deep dive

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Sanctuary Cities, Federal Power, and the Real Fight Behind the “Ban”
Bychrisconnors January 31, 2026January 31, 2026

Sanctuary city policies are often framed as politics, but they are really a bet on public safety. Research generally finds these policies do not increase crime, and in some cases reduce it. But Washington keeps coming back to the same pressure points, grants, lawsuits, and threats of withheld funding, and the same constitutional question: how far can the federal government go to compel local cooperation before courts say it has crossed the line?

Read More Sanctuary Cities, Federal Power, and the Real Fight Behind the “Ban”
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The New Boomtowns: How AI Data Centers Are Rewiring Power, Water, and Local Politics
Bychrisconnors January 29, 2026January 29, 2026

AI data centers look like ordinary warehouses, but inside they function like nonstop factories for computation, turning electricity into heat at a scale that forces tough local tradeoffs. In fast-growing clusters, they can strain power grids, push expensive upgrades, and intensify fights over who pays, while cooling demands raise new questions about water use in places already under stress. The debate is no longer abstract. It is about infrastructure, rates, reliability, and whether the AI boom gets built in a way that communities can actually live with.

Read More The New Boomtowns: How AI Data Centers Are Rewiring Power, Water, and Local Politics
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Noncitizen Voting: Two Votes in New Jersey, and the Myth of a Stolen Election
Bychrisconnors January 8, 2026January 25, 2026

Two Bergen County ballots. That’s what federal prosecutors say this case comes down to: two men accused of casting votes in the 2020 election while not U.S. citizens, then later denying it all. The allegations are serious, and the potential prison time is real. But in a country that counted more than 150 million presidential votes, cases like this are how a sliver of reality gives oxygen to the myth that 2020 was stolen.

Read More Noncitizen Voting: Two Votes in New Jersey, and the Myth of a Stolen Election
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Why Trump Keeps Coming Back to Greenland, and What It Could Mean
Bychrisconnors January 7, 2026January 22, 2026

In early January 2026, a joke from Trump’s first term returned with teeth: the White House confirmed renewed discussions about “acquiring” Greenland, with officials refusing to rule out military force. Greenland is not just a giant slab of ice. It is a strategic hinge between North America and Europe, a hub for Arctic surveillance, and a long-term bet on critical minerals. But treating it like a property flips a security question into a sovereignty crisis. What Trump wants, what Greenlanders can decide, and what this fight could do to NATO and the rules-based order are now colliding in public.

Read More Why Trump Keeps Coming Back to Greenland, and What It Could Mean
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Nicolás Maduro: How He Rose, How Venezuela Unraveled, and Why the Endgame Just Arrived
Bychrisconnors January 6, 2026January 22, 2026

Maduro was built as Chávez’s successor. He survived as Venezuela’s system cracked: oil dependence, disputed elections, crackdowns, sanctions, and an exodus of millions. Now his capture has turned a long political crisis into a global test of power, law, and what comes after.

Read More Nicolás Maduro: How He Rose, How Venezuela Unraveled, and Why the Endgame Just Arrived
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Did Trump Save You Money in His First Year?
Bychrisconnors January 3, 2026January 21, 2026

Steel prices jump in two weeks. A clinic shuts its doors. Washington calls it “savings.” But when the deficit shrinks because tariffs bring in record revenue and programs get cut, whose balance sheet improves, and whose gets crushed? In Trump’s first year, the federal ledger looked better on paper. For many families and small businesses, life got more expensive, more uncertain, and harder to navigate.

Read More Did Trump Save You Money in His First Year?
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ICE and the Immigration Equation: How Targeted Priorities Can Restore Trust—and Strengthen a Country Built by Newcomers
Bychrisconnors December 23, 2025January 22, 2026

The immigration system is strained—and how ICE enforces the rules can either build trust or deepen fear. Immigration can still be one of America’s biggest long-term advantages, but only if enforcement supports a credible, fair process. So what should ICE do to protect public safety and system integrity without undermining that advantage?

Read More ICE and the Immigration Equation: How Targeted Priorities Can Restore Trust—and Strengthen a Country Built by Newcomers
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U.S.–Venezuela, Explained: A Dangerous Showdown Over Oil, Strikes, and the Law
Bychrisconnors December 23, 2025January 20, 2026

In late 2025, Venezuela is colliding with the United States in a confrontation that’s no longer just about sanctions and speeches—but oil tankers, lethal strikes, and accusations of “piracy” and unlawful killings. Here’s the full picture of how we got here, what the law actually says, and why the ripple effects could reach Americans through gas prices, migration pressure, and a dangerous new precedent at sea.

Read More U.S.–Venezuela, Explained: A Dangerous Showdown Over Oil, Strikes, and the Law
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The For-Profit College Problem
Bychrisconnors December 20, 2025December 20, 2025

For-profit colleges promise flexibility, fast credentials, and a path to better jobs—but for millions of students, the result has been debt without a degree and careers that never materialized. As regulators once again crack down on predatory practices, the question remains: how did a system meant to expand opportunity become one that so often leaves students worse off than before?

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Understand | History

The Explosive History of the MAGA Slogan—America’s Most Divisive Battle Cry
Bychrisconnors December 16, 2025January 22, 2026

The MAGA slogan didn’t begin with Donald Trump—but it’s under Trump that the MAGA slogan transformed from a campaign line into an identity, a movement, and a cultural fault line. This story traces who used it first, what they meant, and why calling for “great again” can also mean arguing over whose America counts.

Read More The Explosive History of the MAGA Slogan—America’s Most Divisive Battle Cry
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How to Fix U.S. Health Care Costs (Without Breaking What Works)
Bychrisconnors December 15, 2025December 17, 2025

With enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of 2025 after a shutdown-era stalemate, many Americans could wake up in 2026 to higher premiums—and the same old question: why does care cost so much even when you’re insured?

Read More How to Fix U.S. Health Care Costs (Without Breaking What Works)
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What a Fed Interest Rate Cut Means: Risks and Rewards for Borrowing, Markets, and Your Wallet
Bychrisconnors December 10, 2025December 17, 2025

When the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points, it wasn’t just a financial headline — it was a shift that will ripple through borrowing, spending, markets, and the broader economy. Understanding how and why rates move reveals who benefits, who feels the squeeze, and how these subtle changes steer the nation’s economic future.

Read More What a Fed Interest Rate Cut Means: Risks and Rewards for Borrowing, Markets, and Your Wallet
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Redistricting and Gerrymandering: How Drawing Lines Shapes—and Distorts—American Democracy
Bychrisconnors December 9, 2025December 17, 2025

Every decade, political maps quietly reshape who holds power in America—often long before a single vote is cast. As new court battles, shifting demographics, and precision-engineered districts redefine the 2026 landscape, the fight over where the lines are drawn may matter more than the elections themselves.

Read More Redistricting and Gerrymandering: How Drawing Lines Shapes—and Distorts—American Democracy
Understand | History

How Labor Unions Changed Work in America
Bychrisconnors December 3, 2025January 25, 2026

From deadly factory fires to Hollywood walkouts, American unions have long been at the heart of battles over what work is worth and who gets a say. This story follows their rise, the protections they helped win, the forces that weakened them, and why workers and employers are still clashing over organized labor’s future.

Read More How Labor Unions Changed Work in America
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America’s Public Media Is in Crisis — What We Lose If Local Stations Go Dark
Bychrisconnors November 18, 2025January 21, 2026

Public media is facing its most severe crisis in decades as federal funding disappears and local stations risk shutting down. The loss of these broadcasters could leave millions without reliable local news, emergency alerts, and vital community information.

Read More America’s Public Media Is in Crisis — What We Lose If Local Stations Go Dark
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Inside America’s Nuclear Weapons: Aging Systems, Expensive Upgrades, and the Risks We’ve Learned to Ignore
Bychrisconnors November 13, 2025January 22, 2026

Beneath America’s heartland, aging nuclear weapons still stand ready—and Washington is talking about testing them again. As silos crumble and costs soar, the Cold War’s deadliest legacy is quietly waking up.

Read More Inside America’s Nuclear Weapons: Aging Systems, Expensive Upgrades, and the Risks We’ve Learned to Ignore
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The State of Abortion Rights in the U.S.
Bychrisconnors November 7, 2025November 20, 2025

Over the past decade, U.S. abortion policy has shifted from a federally protected right to a patchwork of state-by-state regimes. This Deep Dive traces the timeline, key legal and political shifts, and the human and system-level consequences — and looks ahead to where things may go next.

Read More The State of Abortion Rights in the U.S.
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The Shutdown Fight Over ACA Subsidies: What’s at Stake for 2026 Premiums, Enrollment, and State Budgets
Bychrisconnors November 4, 2025November 20, 2025

A weeks-long government shutdown has thrown America’s health coverage into turmoil. At the center of the fight: enhanced ACA subsidies that keep premiums affordable for 24 million people. With open enrollment already underway and no deal in sight, millions could soon face skyrocketing costs—and a crisis that reaches far beyond Washington.

Read More The Shutdown Fight Over ACA Subsidies: What’s at Stake for 2026 Premiums, Enrollment, and State Budgets
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Cryptocurrency Boom, Collapse & Regulation: What You Must Know in 2025
Bychrisconnors November 4, 2025November 20, 2025

Cryptocurrency promised a revolution—money without banks, code without borders, freedom from middlemen. Instead, it delivered one of the most dramatic boom-and-bust cycles in modern finance. From billion-dollar collapses like FTX and Terra to new global regulations reshaping how tokens work, crypto’s story has evolved from wild speculation to cautious rebuilding.

Read More Cryptocurrency Boom, Collapse & Regulation: What You Must Know in 2025
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Deferred Prosecution Agreements: How Corporations Avoid Prosecution—and Why It Matters
Bychrisconnors November 4, 2025November 20, 2025

Deferred Prosecution Agreements—known as DPAs—were meant to help small, first-time offenders get a second chance. Instead, they’ve become the corporate world’s ultimate loophole. From GM’s deadly ignition switches to HSBC’s cartel money laundering and Boeing’s fatal aircraft failures, this investigation explores how billion-dollar companies repeatedly avoid prosecution, pay manageable fines, and move on—while victims are left without justice.

Read More Deferred Prosecution Agreements: How Corporations Avoid Prosecution—and Why It Matters
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Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister and the Cost of His Power
Bychrisconnors October 31, 2025January 22, 2026

Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled Israel longer than anyone in its history — but his relentless grip on power has come at a staggering cost. From corruption scandals and alliances with extremists to the devastating Gaza war that’s left tens of thousands dead, this in-depth report traces how one man’s pursuit of survival has reshaped Israel’s democracy, its global standing, and the future of the Middle East.

Read More Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel’s Longest-Serving Prime Minister and the Cost of His Power