POLITICAL INFLUENCE

May 11 2026EDUCATION

What Oregon’s education debate misses about the real classroom priorities

When local schools in Oregon grab headlines, the conversation often zooms in on union politics first. Two recent pages worth of reporting dug deep into disputes among teachers’ groups, quoting officials about budgets and contracts. But here’s the odd part—nowhere in those long discussions did anyone

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May 01 2026POLITICS

Science and Power: Who Should Really Run Research?

In 2026, dozens of top scientists received an unexpected message ending their roles on a key government board. The emails came without warning, saying their jobs were over immediately. Many had been picked for these positions years earlier. They were about to start work on a major report about Ameri

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Apr 30 2026POLITICS

The Autism Story Is Back in the Headlines – What It Means

Autism Acceptance Month, once a celebration of progress, now feels like a warning sign. The community’s hard‑won gains—like having autistic voices lead conferences and the passing of the Autism CARES Act—are being challenged by new misinformation. A recent press event featuring a health official

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Apr 28 2026POLITICS

Chaos Behind Climate Reports

The next big climate study, called the Seventh Assessment Report or AR7, is supposed to be finished by 2029 for a major global meeting. But the group that writes it, the IPCC, is stuck in Bangkok where member countries could not agree on a timetable. This marks the fifth time in a row that the sched

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Apr 26 2026POLITICS

Science Board Shake‑Up: Why It Matters

The White House surprised many by removing all 24 members of the National Science Board on April 24, 2026. The next meeting is set for May 5, but the board will be empty. The National Science Board was created in 1950 to guide the National Science Foundation, which gives about $9 billion a year f

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Apr 18 2026CRYPTO

Crypto Skeptic Turns Spotlight on Bitcoin

Ben McKenzie, once famous for a teen drama, now leads a new film that looks at the ups and downs of digital money. In his office, he wears a T‑shirt that carries the logo of FTX, the crypto exchange that collapsed after its founder was convicted of fraud. He admits his spouse won’t let him wear it a

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Apr 11 2026CRYPTO

Crypto Tokens Drop, Politicians Watch Closely

The price of the Trump‑branded crypto token, known as TRUMP, fell sharply to around $2. 86 after reaching a low of about $2. 73 in March 2026, according to CoinGecko data. Another token linked to the former president’s family, WLFI, a decentralized finance platform launched by his sons, slid to r

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Apr 10 2026POLITICS

Austin’s Police Unions Push Back Against Accountability

Austin’s police unions have found a new way to shift blame away from officers accused of misconduct. When an officer injured a protester in 2020, the unions filed a legal motion arguing that poor training—not the officer—should take the fall. But here’s the catch: they’ve known about training issues

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Apr 04 2026POLITICS

Judge Blocks Subpoenas Against Fed Chief—What Comes Next?

A federal judge recently refused to reopen a criminal case against Jerome Powell, the head of the U. S. Federal Reserve. The case started after a prosecutor close to former President Trump tried to force Powell out by digging up unrelated complaints. The prosecutors wanted records about renovations

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Mar 23 2026POLITICS

Microsoft Moves Former DOJ Officials Into Key Roles

In 2020, a cloud service called GCC High was introduced into the Department of Justice after a review by external auditors and an internal audit. The product, owned by Microsoft, soon became part of the federal government’s cloud marketplace, giving the company a prominent spot and free publicity. H

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