Kamala Harris meets with Zelensky about Ukrainian Funding: How the Conflict is Shaping the 2024 Presidential Election

    The war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022, has continued to escalate over political tensions and territorial disputes.  As of late September 2024, Ukrainian forces are still actively defending against the multitude of Russian offensives, especially near Bakhmut and Lyman. Russia has started to intensify their artillery and air strikes affecting populated civilian regions. With the war killing or wounding more than a 1 million people on both sides, it has become a more urgent matter before more innocent civilians are killed. 

Harris shaking hands with Zelensky after giving speech pledging 
support for Ukraine

    As the war continues, internal military aid remains a crucial part of Ukraine’s defense. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently met with Vice President Kamala Harris at Washington D.C during his U.S. visit in late September 2024. As Zelensky fears that time is running out for Ukraine’s war effort, Harris reaffirms the U.S.'s unwavering support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia; this emphasizes the strategic importance of continued aid. The Biden administration has allocated the remaining funding already approved by Congress into the war effort. With the assistance of Ukraine being a controversial topic at this time, her strong stance has raised some criticism with the people. However, she continues to stand her ground on how she is “proud to work for President Biden and 50 other countries,” which is specifically opposed by Trump. During his campaign in North Carolina, he states that he believes Zelensky does not actually attempt to end the war and rather comes to the US to make money.  However, Trump also insists that he will meet with Zelensky sometime during his trip to the U.S. The Democrats have portrayed Trump as “too embracing of authoritarians,” in which Republicans oppose the increased funding and supplies given to Ukraine. 

    This dichotomy reflects a broader debate in American society about the role of the U.S. in international conflicts and the extent of its responsibility to assist allies. With various political figures leveraging the Ukraine situation to bolster their campaigns, public opinion is becoming increasingly polarized. Some view military aid as a moral imperative, while others question its practicality in light of America's own economic challenges. This political landscape creates a backdrop of uncertainty as the election approaches, raising the stakes for both candidates and voters.

    The ongoing war in Ukraine has now become a pivotal issue leading up to the 2024 presidential election. With Zelensky emphasizing the urgency of military aid, it continues the moral dilemma of what the US should spend their funds on. With rising concerns of national debt and fiscal responsibility, many argue that continued funding would be unsustainable. With remarks that Ukraine aid “puts America last” many argue that the US has more urgent issues to address within its own borders. The debt of the United States has been rising rapidly within the recent years and the decision to spend more and more on a potential stalemate has become a critical topic of discussion. As the conflict continues and the election approaches, the interplay between foreign policy and domestic concerns will undoubtedly shape the future of the US governance and its role in foreign affairs.

Source:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67649497 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/26/biden-harris-zelensky-weapons-russia/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-harris-meets-with-ukraines-zelenskyy-as-russia-makes-nuclear-warning 

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4901204-zelensky-asks-biden-for-weapons-strike-russia/ 

Eric Adams Indictment: Corruption Allegations Shake Public Trust and Political Leadership

      Eric Adams, a former police captain and centrist Democrat, has focused his mayoral administration on addressing public safety and economic issues in New York City. Eric Adams has served as the mayor of New York City since January 2022. His challenging experience in childhood led him to pursue a career in law enforcement, where he worked as a police officer and later a captain for the New York City Police Department. He later entered politics where he served as a New York state senator and Brooklyn Borough President before running for mayor. Throughout his career, Adams has advocated for police reform, criminal justice and increasing public safety. He currently positioned himself as a centrist Democrat, focusing on crime reduction, economic recovery and housing affordability. 

However, Eric Adams has recently come under fire for multiple federal charges including bribery, wire fraud, and accepting illegal donations from foreign businessmen. According to the sealed indictment that had been recently released, he “allegedly accepted over $123,000 worth of luxury travel benefits between 2016 and 2021.” Not only that, he also “sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign, as well as other things of value, from foreign nationals.” In return he pushed forward a Turkish consular without a fire inspection. US Attorney Damian Williams, the current overseer of the federal corruption investigation, believed that Adams would use his high status “to take bribes and solicit illegal campaign contributions by allegedly taking improper and illegal benefits from foreign nationals.” 

This issue connects directly to lessons on the separation of powers and public opinion, as it showcases the role of federal oversight (FBI and DOJ) in maintaining political integrity. The scandal also invites debate about public trust in elected officials, which is a recurring theme in discussions on governance and ethics. Governor Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, states that she is “weighing the decision before her,” but on the other hand, she worries about the legal and political risks.

Previously Hochul has been criticized for her leadership leading to dropping approval poll.  Given the situation, she could potentially shatter any signs of weakness and distance herself from a mayor who is under federal indictment. The removal process is untested, and could alienate Mr. Adams’s political base, particularly Black voters, without whom Ms. Hochul’s re-election chances would be diminished, especially if a high-profile Democrat challenges her in a primary. With potential drawbacks to Hochul's own campaign we may potentially see her pardoning Adams as not to thwart her own career.

These results set the precedent for people getting caught, knowing that other leaders are getting exposed may cause others to be more careful when dealing with similar activities. As a citizen in another large state in the US, it raises broader concern about political corruption and trust in public officials. Corruption in one city can fuel public distrust about government nationwide, impacting how people view their own local and state leaders. Adams's indictment illustrates a significant controversy regarding the balance of power; while he wielded considerable influence as mayor, his alleged actions now jeopardize not only his career but also the public's perception of ethical leadership It sets a bad image for the United States as a whole and can cause turmoil between the community and its leaders.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/26/us/whats-in-nyc-mayor-eric-adams-indictment/index.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-indicted-bribery-charges/

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/new-york-city-mayor-eric-adams-charged-bribery-and-campaign-finance-offenses

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/26/nyregion/adams-hochul-removal.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/26/nyregion/adams-hochul-removal.html

Leader of Hezbollah Killed By Israeli Airstrike: What it Means for The Middle East

On Friday, an Israeli airstrike hit Hezbollah's headquarters, killing Hezbollah's leader Hasan Nasrallah. Since the its inception during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-90) in 1982 as a Shiite militia, Hezbollah has been in conflict with Israel, first clashing against Israeli forces when they entered Lebanon during the civil war. In 1983, Hezbollah would be behind the bombings of US embassy and US and French barracks leading to their eventual designation as a terrorist organization. 

Since then Hezbollah has grown to be a powerful force in Lebanon, becoming a major political party. Yet they've continued to orchestrate terrorist attacks on Israel and the West as well as becoming a major Iranian ally. As the Israel and Palestinian conflict heated up during 2023, Hezbollah has once again come into conflict with Israel, firing explosives across the Israel border in support of its ally and fellow-Iranian proxy Hamas. 

However Israel has not taken these attacks lying down, seizing the opportunity to finally try and destroy one of its most hated rivals. Notably earlier this month, Israel launched a pager attack on Hezbollah, creating a front company to sell pagers to Hezbollah that were remotely detonated, injuring and killing many Hezbollah members but also indiscriminately injuring and killing many civilians. Continuing its initiative, following the attack Israel has launched many more strikes into Lebanon. Countries such as the United States have called for a cease fire to end the fighting, however on Friday, the prime-minister of Israel, Netanyahu would deliver an address to the UN, further doubling down on his goals of attacking Hezbollah and rejecting the ceasefire proposals. Shortly after his address the news of Israel successful strike on Hezbollah's leader would come out.

So what does Nasrallah's death mean. First off its the end of any potential cease fire. Both parties in the conflict are too far gone and have spilled too much blood to reach any agreement. Second of all it has weakened Hezbollah. As a founding member and leader of the organization for over 30 years, Nasrallah has been an important component of Hezbollah. With his death and the chaos of the previous Israeli pager attack, Hezbollah has been thrown into chaos which may seem like a good thing for Israel, but as America's invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan showed, it could mean the rise of even more extremist organization. Third the people of Lebanon are once again thrown into devastating conflict. While Israeli airstrikes have been successful in killing member of Hezbollah, it has come at the immense cost of many innocent Lebanese. Finally stateside it once again complicates the upcoming presidential election. Already an extremely controversial subject within the United States, the continued escalation of the Israeli-Hamas conflict into Lebanon has further complicated the United States' support of Israel. With no end in sight for the conflict in the Israeli Hezbollah war, this is just another entry in the long book of Middle Eastern conflicts that have come to claim the lives of many innocent people.

Sources:

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-hezbollah

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-planted-explosives-hezbollahs-taiwan-made-pagers-say-sources-2024-09-18/

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-28-september-2024-c4751957433ff944c4eb06027885a973

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-airstrikes-suburb-617575d9c5d7c711bc02e7b81d2ba4ad

What's happening in Springfield, Ohio (besides "Haitians eating cats")?

 “This is costing the city. We’re definitely in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense. We haven’t calculated the overtime, the contracts that need to be secured to be able to secure and communicate… take care of our city,” - Springfield mayor, Ron Rue. 

With the rising immigration rates and cuts made to the police and fire departments due to budget shortfalls in recent years, the sudden spotlight placed on Springfield, Ohio, has put the city in chaos. The comments made by Trump during the presidential debate regarding debunked rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pet cats and dogs of their neighbors have triggered a week long barrage of bomb threats among many others.

This crisis has forced the city to send the limited law enforcement they have out onto the streets, including public schools now filled with state troopers stationed inside. In response the mayor has issued a proclamation to grant the city emergency powers, giving them the ability to more quickly recruit and contract additional security personnel and law enforcement to supplement their deficient police force. These powers have been determined to stay in effect until it is deemed that the threats to public safety have subsided. 

With all the recent commotion aside, Springfield has been struggling to accommodate for the growing immigrant population from before the recent developments. The increased population has put a strain on public institutions such as hospitals, schools, and police, and it has created a necessity for more housing, an expanded the police force, and improved translation services. In order to afford these needs the city is in desperate need of funding, and after months of requests from state and federal support they have finally received $2.5 million in state funds.

After all of the events in Springfield, escalated by Trump’s remarks, Rue only has one request from the presidential candidates: to avoid visiting the city due to the economic stain it could leave on their resources. Following Trump's announcements that he would visit in the following weeks, Rue has responded by saying: “If he chose to change his mind to maybe reroute from coming to Springfield that would be a huge message of peace to Springfield as I see it”. 

In light of these developments, it's important to realize the significant and real impact that the spread of misinformation can have, and to do what we can as citizens to prevent the perpetuation and spread of these lies.
 

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/21/us/springfield-ohio-financial-fallout/index.html

Republican Clay Higgins under fire after "X" post about Hatian immigrants

     By now, we've all heard former president Donald Trump's comments about immigrants "eating the dogs" and other pets during the presidential debate earlier this month. On Wednesday afternoon, Congressman Clay Higgins, who represents Louisiana's 3rd District in the US House of Representatives, posted to X from his official congressional account, "Lol. These Haitians are wild. Eating pets, vudu, nastiest country in the western hemisphere, cults, slapstick, gangsters". The chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and Democratic Representative of Nevada Steven Horsford, called on the House Committee on Ethics to investigate Higgins' post. Horsford also pushed for the House to censure Higgins over his comments, but the matter cannot be acted on immediately, as the House has finished voting for the month of September. Higgins told CNN he did not regret his comments.

Clay Higgins, alongside the tweet he made earlier this week

    According to CNN, Horsford confronted Higgins and two men had a heated exchange. Horsford said that he had asked Higgins to delete the post, Higgins replying that he would pray about it. Horsford claimed that he told Higgins, "If you refuse... We will move for a resolution to censure you".  Higgins ultimately took down the post, but still said, "It's all true... I can put up another controversial post tomorrow if you want me to. I mean, we do have freedom of speech. I'll say what I want". As if his original comments were not enough, Higgins continued, telling CNN, "It’s not a big deal to me. It's like something stuck to the bottom of my boot. Just scrape it off and move on with my life". 

Clark County, Ohio, where many Hatians have been settling in recent months

    With the increase of attention to this small county after Trump and Higgins' comments, many wonder why Haitian immigrants are in Springfield, Ohio. In short, there are no government programs sending the immigrants to Clark County. Officials and Springfield residents claim that employment opportunities and word of mouth drew an increase of immigrants to the city, but no one knows why so many went to Clark County specifically. According to another CNN article, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said businesses in the area are grateful to have a growing labor force as Springfield has made a resurgence recently, with many new companies coming in.

Sources:

https://www.axios.com/2024/09/25/clay-higgins-haitians-censure-tweet-house-democrats

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/25/politics/clay-higgins-deletes-post-haitian-migrants/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/us/springfield-ohio-haitians-immigration-cec/index.html

What does the Secret Service need - more money?

In light of the recent second failed assassination attempt on 2024 presidential candidate, President Donald Trump –happening within just 2 months of the previous attempt, this time by a gunman found hiding among trees and bushes by the Trump International Golf Club in Florida– US lawmakers have been scrambling to address the severe deficiencies in the security of major candidates. Rep. Mike Lawler stated: “That these incidents were allowed to occur is a stain on our country”, with agreement from many others about this feeling of embarrassment around the country’s shortcomings.

 Former President Donald Trump is helped off the stage after an attempted assassination during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. - Gene J. Puskar/AP 

 

With a 405-0 vote in the House of Representatives, they have successfully raised the standards at which agents would be assigned to protect major political candidates. Among other reforms such as an increase in training, many positive changes have been made, but the House of Rep. insists on doing more.

However, with only months before the inauguration and the uncertainty on what the extra money could be spent on, people are hesitant. The Secret Service themselves claimed that the lapses in security that led to the assassination attempts on Trump were not due to funding shortfalls, and have reported that the Secret Service revealed they are “still evaluating” what the money would even be spent on. Furthermore, it has been argued that the shortcomings of the Secret Service were an issue of manpower rather than funding. As of now, Biden has the highest possible level of private security with a vast infrastructure and support from the military, while candidates have their security supplemented by local law enforcement. Biden has stated his wishes to increase the security level of Vice President Kamala Harris and President Donald Trump to be on par with his. This calls for an increase in manpower; more employees and more hours. While an increase in funding could fulfill these needs as stated by sitting representative of the Secret Service himself, in response others have pointed out that since 2017 the Secret Service has asked for an increase in funding every year and has received it every year. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise emphasizes the importance of how they’re allocating their money rather than how much money they have.

A Florida Lawmaker claims “I think it’s irresponsible to just throw money at it when they’re not even sure what exactly they need and how quickly they can get it”, hinting at possible Republican resistance against this proposed funding boost. On the other hand, some Democratic representatives believe that the extra funding could be helpful, with Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey noting, “I know that there's some folks who see a $3 billion budget and think that should be enough. But when you look at where all of the bodies have to go, that’s a problem”. This development hints at some possible tensions between the two parties on how to proceed with this previously bipartisan situation. With the House of Rep.’s votes already in, the legislation only waits on the continued debates within congress to be enacted into the law.

With people's lives at stake and an increased sense of urgency with the election coming up, it's hard to hesitate, let alone refuse help, to the agency that could prevent the loss of these lives. However, with the uncertainty around the needs of the Secret Service and arguments on both sides, it's a hard decision to make whether an increase in funding for the Secret Service is the right step to take.

Sources
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-passes-bill-to-boost-trump-security-as-congress-scrambles-to-ensure-candidate-safety
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4890505-house-bill-trump-security-assassination-attempt/
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4885147-secret-service-funding-boost-republicans-question/
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-harris-election-09-15-24/index.html

Russians Once Again are Meddling in US elections, This Time Using AI

     Since the 2016 election, Russia as well as other foreign powers have used social media and the internet in order to influence our general elections. With the advent of AI, it has given Russia and other foreign powers a new tool in order to attack our democracy.  

    With the ongoing war in Ukraine becoming a critical issue in the upcoming 2024 election, and in general the international influence of America, it has once more led Russia to take a keen interest in our upcoming elections. In order to get the desired result, Russia has taken to employing the use of AI in order to influence our elections. In an interview with PBS NewsHour, Investigative Journalist and expert on Russian intelligence operations Christo Grozev would raise awareness towards the issue, stating, "they [Russia] specifically talk about using A.I. to customize the message based on the biases and preferences of each individual user...with A.I., you can do that to tens of million of people." Unlike the misinformation in the 2016 election, this current new wave specifically targets individuals and their preferences, making it even more difficult to discern misinformation for the average US voter.

    Just as in 2016, Russia's use of AI is for the purpose "to boost the former president's candidacy and denigrate the Vice President and the Democratic Party, including through conspiratorial Americans,"  as one Office of the Director of National Intelligence official would state. Russia has gone about this purpose by exploiting divisive issues in order to sow disagreement and distrust within the United States. By altering pieces of real media, such as a Kamala Harris' speeches, it leads to the spread of misinformation, creating the distrust they desire. One example of this occurring has been the Kremlin's alteration of a video, making it seem as if Harris executed a hit and run on an 13 year old, obviously lowering people's opinions of Harris. 

    As an American citizen, I can't help but be concerned, especially since there is evidence of other countries such as Iran and China also using AI to meddle within our election. As we continue to get our information from the unmoderated internet, it creates an ever increasing risk of consuming misinformation. As a democracy, we depend on accurate information for our citizens to make an informed decision. With foreign countries influencing the facts, it threatens our entire democratic system.

    The question now is how we should go about countering this issue. According to Julia Feerrar, digital literacy educator from Virginia Tech "One of the most powerful things you can do to identify misinformation, whether AI-generated or not, is to look at where it's coming from. Is it from a reputable, professional news organization or from a website or account you don’t recognize?"  By examining the credibility of a source, it can help a reader quickly discern what is true or not. If a piece of news, for example a "Harris" speech that portrays her in a negative way is being posted by a random account that was made a couple of days or weeks ago, it is pretty likely that the post was made by a Russian operative that had used AI to alter the video. Through practicing responsible digital literacy, we can help safe guard our democracy from foreign threats such as Russia.

Sources:

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/russia-iran-ai-influence-us-election-dni/story?id=113941680

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-russia-is-using-artificial-intelligence-to-interfere-in-elections

https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/02/AI-generated-fake-news-experts.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/23/russia-harris-attack-ads/75353125007/

Conflict Breaking Out in the Middle East

Tuesday September 16th,  pagers - small walkie talkie like communication device - mysteriously exploded on the bodies of those associated with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah - founded in 1982 to end the Israel occupation of Southern Lebanon which they achieved in 2000 - killing 9 and injuring thousands.

The following day, more electronic devices exploded in Lebanon, killing at least another 25 people and injuring more than 600. The specifics of the time, process and culprit of these devastating military operations is still rolling out. 

However currently, fingers are pointed at Israel being the military force behind the operation, as Hezbollah and Israel's relationship has been strained over the years in event such as the 2006 war and current day, where shots across the border are exchanged daily since October 7th. In response, the Israel military has declined to comment on this issue. 

In relation, Hezbollah sent over a hundred missiles into Northern Israel, Israel responding with hundreds of airstrikes on Lebanon - killing a elite commander of Hezbollah and dozens more. 

U.S. officials in the Biden administration are scrambling as escalation is prescribed to continue, both sides asserting their commitment to a war, Israel officials saying their in a "new phase of the war" and "the sequence of military operations will continue". 

A Hezbollah and Israel war has dangerous implications for the middle east, as a full out middle east war could very well be on the horizon, and the U.S' place in it's affairs is a crucial decision that may need to be made soon. 

While some are focused on the possibility of a full break out war, others are more concerned on the effect this will have on the Gaza-ceasefire. Although military assaults on Gaza have slowed, they still occur, and with Israels resources and attention diverted towards Hezbollah, the ceasefire will be unlikely to pass, creating more Palestinian suffering as a byproduct. 

The direction of this continuing escalating conflict is currently unknown however, regardless of where it goes, the unnecessary suffering and displacement of innocent people is a sure outcome. 

Sources: 

https://apnews.com/article/hezbollah-israel-hamas-lebanon-gaza-62d6eb8831fbd871f862146add7970d9 

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-hezbollah-israel-exploding-pagers-8893a09816410959b6fe94aec124461b

https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-pager-explosion-e9493409a0648b846fdcadffdb02d71e

https://apnews.com/article/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-war-pagers-920ced5349562163eeb96d6a5a768e89

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/20/israel-hezbollah-escalation-00180299

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-lebanon-attacks-09-22-24/index.html

https://www.npr.org/2024/09/22/g-s1-24085/dozens-of-rockets-fired-into-israel-from-lebanon-idf-says

Who won the presidential debate: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump?

 The United States second presidential debate, aired live on television on September 10th, was watched by over 65 million people across the country. In an election that is likely going to be won by a tiny percentage of undecided voters, the debate was a turning point in the presidential election. Now that we know that former president Trump has refused to participate in another presidential debate, the stakes were all that much higher.

Preceding this debate, the Democratic Party was met with a nightmare performance from current President Joe Biden during the first presidential debate. Biden started stumbling from the get-go, and appeared weak and hoarse, an image that one never wants to portray during a presidential debate. Since then, current Vice President Kamala Harris replaced Biden as the current Democratic Party nominee, gained massive traction in the polls, and faced off against her opponent, former president Donald Trump for the first time in Philadelphia. 

The Harris/Trump debate, hosted by ABC News, set the stage for both presidential candidates to present themselves to the nation. From the opening moments, where Harris strode across the stage and basically forced Trump to shake her hand, she controlled the debate, and had her opponent on his back foot the entire time. Throughout the debate, the Vice President talked about her plans for the future and how she doesn’t want to go back to the irresponsible Trump administration. Comparatively, the former President wailed about how America is a failing nation, and how under his control, we will go back to being the international superpower we once were. Their two messages couldn’t be more polar, with Harris bringing us into the future, and Trump dragging us back to the past.

Viewers also tuned in to hear what each candidate thought about key issues surrounding the election, namely the economy, immigration, and abortion. These topics were especially important for Harris to address, as she is a new candidate, relatively speaking, and many undecided voters were interested in getting to know her and what she stands for. Indeed, the Vice President made a passionate speech about the effect of Roe v. Wade being overturned, leading to many states banning abortion entirely, some with no exceptions for rape or incest. “A survivor of a crime, a violation to their body, does not have the right to make a decision about what happens to their body next,” Harris said, going on to declare the immorality of the issue, and her promise that if Congress were to pass a bill reinstating Roe v. Wade, she will “proudly” sign it. In contrast, Trump disowned the results in the states that banned abortion, and went on the attack falsely claiming, “[the democrats] have abortion in the ninth month. [The Governor of West Virginia] said the baby will be born and we will decide what to do with the baby. In other words, we'll execute the baby.” One of the moderators, Linsey Davis, responded to Trump's outlandish claim with “There is no state in this country where it is legal to kill a baby after it's born”, one of several fact checks in the debate.

The contrast between the arguments from the two candidates were starkly obvious. Harris talked about her economic plans for the country, including a 50,000 dollar tax credit for small businesses while, when pressed, Trump allowed that he had “a concept of a plan” to rid the United States of Medicare. Not only did Harris sound more confident, she also appeared more confident, willing to look Trump in the face and smile at what he said, while the entire debate Trump was scowling down at his podium. The way one presents themselves in a presidential debate is very important, and it can lead to a loss or gain of thousands of votes as people look for a strong and confident leader. Vice President Harris presented herself as that leader, and according to an article from CNN, her campaign felt that she improved her chances among 200,000 voters in several key swing states. Although official polling from after the debate still has not been released yet, a poll conducted by The Washington Post of likely swing state voters found that 23 people thought that Harris performed better in the debate, compared to just 2 who thought Trump performed better.

While polls like these aren’t truly accurate of the population at large, similar polls administered by many different media outlets have seen similar results, indicating that Harris is in fact gaining supporters in key states from her debate performance, a likely indicator that she is the true victor of the debate.

Sources:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-harris-debate-abc-ratings-2024/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/11/presidential-debate-takeaways/

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/11/politics/harris-trump-debate-analysis/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/10/politics/speaking-times-harris-trump-debate-dg/index.html

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/28/g-s1-6953/presidential-debate-analysis-trump-biden

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/presidential-debate-voter-poll/

Economic worries boost Trump’s Hispanic voter support in Nevada

    Although the Republican party was dominant in Nevada in the late 1960s-80s, the population has nearly tripled since 1980, bringing in a new demographic of voters. George W. Bush and the Republican party won Nevada's vote in 2000 by just barely 5% over Democrat Al Gore. Similarly, in 2004, Nevada voted red, this time winning by only 2.6%. In both elections, all of Nevada's electoral votes went to the Republican party. However, things began to change when Nevada voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and continued its trend of voting blue to the 2020 election. In 2016, Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by a difference of 2%, and similarly in 2020, Joe Biden beat Trump by about 2.5%. Nevada is currently a swing state and is among 7 states that could decide the fate of the election.

Trump rally in Nevada on Sept. 13, 2024

    Nevada has a notably large non-white population, with about 40% of the state’s eligible voters being Latino, Black, or Asian American Pacific Islanders. With these groups in mind, Harris draws a bit more support than Trump in Nevada. However, concerns about costs of living, inflation and immigration could give former president Trump a boost from these worried voters. According to a new poll released by Latino advocacy nonprofit, UnidosUS, Nevada Latinos significantly trust Democrats on issues such as the economy and health care over Republicans. However, rent prices are on the rise creating concerns about the economy. The wealthy have the money to purchase a house in today's economy (or build it) so working-class families are facing housing distress. This is why some Hispanic and Latino voters are deciding to vote for Trump, they believe that his economic views will help them in this time of need.

Harris rally in Nevada Aug. 10, 2024

    The prices of single-family homes in Nevada are almost back to the record high set during the pandemic (about $480,000). Because of this, many lean towards Trump's policy, which says: "To help new home buyers, Republicans will reduce mortgage rates by slashing inflation, open limited portions of federal lands to allow for new home construction, promote home ownership through tax incentives and support for first-time buyers, and cut unnecessary regulations that raise housing costs". Harris has a different approach to the topic, stating that "as more new homes are built and affordable housing supply increases, Vice President Harris will provide first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 to help with their down payments, with more generous support for first-generation homeowners. This will help more Americans experience the pride of homeownership and the financial security that it represents and brings — offering more Americans a path to the middle class and economic opportunity". While the idea is appealing, many question where the money will come from and why interest rates won't be brought down (a more impactful solution for all, not just first-generation homebuyers). As of September 19, each candidate has 48% of the vote with 2% of voters undecided or supporting another candidate.

Sources:

https://www.270towin.com/states/Nevada

https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-2000

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/politics/nevada-hispanic-voters-trump-harris/index.html

https://www.npr.org/2024/09/16/g-s1-22212/election-harris-trump-swing-states#nevada

https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/poll-nevada-latinos-backing-harris-but-margin-with-trump-closer-than-in-2020

https://unidosus.org/press-releases/unidosus-voter-poll-pocketbook-issues-still-top-nevada-latino-priorities/

https://images.axios.com/gcBioqYkR51SPvUHhNxMSHbbkxE=/0x826:7932x5288/1920x1080/2024/09/18/1726676117449.jpg

https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/upi/8921723309392/2024/1/d67b6a07c6ddc92d2e70b3167db7c1f9/Harris-and-Walz-set-to-wrap-up-battleground-state-tour-in-Nevada.jpg

https://www.ktnv.com/news/looking-into-how-housing-policies-from-each-presidential-candidate-would-affect-southern-nevada

Right to IVF Act Blocked, Again

 On Wednesday, September 17th, the Right to IVF Act - a legislation providing citizens with the right to IVF or in vitro fertilization medical procedures - hit the senate floor for a second time after it failed to pass 3 months prior and once again failed to agin the necessary votes to be passed. 

The legislation gained 54 votes out of the 60 needed, 44 voting against the legislation. Votes were notably split mainly along party lines, all democrats and two republican senators - Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska - voting in favor, and most republicans voting against the legislation. 

Taking a step back, what exactly is IVF? IVF or in vitro fertilization is a medical procedure in which eggs are removed from an AFAB - assigned female at birth - person's ovaries and combined with male sperm outside of the human body to create an embryo to incubate in a lab for several days, to later be placed in a uterus or frozen and stored for later. IVF is a key medical procedure, providing alternative opportunities for those who may have issues with fertility or have damaged reproductive organs, to build a family. 

Recently however, IVF has received some political backlash due to a recent Alabama Supreme Court decision, in which they ruled embryos are considered children. Since IVF routinely disposes of embryos, all IVF operations have since halted in Alabama, and a larger question has been proposed, is IVF and ethical procedure? 

Republicans and conservatives certainly don't think so, as they have been the main opposition, blocking the Right to IVF Act twice, despite former President Donald Trump and the republican party recently back-pedaling, expressing support for IVF. In an interview with NBC, Trump says he "was always for IVF. Right from the beginning as soon as [he] heard about it". 

Since republicans typically follow Trump's stances, Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an original sponsor of the Right to IVF Act, intended to challenge the validity of Trump and republican's claims to support IVF on Wednesday saying, "if Donald Trump and republicans want to protect peoples right to access  IVF, they would votes yes". 

Republican Vice President candidate, JD Vance comments on the legislation being blocked in an interview with WEAU saying, "the senate did not block an IVF bill, the senate blocked a ridiculous show vote bill that had no chance of surviving". 

Above all, the pressing issue at hand is IVF - an ethical and human procedure routinely done and normalized, that extends the gift of fertility to those who may have their own respective issues - is under attack and not a viable alternative to fertility trouble in all states anymore. This decision begs into question, under a conservative or Trump Presidency, will other fertility or sexual health resources fall under attack as well? Could these attacks possibly extend to other modern medical treatments to treat people or give people opportunities? 

IVF's recent controversy leaves voters alike with one burning question, what could be attacked next? 

Republicans Push to Change Nebraska's Electoral System to Help Trump

 With the 2024 presidential election between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump shaping up to be a tight contest, Republicans are strategizing ways to gain an advantage in the crucial weeks leading up to November. In order to win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of electoral votes—270 to be exact—rather than winning the national popular vote. While most states are predictable in their party loyalty, a handful of swing states are expected to be the battlegrounds that decide the election.

Breakdown of Nebraska's electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election

If Harris can secure the states where she is projected to win, including the key swing states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania—where she currently leads in polling—she will likely reach the 270 electoral votes required for victory. This outlook has shaken Republicans, who are scrambling to find ways to alter the election dynamics in their favor.

Nebraska, a predominantly Republican state, has a unique electoral system. Unlike most states, which award all electoral votes to the statewide winner, Nebraska divides its votes by districts. Two of its five electoral votes go to the statewide winner, while the remaining three are allocated based on the outcomes in each of the state’s three congressional districts. In 2020, although Trump won Nebraska by 19 points overall, Biden carried the state’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Omaha, by 6.5 points. With the race expected to be so close, even a single electoral vote, like the one from Nebraska’s 2nd District, could be pivotal.

If Republicans succeed in changing Nebraska's system to a statewide winner-takes-all model, Harris could be left with just 269 electoral votes, forcing her to seek additional support in other swing states such as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Georgia.

Although Republicans hold a majority in Nebraska's legislature and Governor Jim Pillen supports the proposed change to the electoral system, they are currently short of the 33-vote supermajority required to pass the law. Several legislators, especially those representing the 2nd District, are wary of the potential backlash from their constituents, who would lose influence under the proposed changes. One of the key holdouts is Mike McDonnell, a former Democrat who switched parties and now serves as a Republican. McDonnell has publicly committed to preserving Nebraska's current system, though his administration has hinted he could still be persuaded to reconsider.

Top Republican figures, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former President Donald Trump, have been personally lobbying Nebraska legislators. McConnell recently visited the governor’s mansion, stating, "I want the law changed. I’ve made no qualms about it." Trump, too, has reached out by phone to stress the importance of the proposed changes. While it remains unclear how successful these efforts will be, Democrats are bracing for the possibility that the Republicans could pull off a last-minute electoral shift.

Republicans are trying to take advantage of the US's representative democracy system, outlined by the founding fathers in the Constitution. Since US elections aren't representative of the people's opinions, but rather of the electoral votes, adjusting the electoral college can change the outcome of the election. Republicans are trying to change policies surrounding election processes to gain more political power. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/lindsey-graham-trump-electoral-college-nebraska-tweak-2024-9
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/20/nebraska-electoral-college-trump-omaha/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/20/trump-nebraska-legislature-electoral-vote/75312622007/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/21/republicans-nebraska-trump-electoral-college

Wildfires Create a Worsening Insurance Crisis in California: What can be done?

Wildfires have long been a part of life in California, but in recent years, their severity has increased dramatically, and the wildfire season has grown longer. In July, the Park Fire ravaged 429,259 acres across Butte and Tehama counties. By early September, three more fires erupted in Southern California, destroying 200 structures as of this writing. Wildfires have become so frequent and intense that Cal Fire reports this year alone, 992,000 acres have burned, and 1,229 structures have been lost. As wildfires worsen, both state and national leaders are proposing solutions.

A Firefighter battles the Airport Fire in El Cariso (11 Sep. 2024)

In 2020, President Donald Trump commented on the issue, suggesting, "You gotta clean your floors, you gotta clean your forests — there are many, many years of leaves and broken trees, and they’re so flammable, you touch them and it goes up.” Solutions like forest management, as Trump mentioned, or addressing climate change are being debated, but the reality remains that wildfires are growing in intensity, leaving Californians to bear the consequences.

Many insurance companies have responded to the wildfire crisis by withdrawing from California's high-risk areas. Major providers, such as StateFarm and Allstate, have stopped issuing new policies in fire-prone parts of the state, leading to an insurance crisis. Homeowners in these regions are left with either overpriced policies or no insurance at all. StateFarm cited "rapidly growing catastrophe exposure" as the reason for its decision, while Allstate noted that "the cost to insure new home customers in California is far higher than the price they would pay for policies due to wildfires."

Existing policyholders are also being affected. A homeowner in San Ramon received a letter from Liberty Mutual stating that his coverage was being dropped due to the "condition of property," specifically citing issues with "Roof-Algae/mildew/mold/moss." Despite his efforts to challenge the decision, the homeowner received no response. Similar cases are occurring across the state, as insurers seek to limit their exposure to high-risk properties, further exacerbating the insurance crisis.

In response, California's state leaders are exploring solutions. One effort involves the creation of a public catastrophe model designed to predict wildfire risks and impacts on properties. Officials argue that this state-led model will offer a more balanced approach than private models, which often overestimate damages and drive up insurance costs. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has also proposed a series of regulatory reforms aimed at stabilizing the insurance market. His plan includes expediting the insurance review process and expanding the state’s FAIR Plan, a last-resort insurance program that provides basic wildfire coverage. Critics, however, are concerned that these changes favor insurers and leave too many loopholes. Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, argued that the proposed reforms fail to address key consumer concerns.

As the wildfire-driven insurance crisis continues, the question remains: what more can be done to protect Californians from these escalating risks?

Sources:
https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/08/20/trump-blames-california-for-wildfires-tells-state-you-gotta-clean-your-floors-1311059
https://ktla.com/news/california/wildfires/southern-california-wildfires-are-being-contained-but-there-is-still-lots-of-work-to-be-done/
https://www.fire.ca.gov/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/10/home-insurance-park-wildfire-california-butte-county
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/how-to-weigh-in-on-californias-plans-to-reform-the-insurance-market/3653448/
https://apnews.com/article/california-wildfire-insurance-e31bef0ed7eeddcde096a5b8f2c1768f
https://calmatters.org/economy/2024/09/california-insurance-crisis-lara-interview/
https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/home-insurance-wildfire-model-19768876.php

Trump Brings a 9/11 Conspiracy Theorist to the 9/11 Memorial: A Slap in the Face

Written by Thomas Williams, posted by Mr. Silton

Yes. The title is correct. This 9/11, former President Trump brought Laura Loomer, a woman famous for spreading the myth that 9/11 was an inside job, to the 9/11 memorial on its anniversary. The one question I have is, what was he thinking?

Trump has met with Loomer before, in 2023. He met her at a golf course in which upon seeing her called his assistant to immediately pay for all of her purchases, along with bringing her to his private suite for a day. This action was criticized even in 2023, because while Loomer received a whole day with Trump, Iowa voters received just one hour.

Laura Loomer has repeatedly spread racist comments about muslims and made appaling remarks about others who aren’t white. She has used her platform to spread racist myths about a tragedy that has killed 100s. She has taken refuge in a racist circle that has tried to overthrow the very government itself, and yet gets free golf trips and a private suite. Loomer, by all accounts, is not a good person.

Now, why 9/11 of all days to bring a conspiracy theorist to the very memorial she conspiracizes? Trump’s advisor of course only stated that this memorial wasn’t about Loomer, and instead only about those who died in the tragedy, but Trump himself said nothing. Well personally? I don’t think the why matters. It’s just a slap in the face, and an action that should be condemned. 

His action is ridiculous, and represents a very important thing to take notice of - what news is not covering it. CNN, the progressive media giant, of course took this chance to cover a politician their viewers don’t like. Fox, on the other hand, had no reporting at all. Narrowcasting, polarization, poison in our society. How so? When our very media is covering for the insults their idol is acting on, it only further divides the country. Now, only left-wing viewers even know that this happened. If a left viewer gets into a discussion with a right viewer about this situation, the right isn’t even going to know about it! How can we, as a democracy built off of educated and civil commentary to discuss issues, discuss an issue half of us don’t even know about?

We need to hear from both sides, because people should not be able to do things like this without criticism.

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/12/politics/laura-loomer-donald-trump-influence/index.html

https://www.thedailybeast.com/lindsey-graham-warns-trump-to-stop-palling-around-with-toxic-laura-loomer

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-fawns-very-special-laura-loomer-new-video

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/who-is-laura-loomer-republicans-wh-warn-trump-against-closeness-with-conspiracy-theorist-who-spreads-racist-poison-101726203917096.html

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-laura-loomer-loomered/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/far-right-activist-laura-loomer-access-trump-crisis-campaign-rcna170915

Written by Thomas Williams, posted by Mr. Silton

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala harris after historic debate; Trump responds aggressively

    The debate was watched by millions of people last Tuesday. Of those people, was international superstar Taylor Swift. Minutes after the debate, Swift took to her instagram to throw her support under current Vice President, and Democratic Nominee, Kamala Harris. Having not publicly disclosed her support for any presidential candidate since endorsing Biden in the 2020 election. Her hidden opinions were the cause of criticism as well as speculation as to which party she was planning to vote for due to her ongoing political silence. Ms. Swift discredited any rumors with this formal endorsement; ending the discussion by confidently expressing “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice”, before urging eligible voters to register and participate in the upcoming election. Swift posted this message alongside an image of her holding her Cat and comically signing off as “Childless Cat Lady”, a riff-off of JD Vance’s comment that the country is run by a “bunch of childless cat ladies” who are completely “miserable”. With this final jab mocking an integral member of Trump’s campaign, Swift further distanced herself from the false reports of her supporting Trump and his running mate. 

                                

Unsurprisingly, this endorsement, wringing in mounds of attention and comments from the star’s two hundred eighty four million followers on Instagram, was met with a negative response by the Trump campaign. Following her post, the former president’s administration released new shirt designs, in a copy-cat style to the main shirt sold on Taylor Swift’s billion dollar grossing “Eras” tour. Only now, Swift’s iconic design was replaced with Trump’s name, and face which is currently on sale for thirty six dollars on his official website. The timing between Swift's announcement of her support for the democratic party, and the release of the T-shirts, appear too close to be coincidence; as it is obvious a celebrity endorsement of her caliber to the opposite party, would create tension nationally, and harm his campaign at a high-stakes point of the election process.

Although Swift has not responded publicly yet to Trump’s promotional marketing that has attempted and has for the moment succeeded at stealing her image at his benefit; ironically this behavior is what caused her to report the endorsement in the first place. At the moment Taylor Swift is regarded to be one of the most influential celebrities in the world, with her fan-base having a cult-like following to the brands, trends, and ideas she supports. Her voice, and her messages are amplified by a hundredfold due to her enormous fan-base; which although is dispersed globally, majority of her fans, like herself, are Americans. Due to this concentrated influence in the U.S. as the election has neared, more and more fake-news, sensationalized media, and deep fake AI videos which together have collectively spread misinformation about Swift’s voting intentions. In her initial message, she voiced her concerns about these falsehoods which misrepresent her values, and only worsen the media age and political tactics of disinformation.

The last that has been heard from Trump on this matter, has been his recent lash out on Truth social, in which in all caps, he posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT”. Although the message lacked surrounding context, this newfound aggression is without a doubt tied to last week's endorsement; revealing the weight of Swift’s message, the effectiveness of her controlled means of communicating with the public, and the impact transparency of public figures has on the political landscape.

Sources: https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/taylor-swift-trump-shirt-eras-tour-rcna171149

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/15/trump-i-hate-taylor-swift-harris-endorsement/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2024/09/16/donald-trump-posted-i-hate-taylor-swift-what-did-he-expect/

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/jd-vances-childless-cat-ladies-remark-was-a-reliable-punchline-at-emmys-2024