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Podcast: Local Patriotism: The "David" of local community vs the "Goliath" of national dysfunction

Podcast: Local Patriotism: The "David" of local community vs the "Goliath" of national dysfunction

The forces that divide us are big, strong, viral, international in scope and have seemingly infected every system of our body politic. It’s the degree of that rot that has led us back this year to where it all began — to people we’ve come to know over these years — to this place, these people. Through this tumultuous time, we have come to believe that if we’re going to care about the American idea — if we’re going to truly live it out (and maybe save it) — it will be in hometowns like this one between neighbors like us. And it will ultimately be about who we are to each other, which Washington D.C. doesn’t get to decide for us.

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Michigan group pushes to get big money out of politics

According to the Federal Election Commission, the 2024 election cycle saw billions spent on campaigns, with PACs alone raising more than $15 billion.

(Pexels)

Michigan group pushes to get big money out of politics

A new push to limit corporate money in Michigan politics appears to be gaining traction.

There is strong bipartisan support for restricting political contributions from regulated monopolies and companies seeking government contracts, according to a survey commissioned by supporters of the proposal. Supporters said the measure would increase transparency and reduce “pay-to-play” politics, where political donations can influence government decisions.

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People protesting in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill, holding tulips and signs that read, "We can't afford another war" and "end the war on iran.'

Veterans, military family members, and supporters occupy the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill calling upon the Trump administration to end the war on Iran on April 20, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Getty Images, Leigh Vogel

Trump’s Iran “Victory” Echoes Iraq’s "Mission Accomplished"

It didn’t exactly end well the last time a president declared victory this quickly. On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush landed on the USS Abraham Lincoln in a flight suit, strutted across the deck for the cameras, then changed into a suit and tie, stood in front of a banner that read “Mission Accomplished,” and declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. It was 43 days after the invasion began. Over the next eight years, as the conflict devolved into a protracted insurgency and sectarian war, more than 4,300 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died.

On April 7, Trump—presumably not wearing a flight suit—declared in a telephone interview with AFP that the United States had achieved victory in Iran. “Total and complete victory. 100 percent. No question about it.” This was the day after the President threatened to destroy a “whole civilization,” hours after a two-week ceasefire was announced. It took six days for the whole thing to fall apart. By April 15, he was back on Fox Business: “We've beaten them militarily, totally. I think it’s close to over.”

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ICE Director Requests Additional $5.4 Billion at Congressional Budget Hearing

CBP Chief Rodney Scott (left), Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons (middle) and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow (right) testify at budget hearing.

Jamie Gareh/Medill News Service)

ICE Director Requests Additional $5.4 Billion at Congressional Budget Hearing

WASHINGTON- The acting director of ICE on Thursday told Congress that while the Trump administration pumped $75 billion extra into ICE over four years, many activities remain cash starved and the agency needs about $5.4 billion in additional funding for 2027.

There’s misinformation with the Big Beautiful Bill that ICE is fully funded,” said Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, whose resignation was announced later that day.

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People sitting at desks in an office.

A policy-driven look at AI-era job displacement and how “Transition Launch Pads” can speed reemployment through local hubs, retraining, and employer collaboration.

Getty Images, Bill Pugliano

Layoff Headlines Keep Coming, Policy Answers Don't. Here’s One Solution

Every week brings another round of displacement announcements. Tech companies, logistics firms, financial institutions, retailers — cutting headcount at a pace that no longer surprises anyone. The headlines are routine. What isn't routine — in fact, what is conspicuously absent — is any serious account of what comes next. Not for the companies. For the workers.

That absence is a policy failure, and it is getting more expensive for us all by the quarter. The longer folks remain unemployed, the greater the costs. The individual and their loved ones obviously suffer. The community does as well due to that productive individual sitting on the sidelines and the high costs of sustaining unemployment.

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