politics
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This week on Roots of Today we look at the history of American presidential debates — from the marathon Lincoln–Douglas encounters of 1858 to the viral soundbites of the modern era. Along the way, we’ll revisit the lines, gestures, and gaffes that shaped elections and defined how Americans saw their leaders. Because debates are more than performances Read more
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In early September 2025, President Donald Trump announced that he would deploy federal troops into several major U.S. cities to quell unrest — even if governors objected. The announcement immediately set off a wave of debate. Critics pointed to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, a law meant to prevent the use of the Army Read more
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At its best, the CDC is a scientific bulwark against disease. At its worst, it becomes an institution caught between science, politics, and profit. The question for us is whether the CDC can navigate these pressures and keep public trust — or whether the forces of politics and perception will continue to erode its authority. Read more
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On August 12th, 2025, the White House sent a formal letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, ordering a comprehensive review of exhibits, educational materials, and even social-media posts at eight museums. The goal, according to the letter, was to ensure all content aligns with the President’s March executive order to present “uplifting” and Read more
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In the United States, political power has always been counted—literally. From the moment the framers dipped their quills into ink and drafted Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, they established a system in which representation would not be apportioned by guesswork or political bargaining alone, but by an “actual enumeration” every ten years. Behind Read more
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In the previous episode, Episode 6 – The Voice of America, we diverted a bit and talked about how the VOA was used parallel to other media broadcasts run by the CIA to affect regime change in Latin American nations. One of those nations was Chile, where in 1973, the Nixon Administration used a variety Read more
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Republican majorities in the House and the Senate passed a rescissions bill that would cancel over 9 billion dollars in previously approved federal spending. Included in the cuts was financing that helped the Corporation for Public Broadcasting fund both PBS and NPR. And while this government funding is not the sole source of support for Read more
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Episode notes Donald Trump has famously labelled most of the mainstream press as both fake news, and the enemy of the people. For years Republicans had decried the problem of media bias as if it is some new phenomenon that began at some point during the Reagan presidency. However, if we are going to have Read more
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As the ice raids and massive deportations continue, labor shortages are inevitable, especially in the agricultural and construction industries. Estimates of the number of ice deportations vary from the official number of over 200,000, to about half that from independent sources. The number of self-deportations varies widely, from an official count of just over 100,000, Read more
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When President Donald Trump authorized the military strikes against three Iranian sites suspected as the key to that nation’s attempt to build nuclear weapons, it also started a political firestorm back in the United States. The reaction from Democrats was immediate. Firebrand New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was perhaps the most direct in her response. Read more
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