‘Various international actors hope to influence the result for their own benefit’

‘Armenia as a bridge, not a battleground’

Artin DerSimonian at Newsweek

Armenians “head to the polls this June for their first regularly scheduled parliamentary elections in nine years,” and in this “restless domestic environment, an array of external actors is seeking to influence the election and Armenia’s strategic trajectory,” says Artin DerSimonian. Rather than “pursuing a ‘with us or against us’ approach, those states seeking to influence the election would be wise to recognize that Armenia can serve as a far better bridge than battleground.”

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‘Distracted driving is a deadly choice. So is Florida’s inaction.’

Demetrius Branca at USA Today

Distracted driving is “not really an accident. It is a choice,” says Demetrius Branca. Drivers who “use their phones behind the wheel dramatically increase their risk of crashing.” Despite “being one of the most populous states in the country and one of the most dangerous for pedestrians and motorcyclists, Florida still allows drivers to hold and use phones.” It is “not too late for the people who will die next year if Florida continues to delay.”

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‘California’s proposed billionaire tax has ultrarich in full panic mode’

Mariel Garza at The Boston Globe

It “could lead to the financial ruin of California, the obliteration of Silicon Valley, and possibly even the end of capitalism as we know it. At least, that’s what you might reasonably conclude from the histrionic responses to the California Billionaire Tax Act,” says Mariel Garza. People might “think that the main proponent of the measure, the state’s largest health care union, SEIU-UHW, was calling for heads, not levies.” But the public’s “attitude has shifted.”

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‘Surveilled on your own campus’

Hannah Epstein at The Nation

Across the “country, colleges have used extraordinary measures to surveil protesters following more than two years of pro-Palestinian protests,” says Hannah Epstein. These “stories demonstrate how student activism and free speech on campus have been under increasing attack.” The “tactics colleges have used to surveil students are unprecedented,” and students have been “increasingly fearful of expressing themselves politically on campus.” The “lingering effects of these policies” are “even affecting students who have yet to experience them directly.”

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