Welcome to the Zeitgeist, the NYU Politics Society’s undergraduate opinion publication dedicated to providing a platform for students to learn about and engage with politics and current events.

Beto Luck Next Time?

After the 2018 midterm election, Beto O’Rourke was a rising star in the Democratic party, but the Texas native’s career has since fizzled out. I write this as someone who still supports Beto O’Rourke, but also as someone who is choosing to be realistic.

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Franco-German Tensions in the EU

In July of this year, Ursula von der Leyen became the first woman nominated to the presidency of the European Commission. On November 1st, she and all her newly-confirmed commissioners were to officially take office and become the new European Commission.

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Ecuador’s Fuel Crisis Resolved After Violent Protests

In early October, Ecuador’s capital, Quito, saw several protestors take to the streets after President Lenin Moreno ended a fuel subsidy for the country’s oil production. Back in March, the government of Ecuador met with the International Monetary Fund to create a $4.2 billion financing agreement which included cutting the four-decade long fuel subsidy.

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What is Happening With the Kurds in the Middle East Right Now?

Last week Turkey launched a large scale military assault against a Syrian militia largely comprised of Kurdish fighters. The attack comes only days after President Donald Trump announced the retreat of U.S. troops from northeast Syria, where U.S. backed-Kurdish forces were instrumental in the defeat of the Islamic State and the further containment of IS fighters. Some call the retreat and subsequent indifference to Turkey’s attack from the largely Kurdish region an outright betrayal of the Kurds.

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New Case, Same Story: SCOTUS Set to Decide New Louisiana Abortion Law

n 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt-a controversial argument from Texas that focused on diminishing existing abortion access. After a lengthy deliberation, the Court voted 5-3 to maintain abortion access by striking down restrictive laws the Texas legislature attempted to enforce.

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The Problem of Race-Neutral Policies in a Race-Conscious Society

On Tuesday, October 1st, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled in favor of Harvard University in one of the most high-profile cases on affirmative action in recent years. Her decision put a halt to a legal battle that started in 2014. The leader of the advocacy group “Students for Fair Admissions” (SFFA) Edward Blum sued Harvard on the grounds that the university discriminated against Asian-American applicants in the admissions process.

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Can the Democrats Fix America’s Student Debt Crisis?

In their respective campaigns to beat President Donald Trump in the next election cycle, Democratic candidates have proposed disruptive legislative ideas as part of their campaign slogans addressing America’s out of control student-debt ($1.5 trillion), largest outstanding consumer debt other than mortgages.

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