SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " activism " 94 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Sign in to save shuffle history.
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe is ready to turn his activism into a political career
Chris Kluwe never imagined a life in politics, but after years of speaking out, he's now running for a California Assembly seat.
White House Blasts Smithsonian History Exhibits For 'Radical' Activism
A new Trump administration report singles out references to 'Hamilton,' drag queens and Mickey Mouse.
Kevin Sorbo to Newsmax: Political Activism in Sports Will Increase
Kevin Sorbo to Newsmax: Political Activism in Sports Will Increase
Power Families of Chicago: Velasquez
With second-generation leaders in Azteca Foods and a history of philanthropy and civic activism in Pilsen, the Velasquez family is among Chicago's most powerful.
🌈 The conflictual politics of Pride events
Amid the rise of far-right and anti-gender movements, and given growing internal conflicts and divisions, many LGBTQAI+ people worry about the future of Pride events. But Francesca Romana Ammaturo reveals that throughout its history, Pride has reflected many different visions of activism and community
‘Enemies of civilization’: top Trump officials disparage leftism at event
Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller took aim at only leftwing activism at meeting of 66 nations against political violence
Adam Brody Calls for a ‘Free Palestine,’ Says He’s Never ‘Ducked’ Politics: ‘I Just Answer the Questions I’m Asked’
Adam Brody is calling for a “free Palestine” and explaining why his political activism doesn’t come up more often during his red-carpet and press appearances. “I just answer the questions I’m asked,” ...
Opinion | Therapy should be a safe place for everyone, including Zionists
Mental health professionals and patients have report uptick in anti-Israel activism spilling over into medical settings.
Abby Phillip’s 'A Dream Deferred' chronicles Jesse Jackson’s rise to political esteem : NPR's Book of the Day
Rev. Jesse Jackson is well-known as an icon of the American Civil Rights Movement, a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., and a steadfast activist — but he has quite a past in electoral politics, too. A Dream Deferred charts Jackson’s rise to political prominence during his 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, as the first major Black candidate for U.S. president. In today’s episode, author and CNN anchor Abby Phillip talks with NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about her debut biography, and how Jackson himself approached politics and activism with separate mindsets.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Cultural program explores gender and politics in the kitchen in ‘Cookbooks Against War’
The Cedar Rapids Public Library will host a presentation by Dr. Abby M. Dubisar, “Cookbooks Against War,” exploring domestic roles and how these works ignite activism. This free event is open to the public and funded by Humanities Iowa, a private nonprofit supporting culture and history programs in the state.
Kudos to Cheer Club, College of Business faculty, Cybersecurity team and more
Becky Cottrell, Ph.D., Department of Social Work, and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Becky Cottrell from the Department of Social Work and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., from the School of Education co-authored an article recently published in an international journal. Read the article. Biff Baker, Ph.D., College of Business Biff Baker, Ph.D., received a Best in Track award from the Society for Advancement of Management for research examining bureaucratic inefficiencies within Section 8 subsidized housing programs. The study focuses on how administrative delays and communication breakdowns can create housing instability for families and discourage landlord participation. It also offers recommendations to improve accountability and trust in public housing systems. Brendan Fry, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics and Statistics Brendan Fry, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, co-authored the article “Modeling the Impact of Venous Collapsibility on Retinal Oxygenation,” published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. The interdisciplinary research brought together scholars from the University of Delaware, Indiana University Indianapolis, McGill University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Access the article. Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Bridget Arend, Ph.D., professor in the School of Education, co-published the book “Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A Resource for More Purposeful, Effective, and Enjoyable College Teaching, Second Edition” with James R. Davis. The book explores practical approaches to improving college teaching and student learning experiences. Buy the book. College of Business Faculty At the 2026 Western Decision Sciences Institute international conference, Sally Baalbaki-Yassine, Ph.D., Debora Gilliard, Ph.D., and David Lynn Hoffman, Ph.D., from the College of Business received the Best Case Study Paper Award for “Oreo: A Global Success Story in Brand Evolution and Market Leadership.” Lisa McVicker, Ph.D., and Apryl Brodersen, Ph.D., also had their paper, “Electronic Performance Monitoring: Employer Panacea or Legal Quagmire?” accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Leadership. Community Engagement Exchange Program Metropolitan State University of Denver was selected to host international Fellow Aleja Henao Espitia of Bogotá, Colombia through the Community Engagement Exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. View Espitia's LinkedIn profile. David Varel, Ph.D., College of Letters, Arts and Sciences MSU Denver historian David Varel, Ph.D., has been awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship program supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, and selected just 63 scholars from more than 2,000 applicants this year. Varel’s project, “The Black Chicago School: Academic Activism in the Age of American Apartheid,” explores the work of Black scholars who challenged scientific racism, built alternative institutions and helped lay the foundation for the modern civil rights movement. The fellowship provides up to $60,000 to support full-time research and writing. Learn more about the fellowship. MSU Denver Office of Financial Aid Team Several MSU Denver employees were recognized for leadership and service during the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators (CAFAA) conference held in May in Crested Butte. Don Holtzen, interim associate director of systems, chaired the conference and was recognized for his service as CAFAA conference chair and technology chair during the 2025-26 term. Holtzen also received the Postsecondary Institution Professional of the Year award, which recognizes financial-aid professionals who have made significant contributions to their institutions and to CAFAA. Tori Pacheco, associate director of Student Services, helped design décor and facilitate the conference and was recognized for her service as CAFAA secretary during the 2025-26 term. Destiny Candelaria, call center coordinator, served on the conference planning committee and presented on One Stops during the event. Michael Nguyen, executive director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, assisted as a CAFAA board member and was recognized for serving as president-elect during the 2025-26 term. Richard Balbag, program assistant I, received the Distinguished Support Staff Member of the Year award, honoring staff members who have made exceptional contributions to their financial-aid offices. Military Friendly Recognition Military Friendly has awarded MSU Denver Gold Status as a military-friendly university and ranked the University No. 7 nationally for military spouses. The recognition reflects MSU Denver’s strong support systems for veterans and military spouses, including transfer credit assistance and retention-focused resources. As of 2026, 1,050 military-connected students are enrolled at the University, advancing institutional priorities around serving veterans and supporting student retention. MSU Denver Cheer Club The MSU Denver Cheer Club earned third place in the 4-Year College Small Coed Intermediate division at the USA Spirit Nationals. Celebrate the win on Instagram. MSU Denver Cybersecurity Team An MSU Denver cybersecurity team earned first place in the Strategist category at the 2026 CYBER RECon National Competition hosted at Fort Meade, Maryland, by U.S. Cyber Command. Led by Jeffrey London, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Matthew Bopp, the team competed against universities and law schools nationwide with its 30-page legal analysis on cybersecurity and free speech titled “Freedom of Speech and MDM: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation.” The paper also earned Bopp a personal invitation to apply to the University of Maryland School of Law. MSU Denver Debate Team MSU Denver Debate won the 2026 Sierra Sustainability Summit hosted at Yosemite National Park in April. Students Kat Conte and Simon Bernhard bested teams from George Washington University, Gallaudet University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of San Francisco and Tennessee Tech in the modified present-and-defend style competition. Their proposal recommended adapting Colorado’s Keep Colorado Wild Pass model to support California state parks facing budget constraints. Learn about the summit. MSU Denver Women’s Golf MSU Denver Women’s Golf was represented on the national stage this month as junior Neige Dunn competed as an individual at the NCAA West Regional. She became the first Roadrunner in 10 years to qualify for NCAA Regionals as an individual. Get the details.
White House report accuses Smithsonian leaders of 'extreme' activism
A White House report accuses leaders of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History of embracing "extreme political activism."
Screenwriters union and Hollywood studios reach four-year tentative agreement
f a e n activism strikes information-technology health-care-industry labor-unions business u-s-news general-news entertainment | Talk 1370
Smithsonian's National Museum of American History promotes 'extreme political activism,' WH report alleges
A 162-page White House report accuses the National Museum of American History of ideological capture and abandoning straightforward education.
Atlanta's Lavender Fest combines art and activism in third season
Director Ty Autry said Lavender Fest's "Unerasable" theme reflects that queer stories are "an act of rebellion and resistance."
‘ICE OUT’ pins, political panels and a punch: How Sundance Film Fest grappled with Minnesota news
There's a long history of activism at Sundance. But this year, politics weren't top of mind until news that federal agents had fatally shot a second person in Minneapolis on Saturday.
Kaepernick, Springsteen receive new ACLU award for activism in arts, business, science and sports
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick received a new award from the American Civil Liberties Union recognizing contributions to American thought and culture.
Why politicians are punchlines at the Edinburgh Fringe
There was a time when satire had an easier gig. Politicians said something ridiculous, comedians made fun of them, audiences laughed, and everyone went home. Subscribe Now the joke is often the headline. In a world where the unbelievable regularly makes the news, where politics can veer into parody before the comedians have had time to write the punchline, you might reasonably wonder: is satire running out of material? Not in Edinburgh. At the Fringe, I can confirm satire has a pulse, even in a relentless and rapid news cycle. Politicians as punchlines Take NewsRevue, the world’s longest-running live sketch show, where politicians are turned into punchlines at industrial speed. Its latest target? Andy Burnham - or, more accurately, his doppelganger, pictured below in the middle. The joke, he tells us, is that there have been so many politicians coming and going that even satire risks suffering from political fatigue. But perhaps that revolving door is precisely why comedy matters. When the news cycle moves faster than our ability to process it, comedians can hold up a mirror - and make us think twice. Small talk Take Ayoade Bamgboye, the Saturday Night Live UK star who won the Best Newcomer prize at last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Her Fringe debut was critically acclaimed; this year she is turning her attention to one of Britain’s most baffling social rituals: small talk. Share It’s a reminder that satire doesn’t always need a politician in its sights. Sometimes the target is simply us civilians - the strange little rules and rituals we have collectively agreed to pretend are normal. Politics and Palestinian identity For British-Palestinian comedian Sami Abu Wardeh, pictured below, comedy has a more urgent job. His new show, Sami Abu Wardeh Hates You, asks who gets to hate, and whether anger belongs to everyone, not just the far right. His comedy confronts politics and Palestinian identity while refusing to surrender the simple business of making people laugh. Shakespeare meets climate crisis And then there is HAM: an “eco-hijacking” of Hamlet, which its creators describe as “a sordid wrestle between a vegan and a sausage-lover”. Shakespeare meets the climate crisis. Meat meets moral panic. The end result? You’ll leave promising to become vegan and swiftly bulk buying Linda McCartney sausages. HAM was created by theatre company Hotter Project, aka Ell Potter and Mary Higgins, pictured below. They say comedy helped them avoid the preachiness sometimes associated with climate activism - using Shakespeare as a vessel for uncomfortable questions about the planet, politics and the way we live. Perhaps that is satire’s secret weapon. It doesn’t necessarily make the world less absurd. It makes the absurdity crystal clear. And at a moment when reality increasingly feels like it has been written by a sketch writer, the Fringe is proving there is still plenty to laugh and cry at. Satire isn’t dead. It’s alive, subletting and having the time of its life at the Fringe. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment
How women’s sports became a battleground over trans rights
Riley Gaines turns a fifth-place tie in college swimming into a career in anti-trans activism. Soon, she’s sharing the stage with the president.
JD Vance praises Sophie Cunningham for 'Save Women's Sports' activism
JD Vance calls Sophie Cunningham's women's sports stance courageous, saying she inspires others as rallies continue at Indiana Fever WNBA games.
At FAMU & Crawfordville, Gwen Graham, Byron Donalds preview campaigns
Gwen Graham voted at FAMU to honor FAMU's legacy of activism, while Byron Donalds campaigned in Crawfordville ahead of Florida's governor race.
Brigitte Bardot, French film icon turned far-right provocateur, dies at 91
Actor reshaped French cinema before retreating from global fame into animal rights activism and far-right politics.
Kennedy renews attacks on vaccines at Children’s Health Defense conference
Kennedy, who previously downplayed his anti-vaccine activism, has now made it a key element in midterm elections and central to his legacy as HHS secretary.
A Vehicle for Change: The importance of art in political activism
Artists at DePaul use their work to resistance against rising social tensions, daring audiences to pay attention.
Whether you like it or not, celebrities have an impact on politics
The global groundswell of support for Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian advocacy serves to remind us that maybe celebrity activism really is that deep after all, writes Cheek’s Varsha Yajman. Subscribe In the last week, publications, podcasts, and influencers that have either rarely or never spoken about Israel’s genocide in Palestine have flooded my social feed. And it was all because singer Ed Sheeran and his team dropped Macklemore as his opener for saying “Free Palestine” on stage. Millions raised, millions speaking up in support of Palestine - all of this confirming my view that, whether I like it or not, celebrities do have an impact on political outcomes. And this is interesting when much of the time celebrity activism can induce an eye roll - I love to see Charli XCX pointing out a Palestinian flag in the crowd, but it’s hardly the bold symbol of allyship that some fans would make it out to be. But there’s a line between healthy scepticism and outright dismissal - and I’d argue that the latter lets the rich and powerful off far too easily. For instance, actress Jennifer Lawrence, once outspoken about her political views, last year told The Times she no longer believes celebrities have a role to play: “Celebrities do not make a difference whatsoever on who people vote for. So then what am I doing? I’m just sharing my opinion on something that’s going to add fuel to a fire that’s ripping the country apart.” While it’s a narrative she might find comfort in, it simply is not true. Grassroots movements often garner worldwide attention when celebrities and other high-profile spokespeople bring a mainstream platform to their causes. And this frustrates me. We have had three years of a live-streamed genocide. Macklemore himself has been calling for a Free Palestine long before he booked the Sheeran concert. Yet it’s the high-profile fallout of the last week that finally seems to have made saying “Free Palestine” socially acceptable in the mainstream. It feels like the collective mood has shifted, where calling out censorship is now the obvious response - not just the business of ‘radical’ activists. To recap, Sheeran’s decision followed an ultimatum from billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, one of the venues Sheeran was scheduled to perform at: either drop Macklemore as your opener after only two of the eight scheduled shows, or you do not play at any stadiums. Sheeran’s disappointing decision to stand on the side of billionaire-led censorship has ultimately seen a surge in support for Free Palestine. It began when all his openers and his backing band pulled out of Sheeran’s tour, in solidarity with Macklemore and with the Palestinian cause. It was met with an uproar of support from those who had never or barely touched politics before: influencers lip-syncing to Macklemore’s music, singers like Jack Antonoff singing “Free Palestine,” and publications and podcasts standing with Macklemore. And finally, we saw material support: Macklemore donated $1 million in profits from his two nights opening for Sheeran’s tour to several Palestinian aid groups and called for Sheeran and Kraft to match it, which they have since promised to do. We’ve also seen children’s entertainer Ms Rachel follow suit with a $1 million donation to Palestinian aid, and publication PopBase has donated $10,000. Anera, a humanitarian aid group working in Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan, said donations since Macklemore’s announcement were more than triple this month’s daily average. The group’s Instagram page has also gained 8,000 followers. Macklemore far from the first celebrity to speak and participate in politics in the Western World. In 1924, singer Al Jolson supported Republican candidate Warren G. Harding for president, and decades later, celebrities such as Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, and Aretha Franklin voiced their public support for the Civil Rights movement. More recently, in the lead-up to the 2024 US election, ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah partnered with the organisation Power the Polls to recruit poll workers to address shortages- a problem disproportionately affecting voters of colour. The campaign saw 170,000 new sign-ups - 35,000 of which came directly through the TV show’s link - resulting in the recruitment of 713,000 total poll workers that year, an almost three-fold increase on the organisation’s goal. Alongside recruiting workers, celebrities in the US (where voting in elections is not compulsory) have made a huge difference by calling for people to register to vote. Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris in 2024 saw over 400,000 visitors on the voter registration site within 24 hours of her Instagram post. In 2023, Swift had urged her fans to register, resulting in 35,000 new voter registrations. Similarly, Ariana Grande promoted voter registration in 2019 by setting up booths at concerts on the American leg of her tour, resulting in over 33,000 voters registering. And the same thing is happening closer to home. This year, musician Jack River successfully called for government action to ensure creatives in Australia do not have their work scraped by generative AI companies. Celebrity as the mediator between the punter and the politician Celebrity activism isn’t just a feel-good news story - research tells us it actually makes a difference. By directing attention to issues affecting the average person, like voting inaccessibility or a lack of action on a genocide, researchers Alfred Archer and Amanda Cawston state that “celebrities can play a useful bridging role between political elites and the people they represent”. Alternatively, in a world where talking about politics is “not cool,” or where people lack exposure or knowledge to engage with politics, celebrities can act as an educational resource or an entry point into the political world - when they speak up about an issue, their audience gets exposed to it. Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival is a perfect example. Rodrigo partnered with twelve organisations focused on women’s issues, such as reproductive rights. These organisations had stalls at the festival for people to meet them and were also featured heavily on social media, giving their issues global attention and raising $20 million for the organisations. We have also seen celebrities at award shows such as the Emmys wearing F*CK ICE pins, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s treatment and detainment of people - generally people of colour. When celebrities speak up about political issues in public forums, they put the issue at the forefront of mainstream media, rally their supporters, and make it clear that, however much they disagree, the government cannot simply ignore it. Our over-reliance on celebrities versus our politicians As much as I love seeing my favourite celebrity use their platform for a good cause, there is an important question to ask: not whether celebrity activism is good or bad, but whether we should have to rely on celebrities. And the answer would, in an ideal world, be no. In an ideal world, or merely a just world, action on Palestine would’ve happened decades ago, climate change would be taken seriously, and most importantly, people would understand their democratic rights. However, that is not our reality. Only around 28 per cent of Australian Year 10 students reach proficiency in civics and citizenship. In the US, almost two-thirds of people under 30 say high school civics education didn’t prepare them to understand voting deadlines, how to research candidates, or how to vote by mail. When civics education is weak, our trust in these institutions and our understanding of change-making processes also decline. This is where celebrity steps in and becomes our main source of reliance. As Mary R. Connelly notes in _The Tartan, “_Celebrities will always be involved in campaigns in one form or another, but their presence is not what causes people to vote blindly. The lack of political engagement and literacy is what allows celebrities to wield their influence on the political sphere so impactfully.” About the author Varsha Yajman is the Digital Content Producer at Cheek Media. She is a youth advocate and lawyer with a background in climate litigation and is passionate about looking at the intersection between race, climate justice, and mental health. Thanks for reading Cheek Media Co. ! This post is public so feel free to share it. Share
Highlights: What Betamax Teaches Us About AI – The Business of Entertainment: 2nd Princeton CorpGov Forum
Watch Highlights Video Below: CorpGov hosted the second Princeton CorpGov Forum on May 21, 2026, at The Nassau Inn in Princeton, New Jersey. Speakers featured industry leaders and alumni spanning five decades at Princeton, and topics comprised university endowments, shareholder activism, private equity, venture capital, private and public capital markets, entertainment and the finance of […] The post Highlights: What Betamax Teaches Us About AI – The Business of Entertainment: 2nd Princeton Corp
WNBA suddenly wants to stick to basketball after years of making politics part of the product
The WNBA spent years integrating progressive activism into its product, but now its media wants to refocus on basketball after conservative voices arrived.
A Look At Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) Valuation After Jana Partners Activism And Leadership Shake Up
Six Flags Entertainment (FUN) is back in focus after activist investor Jana Partners publicly urged the company to consider a sale and overhaul its board leadership, prompting a rapid shake up in the chairman role. See our latest analysis for Six Flags Entertainment. The recent governance shake up comes against a mixed backdrop, with a 10.52% 90 day share price return and a 7.17% year to date share price return set against a 1 year total shareholder return decline of 53.46%. This suggests...
Rob Reiner's history of political activism includes landmark wins for marriage equality, childhood development
Trump admin falsely accuses Smithsonian of 'extreme political activism'
Unbiased Politics News
Louisville protesters call for political change at “No Kings” rally
Organizers emphasized building community connections and long-term activism beyond the protest.
Amanda Paschoal: “Politics is built through dialogue, even with people who think differently.”
Amanda Paschoal is an activist and City Councillor in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She represents a new generation of feminist and LGBTQIA+ leaders, committed to social and climate justice. During her term, Amanda championed legislation on climate adaptation, gender equality, and environmental racism. Through her activism and legislative work, she has become a leading voice for intersectional approaches to sustainability, social justice, and the protection of marginalized communities in Brazil’s urban and political landscape.
Judy Collins farewell tour coming to Bar Harbor
Icon of music and social activism Judy Collins will bring her “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes” farewell tour to the Criterion Theatre on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m. She will
Learning From the Archives: Louisiana’s Long History of Reproductive Rights, Health and Justice Advocacy
Despite having some of the most restrictive laws and among the worst reproductive health outcomes in the nation, Louisiana has a long history of reproductive rights and justice advocacy that spans religious, racial and cultural lines. A recent archival exhibit hosted by the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University showcased physical and digital archival collections at Tulane, along with personal and organizational records from community partners, documenting a history of activism from the 20th century to today in Louisiana and the broader Gulf South. By placing items from the historical archives alongside materials from current community organizations, the exhibit offered a reminder of how long Louisianans have fought to expand and defend reproductive rights and justice within the state.
‘My People Need Me!!! And I Need Them’: Bad Bunny’s Political Awakening in Puerto Rico
An exclusive excerpt from the book 'P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance' traces the star's music and activism.
Trinity College bans political activism over chalkboard messages
FIRE calls on Trinity to end its investigation into the matter and remove any existing policy prohibiting “political activism within academic settings.”
White House report accuses Smithsonian museum of ‘extreme political activism’
The 162-page report on the National Museum of American History marks an escalation of President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Smithsonian museums.
Peter Kyle’s quest for UK’s first $1tn firm is honourable, but he is overselling state activism
Business secretary exaggerates role of the British Business Bank and the National Wealth Fund in nurturing firms
How Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani’s politics shaped New York City’s new mayor
Mamdani’s parents and wife’s pro-Palestinian and anti-colonial activism offer a window into the political influences that shaped his path to Gracie Mansion.
US’s new scramble for Africa is biomedical imperialism
From Zimbabwe to Zambia, US health deals are raising fears of a new era of biomedical extractivism.
Roger Arliner Young | Black Zoologist, Women in Science, Women of Color, Race, & Fellowship
Roger Arliner Young was the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in zoology in the United States and is known for her biological research and teaching as well as social activism.
Study across 40 countries: Political activism linked to representation
Not happy with the election result? Don't worry. Election Day is not the only opportunity to influence politics.
Politics, Pubs, Parades, and the Parish: Joan Quigley
Quigley reflects on her upbringing in an Irish-American family in Jersey City, her early involvement in civic activism
Politics almost broke them. Instead, they found power in community.
Mo Turner — queer, Muslim and Black — faced discrimination and censure in the Oklahoma legislature. They have found healing through activism.
Ms. Rachel faces criticism for talking politics and the situation in Gaza
Author, journalist and homeschooling mom of six Bethany Mandel claims popular children's entertainer Ms. Rachel "cares more about activism than education."
How Rob Reiner’s political activism led to Shock and Awe, his film about the US invasion of Iraq
The 2017 drama screened at Dubai International Film Festival
REPORT: Warriors are sick of Steve Kerr's political activism
Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr's left-wing political activism has reportedly caused internal frustration, but considering him a victim of political persecution is too far.
Kaepernick, Springsteen receive new ACLU award for activism in arts, business, science and sports
Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick received a new award from the American Civil Liberties Union recognizing contributions to American thought and culture.
A political scientist studied the rise of grassroots activism in local government. Philly was his case study.
Stephen McGovern's "Mobilization Politics" details how Philly activists employed bottom-up tactics to win major policy victories in criminal justice reform and protections for immigrants and workers.
Amy Poehler makes Robert De Niro cry while thanking him for his activism as a ‘white man of his status’
Amy Poehler makes Robert De Niro cry while thanking him for his activism as a ‘white man of his status.’ She joked that his emotion made her feel ‘incredible.’
Jiang Shengnan is the most vocal woman in Chinese politics
Jiang Shengnan, a Chinese lawmaker and writer, champions women's rights within China's political system while avoiding the feminist label in a country where such activism faces restrictions.
SCRC activism exhibit revisits protests, politics for America’s 250th
SCRC’s newest exhibit, “We Demand!: A Legacy of Activism in America” revisits newspapers, photographs, speeches of protests in the United States. The collection spans from the 1850s to the late 2010s.
Political interference, activism a constant under Polis’ Colorado Parks & Wildlife
Colorado Parks & Wildlife can’t catch a break. If polling were used to measure public trust in agencies, it would be a dreary picture. This, however, is the result of political interference with the agency, not as a result of the professionals managing wildlife in the state. Former CPW Director Jeff Davis was a political […]
New exhibit spotlights history of AIDS activism in New York City
The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives created an oral history of the era.
The Science Behind the AI Panic Is Shakier Than You Think
A column by Sascha Lobo Is AI making us dumb? So asked DER SPIEGEL on its cover a while ago. After a few weeks of recovery and a therapeutic intervention with the help of my AI, I feel able to respond. That’s a bit unfair, of course; the article itself is more nuanced than the loud cover, the image of a schoolkid with dull prompt questions, or the subtitle: “AI is conquering the schools, and educators fear a disaster.” The short answer to “Is AI making us dumb?” is: no. The long answer is more interesting, and even carries a preliminary glimmer of the spectacular. Unfortunately, it requires a detour into the sphere of artificial intelligence, into the mogul-field terrain of technology assessment, the attention economy, and the destructive virus of cultural pessimism. Along with narrowing the scope to AI’s effects on education and work rather than on intelligence. Because the honest version of the question would be: Does AI help us learn and work, or not? Generative AI, which set off the still-ongoing hype with ChatGPT, has only existed in relevant distribution since late 2022, early 2023. For a technology-driven transformation of people and society, that is extremely short. For that reason alone, research is still in its infancy. And technology assessment is not a fast discipline anyway. Prominent voices from Elizabeth Eisenstein to RAND to Tom Wheeler say we still cannot conclusively judge the consequences of the printing press. Its invention is a mere 580 years back, and some scholars would rather not circulate assessments that might have to be retracted in two or three hundred years. We’re Going Through Growing Pains A phenomenon that already caused upheaval in social media research makes serious assessment of AI’s consequences even harder: the “moving target” problem of LLM-ology, as the linguist Sean Trott called it in 2025. AI develops so quickly and so unpredictably that researchers often end up studying snapshots of the past. There are concepts, from morphological analysis to anticipatory governance, for keeping research, planning, and regulation halfway meaningful anyway. But even with those, universally valid statements are rare. DER SPIEGEL - The German View is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe We should therefore treat findings about the interplay between humans and AI as far more procedural and situational. Unfortunately, this challenge comes at the worst possible time. We are going through growing pains: AI’s everyday impact has grown very large very fast, and with it the longing for guidance. Annoyingly, the body of solid knowledge has not exploded along with it. Experts cannot be moved to broad consensus on even banal statements about AI. Sascha Lobo, born in 1975, is an author and strategy consultant focusing on the internet and digital technologies. Together with Jule Lobo, he explores the debates of the day in the podcast “Feel the News – Was Deutschland bewegt” (”What Moves Germany”). Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says software developers are dying out. Bill Gates considers coders one of only three professions that will survive the AI tsunami. Top tech economists find virtually irrefutable arguments both for and against an AI bubble. The same naturally applies to the structurally youth-hostile debate over whether AI is good or bad for young people. The gap between the demand for insight and the supply of solid knowledge creates an orientation vacuum. This vacuum of AI cluelessness is filled, as the attention economy described by Georg Franck in 1998 would have it, with half-knowledge (funnily enough, often AI-generated), marketing, and self-marketing. After all, infinite money is at stake, along with academia’s best current shot at global fame. But this iridescent froth of interpretation operates more by the algorithmic principles of the digital public sphere than by seriously earned insight. That is why dramatized, fear-feeding claims about AI are so promising. It tempts parts of academia into distorted drivel, and parts of the media then sensationalize the published drivel once more. Was the Research Aimed at a Desired Result? How badly this can influence academia and public perception is demonstrated by one of the most-discussed studies on AI’s effects: “Your Brain on ChatGPT.” The MIT study by Nataliya Kosmyna also gets plenty of space in the SPIEGEL cover story. What was measured and interpreted: lower brain activity in people who write with AI assistance, compared to people who only google or write without any tools. As is common with preprints, the study has not yet been peer-reviewed, and it contains substantial weaknesses that experts have sharply criticized. The first round had 54 participants in three groups, the second only 18, who reportedly also came from MIT’s own orbit. There was no preregistration (committing in advance to what you want to find out with which data). In their analysis, Stanković et al. even discovered an opposite effect that the study does not further explain. Some measurement data has not (yet) been published. And the EEG analysis method used is considered too imprecise to support such far-reaching conclusions. The biggest criticism, though, is the suspicion of an activism-driven study. In an interview with Time, lead author Kosmyna said she published the study immediately, rather than after full peer review, because she feared politicians might otherwise decide to put ChatGPT in kindergartens. She considers that absolutely harmful. It is legitimate to hold such a view. It just seems unscientific to approach a study with it, and then to design the setup so that the chance of a fitting desired result remains as high as possible. Ideologies Collide It is not easy to separate genuine AI insights from studies that trivialize and weaken well-founded AI criticism. The same goes for the opposing, AI-enthusiastic narratives, because the pro-AI side works against it with billions in resources. Ideologies collide, fed by egos, PR strategies, moral posturing, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Doomsday marketing makes the search even harder: AI companies can profit from warnings about the dangers of AI, whether through the notoriety of apocalypse narratives or because, in some target groups, danger translates into power. Some seemingly negative findings are therefore quite welcome in the AI industry. If you try to get at the findings presumably less influenced by interest groups, the picture in education seems relatively clear: AI can improve educational outcomes when the right AI is used the right way, namely pedagogically. Simply dumping an AI chatbot into a classroom, by contrast, accomplishes little. Huge surprise. But something else is also obvious: whether they are allowed to or not, kids use AI for school, which is why the controlled integration of AI tools into education is, in the medium term, entirely without alternative. In the world of work, the landscape of findings is more complex and requires more differentiation. A series of serious studies points to an AI effect that suits neither the alarmists, regulation fetishists, and AI opponents, nor the trillion-dollar corporations with their armada of paid scientists, PR professionals, and ecosystems: working with AI helps the inexperienced (at least for now) considerably more than it helps the pros, in certain fields of work, and provided they know how to use it correctly. Missing Domain Knowledge Among the experienced, the professionals, and the high flyers, by contrast, despite frequent time savings, partially negative effects and new problems are emerging. Take the jagged frontier problem: AI solves task A brilliantly and fails completely at task B, even though both look similar even to professionals. Or the verification-cost problem, in which AI’s greater productivity gets eaten up by the enormous effort of checking its output. Or the illusion of competence, because AI makes new domains seem easily penetrable, until you painfully discover that deep domain knowledge is missing. Taken as a whole, the effects of working with AI do lean positive. But the promise that AI works as a turbocharger for everyone and boosts practically everything simply refuses to materialize. The AI magic the world has been feeling since ChatGPT arrived in late 2022 has so far barely shown up in most companies’ numbers. The consulting firm McKinsey has coined a term for this, the “gen AI paradox,” and believes that work processes and corporate structures would have to be rebuilt quite fundamentally to realize AI’s benefits at scale. Reuters just reported that only 3.3 percent of Microsoft’s customers have subscribed to the AI package Copilot. That may be down to the product; in other areas we continue to see soaring successes and new AI triumphs. But after the first quarter of 2026, disillusionment is the word for all too many AI projects at traditional companies: because the promised revolution of AI agents has so far failed to arrive or been postponed, and because of the leveling effect that many of the studies cited here suggest. Against Inequality The societal effects, on the other hand, appear rather encouraging. Many previous technologies operated on the Matthew principle, named for the Gospel verse about giving to those who already have: they tended to reward the more competent and more privileged. AI, however, seems more often to have an equalizing effect once a threshold of access and education is crossed. Some anecdotal insights point in this direction, for example, how an unemployed man in Leipzig successfully defended himself in court in 2025 against fraud accusations from Germany’s federal employment agency — without a lawyer, armed only with ChatGPT. The AI made mistakes and cited invented court rulings, but in the end the man walked away unpunished. And a key capability of artificial intelligence is its capacity to learn: set up correctly and fed with data, it can keep getting better. It is a question of time, or more precisely of AI innovations and training data, until even free AI chatbots write better legal briefs than law graduates with perfect exam scores. Whether that will make anyone dumb is something the world’s press will surely inform us of in due time. Subscribe Leave a comment
In Russia’s Former Capital, Restoring the Past to Survive the Present
With political activism off-limits, residents of St. Petersburg are finding purpose and community in the “politics of small deeds,” repairing and cleaning architectural treasures.
Across the South, Black voters weigh a new political reality
New voting maps in the South have sparked a wave of grassroots activism following a major Supreme Court ruling.
Billy Bob Thornton pushes back on celebrity activism: ‘I don't know anything about politics’
Billy Bob Thornton criticizes celebrity activism at awards shows, saying stars should "get your little award" instead of pushing personal beliefs.
Can the Florida Legislature keep politics off campuses
Protests on college and university campuses aren’t new. Student activism goes back decades, to the civil rights movement and Vietnam. Elected officials and administrators have long torn their hair over how to keep the issues of the day off campuses. Just last week, protests erupted at Florida universities against the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, known as ICE.
In photos: Jesse Jackson's life, activism and politics
His career in activism and politics coincided with a national transformation in civil rights and inequality
Lawmakers pressed to address Black maternal health disparities
Advocates pushed Michigan lawmakers to address racial differences in maternal healthcare this week. The activism is part of Black Maternal Health Week.
Political newcomer from western Mass. ‘would love to be governor ... in 20 years’
In part one of NEPM's series on local candidates giving politics a try, Yakov Kronrod leans on his family's refugee history and his own past activism.
Vanderbilt University chancellor warns schools are too political
Vanderbilt University chancellor Daniel Diermeier criticizes schools for prioritizing political activism over education on 'Fox News Live.'
‘True activism has to cost you something’: Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan on politics, paparazzi and parasocial fandom
The diminutive Derry Girls star isn’t afraid to speak her mind, even if it costs her fans and followers
New book offers tips to translate climate science into political gains
At a time when climate politics in the United States and globally remain deeply polarized, Will Hackman, a climate advocate and political operative, argues that the climate movement needs a new language — one rooted less in doom, guilt and abstract planetary crisis, and more in people’s everyday lives, health, safety, costs and communities. In […]
Jimmy Lai's daughter says he'd focus on family, not activism, if he's freed in Hong Kong
Pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released
New book offers tips to translate climate science into political gains
At a time when climate politics in the United States and globally remain deeply polarized, Will Hackman, a climate advocate and political operative, argues that the climate movement needs a new language — one rooted less in doom, guilt and abstract planetary crisis, and more in people’s everyday lives, health, safety, costs and communities. In […]
Singapore denies Malaysian scholar entry over political activism
Fadiah Nadwa Fikri urged some in Singapore to "adopt her brand of radical advocacy", authorities say.
Opinion | This New Party Wants to Write a New Future for Israel
A new Israeli-Palestinian political party, A Place For Us All, was born out of joint activism and organizing focused on the daily realities on the ground, not grandiose policies.
Rob Reiner Turned Political Activism Into Lasting Impact: Director-Actor Played Key Role In Efforts On Early Childhood Development, LGBTQ+ Rights
As figures including Barack Obama, Kamala Harris and Gavin Newsom shared their tributes to Rob Reiner, it was a reminder that the director-actor’s impact on politics went beyond fund raising and celebrity endorsement. Over several decades, Reiner led efforts to pass an early childhood development initiative in California, and he later helped spearhead a drive […]
Entertainment in the AI Era: Music, Games and Film: 2nd LA CorpGov Forum
CorpGov hosted the second LA CorpGov Forum on Sept. 18, 2026, at The Huntington Library in San Marino, California. This event brought together members of the financial community from both LA and beyond in panels focused on the finance of entertainment and media, sports, along with capital markets and shareholder activism. Panel: Entertainment in the […] The post Entertainment in the AI Era: Music, Games and Film: 2nd LA CorpGov Forum appeared first on CorpGov.
Breaking free from ESG: Financial investment and politics don’t mix
The quiet retreat from ESG and DEI activism is more than a shift in corporate trendlines. It’s a course correction and a return to disciplined, fiduciary-based stewardship.
Don’t dismiss ‘Woke 1.0’ – young people’s activism should be encouraged
Letter: Far from being crazy, the grandchildren of the radical ‘permissive’ generation are using their voices to fight for progress, as we taught them to do, writes Paul McGilchrist
Politics, Activism Focus Of ‘End Of The World’ Event In Wheeling
WHEELING – Community organizers are asking the public to come get to know each other, make friends, and meet this year’s political candidates at an “End Of The World” party happening this week in Wheeling. The community improvement group “Where Do We Go From Here?” is organizing the event, set for 7-9 p.m. Thursday at […]
'In the absence of any real news, rumours start'
The reason for my new-found, hyper-specific activism is that when there's an international break, particularly at this point in the season, there are still column inches to fill on the clubs that get covered. What I'm saying is won't someone please consider the mental impact on me, personally, of headlines suggesting the entire spine of Newcastle United is going to be sold this summer? If the rumours are to be believed then Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon are the key players eyeing a move, and there could be more.
Ilana Glazer talks grief, giggles and activism before Madison stop
‘Ilana Glazer Live!’ comes to Madison’s Orpheum Theater on Sept. 17. The ‘Broad City’ star feels better than ever on their second ‘grownup standup tour.’
Adam Brody Calls for a ‘Free Palestine’
Adam Brody is calling for “free Palestine” and explaining why his political activism doesn’t come up during his red-carpet appearances.
Uniting to respond to mental health impacts of digital violence
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), from doxxing and cyberstalking to cyberbullying and online harassment, is reshaping how women and girls navigate digital spaces. Globally, an estimated 23% of women have experienced digital violence. In Indonesia, reported cases of TFGBV reached 1,791 in 2024, a 40.8% increase from the previous year. Yet very few survivors seek help, leaving lasting effects on their mental health and wellbeing. As part of the multi-UN agencies UNiTE campaign for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) co-hosted a talk show on 6 December 2025 to spotlight this urgent issue. The event brought together voices from Meta, the Indonesian Clinical Psychologist Association and Dr Vivi Syarif, a WHO Fides content creator, creating a cross-sectoral dialogue on the magnitude and mental health impact of digital violence. The talk show introduced psychological first aid as a vital initial intervention that communities can provide to survivors. This intervention aligns with the Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers, a framework that has been standardized for over a decade. The "look, listen, link" approach focuses on ensuring safety and urgent needs, reassuring survivors and connecting them to appropriate services. In addition to this public health approach, Meta also outlined mechanisms to respond to digital violence and reaffirmed its commitment to building safer digital spaces by continuously updating community guidelines based on user feedback. Such collaborative discussions help connect community engagement initiatives with daily digital life. They empower audiences not only to understand how the health sector and industry are responding, but also to educate others, promote first-line support and encourage referrals to appropriate help. By fostering awareness and engagement, these dialogues strengthen collective resilience against digital violence. Written by Jessie O. Yunus, National Professional Officer (Gender, Equity, Rights and Disability Inclusion), WHO Indonesia
White House Criticizes Smithsonian Museum for ‘Extreme Political Activism’
A scathing report released on the Fourth of July says the National Museum of American History downplays the role of the founders while emphasizing social justice.
From Ed Sheeran to the NFL, Gaza Debate Reaches Sports and Entertainment
From Macklemore to Azeez Al-Shaair, Gaza activism is reshaping sports and entertainment worldwide.
3 Things to Know: Brands and Social Issues, Adult Recreational Sports League Participation Rebounds, and Sports Betting Partnerships
CivicScience has the world’s largest proprietary database of real-time declared intent, allowing brands to activate high-performing advertising that drives up to 80% better performance. See how our partners achieve superior marketing outcomes here. 1. Consumers hold mixed expectations on brand activism, with Democrats more likely to switch or boycott based on personal values, while Republicans [...]Read More... from 3 Things to Know: Brands and Social Issues, Adult Recreational Sports League Participation Rebounds, and Sports Betting Partnerships
Belief in change matters more than political anger when it comes to voting intentions, study suggests
With the 2026 midterm elections around the corner, voters may be feeling everything from excitement to fear. But how might anger motivate political activism and, ultimately, influence who turns out to ...
The 8-Bit Show: Connecting art, science & activism with PangeaSeed
On the latest episode of The 8-Bit Show, host Hekla Petursson sits down with the founder of PangeaSeed to discuss how the organization connects people with the ocean and inspires them to protect it.
How Sports Became a Battleground Over Trans Rights
Riley Gaines turns a fifth-place tie in college swimming into a career in anti-trans activism. Soon, she’s sharing the stage with the president.
Texas issues new rules cracking down on student walkouts tied to political activism
Super Bowl to the Olympics: The long history of protest, politics and sports
This weekend’s competitions drew the attention of millions of viewers. But sporting events have long been sites for political speech, protest and activism dating back decades.
At Berlin Film Festival, the Politics Are Onscreen, Too
Some directors and stars at the Berlin Film Festival rejected a political view of cinema. But the movies there suggest that politics is broader than just activism.
Medical journals have chosen activism over science
As a student of medicine in the library, overwhelmed by facts that hadn’t yet cohered into a point of view, I read medical journals. They brought me relief — a feeling that life as a doctor was full of muddled people, usually trying to do their best, who found purpose in their work. As a [...]Read More...
Amy Poehler makes Robert De Niro cry while thanking him for his activism as a ‘white man of his status’
The “Goodfellas” star has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump.
Elon Musk Calls Billie Eilish ‘Hypocrite’ Over Grammys Speech
Elon Musk weighed in on Billie Eilish’s controversial Grammy Awards speech, where she denounced ICE and declared “F*** ICE” on stage. The tech billionaire responded publicly, sparking fresh debate over the singer’s political activism and past comments. Elon Musk calls out Billie Eilish over her speech At the 2026 Grammy Awards, Billie Eilish used her […] The post Elon Musk Calls Billie Eilish ‘Hypocrite’ Over Grammys Speech appeared first on Reality Tea.
Screenwriters union and Hollywood studios reach four-year tentative agreement
f a e n activism strikes information-technology health-care-industry labor-unions business u-s-news general-news entertainment | KCBS All News 106.9FM and 740AM
Michele Tafoya blasts WNBA activism, says Sophie Cunningham is a hero for women's sports
Michele Tafoya says the WNBA has morphed from a celebration of women's basketball into "activism on display," citing Cheryl Reeve's bench attire.
Bad Bunny may keep politics off the mic — but his Super Bowl presence still speaks volumes
In a halftime show that is charged with political expectation, Bad Bunny’s history of activism speaks for itself
Opinion: Celebrity Artists Should Engage More With Politics
Celebrity artists have become increasingly involved in political and social action in the past several months. Perspectives Staff Writer Alyssa Hunnicutt argues celebrities should continue to engage more with social and political activism with the intention to benefit their audiences.