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(06/30/17 1:46am)
President Donald Trump recently announced he will reverse crucial pieces of what he called a “terrible and misguided deal” with Cuba and reinstate the restrictions eased by the Obama administration. Unsurprisingly, Trump has decided to turn back to a failed Cold War mindset by re-imposing restrictions on diplomatic, commercial and people-to-people ties — worsening the prospects for reform inside the island, and disregarding the desires of the Cuban people and a majority of Americans.
(12/01/16 5:16am)
A week before the election, I argued now-President-elect Donald Trump’s continuous childish, uncivil and abusive behavior in the public arena made him unfit to serve as our next president. The degrading comments he made about women in a 2005 recording and his overall disagreeable behavior throughout the campaign trail were enough to make my case. This week, a series of sexist, racist and offensive tweets made by Charlottesville Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy were uncovered by a local blogger in his public Twitter account, reigniting the debate of what should be expected from our public officials. Bellamy’s abhorrent tweets reflect poor judgment and a lack of common respect for his constituents, and although he has recently resigned from the Virginia Board of Education, the people of Charlottesville should request his immediate resignation from the office of vice mayor.
(11/16/16 5:00am)
In last week’s election, the Virginia ballot included two ballot measures, both of which were legislatively referred constitutional amendments. These proposed amendments were of vital importance since they directly related to the lives of many Virginian workers and families. However, many voters I talked to after Election Day found the ballot measures incredibly confusing and complex in their structure and language — unnecessary conditions, especially for measures with important potential ramifications for Virginians. Future ballot measures should avoid this and be framed in the most simple and straightforward way possible.
(11/02/16 10:58am)
Last Wednesday, first-year College student Milan Bharadwaj penned an op-ed titled “If you care about policy, Trump is the best candidate” — a lousy attempt to make a case for Donald Trump’s superiority over Hillary Clinton. While the policy arguments presented are at best misleading from an empirical standpoint, Bharadwaj’s dismissal of Trump’s racist, sexist and tribalist bigotry and public remarks as “meaningless” is deeply unsettling. Bharadwaj’s column fails to present a compelling argument for Trump’s superiority, and in no way discredits the argument that he is unfit to serve as our next president.
(10/28/16 11:17am)
A recent report conducted by the University’s EdPolicyWorks research center found that some of the state’s schools suffer from chronic absenteeism — which occurs when a student misses at least 10 percent of the academic year for any reason. The University and state government should consider allocating increased resources towards absenteeism research projects, such as the one led by EdPolicyWorks, and enact efficient short-term proposals that would help address the problem.
(10/20/16 4:15am)
Last month, a Connecticut judge ruled the state’s school financing system unconstitutional — a decision that is forcing the state to reevaluate every major aspect of its educational system. In his decision, Judge Moukawsher claimed “Connecticut is defaulting on its constitutional duty” of providing children a proper education. The ruling offers states a chance to reshape their approach towards public education funding and to assure their governments are providing adequate and equal educational opportunities to all students.
(10/13/16 3:52am)
For the past five decades, aggressive political differences between Cuba and the United States have led to the preservation and continued support of a decades-old trade embargo with the island. Its imposition in 1962 was mainly a reprisal towards the new communist-led revolutionary government aimed at weakening their economy and thus, hopefully, their ability to stay in power. However, with signs of change emerging within the island, leaving the trade embargo in place might only delay — or prevent — the regeneration of a new Cuba free of erroneous and unsustainable socialist structures. The U.S. Congress should let go of the past and re-establish a strong economic relationship with Cuba by lifting the embargo.
(09/07/16 4:49am)
In a Washington Post op-ed, Former Rector Helen E. Dragas accused the University of hiding a “slush fund” of $2.3 billion in order to bypass the Board of Visitors. According to Dragas, the University willingly chose not to disclose any type of information regarding the fund in order to approve a tuition increase. This distorted depiction of the fund and groundless attack on the University failed to highlight any real issue of illicit activity within the administration — however, Dragas’ arguments present an opportunity to point out the fund’s role in improving our education’s value.
(09/02/16 3:06pm)
In 1930, in an essay titled “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren,” John Maynard Keynes warned about “technological unemployment… due to our discovery of means of economising the use of labour outrunning the pace at which we can find new uses for labour.” Today, Keynes’ prediction of technological unemployment seems to be turning into reality, though a centuries-old concept might prove to be an effective remedy.
(04/13/16 4:47am)
Last week, several news media outlets published a series of articles based on 11.5 million leaked confidential documents from a Panama law firm that helped some of the world’s most powerful people set up anonymous “shell companies” to hide their wealth. The investigative journalism organization publishing the papers claimed the documents exposed the offshore accounts of at least 140 politicians and public officials, including a dozen current and former world leaders. This scandal, known as the “Panama Papers,” confirms the common suspicion that wealthy and powerful people hide significant amounts of their wealth outside of their country — an action that can legitimately provide privacy but also enables tax evasion, money laundering and even corruption. The scandal has not only shed a light towards the ethical dilemma and immoral nature of powerful individuals holding offshore accounts, but it has also highlighted the need for the international community to crack down on the misuse of shell companies.
(03/31/16 6:02am)
On July 25, 1898, U.S. troops led by General Nelson A. Miles disembarked their ships in the southern coast of Puerto Rico. As the invasion of the island unfolded, and as the Americans marched along the inner towns of Puerto Rico, The New York Times victoriously trumpeted “Our Flag Raised in Puerto Rico.” The newspaper noted the island’s commercial value and “the wisdom of taking… and keeping it for all time.” With little disregard of the island’s people, the United States designated the island as its own playground, sentenced to a long-lasting period of colonialism and deprived of legitimate self-governance.
(03/24/16 6:06am)
Last month, I argued President Barack Obama’s engagement policy with Cuba obscured the Cuban people’s demands for human rights within the island. Last Sunday, the communist island’s commitment to repress dissidents was projected once again, despite the fact that a U.S. president was scheduled to set foot on the island for the first time since 1928. Hours before Obama landed in José Martí International Airport for his historic visit in Cuba, more than 50 dissidents were arrested by Cuban authorities after marching to demand improved human rights in the island. The members of the dissident group, known as the “Ladies in White,” reportedly marched at a suburb called Miramar after Mass — a routine that is all but too common for the dissident group.
(03/17/16 5:19am)
Last December, a married couple opened fire at a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino. The shooters, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, killed 14 people and injured 22, most of them county employees. The aftermath of this tragic and distressful attack at first raised questions related to the Second Amendment (more specifically, questions about gun regulations and background checks.) However, a far more recent debate, which could determine the future of digital privacy in the United States, arose from the San Bernardino attack — a debate about encryption.
(02/25/16 5:52am)
Last Sunday, presidential candidate Donald Trump cruised to victory in the South Carolina Republican primary, reassuring his takeover of the Republican Party and leaving no doubt he currently has the most credible path to the nomination. Despite shattering GOP taboos — calling President George W. Bush a liar and calling out the pope before the South Carolina primary — Trump managed to maintain strong voter support throughout the race and was able to turn his poll numbers into a 10-point victory. Trump’s hasn’t been successful because of his political expertise — his success is a result of wide support from a very important block of voters: the silent majority.
(02/11/16 6:14am)
Last Sunday, quarterback Peyton Manning won the Super Bowl — with his highlight pass being a two-point conversion — when the Denver Broncos upset the Carolina Panthers 24-10. As the confetti floated down and Manning adjusted his pre-made Super Bowl championship hat, a thought kept creeping into my head: what was really being put into these football games?
(02/05/16 5:29am)
On Nov. 22, 1963 French journalist Jean Daniel ate lunch with Fidel Castro in Varadero Beach, Cuba. He was delivering a message of potential reconciliation from President John F. Kennedy to the Cuban prime minister — “an indication,” as Castro would recall, “of a desire to establish contact… to establish a certain kind of communication.” As Daniel and Castro were discussing the possibility of better relations, the telephone rang and Fidel received the news that the president had been shot. “Everything has changed. Everything is going to change,” Castro said. And he was right.
(01/28/16 5:15am)
Keeping up with the costs of a college education has become an increasingly difficult task for millions of Americans across the nation. Countless young adults are being forced to move back in with their parents as they try to escape their repayment bills. And with over $1.2 trillion in student loan debt and about 40 million borrowers, this crisis only worsens. Last August, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton proposed a plan that would ease the process of paying tuition at public colleges through major government spending. Although a laudable initiative and contribution, Clinton’s proposal seems to be missing the entire point of the discussion: making college more affordable.
(12/03/15 5:05am)
The recent Paris attacks, downing of a Russian airliner over Egypt and spasms of wanton killings throughout the Middle East have established a new international military target: the Islamic State. Relentless airstrike campaigns and coalitions have increased in the past few weeks and seem to be picking up the pace: in early November, a U.S. military official announced plans to ramp up airstrikes against the terrorist organization. Efforts to weaken the organization have also focused on another vital lifeline: their wallets.
(11/19/15 5:10am)
In early September, President Barack Obama announced that his administration would take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States starting next fiscal year. In the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris — in which according to some reports one of the attackers might have slipped into Europe posing as an immigrant — the decision on whether the United States should open its doors to refugees has become a pressing issue in many political discussions.
(11/12/15 5:40am)
Catalonia’s regional assembly has recently passed a resolution approving a plan for secession from Spain by 2017, despite warnings from the central government in Madrid that this violates the constitution. This is a decision that could have deep implications for both the region’s stability and Spain’s future. Although it might seem a reasonable request from Catalans, allowing Catalonia to secede from Spain would be a mistake.