“A group of United States Senators introduced a bill which would ban TikTok, a Chinese-owned app that currently boasts over 150 million American users. This bill has gained bipartisan support and, if passed, would be the first-ever total ban on any app in U.S. history.“
Read More“Voting, the bedrock of our democracy, is the single most important practice for citizens to make their voices heard. Yet, since the 2020 election, Republican state legislatures across the country have passed voter suppression bills under the guise of “protecting integrity in our election.” This façade does a poor job of covering what these laws are truly intended for: making it more difficult to vote.“
Read More“In today’s world, social media reports on nearly every issue before the media does. This fundamentally alters what the media’s original role was supposed to be – that of gatekeepers. In response, the media has shifted in a variety of different directions, oftentimes reporting on media from competitors only to bash it. Television news is now more about analysis of news, or putting a certain spin on things, than it ever has before.“
Read More“This is not just about not getting certain resources, but about being excluded in a very deep sense from being a fully-fledged citizen.”
Read More“Look, at the end of the day, the union fights with you, not for you.”
Read More“To say the 2022 elections were disappointing for North Carolina Democrats would be an understatement. However, the Democratic party’s strategy is bound to change with the entrance of a fresh face bringing with it new energy. In February 2023, Anderson Clayton was elected the North Carolina Democratic Party Chair, becoming the youngest party chair in the country at only 25 years old.“
Read More“Jen Psaki launched her MSNBC program, Inside with Jen Psaki. Political experience -- such as Psaki’s former job as the White House Press Secretary under President Biden -- allows for TV hosts to lend their own lived experience to their shows. This experience, however, calls into question the host’s credibility, as their former boss may still be in office. Whatever the optics of Psaki’s former employment are, this show represents the newest trend in political media and coverage.”
Read More“Politicians are already gearing up for the 2024 election season, which is more than a year away. The 2024 Senate map is not favorable for Democrats, as the party will have to defend 23 out of the 34 seats up for grabs.”
Read More“Looking at the country overall, 27% of young people (aged 18-29) turned out in the 2022 midterm elections, making up 13% of the overall electorate, according to day-after estimates from the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University. If young voter participation had increased to even just 50%, it could have been a much better night for Democrats, possibly allowing them to have kept control of the U.S. House of Representatives, and not just the U.S. Senate.”
Read More“This year marks UNC’s Inaugural Dr. Genna Rae McNeil Endowed Black History Month Lecture, the first in a series meant to inform and enlighten both UNC students and the public about the importance and significance of Black history. It’s even more fitting that this year's theme for Black History Month is ‘Black Resistance,’ a theme needed now more than ever as limits on the teaching of the subject sweep the country.“
Read More“North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) announces his candidacy for governor in the 2024 election to replace current Governor Roy Cooper, who is serving his second consecutive term and is therefore ineligible for re-election.“
Read More“Drag artists, LGBTQ+ advocates, and celebrities have spoken out against these Republican-led bans to limit LGBTQ+ rights. Supporters, on the other hand, say they are meant to protect children.“
Read More“The main question that the Kids Online Safety Act provokes is who gets to dictate what is and isn’t allowed on social media. Concerns of censorship come amid claims that Elon Musk, Twitter’s new CEO, has suspended accounts for criticizing him as well as a flood of Library book bans targeting stories centering characters that are LGBTQ+ and people of color. Opponents of the Act such as Evan Greer voice valid concerns about Censorship and authoritarianism.“
Read More“Earlier this month, the United States military shot down three unidentified flying objects. The arrival of these unidentified crafts follows the invasion of a Chinese spy balloon, which the United States shot down on February 4th. However, while the White House claims that the Chinese balloon was sent to conduct surveillance, it has not clearly identified the purpose of the other three objects.“
Read MoreThe Lumbee Fairness Act and its proponents face social and historical anti-Indigenous legacies as well as opposition on racial and economic grounds which may prevent [the Lumbee Fairness Act’s] passage despite bipartisan support from past and present political leaders.
Read MoreThis February, along with media coverage of an uncharacteristically lackluster basketball season, many news outlets have been reporting on the happenings of a different group associated with UNC- its own Board of Trustees. The UNC Board of Trustees recently made a motion to create the School of Civic Life and Leadership for future UNC students.
Read More“During a guest lecture at UNC Chapel Hill’s Stone Center held on February 16th, Alon Tal spoke assertively: ‘The Arab-Israeli conflict is over.’ A significant motivator behind the changing trends were the 2020 Abraham Accords.”
Read More“...the PSA National Political Science Honors Society represents a unique opportunity for political science students and the entire Chapel Hill community.”
The North Carolina Senate has started off their new legislative session with a flurry of activity. One of the first things Senate Republicans brought to the floor was Senate Bill 49, better known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights . . . . Now that the North Carolina version of the “Don't Say Gay” bill is in the hands of the Republican-controlled North Carolina House of Representatives, many LGBTQ+ affirming and progressive education groups are preparing for the worst.
“Carter, the longest-living U.S. president, remains in his home of Plains, Georgia with his family. He will leave behind an extraordinary legacy of service to others and a devotion to human rights.”