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President Trump on a large TV screen behind a woman wearing a statue of liberty inspired crown.

How Anti-Bribery Laws Apply to Trump’s Promise of $5,000 Payments if Republicans Keep Control of Congress

​U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally.

The President Invited Iran to Bomb My Home

​A sign directs pedestrians towards the United States in Tijuana, Mexico. A person walks in the foreground.

Immigration, Borders, and Belonging: Toward a More Honest Conversation

US President Donald Trump

Trump’s obsessions help bury GOP chances

New York Is Making Childcare Affordable. Don’t Forget the People Providing It.

New York Is Making Childcare Affordable. Don’t Forget the People Providing It.

Video: Chaos or calm: Building confidence in Pennsylvania elections

Video: Chaos or calm: Building confidence in Pennsylvania electionsplay icon
The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumJan 19, 2023
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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The PA Election Code is antiquated and consists of conflicting provisions that need to be resolved as we head into the 2024 election cycle — and it’s time for action. For businesses committed to supporting their employees interest in voting, the changes in the code will help to increase confidence in how elections are conducted. This, in turn will drive citizen participation, help reduce polarization, and improve the state’s economic climate.

Hear from Democrat and Republican county commissioners and election experts about policies Harrisburg can enact in the 2023–2024 legislative session so elections in Pennsylvania can run more efficiently, avoid potential chaos, and restore trust. The show’s guests will cover issues including: Pre-canvassing - Under current PA Election Code counties cannot open, prepare, and tabulate mail in ballots until 7am on Election Day. Learn why the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has asked for counties to be allowed to begin pre-canvassing absentee and mail-in ballots up to three weeks prior to an election.


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Remote health
Health

AI Agents Could Save Lives—If We Let Them

Adult man holds a microphone while asking a question during a town hall meeting.
Governance & Legislation

Consensus Without Power: How Sortition Could Break America's Legislative Gridlock

Students in a classroom.​
Education

Schools Can’t Teach Democracy Without Valuing Students’ Lived Experiences

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California’s New Law Aims To Close a Housing Gap for Domestic Violence Survivors
Emily Scherer for The 19th; Getty Images

California’s New Law Aims To Close a Housing Gap for Domestic Violence Survivors

Domestic violence survivors often struggle to find housing, and California’s “Unseen and Unheard Housing Act” will help make more housing available to meet their specific needs.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill Sunday requiring cities and counties to factor in domestic violence survivors when planning for future housing.

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The Window to Safely Managing the Education Freedom Tax Credit is Closing Fast
Empty wooden tables and chairs in a library with shelves of books
Photo by Tuyen Vo on Unsplash

The Window to Safely Managing the Education Freedom Tax Credit is Closing Fast

There is a major change in how students, schools, and educational programs can be funded, taking effect on January 1, 2027, with a small window of time to ensure the program is well managed. We have to move fast.

The Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC) creates a new federal tax credit for taxpayers who make qualified contributions to approved nonprofit Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). SGOs, in turn, use that money to award scholarships for tutoring, tuition, or other qualified education expenses for students, regardless of whether they attend public, private, or charter schools. The money is contributed directly to SGOs by taxpayers, who can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on their 2027 tax filing, up to $1,700 for individuals and $3,400 for married taxpayers filing jointly.

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A person wearing a t-shirt that says, "Black Voters Still Matter."

A member of the audience wearing a 'Black Voters Still Matter' t-shirt from Georgia NAACP as Georgia Democratic Senate candidate U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally December 3, 2022 in Hephzibah, Georgia.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Black Voters Don’t Need Another Election-Year Lecture. They Need Government That Works All Year

Democracy cannot just be something Black Americans are asked to save every election. It has to be something we can see working in our lives between elections. Every election season, here it comes again. We are told how important this election is. We are told democracy is on the line. We are told to register, organize, bring somebody to the polls, and make sure our voices are heard. Candidates come into Black communities, sit down with Black leaders, show up at churches and community events, and remind us just how powerful our vote can be.

I believe in voting. I believe in democracy. I believe deeply in civic participation.

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​Construction on the proposed White House ballroom.

Construction on the proposed White House ballroom is seen from the Washington Monument on May 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Trump has initiated numerous construction projects on federal government properties in Washington, including demolition of the White House East Wing to build a ballroom and re-painting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool blue.

Graeme Sloan/Getty Images

Democracy Must Prevail: Reset Community Meetings Process

Once a month, on the evening of the first Wednesday, I sit on an elevated platform behind a horseshoe-shaped desk in my role as a member of my community’s historic preservation commission in Urbana, Illinois.

On the lower level and at floor level, is a conference table and behind that a room filled with chairs that may all be full – but are more frequently close to empty.

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