What’s Been Happening in Iran?

By: Elham Abdel Jalil

Most of us are probably somewhat aware of what’s been happening in Iran, but regardless if you are or not, this article will cover the basics of the events of the past weeks and months. Enjoy!

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The Catalyst
Just Stop Oil: Is it Effective?

By: Maggie Reef

As you may or may not have heard, this past October two people threw tomato soup on Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting. The two people are members of a movement called “Just Stop Oil.” Their goal is to stop the development and production of fossil fuels, however, their acts of protest might be doing more harm to the cause.

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The Catalyst
Tw*tter Censorsh*p

By: Margaret Chen

Right from his initial announcement that he intended to do so, Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter remains controversial. On October 28, 2022, Musk secured the $44 billion deal that allowed him ownership of the giant social media platform. He has since made a multitude publicly questioned decisions—including initiating mass layoffs and taking Twitter private.

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The Catalyst
Just Stop Oil Activist Group and Van Gogh

By: Shiwani Tamaskar

On October 14, 2022, two climate activists threw soup on a Van Gogh painting at the National Gallery in London. Part of the environmental activist group Just Stop Oil in the UK, they shouted, “The cost of living crisis is part of the cost of oil crisis, fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families.

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The Catalyst
Brazil and Climate Justice

By: Shu-Li Thakore

Just recently, a Brazilian presidential election took place, potentially determining the future of the Amazon Rainforest and raising questions around climate justice. It is important to understand the definition of climate justice to understand the significance of the Brazilian election.

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The Catalyst
What’s Going on in Iran: An Overview

By Khadija Coats

On September 13, 2022, Mahsa Amini was arrested in Tehran, Iran by Iran’s Morality Police for supposedly violating the Hijab Law, three days later, Mahsa passed away from an “underlying illness” according to Iranian authorities.

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The Catalyst
Forever Chemicals

By: Julia Zhu

It was reported recently that rainwater has now become so polluted with forever chemicals that it is no longer safe to drink. Over the years many water sources have been polluted with forever chemicals, but not to such a severe degree. These forever chemicals are a term used for PFAS, a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.

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The Catalyst
The Death of Queen Elizabeth and Worldwide Feelings

By Liu Von

The world was shocked and devastated when Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022. Everyone’s attention now turns to who will be next in line. Her son, Charles III, acceded the throne and was sworn in on September 10. But what does this mean for the UK and how does the rest of the world feel about this?

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The Catalyst
Am I at Risk of Catching Monkeypox?

By: Sarah Son

Monkeypox, a viral disease causing symptoms similar to those seen in smallpox, has been spreading throughout the United States. Although some are concerned about monkeypox being COVID-19 round 2, this is not the case.

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The Catalyst
Constructivism; North Korea, USA, and Nuclear Weapons

By: Eva Kroh

Emerging from the fall of the USSR in the 1990s, the social theory of constructivism explores how states interact with each other in relation to each actor's own interest. At its core, constructivists examine the social interactions with other actors and how this forms an identity of the actor or state. Contrary to other dominant international theories, like realism, which heavily rely on the principle of dominance, constructivists fundamentally believe in the principle of identity to explain each actor's behavior.

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Economic Policy of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

By: Eva Kroh

Economic policy is the reasoning behind a government/state's actions to influence another state, city, or people. On Thursday, Feb 24, 2022 Russia invaded sovereign Ukrainian territory. Previous to this invasion USA intelligence had watched as hundreds of thousands Russian troops and blood banks lined the Ukraine-Russia border. It was clear that Russia was planning an invasion.

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The Catalyst
Ukraine and Russia Conflict

By: Eva Kroh

In February 2014 tensions in and around Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv erupted in protest over President Viktor Yanukovych’s rejection of economic integration with the European Union (EU). Some had interpreted these protests as a signal of the Ukrainians desire to assimilate and embrace western European ideals, and separate Ukraine from their previous Soviet Union ties. This uproar caught the attention of many actors and states globally, specifically, Russia.

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COP26

By: Elsa Plank

The 26th Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), hosted by the UN, ended on November 13. Held in Glasgow from October 31 to November 13, 2021, it was the first COP summit in almost two years due to COVID-19.

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The City in a Garden: Meet the Future of Metropolises

By: Kaila Morris

In Singapore’s Supertree Grove, fifty-meter-high gardens tower above the sidewalks like trees–– but rather than having a woody composition, each trunk is fortified by surpluses of vibrant plants. This latticework of flowers and ferns awes visitors as it travels upwards, branching off into a scientific beauty: a canopy of metal branches, curved like an inverted umbrella, that converts sunlight into energy.

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