“While this decision for voters is mainly about choosing a representative for the Tarheel state, this senate seat could be the linchpin crucial to either party gaining control of the U.S. Senate. North Carolinians could ultimately “quietly determine the balance of power in the Senate” as they enter the voting booth this November.”
Read More“In the aftermath of a successful and undeniably cool event for the international women’s rally scene, the question remains: is the Rally Jameel a symbol for women’s progress in Saudi society, or does it present a false image of a country that is still far from equal?”
Read MoreAlthough controversial, returning the right to the states will return the right to the elected legislature; this is where it should be. This is because the 10th Amendment provides states with the right to create laws that are not specifically granted to the federal government nor specifically prohibited from states in the Constitution. Abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution nor is anything regarding pregnancy. Therefore, because it is not a right listed as a responsibility of the federal government, the right then becomes part of the state’s authority. “Furthermore, Roe essentially circumvented the legislature to legalize abortion. We were all taught in civics class that the judiciary interprets laws, it does not create them, that responsibility lies with the legislature. States will be able to choose their abortion policies which will be created by elected officials, not judges. However, a post-Roe world will be interesting considering multiple polls before the 2020 election reported that between 61% and 69% of Americans supported Roe and between 24% and 28% want it to be overturned.”
Read More“In diaspora communities, the journey to maintaining cultural ties is narrow and arduous. Distanced by oceans and borders, immigrant communities – especially second and third generation-descendants – are prone to frayed ties to home. Commonly, the only window to the culture of their mother lands is through static-filled Facetime videos and phone calls. However, UNC’s Asian groups are striving – and flawlessly succeeding – in providing a connection that transcends geography. Faced with such a flourishing, I had the honor of delving ‘behind the scenes’ of UNC Ek Taal, the University’s competitive Indian classical dance group.”
Read More“Considering the forthcoming election cycle for senate and house seats on both a state and national level, an additional 55,000 ballots — approximately how many previously incarcerated persons would be eligible if CSI v. Moore is affirmed — would immensely alter voter demographics throughout the state. It is imperative for folks to keep a watchful eye on the unfoldings of this court case; not only will it dictate the extent of natural rights for a neglected group of the state’s citizenry, but it also has the power to reconfigure the political makeup of North Carolina.“
Read More“At face value, this conflict might appear as no more than a partisan power grab at controlling the status of S.B. 824 — a frequent occurrence in our contemporary political system. Yet, the effects of this case are more pivotal and far-reaching. If a Supreme Court decision favors Senator Berger and Representative Moore, the legislature will be granted broad autonomy regarding intervention in future cases. A move in this direction might blur the lines between the roles of the Legislature and the Executive, and thus create a more nebulous governmental landscape.”
Read More“The March 16 Atlanta Spa shooting sparked a nationwide reckoning over the societal insidious and pernicious “otherization” of Asian Americans, who have faced a 339% increase in hate crimes targetization due to COVID-19. Indeed, despite the “American” in the name, history treated this demographic group as perpetual foreigners in their home country. With an impending Yellow Peril and Red Scare spreading tendrils of fear across the United States, modern society must not support or amplify the dehumanization of the past. To address this imperative issue, I had the honor of interviewing Lynx Yuan of the Asian American Student Association and Dr. Amin from the Asian American Center.”
Read More“Janice Robinson, the North Carolina director for Red, Wine, and Blue, an Ohio-based organization that supports local moms and seeks to prevent book bans, believes that the concerns about explicit material are ‘just a smokescreen for the anti-CRT.’ What book bans are actually doing, claims Ms. Robinson, is allowing the "right wing" to push "their political agenda at the expense of our kids," as they are unable to use literature to encounter uncomfortable experiences of those outside their community, which would prepare them for life beyond the classroom.”
Read More“Traditionally, all levels of society, from political leaders to the general population, face some set of sacrifices or risks in fighting another country. Arms dealers have emerged as a noteworthy exception to this paradigm, though, as they only profit from violence or defense. They exist in a position removed from the government yet have the power and funds to push desired legislation. Whether one agrees with the predominance of the military-industrial complex or not, their growing influence will likely lead to increased militarism and armed defense both in the United States and the rest of the globe.”
Read More“Derek Johnson asserted that Ahmaud Arbery’s story “shook the conscience of our nation and world.” Shake the world it did, as audiences watched in horror at the vicious confiscation of Arbery’s life by vigilantes disguised as neighbors. Buried within the pages of history are thousands of other Ahmaud Arberys; nameless victims of malicious assaults on humanity. Their deaths may not be digitized and ingrained in our minds like Ahamud’s, but their memories should nonetheless impel an upheaval of bigoted culture in America and the reconstruction of one less rooted in malevolency.”
Read More“On January 7, 2022, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order No. 246, titled ‘North Carolina’s Transformation to a Clean, Equitable Economy,’ and on January 31, 2022, when the Winston Weaver Co. fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem caught fire, creating the possibility of one of the worst explosions in US history due to the 600 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate inside.”
Read More“Thousands of Argentinians have taken to the streets of Buenos Aires to protest a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The deal is meant to help Argentina repay roughly $45 billion in IMF loans by deferring debt payments dates in exchange for Argentina’s agreement to meet IMF-specified economic targets, specifically reducing their fiscal deficit and limiting spending.”
Read More“The lawsuit comes amid a decades-long drug war that has claimed the lives of over 150,000 Mexicans, many of them shot dead by traffickers armed with U.S.-made guns. Mexico’s stringent gun laws ban virtually all firearm sales, so the cartels rely on stolen and foreign weapons to wage war on rivals and the authorities.”
Read More“With these replacements, the Court is now a 6-3 conservative-liberal split, which is consequential as conservatives are more likely to find affirmative action unconstitutional. It is also a disturbing sign that the Court is taking a case for which the precedent involved was affirmed just six years ago.”
Read More“Competition pressures from the increasingly crowded infotainment genre force shows to progressively lower their level of political discourse, relying increasingly on elements like conflict, sensationalization, and humor in an attempt to attract and retain this new class of viewers. This “race to the bottom” of overly simplistic political discourse driven by new political media’s incentives is still amplified by the incentives of the politicians using the mediums to engage the public.”
Read More“A recent report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University found that the United States has the lowest level of overall trust in the news among those 46 countries surveyed. What is the problem and how can American institutions solve it?”
Read More“Kids are only in school once, and these beginning years are formative in them becoming capable and functioning adults. In fact, the education that staffing shortages are robbing kids of is considered so fundamental that the North Carolina Constitution recognizes that "the people have a right to the privilege of education.”
Read More“On November 9th, the UNC’s Institute of Politics hosted a town hall meeting for the upcoming 2022 Senate Race in North Carolina. In attendance for the Democratic Party were State Senator Jeff Jackson — the front-runner of the group — former State Senator Erica Smith, Dr. Tobias LaGrone, and Dr. Richard Watkins, who just recently announced his exit from the Senate race in order to run for North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District. Jen Banwart was the lone Republican of the group, showing a certain level of bravery by bringing conservative views into an environment dominated by young, left-leaning college students.”
Read More“To Srinivasan, cryptographic technologies are an integral development for societal organization and humanity at large. Maintaining that technology is civilization’s true prevailing force, he sees the emergence and growing adoption of cryptocurrency and the underlying blockchain as the cumulation of the very trends of decentralization that can be attributed to the nation-state’s decay.”
Read More“South Africa’s $8.5 billion funding package represents a pivotal rejection against climate inaction. Lethargy may be a political opiate, but the passion at the COP26 proves one notable fact: 2022 is not the year to cry alligator tears. But, caught up in fervency, policymakers may forget that political intricacies and the normalization of corporate corruption can hinder their lofty goals.”
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