A constitutional convention, something thought impossible not long ago, is looking increasingly likely. Under Article V of the US Constitution, if 34 state legislatures “issue a call” for a constitutional convention, Congress must convene one. By some counts, the right wing only needs six more states. Once called, delegates can propose and vote on changes and new amendments to the US Constitution, which, if approved, are currently required to be ratified by 38 states. There are two major legislative pushes for a convention at the state level. One would attempt to engineer a convention for...…A constitutional convention, something thought impossible not long ago, is looking increasingly likely. Under Article V of the US Constitution, if 34 state legislatures “issue a call” for a constitutional convention, Congress must convene one. By some counts, the right wing only needs six more states. Once called, delegates can propose and vote on changes and new amendments to the US Constitution, which, if approved, are currently required to be ratified by 38 states. There are two major legislative pushes for a convention at the state level. One would attempt to engineer a convention for...WW…

The Swamp Fighters: Craig Aaron(Illustration by Christa Cassano)Craig Aaron took what he learned about freedom of the press at journalism school and built a career and movement around it — embodied in the organization . He’s championing First Amendment issues for the digital age. He’s fighting for net neutrality and an end to cable companies’ attempts to gain a monopoly over the free flow of online information.The election of Donald Trump posed innumerable challenges to Aaron’s work with Free Press. “Anything we’ve been able to accomplish over the last decade or so is completely under...…The Swamp Fighters: Craig Aaron(Illustration by Christa Cassano)Craig Aaron took what he learned about freedom of the press at journalism school and built a career and movement around it — embodied in the organization . He’s championing First Amendment issues for the digital age. He’s fighting for net neutrality and an end to cable companies’ attempts to gain a monopoly over the free flow of online information.The election of Donald Trump posed innumerable challenges to Aaron’s work with Free Press. “Anything we’ve been able to accomplish over the last decade or so is completely under...WW…

The Time of Suffering(Credit: iStock)Republican legislators in Mississippi are clamoring to add the to their tool kit for killing prisoners on Death Row.Disposing of inmates by lethal injection hasn’t been used in the state since 2012 because of lawsuits claiming it violates constitutional prohibitions against cruel and inhumane punishment, and because pharmaceutical companies have been curtailing the sale of the drugs needed to induce death. Now, with 47 people on Mississippi’s Death Row, some for decades, officials have itchy trigger fingers from waiting so long. Hence, the demand for an...…The Time of Suffering(Credit: iStock)Republican legislators in Mississippi are clamoring to add the to their tool kit for killing prisoners on Death Row.Disposing of inmates by lethal injection hasn’t been used in the state since 2012 because of lawsuits claiming it violates constitutional prohibitions against cruel and inhumane punishment, and because pharmaceutical companies have been curtailing the sale of the drugs needed to induce death. Now, with 47 people on Mississippi’s Death Row, some for decades, officials have itchy trigger fingers from waiting so long. Hence, the demand for an...WW…

'Friday Night Massacre' at US Postal Service as Postmaster General — a Major Trump Donor — Ousts Top OfficialsGovernment watchdogs, Democratic lawmakers, and pro-democracy advocates declared it a “ for the US Postal Service after news broke in a classic end-of-the-week dump that Louis DeJoy — a major GOP donor to President Donald Trump and the recently appointed Postmaster General — had issued a sweeping overhaul of the agency, including the ouster of top executives from key posts and the reshuffling of more than two dozen other officials and operational managers.“Trump is actively...…'Friday Night Massacre' at US Postal Service as Postmaster General — a Major Trump Donor — Ousts Top OfficialsGovernment watchdogs, Democratic lawmakers, and pro-democracy advocates declared it a “ for the US Postal Service after news broke in a classic end-of-the-week dump that Louis DeJoy — a major GOP donor to President Donald Trump and the recently appointed Postmaster General — had issued a sweeping overhaul of the agency, including the ouster of top executives from key posts and the reshuffling of more than two dozen other officials and operational managers.“Trump is actively...WW…

Is Trump Launching a New World Order?This post originally appeared at .That Donald Trump is a grand disruptor when it comes to international affairs is now a commonplace observation in the establishment media. By snubbing NATO and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, we’ve been told, President Trump is dismantling the liberal world order created by Franklin D. Roosevelt at the end of World War II. “” is the way Foreign Affairs magazine, the flagship publication of the Council on Foreign Relations, put it on its latest cover. Similar headlines can be found on the editorial pages of...…Is Trump Launching a New World Order?This post originally appeared at .That Donald Trump is a grand disruptor when it comes to international affairs is now a commonplace observation in the establishment media. By snubbing NATO and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, we’ve been told, President Trump is dismantling the liberal world order created by Franklin D. Roosevelt at the end of World War II. “” is the way Foreign Affairs magazine, the flagship publication of the Council on Foreign Relations, put it on its latest cover. Similar headlines can be found on the editorial pages of...WW…

The NRA within the SightsLast night, the New York Attorney General’s Press Office announced that Attorney General Letitia James would make “a major national announcement” today at 11:30 AM. When she appeared,.The , in part to improve the marksmanship of Americans who might be called on to fight another war, and in part to promote in America the British sport of elite shooting. By the 1920s, rifle shooting was a popular sport.In the 1930s, amid fears of organized crime, , to require all dealers to be licensed, and to require background checks before delivery. NRA officers insisted on the...…The NRA within the SightsLast night, the New York Attorney General’s Press Office announced that Attorney General Letitia James would make “a major national announcement” today at 11:30 AM. When she appeared,.The , in part to improve the marksmanship of Americans who might be called on to fight another war, and in part to promote in America the British sport of elite shooting. By the 1920s, rifle shooting was a popular sport.In the 1930s, amid fears of organized crime, , to require all dealers to be licensed, and to require background checks before delivery. NRA officers insisted on the...WW…

The Failed Promise of “Objective” Political ReportingThis post originally appeared on .There are two main reasons why the leaders of America’s elite newsrooms are so devoted to the journalistic practice commonly referred to as “,” which precludes reporters from “taking sides” in their political coverage —  even when one side is an obvious lie, or an affront  to core journalistic values like pluralism and democracy.The official reason is that they sincerely believe that press neutrality leads to a more informed electorate. They argue that voters will trust their news sources more...…The Failed Promise of “Objective” Political ReportingThis post originally appeared on .There are two main reasons why the leaders of America’s elite newsrooms are so devoted to the journalistic practice commonly referred to as “,” which precludes reporters from “taking sides” in their political coverage —  even when one side is an obvious lie, or an affront  to core journalistic values like pluralism and democracy.The official reason is that they sincerely believe that press neutrality leads to a more informed electorate. They argue that voters will trust their news sources more...WW…