10/7/2009 - UPDATED: Benefits of Teaching Controversial Issues – Five highlighted facts about the benefits of critical thinking and 28 articles, studies, and books about teaching controversial issues in the classroom.
10/5/2009 - UPDATED: Lesson Planning with ProCon.org - 11 lesson plan ideas for using ProCon.org in the classroom to engage critical thinking while meeting 15 national teaching standards.
9/24/2009 - NEW ProCon.org Website! – Are cell phones safe? – Cell phones use a form of radiation called radio frequency (RF) to send their signal. This RF radiation is regulated by the FCC, and has been deemed safe by a number of government and private scientific studies. However, some studies have found that the radiation from cell phones may increase the chance of developing cancer and other health problems. ProCon.org's newest website explores the pros and cons of whether or not cell phones are safe to use.
9/18/2009 - NEW ProCon.org Website! – Should all Americans have the right (be entitled) to health care? – With millions uninsured, the US is one of the few - if not the only - developed nations that does not guarantee health care for its citizens. Many Americans believe that health care for all would be too expensive and unearned. ProCon.org's newest website explores the pros and cons of whether there should be the right to health care in the US.
8/11/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org - See how teachers and librarians from 588 schools in 48 states and 14 countries use ProCon.org in their classrooms and school libraries.
8/6/2009 - ProCon.org added six more media references to its In the News page including a mention of our Prescription Drug Ads website in Business Week.
8/5/2009 - ProCon.org Five Year Anniversary - ProCon.org celebrated its 5-year anniversary on July 14, 2009 with a party for supporters and friends from 4-7 pm in our Santa Monica office. We also held five anniversary contests and awarded winners over $500 in cash and prizes. See photos and video from the party, find out who won the contests, and read highlights and reflections from our first five years.
8/4/2009 - Winners of the ProCon.org 5-Year Anniversary contests announced! Each winner receives $100 and our gratitude. See who won the ProCon.org Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, and Scavenger Hunts contests. Thank you to all who participated.
7/29/2009 - NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! -Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age? - Our new micro site presents an overview, pro and con arguments, little-known “Did You Know” facts, videos, graphics, and a comprehensive list of sources on the issue of lowering the drinking age.
7/16/2009 - California State Schools Chief Jack O’Connell Praises ProCon.org - The California State Superintendent of Public Instruction wrote that ProCon.org is a "...great resource that breaks down hot button issues with quality, sourced info... The best part about procon.org is the entire web site is free to use. No ads, no registration necessary. If you’re in ed, check it out." Visit ProCon.org for Teachers for details.
7/2/2009 - ProCon.org Celebrates Its Five Year Anniversary - July 2009 marks our fifth anniversary and we're celebrating with five contests where you can win up to $500. Visit our anniversary page to read contest details, a statement from our Chairman, top five highlights, select readers' comments, and more.
6/24/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org - See how teachers and librarians from 516 schools in 48 states and 14 countries use ProCon.org in their classrooms and school libraries.
6/22/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - See the most recent media refrences to ProCon.org in the Telegraph, WRPI, the Thom Hartmann Radio Program, and more.
6/8/2009 - NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! - Should prescription drugs be advertised directly to consumers? - This website is our first ever site meaning it took us less than 35 hours to build. The site contains a "did you know?" section, an overview of the issue, pro and con arguments, an image and video gallery, a reader survey, and a listing of all our sources.
5/26/2009 - UPDATED: Same-Sex Marriage Timeline: California Supreme Court, in a 6-1 decision, upholds Proposition 8’s ban on same-sex marriages while also unanimously allowing 18,000 same-sex marriages to remain legal.
5/19/2009 - Our Volunteer Program – created on Feb. 9, 2009 – has been a great success. We thank all the volunteers who have helped us so far, and we encourage others to consider becoming a ProCon.org volunteer or intern.
4/10/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org – 411 schools (73 elementary and middle schools, 148 high schools, and 190 colleges and universities) in 45 states and 11 countries use ProCon.org content in their classrooms.
4/10/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - 113 mainstream media--the most recent including Washington Post, Guardian, and CBS News--have referenced ProCon.org’s websites.
4/7/2009 - NEW: Join ProCon.org on Facebook and
follow us on Twitter.
4/7/2009 - UPDATED: Same-Sex Marriage Timeline: Iowa and Vermont become the third and fourth US states to legalize same-sex marriages.
4/2/2009 - NEW: Survey for Teachers and Librarians - Please take our 2-minute survey so we can learn how to make our sites more useful to educators.
3/23/2009 - UPDATED:In the News – We added 10 more media references and surpassed 100 mentions in the press for the first time in our history. 103 mainstream media outlets have now referenced ProCon.org.
3/9/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org – See how 66 elementary and middle schools, 133 high schools, and 176 colleges and universities in 45 states and eight countries use ProCon.org content in their educational materials.
3/2/2009 – NEW PROCON.ORG WEBSITE! – Can alternative energy effectively replace fossil fuels? – Our 17th issue website has over 200 pro and con responses from more than 175 experts on energy topics such as oil, solar, wind, nuclear, ethanol, biofuels, hydrogen vs. electricity, subsidies, and more.
2/25/2009 - UPDATED: In the News - Our list of media references has grown to 93. See the latest additions from Popular Science magazine, Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN), two radio stations, and more.
2/6/2009 - UPDATED: How Schools Are Using ProCon.org - See how 352 schools in 45 states and eight countries use ProCon.org content in their educational materials.
2/2/2009 - ProCon.org was honored to receive the 2008“Best Non-Profit to Work For” award in a national competition. ProCon.org was one of five winners in its class of “non-profits with an operating budget of under $2.5 million.” There were 15 winners total. There are roughly 1,000,000 nonprofit organizations in the United States.
1/12/2009 - NEW TOPIC SURVEY - Select the topic you would most like ProCon.org to cover next.
1/9/2009 - NEW: Quotes About Critical Thinking – Read twelve stimulating quotes about critical thought. We share these statements as part of our mission to promote critical thinking.
12/31/2008 - UPDATED: See
How Schools Are Using ProCon.org: 50 elementary and middle
schools, 100 high schools, and 116 colleges and universities (that we know of)
have used ProCon.org in their teaching materials.
12/3/2008 - Big Three auto makers compared to Toyota and Honda by ProCon.org– We explore the question “Should the Big Three auto makers be bailed out by the US government?” in our first ever “mini” site. See the 144-point comparison chart and read statements from Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Paul Krugman, and many others.
11/18/2008 - NEW: ProCon.org for Teachers - Lesson plan ideas, natl. teaching standards, articles about teaching controversial issues, teachers' comments, and students' comments.
11/17/2008 – UPDATED: Polls and Surveys on Born Gay debate - Is homosexuality a result of upbringing/environment, or is it something a person is born with? See seven polls and surveys on this topic from 1993 to 2007.
11/5/2008 - UPDATED: Same-Sex Marriage Timeline: Arizona, California, and Florida voters approve constitutional bans on same-sex marriage
11/4/2008 – ProCon.org was referenced in the media six times last week. See our In the News page for the Swedish, Russian, and four US publications that mentioned ProCon.org.
11/3/2008 - UPDATED: Same-Sex Marriage Timeline - See significant events in the gay marriage issue from 1970 to the present
10/14/2008 - UPDATED: In the Classroom - 256 schools in 42 states and five countries reference ProCon.org in their K-12 and university level lesson plans and resource lists.
10/9/2008 - ProCon.org received four more media references in the last three days. See our coverage at Slate, National Catholic Reporter, and others in our growing In the News page.
7/31/2008 - NEW WEBSITE: Death Penalty ProCon.org – “Should the death penalty be abolished?” Read pros, cons, stats, news, bios, and more great information related to this perennially controversial topic. Explore our 15th issue website at ProCon.org and let us know what you think.
6/30/2008 - We are proud to announce the new ProCon.org sites that became available Monday June 30, 2008. See over 10 new features in a new design and layout that took over 25 people nearly 2 years and 9,000 hours to complete. If you like what you see, please tell your friends.
6/18/2008 - Study shows gay men and straight women have similar brain structures – Researchers studied 90 people and determined that flight vs. fight reactions and brain lobe symmetry were closely matched between homosexual men and heterosexual women as well as between homosexual women and heterosexual men. Read excerpts from the study, along with responses, a brief summary, and related links.
5/30/2008 - NEW WEBSITE: Insider Trading ProCon.org – Should "insider trading" by Congress continue to be legal? Read pros, cons, and general reference information in the debate over whether Congressional representatives should be allowed to trade stocks based on material nonpublic information that they acquire during their normal Congressional duties.
2/29/2008 - NEW:Subscribe to our free RSS feed and automatically receive the latest news and notices from our 13 ProCon.org websites. To subscribe, click on the RSS button in the top right of the homepage and follow the instructions provided on the screen. It takes a few seconds, and you can unsubscribe whenever you want.
12/12/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: 2008 Election ProCon.org – Read pro and con statements from the 2008 presidential candidates on several issues including abortion, education, environment, gun control, Iran, Iraq, religion, social security, and many more. Decide for yourself which candidate would make the best US President.
11/26/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: Immigration ProCon.org – What are the solutions to illegal immigration? ProCon.org explores the debate over illegal immigration with 50 questions, 200+ sources, and over 350 pro, con, and general reference responses.
9/28/2007 - NEW WEBSITE: Milk ProCon.org - Is drinking milk healthy for humans? We investigate health claims about milk using over 100 experts. The results of our research show conflicting data on milk's effect on cancer, heart disease, weight loss, diabetes, children's development, and other health issues. Visit our newest website and tell us what you think.
6/26/2007 - 2008 Presidential Election Poll - Visit our parent website ProCon.org and vote on the issues you want us to ask the U.S. Presidential candidates. Poll will close on July 15th.
6/19/2007 -
Read about the U.S. military's proposed "gay bomb"!
The Pentagon recently confirmed a proposal to build a chemical weapon
that would distract the enemy from combat by causing them to engage in
homosexual behavior.
ProCon.org launched its 10th website today, Prostitution ProCon.org, which explores the core question “Should prostitution be legal?” The site features over 200 expert sources from Presidential hopefuls Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton to Ann Landers, Heidi Fleiss, Susan B. Anthony, and the ACLU.
5/1/2007 - New ProCon.org website:
ProCon.org launched its 9th website today, Felon Voting ProCon.org (www.felonvotingprocon.org), on the heels of Florida and Maryland making historic changes to their felon voting laws. The 150 pro, con, and general reference statements focus around the core question: Should felons be allowed to vote?
1/30/2007 - Our comprehensive search engine (top right on the homepage) allows visitors to quickly find a word or phrase on the Under God ProCon.org website. The search function at www.procon.org allows visitors to simultaneously search all ProCon.org websites.
1/8/2007 - Euthanasia ProCon.org, our newest website, was launched today. It features nearly 600 pro, con, and general reference arguments in 80 questions. Visit the site today and decide for yourself: "Should euthanasia be legal?"
12/6/2006 - The Top 10 Pros and
Cons have been updated. Read the main arguments in the origins
of sexual orientation debate in about five minutes.
9/25/2006 – Sexual behavior may not reflect sexual orientation, according to a study published in the Sept. 19, 2006 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine which surveyed 4,193 New York City men and found that
10% of “straight” men had sex with other men that year. Read
excerpts from the study, along with responses, a brief summary, and
related links.
8/31/2006 - Updated Summary page for a brief (about 10
minutes) overview of the entire debate on whether sexual orientation
is determined by nature or nurture.
6/5/2006 - Notice posted regarding researchers from
the Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute, Northwestern
University, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois at
Chicago inviting families with two or more gay brothers to join their
study on the molecular genetics of sexual orientation. Click here to read about the study and obtain contact information.
6/1/2006 - Newly posted question on sexual orientation and ratio between secondand fourth finger digit length:
6/3/2005 - A new study in the medical journal Cell
reports that "a single gene in the fruit fly is sufficient to determine
all aspects of the flies' sexual orientation and behavior." Read about this study or read the full study in PDF.
5/10/2005 - A new study reports that homosexual and
heterosexual men respond differently to odors that may be involved in
sexual arousal (pheromones). The new study "may open the way to
studying ... the biological basis of sexual orientation." Read about this study.
4/29/2005 - Researchers from the Evanston
Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute, Northwestern University,
University of Chicago, and University of Illinois at Chicago invite
families with two or more gay brothers to join their study on the
molecular genetics of sexual orientation. Click here to read about the study and
obtain contact information.
4/8/2005 - April ProCon.org Poll - Visit our parent site www.ProCon.org and help us select the best
slogan for the organization.
4/8/2005 - April ProCon.org Poll - Visit our parent site www.ProCon.org and help us select the best slogan for the organization.
4/5/2005 -The Did You Know? section is our latest
experiment and features little known facts from the born gay debate.
Check it out and let us know what you think.
3/14/2005 - A California judge rules state's ban on same-sex marriage is "unconstitutional." Click here to read about the ruling. Also, read the judge's ruling in pdf format.
2/4/2005 - A New York state judge ruled that the ban on same-sex marriages violated the state constitution. Click here to read .
1/4/2005 - We added a section that explores some of the world's major religions and their positions on same-sex behavior. Click here to read .
12/9/2004 - The Canada Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is permissible under Canada's constitution. Click here to read about this.
11/15/2004 - The journal Child Development will
publish a study later this month that reveals that teens raised by
same-sex parents fare the same or better than those raised by
opposite-sex parents in areas of school performance, psychological
adjustment and sexual behavior. Click here to read about this.
11/2/2004 - 11 states passed initiatives to ban same-sex marriage. Click here to read about this.
10/13/2004 - In the US Presidential debate of 10/13/04, both candidates were asked whether they thought homosexuality was a choice. Click here to see their responses.
10/13/2004 - A new study reports that "genetic
factors, along with cultural and early experiences, influence male
homosexuality." To read about this, Click here.
9/29/2004 - We added a chart of the top
"Gay-Friendly" and "Gay-Unfriendly" companies in the U.S. (as per
9/1/04), as per the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. To view, click here.
3/8/2004 - We added a timeline of the recent gay marriage issue. To view, click here.
3/5/2004 - We added a list of over 475 species in which homosexual and/or transgender behavior has purportedly been observed. To view, click here.
3/3/2004 - We added a recap of groups, organizations and some individuals opposed to the Boy Scout ban on homosexuals. To view, click here.
3/3/2004 - We added a survey revealing the 50 most powerful gay-friendly public companies in the U.S. To view, click here.
11/20/2003 - We added a chart of state-by-state marriage laws concerning same-sex couples. To view, click here.
2/27/2003 - We added a chart of the views on a
constitutional ban to same-sex marriage by the current 2004
presidential candidates. To view, click here.
2/7/2003 - We added a chart of 2004 Presidential Candidates, and their positions on gay issues. To view, click here.
site meaning it took us less than 35 hours to build. The site contains a "did you know?" section, an overview of the issue, pro and con arguments, an image and video gallery, a reader survey, and a listing of all our sources.