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All the news that's fit to bury in committee

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Both Parties Unite In Historic Vote To Maybe Eventually Think About Possibly Doing Something
Technology & Culture

Both Parties Unite In Historic Vote To Maybe Eventually Think About Possibly Doing Something

In what Senate Majority Leader described as 'a watershed moment for American democracy,' Congress has passed a bipartisan resolution to establish a subcommittee tasked with exploring the feasibility of forming a committee. The resolution, fourteen months in the making, has been hailed as the most significant display of cross-party cooperation in a generation — despite technically authorizing nothing whatsoever.
Three Think Tanks Release 600 Pages on a Problem That Affects Eleven People, Agree Only That Someone Should Write More Pages
Technology & Culture

Three Think Tanks Release 600 Pages on a Problem That Affects Eleven People, Agree Only That Someone Should Write More Pages

The Hargrove Institute, the Center for Applied Policy Futures, and something called the American Renewal Dialogue Forum have each released landmark reports on federal municipal zoning subsidy allocation — a policy area affecting fewer people than a mid-sized Applebee's on a Tuesday. Their conclusions differ on every point except one: significantly more research is urgently needed.
Freshman Congressman Caps Triumphant First Year by Successfully Renaming Post Office After Man Who Once Shook Ronald Reagan's Hand
Technology & Culture

Freshman Congressman Caps Triumphant First Year by Successfully Renaming Post Office After Man Who Once Shook Ronald Reagan's Hand

Rep. Chad Merritt (R-OH-12) rode into Washington on a promise to cut through the gridlock and deliver real results for the people of Dellworth County. Eleven months, four caucus loyalty votes, two procedural objections, and one three-week recess later, he has renamed a post office. His press team is calling it a landmark moment. The post office is scheduled to close in April.
House Launches Historic Committee to Determine Why Committees Don't Work, Immediately Forms Three Subcommittees
Technology & Culture

House Launches Historic Committee to Determine Why Committees Don't Work, Immediately Forms Three Subcommittees

The newly convened House Select Subcommittee on Committee Inefficiency has already scheduled 14 hearings, retained three consulting firms at a combined cost of $4.2 million, and requested a budget extension — all before agreeing on what the word 'committee' means. Members insist this one is different. They always do.
A Field Guide to the American Politician: 11 Species, Zero Solutions
Technology & Culture

A Field Guide to the American Politician: 11 Species, Zero Solutions

Science has catalogued over 8.7 million species on Earth. Political science, operating on a considerably smaller budget, has identified exactly 11 types of American politician. Researchers confirm all 11 are currently polling at 14 percent, which their communications directors are calling 'a strong foundation for growth.'
White House Launches Modernized Public Input Portal, Requires Citizens to First Fax a Form Confirming They Know What a Fax Is
Technology & Culture

White House Launches Modernized Public Input Portal, Requires Citizens to First Fax a Form Confirming They Know What a Fax Is

The White House Office of Public Engagement has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its citizen feedback infrastructure, promising unprecedented access to the democratic process for any American willing to complete 47 sequential steps, locate a functioning fax machine, and sit through a webinar. Officials describe the new system as 'transformative.' Experts describe it as 'a cry for help.'
Washington Discovers It Has Been Investigating Itself Investigating Itself Since at Least 2017
Technology & Culture

Washington Discovers It Has Been Investigating Itself Investigating Itself Since at Least 2017

A freshly minted 12-member bipartisan subcommittee has been convened to determine whether the subcommittee convened before it was, in any meaningful sense, worth convening. Preliminary estimates suggest the new panel will reach a preliminary conclusion about whether to reach a conclusion sometime around 2031. Democracy, sources confirm, remains ongoing.
Digg, Reddit, and the Great Internet Turf War: A History of the Web's Messiest Rivalry
Technology & Culture

Digg, Reddit, and the Great Internet Turf War: A History of the Web's Messiest Rivalry

Before Reddit became the self-proclaimed 'front page of the internet,' there was Digg — a scrappy, user-powered news aggregator that ruled the early web like a digital Roman emperor, right up until it didn't. The story of Digg's rise, spectacular collapse, and repeated attempts at resurrection is one of Silicon Valley's great cautionary tales, and honestly, it's a lot more entertaining than it has any right to be.