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Where do we even begin after Las Vegas? The shooting was so calculatingly evil, so tragic for the victims, and so sad for our nation. And yet we have been here before: after Sandy Hook, after the Orlando night club shooting, after Louisiana GOP Rep. Steve Scalise was shot in the capital this summer. Our reaction is always shock and sorrow – followed almost immediately by the same predictable partisan debate on guns. I fervently believe that electing more centrist independents can help break thr

Following some extraordinary media scrutiny, the City of San Diego has decided to send its Lifeguard Swift Water Rescue Team to Houston to assist in the search and rescue efforts. The Lifeguard team has tremendous experience in handling hurricane related rescue efforts, having saved lives in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. According to sources within the Lifeguard department, 11 members of the team and their equipment will immediately be heading to Houston. IVN was the first media outlet

Last week, Congress avoided a government shutdown by agreeing to a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded for another week. Then over the weekend, US lawmakers agreed to a deal that will extend funding through September while Congress and the White House continue to negotiate longer-term fiscal policy priorities. The US House passed the budget deal Wednesday. But amidst Washington's annual kabuki theater dance around fiscal policy and possible government shutdowns, a litt

Here at IVN.us, the integrity of the voting process is very important, so any hint of foul play or voter fraud is something we take an earnest interest in understanding and reporting accurately and comprehensively. As a forum for independent and third-party voters, the writers and editors here have also been very gracious toward and inclusive of the presidential candidacy and issues raised by Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein. I know a lot of people here continue to applaud her e

First of all, credit where credit is due: Donald Trump went on TV last night and told his supporters to “stop it,” with “it” referring to acts of violence and intimidation aimed at Latinos, Muslims, and other groups who were targeted in some ways by the campaign rhetoric. This was an important step in the right direction.But, on the same day that our president-elect took this encouraging step, he announced the appointment of former Breitbart chief Stephen Bannon as the Chief White House strateg

Why stick with third party and independent candidates in November, if Clinton and Trump have a combined 80% of the electorate in all major polls? In an election season that is anything but usual, one trend is holding up: outside campaigns are losing support in the last months of the race. The campaigns of Libertarian candidate Gov. Gary Johnson, Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein, independent candidate Dr. Lynn S. Kahn, and Veterans Party candidate Chris Keniston responded to a short question

Not to the cynical levels of declaring that more 'natural disasters' happen during election years, but it is true that the public perception of how candidates react is an important feature of the American political process. Since hurricane Katrina in 2005, a president choosing to not survey the damage or sympathize with the sufferers in person has become a national symbol of neglect -- the power of the president to bring the spotlight to the area is considered an important element to the whole

We are staring down the barrel of one of the ugliest general elections for president of our lifetime, and many of us are wondering about our lack of choice. Like it or not, we Americans have just two parties that have elected all of our presidents since 1860, and they each put up one candidate. So it follows that about a year ago, 20 candidates running for president each chose one of these two parties, whether they liked that party or not. On the Republican side, 17 candidates with disparate p

As we stare down the barrel of one of the ugliest general elections for president of our lifetime, maybe a look back at what brought us to this point would be worthwhile. During the primaries, it was quite a spectacle on the Republican side, as 17 “Republican” candidates shoe-horned themselves into the Grand Old Party.  To be viable, these candidates were forced to choose one of the two parties that have elected all of our presidents since 1860. As the GOP primaries progressed, political pundit

FairVote has compiled and analyzed state-by-state data on voter turnout for the 2016 presidential primaries. Released today, it reviews trends in voter turnout nationally since 2000, as well as differences in turnout by party. Also included is a deeper analysis of the 23 states which held competitive primaries in both 2008 and 2016, exploring the effects of primary type (open, closed, or hybrid) and voter access laws. A full report can be downloaded from FairVote’s website. Record Breaking Rep