As his students file into the exercise studio at the Southern Saratoga YMCA for their tai chi class, instructor Sal Casano, decides to welcome them with a short skit about over-reliance on technology in the 21st century. “We haven’t rehearsed this!” Casano said, before beginning to read his lines from a piece of paper. After […]
As coverage of the coronavirus continues to dominate the news, the outbreak’s economic impacts are often conveyed through headlines about plunging financial markets. To many Vassar students, however, Wall Street’s woes may seem distant and irrelevant. But the reality is that the coronavirus outbreak will hit the economy in ways that directly affect Vassar students. […]
I’ve been a fan of Cory Booker since he was the mayor of Newark, a New Jersey city struggling with crime and corruption. His devotion to his community (he still lives in a low-income neighborhood in the city) was apparent on many occasions, most famously when he personally responded to a constituent’s request for someone […]
Michael R. Bloomberg, billionaire businessman and former Mayor of New York City, has recently joined the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Although two of the race’s leading candidates, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders, make a point to demonize billionaires–and there is already a billionaire candidate, Tom Steyer, in the race–Bloomberg’s billionaire status […]
Last week’s headlines announcing President Trump’s acquittal hardly qualified as big news. Nonetheless, as the Senate vote loomed, questions remained of whether the most conservative Democrats—namely, Joe Manchin (WV) and Doug Jones (AL)—would vote to acquit, or whether the less partisan Republicans would split from the party and vote to convict. In the end, Democrats […]
In the 1830s and 1840s, a political movement swept through the working class regions of England. Known as Chartism, it called for democratic reforms to the government of the United Kingdom, which at the time was dominated by the landed aristocracy. While it failed to directly achieve its demands, it left a lasting legacy that […]
The most common mistake a political leader can make is overstaying their welcome. Every politician, no matter how savvy or momentarily popular, has a shelf life–at least in a democracy where they can be voted out. George Washington knew that, and he set a monumental precedent that has been adhered to by all but one […]
Even as Biden has won primary after primary, and with his pledged delegate lead over Bernie Sanders now at a staggering 300, he still has a big weakness among a key Democratic voting bloc. Young voters are a rapidly growing political group, and their strong support will be crucial for Democratic success in the general […]
Since graduating from Vassar in 1990, Jonathan Karl has risen to stratospheric heights in the world of journalism. Just in the last 24 hours, Karl, ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent has been at the center of one of the top national news stories. That’s nothing new for a man who has covered four presidential administrations […]
Many Democratic Congress members first elected in the 2018 midterms are now facing a stiff fight for reelection. The “Blue Wave” of Democratic voter fervor that carried them into office two years ago by no means promises a sure seat for Democrats in the disproportionately suburban, white, swing districts they captured. For these representatives, there […]
