Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas ended a monthslong saga last week by officially disclosing trips paid for by GOP megadonor Harlan Crow. The incident brought to light a key fact: Unlike other federal courts and the executive and legislative branches, the US Supreme Court does not have a formal ethics […] Read more »
Most Iowa GOP caucusgoers are ‘pro-life’ and ‘traditional’ conservatives
Iowa voters who are likely to participate in next year’s GOP presidential caucuses are self-described “traditional” conservatives and stridently opposed to abortion rights, according to new data from the latest NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom statewide poll. A whopping 80% of likely Republican caucusgoers said they would use the phrase “pro-life” […] Read more »
American democracy is cracking. These forces help explain why.
In a country where the search for common ground is increasingly elusive, many Americans can agree on this: They believe the political system is broken and that it fails to represent them. They aren’t wrong. Faced with big and challenging problems — climate, immigration, inequality, guns, debt and deficits — […] Read more »
Economic perceptions continue to be a weak spot for Biden
President Biden’s approval ratings have remained low since earlier this summer, with 42% approving of his handling of his job as president overall and just 36% approving of his handling of the economy. Forty-two percent also rate his handling of foreign policy as good. The AP-NORC poll conducted in June […] Read more »
Three-quarters of Republicans prioritize the economy over climate change
It’s hot. And some apparently don’t mind it that way. The latest heat wave is fueled by human-caused climate change from burning fossil fuels, but despite the settled science, the overwhelming evidence and the billions of dollars in increases for disaster preparation and recovery that climate change is costing the […] Read more »
Is Congress on a witch hunt? 5 ways to judge whether oversight hearings are legitimate or politicized
Congressional staffers stand beneath a monitor showing House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., in a hearing, July 19, 2023. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Claire Leavitt, Smith College Since Republicans regained the majority in the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, they have initiated a flurry […] Read more »