political
On transgender student athletes: Just let them play
I received some needed clarity from an unlikely source while working on a column about recent legislation that has passed the U.S. House of Representatives targeting transgender athletes. “Trans Marathoner Defeats 14,000 Women in Race after Competing as Man Months Earlier,” reads the National Review headline. The wording seems to support the contention that transgender […]
In the face of unrelenting terror, teacher unions should force gun reform
As I teach my college-bound seniors “Antigone,” in what will be their final month and a half of school, I am asking them to consider: What laws are worth breaking? What superordinate priorities should people hold above what they’re told to do? For what would you be willing to sacrifice your comfort, your prosperity, your […]
DNC delivers blow to New Hampshire, Iowa with overhaul of primary calendar
(CORRECTION: A previous version of this story had an incorrect date for the Michigan primary.) The Democratic National Committee approved a presidential primary calendar Saturday that placed South Carolina as the first nominating state in 2024, pushing back New Hampshire and Iowa from their traditional spots in a party-wide push to diversify the early calendar. […]
U.S. House Republicans push through two anti-abortion measures in first work week
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday approved its first abortion-related measures under a new Republican majority, eliciting strong support from GOP members and opposition from Democrats, who rejected the legislation as misleading and incomplete. Republicans, who secured a four-seat majority during the November midterm elections, said the bill setting medical standards on a national […]
What does the speaker of the House do?
Second in the line of presidential succession after the vice president, the speaker of the House occupies a central role in our national government. But what is it that a speaker actually does? Most people think the speakership is a party office. It’s not. The speaker is selected by the full House membership, though the […]
Student loan repayment pause extended by White House amid legal battles over relief plan
WASHINGTON — The Department of Education announced on Tuesday it is extending the pandemic-era pause on federal student loan repayments until June 30 while legal challenges to the administration’s student debt relief program are fought over in the courts. The agency said if the student debt relief program has not been put in place by […]
Bill protecting same-sex marriage gains bipartisan support in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate cleared a key hurdle to passing a marriage equality bill Wednesday, garnering even more than the 60 senators from both political parties needed to move past a legislative filibuster. The bill, which could win final passage in the Senate as soon as this week, would ensure same-sex and interracial couples […]
What’s at stake this Election Day – 7 essential reads
As Election Day closes in, uncertainty and concern about potential chaos — from violence at polling sites to candidates refusing to accept defeat — continue to rise. Problems that have historically plagued the U.S. electoral and political system – like voter intimidation – are cropping up ahead of the midterms. But so, too, are less […]
An ‘unprecedented flood’ of book bans engulfs U.S. school districts, PEN report says
WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 2021-2022 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said. “What I […]
Americans think they know a lot about politics; too often they’re wrong
Ian Anson, University of Maryland, Baltimore County As statewide primaries continue through the summer, many Americans are beginning to think about which candidates they will support in the 2022 general election. This decision-making process is fraught with difficulties, especially for inexperienced voters. Voters must navigate angry, emotion-laden conversations about politics when trying to sort out […]