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Alaska (2026 Democratic Primary Preview Series Brief #2)

There are two seats up for grabs this coming election season in Alaska: the first is Alaska’s single, at-large House of Representatives seat, and the second is the Senate seat of Republican Dan Sullivan. The current delegation consists of Republican Representative Nick Begich III, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.

Alabama (2026 Democratic Primary Preview Series Brief #1)

The Yellowhammer State will have all seven of its U.S. House seats on the ballot in 2026, along with one of its U.S. Senate seats. Alabama’s current House delegation includes: District 1: Barry Moore (R); District 2: Shomari Figures (D); District 3: Mike Rogers (R); District 4: Tyler Aderholt (R); District 5: Dale Strong (R); District 6: Gary Palmer (R); and District 7: Terri Sewell (D).

Deconstructing “Peace”: Trump’s Settled Conflicts and the Ceasefire Illusion (Foreign Policy Brief #222)

In political discourse, the language of peacemaking is often employed for its potent rhetorical value, yet the terms used can obscure the reality on the ground. A critical distinction must be drawn between a ceasefire and a peace settlement. A ceasefire, or an armistice, is a military and temporal arrangement. It is an agreement to stop active hostilities, to put down the weapons, often temporarily and along existing lines of control. It is a pause. It does not resolve the underlying political, economic, or social grievances that ignited the conflict. A peace settlement, by contrast, is a comprehensive political and legal resolution. It is a formal treaty or agreement that ends the state of war by addressing the root causes—such as sovereignty, borders, justice, and security guarantees—and attempts to build a framework for a new, sustainable relationship.

The State of Sports Betting Policy in the United States (Social Justice Policy Brief #184)

The legal landscape of sports betting has been tumultuous for years now. Last February, for instance, Ohio banned prop bets on college sports and federal legislation to limit sports betting advertising has been introduced. Going further back, the 2017 Murphy v. NCAA Supreme Court ruling reversed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which was passed in 1992 and prohibited sports gambling in most states, allowing for such a legal landscape today. Justice Samuel Alito authored the opinion and argued that the PASPA violated the 10th amendment which protects the power of the states. As of 2025, 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized sports betting to some extent, whether through in-person or virtual avenues.

Federal Court Blocks Texas’ Racially Discriminatory Redistricting Map (Social Justice Policy Brief #184)

In a major ruling upholding the rights of minority voters, a three-judge federal panel on November 18, 2025, issued a preliminary injunction blocking Texas from using its newly adopted 2025 congressional redistricting map for the upcoming 2026 elections. The map, enacted during a special legislative session in August, was found to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander that harmed the voting power of Black and Hispanic Texans. The panel ordered that the elections proceed under the state’s 2021 map. Opponents, including State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, applauded the decision, stating the map was a clear effort by the Trump administration and Texas Republicans to “silence the voices” of minority-majority districts. Texas has already filed a notice of appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Broad, Dramatic Changes Threaten the Environment as Trump Lifts Protections (Environment Policy Brief #184)

Dolphins in New York Harbor, whales breaching off Lower Manhattan, oysters thriving in the waters around New York City, and the Hudson River—long written off as dead—now supports fishing again. These signs of  environmental recovery, while miraculous, all could slam into reverse as the latest Trump administration rollbacks take effect.

Reclaiming the Pedestal: Monument Removal and the Struggle for Public Memory (Social Justice Policy Brief #183)

The ongoing, contentious debate over public monuments is not a referendum on history, but a profound struggle over power, memory, and the definition of public space. For generations, city squares, parks, and government buildings have been dominated by statues celebrating figures of colonialism, slavery, and state violence—from Confederate generals and slave traders to architects of Indigenous genocide. These monuments have never been neutral historical markers. They are active political statements, erected to assert a specific, dominant narrative of power and to legitimize a social hierarchy built on white supremacy.

The Potential Harm Posed to Society Due to the Inaccuracies of AI (Technology Policy Brief #159)

The future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not fully determined, but it will continue to have a significant impact on our society and the way we live. The ways it currently impacts society are through improvements in efficiency, productivity, and accessibility. Self-driving cars relying on AI, AI-powered robots are used to provide aid and assistance in the healthcare system, and AI security systems are used to automate threat detection, among other examples. Although AI creates positive advantages and impacts, it also creates negative effects. The negative effects cover the environment, employment and other fields. These examples are often caused by  products that use and incorporate AI, but what (potential) harm is created due to inaccuracies within the actual systems of AI?

Alaska (2026 Democratic Primary Preview Series Brief #2)

There are two seats up for grabs this coming election season in Alaska: the first is Alaska’s single, at-large House of Representatives seat, and the second is the Senate seat of Republican Dan Sullivan. The current delegation consists of Republican Representative Nick Begich III, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, and Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.

Deconstructing “Peace”: Trump’s Settled Conflicts and the Ceasefire Illusion (Foreign Policy Brief #222)

In political discourse, the language of peacemaking is often employed for its potent rhetorical value, yet the terms used can obscure the reality on the ground. A critical distinction must be drawn between a ceasefire and a peace settlement. A ceasefire, or an armistice, is a military and temporal arrangement. It is an agreement to stop active hostilities, to put down the weapons, often temporarily and along existing lines of control. It is a pause. It does not resolve the underlying political, economic, or social grievances that ignited the conflict. A peace settlement, by contrast, is a comprehensive political and legal resolution. It is a formal treaty or agreement that ends the state of war by addressing the root causes—such as sovereignty, borders, justice, and security guarantees—and attempts to build a framework for a new, sustainable relationship.

The State of Sports Betting Policy in the United States (Social Justice Policy Brief #184)

Social Justice Policy Brief #184 | Katie Lever | November 13, 2025 The Issues The legal landscape...

Federal Court Blocks Texas’ Racially Discriminatory Redistricting Map (Social Justice Policy Brief #184)

Social Justice Policy Brief #184 | Valerie Henderson | November 22, 2025 Summary In a major ruling...
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Latest USRESISTNEWS and Analysis

By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney Maggay
Oct 10 2025

Can The Government Prosecute Protesters For Their Speech? (Civil Rights Policy Brief #248)

During a small outing by President Trump and a small group of officials at a public restaurant in Washington, D.C., the President was met by a small group of protesters....
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney Maggay
Aug 20 2025

The Texas and California Re – Districting Fight Explained

At the end of July 2025 President Trump suggested that Texas should re – district (or, redraw) their state congressional map prior to the 2026 general election....
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney A. Maggay
Jul 12 2025

Why The Birthright Citizenship Rule Is Still Valid Today And What Comes Next (Civil Rights Brief #245)

On the first day of his second presidential term, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order No. 14160. This executive order is popularly known as the birthright...
By c25b20b4bf935be4bec0b8fb91937323ea51988682699fb8738acdcaeb2b01a4?s=96&d=mm&r=g david
Jun 10 2025

The Role of the Judiciary Against The Other Branches of Government – A Historical Background (Civil Rights Policy Brief #244)

Just this week a number of reports have surfaced that detailed President Trump’s frustration with the Supreme Court and both the federal and state level judiciary...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney Maggay
Jun 05 2025

The Distinction Between Law and Policy And The Role of The Courts

he beginning of President Trump’s second term saw a slew of executive orders on a number of policies and also saw numerous responses to those orders. More than...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney Maggay
May 12 2025

The Department of Justice Voting Section’s Shift In Priorities

A number of news outlets have recently reported that the United States Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division Voting Section has changed their...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nicholas Gordon
Apr 30 2025

Resistance is Not Futile: Upholding Civil Rights and Constitutional Norms to withstand Trump’s Autocratic Aims

In his first 100 days in office, President Trump has pursued a sinister goal of autocracy by relentlessly attacking any and all forms of opposition and repressing civil...
By c25b20b4bf935be4bec0b8fb91937323ea51988682699fb8738acdcaeb2b01a4?s=96&d=mm&r=g david
Apr 23 2025

The Administration Efforts to Avoid a Judicial Ruling

On April 9, 2025 the House of Representatives voted on the No Rogue Rulings Act bill. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). H.R. 1526 would prohibit a...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney Maggay
Apr 01 2025

A Court’s Options To Enforce Compliance With Court Orders

Under Rule 3.3 of the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct, titled “Candor Toward the Tribunal,” a lawyer has a number of...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Rodney Maggay
Mar 12 2025

The Pettiness of President Trump Targeting Law Firms For Revenge

On February 25, 2025 President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the security clearances of lawyers and staff at the Washington, D.C. law office of the...
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Elections & Politics

By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Morgan Davidson
Nov 07 2025

Funding Dissent in the Crosshairs: Trump’s War on the Soros Foundations (Elections & Politics Policy Brief #200)

The Trump administration has targeted George Soros and the Open Society Foundations (OSF) in its post-Kirk “crackdown” on what it calls radical left networks. Trump has...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Morgan Davidson
Oct 09 2025

Unmasking the Target: Antifa & Trump’s Crackdown on Dissent (Elections & Politics Brief #199)

Trump’s crackdown on political opposition, announced in the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, is aimed at a range of Democratic and resistance groups. The...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nate Iglehart
Oct 04 2025

The Government Shutdown: Why it Happened, and What May Happen Next (Elections & Politics Brief #198)

Push has come to shove, and for the first time in six years, the United States government has shut down. Driven by disagreements over the Republican federal spending...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Morgan Davidson
Sep 23 2025

The ‘Radical Left’: Defining Dissent in Divided America (Elections & Politics Brief #196)

Following Charlie Kirk’s assassination, President Trump is pushing to go after ‘radical left’ groups, those he claims promote political violence and engage...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nate Iglehart
Sep 23 2025

How To Ensure A Fair And Safe 2026 Midterm Election (Election and Politics #197)

With only nine months of his presidency in the books, President Donald Trump has undertaken a radical reshaping of American democracy. From its courts to its liberties,...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nate Iglehart
Sep 16 2025

Trump and Intel — A Republican-Backed Nationalization (Elections & Politics Brief #194)

In a surprise move, on August 22nd Donald Trump’s administration and the global technology company Intel announced a deal. In it, the United States government will make...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Inijah Quadri
Sep 09 2025

Where Gerrymandering Comes From—and Where It’s Going (Elections & Politics Brief #193)

Gerrymandering began as a nineteenth-century power play in Massachusetts, when Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a state senate redistricting bill whose oddly shaped Essex...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nate Iglehart
Aug 12 2025

Third Party Possibilities

The United States is currently in the throes of a political transformation, one being driven mostly by President Donald Trump and his allies in the Republican Party....
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nate Iglehart
Aug 05 2025

The New Wave of Progressive Politicians is Growing (Elections & Politics Brief #189)

It has been just over six months since Donald Trump ascended to the presidency, and he and his GOP allies have wasted no time or effort in pushing the United States as...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Naja Barnes
Aug 04 2025

The Democratic Push for the Release of the Epstein Files (Elections & Politics Brief #190)

There has been deep curiosity, unsettling truths, and controversies surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and the Epstein files. The public has been pushing for and putting...
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Foreign Policy

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Foreign Policy

Duped by Putin for months on end, Trump must now hold the line on Russia (Foreign Policy Brief #212)

Trump’s egregious pre-election claim that he could “end the war in a day” between Russia and Ukraine has instead resulted in Russia’s huge surge of attacks on Ukraine and an increasing number of civilian deaths. While Trump often tries to deflect his responsibility for handling this war onto past U.S. presidents, he is now in fact the commander in chief and must take action to support an ally in Ukraine, help prevent further carnage, and demonstrate American democratic mettle vis-a-vis a ruthless dictator in Putin.   

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Peace Prizes and Bombs: The Theater of Trump’s Nobel Pursuit (Foreign Policy Brief #211)

In the summer of 2025, President Donald Trump became the centerpiece of a surreal global spectacle: a campaign to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Trump for supposedly brokering stability in conflict zones, and Cambodia’s deputy prime minister praised him for his role in a temporary ceasefire with Thailand. The White House eagerly embraced this narrative, touting Trump as a global peacemaker and repeatedly pointing to “six major conflicts” that he allegedly helped resolve.

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South Sudan: Oil and Matches (Foreign Policy Brief #210)

South Sudan is the youngest country in the world in terms of its autonomous foundation. Once part of Sudan, it achieved semi-autonomy in 2005 after years of brutal civil war as part of its now northern neighbor. Eventually, under referendum, the people of South Sudan voted for absolute autonomy in 2011, legally breaking away from Sudan.

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Technology

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Technology

Trump’s Tech Ventures Positioned for Top Profits (Technology Policy Brief #151)

The Trump organization has dropped any pretense of avoiding conflicts of interest.  Instead, it is blatantly cashing in on Trump’s presidency in every conceivable way.  At the top of the list is tech, with both Trump and his wife selling digital currencies and a new Trump mobile phone on the way.  An additional bonus is that Trump has a great deal of power over the agencies that oversee these industries, and Congress is doing nothing to stop him from taking advantage of it.

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AI Regulation: Who’s Up to the Challenge? (Technology Policy Brief #150)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the discipline of designing computer systems that can perform tasks normally requiring human cognition—pattern recognition, language generation, planning—by learning statistical relationships from large data sets. Modern AI works by training vast machine-learning models on petabytes of text, images, audio, and code and then applying those models to new inputs to produce predictions or content; it now powers everything from chatbots and fraud detection to medical imaging and autonomous drones.

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Trump’s Big Beautiful Gifts to Artificial Intelligence Companies (Technology Policy Brief # 149)

In his first few days in office, Donald Trump announced a $500 billion joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle, and Softbank to invest in growing the US’s AI infrastructure and rescinded former President Joe Biden’s executive order requiring safety submissions from AI developers.  His big, beautiful bill showers much more money in the industry, and aims to eliminate state oversight or regulation of AI companies as well.

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Environment

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Environment

Introducing Gulf of America – from the person who gave us Trump Tower (Environmental Policy Brief #178)

For the last 475 years, the expanse of ocean from western Florida to southern Texas has been called the “Gulf of Mexico.” English geographer Richard Hakluyt referred to the “Gulfe of Mexico” in his work of 1589. With the stroke of a pen on February 9, 2025, the President of the United States signed Executive Order 14172 and renamed the body of water “Gulf of America.” In addition to “restoring American pride,” President Trump justified the name change by referencing territorial rights over much of the area and that those waters have “long been an integral asset to our once burgeoning Nation and has remained an indelible part of America.” Trump considers the Gulf a business asset.

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No shortage of Canaries in our Coastlines Signaling Catastrophe (Environmental Policy Brief #178)

40% of the U.S. population line our coasts. That equates to approximately 130 million people residing in coastal counties. In addition to those who retire seaside, entire economies are integrated into the coastal industries of fishing, tourism, energy, shipbuilding, and recreation. Even a cursory glance using google maps shows how tightly clustered the built space is, all on only 10% of the total U.S. land mass. Shoreline communities have five times the population density as compared to the U.S. average.

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By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Mindy Spatt
Nov 12 2025

Antisemitism Is the Weapon, Teachers are the Target (Education Policy Brief #213)

Educators who are critical of the Israeli government or the occupation, or who voice support for Palestinian statehood, are increasingly at risk of disciplinary action...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Charlie Sweeney
Nov 07 2025

Trump’s War on Highest Ed: Shake-up or Shakedown? (Education Policy Brief #212)

From Harvard to Stanford, the message was unmistakable—comply or be cut off. The campaign, launched soon after Trump’s return to office in 2025, has transformed federal...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Charlie Sweeney
Oct 30 2025

How the Trump Administration Shook Up Education — and What It Means for Students with Disabilities (Education Policy Brief #211)

While most of the major media headlines about the Trump Administration’s education policies have focused on ideological battles with the nation’s premier universities,...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Nicholas Gordon
Oct 30 2025

Trump’s Termination of U.S. Exchange Programs Weakens America at Home and Abroad

Diplomatic “soft power” is related to a country’s ability to influence other nations through its core values and culture. American democratic values including a free...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Katie Lever
Oct 17 2025

The Uncertain Future of the Department of Education and Title IX (Education Policy Brief #209)

Leading up to the 2024 election, Donald Trump promised to dismantle the Department of Education, a sentiment that was supported in an executive order from the White...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Steve Piazza
Aug 28 2025

The Downsizing of Student Learning Assessments (Education Policy Brief #208)

As the Trump Administration carries out its crusade to reduce the size of government, one of the targets has been the Department of Education (DOE). The DOE is made up...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Yelena Korshunov
Aug 04 2025

New Trump Rule Targets The Head Start Program (Education Policy Brief #206)

Earlier this month, on Thursday, July 10, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that children of undocumented immigrants will no longer be...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Steve Piazza
Jul 16 2025

Current Efforts to Change State Education Curricula (Education Policy Brief #205)

Recent changes to state laws and policies reflect conservative efforts to remove what they consider “divisive concepts” regarding race and gender. South Carolina,...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Steve Piazza
Jun 18 2025

Project 2025 and Federal Influence Over K-12 Curricula (Education Policy Brief #204)

Although President Trump campaigned by keeping distance between himself and Project 2025, it is clear that his agenda since his inauguration has run parallel to the...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Naja Barnes
Jun 10 2025

The Future of Student Loans in Trump’s Presidency (Education Policy Brief #203)

Since Trump’s attack on the Department of Education, there has been some confusion surrounding the future of student loans. During the Biden Administration, there were...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Valerie Henderson
May 05 2025

The Trump Administration and the University Communities: Part 1, Funding Suspension

In April 2025, the Trump administration escalated its efforts to reshape American higher education by suspending billions in federal grants to elite universities —...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Valerie Henderson
May 05 2025

The Trump Administration and University Communities: Part II

Following the initial wave of federal funding suspensions, the Trump administration has intensified its campaign to reshape American higher education. The effort has...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Valerie Henderson
Apr 23 2025

Understanding What the U.S. Department of Education Did

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE), established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, promotes student achievement, ensures equal access to education, and enforces...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Damian DeSola
Apr 10 2025

MAGA Against College: A Fight for America’s Minds

It is no secret that the past two months of Trump’s second term have rattled both American and international societies to their core. Racing out of the gates, the...
By ?s=96&d=mm&r=g Valerie Henderson
Apr 06 2025

The Reasons We’ve Had a Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE), established in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, operates to promote student achievement, ensure equal access to education, and...
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Health & Gender

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Health & Gender

Checking in on 14 Years of Obamacare: Part 3

Policy Brief #174 – Health and Gender
by: Geoffrey Small

Fourteen years after the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), its impact on innovative medical care and cost-saving measures remains mixed. While Obamacare has expanded access and encouraged preventative care, the anticipated financial savings have not fully materialized, highlighting the ongoing complexity of achieving affordable healthcare in the U.S.

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Checking in on 14 Years of Obamacare: Part 2

Policy Brief #172 – Health and Gender
by: Geoffrey Small

This article examines the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Medicaid expansion across states. Despite the ACA’s goal to make health insurance more accessible and to encourage Medicaid expansion, some states have resisted, leading to ongoing debates and policy changes regarding healthcare coverage and access.

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Immigration

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Immigration

An Update on Trump’s Mass Deportation Efforts (Immigration Policy Brief #141)

As we enter the second month of Donald Trump’s return to office, his stance on immigration remains as hardline as ever—if not more extreme. He has ramped up his rhetoric against so-called “criminals,” but communities across the country are feeling the tangible effects of his deportation policies. Friends, neighbors, workers, and community members are being forcibly removed, leaving behind fractured families and economic instability.

Exploring Different Types of Immigrants & Immigration Realities (Immigration Policy Brief #140)

The Trump administration has recently begun redefining its view on what it sees as the appropriate options for gender in the education system. The newly released Trump executive order on “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling” released on January 29 seeks to prohibit federal funding for schools that are teaching gender ideology and critical race theory in the classroom.

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Economic Policy

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Economic Policy

Impact of Remote Work on Urban Development

Brief #62 – Economic Policy Brief
by: Inijah Quadri

The rise of remote work, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, is reshaping urban landscapes and challenging traditional city planning. As cities adapt to this new reality, the shift presents both opportunities for sustainable development and significant hurdles for local economies reliant on office workers.

Navigating Inflation: A Comprehensive Analysis

Brief #61 – Economic Policy Brief
by: Arvind Salem

As inflation rates surge, consumers face mounting pressure on their wallets, with prices soaring in key sectors like housing and groceries. Amidst political debates and policy clashes, understanding the root causes and potential solutions becomes critical for navigating the economic landscape.

Cryptocurrencies: Economic Implications and Challenges

Brief #60 – Economic Policy Brief
by: Inijah Quadri

The rise of cryptocurrencies heralds a new era in the global financial landscape, offering decentralized alternatives to traditional fiat currencies. With the potential for enhanced financial inclusion and transactional efficiency, cryptocurrencies present both opportunities and challenges in reshaping the future of finance.

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Making Democracy Great Again

USRESIST SHARE: August 2025 #1

We are pleased to send you the current issue of USRESIST SHARE—our bi-weekly magazine of the latest news Briefs by our Reporters. USRESIST SHARE is intended to deepen your understanding of today’s leading public policy and political issues. We hope you’ll enjoy and welcome your feedback.

Immigration Report

USRESIST NEWS presents a special report on Immigration Policy. This report entails the immigration policy briefs by our news team over the last 6 months.

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