“As Democrats and Republicans become more starkly divided, political preferences are increasingly less motivated by fact and instead determined by individual party allegiances. Information that is contrary to an individual’s belief is written off as fake news and no longer given any reasonable merit. The recent contentious developments in the North Carolina legislature are examples of a much larger problem of intense polarization that grows in the United States every year.”
Read More“The deterioration of relations and escalating conflict between Greece and Turkey puts the United States in a somewhat precarious political position. Not only does the United States fear being forced to choose between its two NATO allies, its partnership with Turkey has been key to the Trump administration’s mission to defeat Shiite volunteer armies and other Iranian-led activities in Syria in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.”
Read More“The unhealthy normalization of victim-blaming culture is detrimental to the justice needed for the victims. This toxicity is reproduced by official agencies, including the police and justice system who have perpetuated a victim-blaming approach.”
Read More“The consolidation of an Asian bloc against Chinese influence is a top priority for the United States, and the strained relationship between South Korea and Japan has been problematic in creating a united front. With aggressive Chinese actions in Asia ramping up in the recent past, including expansion in the South China Sea and disputes with India in the Ladakh region, both Japan and South Korea understand the necessity of aligning their foreign policy goals to contain China’s authoritarian influence. It is impossible to say whether a new Japanese Prime Minister will be able to overcome the decades of resentment between the two nations, but recent conciliatory statements made by South Korean President Moon Jae-in regarding the mending of ties bode well for future cooperation.”
Read More“The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique challenge to student voters, most of whom left UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus when instruction went fully remote in August. Students who moved home after having previously used their dorm addresses for voter registration have to change their registered voting location.”
Read More“Although President Trump returns to the White Houses and his symptoms appear to be gone, it will be important to monitor his health moving forward. He has been warned that, politically, any setback in his health and possible re-hospitalization, could be a huge setback on the campaign.”
Read More“One argument commonly cited by conservative voters is that President Trump is fiscally-responsible and makes a good leader on the basis of his business acumen. The new revelations surrounding President Trump’s tax avoidance and his facade of a billionaire is now shaking that argument to its core.”
Read More“As wildfires ravage California, Oregon, and Washington, the smoke from these fires is contributing to some of the worst air quality in decades and covering cities in a red haze. Apocalyptic images of these states have gone viral, providing a stark reminder that climate change is not a future issue, but a current one.”
Read MoreThis race remains one of the most closely watched and important elections in the country, as it could ultimately determine which party obtains a majority in the Senate. Things have become even more dramatic after recent scandals have come to light and negatively affected both candidates following the debate.
Read More“As the ongoing, decades-long conflict increases hostilities, with larger military powers invested on both sides and no resolution to the initial issues, the ethnic conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan has no apparent end in sight.”
Read More“Contrasting their wars in 1948 and 1973 to Saudi Arabia’s recent, emerging “soft normalization” of Israel, it’s apparent to the international community that the relationship between these two Middle East powers is changing rapidly. The slow wheels that move geopolitics forward may have arrived at gold: the two enemies are slowly considering indifference towards each other. Or perhaps, as some have even suggested, a mutually beneficial relationship.”
Read More“Should Republicans succeed in confirming Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — in violation of the precedent they established in 2016 — they will create a 6-3 conservative supermajority on the high court and cement a conservative majority for decades to come. Congressional Democrats are powerless to stop this on their own, but suggestions of the once unthinkable have begun to float about: expanding the number of seats on the Supreme Court.”
Read More“Although the debate was supposed to be as transparent as possible, as Americans were eager to listen to the stance of each candidate, the evening was rather chaotic. Trump’s constant interruptions not only frustrated his opponent, but also served to undermine Chris Wallace, as the moderator of the debate.”
Read More“While the international community is occupied with COVID-19, Mozambique’s situation has flown largely under the radar. The situation looks grim without external actors becoming involved - begging the question: will the international community fund humanitarian aid or will the people of Mozambique continue to suffer at the hands of both the insurgency and their own government?”
Read More“Like the Nuremberg Trials, Tokyo War Crimes Trials, and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers was created to serve justice in hopes of moving society forward after terrible atrocities had been committed. Yet, if Kosovo and former KLA veterans are still reinforcing an environment of fear and manufacturing a narrative of their innocence, there is little hope for the creation of a united Kosovo equipped to face the challenges and struggles on their road to globally recognized independence.”
Read More“There is no doubt the makeup of the Court will be different. This is the case any time a new justice arrives, but too many are blaming their fears on the possibility of breaking precedent when in reality they are scared how the Court will handle future cases. If anything, the Court is more likely to limit federal power. Politicians have made the Court political when it is not. The justices care deeply about the law, so much so, it would be hard for them to break precedent. What Democrats and Republicans desire is not necessarily what the Court desires and this is an important distinction to make.”
Read More“The current state of American democracy is so flimsy that we cannot even celebrate the life of Justice Ginsberg without the dark shadow of politics looming over. The corruption of the Trump administration, coupled with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and the heightened tensions of an election year has intensified many people’s focus on our current political system. Americans are realizing just how fragile our system is, and how much fundamental change we really need.”
Read More“Many hoped the UN meeting would bolster diplomatic relations as countries struggle to contain the coronavirus. However, despite calls for cooperation in the predominantly virtual setting, some tensions were still evident. In a security council meeting, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called out the world’s efforts saying, “The pandemic is a clear test of international cooperation – a test we have essentially failed,” before adding that he fears for the worst should the world treat the climate crisis the same.”
Read More“Even though the United States is extremely polarized, there is a “silent majority” that is not as involved as politics and loyal to one particular party. This group of people is instrumental in ensuring one candidate’s win over another. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump seem to be targeting this part of the population, who may prove instrumental to winning the 15 electoral votes from North Carolina.”
Read More“This topic is one of the most pressing issues facing the two candidates for North Carolina Superintendent, Democrat Jen Mangum and Republican Catherine Truitt. Mangum is championing the prioritization “of funding… [for] traditional public schools to ensure that they remain the best alternative,” as she seeks to uphold the traditional standing of public schools as a trustworthy institution of the state. However, Truitt, over her career, has “come to believe that charter schools can and should exist wherever there is a desire to create one.” Furthermore, Truitt supports closing down underperforming public schools, but her same qualifiers extend to charter schools as well. Ultimately, this election for the NC superintendent’s seat will determine the future of the NC educational system, and quite possibly the future of North Carolina as a whole.”
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