Split Screen Politics

In this post, I will be looking at the differences between Newsmax and USA Today in their coverage of Mike Johnson's announcement of a transgender bathroom ban in the Capitol.   Newsmax :  "Speaker Brings Transgender Bathroom Ban to House" On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, announced a new policy that will prevent transgender women from using women's bathrooms on the House side of Capitol Hill. Prior to this, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., introduced a bill banning transgender women from using Capitol bathrooms designated for women.  This came after Sarah McBride became the first transgender person elected to Congress earlier this month.  In his statement, Johnson wrote: " All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings — such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms — are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.  It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are a...

  CNN : " Biden authorizes Ukraine to use long-range US weapons in Russia" President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use powerful, long-range US weapons in Russia. This decision comes as Russia has deployed 50,000 troops, including thousands of North Korean troops, to Kursk to prepare to take back the territory.  North Korea's entry has caused Biden and his advisors to worry that this is leading to a dangerous new phase of the war.  Allowing Army Tactile Missile Systems (ATACMS) inside Russia has been a decision under consideration for months. Some American officials fear this could escalate the war while others worry about Ukraine's dwindling stockpile of weapons.  For the first 2 years of the war the US refused to provide Ukraine with ATACMS. Biden secretly approved the transfer of these weapons in February for use inside Ukrainian territory.  The US delivered these weapons in April. Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky had been seeking permission from Washi...

  As it's Election Day, I wanted to take a look at each candidate's Instagram page and compare the content of their posts.  I'll start by looking at some of Kamala Harris's posts from today. These posts can all be found on her Instagram page @kamalaharris. I will now look at some of Donald Trump's posts from today. These posts can all be found on his Instagram page @realdonaldtrump. Discussion The posts made by Harris seemed to focus mostly on encouraging people to get out and vote and providing people with voter assistance resources. Harris's posts emphasized that voting is a chance for one to have their voice heard. Multiple posts made by Harris mentioned Iwillvote.com which is a website paid for by the DNC with information on how and where to vote as well as links that allow one to check their registration status. Harris also posted a few upbeat, seemingly celebratory posts including a video with her husband which she captioned "Love you, Dougie".  ...

  On Thursday, Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to sue CBS News for $10 billion in damages. Trump claims that CBS's "60 Minutes" interview with Kamala Harris was deceitfully edited for the purpose of election interference. I will examine the ways that Fox News and CBS News covered this story. Fox News : " Trump sues CBS News for $10 billion alleging 'deceptive doctoring' of Harris' '60 Minutes' interview" Trump is suing CBS News for $10 billion in damages. Trump states CBS News practiced " deceptive conduct" for the purpose of election interference in its interview with H arris Trump's attorneys stated the complaint is due to  "CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of election and v oter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public."  Trump's attorneys also claim that CBS performed these edits in an  "attempt to tip the scales in favor ...

  This past Sunday, Donald Trump served fries and worked the drive-thru window of a Pennsylvania McDonald's as part of a campaign photo-op. On Monday, the Trump campaign announced they would be selling t-shirts with a photo of Donald Trump waving from the drive-thru window with the word " MAGADonald’s" underneath. I will examine how different news outlets covered this announcement by looking at articles from The Independent and The Washington Times. The Independent : " Trump cashes in on McDonald’s stunt with new ‘MAGADonald’s’ merch" - Donald Trump is attempting to profit from his McDonalds stunt by launching a l imited edition line of "MAGADonald’s" merchandise following a McDonald’s visit. - In an attempt to troll Kamala Harris over her claims of working at McDonald's in the 1980s, Trump worked a McDonald's drive-thru in Pennsylvania. -  The campaign released a T-shirt featuring Trump in an apron with the “MAGADonald’s” slogan. - A fundraisi...

  At a press conference this past Thursday in St Lucie County,  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded to suggestions that the recent series of extreme weather events in Florida was caused by global warming. DeSantis stated how extreme weather has happened throughout history and that the recent events are nothing new.  MSNBC: “As Florida reels from Hurricane Milton, DeSantis again dismisses the role of climate change”  At a press conference Thursday in St. Lucie County, DeSantis once again dismissed the impact of climate change even as the severity of damage caused by Hurricane Milton became clear.   “It is hurricane season. You are going to have tropical weather,” DeSantis equated hurricane-related conspiracy theories with scientists pointing out that human activity drives climate change. Responding to a question about the disinformation around hurricanes, DeSantis stated: “Look, if I could control the weather, I would do, you know, 78 and sunny year-round. A...