Category: Editorial

A month into the second longest government shutdown in U.S. history, we have seen thousands of people furloughed or forced to work without pay, and now in the next wave of hardships, we will see millions of Americans who rely on food assistance (SNAP) go hungry right before the holiday season. The U.S. Agriculture Department, which runs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is funded by mandatory spending. This means benefits aren’t capped, but the money still depends on congressional approval for annual budgeting.  Without a budget, the funds are expected to run out.  The USDA announced that no additional program…

Your new best friend is in the body of a two-inch AI-powered device hung around your neck according to Avi Schiffmann, CEO of Friend. Like a real person, the pendant constantly listens to your daily interactions, conversations, and activities via built-in microphones, then it sends you personalized messages via an accompanied app to keep you company. However, as a part of Friend’s subway advertising campaign (the largest in New York City ever), 1,000 platform posters, 11,000 subway car ads, and 130 urban panels were defaced with graffiti overnight. In West Fourth Street, one graffitist wrote, “AI would not care if…

In recent years, the U.S has seen a disturbing rise in political violence. The most recent high-profile event was the assassination of Republican political activist Charlie Kirk that occurred on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University during a campus debate. His assassination followed nearly three months after the June 14 shootings in Minnesota where Democratic State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered, and State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife severely wounded in a related attack.  The Charlie Kirk assassination and the Minnesota lawmaker’s shootings were politically motivated acts of violence, aimed at individuals based on their political…

On Sept. 5, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 1, also known as the Heaven’s 27 Camp Safety Act. This was one of three acts signed into legislation to increase safety measures and emergency procedures for summer camps across Texas. These were proposed following the tragedy of the July 4 Guadalupe River floods, where 27 campers and counselors at Camp Mystic for Girls were killed.  Along with the 27 campers and counselors, Mystic lost their long-time director, Dick Eastland. His loss was felt heavily as he died attempting to save campers from the first-year cabins.  Mystic notably supported SB…

The college semester is coming to an end. Classrooms are empty. Parking spaces are easier to come by. Dining halls seem more vacant. Professors are submitting last-minute grades. Staff members are slowly closing out reports and putting up the closing signs. Another cycle of college life has ended. This is a typical part of the college calendar, but it still matters. The end of a semester is a moment to stop, think, and reflect. Students and staff have worked through long weeks of lectures, assignments, group projects, mid-terms and final exams. Now, there is room to breathe just a little…

Donald Trump recently posted a statement on his Truth Social app that alarmed many college students. He claims that he will stop all federal funding for any schools, colleges and universities that allow “illegal” protests on campus. He threatened to expel and/or arrest students who do not comply, as well as permanently sending agitators “back to the country from which they came.” While it is completely rational to be scared after reading such information, bystanders need to know that Trump does not have the authority to withhold federal funds from any schools that might allow certain conduct. He also does…