Tag Archives: Politics

Pete Buttigieg rising in latest polls

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By EVAN SIEGAL

Despite being the mayor of a city of under half a million people, Pete Buttigieg continues to be among the hottest names in the presidential race thus far. Among a very crowded field of candidates in the Democratic primaries, the previously unheard of mayor now sits squarely in fourth place only behind Joe Biden, Beto O’Rourke and Bernie Sanders among likely caucus goers in Iowa.

Buttigieg’s stances include a firm promise to tackle climate change as well as raise taxes on the top one percent of earners in the country. In a town hall last night hosted by CNN, Buttigieg promised to restore civility to American politics. Vice President Mike Pence said of attacks made against him that he is bringing “attacks on my Christian faith.” Defenders of the mayor says Vice President Pence is simply attacking him because he is openly gay, but Pence has denied this.

Buttigieg would be by far the youngest president in American history should he win. At just 37 years old, he is a long shot to win but at the very least has cemented himself into several firm positions going forward. Many in the Democratic party have suggested him as a potential candidate for governor of Indiana in the future and perhaps the Senate. Indiana was, of course, once considered a swing state, as Barack Obama carried the state in 2008 and Democratic Senator Joe Donnelly served as the senior senator from the state until this past election cycle.

Corruption likely in Smollett case

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By LIAM FABRE

In a shocking turn of events, all charges against actor Jussie Smollett have been dropped by the Cook County prosecutor.

On March 8, a grand jury charged Smollett with 16 felony counts, one for each lie he told police. Both Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police superintendent Eddie Johnson blasted Smollett for committing such an offensive and pointless crime.

On Monday, all charges were dropped. His lawyer stated he would forfeit his bail money and that he agreed to do some community service. Smollett, however, maintains his innocence.

So which one is it? Is Smollett guilty of making a false police report and as a consequence paying $10,000? Or is he not guilty and facing no repercussions?

The story does not make sense and smells of corruption. With the overwhelming amount of evidence, including a check signed by Smollett to the “attackers,” it is unfathomable that a prosecutor would simply drop the charges.

State attorney Kim Fox said she would rather focus on more important issues such as the gun violence that plagues Chicago. Smollett caused police to waist hundreds of thousands of dollars and hundreds of man hours on his hoax story. Time and money that could have been spent on the gun violence epidemic.

Many people are furious over this issue as they should be. It only further highlights Smollett’s privilege and reinforces notions that celebrities are above the law.

O’Rourke generating national buzz

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By EVAN SIEGEL

Beto O’Rourke, the former three-term congressman from Texas, threw his hat in the ring and announced his candidacy for president. He joins a crowded field of over a dozen Democrats looking to unseat the Republican incumbent Donald Trump. O’Rourke recently ran an unsuccessful campaign for Senate in Texas, losing to Ted Cruz.

O’Rourke’s Senate campaign was far from a complete failure, however. Running in a state usually dominated by Republicans, O’Rourke came shockingly close to defeating Cruz in a surprisingly tight race. O’Rourke famously visited all 254 counties across Texas, spending large amounts of time in unpopulated areas between El Paso and San Antonio.

O’Rourke had been serving as the congressman from the El Paso area, and announced his desire to run for the Senate in 2016. All in all, O’Rourke took over 48 percent of the vote, losing to Cruz by less than three hundred thousand votes. O’Rourke ran up the numbers considerably in the biggest urban areas of the country, specifically Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio.

O’Rourke also did very well along the border towns of Texas, which have been a consistently reliable blue area of the state. O’Rourke won over the support of Republican congressman Will Hurd, who represents a district along the border and won his midterm election by less than a thousand votes. O’Rourke’s fundraising skills have translated to the presidential campaign, so far.

Only twenty-four hours after announcing his candidacy, O’Rourke raised over six million dollars towards his run. While many members of the Democratic base are waiting for Joe Biden to announce his candidacy, O’Rourke has a substantial chance of upsetting the field and becoming the party’s nominee.

Feds list people to question at border

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By NAOMI FEINSTEIN

Customs and Border Protections created a secret list of reporters, lawyers and activists who should be questioned when crossing the into the United States from Mexico at the San Diego checkpoint last year.

According to NBC News, at least 21 people confirmed they have been questioned as they crossed the border. They were told they were being questioned and must give up access to their cellphones due to an ongoing national security investigation.

The individuals featured on the list traveled with the caravans from Central America hoping to seek asylum in the United States. Many of these activists and journalists are speaking out against the U.S. government for singling them for unwarranted extra questioning.

However, officials deny targeting “journalists for inspection based on their occupation or their reporting.” They claim many of these individuals may have connections to the assaults staged against CBP agents back in November.

Some fear that this will have a chilling effect on reporters as well as activists from doing their jobs since those who report on immigration and provide help to asylum-seekers are the individuals being targeted on this list.

Border officials do have the right to question an individual they suspect committed a crime, however, it is widely inappropriate to detain someone based on his or her occupation and directly violates his or her First Amendment rights.

Reporters need to continue telling this story and questioning officials to get the bottom of this matter because the vague response from officials of conducting a national security organizations does not suffice.

Sherrod Brown says he won’t run

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By EVAN SIEGEL

One of the Democratic parties’ biggest names in the U.S. Senate announced that he will not be running for president this week, despite overtures from all wings of the party. The senator from Ohio had formed an exploratory committee and had been pondering a run for months, as far back as immediately after the 2018 midterms.

Brown won his reelection bid in what has become a Republican-leaning state in recent years. Brown was the only Democrat to win a statewide election in the state after Donald Trump comfortably carried the state by nearly 10 percentage points in the 2016 election. In the governor’s race in the 2018 midterms, Mike DeWine won by a surprisingly big margin after a contentious few weeks of debates.

Brown won reelection with 53 percent of the vote in 2018, and immediately began considering a presidential run. The Democratic field already got a little bit more crowded last week, after conservative democrat John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado, joined the race.

The state of Ohio has experienced a dramatic economic downfall in recent years. Columbus and Cleveland still remain comfortably employed and populated, whereas Cincinnati, Toledo, and Dayton have all declined in recent years. Brown has vowed to attempt to turn this around in the senate.

Michael who? The news cycle moves on

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By LIAM FABRE

Michael Cohen, the president’s former attorney, and self-proclaimed “fixer” testified before Congress last week and it already feels like a month ago.

With Donald Trump in the White House and a news cycle that seems to move so rapidly, major news events seem to come and go quickly. Remember the Kavanaugh nomination? It may feel like it’s been years since his appointment, but it was only a few months ago.

There may be other reasons why the Cohen testimony feels already like so long ago. While a fast-moving news cycle is partly to blame, the main reason is simply: it wasn’t much of a story.

Democrats were thrilled to grill Cohen, hoping he would give them the incriminating evidence about the president they have been longing for. Unfortunately, Cohen did not bring them much.

While much of the information Cohen shared was embarrassing for the president, it was not illegal. Cohen told stories of Trump demanding that he threaten schools not to release his grades. He also told a story of a time an oil painting of Trump was being auctioned off. Trump instructed Cohen to send a fake bidder to bid on an oil painting of himself, telling the bidder to make sure it sold for more than the other paintings.

While the information is damaging, it isn’t anything most Americans don’t already know about the president. He is a narcissist, dishonest and always tried to pay as little taxes as possible. Again, not illegal and nothing we haven’t heard before.

Democrats are desperately searching for their golden ticket to impeach President Trump and, unfortunately for them, Cohen is not it.

Summit ends abruptly, Kim praised

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By NAOMI FEINSTEIN

The second summit meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, between President Trump and Kim Jong-un ended abruptly Thursday after no agreement could be made over nuclear weapons.

The summit kicked off Wednesday night and the two leaders were expected to sign an agreement; however, Trump said he walked away because Kim was insistent upon the United States lifting all sanctions on the North Korean economy.

Trump said North Korea must give up its nuclear capabilities and halt nuclear weapon production before any sanctions are lifted. However, despite not signing an agreement, Trump felt the meeting to be very productive and even predicting the two leaders will become great friends.

Although the meeting failed in producing the result the United States hoped for, it did solidify how Trump views the North Korean dictator who is accused of human rights violations and committing brutal atrocities upon his people.

Additionally, President Trump failed to publicly denounce Kim’s atrocities and did not address human rights in the summit at all with the leader. Even more concerning, Trump believed Kim’s denial in playing any part in Otto Warmbier’s death.

Otto Warmbier was an American student who was detained in North Korea for 17 months. He was released to the U.S. in a vegetative state and ultimately died from his condition.

It is alarming that Trump has no problem in calling people out, such as credible and qualified reporters, but praises a brutal dictator. The United States stands as a symbol for freedom and human rights; yet this seems to completely contradict that.

Trump said, “He likes me. I like him. Some people say ‘oh, you shouldn’t like him.’ I said, why shouldn’t I like him? I like him.” Maybe he shouldn’t like him because he is a dictator who is responsible for torturing and murdering innocent civilians.

I applaud the many news media organizations for their editorial pieces about Trump praising Kim. Many reporters point to how this is very concerning as Trump seems to be allowing Kim to continue his human rights abuses. It does not seem Kim will relinquish his power and end his oppressive regime in the near future since it seems Trump sees no problem with his rule.

Cohen hearing erupts in racism debate

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By EVAN SIEGEL

Congressman Mark Meadows (R-NC) found himself in hot water after Michael Cohen’s explosive testimony in front of the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill earlier this week. Cohen is facing a prison sentence after several guilty pleas involving campaign finance violations among other crimes. The former fixer for Donald Trump also gave a seven-hour closed door testimony to the same committee yesterday.

During the televised public portion of the questioning, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan accused Meadows of using an African American woman as a prop while he attempted to discredit Cohen’s testimony. Tempers quickly flared as Meadows repeatedly tried to undercut and interrupt Tlaib’s remarks and asked that they be removed from the record. Chairman Elijah Cummings of Maryland quickly interjected to subdue the scene, but the controversy had only just begun.

A video of Meadows in 2012 saying “We need to send Obama back to Kenya, or whatever” resurfaced as soon as the hearing ended. Meadows quickly said he “regretted” the statement, however a full public statement has not been released yet. Meadows was frustrated with the Democrats on the committee for inviting Cohen as their main witness despite the fact that he was an admitted liar and is going to prison as a result.

Meadows was also a member of the controversial “birtherism” debate during the Obama administration. President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, was the subject of countless questioning and doubts over whether or not he was indeed born in the United States. Meadows used this controversy as a primary selling point during his various reelection bids over the years.

Ivanka stirs debate over Green New Deal

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By CAMILIA MUNERA

Yahoo! published an article called “Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez Fires Back At Ivanka Trump: I ‘Actually Worked For Tips & Hourly Wages In My Life.”

The article was originally published on the HuffPost and was just recently uploaded 10 hours ago. 

Ed Mazza, the person who wrote this article, did a great job of explaining the topic clearly, concise and to the point.

As many of you may know, Ivanka Trump is President Donald Trump’s daughter and advisor. She just attacked part of the Green New Deal. 

The deal, backed by Democrats, has job and wage guarantees, something Ivanka claims that Americans don’t want. Why in the world would Americans not want this?

Ivanka Trump told Fox News host Steve Hilton in an interview that “I don’t think most Americans, in their heart, want to be given something,” she continues by saying that “I’ve spent a lot of time traveling around this country over the last four years. People want to work for what they get.”

Ivanka Trump later clarified that she does in fact support a minimum wage but not for those who are unwilling to work. Ivanka was silent on the topic of  a “living wage” though for those who are willing to work. 

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was not happy with the statement as she expresses herself on Twitter. She fired back by saying

“As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live. A living wage isn’t a gift, it’s a right. Workers are often paid far less than the value they create.” 

I, for one, am really happy and thankful that Rep. Ocasio-Cortez spoke out because when a person like Ivanka Trump, someone in a high position says such a thing it’s truly harmful to our citizens.

Light should be shed on this topic because of the recent government shut-down, many government workers weren’t even being paid. A plan such as the Green New Deal would help prevent this in the future. 

Mazza also did a great job of providing pictures of the tweets Rep. Ocasio Cortez wrote and provided a video explaining the topic more in detail. 

Ocasio-Cortez, Ivanka swap criticism

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By KARLI FEINSTEIN

CNN released a story on Wednesday morning regarding a feud between Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senior White House advisor Ivanka Trump. The dispute came to be after Ocasio-Cortez fired at First Daughter Trump on twitter for a comment she had made about the Green New Deal.

In an interview with Ivanka Trump on Monday, Fox News asked her about Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal on the Green New Deal and her thoughts on people supporting the deal due to its occupational guarantee. 

Trump’s response was “I don’t think most Americans in their heart want to be given something. People want to work for what they get, so I think this idea of a guaranteed minimum is not something most people want. They want the ability to be able to secure a job. They want the ability to live in a country where there’s the potential for upward mobility.”

Trump’s comment on the issue immediately started trending all across social media platforms even including some reviews from late night talk show host’s like Trevor Noah.

On Tuesday morning, after the interview was aired, Ocasio-Cortez commented on Trump’s response through Twitter, “As a person who actually worked for tips & hourly wages in my life, instead of having to learn about it 2nd-hand, I can tell you that most people want to be paid enough to live.”

Ocasio-Cortez and other congressional Democrats feel very passionate about the proposal. The Green New Deal was made to destroy the greenhouse gas population in the U.S. and to fix the problem Americans have with living off low minimum wage.

Ocasio-Cortez also tweeted, “A living wage isn’t a gift, it’s a right. Workers are often paid far less than the value they create.”

According to CNN, the federal minimum wage hasn’t been raised from $7.25 since 2009. I personally think this is a huge issue the government chooses to turn a blind eye to. I’ve been in the position of working at a place that pays minimum wage and I can’t imagine having to use that money as serious source of income. I applaud Ocasio-Cortez for proposing this deal and I hope it ends up getting passed in the end.

Regardless of what Trump says, the American people know the right thing and will continue to stand behind this deal until its proven successful.

Brexit deadline fast approaching

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By EVAN SIEGEL

Prime Minister Theresa May and the European Union are continuing their standoff as the deadline for a deal in Brexit talks is nearly a month away. On March 29, the deadline for both sides to reach a deal regarding the circulation of goods and whether or not people may continue to move freely between countries in the United Kingdom. The prospects of not reaching a deal and installing a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is an extremely dangerous proposition.

The IRA, or Irish Republican Army, infamously was behind hundreds of bombings and murders that was part of decades of sectarian violence in the region. Theresa May, who’s facing severe backlash from parliament and from the British news media, agreed with the European Union on a backstop, which means that instead of a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, there will be a hard border between Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. People in the United Kingdom were furious with both Prime Minister May and the rest of parliament for delegating the decision on whether or not to leave the European Union to the voters. In a 52-48 percent vote, the public voted to leave.

Polling however suggests that the public is not fully aware of the various ramifications of leaving the organization, specifically regarding the various deadlines and what they mean. March 29 is when the two sides enter a transition period, in which the United Kingdom and the EU will discuss their future relationship, and then six weeks later, they will separate entirely.

Britain is technically able to reverse course completely and re-enter the EU, although the organization is reluctant to let them back in, so as not to create a precedent and encourage other countries to leave knowing they can return at any time. Many have suggested a second referendum, however the earliest that a full vote can be organized at all is estimated to be 22 weeks, and there are roughly only five weeks left before the deadline.

Trump visits Venezuelan exiles at FIU

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By SHANIKA ISAACS

On Monday, President Donald Trump visited Florida International University to talk to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the state at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center about the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. Many supporters rallied together as they chanted “USA! USA!” and waved “Make America Great Again” flags.

In his speech, the president expressed his support and recognition for Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the standing president of the country. He encouraged the Venezuelan military that were loyal to President Nicolas Maduro to back down. In doing a peaceful switch of loyalty to Guaidó’s leadership, Trump ordained that there would be no repercussions whatsoever.

The Trump administration, along with 50 other nations, have declared Guaidó as the rightful leader of Venezuela. However, many supporters of the Maduro’s regime out-rightly disagreed with the American’s involvement as Maduro described Trump’s speech to be ‘Nazi-styled’.  

According to CBS Miami, “A tired rhetoric questioning our right as a free country to adopt the ideas of socialism which is humane and Christian. It was a Nazi-style speech,” said Maduro as he addressed his people.

Maduro still opposed to accept humanitarian assistance from America as the military assisted him in closing off all boarder access to the country. No one in and no one out.

Maduro also used his broadcasting platform to share to his fellow Venezuelans that they would instead be receiving humanitarian assistance from their Russian supporters. According to the Miami Herald, the Russians look to invest $5 billion on boosting Venezuela’s oil production and an additional $1 million in mining principally for gold.

With Russian bomber jets touching down in Venezuela and President Trump clamping down for a change of government, it was an irony of how the U.S. got in this position. What are some of your thoughts on how this would follow through? Do you think Russia purposely helped Venezuela just because America stood for Guaidó?

Trump discusses Venezuela at FIU

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By LESLIE ANNE DOMINIQUE

On President’s Day, President Donald Trump flew to Miami to give a speech at Florida International University, where he was joined by hundreds to thousands of Venezuelans chanting, “libertad, libertad, libertad” (freedom, freedom, freedom).

The purpose of Trump’s speech was to address the crisis in Venezuela and announce his support for Juan Guaidó, an opposition politician to the Venezuelan regime and the man who many believe is the rightful president. The South American nation is currently going through a political crisis involving hyperinflation, leaving millions of citizens in poverty. President, Nicolás Maduro, who many citizens blame for the nation’s decline, has refused much of the humanitarian aid that is being sent to feed the starving in Venezuela.

Trump spoke to the pleas of much of his audience stating, “a new day is coming in Latin America.”  The president seeks a “peaceful transition of power” in which Guaidó is president. The large majority of his speech was focused on discrediting Maduro’s socialist agenda.

He warned Maduro supporters that they would lose their livelihoods. Speaking of the blockage of aid from the United States, the president said of Maduro, “He would rather see his people starve than give them aid.” Although Trump’s speech was rather mellow for him, there were underlying hints at a military invasion by the U.S., if the presidency was not granted to Guaidó.

Many question Trump’s intentions and stance on the issues revolving around Venezuela. Trump spoke greatly of Venezuelans who have protested and raised arms against the corrupt government however; this is the same man who is supporting the deportation of Venezuelans who seek to flee tyranny from the Maduro regime.

Maduro has since responded to President Trump’s speech, stating that it was “A tired rhetoric questioning our right as a free country to adopt the ideas of socialism which is humane and Christian. It was a Nazi-style speech.” It seems that the two leaders share a flair for the dramatics.

In a video surrounded by military officials, Maduro claimed “Donald Trump wants to ban ideologies… [He] wants to impose his way of thinking of the white supremacists in the White House. No! Venezuela will continue with its division of ideologies. We will continue to be multiracial.”

Maduro believes that Trump is encouraging an invasion of Venezuela and has taken action to avoid such. Since Monday, Nicolas Maduro has forbid all aid from the United States to enter the country. This has put the Venezuelan crisis at a climax.

What now?

Fighting back is not in the favor of Venezuelans, as the military regime is rather strict and forceful. It seems that it would take outside interaction from military giants, such as the United States, to get Venezuelans the freedom and supplies that they need. In opposition of the regime, Guaidó has called for a huge nationwide march on Feb. 23 to get charitable relief into the country. Venezuelans are in wide support of Guaidó and find that he will be the key to gaining them their freedom.

How are we reporting this story?

This story, along with many stories regarding the Venezuelan crisis, has been reported by various news sources. Every day different networks such as CNN, NBC and FOX are reporting stories on Venezuela on paper, on air, and on television. There hardly is a day that passes when Venezuela is not being reported by journalists. Many news organizations are reporting it by focusing on the food crisis and how citizens are fighting to gain supplies; others are focusing on statements from Maduro himself. Many journalists are also suspecting an invasion from the U.S., and reporting on this expectation.

Oliver entertains, informs his audience

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By RYAN GRILLE

British comedian John Oliver has become a leading figure in late night television in recent years. His HBO series “Last Week Tonight” has garnered critical acclaim and receives millions of views on YouTube. His most recent video, which was part of the first episode of the sixth season, touched on the Brexit controversy and the serious consequences it could have on the United Kingdom. This video is a perfect illustration of how Oliver entertains and informs his audience.

First of all, John Oliver’s videos are highly researched. The sources used to explain the situation at hand are often presented as a graphic on screen or even brought out as physical items. For example, during the video, he produced a physical copy of Theresa May’s Brexit transition plan. In addition, Oliver uses video footage from other media in order to more fully illustrate his points. For example, he will use footage of a local news station reporting on Brexit to legitimize his points.

Primarily, however, his show is concerned with comedy. Oliver not only uses each topic in order to craft a joke, but he often uses humor in order to get across important information to his audience. In this video, for example, he uses a Dutch boy band in order to further illustrate the EU’s response to Brexit. This approach keeps his audience entertained while supplying them with information.

While John Oliver’s content is informative and entertaining, it is certainly not flawless. One major criticism that can be lobbied against him is that his content is extremely left leaning in its discussion of politics. Also, while his videos are highly researched, he has been known to make a few errors from time to time. This can mainly be attributed to the format of his show being only 30 minutes in length and thus being forced to simplify a lot of information. Despite this, John Oliver’s content has not only impacted real legislation, but has also managed to build up a large fan following.

Who is not running for president?

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By LIAM FABRE

Earlier this week, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont announced his candidacy for president of the United States. Sanders is now one of the seemingly thousands of people who are seeking the Democratic party nomination.

So how will Sen. Sanders differentiate himself from the rest of the pack? The answer lies in the new, somewhat divided, make-up of the Democratic Party.

The candidates standing on the Democratic Party debate stage will be divided into three categories. The socialist camp, the inter-sectional camp and the establishment camp.

The socialist camp is where our beloved, “Bernie” finds himself, along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren. These candidates are self-proclaimed socialists, focused on redistribution of wealth through various governmental programs such as free tuition, free health care, etc.

The inter-sectional camp focuses on inter-sectional ideals which can be boiled down to a “pro diversity” mentality. Inter-sectionality encourages diversity in government by appointing minorities to positions of power. Candidates who flaunt the fact that they are female, persons of color, or members of non-Judaeo-Christian religions as a means to promote themselves, fall into this category. Candidates such as Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand find themselves in the inter-sectional camp.

The last is the establishment camp. This is made up of candidates who have had long careers in government and are strongly supported by their party. Joe Biden is one of the only politicians in this camp.

It is clear that the winner of the nomination will be the candidate that can check the most boxes, meaning the one which has roots in the most groups. In my opinion, Sen. Sanders does not have a legitimate chance at the nomination, since he is only able to check one.

Crisis in Venezuela deepens

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By SHANIKA ISAACS

As Venezuelans struggled to meet their daily needs, President Nicolas Maduro continued to block passage for humanitarian efforts of supplying food to the public. For the government not to take the responsibility of assisting his suffering people, this in-turn spoke depth into the type of president he represented.

With the country facing the backlash of a heavily depreciated dollar, the cost for basic living skyrocketed, making it very hard for people to get find or get food. Jobs in the country depreciated to the point of no existence which made it very hard for anyone to make a living.

Thus, the crime rate was recorded as the highest in the Western Hemisphere, as new born babies faced a higher chance in being malnourished. Health care and medicine became scares as elders suffer the most. Imagine living in a country that did not provide the necessity of filling a prescription, while in America pharmacists cater to their patients as a norm.

The UN estimated that there will be more than 5.3 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants by the end of 2019. Around three million people were said to be displaced and found in nearby countries like Colombia and some as far as Spain.

Why would President Maduro allow the country to get to such a state? As a result, why does he not allow Juan Guaido to take over? Is this a matter of power or humility?

Butterfly group fights border wall

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By LAUREN MAINGOT

The North American Butterfly Association is seeking to block the Trump administration from constructing its border wall through the National Butterfly Center in Southern Texas, pleading to a federal judge that the project interferes with its property rights.

The 100-acre wildlife facility is set the be cut in half by one of the first new wall projects being constructed under President Donald Trump, according to NPR. The project and its related construction, already approved and funded as part of last fiscal year’s budget, would cause “irreparable harm” to the sanctuary, said Marianna Trevino Wright, director of the facility.

“The issue is not whether butterflies can fly over a wall, but whether private property should be seized and destroyed for a project that does not serve the greater good or enhance national security,” the National Butterfly Center posted in a GoFundMe in December.

The case takes place in the midst of a looming national emergency Trump is expected to declare in an effort to finance for his proposed wall. He has met strong opposition to his border security plans in congress, resulting in the longest government shutdown in history last month.

Heavy coverage of both the Congressional standoff and public debate over the U.S.-Mexico border wall has proliferated in the news media as Trump continues to push for its construction. This story is yet another in the line of related stories that shows the intense polarity regarding his plans, now from the perspective of conservationists and private property owners. The Hill calls it “the ugly political reality of the wall: Even if Trump wins wall money in Washington, the administration will still face an array of challenges to getting anything built.”

Anti-Semitism? Who cares?

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By LIAM FABRE

Ilhan Omar posted an openly anti-Semitic comment and basically, no one cares.Earlier this week Congresswoman Ilhan Omar re-tweeted a statement posted by Glenn Greenwald in which he expressed his discontent over continued U.S. support for Israel. Along with her re-tweet she added the statement, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” implying that U.S. support for Israel was entirely bought and paid for by the Jews.

This statement upholds the long-time anti-Semitic view that Jews in America simply buy out politicians and worse, that no one in American politics supports Israel simply from a moral basis. Her comments are disgusting and she should resign from the House Foreign Affairs Committee immediately.

What was the response from the news media? The short answer, not much. Instead of focusing on the statement itself, stories focused on the fact that Omar is a “fresh face” in Congress and thus, still finding her way. Stories also covered the fact that Republicans “pounced” on her statement and overreacted.

Omar later apologized, but I would hardly call her statement an apology. She said, in another tweet, that she apologized unequivocally for any pain she may have caused, but that she stood by her statement. In my book, that is not an apology. It seems that for the left anti-Semitism is not a problem.

Omar will stay a Congresswoman and she will keep her position on the Foreign Affairs Committee. If we are to become a society without hate and one of equality, we must denounce all offensive statements. Not only the ones that further our political goals.

How to get away with murder

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By LIAM FABRE

The Democratic Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, openly embraced infanticide and dressed in blackface thirty five years ago. Which story did the media jump on? Surprisingly, the latter.

Northam is working on legislation with delegate Kathy Tran, that would remove all time restrictions on abortion. Women would have legal access to abortion up until the point of birth. This raised many questions among pro-life advocates and, reasonably so, as abortion gets more and more complicated as birth approaches.

Northam was asked what he would do in the event that the baby would be accidentally delivered during an abortion. Northam responded,

“If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired. And then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”

Though Northam was not fully clear, it is safe to say this so called “discussion” that would ensue would revolve around whether the baby would be kept alive or murdered. The idea that a beautiful, healthy, breathing child would be murdered outside the womb is abhorrent.

One would think such a story would draw a great deal of news media attention, however, the day after he made this statement, a photo of the governor in blackface surfaced. All media attention turned to this issue and his other comments were pushed to the back burner.

The American people need to comprehend the severity of Gov. Northam’s comments. Yes, the photo is disgusting and he must face consequences for his actions. Both issues are inexcusable, this is not an either or scenario. A representative of our government is calling for newborn babies to be murdered. Wake up America.

Global warming crisis continues

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By SHANIKA ISAACS

According to NASA, global climate change is increasing rapidly as its impact continues to affect the environment around us. As time progresses, we continue to see ice glaciers melting, the rise of sea levels, more frequent and severe forest fires, increase ocean acidity, extreme winters, heat waves and the list goes on. However, with new information surfacing and the fate of the United States changing, President Donald Trump seems less concerned about this evolving world crisis.

“WHAT THE hell is going on with Global Warming. Please come back fast we need you,” said President Trump.

As the play on words pertaining to a serious issue, nature will continue to take its course. Likewise, the unattended struggles of Puerto Rico since the hit of Hurricane Maria in 2017, will continue to cripple the country up to this date.

Collin Powell once said, “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”

The president’s administration still intends on removing the United States from the Paris climate agreement which will have severe impact on the world. The Washington Post states that while the Trump administration ripped up clean-air rules, U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions shot up 3.4 percent last year, putting the lie that market forces alone will adequately drive down the country’s carbon footprint.

President Donald Trump instead continues to focus on the opposing party funding his $5.7 billion border wall and threatens another partial shut-down for Feb.15 if it is not funded. Why are we so heavily invested in the smaller problems and not more focused on the bigger ones? Where are our priorities as a nation moving forward?