Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Arkansas promises to help voters stay registered to settle a federal suit

U.S. and Arkansas flags
dlewis33/Getty Images

Arkansas will make its voter rolls more accurate and its registration process smoother in order to settle a federal complaint.

The Justice Department had sued in November, arguing the state was out of compliance in several ways with the so-called motor voter law, which requires drivers' license agencies to make it easier for citizens to register to vote. Such suits have been filed in several other Southern states that have resisted or slow-walked some of the federal mandates.


Only five states have a smaller share of people registered to vote than Arkansas — 56 percent of the 3 million eligible. The settlement could give the number a modest boost.

The state has agreed to make sure that all change-of-address information submitted for driver's license purposes will be used automatically to update the motorist's registration information, as the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires.

The government sued after learning that the DMV was only providing such information to election officials when drivers appeared in person to explain they had moved, not when they did so online or by mail. Thousands were disenfranchised by getting dropped from the rolls as a result.

"Since our founding as a republic, the right to vote has distinguished the United States from undemocratic regimes around the world," the head of the Justice Department Civil Rights Division, Eric Dreiband, said in announcing the settlement. "Dictators, monarchs, emperors and tyrants have no place here. We rule ourselves. One way we do so is by making sure that voter registration information is accurate."

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Read More

Man stepping on ripped poster

A man treads on a picture of Syria's ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, as people enter his residence in Damascus on Dec. 8.

Omar Haj Kadour/AFP via Getty Images

With Assad out, this is what we must do to help save Syria

This was a long day coming, and frankly one I never thought I’d see.

Thirteen years ago, Syria’s Bashar Assad unleashed a reign of unmitigated terror on his own people, in response to protests of his inhumane Ba’athist government.

Keep ReadingShow less
Men and a boy walking through a hallway

Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, with his son X, depart the Capitol on Dec. 5.

Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Will DOGE promote efficiency for its own sake?

This is the first entry in a series on the Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory board created by President-elect Donald Trump to recommend cuts in government spending and regulations. DOGE, which is spearheaded by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has generated quite a bit of discussion in recent weeks.

The goal of making government efficient is certainly an enviable one indeed. However, the potential for personal biases or political agendas to interfere with the process must be monitored.

As DOGE suggests cuts to wasteful spending and ways to streamline government operations, potentially saving billions of dollars, The Fulcrum will focus on the pros and cons.

We will not shy away from DOGE’s most controversial proposals and will call attention to dangerous thinking that threatens our democracy when we see it. However, in doing so, we are committing to not employing accusations, innuendos or misinformation. We will advocate for intellectual honesty to inform and persuade effectively.

The new Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory board to be headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is designed to cut resources and avoid waste — indeed to save money. Few can argue this isn't a laudable goal as most Americans have experienced the inefficiencies and waste of various government agencies.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Keep ReadingShow less
Frankfort, Kentucky, skyline on the Kentucky River at dusk.

Invest Appalachia supports community economic development projects and businesses across the Appalachian counties of six states.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

A new blueprint for financing community development – Part III

In Part 2 of this three-part series focused on why and how the community development finance field needs to reframe the role of capital technicians and the market, rebalance power relationships, and prioritize community voice. Today we continue that discussion.

Invest Appalachia

Invest Appalachia (IA) is another strong example of how to rebalance power between financial expertise and community voice. On the surface, IA can be described in traditional finance terms—a community investment fund similar to a CDFI that has raised $35.5 million in impact investments and nearly $3 million in grants for flexible and risk-absorbing capital. IA officially opened its doors at the end of 2022. In its first year of operation, it deployed $6.3 million in blended capital (flexible loans alongside recoverable grants) to support community economic development projects and businesses across the Appalachian counties of six states: Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. Another $6.5 million was deployed in the first eight months of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less
Older woman speaking with another woman

Listen for values and emotions, not just points you can rebut with facts.

kupicoo/Getty Images

Vaccines and values: When you’re having a tough conversation about medicine, don’t just pile on evidence − listen to someone’s ‘moral foundations’

It’s that special time of year when family and friends come together to celebrate the holidays, share meals, spread cheer – and, too often, pass along their germs.

Because vaccines can save lives and prevent serious illness, health professionals have long recommended vaccinations for influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Yet despite these apparent benefits, many people decline.

Keep ReadingShow less