Blake Plante (PO ‘18) In March 2016, an artificial intelligence named Sophia—now a citizen of Saudi Arabia—was jokingly asked “do you want to destroy humans?” She responded, “Ok. I will destroy humans.” This does not mean that Sophia has an agenda to exterminate humanity; rather, it is indicative that Sophia is not aware of what she is saying. Sophia does not have consciousness, though her...
By James Dail (CMC ’20) As it stands, Arizona has one of the worst education systems in the United States: it consistently ranks as one of the lowest performing states in the country. For its performance to improve, an increase in teacher pay and per pupil funding is needed. The solution to this issue may be a proposition on the ballot next year, courtesy of local businessman Robert...
By Daisy Ni (PO ’21) Venezuela has been drawing increasing international concern over the past few weeks as political and economic situations in the country deteriorate. In fact, the United Nations Security Council held an informal meeting in early November to discuss the situation in the country and its threat to regional stability. Additionally, the European Union approved an arms embargo...
By Arthur Chang (PO ’20) The internet is not typically thought of as highly regulated. Nevertheless, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates the internet in addition to other aspects of interstate communications, is currently entangled in a heated debate over net neutrality and a free market for internet. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers...
Allie Carter (CMC ’19) Gun control in the United States has been a topic of discussion for years, inspired by waves of mass killings of civilians by gunmen. In the span of a month, there were two major rampages by gunmen–one at a Las Vegas music festival and the other at a Texan church service. The Las Vegas shooting is now the most deadly shooting in modern U.S. history, as 59...
Dina Rosin (CMC ’20) When America’s founding fathers declared independence from Great Britain, they wrote that “all men are created equal,” and thus, all deserved a vote. Throughout U.S. history, voter eligibility has gradually expanded. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1868, granted equal protection of the law, which allowed for non-white men over 21 to vote. The...
Interview by Blake Plante (PO ‘18), Blog Writer Transcribed by Jessie Levin (PO ‘18), Staff Writer, and Blake Plante (PO ’18), Continued from Part 1… CJLPP: On the one hand, Phil is saying that the 200-million-dollar bond sets a good precedence—that once we have that, there will probably be more future funding. And Melissa, you’re saying that it will create this feel-good impression that...
Interview by Blake Plante (PO ‘18), Blog Writer Transcribed by Jessie Levin (PO ‘18), Staff Writer, and Blake Plante (PO ’18), Blog Writer Malissa McKeith is a veteran environmental attorney and a partner and chair emerita of the Los Angeles-based legal firm, Lewis Brisbois. She is co-founder and president of Citizens United for Resources and the Environment, Inc. (CURE), which is a grassroots...
James Dail (CMC ’20) The bachelor’s degree has traditionally been a surefire way of attaining the American dream of a financially stable middle-class lifestyle. This is increasingly not the reality for college graduates today. More students are going to college than ever before, a trend that has coincided with a staggering increase in college tuition, and therefore student debt. Trade schools...
Jacob Wang (PO’ 21) On October 12, the United States House of Representatives passed the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 on a 420-0 vote, with 232 Republicans and 188 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation. Such a bipartisan cooperation is a rare occurrence in the U.S.’s growingly polarized and divided polity. This is indicative of the lack of partisanship...
