Week Reviews: War Abroad, Prices at Home, and a Reckoning with History
The past week delivered a convergence of crises and reckonings that stretched from the Middle East to global markets and into the halls of international diplomacy, each, in different ways, reshaping how governments act and how ordinary people live. In Washington, the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran remained the dominant force driving […]
China’s Rise: Power, Pain, and the Price of National Greatness
China is often invoked as a modern miracle, an industrial colossus and military power admired by many and resented by others. Through sheer resolve, long-term strategy, and national sacrifice, it has risen to become the world’s second-largest economy by gross domestic product (GDP). Once a poor and fractured society, China vaulted into the front rank […]
House Passes Bill to Force ByteDance Divestment of TikTok Or Face Ban
The U.S. House of Representatives has greenlit a bill compelling ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to sell its U.S. assets within six months or face a nationwide ban. Passed with a resounding 352-65 vote, this legislation marks a significant move against the popular short-video app, intensifying the longstanding security concerns that have shadowed […]
BRICS Nations Saga: What We Know So Far
The BRICS group of major developing economies has announced the addition of six new members in an effort to restructure the global world order and create a counterbalance to the United States and its allies. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia will join the existing five members, Brazil, Russia, India, […]
UFPLA Signifies Victory for Human Rights Activists
On June 21, 2022, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) went into effect, signaling a significant victory for human rights activists who have tirelessly advocated against China’s continued genocide of Uyghurs populations. The Uyghurs have been subject to a plethora of human rights violations, from forced detention and labor to mass surveillance and torture at the hands of […]
The Perpetual Twisting Story of the COVID-19 Origin
The debate about the COVID-19 origin and the possibility that the virus was leaked from a Wuhan lab is regaining momentum around the globe. With more than 173 million cases to date and roughly 9.6 million U.S. jobs lost, there is no doubt that the pandemic has influenced the trajectory of history. The weight of […]
Weekend Review: Federal Judge Overturns Assault Weapons Ban in California
On Friday, US District Judge Roger Benitez overturned a ban on assault weapons in California. The law was in place for more than 30 years. Benitez argued the “failed experiment” violated constitutional rights. In his decision, he compared an AR-15 to a Swiss army knife, noting they were “good for both home and battle.” He […]
Weekend Review: Trump Grants Controversial Pardons
With only weeks left in office, President Trump carried out 20 questionable pardons and sentence commutations this week, including one for his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner. Four former Blackwater guards convicted of killing 14 innocent Iraqis in a 2007 Baghdad massacre were also among the pardons. The company held a $1 billion government contract to […]
Weekend Review: China Forms World’s Largest Trading Alliance
On Sunday, fifteen countries including China cemented a pact to form the largest global trading bloc to date, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The deal took more than eight years to negotiate and was signed virtually to adhere to pandemic safety measures. This partnership includes many Southeast Asian countries, as well as South Korea, […]
WHO Daily COVID-19 Briefing, Caution Against Hyperbolic Speculation And Stigma
Earlier today, accredited World Health Organization (WHO) journalists once again gathered for the organization’s daily briefly regarding updates concerning the Coronavirus. Today also marked the beginning of the two day ‘global research and innovation forum‘ to help mobilize and organize the international response to the virus. Today Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebrysus, WHO-Director General, Dr. Sylvie Briand, Director Global Infectious […]