Kylie McGovern, News Editor

A United States delegation met with Taliban representatives in Doha on Saturday, Oct. 10, and Sunday, Oct. 11 — in the first in-person meeting since American forces were pulled out of Afghanistan. This meeting was to discuss humanitarian assistance and efforts to help American citizens out of Afghanistan while keeping the Taliban accountable for its commitment to not allowing terrorists to use Afghan soil to threaten the security of the U.S. or its allies. 

In addition, according to the State Department, the United States urges the Taliban “to respect the rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to form an inclusive government with broad support.” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has explained the Taliban’s goals for these meetings in that  “[our] aim is to have further meetings with the Americans and also with European delegates in the days to come so that we can discuss and have their views and suggestions about the current situation in Afghanistan. We have told them time and again that a weak and an unstable government in Afghanistan is not in the interest of no one.” 

The U.S. representatives included the State Department’s Deputy Special Representative Tom West and USAID humanitarian official Sarah Charles. On the Taliban’s side, cabinet officials attended the meeting. American spokesperson Ned Price explained that the two sides also discussed the U.S.’ provision of robust humanitarian assistance directly to the Afghan people. The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words.

Elizabeth Boyle, Staff

When you look up at the sky on a sunny day you may see airplanes flying above and they seem to be traveling at such a high speed. You are most likely looking at a commercial airline and not an F-35 fighter jet, which the U.S. recently activated in Europe. 

In early October the US Air Force, working with the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, transported its first squadron of F-35 jets to the Royal Air Force Laken-heath Airbase. By the end of this year, the U.S. is hoping to have up to 27 jets in England. This is an important moment because it is the first time F-35 jets have been permanently stationed in Europe. 

A Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is an American model all-weather stealth fighter. The jet has one seat and one engine and is a multifunctional aircraft that can be used in airstrikes, reconnaissance missions, and electronic warfare. This jet is different from your average commercial airline not only in size and speed but how it is able to take off and land. 

It can do a conventional take-off and landing using a traditional runway and if it is not carrying a heavy payload, it also has the capability to take off and land without a runway using short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) technology. The plane is used in the U.S., several North Atlantic Treaty Organizations (NATO) partners, as well as Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.

The plan for the F-35s in the U.K. is for the U.S. and Royal Air Force to work together in training missions. The U.K. will also be able to use this squadron of F-35s and needed by their Air Force, in preparation for receiving up to 48 F-35s of their own in the next year. 

The U.S. is continuing its initiative from 2019 when it brought a squadron of F-35s to Italy in order to work on the European Deterrence Initiative. This initiative was meant to strengthen U.S. relationships and counter aggression from potential enemies. 

Jada Urbaez, Writer

Political conversations often turn heavy especially if those participating are in disagreement. Oftentimes, people cannot think of the correct words to express their thoughts, or sometimes there simply are no words to communicate them. Luckily, when words fail, art prevails, even when it comes to politics. 

An inspiring anonymous artist who goes by Key is a young local talent whose work is centered on human rights issues and politics. Key describes how they express their emotions through their art. In a recent interview with the Collegian, Key was asked what art has the potential of portraying. In response, Key stated, “Think of it as if someone were to state their opinion, but in image form”. The illustrator continued by expressing that with politics and world issues, it provides a visual representation rather than a conceptual one. For instance, if someone were to read about hungry children, they would more than likely continue their day unaffected afterward. Nonetheless, Key declares that if the same idea was a work of art, society would be emotionally touched in a way words cannot do. 

With digital paintings being this artist’s concentration, dozens have been published to Instagram including a handful of them with thousands of likes. One of Key’s digital paintings exceeded twelve thousand likes on this social media platform back in February of 2021. When the young talent was questioned about why they think this particular post  got this much recognition, Key replied, “it forced people to face reality- you can’t ignore an image”. 

@key_theartist

Out of the dozens posted to their Instagram profile (@key_theartist), Key shared that their favorite digital painting so far is the one posted on February 22, 2021. It depicts a Black trans woman in support of LGBTQ+ rights. Key stated they decided to do a Black trans woman because “the Black community tends to be excluded from the LGBTQ+ rights movement”.

As an artist who cares about politics and human rights, Key is a talented creator who believes that art plays an important role in sending a message. Being a person of color in the art industry, Key emphasizes that illustrating for current events always comes with a load of emotion and passion.

Gibson McMonagle, Staff

Header Image: National Geographic Society

With very little time left, President Biden signs Legislation to avoid partial government shutdown and keep government funding until Dec. 3.  

Government shutdowns occur when there are funding gaps in the federal budget. Since 1976 there have been a total of 22 funding gaps, ten of which have led to employees being furloughed. During the 1980s, funding gaps started to lead to government shutdowns due to the opinion of Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti, who suggested the government shut down during those times. The opinion was not always listened to, but since that time, most funding gaps lasting more than a few hours have led to government shutdowns. 

Government shutdowns cause the disruption of government services and programs. National parks and institutions also shut down during this time due to shortage of employees. Some of the most significant shutdowns in history include the 21-day shutdown during the Bill Clinton administration, the 16-day shutdown during the Barack Obama administration and the 35-day shutdown during the Donald Trump administration.  

The economy is mostly affected when a shutdown occurs. The government mostly loses their revenue due to having to pay furloughed employees as well as not being paid back fees because the businesses are not running. During longer shutdowns the economy starts to take a toll. In 2013 the shutdown had taken $24 billion out of the economy and shaved 0.6 of annualized fourth quarter GDP growth. 

On Sept. 30, President Biden had signed legislation to keep government funding through Dec. 3. This happened with hours to spare since the current budget year ended at midnight. The house approved the short-term funding 254-175 shortly after it went through the senate 65-35. Passing this legislation has allowed more time for lawmakers to craft the spending measures that will fund federal agencies. 

After the success of signing the legislation, Biden stated, “There’s so much more to do, but the passage of this bill reminds us that bipartisan work is possible, and it gives us time to pass longer-term funding to keep our government running and delivering for the American people.” 

The short-term spending legislation will provide roughly $28.6 billion in disaster relief for those affected and recovering from hurricane Ida and other natural disasters. $10 billion of that will be used to help farmers cover crop loss from disasters such as fires, droughts and flooding. Additionally, $6.3 billion will be used to help support the resettlement of Afghanistan evacuees from the war between the U.S. and the Taliban. Once the government is funded temporarily, the Democrats will go back to their original plan of raising the limit of federal borrowing, which is currently at $28.4 trillion.

Danielle O’Brien, Editor

Header Image: South China Morning Post

This week is critical in establishing President Biden’s legacy as the House plans to vote on the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate back in August, the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Plan which also passed in the Senate following the $1 trillion bill as well as a bill to increase the debt ceiling and negotiate spending bills for the fiscal year which begins Oct. 1. With so many bills on the line, and each one having a different value or motive in getting passed, it is important to understand what each and every bill does and the challenges in the way of passing them. 

Initially the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure plan was said to be voted on the past Monday, Sept. 27. However, fears over division within the Democratic party over the bill’s passing has prompted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to delay the vote to Thursday, Sept. 30. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill which passed in the Senate back in August with flying colors (69 to 30) was a light leadway for Congressional Democrats to introduce the larger and more dividing $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill. However, the bill’s vote being postponed to only 24 hours before the 2022 fiscal year starts (which has yet to be worked out) poses real danger to the vitality and support of said bill. The $1 trillion infrastructure bill is said to include: $110 billion for roads and bridges, $66 billion for railroads, $65 billion for the power grid, $65 billion for broadband, $55 billion for water infrastructure, $47 billion for cybersecurity and climate change, $39 billion for public transit, $25 billion for airports, $21 billion for the environment, $17 billion for ports, $11 billion for safety, $8 billion for Western water infrastructure, $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging stations and $7.5 billion for electric school buses. The bill emphasizes influsing green energy with infrastructure to transform the future of the U.S. This bipartisan bill passed in the Senate, however, a stalling of votes in the House may promote delay in support.

The $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill has generally the same motivations behind it but different allocations of money. The bill includes: $135 billion for the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, $332 billion for the Banking Committee, $198 billion for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, $67 billion for the Environment and Public Works Committee, $1.8 trillion for the Finance Committee, $726 billion for the Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee, $37 billion for the HSGAC Committee, $107 billion for the Judiciary Committee, $20.5 billion for the Indian Affairs Committee, $25 billion for the Small Business Committee, $18 billion for the Veterans Affairs Committee, and $83 billion for the Commerce Committee. The Senate passed the outline of the $3.5 trillion bill back in August on a 50 to 49 vote. Republican counterparts have apprehension towards supporting trillions more dollars on a second infrastructure bill. Thus, the viability of this bill, as well as the opportunity for it to even have a vote, remains up in the air, as Friday is the first day of the 2022 fiscal year. Nevertheless, there is no agreement of a fiscal budget to go off of, which proposes the threat of a government shutdown.

The House faces another issue in passing a yearly bill determining the 2022 fiscal spending budget, which is supposed to be completed Oct. 1. With so many bills being passed this week, there is little time to put forth a bipartisan fiscal 2022 budget. Instead, Democrats proposed a temporary budget outline, which could be changed in order to avoid a shutdown. Nevertheless, Republican counterparts are voting down the bill as it does not adhere to the debt ceiling (acting as an emergency fund), even if temporary. The issue with so many bills being voted on this week, rather than a new budget for the 2022 fiscal year which starts Friday, is that if a fiscal budget is not passed by Oct. 1 (which it looks like it will not), the government risks shutting down. A shutdown would further block the Biden Administration’s legislation from passing, as well as create other issues, such as federal workers not getting paid. This week transformative legislation, the legacy of the Biden administration, and the threat of a potential government all lie with the House.

Danielle O’Brien, Editor

Tensions run high in the U.S. this week as Texas enacts a new abortion law, which bans women from getting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. This is just one point of the bill which remains controversial, as frequently, women do not know they are pregnant until the six week mark or later. Another controversial point of the law is that it does not allow any exceptions to those who are victims  of incest and rape. 

Furthermore, the law also affects those who conduct the procedure or help women to gain access to abortions, including Uber drivers. The law calls on Texans to report women they know  who undergo the procedure after six weeks to a website. It also allows civil lawsuits to be filed against these women. One of the most divisive applications of this law is that Texans reporting or suing women who havean abortion after six weeks can earn up to $10,000 in damages from a lawsuit. 

The law, which was put into effect September 1, puts forth many questions surrounding how accurately it could be carried out in the state because of its incongruities. Nevertheless, it was upheld by the Supreme Court on September 8 in a five to four vote where the Supreme Court refused to block the law from going into effect. It is important to note that refusing to block does not mean the same thing as endorsing the law. However, the law can only be overturned if another case is brought to the Supreme Court. 

24 hours after the Supreme Court decision, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against the state of Texas. Remarked by the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, “this kind of scheme, to nullify the constitution of the United States, is one that all Americans, whatever their politics or party, should fear.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Rio Grande, the attitude towards abortion is moving in the opposite direction. The Mexican Supreme Court ruled on September 7 to decriminalize abortion. While Mexico’s supreme court ruling does not automatically make abortion legal throughout Mexico, it does allow women who have been incarcerated for having an abortion to sue the state’s authorities and have their prior charges dropped. The ruling of Mexico’s supreme court not only sets a precedent for the rest of South and Central America, but also for the North. One of the largest Catholic countries is voting against it’s inherently conservative ideas, while it’s neighboring country, the United States, is still struggling to stick to a legal consensus on abortion. Only time will tell if the U.S. will be able to reach a general public conclusion on the abortion debate, as well as stand by it.

Elizabeth Boyle, Staff

Last February, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban and a plan was agreed upon that U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. President Biden decided to proceed with the plan to leave, but decided to adjust the timeline. Biden declared that all U.S. forces would leave Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, exactly 20 years after the attack on the U.S. by the Islamic extremist organization Al-Qaeda.

         Since the U.S. has failed to meet the agreed upon May 1 deadline, the Taliban has announced that it believes the U.S. has violated the terms agreed to in February 2020. At that time, the Taliban agreed not to attack U.S. troops through the May 1 deadline, and they did indeed stop the attacks. The Pentagon is now concerned that U.S. forces might be attacked while in the process of moving out because it is beyond May 1.      

The U.S. military tries to always be prepared for potential threats, and currently has an aircraft carrier nearby, and is ready to move multiple B-52 bombers as well as an Army Ranger task force into the area. The U.S. State Department has also instructed diplomatic personnel in Kabul, Afghanistan to vacate the country unless it is absolutely necessary that they remain. Military specialists say there is hope for a peaceful withdrawal but also potential for the Afghan government to fall soon after the U.S. departs.

Elizabeth Boyle, Staff

During the week of April 14, 2021, Russia increased its military presence along the Ukrainian border, setting off warning flags for the U.S., Ukraine’s ally.

Russia invaded Ukrainian territory near the Crimean Peninsula in February of 2014. Since then, Russia and Ukraine have been in conflict with each other. Two weeks ago, Russia massed the largest number of its troops near its border with Ukraine since the initial invasion in 2014. That same week, President Joe Biden had a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and emphasized the U.S. alliance with Ukraine. Western officials speculated that Putin is either testing President Biden or instigating a military conflict in Europe.

In the week of April 22, 2021, Russia ordered the withdrawal of its troops from the Ukrainian border. President Biden is stressing the importance of de-escalating the tension and reducing Russia’s military presence in Crimea and in other areas adjacent to Ukraine. Moscow said the troops will be returning to their normal bases but there has not been any movement yet. Moscow says the date for completing the withdrawal has been set for May 1, 2021. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the removal of troops because it reduces tension and helps to ensure Ukraine’s safety. 

 Russia claims that its movement of forces on Russian soil was training to insure unit readiness. Russia’s Ministry of Defense has stated that the presence of enhanced troop units near the Ukrainian border shows no threat to the status quo. 

Ukraine has requested additional weapons and military aid from the U.S. to deter further Russian aggression. In the future, President Biden may meet face-to-face with Putin, as the Russian president was already involved in President Biden’s virtual climate summit which happened this past week.

David O’Brien, Editor

On Wednesday, Biden will make his first address to a joint session of Congress. While Biden’s first one hundred days have focused primarily on Trump’s legacy, getting his cabinet in place and COVID-19 relief, this will be Biden’s first attempt at passing the massive infrastructure plan on which his campaign was built. 

The “Build Back Better” infrastructure plan, or The American Jobs Plan, is a sweeping infrastructure bill that will fix roads, restore clean water, create new electrical grids and broadband internet for rural communities, create government subsidized caregiver jobs to care for those unable to afford caregivers and restore union and manufacturing jobs. While this bill may sound too good to be true, the $2 trillion price tag that comes along with it makes its contents seem more realistic. While $2 trillion on infrastructure may seem far too expensive, according to American Society of Civil Engineers, the United States would likely have to spend over $4.5 trillion on infrastructure to fully restore its roads and public works projects.

Biden’s previous calls for this bill’s passage have focused on the U.S.’s competition with China, just infrastructure and wages and the bipartisan agreement that a solution to America’s infrastructural decline must be established. Despite these previous pleas for votes, Biden’s congressional address will primarily focus on convincing moderate Democrats and Republicans to vote in favor of the bill rather than keeping their eyes on the federal budget and deficit. Seeing as the COVID-19 relief bill passed without any Republican votes in Congress, the likelihood of this bill receiving bipartisan support remains low. Republicans continue to hold the view that while the bill does address many key issues, the price is simply too high. It is likely Biden will have to unify the Democratic Congress once again to allow the bill to pass with a narrow 51 votes in the Senate.

The bill served as a keystone of Biden’s campaign and, if not passed, will certainly damage his legacy. The bill and its components were frequently discussed in his campaign as additional help to revitalize the post-pandemic economy. While the COVID-19 relief bill was certainly costly and results can already be seen, this bill would quicken the United States’ effort at economic recovery at exponential speed.