YPNation

Late last night, the House approved by a narrow margin of 219 to 212 sweeping changes to the nation's health system. It was the final showdown of a long, bloody battle--one that sharply divided Congress, and even the nation. But the conversation about health care reform has really only just begun, as we implement the reform, witness its impact and build upon its foundation. In anticipation of Sunday's vote, YPNation contributor Ryan Lynch, 28, and a consultant at the non-profit Coalition Against Domain Name Abuse, asked of the YPNation team what they thought the impact of the insurance mandate would be.

Small farms have been on the out for decades as younger generations leave town for urban lifestyles with more financial promise. But as we have seen recently in Michael Pollan's books (The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food) as well as the work of so many others, the tragic consequences of agribusiness have spurred a reactionary movement, which is now in full swing. The demand for sustainably produced and organic food is going up, and as a result of this increasing awareness, young people are moving back to the farm. And they're changing how it's done.

Late last month Marketplace Money did a story on "hauls," online video diaries about the junk people buy. Call me a Luddite, but that makes me want to cuddle up with Tolstoy's War and Peace. If you have a different reaction it might be because you--like so many savvy entrepreneurs in the information age--are seeing dollar signs where others might see cultural decline.

When Alex Yates, a marketing consultant, relocated two years ago to the Chicago area from San Diego he joined a running club. He had been a member of a track club in San Diego, and eyed the Chicago Area Runners Association, or CARA, as a way to integrate into his new community.

Less than half of Millennials, Americans age 18 to 29, believe when they are their parents' age, they will be better off, according to the "Survey of Young Americans' Attitudes Toward Politics and Public Service" (pdf) from Harvard University's Institute of Politics.

Deployed in Iraq I was deployed in Iraq in September 2009 for my first four-month rotation flying missions with my new unit. Multiple holidays and a birthday missed with not a single day off. No such thing as a fun Friday night, a lazy Sunday morning or even a Wednesday to think, "I'm halfway there." Everyday is a no frills Tuesday--the same day over and over again. Same uniforms, same chicken and rice to eat, same routine. There are only the rare tell-tale signs to offer any concept of time: pizza being served in the chow hall so it must be Friday, or a football game on TV so it must be Sunday. But it doesn't matter that it is Sunday because business must be done, a mission must be flown. The games are missed. (God bless those ground pounders who go for a year at a time.)

Year after year, the popular spring break destinations are predictable--Mexico, Florida, California, Vegas, the Caribbean, and for those who can afford it, Europe. But why not try a new spot and combine your spring break travel with a little volunteering? It can be a great resume builder in this grim job market, and can help cut down the costs of travel at a time when budgets for many are tighter than usual.

While most young professionals spend their days holed up in cubicles, Jared Talarski, 29, has made a career captaining a schooner and lending a hand to those in need. He spoke with YPNation about his sailing career and recent relief voyage to Haiti on the Liberty Schooner.

General Stanley McChrystal, by way of his civilian-centric strategy for the war in Afghanistan, is experimenting. Thirty-nine female Marines are poised to deploy as "attachments" with an all-male infantry for the express purpose of gaining the trust of Afghan women. After training at Camp Pendleton, located just south of Los Angeles, the Marines will travel to rural villages in Afghanistan's most violent province.

The housing industry may not see much action for a while, but real estate on the Internet is booming. Just ask Mike Cassidy, a 25-year-old, whose Web domain names that he bought for $5.99 are now being appraised at $1000.

"The Pulitzer Prize-winning National Enquirer." While you may not be hearing that phrase anytime soon, the infamous tabloid has come one step closer to journalism's most respected prize for its reporting on the John Edwards scandal.

Okay, so more than 19 percent of Americans are underemployed-which means either unemployed or looking for full-time work. For the first time, Gallup has endeavored to discern how underemployed people feel about their situation. It's not surprising there are more discouraged people without jobs than there are hopeful people. Rather, it's in the survey's details where Gallup's findings become interesting.

The final pick of YPNation's "Young Professional of Color" series is Tina Wells, CEO of the New Jersey-based Buzz Marketing Group, the number one resource for all things involving youth marketing. Wells has more than a decade of expertise in youth trends, and an impressive portfolio of more than one hundred partnerships.

During the State of the Union Address late last month, President Barack Obama announced that he will work with Congress to revise the U.S. Military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy, which has been in place since 1993. The law acknowledges that gay and lesbian personnel can be dismissed from the military should their sexual preference be revealed.

Last week President Obama announced $8.33 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear construction projects in Georgia, after three decades of an ad hoc nuclear moratorium across the country. For all of the coverage last week, the media frenzy missed an important part of the story--the destructive processes at the front end of nuclear power.

For more than thirty years, there hasn't been a new nuclear plant built in the United States. This is due to a number of reasons, including cost overruns, environmental lawsuits, political palatability and an unjustified fear of nuclear technology. That may all change with President Obama recently announcing support for nuclear power by giving his blessing and taxpayer dollars for two new nuclear plants in Georgia.

You may have heard of the controversial dating site beautifulpeople.com when CNN covered its decision last month to cleanse its membership of about 5,000 people because they had gained weight over the holidays. You can only join if existing members deem you attractive enough, and the added pounds were reason enough to be expelled.

YPNation is rounding out Black History Month by spotlighting an outstanding "Young Professional of Color" each day this week. Today's pick is Jamail Larkins. Having accumulated more than 1,500 hours of flight time, Larkin's career, which took off at the age of 12, shows no signs of landing.

Last Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the Recovery Act, also known as the "stimulus." In the midst of the political gridlock that has stalled health care reform, it is easy to forget that President Obama started off his term with what undeniably was a major legislative accomplishment. In fact, the Recovery Act was one of the largest progressive achievements of our time, and one wonders whether Obama would still be considered ineffectual if it had been broken down into smaller pieces and passed individually throughout last year, rather than all at once. The media, after all, has a very short attention span, and tends to forget success quite easily.

YPNation will round out Black History Month by spotlighting an outstanding "Young Professional of Color" each day this week. They are pioneers in fields from business to blogging, serving as an inspiration to other YP's looking to excel in their own right. They are, without question, YP's to watch.