Can Gay Marriage Co-Exist with Religious Freedom? The US Supreme Court has made same-sex marriage the law of the land, but discrimination against gays and lesbians is still alive and well. That’s the next target of the movement for equal rights. But what about the right of religion? Supreme Court dissenters warned about a kind of reverse discrimination against sincere believers that same sex marriage is unacceptable. Is there a way to prevent conflict between two basic entitlements, so that two rights don’t produce many wrongs?

Is America Suddenly Turning Blue? In Colorado and Washington states, it's not just medical marijuana any more. Recreational pot was legalized by the voters on Tuesday. In Washington State, Maine and Maryland on Tuesday, voters approved same-sex marriage -- the first time that's ever happened in any US election. In Minnesota, a constitutional ban was turned down, after 30 previous efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. Will the Obama Justice Department back away from enforcing federal laws against marijuana now that more and more voters have spoken? Will the US Supreme Court look at the election returns if it decides to rule on DOMA, the federal Defense of Marriage Act?

Same-Sex Marriage, Gender and the Prop 8 Ruling Same-sex marriage has become a national issue since federal Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 , in which California voters banned a practice that had only been legal for a few months. One aspect of Walker's ruling that has been overlooked is the role played by the women's movement. We hear from two journalists and a well-known scholar who's married to another man, but still says the judge's decision was too much, too soon.

Local Politics with National Impact Twelve months after the US chose Barack Obama as the first black president, there is widespread disillusionment with politics in general. In two states that helped him win the Electoral College, Republicans are all fired up and Democrats don't care the way they did when Obama was on the ballot. In Virginia and New Jersey, local issues dominate in races for Governor — but if Democrats go down to defeat, Obama may be perceived as a loser. Maine could become the first state where voters approve same-sex marriage , or the 31st state where they turn it down. We look at elections to be held in less than two weeks that could help set the political stage for months to come.

Same-Sex Marriage: The Law, Religion and Politics Only four states have legalized same-sex marriage, and it's pending in just a handful of others. Forty states limit marriage to a man and a woman. But public opinion supports civil unions for gays and lesbians, and voters aged 18 to 45 are favorably inclined toward homosexual rights. Does the Constitutional guarantee of equal treatment include same-sex marriage? Are religions free to discriminate as they choose? How does the issue work for — and against — Democrats and Republicans?

Detainees and the 2008 Presidential Race For years to come, it's likely the US will be hunting and capturing jihadists all over the world. Some will be too dangerous to release, but impossible to try as ordinary criminals.  President Bush and the current Congress are unlikely to workout a legal framework for dealing with them, which will leave that task to the next administration. Jonathan Rauch, senior writer for the National Journal, questioned all the announced presidential candidates to see if they had any plans.