In the Spotlight

U.S. Senate Seats up for Reelection

The outcome of the 2022 midterm elections has had wide-ranging consequences. One or two senators can make a significant difference on some extremely crucial issues, especially if the party control of the Senate is close. It's never too early for reelection vision time. The time to start organizing is now.

Current Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Overall, the electorate delivered a warning against going too far, against extremes, but we're likely headed for a messy, partisan two years. If we’ve learned anything from the 2022 elections, it’s that political complacency is no longer an option. And to effect change, there is no need to look any further than your own legislative backyards. 

Governors up for Reelection

A majority of governors have the authority to appoint state court judges, so your vote for Governor is as important as your vote for President. The 2022 elections were proof that in politics, it's never too early to start planning.

Election Officials in the Top 30 Most Populous U.S. Counties

With an average of only one in five voters participating in local elections, voting results are easily swayed by just one vote. Voting in local elections has never been more critical. Know who your local officials are, and vote based on your conscience and beliefs rather than your party.

Secretaries of State: A State-by-State Breakdown

Current and future secretaries of state have three choices: Continue to deny that Trump lost in 2020, fuel doubt about future elections, or defend and protect our election system. A once under-the-radar government position, races for secretaries of state gained national attention in the 2022 elections. Who is in control of your state elections?

Mayors of the 30 Largest Cities in the U.S.

The person you elect as mayor affects your day-to-day life more than the politicians you send to Washington, D.C., yet turnout is meager in mayoral races. Despite their importance, the turnout of eligible voters for elections in 10 of America’s 30 largest cities between 2011 and 2015 was less than 15 percent. Vote for your mayor like it’s a matter of life and death on the streets of America’s cities because it is.  

Pro-Palestinian Protestors Are Being Paid to Protest

According to the Toronto Sun, what many have suspected has now been confirmed: Pro-Palestinian protestors are being paid to protest and proudly follow their organizers’ lead. Those organizers wear uniforms to identify themselves and dole out thousands of dollars in cash in order to control and manage the protestors.  

The Biggest Stories of 2023

The world was in turmoil in 2023, rife with stomach-churning news, with the international and U.S. press primarily focused on the same news stories. It seems that the world has never been more interconnected.

Whispered in Gaza

In an unprecedented series of animated videos drawn from interviews of Palestinians in Gaza by the New York-based Center for Peace Communications (CPC), ordinary Gazans are breaking their silence about the brutality of Hamas against them. Every story told is heart-wrenching but allows them to freely tell the world how they feel about Hamas without fear of deadly retribution.     

They Met at Eight Years Old, Married, and Died Together in a Ukrainian Trench

The way to tell a long story is to start with a short story: Taras and Olha Melster lived, loved, and died far too young in the name of Ukrainian freedom. They had no military experience. They were just two married people in love who couldn’t bear to be apart.

Detention, Torture and Killing of Afghan Women Continues

Many aid organizations withdrew their funding to Afghanistan after the Taliban implemented several regressive policies on Afghan women's human rights in the final months of 2022. The withdrawal of international aid from the country stands to harm the most vulnerable part of Afghanistan's population: women and girls.

Iranian Footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani Could Face Execution

According to reports, Amir Nasr-Azadani, A soccer player from Iran, may face execution for participating in ongoing anti-government protests in the country.

From Assassination Survivor to Successful Chocolatier

Against all odds, Guy Debbas, a Lebanese civil war survivor, became one of America’s finest chocolate makers.

Syrian Network for Human Rights Report on Violations Against Children in Syria

Over 29,894 children have been killed in Syria since March 2011, including 182 children who died due to torture. A total of 2,046 were killed by Russian forces, and Russian attacks have caused damage to over 220 schools since the start of Russia’s “military intervention” in Syria.

Why Do So Many Elderly Run America?

Why do Americans keep electing leaders who are so old? Maybe it’s because voters over 65 go to the polls more often than young voters do, and voters typically prefer candidates who are closest to themselves in age.

Could Putin Be Vulnerable to a Coup?

Could Putin be vulnerable to a coup or uprising? All of the grievances that traditionally motivate a coup against a dictator are in place. The decision to mobilize reservists and the ensuing domestic unrest points to Putin’s weakness. Western sanctions and military support for Ukraine are key to preventing a Russian victory. And a range of prominent and well-known Russians have started calling for the removal of the country’s head of state as the invasion of Ukraine is increasingly turning into a disaster. But would a Putin coup solve anything?

Should U.S. Flight Attendants Be Paid During Boarding?

The majority of U.S. airlines don’t pay their flight attendants until the airplane door closes, even though plane boarding is one of the most stressful parts of their job.

What Are Russian State Media Saying About Ukraine?

Top Russian headlines are focused on a possible Ukrainian invasion of Donbas and “Western” warmongering.

Ex-Kabul MP Shukria Barakzai Lashes Out At Pakistan For Supporting 'Taliban Barbarism'

Speaking about the current situation in Afghanistan, Shukria Barakzai said that many people have come to Kabul believing that the capital will not be captured. This should send a strong message to the Taliban that people don't want to live under their control, she said. 

Ruth Pearl, Mother of Slain Journalist Daniel Pearl, Dies at 85

After their son was kidnapped and murdered by Al Qaeda extremists while reporting in Pakistan in 2002, Pearl and her husband Judea worked feverishly to extract good from their son’s violent death.

Peace is possible Through a Palestine-Israel Confederation

Josef Avesar has proved one thing with his experimental Israeli Palestinian Confederation (IPC) plan, which he came up with several years ago: If you leave it up to the people, and remove the politicians, the chances of achieving peace will be so much greater.

Drug Use by State: 2021’s Problem Areas

With National Prevention Week in full swing and drug overdose deaths in 2020 up 24% from the previous year, the website WalletHub released its report on the States with the biggest drug problems.

 

What’s Behind the Growth Slump? Takeaways from Census Data

The U.S. population is growing more slowly, and it continues its 80-year-long trend of shifting to the South and the West. Montana, Florida, and North Carolina each saw enough growth to add one congressional seat, while booming Texas gained two. Colorado and Oregon also gained new seats, while Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania lost seats.

QAnon vs. Hitler’s Brownshirts

The world has seen QAnon before. It was called Nazism. The QAnon conspiracy theory is exactly what fueled Nazi Germany.

VIDEO: Arnold Schwarzenegger Compares Capitol Siege to Kristallnacht

In this video, Schwarzenegger compared the U.S. Capitol siege to Kristallnacht, a pogrom against Jews carried out by SA paramilitary forces and civilians throughout Nazi Germany on November 9-10, 1938.

Timeline: DC Capitol Riot - January 6, 2021

Timeline: How a Trump mob stormed the US Capitol, forcing Washington into lockdown.

World Headlines: Capitol Siege by MAGA Mob

January 6, 2021, should have been a day of peaceful transfer of power. Instead, white insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol, proudly displayed the confederate flag, and set up gallows on the Capitol grounds.

The Marijuana Industry's Dirty Little Secret

Cannabis cultivation is a 24-hour business—the lights stay on, no matter what. While most businesses and residences power down at night, cannabis facilities remain active, putting pressure on energy grids, generating $6 billion in energy costs each year, and uses about 10x more power per square foot than a standard office building.

A Personal Account of Hawaii's False Missile Alert

The warning read, "BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL." The Hawaii false missile alert was issued via the Emergency Alert System and Commercial Mobile Alert System over television, radio, and cellphones and sparked panic across the islands for more than half an hour.

Middle East

Khalid al-Asaad Slaughtered by ISIS

Teri Schure

Saudi Arabia Continues to Turn Screws on U.S. Shale

James Stafford

World's 10 Biggest Energy Gluttons

Andrew Topf

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Europe

"Polish Death Camps" Controversy

Marcin Malek

The Jedwabne Massacre of 1941: An Interview with Marcin Malek

Teri Schure

Is Russia Plotting to Bring Down OPEC?

Dalan McEndree

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Asia-Pacific

Countries North Korea Can Currently Hit With Their Missiles

Teri Schure

Taiwan Seeks to Join Fight Against Global Warming

Ying-Yuan Lee, Minister of Environmental Protection Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)

Taiwan's Participation in the WHO Annual Assembly Is Vital to Ensuring Global Health Security

Dr. Tzou-yien Lin, Minister of Health and Welfare, Republic of China (Taiwan)

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Americas

The Day Hell Came to School

Teri Schure

The Top 5 Places to Work in U.S. Oil and Gas

Irina Slav

Did Oil Kill the Dinosaurs?

Michael McDonald

Viewpoints: Is Tax Avoidance Destroying America?

Worldpress.org

Viewpoints: The Growing Water Crisis in America

Worldpress.org

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Africa

Child Brides in Zimbabwe

Stephen Tsoroti

Food Insecurity and Climate Change in Egypt

Joshua Goldfond

Tunisia: Escaping the Great Mosque of Uqba

Angela Smith Kirkman

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