Author: hopkinspofa

In today's episode, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States Karin Olofsdotter discusses Sweden's decision to apply for NATO membership and depart from its historical policy of nonalignment. Sweden's NATO Accession Episode Credits: Editor: Lidie Ataoguz Hosts: Julia An, Nicole Rivas Music: Zee Yuen

In January 2022, Kazakhstan faced the biggest protests the country has ever seen, resulting in mass casualties and spurring efforts for democratic reform. In this episode, we discuss the past civic conflicts in Kazakhstan and why the protests in 2022 became violent. How did President Tokayev and his government respond to these protests? How likely … Continue reading Democracy in Kazakhstan

People around the world have seen the effects of climate change – such as droughts, rising ocean levels, and changing weather patterns – that have exacerbated ongoing food and health crises. These are all alarming reminders that the existential deadlines for international climate goals are fast-approaching. A global energy crisis prompted by Russia’s invasion of … Continue reading Climate Policy Debates

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in clear violation of the UN charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Since the invasion, there have been real-time reports of war crimes being committed by the Russian military in Ukraine, including the targeting and killing of civilians. … Continue reading Russia in the International Criminal Court

With Article II treaties decreasing drastically over the past administrations, there has been a trend of presidents using executive agreements to handle international affairs. This increasingly liberal use of executive agreements along with unilateral withdrawal and re-entering of recent treaties has been the causes for conflict. Can presidents withdraw from treaties without Congressional consent? Are … Continue reading Foreign Policy Toolbox: International Agreements

Today we will be discussing the ongoing violence and civil conflict in Colombia, a country that has been marked by growing tensions between guerilla groups and the national government. Since the 2016 peace plan to ease such tensions and punish the extremist groups, there has been a rise in street protests, violence, and internally displaced … Continue reading Civil Conflict in Colombia

With the increase in the 2023 defense budget predicted to be in the 100 billions, there has been much controversy over the announcement. In this episode, we will discuss the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act and Biden’s and the Senate’s controversial increases in defense budget. We will explore the various responses from both political parties … Continue reading Biden’s 2023 Defense Budget

After months of harsh and relentless Covid-19 lockdowns, China’s major cities have begun opening up again. In this episode, we will examine the current state of China’s zero covid policy. We will discuss the lockdowns in Shanghai and Beijing and explore the effects of the zero covid policy on China’s economy and political stability. Finally, … Continue reading China’s Zero Covid Policy

As Russia’s war on Ukraine worsens, the issue of rising food prices and accessibility has come to the forefront.  In this episode, we will examine the key causes of the current global food shortage and its effects on countries such as Africa, Egypt, and Sri Lanka. We will discuss the effects that increases in food … Continue reading Global Food Crisis