The GPR Digest- March 17, 2025
The EPA, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and more!
Editor’s Note: Welcome back to the GPR Digest! From now on, we will be consistently posting every Monday. Stay tuned for the news!
GEORGIA
Hurricane Helene relief aid announced for hard-hit Georgian farmers
On Wednesday, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that more funds from Congress’s $100 billion relief package would be on the “move in the next few weeks.” The aid package, originally designed to cover a variety of disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, New Mexican wildfires, and the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, had a deadline of March 21st for all the funding to be dispersed.
The majority of the funding, at some $51.2 billion, has been utilized on cleanup efforts, infrastructure repairs, and community recovery efforts, with another $21 billion reserved particularly for farmers. Hurricane Helene, which left a large trail of destruction across south and east Georgia, was responsible for approximately $5.58 billion in damages to crops and livestock. The timber, poultry, and cotton sectors were hit especially hard, making up $3.9 billion in damages alone.
This federal aid will act as a supplement to new state efforts to address the remaining recovery needs. After the state budget was passed last week, Lt. Governor Burt Jones offered praise for “over $250 million (...) included for Georgia’s agriculture and timber communities”, as well as grants for impacted hospitals and nonprofits.
State of Emergency declared as tornadoes spread across Georgia
Across the state, tornado warnings were sent out to warn residents about potential tornados in the area. On Saturday, March 15, Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Georgia, as some of the state fell under a level 4 warning. People were warned not to travel and to shelter in place as the weather continues to worsen. The exact timings and path of such tornadoes continue to be determined, yet it is estimated that throughout the southern United States that storms are suspected to land Saturday night and Sunday morning. There also have been multiple flood warnings sent out to potential areas that might be affected in Georgia.
The death and destruction has already cost the lives of 32 people and power for tens of thousands of Georgians. Their disruption can be felt throughout the South as the estimated damage is continuing to rise. As emergency areas are deployed to these areas the Governor’s office continues to be mindful and continues to keep watch.
NATIONAL
Trump Administration investigates over 50 universities in Anti-DEI Effort
The Trump Administration has initiated federal investigations into over 50 universities, scrutinizing their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs for potential violations of civil rights laws. The Department of Education alleges that certain race-based scholarships and programs may discriminate against white and Asian-American students, prompting extensive review. Institutions under investigation include prominent public universities such as Arizona State, Ohio State, and Rutgers, as well as esteemed private institutions like Yale, Cornell, Duke, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This move aligns with the administration's broader agenda to dismantle DEI initiatives, following the 2023 Supreme Court decision that prohibited the consideration of race in college admissions. The Department of Education has warned that universities found in violation could face significant consequences, including the loss of federal funding. In a related action, Columbia University recently had $400 million in grants revoked due to alleged inadequate responses to Antisemitic incidents on campus. These developments have prompted universities nationwide to reassess their DEI programs to ensure compliance with federal mandates and to safeguard their funding streams.
The EPA moves in a new direction
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created to protect American public health and the environment. Under Trump, the agency is taking on a new form. On Wednesday, March 13, the Trump Administration announced that it would repeal some of the EPA’s most consequential environmental regulations. Some of these regulations include limits on pollution from smokestacks and tailpipes, protections for wetlands, and limits on mercury emissions from power plants. These changes come as the new administrator of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, publicly rejected the EPA’s 2009 “endangerment finding”, which concluded that rising greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, have negative impacts on public health.
Beyond easing regulations, the administration is attempting to reframe the EPA’s intended purpose. The new mission, according to Zeldin, is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home and running a business”. Experts are calling out the change as an assault on climate regulation and environmental and public health protections. As the second largest producer of CO2 emissions, the U.S.’s deregulatory actions could set climate progress back decades, potentially increasing the widespread economic and societal damage that comes with it.
INTERNATIONAL
Rodrigo Duterte, former Philippines President, arrested on ICC warrant
Last Tuesday, March 10, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila after arriving from Hong Kong. The arrest results from an Interpol arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, accusing Duterte of crimes against humanity during his war on drugs.
Civil rights groups attest to thousands of extrajudicial killings, and although the Philippines is no longer a member of the International Criminal Court— having withdrawn in 2019— the court attests it has jurisdiction over crimes committed before the withdrawal. Duterte questions his arrest but has noted, along with current President Marcos, that he would cooperate with the decision and any resulting consequences.
Georgia sentences former president to 9-year prison term
On Wednesday, March 12, Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced to nine more years in jail after being found guilty of embezzling 9 million Georgian lari ($3.3 million) for luxury spending. Despite the charges, Saakashvili took to X and claimed the arrest was a case of “political persecution”.
Saakashvili has been imprisoned since 2021 after he returned from his position as Governor of Odesa in Ukraine. His original conviction addressed absentia of abuse of power. It runs concurrently along the new charges, keeping Saakashvili in jail until 2030.
Armenia and Azerbaijan sign peace treaty
On March 13th, Armenian and Azerbaijan officials announced the two countries had reached a consensus “on the text of a peace agreement.” This agreement comes after almost forty years of conflict between the two countries over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. The conflict primarily arose when, in 1988, the ethnically Armenian region, with support from Armenia, attempted to secede from Azerbaijan and join the Republic of Armenia. Conflict between the two countries escalated and gained media attention when Azerbaijan fully occupied Nagorno-Karabakh in September of 2023, leading to the mass migration of Armenian refugees into Armenia.
Recent peace negotiations were reached after Armenian officials compromised on “two unresolved articles’ of the draft agreement”: the deployment of troops from third-party countries and the mutual commitment to a truce.
CULTURE
UNESCO and China sign the New China Funds-in-Trust initiative
On March 11, 2025, UNESCO and the Quanzhou Municipality of China launched the China Funds-in-Trust (Quanzhou) for Capacity-Building on World Heritage in Africa. This initiative reaffirmed support for African Member States working to preserve and manage their cultural heritage. Through a three-year collaborative project, it aims to develop site management practices and institutional governance protections. It will also provide mentorship and training programs for workers in preservation.
This initiative aligns with UNESCO’s Global Priority Africa and directly supports the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
Contributors: Sophia Nguyen, Blake Daniel, Jackson Bost, Aviella Schwartz, Emma Mineva, Jason Eappen