Interview with Allie Phillips: Candidate for Tennessee House
In the post-roe era of the country, we will be seeing many candidates run from the local to federal level on the issue of abortion. We can see this, especially in the South, where many states are conservative and Republican.
On November 3, I had the honor of interviewing Allie Phillips, a Democrat running for Tennessee House District 57. Allie has had an experience like so many others in post-roe America. In November of 2022, after a routine anatomy scan, she and her husband found out that their daughter was incompatible with life. Shocked by this devastating news, they decided that termination was the best option for them. Tennessee was one of the states that implemented a statewide abortion ban after the Dobbs decision. As a result of the abortion ban, Allie flew to New York to receive an abortion, to inevitably find out that her daughter’s heart stopped beating within the week of flying up to New York.
This interview covers topics from improving Tennessee Public Schools to helping young people get involved in politics.
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The Ethics Code We Desperately Need in Congress
For Congressman Alan Lownethal, a Democrat of California’s 47th district, March 6, 2020, was a memorable day. The House Transportation Committee, of which he has been a member since 2017, published its damning preliminary findings into Boeing’s mismanagement of its 737 MAX, which was involved in two fatal crashes that left a total of 346 people, including 8 Americans, dead. What was more memorable to his constituents, however, was the insight that Mr. Lowenthal’s wife, Dr. Deborah Malumed, had, the day prior, sold shares of the company -- a conspicuous and downright chilling conflict of interest.
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Climate Anxiety Reaches High Tide
Climate anxiety, also known as ecoanxiety, is a new phenomenon due to the rising awareness of the imminence of global warming. Sarah Lowe, a clinical psychologist and an associate professor at Yale School of Public Health, defines climate anxiety as “distress about climate change and its impacts on the landscape and human existence,” and like any other anxiety disorder, it “can manifest as intrusive thoughts” and can significantly disrupt an individual’s life. In 2017, the American Psychological Association joined hands with the environment-focused non-profit ecoAmerica to define “eco-anxiety” as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.”
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Expansion of AI Surveillance
The evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in our daily lives. From smart cameras to facial recognition, AI is reshaping security measures and raising crucial questions about privacy.
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Voter Fatigue and Energizing Youth Constituents
It's often said that young people are the future, that a country’s youth are vehicles for change, and that the youth always present the world with a new chance at positive change and development. It's also common to hear that the most important avenue for making these positive changes is voting, and yet, the data is clear: young Americans do not vote. According to research by the Census Bureau, in 2018, voter turnout among those ages 18-29 was a measly 36%. In 2022, younger voters made up a smaller proportion of the electorate than in 2018. And so, an important question is raised to anyone interested in advocating for political action: how can we get young people more involved in our political processes?
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HSDA Gun Violence Prevention Caucus Statement on Mass Shooting in Maine
On Wednesday, October 25th, a gunman opened fire on a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine. Police later identified Robert Card as the prime suspect. With the prime suspect still at large, Lewsiton police and surrounding agencies have issued shelter-in-place orders for their communities.*
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Why I, as a Jewish Floridian, cannot support Ron DeSantis
Misusing public funds for campaigning, and racist comments, and leaving his state in the dust for political stunts, alongside clandestine bills with no public oversight. These are all things that Ron DeSantis has done, but that unfortunately a plurality of politicians all around the world have done. What sets DeSantis apart from other politicians, even those in his own party, is the scapegoating war he has waged on the LGBTQ community, primarily transgender people.
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What's Happening in Hollywood?
The alliance of motion picture and television producers also known as AMPTP is a specific organization that is funded in order to keep film production companies running. This is something known as a trade association. This association is in Los Angeles, California and helps many tv shows represented and streamed. Netflix, Comcast, Sony, Walt Disney, and many other streaming services out there and in the AMPTP association. The Writers Guild of America is a group of over 11,000 people that write scripts for some of the most popular tv.shows out there. They write the tv shows and movies that you know and love so much.
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What does it mean to be Pro-Palestinian?
On October 7th, Hamas, a Palestinian militant group, attacked Israel by land and air, killing 1,400 Israelis. The deaths of these Israelis are tragic, having led to a war declared by Israel, but what’s with pro-Palestinian demonstrators yelling “Free Palestine!” across the world? Why has this event sparked these pro-Palestinian demonstrations?
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Is Performative Activism Really Activism?
After the killing of George Floyd, America was once again ignited by the Black Lives Matter Movement. On June 2, 2020, digital activists took it upon themselves to spread awareness through #BlackoutTuesday all across social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. By posting a black square on their stories, these activists wanted to showcase their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. However, their attempt to amplify the voices of African Americans who had experienced police brutality through posting black squares only trivialized the issue.
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