There's a lot of debate about assisted suicide. Should friends, family or physicians be able to help a terminally ill patient die? Is it wrong to commit suicide, or does it ensure dignity near the end of one's life?

Whatever your moral stance, assisted suicide is ultimately governed by law. When one asks whether they can help someone commit suicide, they're really asking whether it's legal under a state's assisted suicide law.

And in the United States, most of those laws say no.

Washington State is poised to become the first state to legalize recreational pot use. On January 26, the Secretary of State certified Initiative 502, finding that supporters collected enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.

Polls show that 48% of voters support the ballot measure, while only 45% oppose it.

And if Washington doesn't legalize recreational pot this November, Colorado may. Activists fell about 3,000 signatures short of a ballot measure, but have until February 21 to collect the rest. It's not expected to be too difficult.

If you've received a Form 1099-C, don't freak out -- but don't ignore it either.

If a creditor has forgiven or canceled a debt of $600 or more, it is obligated to send you and the IRS a copy of this form. This includes debts discharged in bankruptcy and those forgiven by credit card companies.

Now that you know why you received a Form 1099-C, you need to determine whether or not you must pay taxes on the reported amount.

Are hookah bars legal?

That's the real question you should be asking, as the law treats hookah smoking and cigarette smoking the same, as they are both tobacco products regulated by the same statutes.

As cigarette smoking decreases, hookah use seems to be rising, particularly amongst the younger generations, possibly contributing to the perception that hookah bars are legal while cigarette smoking is not.

This is actually not the case, as many hookah bars operate illegally.

The 10th Amendment, the darling of the Tea Party, supports states' rights.

You've likely heard some version of this phrase invoked by presidential candidates and other politicians recently. It's referenced in debates about medical marijuana, gun control and health care reform. It's brought up when pundits speak about abortion legislation and the Defense of Marriage Act.

But what does the 10th Amendment mean? In legal terms, that is.

A federal appeals court is set to release its long-awaited ruling Tuesday on California's Proposition 8, a ballot measure that barred same-sex marriage in the nation's most populous state.

But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' Prop. 8 ruling, set for release at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, will likely not end the same-sex marriage debate. All parties expect the Ninth Circuit's decision to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, NPR reports.

Here is some background about Prop. 8, and some possible outcomes in the Ninth Circuit's Prop. 8 ruling:

A Washington state agency is set to review Josh Powell's child-custody case after a scheduled visitation ended in a deadly house explosion. Powell and his sons, ages 5 and 7, were killed.

"We really look at the service delivery with the case. Was there anything we can learn about what happened?" a deputy director with Washington's Children's Administration told The Seattle Times.

Josh Powell's struggle to regain legal custody of his sons apparently led to the explosion that investigators believe was a murder-suicide. The custody fight was the latest hardship to hit Powell since the unsolved disappearance of his wife Susan three years ago:

On February 7, 1962 -- fifty years ago -- President John F. Kennedy signed the Cuban Trade Embargo, strengthening a partial embargo that had existed since 1960.

The new terms of the Embargo would end almost all ties between the two governments. It would cut off trade and travel to Cuba; freeze Cuban assets in the U.S.; and impose sanctions on nations that offer assistance.

It would thoroughly weaken Fidel Castro's Communist regime.

The Cuban Trade Embargo has undergone some changes in the last 50 years. Entitled the Cuban Democracy Act, it was officially codified into law in 1992. Congress wished to make the Embargo permanent since there were few signs that Cuba was moving towards a democratized regime.

Heather Peters won her Honda small claims lawsuit on Wednesday, earning a $9,867 judgment from a California state judge.

Peters brought the small claims suit after opting out of a proposed settlement in a Honda class action. The company was accused of overstating the fuel economy associated with its hybrid vehicles.

To settle those claims, the car manufacturer proposed a $200 settlement. It would also provide covered hybrid owners with a $1,000 nontransferable credit towards a new car.

Millions of Americans will tune in February 5 to see the Giants and Patriots play in Super Bowl 46. Some might even want to wager a bit of money on the game. Which begs the question -- is Super Bowl gambling illegal? The answer may hinge on whether or not your state has social gambling laws.

It's an issue that is important to many sports-loving Americans. After all, an estimated half of all adult Americans bet on the Super Bowl.

Bets range in terms of size and scope. Some may choose to play in an office pool and buy squares. Others may choose to place sizable sums on a team through sportsbooks.