The GPR Digest- March 20, 2024
Results of the Georgia primaries, Haitian gang clashes, U.S book bans, and more!
GPR FEATURES
New Articles
Recent and Upcoming International Elections
GPR authors Zachary Leggio and Mayerlyn Rivera offer a quick look into the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election in Russia, as well as an analytical recap of Iran’s Parliamentary elections earlier this March.
GEORGIA
University of Georgia students save woman and children from car crash
This past Friday, on the way to a girls trip to Savannah for St. Patrick's Day weekend, five freshmen at the University of Georgia saw a white minivan crash into a creek in Burke County, GA. The girls immediately pulled over to save the mother and her two sons. The younger 4-year-old son had been submerged underwater for around 4-5 minutes. One of the girls began CPR on the child and brought him back to life after a minute.
This Tuesday, Mar. 19, Jere Morehead, President of the University of Georgia, awarded the five women with a Presidential Proclamation for their heroism. The five young women plan to reunite with the mother and sons in the following weeks.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump win Georgia primaries, setting up 2020 presidential election rematch
President Joe Biden and Former President Trump both won their prospective primaries in Georgia and are expected to square off once again in the 2024 race. Biden won 95.2% of the Democratic vote in the primary while Trump won 84.5% of the Republican vote.
The last time the two faced off in the presidential election, Biden won 51.3% of the popular vote (306 electorates) and Trump won 46.8% (232 electorates) nationwide. In Georgia, Biden edged out Trump by 0.3% or roughly 11,500 votes. The most recent poll conducted in Georgia assuming Biden and Trump became the two nominees found 45% of the 1,000 respondents would vote for Trump compared to 37% for Biden (AJC and UGA SPIA).
NATIONAL
US House of Representatives passes bill that could ban Tiktok
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill that requires the Chinese-owned company ByteDance to sell TikTok or face removal from app stores in the US. The bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 352-65 and now moves to the Senate.
Prior to the vote, House Representatives faced hundreds of calls from, mostly young, constituents who opposed the bill. Over 170 million Americans use TikTok, and it has become a key source of news, advertisement and entertainment for Gen-Z Americans. House leaders argue that ByteDance sells user information to the Chinese government, undermining US security, though there is little evidence of Americans’ information actually being stolen by China. Many democrats remain skeptical over restricting privacy and citizens’ freedom of choice. Senate leaders have promised to carefully review the bill before voting on it.
INTERNATIONAL
Gang clashes and an ongoing hunger crises leaves Haitian citizens stranded
Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse by foreign mercenaries in 2021, Haiti has struggled to contain its prevalent gang violence, turbulent politics and poor living conditions. Current Prime Minister Ariel Henry took power rather unconventionally during the aftermath of Moïse’s death and has lost the public’s trust in recent months. Henry vowed to step down last week after several powerful gangs in the country decided to join forces to drive Henry out of power. He is now exiled in Puerto Rico after gangs blocked the Toussaint Louverture airport to prevent him from returning. Henry will attempt to create a “Transitional Council” before officially leaving office.
In the meantime, gangs are repeatedly wreaking havoc on Haitian communities, including attacking two upscale neighborhoods in Port-Au-Prince earlier this week, killing several. Several organizations are working to provide the resources necessary to civilians while nearly 1,000 Americans living in the country have filed a “crisis intake form” to request assistance from the U.S.
President Biden and Irish Prime Minister discuss Gaza on St. Patrick’s Day
Much of Ireland deeply empathizes with the Palestinian people due to its own history of oppression under British occupation. Ireland’s current prime minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has been a strong critic of Israel’s response to Hamas’ October 7th attack and has been advocating for a ceasefire.
Varadkar visited the United States this week, where he promised to discuss a ceasefire with President Biden. At the White House’s annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the Taoiseach and the president discussed growing concern for the situation in Gaza, with Biden voicing his agreement for the necessity of sending humanitarian aid and brokering a cease-fire deal. Although the United States remains a strong ally of Israel, President Biden’s expanding acknowledgment of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, for some citizens, raises questions over the United States’ continuing support for Israel.
CULTURE
Turkish court landmark ruling declares travel bans on journalists as breach of freedom of expression
In a landmark ruling, Turkey’s Constitutional Court has declared international travel bans on journalists a violation of the freedom of expression. The ruling comes after the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), an administration supported by UNESCO’s Global Media Defence Fund, challenged the travel restrictions placed on human rights author Nurcan Kaya. The Court also reviewed prior cases of travel bans as far back as 2018, and they have mandated authorities to pay compensation for these past infringements.
The ruling in Kaya’s favor was hailed by the media as a step forward for journalists, many of whom faced similar restrictions on international travel in the past. It is expected to have long-term effects outside of Turkey as, in light of their success, the MLSA are working towards providing legal assistance and further security measures for journalists to challenge future, similar bans in other countries.
Report reveals “record-high” book bans in US schools and libraries
A report by the American Library Association has revealed that 4,240 unique book titles were targeted for censorship last year, with 1,247 resources— books, teaching materials, and other educational resources— being banned overall. This represents a 65% spike in banned books and a 92% spike in targeted books over the previous year.
The book ban movement is commonly spearheaded in Republican-led states, where religious-political activism is more prevalent. On the other hand, ALA president Emily Drbainski calls book bans “an attack on our freedom to read”, noting the targeted books often surround “LGBTQ+ and people of color”. The ALA is set to release the full list of targeted books in April.
Contributors: Sophia Nguyen, Jacob Weiszer, Zachary Leggio, Blake Daniel, Marin Arvin