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The article reports that Latin American immigrants in the U. S. have been taking Cytotec, an ulcer drug, as an abortifacient. Many women are used to living where legal abortion is not an option, and receive the pills, which are available over the counter in many Latin American countries, from female relatives. The pills have been known to cause hemorrhage, but are cheaper than legal abortion options. Cytotec's maker, Pfizer, has done little to keep the pill from being used for abortions.

The author examines the assumption that identity politics is harmful to liberalism. According to her, the problem is not the presence of identity groups within the progressive coalition but the party and movement structure that make them necessary. Without the existence of interest groups that specifically advocate their rights, the biggest steps the U.S. had taken towards equality like the Civil Rights Act would not have been possible. She concludes that identity groups can work together to craft policies that lift all members of the coalition.

The article reports on a transaction that was undertaken through the federal and state New Markets Tax Credits programs to allow Eclipse Theaters Development Group LLC to complete the Eclipse Theater complex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Topics mentioned include the allocation of tax credits to community development entities, VIP amenities of the Eclipse Theater complex, and thoughts from Eclipse Theaters Managing Director Nic Steele on developing large-scale projects.

The article reports on the partnership between Menasha Packaging and Shelfbucks to promote beacon technology to retailers in the U.S. Topics covered include the features of beacon technology and importance to the commercial sector. Also mentioned is the benefit of consumers from using the technology.

The article focuses on Lybrel, a brand of birth control pills that stops monthly menstruation. It presents arguments made by feminists regarding the effectivity of the pill in manipulating menstruation and the idea of it being natural contraception. It offers details on the pill developed by John Rock that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the pill Seasonale which gives women only four periods a year, and its medical benefits.

The article looks at the increasing number of women in the U.S. politics. It states that the period between 1991 and 1993 have seen the U.S. having its major shift towards a more woman-friendly political environment such as the election of the largest group of women to the U.S. Congress and the formation of the Women's Leadership Forum. The author says that one way to get women into politics is through asking them to run including U.S. Senator Nancy Pelosi of California who joined the Congress after she was handpicked by U.S. Representative Sala Burton.

The article focuses on the slow evolution of the U.S. First Lady, which has been mainly a Democratic experiment. The author argues that Republicans fail to acknowledge that modern marriage is a partnership and they are missing out on what could be a winning campaign strategy. The social and political views of the wives of several Democratic presidential candidates, including Michelle Obama, are presented.

The article considers the controversies surrounding the abortion pill mifepristone. Pro-choice groups are supporting studies on the drug's potential use to treat depression, cancer or reproductive system disorders. Mifepristone was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for abortions in September 2000 despite objections from anti-abortion groups and politicians. The FDA gave the drug a Phase 4 classification as a concession to the anti-abortion movement.

A chart is presented of author's experience in hosting and attending out-of-state relatives for holidays in Los Angeles, California.

The article observes that the U.S. 2010 elections saw the fielding of candidates that defied race and gender stereotypes. The Democratic line-up saw the first woman to be in the presidential slate, the first black president and the first woman speaker. It is hoped that the 2012 elections would further affirm the wisdom of cultural diversity in the democratic slate and that the winners would really advance the interests of racial and gender equality.

The article reports on the revival of public demonstrations and rallies in the U.S. According to the author, street demonstrations are experiencing a revival not seen since the late 1960s. She states that the pro-labor rallies have given hope to people who support social services and collective bargaining. She claims that the profile of the protesters in these rallies are markedly different from the demonstrators who joined antiwar protests following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The author argues against the radical legislation proposed at the 112th U.S. Congress. She reports that anti-choice bills have been introduced by the Republicans. She notes that the Democrats' years of seeking the middle ground on the issue have only emboldened social conservatives. She argues that the years of Democratic compromise resulted in extreme anti-choice legislation.

The author comments on the civility and rationality of political conversations in the U.S. She believes that civility relies on research and logic, which leads to a rational, fact-based debate. The author notes that the problem is that an argument can be both civil and rational and still remain unfair. She adds that this reflects a dispute over the validity of the facts themselves.

In the article, the author discusses the latest developments in the U.S. political arena as of February 2011. She examines the move by Republican politician Sarah Palin and other conservative leaders to declare 2010 as the Year of the Republican Woman, resulting in a record number of Republican Party women members as candidates. The results of the November 2010 elections, however, showed that the number of elected women legislators has declined. She also cites the historic candidacy of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Presidential primary in 2008.

The author reflects on the problems confronting U.S. President Barack Obama's party, the Democratic Party, two years after he was elected as president. She attributes it to the problems which Obama promised to fix that were still left unsolved. In order to address this, she suggests that Democrats can foster a positive political experience by looking at what young people are excited about.

The author states that the broader culture war in the U.S. is getting uglier instead of getting resolved as promised by U.S. President Barack Obama during his election campaign. She says that developments such as the Tea Party movement and the tightening of immigration policies are fueling the perception that only a few groups of Americans deserve respect. She however recognizes achievements in certain aspects such as improvements in women's careers and compensation.

The author examines the general profile of the women candidates in the 2010 U.S. elections. According to the author, these candidates appear to be using the classic "family values" narrative with the distinct female bent of being conservative, anti-choice and anti-gay. Although they lack policy solutions because they are not clear about children's health insurance, family leave policies and consumer product safety, the author believes that these women candidates are arguably doing a better job than many progressive candidates claiming to be pro-parent.

The author points that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico should trigger changes in the power system, in the way corporations are regulated, and the way people think in the U.S. A survey found that many Americans believe that it is more important to protect the environment than developing energy sources. According to the author, the government should show Americans that the oil spill is connected with their own energy consumption and that they can do something about the problem.

The author discusses the criteria for determining the qualities of nominees in various government positions that are the sole responsibility of the U.S. President to fill. She examines various factors that affect such decision, including race and gender. She cites as example the appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. She also explores the nominations for the replacement of Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced his retirement in April 2010.

The article presents a discussion of Ann Friedman and Tim Fernholz on the effectiveness of the imposition of morality taxes as a means to reduce or fill in the budget deficit of a country during economic crisis. Friedman favored the legalization and taxing of marijuana use as a short-term strategy for revenue generation. Fernholz cited the real tax reforms that were implemented by states like Oregon, such as the move to increase tax rates on the rich citizens and businesses by a fair amount.

The article discusses the incidence of outings where the sexual preferences of U.S. representatives such as Larry Craig, Roy Ashburn and Eric Massa were exposed by the media. It notes the hypocrisy of anti-gay politicians as shown in their inconsistencies in their political position and private lives. It indicates that shaming politicians for their hypocrisy or workplace improprieties should be done carefully since anti-gay politicians' sexuality should never be outed as gay.

The author argues that the scope of food-politics conversation remains narrow because while foodies are debating the significance of organic food, the use of food assistance is growing due to the deepening hunger problem in the U.S. She cites statistics on food-stamp reliance. She points out that food-stamp users still face the stigma associated with food stamps and other anti-hunger programs. She proposes that food security become a part of the foodie movement and calls for an equal effort to get stores in low-income neighborhoods to stock produce.

The article discusses the effect of the presence of the U.S. military troops in upholding the rights of women in Afghanistan. It is argued that the mission focuses on defeating the enemy which could hurt ordinary people in the process. According to the article, feminist leaders have different views on the continued U.S. intervention, and it depends on one's confidence of American forces' cause for humanitarianism. The author, however, believes that the U.S. involvement is never a humanitarian force.

The author talks about the anti-immigrant narrative in the U.S. She notes that anti-immigrant Americans tend to believe that immigrants take many things from the country including their jobs, social services and formerly pristine street corners. In her opinion, the impact of the raid against undocumented workers in Postville, Iowa in 2008 on the economy in the area proves how misleading the anti-immigrant narrative is. She concludes that the Congress should consider a give and take aspect in planning immigration reform.

The author discusses the need to fight against the culture war following declaration for the end of the war upon the victory of U.S. President Barack Obama in 2008. She says that the war still exists as states including Florida, Arizona, and California passed ballot measures to ban same-sex marriage and foster-parenting of same-sex couples. She adds that people will continue to lose from the war until LGBT rights are relabeled as civil rights issue.

The author reflects on the reprise of identity politics that has long characterized the Democratic party. She avers that previous presidential races were not framed in the same way as the current race between U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama because all the contenders were white and male. The author believes a that candidate's identity, that is race, gender, and cultural background, is always an electoral factor. In conclusion she exhorts that voters support the candidate whom they feel they are most in solidarity with.

The authors examine the strategies employed by the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush that led to the break down of the U.S. government. They say that the abuses made by President Bush during his term of office is comparable to the misuse of executive power during the Watergate affair. According to the authors, the methods to expand the powers of the executive branch were not directly perpetrated by Bush or Vice-President Dick Cheney but by low-level political appointees.