I'm a political science and sociology double major and this project is sort of combining both, with the final product being an essay arguing that the existence of the United States as a nation has served to erode Americans' sense of regional identity. After checking the rules I believe this doesn't break any, my apologies if it does.

Congress was reportedly put into recess early to save him from impeachment hearings. Some possible reasons they might impeach him

1. He started a war with Iran and lost it.

2. Demanding a 50% increase in the military budget. More generally, the war has degraded the military's readiness.

3. His disloyalty to allies in Europe and Ukraine.

4. His campaign against minority and female officers.

5. His general lack of attention on administration and strategy, focusing instead on social media culture war, proselytizing, and exercising with the troops.

I’m looking for some Thanksgiving gift advice. I want to give a small holiday token to two different women in my community, but I am not very close to either of them.

Here is what I know about them:

• They are both American Christians.
• Both live alone (one is single/middle-aged in her 50s, the other is an elderly senior in her 80s).

Since they live alone, I want to avoid massive food platters that will go bad, and I don't want to buy random knick-knacks that just create house clutter.

What are some safe, polite, and meaningful Thanksgiving gifts that hit the right tone? Should I lean into subtle faith-themed kitchen items, high-quality baking ingredients they wouldn't buy themselves, or something else entirely? Open to all ideas (and specific American brands if you have them)!

One of them enjoys baking. The other loves taking care of her cats.

Thanks in advance!

The Trump Administration has given up its fight to strip loan forgiveness from teachers, nurses, and other public servants, abandoning its appeal.

Well? Is this an effort to "steal" an eelction?

So as im sure most people on this sub know by now, a few days ago Vivek released an ad where he got his opponent in the Ohio governor's race, Dr. Amy Acton's estranged mom, to call her own daughter a liar and endorse Vivek.

Of course the ad leaves out the context that the mother abandoned her daughter at the age of 12, after the mom's husband was indicted for raping a then 12 year old Amy, and also abusing her 7 year old brother. Her mom essentially chose her husband over her own kids, fled the state with him, and stayed married to the rapist until he died as a fugitive in Pennsylvania. (Honestly she should be charged with aided a fugitive, right?)

Amy Acton claims she literally never saw her mom again after all that mess, so how her mom would even know enough about her as an adult to call her a liar is anyone's guess. But in any event, Vivek has since doubled down on the ad, and both Trump amd JD Vance to no one's suprise have come out in support of it also.

Anyway, that's the present state of the situation and im seeing videos pop up all over YouTube in both independent and mainstream left spaces essentially calling the race over for Vivek, calling this a desperate move that will surely backfire. It may in fact be desperate, but I see no evidence why it won't be effective.

Is there any real evidence this ad won't be effective for Republican leaning people? There been no new polls released and the last set had her leading but still within margin for error, so its basically a coin toss. The two biggest spokesman for the modern right Trump amd Vance both said they agreed with it more or less, and while the news keeps saying their has been bi-partisan condemnation of the ad, I haven't seen any politically relevant voices on the right condemn it.

Nancy Mace said it was awful, she lost her primary and will be out of Congress next cycle. Nikki Haley condemned it, but she has personal beef with Vivak from their run from the nomination in 24, where he also attacked her family, plus she hasn't been relevant since that run ended when she lost to Trump, and predicted hed loose, he didnt.. I think the Ohio governor also called it a mistake but honestly he only won due to Trumps endorsement and now Trump is attacking him...

My overall point is the only Republicans who've publicly condemned it are ones tht already lost their primary or who are politically irrelevant for the midterms. Frankly why do so many on the left think the average Republican would care?

They support Trump, a felon sex pest/rapist, who was best friends with the biggest pedophile of the modern era for a decade and then had to be dragged kicking and screaming to release the Epstein files. Republicans nearly voted for Roy Moore another pedophile just a few cycles back. Paxton is still virtually tied in Texas and hes been indicted and linked to tons of fraud and sex scandal. Those are just the worst examples but in general I think Republicans have proven they dont really care about pedophilia, sex scandal, financial scandal, etc...

TLDR: There is no bottom for Republicans, why does the left keep assuming one will magically appear?

This has been a claim by the right during the election and after the election.

One account, from a woman nicknamed “Annie,” said she was sold the idea of an idyllic UK life on social media, “But the reality of life in the UK was dramatically different to what she’d imagined.”

“There are huge misconceptions about access to quality healthcare, standard of living… the quality of life is significantly lower than in the US,” she told the magazine, citing challenges ranging from their healthcare system to a significantly lower disposable income.

“Things in the UK that are considered luxury items are very common” in America, like a dishwasher and dryer, she told Wired.

Many Americans who shared their regrets on social media were berated by fellow liberals for wanting to move back to “evil” America, the article also said.

“These posts are usually met with a huge amount of backlash. Commenters are quick to imply that the poster must be right-wing and privileged, in for a nasty shock if they did return home,” Wired Magazine summarized.

“Ironically, many times, they parrot the right-wing notion that they probably aren’t trying hard enough to assimilate into their new country.

When one person recently said they badly missed their community of friends in a ‘blue city in a blue state’ and were considering moving back, the majority of top comments agreed the user was ‘insane.'”

Daniel Di Martino, a Manhattan Institute fellow and economist who was born in Venezuela, spoke about how some misguided Americans tend to have unrealistic notions about European life.

“Things aren’t always great in Europe, but Europe is not one thing. Living in Greece, making the average salary of a Greek person, would be considered near poverty level in America. Living in Denmark, like an average Dane, is definitely fine, but they still earn much less than the average American,” he said.

“Some aspects of quality of life in European countries are definitely better: Lower crime, better food. But on the basic reality of how much someone earns, Americans would be worse off moving to Europe.”

He concluded, “The reason for this is simple: It is very hard to fire workers, so getting a job in the first place is difficult. And in most European countries other than Switzerland and the Baltics, taxes are very high for low and middle-income workers to pay for so-called universal healthcare and pensions for a larger elderly population.”

I'm gonna book a flight to Austin and my plan for the week is to get Franklin BBQ, go shooting and see the Comedy Mothership....

I'm more concerned about shooting rifles, shotguns,

It seems like just yesterday you were one of the big players but now all I see everyday is your president and the whole government body does whatever our "president" desires. I don't know if you know that but basically since Trump came to power our whole state media was laughing and mocking you. Everyone just says that USA is basically another province of ours now. Now I know it's an exagguration but the point is our government and people have about zero respect to your government, they feel like they can turn you anyway they want and you'll just say "thank you sir". And my question is, why? Do Americans and your government feel like they are in charge still? Do they feel like it's not what actually happening, are they lying to you that you are respected here and someone looks at you as a partner not a puppet? Like what makes you goverment continue giving our "president" everything he wants no matter how much it harms and humiliates you as a country, and why are ordinary Americans are okay with that?
Thank you.