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Kentuckians and their senior senator diverge on democracy reform, poll finds

Perhaps Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is not as invulnerable as he sometimes seems, especially when it comes to the politics of opposing the "democracy reform" movement.

Kentucky, where McConnell is asking for a seventh term next year, seems none too happy with him at the moment. A survey out Monday from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling found the most powerful Republican in Congress is underwater back home: 39 percent approve of his job performance and 51 percent do not. The same poll, by contrast, showed a 55 percent approval rating in the state for President Trump.


McConnell has vowed to prevent any Senate consideration of HR 1, the comprehensive political process overhaul that Democrats labeled their top legislative priority after reclaiming control of the House and pushing it through that chamber this winter. More regulation of money in politics is at the heart of the bill, something McConnell once mocked as ranking up there with "static cling" in the minds of voters.

But the poll (commissioned by the campaign finance advocacy group End Citizens United) found 23 percent of Kentuckians choosing "ending political corruption" as the most important issue facing the country. Only lowering the cost of health care and drugs finished higher, at 25 percent. And 71 percent of those polled said they supported the concepts embodied in HR 1.


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Student-Led AI Initiative Aims to Tackle Misinformation

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ — As generative artificial intelligence reshapes the digital landscape, a New Jersey student researcher is using the technology to combat media bias. Shaurya Jindal, an AI researcher and student at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, has launched Cogito News, an educational platform designed to build modern media literacy skills.

Cogito News was founded in response to growing concerns about partisan framing and selective sourcing in contemporary journalism. Recognizing that cognitive biases often influence how news is packaged and consumed, Jindal sought to build a tool that helps users critically evaluate the information they encounter daily. The platform's real-world impact and timely relevance were highlighted when Jindal was my guest on The Fulcrum Democracy Forum, an interview series dedicated to civic renewal and examining innovative approaches to strengthening democratic systems.

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Independent Underdog Tours Iowa as Voters Seek Common‑Sense Change

Eight cities in eight different counties, all in one week. When we talk about cities in Iowa’s First Congressional District, keep in mind most are county seats with populations that often don’t reach 7,000. In the closing months of a political campaign in southeastern Iowa, chatter in those towns and cities centers on the cost of living, farmers' struggles, and the hot-button issue of data centers.

Michael Bridgford is tireless, but the challenge is daunting. I met him over lunch last spring when he was first considering a run. A long-time friend met him at a conference and told Michael he would connect him to a guy who won a long-shot campaign. I’m that guy. Running as a Republican, I upset a 32-year incumbent in deep-blue Madison, Wisconsin.

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Self-Interested Elite Supremacy, 1776 to 2026, and a Path Forward

For 250 years, U.S. elites have maintained supremacy by embedding self-interest into the nation’s foundational structures, translating economic power into political dominance. From the plantation economy and the Gilded Age to modern corporate lobbying, wealth consolidation has consistently undermined democratic equality to favor the ruling class.

This trajectory of elite control and self-interest unfolds across the following core eras:

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