Image courtesy good.is

While you were spending time resting, relaxing, and ringing in 2012, your favorite bloggers at USDemocrazy were keeping tabs on some of the most interesting stories of the new year.

Hate unused and seemingly useless balances on old metro cards? Some students at NYU have proposed an idea that would allow the more than $52 million dollars in unused fares to be used for community-based charities.

All eyes are on Iowa as the nation predicts the Republican nominee – well, most of them. A new study on the ever-coveted undecided voters seeks to define the complexities of the group. Twelve distinct types were found, including the Apathetics that are actually less likely to vote for candidates that try hard to get their votes. Another researcher claims that undecided voters are just interested in a candidate that can beat Obama.

Hundreds of people in Minneapolis protested the end of hawalas services there, the wire-transfer service that allows the largest population of Somali immigrants in the United States to send money back home. US banks call the transfers too risky, while many people that rely on the service are unsure of where to turn.

Continue to keep an eye on our posts this year for updates, especially as we move into election season!