“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.”
Read More“President Joe Biden faced his first major cabinet confirmation setback two weeks ago with the withdrawal of Neera Tanden as his pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget. Tanden faced a difficult confirmation process from the outset due to her past Twitter criticism of the GOP and some progressives, like Senator Bernie Sanders. Tanden later deleted many of these critical tweets before her confirmation hearing, though this did little to improve her chances of confirmation. How did Tanden — the former Clinton campaign aide and president of the Center”
Read More“Former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance since leaving office at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 28th, with much of his usual bluster. The major take away, as far as he is concerned: the Republican Party is still his party.”
Read More“In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo received praise for his handling of the situation in New York state. However, that praise was short-lived. Owing largely to a recent string of sexual harassment allegations and new information about his mishandling of pandemic policy public opinion is quickly shifting against the Governor.”
Read More“In a statement released by his newly formed PAC, Save America, Former President Donald J. Trump publicly slandered Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, calling him a “ dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack.” The comments came after weeks of tension surrounding Trump’s second impeachment trial. Trump and McConnell have historically had a strong relationship, but their recent arguments have characterized a growing divide in the Republican party.”
Read More“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?”
Read MoreUltimately, Rush leaves a mixed legacy behind. He vaulted American conservatism, and the spectacle of politics as a concept, into the mainstream. The elimination of the Fairness Doctrine Act is the sole reason for his notoriety, and with it, he was able to establish a daily listenership and millions of followers across the country. Since 1988, he has served as a trusted voice in many conservative households, and he created an avenue for others to follow in his stead. Often, however, his comments were ill regarded, made in bad faith, or outwardly offensive, reflecting a deep seated hatred of the Democratic party and pandering to a hyperconservative audience rather than journalism through the pursuit of facts.
Read More“Part of the hesitation from Senate Democrats stems from a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released on Feb. 8, which predicts that although the proposed minimum wage increase would lift 900,000 out of poverty, it would also put 1.7 million people out of work and increase the federal deficit by $54 billion.”
Read More“Hate and violence against Asian Americans has been developing for months since the pandemic, leading experts to blame insecurity and fear upon by the pandemic to rationalize the increased discrimination and xenophobia. In the past, there is a long history of diseases and outbreaking being used to rationalize xenophobic behavior, and the current pandemic reflects that historic trend. Advocates for the Asian American-Pacific Islander community are calling for more to be done to address the current violence against Asian Americans, a community in which racist crimes have been historically underreported in America.”
Read More“In light of the new information, the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have initiated an investigation into Cuomo’s handling of the nursing homes throughout the pandemic, issuing subpoenas. In response to the allegations, Cuomo stated “everything that could have been done was done”. The recent information regarding Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic comes as Republican and Democratic lawmakers are set to vote on whether to continue allowing Cuomo to use emergency executive powers or to strip him of said powers.”
Read More“It is undeniable that the mayor of New York wields enormous power and political influence...It is with this in mind that over 40 people have filed paperwork to vye for the chance to take over Bill de Blasio’s job when his term ends at the end of this year. However, with the June 22 primaries looming only a few short months away, only a few candidates have emerged as serious contenders.”
Read More“In a move indicative of partisan loyalties and potential for political gain surpassing decency, common sense, and basic morality, the vast majority of Republican senators acquitted Trump in his incendiary role in the attempted coup on Capitol Hill.”
Read More“Fox News faces a $2.7 billion lawsuit filed to the New York Supreme Court by Smartmatic, an election technology company, on the basis that they spread false claims about the 2020 Presidential election. The lawsuit calls out a few people by name including Fox News anchors, Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs and Jeanine Pirro, and lawyers, Rudolph Giuliani and Sidney Powell.”
Read More“Despite a clear bipartisan majority in both houses of Congress and ”overwhelming evidence", the impeachment process ended with the same result as Trump’s first impeachment, with the Senate failing to reach the 67 votes required to convict.”
Read More“According to her campaign website, Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) “is a proud constitutional conservative and an advocate for a strong America.” Her values seem to lineup one-to-one with the mission of the modern Republican Party that claims to be “fighting for a freer and stronger America where everyone has the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.” However, recent developments within the House Republican Caucus following President Trump’s second impeachment have highlighted the changing nature of ideological divisions within the GOP.”
Read More“Most Americans reject the beliefs of QAnon - yet seventeen percent believe in it. Most members of the government have openly denounced such forms of extremism, although a few politicians in the Republican Party seem to embrace them, most notably Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of GA-14 - the leading face of QAnon in the American government.”
Read More““Former President Trump’s second impeachment trial will begin February 9, 2021, despite the challenges from Trump’s legal team that holding a trial is unconstitutional. The constitutionality of holding an impeachment trial after a president leaves office is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, nor does it have any exact historical precedents.”
Read More“The insurrection attempt & attack on the Capitol by right-wing extremists on January 6th had wide-reaching political impact, such as the (second) impeachment of Donald Trump and widening the divide between our political parties. A longer term consequence in North Carolina, especially for the GOP, is the trend of local corporations and businesspeople reconsidering their donations to politicians who may be perceived as encouraging the violence on January 6th or obstructing democracy by voting against the results of the 2020 election.”
Read More“By allowing wealthier individuals the opportunity to travel to remote locations for vaccine accessibility, medical care providers set a poor precedent. When privileged individuals are going to disenfranchised communities and “jumping the line” for the COVID-19 vaccine, taking away supplies from community members, what bigger display of privilege could governments possibly condone? The pandemic has already significantly widened the gap between the wealthy and the poor, and vaccine tourism highlights yet another clear disparity between the elite and poor populations of the world. Without any clear regulation about vaccine tourism – from federal or state governments – accessibility to vaccines will become yet another gross inequity the pandemic has unveiled.”
Read More“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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