On Jul. 18, 2013, Detroit officially filed for bankruptcy, but it was not until December of the same year that the city was approved to enter into a Chapter 9 bankruptcy, making Detroit the largest U.S. city to have filed and been approved. Chapter 9 bankruptcy aims to “[provide] for reorganization…
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Headlines: Presidential pardons
Since President Obama took office in 2008, he has received requests for 1,888 pardons and 16,523 commutations. Of these thousands of requests, Obama has awarded 64 and 43, respectively. Pardons are awarded to individuals who were found guilty of a crime once they have already served their sentence and include…
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Headlines: Ukraine
In a recent Russian documentary, “Crimea: Path to the Homeland,” President Putin discloses details of his role in the swift annexation of Crimea. Protests erupted in Ukraine Nov. 2013 as Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych discarded European Union trade agreements in exchange for pro-Russian policies. The protests escalated Feb. 2014; Ukrainian President…
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Headlines: Immigration
Congress’ inaction led President Obama to take action in order to build more accountability into the system’s immigration enforcement policy, especially in regards to unauthorized immigrants being allowed to stay in the United States and more comprehensive and punitive action for those who are not. “When I took office, I committed to…
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Headlines: Isis
Get the facts on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has had a presence in the Middle East since 1999. They became ISI, the Islamic State of Iraq, in 2006; ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, after absorbing Al-Qaeda…
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Headlines: Ebola
The Ebola breakout in West Africa started March 2014, but interest peaked in the United States in September and October. The United States focused on the impact of Ebola within the country and not the impact internationally. The outbreak here started with Thomas Duncan, who contracted the disease after traveling…
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Headlines: Edward Snowden
After revealing the U.S. surveillance system PRISM in an interview to The Guardian newspaper, Edward Snowden fled to Russia. He recently received a three year extension on his asylum and will therefore remain in Russia. (Picture: Snowden in an interview with The Guardian in July 2013) May 20, 2013, Edward…
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Headlines: Distant Hope for Gaza
Revisit the destruction that happened over the summer in Gaza as a result of an Israeli campaign to root out terrorism in Gaza. Over the summer, Israel and Palestine entered a 50-day conflict. During this time, many Gazan homes were destroyed and civilians were killed, as human rights violations occurred…
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Headlines: humanitarian situation in Syria
The Syrian Civil War continues to impact the lives of civilians and drive the refugee crisis in the region. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria has proposed a freeze in fighting to end the killing and focus on fighting ISIL. According to the most recent reports from the United Nations High…
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