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USA Presidential voters on electoral college map

The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact Federalism at Its Best

US Senate candidate Dan Osborn

7 Independent Campaigns to Watch in the Final Days of the Midterms

President Donald Trump

Trump doesn’t care about the midterms. You should

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stands for anthems at the Pentagon on October 15, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. The two defense officials discussed NATO financial commitments by European countries.

Secretary Hegseth's Tenure Ban Fails Our Officers and the Academy

Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Building

The Good Reasons and Bad Politics Surrounding a Third Trump Impeachment

Exploring the role of veterans in protecting democracy

Opinion

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The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumMar 07, 2024
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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In this episode of “Future Hindsight,” host Mila Atmos engages in a conversation with Ken Harbaugh, a veteran, an executive producer of the documentary "Against All Enemies" and the host of the "Burn the Boats" podcast. They delve into the pressing issues surrounding democracy in the United States in 2024.

Harbaugh, a former Navy pilot, emphasizes the critical nature of the upcoming presidential election, viewing it as pivotal for the preservation of democracy. They discuss the rise of far-right extremism and its connection to radicalized veterans, drawing insights from Harbaugh's documentary. The conversation explores the impact of misinformation, the role of veterans in extremist movements and the need for civic engagement to counter these challenges. Harbaugh underscores the importance of addressing the divisive narratives and disinformation that threaten the democratic process.

The podcast reflects on the post-truth era, the ongoing skirmishes in the United States, and the potential for change through education and open conversations. Harbaugh expresses hope in the younger generation as catalysts for positive change, emphasizing the urgency of securing democracy for future generations. The episode concludes with a teaser for the next guest, Jess Piper, executive director of Blue Missouri, offering a glimpse into the importance of local engagement in politics.


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Governance & Legislation

The 2026 Blue Wave: Voters Rejected Trump, Not Endorsed Democrats

​U.S. Sen.-elect James Talarico (D-TX) and Texas gov.-elect, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa toast with a fountain beverage at a Whataburger restaurant with a crowd of people around them taking photos.
Democracy

Fear Politics Lost. Voters Chose a Different Future

Obama is campaigning ahead of the March 4, 2008 Democratic primary
Elections

The 2026 Election Has a Bit of the 2008, Obama-Style Vibe

A map labeling Lake Ontario as "Lake America" is displayed behind U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ethics & Leadership

Cartography of Convenience: Why Rushed Renaming Erodes Public Trust

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Illustration of a man and woman arguing

Arguments or debates, disputes or conflicts, verbal clashes. Angry men and women roar at each other

Getty Images

What If Polarization Is the Wrong Diagnosis?

I just listened to political scientist Lilliana Mason challenge one of the most familiar explanations of what is wrong with American politics.

We are constantly told that America suffers from polarization. Republicans and Democrats have moved too far apart. They distrust each other, increasingly regard one another as enemies, and have lost the ability to compromise. The prescribed remedies are familiar: more civility, more dialogue, less hostility, and a return to the political center.

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Vintage Computer with AI Text on Screen and Neon Lighting, figures of people standing around it.

Calling AI “super” makes it sound omniscient. A faith leader coalition explains why the word “artificial” matters and what to do instead.

Royalty-free/Getty Images

Reject the Sand God. Call AI by Its True Name

President Trump recently signed an executive order telling federal agencies to replace the term "artificial intelligence" with "Super Intelligence." He said the word "artificial" makes the technology sound fake.

Many Americans already treat AI as a “super intelligence” that knows better and that they should confide in. Many already assign it the role of spiritual counsel, close confidante, or even romantic partner. In a Common Sense Media survey, one-third of teenagers claimed they had discussed serious personal matters with an AI instead of a person, and 31 percent said talking with an AI companion was as satisfying as talking with friends, or even more so. Bible Chat, an app that offers scripture-based advice and prayers, has been downloaded more than 30 million times.

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Photo by Matt C on Unsplash

When the Cameras Went Dark: What a Press Ban Reveals About American Journalism

When I came to the United States from India in 1982, I did not trust newspapers. Back home, everyone knew which party a paper favored before reading a line. American television felt different. My family watched Peter Jennings every evening, and later I found Larry King on CNN, who let his guests talk instead of telling viewers what to think. That habit of holding everyone to one standard has mostly faded.

On Sept. 18, President Trump announced he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, saying their reporting was fake news. The next morning the Secret Service took reporters’ badges at the gate. The outlets sued on Monday, and Fox, ABC, NBC and CBS declined to take CNN’s turn in the television pool. On Sept. 24, Judge Timothy Kelly, whom Trump appointed, blocked the ban for 14 days. He found the outlets likely to win on due process, because reporters got no notice and no chance to respond, and he doubted the government’s national security explanation. Trump’s answer was to call the judge “totally disloyal.”

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Woman sitting and typing on laptop on her lap.

AI chatbots are always guessing, even when they sound sure. Experts and Claude itself explain the AI trust gap, bias and why to check sources.

Oscar Wong/Getty Images

AI’s Information Crisis: Why Trust Is Harder to Sustain Than Ever

In all the debates about human and machine intelligence, one thing has become clear: We humans love to talk about AI. We’ve speculated whether AI will create or eliminate jobs, revolutionize or destroy science, comfort or torment us, entertain us brilliantly or rot our brains, or some combination of all these things. But amid the noise, we may have paid too little attention to a subtler impact: how AI is disrupting our relationship to information and making it harder to know what to believe.

The problem isn’t just deepfakes, the malicious manipulation of images, video, and audio. Even benign, well-intentioned AI applications can be profoundly misleading. The nature of the large language models that power chatbots means that they are always guessing, however confident they seem. How can we use AI to produce reliable information that improves public discourse rather than distorting it?

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