Youths Suing US Gov’t on Climate Change to Get Day in Court
A group of children and teenagers has been trying to force the US government to take action on climate change for years. Now it looks as though they will finally see their day in court.
What Gun Background Checks Can’t Detect: Stupidity
Raised age requirements and background checks for gun purchases won’t fix absent-mindedness. Or stupidity.
What Can a Gun-Toting Church Tell Us About Conservatives?
When Barack Obama said segments of Pennsylvania were clinging to guns and religion, he identified the dynamic that would lead to Donald Trump’s election. That sentiment was on display once more at a gun-blessing ceremony that most of the media covered — and got totally wrong.
Uncle Sam Is Looking for a Fight in All the Wrong Places
The US military budget is now bigger than ever. But the war machine that’s been built up over many decades is not making America any safer, and leaders in Washington aren’t dealing with the asymmetric warfare that has caused real harm.
Judicial Activism: Liberal Overreach or Republican Dog Whistle?
For decades, conservatives have panned left-leaning judges for disregarding constitutional protocol to enact a “liberal agenda.” But history shows these critics should take a good look at their own side before rushing to judgement.
House GOP Leads Russia Probe … Away from Deutsche Bank
House Republicans who are supposed to be investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election say there is no need to look at Deutsche Bank. Here is why they are wrong.
Why Partisan Gerrymandering Might Chill a Democratic Wave
After a strong year in 2017, Democrats hope that a blue wave will give them control of the House in 2018. But GOP gerrymandering guarantees that it will be an uphill battle.
A Win for Democracy in Pennsylvania
Gerrymandering is a political problem that requires a non-political solution. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court and an expert in California have now restored a semblance of fairness to one of the most gerrymandered states in the country.
Bipartisan Consensus Emerging to Ban Bump Stocks
The latest school shooting in Parkland, FL, has prompted another round of fights over gun control measures. But a bipartisan readiness to end the sale of bump stocks is emerging.
Billy Graham, Willing Pawn for Politicians
With the passing of Billy Graham, we can expect all the usual homilies and hagiographies. But there’s another side to the role of such very public “men of God” in America’s cynical politics.
Will Redistricting Vote Change History’s View of Justice Kennedy?
Over his 30-year tenure on the US Supreme Court, Justice Anthony Kennedy has been the key vote on major issues. Though appointed by President Ronald Reagan, he has often disappointed conservatives, for example on abortion and same-sex marriage. But on democracy issues, his legacy is more mixed.
Trump’s Affair With a Porn Star Shouldn’t Matter (Much)
President Donald Trump should be judged by what he does in office and not what he did with a consenting adult years ago.
The AR-15: Weapon of Choice for Mass Shooters
Fourteen teenage students will never get to go to prom or attend college, but somehow this tragedy feels like just another chapter rather than a plot twist in America’s tortured narrative about guns.
Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen: Beyond Porn Star Payments, Russia Angle
Michael Cohen, one of President Donald Trump’s personal lawyers, claims that he paid porn star Stormy Daniels — who reportedly had an affair with Trump in 2006 — $130,000 out of his own pocket shortly before the 2016 presidential election. But who is Michael Cohen? WhoWhatWhy found out some fascinating things about this Trump confidant. As with almost everything in this saga, there’s a Russian angle.
The Nunes Memo: Six Degrees of Separation from Reality
The memo controversy is a symptom of major problems plaguing US democracy. And neither side looks good.
Is Mulvaney Protecting Big Business and Not Consumers?
Mick Mulvaney, the new head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is on record saying he wants to get rid of the agency he runs. So he is not a fox guarding the hen house, but rather a fox who wants to burn the hen house to the ground.
Can Millennial Candidates Fuel a Democratic Wave in November?
After its surprising success in Virginia in 2017, a group seeking to help millennial Democrats get elected to state offices hopes to make a huge splash in the midterm elections.
Where Is Democratic Resistance to Trump Spying and Military Expansion?
If Trump is such a danger to democracy at home and abroad, then why do Democratic leaders keep empowering him?
What Made a British Politician ‘Thoroughly Ashamed’?
In Britain, a thoroughly decent public figure makes an honest mistake, then bends over backwards to make amends. Imagine an American politician behaving this way.
Deutsche Bank: A Global Bank for Oligarchs — American & Russian, Part 3
Not only is President Donald Trump personally tied up with Deutsche Bank to the tune of $300 million, but his son-in-law Jared Kushner has his own history with the global banking colossus. Part 3 looks closely at these relationships, and asks just how far President Trump’s Justice Department will be willing to go in probing potential illegality on the part of Deutsche.