January | 2016 | CAS in the Media | Washington State University

^{CAS in the Media} _{Arts and Sciences Media Headlines}

Dark Money Dominates Political Ad Spending

January 29, 2016

Groups that don’t have to disclose their donors have accounted for almost two-thirds of political ad spending this cycle. The so-called dark money groups—social welfare organizations, associations and others—which aren’t required to reveal the interests behind them, have put up more than $213 million on political ads since the start of 2015. The groups have promoted their views on everything from climate change to health-care policy to immigration. » More …

Connections in the Chaos

January 22, 2016

In this unprecedented age of connectivity, we’ve gained virtually limitless access to people, ideas and information regardless of geography. Humans have never been more interconnected than now. Ironically, we’ve also never been more socially isolated. » More …

Rare display of five planets aligned in our skies

January 21, 2016

In an unusual celestial show, five planets all at once and visible to the naked eye have begun a nightly parade over the Pacific Northwest. » More …

Oregon standoff: Bundy-style land management has been tried and rejected

January 12, 2016

By Lawrence Hatter, WSU assistant professor of history

A long-running dispute over land use in Oregon escalated into the armed occupation of the federal Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by a “militia” led by the rancher Ammon Bundy on Jan. 2. Bundy and his followers dispute the constitutional right of the U.S. government to manage public lands in Oregon, which was also the cause of a standoff between Ammon’s father, Cliven, and federal officials in southern Nevada in 2014. » More …

Political ad experts weigh in: is Donald’s new spot a campaign trump card?

January 6, 2016

Candidates running for office in 2016 are expected to spend a record amount of money on political advertising.

Last year, Wells Fargo Securities reported that an estimated $6bn was going to be spent on political ads in 2016, up 16% from the 2012 campaign season. Billionaire candidate Donald Trump’s new commercial is one of the first of the year, and also the first released by the Republican frontrunner. » More …