Seven counties in rural eastern Oregon have now voted in nonbinding, county-level initiatives to leave Oregon and join the state of Idaho. According to proponents of the "Greater Idaho Movement," conservative-heavy rural Oregon has more in common with their neighbors in Idaho than with the greater numbers of liberal voters in the state's coastal cities … Continue reading “Greater Idaho”: All About the Oregon-Idaho Border
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Vaccinations: Where are we at?
The US has finally reached the point in its battle against COVID-19 when many of us can go without masks. Mostly, this is because vaccines are now widely available, and enough of the population has been vaccinated that transmission risks are greatly reduced (though we have not reached herd immunity, a threshold that requires 60%-80% … Continue reading Vaccinations: Where are we at?
Transgender Women and Girls in Sports
Over the past several weeks, multiple states have introduced legislation limiting or banning male to female transgender athletes from participating in women's and girl's sports. Proponents of the various bills and laws argue that transgender athletes would have an unfair advantage over cisgender (or biological) women and girls, especially if the transgender athletes went through … Continue reading Transgender Women and Girls in Sports
Biden and the Border
The Trump administration and the Biden administration have very different approaches to immigration policy, particularly at the US southern border, both in rhetoric and policy. Biden has made it a goal to reverse much of what Trump did while in office, though it's slow going for him. The number of migrants at the border is … Continue reading Biden and the Border
Texas’ Electric Grid: The Market and Federalism
In the wake of the deadly winter storm that hammered the state mid-February, Texas suffered severe power outages. Rolling blackouts led to millions of people losing power for several days, due to a combination of frozen equipment, intentional shutdowns, and surging demand that overwhelmed emergency backup generators. In spite of only having power for at … Continue reading Texas’ Electric Grid: The Market and Federalism
Biden’s Foreign Policy Changes
US foreign policy is a complicated subject. It shifts with every president to reflect the new administration's needs and goals. Each president sets the overall tone, working closely with advisors and the Department of State. The State Department consists of the Secretary of State (currently Antony Blinken), the US Mission to the UN, and the … Continue reading Biden’s Foreign Policy Changes
Bias in News Reporting
As consumers, we have the power to dissect through the news and only absorb what we can process to be unbiased information.
A 50-50 Senate: Why it’s Complicated
With the swearing in of Georgia’s two new Democratic Senators, the Senate is now split evenly between the two parties, with 50 senators of each party. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has formally become the majority leader. Sen. Schumer's leadership isn't the same as when Sen. Mitch McConnel (R-KY) was majority leader, because Schumer doesn't hold … Continue reading A 50-50 Senate: Why it’s Complicated
How to contact your Federal election officials:
Start by finding who they are, and what their contact information is. Luckily, you can do both using the links below: House of Representatives: Find your region's Representative at this link - here. You will be asked to enter your zip code, and possibly your street address if the zones overlap in your zip code. … Continue reading How to contact your Federal election officials:
The Presidential Transition
The election has been called, and virtually every major news outlet has projected that the winner is former Vice President Joe Biden (now, President-elect Biden). But as Biden-Harris supporters danced in the streets, President Trump has vowed to fight the election results in the courts and has yet to concede. And while there may be … Continue reading The Presidential Transition
Senate Edition: What is a ‘special election’ and what is going on in Georgia?
Amidst a heated Presidential election, a lot is also going on in the Senate.
Addressing your worries: What happens when polls close, and is it safe to speculate on the timeline of results?
With election day underway, a big topic of conversation is whether we will find out the results today. In a typical election year, results for a large number of states come in right after polls close, and by the time California polls close, we have our confirmed winner. However, this election is anything but normal. … Continue reading Addressing your worries: What happens when polls close, and is it safe to speculate on the timeline of results?
The Infamous “Nuclear Option”
On Monday, October 26th, the U.S. Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett in a 52-48 deeply partisan split. With just 8 days until the election, the confirmation was the first in history where not a single vote to confirm came from the minority party. At this point, the confirmation process is over, but questions are still circulating over how such a partisan confirmation was even logistically possible.
In-person Early Voting By State [Start Dates and Locations]
Below is a list of every state that has early voting (in person voting ahead of Election Day on 11/3). I have included when early voting starts, and a link to where you can find your early voting polling station. Alaska Early voting starts 15 days before the election and ends the day before the … Continue reading In-person Early Voting By State [Start Dates and Locations]
Supreme Court Nominations; What’s Going On?
Last week, Amy Coney Barrett’s hearing in front of the Judicial Committee came to a close. You may have tuned in, got highlights from the news, or stayed away altogether. Regardless, a lot of people are wondering what happens next. Some are fearful at what seems like an inevitable confirmation, while others are looking forward … Continue reading Supreme Court Nominations; What’s Going On?
Voting in New York – Primary Edition
In the middle of a Pandemic, the last thing you may be thinking about is voting (or maybe, because of the Pandemic, you’ve been counting down the days). Regardless, the voting process is something that for decades has remained pretty constant. If you are in the county and state where you are registered to vote, … Continue reading Voting in New York – Primary Edition
Unemployment: FAQ
An unprecedented number of people have filed for unemployment in the United States since the start of the pandemic**. Whether it’s due to layoffs, significant hours being cut, or furlough, more than ever this governmental assistance program is being tapped to aid U.S. workers who are being impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Many people are … Continue reading Unemployment: FAQ
Stimulus Checks: Your Questions Answered
Weeks after Congress passed the whopping two Trillion dollar CARES act, it is finally time for U.S. residents to start receiving their cut.
“Packing The Courts?”
Unpacking Biden’s new commission tasked with evaluating potential changes to the Supreme Court The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States & its creation is mapped out in the Constitution. What’s not written into the Constitution? The maximum number of Justices allowed to serve at any one time. As a result, this … Continue reading “Packing The Courts?”
House Committee Assignments
This procedure is in the news again, and it's time we went over how a Representative gets assigned, and potentially removed. Getting Assigned There are different types of committees on the House. Select committees, which are special committees formed for a specific purpose and may stay permanent or disband at the end of their served … Continue reading House Committee Assignments
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