(Optional!) Online zoom meetings every Thursday starting Sept. 24th
Activity Periods @ 12:10 AFTER attendance is taken in homerooms
3-4 Debates/Thought Talks per meeting
Moderated by Mrs. Cokeing/Presidents
Access the Zoom link on the Calendar (Click button to the left to be redirected)
Ivy League fever has swept the nation with these schools reaching a record number of applications and the lowest acceptance rates in their histories. This leaves people to go to extremes to get in. For one family, that was paying $1.2 million in order to make their daughter a fake athletic profile so she could get into Yale. Looking at the lengths people go through to get in you would think these schools are the end-all, be-all for success. But they aren’t, that’s just the culture we’ve built around them. In actuality, the only group that truly experiences a salary increase from attending an elite school are those who are Latino, black, low-income or first-generation college students, according to a study done by The National Bureau of Economic Research done this year. However, Ivy Leagues don’t focus on the students that could actually benefit from attending them. Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Penn and Brown have more students from the top 1 percent of the income distribution than from the bottom 60 percent, according to a 2017 study done by the Equality of Opportunity Project. Instead of using their resources and power to help underprivileged kids or minorities Ivy Leagues favor the kids who are related to big donors and have an easier path to success because of their wealth. These elite universities promise world-class education, but almost every college can make that same promise, especially with many universities adding honors colleges that provide extra benefits and resources to those who want it.
https://bestofsno.com/39439/opinions/ivy-leagues-are-overhyped/
AOC and Bernie Sanders along with Rashida Talib (the only Palestinian member of Congress) have spoken out against Israel and have called for the revocation of US Aid to the country.
Sources:
.Sanders to introduce resolution opposing $735 million arms sale to Israel.1 hour ago
.Tlaib Confronts Biden on Israel, Saying Support Enables Crimes Against Palestinians.1 day ago
.Supreme Court to Hear Abortion Case Challenging Roe v. Wade.1 day ago
AOC and Bernie Sanders along with Rashida Talib (the only Palestinian member of Congress) have spoken out against Israel and have called for the revocation of US Aid to the country.
Sources:
.Sanders to introduce resolution opposing $735 million arms sale to Israel.1 hour ago
.Tlaib Confronts Biden on Israel, Saying Support Enables Crimes Against Palestinians.1 day ago
.Supreme Court to Hear Abortion Case Challenging Roe v. Wade.1 day ago
For more than 200 years, the residents of Washington, DC have been subjected to systemic inequality and denied the full rights of citizenship that the residents of states enjoy including voting representation in Congress. The more than 700,000 people who live in Washington, DC, don't have a voting member of Congress -- only a delegate in the House -- or representation in the Senate. Seven hundred thousand people isn't nearly the size of most states, but it is certainly more than the populations of the smallest two, Vermont and Wyoming, and on par with Alaska, each of which has two senators and a voting member of Congress.
Expertise in such an area has different practical significance inside and outside the community of psychological science. Outside the scientific community, expertise on taboo language is justification for frequent consultation about contemporary issues that are perennial: Is swearing harmful? Should children be allowed to swear? Is our swearing getting worse? One of us has been interviewed over 3,000 times by various media with respect to the questions above, as well as those about the use of taboo words in television, advertising, professional sports, radio, music, and film. In addition to consultation with mass media, expert testimony has been needed in cases involving sexual harassment, fighting words, picket-line speech, disturbing the peace, and contempt of court cases.
The French Senate passed a bill that would propose a ban on Muslim women under the age of 18 wearing Hijabs in public and would also ban Hijabi parents from attending school trips with their parents. Article:
The French concept of Laicite (French Secularism) is the belief that the government must not be intertwined with religion in any fashion and that this principle should be strictly enforced. The concept also allows the government to regulate religion to the “benefit” of the public.(This was a simplified explanation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism_in_France
An opinion on how Laicite is used as a tool against muslims in France: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-weaponization-of-laicite
Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin has been convicted on all charges in the death of George Floyd. Floyd died in May 2020 after Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd's neck while he pleaded, "I can't breathe." The death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, touched off international protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Chauvin, who was convicted of second- and third-degree murder, as well as second-degree manslaughter, stood up quickly after the judge ordered his bail revoked and compliantly placed his hands to be handcuffed before he was led out of the courtroom. He faces up to 75 years in prison when he returns for sentencing in eight weeks. However, under Minnesota law, the sentences are likely to run concurrently, meaning Chauvin would serve no more than 40 years in prison.
Daunte Wright was accidentally shot and killed by a police officer at a traffic stop recently. He had a warrant for his arrest for carrying a pistol without a permit. He was pulled over for having an expired tag (The DMVs in Minnesota are backed up because of the pandemic. Police across the state have been advised not to pull over motorists for expired tags). During the stop an officer tried to arrest him because of his warrant and accidentally shot and killed him when she fired what she thought was her taser. He attempted to flee in his car. He then crashed and died. Sources:
George Floyd trial update: April 14, 2021 Derek Chauvin trial day 13 news - CNNhttps://www.cnn.com › live-news › derek-chauvin-trial-04…
An active duty veteran was assaulted, pepper sprayed and had guns pulled on him by police at a traffic stop in December. The video has made national news: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-accused-threatening-pulling-gun-black-army-lieutenant-during-virginia-n1263731
The French Senate passed a bill that would propose a ban on Muslim women under the age of 18 wearing Hijabs in public and would also ban Hijabi parents from attending school trips with their parents. Article:
The French concept of Laicite (French Secularism) is the belief that the government must not be intertwined with religion in any fashion and that this principle should be strictly enforced. The concept also allows the government to regulate religion to the “benefit” of the public.(This was a simplified explanation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism_in_France
An opinion on how Laicite is used as a tool against muslims in France: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-weaponization-of-laicite
We are in the midst of a health crisis, an economic crisis and a social crisis — and systemic racism is at the heart of each. With fewer buys of expensive military-style equipment for police departments, fewer people in expensive jails and fewer expensive legal defenses for police officers who commit crimes on the job, our criminal justice system would better serve the people. Better yet, these cuts could fund reconstruction in black communities, so that they aren’t as vulnerable to health and economic shocks like those we’ve faced this year. Funds freed up from overly powerful police departments could be used to improve health care, housing, education and more in communities of color.
Everyone can agree that pizza is amazing. It’s the perfect meal for parties and movie nights, and you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not to mention, when you don’t feel like cooking, pizza is always there. But, this slice of cheesy goodness has sparked a debate that rages on with no end in sight. And so, the age-old question remains: Is pineapple a suitable pizza topping? If you’ve ever tried it, you probably know where you stand. Most people either hate pineapple pizza or they love it.
African American Vernacular English is the dialect of North American english spoken by African Americans across the United States. Not all African Americans regularly use AAVE but many do. It is often referred to as “slang” and is frequently looked down on as “english with improper grammar”. However as a dialect that is commonly understood by many Black Americans it is grammatically correct, and in fact has its own grammar rules like many other North American dialects of English. Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Vernacular_English
Some Black Americans feel annoyed and disrespected by the appropriation of Black culture like AAVE across large portions of the internet. Some feel their culture is being diluted / stolen and bastardized. An article on one perspective: https://commonwealthtimes.org/2021/02/18/aave-is-not-your-internet-slang-it-is-black-culture/
An article on cultural appropriation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_appropriation
The French Senate passed a bill that would propose a ban on Muslim women under the age of 18 wearing Hijabs in public and would also ban Hijabi parents from attending school trips with their parents. Article:
The French concept of Laicite (French Secularism) is the belief that the government must not be intertwined with religion in any fashion and that this principle should be strictly enforced. The concept also allows the government to regulate religion to the “benefit” of the public.(This was a simplified explanation) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secularism_in_France
An opinion on how Laicite is used as a tool against muslims in France: https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-weaponization-of-laicite
As vaccine distribution ramps up nationwide, it is crucial that equitable distribution is not sacrificed for speed. The most efficient means of distribution would be one to which more privileged people would have first access. Marginalized communities, many of which have been hit at disparaging rates by COVID-19, have had more limited access to the vaccine. As vaccine distribution policies are currently being written, it is important to recognize how they underscore inequalities in our healthcare system.
Who gets priority in receiving the vaccine?
If the pandemic is hitting certain communities harder, how can they be adequately supplied with vaccine doses?
What’s the best way to balance the needs of different groups within society?
How do we combat the inequalities that define much of the healthcare system nationwide?
Everyone can agree that pizza is amazing. It’s the perfect meal for parties and movie nights, and you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not to mention, when you don’t feel like cooking, pizza is always there. But, this slice of cheesy goodness has sparked a debate that rages on with no end in sight. And so, the age-old question remains: Is pineapple a suitable pizza topping? If you’ve ever tried it, you probably know where you stand. Most people either hate pineapple pizza or they love it.
With elections and primaries coming soonish, what are your thoughts on our current governor’s performance?
David Dobrik, one of the most popular creators on youtube has been exposed by news outlets to have creating an environment that enabled sexual assault and harassment.
It is likely that you have probably known each subject by a specific color. You may think that math is indisputably blue, red is designated to English, green is to history, and yellow for science. Or maybe those colors are associated with different subjects. Which colors do you think are indisputably associated with each subject?
Many artist like The Weekend decided to boycott this years Grammy awards because of accusations of rigging and a lack of consideration for non-white artists. The show had its lowest ratings ever recorded this past week. Similar criticism has been levied against the Academy Awards (Oscars) award show. Are these concerns legit? Will these award shows die off in terms of prestige and viewership?
Associated Press.Grammy Award ratings drop 51 percent to record low.1 day ago
Currently, the Biden Administration is quietly pressing Mexico to curb migrants from coming to the U.S., echoing Trump’s former policy. President Biden has moved quickly to dismantle some of former President Trump’s immigration policies, such as halting construction of the border wall and preventing swift expulsion of children at the border. Yet, he holds onto a key element of the former president’s agenda, which is relying on Mexico to restrain the wave of people making their way to the United States.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/17/biden-administration-faces-pressure-on-immigration-amid-surge
Several recent attacks have not been charged as hate crimes, fueling protests and outrage among many Asian-Americans. The rally reflected the tortured public conversation over how to confront a rise in reports of violence against Asian Americans , who have felt increasingly vulnerable with each new attack. Many incidents have either not led to arrests or have not been charged as hate crimes, making it difficult to capture with reliable data the extent to which Asian-Americans are being targeted. That frustration erupted on a national scale this week after Robert Aaron Long, a white man, was charged with fatally shooting eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at spas in the Atlanta area on Tuesday night. Investigators said it was too early to determine a motive. After Mr. Long’s arrest, he denied harboring a racial bias and told officials that he carried out the shootings as a form of vengeance for his “sexual addiction.”
The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report argues that the world needs to massively reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid an increase of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. However, according to Julia Hollingsworth in a 2019 CNN article we are currently on a do-nothing trajectory which will yield a higher temperature increase. She writes “...if global temperatures rise 3 degrees Celsius by 2050, 55% of the world's population across...would experience more than 20 days of lethal heat per year, "beyond the threshold of human survivability."
NCSL:
It is likely that you have probably known each subject by a specific color. You may think that math is indisputably blue, red is designated to English, green is to history, and yellow for science. Or maybe those colors are associated with different subjects. Which colors do you think are indisputably associated with each subject?
Many artist like The Weekend decided to boycott this years Grammy awards because of accusations of rigging and a lack of consideration for non-white artists. The show had its lowest ratings ever recorded this past week. Similar criticism has been levied against the Academy Awards (Oscars) award show. Are these concerns legit? Will these award shows die off in terms of prestige and viewership?
Associated Press.Grammy Award ratings drop 51 percent to record low.1 day ago
Currently, the Biden Administration is quietly pressing Mexico to curb migrants from coming to the U.S., echoing Trump’s former policy. President Biden has moved quickly to dismantle some of former President Trump’s immigration policies, such as halting construction of the border wall and preventing swift expulsion of children at the border. Yet, he holds onto a key element of the former president’s agenda, which is relying on Mexico to restrain the wave of people making their way to the United States.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/17/biden-administration-faces-pressure-on-immigration-amid-surge
Many young people are beginning to question the suburban lifestyle. They accuse the status-quo of being wasteful, built on a racist past that has deep implications today, and because of the instability of sprawling infrastructure in low density municipalities suburbs often have two choices, take resources from their nearest wealth generating cities (likely inhabited by working class people and minorities) or hike taxes to very high levels.
Vox’s article on the economic waste of suburbs: Suburban sprawl is stifling the US economy - Voxwww.vox.com › suburban-sprawl-economy
Racist history of suburbs: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/postwar-era/a/the-dark-side-of-suburbia
The maternal connection the Queen has to the UK, and indeed the other colonies and former colonies for which she remains head of state, has been palpable throughout her time as Queen. However, unless you marry into the royal family, it is not the most accepting establishment to others. If you’re an ethnic minority, working class, openly homosexual or of any group that would be frowned upon as being part of the establishment, your chances are practically non-existent. Is that a system that we should be allowing to continue in a time when equality should be championed in what is supposedly (but isn’t) an egalitarian society?
The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report argues that the world needs to massively reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid an increase of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. However, according to Julia Hollingsworth in a 2019 CNN article we are currently on a do-nothing trajectory which will yield a higher temperature increase. She writes “...if global temperatures rise 3 degrees Celsius by 2050, 55% of the world's population across...would experience more than 20 days of lethal heat per year, "beyond the threshold of human survivability."
NCSL:
Billions of dollars are spent every year by the world’s space agencies, but does this money bring us any benefit, or should we pull the plug and spend it elsewhere? Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. Through addressing the challenges related to human space exploration we expand technology, create new industries, and help to foster a peaceful connection with other nations
It is likely that you have probably known each subject by a specific color. You may think that math is indisputably blue, red is designated to English, green is to history, and yellow for science. Or maybe those colors are associated with different subjects. Which colors do you think are indisputably associated with each subject?
Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are pushing for a minimum wage increase of 15 dollars being in the most recent COVID relief package, however, the senate parliamentarian blocked this amendment on the grounds that it was too distinct from the rest of the bill because of its economic implications.
Many young people are beginning to question the suburban lifestyle. They accuse the status-quo of being wasteful, built on a racist past that has deep implications today, and because of the instability of sprawling infrastructure in low density municipalities suburbs often have two choices, take resources from their nearest wealth generating cities (likely inhabited by working class people and minorities) or hike taxes to very high levels.
Vox’s article on the economic waste of suburbs: Suburban sprawl is stifling the US economy - Voxwww.vox.com › suburban-sprawl-economy
Racist history of suburbs: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/postwar-era/a/the-dark-side-of-suburbia
The Biden administration announced Monday that state education departments would have flexibility surrounding standardized testing this year, but would not have broad authority to cancel those examinations. In the last few years, standardized testing debates have come forth from parents, administrators, and other stockholders. One side argues that standardized testing benefits students, offering assessments that could serve as a metric for learning. Schools could also evaluate the test in evaluating students’ progress. However, not-so-impressive test results also hurt the students’ confidence. Many say that it should not be the basis for judging students’ abilities.
Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he will end Texas' statewide mask mandate next week and will allow all businesses to operate at full capacity. Meanwhile, the spread of the virus remains substantial across the state, with Texas averaging over 200 reported deaths a day over the last week. And while Abbott has voiced optimism that vaccinations will accelerate soon, less than 7% of Texans had been fully vaccinated as of this weekend.
President Biden’s administration has deported hundreds of immigrants in its early days, despite his campaign pledge to stop removing most people in the U.S. illegally at the beginning of his term. Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris vocally opposed the Trump administration's immigration policies during the presidential campaign. Yet, despite their clear desires about how immigrants are treated, low level immigrants remain disregarded and mistreated. Is Biden being held accountable for these actions? Are Democrats not holding our current president accountable due to party lines?
Thought Talk: Should Neera Tanden be confirmed by the Senate?
From the moment Joe Biden said that Neera Tanden, the leader of the Center for American Progress, would be his nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, veterans of Washington’s confirmation wars knew she would be a target because of her history of outspoken criticism, mostly on Twitter, of Senate Republicans and some liberal Democrats. At the time, Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff to then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, called her a “sacrifice to the confirmation gods.” Now Ms. Tanden’s nomination appears to be in peril, after two Senate committees delayed confirmation votes that had been scheduled for Wednesday morning. The White House has continued to express support for her as it scrambles to find enough votes to move the pick forward.
Resolved: Ted Cruz will run and be re-elected, despite his many scandals.
Ted Cruz is currently in hot water for his decision to abandon Texas for Cancun in the middle of a state emergency, for claiming the trip was his daughters’ idea, for getting caught in a web of lies over the origins of said trip, and for blaming the whole thing on both the media and the individuals that leaked his wife’s text messages, which ultimately revealed Cruz’s spot. While efforts from prominent Democrats, such as AOC and Beto O’Rourke, were made to help those in need in Texas, will Texas continue to support its current senator?
Newsweek:
Resolved: Standardized tests should be abolished.
The Biden administration announced Monday that state education departments would have flexibility surrounding standardized testing this year, but would not have broad authority to cancel those examinations. In the last few years, standardized testing debates have come forth from parents, administrators, and other stockholders. One side argues that standardized testing benefits students, offering assessments that could serve as a metric for learning. Schools could also evaluate the test in evaluating students’ progress. However, not-so-impressive test results also hurt the students’ confidence. Many say that it should not be the basis for judging students’ abilities.
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase market-based regulations requiring reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
The 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report argues that the world needs to massively reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid an increase of 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. However, according to Julia Hollingsworth in a 2019 CNN article we are currently on a do-nothing trajectory which will yield a higher temperature increase. She writes “...if global temperatures rise 3 degrees Celsius by 2050, 55% of the world's population across...would experience more than 20 days of lethal heat per year, "beyond the threshold of human survivability."
NCSL:
Oftentimes, cultural objects were stripped from nations that were being colonized by Europeans or Americans. Artifacts objectified certain cultures, allowing for alterity and bias to further insinuate against colonized cultures. However, some argue that returning cultural objects which were obtained under colonial regimes to their countries of origin does not make up for the destruction of colonialism. Most objects in museums and collections, at the time of their acquisition, were legally obtained and therefore have no reason to be repatriated.
DebateWise.org (For Return): https://debatewise.org/204-historical-artefacts-should-be-repatriated-to-their-country-of-origin/#:~:text=Yes%20because%E2%80%A6,the%20right%20thing%20to%20do.&text=That%20link%20should%20be%20honoured,were%20originally%20made%20and%20used.
Khan Academy (Against Return): https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/special-topics-art-history/arches-at-risk-cultural-heritage-education-series/whose-art/a/repatriating-artworks#:~:text=Returning%20cultural%20objects%20which%20were,for%20the%20destruction%20of%20colonialism.&text=Most%20objects%20in%20museums%20and,no%20reason%20to%20be%20repatriated.
As online education prevails for school systems across the world, it has become a hotly contested debate as to whether these technologies will remain in place after the pandemic is over. The pandemic has caused many changes to our school system, including our school schedule. With the hybrid schedule, it permits more flexibility for individuals. Some students are able to catch up on rest, while the schedule also allows for more time to manage assignments. Yet, it also poses difficulties in terms of how much time is allocated towards each class.
Article about advantages and disadvantages of online education: https://debatewise.org/25172-online-education-does-more-good-than-harm/
With millions of copies of violent games like Grand Theft Auto and Halo, should there not be an epidemic of violence, if there is a direct causal link between violence and video games? Are kids slowly but surely giving into the violence of the game and will they/we start committing violent crimes? Fingers have also been pointed at certain genres of music and films which portray violence in an easily accessible and glamorous light.
Billions of dollars are spent every year by the world’s space agencies, but does this money bring us any benefit, or should we pull the plug and spend it elsewhere? Human space exploration helps to address fundamental questions about our place in the Universe and the history of our solar system. Through addressing the challenges related to human space exploration we expand technology, create new industries, and help to foster a peaceful connection with other nations
In the starkest terms he’s used to date, President Joe Biden made explicit Tuesday night that he favors modest student loan debt relief over the ambitious proposal his progressive base — and party leaders in the Senate — are demanding. On a CNN town hall Tuesday night, Biden ruled out canceling $50,000 of federal student loan debt per borrower, saying he is more comfortable forgiving debt of $10,000 per borrower.
Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/17/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-469677
As the pandemic continues, many people have spent their free time on streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. Within Netflix, many shows were released that have reached streaming peaks on the platform including Bridgerton, Queen’s Gambit, and Cobra Kai. Additionally, the streaming service received a total of 42 nominations.
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/movies/live-golden-globes-nominations.html
Trump’s trial began today. The trial was deemed constitutional in a senate vote. Both sides have begun to present evidence.
CNN’s Live Updates: https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-impeachment-trial-02-11-2021/index.html
Some Dems are attempting to raise the standard of living by raising the minimum wage, other Dems are withholding support over deficit concerns.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democrats-clash-over-15-minimum-wage-covid-relief-package-n1257077
Chicago fought with teachers unions in an attempt to force them back into schools. Teachers are afraid of COVID concerns.
A deal was made recently to get teachers back into buildings. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/us/chicago-teachers-agree-return-to-in-person/index.html
Marjorie Taylor Greene is a Republic Representative for Georgia’s 14th District, in which she has made an uproar within the media. She has supported the execution of Democratic colleagues, advocated for the impeachment of Joe Biden, and liked Facebook comments that threatened House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She even made headlines with a viral video of Greene harassing gun safety advocate, David Hogg, arguing that the Parkland shooting never occurred. A possible form of punishment would be expulsion. Expulsion is the highest form of disciplinary action that can be taken against a representative. However, it requires a two-thirds majority vote from the legislative body seeking removal.
Proud Boys is a far-right, anti-immigrant, all-male group that has a history of violence against the left-wing opposition. Their platform consists of many Trumpean beliefs, including closing borders with Mexico, giving everyone a gun, and traditional gender roles. However, with the recent storming of the Capitol, it is very much clear as to the dangers the Proud Boys impose on both the safety and democracy within the country. When asked to condemn white supremacy and militia groups, Donald Trump merely stated, “Proud Boys - stand back and stand by.” Recently, Canada took action in designating the far-right group as a terrorist entity, and the United States should do the same.
As the pandemic continues, many people have spent their free time on streaming services including Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max. Within Netflix, many shows were released that have reached streaming peaks on the platform including Bridgerton, Queen’s Gambit, and Cobra Kai. Additionally, the streaming service received a total of 42 nominations.
While Joe Biden is our current president, it is up to constituents to ensure Biden’s is exercising in the manner that he intended. These are a few executive actions that Biden has signed so far:
On January 20th, Biden halted the construction of the border wall on Southern US borders.
On January 20th, the president rejoined the Paris climate accord.
On February 2nd, he revoked Trump’s previous order that justified separating families at the border
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/politics/biden-executive-orders/index.html
Check out the link for a detailed list of the executive actions taken so far by President Biden.
Trump before leaving office spoke privately with advisors about creating a separate political party for his base called the Patriot Party in reaction to many GOP leaders disavowing him after the insurrection.
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/trump-impeachment-biden-inauguration/card/90pPMzFPqr5fMzg1Bkbs
A popular subreddit went to war with large hedge funds on Wall Street this week. Firms were short selling on AMC and GameStop’s stocks (A way to use the stock market to profit off of failing companies and partially ensure they fail). Traders on the Wall Street Bets subreddit took notice and began to pump money into the GME & AMC stock, which in turn caused the firms to lose billions. (This summary was super condensed. There are better / more detailed explanations below)
Short explanations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH_F7mQIM0M
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22249458/gamestop-stock-wallstreetbets-reddit-citron
This resolve is postulating that happiness, like sadness— is an emotion meant to be felt in passing. American culture pressures us to seek life-long happiness, which is unrealistic for most people. Instead the goal should be seeking peace and fulfilment, in other words— structuring your life in a way that makes you content, even though it might not be a paradise.
Not posting any definitions down here, truly think about what it means to you.
CNN’s coverage of the event: LIVE.Latest on Biden's inauguration and Trump's last full day in office: Live updates.39 mins ago
Trump before leaving office spoke privately with advisors about creating a separate political party for his base called the Patriot Party in reaction to many GOP leaders disavowing him after the insurrection.
Cheez-its and Goldfish are often pitted against each other, as they are both nostalgic cheddar cheese snacks that people can’t seem to get enough of. With the pandemic, there has been a spike in purchases of such comfort foods, such as Cheez-its or Goldfish.
Link: Further elaborates the spike in snacks during quarantine.
Link: This article provides the objective differences between the two snacks
Senate control is at stake in two Georgia runoffs on January 5, 2021 and early voting suggests that these will both be very competitive races. Two months after the general election, voters in Georgia are again at the polls to decide in two runoff elections whether Democrats or Republicans will control the Senate.
Link: This Washington Post article gives brief updates about the two Georgia Senate races (scroll down, there are multiple short articles!)
Recently, a phone call recording was released of President Trump demanding Georgia election officials to find votes to overturn the election in his favor.
He also made many empty, redundant claims that election fraud was present within the Georgia election, which is not true.
In one part of the phone call, Trump states, “So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state."
Do you believe this is impeachable behavior?
Link: This Washington Post provides a transcript of the conversation between Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, and Donald Trump.
Link: This New York Times article provides a more in-depth explanation of the significance of this phone call.
The US education system, english classes in particular don’t do a good job of teaching students modern facets of English, this includes:
Marketing one’s self, the analysis of truth online, dog whistles, developing stores, conspiracy theories, racism. Instead of teaching students how to parse information in the modern world, it teaches them a hobby—literature. The over-emphasization of literature in the US curriculum has created a nation too susceptible to misinformation, as evidenced by Qanon.
Conspiracy theories have become extremely widespread: https://www.npr.org/2020/12/30/951095644/even-if-its-bonkers-poll-finds-many-believe-qanon-and-other-conspiracy-theories
AOC has been pressured by many on the left to try to leverage the votes of the Dem House members who support Medicare For All to force M4A to the floor.
AOC refused to do this because the doesn’t think such a maneuver would go her way, she did however concede that “Peloso and Schumer have to go”:
The mayor of Southbend, a small midwestern city was tapped by Biden on Tuesday to lead the Dept. of transportation.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/15/politics/pete-buttigieg-transportation-secretary/index.html
More on Pete:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/15/politics/pete-buttigieg-transportation-secretary/index.html
Inspired By:
Liberals upset that Trump supporters exist are making jokes calling for the succession of blue states from red states.
Republicans upset they lost the election are making serious calls for succession.
Sanctions are tools used to gain leverage over a forign power’s decision making by blocking sectors of economic activities and trade with that nation. Examples of significant campaigns of US sanctions: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, China, Russia, North Korea.
Sanctions are tools used to gain leverage over a forign power’s decision making by blocking sectors of economic activities and trade with that nation. Examples of significant campaigns of US sanctions: Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, China, Russia, North Korea.
Thought Talk: What is the best holiday movie to watch?
With the upcoming holidays, many individuals participate in watching the plethora of holiday movies, from Elf to Home Alone.
Christmas is characterized by the joyous holiday music, gift exchanges, and the brightly decorated lights throughout homes and towns. Christmas is a time in which people can gather together.
Some people argue a multitude of reasons against Christmas including:
Pressure to purchase gifts and impress others by proving love through gifts.
Promoting the wrong values such as materialism over gratefulness and virtue.
When you think of Christmas, you probably think about the gifts. During this time of year, Christmas is characterized by its retail havoc. But from the commercials and items promoted, is Christmas losing its true values?
With the upcoming holidays, many individuals participate in watching the plethora of holiday movies, from Elf to Home Alone.
https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-christmas-movies/
There is a debate amongst actors and directors about whether gay actors should play gay roles.
TikTok is testing the uploading of 3 minute long videos with a select number of users:
https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/2/22003880/tiktok-longer-videos-three-minutes-short-quibi-youtube
Elliot Page came out this week. He was formerly Ellen Page. He is known for his roles, most recently playing Vanya on Umbrella Academy.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated over the weekend while he was driving home from work. Iran claims that the scientist specialized in medical and power related nuclear science, Israel claims he was helping the Iranians plan / build nuclear weapons. This assasination is tensing already damaged and heightened relations between Iran, the US, and Israel.
https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-killed-mohsen-fakhrizadeh-88c2173048f77695af864d2055af54c6
The two senate races will conclude with an election on January 5th. The results of this election will decide control over the senate.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-election-forecast/senate/georgia-special/
There are over 140,000 new Covid cases in the US: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/11/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
Pfizer says it has developed an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Trials are still underway:
https://www.vox.com/21556359/pfizer-vaccine-covid-19-biontech-trial-results-coronavirus
Moderna says it has a functional vaccine in development as well:
Biden says he wants congress to act. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/biden-student-loan-debt-cancellation/index.html
Schumer and Warren released statements saying that Biden should and will have the power to cancel debt by executive order. They want him to cancel 50k per person.
This resolve was inspired by the twitter spat between music star and actor Harry Styles was attacked by Ben Shapira, Candace Owens, and seemingly the whole of conservative twitter for wearing a dress on a magazine cover. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-11-16/harry-styles-vogue-cover-candace-owens-ben-shapiro
Inspired by the heavy feelings of skepticism directed at Biden and Kamala and the prospects of their future administration by the black community and activists in general.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/us/joe-biden-black-voters.html
The executive branch controlled General Services Administration has refused to accept Biden’s victory and is with-holding funds from his transition team:
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a press conference “There will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/10/politics/pompeo-transition-trump/index.html
Republicans have bombarded the opposition with allegations of voter fraud that are unsubstantiated: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/10/us/politics/voting-fraud.html
Resolve inspired by this vox video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ugBZmctKA&list=PLkgnU_1QoYZncWUDrhnHFu5a6GmrYVV-q&index=1&t=64s
After Biden’s victory on Saturday centrist and progressive Dems were quick to turn against each other on twitter. Many centrist blamed progressive policies and slogans for their downfalls, progressive blamed a lack of digital campaigning on the losses:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/08/aoc-left-house-democrats-spanberger-435103
Democrats also blamed the BLM movement and activist for losses in the house and at the local level:
Opinion piece about the issue: https://discourseblog.com/democrats-blm-left-fighting-2020/
There was also significant debate in the party over the efficacy of the Lincoln Project and other Neocon efforts in this election:
There are over 140,000 new Covid cases in the US: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/11/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
Pfizer says it has developed an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Trials are still underway:
https://www.vox.com/21556359/pfizer-vaccine-covid-19-biontech-trial-results-coronavirus
There are over 140,000 new Covid cases in the US: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/11/coronavirus-covid-live-updates-us/
Pfizer says it has developed an effective COVID-19 vaccine. Trials are still underway:
https://www.vox.com/21556359/pfizer-vaccine-covid-19-biontech-trial-results-coronavirus
Moderna says it has a functional vaccine in development as well:
Biden says he wants congress to act. https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/politics/biden-student-loan-debt-cancellation/index.html
Schumer and Warren released statements saying that Biden should and will have the power to cancel debt by executive order. They want him to cancel 50k per person.
This resolve was inspired by the twitter spat between music star and actor Harry Styles was attacked by Ben Shapira, Candace Owens, and seemingly the whole of conservative twitter for wearing a dress on a magazine cover. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-11-16/harry-styles-vogue-cover-candace-owens-ben-shapiro
Inspired by the heavy feelings of skepticism directed at Biden and Kamala and the prospects of their future administration by the black community and activists in general.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/11/us/joe-biden-black-voters.html
While being interviewed for a new documentary Pope Francis said that he supports same-sex civil unions. "Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They're children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it..." After this quote surface it immediately trended at #1 on twitter with both positive and negative reactions from American Catholics.
Link:https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/21/europe/pope-gay-couples-civil-union-intl/index.html
Statistics for support of same-sex marriage amongst American Catholics: https://www.pewforum.org/fact-sheet/changing-attitudes-on-gay-marriage/
History of churches’ relations and stances on gay marriage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_gay_marriage
Global statistics for support of gay marriage: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/06/25/global-divide-on-homosexuality-persists/
A year ago Bolivia’s Socialist democratically elected president, Evo Morales, was ousted in a coup by the right wing factions of the government backed by the military and the United States. Evo Morales was internationally recognized for his economic reforms that reduced poverty and increased literacy and his anti-imperialist and environmental stances. Recently Morales’s socialist party regained control of the country through an election, ousting the “interim president”. In another victory for the left, NZ’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern won re-election in a landslide. Ardern is credited with her swift response to NZ’s Christchurch mass shooting and the COVID epidemic.
Socialist Party in Bolivia wins after year of turmoil and unrest: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/19/bolivia-election-exit-polls-suggest-thumping-win-evo-morales-party-luis-arce
Wikipedia page about the coups and election crisis in Bolivia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Bolivian_political_crisis
Elon musks getting made fun of & Tesla stock drops: Earlier this year Musk was accused of helping the US govt. conducting a coup in Bolivia, Musk supposed motivation being cheaper extraction for use in his electronics. When confronted with this allegation on twitter he responded with, “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.” Tesla stock momentarily dropped after the win. Links: https://jalopnik.com/why-elon-musk-is-getting-owned-over-bolivias-election-1845412773
Jacinda Ardern wins re-election by a landslide: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/new-zealand-s-jacinda-ardern-wins-big-after-world-leading-n1243972
A Yahoo/YouGov poll found that half of Trump Supporters believe in QAnon conspiracy theories. QAnon is an elaborate conspiracy with no basis in reality that charges the Democratic Party and Hollywood elites with running a child sex trafficking ring so they can use the blood of children live longer.
Link: https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2020/10/20/half-trump-supporters-believe-qanon-theory-child-sm
What is QAnon?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon
Trump’s Response to QAnon: https://apnews.com/article/trump-town-hall-qanon-explained-b4614edad1aae27a0cbcb9dfe0c0c44c
QAnon theory accused of being Anti-semitic: https://www.timesofisrael.com/qanon-is-an-old-form-of-anti-semitism-in-a-new-package-say-experts/
Quarantine made it apparent of the racial virus that is deeply established throughout the United States, as many racial injustices became apparent to many Americans due to clashes between African Americans and law enforcement. As we have seen with the cases from Ahmaud Arbery to Walter Wallace, Black Lives Matter became another important issue many constituents seek to be resolved under the leadership of the next U.S. President. Under Trump’s current presidency, it is clear that he does not seek to reconcile and solve issues regarding the institutional racism ingrained within our country’s most basic systems, as he continues to partake and encourage racism. Yet, what will we see if Joe Biden is elected as president? What degree of change will we see, if any, under his presidency? Or will this be another issue that politicians will ignore?
ABC Article outlining Trump vs. Biden regarding racial issues
There’s a decent chance that Trump will win again. What will you do if he wins? How should the entire country move forward if he wins? Should the country react differently if he wins by a SCOTUS decision?
Polls: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html
Republicans have begun to stir up fears of election interference from the practice of ballot harvesting. Ballot harvesting is when a campaign official or volunteer goes to someone’s house for example, and consensually collects their ballot to drop it off at a polling station. Republicans have used practice to drum up concern about voting by mail.
Source:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ballot-harvesting-collection-absentee-voting-explained-rules/
Republicans in California illegally set up fake ballot boxes to prove that ballot harvesting is dangerous and could easily lead to tampering. California’s Secretary of State was quick to point out they committed a felony and gave them a warning. https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2020/10/12/california-officials-tell-state-gop-to-stop-collecting-ballots-with-unofficial-drop-boxes-1323587
With a new justice about to be appointed by the president, it can be asked if the entire push for vote by mail is going to be worth it for the Democrats. Republicans have opened many vunrelabilities in the system through tampering with the USPS and restricting the number of ballot boxes at a state level for example. With all of these questions in the air, it’s clear that Trump will try to litigate himself to victory through the courts, specifically the Supreme Court.
USPS shenanigans: https://www.wnep.com/article/news/nation-world/usps-reverse-changes-settlement/507-c09ac1dc-37e8-43f6-9a7f-8ba55477696f https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/10/14/exclusive-the-postal-services-speedy-mail-in-ballot-plan-that-can-thwart-trump/
State level suppression against mail voting: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/02/politics/donald-trump-election-2020-texas-voting/index.html
Trump’s judicial / legal strategy for election day: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/23/us/elections/trump-supreme-court-election-day.html
Some positions:
Latinx is a term invented by "white liberals"; When used, some Latin Americans feel that it does not represent their heritage as as language that's supposed to be gendered
With most Latin American countries using Spanish, a gendered language, there is a lack of inclusive terms for non-binary folx.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/08/why-i-embrace-the-term-latinx
Some on the left took the opportunity of Trump getting COVID to make fun of him, some even wished death on him. Many democrats see the thousands of deaths caused by COVID as a mishandling by Trump. Republicans and some democrats took the opportunity to scold the celebration from Trump contracting the virus.
Details on social media’s reaction:
https://www.governing.com/now/Response-to-Trumps-Illness-Reveals-Ugly-Truth-About-America.html
The massive uptick in people wishing death on trump when they heard the news prompted twitter to clarify that it’s against their rules:
https://mashable.com/article/twitter-double-standards-trump-covid/
Political pundits on Fox News criticized the media’s “politicization” of Trump getting Covid.
https://video.foxnews.com/v/6197758988001#sp=show-clips
Climate activists and some democratic politicians believe that oil companies and other emitters should be sued for their role in climate change.
Justices Alito and Thomas voted with the rest of the court to not hear a case that challenged Obergefell v. Hodges, but took the moment to bash the decision. The two Justices wrote: "enables courts and governments to brand religious adherents who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as bigots, making their religious liberty concerns that much easier to dismiss." Essentially they claimed that the original decision infringes on religious liberties and makes bigots out of “decent: people. The two justices were possibly emboldened to take this public stance against gay marriage because Trump is soon to appoint a new Justice that will side with them.
Details on the Supreme Court’s decision on gay marriage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obergefell_v._Hodges
Details on the justice’s critiques of the decision:
Wednesday marks the first Vice Presidential debate between Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence. After the catastrophic presidential debate that occurred last Thursday, many believe that this debate will be far less heated and more organized. The Vice Presidential debate will be historic, as Senator Kamala Harris will feature the first woman of color to hold the Vice Presidential stage. While Kamala is renowned for her incisive questioning, she will face challenges of possibly being pressed for her previous attacks on Biden in past presidential debates, as well as Biden’s history regarding race. Additionally, Pence will have to undertake the position of questions regarding the administration’s response to the global pandemic.
BBC Article regarding why this debate is particularly important: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54423497
One of the questions on the New Jersey ballot asks “Do you approve amending the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called ‘cannabis’?” Currently, New Jersey allows for marijuana to be used for medical purposes. However, with the rise of policing and race dominating national debates, supporters believe that they are justified in support for legalization. In New Jersey, a Black resident is three times more likely to be charged with marijuana possession than that of a White Resident. Additionally, proponents of legalization argue of its economic advantages--generating jobs, providing revenue through taxes, as well as opening a new market to be greatly explored. However, opponents are still concerned with the long-term effects of using marijuana.
NYT article further elaborates this question:
WSJ article provides general information concerning this issue:
Key Debate Moments and Fact Checking:
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/first-presidential-debate-trump-biden-wrap-up-moments/
General consensus in polls is that Joes Biden won.
Trump has made statements that he will not step down if he loses the election to Biden. Trump is using allegations of voter fraud with mail ballots to justify this action.
What If Trump Refuses to Concede? - The Atlantic
www.theatlantic.com › magazine › archive › 2020/11
SCOTUS Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18th.
Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Ruth_Bader_Ginsburg
Trump nominated Amy Coney Barret to the supreme court. She is a current federal judge and hardline conservative.
Amy Coney Barrett - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › Amy_Coney_Barrett
Democrats suggest packing the courts and term limits in response if they win the election.
Trump says the democrats have let law and order break down in the cities they control. He says he can restore it if re-elected.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/01/trump-law-and-order-president-strategy
Some say Trump’s law and order statements are racist:
COVID-19 has led to many shutdowns of schools across the nation, leading to the rise of virtual learning as a safer alternative for teaching,
With the upcoming school year, schools are questioning whether they should return to an all virtual method of learning or adopt a hybrid method.
Benefits of Online-Learning:
A few benefits include increased retention of information/materials and requires less time than the average school day.
Challenges of Online-Learning:
Some disadvantages include the lack of resources for both students and teachers, as well as the emotional and mental toll on individuals.
Real Clear Politics Presidential Poll Averages:
538 Presidential Poll Averages
The pandemic has led to the rise of consumers opting for comfort foods from larger brands, rather than purchasing fresh, organic foods.
Such brands include Kraft and Heinz, which were actually struggling prior to the pandemic.
Experts believe that a few factors driving this recent trend are nostalgia, stress, and the new stay-at-home environment that most are now adapted to.
Some popular comfort foods that have experienced a resurgence during the pandemic include:
Breakfast cereals/Foods
Lucky Charms, Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pop Tarts
Snacks
Goldfish or Cheez-its
Meals
Grilled cheese sandwich
Additional resources:
There have been significant allegations from world governments, including the Trump administration that TikTok could steal data from Americans (spy) and deliver that information to the Chinese government.
Some argue that the US is just using TikTok in the ongoing cold/trade war with China. They pose that the app poses no real threat to Americans & that there is absolutely no concrete proof that TikTok is spying on people. They also claim that the app actually mines less data from users than Facebook & Instagram. See More: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/07/11/tiktok-seriously-dangerous-warning-delete-app-trump-ban/#15bd504c2b0e
Proponents of a ban argue that China is an extremely oppressive nation that is engaged in cyberwarfare against the United States. They say that even the possibility of TikTok spying on Americans is enough to shut it down.
This Video explains the entire issue in a non-biased & accurate way: The TikTok Ban - YouTube
The Black Lives Matter Movement is a leaderless mass movement of people advocating for the end of racial police violence / discrimination & harrassment in America.
The movement gained significant momentum after the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police. See more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_George_Floyd
The Movement has played a significant role in politics throughout the summer and has had another boost in momentum after President Trump sent federal forces from the Department of Homeland Security to stop protests & protect federal property in Portland Oregon. See More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_deployment_of_federal_forces_in_the_United_States
In more recent events, Jacob Blake was shot in the back several times by policemen in Kenosha Wisconsin. Riots have broken out and Mr. Blake is reportedly paralysed from the waist down. (This story is still developing)
See More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Jacob_Blake