The bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debate’s (CPD) 15 percent rule exacerbates the political divide in the US, leaves millions of voters unrepresented in presidential elections, and undermines fundamental democratic principles in order to protect the two-party duopoly.

As ballot measure activists gather petitions to put various propositions up for a vote on the 2018 California ballot, a few stand out as -- shall we say -- rather bold.

If they get enough signatures by the deadline, 2018 might have one of the wildest slate of voter initiatives in recent memory. It's as if activists might be thinking:

We talk about the political divide in Washington and the gridlock that prevents anything from getting done on Capitol Hill. Yet, if there is one thing both parties can agree on, it is the topic of defense, war, and foreign policy.

How the heck did it come so far, so fast?

That's certainly what comedian and blogger Beppe Grillo must be saying, just 7 years after starting Italy's fastest growing political party, the  Five Star Movement.

The groups co-founder, Gianroberto Casaleggio, passed away in 2016.

It’s every politician’s worst nightmare. They wake up in the morning to find negative stories trending about them on Twitter. Angry comments, calls, emails from their constituents flood the airwaves.

The PR team is assembled with one goal; squash the approaching firestorm.

The subject of health care reform is a battle that has been raging since the 1990s. This issue erupted when the cost of health care began to rise.

Coincidentally, the increase in costs rose around the time Healthcare Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) made their appearance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hRM2NmZtR0

Original Video Source: NowThis

NowThis posted a video recently of Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters who showed up at the "Mother of all Rallies," a rally in support of Donald Trump.

On September 19, the state of Wisconsin filed its reply brief in Gill v. Whitford, 16-1161, the case over whether extreme partisan gerrymandering violates the U.S. Constitution. The hearing will be October 3, 2017.

Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

Dr. Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont, and a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004, recently had some sobering words for the two major political parties in the United States.

Asbestos, widely used for centuries given its strong, heat-resistant properties, is a grouping of minerals usually found in soils and rocks. Predominantly made out of silicon and oxygen fibers, asbestos is used to insulate buildings and homes. It’s also used in ship-building, cement, car brake pads and hundreds of other products.