House Speaker Mike Johnson has given a lot of effort to pushing the agenda of President Donald Trump. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images SoRelle Wyckoff Gaynor, University of Virginia When the framers of what became the U.S. Constitution set out to draft the rules of our government on a hot, humid day in the summer of 1787, debates over details … [Read more...] about Speaker Johnson’s choice to lead by following the president goes against 200 years of House speakers building up the office’s power
As US hunger rises, Trump administration’s ‘efficiency’ goals cause massive food waste
A person sits in a field of crops after a raid by U.S. immigration agents. Blake Fagan/AFP via Getty Images The U.S. government has caused massive food waste during President Donald Trump’s second term. Policies such as immigration raids, tariff changes and temporary and permanent cuts to food assistance programs have left farmers short of … [Read more...] about As US hunger rises, Trump administration’s ‘efficiency’ goals cause massive food waste
Nick Fuentes is a master of exploiting the current social media opportunities for extremism
Right-wing influencer Nick Fuentes, center, speaks in front of flags that say ‘America First’ at a pro-Trump march on Nov. 14, 2020, in Washington. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File Alex McPhee-Browne, University of Cambridge When Tucker Carlson hosted Nick Fuentes on his show last month, the response followed a familiar script. Critics … [Read more...] about Nick Fuentes is a master of exploiting the current social media opportunities for extremism
Pentagon investigation of Sen. Mark Kelly revives Cold War persecution of Americans with supposedly disloyal views
Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly speaks at a town hall meeting hosted by the South Carolina Democratic Party in Columbia, S.C., on Sept. 12, 2025. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Gregory A. Daddis, Texas A&M University In an unprecedented step, the Department of Defense announced online on Nov. 24, 2025, that it was reviewing statements … [Read more...] about Pentagon investigation of Sen. Mark Kelly revives Cold War persecution of Americans with supposedly disloyal views
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
There are certain situations in which the military should not fall in line. Bo Zaunders/Corbis Documentary via Getty Images Charli Carpenter, UMass Amherst and Geraldine Santoso, UMass Amherst As the Trump administration carries out what many observers say are illegal military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean allegedly smuggling … [Read more...] about Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
Trump’s aggression in the Caribbean could violate a Victorian-era court ruling on cannibalism at sea
Martin Danahay, Brock University The Donald Trump administration in the United States has authorized killing people in boats on the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific, claiming they’re transporting illegal drugs. Maritime and international law experts have raised concerns about the legality of the attacks. And based on a maritime court case from 1884, this use of … [Read more...] about Trump’s aggression in the Caribbean could violate a Victorian-era court ruling on cannibalism at sea
Senators Launch Inquiry After a White House Official Intervened on Behalf of Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Senators Launch Inquiry After a White House Official Intervened on Behalf of Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation Two key Senate Democrats have launched an inquiry after a ProPublica investigation revealed this week that a White House official had intervened on behalf of his former legal clients — pro-Trump influencer Andrew Tate and his brother — during a federal … [Read more...] about Senators Launch Inquiry After a White House Official Intervened on Behalf of Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
‘Jeffrey Epstein is not unique’: What his case reveals about the realities of child sex trafficking
Jeffrey Epstein abuse survivor Lisa Phillips speaks during the press conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 18, 2025. Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images Kate Price, Wellesley College Congress on Nov. 18, 2025, passed legislation that calls on the Justice Department to release records related to … [Read more...] about ‘Jeffrey Epstein is not unique’: What his case reveals about the realities of child sex trafficking
“Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops
“Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops When President Donald Trump told reporters on Sept. 5 he’d started looking at sending the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, he said it was because of something he saw on television. He said the city was being destroyed by paid agitators. “What they’ve done to that place, it’s like … [Read more...] about “Riots Raging”: The Misleading Story Fox News Told About Portland Before Trump Sent Troops
Bad Bunny is the latest product of political rage — how pop culture became the front line of American politics
Bad Bunny performs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 11, 2025. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Adam G. Klein, Pace University When the NFL in September 2025 announced that Bad Bunny would headline the next Super Bowl halftime show, it took only hours for the political outrage machine to roar to life. The Puerto Rican performer, known for mixing … [Read more...] about Bad Bunny is the latest product of political rage — how pop culture became the front line of American politics
Into the Great Wide Open. Do Democrats know what they just did?
We all know by now that seven Democrats and an Independent voted with the GOP to pass a continuing resolution, and re-open the government. People who know me expected me to be furious. I’ve spent days begging, cajoling, even demanding that everyone call their senators daily—NOW!—to say “no deal without full ACA funding!” My first reaction was closer to exhaustion, but the … [Read more...] about Into the Great Wide Open. Do Democrats know what they just did?
Congress has been dodging responsibility for tariffs for decades — now the Supreme Court will decide how far presidents can go alone
Bedassa Tadesse, University of Minnesota Duluth On Nov. 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear one of the most consequential trade cases in decades. The justices will decide whether a president can rely on a Cold War–era emergency law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to impose sweeping import duties on a vast share of what the United States buys from … [Read more...] about Congress has been dodging responsibility for tariffs for decades — now the Supreme Court will decide how far presidents can go alone
The problem with unwanted ballrooms
by Christine Flowers “He did WHAT to the East Wing?” If someone called me up at work and said “I knocked down half of your house, and will be installing a pool in your backyard as well as a gazebo at no charge to you,” I would be apoplectic. The idea a stranger would simply decide to “improve” my property without asking for permission is a violation of my privacy, not to … [Read more...] about The problem with unwanted ballrooms
Jews Especially are Weighing Mamdani’s Rhetoric
By Halie Soifer NEW YORK — There’s an election on Tuesday that has captured the attention of nearly every American Jew – the mayoral race in New York City. Since New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s overwhelming victory in the primary, I have echoed the deeply held concerns of many Jewish Americans about Mamdani’s positions on a range of issues, and recently reiterated … [Read more...] about Jews Especially are Weighing Mamdani’s Rhetoric
The shutdown – and the House’s inaction – helps pave Congress’ path to irrelevance
Where’s Congress? The institution is unwilling to assert itself as an equal branch of government. 4X6, iStock/Getty Images Plus Charlie Hunt, Boise State University Many Americans will be voting on Election Day – or have already cast votes – in races for statewide office, local positions and on ballot initiatives with major implications for … [Read more...] about The shutdown – and the House’s inaction – helps pave Congress’ path to irrelevance
SNAP benefit freeze will leave millions nationwide struggling to pay for food — including 472,711 people in Philadelphia
Currently, SNAP benefits average just over $6 per person per day. Catherine McQueen/Moment Collection via Getty Images Félice Lê-Scherban, Drexel University The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is the largest, most effective tool the U.S. has to reduce food insecurity. As of late 2025, it helps more than 42 million people … [Read more...] about SNAP benefit freeze will leave millions nationwide struggling to pay for food — including 472,711 people in Philadelphia
How Would Candidates Respond to Teens Attacking Jewish Children?
by Bruce S. Ticker As the Middle East crisis stains four election campaigns, a small army of teen-agers in Skokie, Illinois, ganged up on five Jewish children on Oct. 7 as they shouted antisemitic insults and fired gel pellets at them from a recreational gun, according to media reports. Transparency to the public in this Chicago suburb, including its sizeable Jewish … [Read more...] about How Would Candidates Respond to Teens Attacking Jewish Children?
REPUBLICANS SAY GREAT TRUMPKIN WILL END SHUTDOWN
Demolishing the White House East Wing to build a ballroom embodies Trump’s heritage politics
Demolition in process on the East Wing of the White House, Oct. 23, 2025. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin R. Grant Gilmore III, College of Charleston From ancient Egypt to Washington, D.C., rulers have long used architecture and associated stories to project power, control memory and shape national identity. As 17th-century French statesman … [Read more...] about Demolishing the White House East Wing to build a ballroom embodies Trump’s heritage politics
10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest
A crowd gathered for a “No Kings” protest on October 18, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Hasan Akbas/Anadolu via Getty Images Shelley Inglis, Rutgers University What happens now? That may well be the question being asked by “No Kings” protesters, who marched, rallied and danced all over the nation on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. Pro-democracy … [Read more...] about 10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest