The late Justice Antonin Scalia, testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2011, recounted the experiences he had with high school, college, and law students interested in the law. “I ask them, what do you think is the reason that America is such a free country? What is it in our Constitution that makes us what we are?”
Read MoreI know it, you know it. Corporations suck. They get to do whatever they want, with no repercussions. It feels like nobody in our government cares to fight back against them, that everyone in the federal branch is just as beholden to special interests as our House Representatives or Senators. But what if I told you that there was one person fighting for the rights of consumers, and the American working and middle classes?
Read MoreLike many young people who grew up in California, I view my state as a bastion of liberal progress and a place where democracy is truly at work. In many ways, this is true. California has been a leader in climate adaptation strategies, campaign finance reform, and many other issues I am passionate about. However, recent history has shown that rather than an obstructionist opposition party, an obstructionist governor has wreaked havoc on the California progressive agenda.
Read MoreFor several months, a shadowy figure loomed before us. It was shrouded in mystery and fear, its form incapable of being divined by polls or by guesswork, and it crept closer with every passing day. This figure was, of course, none other than the 2024 election — an American spectacle that many argued would decide not only the fate of our democracy but also how we perceive truth.
Read MoreThroughout the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020 to now, the mishandling of public health policy and messaging has led to a complete breakdown of public health in the United States. From small inefficiencies to large-scale negligence, the government and its public health institutions have failed the American people, which has led to a complete distortion of how we define illness as a society.
Read MoreAs the United States suffers an attack on the public education system by Republican policymakers, which has been a contributing factor to the widespread educator shortage, it is imperative that legislators who run on campaigns of diversity, equity, and inclusion take initiative to ensure that students enrolled in K-12 schooling receive an education that effectively utilizes culturally responsive pedagogies that focus on teaching students how to understand topics that have been heavily politicized — like race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Read MoreAs a poster child of the declining liberal city, San Francisco has gained quite a reputation for itself. Most notably, regarding its growing homelessness encampments; the city has been in the spotlight with talk of rampant crime rates, abandoned buildings, and the infamous "poop map." Yet down the blocks of San Francisco’s tent-lined streets stand luxury apartments. The characterization of this issue is full of contradictions — as these newly developed units await incoming residents, the number of those on the street continues to grow.
Read MoreRussia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February of this year sparked solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people across the international community. In the United States, President Biden described the Ukrainian people during the State of the Union address as a fearlessly strong group fighting an illegitimate aggressor. On a state-wide front, California has taken initiative in supporting both Ukraine and Ukrainian migrants directly.
Read MorePicture this: you’re at Disneyland. As you walk into the park, you are struck by a variety of sensations. The smell of cinnamon and pineapple — foreshadowing churros and DoleWhip — wafts through the air. The sounds of laughter and excitement surround you; everyone is eager to find the rides they've been looking forward to. In the distance, you can see costumed characters roaming Main Street, and you feel hopeful, secure in the knowledge that you’re about to have a great day.
Read MoreThe 2024 presidential election is set, and it looks mighty familiar. In a seemingly reoccurring nightmare, instead of Vice President Joe Biden facing off against incumbent President Donald Trump, we have President Joe Biden against four-time indictee and convicted criminal Donald Trump (who is probably in court as you are reading this). However, one major change between 2020 and 2024 is the issue of abortion.
While then-candidate Biden ran on abortion in 2020, it didn’t strike the same chord with voters as it does now. Instead of saying that conservatives may overturn Roe v. Wade, Democrats in 2024 can now tell voters that it has happened, and the worst may be yet to come. It was the Republicans who were able to run on this issue for decades to rile up their base, and now as a result of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the issue has been teed up for Democrats to take advantage of. All they need to do is swing.
Read MoreIn June 2022, frustrated with rising crime rates in San Francisco — between 2020 and 2022, property crime increased by 23 percent and violent crime increased by 10 percent — San Francisco county voters recalled District Attorney (DA) Chesa Boudin. This was a harbinger of the increasing salience of crime in California politics.
Read MoreIn 21st-century America, we are witnessing an educational commitment to vilify and dehumanize marginalized communities through the censorship of children’s books. Since 2019, there have been more than 1,500 book bans in at least 26 states across the country, contributing to the erasure of many marginalized groups’ histories. In the 2022-2023 school year alone, there was a 33 percent increase in public school book bans. Bans on books that were once standard to read in the classroom, like Maus and Animal Farm, have made teachers and educators leave their field during an already massive educator shortage, further exacerbating the crisis.
Read MoreAlong the southern coast of Ghana, dozens of young men flock to port cities in hopes of stowing away on departing commercial ships. Two of these men, Jonathan and Michael, are from the port city of Takoradi, whose fishing industry has greatly suffered due to a rapidly changing climate. With severely overfished waters and rising sea levels, Ghana’s coast has become increasingly unfishable, suffering from dangerous tides, perennial storm surges, and dwindling fish populations.
Like other fishermen, Jonathan and Michael decided to emigrate to find new economic opportunities.
Read MoreIn the halls of history, there are few national rivalries more iconic than that of the United States and Russia. Certainly, there are none that have more thoroughly shaped the topography of modern geopolitics.
For nearly fifty years, the U.S. and the Soviet Union spread their dominion over their opposite halves of the globe, staring each other down across the Pacific while the world held its breath. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and Russia saw a short period of reluctant coexistence, with Obama-era leaders even sharing hopes of a “reset” in relations between the two countries.
Read MoreAwards season is a highly anticipated time for fans of Hollywood. The difficult task of hosting an award show is burdened with the pressure to perform, most notably in front of peers of the arts rather than the average American. The pressure to produce a watchable show filled with jokes and intriguing monologues can lead the host to make cheap shots at the crowd or topics known to gather controversy in an effort to alleviate stress.
Read MoreDonald Trump’s legal team is having quite a time. The former President is facing 91 felony charges in cases across the country, appealing a verdict which ordered him to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million for defaming her, and may have his properties seized if he cannot pay his $454 million debt from a New York fraud case. Ask any legal expert or lay person, and they will tell you that Trump’s chances of winning some of these cases are low. But there is one legal battle, also before the Supreme Court, that is likely to be decided in Donald Trump’s favor, Vidal v. Elster.
Read MoreOn September 19th, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a swift invasion into the Armenian breakaway Republic of Artsakh, forcing its capitulation the next day. Over one hundred thousand Armenians fled the region in the following days, in what Armenia has claimed to be an effort by the Azerbaijani government to ethnically cleanse the Armenian population in the region. The conflict over the small mountainous region, which had raged for 35 years, ended in just one day.
Read MoreDid you know that according to the Pew Research Center in 2022, there are only about twenty-four moderate Democrats or Republicans serving in Congress? Fifty years ago, that number was over six times higher. Despite this decrease in the number of moderate officials, a Gallup poll found that the percentage of moderate voters is relatively high at thirty-seven percent. These polls indicate a significant disparity between the number of moderate government officials currently serving in Congress and the proportion of voters they represent.
Read MoreOn January 26th, 2024, the University of California suspended its plan to allow undocumented students to get campus jobs, halting initiatives to ensure financial equity for this substantial student population.
In May, urged by UCLA law professors and students, the UC regents unanimously pledged to explore a hiring plan for undocumented students in the UC system to earn legal paychecks. This collective effort was championed by the Opportunity For All Campaign, which includes the Undocumented Student-led Network, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, and the UCLA Labor Center.
Read MoreWhen’s the last time you read a book?
If your answer is “Not recently,” then you aren’t alone.
There’s a variety of data suggesting that national literacy is on the decline. As of late 2023, ACT test scores, which factor in reading comprehension skills, fell to their lowest in thirty years. In fact, based on the ACT’s reading score system, aimed at anticipating first-year college success, the average student is not on track to succeed in their higher academic pursuits.
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