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Just the Facts: Impact of the Big Beautiful Bill

Just the Facts: Impact of the Big Beautiful Bill

Balance – The Golden Mean

Balance – The Golden Mean

The Legal Costs and Risks of Trump’s 328 Lawsuits

The Legal Costs and Risks of Trump’s 328 Lawsuits

‘Homeschool Act’ Stalled in House, but Opponents Remain Vigilant for Potential Revival

‘Homeschool Act’ Stalled in House, but Opponents Remain Vigilant for Potential Revival

Long-shot constitutional amendment to restrict campaign financing introduced

The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumMay 09, 2019
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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The most ambitious proposal for curbing money in politics, an amendment to the Constitution, has resurfaced in Congress. Its short-term prospects are statistically zero.

Just nine Democratic House members signed on as sponsors Wednesday when Californian Adam Schiff formally proposed an amendment to permit Congress to regulate campaign finances notwithstanding the Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United decision saying donations are a form of highly protected First Amendment free speech.

Throughout the last Congress, only 19 Democrats agreed to co-sponsor the same proposal. And amending the Constitution requires two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate (meaning plenty of Republican support, which is now non-existent) plus the approval of three quarters of the states.

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Blank Checks and Empty Promises: The Collapse of Congressional Fiscal Power
Money & Politics

Blank Checks and Empty Promises: The Collapse of Congressional Fiscal Power

Making Eye Contact & Small Talk With Strangers Is More Than Just Being Polite - The Social Benefits of Psychological Generosity
Bridging & Common Ground

Making Eye Contact & Small Talk With Strangers Is More Than Just Being Polite - The Social Benefits of Psychological Generosity

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Carolyn Lukensmeyer Turns 80: A Life of Commitment to “Of, By, and for the People”

Carolyn Lukensmeyer.

The National Institute for Civil Discourse and New Voice Strategies

Carolyn Lukensmeyer Turns 80: A Life of Commitment to “Of, By, and for the People”

I’ve known Dr. Carolyn Lukensmeyer for over a decade, first meeting her about a decade ago. Dr. Lukensmeyer is a nationally renowned expert in deliberative democracy, a former executive director emerita of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, and a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences’ Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship.

On the weekend of her 80th birthday, former colleagues, clients, and friends offered a look at Dr. Lukensmeyer’s extraordinary commitment to “of, by, and for the peoples,” from her earlier days in Iowa and Ohio to the present day.

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Public Health: Ban First, Study Later? The Growing Assault on Fluoridated Water

Someone getting tap water.

Getty Images, urbazon

Public Health: Ban First, Study Later? The Growing Assault on Fluoridated Water

On May 15, Florida became the second state in the nation to ban fluoride from public drinking water. The bill, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, is set to go into effect on July 1. Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox enacted a similar ban that went into effect this May. Five other states—Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and South Carolina—have introduced bills that aim to ban fluoride in public drinking water.

Fluoride is a mineral that, in small quantities, has proven to be effective against tooth decay, caused by bacteria that form in the mouth when we eat or drink. The American Academy of Pediatrics states on its website that studies have shown water fluoridation, an intentional treatment process of public drinking water, reduces tooth decay by about 25% in children and adults alike.

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POLL: Americans Wary About The President Taking Unconventional Actions
APM Research Lab

POLL: Americans Wary About The President Taking Unconventional Actions

Americans show a strong preference for their elected executives — governors as well as the president — to achieve their political goals through conventional, sometimes slow, procedures, according to the McCourtney Institute for Democracy’s latest Mood of the Nation Poll.

Results showed marked partisan differences. For example, 26% of all survey respondents rated a presidential action of firing all recently hired federal employees as “very appropriate,” including only four percent of Democrats and just over half of Republicans.

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The U.S. Is Rushing To Make AI Deals With Gulf Countries, But Who Will Help Keep Children Safe?

A child's hand holding an adult's hand.

Getty Images, LaylaBird

The U.S. Is Rushing To Make AI Deals With Gulf Countries, But Who Will Help Keep Children Safe?

As the United States deepens its investments in artificial intelligence (AI) partnerships abroad, it is moving fast — signing deals, building labs, and exporting tools. Recently, President Donald Trump announced sweeping AI collaborations with Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. These agreements, worth billions, are being hailed as historic moments for digital diplomacy and technological leadership.

But amid the headlines and handshakes, I keep asking the same question: where is child protection in all of this?

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