ISIS, Social Media’s Effects on Political Discourse | Picks of the Week
ISIS ISIS in Perspective | The National Interest Obama’s ‘strategy’ misfire | Politico U.S. Mobilizes Allies to Widen Assault on ISIS | The New York Times More than a decade ago, the United States invaded Iraq, toppling one brutal regime. In his second inaugural address, President George W. Bush heralded a “freedom agenda” that he argued would bring peace and stability to the Middle East. A couple of years ago, as the Arab … Read More
Pell Center Roundtable Discussion: The Crisis in Syria
About one year ago, the President of the United States declared that the widespread use of chemical weapons in Syria would draw an armed U.S. military intervention. On August 21, 2013, chemical weapons were employed against civilian targets in a suburb of Damascus, Syria. According to reports, more than 1400 civilians were killed, including more than 400 children. President Barack Obama responded by calling for an armed international response. The … Read More
This week in a Nutshell: Celebrities Get Hacked as Government Puts Cybersecurity on the Spotlight
The vulnerability of the nation’s cyber networks were made clear on Tuesday after a website claimed it had stolen the financial information of high-profile Americans, including first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Biden, and rapper Jay-Z. The website, hosted from a “.su” URL, posted the individuals’ names, addresses, and other sensitive information including credit reports and Social Security numbers. Other targets whose information has been posted on the site include … Read More
State of the Union Address and Cybersecurity Executive Order: President Obama Takes Action to Protect America’s Critical Infrastructure
In his first State of the Union address since the election, President Obama warned: “We know hackers steal people’s identities and infiltrate private e-mail. We know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic control systems.” The President then added: “we cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did … Read More
Big Bangs, A Medieval Hat, and Other Controversies: The Dangers of Social Media During the Inauguration (Op-Ed)
While President Obama was being sworn in for second term on Monday, also Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day, the American people were focused more on the seated audience members than the man standing behind the podium.Many eyes were on the lovely dressed First Lady Michelle Obama and her new fringe-style bangs, as well as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s mystery hat. Eric Wilson’s article in The New York Times, Mrs. Obama’s … Read More
The White House Looks Up in 2013: Congress Approves $60 Billion in Aid for Hurricane Sandy Victims and more
The 2013 Presidential Inauguration has yet to come to pass, but the White House and Congress have passed an piece of important legislation for those affected by Hurricane Sandy and laid out ambitious plans in regards to gun control for the months ahead. On Tuesday night, Bloomberg reports the House of Representatives voted for an additional $50.5 billion in aid on top of the $9.7 billion package approved by both Congress and the House on Jan. 4th. According to the Bloomberg article, … Read More