General/Background Is Tik Tok a security threat? It’s complicated  The US thinks Tik Tok could be a national security threat  Why Trump views Tik Tok as a Threat Why is the Trump administration banning Tik Tok and WeChat? China wants to cut-off access to America’s Internet Bank Tik Tok and Zoom? The case of Tik Tok and lessons of user data  Tik Tok will change the way we think about

Background Trump keeps pushing for a payroll tax cut. Here’s what it means  White House walks back permanent payroll tax cut among Social Security fees Pro A payroll tax cut is a perfect way to stimulate the economy Why payroll tax cut opponents should reconsider  Will the payroll tax cut end Social Security as we know it? Let’s hope so Con Trump’s reckless economic gamble Tax cut gamble would worsen

General Some school districts are cutting ties with police. What next? Denver’s school board votes unanimously to remove police from public schools School Resource Officers. What are they and are they necessary? Pro Defund SROs  Why so few school cops are trained to work with kids How police became part of the public school system and how to get them out Officers at schools enable systemic racism Should we defund

Background/General Abolish or defund the police — explained What Defund the Police Really Means  Defund the Policy: Here’s what it really means Yes Incremental Change is a Moral Failure How cities with violent crime can tackle it without the police We must challenge militarism in efforts to defund the police Defunding the police would benefit policing We train police to be warriors and send them out to be social workers 

Background Trump: Purchasing Greenland “Strategically Interesting.” (2019)  President Trump on Sunday said buying Greenland is “strategically” interesting amid reported interest from the administration last week. Speaking to reporters as he left his Bedminster, N.J., golf club, Trump acknowledged that purchasing the landmass owned by Denmark has been discussed. “Denmark essentially owns it. We’re very good allies with Denmark. We protect Denmark like we protect large portions of the world,” he said. Trump

General SAT’s new “adversity score” will take hardship into account (2019) College Board  will reconsider sharing adversity score with students (2019) How do you score “privilege“? (2019) Pro The “adversity score” makes sense (2019) The score is both necessary and an admissions failure (2019) An imperfect SAT adversity score is better than no adversity score (2019) SAT adversity score is a step forward in USC’s admissions (2019) Con Adversity score

  Pressure Bad New US-led patrols in the Persian Gulf raise the stakes with Iran (September 2, 2019). Meanwhile, Iran finds itself backed into a corner and ready for a possible conflict it had 30 years for which to prepare. It stands poised this week to further break the terms of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, over a year after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the

Should the US withdraw from Afghanistan? Will the Afghanistan peace process succeed? Is China a threat in Afghanistan? Should the US maintain relations with Pakistan to push for peace in Afghanistan? Should the US make a peace deal with the Taliban? Websites US Institute of Peace Afghanistan     Afghanistan @ Foreign Affairs   Council on Foreign Relations Afghanistan  Updates @ Google News Updates and Potential for US Draw-Down Why Washington Can’t

Background The affirmative action debate in the US is a never ending one and the latest controversy surrounds a federal court case that challenges the use of affirmative action in admissions by Harvard. The Wall Street Journal explained the case in June of this year — A closely watched lawsuit accusing Harvard University of discriminating against Asian-American applicants is approaching a critical juncture, as court filings later this week are

General Statement on a Comprehensive Iran Policy — August 8 “Reports indicate that President Donald Trump may refuse to certify Iran’s compliance with the JCPOA in October, which could lead to restoring sanctions against Iran that were suspended in 2015 in accordance with the agreement.” Is Trump scheming to kill the Iran deal? Trump’s Iran deal options Trump is determined to blow up the Iran deal Pushing back on Iran