How Politics Compounded a Hostage Family’s Grief

On Friday, December 2, Elizabeth Whelan was at home on Chappaquiddick, off Massachusetts, when she received a text message from a State Department official—a representative from the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs—asking when she might be available for a visit. He had news concerning her youngest brother, Paul. “I thought, Okay, this is either one of those routine check-ins or something’s up and it’s probably not good news,” Elizabeth told me. Five days later, the official (whom she declined to name) arrived at her home. “It…

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Comic Book Fans Shun Superheroes’ Woke Makeovers

Did you know that Superman’s son is bisexual? So is Batman’s sidekick, Robin, and lots of other superheroes created by Marvel and DC Comics. The author of the bisexual Superman story says gay people write to say they “burst into tears” when they saw that the characters had become gay. While it’s nice to make LGBTQ+ people feel more welcome in the world, not everyone is happy. They became bisexual “out of nowhere!” complains comic creator Eric July in my new video. “They make it seem as if the only…

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What did we do in 2022? (Petitions Platform Edition)

This year, millions of MoveOn members took direct action, and because of your efforts and support, we’ve been able to make progressive change at every level. Signing a petition might feel underwhelming when it comes to taking action on some of our biggest issues that directly impact our lives—from abortion rights, climate and LGBTQ+ rights to fighting for racial and economic justice—but we know when we come together, we can see direct policy change and inspire movements. Petition campaigns have been around for years, and starting a petition is one…

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Congress drives CIO authorities deeper down at USDA, Justice, State

While the spotlight shines brightest on the fiscal 2023 omnibus bill around which agency got how much money and for which programs, federal employees can’t lose sight of the consolidated appropriations bill as a key policy document. Scattered throughout the 4,100 page bill, there are nuggets of new or ongoing requirements that impact every part of an agency’s mission. The Senate passed the omnibus bill Dec. 22 by a vote of 68 to 29. At the same time, the language lawmakers’ use provides insight into what they are paying attention…

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The Biggest Takeaway from the January 6 Report

The congressional committee investigating the January 6 insurrection delivered a comprehensive and compelling case for the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump and his closest allies for their attempt to overturn the 2020 election. But the committee zoomed in so tightly on the culpability of Trump and his inner circle that it largely cropped out the dozens of other state and federal Republican officials who supported or enabled the president’s multifaceted, months-long plot. The committee downplayed the involvement of the legion of local Republican officials who enlisted as fake electors and…

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