Posts in Editor's Picks
Facebook’s Latest Whistleblower Sends Shockwaves

“Although both political parties are showing support to curtail the influence and effect of Facebook and its products, we must question whether real change can happen. According to Steven Levy, author of “Facebook: The Inside Story,” there have been obvious solutions, such as increasing privacy protection, that have been known for years; however, Congress has done little to act upon them. With a convincing story and demanding evidence, one can only hope Frances Haugen’s actions will lead to the removal of the negative influence Facebook and its products have on society.”

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UNESCO’S Heritage List: Rumba and the Congo

“Culture and art’s role in social movements is just one of the many reasons why recognizing, protecting, and learning about cultural practices and sites around the globe are important. There are a variety of potential reasons why a country may want an aspect of their culture showcased and protected as culture encapsulates society and history.”

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Dispute Over Biogas Facilities in Eastern N.C. Reveals a History of Discrimination with Broader Implications in the Fight Against Global Warming

“The dispute currently playing out is no isolated incident, but rather the most recent episode in a decades-long fight against a discriminatory system that speaks to broader questions about who bears the burden of ecological crises and the fight against climate change.”

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Germany’s Election: New Parties, Old Problems

“As the polls closed, Germans awaited what may be their most monumental election in the post-WWII era. Now, the SPD and the CDU seek the support of smaller parties, striving to form a coalition. This zero-sum game will not only revolutionize Germany’s political landscape but also the country’s role as a burgeoning world power amidst a declining Pax Americana.”

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Nowhere Left to Go: Biden Has No Clear Way Forward on Immigration

“Biden and his administration find themselves in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, facing an influx of refugees from a country rife with political turmoil, and situated in a political landscape so polarized that one group has compared the actions at the border to chattel slavery, while on the other extreme, Tucker Carlson of Fox News accused Biden of purposefully attempting to change racial demographics in the U.S. through immigration.”

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China Making Steps to Fight Climate Change Amongst Brazil’s Neglect of Deforestation

“Our environment has dramatically changed since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. We have increased the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere by 48%. Although we are developing sustainable, renewable technology, there are those that still oppose the transition to cleaner energy. If we are to preserve our environment for generations to come, we must have global leaders that are reducing environmentally unfriendly practices and switching to cleaner, sustainable sources of energy.”

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Mere Words: Biden Pledges for Carbon Neutrality, but Has Achieved Little Action

“As world governments fight in over stagnating debates on climate policy, oceans continue to rise, smokestacks continue to run, and emissions continue to increase. The world is down to the wire, and even America, as a global hegemon, cannot escape these impacts. California already battles wildfires that grow in intensity and breadth each year, putting lives and communities at risk. With such culling approaching, President Biden issued a dire message: America only has a decade left to confront climate change before irreversible impacts manifest.”

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Tensions Between the U.S. and China Reach Historic Levels Following Afghanistan Withdrawal

US-China relations are “as bad as [they have] been since Tiananmen,” according to an expert at UC San Diego. Why are analysts comparing the current relationship between China and the U.S. to that following the Chinese government’s murder of thousands of citizens? Tensions between D.C. and Beijing have risen dramatically in recent years.”

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Abuse of Human Rights by Egypt and the Neglect of Western Countries

“Although the relationship between the U.S. and Egypt is important from a strategic point of view, at what cost does this value bring? Human rights are being trampled on by a U.S. ally and only small actions have been taken to remedy the situation. Only time will tell how President Al-Sisi will react given the Biden administration’s request for human rights violations to be addressed. One can only hope Western countries will hold their allies accountable for protecting and upholding basic, human rights.”

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NC Opportunity Scholarships: An Ongoing Debate Over School Choice and Discrimination

“A debate rages over a program that has distributed over $750,000 in state funds to help low-income families afford private school tuition — North Carolina Opportunity Scholarships. In the 2020-2021 school year, 456 private schools received money from Opportunity Scholarships, with 12,284 families receiving scholarships. Opponents of Opportunity Scholarships argue it is wrong to take public funding and invest it into private schools largely unaccountable to the state.”

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Ms. Nikole Hannah-Jones — Former MacArthur Fellow, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist, and UNC Alumna — Denied Tenure in Unprecedented Fashion

“The denial of tenure for Ms. Hannah-Jones prompted calls for transparency and stringent warnings of its effects on alienating UNC’s present and future faculty. In a statement following the initial events, UNC’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media writes that by denying Ms. Hannah-Jones tenure -- a graduate of UNC (Masters, 2003) and whose honors include the Peabody Award and MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant and Fellowship -- it “unfairly moves the goalposts and violates long-standing norms.”

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What the Johnson and Johnson Pause Means For America

“Last Tuesday, Johnson and Johnson vaccine injections were halted across the country after six recipients reported blood-clotting. Health officials nationwide have exaggerated the very low risk for those who already received the vaccine, emphasizing that the vaccine was taken down out of an “abundance of caution” for the safety of Americans, as stated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).”

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Giving Everyone Their Shot: How To Combat Anti-Vaccine Sentiment

“While the CDC is working to find a balance between promoting messages of caution concerning new strains of COVID-19 and pitching the vaccine as a means to return to “normalcy,” American’s have resumed old practices. The CDC has produced comprehensive plans to distribute the vaccine on a widespread level, but skepticism from vaccine-eligible individuals could be a detriment to these plans.”

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Test for Unit 3: How Far Have We Come, and How Much Farther Must We Go, Towards Racial Equality?

“Fifty-three years further along the arc Dr. King envisioned for America, has our nation yet come to the bend that leads to justice? Or Are the gains of racial justice since 1968 largely nominal? Most important -- regardless of how far we’ve come -- is will we, Americans, harness today’s ambition for racial equality and take action to effectuate the aspirations of civil rights conceived since Reconstruction but which millions of Black American have yet to experience?”

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Cuomo's Fall From Grace Accelerates

“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.”

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Major US Banks Found to Facilitate Movement of Weapon and Drug Money

“The world’s most powerful and successful banks moving large networks of dirty money from the likes of drugs cartels and organized crime rings affiliates sounds like a plot taken straight from a Netflix original series. While such an idea might seem a little hard to conceptualize in real life, a recent Buzzfeed News investigation uncovered that many big name U.S. and international banks have been moving trillions of dollars for two decades in suspicious transactions, and in the process enriching themselves off the dirty money.”

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Mail-in voting could be a logistical disaster - but we must vote anyway

“The U.S. postal service has warned 46 states that it cannot guarantee all ballots sent by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted. This has the potential to disqualify tens of millions of votes. But if we let that get in the way of us actually casting our ballots then that means we have given up on our democracy.”

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