Gerrymandering is uniquely evil. Merriam-Webster defines gerrymandering as the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections. Gerrymandering represents all that is wrong in the current political system, after all, I should know, I live in a gerrymandered district. Going to a state scale, I am from Southwest Missouri, residing in the Republic. Looking at the picture above, you’ll notice a hole within Greene County. This hole is the city of Springfield. Springfield and the rest of Southwest Missouri lie in the traditional “Bible Belt”, and maintain a dark red fixture, except for one spot. In that hole lies the blue city of Springfield. The city contains three college campuses, a community college, and a high population of poverty. Because of the high population of blue voters in the city of Springfield, a glaring hole remains in the State Senate’s 20th district map. So, with this personal example of living in gerrymandering, how do we move forward to end the practice?

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The year was 1968. Democratic candidates, delegates, and voters gathered in Chicago for what would soon become the last Open Democratic Convention of the modern era. Voters during this convention were primarily concerned with the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War and for equal rights of Black Americans, leading to riots which brought the National Guard to the Windy City to quell them. The convention was tense as incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson decided not to run for a second term, pushing Vice President Hubert Humphrey to the top of the ballot. Although the convention did not lead to a successful Democratic victory for the presidency, it spotlighted the injustices in the Vietnam War and the differing perspectives on candidates.

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Voting education in high schools is essential to young voters’ involvement in elections. However, there is some debate as to whether U.S. public schools are adequately preparing students to be involved in the electoral process. Schools play a central role in education and civic engagement, and as many have argued, should be doing more to promote such engagement.

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It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Republican candidate for president in November will be Donald Trump, espeically after beating Nikki Haley in her home state of South Carolina.

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At this time, the U.S. finds itself divided once again over whether or not we should continue to help Ukraine with its war against Russia. President Biden recently sent a request to Congress for $106 billion in security funding, of which $61.4 billion is for Ukraine. In addition, The White House has warned Congress that they will run out of funding for weapons and other assistance by the end of the year. However, 45% of Americans say that the government is spending too much on Ukraine. Most of the opposition comes from registered Republicans. Republicans in the House of Representatives say they will support more aid for Ukraine, but only if it is tied to funding for border security, something that is a non-starter for Democrats. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky visited Washington to appeal to Republicans and Democrats as to why they should continue to support funding for Ukraine. He also met with President Biden at The White House, after Biden invited him to visit the U.S. in order to make its case. Zelensky was also scheduled recently to address the Senate virtually, but he canceled at the last minute. Still, the Senate met to debate the funding bill. At the meeting tensions were high as Democrats were frustrated at the fact that Republicans will only support funding to Ukraine if it tied to border security funding. And as expected, a Senate procedural vote on the Ukraine funding bill failed by a vote of 49-51.

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I've always believed in the power of representation to break down misbeliefs. Unfortunately, Representative George Santos seems determined to do the opposite, becoming a source of concern for Latinx Americans, particularly those with Brazilian roots like myself. His actions perpetuate harmful stereotypes and contribute to a distorted image of Brazil in the United States. In the midst of George Santos' political antics, I can't help but wonder if there's a Portuguese translation for what others might call 'political idiocy.'

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For Congressman Alan Lownethal, a Democrat of California’s 47th district, March 6, 2020, was a memorable day. The House Transportation Committee, of which he has been a member since 2017, published its damning preliminary findings into Boeing’s mismanagement of its 737 MAX, which was involved in two fatal crashes that left a total of 346 people, including 8 Americans, dead. What was more memorable to his constituents, however, was the insight that Mr. Lowenthal’s wife, Dr. Deborah Malumed, had, the day prior, sold shares of the company -- a conspicuous and downright chilling conflict of interest.

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Misusing public funds for campaigning, and racist comments, and leaving his state in the dust for political stunts, alongside clandestine bills with no public oversight. These are all things that Ron DeSantis has done, but that unfortunately a plurality of politicians all around the world have done. What sets DeSantis apart from other politicians, even those in his own party, is the scapegoating war he has waged on the LGBTQ community, primarily transgender people.

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Initially, CNN’s September 2019 climate change town halls felt like nothing more than a flurry of recycled and oft-repeated, albeit bold, ideas. Candidates, throughout each of their allotted hours, told similar stories, cited identical statistics, and recited the same prognostications about our futures. Despite actually caring a great deal about climate change, I almost could not resist the urge to change the channel. That is, until I came across one moment from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren’s town hall.

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Throughout the summer, the United States and its surroundings have been feeling the effects of climate change. Wildfire smoke from Canada has choked millions of people in the United States, Vermont is experiencing record levels of flooding, and the hurricane season is starting earlier and deadlier than ever before. Overall the period of June to August, was the hottest summer ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.

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