December 13, 2025
GLOBAL SPEAK

Charlie Kirk Assassination Case Tests Media Access, Fair Trial Rights, and a Fractured Political Climate

The man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk has made his first in-person court appearance, marking a new phase in one of the most politically charged criminal cases in recent U.S. history. The hearing in Provo, Utah, was less about the underlying facts of the killing and more about a fundamental tension: how to […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Arkansas Cuts Ties With PBS, Becoming the First U.S. State to Withdraw From the Network

Arkansas is poised to become the first state in the nation to sever its long-standing relationship with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), effective July 1. The move follows a decision by the state’s public broadcaster, Arkansas PBS, to formally withdraw from the national system after months of political tension, funding disputes, and disagreements over editorial […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

ICE, Profit, and Impunity: What Growing Abuses Mean for Public Safety and Accountability

In the last year, a series of stories about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have gone viral: a pregnant woman forced to labor under a non-removable tracking watch; a U.S. citizen of Somali origin tackled and choked on a Minneapolis sidewalk; an ICE supervisor jailed for alleged domestic violence; and a massive new deportation […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

South Carolina Measles Outbreak Accelerates, Driving Hundreds Into Quarantine

Key Points Background & Context Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 due to high vaccination coverage, but recent years have seen a resurgence of the virus, particularly in communities with low immunization rates. Declining vaccination coverage—reported around 90–90.5% in parts of Upstate South Carolina—has made local populations vulnerable to outbreaks. Across […]

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POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY & THE HUMANITIES SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

DOT Waives Final Portion of Southwest Airlines Fine After 2022 Holiday Meltdown

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has waived the final $11 million portion of a civil penalty previously levied against Southwest Airlines for its massive operational breakdown during a severe winter storm in December 2022. The waiver affects part of a $35 million payment the airline owed to the U.S. Treasury under a 2023 settlement […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Waymo Faces Federal Scrutiny After Reports of AVs Passing Stopped School Buses

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous ride-hailing subsidiary, is preparing to file a voluntary software recall after a series of incidents in which its driverless taxis reportedly illegally passed stopped school buses. The move follows a growing federal investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which opened an inquiry in October after a media report showed […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Supreme Court Allows Texas to Use Redrawn Congressional Map

Overview of the Ruling The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6–3 decision along ideological lines, granted Texas permission to use a newly redrawn congressional map that could add up to five Republican-leaning districts for the 2026 midterms. The unsigned order lifts a lower court ruling that had blocked the map due to concerns that the […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Venezuela and Why Trump Targeting

1. What’s actually happening right now From today’s reporting: So, officially: it’s a counter-drug / counter-terror operation. But the scale (carrier group, thousands of troops, airspace rhetoric) looks, to many analysts, more like coercive pressure on a government than a typical drug-interdiction campaign. 2. Official justification: Drugs, terrorism, and “protecting Americans” The Trump administration’s stated […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Global Arms Sales Rise to Record Levels

The latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reveals that the world’s 100 largest weapons manufacturers saw revenues climb 5.9% in 2024, reaching $679 billion, the highest since tracking began. This growth occurred amid escalating geopolitical tensions, most notably the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and increased defense budgets across Europe and […]

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GLOBAL SPEAK

Campbell’s Controversy Mocking “Poor People”

Allegations, Consumer Backlash, Corporate Crisis, and the Bigger Picture The lawsuit filed against Campbell Soup Company has triggered a wave of public anger, raising questions not only about the conduct of a senior executive but also about how major food corporations communicate, manage crises, and maintain trust during a time of unprecedented inflation and financial […]

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