A Chinese New Year celebration from prior years, untouched by disease. (Unsplash, CC0) The Lunar New Year, celebrated on January 25th this year, traditionally calls for outdoor festivals, lanterns, and parades throughout the city, as people gather with their families to celebrate the annual holiday with a “reunion dinner.” Everyone enjoys noodles, dumplings, spring rolls,…

The accelerated speed of facial recognition AI is cause for worry. (Wikimedia Commons) Around January 17, a leaked white paper draft from the European Commission contained a three-to-five year ban on the use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology in public areas. Multiple reasons for the ban are obvious, one being for privacy and security…

Australia is suffering wildfires, thunder, drought, flooding, and dust storms (Martin Snicer/Flickr)  The United States is one of Australia’s oldest allies. Two years ago, the two countries celebrated 100 years of mateship. Yet our media is giving more air time toward the heating tensions of a Warren-Sanders feud rather than the lethal blazes terrorizing our…

Vaughn Armour, Carolyn Vaziri, and Ethan Weiser in discussion with Mr. Wagshul. (Courtesy/Andy Morris)   Since the death of Iranian Kuds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani on January 3 of this year, the term “imminent” has entered the daily lexicon of Americans following the news.  What’s the big deal about this word? It all starts with the…

Front runners Biden, Warren, Sanders, and Buttigieg vy for the Democratic nomination. (Graphic by Carolyn Vaziri’22) Democrats are torn. Thirteen primary candidates remain, locking horns for the nomination. The crowded field represents a broad ideological spectrum, from moderates like Amy Klobuchar to far-leftists like Bernie Sanders. Is the safest option to select a moderate to…

Thousand of Iranians Mourn General Qassim Soleimani on January 6th. (Majid Asgaripour via Wikimedia Commons) Thanks to last Friday’s drone-strike assassination of Iranian Major General Qassim Soleimani, we ring in a new decade amidst millions’ calls for “Death to America” and memes about WWIII and the selective service populating our instagram feeds These concerns are only…

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the Presidential Gun Safety Forum in August. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)     Michael Bloomberg joined the democratic primary on November 24, and with him came his net worth of 55 billion. While his foray into the race drew plenty of media attention, it also begs the question: for…

Same-sex couples could lose critical health care if providers choose to discriminate (Flickr/ Jose Antonio Navas).  In 2017, President Trump and vice president Mike Pence met with a legal scholar who advised them on social issues, including the likelihood of reversing Roe v. Wade. According to The New Yorker, two sources confirm that when the discussion…

Colin Kaepernick received an unexpected opportunity on Saturday, November 16. (Flickr) Almost three years have passed since Colin Kaepernick has played in an NFL matchup, and for those anxious to see his return, this past Saturday was another setback. The 32-year-old quarterback out of the University of Nevada has not touched the playing field since…

Beto O’Rourke: Lost in the Shuffle (Flickr) On November 20, ten candidates will take the stage in Atlanta in an attempt to convince the American people that they are the best choice to be the next President of the United States. During the approximately 3 hour-run, more harm than good will be done to all…