America’s 250th birthday will feature plenty of parades and fireworks. Yet behind the fanfare, the country has become deeply polarised https://t.co/rMAxtqDqLs ...

In Israel politics are more polarised and extreme than ever before. That will have far-reaching implications for the country’s future https://t.co/Zps0pKncBn ...

America’s 250th birthday will feature plenty of parades and fireworks. Yet behind the fanfare, the country has become deeply polarised https://t.co/EXtpKPtEZl ...

Political violence in a polarized US is surging, with the past five years of assassinations and attempts on the lives of politicians the highest on records dating back to the 1960s, a Bloomberg Geo-Economic analysis shows https://t.co/HNC3nHjlt8 ...

[Music] I had to make a lastm minute plane change to a different airline and I had to be at the airport to make the change. When I got there, I saw the line I needed to be in and it was one of those long Disney World lines. twisting, turning, endless.I said to myself, I'm going to miss this flight. But then I had an idea. I eased up into the belt barrier. I duck under it and eased toward the front of the line.No one noticed. Well, so I thought, till I saw an agent officer staring right at me. I pretended I ...

Polarization & Its Drivers - Polarization is defined as a movement towards extremes, eroding the moderate center where common ground is typically found [2] - The increasing polarization in society is not primarily driven by policy differences, but by profound differences in emotional understanding, specifically one's affective sense of the world [6][12] - Fear, as a primal emotion, is a significant driver of these divisions, influencing individuals' sense of safety and danger [8] Mitigation Strategies: The Three C's - The industry suggests a three-pronged approach to mitigate polarization: Connect, Curate, and Cultivate [13] - Connect: Emphasizes connecting to one's ethics and values such as integrity, dignity, honesty, and kindness [13] - Curate: Advocates for curating exposure to information, particularly on social media, which is identified as a causal factor in conflict due to algorithms designed to maximize engagement through moral outrage [14][15] - Cultivate: Highlights the importance of community, compassion, curiosity, and appreciation, encouraging individuals to engage in conversations with those holding differing viewpoints [17] The Role of Social Media - Research indicates that social media is not merely correlated with conflict but is causal, driven by algorithms and corporate interests that prioritize engagement through moral outrage [14][15] - Social media algorithms are designed to keep users engaged by tapping into deep-seated fears and presenting the world as a dangerous place, rewarding moral outrage [16] Connection & Empathy - Finding emotional empathy and connecting with others on emotional realities, even without agreeing on facts, is key to navigating polarized times [18][19] - Listening first and finding common ground are crucial for meaningful connection and appreciation, even when coming from different standpoints [17][18]

Themes and Identity - The comic addresses sensitive topics like identity, faith, and belonging with a direct approach, highlighting commonalities beyond surface-level differences [2][3] - The comic character Musul man represents people who feel like outsiders and fights for a multicultural India that is disappearing [4][5] - The creator views faith as fluid, celebrating multiple religious traditions and incorporating them into personal practice [3] Character Origin and Purpose - Musul man's origin story involves being born on 11/9 and being bitten by a radioactive goat [6][7] - Musul man's purpose is to fight Tanasha, with Chairman Mouse acting as a problematic figure influenced by Tanasha [9][10] - Musul man's kryptonite is lactose intolerance [11] Satire and Activism - The comic employs satire with equal opportunity offense, drawing inspiration from South Park's approach to making fun of everything [14][15] - The creator uses humor to confront fears and satire to reflect reality, incorporating elements like animals to enhance the satirical effect [16][17] - The comic is seen as a form of gonzo journalism, where the creator is immersed in the story and objectivity is secondary [17][18] Impact and Message - The comic aims to combat polarization by promoting unity and showing a way to a better place together [19][20] - Musul man's responsibility is to break stereotypes about Muslims and promote peaceful coexistence without compromising beliefs [22][23] - The next step for the character is a movie called Musul Manala, a cricket comedy [25]

We'll start with some politics in America and Republican Congressman and US C Senate candidate Barry Moore of Alabama becoming the latest lawmaker to be confronted by furious constituents at a town hall. Moore held an event in Daphne, Alabama last night that quickly went off the rails forcing him to leave in the middle of taking questions. The first question that we have is from Katherine Quinnley from Farho.They want to know who pays the tariff. Is it consumers or a true the exporting country. So right now ...

Core Argument - The core issue is the disconnect between citizens and their government, stemming from the fixed size of the House of Representatives [1][2][3] - The proposal is to uncap the House of Representatives and return to a system where its size expands with the population, aiming for a ratio of one representative per 400,000 people [16][17] Historical Context & Problem Definition - The House of Representatives was originally designed to be the "people's house," providing access to power for the average citizen [5][6] - For 120 years, the House expanded with the population, but a hard cap of 435 members was established in 1930 [7][9] - In 1930, one member of Congress represented just under 300,000 people; now, it's one member for every 800,000 citizens [9] - This increase in constituency size leads to representatives focusing on factions and special interests rather than the broader community [12][13][14] - Large congressional districts contribute to voter disengagement and a shift of power to the executive branch [14][15] Proposed Solution & Expected Outcomes - Uncapping the House would lead to approximately 881 members of Congress, based on a ratio of 400,000 people per representative [19] - A smaller playing field would foster more diverse membership in Congress, including third-party representation and diversity of political thought [20][21] - Expanding the House would mitigate the electoral college dilemma, reducing the disparity in voting power between states like Wyoming and California from 6:1 to 25:1 [22][23][24][25][26] - With 881 pieces, gerrymandering would become more difficult to execute, promoting fairer representation [27][28][29]

As political power is becoming more sharply distributed geographically and intensified by polarisation, Republican politicians are increasingly overruling, or “pre-empting”, policies in Democratic cities https://t.co/safqAy6QBt ...