Bookstores with Buttons: Section 230, AI, and Data Collection
A law derived from a 1950’s legal battle over obscene books currently dictates freedom of speech on the internet. Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act ruled that social media platforms cannot be blamed for the content posted on their site, just as a bookstore cannot be held liable for the sale of obscene […]
Make America Healthy Again: A Step Backwards for Public Health
America is not healthy. Despite being a world economic leader and carrying the designation of the “greatest country in the world,” the American life expectancy is 78.4 years, while the average for all other comparable countries is 82.5 years. Furthermore, the United States drastically outperforms its peer countries in negative birth outcomes, heart disease, chronic […]
Xylazine: An Undercover Antagonist in the Opioid Crisis
Xylazine, more commonly known as “tranq,” is a strong sedative that has been approved for veterinary use. Because xylazine is intended exclusively for veterinary use, its adverse effects on humans are not taken into consideration from a regulatory standpoint, putting users at risk. Its unique danger arises from its undetectability, as it’s not classified as […]
Trump’s Second Election and the Two Term Precedent
According to Jonathan Aitken in his biography Nixon: A Life, Richard Nixon would reportedly sulk alone in the Oval Office for multiple hours a day during the final months of the Watergate Scandal. Humiliated and desperate for companionship, Nixon forced his press secretary Ron Ziegler to drink with him for six to eight hour stretches; […]
Young, Divided, and Disillusioned: The Gender Gap Reshaping US Politics
The results of the 2024 election revealed an interesting new phenomenon: young men have become increasingly conservative while young women have become increasingly liberal. Despite general sentiments that younger generations have more progressive views, a different reality has slapped women across the face. 53 percent of men aged 18 to 29 voted for Donald Trump, […]
The 2016 and 2024 Election Results Reveal a Dangerous Truth About America
Shortly after the results of the 2016 election were finalized, Saturday Night Live (SNL) parodied the typical election watch-party. The skit depicts White, liberal voters gathered together, confident in the election of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton as the United States’ first female president. Their optimism parallelled the skepticism of comedian guests Dave Chapelle and Chris […]
Fresh for No One Sincerely, America’s Grocery Problem
Inflation has burdened every sector of the American economy, but nowhere is it more noticeable than at the grocery store. Americans pay 25 percent more for groceries today than they did in 2019, while wages remain stagnant, creating an accessibility crisis. As many as 42 million Americans now rely on federal assistance programs to acquire […]
A Thank You Card to Immigrants
In public discourse, immigration is often talked about as a direct threat to national security, with a majority of criticism coming from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who advocate for heightened security along the US-Mexico border. The reelection of former President Donald Trump and his hardline immigration stance—reinforced by the mistaken belief that immigrants “steal” American […]
Democrats Need a Union Revival
One in ten US workers belong to labor unions, representing 14.4 million Americans and over 10 million eligible voters. Unions have held a long-standing presence in political efforts to win over the working class in the US, typically championing left-wing campaigns. But the tide is turning for the Democratic Party, whose growing unpopularity among the […]
Chronically Homeless and Chronically Ill
For some, illness is temporary. A person becomes sick, sees a doctor, undergoes treatment, and returns to their daily life. They quickly forget whatever illness they experienced and the discomfort that accompanied it. For others, illness is everything. Not all diseases have short term solutions, and not all patients can afford existing treatments. The medical […]