The next war
03/22/2018
It’s natural for people to fight the last war. And sometimes it’s absolutely necessary. Understanding how to limit the penetration and impact of fake news is critical. Preventing hacking into…
Forms of polarization
03/14/2018
We regularly hear that American politics is polarized. Those doing the talking mean very different things by the term. Some look at any 50/50 division as “polarized,” though such a…
Legal issues aside, popular March Madness pools grow more sophisticated
03/14/2018
Just as mouse clicks online have mostly replaced photocopied NCAA Tournament brackets filled out by pencil — often with a good eraser at hand — the popular pools themselves may be…
NCAA March Madness betting to top $10B, group says
03/12/2018
The vast majority of the billions of dollars bet on the 2018 NCAA “March Madness” men’s basketball tournament will be wagered illegally, according to estimates from a leading industry group.…
$10 billion estimated to be bet on March Madness, but only 3 percent of it legally
03/12/2018
Americans will bet more than $10 billion on the NCAA tournament, including office pools and traditional wagers with bookmakers, according to estimates released Monday by the American Gaming Association. Only…
Of waves and walls
02/28/2018
A blue wave is building, but it will crash into a relatively stable political system surrounded by high walls. The damage that wave will do to the GOP depends on…
Did Russia impact the election?
02/20/2018
“I think it [Facebook, Twitter, Instagram] helped me win all of these races where they’re spending much more money than I spent.” President Donald Trump, on “60 Minutes,” Nov. 13,…
‘All politics is local’ isn’t true anymore
02/13/2018
Consider some facts, and contemplate their implication: • The number of congressional districts producing split decisions — supporting one party for president and the other for Congress — was…
Immigrant hate during US history
02/06/2018
There’s not an ounce of original thought in Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant bigotry. It treads an ugly, but well-worn path in American politics. In famously asserting, “When Mexico sends its people, they’re…
The state of Trump and the Union
01/30/2018
President Trump and Co. are hoping to “reset” his beleaguered presidency with this week’s State of the Union address. History suggests it won’t happen. Rarely have State of the Union speeches…