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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

The Medill Fact Check

The Medill Fact Check
The Fulcrum
By The FulcrumMay 27, 2020
The Fulcrum
The Fulcrum staff.
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The Fulcrum has partnered with the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications to co-publish students' fact-checks on public statements about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on civic engagement. The Fulcrum will also publish related stories, podcasts and videos in partnership with the journalism school, a part of Northwestern University.

The Covid-19 Analyzer includes an interactive database that allows users to research stories, public statements and social media reports for accuracy, listing them as true, mixed or false, accompanied by an explanation and links to further information.

The 13-member Politics, Policy and Foreign Affairs Reporting Project team is also producing an updated national scorecard on voting practices called the 2020 Election Tracker, with an interactive map of the 50 states' regulations for in-person and mail-in balloting, as well as candidate filing and voting deadlines.


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Blue wave with the US Capitol building
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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Experienced nutritionist filling out a clients dietary questionnaire during consultations and meal plan presentation

HHS and the American Heart Association gave opposite dietary advice. Here’s a three-step test to separate real skepticism from cynicism.

J_art/Getty Images

Skepticism Isn't Cynicism. The Diet Wars Show the Difference.

This year, Americans got two opposite sets of instructions for the same dinner plate. Many of us responded the way we now respond to almost everything: we picked a team.

In January, the Department of Health and Human Services released new federal dietary guidelines built around red meat and full-fat dairy. Less than three months later, the American Heart Association issued guidance pointing close to the opposite way: build meals around plants and plant protein, choose unsaturated fats over saturated ones, and cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy.

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Close up of a judge hammering a gavel

Investigations, indictments, dismissals, convictions: what each means and the questions to ask before judging claims of political weaponization of the law.

Chris Collins/Getty Images

Just the Facts: Trump, DOJ and the Legal Process

The Fulcrum approaches news stories with an open mind and skepticism, presenting our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, we remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.


The legal battles involving the Trump administration have become a constant feature of American politics and governance. Supporters often argue that many lawsuits and investigations are politically motivated attempts to block the administration's agenda. Critics contend that certain actions by the administration and the Department of Justice are themselves politically motivated or represent an improper use of government power.

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ICE agent

Ice Police Law Enforcement Investigation and Department of Justice Customs Immigration Enforcement

Getty Images

I Believe in Immigration Enforcement. But, What Happened to TK Should Concern Us All.

TK was born in Guatemala in 1962. He arrived in the United States in 1965, at the age of three, as a lawful permanent resident with his immigrant mother and American stepfather. For the next 61 years, he lived what most people would recognize as an American life.

TK grew up in American schools, graduated from a Texas high school and attended college. As a child, his classmates struggled to pronounce his given name, Enrique. They began calling him “Keke,” a nickname that eventually became “TK”—the name he has been known by ever since. He married, raised three daughters, divorced, and eventually remarried, all in the US. Today, he is a grandfather and a successful businessman whose life has been rooted in this country since the age of three.

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