All roads lead to Oslo. The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway did not differ significantly from those held in Oslo City Hall for years. There was the same humbly bowing awardee, the same beaming audience, and the same emphasis on global cooperation. But just underneath this placid exterior, the very foundations that the […]
Tag: Trump
South Park: The Cultural Hero We Need, But Don’t Deserve
Free speech concerns are louder than ever, amidst the Trump administration’s continued efforts to silence MAGA-opposed voices. Last year, ABC’s decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! – or more importantly, FCC chairman Brendan Carr’s threats of government action against ABC – sparked widespread outrage for its political implications. While Kimmel remained as critical as ever […]
From Veto to Vacuum
“Sometimes you need a dictator,” offhandedly remarked President Trump in Davos on Jan. 21, the third day of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting. Out of his many controversial statements uttered at the forum—such as repeated references to Greenland as Iceland—perhaps this statement went undetected to many. Or perhaps it was interpreted as another one […]
Political Activism is the New Showbiz
An actor’s job is to act. It’s an art. Art has and will always be political. From every deliberate, red brushstroke in paintings, rendering in photography, and distinct diction used to make memorable phrases plastered on posters, art has served as a reliable method of expression and a form of silent activism in politics today. Independent artists […]
America’s Disposable Allies
When it comes to American foreign policy, realpolitik rules. Democratic allies, be warned: Washington’s friendship may be an existential liability.
“Fiat Lux” Darkens With Peyrin Kao’s Firing
On Thursday last week, campus leadership dismissed UC Berkeley lecturer Peyrin Kao — the latest casualty in the administration’s war on Berkeley’s free speech foundations. Kao’s censuring proves yet again that free speech at UC Berkeley is no more than administrative marketing. It’s a principle invoked when convenient and easily discarded when costly. This semester, […]
How Judicial Philosophy Is Reshaping America
The Supreme Court’s recent decisions in favor of Trump’s policies have set off a wave of public anger and frustration. Many Democrats see a blatantly biased, Republican Court that has, and will continue to, bend the knee to Trump. While their outrage is justified, it is misdirected. Rather than being affected by personal political affiliation, […]
No Kings Day Demonstrates that the Modern Era of Protest Culture Needs to be Revamped
On October 18, 2025, cheers and shouts echoed across the United States as a collective movement ensued among Americans nationwide. The news of more than 2,700 planned protests made headlines, all brandishing the same unifying slogan: “No Kings.” To criticize the Trump Administration for its already controversial policies in just less than a quarter of […]
Living in Fear: The Human Cost of Trump’s Deportation Agenda
“My biggest fear is seeing her one morning and not knowing if she’ll come back.” This fear and daily uncertainty is a sentiment shared by the 5.8 million households in the United States that are home to at least one undocumented immigrant, amidst the second term of President Donald Trump. As of 2023, California had […]
Supreme Court Rulings Favoring Trump Provide Little Explanation
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has taken on a more influential and significant role in legislation and policy making, as seen in the number of pivotal rulings and overturned precedents in recent years. SCOTUS, with its 6-3 ratio of conservative to liberal justices, continues this role by halting cases and decisions brought […]