In the rocky world of foreign policy, building global relationships is a necessary precursor to success. It’s time, then, to stop viewing USAID as valueless charity and instead recognize it for what it is: a wise and principled investment. The Trump Administration has signaled that USAID is on its way to the chopping block. The State Department and foreign aid is expected …

President Trump released his budget proposal a few weeks ago, detailing what he calls his “Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again.” One of his first steps in doing so is cutting funding to the Appalachian Regional Commission, an entity charged with economic development and innovation in Appalachia. Such a cut is a leap in the wrong direction; to make …

Everything in America is about diversity — until it comes to the work force, where if you are not white collar, you are not an equal citizen. Blue-collar workers are lower citizens. They are not considered smart, and they are not worth any time or money. This, of course, is the view America takes until their car breaks down because …

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the author and Ohio University Students for Liberty. They do not reflect those of The New Political or its editorial team. By C.J. Fogarty In light of the recent ban on several predominantly Muslim nations, fulfilling one of Donald Trump’s more controversial campaign promises, a general statement on immigration …

Montgomery County in Southwest Ohio has seen a staggering increase in fatal overdoses since the start of 2017 — an influx so severe the county coroner’s office briefly ran out of room for additional bodies. “I have not experienced anything like this in my career,” said Montgomery County Coroner’s Office Director Ken Betz, who noted the office sent the extra …

President Donald Trump made history last Tuesday when he nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. The nomination was the fulfillment of a major campaign promise and comes as a rousing victory for constitutional originalists. Looking beyond the flashy headlines and fierce (but typical) conservative-versus-liberal debate, we can come to see Gorsuch is a man of outstanding moral character …

President Donald Trump shared a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, their first contact with Trump in his official capacity as president. The political bromance between the two was sparked much earlier, however, and poses a grave threat to U.S. interest.   While the call shared between the two leaders is of little importance by itself — it …

Editor’s note: This is a featured writer’s first hand account of the Ohio Women’s March that took place in Columbus on Sunday. Walking over the bridge that crosses the Scioto River, the congregation was met with cold air. It chilled their lungs and turned their faces a shade of pink that matched the hats on many women’s heads and the signs …

Thousands of women from all over Ohio gathered in Columbus on Sunday to protest the impending presidency of Donald Trump. The Ohio Women’s March, a state-specific offset of the Women’s March on Washington that will be held on Saturday in Washington D.C., provided an opportunity for women who wanted their voices heard but were unable to attend the national march. …

Student Senate held its first of two forums on Thursday to address how a concealed carry  referendum will work. At the last Senate hearing, Senators voted to put the question of allowing concealed carry weapons on campus to Ohio University students. The result of the campus’ vote will be issued to the Board of Trustees as a recommendation on deciding …

I like to think that as a nation we are progressing toward tolerance and equality, and I like to think that millennials have something to do with that. We are the young, diverse generation that can look past race and gender and focus on more important issues, like climate change. Donald Trump’s presidency, however, has the potential to delay social …

The power to vote is the cornerstone of democracy. It is an almost sacred responsibility that, in an ideal world, is available to all. On Nov. 7, I had the privilege of casting my first ballot in a presidential election during Ohio’s early voting period. I waited in line for about 45 minutes with my fellow citizens of Athens, Ohio. …

Graduate Student Senate held a discussion regarding Milo Yiannopoulos’ upcoming campus visit, and specifically how to combat its controversial message, at its Wednesday night meeting. Yiannopoulos, a British journalist, entrepreneur and public speaker, will be making a stop at Ohio University on Dec. 2. The OU College Republicans are sponsoring the event. He gained infamy as the controversial figurehead of …

Donald Trump has seen better days – and so has our democracy. After his opponent Hillary Clinton surged in the polls following the publication of his lewd remarks regarding women 11 years ago, Mr. Trump has adopted a strategy of total war. This salt-the-earth tactic includes denying the validity of the polls, the testimony of experts and even calls into …

Former President Bill Clinton made a campaign stop at Ohio University on Oct. 4, where he attempted to appeal to young voters by emphasizing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s positions on issues relevant to college students, such as her plan for college tuition subsidies. At one point during the event, Clinton was interrupted by Prince Shakur, a local activist. Shakur stated, …

Since the first announcement of its construction in 2014, the North Dakota Pipeline has caused a growing protest movement among Native American tribes, environment activists and landowners. At first, I thought the protesting of this project seemed exceedingly non-proactive and a huge waste of time. However, as I extensively researched the pipeline, I concluded it is a very positive and …

Bailey Williams moved into his freshman dorm almost two months ago. Since then, he’s started fulfilling the requirements for his political science and economics double major, found a group of students who are just as passionate about democracy as he is, and also introduced former President Bill Clinton on the Hillary Clinton campaign trail. One of these things is not …

Lemon Andersen stressed the importance of diversity in the media and shared his experiences in jail as a young Latino at the fifth 90 Minutes event on Wednesday. Andersen, a Hispanic actor, activist, spoken-word poet and writer, said he identifies more with his class than the Hispanic community. He got the nickname Lemon because growing up, he was blond and …

Student Senate passed its first bill of the year, calling on administration to market its bias incident reporting tool, which enables individuals to report sexual harassment, racism and homophobia through an anonymous, online submission platform. “If something happens to a student that makes them feel uncomfortable, they can report it through the bias incident reporting system,” said Steve Lichtenfels, Student …

It may not be immediately clear, but we might watch history be made in November. With all the news cycles, we can sometimes forget we are approaching a date that, depending on what happens, would send major shockwaves throughout all of North America. Obviously, I am talking about the Cleveland Indians possibly winning their first World Series championship since 1948. …

Disability and accessibility awareness was the defining conversation of the Student Senate meeting Wednesday night as faculty presented initiative ideas to the Senate body. The topic was led by Dianne Bouvier, director of the Office of Equity and Accessibility and ADA/504 coordinator, and Kendall Brown-Clovis, HR liaison for the College of Arts and Sciences, who presented the office’s Disability Strategic …

Student and faculty panels debated whether controversial graffiti wall comments protected free speech or prohibited hate speech on OU’s campus at Wednesday’s Campus Conversation. The graffiti in question was discovered two weeks ago and depicted racial epithets and offensive symbolism. Sara Trower, the executive director of the OU Office for Equity, Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility, opened the discussion by …

On Sept. 7, Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump and his opponent Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton discussed their individual policy plans during the “Commander-In-Chief Forum,” hosted by NBC’s Matt Lauer. As was to be expected, Trump is being highly criticized for statements made during his interview time slot, especially those made regarding sexual assault in the military. A member of …

After hearing about the bombings that occurred in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, people have a right to be afraid. They have the right to be afraid for the safety of their families and friends. They have the right to be afraid for the safety of their communities, cities, even their country. They do not have the right …

“What would you do about Edward Snowden?” This question has been asked of the four major presidential candidates, and the answers vary greatly. Much can be learned about each party from their candidate’s answer to that question. Edward Snowden is an NSA whistleblower who leaked thousands of government documents revealing the bulk collection of data from millions of Americans, regardless …

Video by Nate Doughty and Connor Perrett. Created Equal, a traveling anti-abortion organization that campaigns on college campuses, staged a demonstration at Howard Park Friday morning. Members of the student organization Feminist Equality Movement (FEM) and the statewide organization, National Abortion Rights Activism League (NARAL) Pro-Choice Ohio, occupied the sidewalk in front of Created Equal to promote its cause of reproductive rights …

It is no surprise that Republican nominee Donald J. Trump is, once again, a target of intense criticism and detestation from the American public and media. Surprisingly, this is not due to his apparent racist remarks, inappropriate banter or egotistical attitude. Recently, Trump appointed former CEO and chairman of Fox News Roger Ailes as a top adviser for his campaign. …

Presidential candidate Gary Johnson, in an interview with MSNBC, asked the question heard around America, “What is Aleppo?” I knew it was a city in a Middle Eastern country, but upon him asking the question, I did some research. That research raised more questions for me and gave me very few answers. Aleppo is the second largest city in Syria, …

Community activist Yvonne Pointer shared her tragic story that led her to encourage students to speak out against injustice at the second “90 Minutes” event. After her 14-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted and beaten to death on her way to school in Cleveland, Pointer decided to devote her life to becoming a voice for the voiceless. “It was service that …

Sarah Grace, state representative candidate for the 94th district, made an appearance at the Ohio University College Democrats Tuesday meeting to speak about her campaign. On Sept. 27, Grace plans to face off against Republican opponent Jay Edwards. While the debate is scheduled and in the process of being planned, Edwards’ attendance is not yet confirmed. Grace detailed her major …

Medical marijuana enthusiasts in the Buckeye State have a reason to celebrate this week: House Bill 523 will go into effect Sept. 8, ushering in a new era of medicinal cannabis use in Ohio. The bill authorizes the use of medicinal cannabis for Ohioans who meet the qualifying standards; some qualifying medical conditions include cancer, AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease. Patients …

The Patton College of Education hosted an Outreach Forum on Tuesday to discuss how diversity could be integrated into the Athens community. The forum, titled “Advocating for change: Silence is Complicity,” was open to the public and included faculty, students and members of the Athens community. According to Connie Patterson, the assistant dean of the Patton College of Education, the …

In the age of globalized communications, it’s often easy to overlook just how isolated our media sources are. With the rise of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and the continued dominance of the mass media by well-equipped corporations such as CNN and 21st Century Fox, one might assume that the breadth of options available for your typical …

Chief Andrew D. Powers of the Ohio University Police Department wants you to know that he’s not interested in arresting people. “Unless a situation is causing imminent danger of causing harm, we’re going to warn people before we arrest them. Our goal is not to arrest people,” Powers said during an open conversation about nonviolent protest with F*ckRapeCulture in the …

The Period Project had its first meeting of the semester Tuesday to discuss goals for the upcoming months, which include increased accessibility to products in university buildings.  Maddie Sloat, a sophomore studying communication in the Honors Tutorial College, founded the club last semester. The Period Project is a service and activist organization that works to raise awareness about the issues and stigma …

On April 13, 2016, the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Amman, Jordan was shut down by government forces and sealed with red wax. This is an important moment in Jordanian history and for the Middle East region as a whole.The relationship of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan to the government is one of a long and complex history. The …

All of the American presidential candidates (minus Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders) spoke at the AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, conference a few weeks ago, and it seems all of the candidates who attended were trying to gain any sort of favor they could from Israel and the Jewish-American community. “Israel is America’s greatest ally” was repeated a …

The Common Experience Project on Sustainability Films for Spring 2016 closed Wednesday night with a free showing at the Athena Cinema of the documentary film “Angel Azul” followed by a panel discussion. Panelists Erin Schlumpf, Molly Gurien and Corinne Teed discussed filmmaker Marcy Cravat’s exploration of coastal art installations that seek to combine environmentalism with aestheticism. Teed, a visiting assistant …

A bill giving workers paid maternity and medical leave was introduced in the Ohio House at the beginning of April, expanding benefits available to employees taking time off work. The Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, which the bill would create if passed, would allow workers to continue being paid a portion of their salary when taking leave from work …

Debates over economic issues have seemingly dominated the political landscape in the United States. Within this debate, oftentimes the conversation focuses on the issue of economic inequality. On one hand, you have people such as businessman Donald Trump who believe that workers are already paid too high to be competitive on a global stage. On the other hand, you have …

Take Back The Night Week continued Thursday with the keynote address by Stephanie Gilmore, who spoke on her experience as an advocate against rape culture and a sexual assault survivor, and a march protesting rape culture. “Instead of being a professor in a classroom, I decided I needed to f— rape culture,” Gilmore said on why she left her career …

An Ohio special interest group for the developmentally disabled filed a class-action lawsuit March 31 against Gov. John Kasich, the state of Ohio and several other governmental organizations, claiming those with developmental disabilities face unjust segregation in the state. The group, Disability Rights Ohio, claimed that the state unfairly gives preference to institutionalizing the disabled as opposed to putting them …

Take Back The Night organizers held a name-burning ceremony at Emeriti Park on Tuesday night to offer victims of sexual assault an opportunity to share their stories and burn paper slips with the names of their attackers. Around 20 men and women sat in a circle around a cast-iron fire pit for two hours as individuals relayed their experiences with …

For better or worse, we live in a society where media platforms are creeping into nearly every aspect of life. This gives us the opportunity to interact with individuals who otherwise we would have no idea existed. We’re exposed to images and ideas that in earlier generations just weren’t accessible. For all the benefits that our increasingly global society brings …

Access to abortion is a topic about which many people are passionate. This issue has always mattered, but it receives even more attention during election years. When anti-choice rhetoric threatens to harm the health and safety of pregnant people everywhere, the time to speak up and to be abortion positive is now. The upcoming Abortion Positive rally on Thursday, April …

In many recent Democratic primary elections, particularly in the South, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has dominated Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in terms of the African-American vote. For example, exit polls in states such as Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi show Clinton winning 80 to 90 percent of the black vote. This is a fact that comes as a shock …

As most of us are aware, a bombing on Easter Sunday killed 72 people and injured hundreds more at a park in Lahore in eastern Pakistan. The number of fatalities has been growing steadily as the badly injured succumb to their injuries. The attack occurred in a park near a Christian church where the Christian minority were celebrating Easter, and …

Many have discussed why higher education has become such an unattainable goal for many young people in American society. Why is it so difficult for young people to get the education they want and deserve? Many countries across the globe work in different ways in how they approach higher education. People in the U.S. have one main goal, and that …

The New Political traditionally does not make formal endorsements for Ohio University Student Senate races. We feel as though choosing one ticket over another would compromise our integrity in covering these campaigns. Instead, we produce a critical analysis of each ticket, comparing and contrasting their platforms in an effort to help voters determine for themselves what would be most beneficial …

Just over a week ago, people around the world were celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with food, friends and booze. For Americans, in particular, St. Patrick’s Day is a time for wearing “Kiss me I’m Irish” and “Erin Go Bragh” shirts or just covering oneself in all things green while attending parades and parties with a Guinness in hand. Alas, with …