Domestic News
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Book Bans: An Ineffective Infringement of Freedom
In recent years, there has been an unprecedented onset of book bans, a phenomenon spearheaded by parents motivated to control their children's educations. Despite any positive motivation, these bans have adverse effects on the public education system as a whole.
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Trump: A 19th-Century President in the 21st-Century
Donald Trump's Presidencies are often described as "unprecedented" and "norm-shattering," but his actions have clear inspiration from earlier presidents in our nation's history.
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The Special Election Era: Trump, Turnout, and the Price of Polarization
Special elections weren’t supposed to cost tens of millions or draw the attention of billionaires, but under Trump, even low-turnout races are flooded with cash and national attention.
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The Cult You’re Likely an Unwitting Member Of
From Jonestown to MAGA, cult behavior isn’t as distant as we think. America’s highly polarizing two-party system and the decline of religious affiliation has created the perfect storm for cult-like dynamics in our political sphere. From idolized leaders to in-group loyalty and out-group hatred, politics today mirrors many of the same psychological mechanisms as history’s most infamous cults.
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Cutting Class: The Trump Administration’s Crackdown on Educational Federal Funding
As executive decisions from the White House dictate the federal funding provided to United States academic institutions, students, researchers, and university administration alike face struggles with adapting to this new norm of education. The consequences of defunding are astronomical and have ramifications that may be felt for years to come.
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America: Home of the American Dream or the American Nightmare?
The idea of the American dream has become increasingly unachievable over the years, creating a culture of false hope among individuals who may never see their goals achieved within capitalist America.
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The Future Could be Female (At Least in Virginia)
The state of Virginia is gearing up for a historic election season that could elect its first female Governor.
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Underfunded and Overwhelmed: The Federal Government’s Failure to Properly Fund Anti-Trafficking Task Forces
Underfunded and understaffed, federal anti-trafficking task forces struggle to combat the growing crisis of human trafficking. Without increased funding and resources, victims remain trapped, traffickers go unpunished, and justice is left undone.
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Donald Trump’s Life of Failure and the Art of the Pivot
Donald Trump wins by using his losses to his advantage. This is how the MAGA movement has grown despite his numerous transgressions.
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Education in the United States: A Right for the Wealthy, a Privilege for the Poor
Without the Department of Education, the wealth gap between students will only widen. Good education needs to be a right for all kids, not a luxury only a few can afford.
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Democrats’ Path to Reconnecting with the Working Class
The 2024 presidential election saw a clear decrease in working class support for the Democratic Party. This shift left many Democrats wondering what the future holds for the party and what steps must be taken to reconnect with the working class.
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Gifted Education Needs Guidance
Gifted education in the United States is fragmented and underfunded, leading to widely varying outcomes and creating achievement gaps as marginalized groups are often overlooked in gifted identification. Remedying these issues requires a national definition of giftedness with a focus on equitable identification and nurturing student potential.
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Are Rust Belt Cities Ready to Become “Climate Refuges?”
With coastal American cities battling climate catastrophes, the depopulated cities of the Rust Belt are garnering attention as possible “climate havens” and candidates for sustainability projects. However, before these can be realized, it is important to address the challenges within these cities so as to not risk the displacement of locals in this widely misunderstood region.
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Fanning the Flames of Californian Fury: How State and Federal Government Negligence Impacts Wildfires
The January, 2025 wildfires caused thousands of acres of damage, destroying homes and livelihoods in Los Angeles, California. These fires exposed critical state and federal government failures in prevention, response, and aid to support citizens.
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What Happened to the Separation of Church and State?
A fundamental principle of our democracy is beginning to fade away — and we should all be concerned.
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Saving Drops: Charlottesville’s Commitment to Water Conservation
As seen in the successful case of Charlottesville, collecting rainwater with a homemade rain barrel is an easy way to conserve water.
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Peremptory Challenges: The Controversial Legal Tool You've Never Heard Of
Peremptory challenges have a long history in the U.S. judicial system, but their time in the spotlight may have to come to an unceremonious end.
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Pandemic Politics: How Division Undermined COVID-19 Preparedness and What Comes Next
Hindsight is always 20-20, and retrospective analyses of pandemic response to the COVID-19 pandemic reveals glaring inadequacies in policy implementation that fueled damaging race based disparities. It is crucial to learn from these mistakes and take strides in implementing equitable disease prevention efforts for the future.
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Archival Silence within UVA's Special Collections Library
The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library has focused on procuring and preserving rare books, manuscripts, and artifacts since its formation in 1987. However, their steps towards establishing a full history is undercut by their lack of effort to share these resources with the greater student body.
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You Go Girl!: The Swinging Pendulum between the Girlboss and the Modern Stay-At-Home Girlfriend
Today, the docile role of the homemaking woman may seem to be a figure of the past, but has in fact revived itself through a social media trend termed the Stay-At-Home Girlfriend.
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Selective Services: Prejudiced or Pragmatic?
The Selective Services system has negatively impacted the livelihoods of men for decades. Assuming this system will remain in place, it begs the question of whether or not women should also be required to register.
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Our Unsure Future: Legislation in the Age of Emerging Reproductive Technology
In a world of rapidly evolving technologies in reproductive medicine, adaptation is both a challenge and a necessity. The development of ectogestation and similar reproductive technologies calls into question abortion legislation and cultural norms across the United States.
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Disappointing Nostalgia in the House of Representatives
As right-wing extremism occupies the plans of select Republican Congresspersons, parallels can be drawn between the optics and strategies of GOP dissenters of the 2020s and the Tea Party Republicans of the 2010s. While their similarities are striking, differences in representation suggest that the kind of rhetoric of select Republicans falls onto the deaf, unrequited ears of the electorate.
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An Approach to Alleviating Teacher Shortages in Spotsylvania County
Virginia's public schools find themselves facing a crisis — a staggering decline in teacher retention rates. Nowhere is this more evident than in Spotsylvania County. The root cause? Demoralization among teachers, fueled by the growing influence of local politics, is pushing the limits of an already strained education system.
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Age Verification Laws: A Violation or a Necessity?
The government finds it prudent to curb minors’ access to pornographic content, but does that simultaneously curb our rights as citizens?