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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on September 04, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The State of Health in America: A Political and Scientific Crossfire
Sep 07, 2025
At the heart of the Trump administration’s health agenda is a dramatic reorientation of public health priorities. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared during a Senate hearing last week:
“We at HHS are enacting a once-in-a-generation shift from a sick-care system, to a true health care system that tackles the root causes of chronic disease.”
“Make America Healthy Again” has been met with both praise and fierce resistance. Republican Senator Mike Crapo supported the initiative, saying:
“President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have made a steadfast commitment to make America healthy again”.
Kennedy’s long-standing skepticism of vaccines has become central to his tenure.
Chronic illness, environmental toxicity, and mental health neglect have long plagued our systems. But when that vision is paired with vaccine suspicion, the firing of CDC Director Susan Monarez, and a panel stacked with anti-vaccine voices, the promise begins to fracture.
Monarez, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, accused Kennedy of pressuring her to:
“Compromise science itself” and approve recommendations from a panel “filled with people who have publicly expressed antivaccine rhetoric”.
Kennedy’s response? “The people at the CDC who oversaw [COVID-19 mitigation]... are the people who will be leaving.” That’s not reform. That’s purging.
Senator Tina Smith challenged Kennedy directly:
“When were you lying, sir – when you told this committee that you were not anti-vax? Or when you told Americans that there's no safe and effective vaccine?”
Kennedy replied: “Both things are true”.
Former CDC directors and health professionals have condemned Kennedy’s approach. In a joint op-ed, they warned:
“Public health shouldn’t be partisan. Vaccines have saved millions of lives under administrations of both parties. Parents deserve a CDC they can trust to put children above politics, evidence above ideology and facts above fear”.
Senator John Barrasso, a physician, added:
“I’m a doctor. Vaccines work”.
When trust erodes, so does the very architecture of care. The tug of war between Kennedy’s populist health reform, Trump’s political backing, and the scientific community’s alarm has left America’s health landscape deeply polarized. As Kennedy invoked his father’s legacy:
“Progress is a nice word, but change is its motivator. And change has its enemies.”
The question remains: will this change heal or harm?
Public health is not a stage for performance—it’s a covenant with the people. And right now, that covenant is being rewritten in ink that smudges truth with ideology.
While this political theater unfolds, the communities most devastated by COVID-19—Latino and Black families—remain largely unacknowledged in the administration’s rhetoric.
In Louisiana, Black residents made up 70% of COVID-19 deaths, despite being only 32% of the population. Latino patients in the West and Midwest were hospitalized at rates over nine times higher than non-Hispanic Whites during the pandemic’s peak. These aren’t just numbers. They’re testimonies of structural neglect.
The virus didn’t discriminate, but our systems did. Marginalized communities faced compounded risks: frontline jobs without protections, multigenerational housing that made isolation impossible, and limited access to care. Vaccine rollout was uneven. Trust was fractured.
The state of health in America isn’t just a tug-of-war between Kennedy, Trump, and the CDC. It’s a reckoning.
Will we build a health system rooted in dignity, science, and mutual recognition—or will we let force of personality and chaos dictate the terms of our survival?
America’s health deserves more than slogans. It deserves stewardship.
Hugo Balta is the executive editor of the Fulcrum and the publisher of the Latino News Network.
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President Donald Trump reacts as he speaks to the media while signing executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on September 05, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The Promise Presidency: How Trump Rewrote the Rules of Political Accountability
Sep 07, 2025
In the theater of American politics, promises are political capital. Most politicians make promises cautiously, knowing that if they fail to fulfill them, they will be held accountable
But Donald Trump has rewritten the script. He repeatedly offers sweeping vows, yet the results often don't follow; somehow, he escapes the day of reckoning.
How can that be?
Examples are abundant. From pledging to end the war in Ukraine "before taking office" to claiming he alone could denuclearize North Korea. And what is particularly unique is that Trump's declarations are rarely modest. Yet for some inexplicable reason, when his outcomes fail or when summits stall, walls remain unfunded, or health care reform collapses, he magically pivots, reframes, or moves on.
Through 12 years of Donald Trump, the spectacle continues, uninterrupted and many of us drown unfulfilled promises. The outrage and emotional venting flood the media, but strategic analysis is what the moment demands.
First, let's face the facts. Trump's actions are not just political bravado. His actions are a strategic recalibration of how promises function in public life that the opposition has not fully come to terms with.
With respect to the political calculus, it is essential to understand that Trump's supporters often don't measure him by policy outcomes, but rather by his emotional resonance. Those who voted for him didn’t do so just to see him manage effectively; he's a symbol of defiance, dominance, and disruption and as such results sometimes fall by the wayside. In this frame, broken promises aren't failures; they're part of the process of fighting "the swamp."
Donald Trump is a cult figure and thus success is measured by different standards.
Additionally, Trump's understanding of media saturation plays to his advantage. Trump floods the daily news cycle with constant messaging, burying yesterday's unmet pledge under today's provocation. The news cycle rarely lingers long enough for sustained accountability. And in a fragmented media landscape, tribal loyalty often trumps factual scrutiny. This all plays into the chaos theory that I have previously written about in the Fulcrum.
The ultimate cost to our democratic republic remains to be seen. When symbolic politics eclipse substantive governance, public trust erodes. Ultimately will the electorate care? Traditional theory suggests that success in politics is dependent on fulfilling promises and that words matter, and leaders are accountable to them. If that expectation collapses, we risk replacing deliberation with performance and policy with personality.
Will this traditional theory of accountability collapse under the weight of Trump's theatre? For the short term, it has, but the long-term ability for Trump to avoid accountability remains unclear. Historically, Americans tend to separate charisma from competence and when they do they demand accountability.
Of course, I might be old-fashioned in my thinking, believing that honest politics matters. Yet it is my faith in the American people that gives me hope anchored by civic awareness, a diligent media, and just basic common sense.
Whether I am a blind optimist or a fool will be apparent within the next three and a half years.
David Nevins is the publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.
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Teaching Civics for America’s 250th: How K–12 Educators Are Preparing Students for 2026
Sep 07, 2025
Every year, as teachers return to school, they assume the responsibility of educating America’s future leaders, voters, jurors, and neighbors. This year, the responsibility feels heightened as we approach the nation’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Teachers are in a position to invite students into the celebration and ensure they receive a comprehensive civic education in American history, founding principles, and the vision for the country’s future.
Civics and American history must not be reduced to the dispassionate regurgitation of names, dates, and events. Instead, these subjects should inspire curiosity and appreciation in our students, encouraging them to ask questions about our country’s founding principles and to learn from the moments of both triumph and failure in our past.
One way to welcome students into the American story is by reading and discussing texts—whether essays, speeches, novels, songs, or poems—that educate about the important historical events and ideas that have shaped the nation. For example, by reading Lincoln’s speech on the Dred Scott decision, students learn about the events of the case, the people involved, and the debates about citizenship, slavery, and the meaning of the founding documents that were dominating the political landscape in the 1850s. Learning about the past through the writings of people who lived it allows students to connect personally with the past and reflect on the diverse perspectives and experiences of Americans who have come before them.
The Jack Miller Center supports teachers in their efforts to incorporate primary sources into their instruction with students through the Founding Civics Initiative. This summer, hundreds of teachers participated in more than 30 Founding Civics Initiative professional development workshops and credit-bearing graduate courses our organization sponsored. The programs bring K-12 teachers into classrooms (or Zoom rooms) with scholars of the American political tradition to read and discuss the key documents, ideas, and historical figures that have shaped and continue to influence American politics.
A symposium at Michigan State University focused on “Great Debates in American History,” in which teachers and professors read and discussed the Federalist-Anti-Federalist debates, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and the debate between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. Another program at Coastal Carolina University took a deep dive into the Bill of Rights, with educators exploring the philosophical origins of the Bill of Rights and Supreme Court cases that addressed violations of citizens’ rights.
One of the graduate courses JMC supported this year through the University of Chicago Graham School was titled “The Ancients and the Founders.” Teachers read works by Aristotle, Plutarch, John Adams, and The Federalist to learn about the ways ancient Greek and Roman thought influenced the thought of the American founders. Graduate courses are more rigorous than our typical teacher workshops; participants meet for more hours, learn more content, and earn credit upon completion. In many public school districts, teacher pay scales incentivize teachers to earn graduate credits beyond a master’s degree, so enrolling in even individual courses offers real benefits to teachers in addition to the academic and professional growth.
JMC’s American Civic Tradition Fellowship is a yearlong program for 15 teachers from across the country to learn from top scholars and from one another. Session topics included civic virtue and the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and slavery, Lincoln and Douglass, civil discourse, and America in the world. Fellows will continue to meet through the 2025-26 school year to discuss strategies for incorporating primary texts into lessons for students.
Founding Civics programs provide K-12 teachers with the opportunity to revisit their own educational experiences; to pose the big questions, discuss texts and ideas, and engage with the arguments that have shaped American politics and history. Teachers who have a deep understanding of the important documents and ideas are well-positioned to invite students into the conversation of American history and help them understand what it means to be thoughtful, engaged citizens.
The story of the Declaration of Independence, which we’re celebrating in 2026, is just one of the instances in American history where individuals united around shared ideals and used their agency to effect positive change. Students should learn the significant names, dates, and events of 1776. But they should also learn about the ideas, debates, and compromises that made those dates significant. The Jack Miller Center supports educators to ensure that students across the country have that opportunity.
Lauren Altobelli is director of the Jack Miller Center’s Founding Civics Initiative, an effort to provide content-based professional development and classroom resources to K-12 civics, history, and government teachers across the country. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in political science from Villanova University, where she studied the political thought of the American founding.
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An employee approaches the food counter at Immigrant Food, a restaurant in Washington, D.C. The business first opened in 2019, expanding to three more locations since that time.
(Ashley N. Soriano/Medill News Service)
Gastroadvocacy: A Restaurant’s Mission to Encourage Positive Immigration Discussion
Sep 07, 2025
WASHINGTON — A five-minute walk from the White House, across the street, sits a restaurant with a curious name: Immigrant Food.
The restaurant brands itself as a hub for “gastroadvocacy,” a blend of gastronomy and immigrant advocacy, weaving social justice into the dining experience. From Venezuelan tequeños to West African gumbo to coconut curry chicken, Immigrant Food’s menu reflects the diverse culinary traditions immigrants bring to the United States. And every plate tells a story.
“Immigrant Food has two beating hearts. The first beating heart is the heart that a lot of restaurants have, which is the gastronomy and the culinary experience,” co-founder Peter Schecter said. “But we have a second beating heart – a mission to advocate, educate, and celebrate immigrants, what they've brought to the United States, who they are, what they mean to the United States, and how they're part of the American DNA.”
A lively lunch spot with globally inspired dishes, Immigrant Food presents a stylish addition to D.C.’s booming restaurant scene. But the restaurant carries a mission that sets it apart.
The idea came from Schechter, a longtime political strategist. After years of working in Washington’s policy circles, Schechter said he wanted to build a space that reminded people of the human side of immigration. Food could be the perfect vehicle.
The first location opened in November 2019, the same day the Supreme Court heard arguments on the immigration policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Now, with three locations in D.C. and one in Arlington, Virginia, the popular, mission-driven food spot offers interactive features to enhance the customer experience.
“For example, we present checks in a, not real but pretty close to real, American passport. And then people can write what they think of the restaurant, in the passport,” Schecter said.
An immigrant himself, Schecter was born in Italy to Austrian and German parents.
“They moved to Rome, the most romantic city in the world. … I grew up speaking only Italian,” he said. His parents were refugees of World War II, eventually resettling in the U.S. After a decade-long stint in Latin America, Schecter relocated to the U.S., too.
The restaurant’s other co-founder, Teá Ivanovic, emigrated from Belgium as the daughter of Yugoslav parents, and the executive chef, Benjamin Murray, was born in Japan.
Their stories are quintessential of immigrants seeking the American dream.
“We Americans don't believe in that American dream anymore. … That sort of dream is lost on a lot of Americans. But there's one group of people that still believe, and they're immigrants,” Schecter said. “They come here, they work hard. They raise their families. They play by the rules, and their children become Americans just like you.”
All staff members wear black T-shirts with white lettering that reads, “Immigrants make America great.” Menus feature QR codes that can be scanned for a list of engagement opportunities, including marches and petitions. And drink coasters pose immigrant-related questions on the back for customers to ponder as they await their food.
“True or false? Today, the percentage of immigrants in America is much larger than in 1870,” one coaster reads.
The answer is false. Immigrants currently comprise 14.3% of the U.S. population, according to the Pew Research Center, which translates to approximately 47.8 million people. In 1870, the percentage was 14.4%, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The record high was in 1890 at 14.8%.
Immigrant Food’s location underscores a striking contrast: a pro-immigrant business, just a block away from the highest office, where a new presidential administration has taken a hard-line stance on illegal immigration.
Many restaurants, hotels, farms, and other businesses rely, in part, on employees without legal documentation. In 2022, more than 30 million immigrants made up the U.S. workforce, and of those, 8.3 million were unauthorized to work in the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center’s latest figures.
“At this time of deep division, we all wake up every morning wondering what we can do to act, help, and change things. We’ve decided to engage in the fight against a new intolerance in America,” Immigrant Food’s website says. “Restaurants have always been the place where immigrants made a living, created community, and showed off the cooking of their heritage. We’re taking it a step further and also making this restaurant a place to advocate.”
The “gastroadvocacy” mission extends beyond the kitchen and dining room. Each month, Immigrant Food partners with local nonprofits that provide legal aid, refugee resettlement, and community support, offering customers a direct line to advocacy opportunities.
Against a backdrop of a contentious immigration climate in the nation’s capital, Immigrant Food positions itself as a softer entry point into tough conversations.
“The restaurant is a safe space to talk about difficult policy,” Schecter said.
Ashley N. Soriano is a graduate student at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism in the Politics, Policy, and Foreign Affairs specialization.
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