The California Senate race is well underway with the March 5th jungle primary less than 6 months out. Multiple big-name candidates have thrown their hat in the ring to replace the late Senator Feinstein, who served California since 1992. Of those big names, Representative Katie Porter is clearly the best progressive choice to represent the […]
Tag: Senate
16 Questions With “Queen Maker” Laphonza Butler
In light of Laphonza Butler’s recent appointment to the United States Senate, BPR is republishing Lindsey Anstead’s interview with her conducted in the Spring of 2022. This piece highlights her background as an organizer, her values, and her vision for the future of American politics. Since her ascension to the role of President in the […]
The Case for Senate Abolition
…my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy! – Obi Wan Kenobi Springtime in Berkeley effuses the air with a sense of unadulterated hope: the days become sunnier, the flowers bloom en masse, and the desiccated dreams of a political party seem as distant as the San Francisco fog. I am referring to President Biden’s […]
Minority Voters Save Democrats. Now, Democrats Must Save Minority Voters.
Fish live in water, humans breathe air, and minorities vote for Democrats. Right? I am a person of color and have aligned myself with the values of the Democratic Party, so it must be natural in American politics that voters of color will consistently turn out to elect Democrats. This seems to be the view […]
High Stakes in the Deep South — Mississippi Senate Seat Up for Grabs
The Democratic Party has managed to expand the electoral map in nearly every direction this cycle, making Republicans play defense in once-strongholds like Alaska, South Carolina, and Texas. Perhaps no other state becoming contentious is as shocking as ruby red Mississippi, where former US Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy is making a realistic bid to […]
Search Engine Politics: How Algorithms are Creating Political Controversy
With new and emerging technologies including social media platforms and search engines, old problems are being brought to the forefront once again. One of those issues is political bias and it is an issue that is now being discussed, investigated, and debated in the halls of Congress. Discussing political bias, Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter […]
To Spy or Not to Spy: Questions Raised by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
In June of 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama stated that “Given the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists before they strike while respecting the rule of law and the privacy and civil liberties of the American people.” However, he went on […]
Democrats Join the Mad Tea Party: The Contest Begins between Feinstein and De León
The December midnight was drenched in silence. A large crowd stared on from the harbor as the Sons of Liberty crept along the docks in Mohawk Native American costumes. They swept through the streets of Boston with one pursuit in mind: dump the coercive British tea. With the quiet punctuated only by the sound of […]
The United States… And Territories: America’s Paradise Lost
On October 13, one news headline stood out among the rest: “Trump says he spoke to U.S. Virgin Islands’ ‘president’ — which is him.” “Must’ve been a one-sided conversation,” one Twitter user noted. The Daily Show put out a video of Trump shaking hands with his “genetic replica.” This hilarity momentarily puts a spotlight on […]
Separation of Church and State?: What the First Amendment Really Meant
Ronald Reagan, known for his one-liners, often joked that “as long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public schools.” Though intended as a humorous aphorism, the debate over the role of religion in public schools has persisted over the decades. “Separation of church and state.” It is a mantra every American has […]