<div><div></div>Blanca Castro, AARP's lead advocate in Sacramento joins us to discuss nursing home safety during COVID and what the legislature can do to protect seniors throughout the state. </div>

Bryan Miller

Blanca Castro with AARP on Nursing Home Safety During COVID

On March 9, the Liberal Party of Canada held an election to determine who will lead the party using a reform growing in popularity in cities across the US: ranked choice voting.&nbsp; The winner of that election was former Bank of Canada Governor&nbsp;Mark Carney.

The election, which in

On March 9, the Liberal Party of Canada held an election to determine who will lead the party using a reform growing in popularity in cities across the US: ranked choice voting.  The winner of that election: Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney.

Canada's Next Prime Minister Was Chosen Using Ranked Choice Voting

On Tuesday, March 18, the nonprofit reform group Open Primaries will host an online virtual discussion featuring a legendary figure in journalism: Chuck Todd, who moderated NBC's Meet the Press for nearly 10 years.

Todd is a well-known figure in media, but he is also one of the few main

On Tuesday, March 18, the nonprofit reform group Open Primaries will host an online virtual discussion featuring a legendary figure in journalism: Chuck Todd, who moderated NBC's Meet the Press for nearly 10 years.

Chuck Todd to Discuss Advancing Reform in a World Without Trust

Donald Trump's address to Congress last week is the latest in a string of highly partisan moves designed to please his base and needle his opponents.

Is Donald Trump Really All That Unprecedented?

Editor's note: This piece <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/bridging-common-ground/partisanship-divide-finding-common-ground">originally published</a> on The Fulcrum and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.&nbsp;

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As I think about Tuesday

As I think about Tuesday’s State of the Union address by President Donald Trump and the response of Senator Elissa Slotkin from Michigan—a former CIA analyst and a rising star in the Democratic Party—I am reminded of the book “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” by John Gray published in 1992.

A Tale of Two Parties: Democrats Are from Mars, Republicans Are from Venus

Pew Research Center published 7 facts this week about the changing face of Congress in the 119th session. On top of an increase in diversity, the research center found Congress is also slightly younger.

<a hre

Pew Research Center published 7 facts this week about the changing face of Congress in the 119th session. On top of an increase in diversity, the research center found Congress is also slightly younger.

Research Shows Congress Is Getting Younger, But No Less Divided

The heated confrontation in the White House Friday between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, continues to spur debate across the nation as voters are split on the US's support of Ukraine in its war with Russia.

The meet

The heated confrontation in the White House Friday between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, continues to spur debate across the nation as voters are split on the US's support of Ukraine in its war with Russia.

How An Unresponsive Government Is Affecting Public Support for Foreign Aid

Editor's Note: This piece <a href="https://www.independentcenter.org/articles/independent-voters-have-a-question-where-is-congress">originally published</a> on The Independent Center's website and has been republished on IVN with permission from the organization.

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If real, lasting change is to occur, it must come through Congress—not merely through executive orders that can be reversed by future administrations or overturned in court.

Independent Voters Have a Question: Where is Congress?

Dan and Shawn look at recent polling and explore whether one party is guilty of being out of touch with the majority of Americans or whether either party is speaking to the majority at all?

Is There a Party Left in America That Is in Touch with the American People?

American elections are becoming less competitive, and the consequences are eroding democracy. As The New York Times

American elections are becoming less competitive, and the consequences are eroding democracy. As The New York Times journalists Nick Corasaniti and Michael Wines report this week, most congressional and state legislative races in 2024 were effectively decided by low-turnout primaries or weren’t contested at all.

The Illusion of Competition in American Elections

SANTA FE, N.M. - A bill that could open primary elections to more than 330,000 New Mexico voters registered as "Decline to State" or "Unaffiliated" has been scheduled for a hearing Friday in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs committee.

"My hope with th

A bill that could open primary elections to more than 330,000 New Mexico voters registered as "Decline to State" or "Unaffiliated" has been scheduled for a hearing Friday in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs committee.

New Mexico House Committee to Take Up Independent Voters' Rights to Vote in Primaries

Editor's Note: This op-ed <a href="https://thefulcrum.us/bridging-common-ground/independent-voters-potential-power">originally published</a> on The Fulcrum's website and has been republished on IVN with permission from the publisher.&nbsp;

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Democrats are taking

Democrats are taking stock. Some are arguing for a major overhaul in light of growing defections of working-class, Black, and Latino voters. Others want to stay the course. Some want to work with Trump when possible while others advocate for a program of permanent resistance.

Facing Defections from Working-Class Voters, Democrats Turn to Independents for Help

Look up oligarch in a <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dic

Look up oligarch in a dictionary and you may find it defined as “someone who is extremely rich and powerful, especially a person from Russia who became rich after the end of the former Soviet Union.” Oligarchy is defined as “government by a small group of very powerful people.”

What The American Oligarchy Really Looks Like

The Arlington County Board voted 4-0 to continue using ranked choice voting (RCV) in its 2025 County Board general election, reaffirming its position as Virginia's first county to implement the system.

It carried broad support despite some concerns about funding for community outreach a

The Arlington County Board voted 4-0 to continue using ranked choice voting (RCV) in its 2025 County Board general election, reaffirming its position as Virginia's first county to implement the system. It carried broad support despite some concerns about funding for community outreach and voter education.

Arlington County Board Votes 4-0 to Extend Ranked Choice Voting -- But There's More

Over the past two weeks, JD Vance blamed European Allies for stifling free speech in their countries, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth blamed them for not spending enough on defense, and President Trump blamed Ukraine for starting Russia's invasion of their country.

NATO, Ukraine, and the Cost of America's 4-Year Foreign Policy

Editor's Note: This piece <a href="https://www.independentcenter.org/articles/how-do-i-contact-my-members-of-congress">originally published</a> on The Independent Center's website. It has been republished on IVN with permission from the organization.

<h3>The Big Picture</s

It’s February and Washington is still in the, “new year, new you” phase. We are a month and a half into a new Congress and a few weeks shorter than that into a new (ish) presidency. And like most of us with a New Year's resolution, Congress and the administration are still in the “haven’t given up on the diet” phase.  

Blanca Castro with AARP on Nursing Home Safety During COVID

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