Under the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986, the President is obligated every year to present to Congress and the American people a national security strategy. The Bush White House generated the last report in 2002. Long overdue is a reassessment of the threats and opportunities we face and a strategy to protect the American people and advance our national interests. The Center for American Progress' 2005 Strategy document looks back on developments since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and lays out a new framework for integrating and advancing American power. Larry Korb and Bob Boorstin challenge the prevailing wisdom of the "Bush doctrine" and outline an alternative vision with specific, concrete steps to protect our people and vital interests. The Center's 2005 Strategy document is sure to stir debate among progressives on both sides of the aisle who are searching for a more constructive approach to national security.

Congress has set its sights on Medicaid, the program that provides health care for over 50 million Americans. In March, the Senate rejected the $20 billion, five-year Medicaid funding cut called for by the President and House of Representatives. By April, the final budget resolution called for $10 billion in federal Medicaid savings and a commission created by the Bush administration. Despite this apparent compromise, deep divisions remain over how to improve the program. To shed light on this debate, the Center for American Progress has gathered a panel of experts to present papers that assess the main cost drivers in Medicaid and suggest ways Congress can improve its ability to ensure access to needed care for low-income families, persons with disabilities and seniors.

First, he spent 30 days eating nothing but McDonald's in his widely acclaimed and Oscar-nominated documentary feature Super Size Me. Now, Morgan Spurlock is taking on the issues of the day with his new FX documentary series 30 Days. In the first installment, Morgan and his fiancee, Alex, spent a month trying to live on minimum wage in Columbus, Ohio, where they endeavored to find jobs, affordable housing and the best possible quality of life. Just as Super Size Me looked at obesity and nutritional ignorance in this country, the first installment of 30 Days examines the working poor and their financial strains in the U.S.

As part of its ongoing Critical Infrastructure Protection Series, the Center for American Progress is convening an expert panel to assess port security - what has been accomplished under tight deadlines in MTSA's first year; the need to shift from a vulnerability-based approach to a more effective risk-based strategy that emphasizes the very real terrorist threat to our economy; and the urgent requirement to devote timely resources to make our society and economy safer. The Center for American Progress will also release a strategy paper, "Safer Ports for a More Secure Economy," that recommends what we should secure at our nation's ports; how we should do it; and how we should pay for this increased security.

In cities and towns across America, the Center for American Progress is engaging the public in conversations on religion and policy, giving voice to those whose hopes and concerns have been lost in highly polarized debates. Our series of national conversations began in Denver and will continue throughout the year. In Kansas City, our conversation will focus on science and faith. How can these systems of inquiry and belief enhance each other and strengthen our lives? How can we articulate a vision that embraces both? Our panelists will discuss evolution and intelligent design, stem cell research, as well as the truths that spring from both science and religion. Please join our panel of experts and leaders in a provocative, lively conversation.

This event will feature Professor Alan E. Brownstein of University of California (Davis) Law School, who will discuss the federal constitutional issues raised when the government permits religious groups to discriminate on the basis of religion with regard to publicly subsidized jobs. This issue already has been the subject of several votes in the House of Representatives and may come to the floor of the Senate this summer. Along with Professor Vikram Amar of University of California, Hastings College of Law, Professor Brownstein has written a series of articles that were recently published by findlaw.com on this timely and important issue and be read on the ACS blog. This is the first in a series of brown bag lunches for Capitol Hill staff sponsored jointly by the American Constitution Society and the Center for American Progress.

Amidst sweeping changes in America's media landscape, ethnic media are emerging as the giant hidden in plain sight. The first-ever comprehensive survey of ethnic American adults on their media usage reveals that ethnic media reach 51 million ethnic Americans -- almost a quarter of all American adults. Of these media consumers, 29 million ethnic American adults, or 13 percent of all adult Americans, not only use ethnic media regularly but prefer ethnic media to their mainstream media counterparts.