democratic

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECHNOLOGY

Craigslist turns 25 – a reminder that a more democratic version of the internet can still thrive

Fake news. Online surveillance. Phishing scams. Biased algorithms. It’s easy to be cynical about the internet, and harder to remember a time when being online felt less commercial and more democratic. But there was a period when websites didn’t rely on user data for profit margins, when people still viewed the internet as a radical laboratory for freedom and liberty. Can those ideas and values from the earliest days of the web be revived? Or is the internet a lost cause? In my new book, “An Internet for the People,” I look at one popular website that has a lot to teach us: Craigslist. Twenty-five years after its launch, Craigslist is a reminder that the earlier, more democratic version of the internet can still thrive. The platform has weathered the internet’s boom-and-bust cycle, wi...

Democratic candidates seek a big and unprecedented K-12 funding boost

18Feb

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

Democratic candidates seek a big and unprecedented K-12 funding boost

Democratic presidential candidates are proposing new approaches to the federal government’s role in public education. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders want to triple the US$15 billion spent annually on Title I, a program that sends extra federal dollars to school districts that educate a high percentage of poor children. Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants to go further and quadruple funding for that same program. Other candidates have similar proposals to substantially increase funding for public education, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hasn’t yet issued his education platform, or indicated where he stands on federal K-12 funding. Funding increases of this scale would tra...

As Democratic primaries near, educators can teach hope to a polarized citizenry

3Feb

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

As Democratic primaries near, educators can teach hope to a polarized citizenry

With the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary approaching many Americans are making their choice, although there are those who are still struggling with who to vote for. Elections often inspire hope, but that hope can quickly turn to political despair when candidates fall short of voters’ expectations. As a philosopher who specializes in citizenship education and political theory, I believe that political hope can be taught in schools and colleges. As I argue in my new open-access book, hope can lay a pathway to help citizens make good choices at the ballot box and sustain political engagement well after the polls close. Despair in democracy A recent study published in the Journal of Democracy found that across the globe citizens have “become more cynical” about the value of a democrati...

Democratic candidates want to boost school funding – research shows that will help low-income students

14Nov

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

Democratic candidates want to boost school funding – research shows that will help low-income students

Research shows that school funding impacts student achievement. Rido/Shutterstock.com With few exceptions, the various Democratic plans for public education share a common theme: more funding, less privatizing. Candidates Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders have promised to dramatically increase or triple current federal funding for low-income students and curtail charter school growth. Elizabeth Warren recently went even further, promising to quadruple federal funding for low-income students and end federal funding for charter expansion. These proposals have provoked a deluge of harsh responses from commentators. Increasing public education funding and limiting charters, critics say, is nothing more than pandering to teacher unions and demonizing charter schools. While this c...

17Oct

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

Journalism

Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings dies aged 68

As chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cummings led multiple investigations into Donald Trump. Cummings died early on Thursday after complications from longstanding health challenges [Patrick Semansky/AP] Maryland Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings died on Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital after complications from longstanding health challenges, his congressional office said. Cummings, who was 68, became the powerful chairman of a US House committee that investigated President Donald Trump, and was a formidable orator who passionately advocated for the poor in his district that encompassed a large portion of Baltimore. As chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Cummings led multiple investigations into Trum...