Politics
The plague of frog costumes demonstrates the subversive power of play in protests
The plague of frog costumes demonstrates the subversive power of play in protests Frog costumes have become a staple at protests against immigration enforcement, particularly after an incident in Portland, Oregon, where an ICE agent deployed pepper spray into the air vent of a peaceful protester’s inflatable frog costume. The use of frog costumes and […]
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The Dayton Peace Accords at 30: An ugly peace that has prevented a return to war over Bosnia
The Dayton Peace Accords at 30: An ugly peace that has prevented a return to war over Bosnia The Dayton Peace Accords, signed in 1995, brought an end to the brutal three-and-a-half-year war in Bosnia, but at a great cost: over 100,000 people died and half of the population was forced to flee. The peace […]
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Slavery’s brutal reality shocked Northerners before the Civil War − and is being whitewashed today by the White House
Slavery’s brutal reality shocked Northerners before the Civil War − and is being whitewashed today by the White House The Trump administration is reviewing Smithsonian exhibits on slavery and other topics to reflect certain values, sparking concerns that historical realities are being whitewashed. The effort to purge public memorials and markers honoring the suffering and […]
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Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands US lawmakers, including six Democratic members of Congress, have told US troops that they can refuse illegal orders, sparking a furious response from President Donald Trump. A survey conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Human Security […]
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John Fetterman is an unusual politician – but his rise from borough mayor to US senator reflects a recent trend
John Fetterman is an unusual politician – but his rise from borough mayor to US senator reflects a recent trend John Fetterman’s rise from borough mayor to US senator reflects a recent trend in American politics where mayors of small and midsized cities are developing national political profiles. The phenomenon has roots in suburbanization and […]
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First Amendment in flux: When free speech protections came up against the Red Scare
First Amendment in flux: When free speech protections came up against the Red Scare The First Amendment’s free speech protections have not always been enough to safeguard individual rights, as seen during the Red Scare of the 1940s and ’50s. In 1947, the Hollywood Ten screenwriters and directors were subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities […]
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Farmers – long Trump backers – bear the costs of new tariffs, restricted immigration and slashed renewable energy subsidies
Farmers – long Trump backers – bear the costs of new tariffs, restricted immigration and slashed renewable energy subsidies Farmers who have long supported Donald Trump are facing significant economic challenges due to new tariffs, restricted immigration, and slashed renewable energy subsidies. The revived US-China trade conflict has led to a sharp decline in soybean […]
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DOGE is no more, and in its wake, only chaos
DOGE is no more, and in its wake, only chaos DOGE (Digital Government Executive Office) was dissolved eight months before its charter expires due to the power vacuum left by Elon Musk’s departure from his role as head. Musk’s tenure as head of DOGE was marked by controversy, including a physical altercation with Treasury Secretary […]
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About This Account reveals the scale of X’s foreign troll problem
About This Account reveals the scale of X’s foreign troll problem Twitter’s “About This Account” feature has revealed the scale of foreign troll activity on the platform, with many accounts claiming to be from the US but actually based in other countries. A significant number of these fake accounts are focused on stoking political anger […]
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50 years after Franco’s death, giving a voice to Spanish dictator’s imprisoned mothers
50 years after Franco’s death, giving a voice to Spanish dictator’s imprisoned mothers 50 years after Francisco Franco’s death, his regime’s victims are still being honored by the Spanish government, highlighting the ongoing struggle to confront Spain’s past. The exact numbers of victims are unknown, but historians estimate that up to 100,000 people were killed […]
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Why rural Maine may back Democrat Graham Platner’s populism in the Senate campaign − but not his party
Why rural Maine may back Democrat Graham Platner’s populism in the Senate campaign − but not his party Graham Platner, a Democrat from Maine, is seen as a potential candidate to bridge the divide between rural America and the Democratic Party. Platner’s message of economic populism resonates with rural residents’ frustrations about corporate consolidation, rising […]
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What does ‘pro-life’ mean? There’s no one answer – even for advocacy groups that oppose abortion
What does ‘pro-life’ mean? There’s no one answer – even for advocacy groups that oppose abortion Pope Leo XIV’s comments on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s plan to honor U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who supports abortion rights, highlight the complexity of what it means to be “pro-life” and how different people and organizations use the term. […]
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What America’s divided and tumultuous politics of the late-19th century can teach us
What America’s divided and tumultuous politics of the late-19th century can teach us The late-19th century US politics (1876-1896) can teach us lessons about today’s divided America, including the importance of unified government and the consequences of intense partisanship. In this period, the nation was closely divided, with no president serving two consecutive terms, and […]
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Making progress is more than making policy – what Mamdani can learn from de Blasio about the politics of urban progress
Making progress is more than making policy – what Mamdani can learn from de Blasio about the politics of urban progress Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City Mayor-elect has raised questions about the feasibility of his progressive policies, but a comparison to former Mayor Bill de Blasio reveals a paradox. Mamdani’s platform includes universal […]
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How the Plymouth Pilgrims took over Thanksgiving – and who history left behind
How the Plymouth Pilgrims took over Thanksgiving – and who history left behind The traditional narrative of the First Thanksgiving, which depicts Pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a meal together, erases the rich religious history and harvest festivals of Indigenous communities in North America. The Wampanoag tribe, who shared food with the Pilgrims in 1621, […]
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Bad Bunny is the latest product of political rage — how pop culture became the front line of American politics
Bad Bunny is the latest product of political rage — how pop culture became the front line of American politics Bad Bunny’s selection as the next Super Bowl halftime performer sparked widespread outrage among conservatives, who saw him as a symbol of “woke” America and accused the NFL of being weak on free speech. The […]
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Why can’t every country get along with each other? It comes down to resources, inequality and perception
Why can’t every country get along with each other? It comes down to resources, inequality and perception Scarcity leads to hard choices: Countries compete for limited resources like food, oil, water, and land, forcing them to prioritize their needs. Uneven distribution means relying on others: Nations have different levels of power and capabilities, which shapes […]
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Trump’s White House renovations fulfill Obama’s prediction, kind of
Trump’s White House renovations fulfill Obama’s prediction, kind of President Barack Obama famously mocked Donald Trump’s presidential ambitions at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2011, joking that if elected, Trump would bring changes to the White House. Trump had repeatedly claimed that Obama was not born in the US, which became a distraction and […]
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The military’s diversity rises out of recruitment targets, not any ‘woke’ goals
The military’s diversity rises out of recruitment targets, not any ‘woke’ goals The US military’s diversity is not driven by “woke” goals or politics, but rather by recruitment targets and demographic needs. The military’s diversity has been a result of its all-volunteer force model, which relies on recruiting individuals from underrepresented groups to fill personnel […]
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Soaring electricity rates fueled Democratic victories — now comes the hard part
Soaring electricity rates fueled Democratic victories — now comes the hard part Rising electricity rates were a key factor in Democratic victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia, highlighting concerns over energy policy and infrastructure. The US power grid is struggling to keep up with growing demand from AI data centers, electric vehicles, and domestic […]
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Overwhelm the public with muzzle-velocity headlines: A strategy rooted in racism and authoritarianism
Overwhelm the public with muzzle-velocity headlines: A strategy rooted in racism and authoritarianism The Trump administration’s strategy of overwhelming the public with muzzle-velocity headlines is rooted in racism and authoritarianism, according to scholars. This strategy involves flooding the media with breaking news and contradictory statements, creating a cycle of confusion and uncertainty that can be […]
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Oklahoma tried out a test to ‘woke-proof’ the classroom. It was short-lived, but could still leave a mark
Oklahoma tried out a test to ‘woke-proof’ the classroom. It was short-lived, but could still leave a mark Oklahoma’s former Superintendent Ryan Walters oversaw the implementation of “The America-First Assessment,” a teacher assessment designed by PragerU, a conservative nonprofit media company. The exam was intended to screen out “woke indoctrination” and root out liberal teacher […]
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House speaker’s refusal to seat Arizona representative is supported by history and law
House speaker’s refusal to seat Arizona representative is supported by history and law House Speaker Mike Johnson’s refusal to seat Arizona Representative Adelita Grijalva until the federal government resumes normal operations has sparked a lawsuit from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who claims Johnson is using his power to “strengthen his hand” in the ongoing […]
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Dick Cheney’s expansive vision of presidential power lives on in Trump’s agenda
Dick Cheney’s expansive vision of presidential power lives on in Trump’s agenda Dick Cheney’s expansive vision of presidential power lives on in Donald Trump’s agenda, which has seen a barrage of unilateral presidential actions since his second term began. Trump’s actions have been justified by invoking the unitary executive theory, a conservative thesis that calls […]
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Congress has been dodging responsibility for tariffs for decades – now the Supreme Court will decide how far presidents can go alone
Congress has been dodging responsibility for tariffs for decades – now the Supreme Court will decide how far presidents can go alone The US Supreme Court will hear a case on whether presidents can impose sweeping import duties using a Cold War-era emergency law, raising questions about accountability and democratic ownership. The shift in power […]
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Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Water Convention has a ripple effect that could cause problems with India
Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Water Convention has a ripple effect that could cause problems with India Bangladesh’s accession to the UN Water Convention has raised concerns that it could heighten tensions with India, particularly over shared water resources. The convention aims to promote cooperation and sustainable management of shared water resources, but Bangladesh’s decision […]
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A brief history of congressional oversight, from Revolutionary War financing to Pam Bondi
A brief history of congressional oversight, from Revolutionary War financing to Pam Bondi A brief history of congressional oversight has shifted dramatically during the second Trump administration, with hearings becoming increasingly partisan and confrontational. Congressional oversight plays a crucial role in keeping executive branch agencies accountable to the public, ensuring that laws are faithfully executed, […]
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Amateur hour in Congress: How political newcomers fuel gridlock and government shutdowns
Amateur hour in Congress: How political newcomers fuel gridlock and government shutdowns Amateur politicians, who have no prior experience in elected office, are more likely to fuel gridlock and government shutdowns in Congress due to their lack of bipartisanship. The study found that first-term amateur lawmakers work across party lines far less often than incumbent […]
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US squeeze on Venezuela won’t bring about rapid collapse of Maduro – in fact, it might boomerang on Washington
US squeeze on Venezuela won’t bring about rapid collapse of Maduro – in fact, it might boomerang on Washington The US military buildup along South America’s northern rim is likely aimed at regime change in Venezuela, rather than combating “narco-terrorists” as claimed by Washington. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has responded to the Trump administration’s moves […]
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Trump’s ability to counter Netanyahu’s spoiler tactics in public may have been key to advancing a ceasefire in Gaza
Trump’s ability to counter Netanyahu’s spoiler tactics in public may have been key to advancing a ceasefire in Gaza President Donald Trump’s ability to counter Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “spoiler” tactics in public may have been key to advancing a ceasefire in Gaza, which was declared on October 14, 2025. Netanyahu employed “public spoiling” […]
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