The Fight For Chip Supremacy

In recent years a cold war of sorts between the U.S. and China has been ramping up over the one thing that makes modern life possible, chips. Also known as integrated circuits, IC’s, and microchips, chips serve as the foundation for our modern way of life. You can find them in cars, phones, and even toasters. With the rise of artificial intelligence, chips only grow more important in the global struggle for computing power. It is not an understatement to say that chips are THE most important commodity in the world right now.

Before we get back to the U.S. and China, we need to quickly understand the world’s chip ecosystem. Advanced chips are unsurprisingly incredibly complicated to design, manufacture, and assemble which has left only a few big companies able to compete and return a profit. The ecosystem is incredibly complicated but for the sake of simplicity we will focus on the major players: 

• ASML(Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography): ASML, a Dutch company, is the only company in the world capable of manufacturing extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) photolithography machines. EUV’s are required to fabricate the most advanced chips, making ASML an indispensable part of the chip supply chain.

• Fun fact: ASML is currently Europe’s most valuable tech company with a valuation of $281 billion.

• TSMC(Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company): TSMC is the world’s most powerful semiconductor company, with around 90% of the global market share of advanced chip manufacturing.

• Nvidia/AMD: Gamers and PC enthusiasts will be the most familiar with these two GPU companies. In addition to their gaming enterprises, they are the two leading players in the AI hardware acceleration market (Nvidia is currently miles ahead of AMD though).

As the world’s premier economic heavyweights, both the U.S. and China recognize the importance of computing power and are accordingly investing heavily in chip advancements. 

Due to purported national security concerns the U.S. has repeatedly attempted to stifle China’s burgeoning chip industry and cut it off from key suppliers like ASML, Nvidia, and TSMC. To sum up America’s approach we can look to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Ramoindo who said at the Reagan Defense Forum: “We cannot let China get these chips. Period”. Whether or not you agree with America’s protectionist approach, its sanctions on China have prevented China from importing Nvidia chips and ASML EUV machines. This may keep China’s chip industry lagging behind the US's. It’s also possible that by restricting access to the world’s largest technological market (China), the U.S. may hurt its own interests. Only time can tell.

The U.S. also recently passed its CHIPS and Science act, which incentivizes domestic chip production and goes as far as partnering with companies like TSMC to create chip plants within the U.S, making the U.S. an even bigger part of the chip ecosystem.

Sanctions have caused a flurry of innovation in China, with Chinese companies like SMIC and Huawei now focused on catching up to western (and western-adjacent) rivals. If the U.S. continues its sanctions and enacts sanctions on TSMC, China may finally follow through on invading Taiwan. China has poured trillions into its domestic chip industry as well.

There’s a LOT more to this. Way more than I can fit here (or in a few books), but this was a brief overview. Try out the following sources to learn more.

More on what chips are and why they’re important here. 

Further Reading on ASML

Further reading on TSMC

Further reading on Nvidia’s AI ventures

Huawei vs. Nvidia

Huawei

China and Chips

CHIPS Act

Financial Times Documentary (very detailed)

- Vishal

UPenn president steps down after controversial comments at a House Hearing.

 Liz Magill, the third consecutive female president at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, has surprisingly resigned after being named the president in January 2022. 

"Prior to her career in higher education, Magill acquired experience working in politics and at the U.S. Supreme Court. She completed her bachelor’s degree in history at Yale University in 1988, then served as a senior legislative assistant for energy and natural resources for U.S. Senator Kent Conrad." It's hard to believe someone with such level of education and level of political involvement would perform so horribly during a house hearing, but that's exactly what happened.

The presidents of MIT, Harvard, and Penn all attended a congressional hearing on December 5th where all three colleges were defending their effort to combat antisemitism behaviors on campus. Universities all around the nation is being accused of improper protection of Jewish students amid rising fears of antisemitism worldwide and fallout from Israel’s intensifying war in Gaza. When Representative Elise Stefanik, R-NY... repeated asked if  “calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate Penn’s code of conduct. Magill's responded saying that “If the speech turns into conduct it can be harassment, yes,” and even further stating It is "a context-dependent decision." Immediately heavy criticism came from the White House as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro threatened to withdraw $100 million in gifts unless Magill was replaced. On Friday, more than 70 congress members called for the firing of Magill as well as the other two presidents that showed up alongside her to the hearing. 

Immediately after, two Penn students would file lawsuits against the University, arguing that the there has been a strong lack of response to antisemitism behavior on campus. This seemed to be the last straw as four days later, Magill's resignation would be announced to all of the Penn community via Email. Magill's resignation as president doesn't mean she is leaving campus, she'll remain at the University's Carey Law School. Days after the hearing, Ms.Stefanik came out and said "one down, two to go." The New York City Representative has begun her journey to address the increasing issue of antisemitism that has destroyed the most ‘prestigious’ higher education institutions in America. This forced resignation of the president of Penn is the bare minimum of what is required.”

Sources

PBS News

Daily Pennsylvanian

House of Representatives vote to censure Democrat House Rep for pulling fire alarm

On September 30, the House of Representatives was in session to halt a government shutdown and was scheduled to vote on a government funding bill that the Republicans proposed. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat New York House representative, was on his way to vote when he approached a locked door inside a congressional building. He tried the door handles to try to open it, which didn’t work. He then pulled the fire alarm, and as it was going off, he exited the building and didn’t tell any security personnel about it. As a result of the fire alarm, the House had to evacuate and was delayed an hour. 

In Washington D.C, purposely pulling a fire alarm without there being a threat of a fire is punishable by a fine or up to 6 months in jail. Bowman got by, by paying $1,000 and writing an apology letter to the U.S. Capitol Police chief, and has since given context to the incident:

“I was trying to get to a door. I thought the alarm would open the door, and I pulled the fire alarm to open the door by accident.”

This week, the House voted (214-191) to censure (express severe disapproval and condemn) Bowman, which was largely along party lines - with only 3 democrats voting for the censure and the rest against it, dismissing the incident as an accident and accusing the Republicans of trying to take advantage of it.

Democrat representative Rashida Tlaib from Michigan called the censure “yet another attempt to silence a person of color in this chamber”, while Democrat representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York said “Let me tell you what’s actually going on … New York Republicans are so embarrassed that they propped up George Santos, got him elected to office and then had to turn around and vote to expel him […] So they’ve decided to target one of the first Black men to ever represent Westchester County.”

On the other hand, the Republican representatives accused Bowman of trying to delay the government funding bill using a tactic similar to filibustering in the Senate, which is when senators delay decisions on a bill by talking for as long as possible, as we have learned in class.

Then Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, remarked: “This is an embarrassment. You are elected to be a member of Congress. You pulled a fire alarm, in a (matter) of hours before the government being shut down, trying to dictate that the government would shut down?”

Bowman has since responded to these allegations, saying he wasn’t trying to delay the vote on the government funding bill and instead was going to vote on it. Eventually, Bowman did end up voting in favor of the bill to prevent the shutdown, and so did many Democrat representatives.

What do you think? Did Bowman pull the fire alarm purposely, or was it a genuine accident?

- David Tabor

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-vote-censuring-rep-jamaal-bowman-pulling-fire-alarm-rcna128492

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/30/politics/jamaal-bowman-pulls-fire-alarm/index.html

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/house-tees-up-censure-vote-for-rep-jamaal-bowman-over-fire-alarm-pull/ar-AA1l7e45

https://msn.com/en-us/news/politics/house-censures-rep-jamaal-bowman-for-pulling-fire-alarm/ar-AA1l9uVb

State Marijuana Laws vs. Federal Gun Rules: A Battle of Rights

 In a clash of conflicting state and federal laws, individuals enrolled in state medical marijuana programs are facing unexpected obstacles to exercising their Second Amendment rights to gun ownership. This challenge arose on November 29th, following Vera Cooper's decision to pursue purchasing a gun for her safety.

Vera Cooper, in her mid-70s, felt vulnerable and scared living alone, especially after her husband's recent passing. She also found herself entangled in a distressing incident at her workplace, where she had to fire an employee who then responded with verbal threats. Facing chronic knee pain and sleeplessness following her husband's passing, Vera Cooper turned to Florida's medical marijuana program for relief in order to use marijuana to alleviate her chronic knee pain and improve sleep quality. Following her ex-coworkers' threats Vera searched for a way to protect herself. Her quest for security led her to a gun store in her area  where she selected a .22 caliber pistol that she felt comfortable with. However, as she was purchasing the weapon a complication came up when a question on the required firearms transaction form asked her about her status as an "unlawful user of marijuana or any other federally classified controlled substance".

                                                                                                                    

This situation put Vera in a tough spot as she used medical marijuana legally in Florida to help with pain and sleep problems, but when she tried to buy a gun for safety, a form asked if she used any federally controlled substances. That included her legal medical marijuana. She felt stuck because state laws said she could use it, but federal rules made it seem like she was doing something wrong.

At the federal level, there are relatively few restrictions on who can buy or possess firearm. The national background check system focuses on issues such as criminal convictions, mental health concerns, dishonorable military discharges, unlawful immigration status, or domestic violence restraining orders. However, even as more states legalize marijuana for either medical or recreational purposes, participating in a state's medical marijuana program remains a barrier to gun ownership.

A picture of Vera, who was denied a firearm at a local gun store because she clicked "yes'” on a question that asked if she was a marijuana user.

Do you think that the clash between state-level marijuana legalization and federal firearm regulations could affect the fundamental principles of federalism in the United States?

Source:

New York Times

Super PAC to Spend more than $10 million on RFK Jr. 's Presidential Campaign

As of December 5 2023, Super-PAC American Values 2024 announced that they will spend over $10 million dollars to get independent Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the ballot.

                         Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Anna Moneymaker / Getty images)

Based on the chapter 9.3 textbook reading, "Government in America" by Edwards and Wattenberg, a Political Action Group (PAC) raises money from individual donors and is then distributed in the form of contributions of which the group supports. Well what makes a Super PAC different from a regular PAC? Super PACS are Independent-expenditures only, which means that they can accept limitless donations and donate to groups that express viewpoints that may aid a specific campaign. They also have the ability to endorse candidates. Therefore, the American Values 2024 Super PAC will be donating to groups that will make sure RFK Jr. gets on the presidential ballot, and being able to accept limitless donations means they can spend as much as they want on these groups to make it happen.  

In October, RFK Jr. announced that he would be dropping as a Democrat presidential candidate, and instead seek the presidency as an Independent. His argument for dropping the Democratic Party and seeking a third-party is because he believes the democratic candidacy is rigged against him. Despite understanding that no Independent candidate has won the presidency in modern history, RFK Jr. knows that he will be a spoiler for both Republican former President Donald J. Trump, and incumbent President Joseph R. Biden Jr.: "I intend to spoil the both of them." (ABC)

What begs the question is whether RFK Jr. is going to siphon more votes from Donald Trump or Joe Biden in a three-way presidential race, tilting the win to one of them. I believe that we will see similar repeat of history from the 2016 election in Joe Biden, where Jill Stein, a Green party candidate, was a likely factor to cause Hillary Clinton from losing the electoral votes needed in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Despite winning the popular vote by 2 million, Hillary Clinton was not able to win key electoral votes to reach the 270 electoral majority to win the presidency. 

So what do you think? Many sources on the discussion are stating that Joe Biden is likely to lose as Democrat voters may pander to RFK jr. as a more favorable, more capable leader. While others say that his anti-vaxx ideology may appeal to the MAGA base of Donald Trump. Others state that it is just too difficult to predict where voters will swing to. 

Sources: 

The New York Times

NBC News

ABC News

Vox 

2023 will officially be the hottest year on record, scientists report

In a new revelation, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service has confirmed what many around the globe have sensed – 2023 is set to become the hottest year on record. The analysis indicates a staggering 1.4 degrees Celsius rise in global temperatures compared to pre-industrial levels. This alarming increase approaches the critical 1.5-degree threshold outlined in the Paris climate agreement, a point beyond which scientists warn of severe challenges for both humanity and ecosystems to adapt.

The gravity of this situation is underscored by the fact that every month since June has claimed the title of the hottest on record. November, the most recent month analyzed, was approximately 1.75 degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels. Additionally, two days during the month saw temperatures soar beyond 2 degrees, raising concerns among scientists about the impending consequences for the planet in the years ahead.

These alarming findings coincide with the ongoing COP28, the United Nations' annual climate summit in Dubai, where representatives from over 150 countries deliberate on critical climate issues. The central theme of discussions revolves around the contentious decision of whether to phase out planet-warming fossil fuels.

Brenda Ekwurzel, Director of Climate Science at the Union of Concerned Scientists, stressed the urgency of the situation, asserting that wealthy and high-emitting countries, major contributors to this record-breaking year, bear a greater responsibility to initiate a fair, rapid, and adequately funded phase-out of fossil fuels. This, she argues, is imperative to mitigate the escalating impacts of extreme weather and climate change.

The exceptional warmth experienced in 2023 is attributed to a combination of El Niño and human-induced climate change, as indicated by scientists. Throughout the year, deadly heat waves and unprecedented temperatures have gripped various continents, accompanied by an unusual and widespread oceanic heat phenomenon.

According to Copernicus, the fall in the Northern Hemisphere this year marked the warmest on record globally, with November being wetter than average across most of Europe. Storm Ciarán, in particular, brought heavy rain and floods to several regions, including Italy.

As the trajectory of rising temperatures continues into the next year, the ominous prospect of surpassing the 1.5-degree warming threshold on a sustained basis looms large. While the periodic breach of this temperature is concerning, scientists express heightened worry about the planet remaining above 1.5 degrees for the long term.

Reflecting on the data from 2022, Earth had already warmed by approximately 1.2 degrees, serving as a stark reminder that the world is grappling with the alarming impacts of the climate crisis. The urgent need for global cooperation and decisive action to curb emissions has never been more apparent, as humanity faces the undeniable consequences of a changing climate that many may not be adequately prepared for.

source: CNN

Biden's Re-election Campaign: Fundraising and Money

As the final-fundraising quarter deadline at the end of December draws nearer, Biden is garnering the support of as many donors as possible this month through attending and speaking at fundraising events. The latest one was on Tuesday (12/5), where he fundraised in Massachusetts to an audience of Democrat donors. Most notably, he made comments regarding Trump, such as “We need every American who loves democracy to join us in 2024 to make sure that we make our democracy stronger, not weaker and jeopardized,”---implying that Trump winning would result in the latter part of the comparison, and that America “cannot let him win”.

One headline-making comment Biden made was “If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running” which seems like a confusing statement to some, and one that received different amounts of context by the news sources I researched. For example, one ABC article (linked below) mentioned that Biden actually said the reverse earlier this year on a different occasion: “I still think I would be running if he wasn't”, and one CNN article (linked below) mentioned a campaign advisor said “yikes” in response to the comment, it took many campaign members by surprise, and “The campaign was quick to try to shrug off the president’s quip as a ‘nothing-to-see-here’ moment”. I think the statement can be interpreted in so many different ways. For example, someone skeptical of Biden could say: “So do you genuinely want to get re-elected then, even if you just said you’re just running for the sake of beating Trump? If not, does that imply that you don’t think you’re fit enough to run again?” On the other hand, someone supporting Biden and opposing Trump could say: “You’re stopping an infamous figure from becoming president, thank you, you have my vote.” Ultimately, it appears Biden attempted to encourage donors to give money out of the desire to stop Trump and unify his supporters against a common enemy. In the coming weeks, Biden will continue his grassroots fundraising efforts by attending more fundraisers to gain small-dollar donations from supporters. With campaign money already raised from previous months (November brought in $71 million), the Biden campaign is putting tons of it towards TV advertisements, as is common for presidential candidates in recent decades and which makes sense considering that TV advertisement is one of, if not the biggest medium for candidates to reach out to potential voters because of their ability to reach millions of Americans, swing voters, and influence on an emotional level, as we have learned. It’s interesting to see Biden’s re-election campaign play out and see what kinds of strategies and methods he uses to win over donors and potential voters. 

- David Tabor

Sources:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/01/politics/biden-fundraising-sprint-december/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/05/politics/biden-fundraising-sprint/index.html

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-argues-trump-existential-threat-america-trump-point/story?id=105401847

George Santos: Expelled from Congress in Historic Vote

In a historic move, George Santos, a New York Republican congressman, faced expulsion from the House on Friday following a resounding bipartisan vote prompted by a string of falsehoods and a federal indictment comprising 23 counts. The House voted 311 to 114 to expel him, this surpasses the two-thirds majority which is required under the Constitution. Santos had survived two previous attempts to expel him from Congress with the first two efforts happening after he was indicted by the Justice Department in May, and then charged again with a superseding indictment in October. Santos now becomes the first person to ever be expelled from the House without bring convicted of a federal crime or supporting the Confederacy. 

After Santos's expulsion on Friday he quickly left the Capitol building, telling reporters “to hell with this place.”

Santos has been surrounded by controversy for a while now, going back to 2008 where he allegedly forged two stolen checks and in May of this year he signed an agreement with public prosecutors in Brazil to avoid persecution. Santos also was present at the "rally" on January 6th, 2021,  where he gave a speech and then backed Donald Trump after his supporters infiltrated one of the most prestiges and important buildings in the country. On top of those events Santos is most known for his lies. I don't have the time to list all but here are some:

• Lied about where his campaign money (This article goes into detail on where that money went but some highlighted are: his own rent, Hermès, Sephora, OnlyFans, Spa days, Botox, and more)
• Claimed that his mother passed away due to the attacks on 9/11 and that she was in downtown Manhattan, (immigration records proved that his mom wasn't even in the US at that time)
•  Lied about where he went to high school
• Lied about where he went to college and claimed to have degrees from that college, that college did not have a record of Santos earning a degree
• Claimed that he saved 2,500 dogs through founding an animal charity (there were no social-media accounts for the organization, no IRS records, and no evidence of the charity being registered in New York or New Jersey, where Santos claimed to have operated)
• Claimed his grandma survived the Holocaust (later would get proven as false through genealogy records) 

This event comes up right as we are talking about the House, Senate, and Congress. It is a perfect example of the two-thirds majority rule for congress as this is how Santos was booted out. Article I, section 5 of the Constitution stipulates that the House and the Senate can expel members if two-thirds of the chamber support doing so. 

The biggest surprise to me was how Santos was basically able to lie his way to a seat in Congress. He had a shady past in Brazil, involved in the January 6th insurrection, and before he won his second bid for congress his finances that he reported massively increased. It seemed like no one fact checked his whole campaign, his literal campaign website stated that he graduated from a college which he never attended. This can obviously be very dangerous because as we are learning, these people influence not only our lives through the legislations they pass but also the generations after us.

What strategies or changes in the political process could effectively reduce the potential for individuals to deceive their way into congressional seats like Santos? How do you think we can ensure more accurate representation and integrity in our elected officials?

Because Santos now all of a sudden has a lot of free time he is spending that time creating Cameos.

Sources:

NY Times

NBC

Santos's Lies

Vox

Biden drafts $100 billion foreign aid package, including money for Israel and Ukraine

In a critical development, President Joe Biden has urgently called on Congress to approve a $100 billion foreign aid package, emphasizing the crucial role it plays in supporting Ukraine and Israel amid their ongoing conflicts. The White House issued a stark warning on Monday, underscoring the imminent threat to Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian aggression.

In a letter addressed to congressional leaders, Shalanda Young, Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), delivered a dire message about the rapidly diminishing timeframe to provide essential assistance to Ukraine. Young stated, "I want to be clear: without congressional action, by the end of the year we will run out of resources to procure more weapons and equipment for Ukraine and to provide equipment from U.S. military stocks."

President Biden has proposed a comprehensive $106 billion aid package for Ukraine and Israel, allocating an additional $14 billion for border security. However, the approval of this proposal has encountered delays in Congress. The urgency of the situation was further emphasized by Young, who asserted that the United States is "out of money" to support Ukraine in its ongoing struggle against Russian forces. She implored Congress to act promptly, emphasizing that the time to aid Ukraine is now, not in the distant future.

"A halt in assistance will cause significant issues for Ukraine -- and potentially benefit Russia," warned Young, highlighting the grave consequences of cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment to Ukraine. She stressed that such a move could jeopardize Ukraine's gains and increase the likelihood of Russian military victories.

As we have learned in class, we know that it will take a majority vote in the Senate for it to progress. We can hope that this gets passed as our allies need our support quickly.

Source ABC News  

Trump emphasizes renewing efforts to replace Obamacare if he wins second term

Former President Donald Trump has called to revive his efforts to scrap and replace Obamacare if he wins the 2024 presidential election, saying he is "seriously looking at alternatives" if he wins a second term. 

Trump had previously attempted to repeal Obamacare, or more formally known as the Affordable Care Act, back in 2017 during his presidential term, which ended up failing on the senate floor as a result of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) siding with Democrats to keep Obamacare in place. Republicans were merely one vote away from repealing the law and Trump called it "a low point for the Republican Party" on a recent Truth Social post. 

Trump's comments garnered some rebuke from Democrats, especially President Joe Biden's campaign - "My predecessor, once again ... called for cuts that could rip away health insurance for tens of millions [of] Americans and Medicaid," Biden said Monday at the White House. "They just don't give up. But guess what? We won't let these things happen." Biden's campaign will even run new TV ads this week in swing states to highlight the president's efforts to lower some prescription drug prices and draw attention to Trump's call to replace Obamacare.

Republican senators have generally expressed some hesitance toward Trump's efforts during interviews on Monday evening. "We've gotten so far down the road now that it's almost technically impossible to do that. But there is a way to get rid of all the bad and hopefully put some good back in place," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said. 

"I don't see that as being the rallying cry. I really don't." Sen. Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va) also said that evening.

About 6 in 10 Americans say they have a favorable opinion of the health reform bill that was first signed into law back in 2010, according a May 2023 KFF poll. Biden's Health and Human Services Department says that more than 40 million are insured through coverage "related to provisions of the Affordable Care Act" as well, highlighting the scope of impact that it has on the American people and the potential effects it can have if Trump were to carry out his plans of scrapping the program if he wins the 2024 election. 

Sources:

Washington Post

Politico

The Hill

U.S. News

ABC News

Three Palestinian college students shot in Burlington, Vermont, in suspected hate crime

Around 6:25 pm on Saturday, November 25th, a gunman shot and wounded three 20 year-old Palestinian men near the University of Vermont in what investigators suspect was a hate-motivated crime. Two of the victims were wearing keffiyehs - traditional black-and-white checkered scarfs that have now come to symbolize Palestinian solidarity  - at the time of the shooting, and one of the victims has been reported as "seriously injured" according to authorities. 

The three men were walking during a visit to the home of one of the victims' relatives when they were confronted by a middle-aged white man wielding a handgun, firing four shots at the men in total. The Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding, a Palestinian advocacy organization, said that the victims were reported to have been speaking to each other in Arabic and were verbally harassed by the assailant before the attack, while local police say that the gunman did not say a word before he carried out the attack. The shooting came amid a rise in anti-Islamic and anti-semitic incidents reported around the United States since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7th.

The three victims were identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, who are juniors attending Brown University, Haverford College, and Trinity College respectively and graduated from Ramallah Friends School, a secondary school in the West Bank. Despite their injuries, all three men are expected to survive and recover. Numerous figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and the presidents of the victims' respective colleges, have spoken out in sympathy for the young men and their families. 

"It is shocking and deeply upsetting that that three young Palestinians were shot here in Burlington, VT. Hate has no place here, or anywhere. I look forward to a full investigation," Sanders said in a statement denouncing the shooting.

Around Sunday 3:30 pm ET, police detained Jason J. Eaton, 48, who is suspected of being responsible for the shooting. He was subsequently arrested and awaiting to be arraigned on Monday. 

Sources:

Reuters

CBS

Associated Press

New York Times

Rep. George Santos Believes He Will Be Expelled

 

Source: NBC

New York Representative George Santos claims he knows he will be expelled from the House during a X Spaces, a conservative social media, live stream. A bipartisan investigative group found Santos guilty of misusing campaign funds for a variety of personal purposes including but not limited to luxury stores, adult websites, and cosmetic procedures, then made the campaign to file false or incomplete reports.

Source: CBS

A resolution started by Rep. Michael Guest, who acted as the Chairman of the Ethics Committee and Mississippi Republican, has been introduced to the house. Santos responded calling Guest an obscenity and saying he would not resign believing the report to be a political opposition hit piece at best.

During a three-hour livestream, Santos accuses his congressional colleagues of much worse misconduct, such as voting while drunk or adultery. Santos accuses his former colleagues of bias claiming this precedent, referring to the ethics committee investigation, means you are guilty until proven innocent and will take accusations and use it “to smear, to mangle, to destroy you and remove you from society.”

When Rep. Robert Garcia, a Democrat from California, pressed Santos on why he wouldn’t resign, Santos responded saying he hasn’t been found guilty of anything. 

Sources:

NBC

CBS

ABC

Former Police Officer, Derek Chauvin, Stabbed in Prison, Raising Prison Concerns

    Derek Chauvin, the Minneapolis Police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, actions which sparked the BLM movement and earned him 22.5 years in prison, was stabbed in prison this Friday. As the Minnesota Attorney General, Keith Ellison, confirmed, he was stabbed but is now in stable condition. Ellison expressed sentiments for the event, saying, "I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence. He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence."

Derek Chauvin addressing the court at his 2021 prosecution Source: AP News

    While Chauvin's actions were certainly inexcusable, his punishment should be dealt with through the law, not revenge, though many would hope it is. The government's goal is to administer this punishment and its failure to protect one of the most high-profile inmates in the entire country is unclear and bodes poorly for the system. 

The Federal Correctional Institute in Tuscon, Arizona, where Derek Chauvin was being held. Source: NYTimes

    The United States' prison system has been ruthlessly scrutinized for a great number of reasons: from the unreasonably high number of incarcerated individuals, the highest per capita in the world, (Statista) made up disproportionally of minorities. To incidents like this, call the safety of the roughly 1.68 million prisoners in the US into question.

    Safety incidents like this have become increasingly common, as the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, pointed out the prison bureau's failure to improve procedures for high-profile inmates in two separate reports this year (NYTimes). Regardless of what you think of Chauvin or the other high-profile inmates who have been targeted, prison is a place for one's punishment to be dealt out in isolation from society, not vigilante, or physical revenge. It is clear from these incidents and from decades of terrible prison circumstances, that the Justice Department, and government as a whole need to improve its treatment of prisoners.

Sources:

NPR

CNN

The Guardian

AP News

Politico

NYTimes

Statista

3rd Exchange of Hostages for Prisoners Completed in Israel-Hamas War

 This Sunday, Hamas released 17 hostages including one 4 year old Israeli-American girl named Avigail Idan. Idan was taken captive by Hamas soldiers after witnessing both her parents be killed in front of her at the Kfar Aza kibbutz. President Biden commented on the situation saying: "Today she's free, and Jilly [first lady of the US Jill Biden] and I, together with so many Americans, are praying for the fact that she is going to be alright." 

Source: BBC

This release took place during the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the longest break in fighting since the attacks occurred on Oct 7th. This 4 day break was the result of a deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hamas shall release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel will free 150 Palestinian prisoners. All released are women and children. Hamas said it would seek to extend the ceasefire after the four days were up. Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel has issued a video statement addressing the possibility of freeing an additional 10 hostages for each additional day of truce. As of the posting of this post no agreement for the extended ceasefire has been released.

Sources:

BBC

PBS

NYTimes

CEO of DeSantis Backing Super-PAC Resigns

     On Wednesday, Chris Jankowski, the Chief Executive Officer of the Super PAC, Never Back Down, which has backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' bid to be the Republican Party's Presidential Nominee, resigned, stating to Reuters that "Never Back Down's main goal and sole focus has been to elect Governor Ron DeSantis as President. Given the current environment, it has become untenable for me to deliver on the shared goal and that goes far beyond a difference of strategic opinion."

Source: Reuters

    Super PACs are not allowed to participate in presidential campaigning, despite this, DeSantis and Never Back Down have pushed the limits on these rules, with the Super PAC taking over expenses generally covered by the campaign itself. With more than $80 million of funding, Never Back Down, held a massive door-knocking program, hosted DeSantis events, and even covered the cost of some of his private plane rides. These actions seem to fly blatantly in the face of rules against Super PACs campaign participation, a rule designed to prevent the rich from having a major financial influence on campaigning, while instead, this and many other concentrations of economic power are able to focus their power directly for that goal. 

    Despite almost breaking this law, it seems a further attempt to push the rules is the reason for the Super PAC splintering. This law says that Presidential Campaigns cannot communicate campaign strategy with Never Back Down, resulting in some strategic disagreements. In the past few weeks, several of DeSantis' closest allies have complained about the Super PAC airing ads attacking rival Nikki Haley, believing it reflected poorly upon DeSantis as well, which many speculate is the reason for Jankowski's resignation.

Source: Washington Post

    Never Back Down's COO, Kristin Davidson will take over as CEO, in what borders on open strategic collaboration between DeSantis and massive political donors. As we discussed in class, the line between Donors and Presidential Campaigns, while clear in that they should not mix, is constantly pushed by these groups and nearly every Campaign since Watergate, to the point where although separate on paper, they Never Back Down and the DeSantis campaign seem suspiciously coordinated in their efforts towards his nomination. An effect that highlights the ineffectiveness of this law, and indicates a similar rewriting to what we saw after Watergate is needed if the government is going to enforce the campaign rules they indicate are important.

- Gabe Anagnoson

Sources:

Washington Post

NYTimes

Reuters

Fox News

Federal Appeals Court Deals Major Blow to The Voting Rights Act

 

Source: Politico

On Monday, the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that private individuals and organizations are not allowed to sue under Section 2 of The Voting Rights Act, which prohibits the voting practices that discriminate based on race or color. Originating from an Arkansas redistricting case, the opinion of the panel of three judges was written by Trump appointee David Stras; the other two judges were George W. Bush appointees. 

The decision, which affects Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, states that only the US Attorney General can sue under Article 2. This is a major blow to the Voting Rights Act, as prior to the decision, a vast majority of the Article 2 lawsuits have been brought by private plaintiffs, such as civil rights organizations, who have the time, manpower, and funds to ensure the law is enforced. The DOJ severely lacks the same resources, and ultimately only pursues a few cases annually, so making Article 2 lawsuits exclusively the right of the DOJ would lead to poor enforcement.

Source: TNR

The original case comes from an Arkansas redistricting case in which only 11 out of the 100 Arkansas districts were majority-black, despite 16.5% of the population being black. There is a chance that the entire 8th Circuit will review the case, but it is more likely that the case will be appealed to the Supreme Court, creating a showdown that will affect voting rights for years to come.

As we studied in class, our voting system is deeply flawed and undemocratic, and measures to further weaken the small amount of democracy we have pose a grave danger to our freedom. If the 6-3 republican majority in the Supreme Court rules upholds the current opinion, then the already excessive amount of gerrymandering and voter discrimination will skyrocket. It is integral for American democracy that we fight back against the regression of American civil liberties that we have witnessed in the past few years.

-Ethan Deng

Sources:

• Politico
• CNN
• NPR
• NBC
• AP News
• TNR

Argentina Elects Far-Right Libertarian Javier Milei as President

Source: BBC

On Sunday, Argentina elected far-right outsider Javier Milei as its president, beating out his rival Sergio Massa. The former TV pundit turned politician has drawn comparisons to former US and Brazilian presidents Donald Trump and Jair Balsonaro from his far-right, anti-establishment views. Milei's campaign leveraged anger towards the current government due to rapid inflation and increasingly high poverty levels to defeat opponent Sergio Massa, securing 56% of the vote. 

One of the largest promises Milei made on the campaign trail was the "dollarization" of Argentina if he was elected president. "Dollarization" is the process of switching out the preexisting local currency in exchange for the US Dollar. This promise was made amidst economic turmoil as the Argentine Peso experienced hyperinflation, passing the 120% mark of year-over-year inflation, according to the International Monetary Fund(IMF). Dollarization would essentially shut down the Argentine Central Bank, and all currency-related decisions would be made by the US, with Argentina having no say.

Milei has also advocated for other radical measures to bring Argentina back to the economic prosperity that has been long lost since the early 1900s, such as militarizing the prison system and privatizing healthcare, which has previously been kept public. 

Source: Reuters

While not the ideal candidate for many, Milei's anti-establishment rhetoric resonated deeply with many Argentinians who have struggled in recent years. To many Argentinians, Milei represents hope for change, as they have lost faith in the current government. 

It is too soon to say with certainty what lies in Argentina's future, and a leader with such strong libertarian ideals has never been elected to such a large country, but Milei's presidency will most certainly have impacts that go beyond Argentina and the next four years. Regardless of whether or not Milei can turn the Argentine economy around, it will have a significant impact on their South American neighbors; especially Brazil, who voted their far-right populist out of office a year prior. If Argentina under Milei performs well, it would weaken left-wing parties across South America, with the inverse being true as well. Ultimately, it is in the best interest of the Argentinian people, regardless of whether or not they like him, to hope that Milei's reform works. No one wants to see another disastrous presidency join a long list of Argentinian disasters that have come and gone in years and decades past.

- Ethan Deng

Sources:

• BBC
• CNN
• Reuters
• IMF

California Democratic Convention events cancelled due to Pro-Palestine demonstrators demanding ceasefire

Demonstrators asking for a cease-fire in the Israel-Palestine war gathered inside and around the California Democratic Party convention SAFE Credit Union Convention Center on Saturday, causing evening events to be shut down. Many California Democrats have been meeting in Sacramento this weekend to consider candidate endorsements for the upcoming primary in March. Such discussion includes the Senate race between four candidates, including three current members of the House of Representatives.

Starting as a sit-in demonstration of around 200 led by Jewish Voices for Peace Action and the California Progressive Alliance inside the convention center hosting the Democratic Convention, increasing numbers led the protesters to flock to the streets surrounding the center. This led the party officials to cancel the evening convention events “for the safety and security of our delegates,” including “caucus meetings, hospitality suites, and VoteFest taking place at the convention center.”

Protesters march for a cease-fire in Sacramento (Common Dreams)

Earlier that day, some activists disrupted the speeches of the U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff and Katie Porter during the Senate candidates' forum, while many cheers could be heard as Representative Barbara Lee called for an end to the war where more than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed or maimed. This difference in ideas could have impacted the distribution of votes, as Lee led the group with over 41% of the delegate votes, although Schiff was close behind at around 40%.

Among the protesters is Sacramento Coalition for Palestinian Rights member Adeeb Alzanoon, who said: “We want to stop the genocide against my people in Gaza.” He expresses great concern regarding the conflict, adding that he has “lost 42 of my extended family.”

Similar protests have been occurring in major cities all over the world, all demanding for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine war in Gaza. Such cities include Washington DC, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Dakar, and Istanbul, consisting of thousands of people all protesting against the violence of the war. Unlike the crime that could be seen at those larger protests, though, only two security guards were injured during the demonstrations, while the Sacramento Police Department reported no arrests or cases of vandalism. Still, unreported incidents and other minor aggressive clashes between individuals or with security likely happened, as discipline is hard to maintain in a large group of protesters.

Protesters grapple for a banner inside the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center (The Times of Israel)

Sources: 

Washington Examiner     Common Dreams     CBS News     ABC10     The Hill     KCRA     Al Jazeera