A recent NYTimes poll conducted in February indicates that among registered voters, former president Donald Trump’s policies have secured preference over those of President Joe Biden despite age, race, and gender divisions.
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North Carolina is a presidential battleground, going red in every election since 1980—except for 2008 when Barack Obama won the state. President Joe Biden believes he can win over states like North Carolina as the 2024 presidential election approaches.
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“While on the surface, Manchin is the clear culprit for the bill’s failure to pass, there are deeper factors that have influenced Biden’s sluggish legislative start.”
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“The White House is celebrating Qurayshi’s death as a win for the Biden administration, which has faced criticism for the contentious withdrawal from Afghanistan, the current Russia-Ukraine crisis, and increased competition with China.”
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“Bloodshed threatens to repeat itself in Ukraine. In 2014, Putin annexed the Crimean peninsula after its citizens chose to join Russia in a disputed referendum. Russia’s annexation not only challenged Ukrainian sovereignty but challenged the post-1945 world order. But now, tensions threaten to blow. Reminiscent of the expansionist dreams of the Soviet Union, Russia appears to be on the verge of invading Ukraine once again.”
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“With President Biden set to sign the bill in coming weeks, Democrats are already looking forward to projects that might benefit from the bill’s funding. One potential area of spending could be improving the 1,100 bridges across the state that the North Carolina Department of Transportation deems as being in poor condition; another might be providing broadband access to the over 400,000 North Carolinians that do not have it already.”
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“As world governments fight in over stagnating debates on climate policy, oceans continue to rise, smokestacks continue to run, and emissions continue to increase. The world is down to the wire, and even America, as a global hegemon, cannot escape these impacts. California already battles wildfires that grow in intensity and breadth each year, putting lives and communities at risk. With such culling approaching, President Biden issued a dire message: America only has a decade left to confront climate change before irreversible impacts manifest.”
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“US-China relations are “as bad as [they have] been since Tiananmen,” according to an expert at UC San Diego. Why are analysts comparing the current relationship between China and the U.S. to that following the Chinese government’s murder of thousands of citizens? Tensions between D.C. and Beijing have risen dramatically in recent years.”
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“Racing towards a self-imposed September 27th deadline of passage, Democrats in Congress are fighting tooth and nail to pass the largest expansion of the United State’s social safety net since the New Deal. The bill, with a whopping $3.5 trillion price tag, has caused divisions within the Democratic Party and has staunch opposition from Republicans in Congress — meaning the reconciliation process is likely the only path forward.”
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“Following a withdrawal that many viewed as too hasty and which saw the death of thirteen US servicemen, Biden’s approval rating has dropped to its lowest number since he entered the White House.”
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“Last Tuesday, Johnson and Johnson vaccine injections were halted across the country after six recipients reported blood-clotting. Health officials nationwide have exaggerated the very low risk for those who already received the vaccine, emphasizing that the vaccine was taken down out of an “abundance of caution” for the safety of Americans, as stated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”
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“President Biden’s first 100 days in office have been an improbable three months of steady progress, kicking off a Biden administration that aims to be far more transformative than progressives initially expected. Few of us expected that this president — given his record, a knife’s-edge Congress, and a COVID-19 crisis that makes it hard to look an inch beyond one’s nose — would begin to be talked about as, potentially, transformational. One of the highlights of this progress is the $2 trillion infrastructure plan the president proposed in March, a plan that he has called ‘a once-in-a-generation investment in America.’”
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“While the CDC is working to find a balance between promoting messages of caution concerning new strains of COVID-19 and pitching the vaccine as a means to return to “normalcy,” American’s have resumed old practices. The CDC has produced comprehensive plans to distribute the vaccine on a widespread level, but skepticism from vaccine-eligible individuals could be a detriment to these plans.”
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“On Monday March 15, the U.S. Senate voted 51 to 40 to confirm former New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American cabinet secretary in American history. Four Republicans - Senators Graham (SC), Collins (ME), Sullivan (AK), and Murkowski (AK) - joined the Democrats in yay votes. This is not the first time Haaland has made history. In 2018 she and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS), became the first Native American women elected to Congress. Haaland’s nomination and confirmation represented a positive step toward President Biden’s promise to create the most diverse cabinet in U.S. history. Haaland also assumes the office at a particularly challenging time when battling climate change is at the forefront of the national political conversation. She will be tasked with carrying out the Biden administration plan to reduce carbon emissions on a nationwide scale.”
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“Sanders and other progressive Democrats pushed on, attempting to pass an amendment which would re-include the $15 minimum wage. The harshest roadblock to their efforts came when Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, who oversees the legitimacy of Senate activities, ruled that the $15 minimum wage could not be included under the existing budget reconciliation limitations.”
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“Through a video posted to Twitter in the late hours on February 28th, President Biden announced his support in for the workers striking against Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama. ‘Every worker should have a free and fair choice to join a union,’ the video caption read.”
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“Going into Inauguration Day, many Americans were satisfied to finally see the Oval Office reclaimed by someone who, while not perfect, seemed to have common courtesy and basic administrative competency. For others, the relief inspired by Donald Trump leaving public office was mitigated by a concern that nothing would fundamentally change under a Biden administration. While President Biden is still far from a progressive president, recent orders and proposals by him and the Democratic party which he leads should inspire some confidence in those uneasy about Biden’s capacity to affect positive change.”
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“Previously, President Biden has stated the cost of college “must be lowered immediately,” and that free four-year college education is a must for anyone from households making under $125,000. Now, he states that he will write off $10,000 of student debt for borrowers, but no more. What changed, and how is the rest of the Democratic Party reacting to this?”
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“Early indications from President Biden and his secretaries is that U.S.-China policy will be more similar to his predecessor’s than many had initially anticipated. However, he will likely approach the dialogue with a greater attention to multilateralism and eye towards cooperation of climate change and COVID-19 relief.”
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“The controversy over the minimum wage, and the broader COVID relief bill, present the first major challenge of Biden’s presidency. As the negotiations progress, we may gain key insight into President Biden’s approach to governing. By working with Republicans, he can prove his commitment to uniting the country, but he must decide if that is worth temporarily abandoning his campaign promise of a $15 minimum wage.”
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