Newsworthy Events Archives

How the Ukraine War Is Affecting American Politics

The notion that foreign policy was unimportant to most Americans is a long-held belief by many. One explanation is that foreign policy issues felt distant. Another explanation is that Americans lacked sufficient knowledge of it. But while that may be true in times of peace, Americans definitely do care about foreign policy when a major crisis occurs. This is clearly shown in the overwhelming response Americans have displayed with regards to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Justice Stephen Breyer is Retiring. A Confirmation Battle Looms

Longtime Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, the most senior member of the court’s three-justice liberal wing, is set to announce his retirement Thursday. The decision to retire comes just ten months away from the midterm elections, where the Democrats are widely expected to lose control of Congress.

Gavin Newsom Survives Recall Election

Almost five months after an effort led by the California Republican Party to recall Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and a month of mail voting, in-person voting for the recall election finally closed on Tuesday. Less than an hour later, The Associated Press called the race against the recall for Newsom, and with 74 percent of the vote in, 64 percent of voters voted against recalling Newsom. Just 36 percent of voters voted in support of the recall.

Could Afghanistan’s Collapse Reshape American Politics?

Almost 20 years after it began, America’s “Forever War” in Afghanistan is finally coming to an end. It comes after former President Donald Trump began peace talks late into his term and President Joe Biden affirmed that decision to pull U.S. troops out by Sept. 11. Yet, that decision to pull out left Afghanistan in. a state of uncertainty. In just two weeks, the Taliban swept into power across much of the country and took over the capital, Kabul, rendering America’s 20-year-long war effort an utter waste with the surrender of the Afghan National Security Forces, resulting in the “Afghanistan collapse.”

Trump Organization Indicted By Manhattan DA

Former President Donald Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, have been charged by New York authorities over a 15-year-long “sweeping and audacious” tax fraud scheme which saw Weisselberg collect more than $1.7 million in “off-the-books” income and benefits. It is the first criminal case against Trump’s company.

Senate GOP Blocks Jan. 6 Commission

Despite compromises by the Democratic Party, Senate Republicans have blocked an effort lead by the Democrats to establish a bipartisan commission investigating the riots and insurrection at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6. With a bipartisan commission now officially off the books, the only other solution left for the Democrats may be to establish a congressional select committee into investigating the attack, which is sure to be more partisan.

Liz Cheney Likely to Be Removed After Impeaching Trump

Rep. Liz Cheney, Republican from Wyoming, is stuck between a rock and a hard place. The daughter of one of the country’s most prominent (and polarizing) politicians and former Vice President Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, the third most powerful House Republican, is now in hot water from her own party. After having voted to convict former President Donald Trump back in January, she is now expected to be given the boot and ousted from her leadership position.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Recall Effort Qualifies

A recall effort organized by Republicans against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has reached the number of valid signatures required for the state to hold a recall election, the California secretary of state reported Monday. The state is now all but certain to be holding a gubernatorial recall election later this year, for only the second time ever in the state’s history.

Derek Chauvin Found Guilty In George Floyd Murder

A month after the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin into the murder of George Floyd last May began, a unanimous jury delivered a verdict on Tuesday, finding Chauvin guilty of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. The verdict offered a sign of optimism that America was progressing toward a future in which people of all races would be treated fairly and equally and where police officers would be held accountable for their actions.

George Floyd Case Trial Begins in Minneapolis

One of the most closely-watched and important trials in a very long time began on Monday in Minneapolis, in the Hennepin County District Court, as the murder trial for former police officer Derek Chauvin, who is being charged with murder in the death of George Floyd last summer, started. The death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, resulted in nationwide protests against police brutality and calls for equal treatment of Black people, igniting the Black Lives Matter protest movement.

Atlanta Shootings Bring Attention to Anti-Asian Racism

Last Tuesday, on March 16, eight people were killed in a series of shootings which took place at three spas in the Greater Atlanta area. Of the eight that died, six were Asian American and two were white. All of them, except for one, were women. The shootings fueled fear that the shooting may have singled out Asians, and draws attention to the longstanding racism many Asians have faced in America, which has sadly become more exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Faces a Recall Effort

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a major recall effort organized in part by the state GOP after outrage began last year over coronavirus-related restrictions. It is the largest and likeliest-to-succeed recall effort of a California governor every since then-Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, was recalled in 2003, with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger succeeding him.

Trump Dominates CPAC, Showing the Future of the GOP

In his first major public appearance since leaving office, former President Donald Trump used a lie-filled speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Fla., to vilify President Biden’s administration, showed no remorse for the Jan. 6 insurrection, repeated his lies about election fraud, and signaled that he would run for president again in 2024. His comments at CPAC demonstrates that the Republican Party is still very much a party centered around Trump.

Ted Cruz Vacations in Mexico As Texans Suffer

Much of Texas has been weathering from days of harsh winter weather, snow, ice, and freezing rain since a major winter storm hit the region beginning on Feb. 15, battering the state’s power grid and leaving millions without power or water. Meanwhile, as Texas recovers from the winter storms, Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, was spotted on a plane heading to Cancún, Mexico, on Thursday.

Trump Acquitted for 2nd Time in Impeachment Trial

Former President Donald Trump was acquitted for a second time in his Senate impeachment trial on Saturday, drawing one of the fastest-ever impeachments to an end in the Democratic Senate. He had been impeached by the Democratic House of Representatives after his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection for high crimes and misdemeanors, more specifically, for “incitement of insurrection.”

Trump Displeased With His Impeachment Defense

The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump began on Tuesday afternoon in the Senate, just over a year after he was last acquitted of high crimes and misdemeanors in his first trial. Trump has been accused of inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Though there had been debate over whether or not the trial of a former official left office was constitutional, the Senate voted to continue with the trial in the end.

Trump Impeachment Trial Begins Tuesday

In an unprecedented move, the House impeached now-former President Donald Trump in the middle of January over his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The impeachment now moves on into its last stage: a trial in the Senate. After this trial, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, the Senate will vote as to whether or not Trump is guilty over the articles of impeachment filed by the House.

2020 Election Recap: Most Tumultuous Election of Our Time

With the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2021, the 2020 election season officially comes to an end, marking the end of one of the most tumultuous, most defining elections of our lifetimes. A record-breaking 158 million Americans voted in this election, and 74 million of them voted for the Donald Trump-Mike Pence ticket, and 81 million voted for the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket. It was the first time in history any ticket surpassed 70 million votes.

Trump Likely To Be Acquitted In the Senate

Senate Republicans largely voted against trying former President Donald Trump after he was impeached with just a few days left in his term in the House for incitement of insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Only five Republican senators voted against tabling a bill forced by Sen. Rand Paul from Kentucky, which, if passed, would have declared the trial unconstitutional and ended.

Impeached Again: Trump Impeached for a 2nd Time

President Donald Trump has become the first president (and first-ever federal official for that matter too) in history to be impeached by the House of Representatives for a second time, this time for “incitement of insurrection.” In the most bipartisan impeachment ever, 10 Republicans bucked the party line and voted to impeach a president from their own party.

Trump’s Presidency Will End With Second Impeachment

Representatives in the House said they would move to impeach the president on Wednesday, after formally calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office Tuesday. The sole article of impeachment accuses the president of “willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States,” after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week.

Silicon Valley Bans Show Where Power Truly Lies

On Jan. 8, Twitter announced that effective immediately, President Trump’s Twitter handle, @realDonaldTrump, would be permanently banned from the platform for inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Other platforms later jumped onto the bandwagon. Later that day, Google and Apple announced bans over the Parler app, a popular platform for conservatives, and Amazon stopped hosting the website beginning today. The removal of Trump’s megaphone and a conservative hotbed by Big Tech in Silicon Valley shows where power truly lies.

Donald Trump Could Be Impeached Again

While Congress certified the electoral votes to affirm Joe Biden’s victory on Wednesday, an armed insurrection, egged on by President Trump’s claims of voter fraud, of the United States Capitol Building took place. Insurgents and rioters attempted to stop Congress certifying Biden’s victory after Trump called for people to go to the Capitol Building. Now, the president is now being accused of causing the insurrection, and Democrats floating the idea of impeaching Trump for the second time.

Violent Rioting Mob Storms Into US Capitol

After a proud moment for the Democrats and the country yesterday as the party took back the United States Senate for the first time in six years, yesterday, Wednesday, January 6, 2021, marks a sad and disgraceful day in the history of the United States. A violent mob, encouraged by the words of President Trump, rioted in the nation’s capital city, eventually breaking into the U.S. Capitol and causing the building to be evacuated, just as Congress began certifying electoral votes for President-Elect Joe Biden.

Final Presidential Debate Likely Isn’t Persuading Voters

The last presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden took place in Nashville, Tennessee, on the night of October 22, just 12 days away from Election Day. With the U.S. Elections Project already reporting a vote count of 50 million (more than that of the total early vote count in the entire 2016 election cycle), unfortunately, it seems as though the President was not able to use this debate to flip his campaign around from the 10-point polling deficit he is seeing.

This May Be the Most Important VP Debate Ever

On Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic nominee for Vice President, Senator Kamala Harris, engaged in the first and only Vice Presidential debate held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The debate was very civil especially compared to the hot mess that was the first presidential debate. In an already very tediously drawn-out election cycle amid a global pandemic that has already taken the toll of 210,000 American lives, this year’s vice presidential debate might just be the most important one that has ever been held.

The Worst Presidential Debate Ever

On Tuesday night, Joe Biden and Donald Trump debated each other for the first time this election cycle in what could have been called the worst debate ever in the history of presidential debates. It was more like two people constantly shouting at each other rather than a “debate.” In fact, 83 percent of debate watchers in a CBS News/YouGov poll said the overall debate was “negative.” Last night’s debate took place in Cleveland, Ohio, and the moderator was Chris Wallace from Fox News, who is well known for his tough and ambitious interviews.

What’s Going On In Kenosha, Wis.?

In the late afternoon on August 23, 2020, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, a town of about 100,000 halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee, while responding to a 911 call about a domestic incident in the area, a Black man named Jacob Blake was non-fatally shot seven times in the back. The incident reignited the Black Lives Matter protests and riots that had roiled America since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

RNC Night 1: Trump’s Party of One, Analysis, Takeaways

The Republican National Convention has just kicked off and Donald Trump is the first incumbent president in over two decades to be heading into the conventions over nine points down in the polls. The convention placed a major emphasis on Donald Trump and his family. A large part of it was fearmongering the Democrats and a large number of claims were downright false.

DNC Wrap-Up: Takeaways, Hits, Misses, Analysis

Today marks a wrap for the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC). In the first-ever fully online convention, Joe Biden took center stage to accept the Democratic nomination for president, and vowed to end the “chapter of American darkness.”

Takeaways From Day 1 of the DNC

The first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) is now over. And in a jam-packed two-hour-long convention session livestreamed from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time last night, over a dozen Democratic speakers made powerful speeches aimed at tying a divided American public together. (The livestream replay can be watched here.)

Defunding the Police?

On Sunday, nine out of 13 Minneapolis City Council members announced that they intended to defund and dismantle the police department. According to the council, they said that they were looking into shifting the funding for policing to community-based strategies, and would not try to “glue it back together” after dismantling the force.

The Latest on the George Floyd Case

The police officer responsible for the killing of George Floyd, Derek Chauvin, has now been charged with second-degree murder by the state’s Attorney General. The state’s Attorney General, Keith Ellison, said that “the evidence available to us now supports the stronger charge.” With this, the bail has increased the $1 million.

Why the Looting of Stores Must Stop

For the past week, violent protests have roiled countless cities in the U.S., throughout all 50 states and D.C., in protest of police brutality against African Americans, especially with regard to George Floyd’s case. Although many protests remained peaceful, especially those organized in smaller cities, some, like those in downtown Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, and more involved rioting, arson, and looting of stores.

Should Troops be Mobilized on US Soil to Quell Protests?

President Trump recently said that “if the city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residence, then I will deploy the United States Military and quickly solve the problem for them,” implying that if governors did not act to his liking to quell the increasingly violent protests and riots that have broken out across America in response to Floyd’s killing, he would call on the military to police U.S. streets.

The Killing of George Floyd

In Minneapolis, on May 25, 2020, Memorial Day, at around 8:00 p.m. CDT, Minneapolis police responded to a forgery call on Chicago Avenue South, located south of downtown Minneapolis. George Floyd, an African-American man, was accused of allegedly using a forged $20 bill at a grocery store. According to the police, Floyd was in a car and seemed to be “under the influence,” and he “physically resisted” when ordered to exit the vehicle. After getting him into handcuffs, officers called for an ambulance as he “appeared to be suffering medical distress.” No weapons were used during the arrest by either party.