The Netflix series "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo" has taken the world by storm since its debut. The star of the show, Marie Kondo, is a pleasant Japanese consultant who helps people clean up their habitually cluttered homes. Initially, she inspired many, gaining fans around the world with her positive methods and ideology concerning cleanliness and organization. However, in...
It is the beginning of the new year, a new congress has been sworn in and that, of course, means we need to start talking about presidential politics. Mostly because three candidates (Elizabeth Warren, John Delaney, Richard Ojeda at the time of writing this article) are already running, with many more on the way. Usually when we talk about...
In March 2018, the Italian general election ended with a hung parliament after no running party achieved a clear majority in the legislature. Neither the center-right nor center-left coalitions, nor the populist Five Star Movement were able to claim absolute victory. Subsequently, the left and right-wing populist parties, the Five Star Movement and the League, coalesced to deliver a...
Disney’s recent lobbying efforts have extended copyright laws far past their original expiration date. As a result, Mickey Mouse will not enter the public domain until 2024, and Star Trek won’t enter the public domain until 2060. In addition to these setbacks, works from 1923 only just recently became public domain as of this year. According to Stanford University...
At a World War I commemoration event on Nov. 11 in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron of France seemed to directly address the concern surrounding President Trump recently proclaiming himself a nationalist. In his speech at the remembrance ceremony, Macron made a clear distinction between nationalism and patriotism, saying that when nationalism, the “exact opposite” of patriotism, becomes normalized, the...
America’s tendency to interfere in affairs overseas has put the world under an unofficial “American Empire.” Although the term ‘empire’ is not used by the United States directly, other countries which express opposition to America’s interventionist agenda have not shied away from using the term “American Imperialism” to describe American foreign policy.
The ongoing pattern of America’s militaristic interventions...
Richard Grenell is not off to a very good start. The newly-appointed U.S. ambassador to Germany has already caused embarrassment and tension twice since his appointment in May, first with threats of sanctions against German businesses trading with Iran and, recently, with a commitment to “empower” conservative movements in Europe.
Despite the admittedly immodest and hostile nature of these comments,...
Columns
Contrition and honesty are the best choice when confronting a painful, racist past
Samir Al-Alami -
In the past few weeks, the Commonwealth of Virginia has been ravaged by another racial controversy. On Feb. 1, 2019, a yearbook from Governor Ralph Northam was released to the mainstream media. This yearbook photo originated from a right-wing news outlet, which revealed the governor, then a medical student, wearing what appeared to be blackface. Only a few days...
Opinions
Don’t worry about making the Forbes 30 under 30 list at 18, you’re doing fine
Adrianne Offril -
Coming home from college is always something to look forward to. You get to go back to your hometown, reunite with old friends, reunite with family and fall victim to questions like “What are your plans after college?” Questions like this often add to the stress that many teens and college students face when it comes to thinking about...
Columns
Lies, fabrications and division: a response to the President’s address on immigration
Samir Al-Alami -
On Dec. 22, the government shut down for the third time this past year. The shutdown has affected one-fourth of the federal government, which represents over 800,000 federal workers. This shutdown was caused entirely by President Donald Trump’s insistence upon more appropriations for a border wall, his marquee campaign promise. Wanting to make his case to the public, the...