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Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship will depend on its interpretation of one key phrase

Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship will depend on its interpretation of one key phrase

This really may be the political end for Trump

This really may be the political end for Trump

Trump’s Rob Reiner Post Sparks Rare GOP Backlash

Trump’s Rob Reiner Post Sparks Rare GOP Backlash

California’s Governor Race Is a Democratic Nightmare, But There’s One Easy Fix

California’s Governor Race Is a Democratic Nightmare, But There’s One Easy Fix

Close up of President Trump signing an excutive order.

Just the Facts: Trump’s Mass Pardons Grab Headlines

Top seeds squaring off for the 'best of the rest' in Democracy Madness

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The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumMay 27, 2020
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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Three of the four quarters of Democracy Madness have wrapped up. Now, it's time to crown the champion of the "Best of the Rest" division and move into the Final Four of our reader-driven tournament to come up with the fan favorite proposal for fixing the broken democracy.

The top seeds in this part of the bracket — always using paper ballots in elections (No. 1) and using federal funding to power elections (No. 2) — will square off today and Thursday in the final round of this "regional" competition. Both proposals have breezed past their opponents thus far, though the second seed has had higher win margins during its run.

Can federal election funding upset paper ballots? Or will the lead seed bring home the victory? You decide by clicking "Vote Now" and tracking your pick.

Starting Monday, the champions of each divisional bracket will go head-to-head to decide which reform you think is the top choice.


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The Christmas When Toys Died: The Playtime Paradigm Shift Retailers Failed to See Coming

Where is the Holiday Spirit When It Comes to Solving Our Nation’s Problems?
Bridging & Common Ground

Where is the Holiday Spirit When It Comes to Solving Our Nation’s Problems?

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Bridging & Common Ground

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Making America’s Children Healthy Requires Addressing Deep-Rooted Health Disparities

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Making America’s Children Healthy Requires Addressing Deep-Rooted Health Disparities

In early September, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission released a 19-page strategy to improve children’s health and reverse the epidemic of chronic diseases. The document, a follow-up to MAHA’s first report in May, paints a dire picture of American children’s health: poor diets, toxic chemical exposures, chronic stress, and overmedicalization are some of the key drivers now affecting millions of young people.

Few would dispute that children should spend less time online, exercise more, and eat fewer ultra-processed foods. But child experts say that the strategy reduces a systemic crisis to personal action and fails to confront the structural inequities that shape which children can realistically adopt healthier behaviors. After all, in 2024, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine updated Unequal Treatment, a report that clearly highlights the major drivers of health disparities.

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Affordability Crisis and AI: Kelso’s Universal Capitalism

Rising costs, AI disruption, and inequality revive interest in Louis Kelso’s “universal capitalism” as a market-based answer to the affordability crisis.

Getty Images, J Studios

Affordability Crisis and AI: Kelso’s Universal Capitalism

“Affordability” over the cost of living has been in the news a lot lately. It’s popping up in political campaigns, from the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia to the mayor’s races in New York City and Seattle. President Donald Trump calls the term a “hoax” and a “con job” by Democrats, and it’s true that the inflation rate hasn’t increased much since Trump began his second term in January.

But a number of reports show Americans are struggling with high costs for essentials like food, housing, and utilities, leaving many families feeling financially pinched. Total consumer spending over the Black Friday-Thanksgiving weekend buying binge actually increased this year, but a Salesforce study found that’s because prices were about 7% higher than last year’s blitz. Consumers actually bought 2% fewer items at checkout.

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Accountability Abandoned: A Betrayal of Promises Made
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Photo by Louis Velazquez on Unsplash

Accountability Abandoned: A Betrayal of Promises Made

Eleven months ago, Donald Trump promised Americans that he would “immediately bring prices down” on his first day in office. Instead, the Big Beautiful Bill delivered tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts to food benefits, limits on Medicare coverage, restrictions on child care, and reduced student aid — all documented in comprehensive analyses of the law. Congress’s vote was not just partisan — it was a betrayal of promises made to the people.

Not only did Congress’s votes betray nurses, but the harm extended to teachers, caregivers, seniors, working parents, and families struggling to make ends meet. In casting those votes, lawmakers showed a lack of courage to hold themselves accountable to the people. This was not leadership; it was betrayal — the ultimate abandonment of the people they swore to serve.

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