DOMESTIC
Following the presidential debate this past Tuesday, VMA award-winning artist Taylor Swift shared her political stance on her Instagram page and directed over 400,000 followers to voting resources. Swift expressed her approval of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and denounced a recent AI-generated image that falsely displayed her endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump. In a message to her over 200 million followers, the singer emphasized the importance of “do[ing] your research on the issues at hand,” especially the candidates’ stances “on the topics that matter to you the most.” While she professed her personal support for Harris’s campaign, she encouraged Americans to do their research and make their own informed choice. The custom link she shared in her story received over 400,000 hits in less than 24 hours and although it is impossible to trace how many of those site visitors actually registered to vote, the use of online voting resources has increased dramatically across the board. Organizations that manage such websites are also reporting a decrease in the average age of site visitors since the singer’s post on Tuesday night. According to “The New York Times,” the voting resource website Vote411.org experienced a drop of almost 40 years in the average age of site visitors. In general, voting registrations have rapidly increased this week with tens of thousands of more Americans signing up to visit the polls in November—an example of celebrities’ ability to grow and define America’s political engagement.
The Grand Canyon in northwest Arizona is one of America’s most beloved natural wonders, but over the past year, the national park has been hitting headlines for reasons more somber than its breathtaking beauty. According to NPR, “at least 16 people have died” at the canyon in the past eight months, the most recent death (a 71-year-old man) occurring this past week. Typically, the Grand Canyon will see around 17 deaths over the span of 10 years. Thus, this past year’s record has sparked some concern regarding the safety of visiting the landmark. Nevertheless, the park’s coordinators have reassured travelers that this recent data is almost certainly an outlier—possibly related to rising water levels in the Colorado River, which have caused dangerous flash floods, and heatwaves contributing to increased medical emergencies. Experts on hiking and the Grand Canyon, such as TikTok stars Renee Miller and Tim Beissinger, are encouraging visitors to be intentional about their own safety—packing the necessary supplies and “not overestimat[ing] their abilities.”
INTERNATIONAL
The nations of Britain, France and the United States have reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in its ongoing fight against Russia. A recent question regarding long-range missiles, however, has created some tension amongst the allies. On Sept. 13, US President Joe Biden met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss Ukraine’s potential use of American missile systems to target Russian military bases. These long-range weapons can strike targets up to 230 miles away, meaning Ukrainian forces could reach bases far into Russian territory while remaining in Ukrainian airspace. Ukrainian leaders and Prime Minister Starmer have been pressing for US approval to fire such long-range weapons, but as of now, President Biden has withheld American consent. In response to this powerful new weaponry, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the allies that by granting Ukraine permission to fire long-distance missiles, they are indirectly declaring war between NATO and Russia. The fear of such escalation has so far deterred US leaders from relenting to Ukrainian demands. Britain and France, however, have already allowed Ukraine to fire air-launched cruise missiles into Crimea and points on the Black Sea. These missiles, while still long-range, do not have the same reach as American JASSMs (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles). After Friday’s summit, the future of these long-range missiles remains unclear. Some experts believe that the US will eventually follow the pattern of Britain and France in granting Ukraine permission to fire the weapons. However, other analysts remain insistent that the threat of nuclear escalation is too great for the US to call “bluff” on Putin’s warning.
As a final statement before leaving office, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has moved for a massive overhaul of Mexico’s judicial system. According to “The New York Times,” the highly controversial reform would replace the current method of appointment with a system in which voters elect every judge, hopefully guarding against corruption and nepotism by providing greater democratic power to the citizens. In President Obrador’s words, the change would reaffirm that “in Mexico there is an authentic democracy where the people elect their representatives.” However, in the process of transition, thousands of judges stand to lose their jobs. While the amendment was debated in the legislature this past week, over 50,000 judicial workers staged a strike; some protesters even stormed the Senate, forcing legislators to pause the approval process. Nevertheless, the amendment has easily passed the lower house of Congress, thanks to the supermajority held by the president’s party, Morena. The United States, however, starkly opposes this judicial overhaul, and US ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, has expressed his concern for the threat the reform poses to Mexico’s overall democracy. Corruption in the nation’s government stretches far deeper than the judicial system and “inexperienced judges with political motivations” may provide ample opportunity for “cartels and other bad actors” to subtly gain political leverage. The people of Mexico remain divided: some citizens support the change in hopes of better judicial representation; others share Ambassador Salazar’s concerns for heightened and more dangerous corruption.
