Democracy Archives

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Capitalism, Democracy, Europe, EU, Eurozone, and United Kingdom, Types of News: Brief

Progressives Take Economic Agenda Global as Spain Tests the Model

Spanish PM Calls for Snap Elections in November Amid Housing Crisis October 6, 2026—On the sidelines of the United Nations general debate in September, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was the featured guest at a breakfast hosted by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The two politicians, along with other progressives, put forward an economic agenda focused on larbor rights, a higher minimum wage, housing regulations and rent control, and social protections across borders. https://youtu.be/JWbihVjDirM While he is celebrated among progressive circles overseas, back home Sánchez faces a crucial test. On Monday, he called for snap elections on November 29. It comes at a time of political crisis in Spain and neighboring France over affordability. The impact of the November 29 el...

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

6Oct

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Big Tech, Digital Economy, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Crypto, AI, and Israel All Spending Big to Influence U.S. Elections

Spending by political action committees far outpaces what candidates running for office can and do spend. Follow the Money: PACs Lead Spending in the 2026 Midterms October 5, 2026—Campaign finance is where powerful interests intersect with government. The money spent does not just influence elections, it can also shape policies affecting society as a whole. In terms of money flowing through the campaign-finance system, political action committees (PACs) direct nearly three times as much money as candidates running for reelection or office. That concentration of money gives PACs considerable potential influence over which candidates reach—and remain in—office. The Power of the PAC Purse In terms of spending, candidates for office paid out$2 billion, while PACs reported $6.5 b...

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy

30Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Communism, Dictatorship, authoritarian, Democracy, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy

The Strange Irony of Using Government Funds for Self-Promotion Ads Against ‘Communism’ and ‘War’ President Trump is using $20 million from the Homeland Security Department to finance political ads promoting himself ahead of the midterm elections. September 30, 2026—Democracy is built on the notion that the government represents the will of the people in a system of checks-and-balances and adheres to a rule-of-law. It is not a given that democracies survive. In fact, modern-day dilemmas such as corruption, the increasing power of technologies and the firms that run them, and consolidation of power in the executive branch of government test the foundation. In the lead up to the nationwide November elections for Congress, President Donald Trump is also pushing the limits of what is a...

10Sep

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Finance, Currency, Debt, National Budgets & Interest Rates, Types of News: Brief, United States

Ahead of U.S. Midterm Elections, Trump Floats $5,000 Giveaway to Voters

President Donald Trump is testing the limits of U.S. election law and his popularity while promising cash to voters for wins. An Update on the U.S. Midterm Elections Outlook September 10, 2026—In what appears to be a desperate attempt to win political support ahead of the November midterm elections, President Donald Trump vowed to give every U.S. adult citizen $5,000 from the U.S. Treasury’s general fund if his Republican party maintains control of Congress. “Only I can make this promise to you, and here is my promise: If the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United States Senate, both of them, because of our economic, tremendous economic success, like in history we’ve never had anything like what’s happening. But because of our tremendous strength and success,...

Democratic World Order is ‘Crushed,’ Human Rights Watch Reports

4Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Communism, Dictatorship, authoritarian, Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Brief

Democratic World Order is ‘Crushed,’ Human Rights Watch Reports

February 4, 2026—Democracy is in retreat around the world, driven in large part by a “downward spiral” in the United States, according to the 2026 report by the Human Rights Watch, a nonprofit organization based in New York City. “Under relentless pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, and persistently undermined by China and Russia, the rules-based international order is being crushed, threatening to take with it the architecture human rights defenders have come to rely on to advance norms and protect freedoms,” Philippe Bolopion, HRW executive director. Democratic rights are at risk in the United States and around the world. Photo from Human Rights Watch video. Democratic Retreat While once viewed as a champion of democratic freedoms, the United States now leads the world...

America on the Brink of Turmoil, Tyranny and Perhaps Even Civil Conflict

26Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis, United States

America on the Brink of Turmoil, Tyranny and Perhaps Even Civil Conflict

Photo pulled from YouTube video by NYT photographer David Guttenfelder about Jan. 24, 2026 the Minneapolis shooting. Federal Immigration Crackdown Incites Fear, Killings, and Civil Protests January 26, 2026—The United States is on the brink of a national crisis and a government shutdown after the second killing by gunfire of an American citizen by federal forces. Conflict over immigration in the United States is adding to the pressures of growing inequality, corruption, and a national debt above $38 trillion. Tensions are rising due to the deployment of federal forces in U.S. cities who are now targeting U.S. citizens as well as immigrants. ‘Under Siege and Occupation’ Citizens in some cities and states report across social media that they feel under siege or occupation by U.S...

United States: Democratic Dysfunction Creates Costs, Uncertainty for Defense, GAO Says

23Jan

By No Comments

Democracy, United States

United States: Democratic Dysfunction Creates Costs, Uncertainty for Defense, GAO Says

January 23, 2026—In the United States, Congress has the authority and responsibility to manage the nation’s finances. It is tasked with passing 12 annual appropriations bills into law. More often than not, Congress fails to do its job. It routinely relies on continuing resolutions (CRs), which package several funding bills into a single bill to extend federal funding to agencies. In a recently released report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) looked at the impact of Congress’s use of CRs on defense planning. In all but four years of the last 49 years, funds for the Defense Department (A.K.A. War Department) were wrapped into CRs, creating uncertainty in planning. The GAO said the result is “delays, increased costs, operational challenges, spending challenges, and administrativ...

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Closure of Unit Meant to Resolve Police-Protestor Disputes

17Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Types of News: Brief, United States

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Closure of Unit Meant to Resolve Police-Protestor Disputes

Before Its Closure in October, CRS Mediated Racial and Ethnic Tensions One of the many cases in U.S. courts today over Trump’s policies is one about the Justice Department’s elimination of a program meant to peacefully resolve racial and ethnic tensions. Editor's Note: The following story is noteworthy due to the ongoing tensions in the United States over immigration, racial profiling, and the federal government's use of force in American cities. Democracy and civil society are being tested. The following story is one footnote in the series of unfolding events. January 17, 2026—One of the many cases in U.S. courts today over Trump’s policies is one about the Justice Department’s elimination of a program meant to peacefully resolve racial and ethnic tensions. The Community Relat...

Do Elections Alone Make American Democracy Strong? Supreme Court Justice Alito Weighs In

14Jan

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Types of News: Brief, United States

Do Elections Alone Make American Democracy Strong? Supreme Court Justice Alito Weighs In

Editor's Note: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, nominated by former President George W. Bush, has been called “the court’s most consistent conservative” on the 6:3 U.S. Supreme Court. At a time when many observers are looking to the Judicial Branch as a potential backstop against unchecked power, it is worth hearing what he has to say the state of U.S. democracy and the unchecked power of the presidency. January 14, 2026—In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito suggested that American democracy is “still strong” because “we have elections.” “The institutions are working at a certain level. But I think there are serious strains. I hope it’s the product of a particular era that is going to end when things settle down. But ri...

Judge Orders ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to Close on Environmental Concerns

29Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Immigration, Migration, Types of News: Analysis, United States

Judge Orders ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ to Close on Environmental Concerns

Florida Spent $245 Million on the Now-Closed Facility August 29, 2025—One of the most notorious migrant detention centers in the United States, located in the Florida Everglades, is closing over environmental concerns. The mass detention center, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," is the center of multiple lawsuits and widespread controversy due to its inhumane conditions and location. The roughly 336 detainees who had been held there have reportedly been moved. In June, President Donald Trump dubbed the massive facility “Alligator Alcatraz” because the surrounding swamp is “not a place I want to go hiking anytime soon.” “We’re surrounded by miles of treacherous swampland, and the only way out is really deportation,” Trump said in June at the announced opening. Deplorable Cond...