WEB EXCLUSIVE: A commitment spanning decades is finally made official as New York begins issuing its first same-sex marriage licenses.

By:  CNN's Brittany McCandless

(CNN) NEW YORK – Hundreds of New York couples took advantage of the state’s new same-sex marriage law and tied the knot on July 24, the first day marriage certificates were issued. Behind those numbers is another – 41. It’s the number of years that one of those couples, Ralph Goneau and Richard Wilhelm, waited to make their commitment official.

FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Mayor Cory Booker recently hosted the Newark Peace and Education Summit in Newark, New Jersey. The 3-day event focused on peacemaking practices around the globe, and drew educators and activist from a wide cross section of cultures and disciplines, including Nobel Laureate His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama.

In The Arena producers Tracy Dorsey and Leinz Vales ventured to the summit, where we spoke to internationally renowned author and spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra about the neuroscience of enlightenment and mental practices for cultivating inner peace.

ONLY ON THE BLOG: CNN’s Leinz Vales asks former Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Raymond Joseph about Haiti’s new president, Michel Martelly. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Memory expert Joshua Foer documents his foray into the margins of memory and intellectual showmanship in his new book. FULL POST

BLOG EXTRA: Imagine this headline: “BREAKING NEWS! The 2011 Congressional budget has passed both the House and Senate and on its way to President Obama's desk.”

Well, it could happen. Maybe. One day.

What crossed President Obama’s desk on March 19 was the sixth FY2011 Continuing Resolution extension, which will keep the government running through April 8.

Both Democrats and Republicans agree on the need to cut spending to reduce the United States deficit. But deep disagreements lurk behind just what to cut and the depth of the reduction.

Everything except for entitlements, like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security is on the table for cuts. What lawmakers are discussing cut or eliminate—and this may result in a slight dent to the U.S. $1.4 trillion deficit–is discretionary spending. What is clear is the Republicans want to cut more to discretionary spending then the Democrats do. FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: The Labor Department reported in February that the unemployment rate plummeted in January from 9.4 percent to 9 percent. And unemployment among African Americans crept down a bit, from 15.8 percent in December to 15.7 percent now. But over the past year, those slight decreases have added up. The unemployment rate for African Americans was 16.4 percent a year ago.

Who cares about the young and the jobless? FULL POST

ONLY ON THE BLOG: French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy talks about his new book, an epistolary exchange with the French author Michel Houellebecq.

When Levy was on the show Friday (Jan. 14), he said the U.S. must "break the gun lobby" to prevent more tragedies like the Tucson massacre (click here to watch that video).

One year later, a Pennsylvania family remembers surviving the devastating Haiti earthquake.

2011 is finally here, so we can forget about 2010, right?? Not quite. 2010 had some interesting and controversial stories that are sure to have an impact on our new year.

Take a look back with some of our show guests as they recall the stories that moved them in 2010. What’s yours? What 2010 news story do you think will carry over to 2011?

ONLY ON THE BLOG: Basketball legend Walt Frazier promotes the re-release of his book "Rockin' Steady" on this edition of "PS: The Pre-Show."