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Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #227

Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over district-provided housing for teachers and staff In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school […]

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Oct 14 • 4:00 PM EDT • Politics • news.ballotpedia.org
Commentary: New Hampshire sure is beautiful this time of year, apolitically speaking

It’s mid-October, and New Hampshire has never been more stunning. How stunning? The autumn reds and golds are barely muted by the pall of another election season. Not that this campaign cycle hasn’t tried its soulless best to drape the landscape in gray.

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Oct 14 • 3:44 PM EDT • Politics • newhampshirebulletin.com
Commentary: Karen Bass says L.A.'s political establishment doesn't like Raman. Well, boo hoo

Karen Bass says L.A.'s political establishment doesn't like Raman. Well, boo hoo

latimes.com logo
Oct 14 • 1:34 PM EDT • Politics • latimes.com
Should you turn to AI for mental health advice?

The following expert commentary can be used by journalists and media organizations in their own publications and news coverage. Please attribute all quotes to Lokesh Shahani, MD, PhD, psychiatrist and chief medical officer, UTHealth Houston School of Behavioral Health Sciences. The on-demand availability of artificial intelligence chatbots means that most individuals have quick, easy access to a wealth of information. The ease and accessibility of these tools may make it tempting

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Oct 14 • 9:55 AM EDT • Health • newswise.com
Commentary: Memphis, Shelby County officials do little to mobilize voter engagement

Memphis and Shelby County elected officials are doing little to engage voters and promote turnout, writes Rev. Earle Fisher.

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Oct 13 • 2:53 PM EDT • Politics • tennesseelookout.com
Commentary: Access to rural healthcare is bigger than hospitals – and North Carolina is leading the way

Health begins long before someone steps foot in a doctor's office. Public health experts call these factors the social determinants of health. If you don't have a balanced diet or access to nutritious foods, your health suffers.

ncnewsline.com logo
Oct 13 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • ncnewsline.com
Commentary: The time for keeping beluga whales captive for our entertainment has passed

Editor’s Note: Since this column was written, another transferred beluga died on Oct. 7.

thesunchronicle.com logo
Oct 13 • 12:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • thesunchronicle.com
COMMENTARY: How Tennessee can beat Alabama on Saturday

How does Tennessee leave Neyland Stadium with a third straight home win over Alabama?

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Oct 12 • 2:05 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Commentary: Native small business owner: Main Street needs someone in the room

I started Lakota Made in 2018 at my kitchen table with six salves, made from plant medicines I learned from Lakota elders. Today, we have a storefront on Riverfront Drive, a small production team, more than 100,000 online orders and customers in 213 countries and territories around the world. Our social media community has 179,000 […]

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Oct 12 • 10:45 AM EDT • Business • minnesotareformer.com
Commentary: Washington shouldn’t gut the Head Start standards Illinois families depend on

Changes proposed by the Trump administration would remove evidence-based standards that support quality instruction, protect children's safety and promote healthy development.

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Oct 12 • 9:45 AM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
Commentary: Democrats can become the party of business

For half a century, Republicans have worn the “party of business” label like a permanent badge — tax cuts, deregulation, tough trade talk — while Democrats have too often ceded

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Oct 12 • 8:30 AM EDT • Business • yakimaherald.com
Commentary: Michigan needs more behavioral health professionals.

There is a particular kind of frustration that comes with needing mental health care: finally deciding to ask for help, making the call, and then being told the next available appointment is weeks or months away.

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Oct 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • michiganadvance.com
Commentary: Andrew Bailey is back in Missouri and talking like a candidate

Andrew Bailey is back in Missouri after leaving the FBI, railing against Jefferson City insiders who helped build his political career.

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Oct 12 • 6:50 AM EDT • Politics • missouriindependent.com
Commentary: Debates have changed the course of U.S. history. They could change Tennessee’s.

The Tennessee Press Association will hold a gubernatorial debate with Democrat Jerri Green and two independent candidates.

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Oct 12 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • tennesseelookout.com
Commentary: Healthcare is broken, and it's time for leaders in New Hampshire and the nation to act

Standing outside the New Hampshire State House on Tuesday morning, surrounded by Granite Staters gathered for Protect Our Care’s “Sick of It! Fix Health Care Now” bus tour rally, I spoke about what I saw when I was president of the Manchester NAACP with respect to our broken healthcare system.

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Oct 12 • 4:55 AM EDT • Health • newhampshirebulletin.com
Commentary: Pennsylvania's GOP members of Congress are failing us on measles.

Tragically, more than 1,000 people in Pennsylvania have been infected with measles in 2026, now associated with 198 hospitalizations and five deaths. In neighboring New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul just declared a statewide health emergency as cases surge in rural counties. Yet of Pennsylvania’s 1,078 cases in 41 counties (as of last Thursday), less than […]

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Oct 12 • 2:48 AM EDT • Health • penncapital-star.com
ESPN United Kingdom - Serving Sports Fans. Anytime. Anywhere.

Visit ESPN to get up-to-the-minute sports news coverage, scores, highlights and commentary for Football, Cricket, Rugby, F1, Golf, Tennis, NFL, NBA and more.

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Oct 11 • 10:46 PM EDT • Sports • espn.co.uk
Commentary: I opened a primary care practice. Now I see why doctors are giving up.

Traditional health insurance pressures doctors to work at volume, or if they add layers of bureaucracy that independent physicians can't easily handle, writes Dimitri Coupet, who says it's time to consider formalizing a direct payment of care model.

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Oct 11 • 2:23 PM EDT • Health • marylandmatters.org
COMMENTARY: Share turkey not politics this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to reflect on life in general and to appreciate all the good things in it.

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Oct 11 • 12:00 PM EDT • Politics • cochraneeagle.ca
Singapore Grand Prix with Verstappen on pole and Ferraris behind

Follow live text updates and listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary of the Singapore Grand Prix.

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Oct 11 • 7:06 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Commentary: Arkansas football challenges No. 15 Tennessee but falls flat in the final 5 minutes

The Razorbacks had a solid defensive game plan and 3 takeaways, and broke out a running attack in the third quarter, but end-game decisions and lack of execution proved costly.

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Oct 10 • 9:40 PM EDT • Sports • wholehogsports.com
Column: A great place for business, family

Commentary by Zackary Jerome Darring When I think about Carmel, Indiana, I don't just think about a city — I think about home. As a 33-year resident and one of the first minority-owned business operators in Carmel, my story is woven into the very fabric of this remarkable community. From

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Oct 10 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • youarecurrent.com
The iPhone Duo’s Unfolding Animation Is Giving Z Fold 8 Owners FOMO, but Not Me

Commentary: While there are ways to recreate some of the iPhone Duo’s style on an Android device, it feels a little desperate to me.

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Oct 10 • 5:00 AM EDT • Technology • cnet.com
Commentary: Not even Tom Cruise could save ‘Digger’

Continuing a concerning trend for Warner Bros. in 2026, its latest release is buried in a financial hole no film can escape. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s "Digger" arrived over the weekend

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Oct 9 • 11:04 AM EDT • Entertainment • recorderonline.com
Commentary: Corrections isn’t a political sideshow. Michigan’s next governor must make it a priority.

As Michigan Advance’s Katherine Dailey reported Tuesday, the next governor will inherit a department facing severe staffing shortages, violence, concerns about conditions inside its facilities and bipartisan calls for new leadership.

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Oct 9 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • michiganadvance.com
F1 practice LIVE: Singapore Grand Prix 2026 times, results & commentary

Follow live text updates and listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary of the only practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix.

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Oct 9 • 4:05 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Commentary: The health of our democracy
yahoo.com logo
Oct 8 • 6:58 PM EDT • Health • yahoo.com
Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #226

Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over Career and Technical Education (CTE) In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members […]

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Oct 7 • 4:00 PM EDT • Politics • news.ballotpedia.org
Microsoft Surface and Windows Event 2026: All the Announcements and Analysis Live From San Francisco

Today's the day! We hope to learn fresh details about the Surface Laptop Ultra, the next chapter for Windows, and the future of Copilot at Microsoft's fall event. Follow along with all of our expert commentary and on-the-ground updates, and tune in to the livestream later this afternoon.

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Oct 7 • 10:30 AM EDT • Technology • pcmag.com
Issue 3: What’s on the table?

In an earlier column, we reviewed the economic-development tools currently available in Arkansas and how Issue 3 can expand that toolbox by authorizing the General Assembly to provide for economic...

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Oct 6 • 11:42 PM EDT • Business • talkbusiness.net
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Issue 3: What’s on the table?

In an earlier column, we reviewed the economic-development tools currently available in Arkansas and how Issue 3 can expand that toolbox by authorizing the General Assembly to provide for economic...

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Oct 6 • 11:42 PM EDT • Politics • talkbusiness.net
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COMMENTARY: Exploring the pros and cons of Brandon, MacIntyre

Who should Tennessee start at quarterback for the remainder of the 2026 football season?

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Oct 6 • 1:50 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Commentary: The Trump train runs out of steam

The Donald Trump who took the stage in Mobile on Friday was a far cry from the Trump who packed Ladd-Pebbles Stadium in 2015.

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Oct 6 • 5:57 AM EDT • Politics • alabamareflector.com
Commentary: What I learned from reading over 200 Alabama political campaign sites

Amid the posed photos, posturing and ceaseless quests for the center, at least five trends in state elections emerged.

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Oct 5 • 5:59 AM EDT • Politics • alabamareflector.com
Buy Rating Reaffirmed Might Change The Case For Investing In Astrana Health Stock

Astrana Health recently reported quarterly results showing solid revenue growth and higher net profit for the period ending June 30, with a reaffirmed Buy rating from Freedom Capital Markets serving as supporting commentary on the business performance. The combination of rising quarterly profitability and revenue momentum suggests Astrana Health is executing on its healthcare model, with analyst confidence reflecting how that operating progress is being interpreted by the market. This...

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Oct 5 • 5:12 AM EDT • Health • simplywall.st
Bulgaria U21 v Scotland U21

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Bulgaria U21 vs Scotland U21 in the UEFA U21 Championship Qualification

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Oct 5 • 4:25 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
NI team will 'have bumps along the road'

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Northern Ireland vs Georgia in the UEFA Nations League

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Oct 4 • 1:29 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME) Stock Sees Modest Fair Value Cut After Analyst Caution

Tencent Music Entertainment Group has seen its fair value estimate move from US$13.17 to US$12.58, signalling a modest trim to the price target in the latest update. This shift lines up with recent analyst commentary that points to more cautious assumptions on growth and execution, including a move by one firm to a Hold rating even as others still see upside potential. As you read on, you will see how these price target adjustments fit into the broader, evolving narrative around Tencent Music...

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Oct 4 • 1:06 PM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com
COMMENTARY: Should MacIntyre or Brandon be QB1 this week?

Tennessee football has a legitimate quarterback controversy. Hope it doesn't ruin Faizon Brandon.

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Oct 4 • 11:09 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Manchester City v Arsenal

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Manchester City vs Arsenal in the Women's Super League

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Oct 4 • 10:11 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Everton v Birmingham City

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Everton vs Birmingham City in the Women's Super League

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Oct 4 • 7:34 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Guest Commentary: Affordability without access isn’t sound health policy

Byron Donalds’ record of politicizing his health policy is harmful, writes a former healthcare CEO.

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Oct 4 • 5:30 AM EDT • Health • orlandosentinel.com
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Commentary: Universal public health insurance is the answer

Employer-sponsored health insurance is rapidly deteriorating. In 2027, premiums are expected to see their largest single-year increase in two decades, jumping 11% and closing in on a nearly five-fold increase

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Oct 3 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • yakimaherald.com
Commentary: We can fix youth sports in America. Here’s how

The bleachers were packed for the 1989 Little League championship game because every kid in my community played in the same league, and if they weren’t in the game, they

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Oct 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Commentary: Can Letterboxd stay Letterboxd under studio ownership?

Letterboxd, once a niche social network for cinephiles to review, recommend and discover films, is now the subject of a potential nine-figure acquisition. As reported by the New York Times

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Oct 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Thursday Night Lights: Eastwood vs. Pebble Hills

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — High school football action starts on Thursday, Oct. 1 and KTSM+ is the place to watch our Thursday Night Lights game! EP Broadcast Company will be livestreaming the Eastwood vs. Pebble Hills game on KTSM+, set to kick off at 7 p.m., with color commentary provided by Mando “The Monster” […]

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Oct 1 • 8:48 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Nina Simone, Langston Hughes and their forgotten creative collaboration

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

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Oct 1 • 9:02 AM EDT • Entertainment • caledonianrecord.com
Commentary: The tech threat to women’s privacy

In late August, Texas and Florida became the latest states to limit the use of Flock cameras, an artificial intelligence-powered network of automated traffic surveillance devices, in response to growing

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Oct 1 • 4:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Disney, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, People and Reservoir Media

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – October 1, 2026 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Disney DIS, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. MSGE, People Inc. PPLI and Reservoir Media RSVR.Industry: Media ConglomeratesLink: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/2998250/4-media-stocks-that-are-worth…

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Oct 1 • 2:59 AM EDT • Entertainment • tradingview.com
Commentary: Peltola's words create a teachable moment, but an apology is required.

We can show Alaska and the nation that apologies are a sign of wisdom and strength, that choosing words of compassion matters, and that people of good character can win elections.

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Sep 30 • 5:00 PM EDT • Politics • alaskabeacon.com
Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #225

Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over AI in the classroom In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate […]

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Sep 30 • 4:00 PM EDT • Politics • news.ballotpedia.org
Commentary: Eric Schmitt’s Hawks-Hawkeyes blunder and the politician he’s become

Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt accused Jack Smith of perjury over a Hawks-Hawkeyes mix-up, highlighting how his political style has changed.

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Sep 29 • 4:22 PM EDT • Politics • missouriindependent.com
The Annual Entrepreneurship Conference at Harvard Business School

Learn more about the latest updates in legal, with expert commentary and insights from trusted attorneys from Foley Hoag LLP. Foley Hoag is a professional community of highly qualified attorneys from all over the US.

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Sep 29 • 10:41 AM EDT • Business • foleyhoag.com
Commentary: Universal public health insurance is the answer

Employer-sponsored health insurance is rapidly deteriorating. In 2027, premiums are expected to see their largest single-year increase in two decades, jumping 11% and closing in on a nearly five-fold increase

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Sep 29 • 6:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Catching Our Eye News Roundup, Sept. 29, 2026

Every morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio and around the country and world that is catching our attention. We call this feature Catching Our Eye, republished here.

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Sep 29 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • ohiocapitaljournal.com
Commentary: Never heard 'Choosin' Texas'? Consider that a wake-up call

Music fans and journalists who spent the last few months looking for the song of the summer faced a plot twist fit for Hollywood: The winner was a single released

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Sep 29 • 5:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • recorderonline.com
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Commentary: Appalachian Ohio and its people don't exist to be exploited by politicians and industry. Stop.

Data centers will not make Appalachian Ohio a “benefit zone,” but a sacrificial zone. Appalachian Ohio doesn’t exist to be recklessly exploited by politicians and industry, and after so many decades of abuse, they need to stop.

ohiocapitaljournal.com logo
Sep 29 • 3:35 AM EDT • Politics • ohiocapitaljournal.com
AI is everywhere. Should you use it for health advice?

The following expert commentary can be used by journalists and media organizations in their own publications and news coverage. Please attribute all quotes to Xiaoqian Jiang, PhD, chair of the Department of Health Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston.

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Sep 28 • 6:05 PM EDT • Health • newswise.com
Women’s Health Innovation Summit

Learn more about the latest updates in legal, with expert commentary and insights from trusted attorneys from Foley Hoag LLP. Foley Hoag is a professional community of highly qualified attorneys from all over the US.

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Sep 28 • 4:06 PM EDT • Health • foleyhoag.com
COMMENTARY: What Tennessee must address before facing Auburn

How can the Volunteers correct their mistakes from Saturday's offensive disaster?

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Sep 28 • 2:41 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Commentary: Higher education plays an integral role in building the trust democracy requires

Democracy’s future will be shaped not only at the ballot box, but also in classrooms, community forums, and everyday conversations that help citizens better understand one another.

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Sep 28 • 9:45 AM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
Commentary: Civic preparedness has never been more critical

Comprehensive civic education is necessary to navigate our digital democracy and excel in postsecondary pursuits.

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Sep 28 • 9:45 AM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
Bipartisan bill would protect MD small business deposits

Commentary: U.S. Senators introduce the Main Street Depositor Protection Act to raise deposit insurance for small business accounts.

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Sep 28 • 5:33 AM EDT • Business • thedailyrecord.com
Commentary: Ohio farmers are getting crushed by our politicians’ failure to fight for us

I’m Joe Stimmell. I am a lifelong resident of Ashland County and farmer of more than 20 years, where I raise 25 head of beef cattle and farm about 700 acres of corn, soybeans, and small grains with my brother and uncle. I am unaffiliated with any party or candidate. I’ve been through tough times, […]

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Sep 28 • 3:35 AM EDT • Politics • ohiocapitaljournal.com
Oscar Health (OSCR) Shares Moved, What Is Catching Investors' Attention?

Why Oscar Health’s latest product push matters now Fresh commentary around Oscar Health (OSCR) centers on management’s push for higher earnings per share through tighter medical loss ratios, new offerings such as the Lucy Healthcare Marketplace, and wider use of AI tools. At a share price of $29.60, Oscar Health has pulled back over the past week with a 7 day share price return of down 5.4% and a 30 day share price return of down 2.9%. However, the 90 day share price return of 3.8% and year...

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Sep 28 • 12:36 AM EDT • Health • simplywall.st
Commentary: Arkansas football takes care of business to bushwhack upstart Tulsa

The positives coach Ryan Silverfield said Arkansas would build on following last week's home loss to Georgia are magnified as the Razorbacks out-gained their visitors by 200 yards in the rout.

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Sep 27 • 1:22 AM EDT • Business • wholehogsports.com
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Avoiding complacency in business

Commentary: Complacency is one of the quietest threats a business can face.

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Sep 25 • 12:00 PM EDT • Business • rbj.net
Guest Commentary: AI fears are more than just science fiction

The first line of defense for you: strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

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Sep 25 • 5:30 AM EDT • Science • orlandosentinel.com
‘Glee’ sucks but is a perfect analogy for American politics

What “Glee” lacks in good writing, it more than makes up for in its reflections onto our own world.

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Sep 24 • 4:54 PM EDT • Politics • michigandaily.com
Nations League: Muriqi header sinks Republic of Ireland

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats as the Republic of Ireland travel to Kosovo in the Nations League

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Sep 24 • 4:36 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Peña-Valdés: Let’s cut through the noise of politics and focus on the long-term facts

Commentary from Francisco J. Peña-Valdés, founder and managing principal at International Business Consultants.

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Sep 24 • 8:38 AM EDT • Politics • riograndeguardian.com
5 iPhone Duo Features I’m Already Dying to Try

Commentary: After getting hands-on time with Apple's new foldable phone, here are the questions I'm most eager to answer in testing.

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Sep 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Technology • cnet.com
Commentary: Assessed value increases hitting businesses, too

Indiana businesses are experiencing what many homeowners have seen in recent years: dramatic jumps in the assessed values of their real property.

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Sep 24 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • indianacapitalchronicle.com
Commentary: Football’s greatest players aren’t on the field

With another NFL season kicking off, millions of Americans will spend Sundays cheering for the Eagles, Bears, Lions, Broncos, Dolphins and other animal-themed teams. We admire them because they exemplify

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Sep 24 • 4:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Commentary: Politicians continue campaign of dehumanizing trans people as affordability crisis crushes families

Forget about the disastrous war nobody wanted, or your wallet drained by crippling expenses. Instead, be afraid of a small, defenseless community the GOP has scapegoated and reject as extremist any candidate who dares acknowledge their humanity.

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Sep 24 • 3:35 AM EDT • Politics • ohiocapitaljournal.com
Commentary: Ohio is the nation’s No. 1 for business. Our challenge is to become No. 1 for students.

If Ohio wants to remain the best place for starting and growing a business, it also needs to become the best place for every student to learn, prepare for a career, and build a successful life.

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Sep 24 • 3:30 AM EDT • Business • ohiocapitaljournal.com
The entertainment value of cruelty

Ariana Grande's body has been the hot topic for the last few months, as it is for most women celebrities, but the commentary isn't as much focused on her body as it is on her ethics. Her apparent thinness has branded her a victim, a villain, a case to be analyzed, diagnosed, and ridiculed. Cruelty online is rampant; we all know this. But why?

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Sep 24 • 12:52 AM EDT • Entertainment • baylorlariat.com
The Science Gap Fueling Africa’s Water Wars - USC Viterbi

In a new Nature Sustainability commentary, USC Viterbi researcher argues advanced water modeling can reduce uncertainty and help turn water disputes into opportunities for cooperation.

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Sep 23 • 2:04 PM EDT • Science • viterbischool.usc.edu
Rural Arkansas shouldn’t have to sit on the sidelines

I grew up in Columbus, a small community outside of Hope, Arkansas. I have spent my professional life in Little Rock, but I have never lost sight of where I...

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Sep 22 • 3:00 PM EDT • Business • talkbusiness.net
Would Troy Aikman actually walk away from ESPN?

This originally appeared in Tuesday morning’s edition of The A Block, Awful Announcing’s daily newsletter with the latest sports media news, commentary, and analysis. Sign up here and be the first to know everything going on in the sports media world. Something is off when the analyst half of the longest-running broadcast marriage in NFL history…

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Sep 22 • 12:00 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
England bat first against Sri Lanka in opening ODI

Follow live text, BBC Radio 5 Live Sport commentary and in-play video highlights as England face Sri Lanka in the first one-day international at Chester-le-Street.

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Sep 22 • 7:40 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
😐 Neutral (25%)
COMMENTARY: How Tennessee can take down No. 1 Texas

What must Tennessee do to defeat Texas on Saturday?

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Sep 21 • 3:19 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga

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Sep 20 • 7:48 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Could Be 6% Undervalued As Premium Formats Lift Attendance

Recent commentary on AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) points to a stronger film slate and higher demand for premium formats. This is lifting attendance and sentiment even as investors continue to watch the company’s leverage closely. At a share price of US$2.70, AMC Entertainment Holdings has seen a 7 day share price return of 9.76% and a year to date share price return of 67.70%, yet the 1 year total shareholder return has declined 10.30%, signalling that recent momentum contrasts with a...

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Sep 19 • 9:26 PM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st
WSL: Arsenal host winless Manchester United

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats as Arsenal take on Manchester United in the Women's Super League.

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Sep 19 • 10:25 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
COMMENTARY: Will Tennessee be playing Kennesaw State -- or Texas?

Keeping Volunteers focused in the moment will be the challenge for Josh Heupel.

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Sep 19 • 8:21 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Atlético v Chapecoense: Galo are in action today!

Atlético vs. Chapecoense – September 19 (Saturday) – 4:00 PM🏆 Tournament: Matchday 28 – Brazilian Championship🏟️ Venue: Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte🐓 Pre-match, Commentary, and Post-mat...

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Sep 19 • 8:15 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Commentary: Dancing with the W2 Stars reaches far beyond one evening of entertainment

Let me tell you the “why” behind a cheeky dance competition and your friend’s relentless hints for donations: Valley Residential Services, writes Sheila Hagar.

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Sep 19 • 8:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • union-bulletin.com
Charlton Athletic v London City Lionesses

Follow live text commentary, score updates and match stats from Charlton Athletic vs London City Lionesses in the Women's Super League

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Sep 19 • 7:22 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Guest Commentary: A jail cell is not a mental-health treatment plan

A lawsuit alleges that people with serious mental illness who have been found incompetent to proceed in their criminal cases are languishing in county jails for months while waiting for admission to state mental health treatment facilities.

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Sep 16 • 5:49 PM EDT • Politics • thecoastnews.com
Truth and Politics in the Age of Post-Truth

Get E-International Relations delivered to your inbox, free of charge. As you sign up, consider becoming a paid subscriber, or make a donation, to support our work. Subscribe This is an excerpt from Global Politics in a Post-Truth Era. You can download the book free of charge from E-International Relations. The term post-truth is by now so ubiquitous in describing the state of politics in the Western world and even beyond that the most pressing issue of the day appears to be about making democracy work in the era of post-truth rather than questioning the normalisation of the term itself in the first place. The critical turning point appeared to have occurred in 2016 when the term was chosen by the Oxford English Dictionary as ‘The Word of the Year.’ On its website, the Dictionary notes the transformation of post-truth from ‘being a peripheral term to being a mainstay in political commentary and connects ‘the spike in frequency’ directly with the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and the election of Donald J. Trump in the United States – both occurring in 2016. Paired with the noun ‘politics,’ post-truth is defined as an adjective ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.’ The Oxford English Dictionary traces the first use of the term to a 1992 essay in The Nation by the playwright Steve Tesich as he reflected on the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal and the 1990–91 Gulf War: We are rapidly becoming prototypes of a people that totalitarian monsters could only drool about in their dreams. All the dictators up to now have had to work hard at suppressing the truth. We, by our actions, are saying that this is no longer necessary, that we have acquired a spiritual mechanism that can denude truth of any significance. In a very fundamental way we, as a free people, have freely decided that we want to live in some post-truth world (Tesich 1992, 13; emphasis added). He then continued, The Gulf War is over but the war at home goes on. The gulf between rich and destitute widens – between those of us who live in a modern post-industrial nation and those of us who live in the Third World countries of our inner cities. The present administration’s response to this internal crisis has shifted from benign to malignant neglect. The current levels of misery and decomposition of our cities and the economic gulags of our ghettos are acceptable. Since there is only so much hope to go around, there is a freeze on hope. The have-nots have now been reclassified as never-will-haves (Tesich 1992, 13). In the context of Tesich’s essay, truth includes both facts, as in what happens, and ‘moral absolutes,’ as in the ‘self-evident truths mentioned in our Constitution’ (Tesich 1992, 14). Together, these two notions of truth entail the obligation to both act and react. The two passages cited above show that even in the early post-Cold War years, Tesich was already deeply concerned that the American people are neither prepared to act on truth nor react to truth that is disconcerting, or what he calls ‘bad news’ (Tesich 1992, 12). Accordingly, Tesich’s insight as captured by the term post-truth is not that truth is irrelevant to what we know, but rather it is irrelevant to how we act. In contrast, ‘post-truth politics,’ as defined by Oxford as a term that pitches ‘objective facts’ against ‘emotion and personal belief’ such that the latter appears to have overtaken the former in shaping ‘public opinion’ and thereby, democratic politics. When Tesich’s post-truth politics and its current usage are juxtaposed, the two are in fact not identical in terms of what truth is and how it relates to politics. Against such consideration, this chapter provides a critical survey of selected historical events and theoretical considerations for the purpose of gaining a more nuanced understanding of the relation between truth and politics. Truth and Language One notable impact of post-truth politics is that language is being overtly deployed as a political weapon not only by politicians and those in power, but among the general population. It seems that once facts are irrelevant to the validity of what is being said, language becomes the platform for an all-out political contest in which what is said is no more than an act of will expressed as an assertion of power and/or an exercise in defiance. As early as in the writings of Thucydides (460–400 BCE), the vulnerability of logos – which is the human capacity for rational discourse in tumultuous times – was already noted. Thucydides belonged to a school of Greek thought which maintained that language is conventional and that the association between name and things is a result of ‘human use and habit’ rather than ‘nature or divine dispensation’ (Connor 1984, 99). The conventional nature of language means that it is incapable of providing its users with any independent criteria for judgement. In Thucydides’ study of the Peloponnesian War (431–405 BCE), the subversion of logos as seen in the manipulation of language was introduced through his account of the civil war in Corcyra (Thucydides 1972, 236-245). The war first broke out in 427 BCE between the pro-Athenian democratic faction and the pro-Spartan oligarchic faction before it spread to the rest of the Greek world. There was a general breakdown of law and order, resulting in extreme violence and death. Language underwent changes that were reflective of the events of the time. The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) translated Thucydides’ description of the situation as follows: The received value of names imposed for signification of things, was changed into arbitrary. For inconsiderate boldness, was counted true-hearted manliness: provident deliberation, a handsome fear: modesty, the cloak of cowardice: to be wise in everything, to be lazy in everything... he that had been so provident as not to need to do the one or the other, was said to be a dissolver of society, and one that stood in fear of his adversary. In brief, he that could outstrip another in the doing of an evil act, or that could persuade another thereto that never meant it, was commended (Hobbes 1839–1845, 8: 348; Thucydides 1972, 242-243). What concerned Thucydides most was that the meanings of words are no more than linguistic conventions that require logos to support them. The Corcyrean civil war was a reminder that such capacity cannot be assumed. This is why history understood as an authentic account of what happens matters. Guided by logos, the historian’s task is ‘the search after truth’, which is established through ‘the absence of the fabulous,’ including ‘the rejection of myth and unverifiable stories’ (de Jonge 2017, 2). Thus, history plays an important role in facilitating the stability of language – without which distinctions and judgements cannot be rendered communicable. Just like Thucydides, Hobbes was a nominalist who subscribed to the view that there is no inherent meaning to words. Hobbes’ state of nature, where there is no common authority, is precisely one in which distinctions cannot be made. As Hobbes put it, there is ‘no Mine and Thine distinct’ nor is there distinction between ‘the notions of Right and Wrong, Justice and Injustice’ (1968, 188; emphasis in original). This is clearly an unsustainable condition for everyone. Behind Hobbes’ famous words that life in the state of nature is ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’ is his uncompromising argument for the ‘Leviathan’, which is described by the late American political theorist, Sheldon Wolin (1922–2015), as the ‘sovereign definer’ (Hobbes 1968, 186; Wolin 2004, 238–243). Accordingly, the social contract is importantly a ‘linguistic contract’ that binds all parties to ‘general names agreed upon’ (Peters 1979, 125; Hobbes 1968, 111). Through Thucydides and Hobbes, we can identify a line of thinking that sees politics as a contestation over the use of language, which is based on shared conventions and norms. Thus understood, politics is not a collective quest for the true nature of our being or an epistemological exercise in pursuit of true knowledge. Rather, politics is about humans living with one another by finding a shared language to communicate with one another on matters that affect them all. Truth is in that sense contingent on what is being said as opposed to setting the standard for it. In other words, truth is the embodiment of shareability among us. While truth as such ensures the viability of a political entity, truth by no means represents a normative standard to adjudicate among contesting actors in what they say, let alone in what they do. During Thucydides’ times, ancient China was also experiencing a tumultuous time as the ruling Zhou dynasty deteriorated into the period of the Warring States (481–221 BCE). This was when the rulers of Zhou no longer presided over the territories brought under its control through conquest. Instead of professing allegiance to the Zhou royalty, the lords of these territories became kings themselves to rule over their own land. The period was one marked by endless military campaigns as each of the seven major states aimed to conquer the rest (Lewis 1999). Yet, the period was also known for its intellectual vibrancy as different thinkers challenged the restoring of order among these warring states – including offering ideas and advice to rulers on good governance. Among these thinkers was Confucius (551–479 BCE). His thought, which came to be known as Confucianism, went on to become the state ideology of China from the Han dynasty (206 BCE–222 CE) until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1911 when China became a republic. The founding text of Confucianism was the Analects, which is a collection of dialogues between Confucius and his students as recorded by them. One key concept Confucius advanced is the ‘rectification of names’. Though the term only appears in one exchange in the Analects, it is considered a major aspect of Confucius’ thought. Generations of Confucian scholars from past and present, including Western academics, have debated over its interpretation (Makeham 2003). The passage in question reads as follows: Zi Lu said: ‘The monarch of the state of Wei wants you to govern the country, what is the first thing you plan on doing?’ Confucius said: ‘First it is necessary to rectify the names.’Zi Lu said: ‘Is that really what has to be done? You are being too pedantic, aren’t you now? How will you rectify these names?’Confucius said: ‘Zhong You, you are too unrefined. A gentleman, faced with a matter that he does not understand, takes a skeptical attitude. If names are not correct, one cannot speak smoothly and reasonably, and if one cannot speak smoothly and reasonably, affairs cannot be managed successfully. If affairs cannot be managed successfully, rites and music will not be conducted. If rites and music are not conducted, punishments will not be suitable. And if punishments are not suitable, the common people will not know what to do. So, when the gentleman uses names, it is necessary to be able to speak so that people understand. If one can say it, one can definitely do it. A gentleman should not be careless with words’ (Analects 13:3 in Cao 2016, 148). This translation is offered by the contemporary philosopher Cao Feng. As Cao notes, the passage is what started the whole debate over ‘exactly what kind of names did Confucius... wish to rectify’ (Cao 2016, 148). Of the three major groups of interpretation examined by Cao, beginning with classical Confucian scholarship, one is arguably the most influential and certainly most pertinent to the issue of language and politics. This is the interpretation that was first associated with the Neo-Confucian master, Zhu Xi (1130–1200), who argued that the ‘rectification of names is simply the rectification of politics’ (Cao 2016, 149). Within this interpretive framework, rectification has the dual functions of correction and prescription by ensuring that predetermined hierarchical roles are strictly adhered to through following ‘the system of rites and propriety’ (Cao 2016, 151). In addition, the rectification of names entails ‘using names to rectify actuality’ (Cao 2016, 151). Yet Cao rejects this whole body of interpretive works by arguing that these were ideas developed later. Instead, Cao suggests the following: The original meaning of Confucius’ rectification of names may, then, be quite simple. Confucius did not mean to establish a concrete, normative system of “names”; rather, Confucius was simply the first person in history to realize or remark upon the importance of language in politics. As a politician, he noticed and foresaw the impact that the indeterminacy, ambiguity, and arbitrariness of names would have on politics. Confucius recognized the political consequences of language’s not accurately expressing meaning or not being accurately received by people. He realized the great role that names, as a means of distinguishing right and wrong and establishing norms, could play in society and politics (Cao 2016, 168). Scholarly debates aside, Cao’s view has the advantage of identifying an interpretation of this controversial exchange in the Analects that enables its readers to extrapolate from it the observation that the meaning of words depends as much on their users as on their interpreters; neither of which can be predetermined. Accordingly, a good ruler is someone who can speak without ambiguity to his subjects and make good his words through actions. Stated differently, Cao’s view on what concerned Confucius then, who was living through times of protracted political upheaval, is that language is an indispensable political tool for those in power and can be deployed by both good and bad rulers alike. To sum up, this historical survey shows that politics as a war of words is by no means a distinctive marker of contemporary politics nor the Western world. Be it ancient or current, east or west, language is subject to manipulation to serve political purposes and when there is an outright war of words that defies existing norms, it is indicative of a political situation in which people no longer share a language and truth becomes irrelevant. Accordingly, political order entails stability in language use. Truth and Politics As previously noted, current use of the term post-truth as an adjective to the term ‘politics’ suggests that once there was a time when politics aligned with truth. Indeed, if we start with Plato’s Republic as the key founding text of Western political thought, we see that the ideal polis (city-state of ancient Greece) is where truth and politics converge, and justice is achieved. Written around 380 BCE when Athens was still coping with its defeat by the Spartans in the Peloponnesian War, the Republic is a defence of the rule of the ‘philosopher king’, defined as someone who is ‘guided by the truth’ and is ‘always and in every way’ in pursuit of the truth (Plato 1974, 490a). For Plato, truth converges with virtues and hence, letting the philosopher take charge of politics is to let the wisest and the most virtuous lead the less wise and the less virtuous even if it requires compulsion (Plato 1974, 499b). In Plato’s words, ‘…until the philosophers attain power in a city there will be no respite from evil for either city or citizens…’ (Plato 1974, 501e). The uncompromising rule of philosopher-kings is made palatable by the claim that we are all ‘earth- born brothers’ with random mixtures of gold, silver, bronze and iron, but only the gold can rule (Plato 1974, 414–415). Understandably, academic debates over the interpretation of Plato’s Republic revolve around the question of whether truth as attained in philosophy can be realised in politics as action and whether such a connection is even desirable. Without getting into the details of these scholarly exchanges, I suggest that they all share the concern that truth acquired through the rigorous process of philosophical reasoning is not without problem when applied to the real world of living humans. This is because not all humans are philosophers – and indeed, in Plato’s view, not everyone is capable of becoming a philosopher given the protracted and arduous training that one needs to endure to become one. Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), a highly influential political philosopher of the twentieth century, notes that ‘Plato was the first to introduce the division between those who know and do not act and those who act and do not know’ and that such a separation has remained ‘at the root of all theories of domination’ (Arendt 1958, 223, 225). What Arendt points out in this remark is not the gap between theory and practice, but rather that Plato provides the normative ground for those who know the truth to tell those who do not know what to do. Arendt herself took on the challenge of understanding the relationship between truth and politics through her analysis of Nazism and Stalinism. Arendt’s insight, which was controversial when The Origins of Totalitarianism was published in 1951, was to identify Nazism and Stalinism as representative of a new form of political rule – totalitarianism – making it distinct from ‘other forms of political oppression... such as despotism, tyranny and dictatorship’ (Arendt 1973, 460). Arendt defines totalitarianism as a self- contained system of ideas driven by their ‘logic’ and marked by a mode of reasoning called ‘ideological thinking.’ Ideological thinking as such is a distinctive form of political reasoning defined by three characteristics. First, ideological thinking claims to provide a ‘total explanation’ of all historical happenings, encompassing the past, the present, and the future. Second, while ideological thinking is an attempt to account for ‘factual reality’ in its totality, this mode of thinking is paradoxically divorced from reality and experience. This is because experience, being rooted in specificity, is clearly limited in its claim to totality. It follows that as its third characteristic, ideological thinking aims to emancipate thought from the limitation imposed by experience through a ‘specific method of demonstration.’ The method involves arranging facts into an ‘absolutely logical procedure’ that starts from an ‘axiomatically accepted premise’. It is, in short, a ‘process of deduction from a premise’ – which is the only possible movement in the realm of logic that leads to one definitive conclusion. This is how the ‘logicality of ideological thinking’ provides the basis for total explanation and the ‘principle of action’ for totalitarian movement (Arendt 1973, 468–474). Stated differently, totalitarianism is a form of uncompromising idealism that exists in one’s head irrespective of shared reality as experienced. It is the perverse form of what Arendt later refers to as ‘rational truth’, which is the product of the ‘speculative mind’ that belongs to philosophy, mathematics and the sciences. The ‘speculative mind’ is the mind working on its way to generate axioms and theories by relying on the cognitive capacity of the human brain (Arendt 1977, 231). The presence of others has no bearing whatsoever on rational truth. In contrast, ‘factual truth’ is what happens when humans are ‘living and acting together’ (Arendt 1977, 231). Factual truth is therefore particular and temporal by definition. But more importantly, factual truth is ‘political by nature’ because it can only be validated in the context of the human community (Arendt 1977, 238). In other words, factual truth is about humans in their plurality rather than in their singularity. For factual truth to be sustainable, we need what Arendt calls ‘common sense’ – understood as ‘community sense’ (Arendt 1982, 72). There is also another distinction about truth that Arendt makes which is pertinent to understanding how totalitarianism works. The issue is whether the so-called totalitarian ideology is simply an unnecessarily cumbersome way of saying that it is an all-round and polished lie. Here, Arendt calls totalitarian ideology the ‘modern lie’ – in contrast to the ‘traditional lie’. The latter is restricted by two conditions: that it is a lie about the ‘particulars’ and that it deceives only the ‘enemy’ – which means that the liar is not engaged in self- deception. The modern lie, however, involves a ‘complete rearrangement of the whole factual texture’. It also intends to deceive everyone alike, to the extent that those who initiate the lie eventually ‘fall victims to their own falsehood’ (Arendt 1977, 249–254). This distinction between the traditional and modern lie is important. It indicates that not only is totalitarianism a lie, but the lie is in fact too big to fit into the standard meaning of the word. To tell a lie from truth, we need a common standard. In the case of a traditional lie, the common standard is precisely ‘the fabric of factuality’. As such, a lie always appears as a ‘tear’ to that fabric. Yet, modern lies require making a surrogate reality with a completely different context for facts to fit ‘without seam, crack, or fissure, exactly as the facts fitted into their original context’. Arendt notes that as long as those who concoct the surrogate reality are prepared to engage in self- deception to ‘create a semblance of truthfulness’, there is nothing to prevent ‘these new stories, images, and non-facts from becoming an adequate substitute for reality and factuality’ (Arendt 1977, 253–254). Totalitarianism therefore requires a person to stand outside of the system itself in order to make sense of it. Arendt points out that it is futile for us to argue with (for example) a Nazi or a Stalinist on race or class. To confront totalitarianism requires more than just a confrontation with specific facts. It is a more fundamental confrontation between reality as experienced and its total rejection. This means that Nazism and Stalinism are more than radical ways of conducting racial conflict or class struggle. Rather: Totalitarian politics – far from being simply antisemitic or racist or imperialist or communist – use and abuse their own ideological and political elements until the basis of factual reality, from which the ideologies originally derived their propaganda value– the value of struggle, for instance, or the interest conflicts between Jews and their neighbours – have all but disappeared (Arendt 1973, xv). Accordingly: The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (that is, the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (that is, the standards of thought) no longer exist (Arendt 1973, 474). Who then is the ‘ideal subject’ of totalitarianism? Although there is a revival of interest in Arendt’s observation on truth and politics since the onset of post- truth politics, not enough has been said about her reply to the question (Hyvönen 2018; Klinkler 2018; Lee 2019; Zerilli 2020). Yet if we take a look at Arendt’s portrait of this ideal subject, her view is even more pertinent to our current challenge. As a self-contained system of ideas that is detached from experience, totalitarian thinking offers consistency in ways that reality cannot. Arendt notes that this kind of consistency is especially appealing to those who have lost a sense of bearing in the world (Arendt 1973, 353). They constitute what she calls the ‘masses’. The ‘mass man’ is thus a highly isolated and atomised individual, who is ‘obsessed by a desire to escape from reality’ (Arendt 1973, 318, 352). In his ‘essential homelessness’ the mass man can ‘no longer bear its accidental, incomprehensible aspects’ (Arendt 1973, 352). This longing for escape from reality is a ‘verdict against the world’ in which one is ‘forced to live’ but ‘cannot exist’ (Arendt 1973, 352). Such a situation is ripe for the ‘revolt of the masses’ against ‘common sense,’ which is ‘the result of their atomisation, of their loss of social status’ and with it, the ‘whole sector of communal relationships in whose framework common sense makes sense’ (Arendt 1973, 352). In short, the masses are people who are considered to be ‘superfluous or can be spared … [who] cannot be integrated into any organisation based on common interest’ (Arendt 1973, 311). Whether one agrees with Arendt’s analysis of the social conditions in the interwar years that led to the formation of the ‘masses’, her portrait of the ‘mass man’ is a powerful account of what can happen to an individual who has become disposable to the society that they used to belong to. Hand in hand with this phenomenon is indeed the collapse of ‘common sense’ that leaves the dislodged individual scrambling for reconnection. By offering the masses a substitute reality validated by the ‘logic of an idea’ rather than by experience, totalitarianism makes it possible for them to live in a world where there is no condition of plurality. Between ‘facing the anarchic growth and total arbitrariness of decay’ and ‘bowing down before the most rigid, fantastically fictitious consistency of an ideology’, the masses will likely ‘choose the latter’ (Arendt 1973, 352). A world created by ideology, then, is more attractive to the masses not because ‘they are stupid and wicked, but because in the general disaster this escape grants them a minimum of self- respect’ by conjuring up ‘a lying world of consistency which is more adequate to the needs of the human mind than reality itself’ (Arendt 1973, 353). Moreover, it is precisely this ability to guarantee consistency that makes it possible for the leaders of totalitarian movements to demand ‘total, unrestricted, unconditional and unalterable loyalty of the individual member’ (Arendt 1973, 323). While this chapter is not a study of the social factors that led to specific contemporary developments such as the result of the Brexit referendum or the election of Donald Trump in 2016, Arendt’s ‘mass man’ seem to have found their counterparts among the supporters of Brexit and Trumpism. Studies of voters’ profiles in both events point to a disproportionate share of supporters from white male lower income backgrounds without university educations. These are individuals who have either already lost their jobs to globalisation or who are at high risk of losing their job with very little capacity to be retrained for the twenty-first century market economy of advanced industrialised states (BBC 2016; Pew Research Center 2018). In short, these displaced workers are part of the tapestry forming the modern equivalent of Arendt’s ‘mass man’ – ready to be the recruits of totalitarianism. Conclusion If we step back to take a more comprehensive approach to the relationship between truth and politics, both historically and theoretically, it is not so obvious that 2016 is a defining moment. From ancient China and ancient Greece to our so-called post-truth age, the indeterminacy of language appears to be a persistent political challenge. Language is always open to manipulation by its users to serve power. Nonetheless, the tendency these days is to single out the ubiquity of social media and the proliferation of Internet platforms as the incubator for the countless cyberwars of words that in turn fuel the real world of politics. In this context, language is no longer the conveyor of objective facts and accurate information, but rather the medium for expressing subjective opinions and feelings, as captured by the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of the term ‘post-truth politics’. In contrast, the historical approach used in this chapter shows that it is in fact too easy to point the figure at the Internet and digital communication for the political challenge that we face today. What is being suggested here is that with or without the Internet, language, be it used to convey facts or emotions, is simply a tool for communication that humans have invented. While language per se cannot adjudicate what is true or not true, what is right or wrong, it embodies such capacity when language is a shared norm. That shared norm cannot be sustained without some semblance of cohesion in any given community. Any war of words, irrespective of its platform, is indicative of the breakdown of such cohesiveness. Returning to the original context in which the term post-truth politics was first used by Steve Tesich helps to identify the important distinction between truth as the standard for knowledge and truth as the standard for action. The two do not necessarily coincide. Placed in the context of the history of political thought, this distinction is in fact at the heart of Plato’s Republic. Yet when the philosopher as the quintessential bearer of truth becomes king, the polis that he rules over is far from the ideal of a just state that it purports to be. Instead, it is one that is held together by lies and coercion. What Arendt reveals through her study of Nazism and Stalinism is that it is dangerous for the kind of truth that philosophy generates – ‘rational truth’ – to become the guide to politics. Politics guided by rational truth can only be uncompromising and follows a logic of its own that cannot afford the ambiguity and indeterminacy of reality as lived experiences of humans. A world of post-truth politics can be an opportunity for a new kind of politics if it is indeed about dismantling the idea that truth is the ideal that politics should strive for. But as it stands, the post-truth politics of today is more about invoking a past that never exists to judge the presence as a crisis in naming when the real crisis is about rebuilding a shared space that has room for all – be they of the left, right or centre; cosmopolitan or parochial; civic-minded or self-centred; liberal-minded or bigoted. Politics is and always will be about striving for that space, without which no human can thrive. References Arendt, Hannah. 1958. The Human Condition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Arendt, Hannah. 1973. The Origins of Totalitarianism. Rev. ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Arendt, Hannah. 1977. “Truth and Politics.” In Between Past and Future, 227–264. New York: Penguin Books. Arendt, Hannah. 1982. Lectures on Kant’s Political Philosophy, edited by Ronald Beiner. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2016. “Brexit vote: The breakdown.” BBC News, December 7, 2016. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38227674 Cao, Feng. 2016. “A New Examination of Confucius’ Rectification of Names.” Journal of Chinese Humanities 2: 147–171. https://doi-org.subzero.lib. uoguelph.ca/ doi/ 10.1163/23521341-12340032. Connor, W. Robert. 1984. Thucydides. Princeton: Princeton University Press. de Jonge, Casper C. 2017. “Dionysius of Halicarnassus on Thucydides.” in The Oxford Handbook of Thucydides, edited by Sara Forsdyke, Edith Foster, and Ryan Balot. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/ oxfordhb/9780199340385.013.17 https://www-oxfordhandbooks-com.subzero. lib.uoguelph.ca/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199340385.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199340385 Hyvönen, Ari-Elmeri. 2018. “Careless Speech: Conceptualizing Post-Truth Politics.” New Perspectives 26 (3): 31–55. https://www.proquest.com/ scholarly-journals/careless-speech-conceptualizing-post-truth/ docview/2204515132/se-2?accountid=11233. Hobbes, Thomas. 1839–1845. The English Works of Thomas Hobbes, edited by Sir William Molesworth. London: John Bohn. Vol. 8. Klinkner, Melanie. 2018. “Reasonable Truth.” International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics 14 (3): 393–99. doi:10.1386/macp.14.3.393_7. Lee, Haiyan. 2019. “When Nothing Is True, Everything Is Possible: On Truth and Power by Way of Socialist Realism.” PMLA/Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 134 (5). Cambridge University Press: 1157–64. https://doi.org/10.1632/pmla.2019.134.5.1157 Lewis, Mark E. 1999. “Warring States Political History.” In The Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC, edited by Michael Loewe and Edward Shaughnessy, 587–650. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Makeham, John. 2003. “Zheng ming (Rectification of names).” In RoutledgeCurzon Encyclopedia of Confucianism, edited by Xinzhong Yao. Vol. 2: 813-814. New York: Routledge. Oxford Languages, n. d. “Word of the Year 2016.” Accessed 19 August 2017. https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2016/ Peters, Richard. 1979. Hobbes. Westport: Greenwood Press. Pew Research Center. 2018. “An examination of the 2016 electorate, based on validated voters.” Report, August 9, 2018. https://www.pewresearch.org/ politics/2018/08/09/an-examination-of-the-2016-electorate-based-on- validated-voters/ Plato. 1974. Republic. Translated by G. M. A. Grube. Indianapolis: Hackett. Tesich, Steve. 1992. “Watergate Syndrome: A Government of Lies.” The Nation: 12-14. January 6/13, 1992. Thucydides. 1972. The Peloponnesian War. Translated by Rex Warner. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. Wolin, Sheldon. 2004. Politics and Vision: Continuity and Innovation in Westen Political Thought. Expanded Edition. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Zerilli, Linda M. G. 2020. ‘Fact-Checking and Truth-Telling in an Age of Alternative Facts.’ Le foucaldien 6, no. 1: 2, 1–22. Theresa Man Ling Lee is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph (Canada). Lee is a political theorist who specializes in contemporary political thought. Her research and teaching areas include continental philosophy, Marxism and critical theory, feminism, postmodernism, philosophy of social science, psychoanalysis, multiculturalism, human rights, disability studies, modern Chinese political thought and comparative political theory. Lee has published on a wide range of subjects in these areas, including intercultural pedagogy and the challenges of teaching as a person with multiple minority designations in a Canadian university classroom.

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Sep 16 • 7:16 AM EDT • Politics • e-ir.org
Commentary: Will Iran become a two-front war?

When U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new economic pressure campaign on Iran last month, the goal was simple: Keep the squeeze on Tehran’s economy without resorting to the

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Sep 16 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • thederrick.com
Letter: Party politics in Montgomery County are nothing new

Contributed commentary from Monica M. Meeks on the election of Rashidah Leverett to chair the Montgomery County Commission.

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Sep 15 • 3:24 PM EDT • Politics • clarksvillenow.com
COMMENTARY: What losing Davis means for Tennessee

Could Ethan Davis' injury cause a chain reaction for Tennessee?

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Sep 15 • 2:57 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com