Daniel Lippman

Coming in Sunday's Spokesman-Review... A 24-page special section containing 21 of my Further Review pages about elections, the history of elections, how the three branches of U.S. government work -- or, in some cases, how they DON'T work. And two pages promoting my book. Unless I'm mistaken, this will be the first mention in the paper of my upcoming Further Review hardcover book. I'm writing a sales pitch, how I converted newspaper pages into book pages and how to order. That will be on pages 2 and 3. But pages 4 through 24 will be an enormous, graphics-laden civics lesson! A few of the topics we'll be covering... > A history of broken campaign promises > Presidential approval ratings going back to WW2 > A history of -- and a look inside -- the White House > How the Electoral College works > The nature of complaints about the 2020 election results > The closest elections in U.S. history > What to expect on election night 2024 > The Presidential veto > America's spending habit > A history of Presidential health issues > The eight Presidents who died in office > The history of the Capitol > How the House is apportioned > Which party has been in control of the House and the Senate since 1900 > How much actual legislative work Congress has done > The Senate Filibuster -- how it works and how often it's been used > Voter turnout in the U.S. > Who appointed our Supreme Court justices > Why "Court Packing" didn't work for FDR in 1938 > The nature of Fake News All these pages have run in the Spokesman-Review over the past 5.5 years. Some required very little tweaking to bring them up to date. Others had to be rebuilt from scratch. If you're wondering how and why I've injured my wrist lately... well, this is a big reason. But, y'know, I think it's worth it. I'm awfully proud of the book. But this section, I feel, contains some of the very best work of my career. At some point, I'm told, the folks in Spokane will allow you to order two or three copies of this section. I'll post instructions when I get them. Man! This has been a BUSY fall!

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From Ludwig Oscuro Federigan, EMDRCM, CBP" "Since Trump's departure from office in 2021, the global climate narrative has undergone significant transformation. World leaders and organizations have increasingly acknowledged the urgent need for climate action, spurred by alarming scientific reports detailing the rising impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, heat waves, rising sea levels and biodiversity loss. The catastrophic consequences of inaction have often eclipsed political uncertainties, motivating nations, cities and businesses to enhance their commitments to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and investing in RE." #donaldtrump #climatechange #renewableenergy #renewable https://lnkd.in/gT7yEgwh

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This week in PublicSource: Democratic candidates seem to be increasingly focused on defining their foes as extremists on reproductive rights. We break down claims in dueling ads in a Pittsburgh-area swing congressional district https://lnkd.in/ewCvhE6p Energy, climate: Important issues, right? In Pa., the balance of power on those and other issues hinges on a few General Assembly races, including one in Allegheny County. So why aren’t the candidates talking about fossil fuels? https://lnkd.in/eeiJGiTe Back in blue, and back pay, too? A judge said no to a former Pittsburgh police officer’s bid to return to the force after tasering Jim Rogers, who died. A PublicSource analysis found that some fired cops beat the city to the tune of 6-figure checks https://lnkd.in/eBzQudWv Wilkinsburg’s governmental future will be on the ballot Nov. 5 — but not in the manner preferred by backers of annexation with Pittsburgh. Instead, voters will decide on home rule, which means a more powerful and better-paid mayor, and more https://lnkd.in/eXRiUCvu PublicSource strives to tell stories for a better Pittsburgh that wouldn’t emerge in media controlled by big money. But we need your help to do this. If you can pitch in: https://lnkd.in/eJgWUGBF Millions for clean air in the Mon Valley: Sounds good, right? If you want to share thoughts on how it should be spent, you have three opportunities, all in October, to do so https://lnkd.in/eYQ8Fdsx Sydney is not a survivor of sexual violence, but she carried a sign and marched with those who have experienced abuse, amid the dangerous “red zone” on campuses. “This is what I have learned as an advocate for survivors of sexual and domestic violence.” https://lnkd.in/eDDTjsWv

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Liars beware, I am now Intermediate at Digital Investigation Techniques according to AFP and Google News Initiative. This course focused on tracking election disinformation and verifying climate claims. It was interesting to see how the course's tools could be used to examine past/current elections.

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As we wait to hear who won the election, one thing is already clear: election disinformation has reached alarming levels. In the latest episode of Anti-Defamation League's extremely podcast, two experts in the field of disinformation, Dr. Claire Wardle of Cornell University and Scripps News National Correspondent Elizabeth Landers join extremely hosts Oren Segal and Jessica Reaves to break it down. Among the topics they discuss: ·     How the disinformation onslaught of 2024 differs from disinformation waves of past presidential elections ·     The latest AI tools being used to create fake images, video and audio aimed at swaying voters ·     The liar’s dividend—the phenomenon whereby, because disinformation and misinformation are so widespread and more people are unsure about what is and isn’t true, a liar can simply deny that something is real ·     The role of pre-bunking in reducing the spread of election falsehoods and deterring election denialism ·     What social media platforms should be doing to curb disinformation and why they’ve pulled back from doing so Check out the episode here.

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At the start of 2024, I highlighted the critical role YouTube and Google Search would play in shaping the political narrative, particularly in right-wing digital strategies. This focus was grounded in a deep understanding of these platforms’ outsized influence on public opinion and their prominence in right wing digital campaigns. This year, I worked closely with progressive teams and abortion ballot initiative campaigns, training others on a proven strategy and developing targeted interventions to counter disinformation from search on these key platforms. This article, in addition to recent research, validates this focus. Our analysis of search behavior and digital platforms continues to provide valuable insights. This process is providing clarity in the post-election landscape and revealing the impact of our efforts. As the media landscape evolves, understanding how voters access and engage with information becomes increasingly important. The data we’re examining offers a clearer picture of online advocacy strategies and potential new approaches for progressive outreach in the digital space. And this is what is giving me life this week. #disinformation #misinformation #abortion #election #google #googleseo #seo #informationecosystem

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Lura Forcum and I have spent the past 10 months looking at voter realignment and polarization. What we found is that while we like to group voters by their party identification and political ideology, there are stronger forces that tie Americans together - values, interest in civic participation and community engagement. This research provides a roadmap for moving beyond an "us vs. them" framework in politics, encouraging a more nuanced understanding of the electorate and their needs. https://lnkd.in/dv5N5BNV Thanks to Heart+Mind Strategies (Dee Allsop Jaclyn Crawford Tyler-Joseph B. and Carlos Elordi) for their work on this study.

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This week in SitRep: The outcome of the U.S. Presidential election will have profound consequences for the major crises roiling the globe today. Most immediately, here’s what the election could mean for the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. https://lnkd.in/ePihpdPy

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The overall thrust of this article--waning influence of legacy media--is not new, but it's an interesting read in the context of Trump's election victory. https://lnkd.in/gX3nQV6k

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The federal government is often failing to meet its own requirements for digital accessibility, according to a new, congressionally-mandated report released late last month. The law requires that federal technology like apps and websites be accessible to people with disabilities, which make up about 13% of Americans, according to the Census Bureau. But only a third or less of federal agencies’ most viewed tech is fully in line with Section 508 standards meant to ensure accessibility, and governmentwide digital accessibility decreased in fiscal 2024. https://lnkd.in/e8KwPxti

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This man has a crystal ball. Five days before we get hit with an epic rainstorm that took out roadways and parks, Richard Murdocco wrote a letter to the editor of Newsday calling on policy-makers to prepare for storms, not just hurricanes and blizzards but events like the one we experienced last night. I have frequently called on Richard for his expertise to comment on Long Island planning issues for articles I have written and I hope to be able to do some in the near future. #news #reporting #policy #longisland #publicpolicy #ccommunications #planning

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My latest article, based on input from 10 leading opponents of abortion: https://lnkd.in/enn3fiEU

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Congestion pricing was supposed to start today in New York City. It didn't after Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this month announced an indefinite pause. My latest article in The Wall Street Journal traces the rise and pause of congestion pricing — a tale that involves 17 years and around $700 million. The abrupt reversal, which some attribute to Hochul’s reluctance to impose a new fee in an election year, leaves metro New York grappling with a historic missed opportunity and fiscal mess. There is no relief in sight for the city’s traffic congestion, which is the worst in the world, according to data published last week. The epic collapse in New York shows how a fear of dramatic change can give the status quo stubborn power over those trying to solve some of America’s most intractable challenges. That leaves policymakers nibbling at the edges of deeply rooted problems, even after investing huge sums of money and political capital. Blown up in a New York minute were plans for around $15 billion of planned improvements to the city’s ailing mass-transit system, the largest transportation network in North America. The reversal cast aside around $700 million in meticulous prep work, including a $555-million contract to install tolling cameras—which are already up and ready to go—and $33 million for a customer-service center with 100 employees who have already been brought on, officials said. Planners invested thousands of hours, including going to London and Stockholm to research their congestion-pricing programs, according to people familiar with the travel. What was supposed to be a transformative moment when New York led the way and boldly tackled traffic congestion, air pollution and transit funding, has instead turned into a surprising loss for a broad coalition that includes major employers, real-estate developers and subway riders. Surprised by the reversal were Hochul’s own lieutenants, including Janno Lieber, a fierce champion of congestion pricing and the chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The MTA—which carries around 5.5 million passengers each day in the New York metro area—now faces a $16.5 billion-financial hole from the loss of money from congestion pricing and federal matching funds. Just days after Hochul’s announcement, a beleaguered Lieber joined a conference call with advocates in which he said he was equally shocked and remained committed to the program, three people familiar with the exchange said. “This is devastating,” he said, according to a person on the call. Here's the latest from me and Joseph De Avila —>

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What’s the one communication element that both U.S. Presidential candidates have both either missed or written-off. It is a simple tactic drawn from the Principles of Persuasion; namely, 👉Credibility 👉Common Ground 👉Evidence 👉Emotion. Can you guess which one has been most lacking in the 2024 Presidential campaign ? #trump #kamalaharris #mediatraining #strategicommunications #messaging #prtips #persuasion #undecideds https://lnkd.in/g67EbQ9a

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Well, folks: a new job has brought me back to Twitter/X. If you still use that platform, please follow me at @WittesNDI for National Democratic Institute (NDI) news and updates! (And if you think I would do better to put my energy into a different platform, leave your wisdom in the comments below!)

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The dear reader will know that I respect the insights of Peggy Noonan. Below is her take on journalism. And although she does not make the analogy, her plea for America’s journalism is the same as our plea for America’s universities: keep the main thing the main thing, use your freedom of conscience to pursue truth. Professors and journalists are in the business of equipping our citizens to think, and act, responsibly—about any issue—as individuals living in community. They do so by telling an honest story, providing different perspectives to better understand truth, in order to do life better. From the article: “The purpose of journalism is to get the story and tell the story…What a serious purpose that is, to leave people less encased in themselves. All that is the purpose of journalism, forever and now. It is what a newspaper is for, to serve the public by finding out what’s really going on in all sectors and telling them, clearly… And the great thing for newspapers is if you get the story—if you are known to get the story, like the Washington Post in the Watergate years—you will be read. Because you will be needed. And if you are needed people will pay for you. If you are just following along with some agenda, you will be read by those who share that agenda, but no one else. And readership will plummet… It is good and worthy and necessary to have reporters and editors who come from different experiences, different classes, different cultural assumptions. But current ways of encouraging diversity seem to yield a great sameness in terms of class and viewpoint, and in any case diversity is a mission within a mission, it isn’t the mission itself, which is: Get the story, tell the story.” https://lnkd.in/ehWGvtiH

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A brilliant new column in Observer by Roy Swan that will unpack how we can strive for a better form of capitalism that can work for all of us, rooted in innovation, prosperity, and fairness. Check it out!!

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