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Polarization yields a celebration of civil society’s behavioral baseline

Polarization yields a celebration of civil society’s behavioral baseline

Tuesday is the first-ever National Decency Day. Congress, where political polarization means basic decency sometimes seems in very short supply, plans to formally take notice. Local governments in half the states have already done so.

The burst of activity is the handiwork of a New York graphic designer, Lisa Cholnoky. She began a campaign to elevate "the basic standard of civility that every American deserves" two years ago, with the distribution of several thousand strikingly simple, old-fashioned lapel buttons proclaiming a disarming conversation starter: "decency." Last fall she launched an ad hoc civic engagement bid to persuade high schools and colleges to petition city councils or school boards to proclaim May 14 as a Day of Decency – which has so far happened in 28 communities in 25 states.

She then registered with the National Day Calendar, which permits nonprofit groups and businesses to lay perpetual claim to an honorific sliver of what's become an overstuffed annual almanac. (Tuesday is also Buttermilk Biscuit Day and Underground America Day.)


And Cholnoky has arranged for a bipartisan series of endorsements on the floor of the House for what she terms "a moment in the midst of the polarized atmosphere in which we find ourselves for all people to reclaim the tradition, practices and skills for civil discussion of our differences of opinion."

"During my time on the campaign trail last year I was inspired by the number of doors I knocked and how many residents asked for one thing: decency," freshman Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean of suburban Philadelphia said.

"As Americans, we cherish our freedom to dissent, but we must always bear in mind that these debates should be productive and substantive," said GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island, Cholnoky's congressman.

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Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

Two coloured pencils one red and one blue drawing a reef knot on a white paper background.

Getty Images, David Malan

Similarity Hub Shows >700 Instances of Cross-Partisan Common Ground

It is a common refrain to say that Americans need to find common ground across the political spectrum.

Over the past year, AllSides and More Like US found >700 instances of common ground on political topics, revealed in Similarity Hub. It highlights public opinion data from Gallup, Pew Research, YouGov, and many other reputable polling firms.

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U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces service members and U.S. Army Soldiers hold an African Lion banner during a Moroccan F-16 flyover at the closing day of African Lion 2025 (AL25) at Tantan, Morocco, May 23, 2025.

By Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Mallett/U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

U.S. Refines Military Strategy in Africa As Development Programs Face Cuts

WASHINGTON – Both the Trump administration and its critics agree the U.S. risks losing influence in Africa to rivals like China and Russia. But while the administration argues its commercially driven foreign policy will reverse the trend, critics warn that retreating from development and diplomacy could deepen the problem.

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. plans to consolidate embassies, scale back USAID operations, and pivot towards a security and commercial driven approach on the continent. While U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) defense officials insist their core missions within Africa will remain intact, civilian experts and lawmakers argue that abandoning diplomatic and development tools opens the door for strategic competitors to fill the void and fails to take into account what would best benefit African countries.

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