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Candidates divided on making college free
In addition to rising tuition costs, crushing student loan debt and increased dropout rates are other massive barriers to attending or finishing college.
Ideas Election: Should college be free? Presidential candidates are divided
The 2020 presidential election is turning out to be the most ideas-driven election in recent U.S. history. This episode of the Ideas Election looks at the Democratic presidential candidates who are divided on policies regarding whether or not college should be free for some — or all — Americans.
After Trump speaks on criminal justice reform, Dem candidates will push their own plans. Here's what they're discussing.
The United States, the richest country in the world, also incarcerates more people than any other nation. Democratic contenders have been touting ambitious plans that aim to end laws and practices that they say contribute to mass incarceration and threaten public safety.
Ukraine scandal gives new life to Warren's pledge to keep politics — and campaign donors — out of foreign affairs
The House impeachment inquiry into President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine has called attention to the conflict between career foreign service professionals and Trump’s political appointees to ambassadorships and other key positions.
How far will Dems go in reversing marijuana policy? Legalization, clemency — even reparations — are on the table.
Most Democrats competing in the 2020 primary have come out for the legalization of marijuana, regulating and taxing it like tobacco or alcohol. A few have gone further, pushing for clemency — and even reparations — for those with past convictions for nonviolent drug offenses.
Julián Castro's plan to save the animals
“There is a special bond between people and animals,” says Julián Castro, the only presidential candidate with a specific plan addressing animal rights.
If the problem is mental illness, these candidates have a plan for that
With a national mental health crisis costing about $444 billion a year, presidential candidates have put forth several proposals to combat high premiums and coverage black holes.
Candidates propose expanding the 'war on terror' to counter the real threat: White supremacists
Since the El Paso shooting, which was declared an act of “domestic terrorism" by the Justice Department, the FBI has thwarted seven mass shootings, including attacks planned by alleged white supremacists. But those arrested are unlikely to be designated as domestic terrorists or face any federal terrorism-related charges.
The 'woke' primary: Democrats vie to do the most to fight racism
These problems aren’t new. But the collective response from the Democratic Party’s presidential candidates is.
5 million Native Americans getting some respect from Dem candidates
Presidential campaigns usually ignore Native Americans and their unique position and struggles. However, the 2020 race might be different.
Looking back at Flint crisis, Harris rolls out 'water justice' program
Is your drinking water safe? A number of high-profile incidents have highlighted the limits of the nation’s water supply and the impacts of environmental changes, pollution and aging infrastructure on water quality.
Student debt cancellation, a 'war tax' and gay-marriage reparations: Three plans out of the mainstream — but not out of the question
What do college students, military veterans and LGBT couples have in common? They would be the beneficiaries of a set of bold policy proposals from Democratic presidential candidates.
Biden looks to overturn Trump's undoing of Obama's foreign policy legacy, but Iraq remains a question mark
In a major speech on foreign policy last week, former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden detailed how he would restore America’s position as a global leader.
For 2020 Democrats, it's all Roe, no Wade
The volume and urgency of the abortion debate has varied over the years but is now as high as it’s ever been. With Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh shifting the court to the right, the votes exist for an overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Democratic candidates pitch national service programs to help bridge America's political divide
Several Democratic presidential candidates have called for voluntary national service, and many of their proposals take their cues from the G.I. Bill, which rewards military service with money for college or job training.
As president, Biden wants more 'civility.' His rivals want more power.
Democrats want to accomplish some very big things in 2021. Extending Medicare to every American. Mobilizing the entire U.S. economy to combat the existential threat of global warming. Creating a pathway to citizenship for 12 million undocumented immigrants. The list goes on.
Dems have a plan for that: Medicare for All, and all the rest of them
Comparing Sen. Bernie Sanders's Medicare for All single payer plan with Sen. Michael Bennet's Medicare X public option plan.
Democratic candidates, forced to take a stand on gun control by activists, are speaking out forcefully
As mass shootings continue to occur, advocates for stricter gun regulation have gained momentum. But so have those rallying to protect themselves and their constitutional right to bear arms.
Candidates have a plan, or a score of different ones, to change the tax code
No one likes taxes, and about 45 percent of Americans think they pay too much in federal income taxes, according to a 2018 Gallup poll.
Warren's big applause line — abolish the Electoral College — gets picked up on the campaign trail
Those who think the Electoral College is problematic include numerous Democratic presidential candidates. As Sen. Elizabeth Warren put it to one audience, “Your vote just doesn’t count ... and that is wrong.”
Candidates begin rolling out their climate plans
Even before former Vice President Joe Biden announced a formal climate change policy, the left wing of the Democratic Party was decrying him for what an adviser called his “middle ground” approach to climate change.
'Farm Aid' 2020: Warren, Sanders propose rescue plans for family farmers
Sanders also proposes reforming patent laws under which farmers have been sued for growing crops from proprietary seeds.
Candidates tackle student-debt crisis
In his late March announcement speech, Messam, a 44-year-old former college football player, put student debt front and center, saying that if elected he would push for national student debt forgiveness. You get $50,000 in student-loan debt relief. The politics of free college are similarly fraught.
One Democrat has a plan to run against Trump on immigration
Three years into the presidency of Donald Trump, who launched his campaign with a call to crack down on illegal immigration from Mexico and Central America, the United States is on track to see the largest number of migrants arriving at the southwest border without proper documentation in more than a decade.
Frightened by artificial intelligence? These candidates have a solution for that.
From self-driving cars to augmented reality to advancements in medicine, agriculture and weaponry, many aspects of everyday life and a large share of the U.S. economy and military will be transformed by artificial intelligence in the not-too-distant future.
Should we expand the Supreme Court?
Commentators say a knockdown battle over every open Supreme Court seat is demoralizing for the country and cements the perception of the court as a political body. There have been a number of Supreme Court reform proposals discussed over the years.