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Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday that justices on the nation's highest court should be even-handed and impartial in order to promise "nothing less than a fair shake for every American." In her opening statement to her confirmation hearing, Kagan sought to address Republican concerns that her background as an academic and policy specialist in the Clinton administration would bring a liberal bias in her court rulings. The role of the Supreme Court is "to safeguard the rule of law, through a commitment to even-handedness, principle, and restraint," Kagan said. "I will make no pledges this week other than this one -- that if confirmed, I will remember and abide by all these lessons."

If confirmed by the 19-member committee and then the full Senate, Kagan would be the 112th Supreme Court justice and the fourth woman to sit on the nation's highest court. While her confirmation is considered likely, Republican senators on the panel questioned Monday whether Kagan can be an impartial justice, displaying a partisan divide over President Barack Obama's second Supreme Court nomination since he took office.

Question: Do you think Elena Kagan will be and should be confirmed as the 112th Supreme Court justice?

Paving the way for deepwater drilling to resume in the Gulf of Mexico, a federal judge denied a request to keep a moratorium in place pending a government appeal. U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman issued a preliminary injunction against the six-month ban Tuesday. The government had asked Feldman to delay lifting the ban until an appeals court reviewed the issue later this summer.

The moratorium, imposed by President Obama after an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig off the coast of Louisiana, prohibited drilling in more than 500 feet of water and prevented new permits from being issued.

In an emergency hearing Thursday, the judge denied the government's motion to stay his decision pending appeal "for the same reasons given" Tuesday for issuing the injunction. In Tuesday's ruling, Feldman wrote, "An invalid agency decision to suspend drilling of wells in depths of over 500 feet simply cannot justify the immeasurable effect on the plaintiffs (oil drilling support companies), the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present-day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in this country."

Question: Do you think there should be a temporary moratorium on deepwater drilling?

A day after his disparaging comments about America's civilian leadership surfaced and dramatically struck a nerve in the White House, the top commander in Afghanistan has been relieved of his post. President Obama accepted the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal "with considerable regret" and nominated Gen. David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. Central Command. The moves come in the wake of the revelation that Rolling Stone magazine would publish politically explosive remarks made by the general and his aides about key administration officials.

In describing his decision to let McChrystal go, Obama said it wasn't about "personal insult" but more about trust. The general's behavior had undermined trust, among the troops and among his team. "War is bigger than any one man or woman," Obama said. Coming together, he said, was essential: "Doing so is not an option, but an obligation," the president warned. "I will not tolerate division."

Question: Do you agree with Obama's decision to replace McChrystal?

Millions of sports fans around the world find the 2010 World Cup Soccer Tournament to be the epitome of mind-consuming thrills. However, instances of domestic violence and rape are increased by a third during the fortnight of soccer nirvana. This includes a surge in wife-beating incidents in England and even more than the usual number of rapes in South Africa, which already has one of the highest rape rates in the world.

Police, of course, work to combat violence against women, but we’ve learned of new project launched during the World Cup especially to combat rape. Dr. Sonnet Ehlers, a South African doctor, has developed a female condom with jagged rows of teeth-like hooks lined inside that attach to a man’s penis during penetration. Once the condom has latched on, it cannot be removed without a doctor’s help. If a man tries to remove it himself, it clasps on even tighter. The manufacturer is distributing 30,000 free Rape-aXe condoms in the various South African cities where World Cup games are taking place. After the games, the condoms will sell for about $2 each.

Some critics have accused Dr. Ehlers of inventing a medieval torture device, but she declares rape to be very much a medieval crime.

Question: What do you think – is the Rape-aXe the beginning of a solution to the atrocity of rape or is it a medieval torture device?