With Russia being banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, there has been a growing call online to impose similar bans on other “controversial” nations, such as Israel and the United States. Furthermore, athletes are facing questions about domestic political issues. I think it is unfortunate that these discussions have become so political and divisive. The Olympics should be an opportunity to set aside politics and conflict and celebrate athletes from every corner of the globe.

People aren’t really talking about climate change anymore. In the past 15 years, climate change has gotten from no coverage to a few minutes of coverage at presidential debates. In the 2024 election, only 22% of voters ranked it as a top three issue. Concern about climate change has also dipped across the political spectrum, with Democrats, Independents, and Republicans all expressing less concern about it than they did in 2021. This same study shows that clean energy sources have dropped in terms of favorability, whereas oil and gas have gone up. However, counteracting climate change and reducing our impact…

Over the past few weeks a viral recipe known as “Japanese Yogurt Cheesecake” has taken over social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X. The original recipe that went viral in Japan featured only two ingredients: greek yogurt and low calorie coconut biscuits. By sticking a few biscuits into a greek yogurt cup and letting it soak in the fridge overnight, a lower calorie dessert that is similar to cheesecake can be created. However, the recipe would soon find its way onto the English speaking side of the internet.  The recipe morphed into creating a dessert out of greek yogurt and…

Phrases like “I’m just a girl,” “girl math,” and “girl dinner” have entered the Gen Z lexicon in the past few years. While framed as cute and ironic, they often reinforce negative stereotypes about women. Under the guise of embracing girlhood and womanhood, Gen Z women have instead merged incompetence with femininity. Since 2023, the idea of the “girl’s girl” has been widely promoted on social media apps like TikTok. A “girl’s girl” uplifts other women and doesn’t view them as competition. However, this term became shallow very quickly. Last summer,  Kylie Jenner was praised for being the ultimate girl’s girl.…

On December 23, 2025, President Trump made a post to Truth Social boasting about the success of his economic agenda. He pointed to the fact that the U.S. GDP grew at an annual rate of 4.3% in the third quarter of 2025, higher than economists were predicting. He deemed this the “Trump Economic Golden Age.” On January 9, he boasted that 654,000 jobs in the private sector were created in 2025. However, on the ground, most Americans do not feel as though it is a time of economic prosperity and opportunity. It is unfair to expect Americans to rejoice in…

In the year 1992, former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping famously said “The Middle East has oil, China has rare earths.” Rare-earth elements are metallic elements that are essential for technology, and are used in smartphones, laptops, motors, and defense systems. However, China would not merely mine and export these rare earths, instead dominating the production, processing, and manufacturing of rare-earth elements. China currently accounts for around 70% of rare-earth mining, and 90% of processing. China can use this near monopoly to secure concessions regarding market access, technology, or tariffs. We have already seen this happen in June, when China utilized…