6/13/2013 – Critical Thinking Explained – What is critical thinking, and why is it so important? This episode of ProCon.org's Critical Thinking Video Series explores the ways critical thinking cuts through confusion, encourages citizen involvement, and leads to a stronger democracy.

6/10/2013 - Six States with Pending Legislation to Legalize Medical Marijuana - Bills died in Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, and Missouri. As of today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has not yet announced whether he will sign a bill passed by the legislature on May 17, 2013, legalizing medical marijuana.

6/7/2013 – New study shows students who discuss/debate controversial issues get higher NAEP test scores – See this and other studies showing the importance of teaching controversial issues to stimulate critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship.

6/6/2013 – Should gay marriage be legal? – Read our updated pro and con arguments in this popular debate.

5/30/2013 - Vaccine Ingredients and Manufacturer Information – Read the vaccine ingredients and the products used in making 31 commonly recommended vaccines including some controversial items such as Cocker Spaniel cells, human embryonic lung cells, and mouse brains.

5/24/2013 - Top Pro & Con Quotes:Should tablets replace textbooks in K-12 schools?- Read pro and con arguments from former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Julius Genachowski (pro), Assistant Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning at Tufts University Justin Hollander (con), Chairman and CEO of News Corporation Rupert Murdoch (pro), New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (con), and more.

5/22/2013 – UPDATED: Same-Sex Marriage Timeline 1970-2013 – Gay marriage became legal in New Zealand on Apr. 19, 2013, in Uruguay on May 3, 2013, and, most recently, in France on May 18, 2013.  14 countries now permit same-sex couples to marry.

5/21/2013 - Vermont becomes the 4th US state to allow physician-assisted suicide - Governor Peter Schumlin signed the bill into law on May 20, 2013, the first time physician-assisted suicide has been made legal in the United States via the legislative process.

5/17/2013 - Economic Impact of Golf: State by State - See the number of golf facilities in 31 states, along with the economic output, jobs, and wage income created by golf. California has the highest total economic output from golf, totaling $15.1 billion per year.

5/15/2013 – Minnesota becomes 12th US state to legalize same-sex marriage – Governor Mark Dayton signed the bill into law on May 14, 2013, overturning a legislative ban on gay marriage in force since 1997. 36 states still have gay marriage bans, while two states have no laws banning or legalizing it.

5/15/2013  - Illegal Immigration Around the World: 13 Countries Compared to the United States – While the United States had 2.7% - 3.9% of its population living in the country illegally between 2000 - 2010, 13 other countries we reviewed had illegal immigration rates averaging 0.5% - 1.3% during the same period. See illegal immigration stats for France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and 9 other countries plus related info about how the data are gathered.

5/9/2013 - 12 States with Pending Legislation to Legalize Medical Marijuana - New bills were added in Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, while the bills in Florida died in committee.

5/9/2013 - 43 States That Allow Underage (under 21) Alcohol Consumption - On May 7, 2013, Oklahoma became the 13^thstate (and DC) to set an exception for underage drinking when reporting a medical emergency due to underage drinking. See which states have this and other exceptions to minimum legal drinking age laws.

5/8/2013 – Delaware becomes 11th US state to legalize same-sex marriage – Governor Jack Markell signed the bill into law on May 7, 2013, overturning a legislative ban on gay marriage in force since 1996. 37 states now have gay marriage bans, while two states have no laws banning or legalizing it.

5/8/2013 - Governments That Use ProCon.org – The 11 international governments that have used ProCon.org include Australia, Canada, Israel, Palestinian territories, Philippines, and South Africa. Plus ProCon.org has been used by 27 US state governments and 14 US federal entities.

5/7/2013 – Rhode Island becomes 10th US state to legalize same-sex marriage – Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law on May 2, 2013, making Rhode Island the last state in New England to allow gay marriage.  38 states have banned gay marriage, while two states have no laws banning or legalizing it.

5/7/2013 - 221 Books Citing ProCon.org - We've added another 26 books to the list of published texts citing ProCon.org research. Some of the authors who used ProCon.org include Mark Bittman, Newt Gingrich, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Schmoker, Tavis Smiley, and Joseph Stiglitz.

5/3/2013 – Maryland Repeals the Death Penalty – On May 2, 2013, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law legislation that repeals the death penalty, making Maryland the 18^th state to do so. See which states have the death penalty and which do not, and how that number has changed over time.

4/30/2013 - Top Pro & Con Quotes: Should the United States maintain its embargo against Cuba? - Read pro and con arguments from Barack Obama (now pro), Sen. Marco Rubio (pro), former Congressman Howard Berman (con), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (pro), Fidel Castro (con), and other politicians, activists, policy analysts, and religious leaders.

4/19/2013 - Which topic should we pick next? – Please take our brief survey and let us know which issues you would like ProCon.org to research next.

4/19/2013 Portion Sizes: How Big or Small Should They Be? - Going out to dinner? One baked potato should be the size of a computer mouse, a steak the size of a deck of cards, and a dinner roll the size of a yo-yo with a Scrabble tile's worth of butter. See how your meal stacks up to the FDA, CDC, and expert-recommended serving sizes.

4/18/2013 – Educators in over 3,750 schools in all 50 US states and 56 countries use ProCon.org. 819 elementary and middle schools, 1,926 high schools, and 1,010 colleges and universities use our free nonpartisan research to stimulate critical thinking. The newest international schools using ProCon.org are in Angola, India, and Oman.

4/16/2013 - Should people become vegetarian? - Read our updated pro and con arguments in this popular debate.

4/16/2013 – Peer-Reviewed Studies on the Origin of Sexual Orientation Since 1990 – In 18 studies, researchers found anatomical and genetic differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals (different brain structures, inner ear anatomy, smell sensitivity, chromosome markers, etc.), observed innate homosexual behavior in animal species (from fish to fruit flies), and evaluated the effects of "conversion therapy."

4/12/2013 - Reader Survey results – Our survey helped us learn the age, gender, and political affiliation of 1,032 ProCon.org readers. We also learned that 36.7% of respondents changed their "perceptions, feelings, or opinions on an issue" based on what they learned at ProCon.org and that 87.2% reported that they "enjoyed their experience" at ProCon.org. Thank you to all the survey participants.

4/12/2013 – Student Video Contest Highlights – We posted a 3-minute highlight reel from our 2012 Student Video Contest where each student shows why he/she loves ProCon.org. Thanks, students!

4/12/2013 - Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age? - Read our updated pro and con arguments in this popular debate.

4/12/2013 - What are tar sands/oil sands?

4/12/2013 - Should the US authorize the Keystone XL pipeline to import tar sand oil from Canada?  On Mar. 1, 2013, the US State Department released the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL pipeline.  Read background on the pipeline permit application as well as pro and con arguments from a number of prominent experts and organizations.

4/12/2013 - UPDATED: Can childhood sexual abuse cause homosexuality?