In 1953, the Ralph M. Brown Act was signed, requiring public comment at local government meetings. While necessary at the time, this legislation has become outdated and needs to be overhauled. At the time, Californian cities were enduring enormous change. Urban highway construction had been underway for decades, with President Eisenhower’s upcoming Federal Highway Act […]
Tag: History
The Moral Duty to Be Happy
Gratitude. That word evokes some unsavory associations: a religious zealot insisting you are blessed, a parent lecturing you about their treacherous journey to school, or an out-of-touch celebrity on Thanksgiving. The gut response may be to cite all of the debts, hardships, and frustrations one regularly endures, and/or to point out the many others who […]
Solar and Storage, The Answer to California’s Climate Goals
California’s Energy History For decades, California has faced a series of existential challenges related to energy. From rolling blackouts and utility bankruptcies to volatile prices and infrastructure strain, the state’s dependence on an increasingly unstable electrical grid has proven unsustainable. To balance the persistent mismatch between supply and demand, California has sought new energy solutions […]
The Smithsonian v. Nationalism
Individuals are able to communicate with the past, present, and the future through museums; they can interact with their long-lived ancestors, connect through deteriorating or flourishing culture, and discover minor and major triumphs as well as sins of the collective. It’s a privilege of the United States to be home to the world’s largest museum […]
Only Smokey the Bear Can Save National Parks–Except He’s Been Fired
It began with an email–or rather, a lack of one. Brian Gibbs was one of nearly a thousand workers whose livelihoods were compromised in the name of efficiency this February. About eight months into his role as an environmental educator at the Iowa Effigy Mounds National Monument, Gibbs was locked out of his government email […]
Europe’s Reluctance to Address the Legacy of Slavery
The transatlantic slave trade and the exploitation of enslaved African laborers in the Americas stand as one of the darkest, most horrific pieces of the history of Western civilization. Without the motive, the means, the organization, and the dedication of European colonial powers in establishing and perpetuating this system of slavery, the modern world may […]
Europe’s New Iron Curtain: An Interview With Dace Dzenovska
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine surprised the world. As an ethnic Latvian, this advance scared me. Vladimir Putin finally made his move to reunite the Soviet Union. Putin has historically called the dissolution of the Soviet Union, “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” He has had his eye on Ukraine to reincorporate into Russia for […]
The Lingering Effects of Female Hysteria in Medicine
Human history can be defined by many threads, one being the millennia spent oppressing women’s bodies, minds and spirits. This has lasted and thrived into the modern era, resulting in unfounded beliefs about female frailty shaping every facet of our society. The stereotype that women are weak, fragile and to be protected from strenuous mental […]
America’s Forgotten History of Forced Sterilization
In early September, a nurse working at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Georgia came forward with shocking allegations of medical neglect and abuse, claiming that numerous involuntary hysterectomies (uterus removal surgeries) were performed on detained immigrant women. This allegation understandably evoked fury and outrage among the general public, with numerous people […]
Papa Putin and Mother Russia: The Historical and Political Implications of Domestic Violence in Russia
In Russia, nearly 40 women die every day due to domestic violence. This rate is around three per day in the United States. The women that survive are too often left with scars, burns, or permanent disabilities, and are subject to continued threats or violence. Despite this, in February of 2017, Russia’s legislature overwhelmingly passed […]