The nation had its first primary elections of 2018 on Tuesday in Texas. Much of the media’s focus has been on whether a “blue wave” will sweep the nation. Meanwhile, Republicans assert that Texas still has a deeper shade of red than any other state.

But there is something very important missing from the conversation: Whether a Texas voter is Republican, Democrat, independent, or a member of a third party, the meaningfulness of his or her vote depends on the party he or she belongs to.

I've never been a fan of politics. There are some great things out there, books and movies I enjoy, the occasional leader who does or says something worthwhile, but there is always a reserve, some part of myself I hold back. Mistrust, perhaps, or just knowing from history that even the best leaders have their limits. It's been an interesting life, I worked with a few stars as a child, met a few politicians, been held at gunpoint a few times, loved and lost, and considered politics but it never went anywhere. Deep trust or commitment has proven elusive.

The mainstream and social media's relentless appetite for "palace intrigue" stories about Washington bureaucrats and politicians warring with each other is absolute misery for all of us at this point.

Stop doing this to us. No one really wants this. Some people are just addicted to it. And I can't understand why, because it's just awful. It's boring. It's stupid. It's always clickbait. It just sucks.

Now is a pivotal moment for the millions of Americans who recognize that there is something terribly wrong with our government. That is why a coalition of over 80 civic action groups, called the Bridge Alliance, is kicking off its educational campaign #HealthyGov.

It's been a rough and uncertain road for ranked choice voting in Maine. It was the first statewide ranked choice initiative in the nation to get approval from voters, was made law in 2017, survived repeal attempts in the regular legislative session, but then was delayed and set for repeal in 2021 during a special session.

Americans have to admit that our democracy -- the great experiment -- is dead. Our government does not look or function as our Founding Fathers intended. In fact, it has failed in the fundamental purpose it was founded for -- to respond to the will of the people.

As a nation, we have found ways to subvert the will of the people by reversing how the voting process works. The use of gerrymandering has allowed those that run for office to select who will vote for them.

How can a party unite the independent majority and defeat the Republicans and the Democrats?

For decades, American voters have pretty much known about the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. As a matter of fact, those parties are believed by many to be the only ones.

During the last several years, tens of millions of people disillusioned with these establishment parties have felt like they are not represented. They feel as if they have no voice at all, and they have turned away from voting.

As inconclusive as Italy's vote was over the weekend, one thing is clear, the Five Star movement (M5S) is now in the driver's seat as the country's largest party.

Voters in Italy said no to the establishment and yes to the up start Five Star movement. An independent group that began its rise about 5 years ago.

Read about what really matters from the news last week. We provide you the least-biased news about current events so you can go about your day informed, not brainwashed.

Across the country on any given night, thousands of the nation’s veterans are homeless. While the VA touts successes in permanently housing these men and women, many more suffer. Veteran homelessness, however, is difficult to break down into numbers.