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New name. Same mission.

We were The Firewall. Now we are The Fulcrum. And our name is not going to change again.

Quite simply, The Fulcrum makes much more sense because of what we're about – the only news organization focused exclusively on efforts to reverse the dysfunctions plaguing American governance. We see our democracy at a dangerous tipping point, and our aim is to leverage the debate toward restoring the system to good working order.


Especially once our website launches in June, you'll see that our mission is clear. Our original reporting, the news we gather from across the country and our opinion forum will be all about creating a journalistic pivot point, or fulcrum – "one that supplies capability for action," as Webster's says. We are nonpartisan, but we are rooting for the system to get better. For us, that means making our democratic republic less tribal, our elections more competitive, our politicians less beholden to moneyed interests, our officials more attentive to real evidence in their policy-making, our civic culture more engaged, and our Congress more effective and ethical.

"Give me a fulcrum, and I shall move the world," is an iconic Archimedes quote. And so, The Fulcrum we are.


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The Façade of the American Dream: Reimagining the next 250 years
a woman in a green shirt and black gloves vacuuming a gray ottoman

The Façade of the American Dream: Reimagining the next 250 years

Since the birth of the United States, people have been dreaming of the American "Good Life."

This dream accelerated after the Industrial Revolution arrived in the U.S. in the 1800s. Innovative manufacturing practices integrated new technologies, lowering costs and spurring economic growth. As a result, millions of people gained access to affordable consumer goods. These changes improved living standards, making the dream attainable for more people.

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Thoughts on an Anniversary
A table with many books and candles on it
Photo by Ryan Wallace on Unsplash

Thoughts on an Anniversary

As part of a collaboration between The Fulcrum's NextGen initiative and Made By Us, The Fulcrum is publishing Letters to America, a series created through the Youth250 project that invites Gen Z to reflect on the nation’s past, present, and future as the United States approaches its 250th anniversary.

In small towns across the nation, in accordance with ours of Madison New Jersey, we will gather to recognize an anniversary. Though this milestone has been one of many, I ask that it not be a mere nod to the curiosities of the past, but the spark of an ongoing admiration for all that led us here.

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A gavel.

The rule of law, American democracy, constitutional rights, and judicial independence.

Getty Images, David Talukdar

In Texas, People Don’t Kill People, Guns Kill People

It has been said that a good prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. Apparently, that’s not the case in very red Collin County, Texas, where a self-described recovering alcoholic fatally shot his daughter in the chest, only to be the beneficiary of a particularly lenient grand jury. As a retired justice of the New York State Supreme Court, the case intrigued me and I tried to understand why the prosecutor had failed to obtain an indictment against him.

In January 2025, the victim and her boyfriend traveled from their home in England to visit her father at his home in Collin County where the shooting had occurred. Although the evidence presented to a grand jury cannot be disclosed, it is reasonably assumed that the grand jury heard the statement made by the father to the police at the scene immediately following the shooting. He related how he had taken his daughter, at her request, to see his gun, and that when he brought her to his bedroom and removed the gun from a cabinet in which he kept it, “it went off.” He could not recall if his finger had been on the trigger.

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 Two college students presenting project to class

As America nears its 250th anniversary, learn why schools, mentoring, and leadership development are critical to preparing the next generation of leaders.

10'000 Hours / Getty Images

America at 250: A Wake-Up Call for Leadership Development

As America approaches its 250th birthday, we've been reflecting on the leadership that built our nation and sustained it through two and a half centuries of challenge and change. From local communities to national institutions, America's progress has always depended on people who were willing to take initiative, serve others, and help navigate moments of uncertainty and opportunity.

As we celebrate these leaders for the impact they had on history, a critical question surfaces: Where—and how—did they learn to lead?

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