The Puppet Masters of Public Opinion: How Armenian Democracy is Under Siege Imagine waking up one morning to find your favorite recipe page, the one that usually shares mouth-watering desserts, suddenly spouting political rhetoric. Or your go-to humor page, normally filled with harmless memes, is now fiercely attacking the Prime Minister. That’s precisely what’s been happening in Armenia, where the lines between genuine news, entertainment, and political propaganda have become terrifyingly blurred. It’s a digital Wild West, where influence and disinformation are openly bought and sold, shaping public opinion on the eve of critical elections in a system that’s alarmingly…

In North Dakota, a tension is brewing between big government ambitions and local community concerns, particularly around the rise of data centers. State officials, from legislative committees to environmental departments, are largely singing the praises of these technological hubs, viewing them as economic boons. However, at the local level, residents and some local leaders are sounding alarm bells, expressing a litany of worries. These range from the disruption of their peaceful rural landscapes with noise and light pollution, to fears about impacts on cherished wildlife and hunting grounds. There are also deep-seated anxieties about water usage, potential health effects, and…