Two Black technologists collaborate on a program together. One day, Allison Bland, a media specialist from Princeton University, was driving  through Brooklyn when Google Maps told her to “turn right on Malcolm Ten Boulevard.” It was  a clear error on behalf of the technology, which erroneously interpreted the “X” in the street name as the Roman numeral for ten instead of the street’s actual reference to the African-American revolutionary, Malcolm X. It is a mundane error tha

A healthcare professional fills out medical forms. The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed  into law, reshapes numerous pieces of legislation, particularly those related to healthcare, education, and the allocation of public funding. While the media has covered the changes to Medicare and Medicaid eligibility as well as the restructuring of loan payments, the implications on college students caught between the intersections of these policy changes are often not di

The Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine & Processing Facility is the only active and scaled rare earth mining and processing facility in the United States. Owned by MP Materials, the facility recently secured an unprecedented deal with the US Department of War to ramp up domestic production of rare earth elements. Rare earth elements refer  to a group of seventeen metals that contribute  to the defining technologies of the 21st century. From electric vehicles to fighter jets, rare

A U.S. banknote. While families gathered outside to watch fireworks at the end of our block every Fourth of July, my family stayed indoors and watched them on TV. The sharp cracks of the fireworks reminded my parents of the bombings they encountered during the Vietnam War. Growing up as a child of Vietnamese refugees, I heard my parents’ stories of bombs dropping at midnight and families rushing into basements to escape the impact. It has been fifty years since April 30, 1975

The McGraw Clocktower at Cornell University . In the dining hall, most Cornellians are not concerned about where their food comes from, let alone if it is safe to eat. However, over the past few years, studies have shown that microplastics, PFAS, heavy metals, and even radioactive compounds have the potential to threaten our food supply. As these contaminants continue to infiltrate American agriculture, it’s clear that federal research funding and policy have not kept pace wi

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

Traffic congestion continues to plague major cities, including Seattle, as shown above. For years, policymakers have sold  electric vehicles (EVs) as a keystone solution in the battle to combat climate change. EV sales have surged  globally—today, one in every four vehicles sold worldwide is electric. Yet, while EVs are helping  cut tailpipe emissions substantially, they are quietly eroding a key pillar of transportation finance: the gas tax. Numerous states fund  their roads

A sign reading “Welcome to Oklahoma. Discover the Excellence.” In September 2020, Republican Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma named  Ryan Walters as Secretary of Public Education, placing him in charge of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE). As a former Executive Director of Oklahoma Achieves, an education initiative within the State Chamber of Oklahoma, Walters describes  himself as empowering parents, teachers, and community leaders to better the state’s educa

A photo of a server room inside a data center. Artificial intelligence (AI) companies promise that they are driving us into a new age, but their impact may not be what you think. AI data centers are pushing everyday Americans to the brink and contributing to the ongoing, extreme rise in the cost of living. According to recent polling, 63% of Americans report  that utility bills are adding to their financial stress. For Americans earning  under $50,000, that number jumps up to

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

The Arts Quad at Cornell University. At a time when classrooms should be leading the fight against hate, President Trump and his administration have cut  millions of dollars in federal funding from top universities across the nation, including Cornell. Education fosters  respect, empathy, and critical thinking, and universities must prioritize these fundamentals as tensions surrounding conflict in the Middle East have risen since October 7, 2023. Echoing  recommendations from

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

YouBike was established in 2009 in Xinyi District, Taipei. It has since expanded to 13 cities across Taiwan, providing convenient and...

An AI-driven robot at a computer, offering a preview of the future workplace. It’s September at Cornell, and that means a few things....

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

Swarms of students unite in a peaceful protest, calling for an end to long-standing government corruption and impunity in Chitwan...

Protesters demanding protection of Medicaid funding. The 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) introduced sweeping changes to Medicaid,...

A wind turbine farm located in Klickitat County, Washington. Since retaking office in 2025, President Donald Trump has actively worked to...

Empty desks in classrooms across the country reflect a growing challenge: chronic absenteeism, which continues to impact millions of...