Politics
MAGA’s next wave of influencers saved TikTok
MAGA’s next wave of influencers saved TikTok TikTok was on the verge of being banned in the US due to concerns over national security and data harvesting by the Chinese government. A bipartisan bill passed Congress, requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell the app or face an outright ban. Despite this, TikTok remains online […]
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The ‘sacramental shame’ many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians wrestle with – and how they find healing
The ‘sacramental shame’ many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians wrestle with – and how they find healing Many LGBTQ+ conservative Christians struggle with feelings of “sacramental shame,” where they feel pressured to hide their identity and prove their faith by demonstrating shame for being LGBTQ+. This can lead to feelings of unworthiness, addiction, depression, and even suicidal […]
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How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’
How Trump promotes a radical, unscientific theory about sex and gender in the name of opposing ‘gender ideology extremism’ President Trump’s executive order claims to “restore biological truth” by decreeing that there are only two genders – male and female, and that anyone who believes differently denies “the biological reality of sex.” However, this ignores […]
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Disinformation and other forms of ‘sharp power’ now sit alongside the ‘hard power’ of tanks and ‘soft power’ of ideas in policy handbook
Disinformation and other forms of ‘sharp power’ now sit alongside the ‘hard power’ of tanks and ‘soft power’ of ideas in policy handbook Three forms of power exist: hard power (coercion through force or economic pressure), soft power (attracting others through credibility, legitimacy, and cultural appeal), and sharp power (manipulating others through disinformation, covert influence, […]
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Almost Zion: Remembering a short-lived Jewish state in New York
Almost Zion: Remembering a short-lived Jewish state in New York In 1825, Mordecai Manuel Noah proposed establishing Ararat, a Jewish state on Grand Island, New York, as a refuge for European Jews fleeing persecution. Noah’s plan was met with skepticism and ridicule from Jewish leaders, who believed it was contrary to God’s will and that […]
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Whatever happened to the Kids Online Safety Act?
Whatever happened to the Kids Online Safety Act? The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) was set to be a major piece of legislation in 2024, aiming to regulate kids’ online safety and content on social media. The bill gained momentum in the Senate, with a virtually unanimous vote, but was unexpectedly dropped by House Republican […]
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Take It Down Act heads to Trump’s desk
Take It Down Act heads to Trump’s desk The Take It Down Act has passed the House with a vote of 409-2, requiring social media companies to remove nonconsensual (including AI-generated) sexual images within 48 hours of being flagged. Critics fear that the bill’s approach could be exploited to inflict harm in other ways, and […]
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Trump’s first 100 days show him dictating the terms of press coverage − following Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán’s playbook for media control
Trump’s first 100 days show him dictating the terms of press coverage − following Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán’s playbook for media control President Donald Trump has taken steps to dictate the terms of press coverage, mirroring Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán’s playbook for media control. Trump’s administration has barred The Associated Press from the Oval Office, […]
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America is living in tariff limbo
America is living in tariff limbo Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have caused economic instability, with the stock market losing around $10 trillion in value over a few days. The tariffs are not traditional trade policy, but rather a “fishing expedition” to extract concessions from trade partners and US companies. Millions of people are […]
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Trump administration’s attempt to nix the labor rights of thousands of federal workers on ‘national security’ grounds furthers the GOP’s long-held anti-union agenda
Trump administration’s attempt to nix the labor rights of thousands of federal workers on ‘national security’ grounds furthers the GOP’s long-held anti-union agenda The Trump administration’s attempt to strip federal workers of their labor rights on “national security” grounds furthers the GOP’s long-held anti-union agenda. The government has canceled collective bargaining agreements at over 30 […]
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Pope Francis filled the College of Cardinals with a diverse group of men – and they’ll be picking his successor
Pope Francis filled the College of Cardinals with a diverse group of men – and they’ll be picking his successor Pope Francis’s death has triggered a conclave to elect his successor, with 115 cardinal-electors from around the world participating. The College of Cardinals, which will elect the next pope, has 252 members but only 135 […]
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Italy’s Meloni is positioning herself as bridge between EU and Trump – but will it work?
Italy’s Meloni is positioning herself as bridge between EU and Trump – but will it work? Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has positioned herself as a bridge between the European Union (EU) and the United States, visiting the US after President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on EU imports. Meloni’s approach aims to reconcile her […]
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Elon Musk’s DOGE ties could get his companies out of $2 billion in potential liability
Elon Musk’s DOGE ties could get his companies out of $2 billion in potential liability Elon Musk’s companies could avoid up to $2.37 billion in potential legal liability due to his influence over the US government, according to a new Senate report. Musk’s expansive portfolio of companies, including Tesla, Neuralink, SpaceX, and The Boring Company, […]
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Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why
Bureaucrats get a bad rap, but they deserve more credit − a sociologist of work explains why Bureaucrats are often misunderstood and receive a bad rap, but they deserve more credit for upholding critical ideals such as expert knowledge, equal treatment, and serving others. Bureaucrats represent a set of ideals that prioritize rational action, impersonal […]
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Brendan Carr’s FCC is an anti-consumer, rights-trampling harassment machine
Brendan Carr’s FCC is an anti-consumer, rights-trampling harassment machine The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has undergone a significant transformation under Chairman Brendan Carr, shifting from a media and telecom watchdog to an anti-consumer rights-trampling agency. The new FCC prioritizes protecting President Donald J. Trump’s ego over consumer interests, often through publicity-seeking pseudo-investigations that disregard factual […]
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Trump’s ‘Garden of American Heroes’ is a monument to celebrity and achievement – paid for with humanities funding that benefits everyday Americans
Trump’s ‘Garden of American Heroes’ is a monument to celebrity and achievement – paid for with humanities funding that benefits everyday Americans Donald Trump’s “Garden of American Heroes” project aims to commission 250 statues of famous Americans from a predetermined list, funded by humanities grants that benefit everyday Americans. The list includes recognizable figures like […]
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Trump’s aggressive actions against free speech speak a lot louder than his words defending it
Trump’s aggressive actions against free speech speak a lot louder than his words defending it Harvard University has sued the Trump administration, claiming that pressure campaigns to force viewpoint diversity on campus violate the Constitution’s guarantees of free speech. The Trump administration has taken aggressive actions against free speech, including targeting law firms and attorneys […]
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Japanese women have long sacrificed their surnames in marriage − politics and demographics might change that
Japanese women have long sacrificed their surnames in marriage − politics and demographics might change that Japan’s traditional practice of women giving up their surnames upon marriage may be changing, with a record number of female candidates standing in the 2024 election and increasing support for allowing dual surnames. The current law requires all married […]
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In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next?
In talking with Tehran, Trump is reversing course on Iran – could a new nuclear deal be next? The US and Iran are engaged in diplomatic talks, led by President Trump’s top foreign policy negotiator Steve Witkoff, after Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2016. Several factors have changed since Trump’s withdrawal, including Saudi Arabia’s […]
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Florida, once considered a swing state, is firmly Republican – a social anthropologist explains what caused this shift
Florida, once considered a swing state, is firmly Republican – a social anthropologist explains what caused this shift Florida has undergone a dramatic shift from being considered a swing state to becoming a solidly Republican stronghold over the past decade, driven by factors such as conservative activism and culture war politics. The state’s Republican dominance […]
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About one third of young adults are skeptical about democracy
About one third of young adults are skeptical about democracy Approximately one-third of young adults (31%) in the US do not buy into the value of democracy, have little confidence that the system works, and show higher support for authoritarian governments. The same group has low levels of media literacy, lowest educational attainment, and are […]
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Did Tim Cook finagle a special tariff deal? Senator Warren wants to know
Did Tim Cook finagle a special tariff deal? Senator Warren wants to know Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has sent Apple CEO Tim Cook a letter asking for information about conversations between Apple and President Trump’s administration regarding tariffs. The letter highlights Apple’s significant influence on the Trump Administration, including Cook’s $1 million donation to Trump’s […]
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Is China the new cool? How Beijing is using pop culture to win the soft power war
Is China the new cool? How Beijing is using pop culture to win the soft power war China is using pop culture to win the soft power war, showcasing its cities, films, games, and social media platforms to a global audience, particularly among younger generations. The country’s cultural exports, such as animated films like “Ne […]
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Pete Buttigieg makes his first foray into the podcast manosphere
Pete Buttigieg makes his first foray into the podcast manosphere Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary of Transportation and 2020 presidential candidate, appeared on the podcast Flagrant with Andrew Schultz to discuss current events and politics. Buttigieg criticized his Democratic colleagues for shirking podcasts like Flagrant, which has faced controversy over hosting racist content. Despite being invited […]
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Some politicians who share harmful information are rewarded with more clicks, study finds
Some politicians who share harmful information are rewarded with more clicks, study finds A study found that U.S. state legislators who post harmful information, such as low-credibility claims or uncivil language, receive more online attention and visibility on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The study suggests that platform algorithms may unintentionally reward divisive […]
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Reducing diversity, equity and inclusion to a catchphrase undermines its true purpose
Reducing diversity, equity and inclusion to a catchphrase undermines its true purpose Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is often reduced to a catchphrase, undermining its true purpose of tackling racism and exclusionary policies that limit access to resources and perpetuate injustice. Despite efforts to promote DEI, persistent disparities in housing, education, employment, healthcare, and the […]
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Make Russia Medieval Again! How Putin is seeking to remold society, with a little help from Ivan the Terrible
Make Russia Medieval Again! How Putin is seeking to remold society, with a little help from Ivan the Terrible Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government has undergone a state-driven process of revisionism to reevaluate the historical legacy of Ivan the Terrible, portraying him as a great statesman and devout Russian Orthodox Christian who laid the foundations […]
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Lawful permanent residents like Mahmoud Khalil have a right to freedom of speech – but does that protect them from deportation?
Lawful permanent residents like Mahmoud Khalil have a right to freedom of speech – but does that protect them from deportation? More than 1,000 foreign university students have had their visas revoked since January 2025, including those who participated in Palestinian rights protests. The Trump administration has argued that it can detain and deport noncitizens […]
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Justice Department lawyers work for justice and the Constitution – not the White House
Justice Department lawyers work for justice and the Constitution – not the White House The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing severe tests to its impartiality under the Trump administration, with seven DOJ attorneys resigning over orders from Attorney General Pam Bondi to dismiss corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. DOJ lawyers […]
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How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave
How the next pope will be elected – what goes on at the conclave The next pope will be chosen through a conclave, a closed-door process where members of the College of Cardinals cast their votes behind locked doors in the Sistine Chapel. The conclave is expected to be the most diverse in history, with […]
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