Explainer

April 19, 2019

When was the original Good Friday?

Today is Good Friday*, the religious holiday that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. Christians have celebrated the event for over two millennia. But what was the date of the original Good Friday?Almost Continue Reading...

March 28, 2019

Explainer: Republican lawmakers unveil paid family leave plan

What just happened? Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) re-introduced a bill yesterday (slightly modified from one from last year) that would allow parents to use their Social Security benefits to provide paid parental leave benefits following the birth or adoption of a child. Continue Reading...

March 21, 2019

Explainer: President Trump’s executive order on campus speech, student loans

What just happened? Earlier this month, at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), President Trump announced he would sign an executive order to promote free speech on college campuses. The president is set to sign to sign that executive order today, which he has vowed will require colleges to “support free speech” or face “very costly” penalties. Continue Reading...

March 13, 2019

Explainer: What you should know about the national debt

What just happened? Last month the U.S. Treasury Department reported that for the first time, the national debt has exceeded $22 trillion. What is the national debt? The national debt of the U.S. Continue Reading...

February 22, 2019

Explainer: Supreme Court constrains civil asset forfeiture

What just happened? On Wednesday the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Timbs v. Indiana that the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution applies to state governments and that some state civil asset forfeitures violate the Clause. Continue Reading...

February 08, 2019

Explainer: What you should know about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal

What exactly is the Green New Deal? Yesterday Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) released a proposed resolution titled, “Recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.” The document is a simple resolution, a proposal that addresses matters entirely within the prerogative of the House of Representatives. Continue Reading...

January 07, 2019

Explainer: What you should know about the U.S. president’s emergency powers

What just happened? Last Friday President Trump said he was considering using his national emergency powers to secure funding for the construction of a border wall between U.S.-Mexico border. “We can call a national emergency and build it very quickly,” said the president. Continue Reading...