The Trump Administration’s renewed focus on financial isolationism is strangling some of the world’s most important international aid offices. Emerging as a global superpower in the post-war era, the United States has long sought to secure its influence in international affairs. Working directly to secure the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City and a permanent seat on the Security Council, the American government has largely treated the UN as a means of extendin

Traffic moves through the Bowery in Lower Manhattan, within the zone covered by New York City’s Central Business District congestion pricing program. When New York City’s first-ever urban congestion pricing program—the Central Business District Tolling Program— received  final federal approval in June 2023, it ignited  fierce political hostility. Yet the program now delivers many of the benefits its designers promised, shifting the debate from whether congestion pricing works

A photo of the Constitution of the United States of America. At the University of Dayton, Justice Antonin Scalia remarked  that “the paramount truth of democracy is process.” The judiciary comprises an essential part of this process. However, non-originalist methods are fundamentally tainted by personal preferences, failing to uphold an objective process. Living constitutionalism posits  that the meaning of the Constitution evolves based on social norms. How does an unelected

Confirmation following ticket purchase for the Noah Kahan: The Great Divide Tour. It is no secret that concert tickets have become increasingly hard to secure. While traveling over February break, I listened to Noah Kahan in the airport after trying, and failing, to get tickets to see him live at Citifield in July. With the busy Presidents Day weekend travel trends, I wondered why my seat on the plane was any different from those seats in the stands.  Airlines don’t allow fly

Jean-Léon Gérôme’s 1872 painting Pollice Verso depicting the passing of judgement on a fallen gladiator through the downturned thumb. Note that this painting is subject to great historical debate, with some scholars claiming that the closed fist signalled life and an upward thumb death. Beyond specifics, the policy remains true—and imagery powerful. In ancient Rome, as the triumphant gladiator towered over his defeated opponent, the colosseum would turn its gaze to the empero

Newly built accessory dwelling unit (ADU) located behind a single family home, providing additional housing on existing residential property. New Jersey is  the most densely populated state in the US. However, the state is enduring  a crisis of housing affordability and accessibility. From 2023 to 2024, the median home price rose  by 10.8%, compared to just a 4.3% rise in the average salary. There is  a shortage of over 205,000 affordable homes for extremely low-income renter

An Ohio voting booth for the 2019 general election. “We need to increase voter turnout, especially among young people,” is an age-old refrain from nearly every campaign manager and candidate. While youth participation has risen  in recent years, voters between the ages of 18 and 22 still consistently have  some of the lowest turnout rates. This group’s turnout often ranges from 30% to 40%, compared to 50% to 70% among older populations. More specifically, there was  only 47%

The US Capitol in Washington, DC — a symbol of federal power in determining the funding and efficiency of government services. In the wake of President Trump’s promises to increase governmental efficiency, systems ranging from the Department of Education to Social Security have been under fire. In his effort to reduce spending, President Trump has devastated  morale and made the delivery of public services more challenging. Even before these recent cuts, the public has long p

Stablecoin issuer Circle’s United States Digital Coin (USDC) stacked high, reflecting the growing market for stablecoins following the passage of the GENIUS Act. In June 2025, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent took  to X, proclaiming that the GENIUS Act, the first federal framework for stablecoins, “could grow [stablecoins] into a $3.7 trillion market by the end of the decade.” That same month, a New York Times opinion piece appeared  under the headline: “The Genius Act Wil

The Pentagon, headquarters of the Department of Defense, in Washington, DC. My former middle school was built to serve a dual purpose....

Voters chose Trump in 2024 because of economic concerns; however, are his policies actually working for them? In the 2024 Presidential...

Goldwin Smith Hall at Cornell University . On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court outlawed  race-based affirmative action in  Students for...

Artificial Intelligence: West Lothian Digital Learning Team. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the working world by storm...

A sign left out side the USAID headquarters in Washington D.C. this past Friday.  President Trump’s “America First” agenda claims to...

Government workers protest recent firings outside the US Capitol in Washington. President Trump’s aggressive attacks against federal...

A protester holding a sign demanding equality in diversity. Upon his resumption of the presidency, Donald Trump has directed great...

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry made  headlines this past June by signing H.B. 71 into law, a bill mandating that the Ten Commandments be...

The idea that all votes are not created equal has been widely spread  among Americans, originally as a criticism of the electoral college...

With election season underway, the Electoral College is once again thrust into the spotlight. Campaigns are bombarding the seven...

When I checked my Cornell admissions decision, I did not frantically tear open an envelope but instead clicked a button on the online...