Category: news
What Is USAID and Can the President Abolish It?
The head offices of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were closed Monday after staffers were told by email not to come to work. It is the latest move in the Trump administration's plan to shut down the agency.
03 Feb, 2025
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5 min read
Trump's Spending Freeze: Why Taming the Debt Is So Hard
Last week, the Trump Administration sparked confusion across government agencies with a memo freezing federal funding. The confusion deepened when they rescinded the memo 45 hours later.
03 Feb, 2025
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1 min read
Report Finds Ranked Choice Voting Is Working in Utah and Voters Like It
In late 2024, the Herbert Institute at Utah Valley University released two reports on Utah’s ranked choice voting (RCV) pilot program. In the reports, Professors Alan Parry and John Kidd and co-authors Michael Erickson and Addison Stott capture the high level of support for RCV among Utah voters, as well as the strong foundation that RCV has in mathematics.
30 Jan, 2025
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3 min read
Washington State Reformers Testify in Favor of Pro-Ranked Choice Voting Bill
This morning, KIRO News Radio reporter Matt Markovich had exciting news for political reformers: Washington lawmakers have introduced and held their first public hearing on House Bill 1448, which allows local governments across the state to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV).
29 Jan, 2025
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2 min read
Pressure Mounts for PBM Reform Amid Rising Drug Costs
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have long operated in the shadows of the U.S. healthcare system, wielding significant influence over drug pricing and access. Recent developments, including federal investigations, state lawsuits, and bipartisan legislative efforts, have intensified scrutiny on these intermediaries, highlighting the urgent need for reform.
29 Jan, 2025
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5 min read
Natural Disasters Reveal the Truth About Our Shared Humanity
Though we come from opposite coasts, we share a painful reality that many Americans know all too well: our communities have been devastated by disaster. One of us lives in California, where historic wildfires have ravaged coastal cities - destroying thousands of homes and businesses, displacing tens of thousands of people, and claiming more than two dozen lives.
29 Jan, 2025
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4 min read
5 Things Americans Agree on at The Start of Trump's Second Term
More In Common, a nonprofit dedicated to finding ways to bridge political divisions in the US, released a new report that spotlights key areas of agreement across the political spectrum in the early days of the Trump administration.
28 Jan, 2025
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4 min read
ALL INDY: Alaska’s Reformers Will Protect Electoral Innovations and Break New Ground in 2026
Ballotpedia reports this week that in 2026, Alaska’s independent voters will have the chance to solidify their role as election reform pioneers by voting on two initiatives.
28 Jan, 2025
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2 min read
How the Filibuster Delivers for Independent Voters
Whether or not you like the filibuster probably depends on whether your “team” has control of the Senate. If your team has control of the upper chamber, you’re likely frustrated by this procedural motion. If you’re in the minority, you’re happy that the filibuster exists because it stops what you view as bad policy from advancing.
28 Jan, 2025
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10 min read
National Poll: Most Independent Voters Want Trump to Reach Across the Aisle
Independent voters are dissatisfied with the US government and want to see Republicans and Democrats work together under the Trump administration. This is according to a new poll released by The Independent Center.
27 Jan, 2025
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2 min read