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If you’ve ever wondered why some neighborhoods thrive while others are neglected, the answer is often hidden in public budgets. In my latest article for Medium, I break it down in plain language: what is a city budget, who makes the decisions, and why it matters more than most people realize.

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The U.S. isn’t a pure democracy...and it’s not supposed to be. Learn what a republic really is, why the Founders chose it, and how it was built to give power to the people without letting that power be abused. 👇🏻 FREE

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56% of Americans read at a 6th grade level, and over 20% are fully illiterate. Those people CAN understand the language used in Trump and Elon's tweets. We can keep jerking ourselves off because of how smart we are, or we can make the effort to move our messaging down to the level of the people.

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“We have not received any information on why they were detained,” she said. “All we know is that Martir is just a fourth grader who’s by himself, without his dad, without a parent, and just in a place that he probably doesn’t know, so we can only imagine what he might be feeling.”

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Are you sharing fake photos and encouraging the spread of misinformation? In this quick 3 minute video, I break down how to quickly use Google Lens to validate the sources of a photo online. 👇🏻

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SB1953 passed, just waiting on JB to sign. www.msn.com/en-us/news/c...

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They weren’t just writing rules: they were building a whole new kind of country. Learn what the Founding Fathers wanted most when they created the U.S. government, and why it still matters today. 👇🏻

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In June, The Shatterpoint will feature a guest article written by a new journalist at the start of their writing career! This is an opportunity for us to find ways to uplift the voices of new writers who reach out, and give them functional experience in writing a pitch and article. Stay tuned!

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A political opinion piece by our founder, @jjhastings.com 👇🏻

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Keep going.

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Ever wonder why the U.S Constitution sparked so much debate? Meet the Federalists and Anti-Federalists: two groups with different visions for America. 👇🏻

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Dear elected officials, Please stop posting important stories with news articles that are behind a paywall. You mean to share good information that your community members need, but many cannot afford to read the articles being shared. Information is power. - The Shatterpoint

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A great reminder from Journalism Now on the difference between three very different types of professional and independent journalism: 1. News Stories 2. News Analysis 3. Commentary/Opinion Sometimes we hold writers to a standard not meant for their body of work.

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The Shatterpoint is ONE woman, operating everything while on the verge of homelessness and devastation. If I could, we would give money to every person who reaches out to us, but sheerly do not have any funds. 100% of what I do is ran off my phone that I have 0 way to pay the bill for this month.

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Let's talk about fast and dirty digital literacy. How can you identify if a source is biased or legitimate in 45 seconds or less? 👇🏻 By using the PROP method!

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💡A memecoin is a cryptocurrency based on jokes or memes, not real tech or value. Many are used in "pump-and-dump schemes": where people hype up the coin to raise its price, then quickly sell to make a profit, leaving others with losses. Watch out!

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💡 A "shadow docket" decision is when the Supreme Court makes a quick ruling without full briefings, arguments, or public explanation. It’s often used in "emergencies", but critics say it lacks transparency.

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💡 The Congressional Review Act, created in 1996, lets Congress overturn new federal rules within 60 days using a simple majority vote. It’s a fast-track tool to block regulationsno filibuster or new law needed.

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💡 Politicians who sold stocks before tariffs were announced may be using non-public info to avoid losses or make gains, info the public doesn't have yet. That’s called "insider trading": profiting off secret government decisions before they impact the market.

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💡 Air traffic controllers keep planes safe by guiding them during takeoff, flight, and landing. They prevent collisions, manage traffic flow, and talk to pilots nonstop. No breaks, no mistakes.

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💡 The U.S. Department of Education sets rules for schools, protects students' civil rights, manages federal financial aid, collects data, and supports quality education for all. It's about making sure every student has a fair shot.

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💡 Congress just voted to weaken a key Clean Air Act rule that limited toxic pollution from factories, refineries & chemical plants. This is the first rollback of its kind since the law was created, and it could mean more cancer-causing pollutants in the air we breathe.

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💡 A charter school is a public school that runs independently of the local school district. It gets public funding but has more freedom to try new "teaching methods", as long as it meets agreed-upon results. Public funds cannot be used to promote religion, per the Constitution.

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In case you missed it 👇🏻

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When the United States was a young nation, it had a big problem: how to unite 13 very different states under one strong government. Each state acted like its own little country with different laws, different money, and different ideas about how to run things.

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Stacking tariffs? 👇🏻

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Coming this week on The Shatterpoint: 👉🏻 The Role of Compromise in the Founding Documents 👉🏻 Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists: Founding Disagreements 👉🏻 The Founders’ Vision for American Government

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💡Administration is trying to block government officials from Mexico from entering the US. 💡 However, 17 family members of cartel leaders crossed into the U.S. last week as part of deal between a son of the former head of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Trump administration, confirmed. (NBC)

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💡 Reagan pushed through big spending changes in the 80s. It was key to his "Reaganomics" plan: shrinking government and boosting the military. 💡 He used "budget reconciliation" to pass this economic plan which actually cut government programs, increased debt, and widened inequality.

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💡 Seizing means the Israeli military plans to take control of more land in Gaza by force. 💡 Displacing means forcing people who live there, civilians, to leave their homes, often with little warning and nowhere safe to go.

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💡The court told the government it needs to give more evidence to back up its claim that something is a "state secret." It also gave Abrego Garcia permission to interview (under oath) three more officials or representatives from the government.

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💡 Moody’s, a major credit rating agency, downgraded the U.S. credit rating from top-tier to Aa1. This means they see the U.S. as slightly riskier to lend to. It's the last major agency to drop the U.S. from a perfect rating. 💡 This could raise borrowing costs.

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💡 BREAKING: A U.S. appeals court stopped Trump from quickly deporting migrants to countries like Libya or El Salvador. The court said migrants must be allowed to explain if they’d face danger there. This upholds a judge’s order requiring "fair process" before such deportations.

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📣 You can listen to our free articles as a podcast! Welcome to the Shatterpoint: youtu.be/ifVGE0JwnUA 3 Branches Simplified: youtu.be/KdgDjPrv9ls Civics: Bedrock of Democracy: youtu.be/YWR2VvaTms4 Democracy, Oligarchy, Dictatorship: youtu.be/PMimMNEbk_8 A 2 Party System: youtu.be/JNhP-90rveA

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💡 The Supreme Court blocked Trump from using an old law, the "1798 Alien Enemies Act", to deport a group of immigrants in northern Texas. The Court sided with Venezuelans who feared sudden removal under this wartime law. www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/p...

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💡 AI can be dangerous without rules. Since Congress hasn’t acted, states have started to make their own rules to keep us safe, but House Republicans voted to block them. 💡 The House Energy & Commerce Committee handles healthcare, energy, the environment, tech, and consumer protection.

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What is habeas corpus? 👇🏻 youtube.com/shorts/UiOqI...

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💡: The Supreme Court says the Trump team broke the rules when it tried to secretly send Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last month. The Court stopped it, but Judges Alito and Thomas disagreed.

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After the American colonies won their independence from Great Britain, the country needed a strong, fair system to govern itself. The first attempt,called the Articles of Confederation , had many problems, so they held the Constitutional Convention. 👇🏻

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I will never forget that the week Qatar decided to bribe the president of the United States with a plane, CNN decided to focus on the age and health of an ex-president. Shame.

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A reminder that the Pres who developed the New Deal, legalized unions & labour law, Four Freedoms speech, conceptualized monopolies, and managed the Depression was in a WHEELCHAIR. Some obvious flaws (EO 9066, lack of protections for Black Americans in ND protections) but PERFECTLY COMPETENT.

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The 6th amen. guarantees your right to public defense. In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), SCOTUS affirmed that states must provide counsel to defendants who can’t afford one but left rollout to states. 45 states have statewide systems...yet Illinois STILL doesn’t! @govpritzker.illinois.gov

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Before the United States had the Constitution we use today, the country was first governed by a document called the Articles of Confederation. These Articles were written during the American Revolution, a time when the colonies were fighting for their freedom from Great Britain. 👇🏻

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Real patriots push for justice,not unjust obedience. Real patriots defend the integrity of Public Service. Real patriots stand up for sanctity of the Constitution. Real patriots put the good of The People over personl profit. Real patriots do not bow at the feet of Kings on golden toilets.

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💡 A judge says the Department of Justice didn’t turn in a required list explaining why they’re keeping certain information secret in a case. She’s giving them until 3pm to do it, and if they don’t, she’ll treat it like they’re refusing on purpose.

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