JOBS POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES
Latest Jobs Posts
CRISPR Gene Editing: Medical Breakthrough or Ethical Minefield?
Policy Brief #167 – Health and Gender
by Inijah Quadri
The promises of CRISPR are undoubtedly enticing, but the underlying concerns regarding its long-term implications, especially when it comes to tampering with the very fabric of life, are undeniable.
Biden’s New Office of Gun Violence Prevention is More Necessary than Ever
Brief #151 – Social Justice Policy Brief
by Arvind Salem
The purpose of the new office is to act as an enforcement mechanism for prior gun safety legislation: most prominently The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted in 2022.
Democrats Should’ve Saved Kevin McCarthy
Brief #104 – Elections & Politics Policy Brief
by Arvind Salem
The effort to oust McCarthy, spearheaded by Representative Matt Gaetz, was initiated after he compromised with Democrats to pass two compromise bills to raise the debt ceiling and avert a government shutdown.
The Oil from Fracking Flows Freely in a Fractured Society
Brief #162 – Environmental Policy Brief
by Todd J. Broadman
This need for carbon energy has led to thousands of new oil leases and the increased oil extraction has moved the U.S. ahead of Saudi Arabia as the globe’s biggest oil producer.
Will Airbnb Restrictions Save Renters?
Brief #100 – Technology Policy Brief
by Mindy Spatt
As Airbnb vacation rentals have proliferated in cities across the globe, local renters have seen rapidly rising prices and far fewer housing units available.
The Russian-Ukraine War: Where are We Now?
Brief #96 – Foreign Policy Brief
by Ibrahim Castro
The last few weeks have seen two new wars spring up in our increasingly volatile international arena.
Congressional Support Lapses in the Fight Against Fentanyl
Policy Brief #166 – Health and Gender
by Geoffrey Small
Eight states reported increased death rates from nine percent to twenty one percent last year.
Gig Economy Insights: Benefits, Drawbacks, and the Future of Freelancing
Policy Brief #56 – Economic
by Inijah Quadri
In the age of digital transformation, the gig economy has emerged as a significant paradigm shift. Platforms like Uber, Airbnb, Upwork, and Fiverr have become the bridges connecting freelancers with opportunities, altering the traditional employment landscape.
An Analysis Of The Gag Orders In Criminal Cases Against Former President Trump
Brief #213 – Civil Rights Policy Brief
by Rodney A. Maggay
In the months leading up to the trial, the court issued Trump a limited gag order in order to try and limit some of his inflammatory comments while allowing him to still speak on public issues.
Navigating Digital Ethics: Autonomy, Consent, and Algorithmic Justice in the Modern Age
Navigating Digital Ethics: Autonomy, Consent, and Algorithmic Justice in the Modern Age
Technology Policy Brief #96 | By: Inijah Quadri | August 30, 2023
Photo taken from: cxotoday.com
__________________________________
In a world increasingly intertwined with digital technologies, there lies a pertinent responsibility to navigate the complex landscape of digital ethics. The exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data has ignited pressing questions concerning the balance of power between machines and humans, the true essence of ‘informed consent’, and the hidden biases within algorithms that dictate our daily lives. Addressing these concerns is not just a technological challenge but a deeply ethical one, with implications for human rights, democracy, and the very fabric of our society.
Analysis
Technological Autonomy vs. Human Control:
The emergent capabilities of AI systems have blurred the boundaries between machine autonomy and human control. Systems that once required human input are now capable of independent decision-making, often in complex scenarios. This transition has led to profound ethical dilemmas. For instance, in healthcare, AI diagnostic tools might sometimes make recommendations that diverge from human expertise. While these tools can enhance precision and speed, relying solely on them without human oversight could result in misdiagnoses or the oversight of nuanced human symptoms. The ethical crux lies in determining where and when to draw the line, ensuring machines aid, not override, human judgment.
The Illusion of Informed Consent:
The modern digital user is incessantly bombarded with terms and conditions, privacy policies, and consent forms. The sheer volume and complexity of these documents often force users into passive acceptance, raising doubts about the genuineness of ‘informed’ consent. Are users truly aware of the extent of the data they’re sharing, its potential uses, or the long-term implications of these agreements? Ethical navigation in this realm mandates a radical redesign of user agreements: they must be concise, transparent, and comprehensible, ensuring users make truly informed decisions.
Unmasking Algorithmic Bias:
While algorithms are often perceived as neutral entities, they are, in fact, reflections of their creators and the data they are trained on. Biased data can lead to skewed algorithms, which in turn can perpetuate and even exacerbate existing societal inequalities. For instance, an AI system trained predominantly on one racial group’s data might misidentify members of another group, leading to potential discrimination. The challenge is not just to refine these algorithms but to approach their creation with a holistic, inclusive perspective, ensuring they are equitable and just.
To approach these challenges effectively, a multifaceted strategy is essential. This includes fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among technologists, ethicists, sociologists, and policymakers; creating regulatory frameworks that prioritize human rights and ethical considerations; and, most importantly, nurturing a societal ethos that places ethics at the forefront of technological advancements.
Engagement Resources
- Algorithm Watch (https://algorithmwatch.org/ ): This non-profit initiative stands out for its dedication to scrutinizing and shedding light on algorithmic decision-making processes. Their work emphasizes transparency and accountability, aiming to make opaque algorithms understandable for the general public.
- Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency in Machine Learning (FAT/ML) (https://www.fatml.org/): FAT/ML is a pioneering platform in the realm of machine learning. It endeavors to create systems that are not just technically proficient but also uphold the pillars of fairness, accountability, and transparency.
- Future of Life Institute (https://futureoflife.org/): A visionary organization, it seeks to align the trajectory of powerful technologies like AI with humanity’s best interests. It delves into the ethical, societal, and practical challenges, promoting research and dialogue that benefits all of society.
The Week That Was: Global News In Review
The Week That Was: Global News in Review
Foreign Policy Brief #89 | By: Ibrahim Castro | August 29, 2023
Photo taken from: cbc.ca
__________________________________
Building BRICS
Last week, BRICS, a bloc of top emerging economies, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, took a major step in expanding their influence and global reach with the announcement that six more nations have been welcomed as new members. Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been invited to join the grouping of top emerging economies in January 2024. Collectively the bloc makes up around 32% of global GDP, and that is before the expansion took place. The bloc was formed in 2009 and previously said it was seeking to grow a stronger coalition of developing nations who can better represent the interests of the Global South on the world’s stage. Before the start of its annual summit in South Africa this week, more than 40 countries had expressed interest in joining BRICS, and 23 formally applied to join. Yet of the six that were invited to join it is hard to find commonalities with those selected, the best and most likely explanation is that they are geostrategic choices for the bloc. The block has expressed its intention to challenge Western hegemony and its expansion appears in-line with its global ambitions.
Guatemala’s Presidential Election
Guatemalan’s took to the polls on Sunday in an unexpected election in which progressive Semilla party candidate, Bernardo Arevalo, was elected as the next President of the most populous Central American nation. Arevalo rapidly gained support appealing to widespread public discontent with crime and corruption, promising to tackle malnutrition, and bring growth to a country that has one of the highest levels of inequality in the region. The Electoral Observation Mission of Guatemala observed the elections over the weekend and reported no irregularities. Yet on Monday, after fears of possible election tampering, the country’s electoral registry suspended the Semilla party to which Arevalo belongs. Though it appears he will be able to take office as president on Jan. 14,2024, it is not clear whether his Semilla party lawmakers would be able to take their seats in the country’s Congress. The Organization of American States’ human rights commission asked that the current Guatemalan government provide protection for Arévalo after reports emerged of a possible plot to kill him and UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern about the attempts to undermine the results of Guatemala’s presidential election.
Japan releases Fukushima power plant water into the Pacific Ocean
Japan has started releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. The plant was destroyed in 2011 after an earthquake and massive tsunami struck the Island nation, and water used to cool the plants reactors from a meltdown has been accumulating ever since. Currently, some 350 million gallons are being stored in more than 1,000 tanks according to Japanese authorities. A review by the UN’s nuclear watchdog says the discharge will have no great radiological impact to people and the environment, yet still surrounding nations and the Japanese public remain concerned. The government has been working on a complex filtration system that removes most of the radioactive isotopes from the water. Known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS), it can remove several different radioactive contaminants from the water. but there’s a radioactive isotope that they cannot filter out: tritium. Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen, and hydrogen is part of the water itself (H20). So it is impossible to create a filter that could remove the tritium. Still the International Atomic Energy Agency has peer reviewed this plan and believes it is consistent with international safety standards.
Extreme Heat Ravages Arizona
Extreme Heat Ravages Arizona
Environmental Policy Brief #158 | By: Carlos Avalos | August 29, 2023
Photo taken from: nbcnews.com
__________________________________
If you were wondering if summer 2023 felt a bit warmer than usual, you would be correct. Specifically, NASA reported July 2023 as Hottest Month on Record Ever Since 1880. The world is on track to experience record-setting high temperatures for the next five years because of heat-trapping pollution being released into the atmosphere. Many places in the U.S have experienced record-breaking heat. There was a major heatwave this summer where people living in the Western and Southwestern United States experienced extreme heat and record-breaking temperatures. During certain times in July 2023 “about one-third of Americans were under excessive heat warnings, watches or advisories over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service, after a persistent heat dome hovering over Texas expanded to California, Nevada and Arizona.”
This extreme heat hitting certain parts of the U.S is large in part due to climate change and global warming. Climate change can be defined as “a change in global or regional climate patterns attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.”
Global warming is when “a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.”
Analysis
In Arizona, the temperature has been oppressive during the summer months. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in downtown Phoenix clocked in for 30 plus consecutive days of temperatures above 110 degrees in July. This beat the old record set almost sixty years ago in June of 1974 where a streak of 18 days was set. In July Phoenix also set a record for highest monthly average temperature for any U.S city at 102.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
So far this year 25 people have died due to the extreme heat in Maricopa County. Around 249 heat related deaths are currently under investigation. Last year 425 people dies in Maricopas County due to the heat.
The heat is so extreme that Arizona Hospitals are seeing severe degree burns just by people being exposed to the concrete by falling on it. If part of a person’s body is left on the pavement for minutes the part of the skin exposed can be completely damaged. Heat stroke and heat exhaustion are filling up the emergency rooms with an abnormal number of Hospitals being filled to the brink. In Arizona, “Hospitals have not been this busy with overflow since a few peaks in the Covid pandemic.”
The heat in Arizona is also taking its toll on agriculture, flowers, and the Saguaro Cactus. Extreme heat is causing harm to Honeybees, a species vital to our ecosystem, especially food production; dire heat is killing honey bees and melting their homes. Wheat Kernels are shrinking because of the heat causing their protein levels to rise which in turn CAUSES crop yields to be half of what farmer usually produce; canola oil and safflower seeds are being damaged by the heat making many fruits and vegetables too soft to harvest. Some steps to combat these issues are harvesting at night, spraying crops with water vapor, or using netting on their crops.
In Arizona, probably the biggest tell all that there is something extremely wrong, is the story of what’s happening to the the Saguaro Cactus.
The severe heat in Arizona is causing the Saguaro cactus to lose limbs or to completely fall over on itself. Extreme heat and lack of monsoon rain in Arizona are testing the preconceived notion that “plants could adapt to high temperatures and sustain themselves in a drought.”
The federal government is hearing the SOS sent out by many states and is responding. “A bipartisan infrastructure law sets aside $20 billion to upgrade electrical grids to be able to withstand stronger storms and heatwaves; President Biden also said he asked Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to issue a “Heat Hazard Alert,” which gives workers federal heat-related protections.”
Engagement Resources
- Az Heat Resilience workgroup, part of Arizona State Universities
- Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation is doing all they can to help Arizonian’s during the extreme heat. The Office of Heat Response and Mitigation in the city of Phoenix is also doing everything it can to help people stay cool.
Higher Education Doesn’t Have to Mean Higher Costs
Higher Education Doesn’t Have to Mean Higher Costs
Education Policy Brief #85 | By: Steve Piazza | August 21, 2023
Photo taken from: www.salon.com
__________________________________
The rising cost of public higher education starts with tuition policy implemented by varying governing structures within each state. According to the Education Commission of the States, tuition at public four-year schools in 42 states and D.C is determined by distinctive campus authorities, or boards, with the reach of some spanning multiple campuses. Similar structures for two-year schools are in place, though with modifications to meet different needs.
Most institutional board members are selected by the state governor, though some involve a student or students elected by the student body. Other states like Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, and Nevada hold a public election. North Carolina’s 13-member board elects eight of its members while the governor elects four and the students one.
The reason that these boards are compelled to raise tuition stems from many different factors. And when they do, it’s not surprising that such changes present hardships on students. Thus, a number of efforts are being made to prevent current and potential students from experiencing obstacles to their education.
Policy Analysis
College tuition rises for a number of reasons, largely from substantial increases in spending across different sectors of academia. These can include elevated expenditures in capital improvement, salaries, athletic and other programs, and goods and services, not to mention just basic adjustments due to inflation.
Reductions in state appropriations and grant money students receive also force policy makers to spend more. Unexpected events such as the pandemic don’t help.
Over the past two decades, the average change in spending for the country’s state flagship schools has been 38% according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal. And when colleges are spending vast amounts of money, coupled with declining enrollment, increases in student contributions are inevitable. The student share has risen to as much as 42.2.% in 2022 according to a 2023 State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report.
The effects of tuition increases on students are far reaching. 34% of adults 18-24 say they are not attending college because of the costs, according to a three-year old study by Intelligent.com. Those who do enroll may be forced to drop out, transfer to other less expensive schools, or switch majors.
Higher costs can also cause emotional and psychological problems that may result from food and shelter insecurity, transportation hardships, problems accessing healthcare, widening wealth gaps, and difficulties obtaining books and incidentals.
To address these issues, calls have been going out for caps on tuition and attendance, an increase in the number of grants being offered, more technology-based learning opportunities, and a ceiling on, or the elimination of, student debt.
Perhaps it will take more than that. Some say a structural change is necessary, such as in policies that must be reshaped to make the higher education marketplace more transparent and competitive. But that might not be such an easy thing to accomplish. According to another Wall Street Journal report, governing boards themselves do not even know all the data.
One popular strategy that seems to be gaining traction involves the idea of a tuition free college education. The Campaign for Free College Tuition (CFCT) has been working to build a strong coalition of community, education, and business leaders to establish programs that eliminate tuition for the sake of a sound economy in the future.
Ryan Morgan, CFCT’s CEO, told U.S. RESIST DEMOCRACY NEWS that over the past ten years, 34 states have implemented some sort of free tuition program. The Michigan Reconnect program has proved the most comprehensive, as it provides free tuition for anybody in the state over 25 years old and has its eyes on lowering the minimum age to 21. Massachusetts has been developing a similar model, while other states are watching very closely.
At the federal level, President Biden’s 2024-25 budget includes a $500 million allotment for a free tuition pilot program aimed at select two-year colleges. If these programs are successful, the administration estimates that providing free tuition for two-year schools would cost $90 billion over 10 years. Morgan adds if we include funding for those students who choose to move on to a four-year college, that overall cost could fall roughly somewhere between $9-$18 billion a year.
That may seem like a lot, but improving accessibility to higher education in this country must begin somewhere. As Morgan says “If we’re able to set a baseline for making even two-year community college free, it will prompt a lot of other changes in the education system.”
The whole debate over tuition for many has become a way to criticize and devalue higher education. But there’s enough research that supports the idea that higher education is vital to the country’s place in the world economy, not to mention the future of democracy. The idea of making it affordable supports itself.
Engagement Resources:
- More information on CFCT’s commitment to cost free, higher education can be found on their site: https://www.freecollegenow.org/
- For information on the Michigan Reconnect program, click here.
- The Education Trust is a progressive organization that seeks to remove obstacles to public education. Learn more about their efforts towards college affordability by clicking here.
The Battle Over Autonomous Vehicles in San Francisco
The Battle Over Autonomous Vehicles in San Francisco
Technology Policy Brief #95 | By: Mindy Spatt | August 21, 2023
Photo taken from: www.wired.com/
__________________________________
Waymo and Cruise autonomous vehicles (AVs) have become ubiquitous in some parts of San Francisco and seem to arouse strong feelings wherever they go. So much so that a proposal by the California Public Utilities Commission to allow them to begin charging for rides in San Francisco motivated hundreds to attend the meeting or call in to make public comment. The Commission voted 3 to 1 to approve the AV companys’ application.
Much of the public comment came from people with ties to either the two autonomous car companies or Lyft/Uber. A group of “gig workers” in matching shirts begged the Commission not to let the AVs cut into their desperately needed business. That must have seemed ironic to the taxi drivers who spoke at the meeting and made those same arguments several years ago when the Commission authorized Lyft and Uber to operate over their objections. The gig workers’ argument was counteracted by SEIU local 87, which said Cruise and Waymo would bring actual jobs, with decent pay and benefits, to some of their 3,000 unemployed members.
Handicapped organizations pointed out that Cruise (owned by General Motors) and Waymo (owned by Alphabet) couldn’t yet accommodate wheelchairs, with Lyft and Uber drivers insisting they always, always assisted customers in need. Several leading organizations for the blind offered a different perspective, complaining that drivers were put off by their blindness and often refused to accommodate their dogs. Autonomous Vehicles wouldn’t have that problem, and the technology holds enormous promise for handicapped people.
Since the issue the Commission was voting on was whether the AVs, already allowed to operate on the roads, could offer paid rides, comparisons to Lyft/Uber were inevitable, and outside of the wheelchair issue no one spoke up for the companies from a passenger perspective. Several callers expressed concerns about the high levels of sexual assault and harassment for women in Lyft and Uber cars, problems that would be absent in a driverless car. But women aren’t the only ones who feel fearful in a Lyft or Uber. One caller described getting into cars with drivers who are often “either stoned, drunk, texting or talking.” A representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving pointed out that despite the groups’ advocacy drunk driving is still a leading cause of death on our roads.
Ties to either side were so apparent that some callers felt the need to preface their comments by saying they were independent of Lyft, Uber, Waymo and Cruise. The callers that rang the truest to me were the bicycle riders. I’m a cyclist and their comments mirrored my experience on San Francisco’s increasingly dangerous streets. “Being almost killed by a driver who is either distracted or speeding is a daily occurrence,” said one. “Cruise and Waymo have never done that.” Another cyclist explained that Cruise and Waymo program their vehicles to obey California’s little known “Three Feet for Safety Law” that requires drivers to leave 3 feet of space when passing a bicycle.
A further irony to the debate is that the rideshare companies have made no secret of their own goal of eventually getting rid of drivers and moving to AVs themselves. Even when that happens they’ll still be just be a small percentage of total vehicles on the road and won’t lessen fears of pedestrians and cyclists who face life and death danger from people-driven cars. As one caller succinctly put it “we should ban human drivers.”
Engagement Resources
- Uber’s first ever safety report discloses 3,045 sexual assaults and nine murders in the US last year By Nick Statt, Dec 5, 2019 https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/5/20997939/uber-safety-report-2018-sexual-assault-ride-hailing-platform-stats
- SF City Attorney Files Motion to Halt Roll-Out of More Self-Driving Cruise and Waymo Robotaxis, By Joe Kukara, Aug. 17, 2023 https://sfist.com/2023/08/17/sf-city-attorney-files-motion-to-halt-roll-out-of-more-self-driving-cruise-and-waymo-robotaxis/
An Early Look at the 2023 Louisiana Governor’s Race
An Early Look at the 2023 Louisiana Governor’s Race
Elections & Politics Policy Brief #90 | By: Ian Milden | August 21, 2023
Photo taken from: lailluminator.com
__________________________________
Louisiana is one of three states to hold an election for Governor in the year before a Presidential election. This brief will explain the unusual dynamics of Louisiana elections and then examine the state of the open-seat race.
Analysis
Louisiana has an open-seat race for Governor this year since Louisiana state law prohibits Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) from running for three consecutive terms. He would be eligible to run in 2027 if he is interested. While an open seat race in a deep south state that votes for Republicans for federal office may not catch the interest of too many Democrats outside of the state, Louisiana’s unusual election system has helped Democrats win a few Governor’s races in the state.
Louisiana will hold what is called a “jungle primary”, where all candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, compete in the same primary. The structure of the jungle primary is similar to the first round of voting in Alaska’s new election system, which I discussed in a previous brief. The top two candidates advance to a runoff election. This year, the jungle primary is scheduled to occur on October 14th. The runoff election will occur on November 18th.
This system was implemented during the second term of Governor Edwin Edwards (D-LA), who is not related to the outgoing governor. Edwin Edwards’ first two terms as Governor were from 1971 until 1979. Louisiana prevents Governors from serving three consecutive terms, so Edwin Edwards could not run for reelection in 1979. Edwards calculated that Republicans would consolidate around Dave Treen in the 1979 election and that his own party would fracture and have a weak opponent against Treen in the runoff. Edwards thought that he could reunify the party behind him and win an easy campaign in 1983. Treen won the 1979 election, but he lost to Edwards in 1983. Edwards was defeated in 1987 by fellow Democrat Buddy Roemer due to the state’s financial troubles and Edwards’ corruption scandals. Roemer switched parties while in office, but he failed to secure support from within the state Republican Party, which resulted in voters dividing their support among several Republican candidates in 1991. Edwards was the only prominent Democrat to run, so he made the runoff. Roemer failed to make the runoff, losing the other spot to former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Edwards won his 4th term in 1991 with help from some very unusual bumper stickers.
The clear route for Democrats to win statewide races in Louisiana is to have one prominent Democrat run against a field of Republicans and hope either a controversial candidate emerges or conflict within the Republican party prevents them from unifying around the Republican candidate who made the runoff.
The prominent Democratic candidate for Governor is Shawn Wilson, the former state Secretary of Transportation. Wilson stepped down from his position just before launching his campaign for Governor. Wilson was endorsed by outgoing Governor John Bel Edwards and Congressman Troy Brown. Wilson only entered the race in March, which gave him a relatively late start.
There’s also a large field of Republican candidates running for Governor. Among the candidates are Attorney General Jeff Landry, State Treasurer John Schroeder, State Senate Majority Leader Sharon Hewitt, state representative Richard Nelson, and former CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry Stephen Waguespack. The state Republican Party caused controversy by endorsing Attorney General Landry, which sparked significant criticism from Landry’s rivals and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungusser (R-LA), who is running for reelection.
Landry is likely to make the runoff election. Whether he makes it against Wilson or another Republican remains to be seen. I don’t think that the controversy surrounding the state party’s endorsement of Landry is enough to deter other Republicans from supporting him in the runoff. Regardless, I think it is reasonable to assume that Landry is the Republican front-runner and has a good chance to be elected the next Governor of Louisiana.
Engagement Resources
- Shawn Wilson’s Campaign Website: https://www.wilsonforla.com/
- Louisiana Democratic Party; https://louisianademocrats.org/
- Democratic Governors Association Website: https://democraticgovernors.org/
The Week That Was: Global News in Review
The Week That Was: Global News in Review
Foreign Policy Brief #88 | By: Ibrahim Castro | August 15, 2023
Photo taken from: nytimes.com
__________________________________
Amazon nations summit commits to safeguarding world’s largest rainforest
Early last week eight South American nations, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela ended the first Amazon nations summit in 14 years by signing a declaration to safeguard the world’s largest rainforest. The eight states came to an agreement to stop the rainforest from reaching a point of no return. The heads of state at the summit also challenged countries in the global north to do more to stop the rapid destruction of the Amazon, a task they say cannot fall to just a few countries when the crisis has been caused by so many. Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged world leaders to consider a radical rethinking of global economics, calling for a “Marshall Plan” style strategy in which developing countries’ debts are canceled in exchange for action to protect the climate. The summit itself is progress and a step towards ending deforestation and combating climate change, however, it stopped short of reaching the demands of environmentalists and Indigenous groups. These demands included for all member countries to adopt pledges to completely end illegal deforestation by 2030 and follow in Colombia’s pledge to halt all new oil exploration in the forest. Instead, participating countries will be left to pursue their own individual deforestation goals.
Russia and India go to the moon
Last week two spacecraft, one sent by Russia and the other by India, headed for the Moon’s South Pole, a location that no lunar lander has ever successfully touched down on. The Russian and Indian crafts are on opposing quests to search for water ice and any useful minerals that might be present in the lunar surface. The missions reflect the renewed interest in the Moon for space exploration by a now growing number of nations, not just the usual space powers such as the United States and Europe. National pride will likely also be a factor in pushing ahead as Russia is hoping to prove its continued capabilities in space given that the country’s space programme has been affected by sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine. The recent discovery of pockets of water ice on the nearest celestial body to Earth has caused excitement because hydrogen in the water could potentially be extracted to make rocket fuel on a future Moon base by whomever gets there first.
Migrant boat capsizes in the English channel
According to French maritime officials, last week six people died after a boat carrying migrants headed to Britain sank in the English Channel. It was stated that about 10 passengers were still missing, with 55 having been rescued from the capsized boat. More than 100,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel on small boats from France to England since public records on arrivals began being kept in 2018. As a result French authorities have stepped up patrols and other deterrent measures after London agreed in March to send Paris hundreds of millions of euros annually towards the effort to restrict asylum seekers. The deaths from the boat crossing stem from the lack of legal routes of entry into the UK and France for refugees seeking asylum and looking to reunite with family in the UK. The ruling conservative party in the UK has opted to rely on policies designed to deter people from making the journey through threat of deportation, a strategy that has received much criticism from human rights groups.
Do Trump’s Indictment Defenses Stand a Chance?
Do Trump’s Indictment Defenses Stand a Chance?
Elections & Politics Policy Brief #89 | By: Arvind Salem | August 15, 2023
Photo taken from: theday.com
__________________________________
Off the heels of a superseding indictment adding more charges to his classified documents case, President Donald Trump faces a third indictment: this time related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
On August 1st, President Trump was indicted on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding, and conspiracy to disenfranchise voters. The indictment specifically acknowledges that Trump had the right to speak about the election results and challenge them through lawful means, but argues that Trump’s actions were outside the bounds of legal conduct and amounted to a criminal conspiracy.
The specific actions that the prosecution, led by Jack Smith, argues were illegal include pressuring state officials to change results to disenfranchise millions of voters, assembling a state of fraudulent electors to change the electoral vote count, trying to weaponize the Department of Justice to conduct fake investigations to falsely claim that there was voter fraud, pressuring Mike Pence to change the outcome of the election, and lying to his supporters to get them to storm the Capitol and obstruct the proceedings.
The indictment also mentions six co-conspirators but leaves them unnamed. However, matching outside information with the descriptions in the indictment have allowed five of them to be identified: former Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman and Sidney Powell, Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and pro-Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro who orchestrated the fake electors plot. The sixth co-conspirator, who the indictment states is a political consultant, is unknown.
Policy Analysis
The biggest question in any Trump indictment is what is the likelihood that Trump is found guilty and goes to prison. To answer this question, it is necessary to look at Trump’s likely legal defense and the circumstances surrounding the trial.
Trump has three main legal defenses. The first, and most obvious defense, is that Trump had the right to say whatever he wanted to about the election being stolen under the first amendment. While this is true, the first amendment does not protect coercing state officials to overturn election results, using fraud to recruit fake electors, or using the executive branch (the Justice Department and Vice President) to stay in power. The only question here is if the prosecution has enough evidence to prove that Trump did all of these things.
The second defense is that he did not explicitly order Mike Pence to overturn the election results, but he asked him in an aspiration sense (rather than ordering him). The distinction is that asking is protected under the first amendment whereas ordering in this situation would be illegal. To counter this defense, the prosecution could simply call Mike Pence to testify regarding how he understood Trump’s request (whether it was aspirational or an order). Additionally, Trump has other instances where he has ordered people to help him overturn the election such as his infamous quote where he pressured officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes.
The third defense is that Trump sincerely believed that the election was stolen from him. Trump’s lawyers argue that since he was acting on something he sincerely believed in, there was no criminal intent. However, prosecutors may not need to prove that Trump was insincere in his claims to prove criminal intent, but merely prove that Trump knew he was using illegal means. The prosecution could also attach the very premise that Trump thought the election was stolen by focusing on all the instances where his advisors, lawyers, intelligence agencies, the courts, and the Department of Justice all told him that there was no election fraud.
Another complication for Trump arises from the Judge overseeing the case: Tanya Chutkan. Judge Chutkan is known for being extremely harsh to January 6th rioters and called for the people who lied to them to be charged. In one sentencing hearing in 2021 she said, “You have made a very good point that the people who exhorted you and encouraged you and rallied you to go and take action and to fight have not been charged.” Out of the 31 January 6th defendants that have come before her, she has sentenced every single one to prison time, and is the judge most likely to go beyond punishments requested by the prosecution. Trump’s legal team has made it a priority to move the trial outside of Washington D.C., due to its Democrat leanings, to a state that leans Republican such as West Virginia. If such a motion is successful, it would also mean that Judge Chutkan would not be on the case. However it is worth noting that none of more than a dozen similar motions by riot defendants have succeeded due to the constitutional principle that defendants should be tried wherever the crime allegedly occurred.
Engagement Resources
Winred allows people to donate money to Republican candidates to support their campaign. Readers interested in supporting President Trump or other members of the Republican party may find that this is a useful way to convey their support and help the Republican cause.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School is an organization that promotes reforms to the American democracy and argues against many practices today such as gerrymandering and mass incarceration. Readers who are concerned about the health of democracy in light of this indictment may wish to support the Brennan Center and help it advance its proposed reforms.
Act for America is an organization that seeks to educate and mobilize Americans against foreign and domestic threats, and advocates for bills to achieve these aims. Those who feel that this indictment constitutes a breakdown of justice may wish to support this organization.
ActBlue allows people to donate to a host of Democratic organizations, candidates, and causes. Readers are likely to find organizations that are supporting the Trump indictment on this site and may wish to donate money to further that cause.
The Impact of Culture Wars on Florida Universities
The Impact of Culture Wars on Florida Universities
Education Policy Brief #84 | By: Rudolph Lurz | August 10, 2023
Photo taken from: https://www.rollingstone.com/
__________________________________
Each year, US News & World Report and The Princeton Review release their rankings of higher education institutions. Practically nothing related to education escapes the quantitative analysis of these publications. They rank undergraduate programs, majors, graduate programs, schools of medicine and law, and even an institution’s reputation for partying. Universities care about these rankings, because higher institutional prestige leads to more applicants. When universities have a larger applicant pool to draw from, they get better incoming freshmen classes. More importantly, a higher ranking from Princeton Review or US News & World Report results in more donations to universities, improving an institution’s bottom line. A national ranking on a best colleges list resulted in a 61% increase in the number of million-dollar donations received, according to a study that evaluated nearly 1,500 colleges and universities. Colleges have even attempted to fudge the numbers which go into generating the annual rankings, with one exposed scandal at Columbia University resulting in a 16-place drop for the Ivy League institution. Following their precipitous fall, Columbia recently withdrew from the US News & World Report rankings, and criticized the “outsized influence” of the rankings system.
Despite the outcry against US News & World Report and Princeton Review, universities are quick to celebrate their rankings when they show improvement or excellence. The University of Florida recently took a victory lap after being ranked in the top five nationally for public research universities. Mori Hosseini, the chair of UF’s Board of Trustees, noted, “UF’s position in the rankings is reflective of our continual, rapid strengthening in teaching, learning and research performance — smaller class sizes, consistently high graduation and retention rates, and the increased value of each student’s degree after graduation—all of which in turn helps Florida be viewed as a national leader.”
The chair of UF’s Faculty Senate, Amanda Phalin, stated, “At the end of the day, our university’s reputation comes down not to what is happening around us, but what we do — our outstanding teaching and research…This ranking is a testament to the skills and passion, individually and collectively, of us, the UF faculty.”
State universities are an engine for economic growth and good jobs. As Phalin noted, the quality of a school’s faculty is an essential part of developing institutional prestige. That prestige is presently facing a threat from the ongoing battle against “wokeness” led by Governor Ron DeSantis. Andrew Gothard, state-level president of the United Faculty of Florida labor union, is predicting a 20-30% turnover rate among faculty at some state universities. Kenneth Nunn, who recently retired after 30 years at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law, noted, “Florida is toxic…It has been many years since we last hired an entry-level African American faculty member. They’re just not interested in being in a place where something with the stature of critical race theory is being denigrated and attacked.”
Analysis
Rankings like US News & World Report and Princeton Review have long been criticized by academic professionals. They are seen as inaccurate at best, and reinforcing economic inequality at worst. US News & World Report, in response to the backlash from Columbia and other Ivy League institutions, revamped how it calculates its law school rankings, using only publicly-available data instead of the often-flawed internal reports submitted to the publication.
Regardless of the efficacy or ethics of these rankings, the de facto situation is that they are incredibly important for schools. They are a central element, and often the determining factor, of how students make their college choices. Since they are important, they cannot be ignored.
If high-quality professors and students actively avoid Florida’s schools because of a perceived toxic atmosphere, that will inevitably impact Florida’s position on future rankings in US News & World Report and Princeton Review. If the ranking of Florida institutions slips, and a “brain drain” of students and faculty results, the consequence will be a major economic loss for the state.
For Governor DeSantis, who won re-election because of Florida’s strong economic performance during his tenure, that is a direct threat to his viability as a national political candidate in the Republican Party.
The Governor’s culture war is popular with social conservatives, and has provided ample material for stump speeches during his run for the presidency. Social conservatives might be alarmed by CRT and think DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) offices are secret agencies to indoctrinate the youth into the so-called woke agenda. With each attack on LGBTQ+, CRT, DEI, or any other “woke” acronym, Governor DeSantis rallies his base. The issue with Florida’s brain drain is simple.
Scholars, professors, and academic professionals are what the Governor’s base would call “woke”.
These folks do not like the Governor’s policies and are quite alarmed by them. Many elite students from both inside and outside the Sunshine State, who would otherwise have attended schools like the University of Florida, are being scared away.
How many biology and chemistry PhDs are accepting different university jobs at this moment? What other states will reap the rewards of those scientists’ future patents and research grants? How many National Merit Scholars are choosing schools outside Florida? What kind of tax revenue will Florida lose once those graduates create start-up companies in Michigan or Maryland instead of Florida? Florida is already losing millions due to conventions selecting alternate locations. How many millions will it take before the Governor’s vaunted budget surplus begins to wither away?
Governor DeSantis likes to say, “Go woke, go broke,” on the campaign trail. He would be wise to revise that slogan. Higher education is not Bud Light. Scholars are leaving the state, taking their economic impact with them.
The coming brain drain will soon hit Florida’s rankings in US News & World Report, and then its economy. As Governor DeSantis ponders his next move in his culture war against wokeness, he should consider if the juice is worth the squeeze.
Engagement Resources
- Princeton Review: Best Colleges 2023 | College Ranking List | The Princeton Review
- US News & World Report: 2022-2023 Best Colleges | College Rankings and Data | US News Education
The Hijab in Sports
The Hijab in Sports
Foreign Policy Brief #87 | By: Reilly Fitzgerald | August 8, 2023
Photo taken from: fox4news.com
__________________________________
The hijab is an article of clothing that has sparked debate for years due to its connections to the Islamic faith for some, and for others a tie to a social and political landscape based in the Middle East. The hijab is a form of head covering that women either of Middle Eastern descent, or Islamic faith, might wear. Across the world, head coverings are used as a means to show modesty or commitment to faith or connection to a specific culture. The hijab has not gone without controversy, especially in the post-9/11 world. Many places have banned the wearing of a hijab, while hypocritically allowing other head coverings to be worn. The FIFA Women’s World Cup, ongoing in Australia and New Zealand, has just had the first ever women’s soccer player to wear a hijab in a game. The wearing of the hijab in sports has grown so much that even major sports retailers are designing sports hijabs (such as Nike and Adidas).
Analysis
Nouhaila Benzina is the first woman to ever wear a hijab while playing in the Women’s World Cup. She is a top player for the Moroccan National Team. Coincidently, French courts upheld the country-wide ban on athletes wearing the hijab while playing football (otherwise known as soccer). According to The Local France, the hijab is banned while playing soccer but is acceptable in any other public space in France. However, in 2010 a law passed that made entire full-face coverings, such as the niqab and burqa illegal to be worn in public in France. The colonial history between Morocco and France is significant and is a means of tension between North African countries and the European power. The two teams will be playing against each other on August 8th, 2023. It is also worth noting that the Moroccan men’s team was booted from the men’s World Cup last by France. The women’s team is heading into the French match-up after winning two of their three initial matches of the tournament, while the French women’s team has also won two matches and drew level against Jamaica.
Not all countries have dealt with the hijab the same as France, however. In fact, Finland’s Football Association hands out free sports hijabs to increase the diversity of the players in their country and to include people who may be otherwise excluded, according to Al Jazeera. It is interesting to note, that a Pew Research study found that out of 15 countries Finland held the most anti-Muslim sentiments out of the group. In another show of support for hijab wearing athletes, the state of Maryland passed a bill into law called the Inclusive Attire Act which allows student-athletes who wear a hijab to compete in their sport without fear of exclusion.
Nike began making athletic and sports hijabs in 2017, and other companies (Adidas, Lululemon, etc) have followed suit since then. Sports such as football (soccer), running, weight lifting, and even water sports like swimming are becoming more and more hijab friendly due to these products being made regularly. The argument for this type of athletic wear is that a traditional hijab would be impractical for sport – it would slow someone down while running, could even be a safety issue perhaps in other sports, and/or just plain uncomfortable to wear. These new hijabs are made with top-notch quality athletic fabrics and are designed for an athlete to wear in competition.
Though it is an incredible achievement for Nouhaila Benzina to be in the women’s World Cup and to wear her hijab, it must be noted that there are several other athletes before her that have worn hijabs in competition. According to an article in Rolling Stone, in 2016 at the Rio Olympics, the first women to wear a hijab and compete for the United States was fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad (she took home a bronze medal); she even has her own fashion line which includes hijabs, called Louella. Other notable athletes are Hajar Abdulfazl the captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Team, and Kulsoom Abdullah the Pakistani weightlifter.
Engagement Resources