Brief #130 – Immigration Policy
By Kathryn Baron
After the July 2021 assassination of the Haitian president that plunged the nation into political turmoil and exacerbated existing violence, a 7.2 earthquake and major tropical storm hit the following month, displacing and killing thousands. The Biden Administration extended an existing Temporary Protected Status for Haitians already living in the US from deportation as a result.
Brief #133 – Foreign Policy
By Abran C
On September 16, 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden, along with U.K. Prime minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime minister Scott Morrison who joined in virtually, announced the creation of a new security partnership or the AUKUS pact, between the three nations that seeks to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Brief #131 – Environment Policy
By Todd J. Broadman
80% of the world’s energy comes from coal, oil and natural gas; carbon sources which account for 89% of human-derived CO₂ emissions. These daily emissions have accumulated in the earth’s atmosphere to produce a global climate crisis; a recent U.N Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report forecasts global average temperature will rise 2.7 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Accordingly, the U.N. Secretary General António Guterres has warned, “the world is on a catastrophic pathway.”
Brief #28 – Social Justice
By Erika Shannon
The case that is being built against those who participated in the January 6 Capitol riots is a slow one due to the sheer number of videos, pictures, and evidence related to the events. The House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack is doing their best to piece together the truth in the most non-partisan way possible.
Brief #125 – A Primer on the Debt Ceiling Crisis
By Rosalind Gottfried
The deadline for Congress to pass a Bill to fund the government past the current fiscal year deadline of September 30th is fast approaching. The Republicans blocked a bill which would extend government spending and suspend the debt ceiling. The House passed the bill providing for government spending through December and suspending the debt ceiling through December 2022, after the mid-term elections.
Brief #132 – Foreign Policy
By Brandon Mooney
With the U.S. military officially pulling out of Afghanistan, an almost 20-year conflict and the longest war in American history comes to an end, alongside a mandate from all those whose lives were lost and impacted to reflect upon what the war and its legacy meant.
Brief #134 – Health & Gender Policy
By S Bhimji
Ever since the Covid pandemic started in early Jan 2020, airlines had lowered airfares, removed many of the cumbersome fees, and even started to provide snacks for economy passengers. And better still, the planes were less than 20% full, and often passengers had the entire row of seats to themselves. Cheap airfares across the country were readily available 24/7.
Brief #27 – Social Justice
By Erika Shannon
It is no secret that here in the United States, there is an invisible line dividing those who are in favor of more gun laws, and those who are opposed. Those who are opposed to gun reform and gun laws are usually staunch supporters of the Second Amendment (the right of citizens to keep and bear arms.”). Certain states feel that gun ownership outranks the safety of their citizens, and one of those states just so happens to be Missouri. This year, Missouri passed their “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” which essentially nullifies any federal gun laws. While the passage of such a law is no shock coming from a conservative state like Missouri, some of the implications behind the law are skirting on dangerous.
Brief #133 – Health and Gender Policy
By S. Bhimji
There is no question that walking is a good form of exercise. Not only is it free but it is safe. But how much walking is adequate for good health? Talk to ten fitness experts and one will most likely get 50 different answers. Today there are all types of gadgets that can monitor the number of steps you walk and the time it takes. Exercise fanatics have been tracking their steps for decades but a definitive daily goal has never been stated based on scientific evidence.
Brief #59 – Education Policy
By Lynn Waldsmith
The evidence is overwhelming that children who attend preschool not only dramatically improve the quality of their own lives but the welfare of their communities. Yet, far too many kids aren’t able to attend because their parents simply can’t afford it. President Biden is hoping to change that by making universal pre-K a reality, if Congress passes the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan.