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-Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Last November, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that anti-Zionism, opposition to the existence of a Jewish state, is inherently antisemitic. The statement was directed at BDS, the Palestinian-led movement calling for the boycott, divestment, and sanctioning of Israel. We find similar rhetoric in the Biden administration, where U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that
Blake Ziegler | Tuesday, April 20, 2021
After the passage of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, the Biden administration is looking for its second major victory on infrastructure. The American Jobs Plan is a $2 trillion investment in America’s infrastructure to “reimagine and rebuild a new economy” for the 21st century. The plan envisions modernizing 20,000 miles of highways and
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, April 7, 2021
As a Jewish student, something I’ve noticed during my time at Notre Dame is that most people don’t know much about Judaism. That makes sense, considering we’re a Catholic university, but it also means a large portion of our community has likely not been exposed to anti-Semitism. The purpose of this column is not to
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, March 24, 2021
In 2019, I wrote a column analyzing universal basic income (UBI), a policy championed by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang. There, I argued the UBI debate shouldn’t center on its effectiveness. The literature on UBI suggests that it’s a necessary remedy in combating the poverty and economic injustices plaguing our nation. In an analysis
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, March 10, 2021
“And all the people took off the gold rings that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. This he took from them and cast in a mold, and made it into a golden calf. And they exclaimed, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” (Exodus
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Welcome to election day, Notre Dame! I want to highlight something different about today’s ballot. Two weeks ago, the Student Senate approved a referendum to gauge the student body’s opinion on raising the required signatures for a petition to be referred to the Senate. The Committee on the Constitution envisions raising the required number from
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, February 10, 2021
It’s interesting to see history on the cusp of repeating itself. We saw the rise of our nation’s first two major political parties in the election of 1796, which featured candidates from the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party, factions that vehemently opposed each other’s platforms. Over time, the Democratic-Republicans became the modern Democratic Party.
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, November 11, 2020
After a tumultuous campaign amidst a global pandemic, Joe Biden was elected the next President of the United States. Americans should be proud that despite the challenge of COVID-19, our democracy still stands. Despite delays in counting votes, we should applaud ourselves for voting in record numbers. Yet, the results of this election still demonstrate
Blake Ziegler | Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court after a contentious confirmation process. Since her nomination, Democrats have frequently threatened reforms to the Court in an effort to minimize the victories Republicans have gained in the judiciary. In particular, Democrats have suggested court packing, where they increase the number of justices on the
Blake Ziegler | Wednesday, October 14, 2020
As we move into the fall, coronavirus cases continue to rise. The United States is tallying over 45,000 new cases daily. Deaths are expected to reach nearly 400,000 by February of next year, according to latest projections. With the presidential election only three weeks away, it is fairly common knowledge we will still be dealing