Biden and Modi Pledge Cooperation Against Ascendant China
Biden and Modi Pledge Cooperation Against Ascendant China

“Any actions to contain China’s influence must be taken with the practical consideration that China has established wields tremendous economic power as a result of its deep trade relations with much of the developed world. Enhancing economic and military cooperation between Asian democracies could be the first step in creating a US-aligned Asian bloc capable of resisting Chinese authoritarianism and preserving the sovereignty of nations under Chinese pressure. With Vice President Kamala Harris’s deep familial links to India and the large Indian diaspora in the United States, further cooperation between the two nations can be an important factor in both domestic and foreign policy for the Biden Administration.”

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Deep UpadhyayComment
Starvation Plagues the Tigray Region of Ethiopia Amidst Internal Conflict
Starvation Plagues the Tigray Region of Ethiopia Amidst Internal Conflict

“Although the conflict is relatively new, it is suspected that both the TPLF and the federal government had already made preparations before the first violence erupted in early November. Now the international community is extremely worried that this conflict will last for a damaging amount of time. Already in the course of months, most of the people within Tigray are in dire conditions.”

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GlobalAllison HolbrooksEthiopiaComment
How the Trump Administration Put the Open Skies Treaty at Risk - and How it Might be Saved
How the Trump Administration Put the Open Skies Treaty at Risk - and How it Might be Saved

“The Open Skies Treaty has gone from one of the most effective treaties in creating transparency and some semblance of trust across the international community to one that is now standing on its last legs. Even though he has left the White House, Donald Trump’s foreign policy still stands as an obstacle to international cooperation today.”

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GlobalKay LangleyInternational Relations, Open Skies, MilitaryComment
Liz Cheney, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the Ideological Battle Consuming the Republican Party
Liz Cheney, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the Ideological Battle Consuming the Republican Party

“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.”

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NationalAdam TatumGOPComment
The GOP Greenes Out
The GOP Greenes Out

“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.”

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NationalLejla BrkaQAnon, Marjorie Taylor Green, CongressComment
Myanmar’s Democratic Backslide Results in Military Coup
Myanmar’s Democratic Backslide Results in Military Coup

“The military coup d’etat on February 1st comes after a sordid decade of politics in Myanmar. Tens of thousands of people protested in Myanmar last week after the military staged a coup on the pretense of an ignored fraudulent election. Protesters wore the colors of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party and used symbols such as the three-finger salute, from The Hunger Games, marching against the military takeover over the government.”

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GlobalKatharine KurzMyanmar, Burma, Military CoupComment
Governor Cooper Under Pressure to Reopen Schools
Governor Cooper Under Pressure to Reopen Schools

“Ultimately, the reopening of schools will likely be left to the local school systems as it seems unlikely Cooper will sign the bill currently in the General Assembly unless he and Republicans can come to an agreement on flexibility. Furthermore, schools will be less inclined to reopen as long as teachers are not being vaccinated. Governor Cooper has a tough decision to make, but he faces significant and conflicting pressure from massive constituencies: parents, students, and teachers.”

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LocalSeth MooreNCPOL, Education, Roy CooperComment
The Constitutionality of Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial
The Constitutionality of Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial

““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.”

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NationalCourtney HalversonImpeachment, TrumpComment
Navalny’s Return Puts the Russian Regime in a Dilemma
Navalny’s Return Puts the Russian Regime in a Dilemma

““The previous round of sanctions for Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 are still being felt, with some estimates putting the impact of these prior sanctions at 6% of the entire Russian economy. With the current reality of a COVID-induced economic recession, the Russian government finds itself in a precarious position where they must balance the risk of releasing Nalvany and allowing him to organize protests, versus the economic consequences and metaphorical martyrdom of sending him to serve out his prison sentence.”

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GlobalDeep UpadhyayRussia, Putin, NalvanyComment
Politicians who Incited Capitol Insurrection Feel Financial Consequences
Politicians who Incited Capitol Insurrection Feel Financial Consequences

“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.”

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NationalManav ShahUS Capitol, Political DonationsComment
Vaccine Tourism: The Benefits of the Privileged
Vaccine Tourism: The Benefits of the Privileged

“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.”

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NationalBreana WeaverCOVID-19, Vaccination, InequalityComment
How North Carolina’s Prisons Worsen the Spread of COVID-19 Throughout the State
How North Carolina’s Prisons Worsen the Spread of COVID-19 Throughout the State

“COVID-19 cases are especially prevalent in prisons due to the large numbers of people in close proximity to each other. In order to slow the spread in these facilities, the Department of Public Safety recommended some inmates should finish their sentence outside of prison. In just the first few months following this recommendation, over 200 inmates were scheduled to be released before their time. However, this attempt at mitigating the number of people infected has actually had the opposite effect.”

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LocalBrennan MaynardLocal, NCPOL, Prisons, COVID-19Comment
The Debate Over the $15 Minimum Wage Intensifies
The Debate Over the $15 Minimum Wage Intensifies

“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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NationalBenjamin Picciano Minimum Wage, BidenComment
Can’t Stop GameStop: How $GME democratized the stock market
Can’t Stop GameStop: How $GME democratized the stock market

“GameStock’s rapid ascension in stock price over the past two weeks will have far-reaching implications: it has shown that Wall Street can no longer ignore retail investors, it has shone a light on some of the illicit practices of hedges funds which contributed to the 2008 financial crisis, but perhaps most significantly—it has gotten people interested in the stock market. Even though the GME fad will eventually fade away, this event has created a new informed generation which will view the stock market as a viable way to make money, and that will likely contribute to a further democratization of the market.”

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NationalAaron SugarmanGME, GameStop, Stock MarketComment
The Fight Over The Filibuster
The Fight Over The Filibuster

“Many Democrats think Republicans have historically abused the filibuster to force their minority views on the entire country but, in recent years, the filibuster has been used by Democrats to block funding for Trump’s border wall, to protect unemployment benefits, and to stop Republicans from restricting abortion access. Abolishing the filibuster could allow Democrats to get things done while they are in power, but without a filibuster, the next time Republicans have the Senate majority Democrats will not have as immediate and effective a measure to prevent them from restricting voting access and eliminating reproductive rights.”

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NationalGrace KinleySenate, Congress, FilibusterComment
Heightened COVID-19 Restrictions Incite Violent Riots in Netherlands - Officials Warn of Potential “Civil War”
Heightened COVID-19 Restrictions Incite Violent Riots in Netherlands - Officials Warn of Potential “Civil War”

“events in the Netherlands over the past week which, in response to stricter regulations and the implementation of a curfew, saw thousands take to the streets to protest, resulting in substantial damage, from smashed windows and fireworks to the burning of a COVID-19 testing center. The riots were in protest to the implementation of a curfew and harsher regulations across the country, which went into effect last Saturday, the day the riots began. According to a statement released by the Dutch government on January 20th, the new regulations were in response to concerns about new variants of the virus, stating, “The government is gravely concerned about the UK variant of COVID-19, which is even more infectious than the virus we are familiar with in the Netherlands. There are also other variants of the virus that are sparking concern,” adding that “New measures are needed in order to get these new variants under control.”

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GlobalAsh HugginsEurope, Netherlands, COVID-19Comment
Watchdog Group Calls for N.C. Representative Cawthorn’s Expulsion
Watchdog Group Calls for N.C. Representative Cawthorn’s Expulsion

“The Campaign for Accountability, a non-profit and non-partisan watchdog group that holds public figures accountable, has filed an ethics complaint against Madison Cawthorn (R-NC 11). Cawthorn is one of three Republicans the Campaign for Accountability is alleging incited the violent attack on the Capitol Building on January 6th, 2021. The organization is also arguing that Cawthorn broke a federal regulation and local law that prevented him from bringing his firearm into the building.”

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NationalMichaela AusbrooksMadison Cawthorn, NCPOL, North Carolina, House of Representatives Comment