Food Stamps for Work; Prostitution Legalization; Keystone XL

Chapter 1: Farm Bill and Food Stamps

Another fight concerning the Farm Bill has erupted over reapplying more stringent work standards for those receiving food stamps. In particular, those designated able-bodied and work capable individuals between the ages of 16 and 59 are expected to either work or perform some kind of job training while they receive assistance. Those requirements have been largely relaxed since the beginning of the recession, but now some legislators want to bring them back calling it a fair deal for those who receive assistance for a longer period of time. However, critics of the suggestion note that, despite the improvement of the economy overall, the unemployment rate has not significant decreased and many who rely on the assistance still lack jobs.  We talk to Rachel Van Dongen , Congressional Editor for POLITICO.

Chapter 2:  Supreme Court to Consider Whether Government Can Withhold Funding from Anti-HIV Organizations that Promote Legalizing Prostitution

The United States Supreme Court today heard the case of USAID v. Alliance for an Open Society, in which they are being asked to decide whether the federal government can refuse funding to non-profits that promote strategies they disagree with. In 2003 Congress passed the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act which included language that would rescind funding from organizations that promote the legalization of prostitution as a way of curbing HIV-infections. Such organizations filed suit claim this is essentially censorship, a ban of their right to free speech. We talk to Megan Brown, a Partner at Wiley Rein who wrote a brief on behalf of the Rutherford Institute.

Chapter 3: Update on the Keystone XL Pipeline

We talk to Joe Duggan, Reporter with Omaha World-Herald