Democracy Archives

Trump Deploys National Guard Soldiers to DC Against Homeless, Civilians

11Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Human rights, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trump Deploys National Guard Soldiers to DC Against Homeless, Civilians

August 11, 2025—In the latest display of executive power, President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., taking over the nation’s capital with military force. “This is liberation day in D.C., and we’re going to take our Capitol back. We’re taking it back…. I’m officially invoking Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. You know what that is? And placing the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control,” Trump said. “In addition, I’m deploying the National Guard to help reestablish law, order, and public safety.” The White House declared a "crime emergency" and placed the District under the control of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The plan involves 800 National Guard troops charged with removing homel...

Globally, Dissatisfaction With Democracy Grows

10Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Types of News: Brief

Globally, Dissatisfaction With Democracy Grows

July 10, 2025—An increasing number of people in Western democracies are expressing dissatisfaction with the quality of their representation in government, according to an annual survey by Pew Research. The survey shows that a median of 64 percent of adults is dissatisfied with the way democracies are working today, up from 49 percent in 2017. Pew’s research suggests that people still prefer the idea of representative government but are “frustrated with political elites or feel their views are not truly represented in government.” Survey countries included Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The results varied widely with the highest dissatisfaction rates coming from the United States...

U.S. Removes Welcome for Students from China

29May

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Globalization, Disintegration, Nationalism, Populism, Types of News: Brief, United States

U.S. Removes Welcome for Students from China

State Department Announces 'Aggressive Revocation' of Visas for Chinese Students May 29, 2025—In another move to assert control over U.S. universities, the Trump Administration announced an aggressive policy to revoke visas for students from China. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the department and the Department of Homeland Security would “aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.” He said the government would also scrutinize future visa applications from China and Hong Kong. The change in policy impacts more than 270,000 students of the 1.1 million international students enrolled in U.S. universities. Moreover, the decision is expected to have a detrimental financial impact ...

Trump Escalates Battle With Universities

23May

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Democracy, Diplomacy and International Law, Middle East, Types of News: Brief, United States

Trump Escalates Battle With Universities

DHS Says Harvard Conducts ‘Pro-Terror’ Activities May 23, 2025—As part of its ongoing battle to control U.S. federally-funded universities, the Trump Administration amplified its criticism of Harvard University on Thursday, accusing the 388-year old U.S. institution of carrying out “pro-terrorist conduct.” Harvard University responded forcefully, saying the government is trying to "control whom we hire and what we teach." The university was quick to file a lawsuit, which a federal judge supported with a restraining order against the government on Friday. But the federal action leaves both the university and students in limbo. Specifically, the Department of Homeland Security decertify the institution’s student and exchange visitors program. “This administration is holding Harvard...

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay

10Dec

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Middle East, Types of News: Brief

Corruption Case Proceeds Against Israeli PM After A Long Delay

Netanyahu Has Avoided Facing Court And Potentially Years in Prison Update as of September 6, 2026—The criminal trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and three co-defendants resumed in the Jerusalem District Court after a Summer break. The prime minister testified in June. This month, the defense team interviewed their witnesses. Reuters video stream Dec. 10, 2024 December 10, 2024—After a long delay, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an Israeli court today in resumption of a criminal trial on charges dating back to 2019. “Everything is at stake,” said Alexis Bloom, director of the 2024 documentary, “The Bibi Files,” during an interview with MSNBC. “This trial is an incredibly important event for Netanyahu, and he’s been assiduously trying to avoid testi...

Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024

6Mar

By No Comments

Democracy, Types of News: Brief, United States

Top PAC Recipients in the U.S. House 2023-2024

Eye on Politics March 6, 2024-As the U.S. political cycle kicks into higher gear, it's time to take a closer look at who is running with what resources. Political action committees, known as PACs, play a significant role in U.S. elections. Below is a list of House members receiving the most PAC money, according to data from Open Secrets. The top receiver, Jason Smith, Republican from Missouri, is chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. The top five contributors to Rep. Smith in the 2023-2024 cycle are the National Association of Realtors, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Apollo Global Management, Herzog Contracting, and the Alliantgroup. For more on American democracy, see Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Flout Democracy from September 30, 2026....

El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America

29Jul

By No Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Human rights

El Salvador’s Bukele Rises In Popularity In Latin America

July 29, 2023—Reporting for the Los Angeles Times, Kate Linthicum describes El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has become a "hero on the right" for Latin American leaders even as human rights groups cry foul. It's been four years since Bukele took office and two years since he declared himself as the world's "coolest dictator." Today, many in Latin America view the president as a model for fighting gangs, violent crime, and corruption, even if it comes at the cost of civil liberties. Critics complain that the El Salvadorian leader embraces authoritarianism, but "as homicides plunged, Bukele's approval ratings skyrocketed," Linthicum writes in a LAT report this week. Even as he clears the way for mass criminal trials of hundreds of people at a time, his popularity rises in count...

Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico

28Feb

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Climate Action, ESG, Sustainable Finance, Communism, Dictatorship, authoritarian, Democracy, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

Tesla’s Interesting Timing On A New Factory In Mexico

AMLO Welcomes The Deal, Rails Against U.S. Government And Critics Of Electoral Law Feb. 28, 2023—Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced today that Tesla plans to build a new electric vehicle plant in Monterrey, Mexico, the second largest city in the country. He hailed the investment as something that would bring well-paid jobs to the region. The new Mexico-based factory will join a Tesla fleet of factories: four in the United States, one in China, and one in Germany. Furthermore, it will benefit from $369 billion worth of U.S. subsidies for clean energy that Congress included as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The company is likely to announce more details Wednesday during its planned "Investors Day." The news comes as countries and companies recalibrate...

It’s A Rocky Start To The New U.S. Congress

3Jan

By No Comments

Democracy, United States

It’s A Rocky Start To The New U.S. Congress

118th Congress begins with no Speaker named to the House. With No Leader Named In The House, Work Cannot Begin January 3, 2023—As U.S. lawmakers opened a new session of Congress today under the slimmest margins of power. Although Republicans won a majority of seats in the House, intraparty conflict is preventing them from establishing control. With slim margins in both chambers, it is likely to be a weak Congress unless the two parties find room for compromise. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R, failed to garner enough votes to become the new Speaker as 19 Republicans rejected him in back-to-back votes. In the first two ballots of the House, McCarthy won only 203 votes. In contrast to Republican infighting, Democrats voted unanimously for their leader Hakeem Jeffries, who received a total of...

House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work

3Jan

By No Comments

Corruption, Bribes, Illicit Finance & Money Laundering, Democracy, Types of News: Brief, United States

House Committee Investigating January 6 Ends Work

The House Jan. 6 Committee released its final report on Dec. 19, 2022. Investigation Shows The Fragility of U.S. Democracy January 3, 2023—As a new Congress begins to take shape in Washington, the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol completed its work. At its core, the committee upheld its purpose of defending democracy in the United States. A key tenet of democracy is free and fair elections. In the 2020 presidential elections, the country nearly lost in fulfilling that promise to the people. Former President Donald Trump used every means possible—including a violent attack on the legislature—to hold onto power. As the truth came to light, the evidence showed the fragility of the republic itself and the key tenets of democracy i...