Atoms for Peace: The New Reality is Embracing Nuclear Energy
Show almost anyone the yellow and black three-pronged nuclear emblem, and you will probably get a negative reaction. The symbol evokes feelings of impending doom, visions of mushroom clouds, and worries of radiation-borne maladies. But ironically, the energy behind it is the only thing that can avert catastrophe: the climate emergency. Our current culture would […]
The Case for Abolishing Cash Bail
In 2010, police arrested sixteen-year-old Kalief Browder for a robbery there was no evidence he committed, set his bail at $3,000, and imprisoned him on Rikers Island—all without a trial. The Bronx’s lengthy case backlog and expensive bail kept Browder imprisoned for three years, often in solitary confinement, until the district attorney dismissed the case. […]
“What, like it’s hard?”: The Systemic Barriers to Law School Applications
Upon fictional character Elle Woods’s acceptance to Harvard law, she asks “What, like it’s hard?” Although the girl-boss icon from the 2001 film Legally Blonde is an inspiration for many, the law school application process is far from easy and laden with financial barriers. The admissions process makes it incredibly difficult for low-income students—who are […]
“Move Fast, Break Things”: Facebook Is Killing American Democracy
If Mark Zuckerberg could have predicted that his infamous philosophy—“move fast, break things”—would have turned into the antithesis of democratic values today, he likely would never have said it. Of course, to move fast and break things was once a widely adopted way of thinking for entrepreneurs who aimed to achieve Zuckerberg’s level of success. […]
False Hope Fools the FDA: The Atrocious Authorization of the Alzhiemer’s drug Aducanumab
On June 7, advocacy groups, Alzheimer’s patients, and their families celebrated as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the drug Aducanumab to treat Alzheimer’s. On the surface, this novel therapy—the first approved in 2003—seems massively encouraging for both the patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s and society as a whole. Unfortunately, in authorizing Aducanumab, the […]
Why High-Speed Rail Shouldn’t Be a Priority
High-speed rail (HSR)—intercity passenger transport with trains that reach max speeds of at least 160 mph—has captured the attention and enthusiasm of many young, sustainability-minded people. Its supporters believe that HSR, which the US currently lacks, is a climate-friendly alternative to automotive and air transportation. But they are mistaken. Although HSR is indeed energy-efficient and […]
Response to “A Hard Truth for Progressives”
Last November, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the presidential election, eking out narrow victories in crucial swing states. But down-ballot, the Democrats suffered greatly. While pollsters expected them to add to their 2018 gains, Democrats lost a dozen seats in the House. In the Senate, they lost manageable pickups in states like North Carolina, […]
Amazon’s Twitter Lies Change Lives
On March 29, Amazon workers voted in Bessemer, Alabama on whether to unionize an Amazon fulfillment center. These warehouses store items and workers pick, pack, and ship them out to consumers. The corporation ultimately achieved yet another victory against unionization, with the vote overwhelmingly in favor of not joining the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store […]
Ilhan Omar, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the Antisemitism Card
On February 4, the House of Representatives voted 230-199 to remove Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia’s 14th district, from her committee assignments. The House sanctioned Greene for her past statements embracing QAnon, seeming to endorse the assassination of prominent Democratic figures, and harassing the victims of school shootings—tragedies she dismissed as false […]
The Economics 101 of Post-Pandemic Healthcare
While “opportunity” is rarely used to describe the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have had a unique opportunity to witness both the strengths and pitfalls of the healthcare system over the past year. The high cost of medical care provides a strong entrepreneurial culture that the pharmaceutical industry harnessed to create and distribute innovative treatments rapidly. Yet, […]