The GPR Digest- March 27, 2024
News on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, a Gaza ceasefire, AI protection law, and more!
GPR FEATURES
Recent and Upcoming International Elections
In their 3rd edition covering international elections, GPR authors Lily Thomas, Zach Leggio, and Mayerlyn Rivera summarize the 2024 Russian Presidential election and analyze upcoming elections in Senegal and Slovakia.
GEORGIA
Judge allows Trump to appeal Fani Willis ruling
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has allowed Trump and his 18 co-defendants to appeal his March 15 decision. The decision allowed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue her 2020 election interference case if she removed special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom Willis had a previous relationship. Wade resigned several hours after the decision, complying with the order.
The appeal would give Trump an opportunity to argue that, due to Willis and Wade’s inappropriate relationship, his case should be dropped altogether. Willis has publicly said she is still optimistic about the case despite her lapse in judgment: “I think there are efforts to slow down the train, but the train is coming”.
NCAA and University System of Georgia face lawsuit over transgender athletics policies
16 female athletes across a variety of sports have filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the University System of Georgia, claiming that their Title IX rights were violated when transgender swimmer Lia Thomas was allowed to compete in the 2022 national championship in Atlanta.
Four of the plaintiffs spoke at a news conference organized by the Independent Council on Women’s Sports in Athens on Friday, March 22. Kaitlynn Wheeler, a Kentucky swimmer who competed in the 2022 championship, said: “It is the NCAA’s job to protect the fairness and safety of its athletes and to uphold Title IX. However, over the past two years, we’ve witnessed repeated and egregious lapses in these responsibilities.” The lawsuit aims to compel Georgia’s public universities to avoid implementing NCAA policies regarding transgender participation in collegiate sports that violate Title IX. Representatives from the Universities have made no comments on the pending litigation.
NATIONAL
The first over-the-counter birth control pill hits store shelves
On Mar. 22, Opill, a birth control pill, was approved in stores. Although its prescription version was available over 50 years ago (Ovrette) from 1973-2005, its non-prescription version was approved by the United States in July and has since entered the market. Although other over-the-counter birth pills were already available in 100+ countries throughout the globe, this development makes Opill the first birth control pill to be sold without prescription in the United States.
The effectiveness of Opill is cited to be around 98%, meaning only 2 out of 100 women will become pregnant in a year of use. The pill, also available online from Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens, has been introduced to in-person Walgreens stores and is expected to reach other stores nationwide by early April.
Baltimore bridge collapses after container ship collision
The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a cargo ship at 1:30 am on March 26. The ship had lost power 45 minutes after leaving the Port of Baltimore, causing it to drift into one of the bridge’s main support columns. The ship was able to alert local law enforcement, who attempted to cut off traffic to the bridge, though a construction crew and several cars were on the bridge at the time of its collapse.
Six construction workers are still missing, presumed dead. Two people were rescued from the waters, with one released from the hospital. The bridge’s wreckage is expected to cause supply chain delays, as the Port of Baltimore is one of the East Coast’s busiest ports, and the Key Bridge saw 3,600 cargo trucks pass over every day.
INTERNATIONAL
UN Security Council issues first demand for Gaza ceasefire
The 15-member UN Security Council voted 14-0 on March 25 to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire through the end of Ramadan, with the United States abstaining. The resolution and the US’s abstention have angered Israel, who has agreed to a ceasefire only after the Oct. 7 hostages are released. Meanwhile, this ceasefire resolution calls for a simultaneous temporary ceasefire and hostage release.
Previous attempts to pass a ceasefire resolution have been vetoed by either the US or China and Russia, and the US’s abstention from this vote shows the Biden administration’s potential shift away from supporting Israel’s right to self-defense and towards supporting human rights in Gaza.
Moscow concert hall attacked, killing at least 140
Moscow’s Crocus City Hall was attacked the night of Mar. 22 by four individuals reportedly affiliated with ISIS. At least 140 people died and hundreds of others were injured as the gunmen opened fire and set the concert hall ablaze before being apprehended. In addition to the four people directly involved in the attack, Russian authorities have arrested seven others who they believe have a connection to the case.
Despite ISIS taking credit for the attack, Vladimir Putin delivered a public address in which he called the events that transpired “a barbaric act of terrorism”. However, he failed to acknowledge ISIS’ involvement and instead placed the blame on Ukraine for “preparing a window” for the attackers to escape through.
CULTURE
Tennessee becomes the first state to pass legislation protecting musicians from AI threats
On Mar. 21, Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed off on legislation to protect songwriters, performers, and other music industry professionals against artificial intelligence. The “Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act”, or “Elvis Act” for short, will go into effect on July 1st and is designed to prevent AI replication tools in regard to vocal likeness.
Tennessee, a longtime icon of country music and vocal performance legends, wants to ensure that AI tools will not endanger an artist’s unique voice without consent. It comes amongst other protections, such as an artist’s right to photographs and likeness. After signing the bill, Lee told reporters: “Artists have intellectual property. They have gifts. They have a uniqueness that is theirs and theirs alone, certainly not artificial intelligence.”
Contributors: Sophia Nguyen, Jacob Weiszer, Zachary Leggio, Marin Arvin