The TikTok Ban: Overview and New Developments
An Overview of TikTok Security Concerns In 2016, the Chinese company ByteDance launched Douyin, a social media app focused on short-form content in China. Following the app’s success, ByteDance expanded the app overseas, launching TikTok to the international market in late 2017. TikTok was a major success internationally, amassing two million downloads and 800 about […]
President-Elect Trump’s Day-One Promises
President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office Monday, January 20th for his non-consecutive second term. Along the campaign trail, Trump has made several promises that he plans to execute on his first day back in office. Such promises include initiating mass deportations, ending the war in Ukraine, combating inflation, and pardoning those who were […]
Understanding China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia and the U.S. Response:
Introduction: The BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) is a 2013 trade route plan aimed at improving China’s connectivity to the rest of the world. The plan seeks to stimulate China’s economy through investing in infrastructure projects including railways, bridges, and airports abroad. This project also strives to connect countries in the Global South and Eastern […]
The Pros and Cons of the Honor Our Living Donors Act
Introduction to Organ Donation As of September 2024, more than 100,000 individuals nationwide were on the waiting list for organ transplants. Despite the fact that over 46,000 organ transplants were performed in the U.S. last year, thousands of Americans still die annually waiting for a new organ. While some believe financial incentives for living donors […]
Pros and Cons of the SUPPORT Act of 2018
Background The opioid epidemic has emerged as a major public health issue in the United States. Beginning with a surge in opioid prescription in the 1990s and followed by waves of addiction to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, the crisis has grown and morphed since its inception. Since 1999, there have been more than 600,000 […]
U.S. Response to the Tigray Conflict in Ethiopia: Key Actions and Implications
Introduction The Tigray War in Ethiopia demonstrates a complex and multifaceted conflict with various historical, political, and regional dimensions. Bordering Eritrea, Tigray is Ethiopia’s northernmost region and is home to an estimated 7 million ethnic Tigrayans. The region was governed by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a leftist and ethnic national political party that […]
Understanding the Debate on Presidential Immunity
Presidential Immunity: History and Background Presidential immunity is the long-standing idea that the president of the United States has exemption from liability or legal proceedings for acts related to the duties of presidential office. Contrary to popular belief, presidential immunity is not explicitly enumerated in the Constitution; only sitting members of Congress are explicitly granted […]
Key Trump Administration Cabinet Picks
What is the Presidential Cabinet? The President’s Cabinet serves as an advisory board for the President. It is made up of the heads of the 15 executive departments. These members are appointed by the President and must be approved by the Senate by a majority vote to confirm the nomination. Trump is currently in the […]
Medicare-For-All Act 2023: Pros and Cons
Introduction Today, health insurance in America is decentralized. Private insurance companies—composed of employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) and the non-group market—make up 54.8% of health insurance coverage nationwide, while government-issued programs like Medicare and Medicaid cover 35.9% of the population. Private health insurance options operate as follows: Still, 7.9% of Americans, or roughly 26 million people, […]
Failures and Successes of the BRICS Alliance
Background Officially founded in 2009, BRICS is an informal, multilateral economic alliance between Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The acronym “BRIC” (later adapted to include South Africa) was originally coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in a 2001 paper wherein he highlighted the potential for […]