America’s Victims: How Intervention led to Breaches in our National Security

The mainstream narrative that we are sold by the media about migration into the United States is simple: the poor come to this country to escape the plights of their home countries and follow the American dream to become rich and prosperous. While this idea sounds star-spangled awesome, there is a dark side to why people have moved to the US in the past century. While there are clear and present dangers to people in lower-income countries, such as natural disasters, the main culprit is social immobility. In the United States, there is a vague belief that anyone can be anything: The American Dream.

Monetary Mayhem: the Consequence of Discretion

The President of the United States is not the most powerful man in America. The leaders of the House and Senate, whose whips may set the leviathan Federal government barreling in whichever direction they please, do not top the rank. The nine Justices of the Supreme Court, a half dozen of whom can permanently alter the very meaning of the Constitution, are far from the most commanding figures in Washington. Rather, the true heart of American power lies not on Capitol Hill, but two miles westward, nestled between the Vietnam War Memorial and a Dunkin’ Donuts.

NationDimitri ZlatevJune 13, 2023Federal Reserve, Federal government, Dimitri Zlatev, economy, economicsComment

The Policy Failure of Criminalizing Homelessness

The proposed California Senate Bill 31 would make living on streets, sidewalks, or public property 1000 feet from schools, daycare centers, parks, or libraries a misdemeanor. In New York City, the administration has begun heavily enforcing rules that prevent people from using the subway system to sleep at night. At the beginning of 2023, a Missouri law went into effect, banning people from sleeping on state-owned land, like under bridges. St. Petersburg, Florida has a combination of ordinances that prevent people from lying and sleeping on sidewalks, as well as banning the unpermitted placement of “any object that is used as the functional equivalent of a table.”

NationBenjamin ShihJune 9, 2023benjamin shih, homeless, policy, California SenateComment

Story Hour, Transphobia, and Legislation: How Drag Queens Became Demonized

The trope of the creepy crossdresser is nothing new. From serial killers in movies to flashers in the park to weird neighbors on Disney channel shows- growing up it was everywhere, and now it’s back. And this time, drag is being dragged through the mud.
The most recent wave of anti-drag sentiment has been driven by talk shows, protests, and most importantly an influx in anti-drag legislation. Alongside a greater trend of anti-trans bills, Tennessee recently passed one of its harshest anti-drag bills yet, criminalizing participation in “adult cabaret performances” in public spaces or in the presence of children. This bill lumps drag performers with exotic dancers and strippers, labeling these performances as shows with “prurient interest.”

NationEmogene KarasJune 5, 2023Emogene Karas, Transphobia, Transgender Rights, drag queens, DragComment

Unions In America Are Under Attack: Here’s Why That Matters

Unions are one of the most important parts of our workforce today and they are under attack. Union membership has been steadily decreasing since the 1980s, but why? There are many answers to that question but the most obvious and the most relevant answer is corporate union busting and the deregulation that allows it. Corporations and their political lackeys put up a big fight, but are unions worth the effort?

Totally and completely.

NationJaren HendersonJune 1, 2023Jaren Henderson, unions, United States, AmazonComment

Attacks on Abortion

A Texas federal judge has invalidated the FDA ruling on mifepristone. Mifepristone is a common medical abortion drug used widely throughout the United States. This controversial decision has sparked a national, and now international conversation about the importance of protecting abortion.

The US judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs who argued that mifepristone was incorrectly advertised as a drug marketed to address serious illnesses and providing therapeutic effects to those with hormonal impairments. The judge further explained that when the FDA originally approved the drug as a safe and effective method to conduct medical abortions it was due to political pressure.

NationDanielle JacobsMay 28, 2023Danielle Jacobs, abortion, CourtsComment

The Struggle Between Secularism and Majoritarian Politics over India's Personal Legal System

In recent years, the government of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attracted criticism from internal and international actors alike for its majoritarian policies. These include the repeal of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution providing autonomy to the Muslim-majority state of Jammu and Kashmir along with the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The CAA expands the provision of citizenship for refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh exclusively to non-Muslim minorities, while the implementation of the NRC in the state of Assam may disproportionately target Muslim citizens through its efforts to identify and deport illegal immigrants. Clearly, at least from the perspective of Western media outlets like the New York Times, the Bharatiya Janata Party has engaged in an assault on the secular principles of the Republic of India.

Changing the Finish Line: Ending the Practice of Holding Back Successful People of Color

For the LSU Tigers, Louisiana State University’s women’s basketball team, April 2nd should have been a truly triumphant day. It was the day they won the NCAA national championship, wowing spectators and making history. A record-breaking event, the match saw the majority-Black team score the most points ever in a women’s championship game as well as the most points scored at halftime, accomplishments that secured them their first ever championship victory.

The excitement quickly soured, however, when First Lady Jill Biden, who had been attending the game, invited the Iowa Hawkeyes, the runners-up, to the White House to celebrate alongside the Tigers. LSU’s star forward, Angel Reese, was quick to call this “a joke.”

Nation, FeaturedAdithi SumitranMay 20, 2023POC, LSU Tigers, basketball, Jill Biden, Mississippi, Hawkeyes, Adithi Sumitran', Adithi SumitranComment

Tragedy and Temblors: Relief Efforts in Turkey and Syria

The morning of February 6th was peaceful. The twilight sky was still dark, but stars were slowly becoming less visible. Residents were waking up little by little to get ready for work and start their day. But at around six o’clock in the morning, the ground shook and everyone who was sleeping in northern Syria and southern Turkey were awoken by an massive earthquake that would record a 7.8 on the Richter Scale. It would be felt in Lebanon, Israel and even parts of Iran. Around 60 aftershocks would occur with the biggest one having a magnitude of 7.5 following the initial quake.

Is Egypt willing to save itself?

Less eggs, less meat, and more chicken feet. While at first glance this may sound like a bizarre nursery rhyme for some, Egyptians know all too well that this is what state-run media in Egypt considers a good alternative to the crippling inflation that has become impossible for anyone in the country to ignore. When speaking to Egyptians today, it is clear that many are starting to lose patience with the consistently ailing economic situation. “We legitimately don’t know where the country is headed.

Powering the Future: Nuclear Power and America’s Energy Independence

Three Mile Island. Fukushima. Chernobyl. The three worst nuclear disasters in human history, and yet they barely account for a few hundred deaths, as opposed to millions of deaths caused by the fossil fuel industry. Nuclear energy has a stigma of being inherently bad for the environment, toxifying whole cities, and spreading radioactive material. That is exactly what fossil fuels do, yet the lobbying efforts against nuclear power center the danger of nuclear power and brush off the harmful impacts of fossil fuels to scare the public against clean energy.

Andrew Tate, Conservatism, and the “Death” of Masculinity

Andrew Tate is a controversial figure who has been in the news a lot lately, for a multitude of reasons ranging from the heinous to the hateful. Along with this media attention, many questions follow: Who is he? What does he do? What does he represent? And most importantly, why is he so damn popular? Due to his immense following, we need to understand what he truly represents to a lot of people, those who dislike him and those who idolize him.

Creating a Dialogue against Fascism: Lessons from the Protests against Charlie Kirk

On March 14, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) visited UC Davis on behalf of the organization's branch on campus. I went to the event with some friends to watch the crowd protest and to be a part of something contentious at Davis. As we watched the crowd of protestors outside the U Center, an apolitical friend of mine commented, "This is scary." "What is?" I asked as we watched a group of police in riot gear rush toward the back of the U Center, where the protest had moved.

Insurrection: Part II

Offices trashed, fire alarms blaring, sprinklers set off, stolen artifacts. Congress had become a battlefield of democracy. But this time, it was not Americans attempting to overthrow the government. It was Brazilians. The familiar story took place on the floor of the House of Deputies, the lower House of Congress in Brasilia, Brazil just a week after the inauguration of the new president. This is not common in the history of industrialized states like the U.S. and Brazil, however these two countries took to similar methods after stark electoral losses.

Inequality in Death: Why California should Abolish the Death Penalty

California has not executed a death row inmate since January 2006, yet still has 690 inmates living in fear of execution. In 2012 and 2016, propositions to abolish the death penalty failed. In 2012, the proposition was defeated with 51.95% of the vote, and in 2016, the proposition was defeated with 53.15% of the vote. In comparison, President Obama received 59.3% of the vote in California in 2012 and Hilary Clinton received 61.5% in 2016. The stark contrast between the two results can be explained by the American fear of crime and its importance in elections.

You Can’t Redline Climate Change Forever

Recent weather events demonstrate a very different narrative to what we’re told: lower-income communities will face dire weather conditions, flooding, and extreme events as climate change unfolds over the next half of the century. The Environmental Protection Agency reported that lower-income communities disproportionately experience and have difficulty rebounding from heat waves, poor air quality, and flooding. The statistics are there, but the narrative that only those of a lower tax bracket experience climate change is off base. Believing in this rhetoric will prompt a rude awakening for the rich. Mother Nature doesn’t discriminate.

New Year's Storms Reveal where California Falls Short

California started off the New Year by turning its streets into rivers. At least 22 people were killed.

As 2022 ended, an atmospheric river washed over California causing a mega-storm that lasted almost three weeks. As rivers overflowed and levees failed, cities began to flood and thousands were forced to evacuate their homes. However, this “once in a lifetime” event was just one of many climate disasters that have occurred in this season alone. In December, most of the US and part of Canada experienced a winter storm that swept from coast to coast, and in January a series of off-season tornadoes traveled through the southern states.

Internet Sleuths and their Impacts

It started in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022. As the sun began its ascent into the sky above Moscow, Idaho, a grisly discovery was made: four students at the University of Idaho had been brutally murdered in their home near the campus. With no clear explanations available, the entire affair was steeped in mystery, resulting in a bizarre internet frenzy. Theories ran abound on virtually every social media platform, leaving law enforcement struggling to keep the misinformation under control.

Nation, FeaturedAdithi SumitranMarch 7, 2023internet, sleuth, internet sleuth, impacts, moscow, idaho, renner, maura murray, Amy Mihaljevic, Adithi SumitranComment

American Political Violence is on the Rise

It is hard not to notice how political violence has increased in America these last few years. What was once an infrequent event has now become an almost monthly occurrence, and with threats against high ranking officials like Congresspeople rising almost tenfold, it’s clear that trouble is brewing in our society. There are a multitude of reasons for this change, however, and many of them stem from extreme political divisiveness and distortions of the truth.

Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Dreams: Could They Be a Reality?

Gavin Newsom has alluded to running for president multiple times in the last few years following a successful recall avoidance and a steamroll reelection win in 2022, but when would he run? And if he runs…could he win?

According to Berkeley professor of politics Dan Schnur, “Yeah, he’s definitely running for president, the only question is where he’s running in 2024 or 2028.”