the average prisoner being held on death row for 20 years and 3 months before execution is carried out.

Average surface temperatures on earth have risen more than 2°F over the past 100 years. During this time period, atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) have notably increased. This site explores the debate on whether climate change is caused by humans (also known as anthropogenic climate change).

THE QUICK FACTS
Jonathan Franzen, an American novelist and essayist, penned a controversial essay in the New Yorker related to climate change.
The essay argues that we've passed the point of no return when it comes to climate change. The subtitle of the essay states, “The climate apocalypse is coming. To prepare for it, we need to admit that we can’t prevent it.”
After the article was published, many people - especially within the scientific community - expressed dismay at Franzen's argument, and at the New Yorker for publishing his essay.

Americans consumed 13.7 billion gallons of bottled water in 2017 – more than any other beverage by volume – boosting an industry worth $18.5 billion. 67.3% of bottled water sold in the United States is in single-serve plastic bottles. 70% of those plastic water bottles are not recycled. Globally, about 20,000 plastic bottles are bought every second, the majority of which contain drinking water.

In less than 30 days, the federal government has issued more than 130 million stimulus checks to individuals and families across the country as a response to the COVID-19 shutdowns. Any individual who made less than $75,000 a year received $1,200 in direct assistance as a part of the CARES Act, which was passed in late March.

In recent weeks, protests calling for police reform have swept the nation and the globe. These protests began with the killing of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers in Minneapolis. Lawmakers have responded with numerous police reforms at the state and federal level, including competing federal proposals from the house and senate.