Think Progress

The Fun, Inescapable (And Kind Of Worrisome) Psychology Of ‘U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!’ — ThinkProgress

“U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!”

The American team isn’t even on screen yet, and already, people in this downtown Washington, D.C. sportsbar are chanting. Cheap polyester flags, the type peddled at Fourth of July and Memorial Day parades, are strewn strategically over the tables. The bar is buzzing with chatter, but everyone has at least one eye on the massive projection screens adorning three of the four walls, streaming the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Bernie Sanders And His Supporters Weigh The Choices Before Them

Graphic: Donald Trump’s Terrifying Views On Nuclear Weapons

On Wednesday, Donald Trump will lay out his foreign policy vision in a speech in Washington, D.C. The speech has been advertised by the Trump campaign and others as an opportunity for the candidate to begin to discuss his policy proposals on international affairs and nuclear weapons proliferation. However, in prior appearances and interviews throughout the campaign, Trump has shown that he is erratic and reckless in temperament, unfamiliar with the basic responsibilities of American security and global leadership.

The Dirty Way Texas Could Win Its Supreme Court Challenge To Obama’s Immigration Policies

WASHINGTON, D.C. — One of the biggest uncertainties in United States v. Texas, a challenge to Obama administration programs that could enable over 4 million undocumented immigrants to temporarily remain in the country, is whether the justices will actually reach a clean decision. With one seat vacant, and Texas’ allies in the Senate determined not to confirm anyone President Obama names to fill that seat, there is a very real possibility that the Court will split 4-4 in this case — thus leaving question of whether the administration acted legally unresolved.

Why You Don’t Actually Owe Any Taxes Today

DC City Council Comes Close To Allowing Pot In Bars And Restaurants

On Tuesday afternoon, the D.C. City Council briefly agreed to let the ban on marijuana use in privately owned businesses expire. But soon after, several council members reversed course and voted to extend the ban for another 90 days. As a result, poorer residents are still unable to reap the benefits of legalization because there are few places for them to consume it.

After Student Protests, Georgetown University Will Rename Buildings Named After Slaveowners

Georgetown University will rename two buildings on campus — Mulledy Hall and McSherry Hall — that are currently named after slaveowners, following protests and sit-ins from students demanding increased awareness about the institution’s racial legacy.

Georgetown students argue that the university needs to acknowledge the ways the university was built on slavery and to foster more discussion on the university climate for students of color. A group of 250 students recently gathered in solidarity with students at Yale University and the University of Missouri, who have also been asking their administrators to acknowledge a racist climate on campus.

This One Deal Could Reduce The Number Of New Coal Plants Worldwide

On Friday, environmentalists in D.C. will rally in front of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, a financing institution.

The protesters will be there because the JBIC is one link in the long chain of global finance that ends at the construction of the world’s largest coal-fired power plant. The Batang Power Plant, which Greenpeace and other environmental groups have been fighting for years, is just one example of Japan’s overseas coal investments.

Japan is the largest exporter of coal finance in the world, to the tune of more than $20 billion between 2007 and 2014.

Youth Activists Rally At The White House, Calling For Action On Climate And Racial Issue

Youth activists shut down central Washington D.C. this morning to demand political action on climate change, immigration, and racial issues. “Our Generation, Our Choice” allowed multiple movements to join forces on the streets and rally around political injustices.

“Youth as a collective are in crisis and face all kinds of obstacles in achieving our own potential. We are standing here collectively — which is not something we see all the time — to be here with one voice,” said Varshini Prakash, regional networks coordinator at Divest Student Network. “We need our politicians to follow our lead… and start making real changes on polices and the way our country is run.”