FILE - In this June 2, 2012, file photo, Pope Benedict XVI is greeted by nuns during a meeting with priests and religious at the Duomo gothic cathedral, in Milan, Italy. Benedict has been trying to restore Catholic traditions he believes were lost 50 years ago in the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council. As he presses for a more conservative Catholicism, the pope has been vigilant about ensuring that groups and individuals that operate in the name of the church are adhering to core Catholic teaching. The Vatican orthodoxy watchdog, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, concluded in April that the Leadership Conference of Women Religious had strayed far from authentic doctrine and gave three American bishops the authority to overhaul the organization. The board for the nuns? group responded by calling the Vatican?s investigation flawed and its conclusions unsubstantiated. Top executives of the sisters? organization are bringing their concerns to a meeting Tuesday, June 12, in Rome with Vatican officials. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File) / Luca Bruno
Coming up on CBS News: Where America Stands
Defense & Diplomacy
American is fighting wars on two major fronts. We'll assess the preparedness and the defense of U.S. interests around the globe as well as the path of diplomacy.
Terror Threats
Since 9/11 altered America's sense of security, the country faces constantly evolving terror threats. We'll provide a report card on the current battle against domestic terrorism and an outlook for the future.
Financial Security
The economic meltdown in this decade was a wake-up call to millions of Americans and our financial system. We'll benchmark how the country is emerging from the crisis and provide an assessment for the coming decade.
Education
Education is a key element to America's competitiveness in the global market. We'll look at the challenges facing America's schools and students, as well as innovative solutions that could make a difference.
Jobs & Industry
With unemployment above 10 percent at the end of this decade, we'll explore emerging industry and employment trends and challenges faced by small businesses going forward.
Health & Medical
We'll benchmark the state of healthcare in America and explore forthcoming medical innovations that will have significant impact in the coming decade.
Crime & Punishment
In 2008, 14 million people were arrested in the U.S. The rule of law and definitions of torture have become part of the dialog. We'll provide a report card on important legal issues, as well as crime and punishment.
Global Interdependence
The world has become flatter as globalization occurs. We'll examine shifts in international balances of power and the impact of interdependencies across borders, cultures and markets.
Immigration, Culture, Identity, & Faith
America continues to be a melting pot of races and cultures. We'll explore issues of immigration, faith, ethnicity and race.
With the new decade on the horizon, CBS News,in partnership with USA Today, will take an in-depth look at key areas that affect all Americans. "Our expectations for the future, our sense of America's place in the world, even our national priorities all seem in flux," said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports. "We want to provide our viewers with a report card on America through compelling stories across all CBS News platforms and broadcasts that will present honest assessments of areas with the greatest impact on our individual lives as well as our national preparedness."
The multi-week series, titled CBS REPORTS: Where America Stands, starts in January 2010, and will provide benchmarks for where the country stands today and an outlook for the future decade. Programming will appear on a variety of CBS News platforms, including The CBS Evening News, The Early Show, Face the Nation, Sunday Morning and CBS Radio News, as well as CBSNews.com.
Among the areas that will be benchmarked are:
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Always late to the dance on any bad news for the Pres, and then only when they have to.
Nice.
offering, giving, receiving or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or other person in discharge of a public or legal duty.
Lobbyist : A person with a particular interest which represent a minority to gain special access to lawmakers through contributions and favors. Ever watch " A Distinguished Gentleman"?
The point is, what difference does it make where Americans stand?
They are no longer represented, and have not been for quite sometime, regardless of what political party is in office. It is only about the money. You want to fix it? Here's how. Have the Lobbyist sell their ideas to the public(no,not just the rich ones) then have the public notify their represenatives. We then again may have a government BY the people FOR the people. This doesn't mean that the rich can't get richer. It just means that they will have to work for it rather than just buying it. Apologies to anyone who may be offended.
Every day we see or hear where someone got raped robbed or runover. White collar crime is on the rise or the law has finnaly caught up with them. Our elected officals are taking money from anyone that has a cause. Unions, police officers, wall street, the prison industry, and anyone else who thinks they can buy there votes. We are putting people in prison at a rate that is hard to believe. Some people need to be there murders, rapeist, child molesters,gangs, wife beaters the list gose on. What can you do? Contact your Congressmen and Senators ask them why they are running up the bill for the american taxpayer? After all there are at least 237 millionaires in congress.alone. Believe me they make more than I do.