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The article discusses the history and influence of lobbying in American politics. It highlights the rise of lobbying as a powerful industry, tracing its origins to the 1970s and its subsequent growth. The article explores how lobbying has become a pernicious force in national life, with corporate America outspending other groups to shape public opinion and influence policy. It also examines the revolving door between government and lobbying, as well as the cultural transformation of Washington that lobbying has brought about. The article warns of the normalization of corruption and the potential consequences of a second Trump administration, which could further empower lobbyists and undermine responsible governance. [Extracted from the article]

SETTLING INTO A SENSE OF SAFETY IS HARD when your life's catalog of memories teaches you the opposite lesson. Imagine: You fled from a government militia intent on murdering you; [...]

The current era of 'fake news' may soon seem quaint. Video manipulation is eroding society's ability to agree on what's true--or what's even real. IN A DANK CORNER of the [...]

I. The WISDOM of FRIENDS THE CLINIC PERMITTED PAUL MANAFORT one 10-minute call each day. And each day, he would use it to ring his wife from Arizona, his voice [...]

Chris Hughes was a mythical savior--boyishly innocent, fantastically rich, intellectually curious, unexpectedly humble, and proudly idealistic. My entire career at the New Republic had been spent dreaming of such a [...]

BARACK OBAMA'S VICTORIES OBSCURED FAILURE AT EVERY OTHER POLITICAL LEVEL. THE PARTY'S CHOICES HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. IF DEMOCRATS CARE ABOUT WINNING, THEY NEED TO LEARN HOW TO APPEAL TO THE [...]

By antagonizing Mexico, Donald Trump has made the classic bully's error: He has underestimated his victim. On issues ranging from counterterrorism to China, the Mexican response could be devastating. When [...]

LET THEM EAT TWEETS How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality By Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson This book makes its appearance in the thick of [...]

The article discusses the rise of anti-Semitism and its impact on American Jews. It includes personal accounts from individuals who have experienced anti-Semitism in different time periods, such as during the Yom Kippur War and the Holocaust. The author argues that while anti-Semitism may be on the rise, it is not representative of American values and that Jews have historically been welcomed and included in American society. The article also addresses the distinction between anti-Semitism and criticism of Israel's actions, emphasizing the need for recognizing the struggles of both Palestinians and Jews. [Extracted from the article]

THE HOUSE OF TRUTH: A WASHINGTON POLITICAL SALON AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF AMERICAN LIBERALISM BRAD SNYDER Oxford YOUNG RADICALS: IN THE WAR FOR AMERICAN IDEALS JEREMY MCCARTER Random House In [...]

IN 2012, VLADIMIR PUTIN returned to the presidency after a four-year, constitutionally imposed hiatus. It wasn't the smoothest of transitions. To his surprise, in the run-up to his inauguration, protesters [...]

Soon after Donald Trump won the Republican nomination, Leshchenko held a press conference in Kyiv. Three days before the invasion, Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, had unexpectedly called Leshchenko to ask him to join the government's Disinformation Prevention Center, an agency focused on combatting Russian propaganda. Two nights before our Thai dinner, Leshchenko and Ptushkin had driven east to deliver a caravan of Toyota trucks. Through his partnership with Brian Keith Etheridge, Leshchenko arranged for Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher to join a videoconference with Zelensky, though he failed in his campaign to get the president a virtual cameo at the Academy Awards. [Extracted from the article]

TEN ARGUMENTS FOR DELETING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS RIGHT NOW By Jaron Lanier 146 pp. Henry Holt & Company. $18. My self-justifications were feeble. They could be described as hypocritical [...]

Ezra Klein is a blogger and columnist for 'The Washington Post' and 'Newsweek.' BLOGGER Ezra Klein For me, Judaism is not a choice. I was born Jewish, and I plan [...]

AGE OF ANGERA History of the PresentBy Pankaj Mishra406 pp. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. $27. Across the world, a spirit of anarchy is in bloom -- an aimless desire to [...]

Throughout his essay on controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ('The Talented Mr. Chavez,' May Atlantic), Franklin Foer adopts the rhetoric and misrepresentations of Chavez's more dishonest opponents. For example, he [...]

Supporters of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have elevated the political rally to one of the higher forms of recreation. On Saturday mornings, they board scores of government-provided buses in [...]

The decision of parents to put their child into soccer although is fashionable is taken with utmost care. United States is supposed to be the only country where a huge section of the population condemns the game of soccer and even campaigns against it.

'Attention is the beginning of devotion. The idea exhilarates, but it also saddens. If the attention of humans can be so easily filched by a machine--or, more precisely, the companies [...]

A VOICE STILL HEARD Selected Essays of Irving Howe Edited by Nina Howe Illustrated. 380 pp. Yale University Press. $40. A voice still heard. What a sad, anxious assertion of [...]

The article looks at the history of "The New Republic" on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1914 by Herbert Croly. Topics include the nature of American liberalism, changes in the magazine during politician Henry Wallace's tenure as editor in the late 1940s, and the balance of realism versus idealism in the magazine.

The article discusses the monopolies held by the retailer Wal-Mart and Amazon Inc., the electronic commerce firm that copied Wal-Mart's business model. Topics include the effect of Amazon's monopoly on publishers, the publishing industry, authors, and book quality; the effect of antitrust law and government activity on innovation, competition and the rise of new companies; and a discussion of the type of laws necessary to break Amazon's monopoly.

An interview with U.S. President Barack Obama is presented. Asked about how he views his second term, he says that the challenge is not so much knowing which policies can best address problems such as a sluggish economy or climate change, but rather garnering public opinion to support those policies. He says there is a gap between the political views of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. public as a whole. Other topics include gun control, bipartisanship, and the war in Syria.

An interview with U.S. President Barack Obama is presented. Asked about how he views his second term, he says that the challenge is not so much knowing which policies can best address problems such as a sluggish economy or climate change, but rather garnering public opinion to support those policies. He says there is a gap between the political views of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. public as a whole. Other topics include gun control, bipartisanship, and the war in Syria.

The article discusses the alleged plot by the Russian government to bring down American democracy through strategies like election interference. Also cited are how the Russians allegedly helped Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the move by hackers to hack state voting systems, and the plan by the U.S. to hire college students like Jack Cable to identify security flaws in government websites.

The article explores the legacy of Jeffrey Bezos, founder, chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Amazon.com Inc. Bezos controls nearly 40 percent of electronic commerce in the U.S. He has expressed concerns over the scenario that the world's growing energy demands will surpass its limited supply. He has been criticized for his leadership style but has been commended for the emergence of Amazon as the embodiment of competence.

The article offers a list of the U.S. establishment figures that will take power with U.S. President Barack Obama. The list includes political strategist David Axelrod, U.S. Congressman Rahm Emanuel, and economist Larry Summers. INSET: The Buddy List.

The article comments on the diary reports from a U.S. soldier in Baghdad that "New Republic" magazine has been publishing, and answers the accusations that the reports were fabricated. The magazine used the pseudonym "Scott Thomas" to protect the identity of the soldier, Scott Thomas Beauchamp, age 24, who was discovered by the reporter Elspeth Reeve. The magazine investigated some of Thomas's war stories and found them to be factual.

The article focuses on the impact of the Women's World Cup on women's soccer, highlighting Spain's victory in the final; the overall improvement in the quality of the game; and the spirit of protest among female players advocating for equal pay and treatment.

The article offers a humorous guide to the Republican culture and character of the city of Washington, DC. After five years of George W. Bush's presidency and eleven years of Republican rule in Congress, Republicans have altered the city's culture and character. The article discusses the ways in which Republican Tom DeLay linked lobbyists to the Republican Party. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff now faces indictments.

Argues that Republicans learn negative campaign tactics by practicing on one another in the race for College Republican National Committee chair. Description of the race between Paul Gourley and Michael Davidson; Claim that the campaign is filled with importuning, backstabbing, and horsetrading; Report that the College Republicans is a group legally allowed to spend an infinite amount of its own money on campaigns; Report that Davidson spent an estimated $200,000 in campaign funds, raised off rich people who generally fund senators and presidential candidates; Role of high-profile Republicans in the College Republicans organization, including College Republican veterans Karl Rove, Jack Abramoff and Grover Norquist; Report that powerful Republicans will urge delegates to vote for certain chairman candidates; Description of Davidson's fund raising abilities; Reference to the book "Bush's Brain," by James Moore and Wayne Slater; Scandal involving the College Republicans and direct-mail firm Response Dynamics Incorporated; Comparison of the College Republicans to the College Democrats.

Focuses on lobbyist Jack Abramoff, with the view that he helped corrupt U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and the conservative movement. Background on Abramoff and his association with Grover Norquist in promoting the Republican Party; The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as an example of how Abramoff exploited lobbying opportunities to gain influence; His achievements with Americans for Tax Reform in terms of media coverage for his special interests agenda; How he shifted a legitimate think-tank, the National Center for Public Policy Research, into a front for his clients; Indication a federal grand jury has subpoenaed NCPPR records.